Half Pints is quickly becoming my favorite brewery. Their Stir Stick Stout is definitely good stuff, and this refreshingly dry ale isn't far behind. It's high praise coming from a guy who thinks darker is better.
Bulldog Amber Ale pours a clear, well, amber color with a reasonable off-white head. The aroma is clean and complicated: wheat, fruit, floral something-or-other, vanilla, dry malt, and other things I can't place.
Taste, like the nose, is a crisp combination of hops, malt, caramel, earthiness. Pomaceous fruit offers a slight sweetness, while the hops provides medium bitterness. The finish is dry and crisp and lingers on the roof of your mouth, but not unpleasantly.
The Bottom Line: I've changed my go-to beer to this one. This stuff is awesomeness in a bottle.
The Rating: Good Stuff.
Monday 23 May 2011
Saturday 21 May 2011
Fort Garry Riptide Pilsner
I've been told that Fort Garry brews "Riptide" specifically for South Beach Casino in Manitoba, but I've never witnessed anyone ordering it there. Today I found out why.
This watered-down version of Fort Garry Pale has a garish, artificial coloring that is yellower than day-old piss. Smells like nothing. Tastes like faint wannabe hops, plastic, carbonation, dishwater, and absolutely nothing else.
The Bottom Line: I couldn't make myself finish drinking this mess.
The Rating: The Gag Reflex. I had to create a special rating just for this beer.
This watered-down version of Fort Garry Pale has a garish, artificial coloring that is yellower than day-old piss. Smells like nothing. Tastes like faint wannabe hops, plastic, carbonation, dishwater, and absolutely nothing else.
The Bottom Line: I couldn't make myself finish drinking this mess.
The Rating: The Gag Reflex. I had to create a special rating just for this beer.
Moxie's Big Life Amber Ale
Moxie's "Big Life" beers are brewed for them by Big Rock Brewery. In order to comply with Truth-In-Advertising laws [Do they have those in Canada?], it should probably be renamed, "Nothing Special".
Big Life Amber Ale pours a rich copper with a nice white head that disappeared before I was ready for it to and left little tracing behind. I tried my best to get a whiff of this thing, even going so far as to stick my nose within a hair's breadth of the head, but to no avail.
Despite being a called an ale, this brew doesn't differ in mouthfeel or body from your average lager. Diving in, the carbonation is probably the first thing you'll notice, followed by a barky bitter tang that makes the sides of your tongue tingle. There's a pleasant woody flavor buried somewhere in there, but the hops and roasted malt do a good job of covering it up.
The Bottom Line: I felt a bit gypped as I was given a copper-colored lager instead of the well-bodied ale I was expecting. Still, it was significantly better than the mass-marketed crap that most places serve (Fort Garry Pale, for instance), which lends it a much-needed "Get Out Of 'Eh' Free" card.
The Rating: Not Bad.
Big Life Amber Ale pours a rich copper with a nice white head that disappeared before I was ready for it to and left little tracing behind. I tried my best to get a whiff of this thing, even going so far as to stick my nose within a hair's breadth of the head, but to no avail.
Despite being a called an ale, this brew doesn't differ in mouthfeel or body from your average lager. Diving in, the carbonation is probably the first thing you'll notice, followed by a barky bitter tang that makes the sides of your tongue tingle. There's a pleasant woody flavor buried somewhere in there, but the hops and roasted malt do a good job of covering it up.
The Bottom Line: I felt a bit gypped as I was given a copper-colored lager instead of the well-bodied ale I was expecting. Still, it was significantly better than the mass-marketed crap that most places serve (Fort Garry Pale, for instance), which lends it a much-needed "Get Out Of 'Eh' Free" card.
The Rating: Not Bad.
Big Rock IPA
Big Rock's India Pale Ale was on tap at Moxie's in Winnipeg this evening.
For a "pale", the color is a rich amber, and boasts a decent-sized cream-colored head. The aroma isn't strong, but what one can detect is simple and straightforward: malt, caramel, and perhaps a touch of hops.
I didn't get much from my first sip. Second sip was rounded, malty, and may have a bit of a roasted nuttiness that is pleasant and understated. The taste is predominantly bitter, with a medium dryness that trails off. There are distinct floral notes, but they don't appear until mid-finish and then quickly dissipate.
The Bottom Line: A solid, tasty IPA that is tolerably bitter and refreshing. Definitely worth a try.
The Rating: Good Stuff.
For a "pale", the color is a rich amber, and boasts a decent-sized cream-colored head. The aroma isn't strong, but what one can detect is simple and straightforward: malt, caramel, and perhaps a touch of hops.
