Old Thumper

Yes, I am reviewing a second beer tonight...I decided to do it up right since I had missed a weeks worth of posts, and since I am enjoying the effects of the OBP2.

Next up this evening is Old Thumper...





Old Thumper is brewed by Shipyard Brewery, which I know best for their pumpkin beer, but it seems as if they like to dabble into other ventures. Thumper always reminds me of Bambi's lovable friend from the Disney movie, but this beer is anything but.

This beer has a nice amber color and aroma, but after tasting it, I picked up a strong plastic-like flavor. After giving it a second taste, I would actually change my analysis to a "spicy plastic flavor". When I started this blog, I decided that, no matter how bad a beer was, I was going to finish it...I am tempted to break that vow.

I probably wouldn't recommend this beer to anyone...it feels weird having this be my first negative post, since I wonder if I would have responded as strongly hadn't I enjoyed the much better OBP2 before hand. Alas, I say pass on this one.

Flavor: Frisbee or perhaps tupperware?
Color: Medium golden hue
Alcohol content: 5.9% by volume
Average price: $2.99 (bottle)

OBP2

Well, it has certainly been too long since my last post...apparently, and despite my thoughts on the matter, a throat ulcer should not be treated with alcohol.

Well, I decided to jump back into it with a bang...OBP2 (Truly, it is OBP squared, but I don't know how to get the little '2' next to the P).



This beer is probably quite the handful...it uses the analogy on the bottle of a cup of coffee: half the water = double the flavor. Well, in the case of beer, not only is flavor doubled, but alcohol content as well. The deep reddish beer is touting 11% alcohol by volume...First taste impression: The first thing I noticed is this beer's sweetness. Considering the alcohol content, I figured this would be much stonger in flavor (closer to and IPA then perhaps a lager). The sweetness is followed by a subtle spiciness which compliments well with the sweet.

This is a locally brewed beer, which I alway enjoy sampling...makes me feel like I am giving back to my community in a strange way. Honey based beers have been around for thousands of years and because of this, have a very interesting history:

-Honey beers were once considered an aphrodisiac
-Teuton brides traditionally drank honey beers for a month after they were wed. The honey and moon cycles during the month were the basis for the term "honeymoon".
-Honey is one of the main ingredients in one of the oldest forms of beer: mead.

I am very much enjoying this beer, but as I mentioned to Jess, I am glad I only have the one to drink. This beer is so sweet and flavorful that I could imagine myself drink 3-4 in a short period of time and getting much too inebriated much too quickly. A very good beer that I would recommend (with caution) to pretty much anyone. Sweet beers are paired nicely with;

-Grilled sausages (could even use one to boil the brats first...mmmmm)
-Chocolate cookies made fresh by your significant other (taking a guess here, but I am sure it will work out nicely)
-Spicier foods

Flavor: Vert sweet with a mild spicy after thought
Color: Deep amber/reddish color
Alcohol content: 11% by volume (be careful, because these go down easily!)
Average price: $2.79 (bottle)

Smuttynose - IPA

Welcome back my old friend...Indian Pale Ale, how could I gone so long without your beautiful taste on my lips? Tonight I will be sampling a beer that Jess bought for me. The next several beers are gifts from her to me (suggesting more and more that I named this blog aptly).






Since this is an IPA, I knew that I should be expecting bitterness and a slightly amberish color, however I was surprised by what I saw after I poured the beer into my glass. If you look at the photo above, you will see something similar to what I saw: white specks floating in the beer! After doing a little research, it appears that certain IPAs will have the malts stick and create clumps in the beer. I haven't yet determined if this is considered a negative feature in a beer, but it didnt deter me from drinking it (although, this is only post 3, maybe i'll get more snooty?)

Again, the beers flavor was as expected...bitter and hoppy, just like an IPA should be! The flavor was less intense than the Sierra Nevada Torpedo, which might make this a better jumping off point for someone who wants to try an IPA, but isn't quite ready for the SNT...All in all, a very tasty and flavorful IPA...remember to look past the floaters!

Flavor: Bitter, but less so than the Sierra Nevada Torpedo
Color: Light amber with little hoppy specks
Alcohol content: 6.9% by volume
Average price: $9.59 (6 pack)

Holy Mackerel - Special Golden Ale

This evening I will be partaking in a Florida brewed Ale: Holy Mackerel





This beer won a microbrew contest that was run by Samuel Adams...the beer is still microbrewed, but done in a manner that allows for mass production. I have never tried a "Golden Ale", so I was excited when my buddy Anthony brought this home for me from a local bar. It seems as if it was on tap there, and they filled up my growler yesterday evening...typically when beer is bottled like this, it is intended on being consumed that same day. Since it is not quite 24 hours from that point, I think I am in the clear on this one.

My initial reaction was the color of this beer...the gold hue really leaps out from the glass. The aroma is sweet and has a hint of something I cannot quite detect (or rather, cannot identify).

Having nearly completed my first pint, I can say that I am eager to pour myself the next...The sweetness that I detected is very evident in the flavor of the beer, but the part that is most striking is the subtle earthiness that comes along with the sweetness. The two flavors compliment one another in the sense that one never truly overpowers the other.

Although I have no food directly in front of me, I imagine that the sweetness would be paired best with a saltier type of food:

-French Fries
-Bangers and Mash
-Complimentary popcorn (always tends to be oversalted)

I would definitely recommend this beer for someone who is looking to try a light and sweet new beer...Thanks again Ant for picking this up for me!

Flavor: Sweet with a hint of earthy sharpness
Color: Light golden hue
Alcohol content: 8.5% by volume (Did i mention that i have a 32 oz growler to drink!?)
Average price: $7.29 (4 pack)

Sierra Nevada - Torpedo

First, let me state that this blog will be different than perhaps others that I have started...I actually have passion to create and continue this one. Beer is something that I feel I have a good amount of knowledge about and even more drive to experience more. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!





Sierra Nevada Torpedo

This beer is one of my favorites and I am pleased to be beginning my blog with this one. This beer is classified as an Indian Pale Ale (to be referred from now on as IPAs). A little history on the IPA...these beers are named this because during British rule of India, brewers needed to add extra hops to the beer to help preserve the beer for long oceanic freight trips to the East.

Given the extra hops, IPAs have a noticeable bitter taste, and Torpedo is no different. This beer might be a strong jumping off point for someone who is just beginning to experience beer or perhaps is looking for something new to try. I would recommend starting with a classic Sierra Nevada (which I am sure I will be sampling at some point in the near future). I personally love the sharp bitterness that comes with the Torpedo, since it is a nice compliment to a variety of different types of foods:

-Burgers
-Wings
-Fish and Chips

This beer has a nice dark amber color and, if given enough time to breath, will create a thick head that helps aromate the beer. I would recommend this beer to anyone who likes bitter IPAs or is looking to try something unique and new!

Flavor: Strong bitterness
Color: Amber
Alcohol content: 7.2% by volume
Average price: $8.99 (6 pack)