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Guess what, folks? Remember that piece I said I was going to write about New York being in imminent danger of losing a whole whale full of its craft beer selection? I'm gonna do it later. I've less depressing things to discuss tonight.
You see, tonight is night two of the Mendocino Brewing Co. trial. Yesterday's Blue Heron Pale Ale was...meh. Today, the drink of choice is their White Hawk IPA. This India Pale Ale is vastly different from yesterday's plain ol' Pale Ale, evidenced first by it's darker appearance. Not terrifically darker, but not as - well - pale. The head reacted similarly to the pale ale; pouring about one finger and retaining a slim coating over the drink until the glass was empty.
After one sniff of White Hawk, it's clear that it's going to be better than the pale ale was. That wonderful hop scent isn't overpowering, but it's certainly not hiding anywhere, either. The taste is very much the same - for a low priced brew, this actually delivers a pretty hefty hop taste. I don't know what kind(s) are in there. Maybe it's on the label, maybe it's on the website, and maybe I don't feel like checking. Because right now, I'm not interested in doing any real in-depth review. Partially because I don't really know what I'm talking about anyway. But mostly because this is a surprisingly solid brew from a company I'd never heard of until yesterday, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be buying more. I'd encourage you to do the same!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
No, Control Tower, YOU'RE out of line!
Whilst perusing the aisles of Beers of the World today, glancing from top shelf to bottom shelf, row after row, I noticed something.
My shoe was untied.
More than a mere shoe tying was achieved during this latest visit, however. And by more, I mean I actually bought something there. *gasp* I know, right? It's bee, like, months since I've actually bought something from them. Cuz, u know, I can totally get most of the stuff I need at Hegedorns. Stupid writing aside, let me tell you exactly what I got.
I got state pride. That's right. New York isn't just a place to get delicious apples, apple pies, and Swine Flu. No, it's also a state with a number of great breweries. Flying Bison. Brooklyn. High Falls. Ithaca. Saranac. And so on, and so forth. So I thought that perhaps, for a change, I'd try a New York brewery that I've never even heard of. Enter: Mendocino Brewing Company. No, NOT the one in California. The one in Saratoga Springs. Why did I choose them? Because the bottles had eagles on them, damnit! And blue herons! And other birds. But mostly, Eagles!
Presently, I'm enjoying a cold glass of the brewery's Blue Heron Pale Ale. It's a pretty little thing; a slightly cloudy gold with the obligatory off-white head. It's been fifteen minutes or so since pouring this into a standard pint glass, and the head has yet to retreat to being just a ring around the edge of the glass. The lacing is even leaving me a reminder of just how much I've had to drink - which isn't much at this point. It's hard to drink and type.
But let's move on and talk about taste. Or maybe we shouldn't. Because this beer, while earning a solid B+ in appearance, is definitely hovering somewhere in the C range in terms of flavor. For a pale ale, the mouthfeel is surprisingly thick; a bit oily, even. The actual taste is better, but not by a lot. There's nothing very disinguishable in the flavor; it's more or less bland aside from the bitterness. To be fair, maybe I'm just being harsh on this because the only other pale ale I drink regularly - Great Lakes' Burning River - is an exceptionally flavorful and hoppy brew. Or maybe I got an old bottle; there's plenty of year old (or worse) beer kicking around at this store.
But one thing's for sure: for now, I'm probably going to be buying a lot more beer than usual. Why? Because New York is in danger of losing a good 75% of their craft brew selection. Stone, Victory, Great Lakes, and a whole boatload of others. Why? That's tomorrow's post. For now, it's time to finish this brewskie.
My shoe was untied.
More than a mere shoe tying was achieved during this latest visit, however. And by more, I mean I actually bought something there. *gasp* I know, right? It's bee, like, months since I've actually bought something from them. Cuz, u know, I can totally get most of the stuff I need at Hegedorns. Stupid writing aside, let me tell you exactly what I got.
I got state pride. That's right. New York isn't just a place to get delicious apples, apple pies, and Swine Flu. No, it's also a state with a number of great breweries. Flying Bison. Brooklyn. High Falls. Ithaca. Saranac. And so on, and so forth. So I thought that perhaps, for a change, I'd try a New York brewery that I've never even heard of. Enter: Mendocino Brewing Company. No, NOT the one in California. The one in Saratoga Springs. Why did I choose them? Because the bottles had eagles on them, damnit! And blue herons! And other birds. But mostly, Eagles!
Presently, I'm enjoying a cold glass of the brewery's Blue Heron Pale Ale. It's a pretty little thing; a slightly cloudy gold with the obligatory off-white head. It's been fifteen minutes or so since pouring this into a standard pint glass, and the head has yet to retreat to being just a ring around the edge of the glass. The lacing is even leaving me a reminder of just how much I've had to drink - which isn't much at this point. It's hard to drink and type.
But let's move on and talk about taste. Or maybe we shouldn't. Because this beer, while earning a solid B+ in appearance, is definitely hovering somewhere in the C range in terms of flavor. For a pale ale, the mouthfeel is surprisingly thick; a bit oily, even. The actual taste is better, but not by a lot. There's nothing very disinguishable in the flavor; it's more or less bland aside from the bitterness. To be fair, maybe I'm just being harsh on this because the only other pale ale I drink regularly - Great Lakes' Burning River - is an exceptionally flavorful and hoppy brew. Or maybe I got an old bottle; there's plenty of year old (or worse) beer kicking around at this store.
But one thing's for sure: for now, I'm probably going to be buying a lot more beer than usual. Why? Because New York is in danger of losing a good 75% of their craft brew selection. Stone, Victory, Great Lakes, and a whole boatload of others. Why? That's tomorrow's post. For now, it's time to finish this brewskie.
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