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Beer Archive

A list of the beers we have featured in our past tastings. Please phone for availability.

August 20th, 2010

Abita Satsuma Witbier
Strong, but not bold, and creamy, but not thick. Abita's Satsuma is a superbly balanced witbier that has a little bit of everything going for it. Satsuma fruit is used to add an orange-like citrus flavor to a base wheat beer with touches of hop spice and coriander laced through it. The spices aren't extravagant and there isn't the usual banana pitfall getting in the way of the other flavors. As a result, some wonderfully sticky malt flavors come through in the finish and compliment all the citrus notes floating around. Satsuma won't change anybody's mind about how fruit and beer work together, but it will satisfy drinkers who want a change of pace from the summer ales without venturing too far into Oktober-land.

Shipyard Pumpkinhead
This is far and away the best selling pumpkin beer that we carry. It tops Southern Tier, Brooklyn, and any other pumpkin offering you can imagine by a country mile. Of course, it's one of those beers that straddles the line between being an ale and a candy-ish drink, but don't let that stop you from giving it a shot. In fact, this year's version is far less sweet than it has been in past years and many of the spices have been toned down just enough to make the underlying grains noticeable. And who cares if you can't notice them, anyways? The beer is smooth and pleasant, with a burnt malt bitterness and easy character that reminds me of Boston's beautiful fall weather and the smell of cool air. Hey, don't bash me for getting a little poetic with this one, because even if it is candy drink, it's a pretty darn good one and something I've associated with Boston's best season since I first moved here.

Spaten Oktoberfestbier
Some beer lovers anticipate Spaten's Oktoberfest märzen every year, more than any other seasonal offering. Though produced by a major brewery, this little lager can be radically different from year to year, and in some cases it can rival the best märzens from the very best breweries. If you've had either of our märzens from the last two weeks (Ayinger's and Harpoon's) then you'll have some idea of what to expect. The difference-maker is Spaten's incredible sense of balance; their hop additions are subtle and perfectly suited to the semi-sweet malt base. The typically creamy body is turned down ever so slightly, making this märzen less filling and a little more thirst-quenching than normal. Come in and try out this year's edition and decide for yourself whether or not it's worth the wait.

Sierra Nevada Tumbler
Sierra isn't exactly known for their dark beers. Sure, they've had some good stuff come out in the past, but their hoppy beers are far more popular and sell more consistently. With Tumbler they're trying to change that. It's a mild, fairly middle-of-the-road ale that manages to incorporate a number of different flavors without being too sweet, thick, or alcoholic. Pine or spruce, along with nuts, caramel, and burnt toast all show through, though none of them are overwhelming. Hops are well incorporated without forcing the signature Sierra flavor into the mix. The beer doesn't need it anyways. It's a tasty addition to the Sierra Nevada line and an excellent bridge between the summer and full-fledged winter offerings.

August 13th, 2010

Harpoon Octoberfest
Brewed like a traditional märzen (lager), Harpoon's Octoberfest is a seasonal favorite here at Menotomy Beer & Wine and throughout the Boston area. The catch is that Harpoon hops their lager up significantly, adding a spicy flavor to a style more known for its sweet malt characteristics. Caramel grain flavors and soft chocolate notes are nevertheless present, and serve as the Octoberfest's backbone. Hints of flowery hops and a mild fruitiness can also be found, but only vaguely. Harpoon brews this beer so it has a medium body with low carbonation and a gentle toasty essence. It may not be September yet, but Harpoon's festive spirit is already in full gear. Thankfully, their brew is well-suited to the summer and remains absolutely refreshing.

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen
Ayinger consistently brews my favorite Oktoberfest each year. Like Harpoon's entry, this märzen features a medium-to-full body with low carbonation and a creamy finish. But unlike that Americanized lager, Ayinger's Oktober features spice flavors more prominently, playing toasty grains off against a spectrum of warm spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Hints of fruit appear throughout, but instead of featuring strong hop flavors, a modest, tea-like bitterness is included for balance. If you're interested in tasting genuine German Oktoberfest beer, you'll be hard pressed to find something better.

Buffalo Bill's Original Pumpkin Ale
Bill's pumpkin ale may become your favorite pumpkin beer. It is somewhat sweet, very spicy, and loaded with amber grains that both compliment and stand out from the onslaught of flavors featured in each sip. If you're a drinker that looks for more ale than pumpkin in their Halloween beers, you might be disappointed. If, however, you like sharp, refreshing beer that combines the ease of summer ales with the warmth of fall brews, then this is something you'll definitely want to have in your fridge. Be warned, however, there's a touch of candy sweetness to this one. Approach it like a sweet treat and you'll be well rewarded.

Mad River The Mad Belgian
The Mad Belgian continues our series of delicious pale ales with a twist. Like the super popular Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale from Lagunitas, this pale combines an unusual ingredient with a familiar recipe. Strong citrus and fruit flavors stand out, but leave plenty of room for a distinct Belgian yeast flavor and a host of hop notes that provide both bitterness and spice. A nice blend of cracker and bread flavors are provided by the malt, which also leaves a sticky, full-bodied sensation behind. Despite that, The Mad Belgian is surprisingly light-bodied and easy to drink.

August 6th, 2010

St. Martin Brune
Beer lovers who are put off by most Belgian ales because of their ultra-rich bodies and unrelenting complexity might be interested in giving St. Martin a try. Still complex and rich, St. Martin's Brune exhibits many of the qualities of a good Belgian brown ale, like a sticky sweetness and the flavors or raisins or dates, but it does so without being too heavy. A little extra carbonation and lower alcohol level (8% ABV) contribute to St. Martin's easy drinkability. Perhaps most importantly there's a distinct lack of yeasty spice in this Belgian brew. You don't have to worry about banana flavors or an unusual aftertaste, all you get with St. Martin's Brune is delicious dark fruit flavors and the same brown sugar sweetness you'd expect from a good American brown ale.

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale
The label says this is a pale wheat ale. So does the brewery's website, but my taste buds say otherwise. A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' smells like an American pale ale, drinks much like an English IPA, and finishes like a combination of the two, with just a touch of fruitiness added to its already grapefruit-rich profile. Truth be told, I hate American pale wheat ales (APWA) and have only met a few that I've grudgingly approved of, but this offering from Lagunitas is as good as any pale ale or light IPA I've ever tasted. The wheat characteristics common among APWAs is almost entirely absent: there's no light citrus or lemon flavor, no wheat zest, and practically zero wheat spice. Replacing it is a huge punch of hop spiciness, raw grapefruit bitterness, and a hint of dry, almost flowery hop oils. A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' packs a pretty potent punch, and it weighs in with an impressive 7% ABV. The finish is dry and lip-smacking, so be careful you don't down these too quickly.

Founders Old Curmudgeon
We've tasted this beer before, but I don't remember it ever being as good as it is this year. Old Curmudgeon is Founders entry into the old ale category of beers, and it is one of the more drinkable I've encountered. The Old Curmudgeon has proven to me that Founders listens to their customers. It was once an over-alcoholic, too-sweet ale, but has morphed slowly into the beautifully smooth, very drinkable, caramel-rich beer it is now, with complex flavors common among stouts, dunkels, and dubbels. Raisins, toffee, brown sugar, rum, and citrus all swim about in this thick, rather creamy ale, and a mild sweetness permeates every sip. It's complimented by a touch of vanilla and balanced with a bourbon-like bite and burnt toast bitterness. At close to 10% ABV, it is a beer best served with food, like chocolate cake, but don't let that deter you from having it with beef or even something fruitier, like a good warm pumpkin pie. I know, this sounds like the sort of beer you'd want in the fall, but it's so easy to drink and so pleasing that I think you'll want to get it now. I hold it in as high a regard as their Backwoods Bastard, another of their beers that is maybe more drinkable than it should be.

Harpoon Leviathan Triticus
I have a love-hate relationship with the Leviathan series from Harpoon. Their Double IPA remains one of the most satisfying IPAs made on the east coast, a solid contender with the best of what the west coast offers. And their Baltic Porter is a thick, creamy, over-all very satisfying brew, which makes me wonder how everything else in the series could be so bad. Triticus, thankfully, is a return to form. It's a super-rich, 11% ABV wheat wine ale. Wheatwine ale is exactly the same kind of thing as a barleywine ale, but made with wheat instead of barley. The change in flavors is very noticeable: sweet rather than bitter, stronger citrus flavors rather than dark fruit flavors (though both are present), and a body that is lighter, but still thick and hefty. If that sounds confusing, I don't blame you. You just have to give it a try to see what I mean. Triticus integrates its high alcohol content very, very well, utilizing it to up the sweetness factor. Fans of barleywine will really enjoy this, and people who shy away from them because of their strength might find this Leviathan a little more approachable. It's not a light weight by any means, however.

July 30th, 2010

Dogfish Head Theobroma
Nothing I can say will help sell this bottle of beer any better than the ingredients list: cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, honey, annatto (tree seeds), and chilies. If you've ever had chocolate spiced with chilies from the American southwest, then you'll have an idea of what to expect from Theobroma. Chocolate and chili flavor does come through loud and clear, but surprisingly it's the annatto and honey you'll taste most. Nutmeg and oak flavors shine in Theobroma, blending perfectly with mildly sweet honey and sugar flavors, as well as dense, somewhat slick malt flavors, which give the beer a heavy feel. This is easily Dogfish Head's most unusual beer, and one of their more historic concoctions. Its recipe is derived from beer residue found in an Aztec pot that dates back to 1200 BC.

Laughing Dog's Dogzilla Black IPA
Numerous customers have asked us to stock some black IPAs besides the now famous Iniquity from Southern Tier. After a little hunting Neil came upon this gem of a brew: a 7% ABV IPA with touches of caramel, toffee, and coffee grounds. Combining dark, stout-like flavors with hops isn't a new idea anymore, but Idaho's Laughing Dog does a pretty great job of cooking up a unique beer. What makes this one stand out is its emphasis on the grains. While Iniquity and Hoppin' Frog both put all their chips on bright, bitter flavors, Laughing Dog decided to amp up the malt side of their beverage. Pine-like hop flavors and a sharp bitterness still make themselves known, but the chewy, ultra-smooth body and grain elements are far and away the stars of this show.

Laughing Dog's The Dogfather Imperial Stout
This is a meaner, more boastful bottle of beer than Dogzilla. It sits at an impressive 11% ABV, is as bitter as it is malty and chewy, carries with it no small amount of chocolate and dark grain flavors, and adds to the mix a whisper of bourbon deliciousness. The standout feature, however, is how creamy and phenomenally smooth it is. A touch of vanilla and oak find their way into The Dogfather, though I'm unaware of any oak-aging or oak chips in it. A touch of sugar, a little citrus, a punch of coffee, and a smidgen of pine sap round The Dogfather out, making it just as complex and layered as any imperial stout on the market. Fans of the Founder's Breakfast Stout will definitely want to give this one a shot.

AleSmith's YuleSmith Holiday Ale (Summer)
Happy Holida... er... Happy Fourth of Jul... um... Merry Summertime and a happy new Autumn? YuleSmith, to my knowledge, is made by AleSmith, who brews only two kinds of "Yule Beer" each year, ever year: the Winter Holiday Ale and this one, the Summer Holiday Ale. Both are world famous, and both are quite over the top. This one is a double IPA with more bitterness than you can shake a stick at. The Winter Holiday Ale is perhaps bigger and harder to drink (try to imagine blending pine needles into beer and drinking them that way), but the summer edition is no lightweight. I'm certain it can please even the pickiest hop-head with its hefty doses of pine, citrus, flowery zest, and good ol' fashioned alcohol bite. At around 8% ABV it isn't particularly strong, but the flavors will likely assault your tongue in ways you thought impossible. There's some grain in this beer somewhere, but I'm hard pressed to care about it given the fine balance of hoppy flavors suffused in every sip. Do not miss this beer, as we were very lucky to get the last couple of cases you'll find in the state!

July 23rd, 2010

Magners Pear Cider
Join us as we celebrate the arrival of the newest Magners Cider, which is made from pears and especially designed to take care of those cider lovers who want a flavor other than apple to feast upon. Magners drinkers will already know that Magners has a distinctly sweet flavor that many other ciders aim to avoid. If you don't like sweet beers, then you might be a little disappointed in this treat. If, however, you want something super-easy to drink, refreshing, and topped off with a pinch of pear essence, then this is the drink for you. Every time I take a sip I notice the distinct flavor of candied sugar as well, which is way less offensive than it might sound. I'm not a huge fruit beer advocate, but this is a great summer time refresher and a nice alternative to your typical cider offering.

Hooker Watermelon Ale
Fruit beer is probably the most commonly requested item in our store right now. Whether it's made from blueberries, strawberries, pear, apple, or something else, everyone wants something fruity and refreshing. And who can blame them, it's been so hot that drinking anything other than water has seemed like shooting yourself in the foot. But even blueberry-loving beer drinkers will have to admit that deciding to use watermelon to brew a brew is a pretty weird and questionable decision. After all, watermelon is mostly... well... water. But, as it turns out, The Thomas Hooker Brewing crew knew exactly what they were doing when they tossed that delicious summer melon into their beer. Basically a lager with a touch of fruit flavor to it, the Watermelon Ale is a clean, crisp, and somewhat bitter ale with the spirit of watermelon floating about in it. The body bears a slightly above-average carbonation, which amps up the refreshing factor considerably and helps integrate the ale and watermelon flavors successfully. A tasty, if odd, addition to our store, Hooker's Watermelon Ale might just be the strangest thing in our inventory right now, and that's really saying something.

Victory Sunrise Weissbier
On the slightly more conventional side of things we have Victory's Sunrise Weissbier. But it'd be a mistake to call this a conventional hefeweizen in any way, shape, or form. As is typical with the Victory crew, the Sunrise favors hop aromas and flavors over the typical clove and banana brigade so common in German hefes. Still, Victory somehow squeezed a little bit of everything into this bottle. Banana and clove definitely pop up, along with the usual lemon zest and spicy fog, but sharp hop flavors, a clean bitterness, and slightly lighter body prevail in this beer. A touch of yeasty goodness also shows up, especially in the Sunrise's long finish, but this is far from being a Belgian yeast monster of German spice rack. The main flavors are the clean lemon tartness and hoppy punch. Most American variations on hefeweizen are forgettable in my opinion, but Victory's offering is superb and worthy of your time and money. Did I mention this beer is about as sessionable as it gets? With the Sox heading down the stretch against the Yankees and Rays, these brews might be just the thing you need!

Red Racer IPA
We know a lot of you like Dale's Pale Ale and their lineup of tongue-destroying IPAs, but we have something here that we think is even better. Red Racer IPA is produced by the folks at Central City Brewing and it is one of the single best canned beers I've tasted in the last couple of years. It's bright, full, thick, and absolutely loaded down with the delicious flavor of citrusy hops and piney bitterness. There's a stick, resin-like quality to the body, which makes it heavier than your average IPA. But, the relatively low alcohol level (6.5%) and canned presentation makes this the perfect IPA for your next beach or picnic excursion. The caramel malt backbone on the Red Racer IPA rounds out its flavor profile and provides a little balance for the up-front hop assault you get with every sip. This won't win over anyone not already fond of hops, but it'll definitely satisfy the hop-heads among you.

July 16th, 2010

MOA Rare German-Style Pilsener
If beer isn't the first thing you think of when you hear the words New Zealand, we don't blame you. But, we want to change that and we think MOA is the beer most likely to help out. Unfiltered, hazy, creamy, and heavier than some dark ales are, MOA comes to the table with an abundance of flavors, including sharp hop notes, a pinch of lemon, a floral undertone, and plenty of malt sweetness. MOA has a perfect amount of carbonation for its heavier body and the citric qualities it possesses adds a very refreshing, slightly acidic character to the mixture. Because it demonstrates a sweet finish and somewhat malty complexity, MOA may not satisfy pilsener purists, but will be a breath of fresh air for anyone that wants a cold, complex, and refreshing new drink to try.

Lammsbräu Organic Dunkel
Lammsbräu is what a dunkel should be, plain and simple. Typically more complex than a schwarzbier, but less rich and heavy than a porter, dunkels are sweet, complex, often toasty beers with flavors that are often found in winter ales and lagers. The upshot is that dunkels aren't necessarily as heavy as their cold-weather brethren, so anyone looking for a dark summer beer can start (and end) here. Lammsbräu is particularly refreshing thanks to its expertly crafted body. It's smooth, boasts a medium body with rich, creamy edges, and simultaneously plays host to a prickly, but perfectly suitable carbonation, which makes taking repeated sips very, very easy. Flavors are of honey, caramel, dark, warm bread, toasted malts, and a little smokiness. Even if dark beer sounds like too much in this heat, stop by and give it a shot because I think Lammsbräu will surprise you with how drinkable and thirst-quenching it is.

Goose Island Pere Jacques
The internet beer gurus tell me this is a dubbel, but I have a hard time believing it. Pere Jacques tastes like a quad through and through, and its impressive shelf life (store it for five years and see what happens) suggests something much stronger than advertised. The first thing I noticed when I first had this beer is just how massive and over-powering it is; there's no subtlety here, just crushing muscular power combined with a very deep complexity and lasting finish. Figs, caramel, a boozy sweetness, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and a touch of malty bitterness all make their way into this beer, with a touch of citrus showing up just because it can. The body is medium-heavy, but not quite as big as it could be, which makes Pere Jacques more drinkable too. Some claim his Belgian-style dubbel is even better than the stuff produced by Ommegang, but we'll leave that decision up to you.

Hoppin' Frog Bodacious Black & Tan
Black and Tan usually means a dark beer and a brown beer, like Guinness and Harp. This one is a bit more radical: it's advertised as 67% IPA, 33% stout. In other words, the brown ale in this puppy is a full-flavored bitter ale with hop spice, an oily bitterness, and a good punch of citrus to boot. The stout doesn't just hang out to make the beer darker, though, as toffee, coffee, and chocolate are all also sitting in this beer. If any other ales need a little extra flavor, this one has plenty to spare. But with the malty flavors sitting side by side with the hoppy ones, you might be wondering which is more evident. Somehow Hoppin' Frog has kept this one balanced; the hoppy flavors and malt sweetness are alternately more noticeable depending on which one you try to focus on more. I wasn't a big fan of this brew the first time it came through, but it has won me over in the end. If you're looking for something new and different, this is the beer for you.

July 9th, 2010

Kulmbacher Eku Pils $15.99/6-pk
The Eku Pils is a slightly sweeter, somewhat less hoppy version of the classic style you've all come to know and love. Rather than focusing on big, herbal flavors and biting hops, Kulmbacher crafted a fine middle-of-the-road lager with smooth grain flavors and a mild grassy bitterness. Thanks to the modest alcohol level of the Eku, this beer is incredibly well-suited to hot weather, even more so than those hoppy IPAs and Pale Ales you might have consumed in the previous few days. With a higher-than-normal carbonation and light body, Eku is a very easy to drink, very smooth beer from one of Germany's finest breweries.

Neumarkter Lammsbräu Pils $10.99/4-pk
But perhaps you're searching for something more complex and maybe even fruity. In that case, check out The Neumarkter Lammsbräu Pils. I know lager might not be the first thing you think of when imagining fruity beer, but Lammsbräu has a strange and satisfying lime punch to it, with hints of grass, hay, and hop oil following it up. Below the 5% ABV level, it maintains a complex and rich flavor, tending toward bitterness, but it includes noticeable grain flavors, including crackers and the taste of freshly baked bread. Repeated sips might reveal further complexities, including a faint nuttiness and a hint of creaminess. The carbonation creates a soda-water sensation, which only adds to the refreshing quality of the lager. Without having tasted a couple of the beers coming up this week, I can safely say this will be a popular 4-pack, if not the most popular beer of the tasting.

Coopers Original Pale Ale $14.99/6-pk
As far as pale ales go, Coopers Original recipe occupies something of a middle ground. You can taste the herbal punch of the hops in every sip, but there's also a noticeable sweetness and lemon element in this one. Instead of tending toward the English variety of pales or favoring the American style with its big bitterness, Coopers tried to fit both into a single body, and the mostly succeeded. Light, somewhat fluffy, and maybe just a little more carbonated than normal, the Original Pale combines a sturdy hop presence with light grains and a snappy yeast quality, which exaggerates the lemon and pale wheat qualities of the beer (though no wheat is used to make it). Seeing that its unfiltered, Coopers Original also packs a pretty big aroma, which adds to the beer's complexity without muddling things up. This is a sharp, crisp ale, and probably more in line with most people's expectations for a summer beer. If you've been dying to try a new pale ale, this is the one for you.

Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot $14.99/4-pk
And just in case being punched in the face by malt complexity is your idea of fun, we've got the Blithering Idiot on hand this Friday. Thick, highly alcoholic (11% ABV), and packed full of dense fruit, rum, grain, and candy flavors, the Blithering Idiot is a classic English-style barleywine ale that demands to be sipped slowly. All manner of dark fruit is present in this monster, with a relatively full body to match. Accents of toffee or butterscotch also make it through in this one, all without covering up a mild, but noticeable hop presence. Its smooth body contributes to the generally mellow feeling this beer emanates, but the big spikes of sweetness might catch some drinkers off guard. This may not be the ideal summer ale, but it does gain something from aging. The brewery recommends storing this one for up to five years before consuming. Whether you drink it now, later this year, or somewhere down the line, the Blithering Idiot is an outstanding barleywine, and definitely a curiosity you'll want to try.

July 2nd, 2010

Pretty Things American Darling Lager $8.99/22oz
Lots of good American lager this week, and we're starting off with one of the most unusual: Dann Paquette's American Darling. It's a high-alcohol, filtered, pale lager with the kind of flavor and aroma more typical of pale ales. Then again, the body on this one is smooth, thick, creamy, and very round, supporting a wide range of flavors, including cut grass, citrus, caramel, and even a little bit of spicy pine and bright hop bitterness. Unlike so many of Pretty Things' offerings, this one doesn't have a trace of Belgian blood in it anywhere, which means the yeast character is far less prominent. Definitely has a prickly edge to it, but there isn't any of that Belgian funk around, so the clear flavor of the hops and grains shines through unimpeded.

Dundee Honey Brown Lager $8.99/6-pk
Dundee's offering this week comes as advertised. A light dash of honey and dark grains makes this beer everything it is: smooth, semi-sweet, with a smooth lager body, and nary a trace of fruitiness anywhere. The dark grains add hints of caramel and maybe a little toffee, but the main flavors here come in the form of honey and toasted bread. Because it's a lager, Honey Brown is excessively smooth, featuring light carbonation and a relatively low body weight. Hints of hop bitterness do show through in the finish, though they aren't nearly present enough to qualify this as a hoppy beer: their flavors show through just a little, which is just enough. This is an easy-to-drink, party-ready lager that is just a little different from the rest and definitely good if what you're looking for is a change.

Narragansett Lager $6.99/6-pk of tall boys!
Narragansett made a comeback in the last couple of years, greatly improving the quality of their beer and offering it for a very low price. Taking a couple of sips, it's easy to see why it's popular again: the flavor is bold, creamy, and mildly sweet with hints of grass and cereal grain throughout. In addition, the body is very balanced: it's mildly carbonated, silky, and pleasantly light without being non-existent. Narragansett's lager has been rightly compared to Pabst Blue Ribbon, but I think it's at least a step up from there in terms of balance and flavor. While some of the flavors and the style are similar, Narragansett's is just a bit more complex and easier to drink and definitely good for some 4th of July celebration.

Stone IPA $12.99/6-pk
And just in case you don't like lagers, this week we're also featuring Stone's classic IPA. Crisp, bright, potent, and very easy to drink, this IPA goes out of its way to deliver grassy hop flavors and a big, but well balanced, hop bitterness not easily compared to any other IPA in the store. Stone didn't opt to go one direction or the other with their hop flavors, as both pine and fruit elements show up throughout the beer, along with a surprising sweetness, which is probably derived from the grain. That means this one is both fruity and dry, with one flavor following the next. One of the things that makes Stone's IPA so outstanding, however, is its creamy, super, super, super smooth body. I've only had one or two IPAs as easy to drink as this one, and they were both Double IPAs with a lot more alcohol and grain in them. This is an absolute must-try, and a perfectly refreshing beer for that 90 degree weather we have headed our way.

June 25th, 2010

St. Bernardus Abt 12 $11.99/750ml
My absolute favorite beer. Ever. Of all time. There's more going on in here than the next few sentences can explain, but I'll try. Lots of dark fruit swimming about, like plum, fig, and raisin, accompanied by hints of dark rum. Dark toasty grains show through with plenty of caramel, a touch of the familiar Belgian yeast bite, smokiness, and a good dose of spice (clove, coriander, and even a smattering of black pepper). The most remarkable element, however, is that this Belgian ale actually has a hop profile you can recognize. While it isn't a big hoppy beer, the bitterness in this one is evident and contributes to the beer's balance and flavor profile. I'll stop before I write an ode to this thing, but trust me when I tell you its one of the best beers you'll ever have the chance to try.

Schneider Wiesen Edel-Weisse $5.99/500ml
This beer's name comes from the flower, which you might know from The Sound of Music, but it is not used to brew the beer. Nonetheless, Schneider's Edel-Weisse is a spicy hefe with a flavor profile that favors clove spiciness and sweetness over the typical wheat beer flavors of lemon and banana yeast. The body is creamy and rich and it carries with it a sweet finish that reminds me a little bit of brown sugar, but this is still a far cry from Schneider's weizenbock style, which is best represented by the Aventinus. The spiciness and sweetness make it very refreshing, and the relatively low alcohol level (6.2%) keeps it easy to drink and fairly session-able. Fans of wheat beer will definitely enjoy this change of pace, while undecided drinkers will appreciate the chance to try something different from this style.

Schneider Weisse Meine Hopfenweisse $6.99/500ml
Schneider and Brooklyn are very close friends. So close that they brew beers together and then release two different versions: one brewed in Brooklyn and one in Kelheim, Bavaria. Besides geography, hops are the major players in determining this beer's flavor and style. In both cases, the brewers used only hops native to the region, and unsurprisingly the results are distinct and delicious. This one was brewed in Kelheim with the intention of creating a weizenbock/hop hybrid. That means you'll get banana yeastiness, floral hoppiness, and even a touch of hop bitterness, which is surprisingly strong. Unlike the American version, this is a high-alcohol beast with a big, long finish and unusual spiciness that I can't place easily. Schneider's hopfenweisse is also a bit more carbonated than other wheat beers, which adds to the spicy, punchy character of the beer. Meine Hopfenweisse will probably catch you off guard: it's definitely a hefeweizen, but it's in a league all its own.

Sam Adams Cream Stout $9.99/6-pk
Much like other milk stouts, Sam Adams Cream Stout is a sweet, coffee-like ale with hints of cream, vanilla, and caramel throughout. What makes Sam Adams' version unique (and praise-worthy) is its body. While lighter than other cream stouts, it maintains the silky, super-smooth texture and finish that is common among the best milk stouts in the world. Combine that with the relatively low alcohol content and you have a session-friendly stout that won't leave your belly feeling heavy. Beers like these are what keep Sam Adams competitive, even among the bevy of micro-brewers out there. If you enjoy the Black Fly Stout or the Three Floyds milk stout, you're bound to enjoy this one too.

June 18th, 2010

Mayflower Summer Rye Ale $10.99/6-pk
This is Mayflower's contender for the most drinkable summer ale ever. Made with rye, it has just a touch of spiciness or rye bitterness, which makes it very, very refreshing and adds just a little funk to the whole experience. Its low alcohol content makes it perfect for hot days, but also emphasizes its drier flavors and extra-light body. Beer lovers that think light beers are the best beers you can get during the summer months will appreciate this; it holds a lot of flavor and maintains a micro-brew feel without being over the top or outrageously alcoholic. You can expect wheat flavors like lemon and clove, but the extra dry finish is pretty surprising and a great way to finish such an easy-going beer.

Gouden Carolus Tripel $19.99/4-pk
I've mentioned many times that I do not like tripels, but with beers like this crossing my desk, it's becoming harder and harder for me to maintain that position. First the Augustijn Ale impressed me, and now Gouden Carolus, which is just about the most complex tripel I've ever laid lip to. Tropical fruit, clove, banana, apple, candied sugar, black pepper, lemon, lime, cream, vanilla, a pinch of cinnamon, and many, many more flavors permeate this little bomb, but without producing a sweet, over-saturated mess of sensation. My brain tells me it should be impossible, but Gouden Carolus actually integrates ALL of these, and does so with a body that would put so many quadrupels to shame. It isn't particularly heavy, but it is so smooth and filling that it seems impossible for this beer to be a tripel. An absolute must-try: do not miss this beer.

Founders Old Curmudgeon $15.99/4-pk
Perhaps the best American-made old ale, Old Curmudgeon is a creamy, chocolate-filled, caramel-scored, dark fruit-infused masterpiece of brewing chemistry. Many old ales are tough to drink, extra sweet, and boozy, with alcohol flavors that show through to the point of covering up the strong malt flavors that are supposed to dominate the beer. Old Curmudgeon is just the opposite: smooth, easy to drink, mildly sweet, well-balanced, and even a little bitter. While raisin, dark plum, and caramel dominate the beer, spicy bitterness and just a touch of fruit peel funk also show up in the beer. Combined, these flavors help hush the alcohol content, which is at an impressive 9.8% ABV. Bourbon, oak, vanilla, and many other flavors pop in the beer, which is best served and appreciated at warmer temperatures. Give this a shot at room temperature and tell me it doesn't taste even more complex and excellent!

Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout $10.99/6-pk
Pitch black, creamy, and filled with roasted goodness. This describes Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout almost perfectly. Toasty liked it should be, this oatmeal stout sports some extra hop flavors, which help bring out the acidity in the beer and transform it from a filling and heavy ale into a refreshing, somewhat sharp beer with a little extra depth. Acidity is low and hop-flavors are subdued, but they blend very well with extra molasses-based sweetness that this Wolaver's production shows. If you find yourself craving dark beer for the summer, Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout is definitely a good place to go.

