Amish Four Grain Pale Ale

by Michael Stein

Going to college in Selinsgrove, PA afforded me the privilege of constantly being surrounded by the Amish. You could find them setting up their stands on Saturday morning for the Selinsgrove farmer’s market. You could notice them biking through town, or riding their horse-drawn buggies along Interstate 80; this to me was the most dramatic display of their faith in God’s hands, because huge 18-wheelers whizzed by at 80 miles an hour. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Amish during my time interacting with them, it’s that their as loveable as they are sheisty.*

Now that may be a gross generalization of all Amish, as I know there are many reliable Amish who are roof and furniture builders, as well as trustworthy farmers. So the Amish I speak specifically of are a group of Amish that live just outside Selinsgrove, who run a certain supermarket, where such goods as Ranch Dressing and Honey Nut Cheerios are often sold in April, when there expiry date was back in January…I’m just sayin’.
Just because they don’t pay taxes or don’t fight in our wars, doesn’t mean that all of them are shady…just a specific few in the Snyder County Area. (I’m pretty sure that I don’t have to worry about that Amish family seeing my article about them, however they do own a grocery store so I suppose anything is possible).*

All of this aside, the Amish are a fantastic Religious group who’s positives far outweigh their negatives. A recent trip to Pennsylvania got me in the mood to sample some local beer. We here at Beer Made Clear like to think globally and drink locally. My desire to do so steered me in the direction of The Lancaster Brewing Companies’ sampler pack. The beer I chose to review is the Amish Four Grain Pale Ale.
The beer has a pretty timid smell, although subtle, there is a definite yeasty, oaty smell to it. The stench of the beer is a bit more pilsner and less hoppy than detected in your Sierra Nevada, or Saranac Pale Ale.

The first sip is all bread, the wheat, oats and rye taste like several different malts on one palette. As John Trogner brags about all of his Mad Elf batches tasting the same, I would imagine that Lancaster may not be such control freaks about blending. I’d be curious to see how Lancaster handles its brewing process; do they believe like Troegs, that a “good batch” implies that there are bad ones being served out there? Regardless, the beer tastes well blended.

The beer pours with medium head and decent amounts of lacing. Pours with a very light brown color comparable to, but lighter than, a Lager.

The beer’s malts are almost overpowering all other ingredients in the beer. There is an almost grape-like taste to the beer, reminiscent of the aftertaste of a Troegenator. There is also something in this beer that is quite similar with all other Lancaster Beers in their sampler pack; it’s an almost sour-skunky-grape type finish. It’s hard to put this flavor into words, but the end taste of the beer is present in the Hop Hog, the Strawberry Wheat and the Milk Porter. It’s also a taste common in ABC beers, particularly their Mountain Lager.

Overall this beer is quite tasty and one I would purchase a case of. I’m pleased to say that the Lancaster Brewing Company did not exploit the Amish name and make a bad tasting beer. This beer would be delicious without the computer, without the TV and even more scrumptious with the lights off.






*None of these facts are technically verified. However, there are multiple witnesses who can attest to the Amish selling groceries past expiry date.

Imperial Red Ale

by Michael Stein

I hate red beers. They are a testament to the average and boring. Red beers are the dregs that the inexperienced beer drinker reports as exotic. Despite this reputation I must sing the praises of the Lagunitas Brewing Company’s Imperial Red Ale for breaking the boring red mold.

Lagunitas’ Imperial Red declares on their bottle, “this Special Ale is, in reality, a reconstructed exhumation of the very first ale that we ever brewed way, way, way back in 1993.” Since being introduced to the Lagunitas Brewing Company’s beers a few short summers ago, I have witnessed their distribution grow. Founded in 1993, the
company relocated from Lagunitas to Petaluma, California. And as I have seen their selection grow at many east-coast distributors, so too have I witnessed their myth spread. Many claims have been passed down via word-of-mouth, however all hyperbole becomes unnecessary when one tastes their beer. Roland Barthes, French cultural theorist, would
have found fascinating the myth that Lagunitas has created.

