Barley John's Little Barley Session Ale

Here is another of Barley John's canned ales, and it's one I first took notes on over 11 years ago, from a growler bought at the brewpub. April 7, 2004. It's known at the brewpub as Little Barley Bitter, but the name has wisely been changed. The sort of folks who enjoy this beer would be put off by the word "bitter." This is a scientifically proven fact.

Here are those old notes.

Clear, light copper color, thin, white, bubbly head.

Nose is fresh, though plain, yeasty, and faintly fruity.

Crisp taste, neat, tasty, tidy bitterness, great malty feel, excellent balance.
An easy quaffer, this, slightly sweet, but sure, and perfectly fills the bill for the style. I can imagine that this does the trick when a beerlover comes into the pub, needing a brew for the less adventurous companion.

Decent bitter, though I'd choose one of their bigger brews.

Eleven years later, I'd say it's still the same. Not going to be a choice for me, but I wouldn't turn it down, either.

Sierra Nevada / New Glarus There And Back English-style Bitter (Beer Camp #9)

Beer Camp #9: Sierra Nevada/ New Glarus There and Back English-style Bitter. Alc. by Vol. 5.5%. 40 IBU.

Lightly hazed, bronze colored, slim white head.

Aroma: Malt notes hit the nose first, caramel and toffee and such. Low hops, sweet and pleasant.

Taste: In the mouth and on the palate: sweetness all the more. It's a malt-driven brew, no doubt about that. Some fruity notes appear, some nuttiness, gliding just under the hops. Very keenly balanced bitter. It's a sessioner for sure, and here's where I wish I knew more about Tolkien to make appropriate puns (for, I assume, that's where they got the name). It's a bit more malty/sweet than I think an ESB ought to be, but that's okay, they're doing their own thing.

Now, what does the label teach us? "This easy-drinking English-style bitter features nutty, toasted English malts balanced by a solid dose of zesty hops and a fruity, dry finish." I guess it is rather dry, after all. But ever-so sweet before. Wait, there's more!
"For beer folks, Chicio, CA and New Glarus, WI are bucket-list pins on the U.S. brewing map, but it's no simple feat seeing both. There and Back is named for the planes, trains, and zeal that connect them. This classic English-style bitter is a complex mix of toasty malt and fruity, herbal hops."

Okay, so no admitted connection to "The Hobbit"'s subtitle, "There And Back Again", but that doesn't mean it isn't hidden there somewhere.

Minneapolis Town Hall 342 Pale Ale

Minneapolis Town Hall 342. 

Clear, amber-hued, huge, lace-leaving head, creamy-white, beautiful. 

Big, wide-open, floral aromatics. Lightly spicy, softly fruity, purely delightful. 

Let's drink it up: Mmmm. Hey! Hoppy. Lovely bitterness, glides softly over the palate, and gently subsides. Citrus and tropical fruit is at the fore in the flavor. Hoppy bitterness hangs in there, clinging in, never quittin'. I like that.

A little astringency emerges, a slight aspirin harshness, but it remains minor, and doesn't trouble too much. A hop-head like me thrives on the stuff. Hey, there goes the pineapple and here comes the coconut! A little catch-up play from malt, although the bitter edge never goes away. Mmm, toasty, fruity, 

Ah. I lke this one. One of many hits from Town Hall.

Oh, here's what they officially say: "American Strong Pale ale brewed with an experimental hop variety simply known as "HBC 342". You may never see this hop, so we wanted you to try it. Although this beer offers a definite bitterness, the flavor and aroma profile of this hop is that of watermelon."

Watermelon? Watermelon? Really? What is it with everyone tasting watermelon when I can't? Do I lack the watermelon taste receptor? 

Wait, there it is! A little…I guess...

Town Hall 900 ESB

900 ESB. Little brother of 1800 IPA (not, as I first expected, a recipe from 900 A.D.)

Clear, light amber coloring, Large, lace-leaving white head. 

Hops and fruit hit the nose right off. Grapefruit meets apricot. Prickly pine and pear. Bold bitterness, distinct malty notes. Quite pleasant, and rather unique. 

Light-bodied, lean, and clean. Crisp and cracker-y, with an unrelenting  bitterness up front. Citric fruit shows up from the hops, nice and lemon-y. 

If this reminds me of anything, it's another singular ale, Town Hall's Single Malt ale, which was brewed with Golden Promise malt. 

Good drinking, fine flavor, yeah, I'll do it again.

Surly Bitter Brewer

Notes from May, 2007, fresh off the tap. Had a can last night. Those original notes:

Lightly hazed apricot marmalade appearance...no kiddin'...under a crisp, creamy white head...really, crisp and creamy...this is so far, one of the paler Surlys yet (maybe Cynic was lighter?), but the least alcoholic, for sure. (4.2%)

orange/ apricot marmalade dominates the aroma, also...fresh with citric zest...pithy, zippy...and a little sticky...

Taste: big bitter blast, tangy and tart, then nothing but refreshment. Easy drinking ale, this, crisp, snappy, light bodied, but full of testure, flavor and character. Bitter lemon rind feel keeps creeping into the palate.Then it fades back, with the hoppy kick still hanging on.

Interesting. Very much like a smooth, light ESB, but with that special something you get from the hops we grow on this continent. I am liking this, a great late spring sessioner.