Southern Tier 2XIPA

I've had Southern Tier's 2XIPA a couple times in the past, back before I really started to appreciate and enjoy the bold hoppiness IIPAs are known and loved for.  Back then, I was just getting started with training my palate, and I remember feeling a little overwhelmed by this beer.  I was able to hide one of these from my husband last time we got a ST variety pack, and I've been looking forward to trying it again:

Vittles:
Imperial IPA
8.2% abv

Score:
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 23/25
Taste: 37/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 90/100

Impression:
It pours out beautifully, and the creamy head has decent linger but leaves only spotty lacing.  The aroma packs a strong floral, pine, and fruity/citrus punch with biscuit, cracker, toffee, and grass in the background.  The flavor follows suit nicely, with a surprising and pleasant floral aftertaste -- I was expecting more of a pine/citrus/grapefruit aftertaste.  I wouldn't say this is an overly bitter beer, though the flavors are full and bold.  The mouthfeel is moderately carbonated and fairly smooth, finishing with a bit more crispness than I expected.  Overall, it's not a huge powerhouse of an IIPA, but it is a very well balanced beer that showcases the hops characteristics nicely.

Cheers!

Shock Top Honey Bourbon Cask Wheat

I'll admit it -- I actually kind of like Shock Top (the horror!  "real" craft beer geeks would never enjoy a beer made my A-B!).  I came across a pretty new variety (so new it isn't even listed on their website as of my writing this post) last time I put together a sixer -- Honey Bourbon Cask Wheat:

Vittles:
American Wheat or Rye Beer
5.5% abv

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 20/25
Taste: 33/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 4/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 81/100

Impression:
If you've ever had any Shock Top varieties, you know about 90% of what to expect with this beer.  It poured out a decent head with great retention but left no lacing as it drank down.  The aromas and flavors are yeasty, malty, slightly spicy, and mild, but there are some moderate honey notes both in the nose and on the tongue.  The honey character was a little cloying at first, and my husband found it to be too sweet for his tastes.  I really don't smell or taste any evidence of bourbon stave aging, which is a little disappointing.  I was hoping for something a little more distinct than the rest of Shock Top's offerings, but I guess they don't want to stray too far from the base formula.  Overall, it's not bad.  If you like any of the other ST beers (even in secret), you should give this one a try.

Cheers!

Bullfrog Two Headed Dog Dubbel

There's a brewery in Williamsport, PA called The Bullfrog Brewery.  A lot of people in the area really seem to like it, but I'm not quite so fond of their beers, though I do give them a fair shake.  I've tried samplers before (my husband finds many of their beers completely unpalatable), and I can drink it, but I'm not fond of it.  Anyway, I was out with a couple friends the other night to see a concert, and after the concert, we wound up at the Bullfrog.  I decided to try their Two Headed Dog Dubbel:

Vittles:
Belgian Dubbel
8% abv

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 19/25
Taste: 30/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 4/5
Drinkability: 7/10
Overall: 76/100

Impression:
It reached my table with a decent head, and the head did have some linger to it.  I could smell some muted Belgian notes, but I was sorry to see that they were so subdued.  The banana and clove esters were hinted at, but the caramel and toffee notes from the malt bill were more apparent, as was a mild dark fruit character (raisins).  I was pleased to note some spiciness in the flavor in addition to the profile that carried from the nose.  However, I did notice an off-flavor that I have noticed in my own homebrew, and I think it comes from the brewing liquor.  Central PA doesn't have a very good mineral balance in the water, and I think I'd like the Bullfrog's beers better if they could adjust for those off-flavors.  All in all, it's really not that great of a dubbel.  I have yet to actually like any Bullfrog beers, but I'm willing to give them another shot.

Cheers!

Shepherd Neame Spitfire

I'd never seen any Shepherd Neame beers before, so I grabbed a bottle of Spitfire for my latest mix-a-six.  It claims it's a Kentish ale on the label, but it seems like a reg'lar ol' ESB to me:

Vittles:
Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)
4.5% abv

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 22/25
Taste: 37/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 88/100

Impression:
I love the clarity of the poured beer and the creaminess of the head, which retains decently.  The pale malt aromas are fairly clear and support the earthy and herbal hops characteristics very well.  Caramel, toffee, and bready flavors come through, as do floral, grassy, herbal, earthy, and fruity notes.  The medium body, moderate carbonation, and dry finish complement the flavor profile very well, but what I found the most pleasing was the refreshing crispness this beer offers.  Very satisfying -- I'll have to keep an eye out for this bottle in the future.  It seems like it would go very nicely with grilled chicken.

