Smooth and Crisp

Okay, first off apologies for the late post this week. Travelling in Colorado,I picked up something awful that rendered me unable to consume Alcohol for fear of a painfully dehydrated death. OH the HORROR!!! Anyways, I'm better now, and all the more better because I have for you today one of my all time favorite local Micro-Brewed beverages  that Boulder, CO has to offer.Upslope Brewing Company's Craft Lager is a nice and crisp bit of work. At 4.8% ABV, it isn't strong enough to knock you down on it's own, making it a nice sipping lager. This is especially important, because there are A LOT of flavors packed into this little canned concoction. Upon pouring it, there is very little to prepare you for it's taste. Dark yellow, with a quickly receding head (which does settle nicely, however thin) and a nose that smells like Coors Light is really a misrepresentation of the Beer's true character. Where the Craft Lager really shines is in the explosion of flavor you get from the first sip. In a word: Nutty. VERY nutty, and all across the board. Almond primarily, with cashews, and perhaps a hint of walnut. A very nice surprise, given the beer's lackluster first appearance.

Apart from the VERY heavy presence of nuts, the typical buttery Lager finish is present, but works well in parallel here. I'm not an expert on food pairings, but I would recommend having something very carbohydrate heavy, like a soup and crackers, or toast. Overall, I'd say Upslope's creation deserves eight stars. Lacking in smell and appearance, but really, it's all about the taste. See you all next week, and Happy Drinking!

Final Score: 8/10

-Devo

Something new, from somewhere old

Hey folks! Since it's Monday evening, it is time for another edition of Younge's Beer review. Today I will be continuing my European fixation with a rather interesting looking selection from France, of all places. The Fischer Amber ale actually smelled almost musty when i first opened it, but that may be due to a long time on the shelf. After pouring, it gives off a mild but flavor-promising nose, typical of an Amber (my favorite style of beer). The head pours thick and bubbly, and subsides not too quickly, leaving a thin film in the center and a thicker bit on the side. The foam looks almost as if it is sticking to the side of the glass, while the clear amber/brass colored beverage underneath manages to stay lightly carbonated.

The first taste is surprisingly, a bit sour, with a lightly bitter malt finish. A sipping beer could probably make a good short definition for this beer. Despite the surprise, it isn't bad; just a bit light on the up-front taste. Seriously, the finish is what really defines this Amber, as it hits on a 2 second or so delay. The only real disappointment lies in the lack of a clearly defined up-front taste (it's a bit watery, really). Overall though, a full-of-surprises, not bad little import that seems to keep rather well. Oh, and it's 6% ABV, a tad above it's craft counterparts here in the states.

Final Rating: 7/10

Until next time, happy drinking!
-Devo

Back in action

Hey all,

First of all, sorry for the delay in posting. I've been moving, sending out interviews, and generally not drinking good beer for the better part of 3 weeks. Of course, that all changes tonight. I've got a special brew here from the folks at Heineken, the producers of Newcastle Brown Ale. This one is a special edition Red Ale called 'Werewolf'. It pours quite nicely, leaving a medium-sized head that stays frothy for some time. The look of it, other than the bloody-murky color that likely inspired its name, is very reminiscent of a Porter or Stout. When poured, the dominant smell is light caramel, with a hint of flowery and malty sweetness.

The flavors that come out are similar to the garden-variety Newcastle, but there are some nice differences. Unlike its brown cousin, Werewolf takes on a bittersweet, lightly copper finish, in conjunction with the normal Newcastle caramel flavor. Only 4.5% ABV and a pretty similar nature to the tamer original make it hard to give this beer top marks, but it does deserve some recognition for the nice recalculations in flavor. I'd  recommend picking a six pack up if you see it, as it is certainly better than a 'Silver Bullet'.

Overall Score: 7/10

Until next time...happy drinking
ARRROOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Limited and Local

Hey all! Welcome to this weeks iteration of Younge's Beer Review. This time i'm going back to the Avery Brewing company to taste Karma, a limited release Belgian style Pale Ale from the Boulder Based Brewery.  Upon opening, the nose gives off a sweet and mild, almost plum-like fragrance that is just barely detectable. The honey colored beer pours out smoothly, leaving it's head to quickly settle, before disappearing entirely.

