Went to the Red Sox game at Fenway last Thursday (8.19.10) with a bunch of people from work and had a little pre-gaming festivities at my place. I thought it'd be a great opportunity to do a little tasting, some old and some new. I had gone to New Hampshire last year and stopped at a little brewery up in Conway..Tuckerman Brewing Company. Not a bad little place. Very small time brewers, but exceptional beers (the ones they let us sample at least). Brought some back and found a Headwall Alt laying around, just waiting to be drank!
4.75% abv..thick, foamy head, similar to a rootbeer float, faded into a nice lace. slightly malty and hoppy aroma, beautifully dark pour. Not an overwhelming presence, medium-bodied. A mild, nutty, mixed bitter/sweet taste fading into a slightly hoppy finish, leaving hints of caramel/toffee. very smooth and easily drinkable, my first Altbier, or German Brown Ale, definitely a nice beer for a cool evening!
I kept the experience going with an American classic, Yuengling Lager! A close friend went on a roadtrip recently and brought me back a bottle...just waiting for a good time to crack it open and experience history. For those of you that don't know, Yuengling is the oldest brewery in America, and rivals the Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams) for the largest American-owned brewery. It's not of asian origin as the name may sound..rather an interpretation of the original founder's German last name. It's considered an American Amber/Red Lager at 4.9% abv. Nice copper/light brown pour and an average head. Typical lager smell, slightly malty and a faint citrus note. Crisp, malty sweet taste, very smooth..got a sort of lemon iced tea aftertaste, kinda like a Nestea or something. Overall, not too hoppy, not to sweet, a very nice smooth beer. ...sucks that it can't be found anywhere in New England... road trip anyone?!
One last beer before we left for Fenway, this time a Hefe Weissbeir from Wiehenstephaner..another HUGE piece of beer history. The Weihenstephan Abbey monastery in Germany was granted a brewery license in the year 1040, making it the world's oldest still-operational brewery. And let's just say..this is one damn good beer. If you haven't had a traditional Weissbier, try one now!! Exceptional smooth, flavorful, not too heavy, a great beer to savor, especially on a nice warm night. This particular weissbier was a Hefe, meaning unfiltered. It made a bit cloudier pour, but a beautiful golden yellow with an average head. Decent citrus-y aroma with a bit of spice mixed in. Heavy on taste, yet more of a medium-body. Hints of banana and mild spice, as a traditional Weissbier should, other citrus notes, wheat/grain..slightly sweet and a bit of a hoppy finish. An incredible beer with an aftertaste leaving you wanting more and more and more...
then it was on to the Sox game after having these wonderful beers...had to deal with Sam Summer and Blue Moon on tap, still amazing beers, but after great craft beers (and Yuengling), it was a step down. Sox lost, but put up a valiant fight! sorry for the delay in gettin this up folks...blogspot wouldn't let me upload for the longest time!
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