Leinenkugel Fireside Nut Brown

Nice, Nice brew. Not on par with some of the world class Nut Browns, but, nice flavor and the quality is there...well done and very flavorful and drinkable. I love this brew with its nice color and creamy head. Nice flavors of malt and hazel nuts are present with spicy chocolate tones. This beer is dessert and you can't have any... good beer.

4 outta 5 points Nicely done...

Budweiser American Ale

This is not bad ale. Clearly it is quite a bit better than some of the other crap that AB has produced in the name of appearing to be a craft brewery (think Elk Mountain). This brew in my opinion could give Samuel Adams a run for its money. Coppery in color with an ample head, there are hops prominent and well balanced malt flavors.

4 out of 5 points...not bad

Schell Octoberfest

Nice tasting, rich Marzen style beer. You want a paragraph to convince you that it is good? OK...rich caramel flavors followed by hallertau hops and nice balance are what you will get with this brew. Short paragraph, but to the point.

4.95 out of 5 points. Nice!

Bud Ice

Not a very good malt liquor. I noticed that the hop flavors were rather uninspired and really, the brew was not pleasant to drink. I did however, drink as I am no waster of perfectly good swill and I was entertained with the idea of complaining about the brew as I drank it. Could be that this was not at all a fresh beer or just could be that this swill sucks. Remember when Bud Ice was the newest of the new stuff on the market. It followed Bud Dry, I believe. Well, this sucks and sucks hard. I could try to screw up a brew and do better than this. ugh...

1.5 outta 5 points. There are much better Malt Liquors out there...just find them.

Magnum Malt Liquor

Magnum...I remember Magnum from when I was young and growing up in California. I remember that this brew was promoted and advertised and competing directly with the leaders of the seventies. You know, Schlitz Malt Liquor and the venerable Colt 45 and many others. I found that the brew was harsh at the time as compared to the soda pop quality of Budweiser Light. Yes that is right. Not Bud, but Budweiser Light. My last reference is rather dated and my beer experience was limited at my last meeting. Circa 1980.

I will have to let you know that unless you happen to be in Wisconsin, you will likely not see this brew. At the same time, I will release a loud ugh and tell you that if you are to drink a "Malt Liquor", that perhaps you should drink this one as it is smooth and has some real flavor. It is golden and mere minutes after pouring, it has not a trace of a head. That does not take away from the flavor however as I like this beer better than Mickey's Malt Liquor and that is a difficult choice. Sometimes, you try a beer that has "failed" in the market and yet they got it right. Plank Road is another Miller failure that tasted great. How about Clipper...the dark light? These are some of the things that Miller pulled off over the years that tasted good and somehow managed to fail in the market. Speaking of things that you cannot buy...Miller Malt Liquor...lasted through 1975 in the red can and several test colors and was repackaged as Magnum in 1977 or so.

This beer deserves a chance as it displays some balance that other malt liquors clearly lack.

4.8 out of 5 points...malt ligga done right, now bust out that blunt...

Olde English 800

Brewed by Miller. Tastes actually balanced and nice as compared to some of the sugared up swill that other brewers concoct in the name of inebriation and early evening hang overs. I like this beer. I would like to say that 40 ounces of this stuff may be too much, but a 12 ouncer or two are nice and warming. Drink it while cold and enjoy.

4 out of 5 points-Apples to apples, this one measures up well with other Malt Liggaz.

Rogue Half E Weizen

Nice, rich and satisfying. At 4.99 a painted bottle, it had damn well better be. It was nice and smooth with assertive and yet not overpowering hops and good flavors overall. I drank that and went to see the races and needed nothing more for the evening...maybe, a Cigar...E

4.95 outta 5 frigging satisfying points. If it is great, it needs no words at all.

Avery 14'er ESB

Oh, Yeah, there it is right there...heavy, copper, creamy, wholesome, frigging goodness in an always too darn small bottle but there are five more in the darn six-pack damned if I didn't manage to buy 4 of those and just sit here and enjoy what I have. Sweet and hops dominate and do battle in a good way where there are strong flavors and yet there is also balance. Mild malt and earthy scents come from where this brew is poured, adding to the trance like effects of over the top beer brewing. Gotta love it...I sure do.

5 points as this brew and many others by Avery represent a gold standard. This brew is simply what I call block and tackle...drink a case and walk a block...you can tackle just about anything. Write me and tell me I am wrong.

Avery White Rascal Wheat

This stuff tastes like crap. Not really, I like this Belgian Style wheat ale with its fruity nose and palette. It is blonde in color with a stark, white head. Nice, smooth, and delicious. Coriander and Orange Peel round up the background flavors that make this a really refreshing brew. Drink twenty of them and see what I mean.

