Crowtown Pale Ale

Beer Name: Crowtown Pale Ale
Brewery: Madison Brewing Company
ABV: ?
Serving method: 16-oz draft in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Kate and I took a trip out to Bennington to check out the Madison Brewing Company, resulting in an enjoyable meal and some new beer to drink.

Crowtown Pale Ale is an orange-brown beer, with a thick head of almost two fingers in width. It faded very slowly, leaving a bunch of lacing behind. The aroma is mainly citrus hops, and some other hops in the background.

This beer has a nice hop flavor, but it's not very bitter. The more it warms up, the more the maltiness comes through, and it becomes sweeter as the pint progresses. The finish is clean, without any noticeable aftertastes.

Final thought - This is an enjoyable beer, and a slightly above average pale ale. The logo also has a crow wearing a top hat, and that's pretty cool.

-Jon

A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

Beer Name: A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
ABV: 7.5%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Kate and I were excited to find out that Whole Foods Market has a craft beer section. Well, she wasn't that excited, but I was really excited and that was probably enough for both of us. The excitement was dampened a little when we arrived and we found that the selection was smaller than I was hoping for it to be. More beer choices is generally a better thing.

I did end up with a couple new brews to try, one of which was Lagunitas' somewhat ridiculously titled A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale. This is a golden orange beer that poured into my glass with a big fluffy head. This faded away slowly, leaving a nice lacing pattern behind. The aroma here is a big blast of hops, with a major emphasis on the citrus hops. There's also a very noticeable sweet graininess as well.

The sweetness and hops are both present in the taste. Most prevalent to me is a sweet grapefruit flavor along with some other citrusy flavors, mostly lemony. It also has a bready sweetness to it that keeps the bitterness from the hops in check. Actually, this beer is not very bitter at all, unlike most hoppy beers. It finishes with a nice bit of hops and malt, and the aftertaste of hops hangs on for quite a while.

Final thought - This beer is great! It has a bunch of flavor, but it's not quite as bitter as their IPA or Maximus. There's a lot of sweetness here as well, and everything is very enjoyable.

-Jon

Simcoe Spring Ale

Beer Name: Simcoe Spring Ale
Brewery: Peak Organic Brewing Company
ABV: 5.4%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by Sept 2012

Peak Organic was having a beer tasting over at Ryan & Casey, so I figured I'd return some bottles and check out their wares. The tasting host was a very friendly guy, and I was the only person there are this particular time, so we got to talk about beer, and he got to hear the woeful tale of Kate's and my failure to procure any Peak beer at the 2010 Vermont Brewers Festival due to a thunderstorm. It is a very sad story. Also, I got a free pint glass because I ended up buying some Peak beer. Good times.

Simcoe Spring Ale is one of Peak's seasonal beers, and, despite spring having only just started, is about to be phased out in place of their summer brew. All these calendar shenanigans are a direct result of Sam Adams sending Summer Ale out at the beginning of April, and it's starting to annoy me. It's getting to the point where I need a beer spreadsheet to keep track of what seasonals are available when. Actually, that's not a terrible idea...

I'm getting sidetracked. Simcoe Spring is a slightly hazy copper beer that poured from the bottle with a nice fluffy head nearly two fingers high. (I did not drink the beer from my newly acquired pint glass, as that was hanging out in the packie and probably should be washed before use.) The head faded away fairly slowly, and it left a heavy lacing behind. The aroma is a bit hoppier than I remember it being at the tasting, but that could be because I tried the Hop Noir first, and its intense hoppiness dulled my senses. I'm getting some piney and citrusy hop notes, which makes sense given that this beer probably uses Simcoe hops. Unfortunately, this means that the beer I picked because I thought Kate might like it too is obviously going to fail in that department.

This is a nice citrusy beer, although the hop bitterness isn't nearly as much as the aroma might led you to believe. It's still hoppy, but it's an easily manageable amount of hoppiness. Maybe even someone who avoids hoppy beers would enjoy it. There's not really any maltiness here, so the hops have the whole stage to themselves. It's a fairly carbonated beer, but it's still pretty smooth. The finish is a little bitter, and there's a mild aftertaste of pine.

