Devil's Pale Ale

This novelty beer by the Great Lakes Brewing Company in Ohio is aptly named.  Dark, stocky, and full of guile, this darker-than-most pale ale is a barky blend of 666kg of malt and 6.6kg of hops.

The aroma is delightfully dark, full, and hints of licorice and, perhaps, a certain indefinable earthiness.  Unfortunately, the taste was not entirely satisfactory.

Devil's Pale starts off nicely rounded and enjoyable, with depth and strength that matches the aroma.  The hops kicked in unexpectedly mid-finish and grappled my palate to the mat, leaving a decidedly bitter and unpleasant aftertaste.  It's not a subtle bitterness, either, it's a Kick-Your-Butt-And-Send-You-Running-Home-Crying-For-Your-Mommy kind of bitterness, practically exploding out of nowhere with blaring notes of cigarette butts and burnt rubber and, perhaps, a teaspoon of brimstone thrown in for good measure.

I could see enjoying this once a year on Halloween, but since bitterness isn't my thing this isn't a beer that I would enjoy drinking more frequently than that.

The Bottom Line:  Expect the flavor equivalent of a crotchkick from the Devil's brew.

The Rating:  As it stands, this one is a tie between Eh and Yuck.

Fort Garry Pale Ale

I'm trying to think of something nice to say about this pale ale from Fort Garry, but I'm at a loss for positive words.

There's hardly any head on this amber-colored brew to speak of, and what little there is disappears quickly.  The aroma is simply of hops and not much else, but even that isn't particularly strong or memorable.  The taste starts off with a faintly oaky element, but this fades quickly into ever-so-slightly bitter hops that is almost completely drowned out by the sharp prickle of carbonation.  The finish is vaguely sour, like grandma's armpits after a marathon knitting session.

And that's it.  An astonishing one-dimensional and boring mess that was obviously intended for people who are more interested in washing down the deep fried, salt encrusted slop that passes for pub fare these days than enjoying a well-crafted brew.

The Bottom line: The boys at Fort Garry definitely fell down on this one.

The Rating: Yuck.

Samuel Adams Nobel Pils

I don't normally care for light beer (read: pale lager), so I wasn't expecting much from this Samuel Adams Noble Pils. I was, however, pleasantly surprised.

This pilsner pours a very nice white head with decent lacing, set daintily atop clear gold. Aroma is mostly hops, with subtle notes of orange zest or grapefruit or other citrus. The taste starts off mild and with a ghost of sweetness on the onset, but this is quickly replaced with a grapefruit-like bitterness that's a little dry. The finish is bitter and dry and lingers.

Properly chilled, the barky citrus character of this beer would be a perfect end to a long hot day of yardwork. I wouldn't care to binge with it, but I would keep a few in the fridge during the summer.

The Bottom line: Get me hot and bothered and we'll try again.

The Rating: Not Bad.

O'Hara's Irish Stout

My mother warned me of this.  Dark, strange mistresses of seduction who would intoxicate me with their sheer beauty and charm.  Little did I know she was talking about beer.

I'd been wanting to try a stout (other than Guinness, of course), since I tend to enjoy dark lager.  I was hoping for an imperial stout, but when I noticed this Irish stout by Carlow Brewing Company on the MLCC shelf, it practically jumped into my arms.

Thus began my love affair with this O'Hara's stout.  It poured inky black with a two-finger tan head.  I'm given to understand that the tan head is indicative of having been brewed with coffee, and the aroma quietly agrees.  The aroma was a sweet blend of chocolate and coffee.  Holding the glass up to the light, I wasn't able to see anything penetrating the murky darkness, except for some reddish hues around the edges.  I've read about this sort of thing in books, but I've never seen it for myself until last night.

The beer is creamy and perfectly smooth, comparable in mouthfeel to Guinness but considerably less dry. It's rich with flavor: coffee, cream, chocolate, an understated sweetness, and a burnt smokiness.  The finish is mildly bitter, but in the best possible way.

This beer also introduced me to an afterglow effect that I've never before experienced.  It's the morning after, and I'm still sighing contentedly to myself.  I never knew beer could be so satisfying, but this one absolutely was.

The Bottom line:  I wanted to make love to this beer.

The Rating: Good Stuff.