June 11th, 2010

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest $5.99/24oz bottle
Massive, delicious, totally complex "fresh hop" ale that tastes the most like an IPA. The difference is that fresh hops offer more subtle flavors to a brew, which allows the grain flavors to show through more brightly. Sierra Nevada has obviously taken their time with this one, as caramel, burnt toast, earthy grain tones, and even a bit of creaminess shine through the combination of pine, grass, bitter fruit, and hop oil flavors that define the beer. Easily one of the best releases from Sierra Nevada this year.

Pretty Things Field Mouse's Farewell $8.99/22oz bottle
Four different grains, two different hops from two different places on the planet, and two different strains of yeast go into making the Field Mouse's Farewell, described by Mr. Paquette as a "late spring ale." The body is medium to medium-heavy and sports a beautiful golden color laced through with hazy bits of orange and white. Unfiltered and complex, Field Mouse's Farewell is still crisp and immensely refreshing with plenty of hop richness peaking out from behind the oats, barley, wheat, and rye. The alcohol level is a little higher, sitting at around 7% ABV, but the full flavors of the beer hide it completely. There is a slight Belgian hue to this one, which makes sense because Belgian yeast is used, but you can forget bananas or clove: there's something much different going on in this one.

People's Pint Tap and Die $8.99/40oz bottle
Not all 40 oz. beers are nasty adjunct-laden drinks. And, in fact, not all adjuncts are necessarily bad. People's Pint is here to prove that: a good malt liquor (which contains virtually nothing in the way of hops) will be strong, mildly sweet, and a little thick with notes of sugar, fruit, and a somewhat medicinal flavor from whatever hops are present. People's Pint hit the nail on the head with this one, and added one very refreshing quality: the alcohol isn't noticeable at all. Tap and Die is smooth, very refreshing, and highlights only the most desirable qualities of adjunct-brewed beer. Could be compared to a Maibock, except the cracker or cereal-like grains really stand out in a way not typical of any bock. Definitely a surprising and fun addition to the People's Pint lineup.

Brooklyn EIPA $10.99/6-pk
Another atypical offering from Brooklyn, this time in the form of an IPA. Citrusy, piney, and loaded down with some floral notes too, the East India Pale Ale is a low alcohol bitter ale with a background of biscuit-like grains and a mildly sweet malt profile. A little bit of spice supplements these flavors and adds some helpful complexity to the relatively light body and mild carbonation. This is a very relaxed IPA that aims to refresh, so don't expect massive hop flavors like you'd get out of a Dogfish Head brew or a Smuttynose offering. There's a good chance this will have some crossover appeal, so even if you think you hate IPAs, you should give this one a shot.

June 4th, 2010

Brooklyn Pilsner $10.99/6pk
A surprisingly hoppy version of an otherwise traditional German beer. Big floral and bitter flavors contrasted by a smooth, but light body with creamy notes and a touch of fizz. A hint of spice and a cracker-like grain quality add extra dimensions to Brooklyn's pilsner and give it more heft than is normal for the style. Definitely not your typical pilsner; something tells me this will appeal to lager and pale ale lovers alike.

Heavy Seas Red Sky At Night Saison $12.99/6pk
Back by popular demand. A full-bodied, fizzy, fruit-forward saison with additions of spice and yeast flavors quite unlike any other American Saison I've ever had. This is a beast completely different from what Pretty Things has offered up with Jack D'or: it's heavier, smoother, and altogether more potent with clove, apple, strong grain flavors, and a touch of hop bitterness/spiciness that makes each sip more delicious than the last. ABV is a little higher than most, at 8%, so watch out that this one doesn't get ahead of you. Definitely one of my favorite Belgian style beers and one of the best American-made approximations out there: it's in a class all its own.

Porkslap Pale Ale $8.99/6pk cans
We brought this into the store as a joke, mainly because we were convinced the Pats were going to beat the Giants and Porkslap seemed like a pathetic New York-based pale. Of course, the Giants won that year and Porkslap, by some small miracle of divine origin, turned out to be one of the best new beers we tasted all that year. It's a simple pale with good fruit presence and a medium body, but it adds significant amounts of caramel grain and a toasty finish, which gives it just a little more muscle. Not anywhere near as hoppy as something like a Sierra Nevada, the Porkslap has more in common with English pales. One of the few pale ales out there that might win over hop-hating drinkers!

Chimay White $12.99/25oz bottle
Rounding out this week's selection is another Chimay selection not typically mentioned in Belgian beer discussions. The Red label is ever the favorite in crowds, and we sampled the blue label a couple of months back with great success. Now we're doing the white label, which is something like a Belgian pale ale, with a lot of emphasis put on both spicy yeast flavors and hop bitterness. Technically a tripel, this is one of the few of its kind that make me want to have more than one. The sweetness is kept in check by a reasonable hop addition, the spice is emphasized more than normal, and the body is punchy enough to keep the fruit flavors from overwhelming the rest of the beer. Definitely a top tier Belgian overshadowed by its big brothers; make sure to come in and give it a shot.

May 28th, 2010

The 60-second beer descriptions were popular last week, so we're going to keep them going!

HaandBryggeriet IPA $9.99/16.9oz bottle
Lemon, citrus, maybe a little bit of orange, and an usually substantial body combined to make a potent IPA, but one that's less bitter than you might expect. Has qualities that might remind American drinkers of a good pale ale, but with some herbal flavors that are definitely not typical for the style, like mint and or hay. Definitely worth trying if you're an adventurous IPA drinkers.

Coopers Sparkling Ale $13.99/6-pk
Called a sparkling ale, but don't let that fool you: it's an English pale ale with sweet biscuit flavors, a strong hop presence, and even a little bit of alcohol punch. Toasted grains and a tight carbonation round the beer out, and the latter is what gives the beer its name. Though it isn't overly-bubbly, it definitely has a snap other pale ales don't. A little bit of sediment sits at the bottom of the bottle, telling me this is an unfiltered offering. It shows both in the color and the flavor, which is very distinct and round.

Coopers Lager $13.99/6-pk
A light, somewhat sweet, mildly floral lager with a quick finish and simple shape. Could be called the definition of easy drinking, though the bitterness of the Saaz hop might throw some drinkers off. Also includes hops called "Pride of Ringwood," which are a bit more common in Australia than they are here or anywhere else for that matter. Provides both a distinct flavor and aroma, but doesn't get in the way of the lager flavors you'd expect. Yeast flavors are definitely present in the mix, but not as strongly as they would be from a traditional pils.

Schneider Aventinus $5.99/16.9oz bottle
Hefeweizen plus bock, or at least that's what the label would have you believe. Aventinus is a dark hefeweizen with a heavier body than it's lighter cousin and a lot more flavor. Dark fruits, rum, cream, and even a small hint of bubblegum sit in this beer, with powerful yeast flavors and a grainy heft to help blend and settle some of the sweetness. A very full, round, complex beer that would give a good dark Belgian beer a run for its money. Toffee, chocolate, caramel, spice, and a touch of alcoholic punch make their way into the beer too, to varying degrees of intensity. Absolutely one of the best beers I've ever had and one of the best the store carries.

May 21st, 2010

This week we're going to have a little fun with the beer descriptions. We could chat all day about subtlety, but sometimes you just want to know the basics, so think of each write-up that follows as a 60-second review (it shouldn't take more than a minute to read and it should cut to the point!).

Hoegaarden Belgian White Ale $10.99/6-pk
Crisp, lemony ale with touches of coriander and maybe a little clove. Cloudy and unfiltered, it has a little heft to it, not unlike the Allagash White, but is by no means a heavy beer. Various citrus and wheat flavors found throughout, with a distinct yeasty bite in the finish. Despite citrus elements throughout, Hoegaarden is mostly dry, balancing wheat flavors, hops, and spices almost perfectly.

Palm Belgian Amber Ale $11.99/6-pk
In most ways, a Belgian Amber equals an American Pale Ale, so be ready for something closer to that in style. Palm lacks the strong yeast elements most Belgian beers carry, and succeeds in almost completely eliminating any trace of banana flavors. Pale malts, a subtle but tasty hop element, and some bread or spice flavors make up the bulk of the beer. Medium in body and very easy to drink, definitely the kind of thing that could change some people's minds about Belgian beer.

Fenway Pale Ale $9.99/6-pk
More new beer from Boston Beer Works! This is a strong, well made American Pale with bright hop flavors, a distinct malt sweetness, and a little bit of that grapefruit flavor hop heads seem to love so much. Some other citrus flavors show through in the finish, but for the most part Fenway Pale stays dry and crisp start to finish. The grain flavors are assertive too, adding some caramel and toasted flavors to the mix. A superb local offering.

Smuttynose Summer Weizen $10.99/6-pk
It's a Belgian wheat beer and American summer ale combined in one bottle. Has a significant, but not over-the-top, amount of carbonation, which puts it in the pale ale category, but also contains a hefty dose of lemon and spice zest, which is where the wheat comes in. Pale grains, a touch of dry hoppiness, and the presence of Belgian yeast round out the Summer Weizen. The overall effect is that the beer tastes mildly sweet, with fruit and hops flavors blending almost seamlessly. It's less heavy than the Hoegaarden, but not less flavorful.

May 14th, 2010

Berkshire Brewing Co. Imperial Stout $6.99/25oz
A Russian Imperial Stout during the summer months? Sounds a little bit crazy, but Berkshire's is dry and refreshing enough to survive even higher temperatures than those we've seen recently. While the dominant flavors in this one are sweet and syrupy, there's enough hop character and dry spiciness in this one to keep it from turning into a dessert beer. Hints of wood, twangy alcohol, and smoke ruminate up front while chocolate, cream, and even coconut round out the finish, leaving a long and satisfying flavor in your mouth after every sip.

Brooklyn Summer Ale $10.99/6pk
A store favorite from our first month of operation, the Brooklyn Summer is a light, super crisp, surprisingly complex, and refreshing golden ale that, in this writer's opinion, outperforms nearly every other summer ale out there, including Sam Adams. Brewed as an English Pale Ale, Brooklyn's summer concoction concentrates on earthy hops, mild spice, and dry roasted malt flavors with touches of citrus and hop bitterness tossed in for good effect. Deceptively simple at first, repeated sips reveal layers of grass, straw, lemon, some other unidentifiable or general citrus flavor, and just a touch of what might pass for Californian hops, though less bitter than beers from either Sierra Nevada or Lagunitas. The carbonation rounds this one out: while more carbonated than some, the Summer Ale's body is perfectly suited to the flavors it provides, giving it just that little pinch of fizz that makes summer beers more refreshing in general.

Weihenstephaner Original $12.99/6pk
We've had Weihenstephaner's awesome hefeweizen in the store before (and we have it again), but we've never sampled their original recipe, which is a clean, though somewhat funky, Munich Helles Lager. Clean because the carbonation is light and satisfying with a quick finish and somewhat lemony flavor, funky because the noble hops lend it an herbal twist and and the malt flavors are all earthy and somewhat bitter. Like the Summer Ale is features flavors of straw and grass, but unlike any ale it has a thicker body and more robust yeast profile, resulting both from the kind of yeast used (it's a lager) and from the grains employed for flavor and consistency.

Victory St. Boisterous $14.99/6pk
With the popularity of Berkshire's Maibock in mind, we brought in Victory's St. Boisterous, which is also a Maibock, though of a slightly different breed. Thick and silky like a Maibock should be, St. Boisterous is somewhat less sweet than other maibocks and is balanced on by some earthy hop flavors that make it taste a little bit more like a Helles Bock or a dry lager. Floral hops and a touch of alcohol sweetness vie for power up front, while pale malts, fruit flavors like apple and peach, and spicy hop notes all battle in the middle, resulting in a complex and full-bodied finish that is both mildly sweet and mildly bitter. Definitely a complex and impressive beer, St. Boisterous will likely intrigue you enough to take another sip... and then another... and another. Until you've finally figured out just what the heck is going on in it.

May 7th, 2010

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron $17.99/4-pk
Palo Santo has something of a cult following around here, and just about anywhere in the world it can be found. Brewed as a brown ale in a 10,000 gallon wooden tank, after fermentation the beer comes out dark black in color, with the body of a hefty stout and the flavor of a brown-ale/black-ale hybrid. Flavors of vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and bright, roasted grains jump right out of the bottle, complimenting its smooth texture and hefty 12% ABV. A somewhat woody flavor and hints of cream also float in and out of tangibility, lending the beer a soft finish and easy drinkability. We've never tasted this one before and it typically disappears quickly, so make sure you get in to give this a shot as we can't always bring it into the store!

Franziskaner Weissbier $10.99/6-pk
Along with Ayinger, Franziskaner is one of the kings of hefeweizen. It's cloudy, has a medium to medium-light body, is loaded with citrus and clove flavors, and has an excellent and clear shape. It progresses from tart and sharp to dry and spicy, with hints of banana, sugar, and wheat grain throughout. So, it may not be the most popular beer in the world for those of you that don't like the banana flavor, but for anyone that loves a good hefe, this is where it's at. It's an excellent substitute for Ayinger and it is a sturdy contender against other store favorites, like Julius Echter and the 312.

Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot $7.99/22oz bottle
Lagunitas' newest limited release offering has a lot of attitude to it, in addition to its already pugnacious name. Loaded down with hops (of course), the WTF is a brown ale hybrid that leans toward citrus flavors in addition to the nuttiness associated with good English brown ales. Less funky on the tongue than the aroma might imply, the beer is much more refreshing than the description might have you thinking. Caramel and toffee come through up front before the west coast hops begin to dominate the brew, leaving a nice citrus twist on your tongue, with a touch of pine goodness for added enjoyability. It won't satisfy hop lovers looking for something like the Maximus, but it will definitely give non-IPA drinkers a chance to enjoy something with a little hop punch to it.

Boston Beer Works Bunker Hill Blueberry Ale $9.99/6-pk
The bottled version of Boston Beer Works' ever-popular blueberry ale is now in our store. The only downside is that there aren't fresh blueberries in the bottle like there are in the draft version. So, the Beer Works have decided to amp up the blueberry flavor native to the brew just a little bit, compensating for the lack of fresh fruit with a slightly more intense berry flavor. The ale is otherwise light and copper in color, with bready malt notes and a crisp body and dry quality. This won't convert any fruit-beer hating drinkers, but it will definitely please our blueberry drinking crowd!

April 30th, 2010

Anchor Steam Summer Ale $11.99/6-pk
April 30th is supposed to be a beautiful summer day, and what better way to celebrate the sun than with Anchor Steam's outstanding summer ale. Lemon, a prickly body, strong wheat malt flavors, and grassy aromas or hay are this summer ale's strongest traits, though the body is one of it's most unique. Thick, creamy, and armed with a thick, lacy head of foam, Anchor Steam's Summer boasts a substantial feel unusual for pale wheat ales. With a firm, quite bitter finish and a dry character throughout, it's refreshing and strong, leagues away from the watery clones that have popped up in its wake.

Otter Creek Summer Ale $9.99/6-pk
Most attentive beer drinkers have learned to avoid the dreaded "American Pale Wheat Ale" title that Otter Creek's Summer carries with it. Typically very light and lacking the strong flavors for which good wheat ales are known, they simply fall flat when compared to other, somewhat heartier summer brews (see the Anchor Steam for a good example). Thankfully, Otter Creek's Summer Pale Wheat has a lot more going for it than other such beers do. It contain a delicious fruit rind flavor, dry bitterness, grassy hop aromas, and just a touch of fruit. Medium carbonation fills the beer out, giving it a very refreshing body and mild bite.

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy $9.99/6-pk
Beer plus lemonade: the formula is simple, and maybe a little odd, but it is a delicious treat for the summer months heading our way. Leinenkugel's summer offering is light and delicious, tasting both of mildly sweet grain and a strong dose of lip-puckering lemonade. What else can I say? The combination makes for a very refreshing drink suited to hot days on the beach or anywhere under the sun.

Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel $11.99/750ml
For those of you who couldn't make it to our Belgian tasting last week, we're putting the sublime Houblon Chouffe back on the list for your enjoyment. It's a Belgian tripel blended with significantly more hops than is usual for the style. The result is a fruity, very refreshing American style IPA. While not as strong as our strongest blends, this IPA tripel does pack an unusual punch, containing citric and piny, dry-hop flavors that simply aren't found in other Belgian brews. Those of you that like Belgian beer will love this, and those of you that don't will probably be surprised by just how tasty the Chouffe is.

April 23rd, 2010

People's Pint Summer Honey Wheat -ShWHEAT, $5.99/22 oz bottle
Ever since we introduced the People's Pint during our first Menoto-fest back in January, we've been flying through all of their offerings. We're happy to introduce you to their Summer Honey Wheat, a.k.a. shWheat. A traditional American Wheat Ale, the shWheat has smells of wheat, yeast, and citrus. On the palate there are lemons and a nice wheat afterwards. The mouthfeel is very smooth and it goes down easy and is very refreshing.

St.Augustijn Belgian Abbey Ale, $15.99/4-pack
If you must miss tonight's Belgian and Belgian-inspired beer tasting, you'll still get a chance to try a classic Abbey Ale tomorrow night. The Augustijn has a full body, staying head and amber color with a spicy, malty palate that finishes very fruity with complex hoppy undertones. Extremely pleasant to drink during lenghty conversations. It goes very well with spicy food (fish or meat.) The hot spicy food (think Cajun, Mexican or Asian) is pleasantly cooled down by this wonderful beer. The hops also help the digestion. Delicious with cheeses. You can age the Augustijn for many years, just like wine.

Harpoon 100 Barrel Series Single Hop ESB, $7.99/22 oz bottle
The 31st offering from the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series is the Single Hop ESB, brewed by Harpoon brewer Charlie Cummings. Already excited about crafting an Extra Special Bitter, Charlie jumped at the rare opportunity to brew this beer using one hop varietal, Delta, exclusively throughout the process. In fact, the Harpoon Single Hop ESB is the first beer in the world to be commercially brewed using the Delta hop. A cross between Fuggle and Cascade hops, Delta hops yield an unrestrained earthy/floral aroma and taste that compliment the rich flavors of traditional British malts and yeast. The recipe for this beer is a nod to the beloved Harpoon ESB, which was last brewed in 2002. However this version uses imported ingredients, except for the domestically grown Delta hops. Only a portion of the batch was filtered, leaving the full spectrum of flavor and aroma of this special new hop to enjoy.

Wachusett Larry Imperial IPA, $6.99/22 oz bottle
What started out as a beer brewed for charity is now in bottle and available for enjoying. Brookline's Publick House owner David Ciccolo said the double India pale larry labelale that became "Larry" was first brewed in cooperation with Wachusett for an annual fundraiser for multiple sclerosis research held last July. Ciccolo said Larry is the first in a line of special beers developed by the collaboration between Ciccolo and Wachusett - future brews in the series will all go by first names. Which begs the question: why Larry? The brew was named for Publick House employee Larry Melia, who charmed the Wachusett staff during a visit to their brewery. He works at Ciccolo's restaurants, Publick House and American Craft, and at the Publick House Provisions store.

April 16th, 2010

Berkshire Brewing Company Maibock $4.50/22oz bottle
If Berkshire didn't make a delicious (and rare) Bourbon Stout, the Maibock might be their very best beer. It's near impossible to deny that all their beers are great, and their seasonal specialties all show a little something special, but the Maibock exhibits all the balance, consistency, and flavor that make a beer great. A traditional spring-time lager, it's somewhat thick and lusciously smooth, with hints of earthy grain and hop bitterness layered under a dominant sweet flavor that's a bit like what you'd get out of a dark Belgian ale. A mild, almost undetectable smokiness shows up in the finish, as do various fruits and even a pinch of honey. Legitimately called a meal-in-a-bottle by some, maibocks are hefty and potent beers worthy of big meals, especially stews, but they're also very refreshing and easy enough to drink on their own.

Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale $9.99/6pk
Belgian Pale Ales aren't really a style you'd find over in Belgium, at least not the way Harpoon is brewing it. A combination of American Pale Ale and Belgian yeast, Harpoon's newest offering is an extra dry, sparkling pale with equal doses of grain and hop bitterness, close to what you'd find in a beer like Duvel, but without that infamous banana flavor. Spicy hops dominate much of the beer, with solid floral aromas and grapefruit bitterness accompanying it. Strong grain varieties are used to help balance any hop heaviness, which also allows the yeast character to shine through. All in all, Harpoon's Belgian Pale is a busy beer with a lot of clarity: all the flavors are well defined and it's body is well-carbonated without being too thin. Fans of their IPA will likely find themselves pleasantly surprised by this offering.

Chimay Grand Reserve $13.99/750mL bottle
This big bottle is responsible for Luke's obsession with Belgian beers. It's a murky, complex, aroma-heavy, bubbly, gargantuan punch to the tongue loaded down with dark fruit flavors, curious spices, and a superb, dry finish. Though it isn't nearly as heavy as the St. Bernardus Abt 12, nor as intense as the Rochefort 12, Chimay's blue label is a layered and powerful beer with many of the same flavors as these heavyweights. Dark fruits and spice play a big role like I said, but there's also hints of dark rum, brown sugar, and molasses. Hops don't play a very big role flavor-wise, though the finish does exhibit a tight bitterness that lasts just long enough to make you want another sip. If strong dark Belgian beers have put you off before, this might be the beer that changes you mind. It's a perfect introduction to the style's complexity, but without being quite as extreme or unforgiving.

Oskar Blues Brewing Gubna Imperial IPA $17.99/4pk cans
They're calling it the hoppiest beer ever put in a can. As far as I can tell, they're right, but don't let that fool you into thinking this is the hoppiest beer you'll ever have. The Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA is stronger, and Lagunitas' Maximus has a little more shape than this one does, but there's no denying that Gubna is a unique little beer with way more flavor than anything else I've ever had out of a can. At 10% ABV, this imperial IPA has a lot of backbone. Big bitter hops, both dry and fruity, dominate the beer from the start, with touches of spice and grain fullness erupting from it here and there. Caramel flavors are obvious in places, virtually non-existent in others, but never interfere with the main attraction. Those of you afraid of cans will be happy to know that the container doesn't affect the beer at all, and as far as I'm concerned it tastes just as good as anything out of a bottle.

April 9th, 2010

Sierra Summerfest Lager $10.99/6pk or $17.99/12pk
Last summer Sierra Nevada surprised us all with their delicious take on a season lager. Thankfully it's back in the store and ready for you as we enter in hotter weather. For those of you that don't remember it, the Summerfest is a Czech style pils with a 5% ABV and a crisp body that needs to be tasted to be believed. Hops provide the lion's share of flavor in this one, delivering spicy notes throughout the beer and an especially strong finish loaded with hop bitterness and herbal funk. Sierra Nevada's summer offering is very refreshing and the kind of beer that would probably impress macro-brew drinkers. Try replacing your friend's favorite light beer with one of these and watch their eyes light up.

Goose Island Bourbon County $24.99/4pk
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Goose Island's to-die-for bourbon-infused stout. Many other bourbon-crazed beer makers like to toss coffee in with their dark beers, but Goose Island avoids that, choosing to imitate the flavor the best they can by paying close attention to the grain selection and brewing process. The result is a beer twice as smooth as the Breakfast Stout and half as deadly as the KBS. Chocolate, caramel, vanilla, oak, brown sugar, a smidgen of smoke, and the all-important shot of whiskey will hit your taste buds in glorious wave after glorious wave, each making room for the next and creating a densely layered, but clean drink that could cause some people to experience true love for the first time. A touch of booze is noticeable throughout the drink, but it only adds to the stout's complexity and gives it a warmth that not even the KBS can imitate. Be ready to sing Goose Island's praises after having a sip of this.

The Carpenter's Mikan Ale $11.99/633ml bottle
The mikan is probably more known as a satsuma in this country, but if that isn't familiar to you either then just think of a fruit about the size, shape, and color of an orange but with a little more sweetness akin to something like a tangerine. This is the fruit in The Carpenter's Mikan Ale, but do not rush to judgment, especially those of you that might be saying, "I don't like fruit in my beer!" The Mikan Ale is dry-hopped significantly, adding several layers of spicy and bitter flavors to the beer, all of which help to balance the tart, rich flavors coming from the fruit and grain. The body is quite light, which suggests that this is probably intended for slightly hotter weather, but I've been happy with it all this spring. Another high-flavor, low-alcohol ale (6.5% ABV), the Carpenter's Mikan is my pick for the sleeper hit this week.

Farnum Hill Farmhouse Cider $11.99/750ml bottle
Described as a semi-dry pub cider, this Farnum Hill brew is punchy, direct, and a great alternative to well-known ciders like Magners or Strongbow. The farmhouse of the title speaks to the rough, somewhat bitter finish this cider has, which is the result of using slightly less-ripe apples. Think of how bitter-sweet immature fruit can be and you'll have a good idea of what to expect from this guy. Light in body, lower in alcohol, and less rough than the dark, unfiltered ciders for which the north-east is famous, you can expect something quite easy to drink and very refreshing, but nowhere near as sweet as many of the most popular ciders on the market.

April 2nd, 2010

Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbit $8.99/22oz
There's a good chance this will be the first tripel I really love; hopped up beyond typical levels, Pretty Thing's Fluffy White Rabbit is an intense blend of Belgian fruit and spice with hoppy goodness, which means we might actually have a balanced tripel here that isn't Tripel Karmeliet. Honey, citrus, clove, and maybe a touch of grassy herbs make up its aroma, but clove, mint, and other spicy flavors come through in the finish and dry the otherwise fruity flavors right out. The result is a tart and thirst-killing ale with just a little extra body and power.

Cottrell Old Yankee Ale $10.99/6pk
Jason Alström from Beer Advocate has called this one of his favorite brews. It's a simple, superb American Amber or American Pale Ale that emphasizes chewy malt flavors like caramel and sweet grain, but brings with it a strong grapefruit bitterness. Complex, round, and as balanced as can be, the Old Yankee Ale is up there with Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale and the Red Seal Ale as one of my favorite all-purpose beers. It's rich and full enough to warrant slow sipping, but simple and direct enough for BBQs or game-day drinking. Make sure to come in and try this under-appreciated, super-balanced offering from Cottrell.

Blue Moon Rising Moon $9.99/6pk
Everybody knows who Blue Moon is, and for those who like their seasonal offerings, this will definitely be a big hit. A light, direct, and creamy amber ale, Blue Moon adds a little bit of lime to this mix in order to generate a thick, but very refreshing drink for the cool weather of spring. Attentive drinkers might notice some earthy, almost hoppy flavors in the beer that give it an autumnal character. While definitely odd and a bit out of style for any spring beer, it actually manages to work to Rising Moon's advantage because it lends a little more complexity to an otherwise simple concoction.

Goose Island Honker's Ale $10.99/6pk
A favorite of mine from Goose Island in Chicago, the Honker's Ale is an English bitter ale that emphasizes warm, tea-like flavors and malt richness. It has a body light enough for a pale, but it's color might have you thinking it must be an amber, and the aromas all scream amber too. The real surprise comes when you compare the aroma to the flavor, however. Hops full and bright pop right out of the beer before giving away to a black tea sensation and a candy-ish malt finish that is as smooth as they come. How so much flavor gets into a beer that has only a 4.2% ABV is a bit of mystery to me, but I'm happy they've found a way to do it. Herbal and grassy flavors are noticeable throughout, but never quite overcome the dominant hop and grain flavors. It's a superb beer and perfect for anyone that enjoys high-flavor, low-alcohol beers.

March 26th, 2010

Porterhouse Brewing Oyster Stout $5.99/11.2oz
These strange beers keep popping up all over the place and the reviews for them keep singing the same song: they're delicious. However bizarre the concept sounds to you (sounds really weird to me), Oyster Stouts are slowly becoming a big deal, and the Porterhouse entry into this category is one of the most highly recommended. Dark, creamy, and layered with roasted malts and hops, this Irish brew is everything you'd expect from a cream stout, but with a little extra something: flavors of sea salt and smoke derived from brewing oysters in with the beer. Obviously, this isn't your typical beer, but Porterhouse's Oyster Stout is the only one I've heard of that has such distinct flavors. Oysters and stouts have long been associated with one another, but this is your chance to see if they brew well together. Even the skeptical Lucas has come around on these...

Wachusett Summer Ale $10.99/6pk
A light, simple, and super-refreshing summer ale for these pre-summer days. A little lemon peel and hoppy flavors start this beer up, which finishes with a touch of wheat and bready goodness. Last year this was a big hit for us, but we could barely keep it in the store for everyone to try. The carbonation is medium to heavy, which just adds to the refreshing character. During warm days or with spicy meals, punchy beers like this one are perfect. Fans of the Brooklyn Summer or Sam Adams Summer will definitely want to give this a try.

Left Hand Juju Ginger Ale $11.99/6pk
So, you've tried the Harpoon Ginger and want to know what else is out there that tastes as good. Enter Left Hand's Juju Ginger Ale, brewed by the inventive folks at the Left Hand brewery in Colorado. Brewed with Saaz hops and a little extra sweet grain, the Juju is quite a bit stronger than Harpoon's entry and highlighted by wheat beer flavors like lemon, orange, and spice. The use of real ginger root definitely spices things up and gives the beer a strong bitter bite. The finish is strongly citric and leaves you wanting more, even if it is burning your tongue with ginger just a little bit.