I didn't get much from my first sip. Second sip was rounded, malty, and may have a bit of a roasted nuttiness that is pleasant and understated. The taste is predominantly bitter, with a medium dryness that trails off. There are distinct floral notes, but they don't appear until mid-finish and then quickly dissipate.
The Bottom Line: A solid, tasty IPA that is tolerably bitter and refreshing. Definitely worth a try.
The Rating: Good Stuff.
Sunday 15 May 2011
Rickard's Red
I'm going to spend as much time writing this review as the beer deserves. Which isn't much.
Rickard's Red, as the name implies, is red, with a lacy white head. It's vaguely fruity on the nose, but the aroma is mostly of malt. It tastes like malt, too, but understated and dry, with whispers of fruity sweetness that turn into a sour bitterness at the finish.
The Bottom Line: The color is the only memorable thing about this boring Molson grubswill.
The Rating: Eh.
Rickard's Red, as the name implies, is red, with a lacy white head. It's vaguely fruity on the nose, but the aroma is mostly of malt. It tastes like malt, too, but understated and dry, with whispers of fruity sweetness that turn into a sour bitterness at the finish.
The Bottom Line: The color is the only memorable thing about this boring Molson grubswill.
The Rating: Eh.
Monday 9 May 2011
Craft Beer Link
I found this website in the links section of Half Pint's website. It has lots of basic information about various aspects of craft brewing, including news, how to choose a glass, style definitions, recipes, pairing tips, and more.
If you're like me and don't know much about brewing, this is a good place to start.
http://www.craftbeer.com/
If you're like me and don't know much about brewing, this is a good place to start.
http://www.craftbeer.com/
Sunday 8 May 2011
Half Pints Stir Stick Stout
This is my second tasting of this great stout by Half Pints, a local Winnipeg brewery. It's the only one of Half Pint's brews that I've tried so far, but it has me very excited to try the rest of their line.
Stir Stick Stout pours a very rich black with a short tan head that doesn't hang around. Chocolaty on the nose, it also hints of slight smokiness that almost borders on acridness. There's a richness to the aroma, though, which I'm thinking may be the malt.
This beer is perhaps a little on the dry side, but is remarkably smooth. It tastes exactly like it smells: rich, malty, and a tad smoky, and with strong black coffee bitterness in the middle. The bitter dark chocolate kicks in at the end with a slightly sour sweetness. The sweetness may be a bit of a problem for some, and, as Half Pints suggests, this brew may be better suited to play escort to a rich dessert or as an after dinner treat than with a meal.
The Bottom Line: Perhaps a little sweet, but otherwise very drinkable and full of rich, dark flavors.
The Rating: Good Stuff.
Friday 6 May 2011
Yanjing Beer
As the name implies, this is a Chinese beer. That's all it implies, though, because there's absolutely no further information about it on the 500ml can except for a gaggle of super happy exclamation points. After a little online research, however, I've learned that it is most likely classified as a pale lager.
Incidentally, I was flipping through movie channels yesterday evening about the time that I poured this watery-looking clear yellow beer, and eventually got stuck on The Switch while waiting for something better to come on.
[I would now like to pause for a moment to briefly state that I'm not a rom-com kind of guy. This situation was fraught with extraneous circumstances and was decidedly atypical, so please don't go leaping to any unwarranted assumptions. Thank you, carry on.]
As I sipped this beer and was disappointed with how quickly the weak head disappeared with hardly any trace, I noted several definite similarities between Yanjing's pale lager and Jennifer Aniston's The Switch. Both were uncomfortably sweet and fruity. Both were watery and bland -- the beer was so bland, in fact, that I fancied I could actually taste the alcohol. The beer was slightly prickly in the mouth, while Jennifer Aniston is always prickly on the brain [how the woman is considered to be one of the Hollywood elite when she hasn't done anything particularly more significant than Friends, I'll never know]. Neither was particularly chest-clutchingly bad, but they both felt generic and watery and boring.
Obviously, the movie and the beer were both designed to please the majority of rom-com affectionados and pale lager drinkers respectively by not including any element that might offend or overtax one's delicate taste and sensibilities. They're both safe. Unfortunately, this recipe makes for a boring brew and an agonizingly dull flick.
The Bottom Line: This Super Happy Chinese Beer is Sure to Disappoint Due to it's Bland and Boring Taste!!!
The Rating: The beer will get an Eh rating as soon as I'm finished yawning. The Switch gets a profound and deserving Yuck.
Incidentally, I was flipping through movie channels yesterday evening about the time that I poured this watery-looking clear yellow beer, and eventually got stuck on The Switch while waiting for something better to come on.
[I would now like to pause for a moment to briefly state that I'm not a rom-com kind of guy. This situation was fraught with extraneous circumstances and was decidedly atypical, so please don't go leaping to any unwarranted assumptions. Thank you, carry on.]
