Stoudts Pils

Notes from Christmas Eve 2011

Hay-golden body with a slim, but reliable white head, which splashes upon the glass and pulls back at a gentle speed. Glad to see it's not over-carbonated.

Clean in the nose with sweet, but subtle grape notes, grains, yeast and pistachios.

Not at all shy in taste, with bittering hops up front, hop flavor in the middle--akin to a premium European pale lager, but more robust--and a roasty nuttiness in the back end. Yeast flavors kick in after the overall taste and feel of the brew is established upon the tastebuds.

Finishes slightly sweet, tart and clean. I wish I could see this on-tap or at the very least in bottles at bars around my area. Great beer.

Rogue, Yellow Snow IPA

Among other info, the label on the bottle (22 oz) indicates 70 IBUs.

Appears amber with a touch of orange. Nearly opaque for the color. I admit I had a spill-over when pouring this lively brew. A fluffy, egg white head sits happily up top with lacing spots stuck to the glass.

Smell is herbal. Citrus hops as it warms. Aroma indicates the drinker is dealing with a serious beer (heat...be cautious). Creamy up front with a bitter, lingering finish. Sweet grapefruit shows up intermittently, finding its place in the middle and then disappearing, swept away with the wave of bittering hops.

The take away from this beer or the standout is definitely its remarkably cream feel. While certainly bitter (a quality that lingers), this brew satisfies; multidimensional in terms of its feel.

Victory Moonglow Weizen Bock

My second weizenbock to my knowledge (first was from Penn Brewing Co this past summer. see here for review).

Moonglow is a beautiful, modestly effervescent brown brew with an orange-ish glow at the bottom and hints of red hues throughout. A lot of yeast in suspension. A soapy light beige head sits atop and plans on going nowhere.

Smell is so pronounced: pineapple & tropical fruits, booze, under-ripe banana. Floral. Treated wood. Much going on.

The taste is exceedingly bright up front and then turns down to toasty notes, wood and booze. Alcohol lingers while accompanied by moderately aggressive phenols. I sense hop flavors in the middle pushing their way through, but they're hard to really discern amidst the myriad of things going on with this brew.

Bottom line, it's a spicy, yeasty, fruity and lively beer with a little bit of heat and a mildly dry finish. Well played. I'll continue sipping & enjoying this one.

95% if I was grading.

Goose Island's Mild Winter

Bottled on date: 10/17/11

Appearance is mahogany brown with a slim light-nougat head.

Nutty and toasted in the nose. Corn chips. Mild sweetness (fruitiness). Phenolic yeast.

Taste: more toasty notes. Bittering hops work wonderfully, delivering the brew the whole way through. Near burnt caramel. Hop resin. Faint gingery spice.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Well balanced. Brings out a little spicy heat as it warms (presumably the rye as noted on the bottle).

Great Lakes Nosferatu (Autumn Seasonal)

There are a few beers I keep missing out on that are autumn seasonals. Twice now I've failed to buy Sierra Nevada's Tumbler, the brewery's autumn brown ale. Well, I sort of made up for my mistake by picking up Great Lakes Brewing Co's autumn red ale, Nosferatu, the last time I saw it at my go-to bottle shop say 3-4 weeks ago. I figured if I didn't pick it up then, it wouldn't be there next visit (I guess I'm learning). Not only do I love the name, but I especially love the robustness of the brew.

Nosferatu smells amazing even from the bottle. Fruity hops (berries) & rich caramel malts.

Poured into my Breckenridge Vanilla Porter nonic pint glass, the brew is an appealing reddish-brown. A sticky nougat head sits up top.

The smell is intensely malty; candy-like; caramel and fruit roll-up. Cold milk chocolate; herbal hops. A great aroma.

Taste is prickly; a bit boozy up front (alcohol lingers). Brown and/or chocolate malts show up in the middle. Dark notes start to linger with the alcohol (a welcome addition). This brew doesn't shy from bittering hops or fruity hops flavors.

Remarkably creamy for a beer that grows bitter toward the end; well rounded.

Notes: a big feature to this robust beer is its lingering qualities, which leads me to suggest Great Lakes should continue to release this in the fall, but push it through the winter season due to its warming effect.

Sly Fox Oktoberfest Lager

12 oz can with some digits and a date (presumably the "best before") printed near the bottom of the can: 1/9/12.

Dark-orange-amber looking beer that's highly carbonated and fairly translucent. Head disappeared quick.

