Beer Review: Buckbean’s Brewing’s Tule Duck Red Ale

As promised, my package from Buckbean Brewing Company did arrive, and boy was I happy to see it. I’ve been looking forward to this for 2 months! Along with the Original Orange Blossom Ale I have been eagerly awaiting, I received a tall can of Tule Duck Red Ale. Here’s what their Web site had to say about this beer:

This deep red, robust ale combines a silky smooth, rich body with a fruity, caramel malt flavor and a soft, herbal dry hopped finish. A full flavored, classic beer that pairs well with hearty foods of all types.

Sounds great, right? Well, I’ll be the judge of that!   ;-D

The Pour
This looked almost thick coming out of the can. It poured to a one finger head, which is a light brown color, somewhat like the color of brown rice lightened up a notch. The head was somewhat short-lived, and the lacing was of a decent amount. The beer itself is a reddish-tinged lightly chocolatey color and is quite opaque.

The Nose
There is a definite maltiness present, that gives the nose a caramel and roasted malt intro with woody hints. It smells very tasty, and clean and crisp but with a good (not overly cloying) sweetness.

The Taste
Something of a sweet coffee taste is what I noticed right up front. Roasty coffee and woody flavors linger a while on the finish in the back of the throat. As the beer warms and multiple swallows are taken, mineral notes and a pleasant mustiness make their presence known. Halfway through the can, and also as it warms, a little bit of floral hop flavor is also detected. This beer seems a tad shy of full bodied. It’s crisp but it does soften on the finish as the Buckbean Web site mentions.

Overall
I actually haven’t had a lot of red ales in my day. In actuality, the only red beer I can even think of that I’ve ever tried is Killian’s Irish Red, and that was so long ago I don’t even really remember what that was like. But this beer was not what I was expecting. But overall, I think this is a very good beer. It’s a good, malty brew with enough hoppiness to dry and crisp it up and avoid being nothing but malt. The depth of flavor comes through as you drink the beer, which is always a good thing. I liked this beer very much!

Recommended: Yes, if you can get this, it is worth every penny of whatever you have to pay for it. Buckbean Brewing Company comes across to me as a brewery that knows what it’s doing and does it their own unique way.

Price: Unknown (sample sent for reviewing)

ABV: Unknown, but from drinking it, I would have to say it is 6% or higher. Could be the fact that I drank it on an empty stomach, though.

Help Dan Adams win a jingle contest for Yuengling

Good morning Beer fans. I have a friend, Dan Adams, who has entered a jingle contest with WBUZ (local radio station The Buzz) and Yuengling. He is one of four finalists and he needs your votes to win. He’s written an awesome jingle and I would really appreciate it if you’d text your vote for him. Text “Dan” to 83361. He’ll win a great Martin custom guitar and you’ll help contribute to the musical success of a great guy with a lot of talent. How can you refuse?

To hear the jingle, visit Dan’s myspace: http://www.myspace.com/danadamsband.

Please, text your votes now!

Cheers

The Beer Snob

Beer Review: Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier

It’s been way too long since I’ve had a beer review on here. Apologies for the delay. I have no excuse! (True, I’m studying fluid mechanics this summer, but what better fluid to study than beer!) I went to Kroger to find a decent beer to review and decided to review a beer I’ve been wanting to try a while, despite my general mistrust of fruity beers: Samuel Adams’ Blackberry Witbier.

Here’s a clip of what they say on their Web site about the beer:

By bringing the blackberries, orange and coriander together with an appealing malt character and a spiciness from the hops, we’ve brewed a flavorful beer with a smooth finish that’s both sweet and tart.

But more importantly (ha ha), here’s what I say…

The Pour
This pours to a 1-2 finger thick, off white head consisting of tight tiny bubbles. The beer itself is a nice orangey, copper color and is somewhat hazy. The head dissipates cleanly, leaving no lacing on the glass, and there is little to no carbonation visible in the glass.

The Nose
Blackberry blackberry blackberry. The first nose consists of no other aromas. It is a wonderful blackberry scent though. Additional forays into the bouquet, however, bring forward the spices, such as coriander, used in the brewing and some citrus notes. There is a slight sourness in the background as well, which will probably be picked up in the taste as the slight bitterness of the hops.

The Taste
The blackberry is more muted in the taste than the nose, but it’s definitely present. Typical witbier notes are also picked up, as are notes of citrus and spice. There are slight yeasty notes in there as well as slightly bitter hops.  This is a medium bodied brew (though it’s on the heavier side of medium) and has a crisp mouthfeel. The finish is slightly sweet and there is a good amount of carbonation, but the last note of the finish brings blackberry to the forefront again, where it lingers for quite some time afterwards.

Overall
Overall, I like this beer. There is one thing keeping me from loving this beer, and it’s the fact that I would like it to be more noticeable as a witbier. It comes across more like a lager to me. The blackberry part they got exactly right. On the nose it is very prominent and smells terrific and juicy. In the mouth, it is more muted but still there, and lets the other flavors share the stage. I just wish they had spent more time on the witbier aspect as well.

Recommended: It’s not bad….I wouldn’t think this would be something to drink frequently, but if you’ve been eyeing it at the store, give it a shot. It’s pretty tasty and not something you’ll regret trying.

Price: $7.99/6-pack

ABV: 5.5%