One New York Life

Blue Point Pumpkin Ale

Brewed By: Blue Point
Brewed In: Patchogue, NY
ABV: 6.0%
Type: Ale

What They Say: According to Linus there are 3 things never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin. Our Pumpkin Ale, on the other hand, has made quite a buzz from New Hampshire down to Florida. Every season has its pleasures. Harvest your own with our Pumpkin Ale and reap all that Autumn has to offer. Brewed with pumpkins from only the most sincere patches, this seasonal brew is golden orange, crisp and delicious, with an innocent hint of cinnamon and nutmeg that articulates our favorite season. Gather with friends and family and enjoy the change of seasons while savoring a pint of Pumpkin Ale. Just like the leaves, it’s gone after Thanksgiving.

Website: My last Blue Point review was Winter Ale in 2009. I took the opportunity to complain (again) about their website. It’s since been updated. It’s no longer a flash monstrosity with sounds and music, but instead an informative, useful website that’s easily navigable with a store that includes my second favorite tap handle of all time. Magic Hat Winter Howl is number one.

Why I Picked It: I was an early adopter of the Pumpkin Ale thing, going back to 2004 when I tried Shipyard’s PumpkinHead at the grandaddy of beer bars Sunset Grill & Tap in Boston. Since then, I’ve discovered brewers can’t do much to differentiate their Pumpkin Ale. They can either go for Shipyard’s version, which tastes like pumpkin pie, or they can go for Rogue’s version, which tastes like pumpkin bread. Either way, it’s going to taste like one of the two. I tried this because it’s Blue Point. No other reason.

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Presentation (5): They go with a burlap sack motif for the bottling and the six pack. I like it, it reminds me of fall like it should. I don’t quite understand the purpose of the circus elephant, though. 3

Originality (5): In the general case, I’d normally give this a three because that’s my average score for “we have to make one of these” beers. Blue Point entered the Pumpkin market very late though and, honestly, there’s nothing new to do. I’d rather see their Oktoberfest, which is an amazing addition to the Oktoberfest market, instead of this Pumpkin which, while good, does not break any new ground. 2

Body (10): A general copper body is indicative of the type and this is no different. Hardly any foam with mostly wet lacing. The consistency is good for the type, with a pleasant, thin mouthfeel with a solid amount of carbonation. While there’s nothing new here, the type is executed well. 8

Taste (10): Cinnamon and nutmeg in the nose and the intense scent of pumpkin. Given Blue Point’s Blueberry Ale, one would expect the pumpkin to be front and center here, and they’d be correct. Intense, pumpkin spicyness and aftertaste makes this a wonderful representation of the type. Blue Point goes for the “pie” variety and nails it, as usual. Obviously, this score only really helps if you like the flavors cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin. 10

Efficiency (10): This has a very high ABV for a Pumpkin Ale and it’s tasty enough so the alcohol is masked. Two of these were enough to start catching a slight buzz. The negative was the pricetag. At $13.99 (Manhattan) this was way too much for six beers. 4

Versatility (10): These are fun beers for groups because people do like trying varieties of beer. That said, it’s tempered by the number of people who don’t like Pumpkin. Also, there’s really no reason not to just take the cheapest pumpkin ale on the shelf as they pretty much all taste the same. 4

The Snob Sez: While I do still like the occasional pumpkin offering in the fall, I’ve reached market saturation point with them. Unless someone can make a version that’s something besides the current two, there’s really no ground to be broken.

Final Score: 31 of 50 (Good Beer)

Smuttynose “Finestkind” IPA

Brewed By: Smuttynose
Brewed In: Portsmouth, NH
ABV: 6.9%
Type: IPA
Awards: GOLD MEDAL WINNER – Best American Beer 2004 Great British Beer Festival

What They Say: You could say, then, that Smuttynose IPA is a physical salute to the glory of the American hop grower. The citrusy hop flavor coming from a mixture of Simcoe and Santiams is pleasantly balanced by a smooth bitterness from the Amarillo hops. The beer itself is light bodied and crisp with a golden color that will throw a slight haze, as we bottle it unfiltered. At 65 IBU’s, this is definitely not a training-wheels IPA, but is meant for hop lovers looking to satisfy their craving in a way that’s not easy to find. We think they’ll be quite pleased.

