Having been on a bit of a “session beer kick” I was glad to see that St. Patrick’s best, a session bitter,  had an ABV of 4.2%.  It’s a bit risky for a brewery to send out a session beer for review for two reasons:  1) Flaws are more apparent than saw a morbidly hopped and malty Imperial IPA, and 2) the craft and beer blogging scene typically rates these brew lower than the monster ABV beers.  Legbiter is a 4.8% (also a session beer) that would be considered a golden ale.

Just because the beer is free for sampling does not mean it gets preferential treatment during the review, as that would be a severe disservice to the brewer.  So how about these brews?

St.Patrick’s Best Ale

As you can see from the picture, the brew looks like what it claims to be:  a bitter.  the color is a pretty orange red with brown tints.  It is crystal clear and sported a half inch head that dissipated pretty quickly with moderately pretty lacing.

The aromas are not intense, but pleasant.  It smells like a classic English bitter.  Sweet and malty, hints of grain, mild hop aromas that aren’t too piney but rather lemony, and a nice fruity yeast aromas that reminds you grapes, raisins, and plums.

The beer has a nice texture and light feel in the mouth.  I was expecting a bit more hop presence or for some resiny Golding qualities to be the initial flavor, but instead it was a very toasted and biscuit flavors along with some pretty forward diacetyl qualities.  The caramel qualities gave way to some pleasant floral and bitter flavors.

Overall this was a decent brew, a good session beer.  I’d prefer it to quite a few popular American renditions of the style, but it was a tad too sweet in my opinion and could have used a bit more bitter citrus qualities.  At the same time, I wouldn’t rush out to buy it again.

Nate’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★¾☆☆ 

Among otherBitters: ★★½☆☆ 

Legbiter Ale

First off, great name for a brew.  I wouldn’t say that Legbiter poured with a bit less head than St. Patrick’s best, and was a bit more vibrant and yellow/orange, looking like a copper penny in color.  Ample carbonation dotted the underside of the head.

The aroma was quite like it’s sister beer, just a bit more intense, and I’d say hoppier, which surprised me.  All the elements of an English ale were there:  Caramel and toffee, bready and biscuity, hay, grass, mild coffee aromas, sweet candy, and dark fruits.  At the same time there was a slight american vibe in the sense that there spruce and grapefruit qualities.

This beer is quite quaff-able.  In fact, I found myself drinking if pretty quickly.  It’s pretty well balanced.  The beer is very fruity…it tasted like a pear and plum.  The malt backing isn’t super sweet but again reveals the  caramel and diacetyl notes I look for in a beer of this style.  I wouldn’t call this beer bitter, but at the same time you can really taste the hops, which are sort of North American in flavor as they were in the aroma.

Overall I’d call this a job well done.  I enjoyed the beer and if I were in the mood would purchase it.

Nate’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★¼☆ 

Among other English/Irish Pale Ales: ★★★☆☆ 

The Pour: Watching that pour settle is one of the greatest joys about drinking a beer in the draught system.  The soft, creamy, and extremely stable head sits, once it makes it’s way to the surface, atop a deep black body (with some red hints) while the slowly active body pushes carbonation to prop up of the lovely sight.  The head is clingy and sticks to the glass, leaving a residue from the previous sip.

The Nose: Hints of coffee, caramel, and a deep roast give the beer a soft, dry aroma.  I’ve always thought the aroma also smacked of mint tobacco and hints of licorice.  Touches of smoked peat also gives the beer an subtle touch of roundness.

The Taste: The tobacco (very subtle mint) and licorice are dominant features of the brew.  Bits of acidic sharpness, dryness, and coffee really lend to the impression of drinking espresso.  Subtle caramel and chocolate fit with a drop of smokiness and sweetness.  A miniscule hint of a lactic sourness makes for a perfect finish with the roasted grains and a slight metallic touch.  This beer is smooth, subtle, and beautiful in its stoutness.  Even though it’s full, the 4% ABV lends to this being a wonderful session brew.  Here is a recipe for Irish Stew.

Overall:  What can I say?  I think this is a terrific beer.  It’s very drinkable, delicious, makes a good stew and is creamy. I suppose a touch more grain depth might be nice in the brew.  However, it’s still so drinkable that I’m not sure I’d want that.

