beastiefan2k (4724) reviewed Black Lager from Buzzards Bay Brewing 18 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
My friend Artem brough this back from his trip to Cape Cod. Pours black with a small head aroma is pale lager clean with a bit of roast and nuttiness, some corn as well, even faint smoke. Taste is lightly sweet nuttiness with a bit of skunk. Pretty average, a bit stale feel to it. Cardboard aftertaste. Bottled on 6/06. 12oz bottle, Hobgoblin tulip glass.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Pilsner from Buzzards Bay Brewing 18 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Draught samples at ABF on 6/16/07
Very thick, white head and bubbly gold body shows a very strong carbonation. Moderate lacing left on glass as well. Liquid is clear.
Very dry, dusty saaz hops in the nose almost seem to outdo the hallertauer (this version had saaz and hallertauer) grassiness. Probably because the hallertauers never get very lush or deep (that juicy, wet, green grass sort of aroma/flavor that they often times have). And that seems like a good thing, as the style demands a more dry, crisp, biting hop character. A bit too much sweetness, however, from the vienna malt, no doubt, leading to a somewhat overshadowed yeast character on the end. A bit of breadiness and lots of carbonic/seltzer-like notes from the carbonation, I guess. Pleasant enough and without flaw, but seems more like an every day pilsner and less of the (fairly) narrow Bohemian type.
Sweet flavor incorporates lots of pale malt richness, a bit of toasty, quite bready vienna malt and a dry grassiness and dustiness from the saaz hops that slowly evolves in to a more robust bitterness, emphasized by more hop flavor coming from the hallertauer. Despite still not thinking it’s much of a Bohemian pils, what I really do like is how distinct the individual ingredients stand out. Simple malt/hop bills can be really enjoyable as they are here. But just a bit too much on the sweetness and very, very carbonated as well. Soft, almost creamy-like in the mouth.
cheap (9533) reviewed Lager from Buzzards Bay Brewing 18 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5
12 oz brown bottle courtesy of jjpm74, thanks John. Very cool looking label. Good yeasty aroma for a lager. I also detect some sweet candy hints in there too. The appearance is slightly darker than yer typical pale yellow lager and there are many streams of carbonation rising from the inside, very attractive. The head on this looks more like strongish ale than a lager. The initial taste is pretty strong for a lager. Now I see that it is a dort! Yes, way to much quality for just a pale lager! I should have read the label closer! Creamy carbonation. Has the bitterness that you would expect from a quality dort. Some citrus rind bite with hints of hops and perhaps malty bitterness too. Better than Victory V lager and Great Lakes Dort Gold. This beer has some alky taste impact tho it is only rated as 4.6%! Tastes like more. Not quite as well mannered as Edenton Helles Angel or as refined as Lowenbrau. This beer does have a tasteful personality all its own and I’m glad I had the opportunity to taste this. Quite an experience. Finish is medium mild bitterness that hangs for a few moments.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Weizen Doppelbock from Buzzards Bay Brewing 18 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
2006 bottle aged for quite some time in my refrigerator, and finally consumed on 3/17/07
Well first of all, I must admit to quite the stupid mistake of assuming this would be unfiltered. It’s not, but I should have looked at the bottom of the bottle instead of assuming. Pretty sad that’s it’s filtered. Even Otter Creek didn’t filter their recent weizenbock. Oh well. Fortunately I age 99% of my lagers in a fridge, so this one shouldnt have suffered from the filtration/aging too much.
Head is small, buttery-beige colored and sits atop an amber-caramel body with strong strawberry blonde hues. Clear, and the head retention is rather poor, as is the lacing.
Strong fruity/grainy malts in the nose seem to be mostly a product of the Canadian two-row (reminds me a lot of Cambridge’s Spring Training IPA, actually. I guess that malt is pretty distinctive). Munich malt neither produces much breadiness nor bittersweet/sourness. Hops are soft and mildly herbal by this point, only adding a touch of aroma. Lightly creamy sugars sit on the back, with a lightly crisp yeastiness balancing things on the end. No flaws or alcohol noted, obviously they werent lying about the proper lagering time. Props for that, but why the hell did they go and filter it. Arg.
