Entries tagged with “New York” from Malt & Barley Chronicles

Custom-brewed for Pianos, a small rock club on the Lower East Side (NYC) that once was a piano showroom and repair shop... this is a dense Belgian-style ale with a whole lot going on.

Characteristics: Cloudy copper color, medium carbonation and head, medium-to-heavy body, grapefruit flavors (but not Cascade hops!) dominate over a sweet, slightly malty middle section before transmogrifying into an American Pale Ale (a/k/a hop-infested) finish.

Minor Gripes: For the weight of this beer, grapefruit isn't necessarily the balancing note I would have chosen. Tough to pair with anything but a lighter weight American Pale Ale. Also hints at a high ABV content that couldn't be confirmed or denied from the tap handle.

Bottom Line: Certainly a creative beer, but not always successful. Grapefruit burps and that late hoppy shift are not welcome. Worth sampling, though, especially if you're looking for a heavyweight counterpart to all those brews trying to outperform Sierra Nevada.

Rating: 4.5 / 10 (before any bonus points for creativity and local focus)

A few weeks back, I was doing a little people-watching at the Oyster Bar on a Friday early evening.  I can't think of many places in NYC that got a bigger boost from the series "Mad Men." And along with a gorgeous plate of fried oysters, I had the chance to sample a couple pints of this lovely brew that adds some rye to the barley malt.

Characteristics: Cloudy amber color; medium body; low carbonation; starts with a sharp hoppy note, mellows into a biscuity, yeasty middle and finishes slightly sweet.

Minor Gripes: Balance is a problem. The hops keeps the sweetness in check only sometimes, but the biscuity elements can be overpowered by either of the two.

Bottom Line: With bivalves, Righteous Rye is magical. The hoppy opening cuts through the brine, while the malty rye draws out the depth of the bellies. In a stand-alone setting, the lack of balance and consistency is a bit of a liability. A complex beer worth checking out for amber ale fans.

Rating: 5.5 / 10

I thought I'd reviewed this one ages ago, but the site doesn't show any entry. Pennant Ale '55 is a tribute to the old Brooklyn Dodgers and their first (and only) World Series triumph, and a perfectly reasonable entry in the Brooklyn Brewery stable.

Characteristics: Translucent copper-amber color, thin body, mild-to-average carbonation, some hoppiness in the opening (along with the carbonation) that gives way to a yeasty, biscuity malt middle and slightly sweet finish, especially when allowed to warm slightly from standard refrigerated storage.

Minor Gripes: Pennant Ale '55 has a tendency to get a little bitter in the middle and finish, as if it's pretending to be an American Pale Ale instead of a more rounded amber.

Bottom Line: Like a reliable fourth starter in a pitching rotation, it doesn't have a knockout quality but it keeps the team in the game. Nothing special, nothing terrible -- just a nice middle-of-the-road amber.

Rating: 5.25 / 10

A classic black and tan, of course, is Guinness poured over Bass. Attempting to bottle and store such a concoction is basically impossible. So the few bottled variations really should have a different name... yet I try them anyway. Yuengling's version is a mix of their porter and lager, while Matt's opts for stout and lager.

Characteristics: Dark, nearly opaque brown color; medium body and carbonation; hops and carbonation open into a sweet malt middle and a dry yeast/hop finish.

Minor Gripes: At most US beer temperatures (i.e. too cold), the malts don't come out to play so that there's just a dry, dull hop flavor.

Bottom Line: The pre-mixed Black and Tans are better summer drinks, when it's too hot and muggy for a proper porter or stout. They're certainly no substitute for a good schwarzbier, either. Saranac is perfectly drinkable, but given the choice, I'll take the Yuengling instead.

Rating: 5.25 / 10

Ommegang brews a variety of bottle-conditioned Belgian-style ales and is even labeled as part of the Duvel family of ales.  Hennepin is its saison, strong farmhouse ale -- a sneaky 7.7% ABV.

