Beer of the Weekend #649: Mercury – The Winged Messenger
The beer tonight is the third of “The Planets” series from Bell’s: Mercury – The Winged Messenger, brewed by the Bell’s Brewery, Inc. of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Yep, I missed Venus – The Bringer of Peace. D’oh!
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. “PKGD 12/04/14” is printed on the back label.
Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy, golden straw into a snifter. A finger of bubbly, off-white head dissipates fairly quickly, leaving patches of bubbles and a relatively thin ring around the edge.
Smell: The first whiff is filled with yeast spice, funk, floral hops, musty grain, and pale malt. I’m not going to lie: it kind of smells like fresh dog shit. It is a little weird. Thankfully, though, the peppery spice and funk slowly becomes prominent and the dog shit aroma fades away.
Taste: I am pretty sure this is not how dog shit tastes — though I would not know for sure. It is light, floral, spicy, and a little funky. There are flavors of pale malt, a little pepper spice, a touch of funk, and floral hops.
Drinkability: The aroma is a little weird and unappetizing for a minute or two, but the flavor makes up for it. This is good and drinkable stuff.
Fun facts about Mercury:
-Style: “Belgian Style Ale” is written on the label. That’s good enough for me.
-Price: $1.99/bottle at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 4.8 percent ABV.
-If you want to hear the Mercury movement of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” check out the beer’s webpage.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
Yep, I missed Venus – The Bringer of Peace. D’oh!
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. “PKGD 12/04/14” is printed on the back label.
Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy, golden straw into a snifter. A finger of bubbly, off-white head dissipates fairly quickly, leaving patches of bubbles and a relatively thin ring around the edge.
Smell: The first whiff is filled with yeast spice, funk, floral hops, musty grain, and pale malt. I’m not going to lie: it kind of smells like fresh dog shit. It is a little weird. Thankfully, though, the peppery spice and funk slowly becomes prominent and the dog shit aroma fades away.
Taste: I am pretty sure this is not how dog shit tastes — though I would not know for sure. It is light, floral, spicy, and a little funky. There are flavors of pale malt, a little pepper spice, a touch of funk, and floral hops.
Drinkability: The aroma is a little weird and unappetizing for a minute or two, but the flavor makes up for it. This is good and drinkable stuff.
Fun facts about Mercury:
-Style: “Belgian Style Ale” is written on the label. That’s good enough for me.
-Price: $1.99/bottle at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 4.8 percent ABV.
-If you want to hear the Mercury movement of Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” check out the beer’s webpage.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
