Harpoon - Big Bohemian Pilsner (Leviathan Series)

You may have noticed that I don't often review pilsners on this site. What is a pilsner, you ask? It is a Czech beer style that is the basis for most of our American domestic beer (Budweiser, for example, is a pilsner). Pilsners are characterized by their clear yellow color (something that Greg Koch would probably label "fizzy yellow beer") and thin, dry taste. They're the beer equivalent of a mild white wine.

But, I thoroughly enjoyed the other offerings in Harpoon's Leviathan series, so I picked it up anyway.

It pours like the perfect beer commercial - clear yellow with dancing bubbles and a fine, rising head that spills a little bit over the edge of the glass. But that's where the similarities to Budweiser end. The smell is flowery, hoppy and absolutely inviting. The taste is thicker in the mouth (more syrupy) than any other pilsner I've ever tried, and has a nice level of malty smoothness. Its finish is slightly dry, but not as much as I expected. This could be because Harpoon has added quite a bit of malts in here and the alcohol flavor might take away some of the dryness too. For me, that's a good thing, and I enjoyed drinking this a lot.

There is a vague hint of that "beery" taste that I can only describe as what happens to cheap beer when it warms - I don't know where it comes from but its one of the reasons I don't drink domestic beer very often. Maybe its the particular types of malts used that make it a pilsner. I will say that the tiny hint is enough to give it character, without making it a "beer for wussies."

The 9%ABV also speaks to that, and I don't think I've had anything in a long time that's that color and that light packing so much of a punch there. Harpoon has another winner here, and if you thin you know all about pilsners, watch out, this one will change your mind quickly.

Rock Art Brewery - Vermontster

Rock Art Brewery is one that I discovered in my travels to Vermont and Keene, NH. I still can't get any of their brews out in the seacoast area, and I've made a mental note, again, to ask some of my distributor friends about the reason why.

The Vermonster was brewed as a 10th anniversary ale, and unlike the rather weak barleywine that I tried from Rock Art before (see my Ridge Runner Review), this one is all guns blazing. It is made with 110 pounds of malt per barrel! The smell gives some of this away as well, with a nice deep citrus and almost roasty aroma.

The color is a dark walnut or cherry brown, and looks beautiful when held up to the light. It has a very bitter, syrupy and thick mouthfeel.

Its described as a barleywine style ale. It comes on with some hops but the malts to a great job of giving it some depth. It is certainly not a sweet barleywine, but is instead a maltier one.

The taste is of alcohol with a little bitterness that adds some intrigue, and I'd go as far to say that I might like this one even better than I like the Portsmouth Brewery's barleywine. (Though, of course, I'd have to taste both side by side to be sure).

I'm sorry I don't have a picture of this, so I hope you will accept in its place a short video of the head brewer at Rock Art explaining the beer and their label. Enjoy!

Vermonster from Matt and Renee on Vimeo.

Shipyard XXXX IPA

The newest release from the Pugsley Signature Series happens to be an IPA, which is just in time since I have been straying from hoppy brews lately and have been missing their bite. The packaging on the Pugsley series is quite attractive, and I really like that they're continuing to put out some really special brews.

The color on this is beautiful for an IPA - a bright copper orange with plenty of head. It smells hoppy and bold, and definitely smells stronger than a typical IPA.

The taste is bitter with a sharp, bright punch of hops, but with a pleasant bitter aftertaste. It is well balanced, but the aftertaste of the hops is what makes this beer delightful - it reminds you of the hops you've just consumed without giving you a whiskey face. It isn't overly malty or syrupy, though, and is a bit more on the hop end of the spectrum for an imperial. Its like the hops are in there and they're just mellowed, or disguised.

This would be a great beer for someone to explore what hops can do to a beer. It comes in at 9.25% ABV which might be a "step up" for the casual craft beer drinker, but if you like the complexity that hops can bring to a beer, then this one is for you.

I also had the opportunity to have this on cask at the Coat of Arms Pub, and found it to be a bitter treat. The casking process does funny things to a beer's taste, sometimes good, sometimes bad. In this case, the Shipyard XXXX IPA is enjoyable either way, and I urge you to seek it out!

