In the past few years it has become very fashionable to “go green.” Though this movement may have recently become more trendy than altruistic, Bostonist admires people’s attempts to rescue our planet and tried a few organic beers to honor this development.
All the beers we sampled were USDA certified organic, meaning they measured up to a rigorous set of regulations regarding the definition of organic beer.
We first tried an amber ale from Oxford Organic Ales out of Baltimore, Maryland. They sprout from the same people who make the delicious Heavy Seas line: Clipper City Brewing. The immediate taste of this amber is hoppy and crisp, which fades to a fruity, almost caramel, finish. It has a lovely aftertaste and is overall a solid if subtle amber.
The organic offerings from Fort Bragg, California's North Coast Brewing Company caught our eye, and we had to try them both for their pretty labels and their cute little stout bottles. These beers are also labeled with the Authentic Food Artisan (AFA) label, a private label representing “best in class, unique or specialty items,” which is often associated with Whole Foods Markets.
North Coast Brewing’s Cru D’Or, a Belgian style ale, is strong: 8% abv. The front end certainly is strong, helped tremendously by its intense Belgian, flowery aroma. It falls off a bit after the initial sip but redeems itself with a pleasant caramel ending.
More organics after the jump.
Their Old Plowshare stout is even better. North Coast is responsible for Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, so they’ve already proved they know what they’re doing. This beer starts out sharp with hops but quickly moves into a rich, warm chocolaty taste. Very full.
Peak Organic’s Nut Brown Ale was a little more disappointing. It had a gorgeous nut brown color but was a bit bland: a nut brown but nothing special. Perhaps the best part is their labels that feature photos and quotes from loyal customers.
Out of the infamous beer town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin comes Lakefront Brewing. Their organic offering, an ESB, is made with both organic hops and barley, where many others report using only organic barley. It starts off sweet then brings on the bitter. A solid ESB if there ever was one.
Lastly we tried Wolaver’s IPA, also with organic hops and barley. Wolaver’s comes from Otter Creek Brewing out of Vermont. This IPA felt a little backwards: the malt came before the hops, as though the hops were an afterthought, albeit a strong one. Despite the switch, it was still a decent IPA with enough crispness to refresh.
These a certainly not the only organics out there, so keep your eyes open for other earth-friendly brews.
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit