Dave again, this review is two-tiered. Firstly, I am reviewing one of my favorite (if favorite means most frequently drank) beers, Anheuser-Busch’s Natural Light. Suprisingly, it is a pilsner and not a lager, and gets far worse of a rap than it actually deserves. Up here in Boston, a 30 pack of Natural Light is $13.50. A 12 pack of bud light is $10.50. It is easy to see why Nat wins out so much of the time.
The second part of my review is about the glass. Boston Beer Company (brewers of Samuel Adams) is in Boston and they have a much-touted perfect beer glass. Features of this glass include a beaded rim (.com) to release flavor and aroma as the beer enters your mouth (.com), laser etched to release constant stream of bubbles, outward turned lip (.com) delivers beer to the front of the tongue where malty sweetness (.com )can be fully enjoyed.
I have taken a picture of the glass with the Natural Light inside of it to show how it looks.
First, the beer: the first sip reflects a very light flavor, actually quite reminiscent of a watermelon beer I reviewed back in February. Prolonged tasting does not reveal much more, it has a slightly lager-ish body, but there are few notes. The scent is strictly old-stadium/men’s restroom, and is classic American “beer” stench. That being said, it is terrifically easy to drink, and pairs well with strong-flavored foods that are helped by just a hint of beer flavor (think bar fare: pizza, wings, burgers, etc.)
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The glass definitely produces a lot of bubbles, the beer has not stopped bubbling since I began this review. I do notice that the curled lip of the glass does let the beer hit your tongue in a way that spreads it evenly over the mouth. Though I am sure it is somewhat psychological, I would like to think that this glass does what it says it does: reveals the true body and flavor of the beer. In the case of Natural Light, it does reveal just how flavorless this beer is (without the aluminum can adding hints of nickels). It does make it easier to drink, which is probably the goal when Nat is on the table.
Flavor: Watery, light-lager taste
Color: Watery urine
Alcohol Content: 4.2%
Average Price: $2.99 (4 pack tall boy), $3.99 (6 pack bottles-hard to find) $6.99 (12 pack), $13.50 (30 pack). Depressing I know all this off the top of my head.
Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red
Today I am going to review a limited edition Samuel Adams Barrel Series beer. These are expensive, and are only sold in Boston (or online via Sam’s virtual store). They produce three at any given time. This is the Stony Brook Red, described as “Belgian style with a hint of tart fruit and toasted oak character.” These are all hand bottled and corked, so I had a fun time trying to get the cork out, shying away from it like it was about to explode. After five minutes of coaxing and trying to get my girlfriend Sara to open it, I sucked it up and did it. It opened with an audible pop, and immediately the scent of wine wafted into the air (weird.)
The color is deep amber, and reminds me almost of tobacco-spit. The scent is fruity-very much like wine or a deep Belgian abbey ale with some notes of cider.
First taste, here we go…
Doesn’t taste like beer. Strangely enough, first taste is of American cheese, followed by sour grapes. This is a sour beer, so the sour finish is to be expected, and is a refreshing change from the typical bitter finish of more hoppy beers.
The taste of barley or hops is nowhere to be found, replaced by a rich fruity body (.com) that turns sour when swallowed (.com). Sara says it is closer to cider than beer, and she is absolutely correct, which is funny given that this is brewed as a beer, and to my knowledge doesn’t contain apples.
Definitely a strong beer at 9% ABV, though this increases as it is bottle-conditioned and it is suggested that you let it age.
I am glad I sprung for the fancier limited-edition experience, though there is something to be said for the simplicity of a traditional beer. More of a sipping beer, it tastes like a combination of a lambic and a cider.
Flavor: Fruity cider, sour finish.
Color: Deep amber/tobacco
Alcohol Content: 9%
Average Price: $9.99 per 25.4 fl. Oz. bottle.
