Lhasa

Lhasa Beer
Lhasa, Tibet
Lager

This beer is made from “pure Tibetan spring water, Tibetan barley, Saaz hops, and yeast,” making it the first beer to be produced with Tibetan barley. I don’t know what that means, but I’m willing to find out.

Perfectly yellow straw color, with crystal pilsner clarity and a huge rocky white head – aided by the tall kolsch glass – that subsides slowly, but hurrying down as it separates into a Swiss cheese layer of foam. The nose is grainy and clean, like wet corn husks, but there is something more there.

There are not a lhasa beers from Tibet.

A chewy and floury odor like boiled pasta comes out along with a slightly sweet maltiness. The first sip delivers a good mouthfeel that is refreshing as a good lager should be. There is a lightness yet a complexity to this beer that makes it really appealing. The malt appears first, smoothing out the sip as some nice bitter hops leave a grassy flavor that perks you up a bit to remind you that pilsners should have a bit of a kick at the end. A touch of rice-like flavor is imparted as well, and it is not at all unpleasant.

Each sip of this beer is as smooth as a marble rolling on polished granite countertop toward a pool of water. It glides along seamlessly and then plops with a hop finish that is entertaining enough to have another. This is not a run-of-the-mill gas-pumper. If you like drinking lagers with Asian cuisine, this is a step above most of the cheaper choices. I picked this up on sale at a local Whole Foods, so look for it to be a well-priced alternative.

In my haste to drink this beer, I grabbed the Sierra cap from the Celebration, which is a shame as the Lhasa cap is pretty cool. So, here’s a glamor shot.Good for Lhasa Beer. This earns an Awesome tag.

Sierra Nevada Celebration 2009

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Chico, CA
2009 Celebration Ale

As usual, from Sierra, the signature golden color, like the rind of a perfectly ripe navel orange, and an angelic white halo of head form from the pour. Not that I’m biased or anything. The beer also has a slight haze, slightly more than the pale ale which also has sediment floating in the bottom. The carbonation is slow and fine.

It's a celebration, bitches. A Celebration, indeed.

The nose is certainly another Sierra trademark – rich citrus notes and cannabis. This brew has a sweeter texture, perhaps indicative of a maltier offering. There are sugary qualities to the aroma that remind me of pixi-stix or Sweet Tarts, but there is a breadiness of malt that comes across as sweet rolls.

The mouthfeel is very full, and starts off sweet and subtle with an orange-candy softness that rolls like a gathering wave into a full on smack of slightly floral hops that cascade into a slightly vinous aftertaste. There are fewer warming notes than I was expecting, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This beer is drinkable, and at nearly 7% ABV, maybe dangerously so.

The beer continues to open up as you drink, yielding slightly more resinous qualities that bring out touches of pine and ginger spice that indicate the more alcoholic nature of this brew. Elegant and heavy lacing hangs onto the chalice sides. Hops abound, as only Sierra can make them, and they are reasonably subtle here in that they don’t dry out your mouth as you sip. The florals do a lot to temper what might be an aggressive glassful for those not hooked on the hop. There’s a reason that this brewery made me love beer. And just when I think I couldn’t possibly love Sierra Nevada any more than I already do, I drink one of their beers and become giddy as a schoolgirl. Of course, that could be the 6.8% talking.

Because this beer is a Sierra stalwart, and doesn’t feel like you’re drinking Christmas dinner in a bottle, it is clear that this brew has not forgotten the secret of steel.

Boulder Hazed and Infused

Boulder Beer Co.
Boulder, CO
Hazed & Infused

The pour yields a pillowy off-white head that froths and climbs the glass and makes no indication that it wants to leave. The color is a deep amber, initially more golden before pouring the bottom of the bottle in, which turns it hazy and caramel-colored.

The nose has grapefruit, pine, and our hops’ cousin and old pal, marijuana. There are hints of pine, damp like an English forest, and really pleasant mentholated quality that climbs from the back of those pine needles.

Good effervescence on the pour; the bubbles twist erratically up and around the glass.

The first sip is reasonably delightful. The mouthfeel is very good and far creamier than one might expect. This is thanks, in part to the good quarter-inch of head that is still nestled atop the beer, locking in what is a great deal of hoppiness.

Grapefruit comes across initially, but is softer and sweeter before yielding to a fantastically dry hop snap that leaves the back of the tongue with a damper and grassier finish than many hop slap-happy brews might. The dry-hopped quality of the beer really comes through both in the nose and the finish of this brew.

While some hoptastic beers leave you feeling almost parched with their dry bitterness, this beer leaves you sated and ready to take another ride on the hopstacle course. I apologize for all the puns, but this beer is making me happy. Another fine offer from the great beer state of Colorado.

