Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Weyerbacher - Harvest Ale; AutumnFest Ale; Winter Ale; Fireside Ale; Merry Monks' Belgian Style Golden Ale

The Weyerbacher Brewing Company is in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Harvest Ale - This beer is brewed with fresh hops from their own local hops farm.  The 6.2% ABV beer pours dark copper/amber with a large head.  The aroma is fruity and malty.  I assume it is a fall release and I just got it.  I wonder if this is very hop forward when fresh.  The taste is light, fruity, malty, like a biscuit with plum jelly. 

Another bottle acquired in late fall of 2011, let's give this another try:  The color of the beer is the same, the head is smaller, and off-white in color.  The aroma is mild, as much malt as hops.  Not a hop forward beer, which is what I would expect from a fresh hop ale.  The taste is similar, but notably bitter.  Decent beer in and of itself, but it is an utter failure as fresh hop ale.

AutumnFest Ale - This pours a dull light brown and amber in color.  There is essentially no head.  The aroma is malty, wet grain, light sweet potato.  The taste is malty, light caramel, fruity, zesty and bright on the finish.  This is very tasty, and with the same flavor, but just a little more body, it would be excellent.


Winter Ale - This beer pours very dark brown to black in color.  There is a tall quarter-inch of light brown head.  The aroma is dark roasted malt, sweet, but also a tart note.  The taste is nutty and dark roasted malt, sweet, but not too sweet, with a fruity tart note as well.  It is a bit hard to describe this, but it is very good.

Fireside Ale -  This 7.5% ABV beer pours a very dark brown, seemingly hazy if held to the light.  There is a small ad of creamy light brown.  The aroma is smokey, malty, somewhat caramel sweet, somewhat tart.  The taste is deep rich caramel malt, a bit of plum fruit, and a peaty smokiness.  An interesting beer.  I generally don't like smokey beers, but this has just the right light touch.

Merry Monks' Belgian Style Golden Ale - This 9.3% ABV beer pours a very hazy dark golden orange in color with a short head of white foam.  The aroma is very sweet, malty, redolent of alcohol, with a yeasty and citrusy tart note in the back.  The taste is very sweet, malty, a touch of fruit.  It shows every bit of its high alcohol in its taste.

Sixteen - This 10.5% ABV beer is described as a dark braggot ale brewed with honey.  (According to the Oxford Dictionary, braggot is honey and ale fermented together).  The beer pours black in color with a short head of light brown head.  The aroma is sweet, definite honey note, along with lightly burnt caramel.  The taste follows the aroma, honey, caramel, molasses.  This is one sweet, sweet, beer.


No comments:

Post a Comment