Beer Review, Untouchable Pale Ale

Speakeasy Untouchable Pale Ale
San Francisco, CA
5.5% ABV

Appearance: Orange-yellow with a slight reddish tinge, very hazy with suspended particles, small white foamy head. 4.0/5

Smell: Sweet, slightly citrus, strong clean hops. Cascade perhaps? 4.0/5

Taste: Yeastier than expected, somewhat sweet on the tongue. Notes of citrus. Actually quite refreshing. 4.0/5

Mouthfeel: Thick for an APA, moderate carbonation, moderate-to-heavy on hops. 3.5/5

Drinkability: A pretty classic West Coast APA, perhaps a little yeasty for the style, but quite good, very drinkable. 4.0/5

Overall: 3.95/5

Beer Review, Bosco's London Porter

Bosco's London Porter
Bosco's Brewpub, Cool Springs, TN
Unknown ABV

(Beer tasted on my recent vacation to the south. Notes transcribed verbatim.)

Appearance: BLack, opaque, slightly red at bottom. Minimal head leaves some lacing. 4.0/5

Smell: Somewhat sweet with chocolate malt, significant chocolate presence, slight dry roasty maltiness. 4.5/5

Taste: Sweet chocolate malt, roasted barley, hints of coffee, dry on finish. 4.0/5

Mouthfeel: Moderate thickness, some hops, very dry. 3.5/5

Drinkability: Quite good, very drinkable. 4.0/5

Overall: 4.05/5

Beer Review, Bosco's Wee Heavy

Bosco's Wee Heavy
Bosco's Brewpub, Cool Springs, TN
Unknown ABV

(Tasted on my vacation to the south. Notes transcribed verbatim below.)

Appearance: Amber, clean, slightly hazy. Small head. 3.5/5

Smell: Sweet, fruity, malty. Slight hints of yeast. 3.5/5

Taste: Very sweet, grainy, hints of cherries. 4.0/5

Mouthfeel: Moderate thickness, low on carbonation, mild hops. 4.0/5

Drinkability: Very good. Not complex, but good. 4.0/5

Overall: 3.8/5

Beer Review, Terminal Brewhouse O.P.P. ESB

Terminal Brewhouse O.P.P. ESB
Chattanooga, TN
Unknown ABV

(Tasted on my vacation to the south, on-tap at the Terminal Brewhouse. Tasting notes verbatim below.)

Appearance: Amber-orange, hazy. Head is foamy and leaves lacing. 4.0/5

Smell: Sweet, malty, hints of caramel, lots of grain. 4.0/5

Taste: Grainy, hints of barley and significant hop bite. Loads of sweet caramel. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Moderate thickness, heavy carbonation, significant hops. 3.5/5

Drinkability: Very good, a nice stiff ESB. 4.0/5

Overall: 4.15/5

Coburn on Health Care

"...ask your neighbors for help.



Want to know what's really disgusting about this video? The applause from that audience to those canned remarks he makes about government and healthcare. A woman in tears because she can't get the health coverage she desperately needs so that her ailing husband can eat and drink, and the Republican base cheers for the kind of response that would be inappropriate if she'd told him she had pneumonia.

Oh, and by the way, all of us are this woman's neighbors. What we're trying to do is to set up a system whereby there is a system in place where this woman can get assistance from her community, that is, from the collective weal of the USA. It's called "citizenship," and I think I know a few people who should give it a try.

Beer Review, Keweenaw Red Jacket Amber Ale

Keweenaw Red Jacket Amber Ale
South Range, MI
Unknown ABV

(Note: BA calls this an American Amber, but the can refers to itself as an "Octoberfest-style ale.)

