Friday, July 23, 2010

POSTING FRENZY

This entry is dedicated to Andie & Rebecca, who want to know more about my beer thoughts.

Today I left work early, because I could.  The Lumberjack is having a less-than-stellar time these days, so when he told me to pick out a beer from the fridge, I chose Bailout Bitter (Extra Strong Bitter, 5% ABV), since the label calls it "a bitter beer for bitter times." Perfect!  We received this beer as part of the "Beer of the Month" club at Healthy Spirits, which I love - every month they pick out four beers so I'm forced to try a variety of styles, but they've got great taste so I trust them (almost) every time.

Upon first sip, I thought "ugh."  Because it tasted like a pilsner, and my opinion of pilsners is that they are Miller Lite, they are PBR, they are "the champagne of beers" ie they are DISGUSTING.  But the Lumberjack thought it was good, so I sat down at the computer to taste it again while simultaneously reading its glowing reviews online, and I found that...I might even like it.  A bit.

It smells like generic beer to me.  That stale, frat party, foosball table smell.  But people online said it smelled like pine, and malt, and slightly sweet, and I think I might be able to see (smell) that.  Sort of.

It tastes wheaty, and sort of bland, but there's a little bit of a spark to it that stays interesting.  People online said it tasted like lemongrass, and suddenly I tasted that too.

It has pretty lacing, and is bubbly in a tasty, nice-feeling way.  It's pale gold, and looks nice in my glass.

So, maybe I'm just getting a little drunk off the...uh...5% ABV.  But I actually find it to be a little complex, and sort of interesting.  I don't think I'd order it at a bar, especially not if there were some good IPAs (oh my god did I just say that?) or stouts on tap, but I'm enjoying it right now.  So, there's that.

Also, did I tell you how horrendous my public transit commute was this morning?  You don't want to know.

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for the dedication. I still don't like pilsner's though. Throw in some good wheats! You should do a Trader Joe's beer roundup of little known beers! Give us some cheap deals lady!

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  2. Yeah, pilsners will never fully win me over. Although I did have Trumer Pils as a fancy-pants-gin (I can't remember the label) chaser at a nice restaurant once, and it was actually quite delicious.

    I like the cheap beer recommendation idea! I've mentioned a few options here & there, but a post with all of them together is a great idea.

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