McNeill's Champ Ale

Straight from Brat, Vt comes the first of several McNeills beers I picked up over the holidays. McNeills is the hometown hero in this small, hippie town located in southern Vermont, and I only get to try it a couple of times a year. This ale is the Brewery's tribute to the American Loch Ness Monster, Champ. Who has been haunting the waters of lake Champlain since the coming of man into the area.



Appearance: Light, reddish-amber with a quickly dissapating bubbly head.

Scent: I smell hops and maybe yeast, mostly hops. Bountiful amounts of hops are found in ALL McNeills products.

Taste: Bitter hops, but not overt. There is also some sweet stuff going on along with fruitiness. Hops is the most recognizable taste in this beer, which also makes it pretty citrusy.

Artwork: A lakemonster and a clown done in watercolor. I wonder if there is a story behind it. Simple, yet effective. The label would stick out in a cooler, but some might be thrown off by the Jr. High, fantasy-nerd level of painting. whatever, It's better than I could do on a canvas.

Bought: At the Sunoco gas station on Christmas Day. Which was the only place open on the trip home before we hit the highway.