Final thought - Everything about this beer seems like it would be enjoyable in the gradually warming spring weather, which makes it baffling that it is around in January, February and March. I should probably write myself a note to pick some of this up next year and store it for later, but I am lazy and I won't. I will make a point of saying that this is a nice beer, and I would be glad to drink it again.

-Jon

Dale's Pale Ale

Beer Name: Dale's Pale Ale
Brewery: Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery
ABV: 6.5%
Serving method: 12-oz can... in a plastic cup
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

I'm so embarrassed to have consumed a craft beer out of a plastic cup. But I was out at a bar, and it was super busy, and it was either that or drink it straight out of the can, which is only appropriate at cookouts and parties. That was a ridiculous run-on sentence, but I don't care.

Dale's Pale Ale is, somewhat surprisingly considering its name, a fairly dark copper-colored beer. Given the nature of my beer's container, there wasn't really going to be any lacing. Or, if there was, it wasn't going to be noticeable since the cup was also white. There was a good head on it, however, so I'd imagine that in a proper glass things would be looking good. The aroma is a mix of light citrus and pine hops, and pretty typical of the American pale ale style.

This first thing that hits me about this beer is that it's a more bitter flavor than I was expecting. There's a maltiness to help balance it out, but there is definitely a sharp dry bitter flavor at the finish. It was a little jarring at first actually. After a few sips, I was a little more prepared for the flavor, and it was pretty enjoyable. It has a good carbonation and a bitter aftertaste that hangs around for a long time.

Final thought - This was a pretty good beer. The finish was a little dry for me, but that's just a personal preference. I think that the next time I drink one of these, I wouldn't make it my first beer of the night so that I can warm up my tastebuds a little bit.

-Jon

The Buk

Beer Name: The Buk Pale Ale
Brewery: Wormtown Brewing Co.
ABV: 5.5%
Serving method: 16-oz draft in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

This beer marks the 100th beer review of the year, meaning I actually accomplished something I set out to do without giving up in the middle like I usually do after I get bored. Hooray! Go me!!

The Buk is a special beer from Wormtown that only seems to be available on draft in the more eastern portions of Massachusetts. Whatever, elitist jerks. It's a fairly light beer, sort of a golden amber color, more on the golden side. It has a fairly hoppy aroma, but also some wheat- or bread- or grain-like scents in there. It arrived with a good sized head that slowly faded, leaving some lacing behind.

I didn't know what exactly to expect from this beer, since "pale ale" encompasses a wide variety of flavors. Luckily, this one is technically an American pale ale, which is the type I prefer as they tend to be hoppier than their British counterparts. There's a nice balance of the hop bitterness with the grainy malts here, and the whole thing works well. The beer has a good amount of carbonation, which works well with the flavor and gives it a nice drinkable quality.

Final thought - I would drink this beer again. You know, assuming I can find it. It's possible that, after drinking the Hoptical Illusion, my palate was set up to enjoy this beer with its more balanced flavor. I think that I was going to enjoy it no matter what though.

-Jon

Pale

Beer Name: Pale
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 6.1%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: DOB was 5/4/11

This beer is outside my arbitrary 90 day window, and also my 120 day window, which are not based on anything other than seeming like a good amount of time in which to consume a beer after it's brewed. However, I am not sure that this window is significant for anything other than mass-produced macro swill beers, so what the hell, I'll give it a try.

Pale is a pale golden colored beer that poured with about a quarter inch of head (because I intentionally poured it to force some head to form) that quickly faded away, leaving a thin layer on top and a light lacing pattern. At first there is a hoppy aroma, but this disappears after a few minutes, leaving the beer without much of an aroma. That's kind of weird, so maybe we can blame it on the beer's age.

The first sip I took had a nice light flavor with a citrusy hop kick that was balanced by some maltiness. There was a light-medium level of carbonation, and a mostly crisp bitter finish with a mild aftertaste. The next couple sips were like this as well. Then, after a little while, that seems to vanish much like the aroma did. Now, I've had beers that change in flavor as they warm up, but to have the flavor disappear? That's a new one.

Final thought - While not a bad beer by any means, this beer doesn't really live up to the pedigree established by the other Southern Tier beers I've had. I'm willing to give this one the benefit of the doubt and try it again with a fresh one, but only because the first few sips seems like they were the beginning of a delicious beer. Let's call this one "Rating Pending," even though I don't even use a rating system here.