McSorley's Black Irish Lager $9.99/6pk
Rounding things out this week is a rare, rare, rare beer. Not rare because it's hard to find, but rare because Neil and Lucas both like it. McSorley's Black Irish Lager is an ultra-refreshing, crisp, malt-laced, black-as-night lager that will appease all those beer drinkers who loathe the summer because it produces so many light and unsatisfying beers. All the character of a strong dark ale or brown ale is packed into a beer with a much lighter and smoother body, which still manages to imitate a creamy quality. Caramel, grain, and just a touch of chocolate are present in the beer from start to finish, but the end delivers an oh-so-slight vanilla quality that makes popping open another bottle maybe too easy. We've had this guy in the store on and off for the past year or so, but we thought it'd be a good idea to remind you of how awesome it is.

March 19th, 2010

Abita Jockamo, $10.99/6-pack
Jockamo I.P.A. is a traditional India Pale Ale made with the best pale and light crystal malts that give the beer a copper color and malty flavor. This full-flavored beer is hopped and dry hopped liberally with Willamette and Columbus hops from the Pacific Northwest and has a 6.5% A.B.V. The spicy aroma of the hops contrasts nicely with the pleasant sweetness of the malts. Jockamo has a flavor that entices and excites the palate. The intense hop character adds more spice to the meal and makes it a perfect choice to team up with many spicy dishes. Cheddar and strong farmer cheeses stand up well to Jockamo's hoppy character. Jockamo goes well with game, grilled meats and Thai, or Mexican cuisine.

People's Pint Imperial Stout, $6.99/12oz bottle
Big, bold, & strong, this stout is the People's Pint's interpretation of a British style intended for export to the Russian Empire. A heavy bodied stout with strong flavors of roasted malt and alcohol balanced with a blend of European and American hops (100 IBU), this is truly a brew fit for a Czar. Russian Imperial Stouts are well known for being the headiest and most complex of already heady and complex beers, but People's Pint has done something amazing in making the beer very, very drinkable. This won't ever be a style for session drinking, but thanks to its balance between roasted malty goodness and hop bitterness, the People's Pint Imperial Stout doesn't come off as quite the monster other Russian Stouts do. We were lucky enough to come across some extra of this, so make sure you give it a shot before it leaves the store for good. Even at seven bucks a bottle, this baby left Menotomy Beer & Wine in a hurry after it was tasted at the beer festival we hosted.

Pretty Things Mild Ale, $10.99/22oz bottle
Directly from the Pretty Things website- "Once upon a time, on Monday February 27th, 1832, a brewer stepped into the Black Eagle brewhouse, Brick Lane, London, and brewed a beer that confounds expectations many years later. A mild ale at 10% alcohol, with more hops than most modern American "India Pale Ales." Thanks to the unique research of brewing historian Ron Pattinson, we can reproduce this moment in time from the original brewday document. This beer is brewed with mild ale malt and Kent Golding leaf hops: a simple but surprising beer. In Dickensian London, "mild" ales weren't necessarily the watery dark beers we know today. The term "mild" indicated that the beer was sold young, rather than aged. So here you will find a young and hoppy beer from the past. This is the first historical reenactment from Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project. From the reign of William IV, before Big Ben and Tower Bridge were built. From a London of great wealth and poverty, where beer was brewed in huge quantities as an alternative to the untreated and filthy waters of the Thames. We dedicate this beer to the unknown brewer who first made it."

Oude Kriek, $14.99/12.7oz bottle
Perhaps the best sour cherry beer in the world. Positively loaded with real cherries, which are added whole into slowly fermenting oak casks. Drie Fonteinen is the only remaining traditional geuze blender in Belgium, using only 100% spontaneously fermented lambic beer, aged in oak casks, with no artificial sweeteners or other additives. The blendery is connected to the very popular Drie Fonteinen Restaurant in Beersel, on the outskirts of Brussels. The proprietor, Armand Debelder, buys pure lambic from three breweries in Belgium, ages them in oak, and blends them, employing the skill, knowledge, and supreme passion for real geuze that his father handed down to him. Drie Fontenein's Geuze and fruit Lambics (cherry, raspberry) are rare, highly prized, and indisputably among the best of Belgium.

Éirinn go Brách Beer Tasting, March 12th, 2010

Wexford Irish Style Creme Ale, $10.99/6-pack
A creamy amber ale in the widget can, employing a nitrogen cap to give the beer the flavor of a freshly tapped keg! Brewed from the original recipe of 1880. All Irish hops and malts are used. Wexford Irish Cream Ale was the first Irish cream in a widget can to be imported to the United States. It is light to medium-bodied and has a decidedly smooth flavor derived from over five generations of brewing traditions in the family owned Wexford Ale Company. this mild, light beer is easy drinking, not the heavy brew the name implies. If you are looking for a true Irish Creme this may not be the one, but it is quite quaffable.

Strangford Lough Brewing Legbiter Ale, $11.99
Legbiter is named after King Magnus' sword. On the day of his death Magnus is described as "regaled with a helmet on his head, a red shield in which was a gilded Lion and girt with the sword Legbiter". Legbiter's hilt was tooth (ivory) and the hand grip wound about with gold thread and was extremely sharp! Strangford Lough Brewing Company has a range of Irish beers associated with County Down characters such as Magnus Barelegs the Viking King - buried in Downpatrick less than two miles from the well-known Saint Patrick. Brilliant golden ale with an inviting citrus fragrance of late added Cascade and Glacier hops. The fine hop and light malt aromas carry through to the palate to give an ale that is full but refreshing, with a clean caramel malt bitter finish.

Strangford Lough Brewing St. Patrick's Best Ale, $11.99
St. Patrick's Best is one of three Irish beers from Strangford Lough Brewing's St. Patrick's range, alongside St. Patrick's Ale/Dark and Gold. Named after St. Patrick who set sail for Ireland in 432AD, landing initially at Inver Dee, County Wicklow and then in Strangford Lough at the village of Raholp. He converted the local chieftian Dichu to Christianity, building his first church at Saul. Returning to Slemish, the scene of his captivity, he made Armagh the primacy of the Christian Church in Ireland. That sounds pretty heavy but this beer is light and refreshing on the palate. This session best bitter has a classic Irish malt & traditional hop aroma. Light amber in color, this smooth beer has hints of caramel with a woody bitterness.

O'Hara's Irish Stout, $10.99/4-pack
Seamus O'Hara was, as he said, "raised on Guinness." But in the 1980s, his post-college travels revealed to him a wide world of brews beyond those that he had encountered at home. "Ireland had a limited range of beers at the time," O'Hara said recently during a visit to New York City, "but I had always been interested in beer. And after I was exposed to the real ales in the U.K. and the incredible variety of beers in Belgium, and after I was first introduced to the microbrewing scene in the U.S., it showed me that I could [open a brewery]." And that he did. And so in 1998, Seamus and his brother Eamon built a brewery in a converted stone building in their hometown of Carlow, located in County Carlow, in Ireland's Barrow Valley. According to Seamus, the area had once been home to several breweries, and was, for a long time, Ireland's primary hops and malt-growing region. O'Hara's is brewed with more roast barley than other stouts, giving it a rich, buttery bite with a dry finish. It is beautifully balanced, with pronounced roasted malt flavor that gives way to a subtle, espresso-like sweetness. And, unlike many other types of stout, you can actually taste the hops. O'Hara's is brewed using Challenger, Goldings and Willamette hops, varieties which contribute to its pleasantly bitter flavor, without overwhelming the palate.

O'Hara's Irish Red, $10.99/4-pack
This full-bodied amber ale from Carlow Brewing Company, a small independent brewery in Ireland's Barrow Valley (see above for more info on the brewery), is slightly sweet with enticing hints of caramel and honey. Serve it with Ale-Braised Corned Beef, Brussels Sprouts, and Carrots, then raise a pint and say sláinte (slawn-che)-a Gaelic toast to good health.

March 5th, 2010

Allagash Interlude, $23.99/bottle
The first release in a new experimental series, Allagash Interlude pushes the limits of beer. An innovative brewing process, special fermentations, and French oak barrel aging all contribute to a beer that has remarkable wine-like qualities. Two yeast strains were used to create this unique 9.5% ABV Belgian style ale. The first, a Belgian farmhouse yeast, establishes the flavor foundations of a classic Belgian-style ale. The second, a house strain of Brettanomyces yeast, brings it to the next level contributing an intriguing myriad of flavors including pear, apricot, graham cracker, and bread crust. Finally, a portion of the Interlude is aged in French Merlot and Sirah oak barrels, which impart a distinctive vinous plum character and a drying, almost tannic finish. True to traditional Belgian-style brewing, Interlude is bottle conditioned. Just prior to bottling, a fresh dose of sugar and yeast is added to the 'still beer' (at this stage there is no carbonation present). After bottling, the beer is aged in a warm room, where the fresh dose of yeast ferments the sugar and naturally carbonates the beer.

Peoples Pint Provider Pale Ale, $5.99/bottle
Located at 24 Federal Street in Greenfield, The People's Pint has been open since January 1st, 1997. The People's Pint has a brewery nearby on Hope Street. They have brewed over 70 styles of beer since opening in 1997. The beers are brewed with 100% grain, water, yeast, pellet & fresh leaf hops. They do not use corn, sugar, rice or dry malt in any of their beers. They add honey, orange peels, spices and other adjunct ingredients to some of their specialty beers, use ale (or "top fermenting") yeast, and tend to follow traditional British brewing styles. We recently hosted The People's Pint at our beer festival and they were a huge hit, biggest seller of the day in fact! Their Provider Pale Ale is a delicious pale ale, amber in color with a hoppy nose and touch of bitterness. This beer is brewed with Marris Otter barley malt and dark crystal malt. Hopping is a little wacky - they use Bullion, Target, Cascade, Perle, and Liberty hops. Come on by and give it a try!

Fisherman's Navigator, $10.99/6-pack
Another BIG hit at Menotš-Fest was the Fisherman's Navigator. Their brewhouse is located in Gloucester, MA and is open for touring! From their informative website- "Beer whose bold flavor and character reflects the spirit and courage of the sailors of the North Atlantic fishing fleet, Fisherman's is a tribute to hard work and a salute to friendships that endure. Cape Ann Brewing Co. is an award-winning, family-owned, microbrewery in the heart of downtown Gloucester on Cape Ann, Massachusetts." Fisherman's Navigator is German-style Doppel-bock of exceptional quality, flavors and body. Slightly sweet to off-set the higher alcohol content, it's a grand version of a classic!

Harpoon Levitation Imperial IPA, $11.99/4-pack
The Harpoon Leviathan Series surfaced at Harpoon in the summer of 2008. The Leviathan Series is an exploration in brewing big beers for adventurous palates. Straight from the Harpoon website- "Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA will challenge your senses and your palate. As the vibrant aroma rushes out of your glass you will notice the blend of piney and tropical fruit notes. At first sip, this big beer starts with a powerful hop bitterness up front and an aggressive hop flavor and character throughout. Leviathan Imperial IPA is brewed with tons of pale malt and just enough caramel malt to provide a sweet malt body to balance the hop intensity. We used copious amounts of a variety of hops including Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, and Amarillo at various points during the boil to create a complex hop flavor and clean lingering bitter finish. We then fermented the beer with Harpoon's own versatile proprietary yeast. Finally, we dry hopped at a rate of over 1 lb a barrel to produce this beer's massive aroma."

February 26th, 2010

Samuel Smith Organic Cider, $4.99
Cider has a long tradition in the UK, will sales growing dramatically in recent years - there as well as in the US. Ciders are refreshing, clean, and festive; they are also gluten-free and high in natural antioxidants. Samuel Smith's Organic Cider is USDA Certified Organic. Apple cider also has a long history in America. It was a common drink even before the early 1800s, when cider mills began to give free apple seeds to Mr. John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman - figuring that a nationwide supply of apples would certainly be a boon to their industry. The industrial revolution and Prohibition dramatically slowed the production of cider, but it's steadily regaining its popularity here due to its approachable flavor, light body and refreshing crispness. The juice used in cider contains a mix of apple varieties selected to balance fresh flavor with tartness, acidity, and sweetness. Samuel Smith's uses a wine yeast strain to ferment their cider, providing a clean finish and allowing a pure apple flavor to shine through. A bright, straw-colored gold, with excellent clarity, Samuel Smith's Organic Cider has a light body with brilliant conditioning, a crisp, clean flavor, and a dry finish. The bouquet is fresh apples, with a soft floral note. I'm partial to Magners, but this is fast becoming a favorite!

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager, $10.99
The first of the Spring beers have begun to arrive here at MB&W! Fruity beers are not usually my style but this one is quite nice and not overly sweet. Strawberry Harvest Lager is a wheat beer made with real Louisiana strawberries, picked late in the season. The brew has earned quite a reputation in a short time, causing the Abita to up their production year after year. When this brew is discovered, emails and phone calls fly to the new devotee's friends, informing them of the store's location. Strawberry Harvest is a crisp, light lager with just a hint of strawberry sweetness. It is wonderful with desserts, light fares such as salads and pastas, and fresh cheeses such as Burrata, Chèvre, Creszenza, Mozzarella, and Teleme.

Malheur Belgian Golden Ale, $15.99
Malheur beers are produced by a man called Manu De Landtsheer, who started his own brewery a few years ago in the Belgian town of Buggenhout. Buggenhout is located between Aalst and Mechelen (two more brewing towns), north of Brussels on the way to Antwert. Manu's family opened a brewery on the same premises in the 1600's, and operated it until its closure between the two world wars. "Malheur" means "misfortune" in Flemish, but that's about as far from the case as you can get with this big, tasty ale. It pours a murky yellow with a big, stable head, and lots of spice in the nose and on the palate, where notes of honey and malt also make their presence known. A very drinkable beer, this Belgian strong ale is somewhat sweet overall, with a pleasant, light bitterness in the back. Another treasure from Belgium!

Old Rasputin Russian Stout, $9.99
Produced in the tradition of 18th Century English brewers who supplied the court of Russia's Catherine the Great, Old Rasputin seems to develop a cult following wherever it goes. With its big, complex flavors and warming finish, this rich, intense brew makes the perfect "beer float" with vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Absolutely yummy!

February 19th, 2010

Ommegang Hennepin, $11.99/4-pack
We've been loving Ommegang brewery here at the store for a while now, and it's about time we put a few out for tasting. Ommegang opened their doors in 1997, after purchasing a former hop farm in the heart of baseball country, Cooperstown, NY. Their motto is simple: take Belgian-style beers and perfect the heck out of them. First up is their French Farmhouse Saison, Hennepin. Taking the French Farmhouse style and stepping it up a notch, Hennepin weighs in at 7.7% ABV- and you'd never know it. Sweet, citrusy, floral and extremely light-bodied, this beer is the epitome of easy drinking. Those initial sweet and citrusy flavors are quickly followed up by an array of complex flavors ranging from honey, fruity esters, nuts, bananas and clove. French Farmhouse Saisons are quickly becoming a favorite beer category for me and this one is right up there with the best of them. Hennepin sports an extremely rare A+ (world class) rating from the brothers at Beer Advocate, so come on down and enjoy.

Ommegang - Rare Vos, $11.99/4-pack
Named after a Brussels bar made famous as the starting point of bicycle and pigeon races, this Amber Ale is another exceptional offering from the brewers at Ommegang. Pouring a velvety copper amber color with a rich, creamy head, you can see right away that it is going to be a special beer. Fruity, estery and spicy aromas with hints of ripe plum, and an earthy blend of anise, clove, nutmeg and citric zest are followed up with pepper, grass and ripe orange blossom flavors. This beer is top fermented and, as with almost all Ommegangs beers, it is bottle conditioned, leaving a good amount of yeast in the bottle. Take a sip, close your eyes and daydream about a lazy little Brussels bar in the heart of Belgium. With flavors like these it's an extremely easy thing to do.

Beer Here Dark Hops, $9.99/25 oz.
This is one serious beer. The concept is "Midnight black stout meets India Pale Ale," and it isn't for everyone- but those who like it absolutely love it. The tension created between the two opposing flavor profiles is absolutely glorious. Espresso and toffee malts are opposed by citrus zest to create one of the most unique flavor profiles you'll ever meet. This small Danish brewery created this one specifically for the American market with limited release in Denmark. They used Maris Otter malts and pure sugar cane to create the malty coffee flavors, then added a lot of hoppy zing by leaning on the Czech Republic's Saaz hop as well as the American Zeus, or Tomahawk, hop varieties. This beer pours an impenetrable midnight black with a huge dark brown head. The inital aromas are overwhelmingly malty with just a hint of the hop presence; as it mellows, the beer starts to balance out. There is an additional sharpness to this beer created by the use of rye on the grain bill, which balances the hop presence beautifully. This is one beer you don't want to miss.

Unibroue Maudite $11.99/4-pack
The Unibroue brewery has graced our store shelves in the past with Tres Pistoles and La Fin Du Monde, two exceptional offerings- and this next one is no slouch. Maudite is a typically Québécoise name, reminiscent of the legend of the Chasse-Galerie (Flying Canoe). As the story goes, a group of lumberjacks struck a deal with the devil to fly home in their canoes, guided by Satan himself, to make it back in time for Christmas. But during the flight, one of the men lost their nerve, and invoked the name of God. The canoes crashed; the men were never heard from again. With that said, we present to you yet another rare A+ from the brothers at Beer Advocate (and another Belgian to boot!). Maudite is a bottle re-fermented Belgian Strong Red Ale, and at 8% ABV, it packs a pretty good punch. Sweet fruit compote aromas with a touch of earthy hops and bread dough follow through to a creamy medium-to-full bodied palate with a nice melange of dried autumn fruits and delicate cinnamon and clove spices. It finishes on a malty, fruity note with exceptional length. Because of the bottle conditioning, this beer will change dramatically over time, becoming almost port-like in character with age. Pick up a few for today and store a few away- this is one that will not disappoint!

February 12th, 2010

Victory Saint Victorious Doppelbock
From the tradition started by the monks of St. Francis of Paula in 1634 comes this warming beer: a dark, rich lager of sublime complexity and character. St. Victorious is created from multiple German malts, and laborious decoction mashing yields the choicest elements of the malt. Long, cold aging mellows the strong temperament of this subtle beer. Doppelbocks are full-bodied and range in color from deep amber to dark brown. Any astringency from roast malts is absent. Alcoholic strength is high, and hop rates increase with gravity. Hop bitterness and flavor should be low and hop aroma absent. Fruity esters are commonly perceived but at low to moderate levels. This baby weighs in at 7.9% ABV.

Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel
Cloudy, and a deep copper brown in color, this beer offers aromas of roasted pumpernickel and toffee. A rich, supple, velvety entry leads to a dryish, medium-full body of banana custard, dark nutty toast, cocoa, and subtle spices. This balanced, refreshing beer has a finish marked with a toasty, toffeed fade, and a hint of citrus rind and wet stones.

Ayinger Jahrhundert Century Celebration Lager
Bavaria is home to some wonderful breweries, many of which - including Ayinger - are located in the villages that dot the landscape. In 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997, Ayinger was named "Small Brewery of the Year." In 1997, Ayinger also walked away with the highest award from the World Beer Championships, "One of the Top Ten Breweries in the World," for the fourth consecutive year. In 2003, 2004, and 2005, the brewery received a first-place award for every beer it entered in the World Beer Championships. Additionally, Ayinger has received several awards from the Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft (DLG), an independent organization that has been rating beers for a century using international norms and blind taste tests. The main brewery in Aying brews bottom-fermented beers such as Jahrhundert-Bier, Altbairisch Dunkel and Celebrator Dopplebock. Weizen beer (wheat beer) is the recognized specialty of the house and includes Ayinger Brau-Weisse and Ur-Weisse. Aying also brews festival beers like Oktober Fest-MŠrzen - a "March beer" available in the fall. About 100,000 hectoliters of Ayinger beers are produced every year. A delicious, malty, export-style beer that was first brewed in 1978 for the 100th anniversary of the brewery, this light lager is a better complement to food than the higher hopped and more bitter pilsners. It has a golden, big, herbaceous bouquet with a soft, medium body, and its long, lingering finish has dry hop tones.

Sierra Nevada Glissade
As winter begins its slide toward the sunny days of spring, we bring you Glissade Golden Bock to help you enjoy the ride. Glissade is a remarkably mellow take on the traditional spring bock; its restrained sweetness emphasizes a subtle malt flavor, which itself is balanced against delicate aromas of spicy and floral European hops. This complex balance helps Glissade slide across the palate, bracing its drinkers against the last cold nights of winter - and its bright golden color turns our thoughts toward spring.

February 5th, 2010

Sam Adams Noble Pils, $9.99/6-pack
First up is the newest spring beer (yes - spring beer!) from Samuel Adams. The Noble Pils was the 2009 Peoples choice award winner, in which the brewery let its beer loving public (67,000 tasters!) determine their next beer. The response for Noble Pils was so overwhelming that they decided to make it their permanent Spring Beer, joining Sam Summer, Octoberfest, and Winter Lager in the seasonal lineup. Noble Pils is modeled on the traditional Bohemian Pilsners of the Czech Republic, which were first brewed in the early 1800s. Exactly which varieties of hops are "Noble Hops" is up for debate, but Sam Adams uses all 5 of them: Saaz, Tettnanger, Hallertau, Spalt, and Hersbrucker. The very light, citrusy and spicy taste of this beer developed by the hop character is balanced beautifully by the sweetness of the Bohemian Pilsner Malt, which adds a honeyed malt character and full body to it. All right; so Sam is a little early with his spring beer. In fact it was released in late December, but I appreciate their positive, forward-thinking spirit - and I think you will, too!

Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout, $10.99/6-pack
Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout is certified organic, made with rolled oats grown in Vermont, as well as organic wheat, malts, barley and hops. Its alcohol by volume (ABV) rating is 5.9%, and it is available from September through April each year. Brewed with oats and large amounts of malt, the stout pours to a wonderful, pitch-black espresso color with a slight head. There are coffee notes abounding in the taste and mouth-feel: a roasted, toasted smoky flavor, with hints of chocolate and some sharpness at the finish. It has a bittersweet bite, like that of burnt chocolate with caramel flavors underneath. There is a definite and welcome espresso-like quality at work. The stout is smooth, but with a subtle oiliness. The mix of sweet and bitter battles against the smokiness, which largely predominates. There is little in the way of a hop presence; the dryness is mostly on the bitter side of the mix. The smoky quality will lessen its appeal to some stout drinkers who prefer a creamier, more rounded flavor.

Fisherman's IPA $10.99/6-pack
This was a huge hit at the tasting this weekend; in fact, we sold more of this than any other beer that day! Fisherman's IPA, from Cape Ann Brewing, pours a rich, golden amber with a thin-to-medium head that leaves light lacing as it recedes. To the nose, this pale ale has the earthy, hoppy scent you'd expect from the style, albeit a bit on the lighter side. Fisherman's IPA has the slightly bitter approach of a classic IPA, rounded out with citrus, caramel and a smooth, hoppy finish.

Allagash Tripel, $11.99/4-pack
This golden-hued ale is marked by passion fruit and herbal notes in the aroma, with subtle suggestions of banana and honey surfacing from its deep and complex palate. The Tripel's finish is remarkably long and soothing. This baby weighs in at 9% ABV.

January 29th, 2010

Mikkeller Amarillo Single Hop IPA
This IPA is simply outstanding. For a while now, we've been stocking beers from Mikkeller, a Belgian brewery, and they've they've yet to disappoint. This IPA is no exception. I'll start with a quick profile of Amarillo hops. Amarillo is a relatively new American hop variety gaining wild popularity throughout the brewing community. One of the reasons is the variety's deep versatility; Amarillo can be used as both a bittering hop and as a flavor and aroma addition. The general aroma and flavor of Amarillo is very citrusy: orange is the distinct note, with grapefruit following up behind. The nose also presents a lot of pine resin. This offering from Mikkeller presents all of these qualities and manages to balance it all out with a distinct malty backbone. This is a beer that should not be missed this weekend- it's a limited release seasonal offering from Mikkeller, and won't last long!

Smuttynose Baltic Porter
Now this is a seriously good Porter. It was bottle conditioned in 2009, and has been lying down for a few months. This process settles out the alcohol flavors, allowing the sugars to develop and mellow. The Baltic Porter style of beer originated in the Scandinavian and Baltic regions of Europe. Inspired by imported British porters, the Baltic style porter uses a bottom fermentation method and an exclusive lager yeast, which results in a slightly higher alcohol content and a rich molasses, raisin, and dark cherry flavor. The Smuttynose Baltic Porter remains true to its eastern European roots. Presenting a rich dark color and a thick creamy head, it is exceptionally balanced with a delicious coffee and dark chocolate aftertaste. As with all the big beer series- and continuing what has become something of a theme of our latest tastings- these are limited release and not due for re-release until November 2010. So come out and get your 2009's on Friday!

Smuttynose FarmHouse Ale
Broadly speaking, a farmhouse ale, or saison, is an esoteric style native to the French/Belgian border region. Characterized by a golden to light amber color, light to medium body, and noticeable fruity/spicy esters, this beer, known also as a "country ale" was traditionally brewed in primitive conditions in farmhouse breweries for consumption throughout the warm weather by seasonal farm workers. "Our Farmhouse Ale is an homage to traditional European beers brewed for quenching the thirst of farm workers, or "Saisonaires." A unique Belgian Saison yeast is used to impart a mixture of spicy, fruity, & earthy notes along with lip-smacking palatability." Smuttynose Brewery

Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale
Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale is a unique hybridization of two well-known beer styles. It combines the rich, voluptuous taste of a traditional barleywine with the subtle, tart flavors of an American wheat ale, topping it off with a healthy dose of crisp, herbaceous hops. The much-anticipated debut edition of Smuttynose Wheat Wine, brewed and bottled early in 2005, was delayed for nearly a year due to problems stemming from the federal label approval process. The Tax and Trade Bureau (formerly ATF) rejected Smuttynose's original label approval application, claiming that using the word "wine" in a beer name would confuse and mislead consumers and retailers. The brewery didn't agree (barleywine, anyone?) and appealed their rejection. Smuttynose is the first, but definitely not the last, wheat wine application that the federal government has seen, so they had to create new guidelines regarding the use of this name. Smuttynose did prevail, at last; the issue has been put to rest, and although there are several outstanding examples of this style offered at brewpubs, Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale was the first commercially bottled Wheat Wine on the market.

January 15th, 2010

Innis and Gunn $12.99
Innis and Gunn is an oak aged Ale from Scotland. They use a fairly unique brewing process in that they ship used American White Oak bourbon barrels from Kentucky to Scotland and then hand select the barrels they'll use. After the barrels are filled with the ale, they're placed in a 'dunnage' warehouse to mature for 30 days; the oak barrels impart a taste that is quite distinctive, ranging from vanilla, toffee and almond to citrus and rose. The barrels are then emptied and combined and left to age for another 47 days balancing out the flavors and bringing this beer completely together. It's a well crafted, well rounded ale that shouldn't be missed.

Smuttynose Imperial Stout $7.99
Smuttynose's latest big beer series release presents their contribution to a tightly contested beer category: Russian Imperial Stout. There are some fantastic versions out there, and this one fits in quite well. It manages to bring a hop level not typically found in this style; getting hop characteristics into a stout with this level of complexity is no small feat. The nose presents cocoa powder, star anise, mollasses and piney hops. It's followed by a taste and mouthfeel that is suprisingly chewy; dark roasted coffee, brown sugar and black licorice are followed up by a distinct hop presence. This stout is shockingly drinkable given it's 10% ABV.

Rogue Imperial Porter $11.99
Ok, I'll admit that I'm a huge fan of this brewery. The Dead Guy Ale is one of the best Ale's in the country, in my opinion. So, with that said, I was really excited to try one of their Imperial Big Beer series. On Friday, we'll be diving into the Imperial Porter, which is a huge mouthful of malt and hops. Six different malts and a brand new variety of hops give this hearty beer a bitter rich chocolate flavor. And it's no slouch when it comes to awards; headlining is its gold medal win at the 2008 world beer championships. This is a delicious, well balanced porter that will pair excellently with both sweet desserts and charred steaks. Don't miss it, cause it won't last long- we have just eight bottles at the store and they'll be out the door before you know it!

Dogfish Fort $18.99
Dogfish Head brewery is certainly not afraid to experiment when it comes to extreme beers. And extreme this one most definitely is. With The Fort, the brewers at DFH follow a similar fermentation process as they use on their other high ABV beers, the 120 minute IPA and the Worldwide Stout. They brew this beer with a ridiculous amount of raspberries (over a ton of them!), packing into a Belgian Style Ale. The result is a decadent and complex 18% ABV beast. Due to its high ABV, Fort is an excellent candidate for cellaring; we recommend grabbing a few bottles, enjoying one now, and letting the others lie down for a few years. Fort is also an excellent food beer. Our favorite pairings include a nice duck or anything chocolate. Another smash hit from the guys at Dogfish - this beer alone makes the tasting worth the trip!

January 15th, 2010

Founders Pale Ale $14.99/6-pack
Founders Pale Ale is testament to Cascade Hops in a bottle. This dry hopped, medium bodied pale ale carries a distinctive floral citrus spice and a refreshing flavor. You'll notice a slight malty sweetness that's balanced to perfection with hop bitterness. This beer pours slightly thicker than your average pale ale, something the brewers at Founders tend to carry in all of their beers. Not your traditional American Pale Ale by any means- and based on the hop level, certainly worth coming out for.

Smuttynose Big A IPA $7.99/22 oz bottle
Smuttynose's Big A IPA is an Imperial (double) IPA, a style recently developed by American craft brewers. It's considered the IPA analog to the Imperial stout. In other words, take every characteristic you know about an India Pale Ale and punch it up a few notches. Ranging from golden to amber in color, this beer brings complex flavors and aromatic qualities ranging from grapefruit, tangerine and papaya to rich malts and honey. The Big A was rated Best IPA in America in 2004, and Men's Journal lists it in its top 25 beers in the country, of any style. It also carries the rare A- rating at Beer Advocate. At 9.6% ABV, the Big A packs a serious hoppy punch not to be taken lightly, and blends seamlessly with the theme of this week's tasting.