The lacing is more of a wall than a pattern. It stretches in great swaths like a tapestry of foam down the back of the glass. Even at the bottom inch of beer, a silver dollar of head balances atop the tawny brew. Pick this one up, hopheads, for a nice, lower ABV sample.

Saranac Pumpkin

Matt Brewing Co.
Utica, NY
Pumpkin Ale

I admit I’m not really a fan of pumpkin beers, but Saranac rarely veers too far off course.

The color is amber and gold, certainly reminiscent of a pumpkin with touches of orange and red. The head is decent, but quick to dissipate in the wider mouth of the Imperial pint.

The nose is very much like pumpkin pie. Gingerbread and brown sugar dominate, while subtler touches of clove-like sharpness and cinnamon waft around the glass. This seems to be softened by a hint of vanilla.

The mouthfeel is excellent. The body is full and the effervescence is constant and even. Fortunately, there is none of the coying sweetness that one might expect from something that smells so much like pie. There are a good amount of hops in there to kick the pumpkin sweetness down a notch or two.

This isn’t one of those heavier pumpkin ales that seems nothing more than fermented pumpkin puree. The beer is a bit earthy, but has a really good balance of sweetness, spice, and hop bitters. The pumpkin is far more subtler than you might expect and I give Saranac credit for crafting an interesting ale without going too far. Big beer is great, but sometimes a softer touch is necessary to produce a really quaffable brew.

Full Sail Pale Ale

Full Sail Brewing Co.
Hood River, OR
Pale Ale

As much fun as it is to say “Full Sail Pale Ale,” this really is a lovely-looking beer. The slightly cream-colored head is dense and foamy, sticking to the pint glass even as it first begins its slow collapse. The color is amber, with faint touches of honey orange.

Full Sail Pale Ale

The nose is spicy and slightly vinous. A strong, wet breadiness with apricot and under-ripe peaches comes about, too.

The first sip has a very good mouthfeel, one that is creamy but refreshing and not at all thin. The beer is not as big and bold as you might think from a Pacific Coast Pale, but in a good way.

A pleasant malt texture hits the tongue but is neither too bread- or molasses-like. It is a crisp grain taste,. You are met with some nice citrusy hops, not quite grapefruit, but certainly a fruit sweetness that gives way to a grassier finish. This is a true pale in the traditional sense, but with a very delicate Oregonian hand. When completed, this beer leaves behind an equally delicate lacing.

This brew is smooth but with a certain amount of complexity brought about by the crispness and fruit specters that linger just long enough before you take another sip. Full Sail Pale Ale rolls as well on to the tongue as it does off it and I would enjoy this in a pub any time.

As long as we’re in the pub frame of mind (aren’t we always), I would say this would pair well with a chicken pot pie. Likewise, this would go well with some sharp cheddar to bring out the sharpness of those more subtle hops. Cheers!

Beautiful Rings. Almost as beautiful as a full beer.

Brooklyn Oktoberfest

Brooklyn Brewery
New York, NY
Oktoberfest

Always a fan of Brooklyn Brewery and all that they have to offer, I am eager to review one of my favorite styles – Oktoberfest.

The pour gives a decent head but, without too much agitation, the off-white fluff vanishes quickly as the slow and steady carbonation keeps a thin layer of effervescence on the surface.

The color is an absolutely textbook copper; orange, brown, and red shine through like dappled autumn light through changing foliage.

The nose is a good mix of bready malt and faintly spicy hops. More on the malty side, the aroma conjures the sweet richness of apple cider, but perhaps warmed and spiced up with some potent potable.

Potent, it is. The mouthfeel is full and considerably more aggressive than you might think. This is due, in part, to a really nice hops character that introduces itself early – rare for a Marzen. The huskiness of the odor gives way to a fruity hop bite that has notes of apricot and plum and perhaps a touch of orange rind. This is also rare for this style, but it works here

At 5.5%, there is no alcohol warmth – to be expected from a Vienna-style. Brooklyn has a definite flavor profile to many of its brews that seems to use the lager as a base. That is, they use hops generously, but never to an overwhelming degree. Most Oktoberfest beers focus entirely on the malt body of the beer so, while this may not be traditional in that sense, it certainly is delicious.

Saint Arnold Elissa

Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
Houston, TX
Elissa IPA

Now that I’m in the Great State of Texas, I’m trying as many Texas beers as possible. Here’s one from Saint Arnold, a brewery with about ten selections, and which claims to be Texas’ oldest craft brewery. I’ve tried a couple of these while out at night and so far they’ve been good.

The pour immediately jumps up with a good inch of orange-tinged head that’s rocky and lively. The clarity is excellent and the carbonation is a steady string of pearls feeding the now slightly dissipated but still frothy head. The color is copper and orange, like a setting sun, but with les retinal burn.

