Engineering Degree


Brewery and Country of Origin: Adirondack Pub & Brewery of 33 Canada Street, Lake George, NY 12845, USA

Date Reviewed: 8-20-13

If the lion was the popular kid, the greyhound was the track athlete, and the owl was the teacher, the Castor, or Beaver, would easily be the science dork. Globally, there are only two species of beaver, one native to North America, and the other originating in Eurasia. But what makes the beaver quite an intelligent and special creature is, well... quite a lot actually. If you didn't know, beavers are the second largest rodents on earth, and tremendous swimmers, thanks to their famously broad, scaly tail. They are also obviously known for their ability to build dams for use as homes, protection from larger & scary animals, and as food caches during the winter. No, beavers don't actually eat hardwood, they just chomp it with their large front teeth to cut down trees and branches. They do, however, munch on inner bark and soft twigs, especially during the winter months, when they spend more time in the dam. Their favorite food is the water lily, and like most rodents, they are herbivores. These dams can be quite disruptive to the local environment, creating floods which can wash away nearby railroads and highways. The act of cutting down trees can also destroy other species' habitats, including that of endangered birds and other smaller animals. And despite living in generally colder climates, beavers do not hibernate and conduct most of their activity during the night. The beaver played an important role in the development of the Northeast United States, as one of the main subject of the 16-17th century North American Fur Trade. Beaver pelts were traded by Native Americans to Europe (notably The UK, and France) in exchange for more modern conveniences. The pelts were then turned into hats which provided explorers a good source of heat. This same practice was adopted by the Coureur des Bois (runners of the woods) - French-Canadian hunters who took advantage of the economic benefits of beaver pelts. The trade was so great that the North American Beaver became endangered, with their population dwindling from more than 60 million to an estimated 6-12 million, of which many still claim residency in what is now called the Adirondacks, home of the Adirondack Brewery. The brewery pays homage to this busy creature who helped shape what is now known as the State of New York, especially the Adirondacks region. This Brown Ale's shade imitates the color of the beaver's famous pelt, and its heartiness is a tribute to the beaver's tenacity, especially during the Beaver Wars: a 70 year series of conflicts between the English/Dutch supported Iroquois, and the French backed natives toward the west and north. Like today's patent battles of Apple and Samsung, these two groups literally fought to expand land share in order to monopolize the fur trade, essentially driving the beaver to near extinction. Fortunately, in 1903, NY legislature banned beaver hunting, and ended up with a plan to restock the beaver population. Though they released less than 50 beavers into the wild, the population grew exponentially, and today, more than 60,000 inhabit the Adirondacks alone.
Date Sampled: 7-19-13 At: Puffin's Wilderness Refuge, Stab City, Blackthorne Resort, 348 Sunside Road, East Durham, NY, USA
Beer Style: American Brown Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 5.60%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle, 16 oz Tumbler Glass
Rating: 3.09

Look

Beaver Tail pours fairly smoothly with an average amount of carbonation action, giving this beer a thin, half inch tall foam head with a medium density and an average retention rate. This beer has a dark amber, copper-brownish color with a fairly hazy appearance, and a bright glow. The haziness is caused by the inclusion of a good amount of pretty fine sediment. There is only a small amount of lacing on the glass here.

Aroma

This brown ale has an expectedly rich malty aroma characterized with a full sweet roasted caramel malt aroma mixed in with a good deal of nuttiness and some piney hoppy notes. This is a well balanced aroma, starting with a malt dominated immediate note and closing with a fair amount of prominent trailing hops. Overall, this is a medium high strength aroma.

Feel

This is a medium bodied brew with an average viscosity, a lower weight, and an elevated level of carbonation. This beer offers summer drinkers a good amount of crispness and some refreshment when the sun is bearing down on you. This beer has a very dry finish which lingers for some time. There is no alcohol bite, and this beer's crispness delivers a small but noticeable amount of cooling at the tail end.

Taste

Generally, if you were expecting this brown ale to deliver pretty sweet and mostly malty flavors, you'd be right. The Beaver Tail's flavor profile starts with a sweet beginning enriched with a deep roasted caramel malt overtone and well balanced with a citrusy and piney hoppy finish with an overall bitter aftertaste which lingers for an average amount of time. This beer's taste does not contain any alcohol, and does not feature any overly powerful or strong notes.

Our Take

This is a pretty standard beer which should offer some good times and a fair amount of sensually based satisfaction. Unfortunately, while we'd recommend this beer to anyone interested in a fairly sweet, roasted profile brown ale, nothing about this particular beer piqued much interest. There are no key highlights to this brew which we found terribly unique, but maybe that's actually a good thing. If you're looking for an easy going, easy to drink malty brown ale which is tolerable in the heat of summer, your search may end with Beaver Tail. This beer is a good go to for any casual, barbecue, camping, or tailgating engagements, and we'd say that this is a good starter for hop inclined beer enthusiast who is interested in satisfying his inner malt lover. That said, this isn't a terribly memorable or special beer, but it will surely keep you well nourished when the winter comes and two continents are fighting over you.