Characteristics: Slightly cloudy and pale gold color; light body; medium carbonation; a hoppy opening leads to malty sugars that blossom at proper temperature (about 40F) with a moderating yeasty element throughout.

Minor Gripes: When the balance of yeast, malt, and hops gets out of whack, Hennepin can be a bit of a rollercoaster (like many Belgian ales).

Bottom Line: As long as you don't have anything to do the next day, feel free to enjoy a full 750ml bottle. It's sufficiently easy-going and yet complex to drink over the course of an evening, especially if you can keep the temperature constant.  Just keep in mind that it packs the wallop of three "normal" 12 ounce beers in the volume of two.

Rating: 6.5 / 10

I'm always intrigued and frightened by winter ales. Intrigued by the idea of cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger and cloves, like a mulled wine or cider, but frightened by the attendant malt sugars that overwhelm the rest of the brew. Blue Point's entry for 2008-09 gets the job done by dialing back some of the spices and adding more hops to maintain balance.

Characteristics: Deep amber-brown color, low-to-medium carbonation, medium body, flat malty start that leads to a battle of citrusy hops and a mix of spices -- mostly coriander and nutmeg -- that continues through the finish and aftertaste.

Minor Gripes: I'd prefer for the spices to win a little more definitively. Fans of American Pale Ales, or those who dislike winter ales but are forced to consume this one, may hold different opinions.

Bottom Line: As winter ales go, Blue Point's is one of the most drinkable. I wouldn't buy it more than once a year, but that's typically enough for winter ale season (unlike pumpkin ales, which I would sample all year round).

Rating: 6 / 10

McSorley's Ale House is one of the contenders for the oldest bar in New York City, and a place of some repute for many reasons. One of the more positive reasons is that they serve exactly two beers -- "light ale" and "dark ale." And I'm guessing that this bottled version is the dark ale. As a side note, the actual brewing of McSorley's started as a neighborhood affair but has passed hands through various, increasingly larger shops until falling into the hands of Pabst Brewing (whose broad ownership of regional brands is a story for another time).

Characteristics: Warm copper color, medium carbonation and minimal head, light body, with smooth malty flavors throughout that end a little on the sugary side.

Minor Gripes: There's not really much of a "there" there. Seriously, McSorley's is fine going down but not entirely memorable after the fact.

Bottom Line: McSorley's Ale is a fine choice for those on the Killian's side of the Irish red/amber spectrum (as opposed to the Smithwick's, more heavily hopped, end). I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but I won't run from it, either

Rating: 5.5 / 10

My wife first heard about this beverage earlier in the year and led us on a tangled search through bars and package stores to chase it down when we lived in Washington. Now that we're in New York, the search is far less arduous, but the cider is no less refreshing and no less crisp.

Characteristics: Pale, pale yellow color, light body, even lighter carbonation, and a continuously tart, smooth apple flavor from start to finish.

Minor Gripes: This is a heavier hitter -- the 6% ABV is hardly noticeable on the way down, which can be a scary thing. Also, I'm not big on sulfites, even though I understand the interest in keeping it fresh a little longer (and hops aren't available as a natural preservative).

Bottom Line: Original Sin is like drinking a Granny Smith apple. It's among the better domestic ciders, though you may want to watch the sulfites and sugar content depending on your propensity for hangovers. For those reasons, I can't drink more than one in an evening, and it can't be the last beverage of the night.

Rating: 5.75 / 10 (after being docked 1/2 point for the ill effects).

My new resolution: "big bottles + wine stopper = good value" -- at least here in NYC, where there's a fierce beer tax, especially on six-packs. If this resolution doesn't work out, these Chronicles may move on to distilled malted barley beverages -- prices on that side of the shop are comparable to what I found in DC. Anyway, today we take a trip back to the heyday of carnival sideshows and exotic-feeling experiences.

Characteristics: Cloudy gold color, average carbonation and head, medium to heavy body, sharp citrus notes (accentuated by the carbonation) that give way to a round, malty, spicy middle (reminiscent of christmas ales) before powering back as the aftertaste.

