And Then There Were Two

Please, if the lot of you would kindly form an orderly line and turn in your pitchforks and torches, I can present my next (and yes, overdue) submission.

Yeah yeah dispense with the comments of negligence and laziness; I'm here to entertain your fascination with irreverent and silly beer reviews.  To help to alleviate some of my transgression against punctuality, I have opted to hold a double feature for this evening's main event.  Sadly, it will infuriate the 'spurgers, because this week will once again focus on Victoria's own Lighthouse Brewery.  However, worry not, because of the two beers I have selected, one is a type I normally find boring, and the other is a type I normally find repulsive.  This ought to be interesting...

Lighthouse Overboard Imperial Pilsner

Need to start remembering
to take my own photos
before drinking the bloody
beer.

Ah, how I do enjoy seeing that label "Imperial" slapped onto just about any malt beverage.  'Imperial', for those of you who aren't aware, is synonymous with 'awesome'.  Basically, so far as I can tell, it indicates a more intense flavour accompanied by a higher alcohol content.  In other words...sign me up.

So it should be no surprise that this first beer is subject to the wonderful Imperial title.  It is indeed an Imperial Pilsner, admittedly the first of its kind that I've ever tried.  Pilsners, for me, have always been a bit on the boring side.  Not that there's anything wrong with them, but I never find them particularly exciting or diverse.  This one, however, demands a reevaluation.

Like any good twist on an existing beer type, this Imperial pilsner is not predictable.  You won't take a sip and completely forget what you're drinking.  On the contrary; you'll instead take a sip, then furl your eyebrows in wondrous confusion, followed by a completely arbitrary and pointless closer examination of the bottle, as if that will do anything to explain the situation.  It won't; just accept the mystery and intrigue of this beer.  This isn't necessarily the sort of beer I would generally get on a regular basis, but it is one I recommend for pilsner fans, or indeed anyone looking for something a little bit original that is derived from something that is not.

Taste:  Like any pilsner, it's a bit bitter, it's rather flavourful, it's got some hop...but it's more on pretty much all fronts.  Not an attack on your taste buds like the Navigator, but more defined than most, safer pilsners.

Aroma:  Not a particularly defining factor.

Aftertaste:  It's not as complex as the type of beer I tend to prefer, but it doesn't exactly end with a whimper either.

Recommended?:  Yes, to pilsner fans.

Verdict:  Overboard comes off as a bit of a surprise, but overall probably my least favourite of Lighthouse's current trio of their 'Big Flavour' series.  It's certainly worth trying if you wish to try something familiar, if somewhat short of remarkable.

Score:  7 mugs out of 10.


Lighthouse Uncharted IPA

Admittedly also not my photo, but damn is this guy good.

India Pale Ale...how I detest thee.  And how I detest detesting any sort of beer (short of the mainstream schlock).  It's awful to dislike something that should be enjoyed.  IPA is perhaps one of the most important, influential and interesting beer varieties, and, generally speaking, I just do not like it.  I find it to be too hoppy, too harsh.  I enjoy a good extra special bitter, something that provides a large dose of hops and bitterness...but I just find the hops in IPAs to be overwhelming and overpowering, reducing the rest of the beer to irrelevance.

So, who would have thought I could find an IPA that could finally grace the pages of Beer Cruise?  Luckily, I saw the Light...house.  In the form of Uncharted, their newest take on an IPA.

Lighthouse is no stranger to IPA.  They regularly produce the Beacon IPA, they've made a triple IPA, and frankly, I've not cared for either.  This new one, however, is a Belgian style IPA.  My my.  Funny how putting the word "Belgian" in front of things makes them better.  Much like 'Imperial'.  Seems we have a common theme going on tonight.

Uncharted is unlike any IPA I've tried.  It has the hops and the brutality, but it also has a smoother, creamier texture, and I find it more flavourful and refined than any other IPA I've ever tried.  And I do mean ever; this is actually the first IPA I've had that I have genuinely enjoyed.  True, it is not my absolute favourite beer of the season, but good lord is it impressive that the people at Lighthouse have made a beer that I seriously like from a beer type I thoroughly dislike.

Break down time.  Star Trek gifs are best gifs.

Taste:  Hops?  Check.  Bitter?  Check.  Absurdly overwhelming?  Er...negative?  Something's gone down in IPA town.  Smooth Belgian notes clash with harsh and aggressive hops to make something...quite good and rather unique.    

Aroma:  Nice...solid...these are the words that appropriate Uncharted.  It doesn't blow your socks off, but it has a nice smell if you have the nose for it.

Aftertaste:  Like the best parts of a good ESB mixed with a smoother beer that is creamy, complex and somehow...maple-y?  I can't quite explain that last one.

Recommended?:  Yes, absolutely.  Especially if you're an IPA fan, and double especially if you're not.

Verdict:  Lighthouse's Uncharted is pretty special.  It's a beer that I very much enjoyed, but shouldn't have.  It's the sort of thing I think just about any beer fan can enjoy, and I found particularly exciting as it potentially opened new doors into IPA territory for me, where they were closed before.  All-in-all, while not my usual cup of tea, a great beer that must be commended for its, er...greatness.

Score:  8.5 mugs out of 10.






Note:  All beer was tested while on a cruise.
Warning:  No cruisers were harmed during the making of this review.