Paymaster's Porter Ale

Thanks to Jen for getting this beer for me the day before she left to go back to Plainfield. Enjoyed/reviewed following a days work at the brewery and my first "Bix at Six" run with a couple old teammates and alumni. Finished the seven mile route in 45:30, the first run I've had in 2 weeks over 5 miles.

Appearance: Dark brown, but still with a transparency around the sides. Some carbonation accumulation occurs around the top sides of the glass. Little to no head what-so-ever. Looks muddy with a strong turbidity about it, yet not completely saturated with darkness. This bottle had about a 1/2 cm of yeast at the bottom, and I tried to leave it out.

Aroma: Subtly roasted malt with a forefront chocolate nose. Undertones of coffee as well as wood. Fruity sweetness is minorly apparent.
Taste: Sweet, but strangely tart and almost sour, as if they were using a bit of vienna malt and fruit. Fortaste maintains a bit of a nutty element along with notes of brown sugar and honey. The roasty bill adds a bit of acidity which can either be interpreted as deterring, or very palatable in the sense of fruitiness and citrus. I would nearly classify this along and approaching a black IPA, but it maintains too much of an acidity, that out balances the citrus hops. The finish is dry and sweet with an after sourness of green apples - acetyladehyde.
Mouthfeel: Lighter body with a spike of carbonation and a tart dryness at the end. Carbonation is still relatively minimal while the beer itself exhibits a very liquid feel.
Overall Impression: I'm not overly impressed with this beer. The sour fruitiness and the roasted acidity paired alright, but in a sense it was still a bit deterring. The absurd amount of yeast at the bottom of the beer didn't give the right impression either.


67/100

AmericanAle

Enjoyed following a run to the track and some plyos/drills and core. Spent the day running errands. Apologies for lack of posting yesterday. Thanks to Jen Misewicz for buying this beer from the Hy-vee on 53rd in Davenport.

Appearance: Soft bubbly cream white foam worth about an inch of head is present upon pour. It leaves an frothy residue on the side of the glass. The beer itself is a gloomily set amber with a evenly distributed turbidity. Nevertheless lots of carbonation can be seen from within. Beautiful lacing all down the side of the glass.
Aroma: Toasted barley and biscuit malt is exhibited immediately at the nose. Very appealing with its light graininess. Not much hopping, and much of the scent resides in the sweetness. Perhaps some dark roasted fruit and figs. After several tastes, there begins to develop a note of yeastiness
Taste: Great malt bill, biscuit and toasted malt again. However the also resides a honey undertone and interestingly enough some Belgian candy sugar. The hops come through with a very mild orange peel and citrus. Similarly the alcohol at the end encourages a bit of vininess. Strong fruity notes of apricots and plums, which come predominantly as a tartness. Gradually as the beer warms OR the taste buds become acquainted, more of a grapiness emerges. A back taste of lemon can even be noted. The very finish is defined with a spicing and tannins - a little woody, while the aftertaste is interestingly sweet with a similar drynesss and resin.
Mouthfeel: Nice carbonation strengthens a medium body and a bubbly texture. The lips are left sticky while the palate is dry with an ever-remaining aftertaste.
Overall Impression: I enjoyed the development of this beer. Almost the trickery, from first sip to the last the beer completely alters. What started toasted and grainy became fruity and effervescent. Nice malt flavor with Belgian candy sugar and honey practically making up the sweetness as it transforms in complexity. A great drinker


88/100

East Coast Lager

Tasted after an efficient day of biking to Sunderbruch and running the forest trails. (Raspberries are up) I was surprised how nice all the mountain bikers are to runners. Finished and ended up stopping at Great River for a couple "recovery" pints. Got a brief tour of Front Street Brewery's Nano-brewhouse. Tasted in the evening after an organic fried rice dinner.

Appearance: Straw yellow with a glooming cloudiness. Nevertheless, carbonation is still visibly rising in small bubbles intermittently throughout. Head is minimal, but white, and leaves behind a dry white lacing strewn along the glass.
Aroma: There is a nice honeyed aroma to this beer. Pale and pilsner malt make up a lot of the nose, but there also resides a bit of lemon undertones with coriander and subtle zestiness. Lemongrass, more specifically, along with floral notes.
Taste: Very sweet, but enticingly palatable. Again, the honey protrudes through the basic malt base. A bit of breadiness. There is an assertive hop finish, combined with an ever-so-slight saltiness. Dried leaf tannins and lemongrass exhibit a prominent part in the overall complexity of this beer. I'd have to say it maintains a lot more flavor than I would have expected. Bit of yeastiness and clover phenols at the very finish. There is also some mild fruitiness too, reminiscent of pear and apricot. The finish is dry with the hops exposing their volatile, bitter acids.
Mouthfeel: Light and bubbly. The carbonation takes hold at the very forefront of the beer, making it seem a lot lighter in body than it really is. Mouthfeel is spiked in the beginning, but ends on a softer note. Some tackiness on the lips, but nothing too bothersome.
Overall Impression: I enjoyed the flavor profile of this beer, and thought it had a lot more to offer than most lagers. The lemon was nicely incorporated and the feel was crafted in a way that it finished very crisp and refreshing.


83/100

Hopnotic India Pale Ale

Tasted Saturday afternoon after Jen left back to Plainfield. I thank her again for picking up a 12 Craft Pack from the Hy-vee on 53rd in Davenport.

Appearance: The beer hardly exhibits a head, except for a soapy white ring, layering the perimeter of the glass. Initially the carbonation is very high, with large bubble accumulations on the side of the glass, and especially on the bottom. Brilliantly clear and golden in color. No lacing.
Aroma: The malt bill is strong of pale and biscuit malt. A bit of an herbal undertone, which follows a citrus zest and orange pith scent. Some acetyladehyde and apple aroma.
Taste: Fruitiness and biscuit malt dominate the majority of the taste. Notes of apricot and pear with apples. Honey seems to be another very apparent addition to the overall malt bill. By the mid-taste, the beer maintains a very grassy profile, with a bit of a vegetal complexity. The finish exhibits a continued vegetable flavor with spices of ginger and clove. Similarly, there is a bitter aspect of lemongrass.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a medium carbonation. Tackiness to the lips and a very drying element to the finish, yet leaving a cloying aspect to the very end.
Overall Impression: I really didn't enjoy the end of this beer, the vegetal aspect was the biggest deterrent. I found the foretaste to be its most admirable characteristic. Bits of citrus and fruit interspersed


70/100