11.2 oz can, from Belgian Style Ales here in the US. Pour is as expected with the Coke like head that is gone in seconds. Zero retention, zero lace. As expected. Great garnet red color as the light hits it. Nose is indistinguishable from its bigger sister. Light, but obvious ethanoic acid. Tastes follow suit, with the typical apple acidity and light barrels notes that the Duchesse always brings. Light carbonation hangs on, and gives a decent, lively feel to the beer. I suppose that the alcohol...
Notes on beers served in the format
can
Duchesse
ETNYC Proudly Presents
The Real Mexican Cake
In general terms and under most circumstances, I have zero interest in anything that Evil Twin does (this is the first beer I have ever reviewed from them). Silly, hyped, canned beer, in 'styles' that usually hold no interest for me, they are not a brewery that I have any affinity for. However, these are not normal circumstances. Here's a beer that is referencing Westbrook's Mexican Cake, and has that bottle and label displayed prominently on the label of this beer. I have no knowledge of the...
Low and Slow
Doppelbock
One of my favorite styles from a brewery that I have a checkered history with (some things I absolutely LOVE, some I hate, and I absolutely feel that they have lost their way of late). Anyway, happy to report that this is a lovely experience. Excellent pour with all the attributes I am looking for; deep, chestnut/red brown pour with a great head, some (not great) lace and decent retention. Nose has lots of lightly cheesy malt, and a slightly acidic "tang". On warmer that nose gets BIG - all...
Great Lakes
Lemon Hefeweizen
12oz can. Well I wasn't expecting much, and expectations were mostly met. Decent looking pour with a high, white head. The head is one of those very wispy ones that is relatively soon gone, but does leave some decent, sticky lace even if it is somewhat thin. Smell is a honey-lemon, a bit like a cough syrup that you might have. Not all that unpleasant. Tastes are obviously artificial lemon, but sharper and cleaner than the nose. There's basically nothing else there other than a mid-sharp lemon,...
Extra
Stormbreaker
Nice color, I can do without the haze. Head is good and high, decent retention and some nice sticky lace. Nose is aromatic, and quite citrusy that might well be a function of the Sterling hops. The beer is really quite flavorful, with a few different, competing factors. There is a spicy, herbal feel about it, plus almost a lime-based citrus feel. Relatively low bitterness, rather the spice and herbal notes provide the bite. Medium mouthfeel. Pretty complex, with a decent biscuit backbone....
Weihenstephaner
Helles
Canned version, sold with the stein (pictured) in a gift pack in 2022. $10.99 for the combo. Right now I am somewhat unconvinced that this is a different beer to this one, but the ABVs are different (this at 4.8%, the Original at 5.1%) and they must be different since the German version of the website lists both beers! (Thanks @robsterowski for the heads up on that). However, when I look at my notes on the Original, all of the same attributes apply, especially in the appearance and the nose....
Oktoberface
American-Style Märzen
Purchased on a whim. 4 pack, Belmont Beverage, Decatur, IN. $10.99 for the 16 oz servings. To be fair, I was ready to hate this before I had tried it. In the end, I was not horrified! I do hate the term, "American-Style Märzen Lager", and a few reviews that I had read prior to opening suggested that this was a "hoppy märzen". Quite correctly, that oxymoron brought horror to many, but in the end this beer really wasn't anywhere that descriptor at all. It's a pretty beer (as most well-made...
Isabella
Hefeweizen
All prerequisites fulfilled in the style, so perfect in that regard. Light, butterscotch, orangey gold colored body with a big pillow-like head. Looks resplendent in the Tücher half-liter glass. Nose offers everything that you'd want and expect. Light floral banana mostly. Tastes give high levels of bubblegum and mixed phenols, BUT it's not as sweet as some Hefeweizen's. A little less sugary, and more clove spice than might be found in some. That's to my liking, and (slightly) sets it apart...
Belgo
Golden, butterscotch, hazed body with a decent head and some minimal lace. White film settles across the surface of the beer. Nose offers some deep, ready hop notes, but very balanced. Tastes begin with a bitterness upfront that is also well-balanced. Nothing harsh here, with the Belgian Pale influence pushing back on the noble hops. It feels stylistically very correct, and that always please me, but it's pretty light compared to some of the early version of the Belgian IPA style. As such, it...
Saison
Pale gold colored body, close to complete clarity (tiny amount of haze), with a moderate head; little to no lace. Nose has clean Belgian yeasts and not much else. It's good, but fairly simple. The beer opens with a decent splash of bitterness, followed by more of those yeasts that were apparent in the nose. There's not much funk here, and the description that sits on the can of a peppery-dry finish is a perfect one. The bitterness that opens in the beer and finishes in exactly the way...
Low and Slow: Maibock
I love me a Maibock, and I love some Westbrook beers, so there's a lot of hope here. 16 oz can from Blue Ridge Beer Hub in Waynesville, NC. While I like the presentation, I'd like it better in a bottle. Humbug. Pour is a surprisingly, light=orange hazed body. Maibocks can take on all sorts of hues, but this one seems especially orange. Large, fluffy white head, some decent lace. Nose is a little hopper than I was anticipating. There's also a little more hop bite up front than I was hoping for....
