Back East Spring Ale (2012)

Back East (Beire de Mars) Spring Ale (2013)
1 Growler, $9.00, 5.7% ABV

Purchased at the brewery, Bloomfield

spring aleI’m friends with Back East. It’s somewhat inevitable because it is located half way between work and home for me and, well, I write the website. They are great guys. I’ve enjoyed following their progress from ground zero to where they are now, after a year of good distribution and promotion and most importantly, good brewing.

And as anyone who knows me or reads these beer pages knows, I am a huge supporter of Connecticut’s “real” breweries. No one can dispute that.

Nor can anyone dispute that my reviews are honest. Heck, I even hated a New England Brewing beer once. (Chardonneighbor of the Beast). But the fact that I really didn’t like Back East’s Spring Ale is somehow different to me. I know these guys and only want the best for them. But yeah, I did not like this beer at all.

I think I liked it more than the one lone RateBeer reviewer: “I want to be supportive of local breweries but this is an obviously cheaply made adjunct laden blonde ale. Aroma is corn, wheat, tin, and lemon. Taste is stale hoppiness and metal with fake lemon. Just your standard fake craft beer in the mold of shock top.” I got the cheap-quality of it and yeah, it was tinny with a hint of citrus, but I don’t think they used any corn, nor would I call it “fake.” I just think it was an honest attempt at a Beire de Mars that didn’t work for me.

Back East says:

Back East Spring Ale is brewed in the tradition of northern European Beire de Mars (or “March” beer). It is brewed with light colored aromatic malts, a touch of wheat, three types of hops, and a judicious addition of dried lemon peel. With its notes of tropical and citrus fruits, this spring seasonal is perfect for enjoyment during the lengthening days of Spring.

Mila-Kunis-1I just finished writing a review of Cambridge House’s much-lauded kolsch – which I didn’t like at all. I don’t like this whole class of European light ales and pilsners. They all taste like crappy American adjunct beers to me, which are half the price. Which, now that I think about it, maybe that RateBeer guy is right saying this Spring Ale is a play on Shock Top.

(Speaking of Shock Top, there’s that great viral video of that doofy English kid interviewing the near-perfect Mila Kunis that everyone’s seen. I used to think she was perfect until she tried to sell the guy on Shock Top, claiming it was “the best.” Oh Mila, come hang out with me – my wife won’t mind – seriously, how could she? – and I’ll help you out with your beer tastes.)

Anyway, I’m not sure what else to say about the Spring Ale. The carbonation was tight and fizzy, but there is not too much of it. Hoang didn’t like it at all. it’s one of Back East’s seasonals so it was only available for a very short time and they didn’t invest much in it.

I can’t help thinking about some of the flogs I look at from time to time. Y’know, the ones that lurve all the free crap they get? How the free sampler is Ah-MAY-ZING? Yeah, them. Many have disclaimers that state they reserve the right to not review/publish a review of something they didn’t like. Isn’t that the oddest thing? Like, take YoPlait – they give out TONS of free yogurt vouchers to mommy floggers. Fair enough. And of course they all love all the free yogurt. But what if they didn’t? They “reserve the right to not review it online?” How does that help YoPlait? How do you then call yourself a “reviewer” or a “journalist” of any sort? It makes you nothing short of a shill; an non-waged soulless arm of their PR department.

So you see? My disliking my friends’ local beer makes me a good person.

I can go to sleep now.

Overall Rating: D
Rating vs. Similar style: C

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