Website: Very plain, but informative. The brewing schedule is right on the front page, which is excellent because I didn’t even know I wanted that until I saw it there, but it should be like that on every website. Everything is organized well on the top of the page. Good stuff.

Why I Picked It: As everyone who’s read this blog knows, I’m not a fan of IPAs. I asked my parents to get me some beers for Christmas. Of course, the guy at the beer store told them that “good beer fans” usually like IPAs. Hence, a 22 oz of Smutty’s IPA wound up in my possession. I have never felt so offensively stereotyped in my entire life.

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Presentation (5): While I don’t love Smutty’s random non-related images on each of their beers, it’s hard to argue that one can’t recognize a Smutty bottle. I’m not sure why, but I find the two old dudes — who’ve likely never tasted an IPA — rather comforting. 5

Originality (5): It’s an IPA. Everyone needs an IPA. 3

Body (10): Beautiful golden color with a lovely, thick head. One thing I will say for IPA’s: when they’re done right, I don’t know if there’s a much prettier beer to look at through a glass. Great lacing, crisp flavor, and an overall great body. 8

Taste (10): Crisp citrusy flavor followed by that drymouth blast of hops that IPAs are known for. The sad part is if not for the blast of hops, I’d probably like this beer. The bitterness and hops flavor just isn’t my thing. In fairness, as I’ve mentioned in other IPA reviews, don’t hold this too hard against the beer. 2

Efficiency (10): For me, not so good. Drinking IPAs quickly is impossible. The beer is relatively cheap as good beer goes but the slow pace of drinking and the fact I didn’t really like it didn’t help. 3

Versatility (10): This is also pretty low. One of the arguments I have with other folks who enjoy good beer is that IPAs are not something to ever be used to break the uninitiated in to better beer. It’s an acquired taste on top of an acquired taste. I maintain that the IPA fanbase is a group of people who’ve all agreed that this terrible beer is good so they can set themselves apart from the burgeoning takeover of their community. 4

The Snob Sez: Honestly, it wasn’t for me. I only drank ten ounces of it and the other twelve went in to a random bottle of beer bread that I had hanging around from a previous Christmas or birthday. The bread — not surprisingly — tastes a little too much like the beer with the same bitter aftertaste and drying mouthfeel. However, with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, it does become quite the tasty little snack. So… to make an Italian appetizer, good. To drink, bad.

Final Score: 25 of 50 (OK Beer)

Paulaner Salvatore

Brewed By: Paulaner
Brewed In: Munchen
ABV: 7.9%
Type: Doppelbock

What They SayThe Paulaner Salvator with its strong,typically malty taste is the original Paulaner. The bottom-fermented Doppelbock-Bier unites the finest hops and dark barley malt. The Paulaner monks served Salvator as a replacement for food at Lent. Their most famous brewer was Brother Barnabas, who was the head of the Paulaner monastery brewery starting from 1773. Its original recipe is today almost the same as it was in Barnabas’ time. In order to protect the original recipe, Paulaner had the trade mark “Salvator” patented in 1896.

Website: The bottle claims “PaulanerUSA.com” which does not exist. paulaner.de does.

Why I Picked It: Happened to see it in the refrigerator at Whole Foods right around the time I was being sad about not being in Germany this year. Sadness. I had it.

