Samuel Adams Pale Ale

Brewery: The Boston Beer Company
Location: Boston, MA
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B-

Up for review today is the Samuel Adams Pale Ale. The Sam Adams Pale Ale is deep gold in color. The head is short, white and bubbly. The head disappears rather quickly after pouring. The nose has aromas of toast and well-done pizza crust, along with some "Eurolager" notes.

On the palate the Sam Adams Pale Ale has bready malt up front, followed by a mild bitter hop kick on the back end. There is a touch of acidity as well as some earthiness, all over a lagery malt backbone. The finish is rather short with a bready malt note. The Samuel Adams Pale Ale has a fairly light, crisp body.

All in all, the Sam Adams Pale Ale has a little too light a flavor for my tastes. This beer tastes more like an upgraded version of the typical "mass-market" pilsner/lagers out there. Not a bad beer for a hot summer afternoon, but not in the same league as some of the better pale ales coming out of the New England area right now, such as the pale ales from Smuttynose and Long Trail.

Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Location: Escondido, CA
Style: Strong Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Up next for review is the Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale from Stone. This is a version of their renowned Arrogant Bastard Ale that has been aged with oak chips. Oak-aged beer isn't exactly a common practice, and by using oak chips the goal is obviously to maximize oak-to-beer contact and thus oak flavor in the final product. Let's see how well this works...

The Oaked Arrogant Bastard is deep red in color with a hint of brown as well as a slight haziness. A firm pour results in a 2-finger thick, reddish-tan head head with big bubbles. There is a thick, sticky lace left behind as the head recedes. The nose picks up fresh-cut timber, citrus hops and a touch of liquid smoke.

On the palate there is an earthy malt that is balanced by a bitter hop bite. There is a piny hops note that pairs very nicely with the prominent oaky wood flavor. There is some citrus that peeks through on the hops side as well. The finish has lingering bitterness with a nice sawdust counterpoint. The Oaked Arrogant Bastard has a medium-to-full body that holds up to the big flavor here.

The Oaked Arrogant Bastard has a great flavor profile that I really enjoy. The wood flavor is prominent without being overpowering, and the Arrogant Bastard is a big enough beer to hold up to it. To me, the flavor and aroma remind me of hiking through timber country of the Great North Woods. I will definitely be bringing a sixer of this up with me during hunting season this year. The oak brings a nice earthiness that really meshes well with the hops and malt profiles of this beer. Highly recommended.

Beer Works Bunker Hill Bluebeery Ale

Brewery: Beer Works
Location: Boston, MA
Style: Fruit Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Beer Works is a small chain of brewpubs in the Boston area. They have recently begun bottling some of their more popular beers. After a disappointing Red Sox game, I popped into their Fenway location and nabbed a sixer of their Bluebeery Ale. This is normally served at the brewpub with a handful of mini blueberries thrown in the glass. While they weren't the mini variety, I did have some blueberries hanging around, so in the glass they went.

The Bunker Hill Bluebeery Ale is golden yellow in color with a short, white foamy head. The nose has the aroma of fresh blueberries along with wheat and bready notes. On the palate, a wheaty, biscuit malt note predominates. A fresh blueberry flavor plays a strong supporting role to the malt. The finish has wheat bread with more blueberry supporting notes. The Bluebeery Ale has a light-to-medium body that is crisp with a bit of juicy acidity.

The Beer Works Bunker Hill Bluebeery Ale is a smooth, easy-drinking, malt-forward beer. The blueberries here play their part well without detracting from the malt. Unlike other fruit beers (and blueberry ales in particular), this isn't syrupy nor is it like drinking a soda. The Beer Works Bluebeery Ale is a blueberry ale that beer lovers can get into.

Pralus Indonesie

Manufacturer: Pralus
Cocoa Content: 75%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A-

The Pralus Indonesie is a single source chocolate from the island of Java in Indonesia. The Indonesie is a purplish-red tinted mahogany. There is a rich bitter chocolate flavor along with moderate acidity. There is a distinct smoky/roasted note that has a meaty quality that almost seems "bacony". There are notes of hazelnut and chestnut. In addition, the Indonesia has fruity notes of blackberry, plum and orange. Chewing the chocolate brings forward earthy, woody and meaty notes. The finish has lingering black coffee bitterness with lemon peel.

