So you're at the mini-mart, picking up beer for the weekend. Right before you pick up your 36 cans of Busch, you briefly give a longing glance at the "strange beers" on the shelf. Is it worth the risk to drink outside the box? Let's face it, sometimes a strange brew is just not cost effective, and the risk might not even payoff.
Save your hard-earned dollars, loyal readers. We would be remiss in our hard-core journalism if we didn't take the risk and give you the sweet rewards.
Big Hole Diablo Dark Ale
What makes this beer strange is basically in the name. An ale named after the devil has a lot to live up to. It certainly started our night on the right note. It hits the tongue with force and really follows through. It smells of roasted grains and has a deliciously dark and gloomy look to it, like staring into my own private hell. What joy! Oh man, is it strong. It feels as if you had just drank a 12-ounce coffee after one sip. If you are in a similar pursuit of "out there" beer, this is definitely on the fringe. It's so "out there" that it might be a little too far out of your way to pick up a sixer.
Alba Scots Pine Ale
The bottle suggested we drink this at room temperature, but that was too much for us, so we tried it slightly chilled. It smells of pine and much of the normal aroma of a heavy scotch ale. The taste is forceful and the pine is noticeable, sort of like licking the Baker Woodlot flavored with alcohol. Ryan doesn't like strong scotch ales as a general rule, and as usual, this beer made him wince. Matt enjoys the tiny kick of flavor at the end and feels that this particular scotch ale is a nice blend of punch and caress.
Xingu Black Beer
This Brazilian beer was an obvious choice as an "out there" beer because we have no idea what a black beer is. Porter, stout or dark ale maybe? Our first impression was that it smelled like grape juice. The smell was misleading because there was no grape flavor. Our pallets actually found this beer to be light and dry, like a beer-champagne mix. It is unconventional but certainly something that could be enjoyed many times over. The label also has an alligator that, according to the dimensions set on the label, is about the size of the Amazon River. That is just the way they do things in Brazil.
Young's RamRod Famous Ale
Yep. Name says it all. The bouquet of this beer reeks of hops, which is great. These hops are blended with the other favors in the beer to ensure a smooth ride all the way. If you are timid around India Pale Ales, but still enjoy the strong flavor of hops, this would be an excellent selection. This is a beer we'd like to see on tap at the local pub. The label says you can "achieve your perfect equilibrium with RamRod." Nice touch. Oh, and there also is a ram on the label, yet no sign of any rod. Draw your own conclusions on that one.
Dogfish Head Au Courant
As soon as we poured this beer, we knew is was "out there." Then again, any beer that comes out blood-red is bound to pique your interest. After we were done freaking out, we found its aroma to be quite conventional and, therefore, trustworthy to taste. The taste was about as surprising as the color. Like, whoa. We can only assume that the taste was currant, because we have never had it before. This beer is not like most you'll try. In fact, if you or someone you know doesn't like the taste of beer, you should check it out.
He'Brew Messiah Bold
"The Chosen Beer" for the Chosen People. Just kidding. It is really for everyone. Bold is a great descriptive word for its strong black color and grain scent. Its flavor is rather tame in comparison, opting for a light ale flavor rather than slamming with taste. It has a very presumptuous label banter as to why this beer is different than others. However, the bold stance pays off well. It is worth it to mention that you can visit its Web site at Shmaltz.com. Mazel tov!
New Holland Phi "Divine Beer"
Continuing our tradition, New Holland offers us a beer recipe of mathematical proportions. The theory behind it involves Da Vinci's explorations into the number five, but we won't bore you with the details. It has many of the characteristics of a scotch ale (sweet, high alcohol content) and although Ryan doesn't like it, it's too much even for Matt's forgiving taste buds. The bottle asks, "Is it divine?" It is not. We respect the idea of a beer brewed on mathematical principles, but there's no principle behind taste and we don't like it enough to buy five more bottles.
Our conclusion is "out there" beers warrant their reputation and can be a mouthful. If you can't take the adventure, stick to your pansy beers.
The drinking buddies are recruiting! We're looking for women, over the age of 21, to be a part of our one-time panel on women and beer. All women are welcome, and please, please e-mail us if you're interested. You can either hate beer, or love it, we simply want some input, and well, since we're guys, we can't really write what's in a woman's head. E-mail us at drinkingbuddies@beer.com.
