Pale Ale

Beer Name: Lefty's Pale Ale
Brewery: Lefty's Brewing Company
ABV: 6%
Serving method: 16-oz pint poured from a 22-oz bottle
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Last time I tried this beer, it had been sitting open in Kathryn's fridge for a couple weeks (or months possibly), so it wasn't too spectacular. Or even drinkable. Seriously, I did my best to drink it, and managed like 3 sips. So obviously this isn't the type of beer that you can open, then not finish, and then let sit for an extended period of time. Having committed such a grievous beer atrocity, I felt that I owe it to Lefty to give his beer a real try.

This pale ale is lovely golden color with a thick head. The foam sticks around for an extended period of time, and it leaves a heavy lacing on the glass. The aroma is mostly hops (Cascade hops, if my nose is correct), and there is a slight hint of sweetness.

The taste come in two parts. There is a sweet flavor at the beginning, and then the hops finish with their standard bitter taste. The sweetness is similar to the sweet flavors I was getting from Lefty's Coffee Porter and English-Style Porter. I think that has to come from the malt being used. The beer is lightly carbonated, and finishes with a very mild bitterness.

Final thought - I want to like this beer, mostly because it's available within 10 minutes of Kathryn's house, but it's too sweet for me. Not too sweet for a beer, but too sweet for a pale ale. Just give me a bunch of hops and we'll be fine. Don't get crazy.

-Jon

Dead Horse IPA

Beer Name: Dead Horse India Pale Ale
Brewery: McNeill's Brewery
ABV: 5.7%
Serving method: 16-oz pint poured from a 22-oz bottle
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown, best by Jan 2011

McNeill's is another brewery that is fairly close to Kathryn's, but they have a website that is completely uninformative. I spent a pathetic amount of time on it yesterday trying to figure out whether they sold beer directly at the brewery and what hours the brewery is open, and came away with no answer to either question. That's annoying. Instead, I had to pick up a bottle of their beer at Ryan & Casey, a place with very clear hours and beer availability that I have to assume charges me more than I would have paid at McNeill's. Bastards.

Usually this is the point where'd I make a joke along the lines of "it's made with bits of dead horse, so you know it's good!" Except that dead horse sounds gross, so I'll skip that part. The beer is a cloudy orange brown color. There is a small head on the beer that lasts for a good amount of time. It also leaves a light lacing on the glass. The aroma is of flowery hops.

The Dead Horse IPA is not as hoppy tasting as I expected it to be. There is a light hop flavor, but it's more of a bitter finish than the main flavor. The initial flavor is maltiness, with a medium to high amount of carbonation. The beer also has a strong, dry aftertaste with some emphasis on the bitterness.

Final thought - This beer seems a bit different from the standard IPA. There is less hoppiness and more malt flavor than what I'm used to. After the initial surprise, I like that flavor. I am not as big a fan of the dry finish. I would drink this again, but not frequently.

-Jon

Our Oatmeal Stout

Beer Name: Our Oatmeal Stout
Brewery: The People's Pint
ABV: 5.1%
Serving method: 16-oz pint poured from a 22-oz bottle
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

I am not sure whether to refer to this beer as "Our Oatmeal Stout" because that's what is says on the label, or "Their Oatmeal Stout" because saying "Our" makes it sound like it's my beer. It's sort of like that scene from The Simpsons where Bart is answering the question about who can prevent forest fires. That's a really old episode, so if you don't remember it, I'll let it slide. This time. I guess technically this specific bottle is mine, so henceforth, it will be "My Oatmeal Stout." Glad we cleared that up.

My Oatmeal Stout is dark. No light is making it through this beer. There is no head on it at all, which is probably why there wasn't any lacing. I am not sure if the beer is supposed to be like that or if my bottle was defective/old/out-of-date. I guess we'll have to wait for the tasting portion to find out. It smells like chocolate mostly, with a faint aroma of oats.

The first sip of the beer has the chocolate flavor I was expecting from the aroma. There is also a little bit of grain flavor, which I'm guessing is from the oatmeal. It's a very smooth beer with almost no carbonation. That's what I was expecting based on the lack of head, so maybe I know a little bit more about beer than I thought. There's a very light hint of hops at the back end, and a slight aftertaste of bitter chocolate.

