Blog Tracker
20-10-2023, 09:20
Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/10/anything-but-ipa.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdQFvkYS0LKBzAQBIusA2Nts8wt5OBY6mE-5hCw11lA8Qm6kMwVD47WO2pCZJJch03gvfhScQYwjgKSHSnUil PCeLIwALhWL1z3iVNX1vTG41gW18co4WjjNrER1Pyf4J7yHfhP JAG1tiKB42CSK2rAmTw6RKT7MT_jtjNJlOKQ5Fgy4wxCq-Ag/w200-h193/horizont_herr_lager_dry_hopped.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdQFvkYS0LKBzAQBIusA2Nts8wt5OBY6mE-5hCw11lA8Qm6kMwVD47WO2pCZJJch03gvfhScQYwjgKSHSnUil PCeLIwALhWL1z3iVNX1vTG41gW18co4WjjNrER1Pyf4J7yHfhP JAG1tiKB42CSK2rAmTw6RKT7MT_jtjNJlOKQ5Fgy4wxCq-Ag/s2255/horizont_herr_lager_dry_hopped.jpg)When a slew of new beers from Budapest's Horizont arrived in, I took a judicious look through what was on offer. Not deliberately, but I found myself eschewing all of the IPAs: beers that just seemed samey, offering nothing that an Irish brewery won't serve me. Instead, these are from three of the other less-endangered beer styles among microbrewers.
First up, Herr Lager, which is described as "dry hopped". It's funny that whenever I see a lager put on modern craft airs I always expect them to be very pale; darker malt being a function of old-fashioned brewing or something. Anyway, it's nonsense, and this is a wholesome looking traditional dark gold. There does seem to be a tiny bit of haze, however. And though I may have been trying to avoid IPA, this has a lot in common with your basic sort, tasting of lemon at first, and growing in intensity to lime juice and almost into the realm of the grapefruit. Just as well there's that chewy malt to balance it. That gives it a bigger body than is typical of a lager, which adds to the pale ale effect. It's fine, but think of it as a basic lager that's been hopped up, rather than any great cold-fermented masterpiece.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfRspL0NGElI5VtteUKNjwhA5zL4oe8wBLk3614gnbS eJCYzCz7Axe8hIVKYQagrNTBDrMAoRgbt47m2rrZjVFuefrNxE sKPeQcTx5Va-P0PPMaYzhXM685MgIj-fVf-xSqO7Qh8wwi2P9gBiwyZjkQqn-cMMMTJk6asQidEvmOqf5-AZcs5BEQ/w200-h191/horizont_rebel_berry_fruity_sour.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfRspL0NGElI5VtteUKNjwhA5zL4oe8wBLk3614gnbS eJCYzCz7Axe8hIVKYQagrNTBDrMAoRgbt47m2rrZjVFuefrNxE sKPeQcTx5Va-P0PPMaYzhXM685MgIj-fVf-xSqO7Qh8wwi2P9gBiwyZjkQqn-cMMMTJk6asQidEvmOqf5-AZcs5BEQ/s1985/horizont_rebel_berry_fruity_sour.jpg)The fruit beer which follows is called Rebel Berry but made with the addition of simply raspberries, which isn't very rebellious. Only 4.5% ABV, it smells quite rich and yoghurty, with two kinds of tartness, and the mouthfeel matches the creamy aroma. The flavour is too sour to be jam, but is closer to a coulis, or something made from concentrated purée. It doesn't really go anywhere with this, however. Everything fades out very quickly, leaving only a dry mineral tang from the sour culture. Again, it's basic stuff: an adequate representation but not very interesting, all told.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGRyVN19sx6kWGffNXInrOn-RmGO0YT3bF2KakZlSUKryhZykzEv8viluQMbCT9vCNnQWsiDJh YO5EoAsrqKTr1wQKhU942r7wTRpiEt3J1LOsKsVa1MHFWVL2Se gnJ7LLBRq5mpzFBE8RNavWhRss83iLL1vkyHNTpb7paHO8GkoN RparYXLRw/w197-h200/horizont_morning_joe_breakfast_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGRyVN19sx6kWGffNXInrOn-RmGO0YT3bF2KakZlSUKryhZykzEv8viluQMbCT9vCNnQWsiDJh YO5EoAsrqKTr1wQKhU942r7wTRpiEt3J1LOsKsVa1MHFWVL2Se gnJ7LLBRq5mpzFBE8RNavWhRss83iLL1vkyHNTpb7paHO8GkoN RparYXLRw/s2300/horizont_morning_joe_breakfast_stout.jpg)And breakfast to finish: Morning Joe, "hearty and reviving", brewed with coffee, cocoa and oatmeal to 6% ABV. It certainly looks hearty: a dense dark brown colour topped with a tan head. Closer inspection reveals the reason it's not black to be an unpleasant suspension of globules throughout the glass. The aroma gives little away, but the flavour, surprisingly, pushes the chocolate to the fore; a very sweet milk-chocolate taste, specifically. It's nicely smoothly textured, which fits the chocolate, and even allows a hint of contrasting coffee roast to appear in the finish. It's brief, though. While I've tasted it done better, this fits the bill adequately. A little more roast would have been nice.
So, they're an average sort of bunch. On this showing I very much doubt that the IPAs would have been any more thrilling.
