Happy Halloween!

Hi all! Welcome to this Halloween Edition of Younge's Beer review! In the spirit of the season, I've picked out a Pumpkin Ale, KBC Pumpin Ale, from Kennebunkport Brewing, to be exact. Right off the bottlecap, it has a nose full of spice. The first sips aren't too bad, either; it's rather like drinking a pumpkin pie (which tastes better than it sounds)

I'd like to post a picture, but for now it isn't working on Google's end (you get what you pay for). Instead, i'll try to get a link for you, like this: http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=209

Overall, i'd say the spices that you get (cloves, vanilla, hints of fruit) do the pumpkin beer well. It is a bit light on the taste, however. Since I had this one straight out of the bottle, I cant really say much about its head or color. Suffice it to say, it was a decent drink, and a nice way to celebrate this time of year (try it for dessert, after a heavy meal!)

Score: 6.5/10

Until next time, happy drinking!
-Devo

Favorite of the Pub

Hey again, everyone! It's been 5 days since the Import binge ended, but I'm still trying to get as much International Taste as I can. To that end, I will be sampling A Domestic craft Brew that does it's damnedest to imitate a traditional English Pale Ale. Firestone Walker's Firestone Double Barrel Ale, or DBA for short does quite well. One of the nicest things about it is a very distinctive nose present from the moment you crack the bottle. I caught the scents of a smoky, hazelnut nature, with a hint of vanilla, and immediately started looking forward to what the rest of the beer would offer...

Pictured: Taste, Bottled in California

Like a real English Pale Ale, DBA comes out mildly Hoppy. A nice 32 IBUs (Compare to the Hop-head Favorite Stone IPA @ 70+ IBUs) makes its finish just strong enough make it dry, but not so much that it loses a pleasantly refreshing quality. In addition, this beer has a nice creamy body, much like a few English Bitters that I've tried. The nutty tones that I mentioned in the nose are much lighter in the taste, but this isn't so bad. If I had to say anything negative about DBA, it's that the overall pleasant experience of drinking it diminishes somewhat (usually around your 2nd pint), but I can chalk that up partially to the effects of Alcohol on the human brain. Overall it is a solid beverage, and the perfect way to celebrate just about anything, English Style (Especially if you live in California). For its excellence, I'm giving Firestone DBA 9/10.

Until next time,

Happy Drinking!

-Devo

The Import Binge wraps up in Deutschland!

Hey, everyone, and welcome to the final night of the 10-day import binge! The final night is a stop over in Dortmund, Germany, with a namesake beverage creatively called DAB - Dortmunder. Right off the bat, it's clear that the style of brew is another of those light lager types. Typically, it seems a bit weak in the nose, and it's watery flavor doesn't lend much to the imagination. It isn't all bad, but after several of these cookie-cutter types over the last 10 days, i'm getting a bit tired of it. The taste isn't quite as sweet either. Overall, it isn't that bad, but nothing that hasn't been done before.

Score: 6.5/10
See you all next week!

-Devo

Import Binge, Day 9: The Netherlands!

Hello everybody! The import binge is almost wrapped up, and we have only one more to go after tonight. The last leg of the trek through international beerdom is Europe, and I've got a sweet little Lager called Hollande 1620. Apparently from Holland, it comes in a little green bottle. You wouldn't think it would diverge much from that tried and true EuroLager formula, and you'd be correct. It is a bit sweeter than the average, and more generally filling as well.

Overall, i'd say it beats the average, if by just a bit. Score for tonight: 7/10

Happy drinking, and until tomorrow!
-Devo

Day 8: Japan!

Hello everybody! Day 8 of the Import binge is tonight, and we're wrapping up Asia with an Iconic choice for Japan: Sapporo. Nice and light as is typical, this beer is usually a great start to some creative drinks at your local sushi bar, such as the infamous Sake Bomb. Nevertheless, it still satisfies on it's own, thanks to a rather safe and unadventurous formula.

Starting out, the nose on Sapporo is typically simple, but it comes off sweeter than usual. Tasting it confirms the first impression. Meant to be eaten with a light meal, there isn't much to distinguish it in taste. A limited cereal grainy taste is expected, of course, although I'm not terribly thrilled at the similarity to several other related beer styles. Overall, I'd say Sapporo is a safe beverage, and it does the formula rather well, even if I begrudge it for doing so.

Score: 7/10

See you tomorrow for part 9 - Europe!
-Devo

Import Binge, Day 7: Thailand!

Hi again everybody! Tonight will probably be quicker than unusual, but let's get into it anyways. The selection that I have for now is called Chang Beer, a product of Thailand.

This one is on the lighter side, as most of my selection has been thus far. Out of the bottle, it tastes...okay. Nothing special, but there is a nice flavor that is hard to define. It's very sweet, with perhaps the subtlest of sourness remaining in the finish. There aren't a lot of Hoppy tones working here, but that's fairly standard for an Asian Beverage. Overall, it is nice and satisfying, if not very adventurous.

Score: 6.5/10

Seeya tomorrow night!

-Devo

Day 6: Travelling in Tibet!