In Mythologies Barthes discusses how red wine became the national drink of the French people, the drink for every occasion. It is cooling in the summer months and warming in the winter. But by definition a drink cannot encompass two opposite descriptions. This is analogous to the myth surrounding Lagunitas and their flagship IPA (India Pale Ale).

According to the IRI (Industrial Research Institute) Lagunitas Brewing Company’s IPA is the best-selling IPA in the state of California. In a state riddled with craft-breweries, the majority of whom offer their own take on an IPA, this is no small feat. However, I grow uneasy calling Lagunitas’ most well-known beer their best beer. This is
where my taste differs from most, for me their Imperial Red is their best beer, and if it were not a seasonal offering I would drink it year-round. According to their website its next approximate release will be in August 2009.

On the bottom of the six-pack another message appears. “We often describe our ales as having the luxuriant aromas of broccoli, kerosene, and burning tractor tires while bragging about their stagnant and pond-water flavors.” Further down, “[R]ed is a color, not a beer—and while the taste buds want what the taste buds want, you cannot taste a color.” Aside from the tongue in cheek, there is greater irony in that every Red Ale I’ve ever had has not been red, but a dark brown color.

Lagunitas’ Imperial Red pours with a medium head, and as the glass fills the head spreads thin. Little bubbles of carbonation pop up and float atop the head. The first taste is indeed high gravity. Kerosene, broccoli, however you want to phrase it, this beer has bite! The second sip takes me from bitter to sweet; rich, robust caramel and toffee tones bring the palate back to pleasure. But by the third sip it’s back to bitter. This beer is truly bizarre!

The mouthfeel has an odd level of lightness, it must be the 84.2 IBUs (International Bitterness Units) that makes this beer so balanced. The beer is very well-hopped, just by smelling it, the nose picks up a rich floral bouquet. This is out of the ordinary for a Red Ale, as the Irish Red traditionally relies on roasted barley. Most Irish Reds or Red Ales tend to have stronger barley and malt palates and less bite or bitterness. As I swill the brew in my cheeks, “whirl pooling” the beer, I pick up some sweet creamy notes. These notes dissipate as the high gravity ale goes down the gullet. The flavor is like a Tale of Two Tastes.

If Charles Dickens had this beer in Victorian England, there would have been much more fighting and far less writing. The Lagunitas Imperial Red is surely a Dickensian-beer. While this flavor is crafted for an Adirondack chair on vacation, its 7.8% ABV (Alcohol by Volume) would be sure to have the most seasoned London pub dwellers red-in-the-face after a few pints of Imperial Red.

Samuel Smith's Organic Lager

by Jonathan Kosakow

I sat down for dinner with some family in an Upper East Side Vegan restaurant the other night (could I sound more white?), and the first question we all asked was what they had at the bar. OK, the first question I asked was what they had at the bar. As I perused the beer list, I noticed something that I should have assumed from the beginning: everything was organically produced.

I've had some experience with organically produced beers in the past, mainly at the Selin's Grove Brewing Company, as well as through the Pinkus and Peak Organic brews, but here in front of me was a list of organic beers most of which I had never heard of. I'm sure you can imagine the feeling of ecstatic ecstasy that engulfed me. I'm also sure you can imagine the dread when I realized that each beer was a minimum of $7, and disappointment when I came to my senses and realized I couldn't in good conscience drink the entire list while sitting down to a quiet dinner with family.

Organic beers are a trend quickly gaining popularity in the beer industry. According to the Associated Press, sales of organic beers rose 111% between 2003 and 2005, and has continued to rise since then, prompting even companies like Anheuser-Busch to test a couple of their own.

I felt rushed to order, which is probably a good thing as otherwise I would have spent an easy twenty minutes debating with myself, but I settled quickly on a brewery which I have some familiarity with, and a beer with which I had none.