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Presentation (5): Love the label on this beer — it looks like it should be hanging outside a bar. Two old men, a nobleman and a monk, grinning at each other. The Paulaner seal is in the middle and name of the beer written on a wooden shield. I assume they used “Double Bock” instead of “Doppelbock” to not scare off…. actually I have no idea. 5

Originality (5): I give a lot of retroactive points for originality with craft brewing, but I’m never quite sure how to rate this with these types. Paulaner has been brewing beer since 1889 using rules created in 1516. I have to imagine that I can’t even give them originality points on a doppelbock since that was probably brewing in Germany 300 years before they came around. 3

Body (10): Pours a thin brown with heavy carbonation and a thick head that reduces quickly. The odor is, well, German. As a beer brewed under the Reinhesgebot, it smells pretty similar to most. I really like the body of these German imports. They’re always light, unfilling, and convey the flavor perfectly. No difference here. The body is crisp and refreshing even for the heavy maltiness. There’s no oiliness or heaviness in the body. It’s really perfect. 10

Taste (10): This beer has the smooth, easy drinking quality of most German beers. I decanted this in to my Lowenbrau mug, which may be punishable by flogging in Germany, but the 11 oz beer would have looked absurd in my supersized Paulaner mug. I have to say, there’s not a whole lot going on here flavorwise. The flavor is light, with bold maltiness in the finish. As snobby as it sounds, it’s just not quite as good as it is sitting outside in Munich. Ha. 7

Efficiency (10): Somewhere between OMG and Yikes. This is a nearly 8% beer that goes down as smooth as any German I’ve ever sampled. A single bottle for $2.00 translates to $10 for a six-pack of 8% deliciousness. You can’t beat that. 10

Versatility (10): Limited availability hurts here as it seems to be a boutique thing offered only occasionally. It’s available in some Manhattan beer spots, but I can’t imagine I’d sit down and slug these at a bar for the night, nor can I imagine buying a bunch of single bottles to drink at home. This beer really needs a 22 oz. bottle. 4

The Snob Sez: Somewhat bland flavor as Germans go, but a great body and efficiency pushes this beer in to the blessed realm of ‘above average’.

Final Score: 39 of 50

Green Flash Brewing — Grand Cru

Brewed By: Green Flash Brewing Company
Brewed In: San Diego, CA
ABV: 9.1%
Type: Belgian (style) Strong Dark Ale

What They Say: Mysterious dark ale brewed with rich malts and fermented with Belgian and American yeasts.

Website: I originally drafted this post a while back and my comment on the website was “Yikes” and that was it. They’ve since updated it to a generic, bland design but that is quite a bit better than “yikes”.

Why I Picked It: For the first time at Whole Foods, I just closed my eyes and grabbed the first thing on the shelf. This is what I came up with.

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Presentation (5): Relatively boring, actually. The bomber is a simple 22 oz bottle with a square label. Grand Cru is written across the top in cursive, the “what they say” is after, and that’s about it. There’s picture of the ocean and the logo at the bottom. We get it, San Diego… the weather’s nice. 2

Originality (5): What I’m gathering here, though it isn’t explained very well by the company itself, is a blending of Belgian yeasts with California style hoppiness. This could work. 3

Body (10): Pours blackish to the naked eye but is more crimson in the light. No serving suggestions on the bottle and this beer was nowhere to be found on the website on this writing. I went with a pint glass. The carbonation is heavy but it’s a needed addition with the big flavors being brought in this beer. 6

Taste (10): The beer claims Belgian yeasts. I definitely get those. It also claims “American” yeasts but I don’t know that flavor enough to recognize it. The ale, as claimed, is dark and it eschews the normal light color and citrus notes associated with Belgians and replaces them with hops. On the plus side, the hops are kept to a level below nuclear destruction of the tastebud. I’d say there’s almost too much going on here. The beer finishes tremendously dry and they don’t manage to mask the burning ABV at all. So, it tastes a bit like yeasty burning with a dry finish. Not a huge fan. 3

Efficiency (10): While the high alcohol content and the reasonable price is good for the efficiency rating, the taste is rough. It’s not so bad that I had to dump the bottle (that would be unprecedented in the TBS Local Offices) but with all the choices out there, I can do better for the price. 6

Versatility (10): Super intense (and kinda bad) flavor and a high alcohol content isn’t going to get it done for a large audience. There’s too much going on here for most of the world and, potentially, too much for some snobs. 3

The Snob Sez: Pass.

