Saturday, December 29, 2012

Erie Brewing Railbender Ale

I actually had no idea what style Erie Brewing Railbender Ale fell under
until about halfway through the glass when I Googled it. I was
surprised to find this is considered a Scottish Ale as it seems more
like a strong British-style pale ale since there isn’t much in the way
of smoke or peat flavors you tend to find in the Scottish brews.

Taste: Much like the nose the taste to Railbender Ale is akin to hard
candy suckers - butterscotch, toffee and caramel - yet it is not nearly
as sweet or tasty as those types of candies. The palate is noticeably
mild, even watery (not only in texture, but taste). The initial
sweetness is nice, which then gives way to more maltiness and tastes
often found in amber ales and gold lollipops. There’s a touch of
bitterness in the mild before the beer finishes with the same flavors it
opens with. There’s nothing particularly impressive about the palate
here, but it at least tastes pretty decent and satisfying. Some smoke or
wood flavors would help as well as just being a more robust beer in
general.

Drinkability: I would definitely recommend Railbender Ale to less
experienced drinkers considering how mild the palate is as well as the
actual delivery. The mouthfeel is on the thinner side with a flat, wet,
watery texture. It’s slightly crisp, but it goes down extremely smooth
and it’s even refreshing for a moment or two. It does not take advantage
of its 6.8% ABV though, as this drinks and feels like something much
lighter. Though the deceptively light body would be another reason
newbies might appreciate it more.

63.3 - 3.5B-ABOVE AVERAGEThe lowest I can rate a beer and still honestly give it a thumbs up. The attributes are enough to overshadow the flaws. Nothing I'd jump for joy about, but a drinkable, satisfactory beer to be sure.

53.0 - 3.2C+AVERAGE/NEUTRALNot quite a good beer, not quite a bad beer. I don't have a strong opinion either way about it. There may be something to like here, but there's also something holding it back.

42.8 - 2.9CBELOW AVERAGEThe best of the worst. A beer with noticeable flaws and perhaps some minor attributes. Tolerable for a serving, but no reason to seek it out. A genuine thumbs down, but not something I despise.

32.6 - 2.7C-TOLERABLEWhile not the worst beer, there's probably nothing about it that I like. Plenty of off-putting features. I can tolerate a single serving, but would recommend avoiding it.