Old Speckled Hen
Here's another one of those beers that says IMPORTED right on the bottle! This beer, however is not too bad at all. On the back of the bottle, the term "Pale Ale" is used in the description of this beer, but the characteristics of most pale ales just aren't present in this beer, namely the hop punch you normally expect from the style. From the website:
"Old Speckled Hen" has a full, smooth flavour and is very easy to drink. Its rich amber colour and superb fruity aromas are complemented by a delicious blend of malty tastes.
Toffee and malt combine with bitterness on the back of the tongue to give a balanced sweetness. This is followed by a refreshingly dry finish.
"Old Speckled Hen" continues to be appreciated by more and more fans, who are discovering that this crafted English beer is perfect with friends, during a quiet moment of relaxation or as a complement to a meal.
This beer is good enough that I can imagine it being served on tap in an English Pub. The Stella Artios from earlier this week, I can't say the same about... I can NOT imagine a real Belgian beer drinker ordering a pint of that stuff in a pub...
White Rascal Belgian Wheat
The sun is finally out and it looks like it's going to be a nice day. I thought this would be a good occasion to open up another wheat beer, so I decided to try the White Rascal Belgian-Style Wheat Ale from Avery Brewing Company out of Boulder, Colorado. After yesterday's tasting disaster with the Stella Artois, I thought I would go on to show that all great Belgian-style beers aren't brewed in Belgium. Some of the best beers I have ever tasted are born in Colorado. From the website:
A truly authentic Belgian style wheat or "white" ale, this Rascal is unfiltered (yup, that's yeast on the bottom) and cleverly spiced with coriander and Curacao orange peel producing a refreshingly fruity thirst quencher.
Coriander is a spice that is very easily overdone in a beer, but the White Rascal has a beautiful touch of this spice without the overpowering flavor. This is definitely an excellent choice of drinks for a beautiful summer afternoon. This beer rings in at 5.6% ABV and 10 IBU for a very nice sweetness and hop balance for the style...
Stella Artois
Here's another sampling from the Assorted Beers from Around the World 8-pack that I received as a gift a while back. Stella Artois Lager is from the Stella Artois Brewery in Leuven, Belgium.
I have had some of, what I consider to be, the world's finest Belgian ales and lagers, and Stella Artois doesn't hold a candle to any of them. This beer is quite obviously targeted at Americans who are of a more discerning taste than the BudMillerCoors crowd. This beer could quite possibly be one of the flagships of the HeinekenCoronaFosters crowd :) I guess it's pretty safe to say that ANY beer you stumble across that says IMPORTED on the label will fall into this category. The bottle says "brewed by the same noble tradition since 1366" so you know it has to be something special ;)
The Stella Artois website is also geared towards people who don't care much about beer. I suggest you check that out for yourself...
Spoetzl Brewery – Shiner Bock
This afternoon, I decided to pop the top on a Shiner Bock from Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas. The Shiner Bock has a rich brown color, but the head is rather lacking in the long run. It vanished rather quickly with very minimal lacing on the glass. The flavor is very nice with an interesting caramel sweetness and a decent body as well. From the Website:
Bock reflects the tradition of genuine Barvarian beers as a brew only a craftsman like Kosmos Spoetzl, trained in the "Old Country," could bring to life. With its deep amber color, distinctive rich flavor and full body, Shiner Bock demonstrates the care of a handcrafted brewing process to bring forth a mellow taste free of the bitter aftertaste found in many micro, specialty and imported beers. Just think of it as Shiner smooth.
It definitely has a mellow taste and would potentially be a decent beer to give someone from the BudMillerCoors crowd. I can't really find any significant fault with this beer, but it just doesn't make me wanna run out and get another six-pack of it. That being said, I would not discourage anyone from giving it a try. It's decent beer :)
Flying Dog – Tire Bite Golden Ale
More rain... It seems like it's never going to end. I guess this weather is making up for the last two very dry summers we have had around here. I guess I can spice up the day just a bit by cracking open a crisp and refreshing summer time beer... This is my first sampling of a Flying Dog Brewery beer. The Tire Bite Golden Ale is quite crisp and refreshing, and has a decent body for a beer of this style. It rings in at 5.0% ABV and an IBU of 16.5, which keeps a nice balance between the hop bitterness and the sweetness of the malts. From the website:
The young pup of the pack... Tire Bite Golden Ale is a refreshing, light, warm weather slammer with a flavorful hop edge. Brewed using exclusive German hops (German Perle and Hallertau), this beer draws craft beer drinkers back from the "dark" side of the cooler.
This is definitely a good choice for a hot summer afternoon where you might want to enjoy several beers without getting totally sloshed. As with any really good beer, it's best served a little warmer than right out of the fridge...
Joe Bonamassa Redux
Joe Bonamassa is a blues artist that I have only recently discovered, but this video highlights the title track on his newest CD called "The Ballad of John Henry." Since my original posting on Joe Bonamassa, I have purchased all of his CDs and love every one of them... the guy is phenomenal...
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