ericam
Erica Mauter
Web Page: http://www.swirlspice.com
Registered Since: 2008-01-03 19:36:16
Profile: I used to say I was a beer snob, but I'm actually just picky. I learned very little from my short homebrewing stint so while I know what I like and what I don't when I taste it, I couldn't tell you what hops or malt has to do with any of that. You can also find me at Metroblogging Minneapolis.
Reviews by ericam:
Refreshing!
Week 14: Schell Maifest (March 31–April 6) | Reviewed on April 29th, 2008
I’m really surprised by how much I liked this one. It’s very flavorful. Tastes like summer. Citrus-y? Love the clean finish. I’m having it with leftovers from the grill. Out on the deck, by the cooler, with that charcoal smell in the air and a pair of giant tongs in my hand would definitely be the way to drink the MaiFest. Just as soon as it warms up.
Inoffensive
Week 11: Schell Pilsner (March 10–16) | Reviewed on April 20th, 2008
It tastes like a lot of beers I’ve tasted before, and so I find it to be not outstanding at all. A tad hoppy, but not overkill. A tad malty, but not overkill. Mediocre. Perhaps a good backyard barbecue beer.
It tastes best when there’s no beer in my mouth.
Week 10: Lake Superior Special Ale (March 3–9) | Reviewed on April 10th, 2008
The part I’m enjoying most is the finish.
Hoppy, but without the lingering aftertaste I expected from it. I think if I drank more than one it’d make an appearance, though. I bet it would be good with pizza.
Woo, citrus-y!
Week 9: Brau Brothers Frame Straightener (February 25–March 2) | Reviewed on March 24th, 2008
I guess when I saw “Belgian” I expected it to be a little sweet. It’s not really, but it certainly is crisp. Nice, neat finish.
I usually reserve beers I really like to be consumed alone, and stuff I could take or leave I’ll eat with food. This finds a nice spot in the middle. I had it with pizza, but it was flavorful enough to stand up for itself without taking away from either the eating or the drinking experience.
Completely Average
Week 12: Finnegans Irish Amber (March 17–23) | Reviewed on March 20th, 2008
Kinda thin. Zero finish. If someone just handed me a pint glass, I would probably assume it’s something on par with what they serve the 19-year-old Americans in Canadian border cities. I might drink a second one if it appeared in front of me, but that would be my limit.
And while it’s not overly enjoyable in and of itself, I think it would go great with your standard pub fare. I’d gladly toss it back with some Shepherd’s Pie.
This one’s a sipper.
Week 8: Flat Earth Cygnus X-1 (February 18-24) | Reviewed on February 24th, 2008
It’s smooth, it’s a little creamy, it’s a little sweet. If it were just a tad less hoppy and a tad sweeter, it’d be perfect for me. I like that I can taste hops, but they’re not overwhelming. The tall bottle is the perfect quantity for me for an evening. Looks beautiful in a pint glass.
I think I should like it more than I actually do.
Week 5: Summit Winter (January 28-February 3) | Reviewed on February 10th, 2008
A tad creamy. I do like the malt flavor on my tongue. The slightly hoppy finish is meh, more because that’s my personal preference than because it’s poorly done. I could keep drinking it, but I wouldn’t savor it.
Okay, yeah, hops. Seriously. Hops.
Week 4: Surly Furious (January 21-27) | Reviewed on January 27th, 2008
Only because I’ve homebrewed do I really know what hops smell like (probably because nobody’s ever pointed it out to me while drinking a beer). Hops smell like green. Grassy, earthy (but not like dirt), and a little sweet. Sniffing a can of Surly Furious is exactly like cutting open a package of hops and taking a big whiff. A sweet smell that turns into a sour taste on the tongue, and back to that sweet green on the aromatic finish (and upon burping). I needed a water chaser.
It’s definitely flavorful, just not my kind of flavor, so it gets a higher score than if I thought it was just bad.
Sour!
Week 3: Flat Earth Belgian Pale Ale (January 14-20) | Reviewed on January 20th, 2008
It tastes astringent. Citrus-y? The immediate hit on the tongue is attention-getting. It’s fine until you swallow it; the aftertaste lingers in an unpleasant way. A night of drinking this will guarantee a terrible-tasting mouth the morning after.
This is the kind of beer I would eat with food because I don’t like it that much, so food doesn’t get in the way of savoring it. I had it with pizza.
Completely Unremarkable
Week 2: Gluek Honey Bock (January 7-13) | Reviewed on January 10th, 2008
I’ve reviewed this one before. I found it as meh then as I do now.
It wasn’t good. At all. But it wasn’t particularly bad, either. A hair on the positive side of completely neutral. Inoffensive, but not inspiring. I did enjoy the pour. Nice looking in a pint gas with a couple inches of head. (I can’t stand to drink anything out of a can, so I had to transfer it.)
Way better than I expected.
Week 1: Schell Snowstorm (January 1-6) | Reviewed on January 8th, 2008
Schell’s Snow Storm reminds me of a milkshake stout, but lighter, less creamy, and less sweet. Still a little sweet, though. I generally like my beer dark, heavy, and sweet. This is tasty enough but also light enough that I could drink a lot of this. With every sip I waited for a sour aftertaste, but I never got it. This ain’t no sippin’ beer.
I’m glad I didn’t read the label first, because while I like the beer, it’s not nearly as tasty as the label makes it sound - “complex malt flavor, with hints of raisins, dark fruit and rum.” What the heck is “dark fruit”?