Founders Porter $14.99/6-pack
Next up is the Porter from the brewers at Founders. Ahhh, a respite from all the hops... but not so fast. For a porter, this beer carries a pretty good hop presence. It pours a deep velvety black with a beautifully thick creamy head- a perfect looking porter. The aroma comes through next, with rich chocolate roasted malts, vanilla, molasses and a hint of earthy, hoppy grapefruit. The taste is beautifully balanced: chocolate malt, cocoa powder and coffee bean are all rounded out by a touch of the grapefruit hopped bitterness. Hopheads will appreciate this porter, making it worthy of its presence at this tasting.

Troegs Nugget Nectar $7.99/22 oz bottle
Ok, let me preface this with a statement from the author: This is hands down my favorite beer. Hopheads unite; this beer will knock your socks off. Brewed with whole leaf nugget, warrior, tomahawk, simcoe and palisade hops, this beer takes those hops to an unprecedented level. An alarming score of 93 on the IBU scale, Troegs started off with the base recipe of their Hopback Amber Ale, then intensified the malt and hop flavors to create an explosive hop experience. Grapefruit, citrus, pine resin and straight up skunk overwhelm the senses, followed by a slight malty breadiness, only to be reminded of the hop level on the aftertaste. I promise I won't buy them all before the tasting, but I will give fair warning: this is a limited release seasonal offering from Troegs, and it was lucky to be on our shelves for 2 weeks last year. It won't last long- I can personally guarantee it. ;)

January 8th, 2010

Harpoon Ginger Wheat Ale $7.99/22 oz
The folks at Harpoon aren't typically shy with their 100 Barrel Series choices, and this ginger wheat ale is no exception. It is an ode to brewer Scott Shirley's favorite spice: ginger. This bubbly, golden-hued brew smells of fresh ginger with hints of wheat, citrus, and honey from a local New Hampshire farms. The honey yields a sweetness that balances nicely with the ginger's spiciness. A hint of lemon adds acidity, rounding out the ginger flavor. This beer pairs excellently with spicy food and works as both a fireside winter warmer and a crisp summer refresher.

Avery Brewing Anniversary Ale - SIXTEEN, $9.99/22 oz
This is the latest in an annual single batch anniversary release from Boulder, Colorado's Avery Brewing Company. The SIXTEEN Anniversary Ale is a product born of the spirit of experimentation and the dogged pursuit of perfection that has arisen within the walls of Avery Brewing Company. Ever on the prowl for new flavors and ingredients, Avery brewers crafted SIXTEEN with a harmonious combination of jasmine, peaches, and honey. These exotic flavors mix with the fruity, spicy flavors of a distinctive Belgian yeast strain, and resolve into a dry, ester-heavy saison ale. This is a Belgian farmhouse saison on steroids.

Cerveza Jerome Diablo $7.99/22oz
Cerveza Jerome Diablo is a Belgian Strong Ale brewed in Argentina. At first, it has a smooth profile, fruity and light, but surprises with a whiskey aftertaste. This beer pours a hazy copper color with hues of amber, and presents itself with a persistent, lacy head. The nose brings citrus, apricots, yeast and sweet malts to the table. Cascade hops lend a touch of hoppiness, too. There aren't too many craft beers coming out of Argentina, and very few are made in the Belgian style, making this brew alone more than worth coming out for.

Amager Bryghus' Hr. Frederiksen $11.99/22oz
When you pour Hr. Frederiksen into the glass, you'll instantly sense that it a gentlemanly brew with both potency and a strong personality. This imperial stout is inspired by the American imperial stouts with its dense - yet creamy - light brown head that leaves nice lacings in the glass as it reluctantly dissipates. Eight different types of malts were used in the creation of this beer; it is the dark and heavily roasted ones that contribute its color and extreme, full body. Hr. Frederiksen is almost a meal in a bottle. The bitterness is partially delivered by the heavily roasted malts, backed up by the American Centennial hops. Hr. Frederiksen is an experience that should be enjoyed slowly. In return, it will last all night, warming you with its generous alcohol content and challenging charm.

January 1st, 2010

Lagunitas Brown Shugga
...why do you taste so good?
In my opinion, anything that reminds me of the Stones is a good thing. For those who are not familiar with Brown Shugga, it started out as a rushed recipe for Lagunitas' Gnarly Wine ale. But, as most rushed things do, it took a turn off course, so they added massive amounts of brown sugar to try to speed up the fermentation process. The end result turned out to be this great winter beer. It reminds one of a barley wine.

Original Sin Hard Cider, 6-pack $10.99
Original Sin is a cider made from domestic granny smith apples. Light and crisp with a smooth finish, Original Sin contains no artificial flavors or colors, allowing the natural flavor of the apple to speak for itself - and it does. Aroma of tart apple with a tart/sour green apple taste. Not really dry. Not sweet. A good drink. Original Sin is also gluten-free.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo, 6-pack $10.99
A big American IPA: bold, assertive, and full of flavor and aromas lighting the complex citrus, pine and herbal character of whole-cone American hops. The hop aroma of Torpedo is floral in nature, slightly fruity and perfumy. The flavor is assertively bitter but it's not a harsh or clingy bitter. The malt flavor is sweet but allows the hops to dominate and take center stage.

Presidente Pilsner, 6-pack $9.99
This iconic Dominican beer is brewed in Santo Domingo, the capitol of the Dominican Republic. Over its 74-year history, Presidente has become the beer of choice for many Dominicans, on their home island and off, but its roots are in America. Before its inception in 1935, Dominicans found that beers imported from Europe were too heavy, with a distinctively strong taste, and with high levels of hops. Contrary to this, Dominicans found American beers too clear and light, with an extremely low alcohol content, and simply too refined for the taste buds of the Dominican consumer. Presidente beer was the answer to this problem. A mixture of both pilsner extremes previously found in the country, it quickly managed to satisfy the tastes of the Dominican consumer. By the 1950's, it had eclipsed rum - the Dominican national drink - in production.

December 18th, 2009

Pretty Things BabaYaga $8.99/22oz bottle
Dann and Martha's beers should need no introduction. Pretty Things is overwhelmingly popular in our store. We find it difficult to keep most of their beers in stock here for longer than a week or so. I imagine this will be the case with their latest brew, BabaYaga. Billed as an English-style stout, this hearty drink includes rosemary, wheat, rye, and oats, as well as both English and Belgian yeasts. Complex, rich, and dry, BabaYaga is custom made for pairing with similarly hearty food, but might be sufficient for keeping you warm this winter all on its own. Smokey malts and coffee flavors are, of course, the dominant flavors, but Dann and Martha have tossed in some unusual hop flavors just to mix it up. The result is unusual and delicious and sure to please anyone looking for a change from the usual stout variations. Be sure to give it a try before it disappears!

HaandBryggeriet Dobbel Dram $11.99/pint
From the cold shores of Norway comes this unusual and warm Imperial IPA with a nearly unpronounceable name. Say "hand-breh-gare-ee-it" and you'll be on the right track. The Dobbel Dram is unique as far as Imperial IPAs go because of its unusual body and especially fruity flavors. Both bubbly and chewy, the Dobbel has managed to combine the fullest IPA flavors with some carbonation for maximum refreshment. Unlike so many high alcohol, heavily hopped ales, the IPA from HaandBryggeriet is an easy to approach and drink beer. Caramel and pale hops anchor the beer so that elements of apricot and sweet tropical fruit don't overwhelm the formula, plus there's a punch of floral hops in the finish. At 9% ABV there is a touch of alcoholic warmth in the Dobbel Dram, but it adds to the body's weight without throwing the beer out of balance. A superb example of Norwegian brewing, the Dobbel Dram is likely to impress our hop heads. And it might win over some of the people in our malt-loving crowd, too.

Panil Barriquée $23.99/750ml bottle
After years of searching and being disappointed, I've finally found a superb Italian beer. They exist after all! Panil is a sour red ale, not unlike Rodenbach, but with one major difference: it's oaked so that a lot of the sour flavor disappears into tones of vanilla, cream, and smoke. Put simply, Panil is a brilliant and layered red ale with some sour tones perfect for those of us that love Kriek Lambic or Gueuze. But, if you find sour ale too potent 99% of the time, Panil represents the 1% you might love. Panil doesn't soak their ale in just any old oak barrels; they buy old cognac barrels and use those to develop this lovely red ale's complex character. While sour cherry is noticeable and prominent, it is balanced by so many other flavors that you'll likely find yourself taking another sip just to figure out what's going on. Try to imagine crossing all the complexity of a Belgian quad with the sourness of a Flanders Red Ale and you'll have a good idea of what to expect. And all this from Italy! I still can't believe it...

Geary's London Porter $10.99/6-pack
At 4.2% ABV, Geary's London-Style Porter represents the less potent end of the beer spectrum this week, but its no less impressive because of it. Last year it impressed us with its light sweetness, roasted coffee flavor, and extravagant spice profile. There's a little bit of everything in here, including tobacco, toffee, nuts, and an ever so delicate bitter chocolate flavor. It is not, however, a monster beer. It's easy to drink, with a medium body and an understated finish that has just a touch of hoppy bitterness about it. Porters have started becoming more popular in the last couple weeks; we hope this one impresses you as much as it has impressed us!

December 11th, 2009

Dieu du Ciel Péché Mortel $6.99/11.5oz bottle
Dieu du Ciel has quickly become one of the most famous breweries on the planet thanks to its long line of potent specialty ales. The Péché Mortel might be the most famous of these, in part because it is so delicious, but also because it contains at least 3 solid cups of coffee in every bottle. Brewed with fair trade beans, the Péché Mortel is essentially cool coffee brewed with dark, rich malts and powerful hops meant to produce flavors of bittersweet chocolate and... well... more coffee. The name of the brewery means "God of Heaven" and the beer itself is titled "Mortal Sin," which might tell you something about the beer in the bottle. Superlatives get tossed around a lot, but it's worth noting that more than a few people think this is the single best coffee stout the world has yet seen. It's one of the rare beers that has an A/A+ rating at Beer Advocate, so I'm inclined to believe there must be some truth to all those claims.

J.W. Lees Harvest Ale $8.99/12oz bottle
But, if one rare beer isn't enough for you or if you don't like chocolate and coffee, we have J.W. Lees Harvest Ale to satisfy your strong ale needs. At over 11% alcohol, these matured ales are like a combination of spiced mead and strong English barleywine. Cinammon, raisin, and even peppermint find their way into these beers, each of which is just slightly different due to the variation in aging. We have vintages from 1999, 2001, and 2002, each of which have received strong marks from a variety of beer-loving nerds. Which one ends up on the table this Friday will be a matter of chance... or fate, depending on how you look at things. In any case, all three are going to be quite different, but don't be tricked by the barleywine title. Aged ales are almost always sweet and the Harvest Ale is no different. While there are some hop qualities present in each ale, their age affects that flavor quite a lot, eliminating it altogether in some cases. This is another rare A/A+ rated beer. We've talked about aging ales some in the past and we've even tried a few, but this Friday we'll try one of the best around.

Smuttynose Winter Ale $10.99/6-pack &
These are two of our most well-loved beers in the store, one of which comes around but once a year, the other a perennial favorite. The Winter Ale seems to be the most asked for of the Smuttynose six-packs and for good reason: it's perfectly balanced. Neither heavy on the malts nor overwhelming with the hops, the Winter Ale strives to be smooth and easy to drink above all other things. But, in addition, it's malt character is outstanding and brings together bits of caramel and toasted grains. With a touch of hop bitterness thrown into the mix, it's easily one of the most drinkable winter beers around (it also has one of the best beer labels I've evern seen).

Chimay Première (Red) $11.99/750ml bottle
Our other beer champion is Chimay Première. I'm almost certain I don't need to say much about it because so many people already know it is delicious. Yet, we've never tasted any of the Chimay products in the store before! If you've never had Chimay Première, now is the best time to give it a chance. The mild December we're having practically begs for a glass of this trappist brew. If you've had it, come on in and enjoy it with all of us anyways! It's delicious and goes really well with the cheddar cheese we'll have for sampling, too.

December 4th, 2009

Tröegs Java Head Oatmeal Stout $7.99/22oz bottle
If I could pick just one oatmeal stout to qualify as "complex," Java Head very well may be it. Like Smuttynose's pseudo-imperisl stout, this thick and creamy stout rides the line between two very different extremes. On one end we have a distinct hoppiness amplified by coffee bitterness and, on the other, we have a milk-thick chocolate beer run through with hints of vanilla and cream. The name definite doesn't lie, however, as coffee bitterness defnitely mans the helm here. As always Tröegs aims to be a little different with their oatmeal stout, which is typically more concerned with smoothness and drinkability than big flavors. At 7.5% ABV it isn't a particularly devestating stout, but it's no slacker either. A touch of alcohol warmth permeates every sip, tipping the Java Head towards the realm of the speciality dessert ales.

Dogfish Head Pangaea $12.99/750ml bottle
Here's the conceit: Dogfish Head's Pangaea consists of seven primary ingredients, one each from the seven continents of good ol' planet Earth. Yes, that includes water from Antarctica. Here's the reality: Pangaea is a Belgian style "pale ale" fancied up with ginger and rice. Bubbly like you'd expect any good pale Belgian beer to be, Dogfish Head's Frankenstein of an ale somehow manages to blend the oddball consistency and flavors of their Sahtea concoction with the drinkability you'd find in something like their 60-Minute IPA. But this isn't a particularly bitter beer, so don't come to Pangaea looking for your typically hopped up Dogfish product. A woody smokiness lingers in each sip and a sweet flavor dominates the beer, like a deep brown sugar or spicy candy was added to the malt. Anyone looking for something absolutely original and new will find it here.

De Ranke Pere Nöel Hoppy Christmas Ale $4.99/11.2oz bottle
Christmas beer doesn't have to mean thick, creamy, rich, and dark ales. In fact, included among the great December styles are saisons and IPAs. Though De Ranke gives their beer the title of "Hoppy Christmas Ale," it is, in truth, something of a hybrid brew. Much like the Struise Mikkeller we carry, Pere Nöel takes up the American enthusiasm for big hop flavors and infuses it with spices, Belgian yeast characteristics, and some warm fruit tones. Peppery and grassy hops will probably be the first thing you notice after taking a sip, but a few more sips in and the citrus and pine flavors turn up, along with a batallion of other gastronomical phantoms. Don't expect anything like a Sierra Nevada Winter IPA; De Ranke's brewing style doesn't exactly venture into such hoppy territory, but it doesn't shy away from making bitterness its primary concern.

Weissenohe Monk's Christmas Spiced Lager $8.99/pint
We've had a few requests for a good German beer for the winter, but instead of going for the obvious choices we decided to bring something new to the store. Weissenohe's spiced Christmas beer is, unlike so many winter brews, a lager. Brewed with an eye towards thick, sweet flavors, Monk's Christmas outdoes everyone of its ale competitors where creamy flavors and smoothness are concerned. Neither overly spiced nor overly sweet, it strikes a balance somewhere between the ever-popular Oktoberfest style and a bock, but with extra layers.

November 27th, 2009

Malheur Belgian Strong Dark Ale $19.99/4 pk
From The US Importers of Malheur 12, Belukus - Malheur 12¡ is a dark brown ale with beautiful and rocky "cafŽ latte" light brown foam. The flavor is malty and cereal and might invoke thoughts of fresh cut bread. The taste of Malheur 12 is full, round, with a touch of sweet alcohols, but the ale is still dry and bitter coffee, with touches of nuts, honey and rum from the brown candy sugar. The aftertaste is bitter-sweet, long and warm.

De Koninck Belgian Ale $11.99
An outstanding copper colored ale produced in the city of Antwerp. A fruity distinctive ale similar to Alt Bier, the diamond city's only brewery. Sparkling with taste and velvety smooth - ask for a bolleke of it! The glass in which De Koninck's flagship beer is served is called a bolleke, although this term is most colloquially used to refer to a glass filled with the beer itself.

Nøgne Jolly Pumpkin Special Holiday Ale $9.99
Stone has teamed up with Jolly Pumpkin and Nøgne-Ø to create the first Holiday beer ever to come from Stone's brew house. The tale begins this past march in a bar in Tokyo, where Greg Koch had a chance encounter with Kjetil Jikiun, the owner and head brewer of Norwegian craft brewery.Greg suggested teaming up with the adventurous Michigan brewery Jolly Pumpkin (specifically, with head brewer and haiku master Ron Jefferies,) and the Triad was thusly formed. "We quickly decided to try and use one indigenous ingredient from each of our brewing regions, Southern California White Sage, Juniper Berries (we couldn't get Norwegian, unfortunately, so we used Italian Juniper Berries, at least they are from the same continent), and (mostly) Michigan Chestnuts. Kjetil suggested brewing with rye malt and Ron suggested adding some caraway to complement the rye, so we decided to brew a full bodied, spiced ale with 25% rye malt." Stone Blog Quote.

Pretty Things Saint Botolph's Town $7.99
"The name "Saint Botolph's Town" is in tribute to our great home in America: Boston. The original Boston in Lincolnshire, England is an abbreviation of "Botolph's Town" or "Botolph's Stone". When we were back in Yorkshire recently, we found a churchyard where St. Botolph spoke in the year 675; a 'stump' (broken old cross) marks the spot. Saint Botolph is a 7th century saint from England whose feast day is June 17th. Perhaps a great day to save a bottle or two for!"Rustic Dark Ale", is about as apt a descriptor as we could come up with for Saint Botolph's Town (we almost used "New World Stingo" but decided to save that for a future beer). This ale is formulated with the malts of Thomas Fawcett & Sons of Yorkshire, England as its base. When I was brewing in Yorkshire I visited this magnificent maltings many times, seeing crystal and roasted malts still made by hand. On brew day their crystal malt gave an amazing golden raisin-like aroma in the kettle. Fantastic!" Dann Paquette- Pretty Things Brewery.

November 20th, 2009

Sierra Nevada Celebration $10.99/6-pack

Mönchshof Schwarzbier $6.99/pint

Haverhill Joshua Norton Imperial Stout $5.99/22oz bottle

Smuttynose Baltic Porter $7.99/22oz bottle

November 13th, 2009

Smuttynose Big A IPA 2009 $7.99/22oz bottle
Last year Smuttynose's Double IPA just about knocked everyone out; it was by far the heaviest, hoppiest, most bitter ale to pass through Menotomy in 2008. After a long absence it has returned. The 2009 edition purports a more balanced blending of hops and malts, but something tells me Smuttynose is playing down their love for extremes so as not to scare away their malt loving crowd. The principle flavors are, once more, grapefruit, grapefruit, more grapefruit, and a dry pine bitterness fulfilled by warm alcohol tones and a hint of rum-like booziness. The alcohol level approaches 10% ABV, which means that the Big A is a very slick, almost oily ale with more weight than most IPAs I can remember. Smuttynose's Big Beer series continues to improve as they continue to experiment, but I wouldn't believe anyone that told me this is a more toned down version of last year's beer. Perhaps it has more depth, but it's still a killer.

Smuttynose Imperial Stout 2009 $7.99/22oz bottle
We never carried the Imperial Stout before this year, but we're glad we finally have it. Don't let the title fool you, however. Smuttynose's stout is NOT of the Russian Imperial style. Think of it as a step down from those mighty beers. As such, it's more approachable and drinkable, even though it clocks in at over 10% ABV. Bittersweet chocolate, a touch of coffee, and black licorice emerge from this beer, with mild citrus hops appearing in the finish. Sweet toffee and a hint of almond also show up, but the beer avoids being too sweet thanks to the excellent use of hops. The body is, of course, full, but nowhere near as chewy as the Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout or the Victory Storm King. I'm tempted to call this a sessionable Imperial Stout, but the alcohol level simply won't allow it. As part of the Big Beer series, Smutty's Imperial Stout is absolutely big. It just so happens to be very drinkable, too. Anyone put off by the heavier fare that comes out during the winter will be pleased with this hybrid Imperial curiosity.

Achor Merry Christmas and Happy New Year $12.99/6-pack
Don't panic. It's still November and there's still more than a month left until Christmas. But, Anchor likes to release their Christmas beer way too early nearly every year. In the past we've been caught with our guard down, but this year we've made sure that Anchor's Merry Christmas ale will be in the store for a longer period of time. This strange beer is very popular for a very good reason. It's the rare ale that combines sweetness and spice in just the right proportions, lending it a distinct warm flavor without coming across as a candy ale that hides its malt profile in shame. Ginger, molasses, plum, cinnamon, and a distinct earthy bitterness combine in the Merry Christmas ale with a full and rich malt body that hints at coffee and caramel flavors. This is one of the highlights for me every year; be sure to come in and give it a shot if you've never tried it before.

Haverhill La Dame de Peronne $5.99/22oz
Haverhill's line of 6-packs were very, very popular here, so we thought we'd bring in some of their single bottles to see what everyone thinks of them. Seeing how the biere de garde style is very popular around Menotomy, we started with their Dame de Peronne. Its a Belgian-style ale with German qualities. It features a distinct yeast funk typical of the biere de garde style, but also presents a warm, sweet flavor and body that reminds me of a good bock beer or of an Oktoberfest lager. A pinch of dry hop bitterness and spice make it into La Dame, too, though they don't figure into its consitution quite as much as the distinct grain and yeast flavors do. This is a delicious and bready ale that offers a lot in the way of complexity for a very reasonable price. I can't believe that Haverhill will keep their price this low for long, especially since La Dame is as good as, if not better, than some French and Belgian productions. Make sure to try it here, before everyone buys it up and it becomes a legendary American example of the style.

November 6th, 2009

Long Trail Harvest $9.99/6-pack
As one of the finer American amber ales on the market, I was a little surprised to find out that we've never tasted Long Trail's Harvest ale before. Designated an amber, it certainly has some of the caramel grain flavors associated with the style, but Harvest's unique quality is its blend of hop bitterness and brown ale flavors. Toasted malts and a dry bitterness are the first two qualities you'll notice about Harvest, but it follows through with caramel, toffee, and a very unusual nuttiness. At least, it's unusual for the amber style. An herbal tone appears in the finish, but sticks around only long enough to be refreshing. It's perhaps a little bit out of season at this point, but the Harvest ale is well worth your time whether its fall, winter, or some New England hybrid of the two. As an added bonus, Harvest weighs in at under 5% ABV, which means it'll go just fine with the next Patriots game.

Wells Banana Bread Beer $6.99/17oz bottle
You really can't accuse Wells & Young's of false advertising; their Banana Bread Beer tastes exactly like the title implies. Banana. Bread. Maybe a trace of hops, and a touch of sweet grain that, in the end, only serves to prop up the banana flavors running through it. Depending on your tastes, this could either be the holy grail of fruit beers or your worst beer nightmare come to life. Herbal hops pop up in the finish and there's an unexpected malt heaviness that gives the body a full, smooth character, too, but nothing comes close to matching the taste of bananas, raisans, and warm bread that dominate the beer throughout. The title says everything you really need to know about it, all that's left is for you to check it out and see what you think. Last year we sold through this like it was liquid awesomeness, and I suspect the same will happen this time around. Don't miss your chance to try it! (Even if you hate bananas and think they belong anywhere but in beer...)

Schlafly Oak Aged Barleywine Style Ale $14.99/25oz bottle
It's been right around year since we last tasted Schlafly's Barleywine-Style ale, and like many of the best high-alcohol beers around, time is on its side. After a year of mellowing, this barleywine beer has matured in some unexpected ways, dropping its boozier qualities and gaining more in the way of dark grain flavors. Raisins, plums, toasted malt, and an amazing hop bitterness suffuse every sip, with a touch of grapefruit and caramel popping up in the finish. That it has been aged on oak should not be forgotten, because all kinds of unique flavors emerge from that process, including vanilla and honey. All of these qualities are now stronger and more evident thanks to the alcohol flavors mellowing out. Where rum was once an integral part of the b eer, now I taste only a hint of alcohol, which disappears beneath the sweeter grain elements. Schlafly's was popular the first time we brought it through, but I think more people will like it now that its cooled off and developed into a rounder ale.

Ise Kadoya Genmai Ale $13.99/17oz bottle
First tasted at the MACA event last month, we now have an extra case of this very unique ale from Japan in our store. Reactions were quite varied the first time through and for good reason: Ise Kadoya makes their beer with barley and brown rice. The fact that this is designated an English-style pale ale shouldn't fool you, the flavors of the brown rice virtually explode off this beer, making it something like a sake-beer hybrid, with fewer herbal qualities than you'd normally find in sake. A smooth nuttiness, grain sweetness, and earthy funk dominate Genmai's profile, but it does harbor some more subtle qualities, like its mild hop bitterness and sweet bread aroma. Some unidentifiable spice is spread throughout the beer, but is not easily distinguishable from the flavors imparted by the hops. As far as beer ingredients go, this is one of the most unique I've come across. Its drinkability is not sacrificed in the same of that uniqueness, however, and the Gemai ale silently disappeared from our shelves as a result. Now that it's back in, we hope everyone will have the chance to sample it!

October 30th, 2009

Heavy Seas The Great Pumpkin $7.99/22oz bottle
Much of the pumpkin beer made this year is already gone, but we've saved one very special pumpkin ale for your Halloween celebrations. Clipper City's Heavy Seas series has proved to be a consistent and sometimes excellent collection of beer in the past and The Great Pumpkin continues its path to pure excellence. Like Dogfish Head and Southern Tier, Clipper City has concentrated much of its effort into producing a pumpkin ale that tastes like beer and not like candy, which isn't to say The Great Pumpkin is an entirely dry ale. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice render the beer a mostly spicy affair, but both pumpkin and bright citrus hops make appearance, providing some ying to the spice's yang. The body is medium to medium-heavy and the alcohol content is right at 8% ABV. That alcohol is virtually undetectable, however, and only reinforces the beer's sweeter elements. Dense malt qualities also make an appearance in the form of toasted caramel flavors, though this is admittedly less integral than I'd like. Still, The Great Pumpkin is one of this year's better pumpkin offerings and the last time you'll likely see a pumpkin beer until next year!

Wachusett Black Shack Porter $10.99/6-pack
Wachusett has come up with a spectacular porter for this year's colder months. The Black Shack Porter looks and smells much like a dry Irish stout, but with hints of cream and vanilla populating its body. As for how it tastes; chocolate and roasted malts comprise much of its flavor profile, giving way to a mild sweetness and milk-stout smoothness only in the finish. Roasted coffee and a touch of nuttiness emerge from the roasted malts, but not at the expense of drink-ability. Black Shack is surprisingly not a concrete-thick porter, but a mild one loaded down with all the flavors you'd expect from a much bigger, heavier ale. A fruity hop bitterness is also noticeable, but it doesn't ruin the expertly blended malt qualities. In fact, they blend right together, one following the other in a perfect and uninterrupted line. If its a dark session ale you want for the coming winter, Wachusett is the brewery to which you should look.

Southern Tier Raspberry Porter $10.99/6-pack
But, we know that some of you enjoy something a little different in your beer. To that end we have Southern Tier's Raspberry Porter, which is exactly what the title suggests it is. Take a sweet porter with mild chocolate flavors, add raspberries, tip the body towards the heavier, maltier side and presto! But, I know what you're thinking: "Fruit in my beer? Isn't that for weaklings and lesser beer drinkers?" No, in fact that whole macho thing with fruit and beer is silly and Southern Tier proves it. The sweet flavors introduced by the raspberries actually finds a compliment in the washes of cream and chocolate that make up the rest of the beer. And where other, lesser fruit ales taste washed out and one-dimensional, Southern Tier's entry is full and substantial and layered. Curious drinkers should give it a shot and those of us who know that fruit can be a perfect addition to certain beers will be happy to know that this is one of the better fruit-based porters out there.

Lake Placid Ubu Ale $11.99/6-pack
This has to be one of the most complex American strong ales I've yet sampled. Many of the high-alcohol American ales you'll find in bars have one outstanding quality to them: their strength. They're either high in alcohol or heavier than a gold brick at the center of a black hole. Great flavors often come along with those caveats, but sometimes high alcohol and a heavy body are exactly the opposite of what you want. Lake Placid's Ubu manages to pack in all the subtleties of a high alcohol beer, but its body is kept in check and it sports just a 7% ABV. Like a cross between a porter and a Scottish ale, Ubu has a smoky, dense element to it contrasted by a coffee-bitterness and the distinct flavor of tea. Figs, brown sugar, and even a hint of tobacco make an appearance, too. More breweries should pay attention to what Lake Placid is doing. They're making incredibly balanced beers with a ton of flavor, but keeping their sights set well within the realm of session beers.

October 23rd, 2009

Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA $13.99/6-pack
Part of Two Brothers' Special Edition series, the Heavy Handed IPA is perhaps less weighty than its name would have you think. At 5.6% ABV, the Heavy Handed IPA is essentially a session ale, but with more intensity and flavor than is typical. Grapefruit bitterness is dominant throughout each sip, and a dry punch of hops lingers in the finish, but citrus, tropical fruit, and other lighter flavors also make an appearance. Grain flavors are detectable, too, but in no way steal the hops' spotlight. Instead, they provide a little weight to this IPA's body and fortify it with an uncommon smoothness. We've not had a lot of new bitter ales come through the store in the last month, so consider this our way of making up for that.

Tröegs The Mad Elf $16.99/6-pack
On the opposite end of the IPA, low-alcohol spectrum we have the latest from the Tröegs brothers. The Mad Elf is an 11% ABV Belgian-style dark ale brewed with honey and cherries. And while cherries might be the kind of thing you could appreciate in a beer from Belgium, this honey business is definitely a unique addition. Unsurprisingly, in a beer that's 11% ABV the alcohol shines through a little bit, but it does so in remarkable harmony with the dark fruit flavors, clear cherry content, and warm grain tones. It is a deep and sometimes overwhelming drink with lots of layers and a strong punch to it, but also the perfect accompaniment to rich desserts like chocolate cake. As the name implies, the Mad Elf is typically released closer to December. But, when we saw that it was already available, we had to snatch it up. This is a potent dark ale that'll likely win a lot of our malt-loving crowd over!

