June 29, 2011
Miner's Treasure.
I�m sure someone is asking, �Why don�t he write?� Well let me tell you, I�ve been visiting breweries, tastings and food pairings a lot of late. That and I�ve been lazy as all get out. That�s neither the point of why I�m writing this nor why you are reading it. Why we are here is for the beer, so let�s get to it.
Back in February I had the pleasure of attending the Galena Brewing Company in Galena, IL. While there, we were treated to a Valentines food and beer pairing that was absolutely fantastic. If you get a chance to go one of their food and beer pairings, I�d highly recommend it. After leaving there I picked up a couple of six packs from them, one being the Miner�s Treasure Late Amber ale.
Appearance: It pours a dirty copper color. There is cloudiness to it that light passes through and you can make out some images, but you can�t clearly see through it at all. Poured into a pub pint glass with the last quarter of the bottle being poured aggressively, a 3/8 inch white head formed that faded to a film on top of the beer. The film lasted until the beer was completely drunk. Little to no lacing formed on the side of the glass.
Smell: Right off I could smell a rich caramel malt aroma. It�s followed with a hint of cereal grains. On a second sniff I could detect a slight nuttiness to it that helped bring the smells together into a pleasant and appetizing blend. As the beer approached room temperature there is a touch of alcohol to the aroma.
Taste: I really wish I could say this had a very discernable flavor, but it was rather mild. No flavors really jumped out, they all blended together to become hard to detect. A lightly roasted malt flavor is the only thing I could really pull out of it. I could barely detect any hops. This is very inoffensive and is one of those beers that would be drinkable by most beer drinkers. Not great, not bad, but just middle of the road. The finish is very mild and fades quickly. It is a beer that would compliment any meal you are eating without affecting the flavors of the food too much.
Body: It�s a light bodied beer, which is not surprising as it is a late amber ale. The carbonation bites the tongue, but isn�t so strong that it�s distracting or making you bloated as you drink it.
I give it a 5 out of 10.
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