Samuel Smith’s – Organic Tadcaster

Organic beer you say? OK, I’m game. If there is one beermaker that deserves the benefit of the doubt it’s Sam Smith’s, considering they have such a solid brand and consistently produce great beer. I’m familiar with the *regular* Tadcaster, so I was looking forward to tasting the organic differences. All in, it’s a pretty good, albeit not particularly surprising beer. The pour yielded a cloudy orange but effervescent pint. The head was nice and neat and about two fingers with nice lacing throughout. The nose was yeasty, but there were obvious hints of caramel and a nice citrus overtone on top. Flavors were not particularly complex, but well balanced between the English yeast and the not-so-dominant hop bittering. The mouthfeel was smooth and a little oily, which made an otherwise simple beer seem a little more refined – an expected result from Sam Smith’s. It’s a beer I’d certainly have around most of the time and enjoy fairly regularly if it were half the price. Cheers ~G

score – 3.5

Bluegrass Beer Company – Jefferson’s Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

This beer may just win the longest name in history contest. I’ll have to check on that. What I know for sure is that BBC ages the stout for around 60 days in oak barrels from McLain & Kyne’s Jefferson’s Reserve bourbon. Cool idea, and it works. The nose has more than a subtle hint of bourbon and oak, but is mostly dominated by toasted oats, chocolate malt and vanilla bean. The head is a bit understated in thickness and longevity but is a nice caramel color, and fairly typical for a higher abv stout . It’s a flavorful beer and the bourbon barrel aging is smooth and balanced, providing a nice hand-off to the coffee-tinged malt which constitutes most of the overall flavor. My critiques are a slightly thin mouthfeel and medium-light body, as the bold bourbon notes and toasty aroma could support a heavier beer. The finish concludes like baker’s chocolate, but I’d like to feel a little more warming in an 8% beer. I’d compare the weight to a Guinness, but the flavor is easily twice that. The bourbon edge is quite good, and the toasty malt profile plus vanilla creaminess makes this beer a real pleasure to drink.

Cheers ~G

score -4

Ayinger – Celebrator

The Celebrator is a beer I’ve seen for years but, for whatever reason, never ended up buying. I’ve never been a *huge* bock fan and a doppelbock seemed, well, doubly less appealing. Umm…I was wrong. This is an outstanding and very enjoyable beer which is highly drinkable and complex without being overbearing. Actually, the fact that it’s a doppelbock makes it a deeper, richer brew, which negates some of the things I don’t find particularly satisfying with your typical bock. I paired the Celebrator with a Texas Brisket with chili sauce and it was a perfect compliment. The subtle sweetness of the bock matched up with the tomato base in the sauce, while the coffee and hop bitterness finished off each bite with a crisp conclusion. The mouthfeel was creamy and not as heavy as I had anticipated, which made it easy to put away a couple of pints without getting stuffed. Overall, this beer is great by itself and outstanding when paired with the right food. It’s a little on the spendy side, but would make a nice gift and perfect for special occasions. Cheers ~G

score – 4.5