Beer In Review: Unfiltered
After that last depressing post, it's time to do a 180 and write about something much happier: beer.
Saranac occupies the sweet spot in the price vs quality curve. At $5.99/six pack (at least here in CT), it's the best brand of brews one can find. Other high and higher quality brews typically cost more and if you try to spend less then you're running into swill territory dominated by the major brewers. It makes trying out new flavors much easier to do. So when I spotted their Pomegranate Wheat, I decided to give it a shot.
Sounds strange doesn't it. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike some fruit ales, this one isn't overdone. The pomegranate flavor is subtle and complements this brew rather than dominating it. It's a light bodied, straw colored, unfiltered wheat beer (Hefeweizen to us beer aficionados). Small head. The hops are mild while the malt is way in the background. Saranac states that they used "Columbus" hops, which is a variety I'm unfamiliar with. Smooth with a crisp finish, it makes for a great summer beer. I recently had it with barbecued salmon and it was great. Enjoyable in a glass or a bottle. 4.7% ABV.
The other Hefeweizen for today's entry is Harpoon's Raspberry Wheat. Many years ago, I had one of Harpoon's ales and I hated it. I can't remember which one it was but I avoided drinking them ever since. I finally decided to give them a second chance at this year's Connecticut Craft Brewers Beer Festival. My wife and I were both pleased with the results, so I had to buy some at the store in order to do a proper taste test.
Whereas the Pomegranate Wheat's fruit flavoring was subtle, you can smell Harpoon's raspberries right after opening the bottle. As you pour it into the glass, you'll note the foamy head over top the hazy brew. The color has a faint reddish tint (rose) to it, making it darker than Saranac's offering. Like Saranac, it's light bodied with detectable hops and the malt residing in the background. The raspberry flavor doesn't overwhelm but it definitely dominates. There's no denying its presence. It leads to a tart, slightly dry finish. Makes for a good dessert beer. Not so good with Chinese food and I'd suspect bbq would be out too. 4.8% ABV.
\_/
DED
Saranac occupies the sweet spot in the price vs quality curve. At $5.99/six pack (at least here in CT), it's the best brand of brews one can find. Other high and higher quality brews typically cost more and if you try to spend less then you're running into swill territory dominated by the major brewers. It makes trying out new flavors much easier to do. So when I spotted their Pomegranate Wheat, I decided to give it a shot.Sounds strange doesn't it. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Unlike some fruit ales, this one isn't overdone. The pomegranate flavor is subtle and complements this brew rather than dominating it. It's a light bodied, straw colored, unfiltered wheat beer (Hefeweizen to us beer aficionados). Small head. The hops are mild while the malt is way in the background. Saranac states that they used "Columbus" hops, which is a variety I'm unfamiliar with. Smooth with a crisp finish, it makes for a great summer beer. I recently had it with barbecued salmon and it was great. Enjoyable in a glass or a bottle. 4.7% ABV.
The other Hefeweizen for today's entry is Harpoon's Raspberry Wheat. Many years ago, I had one of Harpoon's ales and I hated it. I can't remember which one it was but I avoided drinking them ever since. I finally decided to give them a second chance at this year's Connecticut Craft Brewers Beer Festival. My wife and I were both pleased with the results, so I had to buy some at the store in order to do a proper taste test.Whereas the Pomegranate Wheat's fruit flavoring was subtle, you can smell Harpoon's raspberries right after opening the bottle. As you pour it into the glass, you'll note the foamy head over top the hazy brew. The color has a faint reddish tint (rose) to it, making it darker than Saranac's offering. Like Saranac, it's light bodied with detectable hops and the malt residing in the background. The raspberry flavor doesn't overwhelm but it definitely dominates. There's no denying its presence. It leads to a tart, slightly dry finish. Makes for a good dessert beer. Not so good with Chinese food and I'd suspect bbq would be out too. 4.8% ABV.
\_/
DED
Labels: beer
posted by DED at 10:18 AM
7 Comments:
$5.99 per sixer is about as good a quality / price ratio as you're likely to find. Better stock up.
Raspberry, man that reminds me. Up north we used to find wild blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. You can't fake that flavor, it is an assault on your palate, an explosion. I've been craving it lately and there is no way to satisfy it from here. Alas.
Well, if you ever decide to start drinking again, maybe you should start brewing your own.
So much for the man law of no fruit in beers...
I will admit to trying said saranac pomegranite beer...and as Larry David would say: "pretty pretty good"
Considering what those guys in the "man law" commercials drink, I think I'll ignore them.
Do we need more laws anyway? And if we're gonna stick to laws, then I'll settle on the German Beer Purity Laws. I don't think that swill those guys in the "man law" commercials would pass.
Hope you haven't lost your shirt these last two days, Jim.
I still have my shirt...although a few buttons are missing. Hopefully I won't find myself in a position where I have to consume ths swill beers you refer to.
I liked the Raspberry UFO much better than the regular UFO, which surprised me. Also surprised that you had such a negative initial reaction to Harpoon. I've always considered them an above-average brewer.
That initial reaction was back in the mid-90's. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that my taste in beer evolves over time. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home