So after a bit of time I took a look at the site here and noticed I had a bunch of posts sitting in drafts..
So the next couple posts will be a bit older than they look, but from the past few months anyway. Sorry bout that.
and sometimes…
July 5, 2019
review beer, craftbeer, Porter Leave a comment
Like you, I love to read beer reviews in order to figure out what to try next. And most times the reviews are sparkly praise. Most times… This will not be one of those.
Sadly, a lot of today’s craft beer is, well,, off the mark. Almost feels like we are in a zone of indecision or in a mode of exploration of new fads that just aren’t panning out. But the reviews of these beers are still just as sparkly. And I find that very disappointing. If crap is crap, call it crap.
For example, today I had a Bourbonic Plague from Cascade brewing. If you were looking up reviews for this beer you would be led to believe that this is one of the greatest beers ever created.
And that was basically the line I was given when I asked about it. Oh its phenomenal, you gotta have one… Ok so I did.
Whoa..bad pic
Bourbonic Plague- Sour Porter aged in Bourbon barrels with spices. At $15 a 9oz pour I was fully expecting to be amazed. I was not. What I got was a small snifter of raisin water. That is about the only description that fits this.. beer.
Smells like raisins, tastes like prunes. No spices, no Bourbony effects, barely enough sour to be called a sour. Almost dead flat, murkey looking. Even the +10% wasn’t noticeable.
I half heatedly joked about the bartender coming back and tell me that they were kidding and giving me the real beer. But nope. This is it.
I started looking at some of the reviews for this and had a thought. Are people praising up this beer so they don’t get embarrassed by the fact they paid a lot of money for a very poor beer? There almost can be no other explanation.
As always, what ever a review a beer needs have, it what I’m gonna give. Whether its good, bad, or mediocre, its gets what it deserves.
I feel dirty even giving this a 1/5
Mudpuppy Porter
May 28, 2019
On tap. Mudpuppy Porter, Central Waters Brewing.
This American Porter is a genuine fantastic beer. From the dark chocolate slight coffee aromas, to the full, silky body and perfect balance of roast.
I always enjoy this beer, and was happy to see it on tap. First time having it nitro though. And as usual, the non nitro bottle version is a bit fuller in all the sensations, but this tapper was quite good as well.
Always rated this one pretty high. 4.25/5
I need a real stout!
May 19, 2019
Uncategorized homebrew, stout 2 Comments
Been in somewhat of a rough rut with Stouts lately. The last couple I’ve reviewed have mostly missed the mark.
So to get back on track let’s go pull one off my own taps.
What we have today is a Foreign Extra Stout. 7% abv, 65,IBU.
A casacading pour leaves a fairly dense tan head that really hangs around.
Coffee and other burnt roast with a low earthy hop hit right away, but stop short of harsh. Further back in there is a grainy thing and a bit of darker chocolate. But the roast barley and Black Patent is the main thing here.
From as black as this looks in the glass it does not come across as acrid or rough. The agressive roast and hop bittering are not overboard, but very much in balance with the back ground sweetness.
Maybe a bit over carbonated. But that is keeping the lighter body feel much fuller that it probably is. The amount of roast in here let’s the beer finish with a dry feel which is really welcome after the last few over sweet heavy stouts I’ve had the past few days.
While not a big beer and the alcohol is not predominant, you do notice it while looking at the lacing of that tan head work it way down the glass.
Its good to get back to a stout that’s actually stouty. Very solid beer here. 4/5
Stoutmaker.beer 