The Pralus Indonesie has a very distinct flavor that works quite well. There is a distinctive rich earthy/woody meatiness that works quite well along with the fruit notes here. This is a unique dark chocolate that is well worth a taste.

Kilwin's Authentic Origin Collection 70% Mexican Criollo Chocolate

Manufacturer: Kilwin's
Cocoa Content: 70%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B-

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I wanted to do a Mexican-themed tasting for today. While Mexico is not well known for producing high-quality cocoa, the Criolllo variety is typically a rare and sought-after cocoa variety. I haven't had much luck with Kilwin's chocolates in the past (see here and here), so let's see if the Criollo beans make for an improvement.

The Kilwin's Mexican Criollo is orange-brown in color. Immediately notable on the palate is a prominent acidic component. Juicy fruit flavors of blackberry, sour cherry and orange are present. There is also a bitter espresso note. Faint nuttiness is detectable with peanut and pecan. Chewing the chocolate releases notes of peanut, wood and earth. The finish has sour cherry notes with a sharp bitter undertone. The Kilwins Mexican Criollo has a smooth mouthfeel that is thick and creamy.

The Kilwin's Mexican Criollo dark chocolate is a very acid-forward chocolate. There is a bit of a bitter undertone that seems to clash with the strong acidity. The acidity also seems to drown out some of the potential complexities that show flashes of earthy and nutty notes. Having said that, this is definitely the best of the Kilwin's chocolates I have tasted. If you like tart dark chocolate this may be worth a try for you.

Michel Cluizel 1er Cru de Plantation Hacienda "Maralumi"

Manufacturer: Michel Cluizel
Cocoa Content: 64%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: A

Our next review is another single plantation chocolate from Michel Cluizel. This chocolate is made from beans from the Maralumi plantation near the east coast of Papua New Guinea. This chocolate is deep brown in color with a reddish orange tint. The Maralumi has a deep chocolate flavor up front. There is a tartness that builds to a moderate level. The tartness highlights flavors of blackberries and blueberries. Smoky and roasted notes sit in the background. Under the acidity there are nutty notes of walnut and pecan. Woody and earthy notes are also present on the palate.

The Maralumi has a creamy mouthfeel along with a squirt of juiciness. Chewing the chocolate highlights more earthy and woody notes. The finish continues with the acid and fruit notes that are most notable in this bar. As the acid fades, the earthy undertones shine through while the finish tails off.

Michel Cluizel has another winner with the Maralumi single plantation dark chocolate bar. This is a rich chocolate with great fruity notes, but there is a nice earthiness that shines through and really rounds out the flavor. Complex and flavorful, what more can you ask for?

E. Guittard Quevedo 65% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate

Manufacturer: Guittard Chocolate Company
Cocoa Content: 65%
Manufacturer Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is the "Quevedo" from US chocolate maker Guittard. The Quevedo is a 65% cacao chocolate bar whose beans originate from Ecuador. The bar is deep mahogany in color with orange highlights.

The bar has a distinct herbal/floral chocolate flavor. There are notes of hazelnut, marshmallow and earth along with a touch of spice. There is a slight acidity that builds as the chocolate melts on the tongue. Chewing the chocolate brings forward more herbal and floral notes along with leather, plantains and a hint of cucumber. The finish has cocoa, banana, bitter herbs and an earthy note. The Quevedo has a smooth, slightly thin mouthfeel.

The Quevedo chocolate bar has a unique flavor, which is characteristic of Ecuadorean "Nacional" cocoa beans. In this case I did find that the floral/herbal notes combined with the bitter chocolate flavors to leave a faint "medicine" taste that seemed a bit off. Despite that, this is a pretty good chocolate with a very distinct flavor.