Final thought - I enjoyed this beer. I don't think that it's my favorite stout, but I wouldn't mind having it again. Another quality brew from the fine folks at The People's Pint.

-Jon

Gold Spike

Beer Name: BBC Gold Spike
Brewery: Berkshire Brewing Company
ABV: 4.2%
Serving method: 16-oz pint
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

I guess that this beer continues the theme of railroads that Steel Rail started.

Gold Spike is a light golden yellow color with a slight head that is very short-lasting. I had it in a weird glass, and it didn't leave much lacing behind. The smell was similar to the smell of most mainstream beers, like Bud, Miller, or Coors Light(s).

This beer tasted like it smelled, which means it tasted like the basic offerings from the big American macrobreweries. Although Anheuser-Busch is now owned by InBev, so is that still an American company? Who cares, as that is not relevant to this discussion. The point is that this tastes like a slightly more beer-y version of those beers. I bet that Dave would like it, especially if we told him that it was Bud Light draft.

Final thought - I am not a big fan of those crappy Light beers. Obviously I'll drink them at places like the Festa or keg parties or while I'm playing a little pong, but in those situations, the idea is to drink as much as possible. If I'm relaxing with a beer, I want something with more flavor. Kathryn said she'd drink it again, so it looks like we have a hung jury here. Looks like you'll have to try it for yourself.

-Jon

Blueberry Ale

Beer Name: Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
Brewery: Atlantic Brewing Company
ABV: 5.2%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle poured into a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown, best by Feb 2011

I wonder who the first person was that decided that combining blueberries with beer might be a delicious idea. Obviously this man was a genius. I realize that it's pretty sexist to assume it was a guy, but I'm just playing the odds here. As they say, don't hate the player; hate the game. I am not exactly sure how that fits in here, but let's just go with it.

This particular blueberry offering comes from the folks who brought you Coal Porter: Secret Agent. It's an amber-esque colored beer with hardly any head. And that little bit is not there very long. I also did not get much lacing. Blueberry Ale smells mostly like blueberries. Big surprise. There is also a background smell of something grainy, which gives an overall impression of a blueberry muffin. That's good, as blueberry muffins are delicious.

The first sip is dominated by blueberry. Strangely, the berry taste faded as I continued drinking it. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. The beer has a crisp taste from the carbonation, and finishes without an aftertaste. Very refreshing.

Final thought - As far as fruit beers go, this is a good one. I'd like to enjoy a few in the summer while sitting in Kathryn's hammock and pretending I'm not going to fall asleep. Hopefully I finish the beer first so that I don't spill it all over myself.

-Jon

English-Style Porter

Beer Name: Lefty's English-Style Porter
Brewery: Lefty's Brewing Company
ABV: 6%
Serving method: 16-oz pint poured from a 22-oz bottle
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Apparently Lefty does not like putting dates on his bottles. Since I bought it straight from the brewery, I am fairly confident that it is pretty fresh.

This is another "style" beer, as opposed to those beers which are not any style I suppose. Like maybe the beer is a mystery and you have to figure out what style it is just by drinking it. The next step after that would be bottles that are completely unmarked. Maybe it's beer, maybe it's soda, maybe it's a bottle of water that we put a Bud Light cap on to see if we could fool Dave.

The English-Style Porter is a dark amber color with a bunch of head that slowly fades away while leaving a bit of lacing behind. It smells roasty and sweet, and also a little bit fruity. That last part is weird, because I didn't know that porters had anything in them that would give off the smell of fruit. Usually I associate them with a very strong roasted aroma and flavor.

This beer is sweet. Not too sweet for me, but it's very sweet. It has a little bit of fruit flavor, then a sweet flavor and a slightly sweet aftertaste. This is another very smooth beer with only a little carbonation.

Final thought - This is a nice beer to drink after dinner while just sitting and relaxing. It's not my favorite Lefty's beer though, so I think it will probably be forced to live in the shadows of the Irish-Style Stout, the Coffee Porter, and, presumably, the Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. At least Lefty's is less than 10 miles from Kathryn's, so I can get nice fresh beer easily, regardless of which one I choose.