Karma's taste is surprisingly little like it's smell and appearance. A mildly malty primary taste and the slightest hint of bitter hops are present upon sipping, and only the hops remain in the finish (however slight). I may be overusing the term a bit here, but mild is really the best way to describe this beer. However, if you swish a bit of the beer around for a bit, some previously undetectable flavors start to come out, including the aforementioned plum taste. Overall very easy to drink, Karma does deliver in a typical range of a Belgian style beer. Although it could be a bit stronger, or have a lasting head, this limited creation by Avery Brewing Company is still a very drinkable, delicious concoction.

Final Score: 7.5/10

Until next time, keep your drinking responsible and awesome
-Devo

A new beer, a new Month

Hey all, welcome back for another installment of Younge's Beer review! Today i'll be talking about an interesting little brew that I picked up on a whim the other day: Sweetgrass American Pale Ale, from the Grand Teton Brewing Company. Located in Victor, Idaho, Grand Teton has crafted a wonderfully bittersweet APA, with a lot of taste and body. Upon pouring, the beer leaves a nice thick head, and the drinker is greeted with an overpowering hoppy smell. Despite this, the first taste of Sweetgrass, as its name implies, is actually sweet. The hops come into play almost immediately after, with the flavor immediately subsiding into a mild finish. The range of tastes this beer provides is quite impressive.

I know that I usually get the aesthetics out of the way first, but i'd like to elaborate on the color and head of the beer. The nice golden/amber color is reminiscent of an much stronger IPA. In addition, the thick head subsides (slowly) into a thin top that maintains for quite some time. In addition, Grand Teton provides some nice statistics on the neck of each of their bottles. Sweetgrass is 6% ALV, with 60 IBUs (international bittering unit, used to measure, you guessed it, bitterness). Altogether, it's a very solid bit of brewing, and the range of flavors is as enjoyable as it is surprising. And although it is a bit more bitter than I typically like beers, that alone is no reason to downgrade it. For an overall tasty beverage, i'm giving Sweetgrass one of my highest ratings yet.

Final Score: 9/10

 Good luck, and Happy drinking! 
-Devin

Cool Beer for Hot days

Hey all, I'm back again! Sorry for the delay in posting, but i've had a busy few weeks. This time, I'll be reviewing a more mass-produced Colorado beer, the Coors Brewing company's own Batch 19. Named after one of the original Coors recipe brews that was supposedly just rediscovered, Batch 19 is now being produced on a large scale alongside Coors' other flagship products. In a short amount of time, the Pre-prohibition style Lager has already proved quite popular. Upon opening and pouring, one is greeted with a nice light, slightly sweet aroma and a bubbly head that quickly dissolves into a very thin top. This lager settles surprisingly quickly, although that isn't an altogether bad thing. The first sip tastes a bit like caramel, with a finish leading into a mouth-watering cereal malt flavor. The overall experience is quite nice, and so is seeing a Lager of this quality coming out of a a Mega-brewing operation like MillerCoors.

Despite settling quickly, Batch 19 proves to just as carbonated as any quality beer I've had. Seriously, drink it too fast (and you may, given the addicting finish) and you'll be belching six ways from Sunday. Now, it's not perfect: the flavor could be a bit stronger, and i'd prefer the head to settle a bit slower, but overall this is a quality brew from a good company. For now this beer is only available in limited areas, but MillerCoors has plans to change that soon. In the meantime, if you can find it, I'd absolutely recommend Batch 19 for hot summer day drinking or as a lunch and dinner beverage.


Final Score: 8/10

 Good luck, and Happy drinking!
-Devin

A festival of Summer

And we're back. This time on the review, I'll be looking at a beer a bit more in keeping with the time of year. Summerfest, from Sierra Nevada Brewing is a nice crisp lager, perfect for warm summer nights, 4th of July BBQs, and just about anything. Upon opening the bottle, the drinker is greeted with a very mild and pleasant smell. The beer pours nicely, leaving a thick head on the top that fades quickly at first then slows, leaving a decent bit of foam as it comes to rest.

Tasting about as mild as it looks, Summerfest nonetheless has a nice finish that you'd come to expect from a high quality lager. Very refreshing, but a bit on the bland side. Of course, my opinion might be a bit biased by the knowledge of Sierra Nevada's tendency to utilize plenty of hops in their brews. Overall it's not bad, and the finish alone makes up for any other deficiencies. And of course, it is worth remembering that a Lager, particularly one brewed for the summertime is going to be quite a bit lighter. I'd recommend this beer with no reservations, providing you'll be enjoying it under the hot summer sun. I would grab some soon however, as it is only available as a seasonal offering. Happy Drinking!

-Devo

Final Verdict: 7.5/10