Appearance: Hazy brown/orange body with slight yellow tinge at the bottom. Thick brownish head that dissipates to soapscum quickly. 4.0/5

Smell: Rich, malty, nutty. Quite dry. Very strong grains. 4.5/5

Taste: Sweet nutty grains on the front-end, with a bit of syrup on the finish. Some nice bitter hops, as well, and a dry aftertaste. Kind of a weird amalgam of styles, but somehow it works. Very much more like an Octoberfest than an Amber, so take that for what you will. 4.0/5

Mouthfeel: Thicker than anticipated, very low carbonation, with no particular hop bite. Smooth but a bit thick. 3.5/5

Drinkability: I'm tempted to pound these straight from the can. A nice beer, very good at what it does. 4.0/5

Overall: 4.05/5

Beer Review, Sweetwater IPA (Growler)

Sweetwater IPA
Atlanta, GA
6.7% ABV

(Had this years ago in bottles, reviewing the growler I purchased at Riverside Beverages in Chattanooga.)

Appearance: Dark red-yellow body, almost brown, with a thin white head that dissipates quickly. Nice presentation. I'm not taking any points off for the smaller head than the bottle, as that's almost certainly an artifact of the growler. 4.5/5

Smell: Nice crisp dry hops, strong citrus backbone. 4.0/5

Taste: Very sweet, fruity, with a dry hop finish that lets you know this is a nice IPA. Much more grapefruit than I remember from the bottles, but still delicious. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Moderate thickness, coats the tongue, low carbonation. 4.0/5

Drinkability: This is a very different beer than I remember. Whether this is due to my changed palate since October 2005, or whether the brewery has tweaked the recipe, or whether it's just an artifact of the growler vs. the bottle, I can't say. In any case, this is a very good IPA, although the characteristics seem to vary widely between the bottle and the growler. 4.0/5

Overall: 4.3/5

Beer Review, The Short Parade

Short's The Soft Parade
Belaire, MI
7.2% ABV

Appearance: Dark-hued amber appearance, more pink than red (due to the fruit), with a thick foamy pinkish-colored head that sticks around for a bit. 4.0/5

Smell: Yeastier than expected on the nose, with only hints of the raspberries and cherries. Slightly bready. 3.5/5

Taste: Ah, there's the fruit. Very tart, almost lambic-like, with a raspberry backbone and a strong sour finish. The alcohol is hidden nicely, and there's no real hop bite to speak of. 4.0/5

Mouthfeel: Thick, foamy. 4.5/5

Drinkability: For a Fruit/Vegetable beer, this is top-notch. 4.5/5

Overall: 4.0/5

Beer Review, Dragon's Milk Ale

New Holland Dragon's Milk
Holland, MI
9.0% ABV

Appearance: Opaque. Really opaque. Dark black body, no light shows through even when held up to a light source. Moderate head that dissipates quickly. 4.5/5

Smell: Hm, interesting. Lots of malt on the nose, hints of cherries with strong coffee and black malt undertones. Some astringency from the alcohol. 4.0/5

Taste: Intensely alcoholic, stings the tip of the tongue. Strong bready malts, lots of grains and a nice roasty dryness on the finish. Some malt sweetness present upon further sipping, hints of black cherries and other fruity esters. Very appealing. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Thick, but not overwhelmingly so. Carbonation is low, so are the hops. The alcohol gives it a bit of a burn on the way down, though. 4.0/5

Drinkability: Once you get used to it, this is actually a very drinkable beer. I think I'd like it with a touch more hoppiness for balance, but this beer's stellar reputation is pretty well-deserved. 4.0/5

Overall: 4.3/5

Beer Review, Cold Hop British-Style Ale

Boulder Beer Company Cold Hop British-Style Ale
Boulder, CO
6.5% ABV

Appearance: Dingy red body, very hazy with suspended yeast, with a thin head that dissipates quickly. 4.0/5

Smell: Very malty, serious grains, with a very aromatic hop bite. Strong with caramel. 4.5/5

Taste: Very bready, grainy. Slightly sweet, hints of apples and with a dry finish. 4.0/5

Mouthfeel: Thick and malty, moderate-to-heavy carbonation. 4.0/5

Drinkability: A good beer, solid and easy to drink, but doesn't really overwhelm the senses. 4.0/5

Overall: 4.1/5