Sweet, bready malts, with light strawberry-raspberry fruitiness (light melanoidins) and a lingering bready-sourness on the finish. Plenty of caramel notes emerge as it warms (munich malt) with a clean, crisp, modestly sweet aftertaste and some light hop bitterness and herbal notes retronasal. Again, no alcohol or flaws in the flavor. Munich malt gives a fair amount of body, so despite the filtration, it’s still somewhat substantial on the mouth, but the carbonation is very loose, of course and provides glimpses of thinning as the beer warms. Filtration really affects the wheat aspects, I think, pulling off the typical smoothness/creaminess that that imparts, but then (on the positive side?) it also removes the nutty/dry-blandness that wheat adds. Thus the beer turns out much more lively/fruity than you’d expect for the style.
3.3 seems like a pretty appropriate score ;)
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Summer Wheat from Buzzards Bay Brewing 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
12oz bottle consumed on 8/23/06.
Popping the cap, I’m greeted with one of the most impressively strong/aromatic aromas I’ve ever encountered in a hefe weizen. Wonderfully lush malts boast succulent honey and lots of it, but also make room for reserved bubble gum, banana, lemon and nutty wheat. Hops are evident as well, highly evident. I hate to say that the non-traditional amounts of hops seems to be very well-received in my nose. Peppery, herbal and moderately bitter, but tucked in to the malts so as to not seem too out-of-style. Aroma wanes somewhat as it decants and breathes, with yeast dullness and wheat nuttiness growing stronger.
First sip and my mouth is burning uncontrollably and very intensely for about 10 seconds. I don’t know what the hell it was, but it was almost like an intense, spicy, astringent herbal flavor. Must have been some acidity, I don’t know, but it didnt agree with the roof of my mouth and was EXTREMELY spicy/burning. This has a lingering effect on subsequent sips, but mixing in more yeast, it subsides eventually. Hmmm, what to think after that? It’s certainly nutty, yeasty and heavily wheated, with the same hop bitterness seen from the nose, but without as much of the flavor. Some vanilla and light caramel even. Body is slick, strong, moderately carbonated. Heavy, heavy phenols sit on the end, almost a burnt clove/pepper-like note that is intensely dry and spicy. Esters and dry herbs abound.
Plenty going on and quite a wild ride of a beer, not sure what to think. Can’t say I enjoyed the intense burning sensation, but it’s very probable there were other factors at play there (perhaps a food I ate earlier?) I certainly will drink it next time I see it and see what I can make of it then.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Hefeweizen from Buzzards Bay Brewing 19 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
2006 bottle consumed on 8/11/06.
Mountains of bottle conditioned/unfiltered white head rise up, plenty of sediment left behind and a brilliant peach-golden body, still quite light despite the haziness. Massive lacing all down the glass and perfect retention until the end.
Strong hops in the nose, though probably at much higher levels than traditional, are still mostly to-style (a bit more lemon-orange due to the Magnum addition, but minimal due to the use as a bittering hop), and are very welcome in a style that sometimes I think needs relief from the heavy wheat and yeast. Herbal/grassy, with lemon tints and a fair amount of bubble gum softness, as it proceeds. Definitely can find the stronger, sweeter malts in there as well, as it’s got a nice rich, honey and almost caramel-like nose. Banana is almost absent as is clove, though wheat adds a fair sourness.
The flavor is definitely well-done, though the attenuation could possibly stand to be higher, as there is a good deal of sweet, sticky, nearly syrupy, honey malted flavor. The hops cut it nicely, but with the creamy-smooth wheat palate, it almost proves too much for what should be a crisp, drinkable style. Stlil, the finish is alive with fruit esters, hops and dry wheat. Certainly won’t find an ounce of wateriness/thinning here and the carbonation level is perfect and zesty. A successfully innovative take on the style.
