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Monthly Archives: June 2013

Review of Rivertown Hop Bomber

Hello everyone. Thanks for checking back in on another craft beer review. For today’s review I’m going to be trying the Hop Bomber produced by the Rivertown Brewing Company located in the Queen City of Cincinnati, Ohio.

We have just recently started receiving Rivertown brews in my area, so this will be my first experience with one of their concoctions.

Let’s jump over to their website, rivertownbrewery.com, and see what the commercial description has to say.

An American pale ale named after the famous B-24 Liberator Bomber. This beer has a wonderful malt backbone from the use of dark British crystal malt and spicy fresh rye malt. It is dry hopped with two varieties of American hops for a crisp refreshing flavor.

Alright. I’m getting thirsty. Let’s pour this thing.

This beer came in a 12 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 5.5%.

It poured a semi-hazy, orangish to amber color. A well sized, off white head was formed from an easy cascade. The texture was soft, sort of rocky and fluffy. The retention time was admirable and the retention time was patchy, but attractive enough.

The nose brought forth a nice caramel malt to begin with. Additional hints of toasted biscuits along with floral and earthy hops came about next. A sturdy waft of wheat and/or rye bread added even more “roundness”. A very, very light hint of apple and orange added some complexity, however this was very much a “malt forward” fragrance.

The flavor had a bit more of a grainy type profile. It still had plenty of that earthiness, caramel malt and rye bread goodness though. The fruity apple and orange characteristics that were discovered in the smell were almost nonexistent in the taste. Oh well. It was still enjoyable.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Smooth, semi-dry and slightly chewy. The carbonation was of medium strength and an ok amount of flavor was left behind after each swallow.

Overall, I thought this to be a solid beer and worth a try if you can obtain it. I doubt that it will knock your socks off, but I believe that it would be an excellent drink for the Fall season. It’s definitely not a “hop bomb” as the label suggests that it might be. It’s very malt forward, but that’s alright. It’s an easy drink that could be enjoyed without much fanfare or contemplation…. or it could be studied if need be. Either way, the drinkabilty is quite good and I wouldn’t mind having it again sometime. So, if you guys get to try the Rivertown Hop Bomber, drop me a line and tell me of your opinion. I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.55 out of 5

Grade: B

1 Comment

Posted by Beer Apprentice on June 30, 2013 in Country: USA, Rivertown

Review of Wychwood Scarecrow

28 Jun

Hi guys. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Wychwood Scarecrow produced by the Wychwood Brewery Company situated in Whitney, United Kingdom.

I remember trying a few Wychwood brews years ago when I first started drinking craft beer, however I don’t really remember what I thought of them. When I saw the Scarecrow on the shelf at a bottle shop I figured I’d give it a go and try to give it a proper review.

From the website, wychwood.co.uk, I stumbled upon this bit of info regarding the Scarecrow.

Traditionally craft brewed in Oxfordshire using organically grown English Barley Malt and Organic Target Hops. Scarecrow is a wonderfully refreshing Golden Ale evoking lazy, hazy days of summer in golden meadows & ripe barleyfields. A winning combination of tart citric fruit flavours perfectly balanced by a rich biscuity maltiness and rounded off with a spicy bittersweet finish.

Sounds inviting. Let’s drink.

This beer had a 4.7% ABV and it came in a 16.9 oz. vessel.

It poured a clear golden/honey color. A barely off white head that was soapy, fluffy, frothy and sized very well was formed from a relatively easy pour. The retention time was solid and the lacing looked decent enough too.

The nose smelled of clean grains and fresh white bread. Some cracker and wafer tones as well. Maybe even the slightest fragrance of red apple skins along with the most delicate floral component. Overall, nothing too complicated, but solid enough.

The taste seemed to be a lot more grainy and grassy than was the aroma. A decent little toasted biscuit savor became apparent after it warmed a touch, however when chilled it was completely overtaken by the grain. Some sweet malts and earthy tones were exposed near the end also. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, but nothing bad either.

The mouthfeel was medium to thin bodied. Sort of dry and crisp. Quite refreshing and thirst quenching. The carbonation was of medium strength, yet only an “ok” amount of flavor was left behind on the palate between sips.

Well… this was an acceptable beer. It seemed to get a little better as I went along and it was allowed to open up. It started super grainy, but became more pleasant once the biscuity malts stepped forth. It was a super easy drink that could, more than likely, be drunk at any point during the year. I would have to agree with the description though and say that it would be best suited for the Spring and Summer months. Either way, give the Wychwood Scarecrow a try and see what you think about it.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.

Until next time. Cheers.

Score: 3.35 out of 5

Grade: B-

Review of Bosteels Pauwel Kwak

26 Jun

What’s up guys? Everyone doing alright? Thanks for checking back in on another craft beer review. Today, I’m going to be trying the Pauwel Kwak produced by Brouwerij Bosteels from Buggenhout, Belgium.

I’ve never had this beer before. Actually, I’ve only ever had the Tripel Karmeliet from Bosteels…. and we all know how good that beer is.

Let’s get to the website, bestbelgianspecialbeers.be, and see what we can find out about this brew.

Full-bodied Belgian Specialty Ale. Amber in color with beautiful foam and slightly sweet, seductive malt character. Rich, satisfying Belgian experience.

Ok. Let’s give it a pour.

The Kwak came in a 25.4 oz. bottle and it possessed an 8.4% ABV.

It poured a hazy, deep orange, amber, burgundy mixture of color. The head was off white and rather small. The texture was a touch fizzy and soapy, however it was tightly compacted. The retention time was slight as was the lacing. It kind of looked like a Coca-Cola (crown and all). The body became more clear as it warmed.

The nose released big hints of cinnamon bread and banana bread. A gorgeous waft of yeast commingled with spices of cinnamon and clove. Tones of brown sugar and caramel added even more goodness. The bouquet sort of smelled like those dehydrated banana and apple chips. Very nice. Only a light bit of alcohol was identified as well.

The flavor had an enormous yeast and bread characteristic. Savors of overripe banana and maybe even a smidgen of pear added some welcomed fruitiness. More of the sugar and caramel aspects came into play while the spicy clove added some balance. A fairly meek toasty aspect came into play as it warmed, which again, helped with complexity and harmony.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Smooth, chewy and mostly dry. The carbonation was of medium strength and just a wee bit of warmth was felt from the alcohol. A very nice shot of flavor was left behind for me to enjoy between each sip as well.

Yeah, this was a nice beer. I’ll definitely revisit it again. I really liked the big yeast and bread notes as well as the dried fruits. This brew totally reminded me of the Fall season. The drinkability was pretty good considering the higher ABV, yet it also had enough “oomph” to take the chill off on a cool evening. If you guys get the chance to try the Pauwel Kwak don’t hesitate. It’s a complex and well built beer that shouldn’t be passed up. Feel free to leave me a comment and tell me about your experience if you’d like.

Thanks for reading everyone. I really appreciate it.

Score: 4.15 out of 5

Grade: A-