Abita Andygator

Brewed by Abita Brewing Company
Style: Heller Bock
Covington, Louisiana USA

16 ounce pint - $5.50 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia. Appearance: Arrived at Table 43 a shimmering, golden-amber body topped with a fizzy, white foam. Lovely, glass-coating lace on the way down. If nothing else, at least it looks nice. Smell: Vaguely sweet-smelling, grainy malt aroma paired with fruity notes and some spicy, even lightly herbal Noble hop scents. Taste: Light pils maltiness initially, lightly sweet and with a minor hint of grain. Fruit flavors follow of yellow apples and white grapeskins. Spicy hop character delivers a medium amount of balancing bitterness. Touch of wildflower honey in the latter half of the taste, along with a few more discarded grapeskins. Finishes fairly drying with a coy, knowing wink from the alcohol. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-high carbonation is greatly appreciated, as I’d wager this would otherwise be a syrupy, cloying mess otherwise. Drinkability: Sorry, but I just didn’t find this one to be a pleasure to drink nor is it agreeable in large quantities -- the completion of the sixteen ounces dragged on into the second shift at Taco Mac.

Bottle from Roundballref... light golden color with with a touch of cloudiness. Nice solid head. Slightly sweet flavor with hints of fruit and some bread. Very easy to drink, and was not aware of the 8% ABV. No outstanding flavor characteristics, but enjoyable and smooth.

Pours a light golden color with a nice thick white head that leaves great lacing. Aroma is mostly light malt, light grape with light lager yeasty note as well. Flavor is sweet apple and grape fruitiness, light pale malt taste and lots of a typical lager yeasty bite. Beer is much denser than it looks with a little chewiness and a real good alcohol bite at the end. Overall not too bad a flavor but just not a lot else going on besides the grape and apple fruitiness.

Hey, another Abita gem(?) courtesy of kiefdog. Pours deep gold with thin white head. It has a pretty full aroma with sweet malts and moving to grains, sugar, some honey and apples. The taste is similar beginning with a thick sweet mouthfeel and giving up sugar, malts, grains and honey. The honey note peaks about midway to briefly take control of the flavor. It ends pretty smooth with lingering grains and sweetness.

Bottle. Pours an orange golden body with a white head. Sweet with hints of fruit, light citrus and apples. Malt, grain with hints of earth. The overall sweetness and the etoh latent fruit left this one less desirable.

Sample at the hodgepodge tasting at Blacklick Wine and Spirits on 4.17.09. Clear gold color with a medium off-white head. Malty aroma with lager yeast and corn. Malt flavor with some alcohol and corn. Went into this one with an open mind, but there is nothing here pointing to doppelbock characteristics. They were a lot closer to the helles part of their description.

Bomber from Sidneys Wine and Spirits (New Orleans). Pours a crystal clear golden color with a thin white head. Aroma is grass, hay, wet perm, some notes of floral hops, corn, grain. Flavor is somewhat faint with notes of honey, caramel, grass, hay, some slight bitter floral hops notes. Generally light body with a slightly sweet finish. Not a very enjoyable beer.

(22oz bottle) Pours a clear yellow body with a small white head that quickly diminishes. Aroma of grain, corn, grass, and caramel. Flavor of grain, mild hops (grass), and corn.