When I poured Samuel Smith's Organic Lager into my glass, I noticed how smoothly it flowed, and how delicate it looked. I let it sit for just a few seconds before the head settled perfectly. The color is uncharacteristic of most lagers, but more like a slightly-thicker-than-normal Pilsner. Upon first sip though, it was clear that this was no Pilsner. It's full flavored, with a light yet slightly creamy palate, and washes down your throat smoothly. Similar to the other organic brews I've sampled, this Lager tastes incredibly fresh, and was the perfect accompaniment to the light meal customary to a Vegan dinner. However, I would not limit this beer to always play the role of "good company" - it is one suitable for any occasion. It has what Bud Light claims to have: drinkability. It goes down smoothly and sits in your stomach lightly, but doesn't lack the delicate balance of hops and malt to be called "good quality." It may not be easy to find, and it may not be cheap, but I fully recommend giving this one a try.

Bethlehem Brew Works

by Dan Raposo


BBW Pumpkin Ale
BBW Fegley's E.S.B.
BBW Steelgaarden Wit



It seems that every family has their lackey. The person that gets stuck driving the others to and from the airport, gets the last minute groceries on holidays, you get the idea. Well in my family, I'm that guy. It's not so much because I'm a pushover, but mainly because I don't mind doing the errands nobody else wants to do, especially when they involve long drives and new places. Lucky for me, one of these such excursions led me to Bethlehem Brew Works in Bethlehem, PA.

A friend of my family's, who happens to be a priest, flew up from Florida to visit an old friend at his first parish in Bethlehem. My dad was supposed to drive him the 2.5 hours from CT to PA that Saturday morning, but the chauffeur duties inevitably fell to me (and of course my visiting girlfriend) We got there just after 10am, and after a short visit to the Church, my girlfriend and I took off to let the priests catch up. Fulfilling my need to explore, we drove around the town for a while until I saw Bethlehem Brew Works, shining like the Star of Bethlehem leading me to a refreshing beer experience. Sorry for the Jesus talk, but with the priests and Bethlehem, I had to work that in somewhere. Don't worry, it'll be the last bad reference to the Christmas story I make. And so, without further ado, the three gifts from the wise men of Bethlehem Brew Works. (I lied)

When I order a seasonal brew like a Pumpkin or a Holiday Winter, I want distinct and robust flavors of whatever is supposed to set the beer apart. So when I ordered the Pumpkin Ale I was hoping for something hearty, full of the flavors that make the fall season, pumpkin, cinnamon, something!!! What I got was a dweeb of an Ale with a hint of pumpkin. No spices, no robust flavors, nothing. If they were trying to create a lighter ale using pumpkins, something you could drink all night, they succeeded. But I'm not buying it, it was weak, light, and simple. My girlfriend loved the hint of pumpkin though, so I let her finish it.

After the Pumpkin Ale I decided to step it up a bit to protect my manhood, so I ordered the Fegley's ESB. The ESB gave me hope for BBW and did so by kicking my ass. The ESB is a British style amber, but not pale skinned, bad toothed type British, more like a British pit bull, with rabies. When you first taste this red amber ale, the sweet but complex malts caress and tickle the taste buds, then the succulent hop variety sucks the sweetness right out, leaving you dazed and confused, like you were just hit by a baldheaded British rugby thug, and then woken up by his hot sister. Overall, a highly enjoyable beer.

After the ESB I thought I would chill out a bit with the pubs most popular beer, the Steelgaarden Wit. I thought I was getting a relaxing Belgian wheat, but what I got was a complex and spicier version of this very traditional style. When poured, it looked just like an unfiltered wheat, hazy and golden in color but then when tasted, the chamomile and coriander took the beer to a new level, giving a typically simple style a fuller and much deeper taste.

Bethlehem Brew Works also had an interesting variety of fruit infused beers, which my girlfriend tried and I avoided after the first sip. Then after a few beers and some hot wings I got a call from the church and quickly remembered.... I had to drive the priest back home.


