Coney Island Freaktoberfest

Come one come all you lager freaks and craft beer geeks. This Coney Island Craft Lager slogan has quite the ring to it. It rolls smoothly off the tongue, just about as smoothly as one of its stalwart beers rolls down your throat.

Coney Island Freaktoberfest, an incredibly smooth marzen from the Schmaltz Brewing Co., comes as close to mastering the one characteristic I most commonly associate with the style, sweetness, as any other marzen I can remember trying. The problem I find most often with Oktoberfest’s is that they become overly sweet. They lose their bite for the sake of that smooth delicious treat like flavor.

Freaktoberfest employs a generous amount of wheat malts that accompany its hoppy counterparts, rather than subdues their taste. The result is a dark lager flavor that gradually gives way to a delicious roasted caramel aftertaste. It’s also one of the few Oktoberfest’s I can remember drinking that intrigued my palate rather than just passing over it casually.

Perhaps the thing I liked most about this east coast brew is how it handled being out of the bottle. Usually, when drinking beer I prefer it to be cold, ice cold honestly. But as this beer stayed out of the fridge and continued to warm, its taste ignited. It gave me a new respect for trying certain styles as they may actually be intended. The longer Freaktoberfest had to settle, the more prominent its caramel taste became. Its crisp bite heightened as its finish smoothed out.

As someone not usually wowed by an Oktoberfest as anything other than a beer meant for being paired with heavier foods, I truly enjoyed this beer for what it was.

Coney Island Freaktoberfest comes in at 8 mugs out of 10.

Sam Adams Infinium

Back in college, before I had yet to discover discernible taste towards beer, if we wanted the taste of fine champagne without the hefty price tag, we’d pick up a case of High Life and a few orange flavored Mad Dog 20/20’s. Mix a half and half and enjoy.

Now I haven’t tried this in years, and I really don’t think I ever tired it sober, but as best my memory serves me, it’s the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to a Champagne/Beer, until Sam Adams released Infinium that is.

Brand new to the market this holiday season, and kudos to Sam Adams on the great timing marketing wise, Infinium is supposed to be a brand new style of beer. Taking the essentials; water, hops, malt, and yeast; and brewing them in the method used to make champagne. As a beer connoisseur, I was intrigued to give this beverage a try.

Initially I was impressed; it had a very sweet aroma that smelled almost exactly like a grapefruit. The rest of the experience immediately went downhill. I have never seen a beer carry so much head before, seriously, nothing even somewhat close.

I’m very good at pouring a beer to match just the perfect amount of head for my tastes, Infinium just would not cooperate. Seventy-five percent of the glass was a thick head that took forever to dissipate. It took at least 7 minutes to get from the initial pour to the first drink, and the reason I say at least 7 is because that’s how long it took after I started keeping count.

Once the head fell to drinkable levels, it didn’t even carry any taste, like drinking watery suds. The beer itself didn’t taste any better. The best way to describe it would be calling it a really bad pale wheat without any of the citrus taste that seemed to be awaiting me after I popped the cork. Extremely acidic, this beer was very difficult to drink and only got worse as it warmed.

As we all know, craft beer can be hit and miss, so I try not to judge someone’s craft too harshly, but at twenty dollars a bottle I feel like I can expect a lot more. That being said, the next time I feel the urge for beerpagne I’ll spend that 20 bucks at Wal-Mart and pick up some high life and mad dog. It may not taste as good as I remember but, at least if it sucks, I’ll still have some cheap wine and beer for the money I spent.

Sam Adams Infinium comes in at 1 mug out of 10.

New Glarus Apple Ale

Despite recently acquiring 11 different crafts from the New Glarus Brewery, 5 of which still have posts coming, I had intended on spacing out my reviews to avoid any kind of favoritism to one of the best Breweries I’ve enjoyed.  Apple Ale, however, has forced my hand as it is a limited seasonal brew and I would hate for anyone to miss out on an opportunity to enjoy this fine beverage.

Pouring almost champagne in color, Apple Ale makes use of fresh apples squeezed specifically for use with this beer from the apple capitol of Wisconsin. Combine that with New Glarus’ home grown barley, and you have a truly delicious brew that is as native as they come.

Within seconds of opening your bottle, you are greeted with the overwhelming aroma of an apple orchard.  Although New Glarus’ description says that Gays Mill uses a variety of their apple selection for the brew, I believe the majority of this particular batch had to have come from a tart apple.

After tasting the beer, I was even more certain of its tart origins as this brew tasted almost exactly like a sour apple laffy taffy. If I had to guess, I would say a nice balance of golden delicious and granny smith were employed.

Regardless, this beer offers both a sweet and sour taste for your enjoyment. It drinks light, finishes smooth and never loses an ounce of taste. Currently out of production, should you be lucky enough to find a four pack at your grocer or liquor store, do yourself a favor and stock up. I promise you, should I get there first, you won’t have the chance.

New Glarus Apple Ale comes in at 10 mugs out of 10.