We're red today... what with drinkin' another new-to-me Sammy Adams brew and smokin' a not-new-to-me Drew Estate Tabak Especial Red Eye. First the beer, and we'll quote one of the Alström Bros yet again:
Minimal head, and it's lacking a bit in retention, though there is a ring of lace that does not waver even after a few hearty gulps. Slight haze in the deep amber brew--we thought this beer could have been a shade darker, with a tinge of red to it. Buttery, fruity, malty, faint caramel aroma--so we definitely know the yeast worked on this beer. Smooth with a medium body. Buttery on the palate, tending toward the sweet-malty side, with a quick draw of modest hop bitterness. The buttery character is hard to shake even with its toasty and caramel malt backbone. Finishes a little dry.
Mr. A likes this beer even less than the Rye Ale I drank yesterday, giving Irish Red a "C." I'd give it a slightly better grade than that, but then again I'm easy. There are precious few real beers (as opposed to mass-produced swill like Bud Light and the like) I've met and didn't like, when ya get right down to it. I did notice the head on this beer was a lil thin for my tastes and it dissipated almost immediately. There's no lacing to speak of as you drink the beer, either, and that's not a good sign. It does go down easy, tho, and I'm almost ready to pour another as we speak.
Working on a Sam Adams Winter Lager. I like it. I don't have the sensory skills to describe it in depth. I just like it!
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about rating beer, but I know what I like. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's the right time of the year to be drinking "Irish Red", I think.
Glenn: I love SA's Winter Lager... that beer is a regular in these parts.
ReplyDeleteStaci: Agreed on the Irish Red.
I like me the reds and ambers. Probably my favorite beer food group.
ReplyDeleteToby and I were buying beer in WF Saturday. I wanted him to get the Sam Adams variety pack so that we could try the different beers, but he went for the Fat Tire. We did buy some new wine to try.
ReplyDeleteHeresy coming from a Boston boy, but I think most Sams are overrated. To be clear, not bad brews, but not as good as some people like to think.
ReplyDeleteSA Winter Lager is a certified Ass Kicker....so don't drink much of it at one sitting. My new fav for winter however is Guinness Foreign Extra Stout...not to be confused with Guinness Extra Stout, Or the watery Guinness Draught. At $10 per 11.2 oz 4~packs, it's a little pricy, but the 7.5% AC adds a kick for your buck, Buck.
ReplyDeleteAndy: I'd be hard pressed to name a favorite beer group. It used to be bitters, but that was when I lived in Ol' Blighty and getting GOOD bitters was never a problem. The reds go down well in winter but I do tend to favor the wheat beers of late.
ReplyDeleteLou: That SA vareity pack is Egg-zactly what I bought last time out and I have ZERO regrets. That said, ya can't go wrong with Fat Tire!
Jim: I hear ya. I'm not an SA fanatic; I reserve MY fanaticism for New Belgium. ;-)
Pat: Stout and I have never gotten along. But I hear ya about the SA Winter Lager... three of those make me VERY happy! ;-)
You need to come chill out with Old Iron & I in Naples Florida for some great cigars and beer at Tamiami Cigar Bar... For real Buck!
ReplyDeleteThat's a looong drive, KC. I don't fly any longer. But a week in Naples sounds pretty danged good!
ReplyDeleteWell if you ever feel the urge to make that treck, let us know! Old Iron has said it would be AWESOME to host you and you would most DEFINITELY love Tamiami Cigar Bar... and I will be doing a post about the place very soon!
ReplyDeleteSomething to think about I suppose!