Beer of the Weekend #64 and #65: Sol and Full Sail Pale Ale

What? Adult Swim bounced “The Boondocks” from their Friday programming again? Fucking racist, southern bastards.

Wait — it’s on Saturday nights now? I take that back.

BotW is double dippin’ again this weekend in honor of Cino de Mayo. The first beer this weekend is Sol brewed by Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma of Monterrey, Mexico.


Sol is my base lager. I almost bought it last weekend but decided to buy Modelo Especial instead. This weekend I considered buying Pacifico, but Sol was my brew. It’s been a curiously of mine for a while. The Sol sun is often plastered all over Mexican soccer stadiums, and I’ve wanted to try it (just not last week, I guess).

Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.

Appearance: Poured a golden yellow. A finger of thin head developed but dissipated quickly to a leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.

Smell: It’s subdued, but grains, grains, grains.

Taste: Same as the smell: grains, grains, grains. It’s remarkably simple and unspectacular; totally forgettable, regrettable, and any other dull related “-able” word. There’s nothing to it. It’s like a watered down watered down macro lager, but with good color.

Drinkability: I expected this, and won’t even bother pouring the other five in a glass. Maybe Sol could spend a little less money plastering soccer stadiums with their logo to give their beer more bite. Even that “triple hops” brewing process may be worth checking out.

Fun facts about Sol:

-Serving temperature: 35-40°F.

-Alcohol content: 4.5 percent ABV

-Food pairings: Mexican cuisine (a Quiet Man recommendation, sure to deliver). BA also recommends Thai, peppery cheeses like Monterey and Pepper Jack, and shellfish.

-The same brewery that brews Sol also brews Tecate.

-Despite the bland taste and the clear bottle, Sol’s presentation is quite attractive. I thought the label was painted on, but when I looked closely I saw it is in fact pasted on. Grr.


The Quiet Man’s grade: D. The only reason I’m not giving it an F is because it’s drinkable and not offensive.

~

The second beer this weekend is Full Sail Pale Ale brewed by Full Sail Brewing of Hood River, Oregon.


Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles.

Appearance: Poured a light amber. A finger of head developed and dissipated to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the outside.

Smell: It’s a curious blend of caramel, citrus, and hops. There is also a slight hint of pine and spice.

Taste: Similar to the smell. Caramel, citrus, and hops. The hop bite is not overpowering, a plus for me, and balance well with the malts.

Drinkability: It’s a tasty brew. I’m not sure what else there is to say. It’s not too hoppy, and it’s time to drink more.

Fun facts about Full Sail Pale Ale

-Serving temperature: 35-40°F.

-Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.

-Food pairings: BA recommends “Pan Asian,” cheeses like Camembert, Fontina, Colby, Parmesan, Brick (oh, heaven), and Feta, and poultry.


The Quiet Man’s grade: B.

Comments

Popular Posts