Friday night beer 12 - 19

The grand Friday night beer adventure continues! on the 19th we tried not 3 or 4 but rather 7 different beers! this is a record for Friday night beer that will likley last a while.

First up on the block was Old Speckled Hen. An Ale that falls into the English Bitter type most folks would simply call this a Pub Ale. Realistically they would be right on the money. A good solid hop base note playing just a little bit louder than the malt melody. A good solid beer for playing poker or darts and carousing with freinds.

Next up was Hornsby Crisp Apple Cider. This is not actually a beer but since most beer drinkers I know like ciders.... we will taste them here! Hornsby is a Gallo label for any who didn't already know. If you are already a fan of theier "Hard Cider" do yourself a favor and try the Crisp Apple. A refreshing light cider not very over bearing with the malolactic flavor. This of course Belies it's alchohol content which like most ciders packs a pretty good punch.

After a fair bit of BSing and general socializing we moved on to the Belgian Grand Reserve St Sebastion Abbey Ale from Br. Sterkens Meer. Not a Cidery as many of its Belgian brethren we rather enjoyed it. nothing to right home about really but an outright pleasnt Abbey Ale.

Then whe hit the Kona Pipeline Porter... Oh ...My ...God.. this is good shit! A rich coffee Flavored Poret dr'ed up with genuine kona coffee from Hawaii this is just flat our what a Coffee porter should be. this is not a base line this is a role model. Well Done!

Next up was Genesee Cream Ale.... Wow what a let down after the Kona. With notes of Budwiser this cream ale comes in as a rather weak and insipid version of a cream ale. nuf said.

WIth a bit of trepidation and disapointment we moved onto Old Growler Porter from Nethergate Brewery. They claim their recipie is unchanged from the london recipie for porter found in 1750. and with the heavy handed hops I pretty well believe it. It's a god porter but for most yanks who started in on porters and stouts fromamerican craft brews... you might be taken of your mark. not unpleasnetly mind you... it's just not what you are expecting.

Last we tried Pinkus Organic Hefewiesen. after a disasterous atempt at sharing the yeast amounst all those trying this beer we all finally got a sop. Much better malt flavor than most Hefe's out there. they didn't try to hide the cidery nature of a wheat malt behind alot of citrus but instead treated us to a good solid well balanced beer. Good job!