Newport Storm Cyclone Series Kim

Brewed by Coastal Extreme Brewing Company
Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Middletown, Rhode Island USA

Thanks to Tom for this one. Light amber color with a smaller off-white head. Heavy malt aromas, has a heaviness to it. with caramel, toffee, light fruit, and dough, with a bit of herbal hops in the background. Quite sweet to start, nearly syrupy. Malt works it way back into play until I’m finally at peace with mildly toasted malt and light caramel in the finish. A bit heavy, but flavorful in the finish which has a lot of redeeming qualities. A nice fall style brew.

12oz Bottle. Interesting raw grain, wheat berries, and Munich malt aroma. Very rich and volatile. Colored even orange, with a golden fringe, Kim is shrouded in a thin veil of non-virgin white. Surging onto the palate Kim’s flavors leave a wake of fresh apple, light molasses syrup, and a bit of mixed cereals. Chewy. The body is satisfying, but crisp from some hops, and complex from alcohol. The lagering is fine and the higher alcohols add some nuance to this beer. Enjoyable.

Ah Kim…Never dated a Kim but I shall drink her. A golden amber colored lass that is begging to be sipped. The aroma is sweet malt with a touch of corn and metallic notes. Not great but not too off from what a usual Oktoberfest smells like for me. Not a bad taste, though I can already get some oxidization out of this one, not sure how old this one is. Outside of that, I get the usual malty presence with, again, a touch of metallic which to me seems like all lagers of this type have. Touches of musty grain caramel are there as well. Kim is inoffensive but not a great drink. Body is medium and is what you would expect from a Marzen. Fair. Thanks for the trade!

Bottle: Poured a deep amber color lager with a medium foamy head with average retention and some lacing. Aroma of sweet malt with a nice dose of cereal notes with light floral undertone. Taste is heavier then expected with a malt heavy backbone, light sweetness with nice fresh floral cereal aftertaste. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very well done and heavier then most example I have tried from this style.

The bottle starts to foam over when opened. I poured more gingerly than usually. A small head resulted but with great lasting time. Light lace that slides down the glass. Slight haze to a dark gold/light amber liquid. Malty aroma with light floral hop that is significant yet secondary. A well-balanced marzen--more malt than hop as to be expected. The only surprise is the high alcohol content, which I cannot detect in the taste. Smooth beer that feels more like an ale.

Bottle… Clear orange lager with a small, fizzy, white head. The aroma is a touch floral, but notes of honey and toffee really shine through. Medium to full-bodied with an oily mouthfeel and modest carbonation. The flavor is mainly sweet toffee and caramel, but well-bittered for balance. Hearty, malty finish. Thanks go out to growler for sharing the bottle!

My Bottom Line:
This lean Märzen is full of bready cereals from nose to finish, diversified by only a few herbal hops notes and fruity angles.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam skirts the transparent amber.
-Why is 7.8% alcool necessary for such a simple and quenching brew?
-The malts develop light caramel as well.
-The lean body is made for high drinkability. But with almost 8% alcohol, this is pretty treacherous.

Bottle.

Has a descent golden color. Smells mostly of malts. I can pick up a little citrus/wheat scents in the undertone. Taste is malty with a little wheat and caramel. Has a nice palate. Leaves a bitterness in the end that is not too pleasant. I’m not really a fan of this one.