Extra Special Bitter
Waypost tends to specialize in Farmhouse/Saison and other Belgian influenced styles, so a sojourn into the ESB area is not necessarily going to showcase their strengths. However, because their beer is generally very good, I'm encouraged to try one of my own favorite styles. The pour is a light golden orange, and for me a little too light. Head isn't great, but the lace is fantastically sticky, bone white, and the best part of the appearance. Nose offers mostly neutral breads (I'd like a little...
Helles Bock
Light, but golden pour, slightly above average head, and some nice, sticky lace. For me, the lacing is crucial to a good Helles. Clean nose with some sweet bread and yeast. Tastes start with (more) clean, sweet, malt edges, that are followed by the requisite, Noble-hop like bitterness. I have no idea which specific hops are used in this beer, but the can does reference a “Noble hop spice’ which is accurate and utterly satisfying. The bitterness comes hard and breaks quickly - perfect. Short...
My Preferred Apocalypse
Very good looker. I'm always seeking that correct, mid to deep, copper clarity in an Alt, and that is found here. The head (and especially the lace) are really very good. Sticky, white and persistent, the lace is a particular feature of the pour. Nose has a ton of bready malts - good. This seems just a tad too bitter. It's really, really close, but I want just a little more malt to support the bitterness in the style. Altbiers are hard - very hard! At least good Altbiers are hard, specifically...
Spencer Monks’ IPA
16 oz can from Belgian-Style Ales online. Wanted to grab this before it goes away forever. Obviously this is not a NEIPA (or maybe it IS!), but it certainly looks (and drinks) a little like one. Bright orange body, with some chill-haze that gives a slight impression of haziness. Nice rocky head. The combination of hops (mosaic, citra, amarillo and simcoe) give a real juicy effect, and frankly not one that I care for much. It's very soft in the mouth, lacking bitterness (30 IBUs says the can)...
Past Is Prologue
16 oz can courtesy of Todd - thanks man! Beautiful, simple, amber pour with a little chill haze. Head is perfect. Some minor lace. The head fades quite quickly. Drinks like a classy, full-flavored, beautifully sweet and balanced Vienna Lager. I’m biased, I love a great Vienna, and no matter how this is formally catergorialzed, that’s exactly what it drinks like. Lightly nutty, soft biscuit malts, mild caramel, rounded and delicious. American Ambers or Reds are going to have drier finishes, and...
Haná Valley Pale Lager
Light haze on the lemon colored body. Chunky white head, great lace. Sticky. Nose offers light hops, some bread notes. There’s a TON of flavor packed into this beer. I don’t know if you want to call this a Czech Pilsner or not, but there are a massive number of clean, Noble hops as the base of the beer. It doesn’t have to be crisp to be clean. The bread malts balance the very strong, assertive hops. It’s a minor miracle that beers like this aren’t made more in the USA because they would surely...
Typical Anne
Not my first time drinking a Parlor City Brewing Company beer, but my first review of one. Thanks to the brewer and owner Chris for this complimentary 16 oz. Belgian Blonde Ale. Well, if you look at the BJCP style guidelines (25A) for this beer, you’ll find … this beer! I bring attention to this for a couple of reasons. Firstly, one of may age-old pet peeves is when the beer fails to meet its description - that problem is totally avoided here, and secondly, its just not that common a style in...
Sweetwater 420 Imperial IPA
So, I wonder if this is some re-incarnation of an earlier Dank Tank or some other special release. It feels like it may be. I know there’s this, but internally I wonder … 60 IBUs screams the can. 12 oz, part of a six-pack. Pour is a clouded, burnt-orange body with the type of head, sticky lace and half-decent retention that one would associate with the style. In short, the appearance is stylistically sound. Nose is strong. It travels a good distance from the pour even when relatively cold....
Angel’s Paw
Thank God for Hop River Brewing Co. in Fort Wayne! Now, before you get ahead of yourself and you think that I think that Hop River makes the best beer in the universe, let me dispel that thought immediately. I certainly do not like absolutely everything that Hop River brews, but in the context of the contemporary US beer scene, I do tend to gravitate toward both their beer and their philosophy over there on Harrison Street. What is that philosophy? Well, I’m not necessarily 100% sure, mostly...
Deth’s Tar
12 oz can, $7.48 as a single from Belmont Beverage, Lima Road, Fort Wayne, IN. I would NEVER have bought this beer before I moved to the Midwest. Now that I’m so much closer to Chicago, I read more and more about this beer, so I saw it as a single, held my nose, and pulled the trigger. Pour is black as expected. Tan head is decent with an aggressive pour. However, this dies to a thin film almost instantaneously. Fair enough, I’m not about to ding a 14.8% beer for that!. Smell is surprisingly...
Ogden Double IPA
The last 12 oz can from a six pack bought in Wyoming. This feels like a throwback beer. Very reminiscent of on older style, west coast DIPA with plenty of fruit notes finishing out a clean, big ‘ole DIPA. It’s refreshing in that sense. Lovely orange body sits underneath a sticky, white head. Lace has that tacky feel to it. Nice. Nose brings all of the tropical elements and a touch of dank character. Incredibly drinkable and light for the style, and for the ABV. In short, it’s well made. This...
