Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7
opaque copper color. no head. light aroma of lager yeast. dry grain flavor, some taste of nuts and wood. very dry finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
A decent pilsner. Not as good as the Czech pils, the hops are much lighter and I do not think this gets to a Bohemian pilsner. Still, very drinkable, not complaints really as it is a solid beer.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Winterfest ’11. I have had this beer several times, and it has a short life after brewing. While fresh, good, bitter hops. The yeast and saaz hops are right, appropriate balance of malt. They nailed it. Gold color and well carbonated.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7
Dark brown. Roasted grain in the aroma. Flavor has more grain. Quite dry, not especially roasted. Drinkable enough, but it could have a more flavor and aroma.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
At the brewpub, 9/25/10. A dark brown, opaque beer with low carbonation. Light aroma of banana, but some yeast also and wheat. Flavor has more of this, but also with grain. Thick and smooth mouthfeel. Medium sweet. Good to see Herkimer introduce a new beer in a style we rarely see in Minneapolis.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
Winterfest ’10. Copper color with bubbles and a rocky head. Huge smoke aroma and flavor with a malt body. Medium palate, and a lager yeast. This beer is probably the best smoked I have had that didn’t come out of Bamberg. Well done. The highlight of Winterfest.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Shaker pint at the Brew Pub in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Pour is a hazed copper ruby light brown with a smallish ecru head. Some lacing streaks the glass to the finish. Aroma of not too much initially, as it was served pretty cold. As it warmed I got some cherry fruit and toasted malt. The hops are present, and are of the grassy variety. Taste is sweet cherry fruit, with toasted malt behind it. The hops pick up in the rear, with mild grassiness. The taste overall has a weird sweetness to it, doesn’t seem quite to fit in. Palate is medium bodied, nice active carbonation and a crisp dry finish. Normally I really enjoy the Herkimer beers, but this was just ok.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7
Just a hair more flavor and aroma than the kolsch. Very light hops in the flavor and aroma. For the style, there should be more yeast I think, but there is very little. Good palate, which is probably this beer’s best quality, which makes it very drinkable.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7
A light beer all around. No yeast in the flavor or aroma. Very little flavor at all, some processed grain. It can see they are going for a summertime refresher, and it is great they do the lager styles, but this one doesn’t have much to it. Moderate carbonation. Add just a little more flavor and aroma to this.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
The alcohol is well hidden. Very light grain. Some caramel and light lager yeast. Just a little earth character. Dark brown color.