Beer Review Thread

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

Boy I'm glad I remembered your review on Left Hand's Brown. I had it in my hand at the store when it just hit me, I put it down and got Bell's Porter.

Why is it that so many breweries versions of Brown's are fails. Browns are so easy to make.

Initial taste of mine is a Shocked

Once the bittering hops mellow a bit that bad boy is gonna be crazy good. One of the best I've tasted at the racking stage.
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boondock · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 17745 Location: Waynesville, NC

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

Terrapin 90 Shelling

The Terrapin brewery is located in Bulldog country in Athens, Ga. Known mostly for their Rye Ale (which is quite good), the have a series of side project one time offerings. I had their Chocolate Porter without reviewing it, it was awesome though. Scotch Ales are broken up in to different categories traditionally, based on heaviness or strength, each one being a 60, 70, 80, or 90 Shilling. The higher the number, the stronger the beer. American breweries rarely make anything but a 90 Shilling, Scotch Ale is incorrectly assumed to only be a strong style only, which is very wrong, it can be made very light as well.

About this beer......it is not a Scotch Ale, it doesn't really taste like one. It is a strong Ale, basically a young old Ale. Getting away from that minor point (were I to review this as a Scotch Ale I would give it very low marks). I like this beer. The dominant flavor is a light caramelized malt. There is A LOT of it. The flavor is more often associated with an Altbier or American Light Lager (pee) than a 90 Shilling Scotch Ale, and is really a shocker is this beer, which is the slightest step below being dark beer (hold it up to the light and you can see through it, without backlighting it loos black). It however the flavor works here, it is balanced with some darker caramelized malt, perhaps Black Patent. The hopping is light, little to no flavor or aroma, but a some bittering hops. This beer tastes absolutely nothing like the 7.7% ABV it is and goes down like water (this would be dangerous (and ridiculously expensive, $8 per single 22 oz bottle)) out of a keg, I don't know that I've had such a drinkable high gravity beer).

The flavors in this beer work really well together. This is a unique beer, unlike just about any I've had. It is just so odd for a darker beer to taste strongly like a light beer, but this one does.

I wish this was more of a Scotch Ale, but W/E, I'm very pleased to have tried this. I really didn't know that this flavor was capable out of a beer, same good 'ol beer ingredients too.

Terrapin's side project beers are usually pretty expensive but worth it if you see them. In the two I've had, I've been very impressed with the beer in the bottle, and I'm going to continue to try their different offerings. I gotta say, this one creeps up on you, it tastes and goes down like a 4% ABV beer, when it is a high gravity. This is a very odd tasting, but good tasting beer. But if you are looking for a true heavy Scotch Ale, this is not one. It is a strong Ale.

Grade: 8.0
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Waldo · Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 22679 Location: The ATL

MrDrew · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:50 pm Post subject:

GreenBayAddict4 · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:19 pm Post subject:

Waldo, if you ever come to California you got to try either Great White or Downtown Brown. Lost Coast Brewery make some tasty beers and those two are my favorite beers. Great White is my favorite mostly because of how flexible it is, if you will. Goes great with food, I can take my time drinking it and fully appreciate it that way, or if I am in a party mood I can pretty much chug one down if I want because its not a very "heavy" beer not is it a "light" beer(Pretty balanced IMO). It has lots of flavor so every sip is very enjoyable.
Just thought I would let you know! You gotta check one these beers out some time. Here's there website.
Actually I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post their website, but just type in lost coast brewery on google and it's the 1st result on there. So, check them out there if you have some time.

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Done by Waldo ^^

MrDrew · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:38 pm Post subject:

GreenBayAddict4 · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:43 pm Post subject:

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

Hmmm, I don't get out to Cali much. I've been to SF twice, both times heading up to wine country. Other than that I haven't been to the state.

I cannot possibly convey how much I want to visit Scotland and Bavaria.
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MrDrew · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 12:31 am Post subject:

BaltimoreTerp · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 12:35 am Post subject:

Waldo, have you tried any Saranac?

The breweries are here in Clinton and Utica, so we have a lot of it. Wondering what you thought of any of their ales.
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Waldo · Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 22679 Location: The ATL

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

MrDrew · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 1:27 am Post subject:

ienjoythesnow · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 4377

mmm... bavaria

just had a few of these and am loving them, below was my favorite

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RaiderX with the assist^^