Yellowstone Road Block
16 oz can, actually purchased as a single inside of Yellowstone. As such, I assumed this was a novelty product, and I had very low expectations. As it is, it’s a lot better than those low expectations, and is really quite good. Slightly hazed, golden pour with nice, white rocky head with some decent retention. Lace is nice. The haze I can do without, but outside of that, it’s OK Nose and tastes offer a really delicious, light hoppy touch. It definitely has an American feel - a floral, largish,...
Supper Club Lager
12 oz metallic looking can. Thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to have a crack at this one. Any wispy head that was there on the initial pour dies really quickly above a fizzy looking, golden colored body. Pretty poor looking. No apparent nose, even on warming. Tastes are the usual combo of vegetal sweetness, high carbonation and a malty blandness that is distinctive only in relation to its non-descript nature. Not really much here that is too offensive, however it really only says macro...
Leinenkugel’s Original
12 oz can, many thanks to Kevin for the chance to try this American classic. Pour gives lots of typical, American Adjunct Lager classic traits, but the body is a quite strange glassy affair with alarming clarity. As is son often the case the beer produces an initially very good head, but it fades very quickly and leaves no lace. Poor retention. Nose is slightly vegetal but with no really offensive notes. Tastes are much the same as the nose in terms of their neutrality and non-offensiveness...
Bitter American
OK, let's be clear, at 4.4% this is NOT a session beer. Right, now we've got that out of the way, back to the beer itself. 12 oz can, many thanks go out to Beejay for the chance to try this one. Pour is a deep gold color with a pretty spectacular head (if somewhat light), but the lace is very good. Nice retention. The carbonation seems a touch on the high side. VERY strong hoppy aroma which is frankly a bit surprising. The hops threaten a bit at the start of the beer but never really amount to...
Monk’s Blood
12 oz single can from Mac's, Midtown, Atlanta, GA, USA as part of their new "Pick/Mix a Four pack" as opposed to the pick/mix a 6 pack. The beer pours a hazed, reddish-copper color with some cream colored head that does not linger. Not much lace. Nose gives up a little maltiness but to be honest it really is nothing to crow about. Some sweetness and a dash of alcohol but not much else, even on warming. Tastes are pretty sweet which is OK for the style, but follows up with some significant...
Mountain Creek Classic Lager
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...
Huber Premium Beer
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...
Fireside Chat
$1.65 for the 12 oz can from Green's on Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA, USA. A reddish, thin looking body with some brown highlights at the extremities. The head is richer than the body and leaves some nice, dense lace. The beer has very little hint of being a Winter Warmer and frankly no winter spice element that I can detect. It drinks like a thin, acidic, slightly off brown ale that may be on the brink of developing a large infection. Some slight lacto elements, the beer is pretty poor under...
Triangle Belgian Golden Ale
Same beer as this review; http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16186/38572/?ba=Ding but this time from the 12 oz can. Purchased at The Beer Dispensary in Apex, NC, USA. Very much the same feel as before with the sweetness coming through as the main asset. This beer is sweet enough to be firmly in the Tripel category for me. You've GOT to enjoy some phenolic esters and a LOT of sweetness to get your head around this. The color does seem lighter, clearer and more golden compared to the last...
Modus Hoperandi
12 oz can from the Beer Dispensary, Apex, NC, USA. I've had this beer a few times before, but this is the first review. There is absolutely no doubt that the nose that the beer generates is absolutely unique and extraordinary. A big, fat, green, fresh hop presence that lingers and is the highlight of the beer for me. The copper colored, clear body gives a tremendously impressive head and a lot of sticky lace. Good signs. Some metallic notes and plenty of bitterness that lingers and drives the...
Tokyo Black
12 oz can from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA, a little while ago. Genuine import since the adhesive sticker that yields the Government warning obscures the original Japanese text that is printed on the can. Black pour with a few red highlights, largely in keeping with the style. Head is not great, but sticky lace does suggest some quality. Also in keeping with the style it lacks refinements and delivers an aggressive, watery feel without depth or creaminess. Bitter character comes through quite a...
Hamm’s
12 oz can, many thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this one. Can and the brand make this look like a real retro beer - America in the 50's and 60's is the feel I get from it. Pour is a very pale golden hue with a large, frothy head. The head has some decent retention and lace, and doesn't look bad a tall. To be honest, I did pour it in a very aggressive manner. Nose and tastes are largely devoid of any character with a slight, sweet grain note and perhaps a little crisp citrus. To be...
Shiner Blonde
12 oz can courtesy of Kevin - many thanks. Well, it is what is. No more, no less. Typical, light straw colored pour with perfect clarity, low carbonation and, virtually no head and zero retention and lace. Could be one of a million different macros of the same ilk, but the color is getting close to completely non-existent. Pale as plae can be. Nose gives a touch of grainy alcohol. Tastes are a largely neutral sweetness and almost nothing else. Character is firmly at zero, but no skunk and...
Blatz Beer
12 oz can, many thanks to Kevin for the chance to try this. The pour produces an almost transparent lemon yellow color, a highly carbonated but a typically poorly retained head and not much lace. Frankly it screams American adjunct lager which I suppose could be viewed as a good thing! Light, grainy and neutral nose. Tastes are watery and only give a sweet, light vegetal and light grainy effect. Pretty much devoid of any character or taste but to be honest not offensive in any way. Still,...
