Short’s Brewing The Magician: Review

Short’s Brew - The Magician - Dark Red London Style Ale

The Ale
Short’s Brewing Company is in Elk Rapids, Michigan. The ale is described as, toasted caramel, raisins, toffee and slight roasted chocolate with very light hop. (shortsbrewing.com/)

It has a nice reddish-brown appearance, in the sun, with a thin head that disappears fairly fast, with very light to no lacing to speak of. The aroma seemed a little light, sweet toffee and bready. I liked the toasted caramel and dry dark fruit notes. The ale does have a good dryness and light bitterness on the palate that makes me think of an English Ale. But, the way the roasted and toasted malts and hops mingle it also makes me think of an Oktoberfest beer. To me there is a nice watery edge that helps to refresh the palate from the dryness of the ale. Now, on the aftertaste, on the gums, I taste a little dark raisin. The moderate carbonation helps to add to the dry style to the taste, otherwise with more carbonation along with the nice little watery edge would wash the palate clean. For my strength rating on this ale I will have to go with a 4.5 or 5.

Bass Ale

I have always enjoyed a Bass Ale out at the pub when they have it on tap and it is pretty good at home in the bottle. This English Pale Ale has a 5% abv and a glowing light amber color. There is nothing too complex here. The ale has a nice caramel malt and grains character with the right amount of hops to control the sweetness of the malts without being overly bitter at the same time.

The texture has a moderate amount of carbonation and a pleasing watery edge to make this a very refreshing pale ale. The mouthfeel is also smooth on the palate and the flavors seem to sparkle on the tongue. It has a nice English Ale dryness to the finish. This is a very drinkable ale, that is why it is in so many pubs, it is easy to knock down a few.

Bass Pale Ale is nothing to write home about. The only reason people think this is top notch – The Bar.

Go to a bar and they have Bud, Light, Miller, and Bass on tap. In that line up, Bass Ale looks like the best beer in the world, but it is only average.

Lori, look for Old Speckled Hen, Fuller’s London Pride is very good, and Innis And Gunn. Now you are talking English Pale Ale.

Wychcraft Blonde, Fiddler’s Elbow, Hobgoblin Dark Beer: Reviews

Here is a review of three beers from Wychwood Brewery. First up is the Wychcraft Blonde Beer. Second is Fiddler’s Elbow and third will be Hobgoblin. All three come in a nice looking 500ml bottle.

Wychcraft Blonde Beer by: Wychwood
This 4.5% abv beer has a hazy looking golden color to the body. There is citrus on the nose and in the taste. A moderate citrus taste with a biscuit type note and a soft floral feel. The hops or malts are not overdone here. Making a pleasing balance between bitter and sweetness. Now, this is not a complex beer to me but, it is a nice beer to drink.

My wife and I gave the thumbs up to the Blonde Beer.

Fiddler’s Elbow by: Wychwood
Amber in color with very little head. This beer has a mineral earthy flavor along with a slight citrus twang. The malts have a toasty or nutty taste. To me I get too much of a watery style to this beer. Overall, my wife and I are not too impressed with this beer.

Hobgoblin Dark English Ale by: Wychwood
This 5.2% abv has a reddish color to the body. I was hoping for a dark brown color since the label reads, Dark English Ale. The label also talks about ‘chocolate, toffee malt flavour … fruity … .’

This beer is pretty uneventful after reading that label. I do not get any chocolate at all, ok, maybe a few times I think it might have been a weak milk chocolate at that. Nice toasted toffee malt style but, nothing to write home about. Fruit? Fruit? Really now. I could be sold on a slight nutty profile. I just don’t find this beer interesting at all. And the Misses, she said the same thing. Not too often we agree on beer but we did tonight.

I think this bottle of Hobgoblin might be older. The other two bottles have the web site listed as www.wychwood.com and the Hobgoblin bottle has www.wychwood.co.uk . There are no freshness dates on any of the bottles. I think I’ll keep the eye out for a fresher bottle of this Hobgoblin just encase it is better than this bottle.

Sustenance Black Beer by: Short's Brewing

By: Short’s Brewing Company in Elk Rapids, Michigan.

