16 June 2007

Shiner 98 Amber Ale

I am looking forward to Shiner's 100th anniversary, and I am also enjoying their countdown beers, Shiner 96 Marzen and Shiner 97 Bohemian Black Lager, which have been coming out in October. This year, Shiner 98 came out Memorial Day weekend.

Shiner 98 is an Bavarian Amber in a cool retro package. Very 50s! So I bought a 6-pack and took it home to sample.

In my opinion: Save your money.

Shiner 98 Bavarian Amber

Appearance (0-3): Amber/orange with a thin white head. Crystal clear. Looks good! 3 points.
Aroma/Bouquet (0-4): Yeasty aroma dominates. A hint of malt. No hops. 2 points.
Taste: Hop/Malt Balance (0-4): Hops overpower the malt. Hops have a "brushy" flavor. First reaction? Eww! Second taste: a hint of malt, but very slight. Where's the caramel love? 2 points.
Aftertaste (0-3): Bitter hop aftertaste is woody and somewhat piney. 2 points.
Mouthfeel (0-3): A little thin, but not bad. 2 points.
Overall Impression (0-3): Honestly? I'm not a fan. It's kind of like a Killian's red, but without the malt flavor. I probably won't buy it again. One point for the very cool retro label. 3 points.
Total: 14 points

I told my old brewing partner out at Honey Creek Brewery about my experience. He liked it and bought a case. I still think it's bland.

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posted by hiikeeba at 16:44

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

your "professional opinion" means nothing, and I mean Absolutely nothing to me. What makes you a professional? If this beer doesn't smell hoppy enough for you, then how does it have too much of a hoppy taste. My "professonal" blogger, that is a direct contradiction of assessment techniques. I love this beer and would prefer it to almost anything I've ever had and that includes any euro, homebrew, or any high-browed $10/glass anything that you can come up with nonsense. Please stop pretending to be a "professional" it's just not true :(

8:39 PM  
Blogger hiikeeba said...

I never said I was a professional. I just said I didn't like it. It's just my opinion. I liked Shiner 97 better. I didn't mean to make you cry.

7:08 AM  

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