I’m coming around on the pale ales.
These used to be some of my least favorites, but frequency seems to me making me fonder. The Mission St. caught my eye because it was a bargain, and it had recently won an award for its category. I wasn’t disappointed, although I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the Pyramid’s Drifter. I’d definitely give this one another shot.
Trader Joes Bavarian Hefeweizen:
This sucker is bomb; super citrus and spice, just like I like. It sort of reminds me of the one they have at BJ’s, but perhaps stronger on the fragrance (some liken it to bubblegum; I’d lean towards the fruity side. Just saying.
At six bucks a six pack, I have zero complaints.
Kona Brewery Wailua:
Brewed ”with passion fruit,” I was looking forward to this one. It’s hot outside, I like wheat beers, and I’ve been impressed with everything I’ve tried from Kona. It was a bit of a let down for the price, unfortunately, and the I found the scent and the taste significantly muted. I guess that could be good or bad, but it’s in contrast to the Kona porter, which I had a few months ago. Supposedly that one had notes of coffee, but the sucker was like sipping on a mocha beer. Not that it was bad, but the flavor was intense. I expected them to overdo it on the passion fruit; I barely noticed it. Not at all bad, by any means, but not a standout in my opinion.
What do I know about beer anyway? I know it was 10 bucks for a six pack, and I think I can do better for the price.
Far be it from me to be a beer blogger, so here I am blogging about drinking beer during the summertime. About a year and a half ago I swore a semi-oath to experiment with a different beer every time I went into a BevMo, Trader Joe’s, etc. One trip a week or less, however, makes for a long time to work my way through the shelves. And after awhile, I sort of forget what I liked and what I didn’t, or even if I’ve sampled a particular beverage in the past.
A few moments ago I birthed the brilliant idea of keeping semi-track (maintaining consistency with my semi-oath) of whatever I sample. A blog like Farts and Letters is a fitting forum for such an endeavor (see Farts and Letters 101).
Since the purpose of this keeping track is to remember, I’m going to start with the last two sampled.
First: Sam Adams Summer Ale–
Seemed to me like a wheat beer in the vein of Leinenkeugel Sunset Wheat (I remember that one), and anything made with “grains of paradise” has got to invoke a sort of Kenny Chesney summertime placebo effect. I liked it, but it dried out my mouth after one beer.
Second: Widmer Drifter Pale Ale–
I’ve been coming around on the Pale Ales, and this is my favorite by far. I think it’s got a load of grapefruit or something, because it has a significant citrus aftertaste, aroma, nose, whatever. Look, the closest I’ve come to beer tasting is a one time dollar deal at BevMo where I sampled three Belgian white beers. Bottom line, there’s a picture of a grapefruit or some kind of citrus fruit on the bottle, so I can’t be that crazy, and I did notice the taste before seeing the picture. Perhaps there’s hope. I’ll have two more of those tonight, and on to something new
In the joyous days of summer freedom to come, maybe I’ll backtrack to a few others as memory serves.