Welcome back everyone! Sorry it's such a late post, but getting all the way to Tibet from New Zealand really takes some time, and a lot out of you. I'll be short, sweet and to the point tonight. My selection today is none other than the (set up by the Chinese in 1988) Lhasa Beer Company's namesake product. Currently the only beer produced in Tibet, and also brewed at the highest altitude in the world, Lhasa own a lot of "firsts" and "onlys" in the beer universe. It is also quite good. I wasn't expecting much, to be honest, but there is a lot of subtle flavor going on here. The nose is unusual, and hard to place. It seems like a stronger malt variant smell than what you usually get in a Lager. But more intriguing is the taste.Lhasa hits the tongue with a tangy combination of carbonated overt malty-ness and a lightly determined bitter/sour tone. It really is quite unusual, and the finish proves it. A mouth-watering (literally) aftertaste that is nevertheless light enough not to be unpleasant. Overall, it is a nice little beverage that has far more surprises than anyone could reasonably expect. I might even have to rate this one higher than Imperial.

Score: 8.5/10

See you all tomorrow, as we continue to explore Asia!
-Devo

Import binge, day 5: New Zealand

Welcome back again everybody! Tonight marks th ehalfway point in the import binge reviews, and we're travelling from Latin America to New Zealand, for a light Lager called Steinlager.

Being another of those Green-bottled imports, any UV that hits this beer is likely to affect the taste. Personally I caught only a bit of that for this review, but it was enough to add some sourness to the finish that didn't really compliment the drink. It's presentation is nice, however, resulting in a thicker-than average foam head while not appearing bubbly at all in the body. It's really too bad, but again, there isn't much to taste here. Steinlager looks decent enough, but for all that show, the substance really falls flat. Deceptively carbonated is about the only discerning flavor, and even the mildest of malty tones seems to disappear. Terribly unfortunate, in any case, but it still isn't the worst beer i've ever tasted. I just hope the Kiwis have something else to drink on a regular basis.

Score: 3/10

See you all tomorrow night!

-Devo

Import binge, day 4: Argentina

Hi everybody! Welcome back to part 4 of the 10-day Import Binge. Today i'll be doing a rather quick review of the last of the Latin American selection of my sample pack. Quillmes, billed on the bottle as "Argentina's Favorite Beer" is another of the light-lager types that we've seen a lot from this part of the world. From the get go, this brew is easily one of the mildest i've had. In fact, it's so simple in taste and finish, it could almost pass for malt-flavored water. Don't get me wrong, it actually isn't a bad beverage, but there really isn't much here for those with discerning taste. I'd put it on par with the standard cheap American fare like Budweiser, which seems appropriate, since Quillmes is an Anhesuer-Busch product, as of 2006. All in all, a par for the course garden-variety lager. Perhaps comparing it to Bud is unfair. In reality, it does offer more to taste than that. But hey, it smells much better than it tastes, and that shouldn't really be a good thing.

Score: 4.5/10

See you all tomorrow!
-Devo

10-day import binge, part 3: Costa Rica

Hello again beer people! Tonight I continue the Latin America's in the Import Binge, with a stop in Bella Costa Rica. Imperial, the national Cerveza of the island nation will provide tonight's entertainment. Let's get into it!

Bolder, and a bit more flavorful than Mexico's offering, Imperial really shines in a few areas. First, its nose straight out of the bottle, is right in line with a quality German Lager. The finish also provides a nice settling kick. The best thing about this beer is the way it seems to taste better the more you drink it. Out of everything so far in the group, this is easily the best for sipping, or to wash down a hearty meal. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer much in bitterness, and the aroma doesn't go beyond that tried and true Lager smell. This isn't really a bad thing, however. Although it is rather light, for being the all-around best import so far, I give Imperial 8/10.

Until next time, Happy Drinking!
Devo  

10-day import Binge: part 2

...Aaand, we're back. Tonight, I am starting the Latin-American selection of beers, with the aptly-named Mexicali Cerveza. Truth be told, I expected this to taste like Corona, maybe different in the slightest way.

While it might smell roughly the same, this beer (actually a pilsner style!) has a whole different flavor profile. With a mild dryness and a (again) surprisingly filling feeling to go with it, Mexicali isn't all that bad. I'd say it is more creative than Moosehead in how it presents itself, but not by much. There doesn't appear to be anything intensely strong here (the carbonation and finish are both very light), yet this Cerveza is oddly satisfying. If anything, the cereal grains that went into it stand out the most. Decent, and over the expectation by far.

Score: 6.5/10

Seeya tomorrow!
-Devo

Announcing the 10-Day Import Binge!

Hi all! Welcome back to the review. Sorry for missing the latest week's review, but after tasting Budweiser, I made the call that the world would be better off not knowing exactly what was in it. In any case, I have received an unexpected gift: a ten pack of variety imports. Naturally, I must do the only thing that makes sense in this situation: Drink ALL the beer! From today until Thursday the 18th, I will do a short review, once a day, on each of the offerings from around the world. Cheers!




October 9th:
Moosehead Lager, New Brunswick, Canada

Since this one comes in a green bottle (although it doesn't have to be imported very far), it may be a little skunky, so note that little disclaimer. Being a typical Lager, I didn't expect too much exciting and defining features out of Moosehead. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the strength of its finish, and how filling it appears to be. The initial taster is pretty light regardless, just as is the beer's bubbly head. Not too much to define in particular flavor notes, but the skunky-sweet affectation actually adds something decent to it. Overall, not terrible, and on par with one of your inexpensive American offerings.

Score: 6/10

Seeya tomorrow!
-Devo