4.95 out of 5 points- drink no less than 20 otherwise something bad will happen with your email account and all your tires will go flat on your Yugo. That might be a good excuse to buy a new car and perhaps enhance your ability to date.

Schell Stout

Good chocolaty goodness with coffee undertones. Said the same thing a million times and this time I frigging mean it. Good mild spice tones with the typical alcohol tongue tingles. Warm belly follows and as a bonus it is nice and balanced with good flavors and textures. It is really good and even though it was a warm day when I tried it...I put on the air conditioner really hard to get that winter feel going.

4.75 out of 5 points...winter is coming and this stuff should be in your fridge.

Schell Hefeweitzen

Nice Citrusy with that all so common peppery feel at the finish. Schell beers are almost always exceptional and this one is no exception. Nice with a cool unique flavor overall. Good Stuff and I am not sharing any with you John. So there!

4.5 out of 5 Points. This blows Widmer out of the water and I like Widmer.

Cold Spring Ebony Wheat

Ebony Wheat...A dark wheat flavor if you will...It is dark with a dark flavor. It is good. I know not what the hell it is. Dark Wheat? Heavy wheat flavor...the packaging offers no answer but if I was to give an opinion...It is good.

4.25 out of 5 points ...In what ever they are trying to do

Point Nude Beach Summer Wheat

Good, Well Balanced, smooth, easy drinkin' and very good summer beer. I like the fact that they allow the wheat and its smoothness to become the prominent factor in this beer. There is no fancy spices or not any ingredients that do not belong. Just goodness and Yakima hops and the light flavor that is the result. If you are a woman and all you like is Bud Light...you will like this beer. Point, Well Made.

5 out of 5 points...You can't get a better wheat beer than this...that is for sure.

Schlitz

Hmmm, I liked Schlitz during the 70's and I take a swig of this remarkable 1960's brew and I am taken back to the days of illegal purchases of beer and driving up to Mount Baldy and throwing Tall Boy cans down the hillsides when Johnny Law wanted to disrupt our alcohol fueled madness. Can you believe that we watched Stripes and were marching around up there in the thin atmosphere? What a bunch of propaganda that was. Anyway, I joined the Navy as I may fall prey to propaganda but I am not after all, an idiot.

Anyway, there is some malt, albeit small and some hops, yet not overwhelming and some soda poppy goodness in this brew. Don't get me wrong, I am not going all beer snob on you here, I am just trying to describe the goodness in this beer. I liked it. I am comparing this beer to any premium, American style Pilsner. This one ranks well among them. Will it come up with the gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival? Who the hell knows, those poor judges are in this case having to compare the taste of a dozen cotton balls. But it was refreshing and it was good.

You be the judge, Buy a sixer of this beer and write me with your opinion...get a sixer of Pabst and Miller and Bud...let me know...I am leaning towards 4 outta five however. Let me know as it would be interesting. D

Summit Scania

Tried this one in Old Chicago in Fargo. I liked it with its assertive hops with spices and smooth Wheaty goodness. Nice with an orange or a lemon. I drank 2 25 ounce mugs and I am faced. But happily so. My wifey is driving...

4.57 out of 5 Nice with the lemon or with out. The spices are a little different at first but give this stuff a chance as Summit knows their stuff. D

New Belgian Mothership Wit

Nice complex flavors going on with this beer. At first taste, I detect what hits my taste buds and travels through faulty short-ridden wiring to my brain as "bubblegum", followed by a bit of citrus with some bitter flavors. There is also some clove and it is strange but it is all good. I do have to admit that I was not at all impressed with this beer at first sip and I was disappointed. I am rather mixed on the beers at New Belgium. They make good beer, but they favor the hop over balance so I drink their beers, one to a sitting. They are not what I would call an all night beer. The color in this is a cloudy blond with a stark white head and I am glad I let it warm up a bit and savored the flavors. I might have dumped this one and that is cause to have an infomercial and investigation.

4.5 out of 5 Give the beer a chance.

Berghoff Genuine Dark Beer

I remember that it was New Years Eve, 1989 that we were preparing for. I had walked into this store that I had just discovered called Trader Joe's in San Diego. I was still married to my Second wife, I had little kids, I was an E-6 in the Navy and we were living in Navy housing in Chula Vista. There were 20 guests coming over that night and I wanted to celebrate with something special. There was the usual Bud/Miller purchases and I also picked up a case of Berghoff Dark. I can't remember who was brewing the beer at the time, but I do remember this...that the brew I am sampling today kicks that beer right in the ass. I am much more impressed with this beer in my hand. I know little about the trials and tribulations of the Huber Brewing Company of Monroe, Wisconsin, except, that they were struggling badly during the late 80's and were close to closing. I read recently that Huber was taking up the slack for the Storm-damaged Dixie Brewing of New Orleans. Good for them, as those were some great beers and I would hate to see them lost.

