Union Anthem Golden Ale

I finally got a new laptop. I waited a whole ten years to get a new Mac, but this one is ridiculously fast. It was taking me so long to post that I pretty much gave up until the new laptop came.

ABV: 5%

Style: Cream Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “In honor of the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott Key’s penning of The Star Spangled Banner just outside of Fort McHenry right here in Baltimore, we’ve brewed up this easy drinking, all-American beer. Our take on a classic American style, the Cream Ale, this light golden ale is brewed with American grown barley, wheat, corn, & oats and lightly hopped with Columbus for bittering and a kiss of floral Mosaic. This all-American classic is just the thing to make you sing!”

Random: This beer uses Columbus and Mosaic hops.

The beer poured with a one finger, cream-colored head. It dissipated slowly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was clear and straw yellow. There was a lot of carbonation visible. The nose was muted. There was some grain along with wheat and corn and a touch of cream. The taste was equally unoffensive. I got the same oats and corn along with a touch of grass and cream. The body was super light with lots of carbonation. It had a quick, unremarkable finish. A can was $1.83, which came to $.15 per ounce. This beer wasn’t expensive, but was just very bland. I wouldn’t refuse it if my other choice was a macro, but this didn’t wow me.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0

Union Old Pro Gose

Tonight’s selection is another beer that I picked up during a DC trip. Union puts out some solid beers and I’d never tried their gose. Goses have been increasing in popularity every year and they are super-drinkable especially in the Spring and Summer. Let’s crack this open and see how it was.

ABV: 4.2%

Style: Gose

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “A dash of salt. A touch of tart. That’s what makes this unique German-style wheat beer a seasoned professional at serious summer thirst quenching. With its glowing golden color, peach & citrus nose followed by a prickly mouthfeel that leaves a gentle tartness and a dash of salt on the palate, the Old Pro never fails to bring you back for another sip.”

Random: This beer came in at 10 IBUs.

The beer poured with a three finger, white head. It dissipated at a moderate pace and left no lacing on the glass. The body was incredibly cloudy and bright yellow. I couldn’t see much carbonation due to the cloudiness. The nose was tart with lemon juice and lemon zest. The taste had significant tartness and lemon balm. It had some citrus segments, specifically lemon and lime. There was a light salinity to it as well. The body was on the lighter side with generous carbonation. The finish was quick with tartness. A can of this ran me $1.83, which came to $.15 per ounce. This was a solid gose that I would have no qualms about bringing to a barbecue.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Union Balt Altbier

Later today, we have an appointment with another florist. This will be the third florist we’ve met with. Although a lot of people go crazy for flowers, it’s not something that I have a strong opinion about, as long as everything isn’t pink. My biggest concern is that if it snows, they’ll have trouble delivering them to the venue. Anyways, let’s get to the beer.

ABV: 5.5%

Style: Altbier

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “This German-style Altbier is our nod to an old world, old school ale. The word ‘Alt’ is German for ‘old’, and refers to the traditional style of brewing before lager yeast was discovered. Balt is a dark, copper colored brew with a creamy head, a gentle bitterness and a clean, dry finish. Prost, Hon!”

Random: This beer came in at 45 IBUs.

The beer poured with a three finger, loose, tan head that dissipated slowly. It left no lacing behind on the glass. The body was a clear, copper color with intense carbonation. The nose was filled with earthy notes of peat, leather, dirty and tobacco. It had a caramel and nutty aroma as well. The taste was very malty with underlying peat and nuts. Caramel and toffee came out along with leather and earth. It had a medium body with a lot of carbonation. The finish was lengthy with caramel. A can of this was $1.83, which broke down to $.15 per ounce. I don’t get to try too many altbiers, but I enjoyed this one for a change of pace. I’ll be trying this one again next time I’m around DC.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Union Steady Eddie

Val and I have started watching the reboot of “Will and Grace.” It’s pretty good, although not as great as I remembered. We’re only two episodes in, so hopefully it will get better. Anyways, let’s get to the beer of the night.

ABV: 7%

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “After spending the cold winter training our palettes on malty winter brews its time to get out on the field and play some ball with an IPA that’s both refreshing and complex. The lemony-herbal aromatics of Sorachi Ace hops spring out of a nice, light bodied wheat & honey malt base. You can always rely on a solid hit from Steady Eddie.”

Random: This beer came in at 80 IBUs.

The beer poured with a two finger, slightly off white head. It dissipated slowly and left a lot of lacing on the glass. The body was bright orange in color and cloudy. There was moderate carbonation visible. The nose was filled with fresh grace, lemon grass and cilantro. Sorachi Ace is by far my favorite hop, and this beer had a lot of it. The taste also had notes of cilantro, lemon grass and grass clippings. Then, green onion came through with some light malt and wheat finished up the sip. The body was on the lighter side with high carbonation. The finish was lengthy with lemon grass and cilantro. A can of this was $2, which broke down to $.17 per ounce. I enjoyed this beer a lot and this would make for a good food beer.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

Union Duckpin Pale Ale

Since hoppy beers are so popular, it seems like everyone has an aggressive pale that is hitting the shelves. This is one that I can’t get in Jersey, so I was interested in giving it a shot.

ABV: 5.5%

Style: American Pale Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “This generously hopped pale ale is a strike in your mouth! Brewed with lots of Pacific Northwest & New Zealand hops, this beer is ten frames of big citrus and tropical fruit aroma and flavor. A strong malt backbone rounds it out and makes this pale ale a delight for the senses. The pins may be small but the flavor is huge! In our town, we roll Duckpin – a true Baltimore original.”

Random: Val and I have been bowling once. I had a lot of fun, although I don’t think Val enjoyed it nearly as much as I did.

This beer poured with a thick, one finger, white head. It dissipated at a snail’s pace and left some lacing on the glass. The body was a cloudy golden-yellow with lots of carbonation visible. The nose was filled with bright citrus. I specifically picked up grapefruit flesh and orange flesh. There was no malt on the nose. The taste was equally bright. Unlike the nose, it had a lot of grass up front. It then went into citrus with grapefruit zest and flesh. There was a touch of cracker on the end. For a pale, the bitterness was intense, but not overwhelming. The body was thicker than the typical pale with lots of carbonation. It had a quick and bitter finish with grapefruit. A can of this was $1.83, which came to $.15 per ounce. I enjoyed this one quite a lot and would definitely have it again if I was in Maryland.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0