Cran-bic Ale - New Glarus (Thumbprint Series)

Vitals:

Name: Cran-bic Ale

Style: Lambic/Fruit

IBU: ??

ABV: 4.8%

Gravity: ??

Purchased at: Riley's Wines of the World

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a very light, pale reddish (almost pink), with zero head (thus no lacing or cap). Carbonation bubbles drift lazily upward, but there aren't a ton of them. Looks like a blush wine with a slight tinge of brown to it. Very clear with no haze at all.

Smell: Smells like a dry champagne, to be honest. You get a big whiff of sour cranberries and a faint (odd) yeasty funk to it that actually fits well with the beer.

Taste: You get a very sour taste of cranberry, which is partially balanced by a fruity sweetness. It doesn't entirely even out, but it's nice that it has some balance. The taste is quite acidic and you only get a little of the funk/spiciness towards the back end of the drink. It's simple (relatively to many New Glarus brews) but very effective...the taste hangs with you a while and you get a bit of a sugary aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: There is more carbonation to this one than meets the eye...VERY light mouthfeel and a bit dry (champagne-like in that respect). You get a little bit of puckering from the sourness but it's very drinkable in general.

Overall Grade: B+

Comments: So, to explain my grade...this isn't a B+ signifying that it's something I'd regularly want to drink, but it's a great take on the style. It's definitely not my cup of tea, but is quite solid...my wife loves it, so if you like fruity beers then this one is for you. It's a little sugary for me (compared to most beers I have) so I would likely go another direction for something on a regular basis but it's definitely worth a try. It's worth noting that, as New Glarus uses natural products in their brews, this doesn't taste like a manufactured sugary/sour cranberry taste...it's a nice, natural taste that you can enjoy...so go grab a four pack and check it out with some friends!

Cheers,

Hurls

Raging Bitch - Flying Dog Brewery

Vitals:

Name: Raging Bitch

Style: Belgian IPA

IBU: 60

ABV: 8.3%

Gravity: 18 deg. Plato

Purchased at: Harris Teeter in Herndon, VA

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a deep orange that slightly shifts to amber in the light. About a finger and a half of off-white (tannish) head. Good retention and cap, but very weak lacing. Sparse carbonation bubbles rise throughout this pretty beer. 

Smell: Smells spicy and you get that funky (in a good way) Belgian yeast smell. You get some banana in the smell as well, and a very faint floral and possibly citrus hop aroma. The Belgian yeast really dominates the nose, as it usually does - this one smells good but there's really nothing special here.

Taste: The taste gives you some almost piney (maybe floral) hops to go with the Belgian sweetness up front. The yeast and malt in the middle is good but it doesn't really balance the beer out. The worst part of this beer is after the hop finish you get this aftertaste that is like...aspirin...ugh, it really ruins what is otherwise a pretty good beer. You also get a slightly boozy flavor, but at 8.3% that's to be expected so I think it hides the ABV moderately well.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and full mouthfeel; drinks smoothly with a very slight astringency. The beer is almost syrupy in its feel and you don't really get much carbonation here either.

Overall Grade: B-

Comments: The aftertaste truly ruined a solid B+ effort from Flying Dog on this one. I was otherwise happy with the beer until that stabbed into my palate. Ugh. This beer is worth a shot if the aftertaste was a fluke, but after writing up my review I looked on beeradvocate.com and it seemed like others were getting it as well. I'd probably steer clear of this one unless you're really into Belgian IPAs.

Cheers,

Hurls