October 2006 Archives

Reprinted from North

Beers of the Eastern U.S.

While Mike and I were ramblin' around the Eastern United States, we decided to pick up local beers from each of the places we visited. We ended up with a selection of seven brews (in sequential order (2)):

• Kentucky Ale (Lexington, KY)
• Oberon Ale (Kalamazoo, MI)
• Dirty Bastard (Grand Rapids, MI)
• Pipe Organ Pale Ale (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Celestial Gold (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Blue Heron Pale Ale (Saratoga Springs, NY)
• Brooklyn Pilsner (Brooklyn, NY)

Once collected, it was time to taste.

I recruited several friends to partake in the sampling (3). (Mike had to leave Atlanta relatively soon after we returned from the road and was unable to participate.) I spent some time researching our beer selections and the tasting process. I even prepared a short presentation (2.3M PDF) (which I didn't end up using because of technical difficulties).

We popped the tops and proceeded to make our way around the country, letting the malt and hop aromas transport us to far away lands. Then we rated each beer using a score card available from tastebeer.com.au.

Admittedly, few (if any) of us had any idea how to fill out the score cards. For instance, I couldn't tell you the difference between "hoppiness" and "maltiness." So the following ratings should be taken with a grain (pun intended) of salt.

For each beer, I'm going to list it's average rating (from 1-5), it's rank among the beers tasted, and then some of the keywords/comments from the scorecards. (1)

Kentucky Ale

Average rating: 3.6 Rank: Second

The Kentucky Ale received pretty high marks from most tasters. According to more than one rating sheet, the ale had a sweet flavor with good bitterness and a low-intensity, short aftertaste. However, a couple tasters noticed an off aroma of "cooked vegetable" and one added "diaper" in the margin -- certainly not what the brewer had in mind. Despite the negative comments, this beer ranked second in the field and among this reviewer's favorites.

Oberon Ale

Average rating: 2.75 Rank: Fifth

Some reviewers found the Oberon to have a cloudy appearance and poor head retention. The quality rating was merely "acceptable" to some and even "faulty" to others. It was found to have good carbonation with a medium intensity, but one reviewer marked it's charcter as "shifty" and noted a vinegary aftertaste.

Celestial Gold (2)

Average rating: 2.4 Rank: Seventh (last)

This selection was almost universally despised. Despite it's sparkling clarity, reviewers selected the harshest adjectives on the scorecard -- skunky and solven-like -- to apply towards this brew. One taster added their own, noting that it "reminds me of my ex."

Blue Heron Pale Ale

Average rating: 2.5 Rank: Sixth

Unfortunately for our taste-buds the Blue Heron provided little relief after the Celestial Gold. The Heron was described by several tasters as being too bitter. One even wrote "death" in the margin of the aroma section. The person who liked this brew the most gave it a four, and noted a full-bodied beer with a dry texture and high-intensity aftertaste.

Dirty Bastard

Average rating: 4.1 Rank: First

This beer gained favor with our panel as soon as the name was announced. This was the darkest beer of the evening. The majority of reviewers noted a chocolate flavor in this full-bodied brew. The aftertaste intensity was also consistently rated "high."

Pipe Organ Pale Ale

Average rating: 3 Rank: Fourth

The Pipe Organ did better than it's corporate cousin, Celestial Gold, but that's not giving it too much credit. According to the judges, the Organ had a bitter, sour taste. None of the other categories received any consistent marks: The aromas included grainy, roasted, floral, pine, sweet, spice and toffee. With such a wide range of views, perhaps its appropriate that this was rated in the middle of the pack.

Brooklyn Pilsner

Average rating: 3.5 Rank: Third

The Brooklyn Pilsner, based on the scorecards, is a dry, medium-bodied brew with good bitterness and a medium intensity. As the last beer of the evening, the Brooklyn selection may not have had a fair shot, considering our palettes may have been oversaturated. Then again, this one did spend the least amount of time in the trunk, so that may even up the handicap.

Conclusions

Congratulations to Grand Rapids and Founders Brewing Company's Dirty Bastard. This beer received the highest marks from our seven-member panel and, thanks to it's catchy name, was the talk of the evening.

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(1) There were seven tasters at the event, but two snuck away with their authors, so the calculations are based on the five remaining scorecards.

(2) Due to a clerical error, the beers were not tasted in sequential order.

(3) I should issue a word of caution that the beers tasted are not intended to accurately represent the overall quality of their hometowns. Also, beer-o-philes will likely be up in arms (or bottle openers) at our amateur attempt to describe the subtle and complex flavors and aromas of these beverages.