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout $10.59/6-pack
Now that we've tried the Young's Double Chocolate Stout again, I think it's a good idea to compare it to the brilliance that is Brooklyn's unbelievable chocolate stout. This thing has enough chocolate in it to make a Hershey's chocolate bar jealous and, best of all, it's a totally balanced beer from its body and creaminess to its hop content and layered flavors. The name might imply a sweet treat, but Brooklyn's stout is of the Russian Imperial variety, meaning that there's as much coffee and hop bitterness present as there is smooth chocolate and sweet caramel. Intimations of rum and even cognac appear, but the 10.6% ABV is blended expertly with all the rich intensity of the barley and hops. I know that Youngs has a built a great reputation for itself, but Brooklyn's chocolate beer is a contender that few other breweries could match.

Victory Yakima Twilight $14.99/6-pack
Topping off our run of 6-packs this week is a new IPA style brew from Victory. What sets this one apart from nearly all the others is its combination of malt and hop flavors. Like the Iniquity, Yakima is a black IPA that successfully blends schwarzbier-like qualities with pine hoppiness and a tad of grapefruit. If that combination sounds odd to you, you're not alone. When I first saw Iniquity I thought the brewers at Southern Tier must be crazy, but it turns out the black IPAs can be incredibly refreshing. Intense hops meet chocolate and toasted grain flavors in an almost perfect unison, each one complimenting the other and, simultaneously, calming the often too-rich intensity of big, gnarly beers like double IPAs or Imperial Russian Stouts. We're excited to see new beer coming from the Victory brewery and we hope that you'll join us this week to try out what is sure to be one of their masterpieces.

October 16th, 2009

Young's Double Chocolate Stout $11.99/4-pk
Many of our customers have said that this is far and away the best milk stout we've ever had in the store. Now that we can actually order it without hearing the dreaded words "back ordered," we're putting Young's back on the chopping block. Is it the best milk stout in the world? I'd have to disagree, if only because the Black Fly Stout from Gritty's is pretty spectacular (and local), but there's no denying that Young's is superbly crafted. Roasted grain, bright chocolate, a hint of hoppy bitterness, a touch of licorice, and the odd stab of fruit all combine to make this the well-loved beer that it is. Its body, like that of 2% milk, contributes to its good name, too. At only 5% ABV, it's also a fantastic session beer custom made for either dark meat or a good dessert. Unlike other chocolate stouts, the Young's Double concentrates primarily on sweeter flavors, so the overwhelming bitterness and heft that cause some to avoid strong stouts is completely absent. This is a beer I think nearly everyone could like, so make sure you stop by and give it a shot. Who knows how long it'll be available!

Augustijn Ale $15.99/4-pk
I've mentioned before that most tripels aren't for me, but this is another exception to the rule. Along with breweries like St. Bernardus, Bosteels, and Westmalle, Augustijn makes that rare tripel that is big on flavor, balanced, and entirely distinct from their quad brethren. Smoother and thicker than a dubbel, the Augustijn ale acts like a quad in many ways, but looks and smells like some Belgian pale ales. Fruit and spice are, as with most Belgian concoctions, eminent, but Augustijn packs a mean malt punch, with caramel, bread, and rum-like qualities occupying a premiere place in its profile. Coriander and spicy hop notes pepper each sip, both emphasizing the essentially warm qualities of this beer. Like some of the better dark ales that come out this time of year, the Augustijn ale feels custom made for cold evenings.

Maredsous 6 Blonde $14.99/4-pk
A criminally under-recognized product from Duvel, the Maredsous line of beers represents a traditional take on Belgian brewing. Like Rochefort, Maredsous comes numbered (either 6, 8, or 10), each higher figure representing the intensity, strength, and color of the beer. And though darker ales are typically served during the colder months, Maredsous' 6 is well suited to warmer and cooler climes. The classic (and sometimes derided) banana aromas and flavors are found throughout this blonde, but the citrus flavors that accompany it are far stronger than normal. Both orange and pineapple register on the tongue, with traces of caramel malt, Belgian sugar, and a touch of spice following in the finish. Most surprising is the dry hop bitterness that pops up throughout each drink; while it certainly won't impress your average hop lover, fans of Belgian ales might be surprised by just how noticeable it is.

Pauwel Kwak $19.99/4-pk
Pauwel Kwak tastes like a Belgian ale, but is anything but typical. World famous for a number of reasons, thos pale is perhaps best loved because it's such a refreshing change of pace from other strong Belgian pale ales like Duvel or Corsendonk. Plenty of fruits and yeast flavors are present in this orange colored ale, but the intensity is purposely turned down a tad to allow spice and hop bitterness to shine through the typical Belgian nuances. The result is a more straight-forward, easier to drink beer with an ABV around 8% and a mild sweetness in the finish. The brown sugar and heavier malts are the perfect compliment to the cold weather now entering New England. But, cold weather doesn't mean you need to drink heavier or thicker ales at all. Brewers like Kwak have found an excellent middle ground where drinkability and full flavors meet.

October 9th, 2009

Sierra Nevada Harvest, Wet Hop Ale $5.99/24oz bottle
The people responsible for making Sierra Nevada's Wet Hop Harvest must care about their beer a great deal. They ship freshly harvested hop flowers from Washington to their facility in Chico overnight in order to utilize the unique chemical properties of untreated, still living hops in the crafting of this unique IPA-like brew. Of course, there's no way of calling this a pale ale, an IPA, or any other kind of beer without being entirely misleading. Fresh grapefruit flavors and pine are immediately obvious, but its all the subtleties that make this beer unique. The Wet Hop Ale has a quicker finish than most beers, but the bitterness intensity is a tad greater than what you'd find in all but the most intense pale ales. Caramel and toasted malts make a brief appearance, a touch of smokiness is detectable and a smoothness permeates every sip, as though the brewers managed to increase their beer's intensity by turning down some of its features. This is an absolute must-have for the fall season and one of Sierra Nevada's more unique and technically impressive ales.

Stone Vertical Epic Ale '09 $9.99/22oz bottle
We snagged the Vertical Epic Ale in '07, but found ourselves a little disappointed by its lack of depth and high sugar content. As a result, we skipped the 08/08/08 edition, perhaps smartly. We could not, however, let ourselves miss the '09 edition, which is a Belgian dark ale made with vanilla bean and orange peel. It's also aged on French oak, which amplifies the vanilla properties and adds a hint of smokey goodness to the mix. The dark chocolate malts form the foundation of the ale, which in the end resembles something like a dark witte beer, but without the wheat. Spice, mild sugar, chocolate, dark fruit, and a silky texture define 2009's Vertical Epic. Of the few I've had the chance to try, this one is easily the best. While it is supposed to age until 2012, this year's Vertical is perfectly drinkable now and a perfectly suitable addition to your fall beer lineup.

Stone Ruination IPA $17.99/6-pack
I call it the ninja of the IPA world. In a world full of brute beasts and destructive barbarians, Stone's Ruination works a subtle labor, sowing the roots of your tongue's destruction by deceiving it. Okay, so maybe it's the politician of the IPA world, but you understand what I mean. Everyone that tries Ruination for the first time has the same reaction: "It doesn't taste that hoppy!" And, in fact, they're right. Woody flavors, citrus, mild bread components, and an herbal dash form the heart of Stone's most massive IPA. But, the hop character is strong enough to numb your tongue to all but the spiciest of foods. Do not be fooled by what your tongue first tells you. While the flavors may not be as intense as you expect, the hop intensity shines through silently and slowly and, after time, grapefruit bitterness and a dry pine residue take shape. This is as round and inviting as big IPAs come, but also as powerful as they can be made.

Gulden Draak $19.99/4-pack
You may be surprised to hear it, but I am not at all a fan of tripels. Even the best breweries in the world can have a difficult time crafting them. They're always high in alcohol and, more often than not, this fact is not well disguised. Furthermore, they too frequently resemble dubbels, but with less refined qualities and more unnecessary muscle. Thankfully, Gulden Draak is not your average tripel. It's dark, it's malty, it plays host to an excellent blend of dark and sweet fruit flavors, and it is virtually impossible to detect its 10% ABV. Instead of the typically harsh carbonated body, Gulden Draak has a velvety, almost creamy texture and a long, cool finish with herbal qualities not unlike dark teas. Cream, caramel, and a shot of cherry season the beer at various points and, in general, lend the beer all the depth typically lacking from a tripel.

September 25th, 2009

Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Stout $11.99/22oz bottle
They call it the Yeti Stout for a reason and it has nothing to do with living in the Himalayas or being covered in fur. Great Divide's chocolate stout offering is a chunky, but smooth concoction that blends the flavors of chocolate liqueur, chocolate candy, and toasted grains with coffee and vanilla flavors extracted from oak aging. The high alcohol level blends perfectly with the Yeti's sweeter side and, as such, are dangerously unnoticeable. Great Divide brews this to challenge its customers: just how much chocolate can you take? They do not, however, abandon good beer making to the sweetness gods, so you can bet that the body and bitterness necessary for a good drink are also present. Just don't expect a lame duck chocolate flavoring: the Yeti means business.

Spaten Oktoberfestbier Ur-Märzen $9.99/6-pack
The story goes that Spaten is the brewer to which all others look when attempting an Oktoberfest of their own. Whether or not Spaten's recipe is indeed the original recipe for the fall-time brew of choice is debatable, but there's little controversy over Spaten's quality this year. In the past the brewery has been accused of weakening its recipe and catering to light beer drinkers, but this year Spaten's Oktoberfest is at full strength. It's a perfectly balanced, bronze lager kissed by caramel, toffee, and a mild candy sweetness. Its smooth body approaches pilsner consistency and lends some weight to the whole experience. Other flavors, like spices and hop bitterness, are present in each sip, but to a lesser degree than many other Oktoberfest lagers. Along with Wiehenstephaner's Festbier, this is an essential fall brew from overseas and the perfect compliment to all the great food that comes with the cooler weather.

Founders Old Curmudgeon Ale $15.99/4-pack
The Old Curmudgeon is what brewers call an "old ale," which means its been aged for a bit longer than your average beer. That also means that some wild yeast was used during the fermentation, so you can expect a tight acidic bite from this oldie in addition to all the strong dextrin, dark fruit, and spice flavors associated with the style. Various vintages of this Founders brew were aged on bourbon barrels, but it's difficult to tell whether or not the latest batch is such a vintage. Dark sugar, rum, raisin, and a pinch of vanilla all make their presence known right up front, so I'm inclined to say there's some kind of oak aging going on, but that doesn't have to be true for all these flavors to make an appearance. Caramel malts take the lead and create a super thick, silky smooth body that generates some creaminess and a chocolately sensation with a bitter finish. The 9.3% ABV might make this look like an unapproachable beast of a beer, but it goes down quite easily... maybe too easily!

Harpoon Octoberfest $9.99/6-pack
You all know what an Oktoberfestbier tastes like by now, so what can I tell you about Harpoon's that is special? Believe it or not, quite a lot. Unlike foreign brewers and some American followers, Harpoon doesn't mind adding a little extra punch to their beer. That means Harpoon's fall seasonal isn't exactly to style, but who cares about that if its a good beer!? A dusting of cinnamon grace this Octoberfest and, along with hints of brown sugar and nutmeg, create a layered and rich beer before the hops even show up for the party. A bold acidity and refreshing hop bitterness show up in the finish, which means this tastes like a beer and not like a sugary drink loaded up with spices. This years batch tastes less intense to me than last years, which is a good thing in my opinion. The lower intensity blend means that all the flavors can show up and shine without being masked by this or that spice. I'm not as in love with Harpoon as some people are, but their Octoberfest caught me off guard this time around and I can happily recommend it to anyone looking for some more seasonal variety.

September 18th, 2009

Founders Dirty Bastard $13.99/6-pack
The fall enhances molasses' rich flavor every year, as if on cue. Whether it be on pancakes or in beer, there's something about its sweetness that pairs perfectly with cool weather and the smell of autumn in the air. Some might miss the smoked peat flavors associated with Scotch Ales, but others will be happy to hear that the malt intensity on this ale is aimed at 100% rich and dark sweetness, with molasses, chocolate, and caramel dominating throughout. Thankfully Founders balances this malt monster with some refined hop blending. A coffee bitterness and a touch of dry hop pine comes through crystal clear in the finish, but without throwing the malt tastiness out of whack. The body is thick, creamy, and carries on it the vaguest hint of nuttiness. This, combined with the beer's 8% ABV, makes it a perfect slow sipper for the cool nights slowly working their way over New England.

Brooklyn Oktoberfest $10.99/6-pack
I think the Weihenstephaner may have already won the battle for best all-around Oktoberfest beer, but we're never content with assumptions here at Menotomy. Brooklyn's Oktober MŠrzen was a surprise hit for us last year, so we're happy to have it back in the store and ready for you to try once more. Sticking to the sweet, thick side of the Oktober school, Brooklyn injects their copper beer with an unusual and pleasing element: tea. Caramel and spice still play the main characters in this show, but a trace of breakfast tea and some unique hop choices hold this beer up in unexpected ways. With regards to the latter, a pleasant zap of fruitiness has found its way into this Oktoberfest. It not only makes the thicker body a little easier to take, but it amps up the refreshing quality and makes this a perfectly excellent session beer for the new season.

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale $10.99/6-pack
Think that Dogfish Head and Southern Tier have a monopoly on the Pumpkin Beer market? Convinced that no one is capable of matching their heavyweight contenders? Think again: Smuttynose's Pumpkin Ale this year is a fantastic, albeit different variation on a formula most consider to be immoderately ornate. Thankfully Smuttynose knows how to play their cards. Instead of waves of spice and gourd sweetness, a well-developed blend of malts, hops, and spices emerges from every sip. Though favoring the sweet side of the equation, the Pumpkin Ale's earthy finish provides a mildly bitter punch capable of pulling in the reigns and meeting the pumpkin and cinnamon flavors in the middle. Before voting for the year's best Halloween-colored beverage, make sure to give Smuttynose a shot. They might surprise you.

Geary's Autumn Ale $10.99/6-pack
Don't let the title make you think this is another Oktoberfest or Pumpkin oddity; Geary's Autumn Ale is little more than an English Brown Ale loving brewed for all of us dark beer lovers. Chocolate and coffee are the primary sensations with this Geary's blend, but some unusual dextrin component lingers in the beer after every sip. It reminds me a bit of freshly cooked bread, but of the oatmeal variety. Toasted grain and a mildly fruity hop presence combine to create a nice complexity, which may be the origin of the vague caramel smoothness present throughout each drink. Anyone that wants a good seasonal not focused exclusively on Oktoberfest celebrations will definitely want to take a 6-pack of this home with them.

September 11th, 2009

Founders Breakfast Stout $13.99/4-pack
The finest of the ultra-dark, ultra-malty American stouts has finally returned after a (too) long absence. The Breakfast Stout's quality and intensity is rivaled only by Founders' other super-limited stout offering, the KBS, but they're too different to warrant a helpful comparison. This year's batch is as good, if not better, than last year's: chocolate, coffee, toffee, toasted grains, a hint of rum or liquor, oat sweetness, and molasses all make it into every bottle with room enough for a strong hop presence and an ever so delicate spice addition. The body is about as perfect as it can be: creamy, chewy, and velvety smooth without being a meal in a bottle. The bitterness and acidity give the Breakfast Stout a refreshing edge, but because of its 8% ABV we don't recommend drinking too many of these too quickly. They're brewed with an eye to slow sipping and accompanying meals. Last year we were very lucky to get extra cases, but we may not so lucky this time around. Even if stouts rub you the wrong way, it's worth coming into the store this Friday just to try the best of what Founders has to offer.

Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale $11.99/6-pack
Long requested by some of our customers, the Lagunitas Imperial Red will finally be available from Menotomy this Friday evening. The Imperial Red is a 7% ABV hopped up ale designed to please hop lovers world wide. The dominant flavors typical of Imperial style ales, like pine, citrus, and hop bitterness, are all present, but complimented by the kind of caramel goodness you'd expect to find in a well-crafted Double IPA. The body is as smooth as they come with minimal carbonation and an emphasis on creaminess. In fact, I can detect a trace of cream or vanilla at the end of each sip, but can't quite pin down how it gets in there. A mild alcohol note makes its way into the Imperial Red's finish, but it blends very well with the hop flavors and generates a floral bouquet and flavor not typical of red ales from any brewer. Fans of the Maximus IPA will be pleased by this one, but don't let the hop focus deter you from taking a sip. The caramel and toasted dextrin flavors are all present, too, and add some serious heft to this refreshing beer.

Berkshire Oktoberfest Lager $4.50/22oz bottle
Some beer nerds/geeks think that Berkshire's Oktoberfest is superior to the fabled lagers of Bavaria. This nerd believes that their claim isn't far off the mark. Berkshire's October Lager is thick and creamy like any good festbier should be, but packs on the flavors and balance of a good bock with a unique herbal flavor that distinguishes it from nearly every other similar beer on the market. Bread, caramel, malt sweetness, and a hint of subdued hop bitterness make up the length and breadth of the Oktoberfest's flavor profile. But, at 6.8% ABV, a cool alcohol presence is noticeable, too, which adds to the sweetness of the Oktoberfest's already strong malt profile. A hint of fruit might also make an appearance depending upon how your palette reacts to sweet aromas in a predominantly malty brew. Lots of people really enjoyed the Festbier from last week, but I'm guessing even more people will find this to their liking.

Southern Tier Oak Aged Ale #2 $14.99/22oz bottle
Said to age gracefully, Southern Tier's Oak Aged Ale #2 is once again available at the store, but this time with a little more finesse. Not strictly of any one style, the Cuvee #2 tastes like a barleywine more than any other style of beer I can name. However, it shows off a malt complexity that has me wondering exactly how Southern Tier made this puppy work. A strong vanilla flavor combines with the ale's hoppiness to make for a very round and heavy drink that tastes as intimidating as its 11% ABV might suggest. A touch of bourbon or ultra-smooth scotch sneaks into each sip, appearing most noticeably in the finish. Caramel and an oak-fueled smokiness completes the beer, which would've been impressive enough without them. We held on to a case of this just to test how it tastes after some mellowing and I'm happy to report the beer has definitely improved with time.

September 4th, 2009

Stone Cali-Belgique $9.99/22oz
Leave it to Stone to invent a new style of beer. The Cali-Belgique is being billed as a "Belgian IPA," which means the brewers combined Californian hops with European yeast in order to generate the unique flavors found in this ale. Still, the American ingredients stand out a tad more than the Belgian ones: grapefruit citrus, pine, and a touch of breadiness constitute the bulk of this beer, with spiciness and yeast qualities merely providing a tasty background. None of the clove or banana associated with Belgian beers is present, but the body is most clearly influenced by the likes of Duvel and Chimay. As the beer warms, hints of other fruits begin to emerge, including the odd flare of lemon and even berry. This blend is a pretty successful experiment in cross-style brewing and ends up tasting more like a sessionable beer than any other experimental brew I can think of at the moment. At 6.9% ABV, the Cali-Belgique isn't exactly a session beer, but it isn't an unreasonable monster, either. Pair it with food or sip on it over the course of the evening; either way it should be a treat for our hop heads.

Southern Tier Harvest Ale $10.99/6-pack
Plenty of beers released this time of year feature the same spices you'd expect to find in Fall cooking, but that doesn't have to be the case. Southern Tier's bitter Fall brew is an ESB with warm citrus flavors and a substantial body that mimics October lagers. The dry hops and considerable dextrin presence amplify the sensation that this is a Fall ale despite the complete lack of cinammon, pumpkin, nutmeg, or vanilla. Like many Southern Tier 6-pack offerings, the Harvest Ale has a low ABV (around 5%), but its malt flavors create an illusion of warmth not unlike some of the higher ABV beers we've sampled lately. Fans of IPAs will likey enjoy this and those of you who dislike hops will likely be surprised by how drinkable it is. Though bitter, a lingering sweetness emerges after each sip and lends the Harvest Ale a complex character. Last year we simply couldn't keep this beer in stock and though Southern Tier has increased its distribution to Massachusetts, chances are this beer will disappear quickly anyways.

Weihenstephaner Festbier $12.99/6-pack
Oktoberfest beers weren't spiced affairs until very recently. Weihenstephaner's is a bright, lemony lager that utilizes the Saaz hop for its unique flavor. Like some pilsners, the Festbier is noticeably thicker than many other lagers and highlights a pleasant and atypical sweetness. Unlike most pilsners, the Festbier is enriched by herbal qualities and a strong grain edge. Though not especially malt-centric, a smokey quality rises out of this one along with elements of hay and a distinct grassiness. The combination of these elements makes for a super-refreshing beer that, like the Harvest Ale, generates an uncommon warmth perfect for the now Fall-like weather we're experiencing. The equinox isn't until the end of the month, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy some of the year's best beers now.

Otter Creek Oktoberfest $9.99/6-pack
Of the three seasonal beers featured this week, Otter Creek's is the only one that assumes that traditional October name. It is not, however, an Oktoberfest proper. It could more appropriately be called an amber ale with some Oktober-esque elements. It sports a creamy body typical of Fall lagers, but is highlighted by toasted grains, cream, and a vague nuttiness that might actually be dextrin or the result of using multiple yeasts. A stab of hop bitterness is present in the finish, which takes on some herbal qualities after a few sips. I'd say there's a dash of clove somewhere in this beer, but no spices were used in the brewing process. Essentially dry, the only sweetness this Oktoberfest sports comes from the caramel hidden beneath the complex blend of malt and hop flavors. Last year Otter Creek failed to impress me with this beer, but in 2009 it tastes quite good and might be one of the better Fall session ales you'll find.

August 28th, 2009

Harpoon Saison Royale $11.99/4-pack
Like all of Harpoon's Leviathan series beers, the Saison Royale is a high-alcohol, over-the-top take on a style of beer with which you may be familiar. We've been serving saisons up at Menotomy for a good portion of the summer, so comparing the real thing to Harpoon's imitation should be a fun experiment. In my opinion the royale of the title is best explained by the beer's predominant focus on rich and funky aromas, which are both earthen and fruity. A noticeable, but well-situated sweetness also resides in this Leviathan. Its 9% ABV partially explains that feature, but so does the unique yeast used to brew the beer. Spices and all manner of citrus color saturate the Saison Royale thanks to Harpoon's attention to detail and willingness to experiment with strange ingredients. The Quad they released was a bit too saccharine for my tastes, but this beer is both unusual and balanced.

Clipper City's Big DIPA $7.99/22oz bottle
A terse summary might be the best way to introduce the Big DIPA, which is a part of Clipper City's Heavy Seas series. It utilizes 5 kinds of hop flowers, 3 kinds of malt, and sports a 10.6% ABV with an IBU of 75. If that isn't enough to whet your appetite, then perhaps Clipper City's dedication to balance and past successes will. Though it looks intimidating, the Big DIPA is a surprisingly approachable monster full of subtle aromas and a clear, bitter tang. The alcohol is practically invisible on the tongue and the complex hop mixture lends the ale a surprising warmth that is neither grapefruity nor particularly pine-like. An infusion of orange citrus and sugar give the beer its acidic and refreshing qualities, but the sweetness is kept in check by the toffee and caramel qualities found in each sip. A thinner than normal body increases the DIPA's drinkability without sacrificing quality, but that may only make the beer more tempting than it should be.

Berkshire Golden Spike Ale $4.50/22oz bottle
Berkshire's kölsch may be their most under-appreciated offering. Highlighting both lemon and classic kölsch qualities like nuttiness and a restrained bitterness, the Golden Spike Ale distinguishes itself from other similar brews with an action-packed body and a lean biscuit kiss. The dextrin left in the beer creates a warm and mildly sweet flavor and aroma that combines with the aforementioned citrus to generate an excellent juxtaposition between pseudo-sweet and hoppy flavors. With it's smooth, almost creamy body, Golden Spike feels somewhat heavier than it actually is, but the healthy addition of carbonation helps to keep the ale refreshing and approachable. Though it can be associated with the Spring, kölsch is perfect for what remains of the summer. At around 4% ABV, it is gentle and perfect for those last few BBQs and the forthcoming post-season extravaganza.

Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale $10.99/4-pack
Autumn is fast in its approach and beer-lovers everywhere are eagerly anticipating the beers that follow behind it. That pumpkin ales are already available in stores might be hard to believe, but here we are with Dogfish Head's excellent entry into the realm of spicy, fall concoctions. Shipyard's Pumpkinhead ale is probably the most loved beer of this variety, but there are some who think it tastes a little too much like pumpkin water with ginger and alcohol added. If you count yourself among that group, the Punkin' is just for you. While pumpkin pie aromas and spice are immediately noticeable, the Punkin's great virtues are its moderation and roundness. Sweet and bready up front, this pumpkin beer opens up and reveals a chorus of hops, esters, and various grain qualities. While the usual suspects (pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, cream) are present and noticeable, they do not constitute the backbone of the beer, which is a nice change of pace. I feel strange putting this beer on the tasting so early in the year, but demand has been high and the quality is so pronounced that putting it off any longer made no sense.

August 21st, 2009

Blue Point Hoptical Illusion IPA $10.99/6-pack
The brewmasters at Blue Point Brewery represent a rare breed of alcoholic alchemists able enough to successfully blend difficult and even opposite flavors. Their Hoptical Illusion reaches for an impressive and intimidating bitter flavor, but incorporates elements of malty sweetness and gentle fruit in equal doses. Never tepid, Hoptical Illusion matches these often opposed qualities perfectly, making this the rare strong IPA capable of seducing hop intolerant drinkers. Supported by a stout but smooth body, Blue Point's brilliant little ale manages an almost perfect roundness, which is rare for any IPA with a mind to impress even the most stubborn hop heads. Of course my own view of what's round might be different from yours, so don't take my word for it. Come by and try this IPA out for yourself.

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale $10.99/6-pack
Brewed in a slightly different fashion every year, Sierra Nevada's Anniversary Ale is typically an amber IPA with intimations of earthy spices and malt complexities. Early reports indicate that the 2009 vintage is very similar to the 2008 vintage, which was incredibly popular at Menotomy during its short stay. Devoted to the many the merits of merging both dry and fruit hop flavors, the Anniversay Ale annihilates the taste buds on your tongue and substitutes both pine and grapefruit sensations. The resulting mixture might offend less adventurous drinkers, but hop heads will revel in its sundry sensations. Hints of grassiness and even a restrained floral character can be found in the finish, where hop oils and a distinct acidic bite also reside. Anniversary's potent malt backbone keeps it from venturing into excessive territory and even leaves a trace of grain flavors behind on your tongue. It's a fantastic beer, one that deserves the anticipation it receives every year.

Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter $12.99/6-pack
Menotomy has no intention of muscling out its malt-mad masses with hoppy beers. Tröegs' Dead Reckoning is to malt lovers what the Anniversary Ale is to hop heads. There are, if I'm not mistaken, four different kinds of grain used to build this black beer. The usual caramel and cream flavors present themselves in this porter, but particularly potent coffee and bittersweet chocolate tones dominate it. Two different kinds of hops reinforce Dead Reckoning and steer it in the direction of a stout, but without suffocating the rich sweetness that so often defines the style. At 5.4% ABV this porter is a perfect session treat and avoids being a special occaision indulgence.

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout $10.99/4-pack
It's a classic. There's a tremendous amount of respect in the beer world for this unassuming English ale, mostly because it's as perfectly balanced as a stout can get. It's 5% ABV, which is quite low for potent beers of this sort, and carries with it a virtual army of aromas and surprising flavors, not the least of which is its famous and ultra-smooth sweetness. Oatmeal goes a long way in making this beer what it is, adding smooth, smokiness, and a silky texture to an already complex arrangement of chocolate, caramel, coffee, and an oh-so delicate woody finish. We taste this every year right around this time just to remind our customers that Sam Smith's is an undisputed champion of English brewing and a heavyweight contender on American shores. If you know what it's all about, come in and enjoy a sample with us. If Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout means nothing to you, do yourself a favor and come in just to try it out.

August 14th, 2009

Abita Amber $10.99/6-pack
Hard to believe as it may be, Oktoberfest/Marzen-style ales are starting to pop up in shops all across the world. Among the first to hit our shelves is Abita's Amber, which is a perfectly suitable year-round that just happens to be brewed in a style we wouldn't normally see for another month or two. Low in alcohol, this amber nevertheless sports a wide variety of disparate flavors. Among them are caramel malts, a touch of toasty bread, an herbal spiciness, and the warm earthy flavors so often associated with pumpkin ales and other October concoctions. Appropriately, hops don't play a major role in this brew, but just a touch of tight bitterness finishes it off and lends it a cool, refreshing edge. Some think this is Abita's best beer, so come in and judge for yourself whether it's as tasty as the Restoration Pale Ale and Turbodog.

Erdinger Weissbier $11.99/6-pack
Erdinger's wheat ale might be called a "light wheat ale," mostly because all the big spices and yeasty potency typical of Bavarian hefveweizens are absent from this one. With a great deal of its character coming from its rather creamy body, the Erdinger Weiss is a mostly fruity brew that only dabbles in clove, banana, and other such wheat spices. The result is a very distinct and clean drink that highlights a gentle sweetness at the start and a dry bitterness in the finish. Quite unusual from top to bottom, the Weissbier also brings a slightly more action-packed mouthfeel to the table, contrasting the otherwise creamy body with a sharp stab of carbonation. Fans of heavy, flavor-packed hefes won't likely be impressed by Erdinger, but for our customers not overly fond of what wheat does to beer, Erdinger will likely be a nice treat.