Final Score: 23 of 50 — OK beer.

Wagner Valley Brewing Oatmeal Stout

Brewed By: Wagner Valley Brewing
Brewed In: Lodi, NY
ABV: 5.5 ABV
Type: Stout

What They Say: A classically brewed British style oatmeal stout. Dark, rich malt tones are highlighted with the subtle sweetnesss of fresh whole grain oats. Chocolate, coffee & caramel notes abound in this creamy, full-bodied flavor profile. This complex, yet elegant British ale is extremely smooth & drinkable.

Why I Picked It: Wagner Vineyard has become, I think, my favorite place in New York State. I’ve gone consecutive years and both times I had the same thought at the end: I want to live next door to this brewery and come here every day. I’ll take a job cleaning the toilets. I desperately want to go to one of their Fridays On The Brewdeck even if I don’t know any of the bands. Just the idea of sitting outside, overlooking the vineyard and lake, and sipping great beer to music is awesome. I chose this because it was one of only two beers (the IPA was the other) that I hadn’t reviewed after my trip last year. I also purchased a growler of their Maple Porter. If Rogue is the most underrated brewer on the west coast, Wagner Valley is the best brewery you’ve never heard of unless you live in a small, five county block of Western NY.

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Presentation (5): Their labels are relatively generic. I like the seasoned wood look, though I don’t understand the longship as the beer’s iconic image. Also, the website suggests this beer’s full name is “Caywood Station Oatmeal Stout” but that isn’t evident on the bottle. They use the same longship image on their IPA label. Maybe it’s just the default if they have nothing else? 2

Originality (5): Standard oatmeal stout. Nothing fancy. 2

Body (10): This pours a deep, oily black with a small strip of head, good lacing, and the aroma of a stout. The carbonation is a little bit more than I’d expect out of a stout but it works in this case. The one word that comes to mind is hearty. The carbonation offsets a bit of the heartiness but still, well, hearty. 9

Taste (10): There’s nothing groundbreaking in this particular version of a stout. The coffee and chocolate malts take the feature presence in the aroma and flavor. It’s stereotypical stout across the board. The most impressive thing about this beer is the crispness in the finish. Stouts usually finish dry and malty. This one is almost, well, refreshing. Mind you, it doesn’t quite reach refreshing, but it’s closer than most stouts even dream of getting. 8

Efficiency (10): I purchased this directly from the brewery in a mixed sixpack with some other favorites reviewed last year. Ordered online, the beers are $10/sixpack and, according to the website, they are currently not shipping beer due to state regulations. Allow me one more chance to state categorically how much I despise the absurdly crooked state of New York. But, hey, the Democrats and Obama will protect consumers, right? They’d never consider anti-consumer, stifling legislation at the federal level, right? The cost kills the efficiency for the 99.999% of the country outside the local brewery area. 6

Versatility (10): This is hurt by the generally low versatility of a stout. They’re very seasonal and, near as I can tell, their fanbase is even small amongst those of us in the every growing beer snob community. As usual, this isn’t something someone would drink much of and they probably wouldn’t offer it to their friends. That’s not to say it isn’t delicious because, well, it is. 5

The Snob Sez: Another great offering from Wagner Valley. I really wish I could get some of their stuff more often than the one time a year I get to Central New York.

Final Score: 32 (of 50) OK beer.

Chatoe Rogue Single Malt Ale

Brewed By: Rogue Ales
Brewed In: Newport, OR
ABV: ??
Type: Blonde Ale

What They Say: Single Malt Ale has a malty aroma and is deep golden in color with a dense creamy head. It is medium bodied with a lush rich maltiness from the Dare™ malt. 4 Ingredients: Malts: Rogue Barley Farm first growth Dare™ malts. Hops: Rogue Hopyard first growth Revolution Hops. Yeast & Water: Free Range Coastal Water and Pacman Yeast.

