Some Beers

For whatever reason, sometimes I drink a beer and don't have a chance to write anything about it.  Generally this is either because I have had many other beers before it, or will then consume many other beers after it. However, I think these beers need to still be recognized, so perhaps from time to time I will do a small writeup of the ones that didn't get the royal treatment. And then I will have a hard list of beers that need to be consumed again, only with a clearer mind.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale - If you enjoy the flavors of bourbon, then you'll probably enjoy this beer. It's a little thin in the mouth, but there's a big flavor of booze. It's 8.2%, but the bourbon tricks your brain into thinking it's even stronger. One bottle is nice, two is a good time, and three starts to get you into the danger zone. And not the one from Top Gun.

Olde 76 Strong Ale - This is, I believe, the flagship beer from Madison Brewing in VT. It's a pretty standard English-style beer, so it's malty and easy drinking. It pairs well with food, without any strong flavors to dominate the meal. I'd probably drink it again.

Wild Raspberry Ale - A fruit beer from Great Divide, this one is included in the category of "Fruit Beers I Enjoy." It's fruity enough to notice without being sticky, and that's what I'm in favor of when it comes to combining drinking and fruit. I don't know if I'd feel the same about drinking this one in the winter though, even if it is a year-round release. It feels summery to me.

Ruination - Stone does a lot of things well, and IPAs are probably at the top of that list. With a bunch of hops and a good maltiness to complement them, this beer is great. Unless you're a weenie who doesn't enjoy hops, in which case this beer will probably make you cry like a little baby. Expand your palette, weenie.

Audacious Apricot Ale - This beer should be getting its due soon, as I have a few in the fridge. It's ok, but there is a very noticeable sharpness or something to it. The apricot flavor works well, but something else is going on that I'm not a huge fan of. I'm going to experiment a little by letting it mellow for a bit with the next bottle and see if it makes any difference.

-Jon

Union Jack

Beer Name: Union Jack
Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
ABV: 7.5%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Something happened 3/20/12, probably bottled

I would have to guess that this is the standard version of Double Jack, which I enjoyed immensely. So there's that going for it.

Union Jack is a light amber beer with a hint of orange to it. It poured with just over a finger of thick fluffy head, which faded away very slowly and left a heavy, heavy, lacing pattern behind. The aroma is very interesting, with sweet citrus hops as the main event and piney hops and malt in the background. Further into the pint, the pine aromas come through a bit stronger as the citrus fades.

The flavor of this beer follows pretty closely to the aroma, with the bitterness from the hops starting off each sip and some malt balance in the finish. The carbonation is pretty light, and the finish is a little dry.  There's an aftertaste of bitterness, but a little sweetness clings to the tongue as well.

Final thought - This is a very nice beer, enjoyable from start to finish. It's pretty much everything you could ask for in an IPA. It's just not quite as good as Double Jack. But it is more affordable, so that's good news.

-Jon