I know I'm not the only one who thinks Joe Biden looks like Jeff Dunham's puppet, Walter.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Crimes Against Beer: St. Pauli Girl
Fun-loving beer my ass.
I'll be blunt, St. Pauli Girl Lager sucks as far as German beers are concerned. Sure, it can hang with the worst of the American macro lagers. I might even take it over an Old Milwaukee, if I was desperate for a drink.
The marketing folks at St. Pauli Girl, an InBev (those Belgians that bought Anheuser-Busch) brand, sure do like to make things up:
If you like a Girl that has a deep golden color, distinctive full-bodied taste and "hoppy" aroma, then the Lager is for you. This Girl has been a Gold Medal winner for the American Tasting Institute Best Full Calorie German Lager.
No, not so much.
St. Pauli Girl Lager
InBev
German Pilsener
D+ / 2.3
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | drink: 2.5
Why did I order this beer? Well I wasn't paying for it and I'd never tried it - win/win, right?
I though once the light-struck skunky flavor (thanks to the green bottle) cleared out of the aroma and taste, there might be something worth writing about, but I was mistaken. What was left after the most offensive, yet richest flavor vacated was a nasty sour fruit tang and only a hint of actual German lager flavor. Yes, it was there hiding in the back, light bready malts with a bit of sweetness. But for the most part I just tasted the big off-flavor that I assume St. Pauli Girl considers their trademark taste. Move along, nothing to drink here. Pass.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Of Bikes and Beer: Roller Wars
In an exhibition showing on the second floor of the Allentown Brew Works, a handful of brave souls went head to head on the Lehigh Wheelmen's vintage rollers. Check it out, this is Ryan "The Flask" Pomajevich versus Kurt "The Chappa" Begemann (that's chopper with a South African accent). And if anyone is wondering, that is a Gucci-styled skinsuit on the right.
Then, of course, there was the beer too. I tried a pale ale and red ale with mixed results. While I give the Brew Works credit for hosting bike races, the beers lack consistency.
Copper Kettle Pale Ale
Allentown Brew Works
American Pale Ale
B / 3.7
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4
Aside from a being fairly dark red color for a pale ale, this was good beer. The aroma is full of spicy, herbal hops and the flavor has a balance of dry biscuit (think bisquik) malts and more citrus hop flavors. The body is on the light side of medium and the carbonation is crisp enough to make this a good session beer. Worth trying if you stop by the brewpub.
West End Red
Allentown Brew Works
American Amber/Red Ale
C / 2.9
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | drink: 3
In a word, disappointing. The malt somehow manages to hide while an uninspiring and typical of the brew works hops profile dominates the flavor. The hops, to be more specific, are the same grassy, spicy, herbal taste I've recently had in the Copper Kettle Pale Ale and the CH-47 pale ale at the Bethlehem location. I'm guessing the house yeast strain simply acts a bit funny with American hops, but the result here is not good. Pass.
Then, of course, there was the beer too. I tried a pale ale and red ale with mixed results. While I give the Brew Works credit for hosting bike races, the beers lack consistency.
Copper Kettle Pale Ale
Allentown Brew Works
American Pale Ale
B / 3.7
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4
Aside from a being fairly dark red color for a pale ale, this was good beer. The aroma is full of spicy, herbal hops and the flavor has a balance of dry biscuit (think bisquik) malts and more citrus hop flavors. The body is on the light side of medium and the carbonation is crisp enough to make this a good session beer. Worth trying if you stop by the brewpub.
West End Red
Allentown Brew Works
American Amber/Red Ale
C / 2.9
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | drink: 3
In a word, disappointing. The malt somehow manages to hide while an uninspiring and typical of the brew works hops profile dominates the flavor. The hops, to be more specific, are the same grassy, spicy, herbal taste I've recently had in the Copper Kettle Pale Ale and the CH-47 pale ale at the Bethlehem location. I'm guessing the house yeast strain simply acts a bit funny with American hops, but the result here is not good. Pass.
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