Sword Swallower Steel Hop Lager
Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Company
Where: Saratoga Springs, NY
Beer: Sword Swallower Steel Hop Lager
Style: American Pale Lager
IBU: N/A (Estimate about 45 IBU)
ABV: 6.8%
I remember my first sampling of the FREAK beers a while back. I commented that I was sucked in by the intriguing packaging. As of today, I'm really glad that I gave these beers a shot. Each of them is well worth your effort! I'm almost an official FREAK but I can't complete the journey. The Albino Python White Lager brewed with spices is nowhere to be found in my shopping realm. I'll have to keep looking. The rest of the FREAKS have been very well received in my tasting regimen.
Today's sample is the Coney Island Sword Swallower Steel Hop Lager. As you can see in the photo, this beer poured with a nice golden color and rich head. This beer also has a very malty taste combined with some fantastic hop presence right behind it. This beer is dry hopped with Cascade, Crystal, and Amarillo hops. These hop selections are some of the premier choices used in pale ales and IPAs. The citrusy floral character of these hops create a fantastic aroma when used for dry hopping.
I think it's unfair for this beer to be categorized as an American Pale Lager. I don't guess there is anything wrong with it in reality, but when you look at other beers in this classification, this one really stands alone based on what you are actually drinking...
**** NOTICE ****
Today is the one-year anniversary of this blogging effort. During this 365 day span, I have tasted 117 different beers!
Longboard Island Lager
Todays sample is from Kona Brewing Company. The only problem is that I'm not really sure that this is a Hawaiian beer... It's sort of interesting that Kona Brewing Company is listed as being in Kona, Hawaii, but the bottle says that this beer is brewed by Kona Brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for Kona Brewery in Kona, Hawaii. Oh well...
I poured this glass and, as you can see from the photo, the head wasn't significant and it diminished rather quickly. The golden color and flavor of this beer is rather nice though. It's quite crisp and actually rather malty and sweet with a light body, which makes it a good summertime beer for sure. From the bottle:
Waikiki Beach in Honolulu is the birth place of longboard surfing. Kona Brewing pays tribute to this iconic place with our own Longboard Island Lager. A spirited, crisp and refreshing brew, Longboard is a smooth ride all the way in. Thirsts up!
The smooth characteristics of this beer come from a base of 2-row and wheat malts and a peppering of hops. This beer rings in at 5.0% ABV with an IBU of 25 for an excellent balance.