The Bethlehem Brew Works Website

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy

By Matt Vekasy (circa July 25th, 2008)

It was a hot summer day in July and I took the day off to help my brother and his wife move. I showed up bright and early w/ a box o' coffee and we got to work... watching the movers do everything. (Lesson: helping people move who have hired movers is awesome). The moving was finished by noon and my brother and I made a trip to the grocery store and the liquor store. I picked up a 6-pack of Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. I've had their sunset wheat before, but I wanted to try something new. I quickly realized that I had grabbed my new official summer moving beer.

This beer was so crisp and refreshing that by two beers in I wasn't thirsty for beer anymore. I can't tell you about the appearance or smell because I was parched and just drank it right out of the bottle. But I can tell you that this beer made me happy and after moving (alright not moving, but it was a hot day) all morning, Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy quenched my thirst. I remember not knowing what a shandy was when I bought it, but Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy tasted more like beer than of a wine cooler and left me refreshed and recharged.

I have since learned that Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy is a mix of lemonade and beer. More info can be found below:
Official website
Beer Advocate review

SBC Fairfield Red

by Dan Raposo


I just moved and in the midst of all the junk I found a couple bar napkins with almost illegible chicken scratch on them. Fortunately for me they were beer reviews and fortunately for you now I can post them. From what I can remember, and what I can understand from the napkin, it was a Friday sometime this summer when I drove up to Fairfield, CT to drop off some stuff for work. To my surprise and delight the office was across the street from the great Southport Brewing Company, which is as good as it gets for brewpubs in Southwestern CT.

It was one of those days where you want to be outside. 80 degrees, sunny, and driving around all day in my Jeep with the top down made me thirsty. I walked in to find a cute brunette behind the bar and thought my day couldn't get any better, until I remembered I have a girlfriend, and that she will probably read this at some point. Oh well, she'll probably laugh right.... A light refreshing beer and cool conversation, what better way to take the edge off a hot day, right? Wrong, the barkeep was pretty dull and bored me with her talk of grad school and other nonsense, and even worse, she missed the mark with her recommendation, the SBC Fairfield Red. (Just saved myself with the gf) I was instinctively puzzled by her recommendation, but I always trust a bartender's recommendation.

While I was really looking for something light and refreshing, this was a red....and this is about the point where my f'in cat tore the napkin apart. No I'm serious, the rest of the napkin has claw and teeth marks all over it with bits and pieces missing. I mean, the little guy is pretty cool most of the time, but really, a napkin? How is a napkin entertaining or a tasty treat?

Thankfully the Red was the only beer I drank at this sitting, so I can actually remember the situation and the beer. Light and refreshing doesn't quite describe this beer. In fact, it packed quite a punch, sucking what little moisture was left in my mouth from the dry conversation with the serving wench. I'm not trying to be harsh, but the beer started it, until of course I took another drink and realized it was quite good. After the initial bite, the Red really settled down and gave a great mixture of flavors, none if which I can really recognize because thats not really my thing. Oaky, nutty, a hint of caramel....sure, why not. What I do know is that the Fairfield Red tastes complex, with many flavors coming together, in and out at different times, packing a punch at first but finishing sweet and smooth, unlike this review and the napkin it was written on.

Lagunitas Imperial Red

by Michael Stein

Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale

Limited Release

7.2% ABV

84.20 IBU

 

Lagunitas claims on their bottle that “[T]his Special Ale is, in reality, a reconstructed exhumation of the very first ale that we ever brewed way, way, way back in 1993.”  Hyperbole aside let the record show I have been a big Lagunitas fan, since being introduced to them a few short summers ago.  And as their distribution has grown, so has their myth, as rightly it should.  However, I would argue that this is no mythology that Roland Barthes would have ever found disagreement with (as it is based on one truth: good tasting beer is imperative!).

            On the bottom of the six-pack appears another message, “We often describe Our Ales as having the luxuriant aromas of broccoli, kerosene, and burning tractor tires while bragging about their stagnant and pond-water flavors.”  With that in mind, and as much as I enjoy their beers, I am constantly concerned that they will taste the same.  That their IPA will in-essence become their Czech Style Pilsner.