Red Racer IPA
Thanks go out to BA finewinemike for this beer as part of my Secret Santa package for 2010. A Canadian born IPA in can, quite the novelty! The pour produces a slightly hazed, orange body with lots of white head and some super, sticky lace - always a good sign. Nose and tastes deliver some very fresh, clean light grapefruit notes, but it's never really aggressive. Finish IS on the dry side of things, but again lacks the puckering aggression that can sometimes come with the style. Clean, lightly...
Burger Classic
12 oz can courtesy of Kevin - thanks again! Orangey, yellow pour with some pretty fierce carbonation. The head that forms initially is very high, fluffy and white. It fades quickly though to give nothing more than a tiny film on the surface of the beer and one or two wisps of lace. Little to report here other than a pretty sweet, thin beer that to be honest I don't mind too much. It has a lemony aroma but not much of that is transferred to the taste. Some acidity and fairly drinkable given the...
BrewFarm Select
12 oz can, many thanks to Kevin for the opportunity to try this one. Golden, clear, macro-like pour with a decent, fluffy head. Some retention and some attractive lace but otherwise largely unremarkable. Grainy, buttered toast on the nose with some slight grassy hop aroma - not much at all, even on warming. Tastes offer an organic-like experience with a clean bill of malts making up the majority of the tastes. Some more light hay and grass but it never really adds up to much. Not much depth...
Atlantic Amber
Retired? OK. Very recent purchase from Grassroots, Jacksonville, FL, USA. 12 oz can. Pour is a somewhat drab drown with lots of chill haze. head is quite dense and rich and leaves a lot of sticky lace. the aroma is pretty neutral even after warming, but there are a few malt whiffs from the glass. Caramel and light toffee notes make up the majority of the flavor profile and the beer is rather sweet. A little damp cardboard too. Not very impressive beer and the retired factor in the BA db has me...
Elm City Lager
12 oz can from Grassroots in Jacksonville, GA, USA. The beer has a somewhat disturbingly, pale color and in terms of the hue looks a bit weak. Paradoxically, the head is resplendent - high, fluffy and full of sticky lace, it looks really good. Admittedly it is not really a classic looking Pilsner, nor is the head typical of the style but it looks OK. Carbonation is quite high too. This is a very, very sweet beer that I actually like. It does NOT deliver a classic, Noble or Saaz bite (which I...
König Pilsener
500 mL can thanks to Kevin. Cheers mate. A crazy colored pour which is pale, but distinctly yellow. Not golden like some macros, but really noticeably yellow. A very sticky but quite a light and fluffy head. Very clean malts in the nose and tastes but it comes without much Saaz like bite in the finish. The lack of distinct bitterness means it's a little off base for me. Extremely clean and crisp and this is really n extension of those pale, pilsner malt bills. Again the finish lacks any...
Moo Thunder Stout
Delighted and impressed by another one of the offerings from Butternuts. 12 oz single can from Hop City, Atlanta, GA. Pours a decent black color with a smallish head that fades quickly. This is a simple milk stout that delivers a decent amount of acidity in the tastes. Light roast that is pretty delicate, competes with some sweet notes that play off one another nicely. Carbonation is low but perfect for the style, delivering a light beer that does NOT feel thin at all. The light acidity is...
Phoenix Pale Ale
12 oz can from a recent trip to NY. Purchased at Finger lakes Beverage in Ithaca, NY, USA. Nice pour with a good, solid copper colored body. Head is decent and leaves some pleasing, broken lace. Carbonation is mild but in proportion. Nose offers good malts but also a lightly assertive bitterness - it has strength, but in no way do the hops overwhelm the beer or make it feel bitter. Tastes offer a similar balance to the nose, and the beer works nicely. It's definitely "American" in the manner...
Golden Frau Honey Wheat
12 oz can thanks to Kevin for a chance to try this beer. Astonished to see that this is a Braggot - to say that style is fairly rare is a significant understatement. Alarmingly thin looking macro pour. The beer is VERY pale and lacks any depth in the color - not what I was expecting at ALL. Disappointing head and very watery. Nose and tastes (somewhat unfortunately), follow suit and the lacks much presence at all. Some extra sweetness that one would expect, but after that the beer just seems...
Poleeko Gold Pale Ale
12 oz can - $2.10 from Ned's in Lynchburg, VA, USA. Attractive simplicity to the can design with a slightly retro feel. I like it. Nice pour, with a golden body and a fluffy, light, non-dense head. An interesting beer to me since the upfront tastes seems to suggest some English influence (with some biscuit-like malts and some sweetness), but finishes with a decent amount of aggressive bitterness. Somewhat contradictory. Some decent oily bitterness in the finish that manifest itself in an...
Whale’s Tale Pale Ale
12 oz can from CBX, Charleston, SC, USA. $1.99. Beautiful light copper pour with superb clarity and a nice head and decent carbonation. Despite the glass being impeccably clean, the head is not retained well and there is no lace. Clean malts and a light alcohol touch in the nose. Tastes continue the clean feel with sharp malts giving way to some middle sweetness and then a dash of hops in the ending. The aftertaste gives a pleasing and satisfying biscuit malt feel that is reminiscent of an...
