Day 61, Mar 2 / Ruby Extra Amber Ale

Day 61 / March 2, 2011

Ruby Extra Amber Ale

McNeill’s Brewey  /  Brattleboro, VT

A

NG

P

G

VG

O

I’m in NYC for a couple nights for a conference, so I decided to take in one of the local beer bars.  The Pony Bar has only been around for a couple years, but it seems to have established itself as the place for craft beers in mid-town Manhattan.

The Pony Bar has 20 rotating drafts.  Check the picture below for the sample that was on tap tonight.  They even post all of their current beers on their web site.  When they change a keg, they ring a boxing bell 3 times and the whole bar goes “Oooohhh!” and checks the chalk board for the new beer.  They also have an All American Club – you buy 100 beers and you earn an official Pony All-American brewery shirt and get your name on our Pony All-American plaque.

Click the picture for a bigger view of all the beers on tap!

My first beer tonight was a Ruby Extra Amber Ale  from NcNeill’s Brewing Company in Brattleboro, VT.  Now,  I said I wouldn’t do this, but I’m 61 beers  in, and I’m becoming a little challenged in coming up with unique descriptions for these beers, beyond just “Um, it was good.”  So sometimes I’m gonna do a little research, see what the brewery says, see what a couple other people say, see what I agree with and then break it down into terms your average beer drinker can relate to.  Beer that tastes like toast and earth – that’s not understandable.  If you think I’m getting a little crazy in my descriptions, feel free to call “Bullshit.”

This beer was a good, dark amber colored ale, with “a powerful nose and flavor of concord grapes, and loads of caramel.”  Bullshit?

I also had an Empire Cream Ale (on Nitro) [VG], Barrier Greenroom Pale Ale [G], a few sips of a Smuttynose Hanami Ale (this was bad – tasted strongly of sour  cherries) [A], and a Harpoon Celtic Ale [G].  But, of course, these beers don’t count towards the quest unless I have them again.

I’ve got to give a shout-out to the pickles that came with my grilled chicken sandwich.  There were only 5 slices of pickle, but I don’t know if I could have handled anymore.  These were horseradish spiced pickles from Adirondack Bill’s in Schenectady, NY.  Man, these packed a punch, but they were good.  Nathan’s Horseradish pickles are close in taste, but not as intense.  Give them a try, if you dare!