Well, on to this brew. Color is nice reddish-brown. Smells are chocolate and caramel with some spicy notes in the background. I have an allergy plugged nose so please bear with me. Flavors are kind-hearted German dark beer with good mouth feel and a mild tingle of alcohol on the tongue. I really like this brew and will seek it out. I just wish it were still $2.99.

Dark Beer 4.25 out of 5 Very drinkable in a tough field of competitors. Great with Spaghetti or Mexican food. Drink up!

Uff-Da Bock

New Glarus Brewing Company has been a pleasure to deal with as they produce nice flavored beers and have a good sense of conscience in doing so. Uff-da is a good strong bock beer. It has the typical chocolate, caramel and hoppy flavors involved. It is very good. It reminds me of Schell Caramel Bock with a bit more intensity. Nice mouth feel, nice warm alcohol with good cozy flavors throughout.

4.75 out of 5 points. Nice, not much room for improvement...perhaps 4.85 out of 5 points. Good.

Hamm's Beer

Recently, While driving through Chicagoland, I noticed a sign proclaiming that Schlitz has gone back and are now producing their 1960's recipe. That kind of pissed me off. I mean, it was the mid seventies when I started enjoying beer and I drank Schlitz. You mean, I didn't get the real stuff? That sucks.

I remember Hamm's from the seventies however, and this brew really isn't quite it. It is however a very tolerable brew with a little hop bite at the end. Surprisingly, it reminds me of my review of Olympia or Rainier from a few months ago. They are all made by SABMiller under contract. I cannot speak for Schlitz as I ventured into that territory a couple years ago and found the results less than stellar.

To be perfectly honest, I just wish that these companies that produce a beer under contract would just do the right thing and make it according to the original recipe. I mean, when a guy buys Hamm's, doesn't he have the right to get what the hell he is buying? I think that the sorry state of affairs in the brewing industry allows for this kind of crap to go on and no one is the wiser...the college kid who buys this beer has no idea of the heritage and sacrifice by the Hamm family that went into the brand name. The fact is that the brewing industry is littered with the bones and failures of those that brewed well and yet, failed. That does not change the fact that people would like variations in their beer and that there should be some sanctity when it comes to the particular recipe they are trying.

Do not get me wrong, this is a reasonably good beer. I just wish that it tasted malty like Hamms.

2.5 out of 5 points Make the shit and they will buy it. Trust me...

Point Einbock (Maibock Style)

Point Well Made. The madmen at the Stevens Point, Wisconsin brewery have impressed me mightily in the past and once again they have made their mark with a brew that says that they care little about cost vs profit forecasts. Brew the stuff and let them drink it.

It is bock beer. It has some richness and good malty pleasure with every sip. It pours a nice deep golden color with a beige, thin head. It has a malty, spicy nose with earthy undertones. My opinion is that this brew is true to maibock form with some nice spicy undertones. The sweet richness accumulates on my lips tempting me to constantly lick. There is also the hops which offer a perfect foil to all the sweetness. I must add one other thing. The mouth feel of this brew is superb, coating my mouth with sweet goodness. Like all Point beers, this one has a lot of balance in the mix. I love it and you will too.

4.5 out of 5 points Spot on and true to style. Point well made indeed.

Cold Spring Honey Almond Weiss

Hey, I am back having just sampled some really good beer...from Cold Spring, Minnesota once again hails Cold Spring Beer. I toured the brewery which goes by the name Gluek Brewing Company. I like the Honey Bock and the varieties of Stite are great. I just wished at the time that they would put some effort into the true craft side of beer...you know, with some effort added to it.

Well, here goes. This brew is markedly better than their past efforts. Some of the styles represent the same direction that Point has gone in with success. Even Anheuser-Busch with the Michelob line has come up with some inspired styles. This is no exception.

Pours nicely with a cloudy golden color and a white head. It is sweet and slightly sour with a nice bittering all at the same time. I really do not notice the almond and as far as I am concerned, they can just reorder labels right now because the brew is fine without it. The citrus is apparent in its nose and there is some subtle I suppose almond along with warm wonderful alcohol working there. It is much more refined than Gluek Honey Bock and I like that brew. I have found here a new favorite but it will not be my exclusive because nothing matches the potency of honey bock for the price. I recommend this brew as it represents a crossroads with this brewery. When I visited them 5 years ago, they were wrapped up in sports drink production and happened to be brewers. Guess what, they have applied themselves and it is a pleasure to try it.

4 solid points out of 5 Nice

Big Sky Summer Honey

Good Beer. Not as good as Leinenkugels Honey Weiss, or some of the other summer beers...but I liked it.

