I mentioned in the previous article I have entertained my palate with 29 Amherst Brewing Company beers. I wanted to share my thoughts as well as the brewer's descriptions. While not always agreeing with the descriptions, I still enjoy what ABC has to offer.
I also encourage any who are in the area, or have the opportunity to try their brews to do so. That's the fun with trying beer, learn what you love, and continue to sample to find new favorites. Also, try these and note whether you agree or not with my tastes.
Enjoy!
~Nick
Orange Wheat
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.3%
Notes: I found this to have a bitter nose, and a somewhat mellow flavor. The finish complemented the bitterness, yet it was smooth.
Black Friday Buffalo Trace Bourbon AgedStyle: Imperial Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 9%
Notes: Described as a smooth stout age in buffalo trace barrels, I found this to be your typical bourbon aged flavor, but smooth and delicate all the way through.
Mango Habanero White IpaStyle: American IPA
ABV: Unknown
Notes: This was delightfully crisp, and the citrous and the hoppiness and even the tinge of spice was well balanced. I found it very easy on the palate
Worthy Pilsner
Style: Pilsner Style
ABV: 4.5%
Notes: Per the website this is a light lager, aggressively hopped with Saaz, Citra and Sorachi Ace. There's a balanced hoppiness with a crisp pils style finish.
Black Dog IPA
Style: Black IPA
ABV: 5%
Notes: According to the web description its a dark, aggressively hopped IPA. Addition of Carafa and Roast malt gives this beer its color and slightly roasted flavor. Dry hopped with a generous amount of Simcoe hops. Named for the owner's dachsund, James. To me it was mellow and not as hoppy as I expected. There was a delicious roasted malt flavor, with a bit of a watery text.
Super Stout
Style: Oat Meal Stout
ABV: 6%
Notes: According to UNTAPPD this is a chocolate oatmeal stout brewed with 100 lbs. of brewer's oats and 50 lbs. of flaked barley. It says this brew is rich, creamy and roasty.
This description kind of sets you up for dissapointment, at least in the batch I tried. It was a lighter than normal stout. Though smooth it came across watery.
Amity Street Dark Wheat
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
ABV: 5%
Notes: Brewed with 40% wheat malt and a small amount of chocolate wheat. If you like Yoohoo drinks, you will love this! It was like drinking a bitter chocolate drink.
Incarcerator Dopplebock
Style: Dopplebock
ABV: 6.8%
Notes: This is a German style "Double" bock. Amber in color, strong, malty, sweet caramel flavors dominate. Brewed with Tettnang and Amarillo hops.
When I had this, the caramel notes were highly prevalent, and it was a finely palatable beer.
Noble Tyrion Vienna
Style: Vienna Lager
ABV: 4.5%
Notes: It had a bit of barley sweetness, and interestingly it came across slightly spiced in flavor. Barley sweet.
Gone Postal IPA
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.8%
Notes: This was a collaboration brew with Ed Malachowski from the Amherst Post Office. Over 2lbs. of hops per barrel. Big notes of citrus and pine with just enough malt flavor to provide balance
My goodness, I would consider this a staple of ABC. I order it every time I go. The above description is spot on. If I had to describe it in 3 words it owuld be "Clean, bitter, tasty."
Graduation Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Notes: It's a golden pale ale, and slightly hoppy. Each May it's brewed for the upcoming graduates.
To me, the graduates must not be beer connoisseurs, again just my opinion. I fealt as if there was a bit of a chlorine overtone, with a smokey aroma that sharply hits your nose.
Massatucky Brown
Style: American Brown Ale
ABV: 5.25%
Notes: Light brown medium bodied ale. Smooth, malty and slightly roasted flavor.
I found it Smooth and a little flat. The flavor hits the back of the tongue with a dryness.
Two Sisters Imperial Stout
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 6.7%
Notes: Dark, rich, hearty, smooth, and chocolatey. The two silhouettes on the logo are Marina and Ksusha, adopted from Russia by Amherst Brewing.