Floral in the nose. Peppery yeast. Bread, butter, stale apple juice & dry caramel.

Tastes yeasty with light malts and caramel malts for sweetness. Bittering hops right in the middle. Finishes with a fruity and bitter astringency that hangs on and lingers.

Notable spicy hop flavor shows itself as well as the brew warms up. A touch boozy. A decent oktoberfest.

Goose Island Harvest Ale

Amber-orange in appearance with a moderate sized, light-beige colored head. Translucent.

Fruity and hoppy in the nose. Nutty. Notes of cold melon, grapefruit & caramel as it warms. Subtle, but enjoyable in the aroma section.

Bitter, but not too aggressive. Sweetness pulls forward to balance the hops. A touch of caramel malts builds body.

Feels like a pale ale with a maltier backbone. Medium-bodied with a prickly contour.

Notes: Goose Island's Harvest Ale proves not all fall seasonals are sprinkled with pantry spices.

Franziskaner Dunkel Weissbier

(16.9 oz pint bottle)
Reddish-brown in appearance with a beautiful semi-sticky white head up top. The usual wheat nose w/ cloves, yeast, spiciness & fruitiness. Warm, with a bit of alcohol. Lemons, cinnamon & buttered brown bread.

Prickly up front with a wash-away finish (fairly clean). Bready notes linger with spicy yeast joining in. Peppery; acidic at times.

A fantastic beer to imbibe!

Shiner Black Lager

Shiner Black Lager appears black to the naked eye, but a closer look exposes mahogany corners. A slim rim remains on top after a nougat colored head drops down. The color of the head indicates roasted barley was used in the brewing process (also germane to the style).

Smells roasty & malt forward. Yeasty, wet bread, fruity. A touch of spicy hops in the nose.

Hop bitters, burnt brown sugar, smoke & charcoal in the taste. Metallic notes.

Medium bodied. Washes away nicely with a gentle lingering of the smoky flavor. A little watery as it warms up. Still, damn drinkable.

Notes: Shiner continues to impress me when dealing with their catalog outside of the flagship bock.

Arbitrary Grade (out of 100): 83

Why Brand, You Know, Light Should Not Encourage Glassware

Customers who bought a 30-pk of Bud Light received a complimentary Steelers/Bud Light pint glass up until a few days ago at the store I'm employed at. What a hit! In fact, one regular came in last night and upon being told that the store was out of glasses he adjusted, "Oh, well, back to Coors Light then; Coors Light 30-pk."

Now, I'm not afraid to say it: if it has to be a macro domestic light beer, I choose Coors Light over Miller Lite, which tries to be something it's not, and certainly over Bud Light, which is just a crappier take on Miller Lite that blatantly holds on to cultural distinctions as a way of targeting a loyal market (read hunters and the "get'r done" crowd). But one thing remains true in regards to light, or more specifically, diet beer: it doesn't smell very appealing.

In fact it smells just shy of awful (and some examples hit the mark). I for one don't even bother to pour diet beer into a glass, and neither should you. I find it easier to throw down yellow fizz straight from the container it came in. Finishing 12 ozs of what is essentially an aggregate of light malts, genetically modified corn, rice, a dash of hops extract and forced carbonation is like finishing something equally as bad and difficult.

Which brings me to my point: why brand, you know, light should not encourage drinking from the glass via handing over complimentary glassware to loyal customers. If they're lucky (customers and a bad beer company's employees), Coca Cola or iced tea will be the only refreshments finding their way into the complimentary pint glasses granted to customers over the last few weeks at my place of partial employment. If not, those loyal Bud Light imbibers might finally wake up and smell the...beer, and that just might be bad news for InBev.

Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout

Breckenridge is Guntown Beer's "Brewery of the Month" for Oct 2011. As a perk, one can assemble a 6-pk of the brewery's beers and get a glass with the brewery's name on it (or in this case, Breckenridge's Vanilla Porter logo).

Breckenridge's Oatmeal Stout is definitely my favorite offering by the brewery from Colorado. The darkest brown or the lightest black; you decide. That's how it looks with a dark nougat head that sticks to the glass with generosity.

In the nose: roasted barley, chocolate malts, the fruitiness of an ale. Feels creamy with some rough edges and a favorable bite in the back end. Tastes like it smells with the addition of charcoal as a lingering, yet acceptable aftertaste. Damn drinkable.