Pikeland Pils
12 oz can. I've heard quite a lot about this beer over the years, and some of it I suspect has been simply because it has been canned; there seems to be a mild hysteria that accompanies some canned beers where people get ahead of themselves and forget to worry about what the beer actually tastes like! Pour is a well carbonated, golden body with some decent head. the lace is not huge, but a decent, semi-thick film hangs around on the surface of the beer. A strange, citrusy, lemon like smell...
Route 113 India Pale Ale
12 oz can. Very interesting beer. The pour gives an amazingly dark, copper color with superb clarity. The copper color is pronounced and quite dark for the style. Nice head, decent lace, good looker. There is a real, significant bitterness in the nose and initial tastes, but these change to a quite obvious, herbal, earthy, light spiced hop note. It feels quite organic. The beer lacks any real dry character (that I was expecting), but still delivers a firm finish. Hints of grapefruit are also...
GUBNA Imperial IPA
Resisted the temptation to buy a $15+ four pack of this for a few weeks and went with a single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. 12 oz can, the usual OB presentation. Can cracks with a somewhat disappointing (but expected) lack of pop, but given the ABV this is acceptable. Pretty nice looking golden body with some frothy, loose white head. Even a little lace. lowish carbonation on the pour. Nose is a light hoppy, musty aroma but not an especially aggressive one. Reminds me of a relatively...
Simpler Times Pilsner
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...
Name Tag Lager
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 Lager
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...
Moritz
Thanks go out to DogBrick for the chance to try this. I suppose it depends on what you are looking for at any one particular juncture. If you want a macro-colored, well carbonated, sweet lager brew with some veggie highlights and some mild cereal, then this will fit the bill. Otherwise it will not work well for you. Dark straw colored body with typically large initial carbonation that fades fast. No lace, poor retention. Nose and tastes are of the aforementioned mild, cereal sweetness and...
Heinnieweisse Weissebier
Having really enjoyed Snapperhead and Porkslap, I was keen to try this. 12 oz single from Mac's, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a fairly authentic looking body with a cloudy, hazed orange appearance. Head is large to start with but both the retention and lace are rather poor. Carbonation seems way too low, and this seriously detracts from the beer. The beer has some decent banana notes with a touch of pineapple. The finish is a bit bitter and the beer ends with life or much interest. The wheat is...
Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Beer
12 oz can. Poured into the Tucher Weizen 500 mL glass, the beer produces a light straw-like color, clouded appearance and a lack of much head at all. Lace is pretty much non-existent. Nose reveals something fruity, although frankly it is difficult for me to distinguish much in terms of watermelon. The tastes add more fruit, and although it is stronger than the nose it still seems more like pineapple or pear to me than watermelon. Definite "estery" angle no matter which way you look at it....
Stroh’s Light
12 oz can from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. $0.75 in the bargain cart - can't go wrong (I assume) - we'll see! Pour is, as expected, very, very light yellow with a high head on the initial pour that fades to almost nothing within 60 seconds. Scant lace. Nose and tastes reveal the standard macro "nothingness", and frankly this drinks largely like carbonated water. On the plus side, it's in a can (handy) and is non-offensive (meaning no nasty, "off" tastes or skunky aftertaste)....
Porkslap Pale Ale
Delighted to find this 12 oz can at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA as a single. Took this to the beach with me. The pour reveals an orangeish body with some serious lace and decent retention. Sticky. I didn't really get much nose from the beer other than a malt based sweetness. Simple. Carbonation is not high, but melds well with the taste to produce a smoouth mouthfeel. Easy going. The beer is actually rather sweet all around. Very malty and drinkable. There's something else in the beer which...
Snapperhead IPA
Well, well, well, what do we have here? DELIGHTED to see this make it to the GA market for a whole bunch of reasons. I got this single 12 oz can from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. OK, let me give the summary right off the top. This beer is a VERY atypical American IPA. If you are looking for a representative beer in that style/category you are going to be disappointed, I on the other hand, am absolutely DELIGHTED with this beer. Firstly it's great to have the added flexibility of craft beer in...
Stroh’s
Can from Arbor Place Beverage's bargain cart - 75 cents for the privelege! Took my own regular advice and paired this with a decent curry from The Viceroy. Despte some pretentious suggestions about IPA's and the like being paired with curry, after years and years of drinking beer with curry, I fail to find a better combo of the cheap, macro adjunct lager and a great Ruby. Appearance is as expected with a golden clarity, well carbonated body and the usual short-lived, wispy head that fades to...
Sparkling Hop
Thanks go out to EinWeizenbitte for the chance to try this (apparently he is furnishing the whole of the USA with this Happoshu)! Anyway, I owe him. I like the look of the can. Nice color and I enjoy the way it feels it my hand with the ridged texture. Essentially this is a very, very sweet macro lager. The head and lace are better than the typical American macro lager, but it is reminiscent in terms of its (lack of) hop profile and corny, vegetal feel. Carbonation is soft and appealing....