Minor Gripes: The citrus and malt aren't really playing nicely together, instead fighting for prominence. A little more nutmeg or coriander, or a different hop selection, might have balanced out the flavors.

Bottom Line: If your taste in Belgian whites runs toward first-generation Celis White or Hoegaarden, then Albino Python is definitely worth checking out. For those on the fence about whites (or who see Blue Moon as a pinnacle of this style's evolution), this beer isn't going to work.

Rating: 5 / 10

My first review of a "local" beer since getting to NYC, where the insane tax rate means that decent six packs (even on sale) start close to $10.  I'm starting to think that it's better to buy the big (22-24 oz) bottles (and a wine bottle stopper) than to persist with the six pack.  But that's not a reflection on this particular brew, which presents different concerns.

Characteristics: Golden-reddish color, medium-to-high carbonation, light body, with strong citrus hops running roughshod over the toasted malt opening and then lingering on the tongue.

Minor Gripes: I'm simply not a fan of overblown hops, especially of the citrus variety.  This beer is dominated by its hops, though not as much as a comparable American pale ale.

Bottom Line: I wanted to like this beer.  It originates from a nice low-key town on Long Island, and the name "toasted lager" is appealing.  But the citrus finish just doesn't match the malty intentions of the name and coloring. A softer hop profile would allow the "toasted" flavor (and not just the color) come out.

Rating: 5 / 10

I'd heard about Southampton's brews for some time, mostly from the period "Beers of the Times" feature in the New York Times.  As a fitting preparation for my upcoming move to NYC, I recently managed to score a six-pack of the Double White Ale.

Characteristics: Pale cloudy yellow (when poured properly), full head that dissipates promptly into medium carbonation, medium to heavy body, with a mild yeasty flavor tempered by spices and hops and an orangey tail.

Minor Gripes: There's no warning that you need to swirl the end of the bottle when pouring (or that you should never drink straight from the bottle).  Without the settled spices and yeast, the beer is thin and overly hoppy and dominated by alcohol. And when poured right, you'll never know that

Bottom Line: For those who like the Belgian-style witbiers, the Double White is a tasty addition to the tradition.  It's certainly heavier than the old-school Celis / current Hoegaarden versions, but no less tasty.

Rating: 6 / 10

Another of Brooklyn's seasonal offerings, this beverage (even more so than Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin) has restored my faith in pumpkin beers.  Post Road carries its excellent, savory blend of pumpkin, nutmeg, and cinnamon flavors consistently from the first (perhaps too cold) sip to the last (approaching room temperature) without being overpowering or getting syrupy. With prime pumpkin season now over, I won't be sampling any more varieties until next fall (anything still in the stores will be suspect at best).

Characteristics: Rich copper color (tending toward brown), light-to-medium carbonation with a small head, medium body, smooth mix of savory pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg that crests just as you finish each sip. 

Minor Gripes: The season of availability is just a little too short... I was only able to score one six-pack before my local store ran out.

Bottom Line: This beer manages to replicate the experience of eating a great pumpkin pie filling without being filling.  That's quite a feat, and it will keep me coming back to this brew for seasons to come.

Rating: 7.5 / 10

Boom.  My first imperial in quite a while... and while it masks the 10.6% (ABV) alcohol content well, the kick is still there -- kinda like garlic buried in a tomato sauce. Which, speaking of garlic and tomatoes, this beer can overpower even the strongest food flavors.

Characteristics: Burnt motor oil brown, minimal carbonation, thin but persistent head, medium to heavy body, slow start gives way to dark chocolate roasted malt dominance, with the alcohol sugar/burn emerging only when the beer warms. 

Minor Gripes: It's twice as strong as the average beer -- that's a major kick in the pants after a long day at work.  Rationing isn't just encouraged, it's required.

Bottom Line: As seasonal beers go, the Black Chocolate Stout is definitely a winner.  It's not for everyone, but those who can handle a heavier, darker beer should definitely give it a whirl.

Rating: 7 / 10