Many friends. Many beers.
We drink to make others feel less awkward around us.
- New Belgium Sunshine Wheat Beer
by Andy on Jun 30.08 to beer
Everyone is done graduminating. Hectic summer party season has officially begun. Hell yes…Beertastic is getting going again :) New Belgium has been a recent fav, so lets dive in!
Brewery Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
Appearance: Sparkling gold. Clear and crisp with a light bubbly head.
Aroma: Wheaty with a heavy hops overtone. You can get baseline hints of orange and coriander. Hoppy-er than other wheat beers I’ve stuck my nose in.
Taste: Citrus and hoppy bite, not as ridiculous as a IPA but you get that chord. Somewhat spicy taste; Summer is not the first season that comes to mind despite the name. The balance is overall great - very friendly - with pleasant aftertaste of orange, citrus. Better when its on the warm side, but don’t quote me for an exact temp.
Alcohol: 4.8%
Drink one or all?: 2, this is worth a shot. You’ll be pleased having this with a meal.
Cost: $10 / 6 bottle
Overall: Andy: 16/20
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- Samuel Smith Imperial Stout
by Andy on May 31.08 to beer
English. Supposed to be rad. Let’s fucking see.
Brewery Hometown: England
Appearance: Decent head, dark like a stout should be. Respectable is the word mentioned a lot. Dark. Dark. Opaque.
Aroma: Major fruity smacks. Hard alcohol is coming through. Adam thinks he detects part of their oatmeal stout.
Taste: Adam, Brian, Andy: “did NOT see that coming. Bitter coffee task lingers throughout it.” Andy does NOT like his initial sip; alcohol REALLLLLLY bleeds through. Adam, Matt: “tastes like I am drinking black coffee/regular espresso.” Gets sweeter as you continue drinking it; very heavy on the coffee/espresso taste. Matt: “why could this not taste more like blueberry vodka and sprite (in reference to Butler’s drink)” Sigh…maybe you like it if you dig coffee…in and around your mouth…24/7.
Alcohol: 7%
Drink one or all?: 1. Results are mixed.
Cost: $10 / 4 bottle
Overall: Andy: 14/20, Brian: 15/20, Adam: 15/20, Matt: 11/20…BRUTAL
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- Maredsous Triple Belgian Abbey Ale
by Andy on May 31.08 to beer
Dillo Day at Northwestern. The one day a year that NU acts like a state school. Today, Adam and Brian are reviewing with me, enjoying the beautiful weather, full bodied beers and Chicago pop punk. First off is this interesting Belgian Ale. Good friend Matt is also special guest reviewing.
Brewery Hometown: Belgium
Appearance: Solid head, dark golden yellow. Damn, that’s a ton of head. It is NOT fucking around. Coarse filtered, but yummy looking.
Aroma: Much sweeter than expected. Sweet alcohol scent, apparently reminiscent of Brian’s GF after a long night out. Adam confirms. HA! Fuck you Brian.
Taste: Overtly fruity, the alcohol is definitely apparent, but not as intense as other high octane beers. Brian: “the carbonation brings out a lot of flavor…tastes a lot darker than it is.” Adam: “Damn that is some serious head.” Matt: “[has a bit] of bitterness at the end…very apparent in the foam…better as you keep drinking…difficult to dissect overall.” Its a steep-road beer, lots of flavor. Don’t let this linger in your mouth, the carbonation firebombs your mouth. Goes down very slow.
Alcohol: 10%
Drink one or all?: 1!!!
Cost: $12 / 4 bottle
Overall: Andy: 16/20, Brian: 17/20, Adam: 18/20, Matt: 13/20
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- Brewery Ommegang Witte
by Andy on May 22.08 to beer
I’m usually one to get a six-pack and have multiple sittings with a beer before I review it, but for whatever reason this single big bottle really stood out to me. Overall pretty decent, definitely (as the bottle says) “Worth the Wheat”
Brewery Hometown: New York
Appearance: Comes in huge fucking bottle, get ready to invest into drinking this beer (in a good way). Unfiltered pale yellow, HUGE head. This head don’t fuck around, and is supported by many minion bubbles from underneath.
Aroma: Strong wheat. Rich. This gives the impression of a German drinking-mans beer…or something.
Taste: Very little carbonation bite despite the number of furious bubbles. Goes down smooth. Surprisingly light. Delicate wheat flavor that leaves very little after you take a nice swig. After a few the wheat is feeling a little stale? Has light undertones of orange peel and coriander…been there done that, but nice. Surprisingly authentic for a brewery from NEW YORK CITYYYY? (referencing those old salsa ads). Generally nice beer to have, not a standout, but the bottle size is tops. Definately would check out more from this brewery.
Alcohol: 5.1%
Drink one or all?: One. Its a big bottle I tell ya. 750ml. That’s a WINE BOTTLE.
Cost: $3? / 1 bottle
Overall: 8.3/10 Like a cute girl you would hang out with, but not really date.
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- New Belgium Mothership Wit
by Andy on May 11.08 to beer
We’re backkkkk! Finals, graduation, moving…lots going on behind the scenes here but beertastic continues now with New Belgium’s Mothership Wit. More well known for their Fat Tire, this brewery is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Expect more to be reviewed here soon. Mothership Wit is a organic (yes organic, USDA certified) wheat beer.
Brewery Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
Appearance: Very pale yellow, I was confused at first because I initially thought it was clear. Slightly cloudy, with little to no head foam. Bottom is bubbling heavily giving the impression of a lot of carbonation. Swirl in the bottom to maximize your foamage.
Aroma: Wheaty! Not incredibly strong or groundbreaking, but very pleasant.
Taste: Sharp carbonated bite. Initially light on the wheat flavor however, feels watered down. Couple sips later I got the citrus complexity (although subtle) underneath. Feels very light on the tongue, leaving little aftertaste (although any remaining flavor is sweet, generally pleasing). Bottom of the bottle is great! Maybe I didnt swirl it up enough? It is a well balanced beer, not relying on the wheat or orange overtones too much, but you could easily play BP/kegstand/funnel this beer…meaning its a little too light in the flavor category for my tastes.
Alcohol: 4.8
Drink one or all?: 1/2, this is worth a try to see if its up your alley.
Cost: $9 / 6 pack
Overall: 8.8/10
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- Duvel Belgian Golden Ale
by Andy on Apr 11.08 to beer
Apparently this beer is more legendary than Sparta…so I gave it a shot. It didn’t blow my mind, but I would definitely drink this again down the line to see if my opinion would change. My friend Mike helped me flesh out this review.
Brewery Hometown: Belgium
Appearance: Very pale yellow color. Extremely large, bubbly head. Some of the thickest head I’ve ever seen, sticks to the glass/bottle for a lonnnnnnng time.
Aroma: The wheat is very apparent. Delicate. Golden wheat is the best way to describe it. Hard to put a finger on, but good.
Taste: First thought, possibly a little overcarbonated. However that initial bite does add delightful CRISP flavor (with a few more sips) that reminds me almost of fresh apple. Leaves the mouth with a distinct fresh pallet. I am really struggling to characterize the flavor, its complex and has no standout identifying overtones but undeniably beautiful.
Alcohol: 8.5 %
Drink one or all?: Two. Yup.
Cost: $11 / 4 pack
Overall: 8.5/10…I would recommend everyone at least try this highly recommended beer
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