Arbitrary Grade (out of 100): 87

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale

My first introduction to this legendary beer appears glassy, mahogany brown. A fluffy, thick nougat colored head sits atop.

The nose is rewarded with deep notes of caramel, friendly whiffs of diacetyl, maraschino cherries and the spiciness of a fruit cake. The blurb on the back of the bottle reminded me of the notion of aromatic hops which are definitely there upon revisit.

Taste: creamy, sweet maltiness up front. Wild yeast flavors (product of the open fermentation), caramel malts and a touch of booze.

Full-bodied with the slightest amount of bittering hops. Balanced as expected from an English brewery (with the malts winning overall) and I'd be remiss to not mention that Samuel Smith's has yet to let me down.

New Feature: AG (Arbitrary Grade, out of 100): 93

Molson Canadian Lager

I work with a guy who considers this beer his favorite. While Molson Canadian Lager might not be the world's tastiest brew, it does have notable qualities and I don't mind drinking it.

Appears golden yellow with active carbonation and a fluffy egg white head. Smells like a North American pilsner (light malts and soapy, floral hops).

Taste is mild with just a touch of sweetness, bittering hops and a surprisingly creamy body.

MCL sets itself apart from most U.S. macro adjuncts/pale lagers and Canada's Labatt Blue shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence (edit...edit...). Still, not as good as Narragansett's interpretation of the style.

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale

Appears brown with bright amber hues. Mild pumpkin spices in the nose (ginger); pumpkin puree.

Hoppy up top with slighty aggressive spice notes underneath.

Medium bodied. Mouthfeel is well balanced with bitter qualities, wet avenues & a lingering finish.

Abita's Satsuma, Seasonal Harvest Wit

Brought an Abita Brewing Co Party-Pack to a friend's house last night, and out of the three brews I hadn't had yet, this was the most impressive to me.

Pours a cloudy straw-yellow body with a spotty, white head. Carbonation bubbles rising to the top.

Smells of spicy yeast, cloves and nothing out of the ordinary for the style. Faintly boozy.

A prickly wheat dryness in the feel at first, but a bit watery later on. Light-bodied. Grains and a mild hint of lemon zest in the taste. Hop oils seem to battle it out with the hop bitters.

Notes: I feel like I should have served this to myself at a colder temperature, say 45 degrees F(it's probably around 50 degrees F). However, this brew is very enjoyable, and perfect for summer months. I wouldn't mind seeing it come winter.

Pairing: Penn Pilsner & Steelhead Trout

Paired my last Penn Pilsner (from a six-pack) with a filet of steelhead trout, spiced rice and beans (gifted leftovers) and stale bread. I pan-fried the trout and poured the beer in a Czech pilsner glass like a pro. As tasty as the meal was, let's focus on the brew.

Penn Pilsner looks golden-copper with a frothy, thin white head. Carbonation bubbles rising to the top.

Smells of light, golden malts. Some floral notes from hops. An underlying sweetness, but very balanced.

Dry flashes, a malted body, and a prickly finish. A dash of caramel malts sweetens the delivery and follows through to the finish.

Some days this hits the spot and other days, not so much. Today happens to be a good one. Sessionable at what, 4% ABV? Have mercy.


I miss this label.

Stevens Point Brewery's Burly Brown

A six-pack of various brews from the wife for our 2nd anniversary and I pull out Stevens Point's Burly Brown first. Labeled as an American brown ale, the brew pours dark brown with mahogany-red spots towards the bottom.

Slightly transparent for a dark brown beer; noticeably carbonated. Slim head, but a nice rim grips the edges.

Smells of caramel with traces of diacetyl; buttery. A smidget of booziness in the nose as it warms up. Tastes brown! Attenuated, but for the purpose of rendering this brew sessionable. Hops to balance. Give this one a try. On tap anyone?

Thanks, Bay.

Bad Monkey Chimp Chiller Ale

About 4 years ago in a bar my girlfriend (now my wife) and I frequented often, the bartender offered a new beer from the cooler. If my recollection serves me correctly, it was humorously called Butt Monkey. The brew with the ridiculous name was made in the state of Pennsylvania so I was inclined to give it a go. Long story short, it tasted pretty much like your average adjunct lager, but maybe a tad bit more interesting.

