Pat: This is the first in a series of important articles covering a largely overlooked topic in Aberdeen media: beer. Well, beer in a certain way of looking at the calendar. For the next few issues, our fearless reviewers will taste beer by holiday. With St. Patrick’s Day in March being a significant Irish holiday and St. George’s Day in April being a day when the pagan English once again attempt to top the Irish, it seemed appropriate to sample Irish and English beers available in Aberdeen. Future issues will feature similarly rationalized reviews.

Harp Lager (Irish)
Pat: Harp was the first Irish beer I ever drank. Tasting this light-colored beer is like visiting an old, wise friend (It’s made by Guinness, which must be where the wisdom comes from). It has the feeling of being a mature beer with a full taste. The bottle calls it smooth and crisp. Smooth, I don’t buy, because there’s an edge to the beer, but it does have a crisp, stand-at-attention flavor. 2.5/3

Matt: This one had a thick, 3-finger head on it. The smell was perfumey and the appearance was light and watery. Harp had a smooth texture and a bitter aftertaste. The part about this beer that let me down was that there was too little in-mouth taste. 1/3

Newcastle Brown Ale (English)
Pat: It’s not surprising that an English beer would look like tea, and this looked a bit like ice tea—hence, the brown in Brown Ale. It had a nondescript initial taste in my mouth, but it caught me on the way down. There’s a bit of bite at the back of your tongue, and it reminds me of the Canadian beers of my youth—but with a darker taste. Not at all heavy, this is kind of a gentle dark beer, a good beginner’s dark beer. 1.5/3

Matt: This beer poured a good 2-finger head, with a smooth, dark copper appearance. It had a bit of an herbal smell to it. The carbonation was not overwhelming and had a good caramel taste and an okay aftertaste. I would have ranked this higher having tasted it from the tap. 2/3

Guinness Extra Stout/Draught (Irish)
Pat:  Guinness is the beer other beers hope to be when they grow up. When I open a Guinness, my first taste is always an ecstatic experience. It wasn’t always this way. I couldn’t finish my first Guinness; it tasted like vinegar. Now, I value its rich darkness. I tested both the Extra Stout and Draught versions. The Extra Stout bottle talks of a “mellow” flavor, but this must be part of some brilliant (get it?) marketing scheme. There’s nothing mellow about Guinness. It’s a heavy, full-flavored, delicious beer, with a bit of a bite. Guinness Draught can be described similarly, but it is mellower than the Extra Stout. In fact, by comparison, the Draught is almost smooth—dangerously smooth because it tastes so good and goes down so easily—and too easily too often.

The Black and Tan is a popular American drink that mixes Guinness with either Harp Lager (all Irish) or Bass Ale. If you’re still learning how to drink dark, this is worth a try. Try this too: Google “Guinness recipes” to find a slough of dishes with Guinness as an ingredient. (Special note: Guinness is available on draft in some Aberdeen bars.)
Stout: 3/3
Draught: 3/3

Matt: As I always expect, it doesn’t get darker than this Guinness. This one came from a bottle and I’m not sure if that is why, but the head was less than a finger thick and looked very carbonated. Drinking this beer had a more carbonated feel than I’m used to in a Guinness. It had a good dark taste with not too much bitterness in it. In the end it was not smooth enough for me.
Stout: 1.5/3

Guinness Draught poured dark, with a thick, light-colored 1-finger head. Same as described with Boddingtons, it had a wonderful cascade of bubbles when poured from the nitro-can. Guinness has a smooth feel with a roasty, slightly bitter taste. This is easily one of my favorites.
Draught: 3/3

Theakston Old Peculier (English)
Pat: This is a true dark beer. I couldn’t see my fingers on the other side of the glass. So, it’s a little strong, but very tasty. I visited its website, which warned me to give the beer some respect, noting that in addition to being dark, it’s a little more potent than the average beer. The beer’s name isn’t misspelled. “Peculier” is a Norman word meaning “particular,” and many people may be too particular for this peculiar beer, but it’s worth a try, although not too many tries at one sitting. 3/3

Matt: This beer was dark and cloudy, it had a good amount of carbonation and a caramelly taste. I was surprised that it tasted lighter than it appeared and wasn’t very bitter. The aftertaste was not bad, but overall this beer did not wow me. Good, but not great. 1.5/3

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale (English)
Pat: The different, well, nutty, taste of this beer hits you right away. It’s not peanut butter nutty, however. Whatever nut it is, it’s subdued, and before long, the nutty taste disappears into the brown. Altogether, this is a forgettable beer, however. It’s not bad; it just doesn’t make you want another. 1.5/3

Matt: This beer smelled sweet and nutty (surprise!), had little head but too much carbonation for me when drinking it, and the aftertaste was too bitter. And I like bitter. Something is wrong here. 0.5/3

Bodingtons Pub Ale (English)
Pat: This comes in one of those cans designed to let you pour the perfect beer, with just the right head. When I opened and poured, it came out as all white foam. I worried that maybe it had frozen in the late January freeze (the can said the beer prefers 41° F, and I had it in the garage). In time, rich golden beer appeared through the foam. Then I read the front of the can: “smooth and creamy.” Smooth, I can see, but who wants creamy beer? I took a drink and was won over. It may look American (with a little richer golden color), but the taste is quite pleasant. It is smooth and sweet (it looks a little like some honey wheat beers, but isn’t that sweet), and it’s a little thicker and, yes, creamier than most lighter colored beers. 2.5/3

Matt: This beer surprised me. I had no idea what I was getting into when opening it. This ale came from a nitro-can and looks very thick, with a medium light amber color. It creates the perfect head in a cascade of bubbles just as Guinness Draught does (it’s because of the widget in the can). Boddingtons had a good creamy smell, a good amount of bitter and best of all was smooth and thick. I will be trying to make the perfect black and tan with this and a Guinness. 3/3

Bass Pale Ale (English)
Pat: They don’t call it “pale” for nothing. Compared to most of the other beers sampled, this was positively transparent, but it does have a bit of a lemony ice tea look. This has a good taste. It’s a classic, popular import with a robust flavor. 1.5/3

Matt: This beer was a nice dark copper color with a lot of carbonation and little head. It smelled roasty and had a light malty taste. It drank smoother than it looked and had little aftertaste. I found this beer to be rather average and won’t be going out of my way for another. 1.5/3

Matt: After trying these beers I would like to salute those bars that carry some of these great beers on tap. I quit liking the typical big brewery light beers in college, so nothing is more disappointing than the only tap choices at some bars around town being light, light, light or light and sometimes Amber Bock. Some bars do have good variety and I thank them. Especially those that carry Guinness.

 
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