-Jon

Coffee Porter

Beer Name: Lefty's Coffee Porter
Brewery: Lefty's Brewing Company
ABV: 6%
Serving method: 16-oz pint poured from a 22-oz bottle
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

I find it strange that I like coffee in everything except actual coffee. Coffee Coolatta? Good. Coffee ice cream? Good. Coffee beer? Good. Actual coffee? No thanks.

Lefty's Coffee Porter was my second choice since they did not have any Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (that has to be good; just look at the name!). That stout is elusive! I also got another bottle of the Irish-Style Stout and a bottle of English-Style Porter. Hopefully they will not start a war inside the fridge.

The Coffee Porter is a dark reddish brown color. There is practically no head, and it's all gone within a few seconds. I am curious if that has something to do with the coffee that is used. Maybe there is something in caffeine that represses the carbonation. Also, if you're wondering, the coffee used is Sumatra coffee. I have no idea if that is a company or a type of bean or a style of roasting the beans, but that's what it is. Obviously the main aroma is coffee, but there is a slight secondary aroma of sweet malt.

Coffee is the also the most noticeable flavor, which you probably expected. It's not overwhelming though, and there is a nice sweetness to the beer as well. This beer is not bitter at all, and it finishes with hardly any aftertaste. It's very smooth, and there's very little carbonation.

Final thought - If you like coffee beers, this is a good one. It's not on the same par as my two favorites (which haven't been discussed yet, so they must remain mysterious), but it's definitely a close 3rd. If you ever find yourself in Bernardston for some reason, you should stop by Lefty's and pick up a bottle.

-Jon

HI.P.A

Beer Name: Hi.P.A
Brewery: Magic Hat
ABV: 6.7%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle poured into a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Hi.P.A is one of Magic Hat's "IPA on Tour" beers, which has to mean something. I am not exactly sure what it means, but my guess is that they are doing a series of IPAs, and this is one of them. Based on the name, I am suspecting that it is a beer that is an IPA and high in alcohol. Also, that is based on the fact that it's packing a 6.7% ABV.

The beer is a pale orangey yellow, sort of like a light honey. It pours with a boatload of head that sticks around for a little while without overstaying its welcome. As it fades, it leaves a heavy lacing on the glass. There is a strong smell of hops here, and maybe something citrus.

Hi.P.A. tastes very hoppy. It's pretty much the defining flavor, which is what is supposed to happen with an India Pale Ale, so hooray! The beer starts a little sweet with that citrus I mentioned earlier, and then you get the hops and bitter finish. The aftertaste is mild and also pretty hoppy. It's like I'm eating hops!! As for carbonation, this fits into the light category with an overall smooth drinkability.

Final thought - I think this beer is great. I'm a big fan of hoppy beers now, and this one is high in the hop department. If you like IPAs and don't mind the bitter finish, this is a beer for you.

-Jon

Coal Porter

Beer Name: Coal Porter
Brewery: Atlantic Brewing Company
ABV: 6.5%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle poured into a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Coal Porter sounds like it could be the bad guy in an action movie. Or the good guy in a video game where you do a lot of shooting. Either way, it would be spelled "Cole Porter," but you get the idea.

Atlantic Brewing Company is a microbrewery in Bar Harbor, specializing in small-batch brewing and also soda. Mom and Chuck got us a sample pack (and also a 6-pack of root beer that was entirely consumed in my absence) during their delayed honeymoon, and that is exciting because it means new beers to try.

Coal Porter is a dark brown beer with a thin head and a whole lot of lacing. The lacing is so thick that it's practically not lacing, but rather more of a foamy cloud left behind on the glass. There is a deep roasted aroma with a hint of sweetness, probably chocolate.

It tastes like a porter. Obviously that's not very helpful, but if you know porters, you know what you're getting here. There's a brief taste of sweetness, and then the roasted bitterness at the end. Light carbonation in there as well. The ABC site claims that there is a subtle hop flavor to this beer, but I'm not getting it. Maybe it's because I am expecting the flavor of Cascade hops, and this one doesn't use those. The point is, there's not a whole lot of hops going on here, so don't be expecting major hoppiness. There's also a mild aftertaste that hangs around a bit after each sip.

Final thought - The Coal Porter is a good beer if you're looking for something heavy. It's got a fairly strong flavor, although it's not overpowering. I don't know when I'll ever get another one, but I'll be keeping on eye out for it.