I feel justified in constantly saying that Buzzards Bay beers are fantastic except for the usual heavy filtration. The lack of that here justifies my thoughts that these guys can brew, and brew well. Hope to see some more unfiltered stuff soon.
Frothingslosh (19093) reviewed Stock Ale from Buzzards Bay Brewing 19 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
This beer came to me in my beer club. I am not familiar with the brewer. Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a dark brown color with a medium sized dark tan head. The aroma is molasses, maple syrup and light roasty malts. The flavor is molasses, raisin and moderate roasty malts. A rather nice beer.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Black Lager from Buzzards Bay Brewing 20 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottle at Sunset Grill on 2/25/06. Fairly vigorous pour yields a rather small amount of head, that is not long retained, fading to a light smattering of cover and then ring, leaving no lacing. Large bubbles throughout the liquid, force carbonated and all, and clear as day. The liquid is a rosy, magenta-tinged mahogany with some deep strands of amber as well. Head is dark beige. The nose shows quite a bit of breadiness. Heavy sourdough maltiness, very munichy, with lightly astringent toasted grain notes, a dab of light coffee and a creamy sweet ending, flecked with mildly herbal-spicy noble hops. The flavor opens up with tons of breadiness and a high amount of drying graininess. Heavy sourdough again, with sweet buttercream, light vanilla and a graceful dark chocolate note that cuts the sweetness rather well. Though, the sweetness is not difficult to get through, the heavily drying breadiness seeing to that. Low hop apparency, only mildly spicy notes towards the end. Dry plant-like bitterness notes that I get from something like Guinness or Murhpys, and no alcohol. The texture is too loose for a schwarzbier, while the overdone carbonation inherent to all Buzzard’s Bay bottled beers breaks up what comforting, creamy maltiness there could be.
Frothingslosh (19093) reviewed Pale Ale from Buzzards Bay Brewing 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 2.5
This beer came to me from my beer club. I have never encountered any of this brewer’s beers before -and based on this sampling I have not been missing much. Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a bright bronze color with a large tan head. The aroma is nutty malts and sharp floral hops. The flavor is sour malts with a bitter floral hop presence reminiscent of windex. There is a off vegetal malt undertone that lingers on the finish. Yuck.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Pale Ale from Buzzards Bay Brewing 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
The Buzzard’s Bay page is so messed up on this site, I don’t even know to which beer this refers.
But the beer that Buzzards bay is currently producing called "Pale Ale" with a green label is the one I’m reviewing. Bottle, sampled July 2005. Golden, honey-amber pour, clear and filtered, but has some white head, which lasts for a few seconds. Clings to the side and finally disappears completely. Smells of thick, juicy, strong English hops. Moderately bitter and very fruity, with caramel and toffee. Flavor is tons of hops flavor, limes, bananas, pineapples, apples, peaches. Some vanilla and grainy, pale malt with light caramel on the end. Very thick and satisfying body, for how filtered it is. Carbonation is too much to start, being forced, but eases off nicely. Moderately acidic on the end, from the hops. I’m surprised they got this much bitterness from only English hops, it’s almost like there are amarillos in here, yet I don’t really taste the signature grapefruit and I dont really think they are in here. Anyways, it’s very well-hopped, and well balanced with a creamy, honey-caramel consistency and solid body.
Earlier Rating: 5/11/2004 Total Score: 4.1
AOBF 04. Draught. I never really saw anyone get in line for this one, and not being a big name, or an exciting style I suppose I see why. But it’s too bad no one did. This stuff was delicious. Pours a typical light yellow-amber with a firm white head. Aroma is very engaging, dry and sweet at the same time, with a grassy, herbal nature almost. Crisp and bitter on the nose. The flavor is very well balanced of light caramel malt, lots of barley and a smooth, even texture. Hops flavor is phenomenal. Subtle, with floral qualities (light blossoms, flowers, dry mowed grass clippings) and some lightly spicy herbs in there as well (lightly peppery, hints of vanilla). Wow. Great stuff and just shows that you don’t have to brew a difficult style to showcase your talent.