Minhas Craft Brewery Archives

Huber Premium Beer

Mar 19, 2011

12 oz can, many thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this. Retro style can which is attractive - good times. Slightly hazed with a macro colored pour, the beer appears similar to a macro adjunct with perhaps a notch above in terms of color and head. lace and retention are still huge issues though. Nose and tastes deliver a macro adjunct experience as well, but it is less sweet and offensive than many in a similar group. Fairly neutral in the final analysis, but not really offensive or...

Mountain Creek Classic Lager

Mar 19, 2011

12 oz can thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this one. The latest in a huge parade of Minhas mediocrity. This time the pour gives a pretty serious initially head, but it collapses to give nothing in terms of lace or retention. Body is a golden color with a disappointing lack of carbonation - weak to be honest. Pretty offensive, sweet, grainy corn hits the nose and palate and never gives anything more than that. Vegetal notes and a more than average sweetness drives home the adjunct...

Berghoff Rock River Red Ale

Mar 13, 2011

12 oz single thanks to Kevin for the chance to try this. What is this?? Expecting an Amber/Red of *some* description I get a honey-colored, slightly hazy beer that, apart from the big, fluffy head, appears to be a macro color. The nose and tastes are SUPER sweet and grainy. I mean SWEET, even by my standards that can usually tolerate a lot of sweetness. There's a corny maltiness about the beer too. Metallic features amongst the vegetal notes. Some alcohol. Strange, and if this is an Amber/Red...

Minhas 1845 Pilsner

Feb 24, 2011

12 oz bottle courtesy of Kevin. The pour delivers a color that is darker and more orange than I would like to see from a Pils. It has a slightly hazed, copper tone and doesn't give a very clean appearance. The head is a quick, one finger affair but it disappears very swiftly. No lace. Nose and tastes are at first watery and grainy, and then cut in with a huge dollop of sweetness. The sugar seems very artificial and quite chemical in its nature. The lack of body continually repeats itself....

Fighting Billy Bock

Feb 20, 2011

12 oz single, many thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this beer. Pour is an encouraging, reddish brown affair with some nice clarity and good, attractive highlights when the light catches it correctly. The head is a little small, quite poorly retained and lacks much lace, so the good work provided by the color is unfortunately undone almost immediately. Shame. The carbonation seems a touch low. A malty beer with fairly simple caramel and sweet characteristics without getting...

Berghoff Prairie Lager

Feb 20, 2011

12 oz single, from Kevin - many thanks. Oh dear, this is not very good at ALL! I like the label and the general appearance of the bottle, it's a shame that this is by far the best aspect of this particular beer! Should i eat the label instead of drinking the beer? To be fair the beer does pour with a Pilsener appearance in terms of color, carbonation and clarity, but the head is woeful and the lace non-existent. The tastes and nose are INCREDIBLY sweet, even for my sweet tooth and obviously...

Berghoff Sundown Dark

Feb 6, 2011

12oz single thanks go out to Kevin for the opportunity to try this beer. I do like the labeling and the presentation of the Berghoff beers, shame that's the best part of the beer. Color is a surprisingly dark body with a smallish head. Minimal retention, minimal lace. Carbonation seems better than average. Nose and tastes give a disappointingly watery feel. Some light malts but the beer is overall grainy and does not produce any significant taste. Ultimately it is a very sweet beer and it does...

Minhas Swiss Style Amber

Dec 19, 2010

12 oz single, mnay thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this beer. Not sure what a "Swiss Amber" really is, but I'll try anything once! Pour is a light, orange, maber body with below average head and lace. Nothing much to report. The beer is essentially a Vienna Lager in terms of the way it drinks. Sweet, malty, pretty much no hop character and a watery mouthfeel. The dry element is just about the only way that it resembles the style, and if you are looking for any type of significant...

Berghoff Winter Ale

Nov 7, 2010

This beer appears to be now called simply "Berghoff Winter Ale". 12 oz single, thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this. Pour is a very attractive, dark maroon color with a decent head and some nice lace. There is excellent clarity on the pour, and to be honest the beer looks really nice and inviting in the glass. Nose is somewhat muted, and gives very little even on warming. A little bit of alcohol and perhaps a buttered toast whiff. Tastes are fairly neutral but revolve around light...

Name Tag Lager

May 1, 2010

Trader Joe's purchase as a single, 12oz can. Given this stuff is about $3 a sixer I guess this cost around $0.50. Still struggles a little on the value! Water like pour with a only hints of color, carbonation, head , lace or retention. Carbonation seems higher than the appearance would suggest. Grains and pale malt dominate the tastes and aroma and the beer drinks much like a pale seltzer water. Aggressive burps suggest the carbonation IS indeed, high. Pretty much as expected.

Simpler Times Pilsner

May 1, 2010

12 oz can from Trader Joe's - dirt cheap, may have only been around $1. Retro style presentation. Pour as expected, gives a nasty looking, macro urine color with plenty of trapped, large bubbles. Head is very fluffy and light, but has little or no retention but does give surprisingly good, sticky lace on the glass. Nose gives a neutral, light corn note and little else. Tastes are bland and lack any kind of real, Saaz-like Pils bite - then again, I wasn't exactly expecting much! Finishes with a...

Simpler Times Lager

Apr 3, 2010

12 oz, single can, Trader Joe's, Sandy Springs, Atlanta, GA, USA. Golden body on the pour (nice) but with a seemingly very low carbonation. Head is quite big at first but fades badly to give no retention and no lace. 6.2% is an interesting level of alcohol as the beer drinks below that and with plenty of room for kicking back a few. Simple is the watchword here with some mild cereal and quite a lot of sweetness. Big fan of the can, so that's in its favor, but as expected this is very ordinary...