Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
Another beer that makes you sort of lose faith in beer ratings (not that I’ve had any in a long time). I think the biggest crime is that a quick scan of the ten most recent ratings comes back with, I believe, zero negative comments. And in fact, most of the raters comment on how "drinkable", "pleasant", "enjoyable" the beer is. Yet look at the scores. It’s as if people are afraid to rate a beer highly because someone might say "Oh my god, you gave a random octoberfest above a 4!!??". I don’t know. It’s just sad, and a very good example of why the BJCP system, with all its problems, has many advantages to this scoring system. Not only is this a flawlessly brewed beer, and definitely one of the most authentic examples outside of Germany, but it also has a wonderful flavor and aroma, with perfect marzen yeast character (light tin, nuts, yellow/red fruit notes) and a subtle, delicate hoppiness (that perks up retronasally). The malt is well-attenuated, but leaves just enough caramel/toffee sweetness to keep it from being thin, while the texture is supple and fluid, going down easily. An outstanding beer in all aspects, from one of the best (though I wish they were experimental) brewers around.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Draught pint at the brewpub on 1/27/07
Large, foamy, white head slowly fades to cover, leaving moderate lacing behind. A hazy, straw body, flecked with pale gold tints, still manages to show medium clarity and plenty of carbonation.
Light fruity/sourness emanates from the wheat, as mild clove, creamy pale malt sweetness (vanilla and honey) and gentle, but refreshing citrus (lemon, light orange) all tickle the senses and come off very cohesively. Light doughiness and bland nuttiness build up somewhat, but the zesty, juicy citrus notes and noticeable hops (hallertauer I think they said) keep things lively for a hefe. Strikes a very good balance between being soft and yet having enough fresh, dry, barley and wheat character. No alcohol or any flaws perceptible. Not heavy on the clove and banana, which is always nice.
Citrus zest and fruity wheat seem to be the most prevalent in the flavor. Lively carbonation keeps things very drinkable, and light grassiness and herbal notes are found from the hops, mixing with the fruity flavors to give an almost lemon-lime note. Fairly strong attenuation, leaving little sugariness or sluggish sweetness behind; very important for a hefe. A little bit of banana and clove, but like the nose, it’s very reserved. Yet again, the fresh malt and yeast character, with more aroma/flavoring hops than bittering, and a soft, but still engaging texture all add up to another fantastic session beer. Like their other beers, no one aspect really jumps out at you nor is the flavor/aroma overwhelmingly intense, but the execution and flawlessness is truly superb. It does get a bit too sweet by the end of the glass, not obnoxiously so by any means, but perhaps the attenuation level could be taken up a notch. Perhaps a touch watery in parts as well (though I still maintain it keeps with the traditional session nature of the style).
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Cask pint at the brewpub on 1/27/07
Properly conditioned beer and a properly handled cask leads to a bright appearance that, though dark, still has a medium-high to high clarity and a large, dense greyish-beige head that is well-retained and leaves large clumps of lacing.
Soft pale malts combine with the chocolate malt to produce a chocolatey sweet aroma with light hints of nuttiness (fresh yeast), hazelnuts and cream. The sweetness from the maris otter is apparent, but not overdone and combines nicely with the crystal malts to give a bit of caramel. No diacetyl present, nor any brewing flaws. There is a slight roasted edge, helping to add complexity to the sweet notes, as well as light coffee, but the chocolate malt is not overdone in the least. No alcohol noted. Very soft and soothing on the nose for a porter. Medium to medium-high strength of aroma.
Dainty chocolate notes, being neither too sweet, nor too dry are prevalent throughout the flavor, while lightly chewy caramel and dry toffee notes emerge as well, giving a variety of medium and dark malt flavors. A fair amount of honey-like sweetness matches the caramel and milk chocolate notes and greatly softens the texture. Light roast and coffee notes, much more dry than they are bitter, come on late to add more complexity and balance while a bit of fruitiness gives the beer a fair deal of authenticity. Soft and lively mouthfeel, with proper wateriness for the style allowing for a fabulous drinkability. No heavy sugariness, hard crystal maltiness, astringent chocolate maltiness or bitter/stale coffee-like flavors, with little/no hop apparency and no flaws.
Can’t complain much about this one, though it’s not really an exciting beer. You just nod your head and smile pleasantly as you drink it....
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
A lightly hazed orange amber bock with a thin white head. Intense aroma of bananas and ckives, with notes of berries. In mouth, a good weizen bock with intense banana cakem caramel, and light strawberries. Medium bodied. On tap Dec. 23, 2006.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Draught at L’amère à boire; eye: burnt orange with golden reflections, hazy, no effervescence, white head made up of large bubbles, head disappears rapidly; nose: orange, floral hops, freshness, citrus; mouth: orange, hops, caramel, finale in orange-hops-caramel, nice "cutting" bitterness, full body, thin, no carbonation per se, good and long bitterness, lightly sweet FRANÇAIS Fût, bue à L’amère à boire; oeil : orange brûlée avec des reflets dorés, voilée, pas d’effervescence, mousse blanche formée de grosses bulles, mousse disparaît assez rapidement; nez : orange, houblon floral, fraîcheur, citron; bouche : orange, houblon, caramel, finale en orange-houblon-caramel, belle amertume tranchante, corsé, texture mince, pas de carbonatation pour dire, bonne et longue amertume, légèrement sucrée
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Draught at L’amère à boire; eye: amber with yellowish reflections, nice compact white head, nice effervescence, very slightly hazy, lacing; nose: hops (grain), malt, caramel, freshness, vinegar (?); mouth : malt, hint of acridity, caramel, hops, finale in malt with a hint of caramel that covers it, becomes a bit more “peppery” (alcohol becomes more present) as it warms up, creamy texture, full body, medium carbonation, mildly bitter and sweet FRANÇAIS Fût, bue à L’amère à boire; oeil : ambrée avec des reflets jaunâtres, belle mousse blanche compacte, belle effervescence, très légèrement voilée, dentelle; nez : houblon (grain), malt, caramel, fraîcheur, vinaigre (?); bouche : malt, petite pointe âcre, caramel, houblon, finale en malt avec un petite pointe de caramel qui couvre le tout, devient un peu plus « poivrée » (alcool plus présent) lorsqu’elle gagne en température, texture crémeuse, corsé, moyennement carbonatée, moyennement amère et sucrée
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5
Golden copper with a thin off white head., veering on oily. Sweet caramel and light vanilla notes. In mouth, a sweet malt with a bit of maple, not very hoppy, with a lightluy oily mouthfeel. A bit thin. On tap, August 5, 2006.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Yellow golden with a thick creamy white head. Lightly sweet bubble gum aroma with some freshly ground malt. In mouth, a crisp malt with light metallic notes in back of mouth, hop oils, remaining long in mouth. Medium bodied. A good quaffer. On tap, August 5, 2006.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Hazy golden weizen with a thin white head. Typical bubblegum aroma, with lots of fruity esters, a bit veering on chemical. In mouth, fresh wheat with bananas, berries, and watermelon. Light and fresh!
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
A hazy dark brown beer with a small brown head. The aroma is slightly sour combined with notes of yeast, brewmash, and caramel. The flavor is sweet with strong notes of roasted malt, as well as caramel and toffee.