Maybe the brewery realized that no one was interested in drinking a beer that didn't even have enough respect for itself to bear a name that avoided references to one's back end. Seeing the brew for the first time since that night four years ago just a few weeks prior to this writing at the distributor I work at on weekends, the brewery has evidently gone the safer route with the name of Bad Monkey.

It appears tarnished gold with a head that disappeared in less than a minute's time. It smells like an eviscerated pilsner: wet malts, mild grassy hops and nothing more.

In the mouth it unenthusiastically delivers a slightly tangy hops note upfront with an extremely mild malt bill. The presence of caramel malts is just barely in the room. A glimse of the fruity ale characteristic comes through in the feel and finish (probably the best feature to this beer).

Somewhere I heard or read that Bad Monkey is in the area of 6% ABV, but the grains required to make that a positive attribute clearly did not make the cut. What I mean to say is, this a concoction that's had 100% fermentables added to the recipe to both thin out the final product and raise the alcohol content.


Proof that I wasn't crazy when recalling the "Butt Monkey" story.

Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter

I've been putting this brew off for far too long, but enjoyed myself in the process, imbibing dozens of other great beers (and some sub-par ones along the way). I'm letting it sit out a little (it's been 10 mins). Like many of the English styles, a traditional porter is best served at around 50-55 degrees F.

I'm staring at a 550 ml bottle that I bought at my local mammoth grocery store for $3.99 out the door. The neck is wrapped in fancy gold foil. The bottle is fancy as well with the brewery name embossed above the stomach, say the chest of the bottle. It's been 20 minutes. This beer is calling me...

Almost pitch black with translucent mahogany-brown shades near the bottom. A cola-beige head sits atop, fluffy and incredible. Smells of deeply rich malts, dark chocolate, prunes, figs, burnt brown sugar,  moist raw cane sugar, and butter (baby). LATE ADDITION UPDATE: as it warms, a friendly boozy note.

Taste is so approachable it makes me want to ask every bartender in town to serve this on-tap. Who am I kidding? Back to reality (and oh my am I enjoying it)...bittering hops afloat a hefty dark malt bill. Creamy, but more than enough hops to shake things up; I'd say the ideal amount.

The body is medium to heavy or somewhere between an early Roy Jones, Jr. and a Larry Holmes in his prime (my pops will like that one, that is if he reads this blog).

I'm relishing the fact that I've still got another 8 ozs or so left to enjoy. I need time alone with this one. Cheers!

Notes: this one is reminiscent of Guinness Extra Stout, and that is certainly a good thing.

Show Some Respect...Drink From the Glass

One of the most difficult things for a normal person to do is to point out proper etiquette (or the lack thereof), especially when it comes to beer. Reason being: it makes the "pupil" feel like a total slouch, and it makes the "teacher" look and sound like a condescending "know-it-all." Maybe that's why the world-wide-web created blogs: so people can learn without suffering through awkward confrontations and mild feelings of worthlessness.

It wasn't that long ago now that I routinely drank from the bottle. I did so at restaurants (and still do if my server is ultra-unresponsive to simple requests), bars, you name it. And to be totally honest, you'd be hard pressed to find me bugging the host of a big pool party for a glass to pour my beer in, especially when I've shown up empty handed. There's a time and a place to be picky and finicky, and a big party isn't one of them.

On the other hand, a friend's house, your in-laws...go for it. Pour the frickin' beer in a glass (unless of course it's yellow, fizzy and light...chances are it probably doesn't smell very appealing).

Some folks just don't gather what all the fuss is about. Are you one of them? Well, if so, let me break it down in Lehman's terms for you. When you have some wine at your in-laws over Thanksgiving dinner, needless to say, you drink from a wine glass, not the bottle, correct? Do you sip on bourbon from the mouth of a fifth, or are you rational enough to pour a few ozs into a proper glass (Google brought up the overture glass, but I don't typically drink hard liquor so otherwise I wouldn't have a clue)?

Assuming you answered "glass" to both questions above, why is it so hard to apply the same logic when it comes to a good brew? The only answer I can come up with that makes sense is this: the general public doesn't respect beer enough, yet. Yeah, we're getting there, but we've got a long way to go. Most beer drinkers still drink the same beer on a regular basis. Most beer drinkers term any beer that's golden-yellow a pilsner. Some of that vast majority thinks Rolling Rock is a pale ale simply because it says "extra pale" on the label (as if their lager isn't pale, which may actually be news to them since their drink-from-the-bottle habit knocks seeing the beer out of the equation). Get where I'm going with this? America is home to an ignorant majority when it comes to beer. That's not me being a snob, that's just plain fact.

