Catch up on Reviews

As you have likely noticed, I have not been very prolific on the reviews lately. I hate it when life gets in the way of enjoying good beers. Now seems like a good time to catch up with two beers that I have tried recently and am now getting around to document. They are the Real Ale Brewing Company's Brewhouse Brown Ale and Sam Adams Holiday Porter.

Real Ale Brewing is a brewery in Blanco, TX. I picked up the Brewhouse Brown Ale in Houston while I was there in October. This beer is an English Brown ale, which is among my favorite types.

Appearance: Beer poured a cola color with one finger of khaki colored head. It did have a hazy appearance, but nice carbonation and accompanied lacing.

Smell: A nice malty aroma was noted. I am fond of saying that a beer smells like it should smell, and this one fits that bill.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Lots of malt and toffee flavors are present on this one. It had a creamy mouthfeel, but was a little on the heavy side. Smooth and drinkable.

Overall: Not a show stopper, but a nice solid beer. It has the flavor profile I like with lots of malty and toffee notes. I could drink several of these. For more info on this beer, please see Brewhouse Brown Ale

The second beer that I tried recently was the Sam Adams Holiday Porter. This one came courtesy of my brother and his holiday assortment pack.

Appearance: Cola colored and cola carbonation on this beer. Weak tan colored head that dissipated quickly. Patchy lacing was present.

Smell: Again a malty aroma as well as a chocolate one was noted.

Taste/Mouthfeel: This beer had a heavier mouthfeel. Like the nose, some chocolate and malt flavors were most prominent. I did note some mild lingering bitterness on the finish that is not what I am looking for with a porter.

Overall: Since this is possibly my favorite kind of beer, it has to be very special to standout. Unfortunately this one is not doing that for me. Sam Adams makes some tasty beer, but this one seemed average for a porter and kind of nondescript. For more info on this beer, please see Holiday Porter

Based on the inventory I have accumulated, it looks like I need to get back to beer business. Hopefully with some upcoming time off, I can get back to my quest of finding the perfect beer. I know it is out there. In the meantime, I will keep enjoying the runners up.

Cheers!