Christopher Columbus
Enegren Brewing Company

On tap for the 1st Anniversary party.
Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a hazy dark orange with a thin white head which leaves trace lace. Slightly darker than the regular Protector version.

N: More pronounced citrus rind and floral notes are evident when compared to the regular Protector.

T: The columbus steps up the citrus/floral above the pine. Some mellow sweet malts present to round things out.

M: Medium body and semi-moderate carbonation. Dry and bitter finish.

O: Slightly better than the regular.

 

 

Per the brewers, they brewed this beer as a Columbus day holiday weekend special. It is essentially Protector, with Columbus Hops added. That said, the difference is still noticeable.

A: Had a 4 oz taster of this at the brewery tasting room, just as with protector, the beer pours a hazy copper orange color with a foamy tan colored head, leaving some sticky lacing.

S: Doing a side by side with regular protector, there is a distinct difference in the aromatics. Still floral hops up front, just a bit more potency, some earthy tones, followed by some scents of pine, tropical fruits, as well as the sweet caramel malts in the background

T: The taste has more of a kick then protector, not so much in alcohol, that’s even smoother, but in the lingering hop bitterness bite. Flavors of light lemon, honeydew melon, mild toffee, and earth as a backbone. The spice notes seem a bit dialed back in this as well.

M: Slightly smoother mouth feel, almost buttery. Perhaps more resin, but I asked the brewer why this might be with just a hop addition, and he indicated it was probably just a result of a bit more conditioning in the fermentation tanks.

O: Good stuff. Apparently it was so popular, they might continue to make it, or even just tweak the regular protector recipe as a result. In any case, both good beers.