It pours a nice black color with a perfect two finger tan head. A nice roasted malt nose. The taste has a robust roasted malt quality with a grainy coffee character and burnt caramel. There is a nice citrus bitter bite from the hops to help balance the sweet malty note. The fine carbonation and nice watery edge keeps this black beer refreshing. Give this a try.

Petrus Gouden Tripel Ale: Review

Petrus Sampler Pack Series

The Ale
The Petrus Triple Ale is a 7.5 abv. that is described as, “mild and easygoing, with a flowery hoppy taste that is balanced between the bitterness and sweetness and a smooth mouthfeel.” (Globalbeer.com) For me this ale rates a 3.5 on my strength scale for beers.

Globalbeers web site says, “Triple Style, which means that the brewer used three times the normal amount of malt to brew this higher alcohol ale.”

This beer always pours a perfect two finger head for me. The head is a beautiful white foam that dissipates fairly quick. The pale cloudy golden body always has a little yeast sediment floating around. It is a living beer after all, meaning they add extra yeast at the time of bottling. The carbonation is just wonderful to make a truly refreshing triple ale. Which, personally I think this ale is misunderstood. People see ‘triple ale’ and they think, big malty, super sweet with some hops in the game. Read the description, “mild and easygoing.”

This ale has a nice citrus tartness of lemon and orange along with some red apple sweetness. Speaking of sweetness the malts are dancing on the palate as well. Then, I notice a little herbal spice, they call it flowery hoppy, whatever!

Here is the best part – The balance between malts and hops is just right. The style is smooth and refreshing. The crisp and dry mouthfeel does not overwhelm the palate. For food pairings think of salads, fish, any veggie meal or mild meat – like veal chops.

Calabaza Blanca White Ale: Review

Calabaza Blanca is from the Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Brewery in Dexter Michigan. This ale is barrel aged and bottle conditioned according to the front label on the bottle, so there should be no argument about that. The ale pours a good looking two finger head of white foam. The color is a clear pale yellow. There is some nice lacing on the glass and the aroma is definitely citrus and coriander.

As my taste buds get ready for a dose of coriander I am not surprised with the smack of citrus rind tartness and coriander spice. This leaves me thinking of a big Granny Smith apple taste of tart green apples as well. The fine carbonation and little watery edge, helps to keep the palate clean. There is a nice lingering tartness that plays on the aftertaste though. This is a nice interpretation of a Belgian wit bier.

Petrus Speciale Ale

Petrus Sampler Pack Series

Appearance: Nice white head and the body is a strange burnt orange color.

Smell: Now I always laugh when I see the description of, ‘funk’, but this is a funky smelling ale. Not appealing at all.

Taste: the hops and malts come together in some kind of third dimension. A bitter dry hop taste leaving me wondering how this got past quality control. The taste of this ale is like watching one of those flat-footed women dancing on Dancing with the Stars (Kate minus eight). Good thing this has some carbonation.

Let’s cut this one short – I need a good beer.

CAO La Traviata Cigar and Petrus Blond Ale Review

Petrus Sampler Pack Series

Appearance: An attractive looking hazy golden orange (yellow held to the light). Nice soft white head, a two finger pour, that disappears quickly. The head leaves some nice lacing on the glass.

Smell: Bready from the yeast and slight sweetness. Little uninspiring.

Taste: It is not a complex tasting ale. Fresh tasting – Yes. The Petrus has a soft orange taste with some grains and plenty of yeast for that bready character. It has a very light hoppy bite and it is pleasantly sweet from the malts. This is a very good summertime drink because of the smooth, refreshing mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel: Very refreshing. No lingering notes. This is giving me a clean feel to the palate. The nice watery edge and carbonation cleanses the mouth. Think of eating a melon or cantaloupe and how the mouth feels refreshed.

For just under 5 bucks for an 11oz. bottle – I’ll have to have something to celebrate when I have this again.

My strength rating: 4 Mild-medium in body. I could even say 3.5.