            A brewery that boasts a “Czech Style Pilsner” has big shoes to fill.  Given the history and geocentric attribution of the Pilsner to the Czech town of Plzeň, an hour and change from my father’s birth place, it is risky for an American brewer to do so.  Just like a true Czech Pilsner that can only be found inside the CZ, the American Pilsner title takes on distinct flavors which often seem lost in translation when they cross the Atlantic.

            I digress, lets get back to the Imperial Red.  As read on the bottom of the six-pack, “Red is a color, not a beer—and while the taste buds want what the taste buds want, you can not taste a color.”  This is true you can see for yourself with photographic exhibit B. If color really mattered however, Killian’s would be a competitor with this Red.  Which, sarcasm aside, is a hilarious thought.

            Upon first taste in the snifter, pours with medium head, thinly spread with first pour, settles on and second pour finishes the bottle, still mild carbonation.  Carbonation bubbles actually protrude and sit atop the head and the first taste is indeed high gravity.  Kerosene, broccoli, however you want to phrase it, this beer has bite!  As I pen this paragraph the second sip takes me from bitter to sweet, rich robust almost caramel or heath and toffee tones bring the palate back to pleasure.  Back to bitter by the third sip, this beer is truly bizarre!  It’s as if there are somewhere between 64 flavors in two tracks of tastes, depending on how you drink it.  If you gulp down the gullard, like you are swilling hooch, you are sure to get the bitter before it goes down.  If you swill in your cheeks, essentially “whirpooling” the dark amber, almost brown brew, you are sure to pick up some sweet creamy notes, before the gravitas, “the truth” the high-gravity Ale puts forward.  I mean it’s almost like a Tale of Two Tastes here.

            The Lagunitas Imperial Red, which boasts “Limited Release” on its six-pack, is surely a Dickensian-beer.  Something tells me that if Charles Dickens had this beer in Victorian England, there would have been much more fighting or vacationing and far less writing.  While this flavor is crafted for a lawn chair on vacation, its 7.2% ABV would be sure to have the most seasoned London pub-dwellers rowdy after five or six pints of Imperial Red.

            Interestingly, the lacing is not so strong mid-beer but let the photographic evidence show hard-proof that their commitment to IPA level of IBUs, shines through at the end.  You can see as the beer clung to its Chimay Snifter even after the beer had been drunk.  Truth be told, this critic of the greater beer-buying public needed an apple or two after it, because today is Sunday, and this beer-critic has things he’s got to do, he cant just sit around and drink beer all day, heck naw, that’s called vacation!  Plus there’s only one Imperial Red left, and this magic brew will go great with dinner!

Tooleden

by Matt Vekasy

Now you may be wondering what Tooleden is. Well Tool is a definition of a gardening hoe and Eden is a garden. So this is a review of my own homebrew I call Tooleden or "Hoegaarden"

Tooleden is a Belgian white brewed with coriander and bitter orange peel. It does not pour as straw colored as Hoegaarden, but rather with a bit more of an orangish hue. It poured with a great head and the aroma is very much like a wheat beer. It tastes very much of a wheat beer with a hint of orange and the beer burp definitely has an orange taste.

Now you can't find this beer at your local beer store, but if you come to Boston I've still got about 40+ bottles left as of this posting.

(On a side note, I also have my Oktoberfest in my primary fermenter and I am thinking of brewing a Black Cherry Espresso Stout for the winter)

FG: 1.011
ABV: 4.56%
(Recipe and notes available upon request)

Sierra Nevada Summerfest

by Jonathan Kosakow

Here's one we've all had before... or at least I hope so.  It's the standard summer beer of non-standard summer beers.  On the anniversary of the birth of our great nation (America), I decided to indulge in a six-pack.  Now, normally, I'd choose the beer meant for mass consumption, but on this particular day I decided to start off with a beer or two that tasted, well, good, before I started killing my liver and taste buds with the red, white, and blue Pabst Blue Ribbon.  