Website: I discussed this in depth when I reviewed Mom Hefeweizen. Loved it then. Love it now.

Why I Picked It: I made the executive decision last year that the unofficial close of Summer Beer Season is the NFL Thursday Kick-off Special. So, before I start getting in to Octobers and Pumpkins and all the other deliciousness associated with fall I wanted to close the season with one of Rogue’s new(ish) “GYO” offerings. GYO = Grow Your Own = (I’m Guessing) sustainable Rogue beers. I bought this when I was drying out back in July and it seemed appropriate here.

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Presentation (5): I like that Rogue has given these GYO beers a different look. As I’ve said a few times before: I like when beer companies give their “special” series beers a different look to set them apart from their normal offerings. This is no different. The white label with the GYO banner across the top lets us know this is different than their normal bottles with the odd image but it still includes the trademark Rogue Fist. In this case, the fist is gripping hops. 5

Originality (5): I’m relatively certain that Sixpoint was the first East Coast brewery to pick up the “sustainable beers” torch. Regardless, I don’t know if anything other than the sustainability marketing is original. This is a malty, blonde ale with a big hop kiss. There are a lot of these pn the market. 2

Body (10): This first pour is a beautiful, clear amber with a nice quarter-inch head. Lots of carbonation dancing in the glass which maintains a lacy head nicely. There’s a lot of carbonation here which is necessary given the heavy bitterness from both the malts and the hops. Topping off the beer with the remains of the 22 oz bomber is quite a bit cloudier. I assume this is yeasty sediment of some sort, but I wasn’t quite expecting it after the initial pour was so crisp, bubbly, and clear. 8

Taste (10): As regular readers well know, I despise IPAs. I’m not part of the cool kids’ club who believe the absurd notion that unless a beer makes your face melt, it’s not good. If IPAs tasted more like this beer — that is a nice malty blend with a restrained hop kick at the end — I’d love them much more. This beer has a nice citrusy start, and a nice hop and malt bitter finish. I can’t go so far as to say it’s refreshing, but neither is it drymouthy and awful. This is one of the few cases in which I think it’d be better to have this with a slice of pizza than by itself while watching football. 6

Efficiency (10): This is tough to say. The 22 oz. bottle was $7.99 at Whole Foods. With no ABV, it’s hard to know exactly what’s going on here. What I do know is the following. It cost me $8, it was delicious, and I caught a buzz by the end of it. Extenuating circumstances: I hadn’t had any food since two o’clock that afternoon and I’ve actively reduced my alcohol consumption to almost nil. All I can go with is what happened though… I caught a solid buzz off 22 oz. of beer for $8. Tough to argue with that. 10

Versatility (10): I can’t imagine the strong hops and malt flavor in this beer would be popular with many people. Folks who love hoppy ales probably would not be satisfied with it because it’s not gross enough for them. Folks who think hoppy ales are over-rated might think it’s too hoppy. It happens to hit me as a perfect blend. But I am not the market. 4

The Snob Sez: For my first hit in to the Rogue GYO series, this wasn’t a bad launching point. I will say, the beer that came out in the first pour was very different than the beer at the bottom of the bomber. The first pour was crisp, clear, and carbonated. The end was malty, cloudy, and smooth. While I liked it all the way through, I liked the first pour more.

Final Score: 35 (of 50) Good beer.

Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection — Stony Brook Red

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: Boston, MA — also aged there, per the press release.
ABV: 9%
Type: Red Ale

What They Say: This unique brew defies traditional beer style definition. The rich, malty brew combines notes of tart fruit from the yeast with a toasty oak character from the barrel aging. The long dry finish is almost wine-like. This is a beer that is satisfying on its own and also pairs well with many foods such as braised or roasted meats, beef stews and strong salty cheeses. Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red starts out as a strong red ale fermented with a Belgian style ale yeast. This younger ale is blended with over 50% of our Samuel Adams Kosmic Mother Funk. The Kosmic Mother Funk is a Belgian ale that we age in oak casks and tanks for over 6 months. The beer in the oak vessels undergoes a secondary fermentation with brettanomyces yeasts and lactobacillus to give the beer a rich tropical fruit note and some sourness. Stony Brook Red’s resulting blend has an earthy, fruity, and estery character. The beer is also bottle conditioned which creates a secondary fermentation in the bottle giving the beer an extra smooth and balanced flavor

Why I Picked It: The final beer in the vertical tasting of the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection Series. One final thanks to fellow beer snob The Big Show for getting these to me.

