December 2007 Archives
An occasional feature a/k/a "emptying my 6-month-old clippings pile of beer-related ephemera and gadgetry"...
Robots and Gadgets:
Robots and Gadgets:
- Opening and Pouring Beer
- Futurama's Bender Brewer
- R2-Beer2
- The Gamerator (1, 2), an arcade game cabinet plus kegerator
- A counter-top kegerator (of limited utility unless you really, really like Heineken)
- A far-more-useful Mac G3 Tower
- Make your own LED, pressure-sensitive coasters (1, 2)
- Pumpkin brewing (as opposed to pumpkin brews)
- A beer-powered battery(?)
- The physics of beer bubbles
- Recycling beer waste for cattle feed
- Question the environmental impact of your beer
- Consider breweries that are already green (1, 2)
- Learn about new supersonic brewing methods
- Songs and Videos curated by WFMU's Scott Williams, proprietor of the now-concluded 2:40 Podcast (1, 2)
- The ever-popular holiday editions of Barstool Mountain and Big Rock Candy Mountain, currently preparing for the birthday of patron saint Shane MacGowan
- Musings on a Zappa-inspired beer
- Maria Callas-inspired opera gowns, woven from beer and soda cans
- And sadly, the UK legal system is open to banning international satellite feeds in pubs (The case isn't over yet, so I may come back to this one over at Deadly Tango in the new year...)
- There's a hop shortage!
- There's a barley shortage!
- High prices may not decrease demand!
- Science is spending time on virtual beer instead of improving what's already on our shelves!
- Brewers are too generous in their reward offers for lost laptops (1, 2, 3), leading to a rash of thefts!
So much for being done with Trader Joe's (as I had recently promised) ... but I find it easiest to buy my beer as part of my weekly groceries. I think I really am done, at least with any further reviews, after yet another middle-of-the-road amber.
Characteristics: Pale copper color, medium carbonation and head, thin body, sharp bubbly start with a burnt toast middle and sugary finish.
Minor Gripes: Honestly, there's nothing that really stands out about this beer. It's not too bland, not too sharp, just present and somewhat accounted for.
Bottom Line: Jumping Cow is one of those beers that's fine to have in the fridge from time to time. It won't offend anyone, but it won't surprise them either.
Rating: 5 / 10
Characteristics: Pale copper color, medium carbonation and head, thin body, sharp bubbly start with a burnt toast middle and sugary finish.
Minor Gripes: Honestly, there's nothing that really stands out about this beer. It's not too bland, not too sharp, just present and somewhat accounted for.
Bottom Line: Jumping Cow is one of those beers that's fine to have in the fridge from time to time. It won't offend anyone, but it won't surprise them either.
Rating: 5 / 10
I should dock some points for the "Established 1703, Re-established 1995" game -- making a complete and utter mockery of institutions that have legitimate histories. Bootstrapping from a colonial Annapolis brewery to a contemporary outfit in Dover, Delaware is a cheap shot of sorts, unless there's a family connection that would be outlined on the company's web site (instead under construction as of this writing). But the beer itself mostly overcomes this negative start to establish itself as a pretty reasonable choice when a lighter beer is called for.
Characteristics: Translucent copper-red color, light carbonation and head, thin body, slightly hoppy opening that quickly resolves to a mild roasted malt middle and a clean finish.
Minor Gripes: Copperhead Ale is like an English bitter in how it goes down a little too quickly. Unfortunately, it lacks enough body and flavor to hold up well over a full 12-ounce serving.
Bottom Line: A slightly above-average amber that might see its recipe evolve into something more memorable.
Rating: 5.75 / 10
Characteristics: Translucent copper-red color, light carbonation and head, thin body, slightly hoppy opening that quickly resolves to a mild roasted malt middle and a clean finish.
Minor Gripes: Copperhead Ale is like an English bitter in how it goes down a little too quickly. Unfortunately, it lacks enough body and flavor to hold up well over a full 12-ounce serving.
Bottom Line: A slightly above-average amber that might see its recipe evolve into something more memorable.
Rating: 5.75 / 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
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