On a day such as this, with the sun out and the sand between my toes, it was a great choice.  It went down smoothly and was not too filling, but still had the flavor necessary to keep my attention.  There's not much else to say about it, to be honest: for those of who like beer, it's a standard.  Good flavor, nice texture, very drinkable.  Can't ask for much more than that.  

5.0% ABV

Official Website

Beer Review - Dale's Pale Ale

by Matt Vekasy

The reasons for the lack of a quality review are three-fold. First, this is my first time writing a review for beer. Second, I drank this beer 5 days ago and am finally thinking about it and reviewing it now. Third, I drank them at a 4th of July party and didn't take the time to ponder the delicious beer I was drinking. Consequently I will tell a story of the Adventures of Matt and his Dale's Pale Ale.

It all began Saturday afternoon when we were leaving Dan's house in Wilton, CT to head to Alex's house in New Haven, CT. We stopped a Dan's local package store (whose name eludes me at the moment) and Dan and I each spent far too much time trying to decide what we wanted to drink (as usual). I settled on a six-pack of cans that I've never heard of before. It was Dale's Pale Ale, it was made in America, and the can was red, white, and blue. I couldn't go wrong I assumed. So we packed our beers in a cooler and drove to Alex's.

Once at Alex's, the beer pong (and the Coors Light consuming) began almost immediately. I soon remembered that I had bought beer for this special occasion and cracked a Dale's Pale Ale open. I took one sip and was immediately surprised, pleased, and impressed with the quality of this American beer that comes in a can. From what I remember, it has a hoppy taste and reminded me of a Saranac Pale Ale (This could be a terrible comparison and I'd like to try them side-by-side sometime). I never took the time to fully enjoy the beer and ponder it's canned existence, but my plan is to find this beer again and drink it and give you a proper review.

So in conclusion, this beer is very wonderful. It packed a lot of goodness into a can, which I didn't quite expect. It is a beer that I will seek out to drink again and I recommend it.

Beer Advocate review
Official Website

Sierra Nevada - 2008 Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale

by Jonathan Kosakow

It was a normal Sunday evening when I decided to go the grocery store and stock up on my lunch for the week. As always, I walked to the beer aisle to see if there were any new gems the beer gods decided to drop on me. Normally, I walk out either empty-handed or with a 6-pack of an old faithful. On this day, though, I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed a bottle I had never seen before, by a brand I had often relied on. The 2008 Sierra Nevada brew, using the only hops on our planet harvested in the spring (found in New Zealand), rested on a shelf in an inviting 24-oz. bottle. I almost didn't take the bait, I was in the mood for an Hefeweizzen, and hadn't even considered an ale. In the end, though, I couldn't resist.

My first reaction was to note that it's quite similar to Sierra's Pale Ale, but after one or two good sniffs and sips, I knew I was holding something more special. The freshness of the hops gives a much crisper taste, and a sweeter finish, while at the same time maintaining the basic flavor and aftertaste of the Pale Ale.

When I give it serious thought, I can't help but think that it's not much different than the reliable Pale Ale, and therefore maybe not worth the extra effort. However, there is something to this I can't put my finger on. It's special. It's a great idea. The combination of the freshest hops of the season, on one side of the world, with the malts we all know and love from the other side, adds such a subtle difference to the taste of a beer we all know and love, that I feel I must recommend it. The 6.7% ABV doesn't hurt too much, either.

Color: amber
ABV: 6.7%

http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/harvest_southern.html

Stone Ruination IPA

written by Tom Neuhauser

The first thing I noticed about this beer is its strong aroma. Definitely citrus notes- the more I smell it, the sweeter and less harsh it becomes....same thing with the actual taste of the beer. First sip is definitely startling and a bit harsh- some natural piney notes accompany the bitter citrus taste. Each sip gets mellower and sweeter as the taste buds become used to the extreme hop presence. I think this is the hallmark of a really good beer- it tastes different from first to last sip and generally gets better as you drink it.

