Careless Love
City Steam Brewery Café

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had on tap at the brewery

Appearance: 1/4 inch head, clear, amber in color, moderate carbonation,

Smell: light oak and dark fruit--not the strongest smell

Taste: apple, dark fruit, vanilla and light oaking as it warms

Mouthfeel: sweet with light bitterness, light bodied with medium carbonation

Overall: Interesting and surprisingly light for the abv. One of the better beers I have had from City Steam. I like the apple taste and will pick this up again.

 

 

 

 

Served on-tap in a 14-oz. pilsner glass at City Steam Brew-Ha-Ha Comedy Club in Hartford, Conn.

A: Poured a deep, reddish amber color with a thin, frothy head of off-white foam which left little to no lacing on the glass. Clarity is excellent and the color is vibrant and inviting.

S: Lots of fruity esters with a range from muted pear and apple to red raspberries. A whiff of spicy booze permeates the fruity and slightly floral aroma.

T: Sweet, luscious and fruity malts dominate the palate with very little in the way of bitterness. Any heat is derived from the higher ABV as a result of the malt-rich blend. Hints of caramel, roasted grain, raspberries and cherries fill the palate with a smooth, yet boozy and somewhat herbal and cloying finish.

M: Full-bodied brew with some slightly sticky and puckering fruity esters as well as a warming, boozy alcohol bite.

O: This was a very enjoyable brew, but a French Biere de Garde? I don't think so. Either the recipe changed to that of an American Strong Ale (which it is described as such on the menu) or my understanding of the style is far too obtuse. Regardless, Careless Love is a very tasty, sweet, fruity and strong malt-bomb to warm the palate, body and soul.

 

 

The last beer stop on our trip coming back from Kate the great day - I ordered this on tap -served in a tall pils glass

A - A medium dark brown shad w/ good clarity and 1/2 in of light beige cap w/ lace streamers that hold on to the glass

S - A 'apple muffin' smell as FooFaa said is apparent - mildly apple yeast and slight cinnamon note w/ a bready malt accent and light biscuit-like earthy notes

M -A clean feel w/ mild maltiness and crisp carbonation - hints of toasted malt w/ moderate hop bitterness very clean texture

T - A sweet mild fruit taste w/ gentle toasted malt flavor and mild cinnamon-like spice from the yeast w/ mild herbal hop notes and bran-like sweet cereal quality

D - A very drinkable Biere de Garde especially considering it drinks like a session brew practically - the carbonation level is perfect giving it a lighter feel w/ refreshing malty lager quality-not something you usually say for a beer over 7% - the beer has plenty of noble hop character to balance

Thanks to FooFaa for sharing a growler.

A-Brownish copper with a thin light tan head that reduced to a thin veil and left spotty lace.

S-Lightly sweet caramel malt, biscuit grains with apple and honey. This is like an apple muffin, just like it was described to me!

T-Much like the aroma, flavours of sweet caramel and honey covered apple override a light spicy hop presence.

M-Medium bodied with a light slickness and a mildly bittersweet finish.

D-Quite nice. Fruit and honey sweetness mix well with caramel and spicy hops. An interesting flavour profile that works well and equates to a pleasant brew.

Thanks to FooFaa for sharing this growler on 3/4/10.

A - Poured a clear reddish bronze with a finger's width of creamy beige head that receded into a thin film.

S - Fruit and sweet aroma with hints of apple and honey. Reminds me of a caramel-dipped candy apple. Hop presence is faint, although I detect trace amounts of light floral notes.

T - Like the aroma, the flavor is sweet and caramely with a fleshy fruit character akin to crisp apples and a dose of honey to further sweeten the pot. Finishes with some bittersweet floral hop notes.

M - Medium bodied with a syrupy texture and light carbonation. Mouthfeel is quite soft, smooth and silky overall. Finish is bittersweet on the palate.

D - Solid Biere de Garde, although I understand this was much nicer on tap. I'll take your word for it, Slatetank.

Poured from on tap at the brew pub. Pours a cloudy brown color, average off-white head that settled into a sparse cap. The aroma was faint, some brown sugar and maple syrup. The taste was of brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, oak, caramel and some sort of spice. The brew had a moderate body with prickly carbonation, sweet overall and had some alcohol belly burn. A unique biere de garde, very sweet with a big maple syrup presence.

Poured into a tall pilsner style glass at City Steam Brewery Cafe, this cold Biere de Garde (Farmhouse Ale) shows a darkish caramel color with a sturdy white layer of fuzz on top and very solid lacing. The aroma is brown sugar and caramel wheat and herbal berry hints, very interesting, a touch medicinal but in a good way I think. There's also some lemon flower here. Then the first mouthful brings a cloying mid to full bodied wave of soapy clove with an oak undercoating. It delivers sweet vanilla cream and a lazy licorice backdrop that collects at the back of your mouth. The soapiness relents a bit as you go, thankfully, and it becomes a unique blend of woodsy clove and malt. Midland drinkable although it's not so much the alcohol as the thick "soapy" quality I pick up. I enjoyed it as something kind of different and would definitely recommend it for a try.