Smuttynose Summer Weizen Ale $10.99/6-pack
Smuttynose, as some of you may know by now, is fond of messing with established beer styles. Their Big Bottle series emphasizes their love for the bizarre, but so does the Summer Weizen Ale. It's been characterized as an American Pale Wheat Ale, but the Weizen is closer in character to an IPA-Hefe hybrid than anything else. Hops are probably the first and most noticeable quality of this brew. Second, a neat and unique zap of nuttiness comes off the beer's body with traces of wheat yeastiness. Either Smuttynose is using a unique and completely underappreciated yeast strain for their Weizen or their yeast-malt blend yields some highly unusual results. Either way, from there the beer turns into a standard American wheat with lemon and gentle spice rounding it out. If other pale wheat ales were of this quality the style would likely have a better name than it does.

Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat $9.99/6-pack
One of the store's best-selling ales, Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat has quite a reputation around here. Some claim it harbors unusual fruit flavors that don't belong in beer, others say it is one of the few hefeweizens they really like. While I do think it smacks of blueberries and orange in oddly high proportions, I also think the Sunset Wheat is one of the better year rounds Menotomy carries. Light and easy enough to be a session beer, but singular enough to stand out among a group of other excellent brews, Leinenkugel's fruit hefe is a delicious treat loaded up with citrus and berry flavors. Spice takes a back seat to the thick body and upfront sweetness packed into this bottle, but don't let words like "fruit" and "sweet" scare you away, because there's sufficient roundness here to keep all the myriad flavors in check.

August 7th, 2009

Ommegang Hennepin $7.99/750ml bottle
At 7.7% ABV, Hennepin represents our big beer contender this week, and it has a lot to offer. The brothers over at Beer Advocate call this a world class saison and for a good reason; Hennepin is a superb example of American originality applied successfully to a classic formula. Dark fruits, a nutty complexion, grass, honey, pepper, clove, and just a little sweetness all find their way into this brew, which is extraordinary because it's neither muddled nor sharp. The balance Ommegang managed to brew into Hennepin is pretty stunning. Though it is a saison, the mustiness emphasized by brewers like DuPont is here reduced in favor of greater complexity and drinkability. Hennepin may become a regular bottle at the store, but that's up for you to decide. Don't miss a chance to try this stunner out. It is hands down one of the best seasonals you'll have all summer.

Thiriez Extra $12.99/750ml bottle
Thiriez's farmhouse saison could be the perfect session beer. It's low alcohol content, complex flavors, smooth body, and earthy bite are rivaled by only a few other beers in the world. Vanilla, mint, hop bitterness, citrus, and an unusual yeast character dominate Thiriez's diverse flavors, but hints of grain, bread, and toasted malts also linger in the background. A significant, but efficient acid character provides a refreshing quality and contrasts the spice-riddled body that defines every sip. The dry-hopped technique used to brew Extra also mediates the often bizarre and musty yeast quality that saisons are famous for, which means this is a great beer to try if saisons simply aren't your thing. Comparing this with the Hennepin will be a treat since they're of the same style, but very different in many ways.

Sherwood Forest Sheriff IPA $11.99/6-pack
The Sheriff IPA from Sherwood Forest combines a dense, malt-driven backbone with three varities of hops: Nugget, Centennial, and Cascade. A cut of citrus zest, dominated mostly by grapefruit, starts this IPA off. A less intense layer of caramel and earthiness follows that burst and lends the entire experience a relaxed character. Unlike other Massachusett IPAs, the Sheriff does aim for intense grapefruit bitterness. Its soft body, roundness, and drinkability qualify it as a session beer with a little more kick than normal. Sherwood Forest is definitely making beer that Massachusetts can be proud of, but don't expect the same old thing for them.

Sherwood Forest Friar's Belgian-Style White $11.99/6-pack
Also from Sherwoof Forest, the Friar's Belgian-Style White is a direct competitor with Allagash's White Ale. Brewed with all the spices you'd expect in a witbier, the Friar is a complex and fruity concoction with a medium body and a clean finish. Orange peel and coriander dominate this particular white from the start, but a dash of bready malt goodness finds its way into the finish and adds some dimension. A mild sweetness compliments the Friar's finish and creates a subtle summer feel. All in all, Sherwood's entry into the land of witbier is mild and smooth, which is exactly why so many of its drinkers have called it an excellent summer witbier.

July 31st, 2009

Ayinger Celebrator $14.99/4-pack
Everyone knows Ayinger's hefeweizen by now, but that's not the only beer for which they are famous. These Bavarian masters of the brew also cook up one mean dopplebock, just so long as you understand "mean" to imply "best in the world...ever." At 6.7% ABV such a title might seem dubious, but the Celebrator's unrivaled balance and roundness put it leagues ahead of any bock brewed in this universe. Molasses, caramel, and a touch of chewy chocolate constitute the main flavors in this dark lager, but residual sugar, dry spices, and a spark of coffee-like bitterness also make an appearance. They're blended masterfully with each of the ingredients complimenting one another rather than fighting for dominance. For all the big flavors it boasts, the Celebrator also happens to be a relaxing drink. A creamy body and agreeable delivery insures that Celebrator attacks your senses subtly. Those of you that prefer to drink dark beers through the summer will be happy to know this exists... and as a year round production, too!

St. Bernardus Prior 8 $9.99/750ml bottle
The Abt 12 has been the Belgian champion at Menotomy for a little while, so we thought it'd be worth diving into their other brews. The Prior 8 is a dubbel, which means less alcohol, a lighter body, and a greater focus on sweet flavors. In other words, it is a great summer ale with more weight and flavor than you average bear. Brown in color and more carbonated than its darker cousins, the Prior 8 emphasizes nutty and malty flavors, but also contains hints of smokiness and an alcoholic sweetness. Where St. Bernardus' massive quadrupel emphasizes fruits, a smooth body, and a dark sweetness, the Prior 8 shoots for a more direct sweetness and refreshing finish. To that end the brewers have inserted a mildly bitter finish. If you've tried blonde ales, quads, and sour ales, but still don't like Belgian beers, this might be the brew that sheds some light on the Belgian phenomenon. It's unlike many other ales from the region and a bit less imposing with an 8% ABV.

Victory Storm King Stout $13.99/6-pack
Considering the amount of love dark beers have been getting (even in this heat!), we thought we'd throw the Storm King at you see just how much our customers can take. This is the kind of stout an IPA-lover can appreciate: its emphasis on bitterness puts it squarely in the Russian Imperial Stout category while its chocolaty, rum-infused finish rounds it out and prevents it from being a hop-head's delight. Burnt toast and espresso are also buried in this monster and all of this is compounded by a huge, thick, ultra-rich body that delivers a creamy sensation throughout each sip. At over 9% ABV, this ultra-dark ale is probably best suited for pairing with food, though ice cream might best compliment its many qualities.

Mayflower Golden Ale $10.99/6-pack
The porter and pale ale aren't the only thing in Mayflower's fermentation tanks. They also produce a "golden" ale that might be their most popular drink of all. Light citrus, a touch of grain, and a smattering of yeast constitute the majority of this beer's body and flavor. It's very light, very clean, and designed to beat the heat and humidity we're experiencing at the moment. We'll kick things off with this local brew and then give your taste buds a workout with the other three beers on the list.

July 24th, 2009

Mayflower Pale Ale & Porter $10.99/6-pack
Mayflower is a rookie brewery in the New England area. They opened in 2007 and, in a very short period of time, made quite a name for themselves. Beer lovers from all over the state have visited Plymouth, sampled their wares, and then returned home sad that Mayflower isn't available anywhere but in the vicinity of their brewery. Thankfully, that's changed and we have two amazing ales for you to try. Their pale ale combines both English and American hops to create a dry, but not fruitless, golden beer with a touch of spice for a round and layered finish. The porter, on the other hand, is a bold, toffee-centric brew with a rich, chocolate scored body and a smokey finish. Fans of the Berkshire porters and bitter stouts will find a lot to like in this one.

Atwater Cherry Stout $11.99/6-pack
Eyebrows have cocked in confusion during the last few tastings due to the dark, creamy ales we've been featuring. Yet, our dark offerings have been some of the most popular this summer. The Atwater Cherry Stout is likely to continue that trend thanks to the tart cherry flavor that explodes off this beer. It's in the aroma, it's in the first sip, and it continues all the way through the finish along with splashes of espresso and cream. The roasted, slightly bitter finish puts a plesant exclamation point at the end of this beer. The refreshing acidity it provides makes this a very drinkable stout without pushing it into gimmicky territory. Unlike many other fruit-flavored stouts, Atwater's entry is still essentially a stout.

Brooklyn Lager $10.99/6pack
Goethe wrote love poems to schwarzbier, but Lucas writes love poems to the superb Brooklyn Lager, supreme Emperor of All American Lagers. Technically a "red lager," the first and most striking quality of Brooklyn's production is its dark, nearly amber color. The color alludes to the unusual flavors found within: caramel, toasted malts, and a beautiful... nay, epic biscuit sweetness rolls out of this one, and that's just the start. A punch of floral hops shows in the finish with a cool citric bite, providing another layer of flavor to the already complex mix of sweet and dry features. Lager might imply a fairly well-known and over-explored region of beer making, but Brooklyn's Lager is a world apart from all of that. Don't worry, Lucas will refrain from reciting poetry while you sample it.

Pretty Things Tasting Event - Thursday, July 23rd 5-8 PM

Dann Paquette, Brewmaster and Owner of Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project will be Hosting an Extra Special Tasting here at MB&W!
Come Join Us!
Three delicious beers, including the new American Darling lager, will be featured at the tasting.

The first 50 people will get their very own glass to take home!

If you want to learn more about Pretty Things, Dann Paquette, and his unique business, please visit prettythings.com

Pretty Nice Quotes
"Unique is an understatement. Jack D'Or is a complex, balanced, drinkable and yes... interesting as-all-hell beer... It's a must try that gets a solid 'A' in our books" Jason & Todd Alstrom, BEERADVOCATE MAGAZINE

Jack D'Or - named by the BOSTON HERALD as one of the "10 Hottest Beers in Boston".

"From a longtime brewmaster and his wife, an MIT scientist, the small-batch, just-complex-enough beers are a labor of love." DAILYCANDY.COM

"Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project may have become the best producers of beers in the Bay State... Not one of them is short of fantastic. Each and everyone could be on my list of best beers produced in New England." Norman Miller, BEERNUT, TOWNSONLINE.COM

"Paquette not only makes a damn good beer, but he is also doing it with a sense of humor." Jen Murphy, WWW.FOODANDWINE.COM

"he's being completely truthful when he calls these creations pretty things" Ann Cortissoz, Beer Writer, BOSTON.COM

"We're going to climb the baby tree and drink in it all day long. Care to join us?" Jason and Todd Alstrom, The Weekly Dig

July 17th, 2009

Trappistes Rochefort 8 $6.99/11.2oz bottle
There are 171 trappist monasteries in the world, today, but only 7 of them brew beers. Alongside names like Chimay and Orval, Rochefort is among the most famous of these 7 breweries and they arguably craft one of the finest dark ales in existence: the Rochefort 8. It boasts a 9.2% ABV and serves up a veritable feast of aromas and flavors while maintaining a roundness and clarity that's matched only by other Trappist brewers. Imagine a beer that brings out caramel and chocolate flavors first and foremost, but manages to contain a noticeable grain richness, a mild brown sugar sweetness, and notes of coffee, toffee, and spice without becoming muddied. Then toss in an ever so light alcoholic warmth, a kiss of fruit, and a rum-like character and presto!... you'll have at least an idea of the Rochefort 8's greatness. Do not miss the chance to give this one a shot. We have a limited supply of them and they're likely to disappear quickly.

Southamption IPA $10.99/6-pack
Brewed in accordance with English standards, the Southamptom IPA might seem like an oddity to most American drinkers. It's malt character, which is principally composed of caramel flavors, stands out much more than it would in other IPAs. In addition, this IPA is probably best served by a slightly warmer temperature; the grapefruit bitterness and touch of cedar only become evident when the beer is allowed to warm up a little. Those of you willing to venture in such territory will be rewarded with an easy-to-swallow sweetness, the odd dash of tea leaf, and a light body suitable for warm weather consumption. Don't expect a hop bomb from Southampton, but don't be surprised if it wins you over with its balance and ingenuity.

Jerome Rubia & Cerveza Negra $7.99/22oz bottle
The last two Jerome beers were such a big hit that we decided to sample their other productions this week! Contrary to what you might expect, the Rubia is not another red ale. It's a strange ale that features a lager bitterness, hints of blonde sweetness, and the creamy body most often associated with a good pilsner. It's a peculiar, but very refreshing beer that escapes easy description. If Argentine brewers are looking to carve out a unique name for themselves, they'd do well by continuing to brew unusual drinks such as this one. The Cerveza Negra is a bold, chunky stout that manages to out-muscle a lot of American stouts with its layered flavors and cool sweetness. Though stouts are usually consumed during colder months, this is a great alternative for drinkers looking to diversify their summer habits. With a slight coffee bitterness and light carbonation, the Cerveza Negra is surprisingly refreshing. The 6.5% ABV keeps this within the realm of the session beer without confining it to the "light stout" or "American light porter" category. Chances are this beer will win a lot of people over thanks to its chocolate sweetness alone, but Jerome has brewed a lot of balance and subtlty into this one, too.

July 10th, 2009

Jerome Andean Red Ale $7.99/22oz
When our distributor told us that he had some amazing Argentine beer to check out, I was pretty skeptical. Everything I've had from South America has been fairly standard and, though they may be refreshing, beers from that region fail to amaze me. Jerome surprised me, though; each one of their beers was a unique take on a familiar style and each of them exhibited signs of careful craftsmanship. Their red ale is thick, chewy, and spiced with a variety of flavors not typical of ambers. Pepper, citrus, and candied sugar join the caramel and brown sugar malt flavors typical of a good red. A spicy hoppiness joins the mix and gives this rather thick ale the pinch of acidity it needs to be both substantial and refreshing. Surprisingly, the alcohol content on this one is only 6%. For those of you sick of the average amber, try this one on for size.

Jerome Cerveza Diablo $7.99/22oz
The name of this beer implies perfectly its contents. The Diablo is a thick, rich, malt-heavy golden ale with lots of flavor and punch to it. A warm alcohol flavor and aroma permeates the beer, complimenting the spice-rich, almost Belgian qualities present in it. A yeasty, chalk-like texture works its way in and out of the senses with fruit and pepper contrasting one another in bursts, like one is trying to dominate the other. Honey, a mild bitterness, and a creamy finish lend this beer some extra depth, with a well-carbonated and prickly body supporting it all. A dry finish strikes at the fruit-forward nature of the beer and puts a clean spin on this otherwise hazy and flavor-packed ale.

Tröegs Tröegenator Double Bock $12.99/6-pack
It's made by Tröegs, it brings an 8.2% ABV to the table, and it's basically a meal in a bottle. Malt-lovers who want a hefty beer for the cool evenings we've been experiencing should give this monster of a lager a shot. Instead of aiming for a roasted coffee/chocolate hybrid of a double bock, Tröegs crafted a beer heavily reliant on blonde-like flavors, but with a twist of fruit and sweetness. The body is as thick as you'd expect it to be with a smoothness that few beers can rival. Tröegs added a tasteful dose of hops to the mix, primarily to provide balance and give the beer a little refreshing twang. Make no mistake, this is a slow-sipper, but it's refreshing and clean and bright like the best bocks are.

McNeill's Ruby Red Ale $4.99/22oz
It isn't clear whether or not McNeill's was looking to play a prank when they decided to call this their red ale. In reality it's a piney, hefty IPA-like beer with intimations of brown sugar and a dry grassiness. It pours a ruby red to off-brown color and has a big, frothy white head of foam, looking like a cross between a brown ale and an epic hefeweizen. The aroma gives this one away, though: hops, hops, and more hops spill out of the bottle with a touch of grapefruity goodness tossed in for good measure. Ruby Red Ale is medium-bodied, but carries enough flavor to send the thickest IPAs running for the hills. Citrus rind, pine, a little tartness, and a hint of sweetness are the main attractions, but the malt character of the beer is also detectable. It provides some balance, but honestly this is a mega-beer created and designed by a mad brewer with images of hop flowers dancing in his head. Hop-heads take note: this one should satisfy your thirst for apocalyptic bitterness.

July 3rd, 2009

Rogue American Amber Ale $14.99/6-pack
They call it an amber, but this thick, toffee-rich beer has more in a common with brown ales than anything else. Brewed primarily as a cold season beer, the American Amber Ale is a malt heavy beer with bitter amber or ESB pretensions. An extra special dose of hops compliments the coffee-like bitterness already present in the malt and gives the beer a little acidity, which makes it a summer-worthy drink. Because this ale is brewed with Rogue's righteous Pacman yeast, a substantial cap of tan foam remains in the glass from the top to bottom and provides yet another layer of flavor. We haven't had this in the store for awhile, but it's back just in time for the Independence Day celebrations!

Heavy Seas' Red Sky at Night Saison $12.99/6-pack
After hitting up the Publick House this weekend, I decided that bringing in another saison would be a worthwhile endeavor. Though the DuPont is considered by many to be the finest saison in the world, there are so many variations on this style that keeping only one in the store seemed like a crime. Based in Baltimore, MD, the Clipper City Heavy Seas series represents the best of the brewery. Everything on this line is bottle-conditioned and exceeds 7% ABV. Red Sky at Night is approximately 9% and sports a bright golden color with some orange seasoning. It has a vaguely Belgian aroma about it with clove and cinnamon standing out on the nose. At heart it's a saison: the taste is musty and slightly bitter at first, but it warms up with a strong citrus flavor and a distinct spiciness. This is a saison, but tastes nothing like the DuPont we carried.

Coniston's Bluebird Bitter $6.99/500ml bottle
And what would the Independence Day story be without the English? Coniston's is an award-winning English Bitter that has sadly been absent from our shelves, but is now ready for your drinking enjoyment. I can safely say you've probably never had a bitter like this before. An almost tropical fruit aroma drifts off the top of this golden beer, but the flavor is dominated by an up front dry-hop bitterness. A gentle hint of orange then pushes through in the finish and blends in with the gentle grain flavors that permeate the beer from start to finish. A touch of sweetness rounds the beer out, making it even more refreshing. We're excited to have this in the store; it represents some the best of England and is unlike anything else in the store.

Dogfish Head Squall $9.99/750ml bottle
Sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks. In this case, Dogfish Head has updated their 90 Minute IPA by making it bottle-conditioned and keeping it 100% unfiltered. It retains the same 9% ABV as the 90 Minute IPA, but that's where the similarities end. The yeast is, of course, far more present and contributes a subtle grip that makes the beer feel heavier. Dry-hopped with 6 different varieties of hop flowers, Squall is even more bitter than it's older brother and retains a good deal of hop oils that further enhance the already substantial body. Orange and lemon stand out on first sip, but the hop character is incredibly strong and lends an almost gin-like character to the beer. The pine and caramel qualities of the 90 Minute are still present, but they're amplified. Dogfish Head make some big beers, but this is easily one of their most potent (the 120 doesn't count!).

June 26th, 2009

Einbecker Schwarzbier $15.99/6-pack
The myth that dark beers are meant only for the winter needs to be broken and hopefully the Einbecker Schwarzbier will help to do just that. Schwarzbier's are brewed with lager yeasts, which plays a big role in keeping their bodies light. It also gives this otherwise ale-like brew a distinct bitterness perfect for eliminating summer blues. All lager qualities aside, the Einbecker Schwarzbier packs a caramel and grain aroma complimented by a creamy body and clean chocolate flavors. The overall effect is deceptive. It's a light-bodied, full-flavored lager with qualities typical of dark and thick ales. A low alcohol content and gentle demeanor complete the picture, making Einbecker's special lager an especially drinkable dark beer for the coming hot months.

North Coast: Ruedrich's Red Seal Ale $12.99/6-pack
Here we have another low-ABV crowd pleaser for your sampling enjoyment. Ruedrich's Red Seal Ale is an American Amber Ale with some pale qualities, mainly from the rich hop character in its finish. A little bit of spice and sweetness had a whole lot of substance to the Red Seal Ale, which some drinkers are saying can go toe to toe with Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale with respect to both drinkability and quality. Lucas was a little skeptical of this claim, but after giving it a go, he's convinced that this is one of the best all-around ales in the country. While it may not impress hop lovers or fans of multi-layered beer, it's likely to appeal to the most people and it's also one of the most multi-faceted beers we have in the store. It's great for drinking by itself, but it would pair well with BBQ, especially if some rich sauces were in use.

Abita Jockamo IPA $10.99/6-pack
Abita has long been a store favorite at Menotomy. The Restoration Pale and their various fruit-infused concoctions always move through our store faster than light, so we thought it'd be a good idea to bring in something else from these Louisiana-based brewers. The Jockamo IPA is a fruit-heavy bitter that clocks in at a little over 6% ABV. Biscuit malts are the primary grain focus for this brew, meaning that all the focus is on the juicy, but unimposing hop flavors. A cool sweetness gives Jockamo a little roundness and prevents it from being a one-dimensional experience. This one has slowly come into my favor and, thanks to its easy character, has won a place among my favored session ales.

Avery Anniversary Sixteen Saison $9.99/22oz bottle
This year marks Avery's sweet sixteenth birthday and, in order to celebrate, they're releasing an unusual brew made with jasmine flowers, peaches, and honey. Brewed with a Belgian yeast strain, this Anniversary Saison is spicy and complex, with layers of fruit and earth flavors balanced by a dry hop quality. This beer approaches 8% ABV, so it isn't quite the session beer that the other three are this week. In addition, the spice blend in this bottle is fairly potent, so when you have a sip, think of dinner or even dessert pairings. Sixteen is beyong a doubt one of the most experimental and unusual beers to come out of Avery, but it's also very refreshing. Make sure to give this one a try as it's not likely to stay in the store for long.

June 19th, 2009

Dogfish Head Sah'tea $14.99/750ml bottle
This elusive ale from Dogfish Head imitates a 9th century Finnish recipe for "beer" called sahti. One of the few ancient brews still made in western Europe, it's made without hops and relies entirely on the use of juniper berries for balance and preservatives. Sahti ales are known for having heavy bodies and pseudo-wheat flavors, but their unique property is the earthiness they obtain from being made with various spices. In Dogfish Head's case there's a dash of black tea, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and a few other spices present to give this beer a smooth, easy-to-drink warmth. Surprisingly (and pleasantly), this beer clocks in at a quaffable 6% ABV. Though lower in alcohol and made for session drinking, the Sah'tea is potent and layered enough to stand up to strong foods. This is one of the most unique beers Menotomy has put on its shelves and we're very happy to bring it to our loyal beer-loving crowd.

North Coast Acme California IPA $12.99/6-pack
Made by the same group responsible for the Old Rasputin Imperial Stout, the Acme California IPA is a raw and raucous blend of Californian hop bitterness and a very special, very unique malt character that manifests a mild mint flavor in combination with the hops. At just over 7% ABV, the Acme IPA does issue an alcohol-rich aroma, but it's balanced perfectly by an upfront grain sweetness and malty backbone. In the end, the higher alcohol content supports the beer's already thick and creamy body. Perhaps not as session-able as what we've featured in the last few weeks, North Coast's IPA is custom made for slow sipping and food pairing. As is usual with all IPAs, Acme would pair well with spicy foods, but is also perfect for oysters, clams, and other strong seafood dishes.

Left Hand Brewing Polestar Pilsner $12.99/6-pack
After the success we had with the Czech Pilsner and based on the way Victory's Prima Pils is leaving the store, Lucas decided that another good pilsner would be worth bringing to the store. Whereas Lagunitas and Victory brew distinctly American pilsners, Left Hand Brewing's variation has more in common with traditional German pilsner than with anything made within these shores. Favoring the saaz hop, but blended in perfect proportion with a hearty and sweet malt character, the Polestar Pilsner packs into one bottle the grassy, bitter punch of the strongest German ales and the citrus character of the best light ales available during the summer. Toasted malts, a pinch of spiciness, and herbal aroma round this beer out. Pilsner-lovers will certainly enjoy this concoction, but pale ale aficionados may also find something to love in this beer.

Schneider-Brooklyner Hopfen-Weisse $6.99/22oz bottle
Brewmasters Garrett Oliver and Hans-Peter Drexler have long been fans of each other's beers. One brewery is known for its solid, laid-back American brews and the other is a world-famous producer of organic German brews. After realizing that crafting a beer together might be a good idea, Oliver went over to Germany and used his expertise to craft a hopped-up hefeweizen at the G. Schneider facilities. Like the Aventinus, which was a hefe-blend, the Hopfen-Weisse is a high-alcohol, thick, pungent ale made for sipping, food, and celebration. The hop bite on this particular wheat beer manages to disguise the often banana-heavy flavors that come out of Germany, but the sweet citrus and strong acidity are as present in these bottles as they are in a bottle of G. Schneider's Edel-Weisse. Lucas thinks this sampling will continue the hot streak hefeweizen has had in the store, especially because it has something for all the hop-heads we know and love.

June 12, 2009

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen $10.99/6-pack
First the Torpedo IPA and now this; the Kellerweise Hefeweizen is Sierra Nevada's second year-round addition to the portfolio in under a year. Typically, Sierra Nevada is associated with big hops. Even their Porter has a noticeable dose of everyone's favorite flower, but the Kellerweis is an exception to this rule. Fermented in open containers, a method employed by all good Bavarian brewers, the Kellerweis takes all of its inspiration and flavor from the legendary wheat beers of Germany. The open fermentation gives the Kellerweis' yeast a chance to layer on a series of complex flavors, most of which you're probably familiar with by now. Sierra Nevada's entry is particularly interesting because it's the first time the company has eschewed its hop-centric formula in order to brew a style foreign to most American brewers. I fully expect this to meet the Sierra Nevada quality standard, but come in and find out for yourself.

Founders Red's Rye Ale $14.99/6-pack
They're known for making rich and complex beers, but Founders has gone above and beyond the call of duty with their rye ale. Big, thick, juicy, peppery, and packed with delicious rye spice, Red's Rye is a bold and layered brew that clocks in under 7% ABV. Fortified with a mild hop bite and infused with an excellent blend of toasty malt flavors, the first and most important quality of this wine is its round and robust body; a significant yeast presence and fluffy white head give this beer an impressive appearance. Citrus and mint come through on the tongue, which is impressively balanced with the beer's distinct rye flavors. Hop-lovers will likely be impressed by its balance between bitterness and maltiness, and newcomers to the rye phenomenon will likely find this a surprising and unique treat. It took us a long time to secure a few cases from Founders, but we finally have it! So come in and enjoy.

Ayinger Brau-Weisse $9.99/4-pack
Last week I mentioned that Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen is a likely candidate for best wheat beer in the world, but this is a strong contender for that title. We carried the Ayinger hefe a year or so ago and it won over more than one non-wheat-beer-drinking customer. Due to an increased demand, we've been unable to carry Ayinger's fantastic products for a little while, now. That's finally changed and we have this hazy, thick, creamy wheat ale back in the store for you. Another low-alcohol monster, the Ayinger Brau-Weisse concentrates on lemon and clove flavors in order to manifest its punchy, somewhat surprising fruit qualities and warm flavors. Excellent for hot summer days and less spicy than the multi-layered Weihenstephaner, Ayinger's traditional wheat beer is a straight-forward and potent example of what a wheat beer can be. Those of you that liked the Weihenstephaner can have some fun comparing the two; though made with the same ingredients, they're wildly different.

Cisco Summer of Lager $8.99/22oz
Called a "Munich Helles Lager," Cisco's Summer of Lager is a strong, malt-forward brew that emphasizes bright cream flavors, citrus, and sweetness. Lemon, grain, a hazy pepper aroma, and full body make this an unusual beer all the way around. Munich Helles Lagers were made in response to the Czech lager boom in the 19th century. German brewmasters were actually afraid that drinkers would prefer Czech lagers to their own, so they made a beer to rival their neighbor's product. The result is a beer that rides the line between hefty ales and light, fluffy lagers. With no hop bitterness, the Summer of Lager relies on its grassy qualities and grain content to produce a satisfying bitter bite in the finish. The Lagunitas won a few people over, but Cisco's product is far more unique and more true to the style from which it is derived.

June 5, 2009

Ommegang Rare Vos $11.99/4-pack
In the store by popular demand, Ommegang's dark Belgian ale is an amber with a lot muscle behind it. Based predominantly on the "red ales" of Belgium, like Chimay Premiere, Rare Vos is loaded down with mild spices, bits of fruit, and dry hop flavors. Some sweet sensations can be found in this hazy, full-bodied ale, but the classic (and significant) yeast character of Rare Vos provides plenty of balance. Rich pepper, tea, and grassy flavors populate this bottle, lending it a layered and complex character. While Ommegang's Abbey and Tripel-style always rightly win accolades from all who drink them, the Rare Vos also deserves some respect. It's quiet and somewhat less bold than its more famous kin, but is nevertheless impressive with its smooth body and refreshing finish.

Lagunitas Czech-Style Pilsener $11.99/6-pack
The Czech style of pilsner (also called pils, pilsener, or Bohemian Pilsner) is typically light, crisp, and focused on the world-famous Saaz hop, which delivers much of the beer's flavor. Lagunitas has crafted an American take on this beer, emphasizing the malt elements in addition to the hop bitterness, creating a mildly sweet lager with fruit and herbal qualities in the process. Pilsners tend to be great summer beers because they're so light and gentle, but Lagunitas amped up the carbonation on this ale, too, which gives it a pleasing bite. Often associated with Budweiser, beers of this style are often avoided by American audiences. Don't let the negative connotations fool you, however, Lagunitas' pilsner is a rich and tasty lager likely to win more than a few fans here in the store.

