Beer Review: Moon Man

Reviewing the Moon Man from New Glarus Brewing Company.
Score: 84

16 oz tap pour in a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear golden yellow Miller Lite color with a thin layer of soapy head. Head settles into a thin layer. Slightly above average lacing. 3/5

Smell: Floral citrus hops. Some piney resin. A little earthy. Some tangerine sweetness. 4/5

Taste: Piney hops up front. A little orange citrus sweetness on the mid-palate. Earthy citrus bitter finish. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, a little over-carbonated. Way too watery. A tad oily, finishes slightly bitter. 2.5/5

Overall: A very average, extra-hoppy pale ale. Drinkable and refreshing, but nothing special.

Recommendation: A decent introductory pale ale for casual beer drinkers, but nothing worth seeking out for more experience adult beverage sippers.

Pairings: Hamburgers at a chain restaurant.

Cost: $9.99 for a six pack.

Beer Review: Smoked Baltic Porter

Reviewing the Smoked Baltic Porter from Great Divide Brewing Company.
Score: 84

2011 bomber bottle served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Pours a dark black that is mostly opaque with a few ruby highlights. Pours about a finger of head that mostly settles. Average lacing. 3.5/5

Smell: Roasted cocoa beans. Some creamy milk chocolate. A little smokiness too. Hints of coffee and booziness. 4/5

Taste: A dark, rich, unsweetened chocolate up front. Some smokey wood. Strange as it may sound, this beer has virtually no finish and almost no flavor on the mid-palate for the first half of the glass. The front is pretty delicious, but then...nothing. As it layers, a faint smooth unsweetened milk chocolate and coffee bean flavor on the mid-palate and in the finish becomes noticeable. Definitely a let down. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Light-medium bodied, minimal carbonation. A little oily. 3/5

Overall: The aroma of the beer is very interesting and enticing, and the label art was cool enough to get me to buy a bottle, but this is a very lackluster porter. I would not buy it again.

Recommendation: Worth trying, not worth seeking out. A very inoffensive, average porter at best. Casual beer drinkers might like this one as a gateway to ween them off Guinness.

Pairings: A Butterfinger candy bar.

Cost: $6.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Beer Review: Ruinition IPA

Reviewing the Ruinition IPA from Stone Brewing Company.
Score: 95

2011 bomber bottle served in a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear golden-orange with about a finger of head that settles down to a half finger. Above average lacing. 4/5

Smell: Crisp explosion of citrus hop bitterness. Zesty lemon rind and pine. A little floral. Some malty sweetness too. Really fresh aroma. 4.5/5

Taste: An explosion of awesome flavor on palate. Earthy, citrus hop bitterness hits you right away. Some grapefruit and orange sweetness on the mid-palate. Light bready malt flavor on the mid-palate as it layers. Finish is a very earthy grapefruit bitterness and resiny pine that lingers. Flavors are extremely fresh. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Light-medium bodied, medium-high carbonation. A little oily. Finishes dry and bitter. The carbonation makes the zesty citrus flavors and bitterness of the beer really pop on the tongue. 4.5/5

Overall: The golden standard for nationally available, year-round imperial IPA's.

Recommendation: This is a great beer for hop heads. Perhaps not the best first "craft" beer for casual beer drinkers, but an absolute must try once you get your beer feet wet.

Pairings: Backyard-cooked hamburgers.

Cost: $6.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Beer Review: Unplugged Smoked Rye Ale

Reviewing the Unplugged Smoked Rye Ale from New Glarus Brewing Company.
Score: 91

2011 vintage bottle served in a Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep amber/dark mahogany color. Very hazy and opaque with lots of highlights around the core the beer's body. Pours a third a finger of head that completely settles save for a thin ring around the glass. The actual lacing of the beer is very average. 3.5/5

Smell: Big aromas of smoked, smoldering hickory woodchips. Incredibly peaty. The beer smells like I am sitting around a campfire, smoking meat for a BBQ! Very peaty. Spiced rye bread comes through as well. Toasted caramel malts too. 4.5/5

Taste: Tastes very similar to the aroma. Very complex, smooth and balanced. Front and finish is prominently smoked hickory and quite peaty. Definitely get some rye flavors too. Roasted caramel malts on the mid-palate. As the beer layers on the mid-palate, the caramel malts get a little sweeter. Some bready yeast on the mid-palate too. A little earthy spiciness. Alcohol is completely hidden; I was shocked to discover this one was 8.5% ABV. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, light carbonation. Finish is slightly sweet. 4/5

Overall: I finally found a beer by New Glarus that I can not only say that I legitimately enjoyed, but also which stands up to a lot of its midwest microbrew counterparts. New Glarus certainly deserves a kudos for this one! I must try more brews in this style.

