Entries tagged with “Vermont” from Malt & Barley Chronicles

WAIT, WAIT, THIS CAN'T BE!!!!

Yes, the Chronicles have finally found an American-made pale ale worth recommending.  (Long-time readers may know that the Chronicles have a major aversion to over-hopped ales, particularly those using citrusy hops.)  Perhaps the extra yeast, or the fact that it originates in Vermont instead of the West Coast, makes a difference. But I can safely say that Long Trail's Unfiltered IPA has earned a place in my rotation.

Characteristics: Deep gold color, varying from translucent to cloudy (depending on amount of yeast stirred from bottle); medium body, light-to-medium carbonation; tart orange and vanilla flavors at the beginning are moderated by yeast into a grapefruit finish.

Minor Gripes: Since this isn't an English bitter, the hoppy finish is still present and sometimes overwhelming (depending on temperature). And it's unclear (pun intended) whether one is supposed to spin the yeast out of the bottle (like weissbiers) or not. I tried it both ways and preferred the yeasty version.

Bottom Line: Make no mistake, this is an American IPA. But it's a mellow version, eschewing the mega-hop arms race for drinkability and a mellowness that might skew closer to the original IPA (where hops were a preservative, not just an agent for bitterness). And in an age where Sierra Nevada is supposedly on the low end of the IPA spectrum, Long Trail's Unfiltered IPA is nearly unimaginable.  

Rating: 6.25 / 10

Heavy duty brew from the Wolaver's Organic side of Otter Creek Brewing. Coffee beans used in the brewing process are sourced from the Alta Gracia farm community in the Dominican Republic.

Characteristics: Dark blackish-brown color, nearly opaque; low carbonation and minimal head; thick body that's almost syrupy at times; fairly consistent mix of coffee and chocolate malt flavors, with coffee and slight hoppiness coming out in the finish and vanilla emerging as the beer warms up.

Minor Gripes: None. Amazingly, the beer is consistent across all temperatures.

Bottom Line: This beer is awfully close to the platonic ideal of a coffee stout/porter(*). If you like your iced coffee to be black and thick, this could be your next favorite beer.

Rating: 8 / 10

This beer first caught my attention as a new offering from Magic Hat. It's kept my attention thanks to some quirky elements -- sugar beet extract! -- and to the quality refreshment it provides. And compared with other Magic Hat summer-ish efforts, Wacko is a clear winner.

Characteristics: Deep pink color (like golden cranberries); high carbonation; minimal head; light body; opens slightly sharp and hoppy, with a sugary (but not syrupy) malt middle and slightly dry fruity finish.

Minor Gripes: This is perhaps too thin a beer, with the carbonation hanging on all the way to the very bottom of the glass like a seltzer.

Bottom Line: Wacko is a well-balanced summer beer, just right for humid, nasty evenings on a stoop or back porch hoping for a breeze. The sugar beet element is amusing, while the flavor flows smoothly from crisp to clean. Color me impressed (yes, pun somewhat intended).

Rating: 6.25 / 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).

Woodchuck may be the most common US-based cider, but it's often disappointing.  I'm not a fan of sweet ciders, and the standard Woodchuck is cloying and difficult to finish.  Even the Granny Smith cider doesn't quite cut it -- it's too pale and runs a little sweet in the end.  But I've finally found a Woodchuck that breaks through the sweetness, the 802 (named for the telephone area code in Vermont).

Characteristics: Dark amber color, light body and carbonation, strong rounded apple flavor with sharp tangy notes, a dry middle and finish, and a citric acid aftertaste on the tongue.

Minor Gripes: The citric acid can get a tad overbearing if one waits too long between sips or swigs.  Luckily, that's not normally a problem...

Bottom Line: This is the first domestic cider I've tried that truly challenges the English / Irish ciders that make it stateside.  While I may not be a true cider aficionado (cf. this lovely article from Time Out London that savages Magners/Bulmers), I think the 802 would stand up to some of the specialty ciders and look forward to someday confirming (or disproving) this theory. 

Rating: 7 / 10

I've enjoyed this beer on many occasions but hadn't gotten around to reviewing it.  It's extremely drinkable as good browns tend to be -- smooth and flavorful and organic to boot.

Characteristics: Dark amber color, light to medium carbonation and a mild head, light body, starts with a hoppy moment and then settles into a malty/hoppy balance with the slightly roasted flavors taking over in the tail.

Minor Gripes: The maltiness can sometimes get cloying, though typically I've finished the beer before that happens.

Bottom Line: As I've noted before, the Wolaver's / Otter Creek crew are good people making good beers... if their distribution channels reach your area, do yourself a favor and try out the Brown or the Stout for sure.

Rating: 7/10

I have yet to find a local (metro-DC) brewery I like enough to try all their beers, which is why I keep coming back to the Vermonters.  And it is the season to wander through the Oktoberfests, whether ale, lager, or weiss ...

Characteristics: Medium amber color, light to medium body and carbonation, minimal head, peppery bite masking malty flavors and adding more than a touch of bitterness.

Minor Gripes: I'm not sure if the pepper is intended or not -- an earlier batch I had this season was not nearly so strong, relying more on the malt to carry the flavor.

Bottom Line: I like this beer well enough as an amber ale, but it doesn't quite fit the real Oktoberfest model (where the malt should dominate with a heavier body, even in ales).  Then again, just about any beer would suffer in comparison to the fresh Hacker-Schorr Oktoberfest I was enjoying last weekend at a German bar in NYC.

Rating: 5.5 / 10