Beer Review: Goose Island – Christmas Ale 2009
Nov0
*Insert Witty Caption Here*
Amount of brew in bottle: 22 fluid ounces
ABV: 5.7%
Type of brew: Brown Ale
Price: ~$7
I have only ran into Goose Island brewery once and even though the beer was good it was pretty over the top. Anyway, this beer piqued my interest when I was at my local grocery store so I picked up a bottle. I am usually pretty indifferent about brown ales but I have to say this is a pretty darn good brown ale. It is a bit sweet as it warms up but that appears to be a trait of this brewer. Besides being slightly sweet it has a slight bite from the hops although it is very tolerable.
The beer pours a brown color white a small white head and a small amount of carbonation. There is a slight aftertaste and almost reminds me of many barrel-aged beers. It is super easy to drink and is light enough to drink on a weeknight. I think it would be a good beer to drink with more bland foods like poultry or fish. Overall I thought this was a great brown ale to drink when you want something with taste but still want something light.
The good: A great brown ale
The bad: It could be a little sweet for some and it only comes in large bottles
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Beer Review: Harviestoun – Ola Dubh
Nov0
Black as black can be!
Amount of brew in bottle: 11.2 fluid ounces
ABV: 8.0%
Type of brew: Ale
Price: $8.50
Earlier I reviewed a beer from Ireland and now I am reviewing a beer from Scotland, it is like I planned it! I have been eyeing this beer for awhile but have been reluctant to get it because of the high cost of one bottle. Finally though I got a bottle of this and am now reviewing it (no shit, right?). This beer is not what I was expecting though, I was really expecting a syrupy sludge. Instead this beer is sweet, flat and fairly light tasting. The beer gets considerably better as it warms up, this is not a beer you want to drink straight out of the fridge.
The beer does have hints of whisky which makes sense since it is aged in whisky barrels. Like all other wood-aged beers it is a lot sweeter than your normal beers. When I mentioned this beer was flat in the first paragraph I really meant it, there was absolutely no head at all when I poured it. It is like drinking a wine, water or flat soda. This is one of the darkest ales I have ever consumed though, it is pitch black. Initially I was not impressed with this beer but as it warmed up I really enjoyed it. It is not the best beer I have ever had nor do I think it is worth the price tag of it, but it isn’t horrible. I kind of think of it as a cheesy action flick that you don’t mind paying $9 to see once because it was pretty funny and entertaining but you wouldn’t buy it or even remember it in a year.
The good: A fairly tasty beer once it warms up
The bad: I think the price point is a little high
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Beer Review : O’Hara’s – Celebration Stout
Nov2
An awesome stout!
Amount of brew in bottle: 25.4 fluid ounces
ABV: 6.0%
Type of brew: Stout
Price: ???
I have had this bottle of brew in my fridge for at least two months now. It has been one I have been waiting to try but I just never have gotten around to it. I really shouldn’t have waited so long because this beer is damn good! This beer pours with a fairly thick head and is fairly carbonated. It has an almost chocolatey sweet smell to it as well. The beer is super easy to drink and has a dry finish to it.
I had really high expectations for this beer since it is brewed in Ireland and there is at least one few famous stouts that comes out of that country. Personally I think this is better than the very well known stout that comes out of Ireland. The beer is a bit heavier than some stouts but it is far from the heaviest beer I have had either. Overall this is probably one of my favorite stouts I have had to date. If you get a chance to try this stout I would definitely pick it up!
The good: A great stout, really easy to drink
The bad: A little bit hard to find and it comes in a big bottle
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