Recommendation: This is a ridiculously smooth, complex and balanced beer in both flavor and aroma. I recommend it all around.

Pairings: BBQ Brisket Sandwich on rye bread or, as I am eating it, a whole wheat bagel.

Cost: $2.99 for a single 12 oz bottle, or $10.99 for a four pack.

Beer Review: Oak Aged Unearthly

Reviewing the Oak Aged Unearthly from Southern Tier Brewing Company.
Score: 87

2011 vintage bottle served in a Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, dark sunset orange with two and a half fingers of foamy head that settles into a quarter finger. Excellent lacing. 4.5/5

Smell: Lots of floral citrus aromas. Lemony fresh tart and orange-sweet citrus. A little oak and vanilla. Some rich soil (not in a bad way) too. Aroma turns to firey booze when it hits room temp. 4/5

Taste: Very complex floral and citrus flavors. Some zesty orange and lemon, grapefruit...maybe a little apple. A very smooth vanilla twist. A tad bit sour, some maltiness. Touche of caramel-sugariness. Very earthy hop bitterness too. The malty and earthy characteristics also really builds up on the mid-palate and finish as the flavor layers. Not detecting a lot of oak in the front or mid-palate, but it is subtle in the finish. Slight alcohol warmth, but nothing distracting. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, light carbonation. Finish is bitter and too crisp. 3.5/5

Overall: A very solid brew, but the oak aged version lacks some of the bitter hop kick of the original brew. The added complexities from oak aging are nice, but too subtle to compensate for the lost hops-elements. Turns a little too boozy as it warms up.

Recommendation: A very solid brew that I would recommend over the original for casual beer drinkers. More experienced beer drinkers will certainly enjoy the nuance of this brew as well, but unless you have not tried it before, you are better served buying the non-aged version -- which is cheaper as well. Still, for $8.99 a bomber, you could do worse, and this is a beer that is absolutely worth trying.

Pairings: Grilled BBQ chicken sandwich.

Cost: $8.99 for 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Beer Review: Founders Harvest Ale

Reviewing the Harvest Ale by Founders Brewing Company.
Score: 94

2011 vintage, poured in Sam Adams glass.

Appearance: Hazy, golden yellow with a thin layer of soapy head that sticks around. Has a very attractive glow to it. Translucent, not transparent. 4.5/5

Smell: Very crisp, floral and lemon-citrus flavors. Some orange peel too. 4/5

Taste: The carbonation on this beer is perfect, making the citrus-bitterness of the beer really pop. Strong grapefruit-like flavor, with a sweet malt middle. Has a nice piney-hop finish that dissipates about 15 seconds after swallow. None of the flavors are too overwhelming, and overall the bitter-malt balance is near perfect. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Very good carbonation. Medium-thin bodied, but not watery. Incredibly drinable. 4.5/5

Overall: An excellent example of a wet-hopped IPA.

Recommendation: I think this would make a great introductory IPA for casual beer drinkers, while seasoned beer lovers will really appreciate the zesty flavors and aromas.

Pairings: Hawaiian-style hamburgers

Cost: $11.99 for a four pack.

Beer Review: The Famous Taddy Porter

Reviewing The Famous Taddy Porter from Samuel Smith Old Brewery.
Score: 82
2011 vintage served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown. Held up to light, hints of red light barely pierce the beer's body. Pours a thin tan lace that mostly dissipates on settle into a small swirl of tan at the center of the beer. 3.5/5

Smell: Smells like milk chocolate mixed with black licorice. Faint slightly toasted coffee aromas as well. Smells a little acidic. 4/5

Taste: Flavor is very subdued and balanced, making it hard to discern specific flavors. The subdued taste is a disappointment given the robust flavors of the Samuel Smith Imperial Stout. What flavors I can divine are cream and roasted coffee. Absolute hop vacuum. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium body, low carbonation. 3/5

Overall: Very unimpressed by the lack of robust flavors in this brew, especially in comparison to Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout. There are a lot of nuanced flavors to discover in the subdued taste, so perhaps my palate is not yet developed enough to appropriately appreciate this beer. Personally, I prefer more robust complex flavors than subdued ones. Irrepsecitve of my personal opinion, the Famous Taddy Porter stands as a solid english porter that is quite drinkable and pleasant on the palate. It is certainly worth trying.

Recommendation: I could safely recommend the beer to all to try, but I would rather recommend something with more robust flavors to enjoy.

Pairings: Turkey?

Cost: $3.99 for a oversized pint bottle.