Archean
Gneiss Brewing Company

My favorite pour from Gneiss. Rich, bold taste.

Portland on Tap

500ml bottle that I've been sitting on for about a year, drank 1/3/18, just because I felt in the mood - and it really hit the spot.

Really quite tasty representation of the style - although I don't know if i would call this an altbier, a marzen, or an Oktoberfest.

The only real negative was that it was a gusher the moment it hit the glass. When it eventually settled down, it left nice chunky lacing and a clear copper color. Smell was fresh lager. Taste was malt heavy and crispy bread, with a random slugs of bitterness that I think came from unwanted chunks of head getting vacuumed up by me (no taste point ding here, I could have poured more daintily if I tried on my second fill). Mouthfeel was average. Psyched to try more Gneiss beers; can't believe it's taken me this long.

 

Tasting glass at Old Port Spirits in Portland.

Appearance: Clear amber, minimal head.

Aroma: Bread, malt. Not a dominant nose.

Taste: Classic altbier flavor. Malty and bready. Caramel, bread crust.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied.

Overall: Good stuff.

 

 

I'm always suspicious that a beer is bottle conditioned. I'm a bit apprehensive of opening the bottle. I sort of cringe as I ease off the cap. Some beers open meekly others burst forth onto the scene as if a genie is suddenly freed. And here it was- as I cursed seeing the libation tickle down the drain- a geiser bust forth and me doing a power chug to save the valuable liquid.

This one's a translucent dark straw perhaps light mahogany color. A small but long lived frothy head appeared.
Didn't lace the glass... but so what.

A nice bucolic nose-- mostly yeast.

Flavor- this one has malt up front-- somewhat sweet-- not sugar but maybe subdued hops with the pendulum leaning toward malt. I also noted citrus and yeast flavors.

Mouthfeel cordial but not noteable. It's all a nice well controlled combination of flavor, tartness, effervescence but I call it a life factor-- and this one's a little less.

Overall-- a very enjoyable beer. I've got to tank more of this so I'll probably revise this review.

 

 

 

From the 550 ml. bottle. Sampled on July 8, 2016.

It is bottle conditioned so the pour is a slightly hazy but attractive looking mahogany-amber color with a modest head that fades slowly.

Nice crusty bread, sweet malts and slight honey aroma with a low hop profile present.

Medium smooth body.

There is a nice burst of sweet caramel malts in the flavor at first followed fast by crusty bread or bread dough and a bitterness that was bigger than anticipated. Crisp, clean finish. I enjoyed this one.