Tuesday, April 17, 2012

April Beers

Two new and opposite beers this past weekend, folks.




I have professed my love for Breckenridge Brewery many times in the past. Their regular and seasonal ales are hands down some of my favorites. In fact, I've never had a bad beer from them (skipping those IPA's though - girlfriend does NOT like IPA's) So last week when John said he saw SummerBright in the cooler of our fancy gourmet grocery store, I got pretty giddy.

At $9.99 / 6 pack, it's not the cheapest but all of their beers are priced like this and worth it. From the website: "A golden ale with a hint of natural citrus." Hint? More like a faint whisper. The bottle says "brewed with orange and lemon peel" but the citrus flavor was so subtle, it was barely there. While I did like the SummerBright, I don't know that I would buy it again. There are so many other summer beers that do it right (for less) that I think I'd rather go back to my old favorites. Sorry, Breckenridge. I'll see you again in the fall!





Every Friday at the local liquor store a beer tasting is held. It's a buck a (generous) taste. One weekend, Sam Adams was on tap. Sam Adams (like Breckenridge) is one of the favorites around Chez G for its seasonal beers but also for the everyday ones too. We skipped some of the ones we'd had before and tried this small batch brew instead.

Griffin's Bow is an oaked blonde barleywine ale in the Limited Release family from Sam Adams. From the website: "From the aroma and notes of sweet honeysuckle, pineapple, and grapefruit, to richer hints of burnt sugar, and toffee, this intriguing brew is full of complex flavors. The distinct character of toasted oak adds depth and contrasts the light fruit sweetness. This unique take on a barleywine ale surprises with its smoothness and balance of fruit, hop citrus, and warming strength."

I really enjoyed this one. It was $5.99 for a 1 pint, 6 oz. bottle so John and I shared it. Also, it's 10% alcohol (hence the price) but is surprisingly smooth with a nice sweet aftertaste. If you can find this, give it a try!


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