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Presentation (5): Check out the first post to see my thoughts here. 5

Originality (5): This is pretty much a red, but with some of the Kosmic Mother Funk and oak-aged goodness. Like I said previously: this whole idea of the Barrel Room Series isn’t the top of originality — it’s the second-best in Boston alone after Harpoon’s 100 Barrel Series — but I give Sam the points for trying. 3

Body (10): An opaque red pour with minimal head. Decent amount of carbonation and bubbling. The beer has the same oaken odor as bourbon-aged beers. The texture of the carbonation really manages to pull off the alcohol, successfully off-putting the burn. Really well done body for the type. 8

Taste (10): This is the beer that’s best managed to get mileage out of the oak flavors. As mentioned, the nose is sweet and the taste is an explosion of flavors — sourness from the fruits, sweetness from the oak, and bitterness from the malts. The aftertaste is sort of Belgian, but there’s so much else going on by the time you get there that it can be tough to appreciate. There’s red, Belgian, and oak all going on here. Complex and good. 9

Versatility (10): There’s a lot going on here. These single bottle, experimental beers range between tasty & accessible to tasty & WTF. This one goes more toward WTF. 3

Efficiency (10): Love this beer. The intense flavor forced me to take it slow, but high ABV kept it worth it. 7

The Snob Sez: My favorite of these barrel room collection beers. This won’t change the way anyone feels about beer, but it’s a good single bottle offering that isn’t disappointing.

Final Score: 35 (of 50) — Good beer.

Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection — American Kriek

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: Boston, MA — also aged there, per the press release.
ABV: 7%
Type: Kriek, although Beer Advocate calls it an “American Wild Ale”.

What They Say: The intense black cherry character in this beer comes from Balaton cherries, which were discovered in Hungary and are now grown in Michigan. These special cherries are prized for their depth of flavor. The tartness from the cherries is balanced by a rich, malty character with toasted oak notes added from the barrel aging. Our American Kriek undergoes a secondary fermentation on a bed of Balaton cherries from Michigan. The taste isn’t like the jarred candy cherry flavor but instead tastes like the deep red ripe fruit. The resulting beer is blended with a small amount of our Kosmic Mother Funk™, to add another layer of flavor and character.

Presentation (5): This was part of Great Big Show Trade. I believe this one cost me a Black Ops. This is the second of three beers in the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection Series.

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Presentation (5): Check out the first post to see my thoughts here. 5

Originality (5): They seem to be using their Belgian recipe here and doing some other nonsense involving trademarked Balaton cherries and “Cosmic Mother Funk.” They get an extra point for non-ironically using “Cosmic Mother Funk.” 3

Body (10): It pours a rather nice red with a about a finger of head which dissipates quickly. Healthy carbonation which is probably necessary given the big flavors. The mouthfeel is is not heavy in the least, and it finishes more like a soda than a beer. Even though the carbonation is bold, it’s one of the few cases where the beer could use even a little more. I don’t know if that would take it fully over to cherry soda. 8

Taste (10): While I’m usually not a fan of Sam’s “Fruit The Beer” offerings, I have to say this one is pretty good. The aroma here is of cherry and yeast. The cherries are used as a subtle, sour flavor that helps the base recipe. In this case, the cherry flavor is a souring enhancement as opposed to the Cranberry Lambic (which I hate) and the Cherry Wheat (which I’m also not a fan of) where the sickly sweet fruity flavors are the star. I do struggle to find any flavor elements — or even aroma — from the oak. This tastes like a nice little ale with some cherry tartness. As an oak-aged beer, I do expect a little more, though. 7