The Cigar
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nic., Dom Rep. with ligeros tobaccos
Size: 5 x 50
My strength rating: 5.5
I had my first one yesterday and I really enjoyed the experience. So, I had to do a tasting today with this stick. I like the soft pepper and bold spice being delivered by the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and the ligeros fillers. The Cameroon binder kicks in the nutty notes with a nice creamy-smoothness to the smoke. There is a nice complexity to this cigar. I like how the taste changes and evolves as I smoke this stogie. I feel like the body changes from a six strength to a 5.5 and for a moment or two, then the creamy-smoothness says it’s a 5 and then kicks back to a 5.5 or 6. Don’t just smoke this cigar – experience it – pay attention to the profile as you enjoy this quality smoke.

The Pairing
This is an excellent pairing. The light peppery and spice of the cigar is refreshed by the qualities of the ale. The nutty notes and smooth earthy nature of the cigar mingle well with the soft orange and grains of the Petrus. The smoothness of each of these complements each other, making an enjoyable experience.

As I finish the final two inches of the cigar there is a stronger black pepper note along with the bold spice that are returning but, the refreshing nature of the ale cleanses the palate. The nutty notes seem to take a backseat during the final two inches. Don’t worry there is no need for a glass of water along the way because of the nice water edge and carbonation of the blond ale. Overall, during this pairing, the mouthfeel is refreshing for that perfect summer day.

Moose Drool Brown Ale

By: Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana. Nice dark brown body with a good looking light tan head. When held to the light this color is a dark cola like color. The aroma is light toasted malt. The taste is slight roasted malts with a hint of coffee and a nice balancing act with the hoppy notes. The overall feel to me is on the milder side of medium, a 4 or 4.5 on my strength scale. The mouth feel is smooth. The moderate carbonation with a watery edge washes away any notes that may want to linger.

On their web site, bigskybrew, they say they want to brew ‘balanced’ beers. I think ‘balanced’ is a key word for reaching ‘the average beer drinker.’ And, I would say they did just that with this beer. If you have never had a Brown Ale before this would be a good place to start. There are no overpowering notes to offend ones palate. Is it the best? No. Is it good? Sure. I would sit by the campfire and drink a few of these. It does not leave any lingering aftertaste so, it is fairly pleasant tasting.

This Brown Ale would be great to pair up with some sirloin burgers, steaks, and other good barbequing type foods.

I personally like to have my brown ale style beers in the fall and winter months, but this ale is easy enough to enjoy year round.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this beer, but for something different and it is right in front of you, pick up a six pack.

Here are the tasting notes from bigskybrew.com

It's chocolate brown in color with a creamy texture. A malty beer with just enough hop presence to keep it from being too sweet. The aroma mostly comes from the malt with a hint of spice added by the hops. Moose Drool is brewed with pale, caramel, chocolate, and whole black malts; and Kent Goldings, Liberty, and WILLAMETTE HOPS. It has an original gravity of 13 degrees Plato, and is 4.2% alcohol by weight, 5.3% by volume.

Old Speckled Hen: Review

This English Fine Ale has a 5.2% abv that sports a nice off white head with a reddish orange color to the body. It has a nice little toasted malt and citrusy aroma. The taste is rich and somewhat robust. The toasted malts are pleasing. The spice and citrusy hop flavor adds some good English Ale character. I do like English Ales and this is one that I turn to when I need my English Ale fix.

The mouthfeel is smooth and clean making for a refreshing finish. The carbonation is fine and there is a nice hoppy bite left in the aftertaste.

If you like English Ales this is a must try. Also, look for Hen’s Tooth by Morland.

Yule Tide Belgian Style Tripel Ale

Did this review back in winter

By: Heavy Seas, Clipper City Brewery located in Baltimore, Maryland.

I am sitting back watching a little hockey playoff and decided it is time to get some of the winter beers out of the beer fridge. This big bottle got my attention when I opened the fridge door so, let’s do a beer review on this Ale.

I was reading a few reviews about this beer and I was worried that I would not like it because of the sweetness that was being described. I can only go so far with that sweetness level when dealing with beer.