Mike’s Review:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★¼ 

Among Other Irish Stouts: ★★★★¾ 

On the drive to work today I tuned into a radio station based out of Detroit.  I listened as the DJ’s hailed St. Patrick’s day as “the best holiday all year ’cause we can drink beer for breakfast!!!!”  They were on sight at some pub–I didn’t catch the name–and were putting down green brewskis at 7:30 in the morning.  One of the DJ’s walked around the “pub” (it was one of these pubs) asking guys and gals alike to share there greatest sexual fantasy publicly.  Keep in mind this is being broadcast to millions of listeners in Detroit, Northwestern Ohio, and Windsor Canada.  Are you serious!?!?  Were the historical St. Patrick to visit us from his eternal resting place today, he would weep at how his name and work is being honored!

I was disheartened, and quickly tuned the dial to talk radio.

Anyone who reads this blogs knows that I never discourage intelligent beer consumption, but today’s holiday removes the “intelligent” from beer consumption.  What kills me is the historical disregard concerning St.Patrick’s day…a day set aside to honor an upright and moral man who spent his entire life doing good works.  Even if you are one who is not-so-spiritually minded, you must admit; this holiday has grown into an excuse for licentiousness.

On St.Patrick’s day do you consider the origins of the holiday:  Good works, the love of your brother, God, forgiveness (St.Patrick sought to save past his oppressors) or do you wake up with nothing but green beer on your mind?  The point is, why are we so obsessed, as a culture, with belligerent partying?

Odds are I’ll enjoy a brew tonight.  But odds are I will also tell my kids the real story of St. Patrick, which can be found here.

I remember the first time I bought Guinness Draught in the can.  My first thought was, “Who screwed up?”  But then I examined the can and realized that the little ball in my empty can must be a result of the most brilliant minds of science (beer science) for the purpose of simulating Guinness off the tap.  I was right.  But not knowing how something works bugs me, and I am guessing bugs a lot of other beer drinkers.  So here’s whats in your beers:

Typically beer is carbonated with CO2.  In the can this CO2 is in the beer itself, and in the can.  That’s why when you pop the top of a canned beer it goes, “pshhhht.”  That is the preassurized CO2 that rests on the surface of the beer escaping the can.  When the CO2 escapes, it agitates the beer, as does the action of pouring, causing some of the CO2 mixed in the liquid to escape.  You see this in the form of the head that floats on top of your beer.  (Don’t worry, even though I know the science behind it I too still like to refer to it (head) as “magic.”

Beers like Guinnes and Wexford were traditionally pub brews, only available in the pub.  They are creamier and substantially less carbonated than a canned lager.  Off the tap, the substanital pressures of the tap mechanism ensure a heady pour, but in the can, Guinness is preasurized with CO2 and Nitrogen.  While CO2 easily dissolves into the beer, Nitrogen does not.  The pour out of the can results in a far-from-pub experience.

To better appeal to their customers at home (and to increase their competitive edge) Guinness, as far back as 1968, began the inventive proccess that has led to the floating widget you see (or hear) today.  This floating widget, this marvel of human ingenuity, is  a capsule of different shapes and sizes depending on the producer, that contains carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.  These gasses are released as the can is opened, infusing the beer and creating the ambiance consumers desire.

Without the widget, your Guinness, or Wexford, or Bodingtons, would just be a mostly fizzless, headless, creamy beer.  This isn’t really a huge deal to me, but given the choice, I’ll take the widget!

The aromas the head gave off were slightly metallic, nutty, and a had a touch of alcohol.  There was no noticeable hop aroma.  The only other aroma I noted was a woody quality.  There was a very slight hint of fruit and honey in the beer.  Believe it or not, I also caught a hint of a peppery silver Tequila on the nose.  This was about it on the nose. 

The thick, creamy, and foamy head felt like eating a spoonful of Cool Whip.  The heads on the draught beers are comparable to getting a Guinness on tap.  The widget used in the draught beers have tended to add a new bitterness to most beers, but it was not so noticeable in Wexford.  Being a mild-type Ale, it had no notable floral hop aspects.  Malts were certainly the driving factor in the brew.  The beer drank very smoothly.  It was not overly bitter and only slightly dry.  As I said before, malts are the driving factor and are dominating in the beer.  I noted a roasty and nutty taste to the beer.  The grains came in more strongly on the end of the beer, which is also when the bitterness came in.  At the very end, I also tasted some honey qualities.

It was a long-lasting, easy to drink, and satisfying beer.  I imagine that having some fish and chips with a few glasses of this would be optimal.  Although Nate told me that there were some lack-luster reviews about this beer, I find it immensely enjoyable.  Tell us what you think.