Stoudts Mai Bock

Been awhile since I posted, actually forgot about my blog altogether. Too busy enjoying some good beers I guess...

Been finding it harder and harder to find "something new" at my local place, Mac's. They do carry some expensive Belgian selections that I find tempting, but haven't jumped yet.

On my wish list is Midas Touch from Dogfish Head. Mac's said it would be around $60 to get this in... I passed. One beer of note I've head since my last post has probably been Clipper City's "Loose Cannon" Hop3 Ale. Very similar to a Troeg's Nugget Nectar, for about $10 less. Very aromatic, very hoppy, very delicious. Come to think of it, I should have them order it for me again...

Today's review is Stoudt's Mai Bock. Not being very familiar with the style, I figured I'd jump in to it and find out. Bock's are German, typically Malty. Mai is "May" in German, so it's supposed to be indicative of welcoming springtime. Honey is a main ingredient of Stoudts' brew. I found it to be malty enough to be a Bock, but still hoppy enough for my own tastes. It pours a decent golden color, it glistens nice in the sun, nice white head, very inviting looking.

Taste has a nice strong intro with plenty of alchohol for the palate and the belly. Sweetness and maltiness are the main features, but there is a freshness that approaches a clean finishing lighter beer. This beer weighs in at 7%, so it's not light. Honey is also an ingredient though I can't quite detect it. Overall, a great beer, not very complex, but it holds its own.

I rate this beer at a 85.

Cheers,
PJ

Dogfish Head Brown Ale

I picked up a case of Dogfish Head Brown Ale. I was kind of in a hurry to get something, I usually spend a few minutes perusing the selection, seeing what I feel like. I am pretty much a sucker for anything that Dogfish Head makes, as I've been very impressed with everything I've tried from them to date. I'd just finished a Variety case of Smuttynose that included a Brown Ale, and was interested in seeing Dogfish Head's take on this beer style.

Well... when I first poured it I thought I'd made a bad choice. This beer poured exactly like a porter would. Not what I was hoping for. Very dark, very "porterish" color, bubbly dark head, and the smell was unmistakable. The Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale was a deep red color, and had none of the porterish aroma. I had a couple last night, and found it to be OK. Yeah, just OK.

So I pop open a bottle tonight, and I have a different impression right from the start. There's more ale to this beer, than there is porter, so I was relieved. It definitely seems to ride right between an ale and a porter. So what was it trying to be?

So after some Googling, the history of the brown ale made it clear. Brown Ales were first started in England in the 1600s. They used to make their beers by reusing the wort made from a boil of smoked barley, which would of course, "dilute" the beer each time. The first two brews would be a stout and a porter. The next ones would be brown ales. Made sense to me!

So this beer is quite drinkable, which I don't usually associate with porters and stouts (though I find Guinness VERY drinkable - though for some, undrinkable...). Very easy on the tongue for a dark beer, not too sweet, not too heavy. Whatever they did, they did it well.

My score for this beer is an 89.

Cheers,
PJ

First review

Yeah, it's a little early in the day to be enjoying a beer, but it seemed like the right thing to do. No better time to sit in front of the computer and try to write my first beer review *as* I drink it.

Picked up a case of SmuttyNose last night. I'd just been reading a little bit about this beer lately so I decided to try it. Was about $35 from Mac's. This was a variety pack, which I like, more bang for the buck I think. Increases the chances you find something you like. You can just close your eyes, reach in the fridge, and put it to your lips and surprise yourself.

Anywho, The Portsmouth Lager is today's beer. It pours a nice dark golden color, medium clarity, about a 1/2 inch of bubbly head. I notice a little bit of sediment on the bottom of the glass. The first sip hit the middle to back of my tongue nicely. Has a nice smell, and a decent aftertaste. There's also a nice maltiness to this beer, which I prefer. Some of the lighter lagers, just don't have enough flavor IMHO.

As I drink the beer, I'm finding it to be quite good. I'll have to check the alcohol content but it is probably a good 5% is my guess. Nice lacing on the glass, and the bbubbly head turned to a nice thin layer of foamy head, exactly how a glass of beer should look ;-)

So I think I'll finish this review by giving it a score from 1-100. For this beer, I would rate it a 87. A B+ beer, but that's only because I find lagers probably the most generic style, and not necessarily my favorite. But a decent drinking beer nonetheless.

-PJ

Intro

I plan on using this page to start posting my own beer reviews. Sounds strange, but I feel the need to put some of my own thoughts down about the beers I've been buying, enjoying and talking with others about.



Yesterday I had the time to walk down to the The Foodery, at 10th & Pine Streets in Philadelphia. It's about a 15 minute walk from work. Selection is the best I've seen hands down. About 4 refrigerated cabinets of single bottles of craft brews, Belgian beers, and alot of stuff that I plan on trying at some point.



Prices are around 2.50 to 3.50 a bottle, and I walked away with a six-pack for $20. Buying beer this way to get you through the week would be very cost prohibitive. BUT it's worth getting to try stuff for the cost of a pint in the comfort of your own home.



My usual place is Mac's Neighborhood Beverage in Maple Glen, PA.



I'll post reviews of the beers I picked up at some point in the future.



-PJ