The Tasting Panel magazine

May 2013

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GADD'S SIXPACK Summer Sizzlers by David Gadd Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale Outstanding Paciic Northwest brewery Deschutes nails the classic West Coast pale ale—and then transcends it—in this summer seasonal straight from the wilds of central Oregon. Assertive hops play against the grainy malt on a mouthfeel as near-perfect as it gets, with a deinite tease of sweetness on the inish. There's not a note out of place here, just a dreamy ride into pure summer. DESCHUTES BREWERY Firemans Brew Redhead Ale Ruddy ire-glow color and a Scotch whisky nose with a dose of iodine and bacon fat. About as shy on the palate as a ireighter's axe laying into a bolted door, this is my favorite of this portfolio created by real iremen. Little whiffs of ethanol keep the lively taste a tad dangerous, while undercurrents of molten chocolate play through the taste proile. A portion of proceeds goes to the National Fallen Fireighters Foundation. FIREMANS BREW Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen Mix Sure, wheat beers and citrus have a natural afinity, but who would have suspected that pink grapefruit could make such a gemütlich companion for a German hefeweizen? This bantam-weight stuff has only 2.5 percent alcohol and comes in a diminutive 330 milliltier bottle. It goes down as easily as Nehi soda, with energetic izz and delightfully frivolous lavor. This is going to be a summer staple in my fridge. RADEBERGER GROUP Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat This new release from A-B is wheat beer melded with spicy cider from Honeycrisp apple (a cultivar developed at the University of Minnesota). Fruity to the core, it releases heady aromas of apple from the second the top is popped, and surprisingly rich, deep and— yes—delicious. For beer snobs who thought they'd never give Shock Top a second glance. ANHEUSER-BUSCH New Albion Ale Jim Koch of Boston Brewing Company and original craft brew pioneer Jack McAuliffe have collaborated to bring New Albion back to life after three decades. Cloudy in the glass, it puckers the palate with citrusy hops notes on a velvety-smooth texture. A very welcome addition to summer stock. NEW ALBION BREWING COMPANY/ BOSTON BEER COMPANY 74 / the tasting panel / may 2013 Sweetwater Road Trip Ale This pilsner–pale ale hybrid is a curious and complex brew. As eager to please as a puppy, it's playfully lager-like on the palate but then reveals a more mature side, with a creamy mouthfeel and a just-right dose of hops for surfer-style poise. Just don't drink and drive. SWEETWATER BREWING COMPANY Introducing the Flux Capacitor Gabe Gordon, owner of Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA, has created the Flux Capacitor, a custom-designed draft system that allows bartenders to instantly adjust gas blends. Under-carbonated draft beers are a thing of the past. "If your irst pour was the way the brewery wanted it, shouldn't the last pour be just as good?" asks Gordon, whose system can also adjust over-carbonated beers on the ly. Brooklyn beer pub Tørst saw that the Flux Capacitor was the future and hired Gordon to install a version of his hightech draft system at their bar, which was designed with both a cold room and a warm room that stored beers at 54°F For more info, . contact Gabe Gordon at info@beachwoodbbq.com.

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