4.5 out of 5 points Starts out strong but finishes smooth and good.

Real McCoy Amber Ale

In a can...seventeen dollars a twelve pack. Average flavor by Mammoth Lakes Brewing Company...Leinenkugels is better and cheaper by far.

1 out of 5 points. Don't put your swill in a can and preach to me about the environment being safer and cleaner for your aluminum efforts. Make good beer and half of your swill will not be thrown out the windows. By the way, this score is considerably less than the worst malt liquor. The reason is that the packaging indicates that there was a great micro brew inside. Swill, I feel ripped off. There are too many high quality beers out there that do not rip off the drinker. Hurry up, go out of business...your beer sucks.

Arrogant Bastard Ale

It reminds me of Sierra Nevada Harvest or Racer 5. I think that this beer is a fine one and definitely not the one you want to select for the first one of the day. It is strong flavored with hops being the prominent player. Pours with a nice dark color and a long lasting tan head. It smells of hops and earth and alcohol. It is good but it pales in comparison with the Sierra Nevada. Stone does some great work and I like their packaging but sometimes I feel that they put ingredients together strong with little thought to balance just because they feel that is the cool thing to do. A bit more forethought and the brew would be perfect. Brew it and I will drink it.

4 out of 5 points Points for trying such an ambitious hop profile.

Old Milwaukee

Good smooth, slightly sweet, slightly malty and nice to drink...think I'll have twelve. Not at all bad beer, good in the back yard on a hot day and I will have another I am sure.



5 out of 5 For an American style pilsner in its true watered down form, this one has good flavor.

Stag

Stag by Heileman? Heilemann in Milwaukee? Oh well, it is Stag none the less and It is really not a bad beer. It was inexpensive and somewhat drinkable. There used be a story my uncle Mac would tell me. Back in the day, if you had a friend come over and you were to offer him a beer and all you had left was some Stag, he would reply, "that's OK, I'll go thirsty". That was in the 70's and that was also when G. Heilemann Brewing Company of La Crosse, WI was in their heyday...they were buying up breweries, including Stag of Edwardsville, IL. What they, in my opinion, were not well known for, was producing great tasting beer. Over rated in my opinion, even their premium brands...they all had that stale flavor. Gross. This however is much better and I recommend it as it is probably much closer to the original recipe than Heilemann ever got and that is the truth.

3 out of 5 Hey, I didn't wretch and gag and I am still alive to tell the tale...it was good.

Icehouse

Icehouse by Plank Road...Miller. I never really liked this beer. It is harsh like a malt liquor and there are even better malt liquors out there. Not my favorite to be sure.

2.5 out of 5

Empyrean Burning Skye

Empyrean Brewing Company...it just used to be good old Laslo's in stinkin' Lincoln which was the first brewpub in Nebraska. Brewed good beers and had fine eats in the old Clothing Store building in the market area of Lincoln. Then they decided to get all pretentious and name the beers weird names and get all fancy with the ingredients. OK, no fault there, as the beer is still good.

This is a Scottish Style Ale. Whatever. It could be named several things as far as I am concerned and the general drinking pub customer will not be the wiser. However, there is some real effort at being "Scottish". 2 row crystal, Honey, Rauch, Maris Otter and Chocolate malts were all used in conjunction with happy cascade hops for the bittering. There is a good deal of malt going on there and sweetness that is barely foiled by the cascades. It smells of peat, soil and spicy hops and pours with a nice off white head. It drinks smooth and it is sweet as I said but what the hell is it. I have had this beer before and it was named something else. I can't put a finger on it. It is good though.

4 out of 5 points No points for trying to mess with the names of beers though...

Busch

Big Evil Brewing Empire From Hell brews pretty good beer. Say what you will, I like Busch and have always had an aversion to the flavor of Budweiser. Busch is smooth, mildly malty and has a pleasant effervescence to it that brightens the soul at least until the sixth one. Then I suppose it is just down hill to Porcelain ville. Oh, crap, what do you want me to write...? A long paragraph about the subtle hints of flavors that are barely there? It is American Premium style Pilsener...there is a void of true flavor and a boat load of soda pop goodness. If you like that...and I do at times, then enjoy. If you like Sierra Nevada for its mild flavor (yeah, right) then drink that...Enjoy.

4.5 out of 5 in its class, it stands out as great. Ignore the Busch Light...interesting...on the spell checker, when you click on pilsener, it suggests, poisoner.

