Half Acre Over Ale is what we call an American Style Bitter. This deep brown
beer is brewed with six varieties of malted barley and balanced with three
generous hop additions. You’ll find a mild malt body with bitter bones. Enjoy
this beer.
Above is the half acre websites description of "Half Acre Over Ale," it was reviewed live on two guys and a guest on April 11 2009. that show is unfortunately not available on archive due to current technical difficulties but, if you are so inclined find our wide fan base on line and see if anyone recorded it to their machine and will send you a copy. due to our giant and enthusiastic fan base it shouldn't be hard to do ;).
On with the written review. I apologize now for what may be a gushing review of both a company and beer. tune in next week for a Sam Adams chocolate bock review that promises to be more critical. That said half acre over ale is a delightful product. It is a rather clear and fairly dark red brew. It maintains a light head due in part to it's rather low carbonation levels. the low carbonation seems to provide a really honest characteristic. it makes the beer feel like a beer and not some oat based soda the way many domestic garbage beers do. even with the low carbonation the large malt character provides a full and very enjoyable mouthfeel. every sip has a big warm feeling that satisfies. you don't need to drink four of these beers to have an experience of beer.
As for the taste it is a very classic beer. this is what i really love about half acre and am glad it is the first review to be posted on the blog. ( i hope to get some of the past reviews from two guys and a guest written up here as well as all future reviews from the show. if for no other reason than it gives me one more reason to drink beer that i can call necessary and not drunkenness. yay!!) but, as i said i am glad this is a first written up review since half acre is so true to their home. Chicago is a functional city we are not fashionable, we really believe in that "Midwestern work ethic." not that we have no style far from it but, our style results from function in la you can spend more money on fancy clothes because you don't need for separate wardrobes. Half Acre beers fit right in, they are simple honest beers. over ale tastes like beer there is nothing fancy about it or exotic, but it is really good. warm and malty but not sweet. the aroma has a high hop content, but the taste loses a lot of the floral notes such a hoppy beer often possesses it is not in anyway perfumey. the hops (and that should be HOPS) provide a lot of bitter flavor that check the malt but with such a malty and low carbonation beer the hops lose their herbal quality and again become a function. like a cog in a clock. on it's own a beautifully machined shiny brass instrument. but, in the clock just one part doing it's job. balancing such high hop and high malt is a delicate thing and half acre has done an excellent job.
this is a full bodied beer it is for cool nights or rich meals. on its own it would be great because it encourages slow and thoughtful consumption. if you want to have one with dinner get a steak in Burgundy sauce or a rare burger with a1 and steak cut fries. or as we said on the show chicken and waffles. this beer will beat the crap out of a delicate meal.
Finally a quick note about half acre. They recently opened a new brewery in Chicago which is still under construction and only open to brewing, but a tasting room is on the way look for it in may, and expect to see me there at this fine brewing location. my hats off to you half acre. you do the city i love a service by being here. please never leave us like those turn coat retirees who moved to Florida , malort. Below is a link to the half acre website please check them out and buy their beer that way they will stay in business and i will get to drink it.
sincerely,
one guy and no guest
dan
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