Beer Review Thread

Waldo · Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 22679 Location: The ATL

Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale

Tommyknocker is a brewpub/craft brewery in Colorado with national distribution. This is an interesting concept for a beer, maple syrup added to standard brown ale, replacing some of the fermentable sugars in the malt. The maple taste isn't very strong, there is a hint of it in the aftertaste, though it adds a sweet weirdness to the beer flavor that isn't necessarily all that great. It is a brown ale, with no hop flavor and some hop bitterness, but a fairly strong malt taste from darker malts, the light uncaramelized malts have very little flavor, possibly due to the portion replaced by the sugar in the syrup. The chocolate malt in it is very distinct, almost like a very light Porter.

What I like, I think the underlying brown ale is very good. Taste of chocolate malt, and some lighter carmelized malt, moderate hop bittering, no hop flavor.

What I don't like, while I like the concept, I don't really think that this is the best style to add maple to. I think that a lightly hopped light ale like a bitter, or one of the crossovers like a cream ale or alt would be a much better beer to pair with maple syrup (or even a very light brown ale like a Newcastle). The maple would be stronger and wouldn't compete as much with the flavor.

I like the concept, but the underlying beer has too much taste, which doesn't jive that great with the maple syrup, which itself doesn't taste like you would expect since it is fermented. If it weren't for the hint of maple in the aftertaste, I would have no idea of what was causing the weird flavor.

Grade: 4.0
_________________

MrDrew · Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 12:14 am Post subject:

Breckinridge Brewery Vanilla Porter

My Review:
More vanilla than Porter. It pours dark brown with a medium light tan head. Scents of vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and toasted malts. Tastes lightly of a porter with a rich, creamy, vanilla/chocolate taste, with coffee undertones. It reminds me of a milkshake that you ran out of chocolate syrup while making it.... If that makes sense? It's kind of a after dinner/desert beer, if there is such a thing. Very easy to drink by itself, but I really can't think of a good food pairing, except chocolate cake, or vanilla ice cream.

Technical:

Waldo · Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 22679 Location: The ATL

I totally agree with your score on the Breckenridge. That is one of my favorite beers. The vanilla is not overdone but definitely is there, and it is definitely fresh vanilla beans, not extract, balanced well agaisnt the malt. I wish the chocolate malt was a little stronger, but that is a minor complaint, all in all an excellent beer.
_________________

MrDrew · Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 1:01 am Post subject:

BLick12 · Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 1:05 am Post subject:

Following this for sure. Being a college student I consume a lot of cheap beer, but I can definitely always sit down and enjoy a good one.

EDIT: A couple good brews I really enjoy are Blue Moon, Yeungling, and Lionshead (which is the best brew in PA not Yuengling to whoever said that).
_________________

boondock · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 17747 Location: Waynesville, NC

twslhs20 · Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 4:10 pm Post subject:

boondock · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 17747 Location: Waynesville, NC

BLick12 · Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 5:00 pm Post subject:

I'm really not at all partial to the Boston Lager. I enjoy drinking a Cherry Wheat every now and again though.
_________________

Waldo · Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 22679 Location: The ATL

tikitiger · Joined: 22 Oct 2005 Posts: 3736 Location: Beijing, China

Heineken is my favorite of the "mainstream" beers.. stuff is quality
_________________
tikitiger77.deviantart.com

#8 South Carolina Gamecocks 11-2

QuinneyluvsNFL · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 14509 Location: ENGLAND

god i need to try some of these beverages, as i have only had Carling, Stella Artois, Guinness, Strongbow, Magners, Bulmers before, and not a proper ale. Do you guys have many of the drinks i listed above over in America. Obviously i know Guinness is popular, but what about Carling or Stella?
I haven't had many different drinks to compare, so i am not going to give ratings on any of these.
_________________

bigbluefan87 · Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 6:07 pm Post subject:

all i have to say is since i've turned 21, drinking at college has become more of a variety. not having to drink bud light, natty light, or keystone is definitely a welcomed thing.

and the fact that budweiser american ale and bud light 12 packs are the same price at the store, and people still pick bud light is atrocity. i don't get the love for that stuff, it's not even friggin cheap.

and i came across a different 30 pack of a bud beer called bud dry, it was like 5 bucks cheaper than a 30 of bud light and tasted a lot better. that and busch are the only two i will willing buy for myself that i would've drank before i turned 21.
_________________

~lago_vista on the sig/avatar

RyanFuller003 · Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 19902