The aroma is what comes across peculiar, and intriguing. There's a deep fruitiness that wafts across the nose.
Black Friday (2012)
Style: Imperial Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 9.5%
Notes: I tried three different versions of this, a bourbon aged, a smoked and the original.
The bourbon was a bit boozy. The stout flavor and bourbon flavor seemed to be seconded by the strong alcohol flavor.
The smoked tasted more like a burnt bacon.
The last had a more malted, or roasted flavor.
Cascade IPA
Style: American IPA
ABV: 5.3%
Notes: Light in color, medium body, with a hop bitterness and Cascade hop finish.
I loved the earthy unfiltered essence this gave. There was a pleasant bitter after taste sprinkled with citrus notes.
Breakfast in Bed Stout
Style: American Stout
ABV: 6.6%
Notes: Two Sisters Stout base w/Local coffee, local maple syrup and Organic Bacon
This was absolutely delicious, and the coffee notes protrude above the bacon and maple flavors.
Raspberry Brown Ale
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 4.9%
Notes: Massatucky Brown Ale with a subtle raspberry flavoring. This actually tasted like chocolate covered raspberries.
Lewmeister Oktoberfest
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
ABV: 5.4%
Notes: Amber, full-bodied lager made in the traditional style with German hops. Brewed in early August and put on tap with a keg of the previous years batch by October of each year.
I found this to be a very sweet beer, which was surprisingly for the normal lager-like flavor one expects form an Oktoberfest.
Workingman's Wheat
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
ABV: 4.9%
Notes: Light crisp American style wheat with a medium hop finish. Made using 25% German wheat malt.
The sides of my tongue were bathed in a wheaty sweetness.
Puff The Magic Pilsner
Style: Smoked Pilsner Style
ABV: 4.6%
Notes: I like bacon, but not drinking it. But this one was more tolerable than most smoked beers I've had.
Lady K
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5%
Notes: Brewed with Simcoe hops, it had floral notes and a delicious and balanced hoppiness.
I also encourage any who are in the area, or have the opportunity to try their brews to do so. That's the fun with trying beer, learn what you love, and continue to sample to find new favorites. Also, try these and note whether you agree or not with my tastes.
Enjoy!
~Nick
Orange Wheat
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.3%
Notes: I found this to have a bitter nose, and a somewhat mellow flavor. The finish complemented the bitterness, yet it was smooth.
Black Friday Buffalo Trace Bourbon AgedStyle: Imperial Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 9%
Notes: Described as a smooth stout age in buffalo trace barrels, I found this to be your typical bourbon aged flavor, but smooth and delicate all the way through.
Mango Habanero White IpaStyle: American IPA
ABV: Unknown
Notes: This was delightfully crisp, and the citrous and the hoppiness and even the tinge of spice was well balanced. I found it very easy on the palate
Worthy Pilsner
Style: Pilsner Style
ABV: 4.5%
Notes: Per the website this is a light lager, aggressively hopped with Saaz, Citra and Sorachi Ace. There's a balanced hoppiness with a crisp pils style finish.
Black Dog IPA
Style: Black IPA
ABV: 5%
Notes: According to the web description its a dark, aggressively hopped IPA. Addition of Carafa and Roast malt gives this beer its color and slightly roasted flavor. Dry hopped with a generous amount of Simcoe hops. Named for the owner's dachsund, James. To me it was mellow and not as hoppy as I expected. There was a delicious roasted malt flavor, with a bit of a watery text.
Super Stout
Style: Oat Meal Stout
ABV: 6%
Notes: According to UNTAPPD this is a chocolate oatmeal stout brewed with 100 lbs. of brewer's oats and 50 lbs. of flaked barley. It says this brew is rich, creamy and roasty.
This description kind of sets you up for dissapointment, at least in the batch I tried. It was a lighter than normal stout. Though smooth it came across watery.