Cheers!

Southern Tier UnEarthly

Southern Tier is one of the breweries that I associate with strong hops use and bold hops characteristics.  My husband has loved everything of theirs that he's tried (his other favorite brewery is Elysian).  I was in the mood for something good and hoppy that I hadn't tried yet, so my hubby handed me their UnEarthly:

Vittles:
Imperial IPA
9.5% abv

Score:
Appearance: 9/10
Aroma: 23/25
Taste: 37/40
Mouthfeel: 8/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 90/100

Impression:
I like the way it poured out, and not only did it have nice retention and lacing, but it had that stickiness that I expect to see in this kind of beer.  The aroma actually made my mouth water a bit, and I don't come across that too often.  The nose is a mixture of strong pine, citrus, caramel, and spice.  Pacific Northwest hops' best characteristics, as far as I'm concerned, with a decent representation of the malt bill in the amount of caramel I could smell.  The flavors largely follow the aroma, with the citrus coming through more clearly as grapefruit.  It's not the all-out hop-bomb that some other IIPAs can be, but it does have a strong, bold flavor profile with enough backbone to match.  It's nicely balanced between the malt-sweetness and the hops-bitterness.  It's moderately carbonated, so it tickles the tongue a bit, and it finishes somewhat dry and crisp.  All in all, a damn fine beer.

Cheers!

Appalachian Jolly Scot

Years ago, I went to the Appalacian Brewing Company with a few friends, and I remember we got a sampler of their beers.  That was before I really got into beer, though, so I wasn't really paying attention to the aromas and flavors.  I remember thinking most of the ones I tried were pretty decent, but I couldn't remember anything more specific than that.  ABC's Jolly Scot is one of the beers that I tried back then, but since I can't remember whether I liked it, I got a bottle to retry:

Vittles:
Strong Scotch Ale
5.9% abv
18 IBU

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 20/25
Taste: 35/40
Mouthfeel: 7/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 83/100

Impression:
It pours out pretty well, but the head starts thinning and falling almost immediately, so not much on the retention front.  The aroma is sweet, toasty, malty, and a little nutty, with some earthiness and fruitiness lurking in the background.  The flavors mostly follow suit, and some caramel and cracker/biscuit flavors join in.  There's also a bit of a metallic twang at first which slowly faded as the beer warmed.  I also picked up on some toffee and dark chocolate flavors with the warming.  The mouthfeel was on the thin side, and moderate carbonation levels brought a mild sting.  There isn't anything overly impressive about Jolly Scot, but it is a decent representation of a Scotch ale.

Cheers!

Stella Artois

I've actually never had Stella Artois before, and I wanted something new to round out a mixer.  It's been a while since I've had a Premium American Lager, so here goes:

Vittles:
Premium American Lager
5% abv

Score:
Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 19/25
Taste: 29/40
Mouthfeel: 7/10
Style: 5/5
Drinkability: 6/10
Overall: 74/100

Impression:
I have no idea why the BJCP classifies Stella Artois as a Premium American Lager, since I'm fairly certain SA is over in Belgium.  But, it does seem to have a similar flavor and taste profile to many of the "premium" lagers brewed here in the States.  It doesn't pour out special -- don't be fooled by that swanky commercial where the guy blows the glass, paints the logo and gold stripe on it, then passes it through to the bar where it pours out with such a well-formed head that the barkeep needs to level off the foam before serving it.  (That's like believing you'll get a pristine bun on your fast food burger.  But that's aside from the point.)  Anyway, the aroma was faint and grainy, and that may have been more appealing after a sweaty afternoon of yard work, but it wasn't quite hitting the right notes for me.  The flavors followed the nose with no surprises.  I found it to be moderately dry with a fairly high level of carbonation, despite the pretty pathetic head (and I know how to pour for a good head -- if you doubt my skills, look back at some of my previous posts).  On the plus side, it is somewhat crisp and refreshing, and there's little to no after taste.

All in all, I'm glad I tried it, but my tasting tonight basically confirms what I suspected -- it's a relatively flavorless brew, which is why you find it all over the place.  It's not a special beer -- it's a beer with faux-Euro charm that won't offend anyone's taste buds.  If I were in the mood for a premium American lager, and this was cheap enough, I'd have it again, but a whole lot of stars have to line up just right for that.

Cheers!