-Jon

Black & Tan

Beer Name: Saranac Black & Tan
Brewery: The Matt Brewing Company
ABV: 5.1%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

This beer has not one but two mysteries! The first is when it was brewed, and the second is why does the beer's webpage and the Beer Advocate page about this beer have two different ABVs? Someone has to be wrong there.

Before we get into this specific beer, I think a little beer education is in order. If you already know all there is to know about black and tans, you can skip this paragraph. For the rest of you, a black and tan is a hybrid beer mix of a dark beer (like a stout) and a light beer (like a pale ale) to make a new Frankenbeer. Those beer types aren't fixed though, since I've read that you can also use a porter for the dark one and a lager for the light. Hey, if you're the one that's drinking, you can do whatever you want. You can get a black & tan premixed, like the beer I'm about to drink, or you can make a cool layer effect by pouring the light beer in first, and then carefully pouring the stout on top of it. If you do this, use Guinness as your stout, which is actually very light in stark contrast to both its reputation and appearance. Don't let people fool you; Guinness is less than 5% ABV, which means you can have a bunch before you get silly. It also means that it's a good choice for black & tans, because if you're going to be making fancy drinks (where "fancy" means "requiring any sort of effort"), you might as well make a bunch of them.

The Saranac Black & Tan is a mix of stout and lager. Specifically a German lager if the bottle can be believed. The aroma of this beer is dominated by sweet malt from the stout contribution. I am not picking up anything from the lager, and I'm guessing that is because the maltiness is dominating everything else.

This beer's taste comes in two parts. First you taste the malt and sweetness of the stout, and then you get the bitter finish of the lager. This beer feels very heavy while you're drinking it, and the aftertaste sticks around for a while. There's a lot more carbonation in there than I would expect from something containing stout beer, so that has to be from the lager. Drink this beer fast; letting it warm up a little kills the flavor.

Final thought - Saranac Black & Tan is not a beer for a situation with a lot of drinking. This is a beer to be paired with a meal or to drink on a cold winter night when there's nothing good on television so you might as well clear out the beer fridge. Even though I have been told it isn't possible, this beer feels like it warms me up. It's not a beer I'd drink regularly, but I will keep it in mind from time to time. Think of it like Julian Tavares: the Sox never really wanted to put him in the game, but it wasn't the end of the world if they had to. Unlike Rudy Seanez.

-Jon

Irish-Style Stout

Beer Name: Lefty's Irish-Style Stout
Brewery: Lefty's Brewing Company
ABV: 6.8%
Serving method: 16-oz pint poured from a 22-oz bottle
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

I briefly documented this beer during my recap of The Beer-hemoth 5, but it wasn't as comprehensive as it deserved. Let us do justice to this fine brew now.

I mentioned that I don't really care for the word "style" in the name of the beer. Look, I realize that if a beer is brewed in Franklin County, Massachusetts, it's obviously not from Ireland. Perhaps they should have consulted me before naming this one. Maybe they'll hire me if they win that small business grant they are in the running for. Man, that would be sweet!

After pouring my pint, the beer was a very deep brown and had a very small amount of head that quickly disappeared. Not very much in the lacing department here, although that did not negatively impact my enjoyment of the beer. Sadly, I can't tell what the smell is. However, for once it's not because I can't identify it, but because my nose has completely closed itself as an unnecessary reaction to Kathryn's cats. I think I am picking up a faint coffee aroma, but I can't be sure. I will have to buy another bottle and give it a proper sniffing. Wow, that sounds dirty.

The Irish-Style Stout had a good stout flavor. You get a little coffee flavor, then some sweetness like chocolate or something. At the finish, there is a mild bitterness and a lingering aftertaste. The beer has very light carbonation, and is very smooth.

Final thought - Lefty's Irish-Style Stout is a great beer for you dark-beer drinkers out there. It has pretty much everything you'd expect in a stout beer. I bet my next bottle will be ever better once my scent receptors are back online. Stupid cats.

-Jon

PS - In the Department of Awesome Things, I typed "lefty's irish style stout" into Google, and my Beer-hemoth 5 was one of the first few things that popped up! I took a screenshot of it in case people don't believe me. I also learned how to take screenshots on my Mac. Wow, today was a good day.