Amity Street Dark Wheat
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
ABV: 5%
Notes: Brewed with 40% wheat malt and a small amount of chocolate wheat. If you like Yoohoo drinks, you will love this! It was like drinking a bitter chocolate drink.
Incarcerator Dopplebock
Style: Dopplebock
ABV: 6.8%
Notes: This is a German style "Double" bock. Amber in color, strong, malty, sweet caramel flavors dominate. Brewed with Tettnang and Amarillo hops.
When I had this, the caramel notes were highly prevalent, and it was a finely palatable beer.
Noble Tyrion Vienna
Style: Vienna Lager
ABV: 4.5%
Notes: It had a bit of barley sweetness, and interestingly it came across slightly spiced in flavor. Barley sweet.
Gone Postal IPA
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.8%
Notes: This was a collaboration brew with Ed Malachowski from the Amherst Post Office. Over 2lbs. of hops per barrel. Big notes of citrus and pine with just enough malt flavor to provide balance
My goodness, I would consider this a staple of ABC. I order it every time I go. The above description is spot on. If I had to describe it in 3 words it owuld be "Clean, bitter, tasty."
Graduation Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Notes: It's a golden pale ale, and slightly hoppy. Each May it's brewed for the upcoming graduates.
To me, the graduates must not be beer connoisseurs, again just my opinion. I fealt as if there was a bit of a chlorine overtone, with a smokey aroma that sharply hits your nose.
Massatucky Brown
Style: American Brown Ale
ABV: 5.25%
Notes: Light brown medium bodied ale. Smooth, malty and slightly roasted flavor.
I found it Smooth and a little flat. The flavor hits the back of the tongue with a dryness.
Two Sisters Imperial Stout
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 6.7%
Notes: Dark, rich, hearty, smooth, and chocolatey. The two silhouettes on the logo are Marina and Ksusha, adopted from Russia by Amherst Brewing.
The aroma is what comes across peculiar, and intriguing. There's a deep fruitiness that wafts across the nose.
Black Friday (2012)
Style: Imperial Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 9.5%
Notes: I tried three different versions of this, a bourbon aged, a smoked and the original.
The bourbon was a bit boozy. The stout flavor and bourbon flavor seemed to be seconded by the strong alcohol flavor.
The smoked tasted more like a burnt bacon.
The last had a more malted, or roasted flavor.
Cascade IPA
Style: American IPA
ABV: 5.3%
Notes: Light in color, medium body, with a hop bitterness and Cascade hop finish.
I loved the earthy unfiltered essence this gave. There was a pleasant bitter after taste sprinkled with citrus notes.
Breakfast in Bed Stout
Style: American Stout
ABV: 6.6%
Notes: Two Sisters Stout base w/Local coffee, local maple syrup and Organic Bacon
This was absolutely delicious, and the coffee notes protrude above the bacon and maple flavors.
Raspberry Brown Ale
Style: Fruit Beer
ABV: 4.9%
Notes: Massatucky Brown Ale with a subtle raspberry flavoring. This actually tasted like chocolate covered raspberries.
Lewmeister Oktoberfest
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
ABV: 5.4%
Notes: Amber, full-bodied lager made in the traditional style with German hops. Brewed in early August and put on tap with a keg of the previous years batch by October of each year.
I found this to be a very sweet beer, which was surprisingly for the normal lager-like flavor one expects form an Oktoberfest.
Workingman's Wheat
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
ABV: 4.9%
Notes: Light crisp American style wheat with a medium hop finish. Made using 25% German wheat malt.
The sides of my tongue were bathed in a wheaty sweetness.
Puff The Magic Pilsner
Style: Smoked Pilsner Style
ABV: 4.6%
Notes: I like bacon, but not drinking it. But this one was more tolerable than most smoked beers I've had.
Lady K
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5%
Notes: Brewed with Simcoe hops, it had floral notes and a delicious and balanced hoppiness.