Rod J BeerVentures

Old Crafty Hen from Greene King - A Video Beer Review

The Old Crafty Hen is a 6.5% ABV English Strong Ale from
Greene King located in Suffolk, England. This Dark Amber Ale shines of a ruby
in color or a dark copper tint. It provides a nice head that can be considered
to be off-white or as some call it, bone white. It is a pretty looking beer for
sure, as you do get some nice lacing.

As for the aroma, there is a nice sweet malt forward
presence that highlights raisin, dark fruits and licorice. The aroma climbs out
of the glass, and you also pick up scents of its yeast and bready qualities, as
it does have that horse blanket type note. But, what about the taste you may
ask?

This ale is very smooth, both on the initial and on the
finish. It carries a single type malt quality which you get on the initial
taste, but the finish is that of a nice crisp ending. The flavors do get around
the mouth nicely, especially after that initial burst. It becomes refreshing on
the back, and almost ends like a breath of fresh air. The body has a medium to
full feel, and it seems that it may be a nice pairing for a cigar as well.

This beer delivers all around as having good drinkability, a
great appearance, and if you can’t tell, it has a very nice aroma and flavor.
The carbonation is done well making it very palatable, and in the end there is
not much bitterness as you end up with a nice distinguished beer.

Overall Rating: 4 Out Of 5

A Review Of Duvel 'Tripel Hop' Belgian Golden Ale 2014

Check out this written review from www.BrewSmokeBreak.com about this exquisite brew!

BrewSmokeBreak.com: Duvel 'Tripel Hop' Belgian Golden Ale 2014

Arbor Brewing Mafka - Video Beer Review #364

The Mafka from Arbor Brewing is a 5% blended sour ale. Three sours are used to make this beer, which is also soaked on staves of Velvet Hammer casks.

The beer itself is dark brown in color with a pretty good foamy beige head. The aroma of cherries jump nicely out of the glass, and to me is reminiscent of wine.

My initial taste provided a nice burst of flavor with some slight bitterness initially, and of course some tartness. The texture was slightly thin, but the flavor does get around the mouth nicely with a good duration. But the ending does leave something to be slightly desired, as it just seems to fade out with no real break or ending.

Overall, it is a decent medium-body brew and it leaves some nice lacing behind as well.

Overall Rating: 2.75 / 5

Cincy Beerfest - Volunteer Interviews

A lot of beer festivals could not accomplish their success without the help of their volunteers, so who better to interview at one than the volunteers?

Walking Around The Cincy Beerfest And Discussing The Beers

This past Saturday, I attended our Fall Cincy Beerfest as a volunteer to pour some beers. But beforehand, I decided to get a lay of the land and find out what beers would be included. Here is some video of my walking around of the festival and some of the treats that were shared.

JosephsBrau Heller Bock - Video Beer Review #363

For this review, I decided to take a look at the Heller Bock from Trader Joe's Josephsbrau brewing. This 7% ABV Helles Bock lager is a nice smooth ride as a golden lager.

It pours as a nice dark amber ale with a nice off white head. It's aroma is much like a floral bouquet with hints of breadiness, and it's flavor is has a good burst that provides a nice average to long duration. But be aware, as this one does provide a slight spice kick and some earthiness, which for me, was welcomed for sure.

Overall, this beer that one would think would be a full body beer, plays more like one of a medium body. It's definitely worth a try with it's nice dry texture and good carbonation.

Overall: 3.75 out of 5