I am going to be pouring this big 22 oz bottle into a 16 oz glass so I will try to pour half of it at one time. This will leave the sediment, if there is any, for the second glass. The first glass poured a very light head. The body has a clear golden color. The aroma is of sweet malts, herbal hops with a good yeasty smell. Well, the first sip …., I think I might like this. Yes, it is sweet but, not powerfully sweet as I was expecting. After a few sips … this is flavorful. I like the coriander and other spices along with that rich malty sweetness. This sweetness is like a sweet orange and light banana.

The second half of the bottle poured another thin head and all the sediment is on this half. I’ll have to get a big 20+ oz glass for these big bottles so I can make one pour. The color is different than the first half due to the sediment. The color is more amber like and hazy. There is a nice smooth and creamy style to this ale. The mild hop bitterness is more of an undertone due to the malty sweetness. This is a must try. I’ll be looking for this Ale when next winter rolls around – but, please (Mr. Winter) take your time.

Kirkland Signature Pale Ale: Review

Another review of flavored water.

Why did I buy this case.

Appearance: A good looking clear pale amber color with a nice looking white head. Leaves nice lacing on the glass. Forget it after this.

Smell: uneventful. Little hop citrus and slight malty nose.

Taste: Wow, is that water! The Kirkland line of beers have a big watery style. Then, they add a little flavoring. A little dry citrus taste and a little sweet malt. Nothing that stands out but, that water is fresh!

Mouthfeel: The watery style cleans the palate fairly well from overpowering flavor of ... water. Ok, it has a little dry citrusy bit and a strange taste of sugar. I swear once in a while on the aftertaste I get a table sugar taste.

Drinkable: For me I'll pass. The german and hefe were a little more drinkable.

Save your money and go buy, at least, good beer.

Update: Tried to drink the last bottle of Pale Ale from this case last night and drinking this beer with a good pretzel helped the taste of this pale ale. The salt helped to bring out that bitter bite of the hops. If you try this beer make sure you are eating – all alone they are boring.

Greene King Export IPA

5%abv. 500ml bottle English India Pale Ale

This English IPA may not cut it with those American IPA fanatics. This is not a big grapefruit citrus bomb that will destroy your taste buds for the next 12 hours. When I took the first sip I was thinking something is wrong here, no BIG citrus bitterness. The more I drank this beer the more it grew on me. I like the hoppy bitter aftertaste that this ale has. There are other flavors to enjoy as well. The caramel malty notes are there along with some nice nutty and woody characteristics. Nothing stands out and slaps you. You need to pay attention while drinking this ale and you will notice some nice flavors.

I was thinking about the history of this ale while drinking. I thought if I was on that long voyage from England to India on a merchant ship would I want a big grapefruit bomb type IPA to quench my thirst or this flavorful IPA. Hands down this one. You would never have that grapefruit bomb on that ship because that style of IPA makes you want to drink water. Well, in the 1700 and 1800’s they did not drink the water nor did they ship it.

As it says on the bottle, “After much research the master brewers at Greene King have recreated the original IPA taste.”

Must try

Kirkland Signature Beers

Made by: New York Brewing Company
Those of you with Costco memberships have probably seen this sampler beer case – you get four different beers in the case for under $20.00. There is: German Style Lager, Hefeweizen, Pale Ale, and Amber Ale.

I did a side by side tasting on the German Style and Hefeweizen beer.

German Lager – 5.5 % abv
The bottle says, “…deep, golen-colored lager with smooth body.” They have that right. After, that it is uneventful. Nice little caramel malt taste with a slight bitterness from the hops and a big watery style.

Hefeweizen – 5.5% abv
Side by Side the Hefe and Lager look the same in color. Once again a watery style is dominate in this beer. A below average Hefeweizen – Where is the Wheat!!! A strange little sweetness comes and goes. This big watery style in these beers must be their attempt to appeal to the Bud, Miller, and Coors drinkers.

Both of these two are fine examples of flavored water but, what else should I expect from Costco.

They do have a refreshing style from this watery profile and lack of true flavor. This does make them drinkable. They would be better with food. I did have the lager with food and the food pairing helped this beer a lot.

These are ok introductory beers.  As I tell my students, "ok is a step above poor."