Dark Angel

Beer Name: Dark Angel Imperial Stout
Brewery: McNeill's Brewery
ABV: 10%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by Feb 2011

More imperial stout for me! I hope it's not as harsh as the last one.

Dark Angel is a very dark beer in the solid black category. It has a thin head that mostly disappears quickly but leaves a thin layer for the entire pint. It also leaves a fairly thick lacing behind. There is a light aroma of coffee, but it's not very strong. Actually, there isn't really anything strong for a smell.

Well now, this is surprising. The beer starts off with the roasted flavor of a stout, but it finishes with the hoppiness of a pale ale. I suppose that makes sense, as the bottle talks about dry-hopping during the brewing process. Besides that, there is a also the flavor of coffee at the beginning of each sip. The beer feels very thick while it's in your mouth, almost like it's coating your tongue. It has a mild to medium carbonation, and a lightly bitter aftertaste.

Final thought - This is a pretty good stout, although hop-haters will not enjoy it. It's a little bit strong, but it's got a nice flavor to it. I believe that I would drink it again.

-Jon

Firehouse Amber Ale

Beer Name: McNeill's Firehouse Amber Ale
Brewery: McNeill's Brewery
ABV: 5.5%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by Feb 2011

Day 10 - The fridge is starting to look a little lean. The number of selections has been declining steadily. I'm not sure we'll make it to Christmas.

I first tried this beer at one of the many brewers festivals this past summer. Then I saw a bottle of it at Ryan & Casey's, so I figured I'd give it another go. Unfortunately, this was the same day I got a very spicy burrito that paralyzed my tastebuds, rendering them incapable of savoring my newfound brew. So today is the day we finally give the Firehouse Amber Ale its due.

This beer is a cloudy golden orange color with a thick head that disappears very slowly. As it fades, it leaves a very heavy lacing behind. The aroma of this beer is lightly hoppy and citrusy.

Firehouse Amber Ale has a slightly bitter hoppy taste and then a sort of sour flavor in the aftertaste. I like the hops, but I don't think I really care for the sourness. There's a slight carbonation here which adds a nice bit of action to each sip. There isn't much other flavor going on here, which is kind of disappointing. I remember this beer being different the first time I had it.

Final thought - While it's not a bad beer, I'm just not a big fan of this one any more. I am not sure what happened between that first taste and now, but things just aren't the same. Sorry Firehouse Amber Ale; it's not you, it's me. We've just grown apart.

-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