2 Beers from Nevada

Yes, we really do get beers to review… ok, well, we got these two, anyway.  You are welcome to send yours, too!  These came to us from Buckbean, a relatively new brewery (founded in 2007) out of Reno, Nevada. They produce beer in 16 oz cans which allows them be consumed in more places (and is a bit of an industry trend recently). What’s more, cans have the advantage of being fully light- and oxidation-proof, two common flaws found in bottled beers that are mishandled.  Finally, cans are somewhat more eco-friendly than bottles, in that they’re much lighter (meaning less fuel is spent moving them around,) and use less energy to recycle.   Well, these two cans found their way to Dan’s house sometime about three weeks ago, now, definitely long enough not to explode anymore.  Last week after a lovely meal, we went about drinking & reviewing them over a nice game of Carcassonne.  What follows is sort of a rough transcription of our notes & conversation.

Orange Blossom Ale: Was not nearly as sweet as Dan expected, but that’s because it’s orange *blossom* and not oranges. The aroma was sort of floral + herbal, and it may have been the combination of hops and the orange blossom but it had a smell that was almost musty; Dan’s wife compared it to the inside of the armoire that had just been delivered.  Dan liked that they’re doing something different, but ‘different’ in this case might not necessarily be ‘great.’  Ethan was able to compare it to his memory for the great-grandaddy of all “orange blossom ales,” Buffalo Bill’s, and felt that it had a lot less of the sweetness that makes BB’s such a ‘creamsicle’ experience, and agreed that the interaction of yeast and orange blossom flavors led to a distinctly ‘musty’ dimension which wasn’t entirely pleasant.  Ethan and Dan both felt that this is the sort of beer that works best in a food-context, like with a citrusy dessert, but may not be especially sessionable, and that’s of course ok:  Not every beer has to be.

Tule Duck Red Ale: Immediately hit by a hint of the same aroma as before: is it the yeast? Not as strong, so the orange blossom likely contributed, though it may also have been the travel it made from Reno to Buffalo (cans block light but don’t insulate as much from temperature swings, one of their few detriments).  Ethan thought the aroma contained dried grains of some kind; flour, perhaps? The smell that we’re attributing to the yeast is more subtle, allowing in some caramel malt with a bit of American hops, but it’s still there. Some bitterness that doesn’t seem to be entirely hop-based.  Ethan felt is was far more sessionable of a beer, and that it had a nice malt/hops balance; minus that dusty/musty dimension it was reminiscent of hometown hero Flying Bison’s Aviator Red (well, in malt & hops; it certainly lacked FB’s distinctive yeast profile.)

Summary: We’re certainly thankful to the fine folks in Reno who sent these out, it’s a very nice thing to do and we’re happy to spread the word (even if these beers aren’t likely to show up on the shelves in Buffalo anytime soon, knowing the screwey distribution scene around these parts.)  However, if you are out west, and especially if you’re looking for a brew to grip for a day-hike or a picnic, I think you’d be well-served by the Tule Duck.  Accompanying a big old bowl of vanilla ice cream, I could imagine enjoying–about half the can at most, to be fair–the Orange Blossom.  Cheers, and we wish Buckbean continued success.