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/10/anything-but-ipa.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdQFvkYS0LKBzAQBIusA2Nts8wt5OBY6mE-5hCw11lA8Qm6kMwVD47WO2pCZJJch03gvfhScQYwjgKSHSnUil PCeLIwALhWL1z3iVNX1vTG41gW18co4WjjNrER1Pyf4J7yHfhP JAG1tiKB42CSK2rAmTw6RKT7MT_jtjNJlOKQ5Fgy4wxCq-Ag/w200-h193/horizont_herr_lager_dry_hopped.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdQFvkYS0LKBzAQBIusA2Nts8wt5OBY6mE-5hCw11lA8Qm6kMwVD47WO2pCZJJch03gvfhScQYwjgKSHSnUil PCeLIwALhWL1z3iVNX1vTG41gW18co4WjjNrER1Pyf4J7yHfhP JAG1tiKB42CSK2rAmTw6RKT7MT_jtjNJlOKQ5Fgy4wxCq-Ag/s2255/horizont_herr_lager_dry_hopped.jpg)When a slew of new beers from Budapest's Horizont arrived in, I took a judicious look through what was on offer. Not deliberately, but I found myself eschewing all of the IPAs: beers that just seemed samey, offering nothing that an Irish brewery won't serve me. Instead, these are from three of the other less-endangered beer styles among microbrewers.
First up, Herr Lager, which is described as "dry hopped". It's funny that whenever I see a lager put on modern craft airs I always expect them to be very pale; darker malt being a function of old-fashioned brewing or something. Anyway, it's nonsense, and this is a wholesome looking traditional dark gold. There does seem to be a tiny bit of haze, however. And though I may have been trying to avoid IPA, this has a lot in common with your basic sort, tasting of lemon at first, and growing in intensity to lime juice and almost into the realm of the grapefruit. Just as well there's that chewy malt to balance it. That gives it a bigger body than is typical of a lager, which adds to the pale ale effect. It's fine, but think of it as a basic lager that's been hopped up, rather than any great cold-fermented masterpiece.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfRspL0NGElI5VtteUKNjwhA5zL4oe8wBLk3614gnbS eJCYzCz7Axe8hIVKYQagrNTBDrMAoRgbt47m2rrZjVFuefrNxE sKPeQcTx5Va-P0PPMaYzhXM685MgIj-fVf-xSqO7Qh8wwi2P9gBiwyZjkQqn-cMMMTJk6asQidEvmOqf5-AZcs5BEQ/w200-h191/horizont_rebel_berry_fruity_sour.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfRspL0NGElI5VtteUKNjwhA5zL4oe8wBLk3614gnbS eJCYzCz7Axe8hIVKYQagrNTBDrMAoRgbt47m2rrZjVFuefrNxE sKPeQcTx5Va-P0PPMaYzhXM685MgIj-fVf-xSqO7Qh8wwi2P9gBiwyZjkQqn-cMMMTJk6asQidEvmOqf5-AZcs5BEQ/s1985/horizont_rebel_berry_fruity_sour.jpg)The fruit beer which follows is called Rebel Berry but made with the addition of simply raspberries, which isn't very rebellious. Only 4.5% ABV, it smells quite rich and yoghurty, with two kinds of tartness, and the mouthfeel matches the creamy aroma. The flavour is too sour to be jam, but is closer to a coulis, or something made from concentrated purée. It doesn't really go anywhere with this, however. Everything fades out very quickly, leaving only a dry mineral tang from the sour culture. Again, it's basic stuff: an adequate representation but not very interesting, all told.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGRyVN19sx6kWGffNXInrOn-RmGO0YT3bF2KakZlSUKryhZykzEv8viluQMbCT9vCNnQWsiDJh YO5EoAsrqKTr1wQKhU942r7wTRpiEt3J1LOsKsVa1MHFWVL2Se gnJ7LLBRq5mpzFBE8RNavWhRss83iLL1vkyHNTpb7paHO8GkoN RparYXLRw/w197-h200/horizont_morning_joe_breakfast_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGRyVN19sx6kWGffNXInrOn-RmGO0YT3bF2KakZlSUKryhZykzEv8viluQMbCT9vCNnQWsiDJh YO5EoAsrqKTr1wQKhU942r7wTRpiEt3J1LOsKsVa1MHFWVL2Se gnJ7LLBRq5mpzFBE8RNavWhRss83iLL1vkyHNTpb7paHO8GkoN RparYXLRw/s2300/horizont_morning_joe_breakfast_stout.jpg)And breakfast to finish: Morning Joe, "hearty and reviving", brewed with coffee, cocoa and oatmeal to 6% ABV. It certainly looks hearty: a dense dark brown colour topped with a tan head. Closer inspection reveals the reason it's not black to be an unpleasant suspension of globules throughout the glass. The aroma gives little away, but the flavour, surprisingly, pushes the chocolate to the fore; a very sweet milk-chocolate taste, specifically. It's nicely smoothly textured, which fits the chocolate, and even allows a hint of contrasting coffee roast to appear in the finish. It's brief, though. While I've tasted it done better, this fits the bill adequately. A little more roast would have been nice.
So, they're an average sort of bunch. On this showing I very much doubt that the IPAs would have been any more thrilling.
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/10/anything-but-ipa.html)