Whew! It's been too long since my last post, but it's been a whirlwind in Real Life (tm). Here's the latest:
Please stay away from the "green beer" tomorrow. It's completely a gimmick--food coloring in cheap beer. I object to the practice for a number of reasons. First, to a brewer who cares about his craft, "green" beer isn't done fermenting yet--it's not ready to serve, and likely doesn't taste good; not something he wants to foist off on an unsuspecting public. Second, to an Irishman who would be celebrating a Saint's Day, this would be a "holy" day, and they'd likely not be drinking to begin with. At least, not as much...
I've been able to sample Sam Adams' Noble Pilsner twice in recent weeks. As with a fair number of their offerings, my opinion is: well-crafted, but "meh." Would I order another? Probably, but I could be easily dissuaded by something else interesting. Again, I detect the presence of a gimmick; in this case, the "Brewed with All Five Noble Hop Varieties" bit. That's well and good, but by most counts, five is stretching it a bit. Most brewers only recognize four Noble varieties: Hallertauer Mittelfreuh, Spalt Spalter, Tettnang Tettnanger, and Saaz. The inestimable Mr. Koch is including Hersbrucker, which I understand as a variety of Hallertau (although I could be mistaken). None of this detracts from the aroma, which is where the majority of these hops show through--and "show through" they do. In that respect, this is a lovely brew. Flavor-wise, it's pretty much a Pilsner, and nothing I'd really call stellar.
One point of interest: The first taste I had of the brew was in a standard restaurant "tall" pint-glass... The second was from one of the "special" Sam Adams neo-tulip glasses. I was expecting a revolution in the tasting experience, and approached it as such. I'm afraid I was disappointed. The glass really didn't do anything for me. Still, if you get the chance, try it for yourself; your mileage may vary. If I was doing something wrong, or if the glass really floats your boat, I'd love to hear about it.Labels: Holidays, Hops, tasting notes