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August 2018 - BEER AWESOME

Month: August 2018

BeerAwesome has Biscuits and Marmalade

Biscuits and Marmalade
3 Stars Brewing
4.7% Kolsch

I have no idea what to expect with this, but I’m a sucker for a pretty label and had to have it. It pours a great, hazy yellow color which is expected with a kolsch. It’s hot again, which makes sense seeing as we’re still in August. Perfect time for a crisp, tasty beer like a kolsch. It smells like that light, sharp wheat/yeast smell and I’m ready for a decent experience.

Hops – 4.1 There’s not a ton of bitterness, but it’s still enjoyable. It might be able to please regular IPA drinkers and newbies alike with its smooth yet flavorful taste.

Malts – 5.0 I don’t like giving round numbers, but I do like this beer. It’s not a malt bomb but you still get a great wheat profile from it.

Carbonation – 7.2 It is bubbly but not totally unpleasant to hold in your mouth. However, this might make it a challenge to drink all 4 tallboys in a row.

Character – 3.5 There’s nothing extraordinary here. It’s a little sweet but it tastes just like a kolsch.

Palate – 7.1 There’s nothing to make it stand out, so it really doesn’t have any detractors. Then again, there’s nothing incredible going on, so it can’t exactly amaze, either.

Overall – 7.7 I’m going to grade this as a kolsch and not as an overall experience. It’s good, I like it, but I would not pay the premium for it again unless there’s a scavenger hunt and I need to find a DC-made kolsch with a cool label. Then it shoots right to the top of the list.

Kolsch are not exactly the most popular on the microbrew scene and I can see why. It starts like an ale, but then is additionally fermented cold like a lager. That makes it labor intensive for a product that could easily get overlooked. Is it good? Absolutely. Has it blown me away? No. Did I even remotely think about biscuits or marmalade when I was drinking it? Not at all. I’d give it to friends who just “want any beer” or someone looking for a brew they haven’t tried yet, but that’s the only use I can think of for it. OH WAIT. A shower beer. This smacks of a great shower beer. You don’t need to pay attention to subtle flavors, you just enjoy your perfectly fine very cold beer while you wash your bod.

BeerAwesome grounds out with Earned Run Ale

Earned Run Ale

Devil’s Backbone
4.2% Session Pale

I’ll try about as hard in this summary as the Nats did this season. It pours a decent pale ale color and smells exactly like beer.

Hops – 6.1 They’re not going to blow your socks off and it’s not particularly delicious, either.

Malts – 4.20 There’s some there.

Carbonation – 7.5 Yes. Very.

Character – 2.5 It’s exactly an overpriced, under-delivering baseball beer.

Palate – 5.4 Are these arbitrary? Maybe.

Overall – When is hockey back on? I can’t wait. I guess the Redskins are about to start their regular season too. But hockey is soon, that’s the most important part. The good news is that it’s available for under $3 off the shelves, probably about $12 at the park.