Yuengling Porter

Brewed expressly for tavern and family trade. That is what the label says. Whatever, I just want it to pour effortlessly into my mouth. Nice dark color, Nice creamy tan head that holds its own. This is not the Porter from Hell or anything, it is just simply the good quality, well made, good tasting porter that has its betters to be sure. It is certainly no slouch in the flavor department with its smoky beginning leading into the Caramel, chocolate happiness that I love about porter. So often, brewers try to put so much power into a porter that it loses the simple workingman qualities that porter in its most true form possesses. I like it this way. If you like porter but find this to be too strong, give the Yuengling Black and Tan a good try. It is porter light.

4.5 out of 5 points. Mmmmmm, even good on a Ritz.

Lord Chesterfield Ale

Made by Yuengling, Reminds me of a high quality Ballantyne Ale or a Genesee 12 Horse Ale. I even drank this at room temperature and I was not struck with bitter beer face. Pours with a white head of short duration. Crisp flavor with citrus hops with a crystal clear view of golden color. It is good.

4 out of 5 points The oldest brewery in America brews some fine beers...seek them out.

Czar Imperial Stout

By Avery, the brewers of the Hog Heaven and other fine, delicious swill out of Colorado. I mean, for being a third world country, Colorado produces some really fine beers. Dark as the darkest nights with really warm warming alcohol, this brew is really heavy and hoppy. It is like a meal in a bottle and I enjoyed this fine concoction over the course of an entire evening. Enjoyed with a CAO Brazillia cigar to my wife's dismay. It was worth it however.

4.9 out of 5 An "E" ticket...take the damn ride and shut up.

Hazed and Infused

Boulder Brewing Company, Boulder Beer Company, Rockies Brewing Company...what ever they are calling themselves lately...
This beer reminds me of the standard IPA in the American Style. I like it but it is not for the faint of heart. There is strong hop presence that is flowery and crisp to the nose and assaults the tongue like a banshee. It is good however and worthy. Just don't expect this beer to quench any particular thirst that you may have. The hops will scrape the moisture right off your tongue...cool.

4.8 out of 5 I like it and napalm has its followers as well.

Shock Top Belgian White

Ever since I have tried Blue Moon, I have pretty much not had the need to get all messed up that is in the world of white. I do like some styles of Belgian beer, that having been said, I will also say that there are too many great American styles of brew to sample without needing any more new names to add. That is the way I feel about Belgian White. It is wheat ale dammit with flavorings added. It is good, yes, but it is still wheat beer. Do you want proof? This ale is also listed with awards from 2006 and 2007 from the North American Beer Awards. The name it was entered under was Spring Heat Spiced Wheat.

Now with that over with, lets get to the nuts and bolts of this brew. This brew is cloudy and the label recommends that you gently pour this down the side of the glass and then gently roll the bottle to collect the yeast remnants and foam that over the top. No way, I chugged the first one straight from the bottle and then trained my tongue to reach the yeast on the end of the bottle. Ladies, don't get any strange ideas here... The second bottle, I robustly poured it down the middle of a pint glass(the way men were meant to pour) and admired the foamy esters enter the room in the form of orange and citrus with a peppery background. The flavors were mild and clean and I can see some possibilities for this brew near summer. I like the mild hop finish. I would have to say that this ranks on the top row of Anheuser-Busch products. Well done, I just hope that this ale finds its niche and does not go the way of Elk Mountain and other large brewer efforts at craft beer. This is craft beer and I hope it stays around for awhile.

4.85 points out of 5 Nicely crafted and well balanced. Good use of citrus rind and spices.

Moerlein Emancipator Doppel Bock

In Cincinnati, the name Christian Moerlein is synonymous with good beer but there was a rather large gap in that name over the years. Christian Moerlein had at one time the largest, most impressive brewery in Cincinnati. Then came the dreaded prohibition. The brewery was unable to recover from the beer ban and never returned to the beer scene after prohibition ended. Fast forward to 1981...Hudepohl began brewing Christian Moerlein as an all malt lager. I tried it and was rather impressed with its smooth easy drinking characteristics.

Well, fast forward again to Emancipator, this beer is designed for keeping you warm during the winter months. My mouth is still numb from the alcohol. The base flavors are molasses, toffee, chocolate and coffee that starts off with a sort of smokiness and ends sweet but not cloying. The overall texture and mouth feel of this beer is thick but not heavy on the tongue. Alcohol is a major component in the flavor of this brew. There are hops of no real mention other than their bitter presence. The color is dark brown and the head is a beige reminiscent of A&W root beer with a bit more staying power. While I think that there really is nothing wrong with this crafted beer, I must also say that while you are making such an effort to place so many fine ingredients together, the least you can do is make the effort at getting things to work together. This doppelbock is satisfying but in no way should it be mistaken for one of those smooth, dark beers that some brewers make. I will not say that this brew is in any way bad, but I feel that it can be better. I will still enjoy it and complain about it as that is in my nature and who can change that.