-Jon

Phin & Matt's

Beer Name: Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 5.7%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

What a modestly named beer! I am expecting big things.

Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale is an American pale ale, so it's a little hoppier than a normal pale ale without being an IPA. At least that's the way I'm understanding this. I'm fighting a fairly annoying sinus issue right now, so the only part of the aroma I'm getting here are the sweet and hop portions. There's definitely some other stuff going on though, but I can't identify it. The beer poured with only a light head that quickly faded, but the beer still left a light lacing pattern behind. For color, it has a somewhat dark golden appearance.

This beer has a nice flavor of hops without being bitter. Well, it has a little bitterness at the finish, but it's not the sharp bitterness and bitter aftertaste that most hoppy beers have. There's a light carbonation, which, when combined with the clean finish, makes this beer very easy drinking. I could see this being a good beer for a drinking session. A smooth beer with a nice flavor is always a good choice.

Final thought - This is a tasty beverage. I would suggest that if you don't think you like hops, give this beer a try. There is a nice citrus hop flavor, but it doesn't have the normal hop bitterness that seems to turn off some people. This could definitely be a new beer in my regular rotation, which will have to wait until 2012. I've still got a little ways to go to fulfill my promise of 100 different beers this year, so I can't be locking myself into anything specific yet.

-Jon

Provider Pale Ale

Beer Name: Provider Pale Ale
Brewery: The People's Pint
ABV: 5.2%
Serving method: 16-oz draft in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

They were all out of the oatmeal stout, so I decided to branch out and try something new.

The Provider Pale Ale is actually very dark, looking more like an IPA than a pale ale. It did not have much head, but there was a thin layer that stuck around for most of the glass and left a nice lacing pattern. There was a nice aroma of hops, but it was a little faint.

This beer was pretty good. It was sort of like a toned down IPA, because there was a nice hoppiness to it without it being the only flavor. It was a good match with my food, complementing the meal without overpowering it. The flavor was sort of muted though, so it might be disappointing on its own. It finished pretty cleanly, with a light bitterness. Very light carbonation here, and super smooth to drink.

Final thought - Good with food but I think I'd go with their Pied pIPA instead if I was just sitting back with a beer.

-Jon

Snapperhead IPA

Beer Name: Snapperhead IPA
Brewery: Butternuts Beer and Ale
ABV: 6.3%
Serving method: 12-oz can
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by Dec 2011

This can isn't quite as awesome as the others, as it only has a fish rocking out to a Walkman. I prefer high-fiving pigs, personally.

Snapperhead IPA is not a typical IPA, as Butternuts doesn't really brew with a whole lot of hops. This means that even if you hate hoppy beers, you might enjoy this one. The aroma here is sweet and malty, and not hoppy at all. Since the can is pretty impossible to see through, I don't know much about the beer's color or whether or not it poured with any head. It tastes like a darker ale though, so maybe a light brown or deep reddish color would be appropriate.

This is a very malty IPA, with nary a hop to be tasted. It is very smooth and thick, and pretty much all malt in the flavor department. There's only a light carbonation, and it has a slightly bitter aftertaste. Overall, the whole thing feels very heavy as you drink it.

Final thought - As an IPA, I'm not really sure about this one. But as a beer, it's not too bad. I think it's overshadowed by their stout and pale ale, but I'm not about to dump it down the sink. I am not sure what the reviewers that say it has a nice citrusy flavor were drinking though...

-Jon

Single Chair Ale

Beer Name: Single Chair Ale
Brewery: Magic Hat
ABV: 5%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by 7/31/11

Apparently this beer celebrates the uniqueness of Mad River Glen. So, uh, yeah. There's that.

Single Chair Ale is a golden, straw-colored ale that pours with a minimum of rapidly fading head. It actually has a similar appearance to one of those commercial beers. I don't mean "commercial" in a derogatory sense, but in the sense that this beer looks like one of the beers that is always featured in dumb commercials during televised sporting events. You know what I'm talking about. The aroma here reminds me of either #9 or Long Trail Ale. It must smell like Vermont.

