Zero Gravity Old Ale

Draft at American Flatbread - Poured a dark amber in color with a small white head that hung around for a while. Aroma was malty and slightly sweet. Flavor was also somewhat sweet and not at all strongly flavored. A bit watery. Finishes with a brief hint of its malty sweetness. Not really all that good...

Clear caramel coloured. Rapidly diminishing head. Despite being rather sweet, this is one ale that greets us with a fair amount a freshness. From the fresh grains to the whisper of supporting floral hops, this is all cleanliness and good ingredient extraction. Pleasant candied aroma with strong pear, raisin, toffee and straight up cerealic maltiness. Trace alcohol. Sweet palate, though thin enough to avoid stickiness. Gentle, engaging carbonation. Hesitating a bit between being refreshing and being a sipper, but a pleasant drink nonetheless.

Bu au Mondial 07, au taux de 7.3%. Rousse foncée, pas de collet, température de la pièce (growler). Arome de malte fruité sûrette faible. Goût de malte aux fruits rouges mures, un peu sûrette.

on tap at the blind tiger grand opening night. ruby copper color, watery lager-like aroma. light sweetish malt aroma too. flavor is sweet malt, a little earthy and a light bitter finish. I wouldn’t call it boring as much as light in all of it’s characteristics. everything is subtle, so have one standalone so it doesn’t get obscured by the typical big beers.

Draught at EBF on 2/10/07
I think this beer epitomizes what I like in a beer. For as much sour/bacterial/barrel-aged craziness as I appreciate, I think this is every bit as good. I think Paul (dickinsonbeer) said it best when he had a sip of mine and said, "It’s ok, kind of boring." I couldn’t agree more. The sweetness level is balanced leading to no remarkable dryness or sweetness (tends slightly sweet) and even the malt profile itself is balanced between light and dark. It’s got a deep, faded brass color with strong auburn-copper hues. It’s not a dark beer, it’s not a light beer. I absolutely love how it has a noticeable chocolate flavor, yet it’s not a dark brown beer. The malt is moderately complex, with raisins, chocolate, caramel and some buttercream flavors all being quite soothing. Minor bitterness from the hops, with just a reserved, earthy, herbal flavor. Carbonation is moderate to low and the beer is unfiltered/unpasteurized. Very light fruitiness, I assume from the yeast lends a gentle dryness/acidity on the end. Boring for sure, as in nothing jumps out at you. But everything works in perfect harmony, creating a balanced, flavorful beer. I doubt you could find a bad thing to say about this beer if you drank a whole barrel. Paul is doing some fantastic, authentic stuff up in Burlington, I really miss this place.