Grabbing the Bull by the Horns

Posted by Jim on Oct 28th, 2011
2011
Oct 28

Bull Jagger Portland Lager

B+ / 3.85
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I picked a bottle of this up at Oak Hill Beverage today and popped it right into the fridge. There’s no date on the bottle, but since this beer premiered on shelves earlier this week, I know it’s fresh. Being the new brewery in the Riverside Industrial Park, I’m pouring this beer into a logo pint glass of their neighbor Allagash.

The beer is translucent yellow with some orange tones. Plenty of carbonation bubbles cling to the sides of my glass. The head is egg shell colored and about a finger thick. It has settled down to a modest layer of foam that caps the liquid. Swirling the beer coats the glass with a tiny film and some patchy foam.

The aroma has some fruity and grassy hops. Some pale and grainy malts are also present.

This lager has a solid flavor profile. A slight sweetness has hints of toffee. The hops are grassy and provide a basic level of bitterness that compliments the style nicely. A good balance of the sweet and bitter flavors linger on after I swallow; they provide a earthiness that is a nice ending.

This beer certainly has a fuller body than any mass produced lager that comes in a can. A good level of carbonation plays games on my tongue and really foams up if I swish the beer around in my mouth. The coating is a little stickier than I’d like, as are my lips, but this is a minor complaint.

I enjoy this beer. I hope it succeeds, as Southern Maine breweries who make golden beers exclusively don’t have the best track record (any remember Sparhawk or Growstown?). Brewing in accordance to the German Purity Law is an admirable goal. I’m excited to see what else Bull Jagger can create. There are some fine products coming out of the Riverton Industrial Park; Portland Lager fits in with them nicely.

A Beer Review for an Old Man

Posted by Jim on Oct 7th, 2011
2011
Oct 7

Today is my 32nd Birthday!  To celebrate, I’ve pulled a 2 year old bottle of Atlantic Brewing‘s Anniversary Old Ale, Foonf Zane Auld Ale.  No one on BA has reviewed this since it was released back in 2009…until tonight.

 

Atlantic Brewing Foonf Zane Auld Ale

B+ / 3.93
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I’ve had this bottle in my cellar since July 2009. I’ve poured it into a Delirium Noël snifter.

The beer has a dark ruby color. The head was a small layer of an and pinkish bubbles and foam. It settled quickly to a skim. Swirling the glass leaves an oily slick behind on the walls of the glass. Patchy foam slides down the walls and back into the beer.

Still a strong sweet aroma to this beer. Crystal sugar, toffee and plum scents are all present. A little bit of residual alcohol is mixed in as well.

This old ale has a typical dry, peaty flavor. Toffee flavors are present, but not as strong as in the nose. Malt syrup flavors are present in the back end. There is only a touch of alcohol in the finish.

This beer isn’t very sticky, but it does leave a decent coating on the inside of my mouth. Carbonation is low.

This is an enjoyable old ale. It seems to have aged well, although it has been a long time since I had it fresh—before I started reviewing beers. If you find yourself up in Maine and see a bottle, it would be a good one to bring home and drink later, once you’ve started missing Maine.

 

In some related news, Nissa got me three books on homebrewing as birthday gifts.  An introductory reference book published by the Brewers Association, a book of advanced homebrewing techniques, and a book about growing your own hops and malt grains!