Wednesday, February 24, 2010

"Test Product" Pale Ale (bottle) - 3.8

"Test Product" Pale Ale
American Pale Ale
Arvada, CO
ABV: About 5%

Mark has been making his own hard cider for a while, then made a batch of that into applejack, and now he's finally ventured his way into brewing his own beer. His first batch is a pale ale using Warrior, Amarillo, and Cascade hops. Mark didn't want to rate his own brew, so his brother-in-law Chris is sitting in on this one.

Jon:
Clear, golden honey color. There's something interesting going on with the nose... I smell orange and banana but Mark says my smeller is off today. A tad sweet and a tad fizzy, otherwise a really great pale ale. I like the mix of hops, the flavor is right on.

3.7
Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall
4/5 8/10 3/5 7/10 5/5 3/5 7/10

Chris:
Great beer, almost more enjoyable than the beer is hearing about how it's made and everything that went into it. The flavor has lots of dimension and character. Two thumbs up!

3.9
Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall
4/5 7/10 4/5 7/10 5/5 4/5 7.5/10

Jere:
Even though it's not specifically intended to be sweet, I appreciate that unexpected quality. Considering it's a homebrew I'm definitely impressed. Can't wait for the IPA!

3.9
Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall
3/5 7/10 4/5 8/10 5/5 4/5 8/10

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Hazed & Infused (bottle) - 3.1

Hazed & Infused
American Pale Ale
Boulder Beer Company
Boulder, CO
ABV: 4.85%

Jon:
Looks hazy. Ha! The bitterness is sharp and lemony. Very fizzy and acidic, it's got a lot of bite. Quite refreshing.

3.0
Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall
4/5 6/10 3/5 7/10 2/5 2/5 6/10

Mark:
Very bright and sparkly for an unfiltered beer. The combination of Centennial and Crystal hops gives it a sharp lemon rind, sour herbalness.

3.2
Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall
4/5 7/10 3/5 7/10 2/5 2/5 7/10

Jere:
Stronger than I remember, or maybe it's the glass... I'm guessing this is usually drunk out of the bottle.

3.2
Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall
4/5 6/10 4/5 6/10 3/5 2/5 7/10