Fordham Sunseeker Wheat

That previously mentioned package from Fordham & Dominion Brewing also contained a few bottles of Fordham Brewing's new Sunseeker Wheat. This German-style Hefeweizen is another year-round addition to the brewery's lineup.

The unfiltered wheat ale pours a cloudy straw color and exhibits a short-lived white head. The aroma is sweet malt with hints of clove and banana. The flavor is similarly sweet with cloves, coriander, banana and lots of wheat flavor. There's an apple-like tartness in there as well. Copious carbonation tingles the tongue. The finish is moderately tart and a little drying. A low 5% ABV is in keeping with the classic "Summer Wheat" beer theme.

Wheat beers may not be my favorite style, but I do enjoy a well-done Hefeweizen. Fordham Sunseeker is an impressive domestic German-style wheat beer. I always keep some Hefeweizens and Wits in the beer fridge since Colleen enjoys them very much. She wasn't home when I opened this one, but after I share the remaining review bottles with her, I wouldn't be surprised to see Sunseeker on the shelves downstairs soon.

The beer reviewed here was a promotional sample from the brewery. My impressions are provided of my own free will.

Fordham Spiced Harvest Ale

Now that it's officially Fall, I figured it was time to crack open a Pumpkin Ale. After dinner the other evening I grabbed a bottle of Fordham Brewing Spiced Harvest Ale from the fridge. I received the sample bottle from the brewery last month but hadn't gotten around to trying it out. Actually, we reviewed this beer last fall, so I already knew I would enjoy it. Pumpkin Ales and Spiced Ales can be hit or miss for my palate, but Fordham's Fall seasonal is quite tasty.

The beer pours a deep amber color with a thin off-white head. The aroma is rich with pumpkin and spice, but it smells like a pumpkin pie, not just pumpkin pie spice. The flavor is that of sweet pumpkin combined with the zing of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and clove. The classic pumpkin pie spices are there, but it's really the sweet pumpkin that is foremost. The spicy notes linger behind in the finish, along with a bit of zesty hops.

My impression remains largely unchanged from last year. The exception being I didn't wait until November to enjoy it. Fordham Brewing does Pumpkin Ale right. Spiced Harvest Ale is refreshing, savory, and light bodied. And it's on the shelves now.

The beer reviewed here was a promotional sample from the brewery. My impressions are provided of my own free will.

New Sessionable Beers From Fordham

Fordham Brewing Company has updated its year round lineup with trio of "session" beers. In a delightful coincidence, I received a sample package from the brewery on my birthday a couple weeks ago. Having previously seen the brewery press release, I was looking forward to putting the new lineup through its paces. Gypsy Lager, Copperhead Ale, and Route 1 Session IPA form the basis of the brewery's Rinse and Repeat series, created with a focus on sessionability.

Gypsy Lager is a Munich-Helles stye lager that was first brewed at the Annapolis Rams Head in 1995. The beer is straw-colored with very little aroma detected. It's got a crisp grassy, grainy flavor with a buttery malt base. Copperhead Ale is an American Red Amber that pours a hazy copper color with a beige head. With a caramel, slightly sweet aroma, the flavor has malt sweetness initially, switching to a mild citrus hop bitterness. Both of these beers check in at 5% ABV.

Route 1 Session IPA was the member of this group I was most eager to try out. At just 4.5%, I wondered, would it really be a full-flavored IPA? The beer poured a dark copper color thick beige head. I detected a faint malt aroma but little noticeable hops. However, that meek profile changed in the drinking. Route 1 IPA exhibits a bitter hop profile that is more intense than expected. Some sweet malt shows in the background. A moderately long lasting bitterness lingers in the finish.

There's a trend among craft brewers looking to create full-flavored beers without the high alcohol the so often accompanies bold beers. Route 1 Session IPA meets that goal especially well. I enjoyed all three of the "Rinse and Repeat" series beers, but the IPA was the winner in my book. The beers should be showing up soon on shelves in the mid-Atlantic region.

The beers reviewed here were promotional samples from the brewery. My impressions are provided of my own free will.

Fordham Spiced Harvest Ale

After a morning of shooting and an early dinner Sunday, I was relaxing with a book when I had the urge for a beer. I stood for a while in front of the open beer fridge looking for inspiration. So many beers, and nothing was tempting me, and then I spied the bottle of Spiced Harvest Ale that was sent a couple months back by the folks at Fordham Brewing.

The beer pours a slightly hazy amber color with a very thin but persistent white head. Sticking my nose in the glass I was immediately pleased with the smells. "This could be good," I thought, it doesn't smell like potpourri and I detected some pumpkin as well. Taking a sip, there's cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar; all present but not overwhelming. And pumpkin. Underneath it all there is the distinct flavor of pumpkin. The finish adds a bit of sweetness with the lingering spices. 

Perhaps I should have tried this one sooner. I typically grow quickly tired of pumpkin and spiced beers, so much so that I rarely keep them on hand, preferring to try them one-off at the pub, or the occasional brewery review sample. The Fordham Brewing contribution to the Fall "spiced beer" lineup is one that I wouldn't mind drinking again.

Note: This beer was provided by Fordham Brewery. It is through my own free will that I consumed and reviewed it. No compensation was received for this review.

Change of Plans: Fordham Wisteria Wheat

I had tentatively planned to hit the range after work earlier this week, but that trip was sidelined by a surprise late afternoon teleconference. (I need to reexamine that whole "Arrive early - Leave early" routine; the former works, the latter seems to fail frequently.) So it was time for plan B, let's taste another new beer.

Not long ago I received a few bottles of Fordham Brewery Wisteria Wheat from the brewery. I was happy they generously sent three bottles so I could share. I'm not a big Hefeweizen fan, but Colleen and "Checkered Flag" definitely are, so I appreciated their impressions too.

At Colleen's request we dusted off the tall Hefeweizen glasses, even though they hold much more than 12 ounces. It took a hard pour to build up a moderate head over an unfiltered, hazy orange beer. The foam was not persistent and dropped rapidly. The expected mix of banana and light spices came through in the aroma. The flavor followed suit with a strong sweet banana and yeast flavor. A hint of tartness comes through at the end. The finish is dry and very clean. Very little aftertaste is left behind on the palate. A moderate carbonation, mild flavor and just 5.1% ABV, made for a refreshing pre-dinner drink.

My tasting companions said they enjoyed the Wisteria Wheat very much. "Checkered Flag" pointed out that he finished his glass before the rest of us. That's not the usual order of drinking speed around here. However, given that wheat beer was one of our friend's gateway beers, that's not surprising.

I was still disappointed to miss out on shooting, however the fun of trying out a new beer with the same folks I hoped to have been shooting with was certainly an acceptable alternative.

Note: This beer was provided by Fordham Brewery. It is through my own free will that I consumed and reviewed it. No compensation was received for this review.