Beerly Departed - Search The Crypt's Records

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Thomas Creek - Oktoberfest Lager


Dead Soldier
Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Oktoberfest Lager

Thomas Creek Brewing Company
2054 Piedmont Highway
Greenville, SC  USA
Est. 1998
www.thomascreekbeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Deep, dark golden in color.
Malted barley grain scent like a well grained bread with trace amounts of sweetness and noticeable hops.
Tight and creamy one inch head.
Head retains nearly to the bottom leaving strings of lace.
Finishes malty with a touch of toffee sweetness and just the right amount of bittering hops.
Light, refreshing and sessionable; easy to drink.
Medium, soft carbonation. Medium mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
My favorite time of year is approaching. The time of the year when things are plucked from the ground in their season of harvest. Here is a favorite style of mine; the humble yet noble Oktoberfest.

Many brewers attempt it due to the popularity of tying harvest season and fall festivities et cetera, et cetera. It is also known as Marzen from the German word for the month of March,( the season in which it was originally brewed.) Lagered in cold cellars or caves, the fest bier was brought out for the fall harvests. It's origins actually begin with a particular marriage festival of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese. Since then it has grown into the single largest beer festival, held each year in late September thtough early October. With over 6 million in attendance, that's a mighty big hangover.

In general, while lagers and their yeasts are more difficult to work with, Thomas Creek has captured a very fine example in their bottle. Just the right color, smells and mouthfeel for the finest of lagers, the Oktoberfest.

Reap one soon and see what a great lager tastes like.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Narragansett Cream Ale

Dead Soldier
Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Narragansett Cream Ale

Narragansett Brewing Company
60 Ship Street
Providence, RI USA
Est. 1890
www.narragansettbeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Golden in color, not unlike a pale ale.
Bready, malted scent. The smallest amount of noticeable hops.
Tight and creamy one inch head.
Head retains for a some time leaving strings of lace.
Finishes a bit more malty than hoppy as a cream ale should.
Light, refreshing and easy to drink.
Medium, soft carbonation with light and creamy mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Hi-Neighbor!

Miss me? No?  I didn't think so. I've been so busy with a dearth of things these past few months. But enough about that. There will be time for rest when I'm dead...er, uh umm, that is....well, you know what I mean.

It's been awhile since my last musings and I've had much time to ponder. Ponder the state of beer, ponder my place in beer, ponder all that makes me tick when it comes to beer. This should be a catharsis, but I wonder if it will only scratch the surface. Time will tell as only time can do. In the end only one thing remains constant; while many things have changed in the beer world, so many have remained the same.

Take Narragansett's Cream Ale for instance. Cream Ales are one of the three original styles of American crafted brews. And as far as theirs goes, it is a great standard bearer for the style. I particularly enjoy the fact that it is in sixteen ounce cans. Yes sir, this is a thirst quencher in a tallboy. Leave it to a simple, easy to drink brew to wake me from the dead, so to speak. (Seriously. You didn't think the endless puns would cease, did you? Fool!)

Now that I'm "back from the dead", I will be resuming my writing by exhuming those dead soldiers that have been collecting in the recycle bin. I still took notes while on hiatus, so I shall just dig them up and make a few selections from time to time. This Cream Ale was a recent taste, and a great starter for waking up the old taste buds again.

Looking forward to amusing you again, my minions.