Thursday, March 28, 2013

Beer Review: My Bloody Valentine

New school ambers and reds are some of the most overlooked beers on the market. They generally show great balance and explosive flavor. This one, from San Diego's AleSmith Brewing, is all of that and a bit more...fun. This is a beer for the broken hearted and lonely, those who have no one to spend Valentine's Day with and would rather drown themselves in a drink. The bottle art is pretty cool -- broken hearts, a quasi-realistic heart with cupid's arrow sticking through it while it is spurting blood and a really morbid looking "My Bloody Valentine" logo. Oh, and the ABV is 6.66%. If nothing else, for me, this one was worth it just for the novelty of it.

AleSmith My Bloody Valentine - 6.66% ABV
American Amber/Red Ale
Winter Seasonal
22oz bomber poured into a pub glass
Bottle date unknown

Appearance - Pours a deep garnet red with a thick, tan colored head with a hint of red in it. It's actually striking how red this is. Retention is nice, fades slowly into a soapy puddle. Excellent lacing.

Aroma - Smells very hoppy from the instant the bottle is opened. Aroma is great, bursting with citrus -- oranges and grapefruit -- pine, some grass and a bit of caramel.

Taste - Excellent flavor -- pine, candied oranges, slight grapefruit and a solid malt backbone.

Mouthfeel - Medium body, well carbonated and a bit sticky.

Overall - This is definitely one of my favorite styles and is becoming more and more prevalent. This one didn't disappoint. Excellent balance and a boatload of flavor; made even better by how cool and fun they made it. This was my first time having this one but certainly will not be my last.
Overall 4/5 Style 5/5

Drink On,

Dan


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