Top beers in the world press

Fat Dog,  Stoudts – Adamstown, PA, USA

First in this week’s roundup is Stoudts Fat Dog imperial oatmeal stout, which caught the taste of New Jersey writer Chris Morris.

Writing in nj.com, Morris recalls this beer as the standout pour during his weekend of celebration. With it being Independence Day and also the near-win for the US football team in their World Cup knockout game, Morris said his “weekend beer list was lengthy”, but this was “the most impressive beer by a landslide.”

With its aroma of “roasted coffee, with notes of chocolate and earthy hops” the taste begins with “roasted coffee, notes of bitter tannins, chocolate, and dark fruit.”

Morris continues: “The finish is more alcohol, a bit too much, actually (8.00% ABV). But overall, its an interesting mix of flavors without being overwhelming.

“The mouthfeel is impressive. Thick, but smooth and creamy, keeping the full body at bay.”

Imperial stout, 8%.

Somerset Wild – Wild Beer Co, Somerset, UK

℅ York Press

The York Press was commending this, their beer of the week, for living up to its ‘wild’ title.

“Not for the faint of heart – go in to this one with your mind open and your senses prepared though, and you’ll be glad you did,” it wrote of the pale ale.

The “yeasty beasty” has scents of peaches and lemon sherbet , “shocking with their pungent fruit sharpness”, before “damp earth and heady farmyard funk kick in.

“Apples, nutmeg, and grape juice get a foot in, but only as accents here and there.”

Pale ale, 5%.

The Forge, Ale Smith – San Diego, CL, USA

Brandon Hernández, writing in the San Diego Reader, describes The Forge as “perfectly suited for the wood-fired oven-centric eatery it was designed for,” as this specially-crafted stout has been designed solely for Californian rustic eatery The Bellows.

“Friendship is the secret ingredient in The Forge,” continues Hernández, “but the more overt components lend a great deal of character as well.

“Flaked barley makes for a nice, coating mouth feel, while chocolate and peat-smoked Rauch malt lend cocoa-like bitterness that marries with English hops The beer also presents with a subdued woodiness from partial aging in Heaven Hill bourbon whiskey barrels.”

Sounds delicious!

Stout, 6.5%.

Rad, Sixpoint – Brooklyn, NY, USA

Nick Anderson takes to New York’s Sixpoint brewery’s new shandy / radler, Rad, in his ‘beermonger’ column for Arlington’s ARLnow.

He says that the beverage “keeps winning me over a little more with each can I open.”

“A riff on radler, Rad blends a proprietary fruit juice blend rather than a sweeter soda, with interesting results.”

He commends the beer’s “mouth-puckering grapefruit acidity” that defines the beer’s finish.

“Mandarin orange and peach notes dance on the palate, but Rad never loses touch with its acidity.”

Shandy lager, 3.2%.

Aussie Salute – Bridgeport, OR, USA

To help celebrate three decades of brewing, Orgeon’s Bridgeport has released a new IPA, the Aussie Salute, which incorporates Oregon-grown hop varieties and hops grown “down under” according to Graham Averill in Paste magazine.

The beer is a collaboration with brewmaster Phil Sexton, who created Bridgeport’s original IPA but now lives in Australia.

“Aussie Salute has a great nose, like freshly cut grass and lemonade, but also comes off as a bit spicy.”

A cloudy orange pour with a subtle head, the beer has “a really crisp mouthfeel, with clean, strong notes of grapefruit and grass.”