ESB Special Ale
Delighted to get hold of this one fom a recent Bruisin' Ales mail order. Can as shown in the BA db picture. Popped the top with very little fanfare. Aggressive pour leads to an initially high head but this fades to give a nice, spotty film on the surface of the beer. Some lace. Body is a cloudy orange that is a tad too pale for my liking. Nose is a little light grass but has some sweetness in there too. Nice upfront mild bitterness and a solid malt presence to hold the whole thing together....
Coffee Bender
Thanks go out to the groovy one for a chance to crack this one. 16 oz can. Nice, garnet color with super clarity. Lovely, high mocha head that fades fairly quickly due to the low carbonation of the can. Lace is there, sticky but not huge. The coffee grounds hit the nose right out of the box, but the funny thing is that it seems to fade quite quickly. I was surprised at that. This is a beer that lends itself very nicely to a little coffee treatment. I love the way that Surly have kept this...
Mama’s Little Yella Pils
"Kids are different today I hear every mother say....", not sure if this was inspired by the Rolling Stones but it certainly feels that way. $1.50 as a single from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. A new entrant to the ATL market just in time for the serious Spring/Summer outdoor season in the South. Pour has perfect, golden clarity with very little lace and not much head after the initial wave. Carbonation seems low for a Pils of any description. The beer has a touch of aspirin bitterness...
Ochakovskiy Kvass
Thanks to Robert for the heads up on this being available at a local Russian supermarket. $1.99 for the 500 mL can. It's an attractive looking presentation. Very little "pop" on opening, but it pours with a little more carbonation than the initial opening would suggest. Essentially this looks like a flat Coca-Cola. The coloring is that quintessential caramel color with a few reddish highlights. The aroma is a bit "sap-like" - organic, like a tree or leaves! Drinks a little musty, and tastes a...
CoCoNut Porter
Thanks go out to BA...for the opportunity to try this one. 355 mL can as pictured in the BA db. Pour is a jet black with some brownish highlights and a good deal of mocha/coffee head. The head fades to give a lovely, tight, espresso like film which is quite thick and beautifully formed. Some lace. Very smooth but not in a thick way. Quite light in the mouth but has good presence. Simply balanced porter with good sweetness but very well balanced. The beer has a toasty nature to it and a...
CynicAle
Thanks go out to swnicholson for the chance to try this one. 16 oz can. Not much pop on opening the ring pull. Slightly hazed, golden pour with good carbonation and a high rocky head. Bubbles continue to stream from the bottom of the Pilsner type glass. Head has pretty good retention and some very nice lace. Rocky, ice-cream like top. Looks very nice. Nose reveals some hard fruits - apples, pears but is pretty light. A touch of sweet and sour tartness and perhaps a hint (no more) of funk....
Pine Belt Pale Ale
473 mL can as pictured in the beer advocate db. Thanks to stopbarking for the chance to try this one Clouded amber pour with an excellent head, retention and lace are good too. It looks pretty darn good. Nose and tastes remind me of a MUCH higher ABV, higher hopped DIPA. It has that cloying DIPA sweetness and a strong cloying hop based aftertaste. A bit "West Coast" in terms of the taste. Very odd beer that drinks in a completely different manner than I was expecting. Alcohol seems stronger...
Bender
Can split with Dave at The Brick Store courtesy of arkhamresident - many thanks. I *think* that this had the words "Oatmeal Brown Ale" on the can (whatever that is!) Anyway, on to the beer. Disappointing lack of pop on opening the can and this turned out to be a theme running through the sampling. Rather lifeless and lacking in carbonation. Not a huge problem for the style, but it seemed so low that I began to notice it. Simple brown pour that lacks much head at all, and doesn't offer any lace...
Natural Light
$0.75 as a single from the bargain bucket at Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Not sure what to say about this really, but here you go; Possibly the palest "beer" I have ever seen. The head on the pour is not bad, and there is even a touch of lace. Obviously the carbonation fades to absolutely nothing after a couple of minutes, but it was there when the can was cracked. I dunno, this tastes like seltzer water to me. Flavored water with zero hop character and only a touch of sweet...
Milwaukee’s Best Light
$0.75 12 oz can from the bargain bucket at Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Lifeless pour with a head that looks good for about one minute (rocky and leaves some lace) but then inexplicably fades to nothing. Pale golden color. Not the lightest beer I have ever seen but lacks any semblance of body. No distinctive tastes here AT ALL. In a blind taste I think I may mistake this for carbonated water. There is an impossibly light bitterness in the finish but essentially this is not beer...
Carling Black Label
This is a great example of why I feel the need to walk into nearly every single beer retail outlet that I ever pass - you just never, ever know what might be in there! Picked this can (as pictured on BA) up for 50 cents at Track One between East Point and West End on the less glamorous side of Atlanta, GA, USA. Good value - just! OK, here's the deal. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw this can. Carling Black Label is a brand that I grew up with in 1970's (and also the...
Genesee Cream Ale
12oz can, $0.65 at Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA - why not?? Complete clarity on the pour with a very light, high head that is short lived but leaves a small amount of decent lace. Golden color, light carbonation. Very clean and smooth - definite cream soda note to the beer, especially in the finish. Actually I really enjoyed this! Extremely surprising to me but the simplicity, non-skunked and clean edge to this beer was satisfying. I could go for a few of these in a baking hot ATL...