Sagres Bohemia $7.99/6-pack
We carried this unexpected gem for most of last year and it quietly impressed a number of our customers, some of them just as picky as Lucas! This is another summer pleaser, but with a little more alcoholic heft and a kick of caramel and grain for good measure. A dash of hop spice is detectable in Bohemia's finish, but the focus is almost entirely on the malt characteristics, which are dark, toasty, and clean. Simple and to the point, Sagres' amber is a delicious ale from Portugal with a little something extra that distinguishes it from many of the other faceless European macro-brews currently invading America: it's good and cheap.

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier $12.99/6-pack
It's been called the perfect hefeweizen by a lot of guys who write about beer all the time and Lucas thinks they may just have an argument for that claim. Only a select few beers can be called emblematic of their style and the Hefeweissbier is one of them. Far more balanced than the already delicious Paulaner hefeweizen, creamier than the otherwise perfect Franziskaner wheat ale, and more structured than the popular Julius Echter, Weihenstephaner's entry into the world of wheat is nearly perfect. Lemon, clove, hops, various spices, a touch of nuttiness, and an unexpected tartness populate this bottle. It's exceedingly smooth body, soft finish, and moderate yeast profile lend it an easiness not always found with other German wheat beers. Yes, there's a touch of banana to this one, but our anti-hefe crowd must just find themselves liking this one.

May 29, 2009

Southampton Double White Ale $9.99/6-pk
There are writers all over the Internet penning epic poetry about how refreshing and satisfying this little beer from Southamption is. We tasted it when the beer tasting was but a baby at the store and many customers liked it, but word of mouth says this brew has improved ten-fold since that time. Essentially a witbier emphasizing both citrus flavors and the potency of a good malt profile, the Double White Ale is full bodied, easy to drink, and packed with enough complexity to satisfy even the pickiest Belgian ale consumer (like myself). Like most ales with the word "double" attached to it, Southampton's wit carries a higher alcohol content, but at 7% ABV this almost qualifies as a heavy session beer. With its orange and lemon content emphasized, big beers are rarely as refreshing as this one is. Make sure to give it another shot; this is an ale that has definitely improved over the last couple of years.

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale $5.99/22oz bottle
I know I said I'd a bit more gentle with all of you this week, but I had to add this to the beer tasting list when one of our distributors told me about it. Lagunitas' Maximus IPA and standard IPA were very popular among our hop heads largely because they were so distinct and utilized their malt flavors so well. While they were both bitter, they were perhaps a little too light for some of our more extreme hop heads. The Hop Stoopid Ale will, I trust, satisfy everyone who loves a big dose of bitter in their beer. Called a "hop bomb" by some and an "attack on the tongue" by others, the Hop Stoopid is an Imperial IPA jacked up to near 8% ABV and loaded down with a citrus intensity that'll probably cause a few people to pucker right up. Lagunitas must've employed an alchemical secret in order to craft this ale because the hops are kept in check by both the beer's finish and its yeast character, which is surprisingly noticeable. Hop Stoopid is quick and to the point and a near perfect summer IPA. The body, texture, and flavors all match exceedingly well; expect this one to disappear from the store quickly.

Berkshire Brewing Hefeweizen Ale $4.50/22oz bottle or 2 for $8.00
I know I don't need to say much about this beer to anyone that shops with us. The Berkshire Brewing Company has proven to be one of the best brewers that the state of Massachusetts has to offer. Every single on of their beers is an example of how to craft unique brew while sticking to familiar and traditional recipes. Their hefeweizen is no different; though it sports a light banana flavor, Berkshire wheat ale concentrates almost exclusively on yeast and spice flavors with a spot of lemon for good measure. The body is somewhere between the typically thick European hefes and the often too-thin American counterparts. This is an easy-to-drink ale that screams for burgers, hot dogs, and other BBQ fare. It'd also pair very well with a light pasta dish or fish, but there's nothing to keep you from enjoying it all by itself. A light hop bite in the finish gives the Hefeweizen Ale all the acidity and bitterness it needs without sending it off into the dreadful realms of the pale wheat ale. Hefe-haters be prepared to enjoy yet another wheat beer!

Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager $9.99/6-pk
Last year this was all I wanted to drink when the weather got too hot. Sierra's Summerfest is light, crisp, and loads better than most standard lagers on the market. Sitting at an easy 5% ABV, the Summerfest is a simple beer all the way around. You won't find a beer more crisp than this one and the gentle lemon flavor and hop bite in the finish only make the beer more enjoyable. A very dry lager, this Sierra Nevada boasts a clean body without sacrificing flavor. Though it is a little thinner than your average Sierra beer, it's also less yeasty and doesn't sport that odd lager bitterness that so often accompanies low-alcohol beers. Make sure to check this out this year if you didn't get the chance last year. It sold out quickly, but we ordered a little more this year and plan to keep it around for as long as possible.

May 22, 2009

Pinkus Münster Alt $4.99/16.9oz bottle
Lucas has been kicking himself for weeks because Menotomy has never carried an altbier on its shelves. The name has two competing origins. "Alt" may come from "altus," which is Latin for "high" and could refer to the rising yeast used to brew the ale. "Alt" also literally translates to "old" from German and could therefore refer to the long conditioning process used to give altbier's their unique aroma and flavor. Pinkus' take on the style clocks in at an easy to take 5% ABV and gives off a nice grain-rich aroma as it is emptied into a bottle. With its medium body and low alcohol content a low flavor profile might be expected, but the opposite is true. The Münster Alt is full of rich malt flavors, just a kiss of yeast mustiness, some herbal components, and a gentle tartness that comes from the hops used to brew the beer. Though lighter in color than most alts (which can sometimes be dark brown), this brew is one of the most potent of its kind and a great representative for this under-appreciated style of ale.

Southern Tier Mokah $9.99/22oz bottle
This beer is almost certain to get everyone excited. Menotomy had the misfortune of missing out on Southern Tier's now infamous Chokolat and their Jahva ale was just plain impossible to get into the store thanks to its low availability. Everyone's in luck this Friday because the Mokah is a blend of the Chokolat and the Jahva, bringing the best of both worlds into a far more refined and balanced drink. This stout weighs in at a very impressive 11% ABV, but you'd never know it from taking a sip. Jamaican roasted coffee, Belgian bitter chocolate, three kinds of malt, and four kinds of hops were used to put this brew together and the ultra-layered flavors that follow in every gulp prove it. Though the Brooklyn Chocolate Stout and Rogue's chocolate monstrosity have won a solid following here, Lucas is pretty confident that this one blows both of them out of the water.

Dogfish Head Fort $18.99/25.6oz bottle
If any of you are wondering whether or not you should walk to this tasting, Dogfish Head's Fort answers that question. Billed as the world's strongest fruit beer, Fort is made with raspberries and boasts an 18% ABV. That's not a typo. The last time we tasted this, the beer drinking crew was almost uniformly divided: some loved it and thought it was a great, strong fruit beer that managed to balance sweet flavors with a high alcohol content. Others thought it tasted too strongly of alcohol and was radically less sweet than a raspberry beer should be. Since that time, many of our customers have reported that it mellows with time and has turned into one fine wine-sized monstrosity of an ale. Tart, malty, and alcoholic, the Fort is easily one of Dogfish Head's most extreme beers, bettered only by the dominating 120 Minute IPA. Stop by and let us know what you think of it.

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy $9.99/6-pk
We couldn't keep this on our shelves last summer. After one sip it's not hard to see why. A shandy is a combination of lemonade and ale and its only purpose is to provide maximum refreshment. Perhaps most popular in England and various places throughout the American south, shandy's are not especially complex beers, but are as clean and crisp as they come. With just a little bit of wheat thrown into the mix, Leinenkugel's shandy is a bit smoother than others. Though it is big on lemon flavors, its not overly acidic and it does not try to hide its beer-y-ness. Pale malts and a dash of hops are easily detectable in the finish. We'll get the tasting going with this one and hopefully cure some of your heat-related blues.

May 15th, 2009

Corsendonk Abbey Pale Ale $11.99/25.4oz bottle
The bottle clearly reads, "Abbey Pale Ale," but this is a 100% Belgian tripel with a 7.5% ABV and plenty of flavor to spare. The pale ale description is tagged to the bottle because, on the whole, this ale is far less severe than your average tripel. Yeast and sweet grain aromas rise out of the glass after pouring, both translating well into the flavor of the beer. A mild pinch of fruit also comes through on the tongue, with a moderate bitterness following through in the finish. Judicious restraint was definitely employed in crafting this ale. While most tripels provide strong, attention-grabbing experiences, this pale ale is smooth and enjoyable without sacrificing potency and body. The high alcohol level gives this pale ale a more substantial mouthfeel, and contributes to the upfront sweet character it already boasts.

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale $11.99/6-pack
It's been in the store for a long time, but we still run into customers unfamiliar with the Indian Brown Ale from Dogfish Head. This is easily among the best brown ales available anywhere in the world. It's distinctly American: strong, smokey, full of caramel and toasted grain flavors, and capped off by a distinct hop fruit flavor that provides just the right amount of bitterness. Anyone looking for an IPA/brown ale hybrid will be disappointed, though. When I say this ale has a bitterness to it, I don't mean overwhelming grapefruit or pine flavors, I mean a mild, acidic bite that rounds the dark flavors out perfectly. If Dogfish Head has a perfect beer, this is it; even more so than the 60 minute and the 90 minute IPA, the Indian Brown Ale is as balanced and as perfectly crafted as they come.

Long Trail Double IPA $6.99/22oz bottle
Long Trail's greatest strength is their restraint; they brew super-balanced beers that never fly off the handle in one direction or another. Exactly the same thing can be said of their double IPA, which keeps the hop bite in check with toasty malts, a light grain flavor, and even hints of caramel. At 8.6% ABV, one might expect to taste a little bit of alcohol in the beer, but Long Trail hides its high alcohol content incredibly well; the only clue the alcohol leaves behind is a thick body and a warm sweetness. The hops provide primarily citric flavors, with grapefruit and melon being the two most obvious elements in this beer's bitter profile. Just a hint of pine comes through in the finish, but it's complimented by both grain and yeast flavors. This is the odd double IPA that might appeal to non-IPA drinkers: it doesn't focus solely on hops and it succeeds in finding a balance between malt sweetness and thick bitterness.

Blue Moon Honey Moon $9.99/6-pack
Honey Moon is light, crisp, easy-to-drink, and maybe the best seasonal ale from Blue Moon. Like its Leinenkugel competition, this honey ale focuses on malt flavors and fruit esters in small doses. With a barely noticeable yeast variety, the end product is a lager-like beer with an almost creamy body similar to a pilsner's. The addition of wheat and mild hops gives Honey Moon a little more character than any of its brothers or sisters. Spices emerge a bit at a time with each sip, and in the finish, a honey sweetness is clearly present. Even though Blue Moon is one of our most popular beers, many people still ask about their seasonal products. We want to make sure you know what they're like, so give this one a shot. You might be surprised by how good it is.

May 8th, 2009

Victory Hop Wallup Imperial IPA $6.99/22oz bottle
Our hop heads have been aching lately for something new and potent. This week, with Victory's Hop Wallup, we aim to please everyone craving something bitter and strong. The second this IPA pours into the glass, it's obvious that it's going to be a strong brew. A hearty pine aroma explodes, with bits of fruit bubbling up here and there. The body of the beer is strangely malt-heavy, though the malt flavors are strictly bready, and without even a hint of the caramel that might be expected from something with this much heft behind it. Once the hop bitterness hits, no tongue will be able to taste anything else. This is a massive, direct dose of pure hop oil and unearthly citric devastation. The label says almost everything anyone needs to know about the liquid inside.

Victory Sunrise Weissbier $10.99/6-pack
Though we aim to please our large IPA-loving crowd, we also know that some of you out there prefer something a little less intense. For that reason, we have Victory's Sunrise Weissbier. It's brewed in the fashion of European hefeweizens: clove, a light lemon flavor, and a yeasty body compose the basic elements of this brew. A dose of banana is also present, but a light dash of hops and a strong, dry finish distinguishes this beer from its Euro brothers. But a 100% American hefe this is not; at 5.7% ABV, Sunrise is an excellent spring and summertime session ale without being too light. That's the best thing about a good hefeweizen; it packs in a lot of flavors without being an excessively heavy style.

Victory Baltic Thunder Porter $6.99/22oz bottle
On the other hand, if it's a heavyweight that you're looking to sample this Friday, Victory's Baltic Thunder might be just what the doctor ordered. (Well, it might actually be the thing that sends you to the doctor.) This porter comes in at 8.5% ABV; not excessively heavy as far as strong, rich beers go, but the ABV isn't really what makes this porter so special. The fact that the alcohol is virtually unnoticeable does make it special, however... and dangerous. This is as smooth and velvety as a high alcohol beer comes. Coffee, cream, molasses, toffee; all of these flavors are present with a touch of chocolate and fruit added for good measure. My only critical remark would be that the Baltic Thunder lacks the malty, heavy body I'd expect from a beer with such potent flavors, but for some that may be a boon. We've been talking a lot about spring and summer lately, but it's not too hot to try a big, dark beer yet!

Southern Tier IPA $10.99/6-pack
Southern Tier has gotten a lot of love from our customers over the last few months. And who can argue that they craft some of the finest beers around? This IPA is a miracle of modern brewing. They've managed to create an IPA that tops out on the bitterness scale, but leaves room for other big flavors without being a muddy mess. Grapefruit, orange, pale malt, and a minor sweetness all manage to sneak into this super IPA. The aroma on this beer is just what you'd expect: big, hoppy, and ripe with citrus. If the Hop Wallup is the dry IPA for this week's tasting, the Southern Tier IPA is custom-made for drinkers who love their IPA filled with bold fruit flavors.

May 1st, 2009

Dos Equis Special Lager & Amber $8.99/6-pack
Just like last year, Menotomy Beer & Wine plans on celebrating the 5th of May with a couple of beers from south of the border. Last year we had nothing but Mexican brews, but this year we thought we'd mix things up a little and include some great American drinks, too. The two Dos Equis varieties we have this year are great summer beers, with light bodies and crisp carbonation. The lager is typically served with spicy food thanks to its slightly hoppier flavors and the amber is better for foods less hot. Both are easy to drink and low in alcohol and neither feature the heavy aftertaste so often associated with Mexican beers made by large companies. These are both solid, festive beers great for parties and BBQ get-togethers. Come join us and take part in the Pre-Cinco de Mayo festivities. But remember, the 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day; that is celebrated every 16th of September. If you want to get in the spirit, come to the tasting wearing something from or related to the state of Puebla and be prepared to recall stories about the glorious defeat of the French army in 1862.

Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager $10.99/6-pack
Abita's spring-into-summer offering is exactly as advertised. The Strawberry Harvest Lager is a light, fresh, mildly carbonated punch of strawberry flavors and dry hops. Designed specifically to make the heat more tolerable, Abita's Harvest blend utilizes lager yeast so that the fruit flavors can come through with maximum brightness. As a result, the yeast character of the beer shines through as well, adding to the brew's already refreshing character. Top this off with a low alcohol content and you have a perfect fruit-based beer custom made to annihilate thirst and murky days like the one we just recently had. The adage that fruit does not belong in beer is hereby banned from the Halls of Truth as false.

Wolaver's Ben Gleason's Organic White Ale $10.99/6-pack
Our white ale from last week, made by Cisco, was a big hit. We figured it couldn't hurt to give another white ale a go, so here's Wolaver's organic entry into the style. This is a slight variation on their standard witbier, featuring a bold amount of wheat aroma and flavor as well as the standard coriander and orange peel ingredients everyone has come to know and love. With its light body, the Ben Gleason's variety is a little easier to drink and doesn't have as high an alcohol content as the standard Wolaver's wit. In addition, the fruit flavors don't come through as strongly. This means the spice has a little more room and cuts through a little more strongly. Wolaver's has always been popular here for their IPA; they've also been popular because they're USDA certified organic. Whether or not you're concerned with organic beer making, Wolaver's crafts unique and fine beers and this one is a great addition to their standard lineup.

April 24th, 2009

Guinness 250th Anniversary Stout $11.99/6-pack
The exact day Guinness' Irish Stout was poured into a glass for the first time and consumed by a thankful patron is impossible to know, but we do know when the St. James' Gate Brewery was leased: 1759. That means this year is the 250th anniversary of Guinness and they're celebrating with a brand new stout that's likely to knock a few socks off. Guinness has never paid much attention to the craft brewing scene, but the 250 changes all that. Instead of going for the creamy, heavy body that has come to define their beer, Guinness aimed for a moderately carbonated drink, with a higher alcohol content, a higher hop content, and two types of malt. It's supposed to be easier to drink and a little more refreshing than it's older brother, but it isn't a weak beer by any stretch of the imagination. Come in and celebrate Guinness' birthday with us by giving their latest concoction a shot!

G. Schneider & Sohn's Aventinus Wheat-Doppelbock $6.99/500mL bottle
This is a dark, smooth, lightly spiced "dark hefeweizen," properly called a Weizenbock. One of the brothers over at Beer Advocate has called this beer a "gift from the gods" and fter just a couple of sips it isn't difficult to see why. Filled with fruit and rum flavors, Aventinus is a heavy wheat beast that couples spice aromas with a dry hop bitterness and a mild chocolate finish. Round, full, and seriously complex, dark wheat ales are excellent spring beers that pair great with dark meat and savory vegetables. Without being filling or dense, Aventinus packs a lot of punch. Schneider & Sohn's Wiesen Edel-Weisse was very popular here, even among the non-wheat-beer-loving crowd. We expect Aventinus to be just as surprising and popular.

Magic Hat Wacko Summer Ale $9.99/6-pack
Magic Hat lovers rejoice: the Wacko Summer Ale is in the store and it's just as good as you might've heard. Perfect for the warm weather we expect this weekend, Wacko is a bright red ale that might scare a few people away with its appearance. Fear not, however! Wacko is a simple, light, yeasty ale with a light bitterness and sweetness. It rivals Sam Adams' Summer Ale for drinkability thanks to the more substantial body it carries with it. Called an American Pale Ale by the brewery, the name fits almost perfectly, though the light sweetness betrays its lighter hop content We had planned to taste this earlier in the month, but we sold out of it before we could get it to the tasting! Thankfully, we have this back in stock and ready for you to try.

Cisco Brewers' The Grey Lady $7.99/22oz bottle
Started in Nantucket, MA in 1997, Cisco Brewers is a quickly growing company that's offering increasingly good ales and lagers. Their Summer of Lager release from last year was among my favorite lagers and was easily one of the smoothest, most thirst-quenching lagers I'd tasted in a long while. It was certainly one of the best New England based beers I'd tried up to that point. The Grey Lady is their take on witbier and its a bit of a doozy. Bits of orange peel, coriander, and other spices are, of course, present, but in mild amounts. The Grey Lady holds back on the big spice flavors and emphasizes the yeast and lemon-citrus elements. This is an absolutely excellent Belgian-style ale for those of you who don't necessarily love Belgian ales.

April 17th, 2009

Sam Adams Summer Styles Mix Pack $16.99/12-pack
All of you are familiar with Sam Adams. Their summer mixed 12-pack features a few unusual things, like the Blackberry Witbier, Pale Ale, and Hefeweizen, but those are all styles with which I am sure you are familiar. So, instead of trying to write up what each of the 6 featured beers taste like, I am going to give you a little bit of information about one of the largest and most popular breweries in the northeast.

Jim Koch founded the company in Boston in 1985 after coming across a recipe that was written by Louis Koch in St. Louis, MO in 1860. That brew was sold as Louis Koch Lager until the start of prohibition. With just a little tweaking, Jim Koch turned that brew into the Sam Adams' Boston Lager, which won the title of "best beer in the United States" at the Great American Beer Festival. Strangely enough, the beer is named for one of the founding fathers of our country, but it's Paul Revere's likeness that appears on every bottle. Apparently old Sam was a fairly unattractive fellow and the company decided that use of Revere's picture would be better for business.

Though the majority of beers brewed by the Boston Beer Company are now made in Cincinatti, OH and a few other breweries across the country, research and development still takes place at the brewery in Jamaica Plain. In addition to producing the strongest commercial beer available in the United States (Utopias at 27% ABV), Sam Adams is now the largest American-owned brewery in the country.

April 10th, 2009

Southern Tier Iniquity Black Ale $7.99/22oz
Southern Tier may not be capable of doing any wrong. Like Founders and Smuttynose, these New York-based brewers release one great beer after another. Sometimes, however, their very best brews are overlooked because they disappear so quickly. This week we are making sure you get the chance to try one of the best beers to hit our shelves, the Iniquity Black Ale. Brewed as a dark IPA, this is an amazing blend of dry hop flavors, light fruit, caramel, and chocolate. I've never seen or tasted anything like this before and it's easily one of the best and most unique beers I can think of at the moment. Do not miss this ale as it is likely to disappear quickly once everyone knows we have it.

Southern Tier Über-Sun Summer Wheat Ale $7.99/22oz
They call it a wheat ale, but it reminds me of a wheat-wine ale more than anything else. At 8% ABV, the Über-Sun is not your typical wheat beer. It features a big hop bite, an extra creamy body, hints of spice, a mild peppery punch in the finish, and some seriously smooth malt flavors. The most surprising part about this one is the pine-fueled hop elements. Southern Tier may not love bitter flavors as much as Dogfish Head does, but they certainly don't play games when experimenting with their recipes.

Harpoon Leviathan Quadruple $11.99/4-pack
Following up on the success of their Leviathan Double IPA, Harpoon has released a Quad with some serious muscle. With an 11.75% ABV, the Leviathan is certainly very close to a real quad where alcohol is concerned, but Harpoon focuses on the fruit/sweet flavors far more than most Belgian brewers would. There's no residual sugars in these bottles with the alcohol content that high, but plums, sweet fruit, alcohol, and spices feature heavily in this quad with earthy and malty flavors taking a back seat. This is the heaviest thing I've seen from Harpoon; its body is heavier than even the Double IPA and at times it reminds me of the Ayinger Brau Weisse. Hard to believe something this full comes from Harpoon, but here it is!

Founders Cerise Cherry Fermented Ale $14.99/4-pack
A few of our loyal customers ask us to bring Lambic ales in every now and again, but the best ones are typically hard to get into the store. Thankfully Founders is brewing a Lambic imitation that tastes delicious, is easier to find, and is less expensive than the $10 500ml bottles that companies like Cantillon make. The title says it all on this one: this is a dry, slightly sour ale fermented with cherries for maximum fruit flavors. Slighty tart and accented by a light floral aroma, the Cerise is an all-American take on a very popular and coveted Belgian-style ale. The 6.5% ABV makes this an ideal warm-weather or dessert beer. Just don't be surprised if this one makes you pucker up a little bit!

April 3rd, 2009

Brooklyn Local 1 $11.99/25.4oz
It's a Brooklyn celebration this week at Menotomy because... well, because Brooklyn Brewery has a ton of great beer and we want to make sure you get to try at least some of it! First on the list is their Local 1 mix. Brewed with German malts and hops, cane sugar, and Belgian yeast, this is a beast of a brew that blends the best of both sides of the Atlantic. For those of you that fear Belgian ales, you'll be happy to know that Brooklyn has worked hard to produce an ale more American in quality than anything else. Though cloves, white pepper, and light citric flavors are evident throughout, the pale malt mix and mild hops used for Local 1 round the brew out nicely and prevent it from being overly sweet and spicy. A mild alcohol warmth does shine through in the finish, but a solid carbonation and clean flavor hide its 9% ABV very well.

Brooklyn Local 2 $11.99/25.4oz
Local 2 is the dark, bold, hefty cousin to Brooklyn's Local 1: it's brewed with chocolate malt, pilsner malt, Belgian dark sugars, citrus peel, and honey harvested in New York (presumably NOT in Brooklyn). A mild caramel aroma, graininess, and sweet honey scent are immediately evident upon pouring, with a hint of alcohol hiding in there somewhere. Thanks to the pilsner malt, a healthy dose of fruit aromas and flavors are added to this beer and give it an incredibly rich and complex flavor. Like a good Belgian quad, it features plum, brown sugar, and dark soda flavors layered on top of a strong hop foundation. Three kinds of hops are used to make this beer what it is and you can tell, even if the predominant flavors are heavy and chewy.

Brooklyn Summer Ale $10.99/6-pack
Perhaps you don't want big, potent, Euro-style ale and would prefer something with a lighter body. Brooklyn's Summer Ale is a light, satisfying beer that doesn't sacrifice any flavor. Just a hint of honey and citrus come out of this beer, with the remainder tasting of mild pale malts and calm hops. Typical of many summer ales, Brooklyn's brew is easy to drink, has a slight wheat quality to it, and features a sweetness in the finish. Unlike some other summer ales, it doesn't have that annoying cardboard-like aftertaste that results from poor malt blends and uninteresting hop choices. The strong carbonation, simplicity, and low alcohol make this an ideal summer beer, but it stands tall in the spring season, too. With baseball's opening night just three days away, Brooklyn's Summer Ale managed to arrive just in time!

Smuttynose Star Island Single $10.99/6-pack
Hot off the brewery line is Smuttynose's latest ale, the Star Island Single. We couldn't go all Brooklyn this week; we are in the Northeast after all. In addition, this is the first new addition to Smuttynose's lineup since they introduced their IPA in 2004. The Star Island single is another Belgian-style ale, but with a stronger emphasis on abbey-style flavors. It's lighter and lower in alcohol than you might expect, but is brewed for maximum flavor. Tropical fruits and a light sweetness are clearly part of this beer's profile, but a dry finish and crisp body lend it a suprisingly easy drinkability. The best I can do in describing this is comparing it to a good dubbel, but without the big alcohol profile and Belgian yeast characteristics. Be sure to come in and try this one out as it is one of Smuttynose's most interesting beers.

March 27, 2009

Founders Double Trouble Double IPA - $14.99/4-pack
This Grand Rapids-based brewing company seems to know no wrong. Their Breakfast Stout is a big hit here at the store and their Kentucky Breakfast Stout might be the greatest American stout on the market. Their Centennial IPA left the store faster than most of us can drink a pint, so now we have their world-famous double IPA in stock. Luke had never tried this before we brought it into the store, but after just a couple of sips he was convinced that Founders had another winner on its hands. The aroma is strong and bright, with hints of apricot and tropical fruits riding beside the big hop scents you would expect from something labeled a double IPA. When it comes to flavor, this one lives up to its name; this is the definition of a hop-blast and will likely scare away those not ready to be challenged by their ale. Still, drinking Double Trouble is an experience all its own and warrants at least a sip's worth of curiosity.

Pretty Things Jack D'or American Saison - $7.99/22oz
Dan Paquette has been getting a lot of attention lately. Since teaming up with the Paper City Brewing crew in Holyoke, he's been producing some excellent and highly rated ales right here in Massachusetts. Jack D'or is an American Saison, which is quite different from the Saison Dupont we tried a few weeks back. Fruit, fruit, and more refreshing fruit permeate this saison, but in a very balanced way. The yeast has a Belgian-like quality to it (without the bananas!), which provides a dry, mildly bitter flavor. Herbal hops provide a gentle spiciness, and Paquette has used his malts to provide both clean fruit and wheat grain flavors. Luke thinks this is more enjoyable than the Saison Dupont, although it's a far cry from the traditional recipe.

High & Mighty Purity of Essence - $6.99/22oz
Also brewed in conjunction with Paper City Brewing, Will Shelton's High & Mighty label is gaining in popularity throughout New England. Purity of Essence is one of his most unusual concoctions: it's called a malt beverage by some, but this is one of the most unusual lagers in the land. With lemon, grain, and a big body to back it up, Purity of Essence is a hopped up lager that delivers more in flavor than some ales are capable of producing. A tight herbal hoppiness is evident throughout the beer, but it's balanced by a strong malt profile that's defined by caramel and tea flavors. The color is dark and full, especially for a lager, and a mild sweetness makes this beer very refreshing from start to finish.

Boulder Beer's Sweaty Betty Blonde Ale - $11.99/6-pack
Back by popular demand, Sweaty Betty's clove-laden, tangy blonde flavors and aroma are perfect for the warm weather descending upon us here in Boston. If you don't know already know what Sweaty Betty is, just imagine a wheat ale pumped up by a dose of hops and a pinch of spice. This is a predominantly light ale that emphasizes banana, lemon, a splash of yeast chalkiness, with nicely carbonated body and gentle finish. Some spicy aromas and flavors do come through here and there, though not overwhelmingly. Sweaty Betty is famous among the American Pale Wheat beers because of its solid backbone, wit-like spice profile, and huge drinkability. If you've had it before, come in to remind yourself how good it is. If you've never had it, be prepared to walk out of the store with one of the most oddly named beer products you've ever seen.

March 20, 2009

The Bruery Black Orchard $12.99/750ml
Unique times call for unique beers, or maybe I'm just making that up and I'm happy that some dark wits are coming into the store. Either way, dark wheat beer is not something to which most American drinkers have become accustomed. All wheat beers are part wheat and part barley, but typically a brew-master will employ lighter grain to make a wheat beer. However, the Belgians and Germans have been using dark grain in their wheat beers for centuries, producing much richer ales with heavier flavors and less emphasis on spice and fruit. The Bruery, however, has decided to add their own signature to this style and have brewed the Black Orchard with chamomile, as well as the usual coriander and orange peel. This is a tightly carbonated dark ale with a distinct yeastiness, a nutty finish, and a huge spectrum of flavor in between. Light in body and lower in alcohol than you might expect, the Bruery's take on this already unique ale is as creative and singular as beer gets.