Show some respect...drink from the glass (at least do it for me. I'm not drinking one tonight).



Why a full glass is paired with a full bottle I'll never know...

Witbiers and Cow Piss

I can still remember when I first had Blue Moon. Or at least I think I can. If I recall correctly, I was visiting relatives in Queens, NY with my brother and a few of our friends. Our cousin Carla took us to Bell Blvd, a quieter yet still happening area just ten minutes from our aunt's house. We could hop to a few different bars without having to drive or fight our way through big crowds.

There she was. A glowing sign that said "Blue Moon." Also on tap, eh? Probably the best beer I had yet. Then there was Sam Adams Boston Lager, although I didn't truly understand it's brilliance at first sip, or even first pint. That's another story.

From what I've gathered about my generation, Blue Moon was a branch-out beer for a lot of people . It's still decent to me today, but I've grown beyond it. As usual, it's better on-tap than out the bottle (note: Coors has started canning Blue Moon but I've yet to try it. I don't mean to complain, but they've hardly offered a price incentive).

Despite my distant relationship with Blue Moon nowadays, I'm reminded of a funny story involving my father and my insistence that he "give it a try." My Blue Moon craze was fresh at the time. I must have had a six-pack of the stuff in the fridge, and I think it was a Saturday afternoon.

"Want to try a Blue Moon, Dad?" I asked invitingly. "No, thanks," my dad politely replied. "You sure? It's good stuff. It's a wheat beer," I urged further as if that was going to change the mind of a man who hadn't switched up the brand of beer in the fridge since before I started noticing the poison stickers on potentially toxic household items. To my surprise, "Okay, just a little." So I poured 3-4 ozs of a cloudy amber-orange Blue Moon in a 6 oz juice glass for my old man.

"Tastes like cow piss."

I still like yuh Blue Moon, even if you're a bit of a farce.

Drinking: Long Trail Belgian White. A cloudy golden-yellow face with a pleasant orange peel aroma. The wheat pushes a nice dryness to the beer while the hops add to the feel and flavor. Citrusy, yet not over the top. Belgian yeast adding that trademark spiciness. Tasty and refreshing. Certainly a solid offering from Long Trail.
   

Stoney's Gold Crown Premium Beer

I found this brew on the Stoney's website (http://www.stoneysbeer.com/), and after discovering that it's been the center of zero attention on the world wide web, I decided to request it at the beer distributor I work for. My guess is it's only available in a few areas, likely in six-pack shops in and around Smithton, PA.

First off, the Stoney's website image of this brew is deceptive. I don't see the near-copper golden body pouring out of my 16 oz can. It appears plain gold with a little tarnished yellow.

Extremely mild in smell. Wet malts and grassy hops.

Palatable for sure, but notably bland. Hops to balance, if that's possible. There's barely any maltiness to speak of, so I guess this brew is relatively hoppy.

On the lighter side, but fuller than say a Coors Light. Also, it's probably more enjoyable out the can than in the glass. However, that's not to say it wouldn't be better on-tap. Just my assumption.

Note: had I not received an employee discount, a flat of 24 16 oz cans would have cost me about $15.



Uh huh, that's a good one.

A Beer That's Not Really a Beer: Shiner Ruby Redbird

Okay, so it's a fruit beer, and fruit beer's really don't taste like traditional beers with a solid malt bill.

Shiner Ruby Redbird is kind of like a ginger ale, but with alcohol. I'm talking about a serious ginger ale, not the mass produced "natural flavors" ginger ale.

In my light it looks amber-orange. The head left in a hurry. It smells of ginger up front with the sweet bitterness of grapefruit in the shadows. Again, it tastes and feels like a ginger ale. My guess is there is not one cultivar of hops listed in the ingredients for this recipe, but I haven't seen the blackbook of the brewmaster. Call it a hop-free beer if you can stand to imagine such a blasphemous concoction.

Refreshing? Yes. Satisfying? Sure. Does it stand a chance when I've got a choice between it and Bell's Amber Ale or another favorite of mine, Sierra Nevada's Torpedo? No. That being said, nice try.

I like you Shiner Ruby Redbird, but I don't love you.

Poperings hommel ale

Notes from 5/17/11

330 ml/11.2 fl oz bottle poured into goblet-like wine glass.

