Lee's Beer Experience
Tuscany Casino
Las Vegas, NV
Sat. 5/12/07 (all afternoon event)
Beer festival, this was the first time it was held. Becky attended this event on her own.
Alaskan Brewing: Alaskan Summer Ale: Pale gold color. No real head. Very faintly hopped. A light and refreshing finish. A good candidate as my summer beer since I can't get Yuengling. Missing a little something. 8.1
North Coast Brewing: Brother Thelonious: Belgian Style Abbey Ale. Medium-brown color with lasting creamy head. Musty aroma. Slightly metallic tasting. To my taste, it needs to be aged more. Too sweet. 7.5
Lost Coast Brewing: Great White: Unfiltered and foamy. Aroma a bit urine-like. Thankfully taste is not. Still, plugging one's nose to swallow is a poor marketing technique. Not that pleasant. 7.2
New Belgium Brewing: Mothership Wit: Very pale and yeasty. Not a great aroma (do I need to more thoroughly wash my glass?). Quickly dissipating head. Faint flavor. Weak body. Not their best effort. Not horrible but 1554 is SO much better made. 7.6
Leinenkugel Brewing: Berry Wheat: Sweet and light. Very refreshing. Tastes like chambord. 8.1
Breckenridge Brewing: Vanilla Porter: Dark brown. No head. No discernible aroma (probably still a glass-cleaning issue). Medium-weight body infused with vanilla. The flavor is appropriately sweet, not cloying, but it does outshine the porter part of this beer. Would make an outstanding dessert beer with something like tiramisu. Not something you'd reach for to quench a thirst. 8.4
Wasatch Brewing: Polygamy Porter: Almost black, nutty aroma. Very nicely balanced malts and hops. Nice body and mouthfeel. Very well made beer. Definitely earns a place in my fridge. 8.7
Lakefront Brewing: Fuel Cafe Stout: As dark as motor oil, and frankly it smells like it too. No head at all - not many carbonation bubbles even. Tastes like soy sauce. Out it goes. 6.8
Big Sky Brewing: Moose Drool Brown: Deep brown, very faint head. Simple and straightforward brown. Malts, a couple hops but not many. Faintly sweet. Light body. Not complex at all. 7.2
Rogue Brewing: Dead Guy Ale: Medium amber color. Faint head that is lasting. Some hops in the aroma. Hoppiest sample I've had today. Tasty and well-balanced, although not my style of beer. 8.0
Abita Brewing: Turbodog: Deep garnet. Almost no head. No aroma noticeable. Interesting. Not a typical brown ale but closer to that than a porter or stout. Hops and malts are well-balanced. It's just hard to put my finger on what is so unusual about it. 7.9
Sierra Nevada Brewing: Summerfest: Pale gold with creamy head. A hoppy hefeweisen? Only from Sierra Nevada! For when hopheads get thirsty I guess. Good for what it is but not my glass of beer. 8.0
Tenaya Creek Brewing: Winter Solstice: Mega-head. Wow. Full and potent. A lot of flavor. Great body and mouthfeel. Very remiscent of "Resurrection" at Brewers Art and "Hell for Certain" at Bluegrass. Can I have more please? 8.8
Southern Nevada Ale Fermenters Union (SNAFU): Christmas in April 2007: Foamy head. Unfiltered gold. Very spicy aroma. Taste delivers. Definitely an appropriate Christmas beer. A bit much - tasteful but not drinkable in much quantity. (I did not rank this beer).
Tenaya Creek Brewers: Ringtail Ale: Dark golden color with medium head. Smells yeasty. More of a red ale, but a little hoppier. Enough tingle of hops to notice, not overpower. Enjoyable! 8.7
Big Dog's Brewing: Red Hydrant Ale: I wish my hair was this color, less the creamy thick head. Enticing aroma with all welcome ingredients - hops, malt, yeastiness. The taste is dominated by malts. Hops are very laid-back. Showing up a little as the beer warms but not as much as the aroma promises. 8.3
Big Dog's Brewing: Belgian Wit: Extra pale and cloudy. Aroma like spicy urine. Yes - partially attractive and partially repellant. Very pungent flavor of cloves and cardamom. Much tastier than I expected based on the aroma. Light body - appropriate for the style. Nice finish. 8.3
Deschutes Brewing: Black Butte Porter: Deep chestnut color. Thick head that left quickly. Malty aroma. Was about very malty taste but the hops showed up as I swallowed. It's a good beer it sholdn't be quite as segregated as "here are the malts. Ok, now here are the hops." They should mingle. I'd easily drink this again - it's good but imperfect. 7.7
Deschutes Brewing: Hop Henge Imperial IPA: "Nuttin' but Hops" aroma. Oh my! My sinuses are clear now! Taste: actually does have malt but it's all about the hops. No surprise. That's the style. 8.1 ABV and 8.1 rank.
Spanish Peaks Brewing: Honey Raspberry: Slightly sour aroma. Raspberry is slightly tart. Not as enjoyable as I hoped. Very sour aftertaste. 7.4
Firestone Walker Brewing: Double Barrel: English style with 4 malts. Very malty aroma unsurprisingly. There are a few hops but they are muted. It's not bad but really missing something. Like hops. If you wanna drink malt and water, have at it. 7.0
Leinenkugel Brewing: Sunset Wheat: Cloudy. Lemony aroma. Smells appealing but I am not a fan of lemon (in water or in beer). Also very orange-y. Ooh! It's good! Very citrusy and refreshing. No hops, not really malty - a fruit beer. Probably a bit too tart except when completely lit (guilty). 7.6
Wasatch Brewing: Evolution Amber: Reddish-gold color. Lasting head. Malt city. Not much else happening there. Tastes like one of my Mr. Beer attempts sadly. No depth of character. 7.2
Stone Brewing: Arrogant Bastard: Medium garnet color. Earthy aroma. Slender but lasting head. Very full mouthfeel. Malts and hops are well blended but hops are in the lead. Smooth but does make you pay attention. Gotta give some props to this beer! Which also makes it well-named. 8.4
Stone Brewing: Smoked Porter: Almost black, opaque with foamy beige head. Very faint smoky aroma. Nice flavor. The porter and smoke are about 50/50. I'd probably put the ideal balance at 65 porter/35 smoke. 7.9
Deschutes Brewing: Seasonal Brown Ale: Dark caramel with foamy head. Extremely malty aroma. Molasses-tasting beverage. Way too sweet. 7.3
North Coast Brewing: Pranqster: Belgian-style filter. Minor head which quickly disappeared. Aroma is typically Belgian style - yeasty and tangy. Taste delivers. A little clove-happy. But otherwise good. A light body contributes to the summery easy-to-drink style. I wouldn't award this one the gold medal, but would consider serving it at a BBQ at home. 8.3
Tenaya Altbier: Dark coppery beer with substantial head. Smokey, ammonia-y aroma. Light body. A slightly ammonia aftertaste. A little more body would serve this beer well. A bit too tart - not hoppy - it's the ammonia taste - to be fully enjoyable to me. 7.7
No comments:
Post a Comment