The Beer Retard - January 12th, 2008

So much for my resolutions about writing more and paying greater attention to less hoppy beers. I've written next to nothing and I've been drinking hoppy ales like they're going out of style (and with the hop shortage...who knows). I've kept track of every beer I've had and it's making me think maybe I have a drinking problem. Okay, maybe not. I'm only having two beers a day on average.

While I've been enjoying drinking whatever I want (which has meant a lot of Sierra Nevada Celebration) instead of forcing myself to sample something new every day, I'm still trying to mix in some new-to-me beers. So far I've tried four:

Port Santa's Little Helper Imperial Stout - Medium-bodied and roasty with some some alcohol warmth and a touch of sweetness. Not the most distinctive impy stout I've ever had, but a good one. I need to do a horizontal tasting of this style sometime because a lot of the ones I've had are similar to the point where I couldn't really tell you how one differs from another.

Lost Abbey Lost & Found Ale - Has some of the hallmarks of the Belgian dubbel style in that it's sweet and somewhat fruity and the taste does makes you think of raisins. The head on this disappeared quickly and the flavors didn't come across more strongly as the beer warmed (which they usually do). A good beer, but honestly a bit underwhelming. This is the third Lost Abbey beer I've tried and the only one that's wowed me has been the Red Barn. Granted, I haven't gotten to sample their special releases and those are the ones people rave about.

Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Ale - The first organic beer from Deschutes and the first to use Salmon-Safe certified hops. I like this one a lot. Billed as an amber ale, but it's much hoppier than your usual amber. It starts out malty and sweet and finishes with a strong hoppy bitterness. The flavors are clean and, even though it's medium-bodied, it's still very drinkable at 5% ABV.

Radeberger Pilsner - With the exception of the Trumer Pils, this style is one I've yet to embrace. I can't say that the Radeberger is going to convert me to a pilsner man. It had enough character to it, I guess. There was a balance there and the flavors were good. But it also had that metallic edge that I don't care for. I've been told that's called the "noble hop twang." My feeling is that further tasting and education on this style are needed.