Efficiency (10): This comes in slightly lower than the first review if only because the ABV is lower. At “only” seven percent, the cherry tartness can be overwhelming by the time you get to the end of the bottle. For myself, I want a 22 oz offering to be nine percent or better at a reasonable price for a full score. At 7% for 22 ozs, I’d need two of these to take me home. I’d rather only get one. 6

Versatility (10): This beer gets a few more versatility points than the previous offering. With a much gentler flavor, it’s more accessible for a wider audience. While the corporate marketing of the Barrel Room Collection is trying to get back the snobs they’ve lost, this may at least pick up the burgeoning market of the new “them” snobs while giving the old “us” snobs something to look down their noses at. 5

The Snob Sez: Surprisingly good offering all things considered. I usually have a strong dislike for fruity beer offerings. However, this beer uses the fruit as an enhancement rather than a star. That makes all the difference.

Final Score: 34 (of 50) — OK beer.

Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection — New World Tripel

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: Boston, MA — also aged there, per the press release.
ABV: 10%
Type: Belgian (style) Tripel

What They Say: Pale gold in color, this ale is big, flavorful and complex. A special Belgian yeast strain adds tropical fruit and spice notes to the crisp dry ale, while Saaz hops add a subtle herbal note. (~10% ABV). Sadly, the neck booklet didn’t make it to New York on this beer.

Website: Other than the press release, I can’t find much info on this beer on their website. According to my newsletter, these are still available at the brewery but I don’t know if they’re anywhere else.

Why I Picked It: In various trades with The Big Show, I managed to get my hands on all three of these. I saw the press release a (long) while back, really wanted them, and eventually got them. They sat in my refrigerator for quite awhile waiting for the perfect weekend. As it turned out, Mets/Yankees Subway Series 2 + UFC + World Cup turned out to be that weekend. This is the first of three beers in the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection series.

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Presentation (5): I love the whole idea of these bottles. I like the caged-cork, I LOVE the BRC logo, and I like the bottles looking vaguely like barrels. Sam usually does a pretty bang up job with the packaging of their specialty offerings and these are no exception. This is what being big enough to have a marketing department allows. 5

Originality (5): This is more “eh” in originality than the other two. I’ve mentioned this before: I’m not a huge fan of American breweries doing Belgian styles because, well, they really don’t do them better than the abbeys that have being doing them for, in some cases, hundreds of years. As also mentioned before, there is one brewery that does Belgians well, and it should, by law, be served on taps at every baseball stadium due to its location in Cooperstown. 2

Body (10): This smells, pours, and looks like a Belgian. The expected heavy-yeasty aroma is cut a bit by citrus. The beer pours a hazy gold with some yeasty, floating sediment. Decent head in a tulip glass that reduces with some nice lacing. It’s a satisfying thickness for the type, with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel that’s quite nice. The carbonation here is just right, but slightly difficult to separate from the burn of the alcohol. 5

Taste (10): I originally decanted in to a Guinness glass until I read the press release which suggested a tulip glass. The rest of the bottle went in to the tulip. The flavors and yeasty aromas really did become much more intense. Honestly, I had a hard time picking up any flavors other than the yeasts, alcohol, and a touch of fruit. Between the citrusy acid, the carbonation, and the strong alcohol it had a very warm finish. The barrel aging, if anything, took away some of the Belgian flavor. As fake Belgians go, the flavor here wasn’t my favorite. Ommegang, as usual, does it better. 6

Efficiency (10): The 10% claim almost seems low. It’s possible I was tricked by the strong alcohol warmness in the finish. I’m not sure if the aging process (about three months) made the alcohol more distinct, but this would be tough to call efficient. Due to the trading situation, I’m not really sure what this cost so I’m working on the assumption the bottles were $7 – $12. The pinnacle of efficiency for this type is Three Philosophers from Ommegang and, well, this just doesn’t get there. 6

Versatility (10): Incredibly low. This is a cute beer and I love Sam trying to claim some of the “we’re going to make some obscure stuff” title from Dogfish and Brooklyn but there are many better Belgian styles on the market. As a Sam completest, this was worth it for me, but I’d never recommend this over some of the other, better ones. 3

The Snob Sez: Acceptable beer, but like I implied in the review of Saranac’s Belgian: it’s a crowded market between real Belgians and Ommegang. If a brewery’s going to bring it, they need to bring it hard. This doesn’t quite bring it hard enough.

