Beer Review: Magic Hat Pistil

Beer: Pistil Dandelion Ale
Brewer: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Source: 12 oz. bottle
Rating:  *** (7.2 of 10)
Comments: This spring beer is all about flowers and fruit.  It’s a golden, bubbly beer with a musty, wheaty, and citrus aroma.  The flavor is crisp and fruity with hints of spice and flora.  The head dissipates quickly but leaves behind nice lacing.

Beer Review: Samuel Adams New Albion Ale

Beer: Samuel Adams New Albion Ale
Brewer: Boston Beer Company
Source: 12 oz. bottle
Rating: **** (8.0 of 10)
Comments: This beer is a recreation of one of the earliest craft beers brewed 40 years ago by Jack McAuliffe whose New Albion brewery had to close up shop in 1982.  It’s a bright golden beer with a thick head and grassy/citrus aroma.  The flavor is sharp with an orange and hints of malt sweetness. The head thins out quickly but leaves some nice lacing on the glass.  This is an easy beer to drink and I hope it sticks around this time.

Beer Review: Wild Blue Blueberry Lager

Beer: Wild Blue Blueberry Lager
Brewer: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Source: 12 oz. bottle
Rating: No stars (3.0 of 10)
Comments: Bleagh!  This “beer” looks purple with no head and gives off a sickly sweet aroma.  It tastes syrupy with a fairly high level of alcohol.  It seems more like a Mike’s Hard type of beverage than an actual beer.  The label says it contains natural flavors and fruit juice, but it tastes totally artificial.  Seems like I was suckered in again by a commercial brewery hiding their wares in with the craft brews.  Drink only if you have a sweet tooth and want to get drunk fast.

Beer Review: Cisco Island Reserve Lager

Beer: Island Reserve Lager
Brewer: Cisco Brewers, Inc.
Source: 22 oz. bottle
Rating: *** (7.2 of 10)
Comments: Part of a special series of beers produced on Nantucket and then distributed on the mainland.  This lager is hazy orange with a large head and lots of carbonation.  It offers a grassy aroma with a yeasty flavor balanced by hints of citrus.  It goes well with cheese.

Beer Review: Mystic An Dreoilin

Beer: An Dreoilin
Brewer: Mystic Brewery
Source: 22 oz bottle
Rating: ** (6.8 of 10)
Comments: This winter beer is a variation on the Mystic Saison fermented at a lower temperature.  It’s a fruity, effervescent beer with floral notes and hints of spice.  I’ll have to give the original saison a try.

Beer Review: Brewmaster Jack Total Eclipse

Beer: Total Eclipse
Brewer: Brewmaster Jack
Source: 22 oz. bottle
Rating: (7.2 of 10)
Comments: Labeled a Chocolate Rye Porter, the scent and taste are appropriately chocolaty.  The beer pours a mocha brown with a thick head.  In addition to chocolate, the flavor offers bitter hops, cream, and hints of spice.  It’s a complex blend worth spending some time with.

Beer Review: CBC Amber

Beer: Cambridge Amber
Brewer: Cambridge Brewing Company
Source: Draft
Rating: *** (7.0 of 10)
Comments:   This beer features a dark copper/brown color with a thin head.  The scent is faint and grainy while the taste is nutty and yeasty with a clean finish.  Sporadic lacing covers the inside of the glass.  This is an enjoyable local brew.

Beer Review: Comet Tail Pale Ale

Beer: Comet Tail Pale Ale
Brewer: Blue Hills Brewery
Source: 1 pt 6 fl oz bottle
Rating: ** (6.0 of 10)
Comments:  The beer is orange/brown with a lot of sediment floating around making it appear much like the come tail of its name.  Not too much aroma and a malty flavor with some fruity hints.  Not too bad but not too great either.

Beer Review: Anchor Small Beer

Beer: Anchor Small Beer
Brewer: Anchor Brewing
Source: 1 pt 6 fl oz bottle
Rating: ** (6.4 of 10)
Comments: A low-alcohol session beer, this pours out clear and golden with lots of carbonation and a creamy head.  The aroma and taste are crisp and refreshing.  There’s a place for this beer to wash down a meal on a hot day when you don’t want to get too tipsy.

Beer Review: Tröegs DreamWeaver Wheat

Beer: Tröegs DreamWeaver Wheat
Brewer: Tröegs Brewing Company
Source: 12 oz. bottle
Rating: ** (6.0 of 10)
Comments: True to its style, this beer has a cloudy, golden appearance with a thick head.  The taste is adequate with a balance of fruits and spices, but it was a bit overly sweet for my tastes with an unpleasant aftertaste.  This is a serviceable brew, but there are much better wheat beers out there.