For my first review, I'll be tasting Abita Ale's TURBODOG Ale. This one caught my eye while I was popping in on a newly opened beer and wine shop here in town. The label is simple and bold, and it comes in stout little bottles, which sent the right message for a dark ale, to me. So I went for it, and at something like $9/6 12oz. bottles, it wasn't a huge risk.
Founded in 1986, the Abita Brewing Company is nestled in the piney woods 30 miles north of New Orleans. According to their website, they're owned and operated by local shareholders who have been with them since day one. They have a rather respectable collection of styles as well as a root beer. The styles include the "Purple Haze" Raspberry Wheat Brew (Which I've seen in my local grocery store, and may have to give a shot now) As well as Ambers, Goldens, Pale Ales, Harvest brews and some Big-Bottle High-Gravity brews that promise bold-flavor. I like their packaging, the kind of cardboard six pack that holds the bottles in place and wraps them all the way up so that only the neck sticks out the top. It sounds strange, but it's great because it protects them from exposure to UV rays and prevents a lightstruck flavor from developing during shipping and shelf-stay.
Anyway, I bought it, brought it home and poured it into a nice frosty glass (I like to drink dark beers cold, I may post another tasting at ambient temperature)
Color: Dark, Almost Coffee-Color, with a hint of Amber when held to the light. Maybe a touch foggy, but that's largely due to carbonation.
Pour: Poured easy and thick, with a head that sneaks up on you. The Two-finger-thick Head is foamy and tan, almost rootbeer-float like, and never truly settles in the beer, lingering well into the glass. Note: even at the end of the review, there's only a few sips left in my glass and there is still a thin, consistent foam.
Nose: Wheat-Like, A fair representation of an ale, dark and rich smelling with toffee-like overtones. Nutty and somewhat bitter.
Taste: Dark and Earthy, almost a chocolaty malt... not sweet by any stretch, but hinting at a bitter-sweetness. The complexity of the flavor is (unfortunately) cut short by the carbonation and a strong, intensely bitter, hoppy finish.
Feel: It's very carbonated for such a dark beer, which doesn't let the flavor fully develop in your mouth, it keeps the whole experience very "surface" and dry for an ale. If you hold in it your mouth and agitate it a bit, it settles to a sort of smooth, almost velvety consistency, but it's not as rich as you hope it is when you look at it.
Over-all: A tasty little beer if not a touch bitter, The only ABITA Ale that I've tasted. It's good enough that I'll be keeping an eye out for their other brews in the future but I'm not sure there's a place for it in my fridge. It's a dark ale, but it wouldn't satisfy my craving for a truly rich, dark ale. It's a very good beer, but a little too safe to win me over. If you have friends who aren't "ale drinkers" they may find this a good "gateway ale"
For the beer-drinker:Well, it's an easy-drinker if you're into ales. Personally, I prefer a Pale Ale, so it's a touch dark to be my daily drinker. It is unusually refreshing for a dark brew, it doesn't leave you with the bready, "I just ate a meal" feeling that some of the richer, thicker ales do. I say give it a shot, for the price it's worth trying. It tastes a lot like some other dark ales that I've drank, but with an extra shot of carbonation that lightens it up a bit. I probably won't be drinking it often, but I'll certainly never turn one down.
What Am I drinking this week?
