Bottle Topper

Here is a cool bottle topper for those beers you can drink out of a bottle.

I had this on top of another German beer bottle at a beer garden and I had people coming over to me wanting to know were I bought this.  You can pick one up at the Lager Mill Store in Frankenmuth Michigan or go on line and find one similar to it.

Svyturys White Baltas Review

Svyturys Kvietinis Alus

Lithuania

Unfiltered Wheat Ale

5% abv

500ml bottle

Four pack $8.99

Appearance: dense dusty orange body with a massive yet perfect head, make sure to swirl the bottle to get the sediment off the bottom of the bottle (it’s unfiltered), the head crown was perfect sitting on top; 

the head retention is as good as it gets – it hangs around forever; best looking beer that I have seen in a while;

Check out the difference in the cloudiness in these two pictures

(above) First pour from the bottle into the glass while leaving an inch or so of beer in the bottle – then stop pouring and swirl the bottle - then pour the last bit into the glass to get the sediment into your beer

In this second picture the body clarity is more dense 

and the body color moves from a lighter golden to a deeper golden

Aroma: big wheat profile; some fresh wheat mixed with some dusty (lightly earthy) wheat; there is a soft orange peel might be closer to orange meat; what I don’t get is: lemon, coriander, clove, banana, grapefruit and whatever else I have seen on Beer Advocate,

Flavors: once again fairly simple; wheat profile with a soft citrus style; the soft citrus reminds me of … well … okay here is what it does not remind me of: lemon, orange, grapefruit, banana – people go taste and smell a banana and then smell and taste this beer – there are no bananas; so let me call it a soft orange peel – okay folks it is not even close to being an Oberon from Bell’s – not that much orange – so, to me that means it is better;

Here is a pic from last week  - a perfect .5L pour

Mouthfeel: fresh wheat upfront; dusty wheat on the mid; earthy wheat on the finish – with a dirty yet tart wheat on the late finish and aftertaste; to me there is not a clear clove taste or aroma but, on the finish and aftertaste, when the beer warms up, the tartness becomes a bit more astringent like clove without the clear clove taste. There is a fine fizzy feel from the carbonation.

That head retention is still there on the last inch or so
and I did not swirl the glass to pick it up

To the Point: Beer Advocate gave it an 82 and rate beer gave it a low rating; ah the hell with them to me this is pure wheat pleasure without all the other flavors; I am going to make this my beer for the summer of 2014; from the fresh wheat on the delivery to the dusty and earthy style on the finish to the sweet wheat on the tip to the earthy yet dirty wheat on the aftertaste – I just like this wheat beer because it seems to be all about the wheat.  I am giving it an 89 … no I’ll go with 91 … let’s split the difference 90% A- all the way – and I am rating it just as a wit beer not as a hefeweizen like some of the people on BA think it is … it is a witbier or wheat beer. 

This ale comes in a four pack and I have finished about four of them – four, four packs that is – no not today over the last two months – and I did share with some friends. 

Bugs in the Food System

There was a strange lump in the head of this beer.

It was a tasty millipede

Hoegaarden Wit Review

By: InBev Belgium

Belgium

4.9% abv

Brewed with Coriander and Orange Peel

Appearance: a misty lemon wheat body with a one and a half finger white head that hangs around; some spotty lacing

Aroma: nice touch of coriander and citrus spice mixed with a hint of white bread

Flavors and Mouthfeel: refreshing and crisp; moderate coriander; the orange peel seems more lemony to me; either way it has a nice citrus zest to it; moderate carbonation; nice zippy feel

To the Point: I liked the Samuel Adams Cold Snap’s aroma over the Hoegaarden’s nose; the Hoegaarden seemed lemony while the Cold Snap’s Orange Peel seemed to be … well … orange peel like; I liked the Hoegaarden’s overall mouthfeel – it seemed more refreshing and zippy; But, Cold Snap is a seasonal beer for the early spring – spot on.  

Clown Shoes Space Cake Review

Double IPA

Mercury Brewing Company

Ipswich, Massachusetts

Yes, those are cupcakes zipping around him

1pint 6oz bottle

9% abv

Complements of: The Super Fine Wine & Liquor store in Canton, Michigan

Appearance: fairly dense; on the amber side; slightly tarnished copper body with a thin bone white head that leaves no lacing behind; I got a little better head when I poured the last third of the bottle into the glass – and there is nothing better than getting a little better head.

Aroma: sweet malty grains blend right into the citrusy hops; orange blossom, grapefruit, light pine

Flavors: really follows the nose; sweet malty grains on the tip of the tongue – reminding me of dark caramel; followed by the citrusy notes of white grapefruit and orange peel; piney on the finish; the grapefruit and alcohol display a nice peppery note – like a fine grind black pepper

Mouthfeel: hint of malty sweetness on the delivery which is soon washed away by the hops; firm bitterness on the mid; solid bitterness on the finish with a piney prickly feel; tart lip smacking aftertaste from the citrusy hops that are use; low-moderate carbonation;

To the Point: very appealing nose and the taste follows suit; I did not think it was too sweet for a DIPA; when I checked this beer out of beer advocate there were some reviewers saying it was too sweet for a DIPA and they downgraded it for that point; probably the same people who said Hopslam is world class and Hopslam is a lot sweeter than this