Furious
Thanks go out to Mikegroove for this unexpected bonus in a recent package. 1 pint can. Slightly murky, darkish orange pour with a VERY impressive head and some of the best lace I have seen in ages - amazingly thick and sticky. Nice hoppy nose. The taste invokes some serious dry bitterness from the hops. The malts that are advertised on the can are frankly not particularly apparent. Lingering bitterness. Plenty of citrus pine, but it slightly lacks the fresh, edgy nature of some similar, west...
Fosters Special Bitter
Oil Can as a single from The Wine Shop, Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, GA, USA. Amber body with some decent carbonation, small head and some pretty good lace. Good clarity, this is not a bad looking beer at all. Nose is a bit worrying - has that corn/vegetal macro air about it, but the taste is better. A malty bitterness. Light in the mouth (perhaps thin), but finishes kind of creamy. Finish also produces a metallic bitterness that lingers a little. I was not very excited about this, expecting...
Horny Goat Belgian Style Wheat
Saw this in four packs (encased in a cardboard container like an energy drink) a few times before, and figured it was not good, but then I saw it at Mac's Midtown in Atlanta as part of their "mix-a-sixer" so guessed it was worth 1/6 of $7.99! Poured into the Tucher Weizen glass this has a decent head for a few seconds but then it fades badly. Lace is scant. Body has a classic, hazed lemon look, so that was OK. Strange, peppery-citrus nose followed by a weak, watery body that lacks banana or...
Bud Light Chelada
Well, well, well, you never know what's going to happen, do you? I pop into Taco Mac in Douglasville, GA, USA for a quick beer on a Saturday afternoon, and they are giving out 16oz cans of this stuff for free - being a true BA, I felt I HAD to a least try it, so I did! (The bar staff told me there was a regular Bud version too but I suggested that it probably wouldn't matter - perhaps I'll never know!) Pour is briefly fizzy and then settles to give a horrible, peach/orange colored liquid....
Oranjeboom Premium Lager
WOW, this takes me back! Picture the scene - 1992-1999, De Hems Dutch pub on the edges of Chinatown in London. A Friday night out with the boys, and amongst other stuff, the Oranjeboom is flowing! Shame really, because it ain't a very good beer at all! Having said that, VERY happy times and a decent pre-cursor to a Vindaloo at The Strand Tandoori! Picked this up at Trader Joe's at tte Forum in Norcross, GA, USA. Part of a split four pack, $1.09 a can. Looks good (for a macro lager). Plenty of...
Kolsch
Thanks to Travis as part of Blue Max BIF 48. 12 oz can. I have to admit that I was a bit suspicious. Very new brewery and a style that I am not really fond of, but I should have known better. If Travis says it's OK then it's fine with me. Good "pop" on opening the can and a really nice pour with a great head, plenty of lacing and some pronounced chill haze. Clean and tight aroma with some fruit (bananas?) and some yeasty alcohol. "Wheatiness" too. Drinkable and refreshing, re-established my...
Sea Hag IPA
Additional notes 11/08/07 *** Thanks to Brewfan for another chance to taste this. This time the the beer lacks the clarity that I reported before, but this time the head and lace are (apparently) better. Good balance and a certain herbal quality remains. Original Review 07/23/06 *** 12oz can, thanks to BA sulldaddy for the excellent trade. Poured into the Atlanta Brewing Red Brick Ale pint glass. Head is initially good but fades fast to nothing. A small ring of lace remains on the surface of...
Dale’s Pale Ale
Updated notes 05/28/22 Slightly redesigned can (pictured) from the original from 16 years ago, and most interesting to note that the hoppy nature of this American Pale Ale is now highlighted. It’s always been the case, and Dale’s has always been that beer (see below), but it’s of note that it’s now front and center in the advertising. Still a lovely looking beer, and the depth and drinkability are still features. The hops are significant and sensible, and the malt backbone sufficient to hold...
Old Chub – Scottish Style Ale
Very nice. Amazing dark brown, ruby red highlighted beer, with a thick and bubbly head and some significant, sticky, persistent lacing. Chocolate, smoky malts appear in the nose, and are intensified in the initial tastes. Alcohol begins to penetrate with a little bitterness, but the power of the sweet malts continue right through to end. Substantial mouthfeel, partly from the alcohol Essentially this is an intense, high alcohol brown ale and it's delicious. At $6.99 for a sixer of 12 oz cans...
G’Knight Imperial Red Ale
Very good looking beer, with deep, deep browns and reds making up the body, a small but nice head and then some serious, sticky and persistent lacing. Hops dominante the aroma, but the taste is not as bitterly hoppy as the aroma suggests. Quite metallic tasting in fact and on warming this becomes increasingly apparent. The bitterness becomes quite bland over time. Interesting, and the alcohol is immensely well hidden (this is close to 10%), this worth a try. I bet that many BA's will really...
