March 2006 Archives
I bought this looking for a red ale but then saw the ESB legend when I got home. This brew is more at home in the "red" camp than the bitter, however. A fine beverage from Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Characteristics: Warm red color, light to medium body (almost like a pilsner), smooth start gives way to hoppy, slightly bitter (but not too dry) finish.
Minor Gripes: Surprisingly, this could stand to have a little more body to help balance the transition from "red" to hoppy down the end.
Bottom Line: Mostly smooth, definitely drinkable, and definitely the mark of a brewery worth checking out again.
Rating: 5.75 / 10
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Disappointing brew... starts flat and finishes a bit funky. Different from any other porter I've ever tried, but not in a good way. It's as if this beer was made from the remnants of the Gonzo Imperial Porter brewing process -- it's got some of the complexity, but none of the balance or subdued brightness.
Characteristics: Cloudy brown color, standard medium-weight porter body with zero possibility of forming a head, dull opening flavor that stays muddy (rather than smoky) even as the beer warms up and other flavors stomp in the puddle.
Gripes: The taste of dirt does not suit beer -- even when it claims to be Scottish inspired and can make a claim for being "peaty."
Bottom Line: I'm willing to concede that I may have gotten a bad sixpack, but I will not go out of my way to choose this beer again.
Rating: 3.5 / 10.
This beer proudly claims to be the very first bock and the source of the "bock" name (courtesy of those Munich dukes and citizenry who kept calling for the "oanbock" or "einbock")... thus the "ur-bock" designation. Packaging in German, Dutch, English, Spanish, French, and Italian tells that story, but fails to offer anything more particular about the style of this variation.
Characteristics: Tawny gold color, light body, starts sweet but finishes dry and bitter -- thus failing to hide or incorporate the 6.8% ABV kick to the taste buds.
Minor Gripes: The finish could stand to be a little rounder or fuller. Also, what gives with the 11.2 ounce bottle? (Yes, I'm being a standardweight snob and rejecting 1/3 liter instead of the 12 oz / 355 ml size -- but I didn't realize that 1/3 liter was a standard beverage size on the continent.) Also, the coloring didn't strike me as a true "dunkel" or dark version of the bock style.
Bottom Line: An interesting take on the bock -- probably better in the homeland but still worth sampling here in the US.
Rating: 5.75 / 10