The Bruery Orchard White $12.99/750ml
But what if you don't like chamomile in your beer and you just want a good witbier for the warmer weather? Orchard White is likely to satisfy your taste buds; it's an almost completely traditional Belgian white with lavender added for some floral balance. Perhaps more carbonated than most white ales, the Orchard White is potent and punchy with citrus and white pepper flavors dominating the tongue. An oat or yeast-powered spice comes through the mixture with repeated sips; this eventually translates into smoother, more relaxed drinking with an aromatic emphasis in the finish (you can thank the lavender for that). Some of my fellow beer nerds have called this a champagne-wit thanks to its sharp bubbles and refreshing qualities. Don't worry, though, this tastes way better than champagne does and it won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Lagunitas Maximus IPA $11.99/6-pack
Lagunitas was very popular in our store last year; the Sirius Cream Ale and Pale Ale flew off our shelves and have not been seen since due to their limited availability. Thankfully, there are other beers available from this fine Petaluma-based brewery. We know there are lots of loyal Menotomy customers that love their bitter ales, so Neil ordered the Maximus IPA to appease all those hop-heads out there. This is a unique Double IPA in that it's both yeasty and dark compared to many of its brethren. Big citrus flavors are definitely the name of the game with Maximus, but a little spice and pine come through on the tongue, too. This is a medium-bodied, relatively low alcohol IPA, but with a lot more punch and crisp grapefruit to it than one might expect. This one lives up to its name and is easily one of the most pungent IPAs to come through the store.

Lagunitas IPA $11.99/6-pack
But, maybe you don't want to have your taste buds eradicated in a fiery explosion of hops and prefer something with a little more balance: Lagunitas does that kind of thing, too. This IPA sits on the floral end of the hop spectrum and keeps the grapefruit bitterness in the background. The preference displayed by the brewers with this IPA is one of drinkability and balance, with an attention to pine, spice, and strong malt flavors. A touch of lemon and grapefruit is noticeable, but neither are the focus. The body on the IPA is creamier and thicker than the Maximus, but with a solid carbonation, this is still a very refreshing beer.

March 13, 2009

McSorley's Irish Pale Ale $9.99/6-pack
Americans have fallen in love with Pale Ales' characteristically potent hop flower. As brewers look to hops for stronger, bolder flavors, the American style resembles an IPA more and more closely. Bitterness and grapefruit haven't always belonged to pale ale; McSorley's Irish Pale Ale, while unique, is closer in character to traditional, European and English pale ales than to anything brewed on this side of the pond. Copper in color and full of a grain-colored, caramel aroma, McSorley's pale has a bitter side, but emphasizes sweet, smooth, dark malt flavors over sharp and bitter ones. This pale also features a cool, light body and a distinct smokiness that sets it apart from our other pales. This is one of the first ales to venture outside McSorley's doors - and it's a good one!

McSorley's Irish Black Lager $9.99/6-pack
McSorley's made a bold choice by selecting an unusual style of beer to represent them beyond New York City's limits. Black lagers are exactly what the name would suggest; dark, heavy drinks brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast (lager yeast). This creates beers with many of the flavors present in darker ales, but lighter in body and with a more balanced bitterness factor. In Germany, black lagers are often called Schwarzbiers, and enjoy a good deal of popularity. McSorley's Black Lager is a real beauty: it pours a deep black color with some tan patches and a light head. Roasted malts and a light butteriness play the major roles in this beer from start to finish, but you'll note a mild bitterness throughout, as well. The body is pleasant and light with good carbonation. This is another great session beer, but with a lager twist. Once you've tasted the beer's complexity and marveled at its light body, you'll immediately understand what's so special about this style.

Sam Adams Irish Red $9.59/6-pack
Boston's biggest brewer must have some strong Irish sensibilities; after all, they're from the same town that held the nation's first St. Patrick's Day parade and named their basketball team the Celtics. Their Irish red is a near perfect example of the style. Creamy, smoky, and peppered with caramel, Sam's Irish Red ale is as round as they come and scores extra points for creating a potent, slightly hoppy red that doesn't mask the all-important tea-like flavors natural to the style. A hint of grain is left in the finish and lends the beer some extra substance. If this were a little less hoppy, and just a tad sweeter, it might trick even the most discerning beer geek into believing its right from Ireland. The appearance is as good as it gets, too. The beer is a dark red to copper color and it leaves behind a big foam cap that renders the yeast-aroma detectable. This is an excellent red ale and one of the better beers in Sam Adam's lineup.

Killian's Irish Red $7.99/6-pack
You're probably familiar with Killian's, but did you know that it's a domestic ale? Modeled on the famous Irish red ale style, Killian's is an American take on the brew. Though thinner and less creamy than the typical Irish red, Killian's is one of the few mass-marketed ales that gets the flavors right. Light, somewhat toasty aromas dominate, and the same flavors come through on the tongue. A faint bit of caramel, countered by a similarly light hop presence, is also evident in the finish. The most characteristic flavor of an Irish red, however, is the tea - or tea-like - malt. Killian's nails this factor; their red is permeated with a tea bitterness that makes it very refreshing. This is an easy-drinking ale practically made for celebrations.

March 6, 2009

Schlafly Reserve Barleywine-Style Ale '07 $14.99/750ml bottle
Schlafly Brewery is a staple of the St. Louis area and one of the best micro-breweries in the country. It's just now getting the kudos and broad distribution that it's long deserved, and we're thrilled to be carrying two of their oak-aged specialties. The Barleywine-Style ale is soaked in oak barrels to temper the big, often hoppy and alcoholic flavors that accompany barleywine ales. This particular brew comes in at over 10% ABV and has warm, rich fruit flavors accompanied by a mild bitterness and a punchy spiciness. Brewers of barleywines have been known to take the creative element a bit too far, resulting in over-the-top brews on the extreme end of the scale. Schlafly's, being the outstanding St. Louis-based brewer that they are, took great care to balance and refine this ale. No excessive frills, no extremes - just the perfect complement to big meals and any food that packs an especially spicy or peppery punch. And the mild sweetness that runs through the beer from start to finish makes it a very refreshing drink, especially as we rough it through these final (hopefully!), freezing winter days.

Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout '07 $14.99/750ml bottle
If sampling one outstanding oak-aged ale makes you thirst for a second, look no further than Schlafly's bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout. Though Schlafly's bourbon-soaked brew is characterized by a relatively thin body (thin, at least, for the typical imperial stout), it's potent enough to impress even the most particular Beer Advocate critics, and supplies all of the right flavors. Hints of vanilla, chocolate, bourbon, caramel, molasses, and brown sugar make for an impressive mix, with bold malt aromas, and a big finish is the perfect ending. This is another beer the pushes the 10% ABV boundaries, but manages to hide the alcohol flavors expertly. Dark meats are a great accompaniment to this heavyweight, but the Reserve Imperial Stout is also an especially excellent dessert. You can drink it on its own, or pair it with any number of sweets: chocolate cake, vanilla, chocolate ice cream, tiramisu... This is a very balanced and approachable beer. Don't let the "Imperial" in the title scare you away - this is a beer made for everyone, casual drinkers and beer geeks alike!

Wittekerke Witbier $11.99/6-pk cans
Not everyone wants to drink a heavy, massively alcoholic beer when they sit down to dinner or enjoy a ball game. For those of us that like lighter, less intense beers, we present the Wittekerke witbier from Belgium. Each 11oz can contains all the citric zest and crisp spiciness you'd expect from the style. The first and most noticeable attribute is the lemon juice flavor that permeates this beer from beginning to end. A mild bitterness, gentle spice, and a tangy yeast give the beer its complexity and make it refreshing without being unusually or overly fruity, and a candy-like aroma and sweet finish can also be detected. This one is likely to win over our light beer lovers, but it's also a fantastic choice for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. Most of all, it will pair perfectly with the hot dogs we're serving and prepare you for glorious season of outdoor grills and baseball.

Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly Imperial IPA $9.99/22oz bottle
We're rather awash in oak treated beers this week, but Southern Tier's Oak Aged Unearthly IPA is just too good to be ignored. (You may recall sampling their Gemini Imperial IPA several weeks ago.) It is a truly Unearthly blend of two potent IPAs from their regular lineup (Unearthly being one of them), but it breaks the 11% ABV barrier in the classiest manner possible. There is absolutely no indication of the massive alcohol content in the taste; it's masked to near perfection by dominating brown sugar, caramel, and piney hop flavors. You'll also note an unrivaled smoothness. If Unearthly were a fabric, it would be the silkiest silk ever spun. For those of you on a continual hunt for the best bitter beers on the market, we highly recommend this IPA. With an outrageous 153 IBU rating (that's International Bitterness Units), Unearthly lives up to its name and provides the punch of a goldbrick tied to a 16-wheeler traveling down the road at 100 miles per hour. (You might look funny wearing a helmet when you sample this beer, but you probably wouldn't be alone!) Joking aside, Unearthly is an unusually balanced beer for being so bold. It's a perfect choice for "hop heads" looking for the ultimate hop experience - and it goes great with Thai food!

February 27, 2009

Saison Dupont $11.99/750ml bottle
Virtually on the edge of extinction at one time, the exotic - yet simple - saison ale has made a serious, worldwide comeback. It's a fruit-heavy ale with tart qualities that exhibits virtually zero sweetness and a bold herbal backbone - that's the exotic element. Despite their complexity, saisons are typically round, refreshing ales that emphasize drinkability... at least, if they're of the well-made sort. A top tier ale, Saison Duport definitely fits the bill. A big, carbonated beer that retains a smooth mouth-feel and tends towards ripe peach flavors and grainy and earthy hop notes. A strong, chalky yeast makes up the backbone and gives the ale a little extra something. Dupont has a reputation for brewing some of the best saisons in existence, and this year's blend tops even previous years' offerings.

Abbaye De Floreffe Prima Melior $15.99/4pk
Not a dubbel, tripel, or quad, Floreffe's Prima Melior does share qualities with all three styles. This is a definitively dark ale, with lots of strong chocolate and fig flavors, putting it squarely in the realm of strong Belgian quads. However, anise, coriander, and orange peel are ingredients in this brew, making it more like a tripel or even a white ale. Add flavors of caramel, light citrus, and a mild hop bite, and you're cookin' with fire: the Prima Melior manages to blend all these ingredients without a trace of bitterness, and also skirts overwhelming alcohol flavors. Lighter in body than most strong Belgian ales, Prima Melior and doesn't feature the outrageous ABV that some beers in this style exhibit, but this beer turns it into an asset, making it even more drinkable. St. Bernardus Abt 12 is the only other beer we've carried that has shown off this kind of complexity - and it stays in the store only long enough to frustrate customers who are always on the look out for it. We received a limited amount of this, so if you're interested, make sure to come in early!

Reissdorf Kölsch $4.99/16.9oz bottle
Brewed in Köln, Germany, kölsch is an obscure style of ale that undergoes lagering (meaning it's cold-conditioned) before it is bottled. Much like most Belgian beers, kölsch can be so called only if it is brewed in Köln under rules established by brewing guilds in the region. Ales are typically brewed at high temperatures - and this is no different with this kölsch - but the cold-conditioning lends the brew a very unique flavor that hovers somewhere between a strong, fruit-forward ale and the bitter, hop-heavy bite of a robust pilsner. Though it pours a pale yellow color and appears relatively light, this kölsch has an incredibly complex flavor full of rich, bready malts, grain, grapes, and a mild grassy-ness. Reissdorf is one of the best brewers of this style of beer. Their formula makes for a very drinkable, relatively low alcohol session beer that packs a lot more punch that most people expect. Make sure to come in and try this relatively rare and under-appreciated beer.

Newport Storm Rhode Island Blueberry Ale $10.99/6pk
Many of you have given Blueberry ale enthusiastic reviews, so we thought we'd bring in a new take on this popular New England style. Newport Storm's ale is strong and superbly crisp. The flavor is pure blueberry, with just a touch of yeastiness present from start to finish. This particular ale isn't as indulgently sweet as some other blueberry beers are; making for a quick and refreshing finish that doesn't leave any sticky or cloying aftertaste. A light citrus flavor does linger in the finish, but overall this is a simple, direct, tasty blend that uses half real blueberries and half extract to achieve its end. Still waiting to meet a beer you like? Give this light, refreshing Blueberry Ale a try - it might just prove to be the exception!

February 20, 2009

Southern Tier Oak Aged Ale, Cuvée Series Two $14.99/22oz bottle
Part of the three-beer cuvée series brewed periodically throughout the year, this oak-aged ale sits at an impressive 11% ABV and features an intricate combination of pale ale bitterness and rich, creamy winter ale flavors. It pours a dark ruby color and delivers a rich, malt-heavy blast before calming into a pleasant mix of hop and coffee flavors. The combined bitterness keeps this beer refreshing, and that's important; between the malt sweetness and soft bitterness is a wide range of creamy, oak-spiced flavors. Vanilla, heavy cream, and nougat all lend this beer a monstrous complexity that's complimented by a warm alcohol presence. This is part of a limited series brewed by Southern Tier; it comes packaged in a champagne-style box and is decorated with a foil label. Southern Tier has become famous for its heavy IPAs and stouts, and though the cuvée series features generally lighter beers, they are no less potent than you've come to expect from this brewery!

Dogfish Head Aprihop IPA $10.59/4pk
This seasonal offering from Dogfish Head was very popular the last time we managed to get a few cases into the store. Brewed with apricots and seasoned with whole-leaf hops, Aprihop is that rare beer that successfully blends fruit with hop flavors. With an alcohol content of 7%, the emphasis in this beer is certainly on sweetness. Without being overwhelming, the flavor of ripe, soft fruit gives way to candied sugars, mild citrus, and a wash of hops. Some oak or wood flavors come through in the finish, but do not detract from the beer's star ingredients. The body of the beer is surprisingly creamy and is a pleasant copper color with patches of yellow. Though the flavors are very simple and pleasing, this is definitely a strange and experimental brew. Lucas says, "Anyone crazy enough to blend fruit and hops deserves some kind of medal for making a really strong, excellent beer out of it. Those are two things that just don't normally go together."

Tröegs Nugget Nectar Imperial Amber Ale $6.99/22oz bottle
It seems as though Tröegs is an unstoppable beer force. Their imperial amber is a nearly perfect blend of strong, roasted malt flavors and big, citric bitterness. This was one of the top 25 beers of the year for 2008, according to Beer Advocate, and it's not difficult to understand why. It pours a rich golden color and leaves behind a nice sticky lace with every sip, and is one of the most complex - as well as one of the cleanest - beers on the market. It has a thick, full body and immediately resonates with a caramel maltiness and a pine-like hoppiness. The blend is as good as it comes, but the beer only gets better from there. A bright sweetness comes out in the finish and is complimented by a strong acidity and the presence of lots and lots of hops; this is definitely a bitter beer, but the malt balance is extraordinary. Not only do the toffee and bread flavors survive the hops onslaught, but they practically define the beer's core. Pennsylvania is the home of a lot of fine breweries, but Tröegs is one of the state's exemplary beer-makers and is slowly becoming one of the store's favorites.

Sam Adams Imperial White $11.99/4pk
A witbier from... Sam Adams?! Believe it, and believe that it is good; this Belgian brewmaster-inspired ale is an American update on an already complex and robust ale. Unusually thick and syrupy, this imperial white ale has a very sweet character with a honey background. Orange peel and sugar are also very evident in this beer; if witbiers are typically spicy affairs, Sam Adams' update emphasizes sweetness to a high degree. The result is a heavier beer with a higher alcohol content and a significantly warmer flavor. The nose hides the alcohol very well and features the genre-defining coriander aroma and a light floral hoppiness, though this only comes through when the beer is served at warmer temperatures. Like the Aprihop, this is another experimental style (Belgian brewers don't make an imperial beer of any sort) that manages to succeed despite the odds. Amping up a witbier with more alcohol and sweetness seems like a bad idea, but the result is both very good and highly refreshing. Sam Adams' craft brew series continues to expand and improve: another great beer made right here in Boston!

February 13, 2009

Tröegs Rugged Trail Nut Brown Ale $11.99/6-pk bottles
We know we've been catering to our IPA and hop-loving friends lately. In an effort to make it up to our anti-hop crowd, we've brought in this little gem of an English Brown Ale. Known for having a low hop aroma and bitterness, Tröegs' version is something like a light porter with dominant nutty and roasted malt flavors. Hints of coffee and chocolate come to the foreground in the finish, providing just the touch of acidity needed to make up for the lack of hop bite. Tröegs Hop Back Amber Ale was very popular in our store, and Tröegs itself has been named one of the top 25 breweries in the world by the folks over at Beer Advocate. Be sure to try this, even if you're not the biggest fans of brown ales - these guys have their A-game on all the time!

Tröegs Dreamweaver Wheat Ale $11.99/6-pk bottles
Called an "American Pale Wheat Ale," the Dreamweaver certainly looks like something straight out of a reverie. Hazy, lemon colored, and pouring into a big, fluffy head, the Dreamweaver typifies a beer's ideal appearance. Aromas of fruit come right off the beer, although this style is not generally known for its strong fruit presence. The flavors are classic German Hefe goodness: creaminess, bananas, clove spice, a little bit of pepper, and a touch of malt sweetness. Add a significant hop dosage (that's the American part) and you have a unique and delicious hopped wheat ale that stands head and shoulders above the average American hefe.

Southern Tier Gemini Imperial IPA $9.99/22 oz. bottle
Southern Tier is another brewery rated among the best in the world during 2008. Beer Advocate, Rate Beer, and several other sites consistently rate Southern Tier beers very highly. It's not hard to see why, especially with this potent brew serving as an example. Gemini is a blend of two different beers and is completely unfiltered. It features 7 hop varities (that is not a misprint), but is loaded with red wheat, white wheat, and old-fashioned 2-row pale malts. The flavor is a bit sweeter than what you might expect, especially because of the big malt profile that this beer boasts. The hops all come together to create that cirtus, grapefruit, and pine hop bite many people love, but there are some tropical fruit flavors mixed in for additional complexity. Thick, creamy, smooth as silk - the Gemini is one of the stronger examples of this style to come out in quite awhile, and an excellent addition to our IPA selection.

Sebago Full Throttle Double IPA $10.59/4-pk bottle
Bring your seatbelts with you for this one; compared to the Big A IPA, Sebago's double IPA is a brand new concoction designed to blow you away. In case you don't remember, the Big A IPA was quite possibly the strongest IPA to ever hit MB&W's shelves. It came and disappeared in days, and quickly became unavailable entirely. This one is brewed with four kinds of hops, including cascade and chinook, and ends up with an ABV of 8.2%. Deep amber in color, Full Throttle has a massive resin flavor followed by pine notes and a substantial citrus finish. The hop bite is so strong on this one that the oils from the hop flowers can still be felt in the finished product. It's dry-hopped for one month and also features a fairly strong malt presence reminiscent of caramel. Hop heads will love this, but you may need a slice of that pizza in your hand to cut through its potency!

February 6, 2009

Ommegang Three Philosophers $15.99/4pk
Lucas comments: There's a reason that Three Philosophers is among Ommegang's heaviest, most robust ales. It's made for those who puzzle over the world's mysteries day in and day out. After doing so for long enough, the only cure for what ails you is a drink with a hearty punch. Crafted in the style of a Belgian Quadruple Ale, Ommegang's super complex beer is a concoction of malt-rich flavors and earth-heavy overtones. Three Philosophers features a creamy body and focuses on the sweeter side of the malt palette, but puts the sugary side of its flavor into relief with a host of spices, including liquorice and mild hops. At nearly 10% ABV, it also reveals a gentle alcohol warmth in the finish and rounds the beer out on a strong note. This is a beer perhaps best served with strong cheese or dark meats (or both), but there's nothing to keep you from enjoying it on its own!

Sam Adams Honey Porter $9.99/6pk
Honey Porter, considered an exemplar of American Porter before it was discontinued, is returning from Sam Adams' beer cellar. Emphasizing sweetness over smokiness, the Honey Porter features a truly distinct honey flavor with traces of raisin and alcohol lingering in the finish. Refusing to be one-sided, this porter carries a mild hoppiness on its back, preventing it from being a malty bomb. The color is the usual brown or tan darkness with a sticky tan head, but the aroma is full of subtlety with impressions of chocolate, caramel, and slightly roasted grain. The Honey Porter made a comeback when it was featured in one of Sam Adams' mix packs, but now, due to the ardent pleas of loyal fans, it's available as a six-pack.

Wachusett IPA $9.99/6pk
Back by popular demand, Wachusett's has produced a unique and floral IPA that has a relaxing, malt-centered finish. Pouring a bright copper color with only a small cap and minimal lacing, the Wachusett IPA comes through with an unexpected hop fruitiness before revealing its full and dry floral character. The dry hoppiness lingers before a malt sweetness emerges in the finish, cooling the fruitiness of the first sip. While Cascade hops are noticeable from start to finish, but this beer isn't as potent as the stronger Sierra Nevada products, and doesn't feature that strong, citric component characteristic of the west coast IPAs. Likely to change the minds of even the most ardent hop-cynics in the crowd, the Wachusett IPA is a unique take on an ever more popular style of beer.

Wachusett Quinn's Amber Ale $10.99/6pk
A clear, strong amber ale with a big white cap of foam makes way for a surprisingly potent malt aroma and a faint caramel scent. This is a crisp, simple Irish Red with ever-so-light grain flavors and a touch of mineral. A sharp and quick hop flavors greets you at the start, but quickly gives way to the medium bodied, caramel-flavored ale that everyone knows and expects from Irish ales of this kind. With Quinn's Amber, Wachusett stays true to this tradition, but allows a brief nuttiness to emerge in the middle of the drink. This is a session beer meant for easy drinking and will likely appeal to new beer drinkers seeking something a little different than your average ale.

January 30, 2009

Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout $7.99/25oz bottle
Lucas took one sip of this beer and said, "This is Otter Creek's best beer." Fans of New England breweries and massive stouts will love this deep, black, super rich drink. Weighing in at 10.6% ABV, the Russian Imperial Stout was crafted by Otter Creek in an effort to out-do the already bold and bitter Imperial Stout recipe. Brewed with double the amount of malts, and four times more hops than a typical stout, the Russian Imperial Stout style was originally brewed in England for the Empress of Russia, Catherine the Great. In an effort to impress her court, Thrale's brewing produced the strongest brew that they possibly could. The result was a stout full of chocolate, coffee, caramel, and cream flavors. The body is heavy and full, resembling milk in some respects, but with just a touch of carbonation. The strong, bitter hops used to brew Russian Imperial Stout stand out in both the aroma and the flavor. Everything about this beer is just right. Maybe it isn't just Otter Creek's best beer, but one of the best American-made Imperial Stouts available.

McNeill's Extra Special Bitter Ale $4.99/22oz bottle
It's hard to pass up a beer with your name right on the label - Neil just had to have this one! And we're very glad he did. This extra special ale happens to be an extra special bitter (ESB), a style of beer known for its superb balance. When you think of an ESB, think of toasty, fruitful malts kept in check by mild hops. Far less butter than IPAs, McNeill's contains sweet, citric flavors up front and a touch of floral hoppiness in the finish. This touch of dry hop aroma and flavor helps balance to the bold malt flavors that dominate the ale. It pours a copper red color and leaves a tan cap of foam in its wake, but the body isn't excessively heavy or sticky. This is a beer designed for session drinking and light foods and is a perfect compliment to Super Bowl parties. Made in Vermont, McNeill's is the winner of 13 national and international awards. After giving this one a shot, it's easy to understand why!

Left Hand Brewery's Black Jack Porter $12.99/6pk
As you may know, the first porters being brewed were not distinguished from stouts. It took some time before the sweet, typically less bold flavors of the porter became distinct from the heavy, often bitter flavors of the stout. Left Hand Brewery's Black Jack Porter rides the line between these two styles. The sweet, dark fruit flavors of the porter are still present in the Black Jack, but a roasted bitterness and a touch of hops find their way into the finish on this one, giving this porter a particularly strong flavor. It has a smooth, creamy body and smells prominently of roasted malts or smokey grains. Certainly not as bold as a stout, the Black Jack porter is still a bit stronger than most American porters, despite its focus on sweeter flavors. This is definitely a great winter warmer and a unique take on an already diverse style of style of ale.

Michelob Shock Top Belgian White $8.99/6pk
Anheuser-Busch continues to try its hand at new beer styles with the Shock Top witbier. Pouring a cloudy lemon color, Shock Top sports a healthy wheat aroma with hints of orange, lemon, and the ever-present coriander. The spices are slightly harder to detect on the tongue, but a smooth citrus flavor with light carbonation emanates from this beer. The body is a bit lighter than a typical Belgian white, and some of the flavors seem a bit more mild than they should be. However, Anheuser-Busch has crafted a surprisingly good imitation of the style by adding a pleasant sweetness to the brew. Shock Top is an unexpectedly good beer from a brewery that is not typically known for quality beers.

Beer Offerings

(Includes alternative malt beverages.)

Label	Type
Allagash White	4-pack, bottles
Amstel Light	12-pack, bottles
Amstel Light	6-pack, bottles
Anchor Summer Beer	6-pack, bottles
Bacardi Mojito	6-pack, bottles
Bacardi Silver Raz	6-pack, bottles
Bacardi Watermelon	6-pack, bottles
Bass Pale Ale	6-pack, bottles
Beck's	6-pack, bottles
Blue Moon	6-pack, bottles
Brooklyn Pilsner	6-pack, bottles
Bud Light	12-pack, cans
Bud Light	12-pack, bottles
Bud Light	30-pack, cans
Bud Light	6-pack, 16-oz bottles
Bud Light	6-pack, 16-oz cans
Bud Light	6-pack, bottles
Bud Select	6-pack, bottle
Budweiser	6-pack, cans
Budweiser	6-pack, 16-oz bottles
Budweiser	6-pack, 16-oz cans
Budweiser	12-pack, cans
Budweiser	12-pack, bottles
Budweiser	20-pack, bottles
Budweiser	30-pack, cans
Budweiser	6-pack, bottles
Busch	12-pack, cans
Busch Light	12-pack, cans
Chimay Ale	25.4-oz, bottle
Coors	18-pack, cans
Coors	30-pack, cans
Coors	6-pack, bottles
Coors Light	18-pack, cans
Coors Light	12-pack, bottles
Coors Light	30-pack, cans
Coors Light	6-pack, bottles
Coors Light	6-pack, cans
Corona Extra	12-pack, bottles
Corona Extra	6-pack, bottles
Corona Light	12-pack, bottles
Corona Light	6-pack, bottles
Dreamy Clouds	Sake
Duvel Belgian Gold	4-pack, bottles
Endurance Glacier Gold	6-pack, bottles
Guiness Draft	6-pack, bottles
Guiness Extra Stout	6-pack, bottles
Hakushika Junmai Ginjo	Sake
Harp Lager	6-pack, bottles
Harpoon IPA	12-pack, bottles
Harpoon IPA	6-pack, bottles
Harpoon Peche	22-oz, bottle
Harpoon Summer	6-pack, bottles
Harpoon Summer	12-pack, bottles
Heineken	12-pack, bottles
Heineken	6-pack, keg cans
Heineken	6-pack, bottles
Long Hammer IPA	6-pack, bottles
Long Trail Ale	12-pack, bottles
Long Trail Ale	6-pack, bottles
Long Trail Blackbeary	6-pack, bottles
Long Trail Hefeweizen	6-pack, bottles
Long Trail Summer Survival Pack	12-pack, bottles
Labatt Blue	6-pack, bottles
Magic Hat #9	12-pack, bottles
Magic Hat #9	6-pack, bottles
Magic Hat Hocus Pocus	6-pack, bottles
Magner's	Hard Cider
Michelob	6-pack, bottles
Michelob Light	6-pack, bottles
Michelob Ultra	18-pack, cans
Michelob Ultra	12-pack, bottles
Michelob Ultra	6-pack, bottles
Mike's Hard Berry	6-pack, bottles
Mike's Hard Cranberry	6-pack, bottles
Mike's Hard Lemonade	6-pack, bottles
Mike's Hard Lime	6-pack, bottles
Mike's Variety Pack	12-pack, bottles
Miller High Life	30-pack, cans
Miller Lite	18-pack, cans
Miller Lite	12-pack, bottles
Miller Lite	12-pack, cans
Miller Lite	30-pack, cans
Miller Lite	6-pack, bottles
Modelo Especial	6-pack, bottles
Natural Ice	12-pack, cans
Negra Modelo	6-pack, bottles
O'Doul's	6-pack, bottles
Pacifico Clara	6-pack, bottles
Pilsner Urquell	6-pack, bottles
Redbridge	6-pack, bottles
Redhook ESB	6-pack, bottles
Redhook Seasonal	6-pack, bottles
Rock, Green Light	6-pack, bottles
Rolling Rock	6-pack, bottles
Sam Adams Lager	12-pack, bottles
Sam Adams Lager	6-pack, bottles
Sam Adams Light	12-pack, bottles
Sam Adams Light	6-pack, bottles
Sam Adams Mix	6-pack, bottles
Sam Adams Summer	12-pack, bottles
Sam Adams Summer	6-pack, bottles
Sam Smith, Oatmeal Stout	4-pack, bottles
Sea Dog Blueberry	6-pack, bottles
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale	6-pack, bottles
Smirnoff Gr Apple	6-pack, bottles
Smirnoff Ice	6-pack, bottles
Smirnoff Ice Black	6-pack, bottles
Smirnoff Party Pack	12-pack, bottles
Smirnoff Rasp	6-pack, bottles
Smithwick's Irish Ale	6-pack, bottles
Smuttynose IPA	6-pack, bottles
Smuttynose Lager	6-pack, bottles
Stella Artois	6-pack, bottles
Taru	Sake
Taru	Sake
Twisted Tea	6-pack, bottles
Twisted Tea Half&Half	6-pack, bottles
Twisted Tea Light	6-pack, bottles
Twisted Tea Rasp	6-pack, bottles
UFO Hefeweizen	12-pack, bottles
UFO Hefeweizen	6-pack, bottles
UFO Rasp Hefe	6-pack, bottles
Woodchuck Amber	6-pack, bottles
Woodchuck Gr Smith	6-pack, bottles
Woodchuck Pear	6-pack, bottles
Yuki No Bosha	Sake

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