Final Score: 27 (of 50) — Good beer.

Rogue XS Imperial Red Ale

Brewed By: Rogue Ales
Brewed In: Newport, OR
ABV: 9%
Type: Red Ale, Imperial

What They Say: 8 Ingredients: Crystal 40, Chocolate, Rogue Micro Barley Farm Dare(tm) and Risk(tm) Malts, Rogue Micro Hopyard Alluvial & Williamette Hops, Free Range Coastal Water, and Top Fermenting Pacman Yeast. According to this beer’s web page, though, that appears to be a lie. The web page claims 12 ingredients and also offers the normal Rogue tasting notes: A big beer with a spicey [sic] fruity aroma, chewy mid palate of figs and spice and a long lingering finish. Deep burgundy in color with tremendous drinkability.

Website: Discussed in depth last week. Still love it.

Why I Picked It: This was purchased from the Whole Foods Bowery Beer Room on the same day I picked up the Half-E-Weizen. A box of small 7 oz bottles were next to the register. Since it was there, I grabbed one.

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Presentation (5): The “7oz nip”-sized XS bottles exist to be placed at the register and grabbed as an impulse purchase. It’s sneaky, but effective. Considering the presentation, in this case, was the only reason I bought it, it would be really dishonest to not go full points. Otherwise, it’s a Rogue-styled bottled with an odd painting of a mustachioed dude in a red cloak. 5

Originality (5): It’s an imperial red, so there’s nothing here setting it apart from others of the type. They also claim a proprietary style of hops on the bottle, but this claim is disputed by the website. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I do know it’s a red with a high ABV. 1

Body (10): This pours a deep, almost-crimson red with a small head. I decanted in to a regular pint glass which, obviously, only filled about halfway. It didn’t seem to require a tulip glass. There’s a strong, spicy carbonation that pairs well with the heavy malts. Everything works pretty well together. 8

Taste (10): It smells and tastes malty. It’s really all about malts. I notice the chocolate first which struck me as out of place in a red. The raisin and fig flavoring come in well behind the bolder flavors. The conflicting ingredient lists are screwing me up here because I’m not sure what I’m tasting. Ultimately, the beer tastes like a mash-up of a high-quality, dense red bittered up with chocolate malt. Dry finish leaves the lingering flavor of chocolate. I love the flavors here, and they work together, but I don’t know how much of this I could drink. I guess that explains the serving size. 7

Efficiency (10): At nearly $1/oz ($4.99 plus tax and deposit for 7 oz), this beer would have to reach Utopias-levels of ABV to be efficient. It doesn’t have that. Really, it’s an overpriced sample. I complain about cask festivals that charge $3.50 for an 8 oz pour, so it would be disingenuous to not complain about it here. The 9% ABV saves a little face but, really, why would I pay bar prices for a high ABV beer when I could, you know, go to a bar? 2

Versatility (10): Incredibly low. What am I going to do with a bunch of 7 oz bottles that cost $5 each? These are like the Coronitas… except if an 8 pack of Coronitas cost $40. They exist so people can look at them and go OHHHHHHH THEY’RE SO CUTE!!!!! There’s hardly enough in the bottle to get into. Just as I started enjoying it, it was over. 1

The Snob Sez: A tasty beer destroyed by its serving size. I’d support the idea of sample-sized bottling. I won’t support it at bar pricing. If the Bowery Beer Room ever gets this in Growlers, we’ll revisit.

Final Score: 24 (of 50) OK beer.