I'm in Omaha this week because my brother is swimming at the US Olympic Trials. Two nights ago, I suggested we visit this fine establishment. Our experience was well worth it. The food was amazing and our waiter was fabulous. It was quite the experience.
I was fortunate to sample three of their well crafted beers. Everything I had I really enjoyed and could tell it was very well made. Zack, the head brewer, has begun some interesting projects with lambics and barrel aged beers, but unfortunately, I didnt get a chance to sample any.
Amber Ale, Served on Cask
When it was poured from the hand pump, the bartender brought it to me with an overflowing head of rich white foam. He handed me the glass and I was pleasently surprised by the temperature. Cask ales are best served at 55 F and this felt to be in that ball park. The aroma was malty with some great earthy hop tones mixed in. Tasting was similar. Very smooth and malty up front with a great english/earthy hop tone mixed with a lingering dextrounous body. There were some flavor hints in there of toasted caramel, which accented the full body of the beer well. The cask conditioning really helped this beer and it seemed perfectly suited for this style of dispensing. The balance is to the sweet side, but that probably has a bit to do with the cask as well. Great rich finish. I would order this again in a second. Fantastic pint. 8/10
Honey Raspberry Lager.
I thought this would be a great beer for my mom, but she ended up stealing my next pint (tell you about that in a bit). This beer has a good CO2 bite up front, but becomes very smooth and leaves your mouth with hints of raspberry. The honey is there, but its much more fleeting in the finish; more of a note than a flavor. This beer is very smooth and clean. Well balanced, with a malt forward angle. The best thing about this beer is it has a great dry finish that leaves you wanting more. This would be a perfect beer for a summer afternoon sitting on your porch. Instead of an Iced Tea or lemonade, I would sip on this. 7/10 Solid.
Imperial Maple Stout.
This seasonal was the evening's winner by far. My god what a beer. I ordered it, took my first sip and was blown away. I gave a taste to my Mom, and had to fight her to get it back!! Rich roasty nose up front. Color as black as tar on a moonless night. Velvety roasted malt flavor up front with a niced balanced body. Not overly thick as some imperial stouts can get, but with a hint of sweetness that accents the style. The maple comes through in the finish but does not overpower. It lends a great note that rounds out the heat: At almost 7.5% (9% by our server's standards), this beer is strong. However, its extreemly well crafted and doesnt blast you with liquid buzz; the roasty flavor slides nicely into a maple note and finishes like a roasty red wine. Rich in flavor, high in alcohol, but not overpowering or ethanol sweet. Great Finish. One of the best. All I can say is Roasty toasty roasty toasty toasty roasty maple goodness. If you can get to Omaha before this is gone, BUY THIS BEER. 9/10
Today, between prelims and finals, I had some free time so I went to Upstream to get some reading done and have a beer.
IPA
Solid IPA, well crafted with a great citrus hop aroma. Rich creamy head with great lacework. Nice hop cloudyness to this pint. Taste is hoppy with a good malt backbone. I was surprised however to detect some munich notes in there (I could be crazy, but It might be there). There is also a hint of caramel, mabye crystal 60, but I cant be sure. I had this with a snack of toasted french bread and cheese and they went extreemly well together. The cheese cleansed the hops from my palate and the hops returned the favor. A soft overall character in this beer, with a great hop finish.
I hope before I leave tomorrow I will be able to sample more of their fine beers. However, my brother is swimming tomorrow in the 100 freestyle and that is much more exciting than any beer I could ever taste. If he wants a nap and I get some free time, I might just pop in for another pint.
How lucky the people of Omaha are to have such a great brewery. This is FANTASTIC beer. I'm really impressed.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment