Guiness spin-off preferable to Gritty's

Your Weekend Starter with Carter: Sweet and Sour beers from New England breweries

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat ?($7.49 at Warming's) Over the past five weeks, I attempted to do extensive research for this semester's column, sampling dozens of beers and vainly trying to remember what they tasted like the night before. Unfortunately, most of these beers were falsely classified as "Natural," "Best," or "Ice," leaving my palate feeling as awful as my headaches. Luckily, I was turned on to Sam Adams's fruity Cherry Wheat, an ale that packs in enough sweetness to rival a mild Smirnoff Ice or a strong summer lager.

Your Weekend Starter with Carter: Stone Coast knuckles under

Knuckleball?($8.29 for a six-pack at Uncle Tom's) This interesting looking beer caught my attention from the start. Classified as a Bock beer, Knuckleball is brewed in Portland by the Stone Coast Brewing Company and delivers a powerful punch as most bock beers do. The smell of this dark brew is malty and thick. This implied a heavier-than-average beer.

Your Weekend Starter with Carter

Guiness spin-off preferable to Gritty's

This piece represents the opinion of the author:

Carter Thomas

Columnist

February 3, 2006

Harp Lager?($8.49 for a six-pack, available at Hannaford)

The Guinness Brewing Company has created quite a beverage with this imported lager, combining pub-style beer with subtle sophistication. When opened, Harp slowly releases a dark and full-bodied smell much like other high end beers, a true sign that the flavor is ensconced in the heart of the beer, not just the spices. The pour provided some unexpected results?the beer was much lighter than I thought it would be and radiated a yellowish hue when held to the light. Though golden tones were evident, it looked more like a pale ale than a lager. First sips are often misleading, but Harp gave me everything it had in the opening pull?a malty presence that was smooth and an ever so slight bitterness from the hops. If Budweiser is the rock and roll of beer, this is the jazz. An aftertaste is almost non-existent, letting the lager simply fade from my palate as I enjoy every sip. The label is one of my favorites, combining a powerful presence from the lettering and elegant simplicity seen in the faded yellow backdrop. Moreover, the back of the bottle relays a message to the drinker encouraging one to enjoy the beer in conjunction with good times as much as possible. If there was ever a motto to live by, this is it. All in all, I would say this is a great beer to enjoy with good people while listening to one of the timeless recordings from the Grateful Dead Europe '72 tour. My scores: Taste: 4.0 Label: 4.7 Benefit/Cost ratio: 1.5 (expensive)

Gritty McDuff's Scottish Ale?($7.49 for a six-pack, available at Hannaford)

This Scottish Ale is Gritty's seasonal draft for the winter months, crafted in the hopes of outstripping Geary's and Shipyard in the annual winter taste test done in my room every week, I mean year. This ale is an interesting one, combining many of the different attributes I usually find so appealing with Gritty's line of beers (taste, profile of flavors). Unfortunately, I was not blown away by this one. The brew itself was a dark amber color with ample carbonation, more so than other winter ales I have tried in the past. The pour also revealed an earthy smelling malt presence?I could tell it would be a very pungent beer before tasting it. My first gulp revealed a strong taste of butter and hops, something I was not expecting. I don't mean it was like drinking melted butter, rather it tasted as though it were a regular muffin instead of the non-fat variety you might compare to Coors Light. The most obvious quality of the brew was the aftertaste, packing a bitter bite that reminded me of Geary's Winter Ale or a weak IPA. Finally, the label is worth mentioning. Backed by a light blue and gray color scheme, an overly sized Scotsman stands with a keg on his shoulder and a pint glass in the other. He is definitely not smiling, most likely due to the fact that he is wearing a kilt. I suppose a few more pulls off the keg would turn that frown upside down. This beer is unique and worth a try. If you enjoy it, I recommend Geary's Winter Ale or Lemon-Lime Gatorade. My scores: Taste: 2.9 Label: 3.6 Benefit/Cost ratio: 2.5

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