Beer: Left Hand, Schlafly, People's, and Boatswain

So we here at Goatsden World HQ are way behind on beer reviews. Apologies to those still waiting. It's a gradual process, but it's coming together. 

Here are some more assorted craft beer reviews, submitted for your approval. Ratings are from 1 (awful) to 5 (awesome). Anything over a 3.0 is considered a perfectly drinkable brew, so cheers, and enjoy a craft beer (not a corporate lager) today!

LEFT HAND - MILK STOUT NITRO (Longmont, CO) - 4.25

Colorado's Left Hand Brewing has been a favorite of mine for years. Their original milk stout is among the standards for the style. This is a new version of that brew, and it's just as successful.

Pours black, with ruby highlights. Pretty well opaque. Head is slight but smooth with fine, tan bubbles. Next to no lace here. Nose is chocolate, roasty, and lactic. A little char there, too, but overall nice! Taste is delicious! It's a creamy, smooth mix of bittersweet cocoa, milk, and some roasty char. 

An easy-to-enjoy treat, and here's to hoping this brew isn't limited.

SCHLAFLY - GOLDEN ALE BELGIAN STYLE (St. Louis, MO) - 4.0

St. Louis' largest craft brewery has always garnered praise and respect. This Belgian-styled ale doesn't disappoint, either.

Pours a pale gold, with moderate carbonation and attractive tree-line lace. Nose is sweet and spiced. Definite tones of Belgian candy sugar. Taste is strong on the spice up front, with a touch of citrus and darker fruit near the finish. There's also a slight warmth at the end, as well.

Overall, a superb Belgian-style ale, and this one is packed with rich flavor. Superb and faithful to the style.

PEOPLE'S BREWING - NOTORIOUS B.I.P. (Lafayette, IN) - 3.75

People's Brewing is a recent addition to Indiana's growing craft beer lineup, and their past beers have been received reasonably well here at Goatsden. This is one of the best we've tried yet.

Pours black with ruby highlights, and nice, tan foam. Thick walls of lace. Attractive. Aroma is fruity and herbal. Hops seem muted here. Not sure what to make of it. Taste is sharply hopped, with plenty of roasty chocolate-toned malts underneath. Citric hop finish. 

Comes around with a well-balanced taste and easy finish. Solid.

BOATSWAIN - CHOCOLATE STOUT (Monroe, WI) - 3.5

Brewed by Wisconsin's Minhas Craft Brewery (responsible for some really awful beers), and sold exclusively through Trader Joe's markets, this one isn't bad at all.

Pours a black with tawny brown highlights. Rich head of foamy suds. Thick tree-line lace. Nose is cocoa. Simply put, cocoa. Not bad at all. Taste is definitely overwhelmingly chocolate. I get a silky milk chocolate character more as this brew warms up. 

Not a complex nor multi-dimensional ale, but decent enough.

Beer Tastings, Halloween 2012, Take One...

There are so many beers to review, and I am not nearly caught up, so here's a start. Keep in mind, ratings range from 1 (avoid at all costs) to 5 (world-class). Any beer rated a 3.0 or better is worthy, so taste them yourself. There are many bottle shops who sell singles for a dollar or three, so there's no excuse to not have a favorite craft beer. As always, support the independent and local breweries, not the multinational corporate leviathans! Down with corporate beer!

SIERRA NEVADA and THE ABBEY OF NEW CLAIRVAUX - Ovila Saison (Chico, CA) - 3.5

Sierra Nevada is a craft beer giant, and has a peerless reputation for quality brews at affordable prices. This is a special release in collaboration with a monastery in California, and seeks to unlock ancient Belgian traditions in brewing, but to limited success (at least on this particular brew). 

This large bomber pours a murky gold, with a thick head of white carbonation. Little trace of lace, though. Nose is fruity and spicy -- displaying a distinctly Belgian-style character. Nice. Flavor is spiced fruitiness (berry, orange), followed by a peppery zing. Alcohol (7%) is well-masked, and this is faithful Belgian-style, but not as interesting as I'd hoped.

Additional notes: The fruitiness (and a dry booziness) comes out more prominently as this one warms.

NEW BELGIUM - Somersault (Fort Collins, CO) - 4.5

Ah, this has turned into a Summertime tradition at Goatsden HQ.

Clean gold, with a nice head of fine white bubbles. Big frilly lace. Beautiful. Aroma is grainy, lager yeast, and a little bready. There's a hint of fruit in there, and a little hint of hoppiness. Refreshing. Taste is smooth and rich, with some hint of spice, hops, and a soft tint of fruit underneath it all. Quite complex, especially for a 5.4% summer ale. Excellent, and a brew I always stock up on.

NEW BELGIUM - Red Hoptober (Fort Collins, CO) - 3.5

This new seasonal offering debuted in 2012 for the Fall, and I wasn't a huge fan. 

Rich ruby in appearance, with a huge head of sudsy off-white carbonation. Thick, delicate lace. Aroma is assertively strong and spicy hops, with a sharp earthiness. Taste is a melding of roasty malt tones with bitter hops smack at the finish. An unusual collision of styles, and not a bad beer by any means, but Red Hoptober is not my favorite of New Belgium's seasonals. I'll hold out for Snow Day and Somersault.

PEOPLES BREWING - Mr. Brown (Lafayette, IN) - 3.0

I've now tried several of this Indiana breweries' bottled beers, and haven't been a fan of any thus far, I'm sorry to say. 

Hmm, this "imperial brown ale", pours a very dark, almost black. Head is limited, and I get no lace whatsoever. Nose comes across as boozy at first (it is a sturdy 7%, after all), followed by some dark chocolate and fruit notes. Nice. Flavor is chocolate, with some roasted nuttiness in the finish, as well as a slight alcohol heat.  This heavy-bodied brown ale isn't bad, but left me unimpressed in the end. Not one I'd pursue again.