This is a very entertaining beer- as I drink it, I can taste sense different flavors on different parts of the tongue. Definitely not a beer to pound; this is a beer to savor. I wouldn't call this a good session beer because of the high alcohol content and strong flavor, but it definitely has its place. Compared to other IPA's, this one has much more of the piney, earthy, natural taste.

Overall, an excellent beer.

7.7 abv
100+ IBU's (seriously!)

Weyerbacher's Hops Infusion IPA

Reviewed by: Michael Stein

With good head follows good lace, that is regardless whether the suds’ foam is barely out of the glass or a few inches above the rim. We’ve all had those beers where the head sits like a Sundae with its scoops rising above the glass.

When I first tried Weyerbacher’s “Hops Infusion” India Pale Ale yesterday, I immediately texted Tom, to get his opinion. With my second text, proclaiming that there were not enough flavors on the palate in the opening bouquet, he was not totally swayed by my opinion. He said he tried it, and that he enjoyed it, but “I think the Double Simcoe is better.”

I’ve had the Double Simcoe as well, and over time my opinion generated a response that the Rainbow Coalition would be proud of, perhaps Weyerbacher’s Double Simcoe isn’t better than their Hops Infusion per se, but just a beer that serves a different purpose. Different beers for different purposes, so if I was judging on pure sessionability I would have to hand it to the Hops Infusion, as a six pack of it lasted me two nights and I was able to drink it amongst friends.

Often other beer sites give me the impression that the reviewer has immediately sat down to his keyboard and has quite literally just taken a sip from his beer in a first-taste, best-taste kind of review platform. But I feel like this can sell a beer short because over time, (even a small period of time like 2 or 3 days,) my opinions of one beer can change radically. But upon second review (after I had my first Hops Infusion IPA the night before), I figured I’d try to write initial taste impressions:

The big malt flavor is almost but not quite smoky, with a strong Abbey-Double alchy taste. On the second sip I tasted a hoppy bitterness avoidable in the cheeks until just before dumping it down the gullet. But this begs the question: are we Johnny College pledging Kappa-drinksa-lota or brew-masters-in-training and ale connoisseurs? Third sip: multiple palettes available, the beer has done the unthinkable, gone from unpalatable to thirst quenching. On my first taste yesterday I sensed a brutal bitter, like a flat Boddingtons that had sat in the sun for days. Now, it finishes off with lightness despite being a cloudy golden-amber in hue.

So in terms of one purpose, “Hops Infusion” is a lot better than Hopocalypse, in the sense of living up to its name.

So as I recanted my original doubt in Weyerbacher’s IPA capabilities, I had to text Tom to let him know that this beer was in fact sessionable. So much so that it was something I could drink a case of amongst 4-6 close friends.

Is it as good as a “Hazed & Infused?” The question is not mine to answer…that’s for you, the reader/imbiber, to decide. So if you can’t find a distributor, go to http://www.weyerbacher.com/, and see if they can’t help you out. In their own words, “We brew Hops Infusion all year 'round. So if your local beer store doesn't have it, tell 'em to get moving!”

6.2% ABV

JW Dundee's Honey Brown

Reviewed by: Jonathan Kosakow



I would not say this is the greatest beer I've ever had, nor does it fall under the broader category of "greatest beers I've had", but I do like it. I bought the twelve-pack only for the reason that I hadn't had a Honey Brown in a while, and it seemed like the right choice. Luckily, I was not wrong. Though a lager, it's on the lighter side, and goes down smoothly. To be honest, there's not much more to it than the obvious flavor of honey that accompanies each sip beyond the normal light-lager taste. If you're looking for something complex, this one's not for you, nor is it for you if you want something that'll fill you up after just one bottle. Sometimes, though, what you're looking for is a beer on the lighter side with a simple-yet-not-boring flavor, and that's what you get with a Honey Brown.

ABV: 4.5
Awards: 2004 World Beer Cup, Gold Medal, Special Honey Lager or Ale Category