Copper Hook

Ahh, February. The month when the Spring seasonal beers start to become available--just in time to get you through Valentine's Day one more year. I've always loved Spring and Summer seasonal beers for their refreshing character, citrus notes, and occasional fruit infusions. The first Spring seasonal I tried this year was Copper Hook, by the RedHook Brewing Company.

The first thing I noticed when I poured it into my standard laboratory testing vessel was the bubbles. This beer is very carbonated, by which I mean very carbonated. It's not quite to a soda pop level, but it's fizzy for an ale. I found it refreshing and light. Its appearance is a lot like a fizzy yellow American pilsner, but with a slight coppery tinge and more lacing on the glass. The flavor is fairly nondescript, with neither flavors that make you cringe, nor flavors that make you go "wow"--despite the packaging, there is very little citrusy about this beer. Its finish is relatively clean and there is little alcohol harshness to it, although a slight hoppy bitterness is present (it is technically an American pale ale). It's a very easy drinking beer--in fact, by the time I finished this review (not counting the "next day" section), I had finished 4 bottles. That's 56 words per beer.

The next day: I woke up 5 hours later with a slight headache. The beer may taste refreshing, but don't forget that it's a 5.7% brew--drink some water accordingly.

Appearance: Coppery Budweiser.
Taste: Smooth, hoppy Budweiser.
Puzzle Factor: High-average Budweiser (5.7%).
Day After: Headachy Budweiser.

Rating: 7/10

This blog entry is dedicated to my friend Grimlocke, who quit drinking beer because he couldn't stop drinking beer.

Full Sail LTD 1

HOOD RIVER, OR (PuzzledNews)--Full Sail Breweries this week* re-released the original Recipe 1 of their "LTD" series of craft beers upon a thirsty and chilly Oregon public. The idea behind the LTD series is that, in celebration of the brewery's 21st birthday, they were going to brew a bunch of limited edition experimental beers. While I enjoyed Recipe 2 last Spring, I had missed Recipe 1 and wasn't expecting it to return, so when I saw it on the shelf, staring at me with its delicate green box, begging me to take it home and drink it, I couldn't say no, even though I was in the middle of a trial.

Donning my lab coat and pouring the beer into my standard laboratory testing vessel (a Paulaner hefe glass), I was impressed by the orangey color of the beer, bright enough to shine away the ol' Seasonal Affective Disorder, especially after 3-4 bottles. Transferring the test subject from the vessel to my mouth, I was pleased at its sweet, Christmasy flavor, almost like a liquid fruitcake. In fact, it was so sweet I had to think twice about the cake I was having it with; after the first bottle I switched to Triscuits.

The next day I woke up feeling full, but well, and had to skip breakfast and have a light lunch. A bit heavy for my taste, but an excellent source of holiday cheer.

* A few weeks ago.

Appearance: Orange.
Taste: Sweet.
Puzzle Factor: Moderate-to-high (6.4%).
Day After: Not hungry.

Rating: 8/10