Sawtooth Ale

As I navigate these delightful waters of beer discovery, I realize that there are so many good brews out there, that I have a difficult time drawing fine distinctions among them. They're certainly all different in their own ways. They're as individual as people. And, as with people, I find I like most of the brews I've tasted on this exploration. Certainly there are some bad apples, but most of them have some redeeming qualities.

That brings us to Sawtooth Ale. The flagship brew from Colorado's Left Hand Brewing. It is one fine brew. If you're new to this "Anything Other Than Mainstream Beer" movement. It would be a great one to start your journey of discovery with. It's an amber ale with a delightful balance of malt and hops. As you take a sip (by the way, I use the word "sip" because I find that it sounds better than "gulp" or "drink" or "chug", but I rarely "sip" on a beer) the first flavor you notice is the malt, as it exits your mouth and heads down the throat, the flavor of mild hops springs to life. After it's all gone, there's a bit of dryness that lets you know it's time for another "sip". 

Sawtooth is another one of those session ales. Low-ish in alcohol (5.3%) so you could have more than one at the picnic. Although not a seasonal brew, it's a great summer beer. Like one of my other favorite "every day" beers SweetWater Blue, it's a fine beer that's has complexity without being pretentious.

Would I buy this beer again? Affirmative

Hoppy To See You Rating: 4 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5

1554 Must've Been A Good Year

Photo: New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, CO

As I mentioned in the last post, I was not anxious to try anything from New Belgium after drinking their Fat Tire ale, but this is THE beer that broke down the barrier between me and New Belgium.

I was a cold winter night when I was introduced to 1554 Black Lager at a friend's house. I didn't expect to stay very long, so before I left home, I just grabbed whatever was left in the fridge (probably a few SweetWater 420's) to take with me. After arriving, I put the beer in my friend's fridge (after taking one for myself) and went in to join the party. A little while later, I went back to get another, and they had mysteriously disappeared. Well, not mysteriously. A couple of "beerless" folks had asked if they could have one, and of course I said yes.

A late arrival to the festivities had brought 1554 with him. I had never met this guy, but we struck up a conversation about beer. He (like me) was a fan of beer and we both made jokes about being "beer snobs". Anyway, I said I'd never tried 1554 and asked if I could try one. He insisted I try one, and have more than one if I wanted.

I didn't read the label before I took a sip. Very nice. An unexpected smoothness. A rich, malty taste without being too "heavy". Then (to my surprise) followed by a hint of chocolate. I've had some "chocolate beers" before, but didn't find them to my liking. This one keeps the chocolate taste at bay on the initial sip, lets you enjoy the good beer flavor, then the chocolate taste peeks it's head in the door and says a nice, quiet "hello" as it leaves your mouth. Yes. I became a fan of 1554, and the wall between me and New Belgium came crumbling down. I don't mean to suggest that 1554 is a "chocolate beer", but it does have chocolate as part of it's flavors.

When poured, it's very pretty to look at. A clear brown/black color with a thick, creamy, ivory colored head. This is a good after dinner brew, or to have with friends around the fire on a cold evening. The only problem I have with this beer is remembering it's name. I am terrible at remembering numbers, so I have a hard time remembering "1554". I always say "that black lager beer with the date as it's name". But even though I can't remember the name, I don't have any trouble finding it.

Would I buy this beer again? Have and will

Hoppy To See You Rating: 4.00 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5

Goin' Skinny Dippin'

Photo: New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, CO

One more of those summer beers. Very appropriate since I'm writing this on the 4th of July. This one is a lager from the folks at New Belgium Brewery. My first experience with a New Belgium brew was their Fat Tire ale. I was hesitant to sample any of New Belgium's offerings after tasting that beer. I found it to be unpleasant. But that's for a future review, maybe.

Skinny Dip is another low alcohol brew with a refreshing taste that's perfect for summertime get-togethers. At the outset, it has a somewhat fruity/sweet/peachy flavor that I find to be tasty and delightful. It finishes with a slightly bitter taste, but it's a "good" bitter. It's just right to get your palette primed for the next mouthful of beer goodness.

When poured, it has a rather bubbly head that doesn't last very long, but that's forgivable. It's got the pale yellow/orange color you would expect from a lager. They've managed to pack a lot of flavor and (dare I say it) complexity into a low alcohol seasonal brew.

A quick thought about these summer beers. For me, summer beer drinking is somewhat different than cold weather beer drinking. Usually (but certainly not always) in the summer, I drink a beer because I'm hot and thirsty. So when I take a drink of one of these summer brews, it's such a refreshing hit to the inside of my mouth that (almost) any beer would be good at that first taste. So my first sampling of many of the summer beers I've been trying are going to make a good first impression. They're cold and wet - just what my body wants at that time. I try not to let that sway me. In the interest of proper research, I form my opinions after more than one, or two, or three or more over time (not all in one sitting). I had eight Skinny Dips before writing this review. Over a period of weeks... c'mon people!

Would I buy this beer again? Oh, yes

Hoppy To See You Rating: 3.75 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5

Brooklyn 1/2 Ale

1/2 Ale from Brooklyn Brewery is appropriately named. It begs to have jokes made about it: They must've spent half the time it requires to make a good beer, you can't drink but half of one, I suppose I could drink one if I half to, and of course the obligatory half-a-- beer.

This was another one of my random selections at the store. I have a friend that lives in Brooklyn, right down the street from the brewery, and I was intrigued by the name "1/2", so that was my "reasoning" for choosing this beer. I don't want to say this is a bad beer, but if I had a time machine and could go to the moment I chose it, I would put it back on the shelf and walk away.

I'm sure Brooklyn Brewery makes some great beers, but this isn't one of them. This is one of their seasonal session beers. Low alcohol content (3.4%), but also low on flavor. On second thought, not low on flavor. It's high on flavor - it's just bad flavor.

When poured, the head is bubbly and fizzes away almost like a soft drink. It has a bitter, unpleasant taste that hangs in there like your relatives after Sunday dinner.

I assume by now you can tell I don't recommend this brew. I most definitely will not hold this beer against Brooklyn Brewery. They can't all be gems. I look forward to trying their other offerings.

Would I buy this beer again? No, Nope, Nein, Nyet 

Hoppy To See You Rating: 1 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5