All in all, this is a very potent brew that will be enjoyed my many. It is just a shame that there are many beers of this calibre on the market and in order to get above the competition, there has to be unique and remarkable flavors that the beer drinker will remember and crave.

4.5 out of 5 points Not bad, could be better in my opinion though.

Purple Haze

The beer is an American style wheat ale with a touch of raspberry syrup. It is reminiscent of the Brussels way of serving white ales using fruit. I thought the beer was rather smooth and the raspberry was a good addition. Foremost, the flavor was a true fruit flavor without the bitter aftertastes when preservatives, or artificial flavors are used. This beer is not really my cup of tea as I prefer real flavor involving just the simple ingredients that make up beer. For me, fruit is not needed. In this case however, fruit adds a nice flavor that gives a sweet goodness to the beverage. The name of the brewer is Abita from Abita Springs, Louisiana. www.abita.com

4 out of 5 points Not bad at all.

Miller High Life

Yup, It is good beer for the ball game and the lawnmower. Clean, crisp with a mild aftertaste from the malt. Not bad, not bad at all. I would recommend a 30 pack as they are reasonably priced and go with most any food you can come up with except for Captain Crunch.

4 out of 5 points

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

One of my top 5 beers of all time. I have detected more of a hop presence in this brew over the years and I am good with that. When you pour, you detect the flowery essence of hop power. Nice. There is quality malt presence in this brew as well but I will tell you that it is not really what I would call smooth or truly balanced. It is not meant to be that way...it is just what it is. I like this beer so much because I first tasted it in San Diego not long after I arrived back to the US from the Persian Gulf. That was 1988 or so. The first gulf war where Iran was the bad guy spreading mines all over the gulf and threatening the leviathan sized oil tankers. I hit the dock and went to the farmers market and ordered a Sammy Adams. The taste of America. I had a t-shirt that said that "I am a revolting American" from Sam Adams for many years that I thought was cool. While over the years, Sam Adams has been made by contract in many places, the quality has remained constant. Good things always satisfy and this beer is a winner and always has been.

5 out of 5 points

Bitch Creek ESB Ale

Grand Teton Brewing Company located in beautiful Victor, Idaho...just a hop, skip and a jump from beautiful Jackson Hole the home of jet setters and Euro trash. You know already what I am thinking. I have said in the past that I really despise the sometimes annoying names that these people that brew beer tend to apply to their bottles. This name happens to be the name of the local creek...you will have to buy your own sixer and read the packaging if the rest of the story is what you desire. I also have found that in spite of the stupid labeling, that there is some great beer to be enjoyed inside of these bottles and trust me, I am. This beer is a fine brew and the name has very little to do with that. This brewery has been around since the late 80's and their experience shows in the final product.

This beer first of all, reminds me of the early incarnations of my own homebrew projects. I would put quite a bit of ingredients into my beers, trying to make what I would call..."what the hell is that" ale. I knew it was dark and I knew it was potent and I knew that my friends would be over as soon as it was bottled to mooch like beer moochers were born and bred to do. The color is deep walnut in color with a long lasting tan head. Malt and crisp backing hops are the prominent flavors upon first sip followed by sweet then mild bitter with caramel/toffee esters on the back of the throat. I saw a beer review where it was described that the alcohol put a tingling sensation on the tongue and cheeks. I did not understand that at the time, but I do now.

This beer is well suited to the winter weather and would be a nice winter warmer. While it resembles in some small way, my homebrew Frankenstein of years ago, it is also much more mature and cultured. The rough edges are smoothed by experience and competence. Perhaps the scents are one and the same with my brew but the similarity fades from that point.

This beer is touted as an Extra Special Bitter. I suppose that is as good a name as any. I just call it darn good brew. I am eager to find and try their other beers as well.

4.75 out of 5 points. Get some of this and it will change your opinion about the current craft beer you drink. Well done.

Yuengling Traditional Lager Original Amber Beer

Yep, It is still darn good beer...4 out of 5 points.

Beery Photos and Such

Coors

Coors Banquet. When I think about Coors, I remember searching for the elusive old Coors cans while in California as a youngster. I collected beer cans and it was really hard to find old Coors in the mountains and on the trails. Why, well, Coors went to aluminum cans in 1959 with an aluminum can that required a churchkey to open. Aluminum dents easily and while some think that aluminum does not decay as quickly as steel, it does degrade in the iron rich soils of Southern California. The paint process also does not age well on aluminum. Aluminum might be light but it sucks if you are a beer can collector.

I don't know, I think that since most of the major breweries changed their formulation to allow beer to be shipped without refrigeration, that the beer does not taste as good. This brew had a strong metallic flavor that did not add to the rocky mountain refreshment. Not good.

