South Burlington,
Vermont
USA
Preface:
The good folks at Orlio/Magic Hat have, once again, sent me a sample of their Orlio Organic common ale. It arrived well protected. (Memo to me… How “green” is their special effort shipping?)
While the sample returns to serving temperature, after a week in my refrigerator, I will make no effort to either read the included informational material or my own tasting notes from last year.
I have a difficult time rationalizing the extra effort involved with brewing beer from ingredients insured to be nurtured, harvested and processed without the involvement of processed chemicals. If there is a biochemical comparison showing significant differences between what is called organic beer and the flagship brand from the brewery where the organic beer is produced I would very much like to see it.
The ability, over time, of the human system to render, retain and be affected by insignificant trace elements is empirically evident. However, a carbonated malt beverage produced from organic commodities has not yet been declared significantly different from carbonated malt beverage products produced from commodities exposed to processed chemicals during growth, harvest, and processing for market and use in brewing.
That said, I offer the following tasting notes…
Appearance:
This is a burnished copper colored brew that is relatively effervescent and is crowned with a very light tan Sandy Rocky head composed of small to medium sized bubbles. The lace on the glass is most becoming.
Aroma:
Almost as soon as I opened this bottle, there was a sense of hop that bordered on the citric. The first sensation is almost of raspberry. The second sensation is very citric almost between grapefruit and Mandarin. Between lip and sip there is no suggestion as to either the sweetness nor the bitterness of this beer.
Mouth feel:
There is a medium mouth feel to this beer, as it is neither overt carbonated nor spiked with a particularly aggressive hop.
Flavor:
The flavors in this beer take a great deal of time to develop. The first whit cool refreshing sensations are overwhelmed by neither the hops nor the malts in this beer. The malts offer more of a refreshing sensation rather than a sweet sensation. On aspiration, the hop flavors develop from an almost mandarin orange through fresh mowed hay, and finishing on the palate, as more of a metallic sensation than a bitter effect.
Finish:
This beer is no uninvited guest. It is welcoming. It is not offensive, and it leaves before it gets stale.
Comments:
To these tasting notes, I have little real understanding of the effect of organic commodities, and produce in the production of beer. Therefore the origins of the ingredients to this brew were inconsequential to me. What was important to me was the combination and interplay of the flavors of this brew.
Because the word is considered a derogatory term in many circles I hesitate to use the word light. However, in the following I do believe it is perfect in context… This is a fine of light ale.
The brewery Site: http://www.orlio.net/
What others say…
RateBeer:
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/orlio-organic-common-ale/72487/4979/
Beer Advocate:
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