Lakefront Brewery - New Grist Beer

One of the reasons I don't like some "big" beers made by Anheuiser Busch and Coors is that they use rice in their beer - making it thin, light and weak in flavor. Substituting the grain to save money, and be more consistent in their brewing. 

However, when a beer is brewed with rice (or in this case, rice and sorghum) for a specific reason, and with the same care and attention as a craft brew, I might have to give it a chance, I think.

This is brewed by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee Wisconsin, and is described on the label as being a crisp and refreshing session beer. It was brewed specifically for those unable to digest wheat - with either a gluten (the protein found in wheat) allergy or Celiac disease. When people with Celiac disease eat foods that contain gluten, it creates an immune reaction that causes damage to the digestive system. It is a very difficult disease to live with, since gluten is found in many common food items, and even a small amount can prove toxic.  (More information on Celiac disease) There are a few wheat free beers out there, and I was eager to try this one to see if it would be a good beer for my aunt suffering from the disease to try. According to Lakefront Brewery's website:

New Grist is brewed from sorghum, hops, water, rice and gluten-free yeast grown on molasses. These ingredients are carefully combined to form a crisp and refreshing "session ale" sure to be popular among those with Celiac Disease, but really brewed for anyone with an appreciation for great tasting, handmade beer.

It pours like a pilsner, with big quick bubbles ad a light golden color. The bubbles dissipate like soda, and I wonder if that's from the lack of gluten holding them there. I'd have to say that it has more color than some light beers I've seen in the hands of college students back in the day. The smell, too is interesting - a sweet citrus almost apple, but light and not hoppy. 

I will be honest, I've never had anything made with sorghum (a grass-like grain - see picture) so the flavor of it was hard to pick out. I did like the taste though. It wasn't malty, but more like a lightly carbonated summer beer. It was actually enjoyable as a pale ale type beer, and I would order this intentionally over one of the big two any day. For anyone having problems digesting wheat, this is a winner - it is obvious that the brewers worked long and hard to make this tasty. 

Regular beer drinkers have bashed this on a couple of review sites, but think about it this way. If you were suddenly stricken with a disease that didn't allow you to have any beer at all, would you settle for a decent pale ale that you could safely consume? I think this is a great effort and a step forward for gluten free beer. I guess rice can be a good thing sometimes.

So there. 

Leinenkugel's - 1888 Bock

So, funny thing... I saw a six pack of this at Smiley's in Dover, grabbed two bottles out of it to make a mixed six pack, got home, and found that they were actually Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat. D'oh. On attempt number two, though, I managed to actually look at the bottles and get the 1888 Bock into my fridge.

I'll admit to a little hesitation trying this. I mean, Leinenkugel, in my mind, can be really hit or miss. Their low for me was the Summer Shandy - it had a terrible fake lemonade taste and was almost undrinkable. But, I don't judge a brewery only on one beer, so I decided to see what the 1888 bock was all about.

Interestingly, this was brewed from an old family recipe. 

In the spring of 1888, after 21 years of brewing in Chippewa Falls and one of the harshest winters anyone in the Midwest could remember, the then Jacob Leinenkugel Spring Brewery staff realized Leinie fans were primed for the brand's first seasonal brew. So, they produced a hearty bock beer, a style that rose to popularity as a source of sustenance for monks during the Lenten fasting season and can be traced back to14th century Germany. (from an article on Beer Advocate)

I've looked up and talked about what a Bock is before, but its worth another mention. A lager beer, bocks are brewed to be strong and celebrate the coming of spring. The color on this one is dark mahogany, typical of most bocks. The smell is also malty and slightly raisny. 

I like the taste of this, and I was pleasantly surprised about how drinkable it is. I like how creamy it feels int he mouth, and its malts are mellow but flavorful. There is even a slight bit of caramel taste to the malts. It is smooth without being heavy, and its an accessible bock. It is not as complex as others blocks I've had, but I like it. And that's all I need for a nice spring lager.