2 out of 5 points Back to the drawing board...

Mickey's Malt Liquor

I remember Mickey's from back in the day. The little hand grenade shaped bottles were large mouthed as I seldom like to wait the long period that it takes to pour out a beer. I like the clean, potent brew as it really has no offensive flavors to it and it is easy drinking. Smooth? Well, that would be a stretch. Mickey's was brewed for many years by Heileman Brewing Company and was one of the beers by them that I could tolerate. I am sure that large bags of corn sugar are at play here as with most malt liquors as sugar is cheaper than fine malt. Tolerable compared to other malt explosives.

3.5 out of 5

Schlitz Malt Liquor Ice

Sorry, It was not to be. There just was no malt to balance the inevitable alcohol wash when you have a brew boasting 8.2 percent alcohol. I really did not need to feel the jagged edge that one can of this evil brew would inflict on my brain tissue so I gave it the old dump. I tried but really, flavor is not what these high gravity beers are all about.

2 out of 5 points eesh!

Budweiser and Clamato...Chelada!

Having been in the midwest for many years, I am familiar with the tomato beer. I have, however, never had beer with Clamato. I thought it was a good combination. In fact it did improve the taste of flagship Bud considerably. I would however state that there needed to be just a touch more Clamato. That is just my personal preference as I like the rich texture that tomato based juices impart to beer. Will I drink this every day? No, but an occasional brewski with Clamato could do no harm. Next up, Exlax flavored beer for the hard up.

Schlitz High Gravity VS

Schlitz in the large manly can with some semblance of the Schlitz Malt Liquor label. Hmmm, maybe I just might get Schlitz-faced. I purchase the can and ask for a paper bag and with the bag still over the can, I tear the bag open enough to be able to open and drink from the can. Oh, yeah. And now to hang out with my homies on the corner.

When I was younger, that was the image that occured near the liquor stores in Pomona as I was growing up. One would think that in some way, the beer would have evolved. In as much as there has been change in the marketing of malt liquor, there is something still very much the same about it. The razor has changed greatly in fifty or so years. But, when it all comes down to it, you are dragging a very sharp rock over your face to remove hair. With malt liquor, you are just dragging a very sharp rock over your brain cells to get very drunk.

I actually liked some of the elements of this beer. There was flavor and certainly potent alcohol esters throughout the process. There was so much sugar in this brew that it literally felt like corn sugar on the lips. This added to the mouth feel in some way. The hops were present but not prominent. No need for prominent hops with all the bitter alcohol stinking up the place. I found that I drank it down rather quick. Hmmm, strange, I figured that I would have to choke this beer down. It went down like sin. Ten minutes later, the result was there...a very prominent warmth that was a certain prelude to the headache to follow. Surprisingly, I did not end up with a headache. I also was impressed with this brew. I would however caution that unless you are a glutton for pain, only one 24 ounce can will do. Much more and you will be telling these stories about projection vomiting and three day recovery times to your grandchildren in order to scare them away from drinking. The alcohol content is in at over 8.5 percent, which, reminds me of the old Okeef's Extra Strong from Canada. I found this brew to have a place...perhaps, it tastes the same coming up as going down?

3 out of 5 Points- Merit as this one is made with much more quality than common in malt liquors.

August Schell Dark

Don't be afraid of the dark. Isn't that what the old Michelob Dark commercial said? This Schell's Dark is probably one of the most well mannered beers I have ever tasted. I don't know if I have ever mentioned it before about how I taste my beers, but here goes: I first Pour a 4 ounce amount of the test beer into a glass and spend some time looking at it, checking on the head color and consistency, and smell the beer and finally, taste the beer. This takes place at around 38 to 45 degrees which gives me a good chance to evaluate the brew at the temperature that most people like to drink it. Then, I wait for a few minutes with the same bottle and give the remainder another pour at the 55 to 60 degree mark. That is where I am able to detect smells and flavors that are masked at the lower temperatures. Smooth, balanced beers will taste equally good at both temperatures. This is a smooth, balanced beer. If you have had the chance to enjoy a Yuengling Lager from the PA area, this is the brother to that fine brew. The flavors are so similar that the only way to tell them apart is to drink them side by side. I am partial to both brews as they are both fine. I had a friend tell me recently that he prefers sweet, non bitter beers and I recommended August Schell Caramel Bock to him. I think that while he would have enjoyed that fine brew that, to his palette, the August Schell Dark will be more mild with a pronounced, but not thick, sweet flavor. This brew has a very mild hop presence and is so darn drinkable that the next time I buy it, I will take vacation time in order to recover from drinking a keg full.

4.5 out of 5 points -Very nice drinkable beer!

