Amber ale proves to be enjoyable
Mike Partel
Issue date: 5/29/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Let's get this poured and on the way. The curvy, 22.4-ounce bottle pours an excellent coppery brown, with fluffy, white head that dissipates moderately quickly. It is almost reminiscent of a cream soda in overall appearance, which causes a bit of a confliction in my mind. I keep thinking it should be overly sweet with a large amount of vanilla cream, but it is quite the opposite - well, mostly anyway.
Initially, the aroma definitely seemed restrained. I don't mean that it is lacking, just that it is not the focal point of this beer. I can find hints of caramel, citrus and earthy hops that seem intent on hiding deep beneath the foamy surface. After taking a sip however, they release well into the air. The hops are not overly bitter and retain the plant store vibe from the aroma. The Scottish malts do well to balance out the slight bitterness and keep this from being too in your face. The caramel chewiness does not seem to be able to cover up the slightly thin feel of the overall beer, but it is more of a "lighter" beer in that sense.
Let me just say one thing. BrewDog has indeed crafted a well thought out beer. I enjoyed the stubbornly hidden aromas that kept me searching and eventually rewarded me. I did not enjoy the thinner feel to it, unfortunately. That's probably because I have gotten so used to the heavy hitters that something simpler just seems underwhelming. Hell, even Guinness, the first "liquid bread" beer I tried way back when, seems thinner than water to me now. You know what? The Physics is an excellent beer. Go out, right now, and pick up a bottle for yourselves. Make your own opinion. It's something I think a lot of you would really enjoy if you haven't ruined your taste buds with Stone Ruination or Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter and the like. As a side note, as I finish off the last glass of this, small notes of vanilla do show up, but only after the beer had warmed to room temperature.
Initially, the aroma definitely seemed restrained. I don't mean that it is lacking, just that it is not the focal point of this beer. I can find hints of caramel, citrus and earthy hops that seem intent on hiding deep beneath the foamy surface. After taking a sip however, they release well into the air. The hops are not overly bitter and retain the plant store vibe from the aroma. The Scottish malts do well to balance out the slight bitterness and keep this from being too in your face. The caramel chewiness does not seem to be able to cover up the slightly thin feel of the overall beer, but it is more of a "lighter" beer in that sense.
Let me just say one thing. BrewDog has indeed crafted a well thought out beer. I enjoyed the stubbornly hidden aromas that kept me searching and eventually rewarded me. I did not enjoy the thinner feel to it, unfortunately. That's probably because I have gotten so used to the heavy hitters that something simpler just seems underwhelming. Hell, even Guinness, the first "liquid bread" beer I tried way back when, seems thinner than water to me now. You know what? The Physics is an excellent beer. Go out, right now, and pick up a bottle for yourselves. Make your own opinion. It's something I think a lot of you would really enjoy if you haven't ruined your taste buds with Stone Ruination or Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter and the like. As a side note, as I finish off the last glass of this, small notes of vanilla do show up, but only after the beer had warmed to room temperature.
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