This is a very smooth drinking beer. It has a very light mouthfeel and a nice light carbonation. The flavor here seems to have a little bit of fruitiness in it along with some grains. There's also a slightly sour flavor at the end, which I believe is intentional and is not a bad thing. It's more like a sour apple kind of sour as opposed to say, sour milk. There's a light aftertaste here.

Final thought - This is a nice beer, but for a beer that is supposed to evoke a feeling of a ski area, it feels a lot more like a summer beer than a winter one. While I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get more, I wouldn't be upset to find this in a cooler at a cookout. Not too shabby.

-Jon

Doggie Style

Beer Name: Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale
Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery
ABV: 5.5%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

This marks the first Maryland brewery to be featured here. Welcome to the party, Maryland.

This also marks the moment I realized that I have "pale ale" and "American pale ale" as separate tags. At some point I really will need to go back and redo the tags, but that point is not now. If you really care, I'll show you how to do it and you can take care of the problem.

Doggie Style is a copper colored ale that pours with a quickly fading head. I drank a few bottles, and the amount of head was different every time, but it was always between a quarter inch and 3/4". Not that it matters much, because it's going to be gone in a few seconds. The aroma is hoppy and citrusy, and I would bet that the beer uses Cascade hops. There was a light lacing on the glass when I was done.

The beer has a very typical pale ale taste. It's pretty hoppy, but there is a malty taste in the background. The finish is dry and bitter, like most pale ales. The beer is very smooth, with only a light amount of carbonation. It finishes with a slight aftertaste.

Final thought - After going through a handful of these the last couple days, I have concluded that this is a nice beer for relaxing with a 6-pack and just hanging out. While it doesn't stand out as one of the best beers I've had, there's nothing bad about it. Overall, just a solid, easy drinking pale ale.

-Jon

XPA

Beer Name: XPA (Extra Pale Ale)
Brewery: High & Mighty Beer Company
ABV: 5%
Serving method: 16-oz draught in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Did you know that High & Mighty was based in Holyoke? Or that they originally used the same brewery as Paper City (and maybe still do, since they said they were shooting for their own brewery in 2010 but haven't updated that portion of their website)? It's exciting to find out about local beers!

The XPA is a golden orange color with a cloudy appearance. There is only a thin head on it, and it fades pretty quickly without leaving much lacing. There is an aroma that is mostly hops (like a combination of pine and citrus) with some grain scents in the background.

Since I ordered the beer with my meal, I had a couple of sips and then waited for the food. As it warmed up, the flavor was very good. It was lightly hoppy with a little bit of dryness. Not nearly as hoppy as an IPA though. The finish was slightly bitter, and there wasn't really an aftertaste. Overall, it was a nice crisp, clean beer. It had a light carbonation, which worked very well with the flavor.

Final thought - I am glad I tried this beer. It's easy drinking, and very enjoyable! It's also exciting to know that it's a local place, so hopefully they'll have tours and stuff with some sweet swag. And beer tasting!

-Jon

Country Ale

Beer Name: Wachusett Country Ale
Brewery: Wachusett Brewing Company
ABV: 5%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle, poured into a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown because I forgot to check

Wow, it's been a while since I tried a new beer. That's a little bit sad, but it's mostly because I have a backlog of beers in my fridge and Kate's fridge, and I can't buy new stuff until I clear out some space. But I can drink any random ones I find in there, like this one.

Wachusett Country Ale is an American Pale Ale, which I am assuming is different from India Pale Ale and regular old pale ale. It's a golden colored beer with a whole bunch of head. It's darker than a normal pale ale, so there's your first difference right there. It's got a malty aroma and a bit of a fruity smell. I'm not sure which fruit, but I think maybe apple. The head hangs around for a long time, but it surprisingly only leaves a light lacing.

This beer has a confusing taste. I like it, but I can't really figure out what I'm tasting. It's not super hoppy (pale ale difference number 2!), and there's a grainy taste, sort of like bread. And a little bit of apple I think. At first it seemed like there was a lot of carbonation, but only for a few sips. Then it calmed down and was a lot more drinkable. This beer does not have a strong aftertaste.

Final thought - I enjoyed my Country Ale, and I'll be drinking them again next time Kathryn picks up a 6-pack. I don't know if I'd buy them for myself though. It's good, but it's not so great that it sticks in my brain as a new favorite.

-Jon