Hog Heaven Barleywine Style Ale

Avery Brewing Company of Wonderful Boulder, Colorado. I love their beers and really have been dreading trying this intrepid brew from this talented brewer. Their manner of brewing seems to be, make it well and spare no expense to make it well. 9.2 abf and 2.5 lbs of Columbus dry hops per frigging barrel. If you have no fresh flower hops available, you will have to take my word for it...just rub your nose into a fresh hop and that is the smell of this hoppy brew. It is all about the hops with a sweet malty base that really is second fiddle for the hops. This brew to me is not unlike the Sierra Nevada offering Harvest. I really do not call these brews my cup of tea. I like much more balance for my taste. But that is me. This brew does stand alone along with twenty others in that Hops and hops alone are the focus. This brew does however go quite well with A CAO Maduro cigar...I like the creamy smoke followed by this sweet, cool, bitter brew. Cool combination, not to dunk your cookies in to be sure. I recommend this brew for the not so faint of heart. If you want to find out what hops truly taste like...well swig away. If you lean toward the malty, sweet brews that abound the shelves, then get back as this stuff will jade your senses and make you think that this is the new sweet. Not so, it is all about the hops.

4.5 out of 5 Points for a Barley wine. It is awesome to be sure. It is not however, subtle.

Pabst Blue Ribbon

1970's beer at its best. Actually, to be accurate, the best years for Pabst were the years prior to 1951. You see, Pabst from the year 1900 till 1951 was one of the invincible breweries that advertised everywhere and had the most modern equipment and for the most part, was the most popular beer in America. 1951 arrived with Pabst in command of the market share in the United States. They had just introduced a new Quart Crowntainer Conetop can. Their marketing was the total success story that anyone in business would love to have their name attached to. 1951 was also the year that the brewery had to renegotiate its contract with the brewery workers union. The negotiations were brutal with the brewery and its labor not agreeing and breaking off talks. The union went on strike for months while the Management had to watch as Budweiser, Hamms, Miller and Schlitz advertised aggressively, pointing out that their beer was good and in stock. Pabst was never the same...Pabst was overtaken in market share by Anheuser-Busch and that lead was never relinquished.

Good thing that every brewery did not go on strike that year... I am tasting the very good quality Pabst Blue Ribbon in the classy looking long neck bottles. I have read that SABMiller was doing this beer by contract brewing. Pabst, the brewery that does not any longer own an actual brewery, had sold off the breweries it owned in order to survive. Funny thing that in recent years the stats on brand name growth have shown Pabst to have one heck of a large gain in popularity. I am cool with that as this was one of the beers that I drank in the 70's in Nebraska. I later sampled it in the early 90's and bought a case of it and ended up using the 2 year old cans for target practice. Another Story.

Remember, I compare apples with apples. I am going to tell you that I not only like this beer...I am going to tell you that for taste, this beer blows Budweiser and Coors out of the water. The taste is crisp and dry with a light touch of bitter for a following of satisfying American Premium Style beer. It is good lawnmower beer and good football game beer. It tastes good and drinks smooth. The head is like soda pop as it dissipates quickly and the only scents are to me...alcohol in nature. I like what SABMiller is doing with its contract brews. I try these beers regularly and I like the improvements. Just if they could brew Falstaff, I would not have to dream and remember that flavor from college.

4.5 out of 5 This beer is really too good to only have 4.5 lets make 4.5 the new five

Neptune's Brewery Toad Back Bock

I just do not get it. Livingston, Montana...yep, Neptune would be just the perfect name that will fit right in. And of course, when I think of Neptune, I also connect that entirely with toads. Toads? Boy, I just love the idea of thinking of toad parts while drinking my beer and I tell you, it is a good darn thing that they chose to put a picture of Neptune on the label instead on a toads backside. It is just a good thing that the beer is good. Neptune's Brewery LLC is located at 119 N L st. in Livingston, Montana. I am sure that this is a nice, small, location. I just do not get the Neptune's thing.

The beer is nice however. Heavy, yet with pleasant chocolate, nutmeg tones. Nice head and dark coffee dark color. Very drinkable and very satisfying. Light bitter finish, not what I would call a really sweet beer, but nice light sweetness abounds. Really good, and yet I almost did not try it because of the odd name.

4.75 out of 5 points Prost!

Alaskan Amber

Another beer in a long line that I have not tried because it has the dreaded word on its label. Amber...ugh! This beer was really easy drinking and nicely balanced and well flavored. It was also very sparkling with fine bubbles and an almost soda pop like carbonation. It danced off the tongue. The head while tan in color, had little staying power and one was back to a liquid with mild traces of a head. Not bad for an Amber. Not bad at all.

3.6 out of 5 Recommended