Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Lhasa Beer





Tibet Lhasa Brewery - Lhasa Beer – Tibet


This beer is from Tibet. Home of the monks and the Himalayas. All those monks need good beer in Tibet I guess. I love everything about this beer just based off the bottle. It has a cool little cartoon of a monk-looking man with a rooster and a deer on a green wonderful -looking mountain and a mountain spring and it says “Imported from the Roof of the World” on the bottom. The bottle is weirdly heavy for a 12oz beer bottle, the glass must be thicker. And just in case the lovely drawing on the front didn’t put you in a good enough mood the back label has these reminders; “Drink Responsibly – Please Recycle – Be Kind – 10% of profits to philanthropy in Tibet.” Don’t you just feel like a good person for holding this bottle? I do.

Anyways, to what is inside. It says this beer is “all-natural” and “all-malt” made with “pure Himalayan spring water.” The malt definitely comes through in this, but it is a nice smooth taste, very sweet, must be the delicious spring water. The beer is weirdly not very carbonated, but I have a feeling that it has been perfected in this way, because I think the carbonation would ruin the sweet taste. Overall, this beer is really good, not amazing, and just the right amount of different that sets it apart from many of the beers I’ve had recently. (<< joke). They’re definitely brewing some special stuff up in those mountains. Good job Monks! Keep making this beer so I can buy it more places, and then feel good about myself.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Ichabod Pumpkin Ale



Ichabod Pumpkin Ale - New Holland Brewing Company - Holland, Michigan


The third beer I’ve tried from New Holland and the third one that I like! I might have a thing against beers that are fruity flavored, because I don’t believe in beer that tastes like fruit (beer should taste like beer) but last time I checked Pumpkin was not a fruit…or is it. Crap. These are the things you should know when you are in your 20s. Well, assuming Pumpkin is not a fruit (but fruit’s seeds are usually found on the inside...like a pumpkin...things are not looking good for my argument) I generally like Pumpkin Ales. They are usually pretty dark and cinnamony and have a good, festive flavor. This one does not disappoint – most of the smell I got was cinnamon when I took my initial whiff. Exciting. The actual taste is less cinnamon than the smell leads you to believe, and the pumpkin flavor only comes out when you are about halfway through the beer. Overall, a complex tasting brew, but one that I will look for as the Fall rolls in and the air starts getting crisp and I can start wearing scarves and vests again! Also the bottle is cool and reminds me of Johnny Depp and the movie Sleepy Hollow.