#7 Double Take Belgian White
#7 Double Take Belgian White
Type: Witbier
Container: Bottle
ABV: 5.4%
Sticker Price: $6.99/6-pack of bottles
I used to hate wheat beers of any type but I’ve learned to like them, as they tend to be my lovely wife Shilpi’s favorite style. We’ve tried a lot of Double Take’s wine (and been unimpressed) so I thought I’d give their brews a try. Inoffensive and cheap for a white, this would be good to bring to a party but I’m not keen to buy another six pack soon. I do have a bread recipe that uses beer. The other four bottles might find a better use there…
- Rating (5=best): 2
- Nose: Corriander, celery, aluminum, bit of citrus
- Flavor: Sweet malty notes, corriander, orange peel bitterness, all muted and blended with a creamy carbonation
- Finish: Bitter citrus rind (not peel), tiny bit of grapefruit on the end of a short finish
- Notes: Pleasant but unremarkable. Overall impression is of a watered-down witbier, certainly not the “head snapper” it’s billed as.
- Shilpi: Unenthusiastic: “It’s malty; darker tasting than a white beer.”
#6 Coors Light
#6 Coors Light
Type: Pale Lager
Container: Bottle
ABV: 4.2%
Sticker Price: $5.99/6-pack of bottles
I don’t know anything about light beers. I never drink them and I frankly don’t understand the point of a light beer, besides allowing you to drink a lot to get drunk without feeling full. If that’s the goal (and it shouldn’t be), I wouldn’t drink beer. Anyway, I figured I would start with one of the biggest selling brands. Maybe I’m missing something here but I’m not looking forward to the next light beer in the aisle.
- Rating (5=best): 1
- Nose: Metal, tiny bit of grain.
- Flavor: Club soda, very watery, bitter but not from the hops, more from the carbonation. Tiniest bit of corn sweetness.
- Finish: Dry, stale beer taste. Like what a ballpark smells like after the game.
- Notes: Very smooth and refreshing but not really a beer flavor. Sadly, Natty Ice had more flavor.
- Shilpi: With a very confused expression: “I don’t not like it. It’s bright but slightly sour and sparkly on my tongue.”
#4 New Belgium Ranger IPA
#4 New Belgium Ranger IPA
Type: India Pale Ale
Container: Bottle
ABV: 6.5%
Sticker Price: $12.99/12-pack of assorted flavors
I find I like a lot of what New Belgium puts out. If I were to get a big rubber stamp that said “IPA” and slapped on a beer, this one would be covered in ink. This is a very obvious, simple and strong expression of an IPA: not for the hop-haters. It has its place on a hot summer day but I wouldn’t drink it regularly.
- Rating (5=best): 2.5
- Nose: Big on hops. Floral, dandelions, little bit of evergreen.
- Flavor: Soft but strong hoppy bitterness, grapefruit.
- Finish: Bitter hops, not much else. Reminds me of biting down on a grapefruit seed. Plenty dry and long-lasting.
- Notes: You have to be in the mood for this hop hurricane. Drink it too fast and not only will the high-alcohol content floor you but the bitterness might upset your stomach. BUT on a hot day at the beach or around the grill this would almost hit the spot.
- Shilpi: With a face like a 2-year old tasting her first lemon: “I don’t like it. It’s very bitter and sour and all the things I hate about alcohol.”
#3 New Belgium Giddy Up!
#3 New Belgium Giddy Up!
Type: Ale
Container: Bottle
ABV: 6%
Sticker Price: $12.99/12-pack of assorted flavors
I find I like a lot of what New Belgium puts out and I especially like darker beers in general. This one is for the coffee lovers. There’s so much coffee in here it’s almost not a beer! I love coffee and the lemon that shows up in the finish here keeps this one interesting. While I’d usually prefer a heavier body to the coffee-flavored beers, the lemon works well with the light body of this brew. Surprisingly crisp.
- Rating (5=best): 4
- Nose: Coffee, cream, roasted, sweet malt
- Flavor: Strong espresso, roasted grains, malt, smooth, creamy, butter, lemon cake. No trace of hops: all the bitterness comes from the coffee.
- Finish: Gives way to light bitterness, hint of the lemon at the end. If you wait for it, almost a lemon cookie flavor.
- Notes: Good if you like coffee. Wonderfully fresh and crisp for a coffee beer.
- Shilpi: Surprised she liked it! (She doesn’t care for the darker beers and really doesn’t like coffee.) “I had two!”
#2 New Belgium 1554
#2 New Belgium 1554
Type: Black Ale
Container: Bottle
ABV: 5.6%
Sticker Price: $12.99/12-pack of assorted flavors
I find I like a lot of what New Belgium puts out and I especially like darker beers in general. This one has a lot of the malty, earthy characteristics I like in dark beers and scotch yet is surprisingly light and easy to drink. Maybe a little too light in the body but that keeps it refreshing and less demanding.
- Rating (5=best): 4
- Nose: Yeasty dark bread, coriander, dried fruits
- Flavor: Roasted grains, malt, smooth, surprisingly light
- Finish: Dry, espresso, slightly bitter chocolate at the end, even a little smoky
- Notes: Very drinkable, good introduction to darker beers. Not too heavy keeps it refreshing but still has those great dark flavors.
- Shilpi: “It’s bitter, like coffee. I’m not a fan. Take it away!” (She doesn’t care for the darker beers.)
#1 Natural Ice
#1 Natural Ice
Type: Lager
Container: Can
ABV: 5.9%
Sticker Price: $8.99/12-pack
I had to start somewhere. This beer is awful so I won’t spend too much time editorializing and will just give the notes.
- Rating (5=best): 1
- Nose: Almost non existent; subtle white wine, grainy, yeasty, corn
- Flavor: Crisp, slight malt and corn flavors, very watery, no hops
- Finish: Dry, vanishes without a trace
- Notes: Thirst quenching but thoroughly uninteresting; waste of the money and calories
- Shilpi: Strong negative reaction. I’ve never seen her react so negatively to anything, let alone a beer: “You could have bought any other beer and I would have been happy. That is the worst beer ever.”
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