Beer

Jul 23 2013

Newcastle Brown Ale

Time to hand the podium to a guest reviewer from the UK – here’s Kev Hedges, and his take on Newcastle Brown Ale.

When I first looked at the Newcastle Brown Ale bottle it had an air of sturdiness and strength about it, and along with its dark brown almost black opaque look, it had a powerful and contrasting yellow label to offset the dark coloring of this ale perfectly.

Newcastle Brown Ale Review

So what does this dark, handsome-looking ale actually taste like? One thing you can say for sure is that it definitely does have taste. Unlike many types of ale, particularly the weaker ones, Newcastle Brown has that strong, malty kick in the taste and it comes with no after taste like you might get with ginger beer or tonic water.

In fact Newcastle Brown Ale appears to be strong and difficult to drink but when you actually take a sip you become instantly surprised by the ease at which it is to drink. The aroma of this ale I found to be very feint and without much at all in the way of a powerful smell. To some tasting this ale reminds you of biscuits, you know a bit like those wheat biscuits and there is an obvious fizz to the ale too. You cannot actually see any bubbles going on in the bottle as it really is so dark in appearance, but it is surprisingly light to taste.

If you prefer to pour your ale into a pint glass and not drink straight from the bottle then you will notice a very short lived head. Most ale I have tasted over the years has always had a long lasting and frothy head which is a little annoying when the froth sits on your lip. But you don’t have this issue with Newcastle Brown.

After a while of drinking this bottle I noticed it was a little watery and could have done with a bit more thickness in the drink. When you see its dark appearance you automatically assume that the beer should be thick, creamy and strong but it is not. It is also easy to guzzle this ale as it is not particularly high in strength and you are not likely to get too smashed after just a couple of bottles.

Metasip Grade: B+

I am going to give this Newcastle Brown Ale a B+ Metasip Grade as it certainly tastes light and easy to drink and I was happy with the malty effect on my tongue.

Jun 30 2013

Kona Big Wave Golden Ale

I have to admit that I thought about the review of the Portuguese wine when I picked this stuff up.

Here’s the thing: I DO think of Hawaii when I drink this, but more in a “what beer would I drink after surfing?” sorta way.

Note to self: learn to surf.

Also, “Golden Ale” is code for “Lager.”

Taste

Not bad, really. Box talks about caramel, hops, etc., but I’m thinking lager the whole time.

“lighter bodied golden ale with a tropical hop aroma and flavor.”

Misleading nose: there’s not as much hop, and the bitter aftertaste doesn’t thrill me.

Profile

4.4% ABV

Value

$7.99 for a six-pack, so you pay a premium for “Hawaii.”

Metasip Grade: B-

No cartwheels were turned in the drinking of this beer.

In retrospect, we’d probably like to try other varieties from this brewery; and they score points for “realism in distribution.” They have facilities on the mainland (Oregon, Connecticut among them), so getting you the beer without having to pay crazy amounts on freight is something they score points for.

Jun 30 2013

Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale

The Spoetzl Ale House, Shiner, Texas, is known for Shiner Bock. This is their pale ale and we were wondering if it’s any good.

Well…

We are still wondering.

This beer seems different each time we try it. Whether that’s our fault or not, we aren’t sure…but this is one perplexing pale ale.

To the review!

Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale Review

Taste

The bottle gives it away: a complex character to this beer, thanks to “Munich malt, (which) nicely balances the assertive character of the US Golding and Bravo hop varieties.”

Yes, it’s bitter, but we have had pale ales that were more bitter than this.

Finish is not that clean. Aroma not too powerful.

Frankly, an underwhelming beer.

Profile

Why doesn’t it say on the bottle? We have to Google the alcohol content?

We did check: ABV of 5.7%, 28 IBUs.

Value

7 bucks for six bottles.

Metasip Grade: B-

Hmmmm. Not very memorable, and that’s its downfall.

Jun 30 2013

Xingu Black Beer

Three years, three months ago, I gave up soda.

I mention this because I don’t really miss the stuff – after all, the nutritional value of beer is greater than the empty calories you’ll get from a cola. (Right?)

But my first venture into this Black Beer from Brazil got me thinking…

Am I actually drinking soda again?

Hey, we’ve teased you a little here, why not have us dive in to the review?

Xingu Black Beer Review

First of all, what’s with beer web pages? Really?

The page for Xingu Beer has a lizard holding the bottle. I think they’re trying to sell us more on the rainforest than anything.

Xingu is a river in Brazil. It’s also the name of a group of indigenous people. So you can feel semi-exotic while drinking the stuff – though, to be honest, not as exotic as we felt while sipping Portuguese wine.

Taste

Like cola.

Cola with no bubbles – there wasn’t much by way of beer carbonation here, no foam, no “hey, this is a beer” feel to this beer. Not that that was a bad thing, or a good thing. In this case…a thing.

Molasses and some sugar and some honey in the aftertaste. Not much of a nose, either. Extremely average, actually.

You have to like the “schwarzbier” style of beer. That’s German for “Black Beer.” Frankly, not my thing.

Profile

4.7% ABV. So right in the middle, eh? As we mentioned, a schwarzbier.

Value

I paid $4 for a bottle at World of Beer. Haven’t found a six-pack yet – but haven’t looked for one, either. It was that average a beer.

Metasip Grade: B-

I would give this a “C+,” except that wouldn’t be fair to porter, stout, and schwarzbier drinkers.

This is more for that class of drinkers – and I’m an ale first, lager second, pilsner third sort of guy. This class isn’t one I frequent…maybe you’ve had better experience? Let us know below – give it a rating!

Jun 21 2013

Two Brothers Resistance IPA

If you’re anywhere near Chicago, you’ve heard of Two Brothers. They make beer. And good beer. And they’ve been involved in the craft brewery movement for what seems like forever. (Note: that means 1996, according to the Two Brothers website. Or 1993 if you choose the date they first formed the co-op.)

If you are wondering whether or not they have the coolness street cred thing going on, they’re the types of people who host concerts with bands that are huge in Canada.

We digress: let’s talk about one of their Seasonal Ales, the Two Brothers Resistance IPA. We scored this six-pack at Whole Foods, where the very knowledgeable beer steward said, and I quote: “This just got here, I haven’t had it yet.”

(To her defense, and she knows her stuff, they have a lot of beer at Whole Foods.)

To the review!

Two Brothers Resistance IPA Review

I know what you’re thinking…”Resisting Resistance is Futile.” At least that’s what I was thinking after the first sip.

Hop. This has got Hop. And Hops.

6.9% ABV, so it packs a wallop. But, as IPAs go, this is really worth your attention.

We went back and forth on the review: were we too quick to give other IPAs an “A-?” Does this one deserve such a high rating, or is it a notch below?

We think that could be a very healthy debate; but, sadly, due to distribution vagaries, only Metasippers in Illinois, Indiana, New York, Minnesota, and Ohio can take advantage of Two Brothers’ stuff.

Taste

It’s got that combo of bitterness and hoppiness that you’re looking for in an IPA. Not too much spice – like you’d find in a Trippel or something that has some spicy kick to it.

Profile

As we mentioned, 6.9% ABV. So more than one and you’ll want to pace yourself. 70 IBU.

Value

We paid $8.99 at Whole Foods for a six-pack. $1.50-ish a bottle.

Metasip Grade: B+

Yeah, like we said, back and forth on whether or not this was “A-minus-worthy.” Talk us out of it if you’ve had this: weigh in below.