Diesel

Beer Name: Diesel
Brewery: Sixpoint
ABV: 6.3%
Serving method: 16-oz can in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by June 23, 2012

Storing beer in a can makes it last longer since there is no way it can be exposed to light. I don't think these cans are going to make it to June though. By the way, this beer is a stout, which isn't readily apparent from the name.

Diesel is a very dark beer, practically black. It's sort of a transparent black, which isn't a great description, but I'm not sure how else to put it. Some stouts look very solid and thick, but this one looks... thinner, maybe. There isn't a lot of head, but it lasts for a while and sticks around for a heavy lacing. The aroma is not typical for a stout. It doesn't really have much coffee or chocolate at all, but there's definitely some maltiness and, surprisingly, hops. This might be an interesting beer.

This is a very different kind of stout from the majority of stouts out there. There's a much larger hop presence than others tend to have. It's also a little bit harsh at the beginning. There are light roasted flavors in there, but they aren't as big and bold as other stouts. The piney hop flavors seem to be running the show. The beer is pretty highly carbonated, but the drinkability does not suffer.

Final thought - Diesel is an intriguing beer. All of Sixpoint's beers (that I've tried) have a similar hop presence, which is kind of odd in a stout. However, it still works on a different level if you don't try to enjoy it as a stout. I also find it more enjoyable when it's not super-cold out of the fridge. I think the flavors mellow out a little after it warms up a bit.

-Jon

Sweet Action

Beer Name: Sweet Action
Brewery: Sixpoint
ABV: 5.2%
Serving method: 16-oz can in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by 9/20/11

This is the second of my Sixpoint gift beers. Kate drank the other 2, so you'll have to ask her how they were. I know she hated one of them, but I don't remember which one it was. Sweet Action is supposed to be a balance of sweetness and bitterness, so that's what I'm expecting.

This beer is a hazy orange color that poured with a very heavy head slightly less than an inch thick. It faded slowly, leaving just a thin layer on the top of the beer for most of the pint. There is an aroma of hops at first, but it's gradually replaced by malt. The aroma isn't very strong though. This beer leaves a light lacing behind at the end of the pint.

Much like the can suggested, there is a nice mix of sweetness and bitterness here. The sweetness starts off each sip, and there is a hoppy bitterness at the end. There is a mild carbonation in the beer, and it has sort of a creamy feel to it. The whole thing is very smooth and easily drinkable.

Final thought - I'm not sure why I let this beer hide in the fridge for so long. Well, it's only been 2 weeks, but still. This is a very enjoyable beer, and it deserved a better treatment. Luckily it comes in a can, so there's not a whole lot that can go wrong while it sits in the fridge.

-Jon

Bengali Tiger

Beer Name: Bengali Tiger
Brewery: Sixpoint
ABV: 6.4%
Serving method: 16-oz can in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by 9/20/11

This beer was a gift. Hooray for beer presents!

Bengali Tiger is an IPA from Sixpoint, a brewery in New York City. It's a golden orange colored beer that poured with a thin head that bubbled for a little bit and then faded away. According to the can, this beer is supposed to leave rings of lacing behind that resemble a tiger, but my particular can did not do so. I'm a little disappointed. The aroma of this beer is hoppy, like an IPA should be, but it also has some fruit in there, specifically oranges.

This beer has a very complex taste. There's citrusy hops, and sweetness from the malts, and a little bit of an orange flavor. . . there's a lot going on here. There is a slightly bitter finish, but even that has some sweetness mixed into it. The aftertaste here is very mild, with a little bit of hops. The beer wasn't very carbonated (probably why there wasn't much lacing), but I don't think that is the norm. My guess is that I just got an off can, as this beer seems like it should be a carbonated one.

Final thought - I didn't really enjoy my first sip of this beer, but after that I thought it was very good. I guess it's a good thing that I didn't judge it solely on the first sip. That also makes me think that I need to try some of the beers that I didn't really like at various beer festivals a second time, as maybe a 3- or 4-oz sample isn't enough for a full judgment. My (beer) world has really been turned upside down here.

-Jon