As I sipped this beer and was disappointed with how quickly the weak head disappeared with hardly any trace, I noted several definite similarities between Yanjing's pale lager and Jennifer Aniston's The Switch. Both were uncomfortably sweet and fruity. Both were watery and bland -- the beer was so bland, in fact, that I fancied I could actually taste the alcohol. The beer was slightly prickly in the mouth, while Jennifer Aniston is always prickly on the brain [how the woman is considered to be one of the Hollywood elite when she hasn't done anything particularly more significant than Friends, I'll never know]. Neither was particularly chest-clutchingly bad, but they both felt generic and watery and boring.
Obviously, the movie and the beer were both designed to please the majority of rom-com affectionados and pale lager drinkers respectively by not including any element that might offend or overtax one's delicate taste and sensibilities. They're both safe. Unfortunately, this recipe makes for a boring brew and an agonizingly dull flick.
The Bottom Line: This Super Happy Chinese Beer is Sure to Disappoint Due to it's Bland and Boring Taste!!!
The Rating: The beer will get an Eh rating as soon as I'm finished yawning. The Switch gets a profound and deserving Yuck.
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Lvivske Premium Lager
Mrs. Publican picked up a couple of beers at the local gas, grocery, and MLCC mart this evening. One of them was this Lvivske Premium, which I've tried before. She's of Polish descent, so she's naturally biased toward this Ukranian lager.
It pours cloudy and yellow, appearing very similar in appearance to the urine you will produce within an hour or so of drinking it. There's about a finger or so of dingy white head, but it dissipates quickly and leaves only a few bubbly smears behind. The aroma is hoppy, somewhat generic, and rather forgettable.
The taste is mildly sweet and smooth, but a mite on the dry side. The flavor is mostly of hops, but it's nicely rounded and full, giving it a decidedly bread-like quality. Finish is a bit dry, but not obnoxiously so.
The Bottom Line: Easily drunk and easily forgotten.
The Rating: Perhaps the firmest "Eh" I've ever handed down.
It pours cloudy and yellow, appearing very similar in appearance to the urine you will produce within an hour or so of drinking it. There's about a finger or so of dingy white head, but it dissipates quickly and leaves only a few bubbly smears behind. The aroma is hoppy, somewhat generic, and rather forgettable.
The taste is mildly sweet and smooth, but a mite on the dry side. The flavor is mostly of hops, but it's nicely rounded and full, giving it a decidedly bread-like quality. Finish is a bit dry, but not obnoxiously so.
The Bottom Line: Easily drunk and easily forgotten.
The Rating: Perhaps the firmest "Eh" I've ever handed down.
Sunday 1 May 2011
Fort Garry Dark Ale
Ahh, Fort Garry Dark. I have a soft place for this one [it was my first Canadian brew], despite the fact that it's certainly not the best beer you've ever had. It's not the worst, either, and it's decidedly better than drinking the smelly yellow aberrations of nature and wholesomeness that are Miller, Bud, Coors, and Molson.
Fort Garry Dark Ale pours a murky black, and what light that penetrates reveals reddish hues. The tan head is hardly worth mentioning, as it fades quickly and, beyond the occasional ring and streak, leaves no lacing. The aroma is faint, but what whiffs you can get are mostly of burnt caramel.
Mouthfeel is a little prickly due to the mild carbonation. It's considerably less noticeable in this brew than in Fort Garry Pale. The taste is of malt, roasted coffee, and a touch of chocolate, but everything is rather understated except for the malt, and even that isn't overbearing or obnoxious. It goes down smoothly (although, thanks to the carbonation, not as smoothly as Guinness or my new favorite, O'Hara's) and pairs well with food.
The Bottom Line: This drinkable brew is dark enough to be my preferred go-to beer when nothing more interesting is available, but I would gladly give it up if I found something with little more zip.
The Rating: Not Bad.
Fort Garry Dark Ale pours a murky black, and what light that penetrates reveals reddish hues. The tan head is hardly worth mentioning, as it fades quickly and, beyond the occasional ring and streak, leaves no lacing. The aroma is faint, but what whiffs you can get are mostly of burnt caramel.
Mouthfeel is a little prickly due to the mild carbonation. It's considerably less noticeable in this brew than in Fort Garry Pale. The taste is of malt, roasted coffee, and a touch of chocolate, but everything is rather understated except for the malt, and even that isn't overbearing or obnoxious. It goes down smoothly (although, thanks to the carbonation, not as smoothly as Guinness or my new favorite, O'Hara's) and pairs well with food.
The Bottom Line: This drinkable brew is dark enough to be my preferred go-to beer when nothing more interesting is available, but I would gladly give it up if I found something with little more zip.
The Rating: Not Bad.
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