The nose is very sticky and floral – this beer smells like West Coast hops all the way. Grapefruit and a fragrant and resinous sweetness out of what is sure to be a great hop bite. The mouthfeel is excellent. The malt kicks in at first but is quickly swept to the back of the palate by a wash of crisp hops that snaps but doesn’t sting. Those hops really impart a luscious citrus body that is complex and full but still refreshing and not overwhelming (at least not for a hophead like me).

This is as close to Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale as any bottle I can think of offhand. Perhaps it lacks some of the heavyweight punch that Sierra carries (I’m biased), but this is a truly wonderful example of American IPA. A thick trellis-work of lacing hangs around the glass, too. This beer is a must for hop lovers.

Appalachian Mountain Lager

Appalachian Brewing Co.
Harrisburg, PA
Mountain Lager

ABC boasts that its Mountain Lager is a tribute to the classic German Dortmund-style lager. The last ABC offer I tried, I wasn’t wild about, but a good lager will surely save the day.

The pour yields a half-inch of briny head that is kept afloat by an absolutely gorgeous eddy of lively carbonation that starts at the bottom of the glass and snakes its way upwards in a very active flow.

The color is a flawless flaxen gold with excellent clarity. The nose is grassy, with notes of damp straw, though it is more sweet than earthy with a touch of tart green apple.

The mouthfeel is excellent, I must say. The head retention on this beer is impressive and sits softly on top of the beer like a proper pint. The sip is very even, if a bit bland at first, but is really exceptionally smooth. What comes across is a faint grain taste, followed by a slight green-twig snap of crisp hops that is refreshing and not at all metallic.

This beer really is a classic lager. I would drink this anytime – during a meal, a night out, or a 10-mile run. I’m glad ABC has come back wit a restorative effort here. This is one to try if you’re looking for a light session beer.

Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale

Southern Star Brewing Co.
Conroe, TX
Pine Belt Pale Ale

From a can and from Texas, this beer was just asking to get consumed by the ol’ Brew Yorker in Dallas. I tried Southern Star’s Bombshell Blonde the other night and enjoyed it once I fumbled the name on the first try and finally ordered it. This can of Pinebelt is a 16oz, though. It’s like a normal can, but better.

The head billows up to a fine and active orange-hued inch and isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. The clarity is hazy, which is always exciting for a pale ale – I’m willing to bit at least a little bit of dry-hopping occurred. As I write, the head has started to subside a bit and leaves behind a tight webbing of lace.

The color is a deep amber orange – an almost tortoise-shell roan. This is a beautiful brew. The nose is smells like melted orange candy slices covered in crystallized sugar. The malt is very biscuity, not heavy and bready. There is a vinous quality to the nose – certainly not unpleasant – and may indicate a high ABV. Likewise, aroma of resin emerges, much like the beer’s name hints at.

The mouthfeel is great, the beer is full, but even. Bitter spices dry the top of the mouth quickly, followed by a roundhouse of hops that don’t hit a citrus note so much as a pine note, but you are not overwhelmed as is the case with many American Pale Ales.. The result is a woody finish that is supremely dry, like a desiccated pinecone, but one that is not unpleasant. The lacing hangs about the glass like snow drifting on the boughs of those same evergreens.

This is not a typical thrashing of hops, but most hopheads will be intrigued by it, if not impressed. The beer is like Gregory Peck – dry, but with character.

So far, Texas beers are kicking ass and taking names.

Flying Dog Tire Bite

Flying Dog Brewery
Denver, CO
Tire Bite Golden Ale

The pour spews forth a spume of crystal white heat that settles down in a hurry inside the slightly damp glass. The bubbles are large and erratic, the carbonation lacks pearl strands but is steady. The clarity is excellent. The color is straw, very light and lager-like, more like a pilsner than any ale.

The nose is slightly grassy, but sweeter and less metallic, telling you that it really isn’t a pilsner. The banana and bubble gum aromas of yeast come through slightly (very slightly) though are not as strong as some wheats, and a layer of hay lies in the back behind the sweetness.

The sip gives an immediately clean and even flavor but it starts to hint towards grass and straw in the back of the swallow. The sweetness mingles with the hoppiness across the tongue with just a hint of honey and sugar. A briny finish of hops cleans up nicely at the very end and prepares you for your next sip.

Flying Dog has a tendency to put a lot of elbow grease into making their beers complex, for better or for worse. This particular example is a good effort – not too much going on, but enough to keep you interested. This is a fine session beer and one that you can wrap your tastebuds around for a while; it will proffer more than a few facets that you can mull over for a while.