Beers of the weird?

Beers of the weird
"One tasted like Hi-C, one smelled like a basement, one made us want to puke"
Written by Rochelle Hentges





I was already longing for our annual summer beers taste test (that will be coming soon, I promise), and I needed some kind of excuse to imbibe new and interesting beers. Then copy editor Marcia Greenwood happened to pass on a bit of information about California Rollin's Wasabi Ale. "Why not do a taste test of weird beer flavors?" she suggested. Brilliant!

A week later, I was heading over to Beers of the World and to enlist some help for our "Beers of the Weird" taste test. I piled eight different brews into my basket, everything from seaweed- to chipotle-flavored ales.

I made sure to get a few yummy-sounding ones, too, but photo director (and tasting host) Matt Wittmeyer wasn't taking any chances and had some Labatt Blue there as a chaser. Joining us were reporter Troy Smith, art director Melissa Lyon and multimedia contributor Kat Sidelnik.

WELLS BANANA BREAD BEER
Cost: $5.39 per 19.25-oz. bottle
Melissa: It smells like a banana Now-and-Later.
Kat: It tastes like banana bread. This is the kind of beer that's perfect for a girl who doesn't like beer.
Troy: It's better than I thought it would be.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

KELPIE SEAWEED ALE
Cost: $4.65 per 16.9-oz. bottle
Melissa: It tastes like soy sauce.
Kat: It's not even that bad. It tastes fine, it just smells weird.
Rating: 1.5

SPEZIAL RAUCHBIER (GERMAN SMOKED ALE)
Cost: $5.95 per 16.9-oz. bottle
Matt: It smells like my basement ... It's got a kind of nutty flavor, but not a good nut.
Troy: Yeah, like your left nut.Kat: Oh, that's a zero. That's gross.
Rochelle: And it leaves a worse aftertaste.
Rating: 0

LAGUNITAS CAPPUCCINO STOUT
Cost: $4.55 per 16.6-oz. bottle
Troy: We've got to give the other beer more than a zero now.
Matt: It tastes like a coffee bean ... It's a negative one.
Kat: It's a man's beer. You guys need to man up.
Rochelle: I don't think it's that bad. It's a bit dark, but it could be good with food.
Rating: 0.5

ROGUE CHIPOTLE ALE
Cost: $6.69 per 16.6 oz. bottle
Rochelle: I almost threw up.
Melissa: That was nasty ... My throat is burning.
Rating: 0

DOGFISH HEAD RAISON D'ETRE
Cost: $2.49 per 12-oz. bottle
Matt: I taste the raisins ... It's really sweet. It's too sweet, I think.
Rochelle: I've had this one before, and I've never liked it.
Rating: 1.5

BUFFALO BILL'S BREWERY ORANGE BLOSSOM CREME ALE
Cost: $1.99 per 12 oz. bottle
Troy: I think it's good.
Kat: It's Hi-C. You could give this to a child.
Rochelle: This is one of the few I could drink an entire bottle of.
Rating: 3

ATLANTIC BREWING COMPANY MOUNT DESERT ISLAND GINGER
Cost: $2.25 per 12-oz. bottle
Matt: It doesn't really taste like anything. I think my tongue's been burnt by this crap.
Rochelle: I think this one's kinda good.
Rating: 2.5