Molson XXX
25.4 fl oz Black "Oil Can". Well, for what it is it's not bad. Of course, what it is is not good, but I think you may know what I mean. Appearance is not horrible, and is its best feature. A little too yellow, but apart from that, a decent head and some lacing. Aroma is predictable, being alcoholic sweet vegetable matter. Taste is all alcohol and sweet corn, but it lacks the unpleasant syrupy nastiness that I was expecting. I'd imagine this is a drinkable method of getting slaughtered for the...
Busch Beer
This is pretty much as pale as it gets. Hydrated urine look, fizzy head that disappears immediately and a little lacing. Massive corn and alcohol aroma. Mouthfeel? Well, it's carbonated water isn't it? Warming alcohol is the overpowering "taste", burns slightly at the back of the mouth and on the way down. I suppose there is some taste of "macro beer" too. To be honest, this kind of junk is increasingly difficult to swallow (literally and metaphorically). Perhaps that's a sign of age! It's...
Molson Ice
$1.99, 24 oz Can, Gas Station purchase. As time goes by I really have no idea how one is supposed to distinguish between these North American, macro, adjunct lagers. If it were a blind tasting I doubt, even as an experienced drinker, that I would tell between all of these mass produced products. OK, large head and clear yellow pour from a 24 oz can. Very corny aroma, but a fairly clean taste despite the obvious mild skunk. It's drinkable (just), but like all the others, thin in the mouth and...
Steel Reserve 211 (High Gravity)
Typical high gravity malt liquor in some ways, but suprisingly smooth in others. I was expecting to open this can and be confronted with the syrupy, alcohol sweet slickness that usually accompanies this kind of brew. I was pleasantly surprised. Sure there were some of those characteristics present, but nothing like the close to "undrinkableness" of stuff like Tennent's Super and other such chemicals. The taste reminded me very much a commericially produced, high alcohol cider - very sweet and...
Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR)
$7.99, 12 pack, Kroger Supermarket, Thornton Road, Atlanta, GA. $4.99 for the 6 pack at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. PBR - a legend? Well, its reputation clearly goes before it, and helps it get reviewed in a generally far more favorable light than it really should. This is a fairly nasty swill that I don't think deserves a lot of the praise it gets. It seems to benefit from the idea that if lots of people used to drink it, it must be a classic. I see no more than classic, North American...
Icehouse
Really just noting this for my consumption log rather than a review. I honestly have no idea whether I would be able to tell this beer from Miller Lite, Bud, Bud Light, Coors or any one of a hundred other macros. What can you say? Typical golden yellow, good looking pour, a head that disappears almost instantly, a refreshing "beer" drink that, unlike any quality brew, is probably enhanced by taking it down to Arctic temperatures. Aroma is indistinguishable to me and it tastes like cold,...
Corona Extra
To me this is no worse or better than it pretends to be. It's North American macro lager, so what do you expect? Like all of these brews, it's pale, pours with a lot of carbonation that disappears instantly to leave no head and no lacing, invariably smells skunky, isn't easy to drink, often gives headaches when drunk in quantity and generally is a nasty experience. Add in the fact that Corona appears to the lack the thirst-quenching properties of similar beers and you've just about said it...
Heineken Lager Beer
I've drunk this stuff off and on for the best part of 25 years and frankly I'm very confused with its success and general popularity. I'm not sure, but I believe the general ignorance of the American beer drinking public allows this to be sold, priced and marketed as some kind of "premium" lager in the US. In England, this stuff is bog standard crappy lager. In its defense, I truly believe that it tastes different on the continent, with a more flavorful experience being the norm. This stuff...
Schlitz
16oz six pack, Publix Supermarket, Villa Rica, GA, $4.79. Schlitz. Not being an American, or growing up with this beer I can't really comment on its legendary status, but I hear it is a classic. My wife tells me her father used to drink this when she was growing up and it seems to have a nostalgic affect on most Americans that I talk to about it. Simply put, you get what you pay for - but frankly, I like it. This is a no-nonsense American lager that doesn't pretend to be what it's not. It's...
Miller High Life
Six Pack of 16oz cans, less than $5, Publix supermarket, Villa Rica, GA. Six Pack of 12oz Bottles, 3.89, Green's Beverage, Ponce de Leon, Atlanta, GA. Very strange review this one. Essentially Miller High Life, is, at least on the face of it, everything I dislike in a beer. Light colored, no body and a distinct lack of taste (either hops or malt), a mass produced American macro with little or no appeal to those who enjoy quality beer...but...I keep on coming back to drink it. One thing it does...
Sapporo Original Draft Beer
There's no doubt about the fact that this is an average beer on most levels. Certainly in terms of appearance (very pale) and taste (extremely mild) there are thousands of better alternatives, but this brew has amazing thirst quenching qualities. It really is very, very drinkable. In fact the drinkablity is absolutely exceptional. This stuff looks like a pale macro produced US based lager, but drinks 100 times better. It's smoother and less offensive to the taste. Chilled to the correct degree...
Labatt Blue
Reviewing the pint can, "The Big Blue". Poured with a large frothy head that disappeared instantly to reveal a lemon colored solution. The overwhelming experience of taste, aroma and aftertaste is alcohol. I found it very difficult to distinguish anything else. I don't feel that this particular mass-produced North American lager is any worse than any other, they all are instantly forgetable. Of course we all have our own favorites and styles, but I simply can't imagine getting any joy from...