Appears cloudy blonde-gold with a creamy white head. Some visible carbonation, but a fairly opaque body.

Spicy esters of belgian yeast, ripe bananas and pineapple juice shoot forward in the nose. A woodsy aroma coupled with a warm alcoholic presence sits faintly in the backend. A nutty caramel aroma delivers as it warms up.

A bold graininess hits the palate first, followed by yeasty notes and a creamy, yet prickly hop finish. Citrusy hop oils linger a bit before prefacing a nut-dry finish.

Fruity ale characteristics in the feel of this brew. Delicate at first glance with a fiercer second opinion. Hops aid in creating a creamy body. Medium bodied on the lighter side.

Beer Styles, Not Flavors

Am I a beer snob for adamantly asserting that beer variations, particularly when dealing with beer brands, should not be referred to as "flavors?"

No, I think not. I'm just a fella who likes real beer and thinks the variance label that is "flavor" belongs to the malternative, juice beer stuff that's way overpriced.

Beer on the other hand is probably the most diverse beverage on the face of the earth. With literally dozens of styles to choose from, beginning with whether or not it's an ale or a lager you're going to be imbibing (...maybe another column I'll vent on the public misconception related to ales and lagers), beer is far more complex and therefore should be more highly regarded when advertised/promoted than say...soda pop.

With a few exceptions, most microbrew beers are not a simple concoction of a bland canned pilsner and a [you fill it in] flavoring extract. No, all one needs to do is leave that up to the big domestics who are currently deluding the public with faux microbreweries and brands. That being the case, why promote real micro products like they're sitting on a shelf next to a case of Capri Sun?

By using an adult word like "style" instead of the kid friendly noun that is "flavor," you--advertising distributors--are speaking to the right market (people 21 and over), avoiding frustrating the women (and some men) that thought [you fill it in] was going to taste like juice beer and, most importantly, helping to enlighten the many people still out there that think of beer in the most simple, barely nuanced way: light, heavy, dark.

And on that note, I could really go for a munich dunkel lager right now.

 By my estimation this gentleman is likely drinking an Irish dry stout (an Irish ale like Guinness Draught)

Penn Brewing's Weizenbock

Notes from 5/1/2011 -

22 oz bottle with no freshness date.

Appears opaque brown with a creamy, nougat colored rim. Yeasty in the nose. Spicy & aromatic. Dry wheat tones help balance out the overall aroma. Lively spices with alcohol clearing a path.

Feels creamy up front with enough hops in the finish. Malty sweet; over-riped bananas. Yeasty flavors dry on the tongue. A little bit of the alcohol shows. Medium mouth-feel on the delicate side. Enjoyed this one.

Buffalo Bill's Alimony Ale (IPA)

12 oz bottle poured into an Imperial Nonic slash Weizen glass of sorts with a Leinenkugel logo.

Tarnished gold, amber-orange body. Swampy head w/ a thin egg white rim. Cloudy in appearance. Fruity & floral in the nose w/ pineapple coming to mind. Heat from the alcohol. A bit of a bready aroma; buttery. Sweet caramel in the back end.

A malty-bitter jab to the tastebuds. Alcohol is obvious, but not overbearing. An IPA on the maltier side.

Medium to heavy bodied brew w/ a slick feel. A night capper.

Duquesne Pilsener Beer

Golden appearance--almost transparent--with a decent rim. Steady carbonation bubbles rise to the top.

A dry sweetness in the nose; hay-like; grains & floral hops. Fairly mild.

Taste is attenuated with a syrupy body. Hops are a little reserved, but do provide for a lot of the flavor.

Medium-bodied with discernible attenuation.

Notes: A good-for-the-price kind of beer, plus some. A poor man's pilsner. Duquesne Pilsener Beer comes off like Pittsburgh Brewing Company's Augustiner (Vienna Lager) without the brown sugar, sweet amber flavor. Incidentally, I think the two brews are brewed by the same brewery or at the same location.

Bitburger Premium Beer

1 PINT 0.9 FL OZ can poured into a nonic pint glass. Yellow-gold in appearance with a frothy egg-white head that slims down to a simple rim. Cloudy in the glass.

Smells of grapes, yeast & furnished wood.

Hops carry the brew, hiding what would otherwise be obvious attenuation. Fruity element comes through from inside the hoppy shell. Yeasty in the finish.

An average medium body with a fairly agreeable mouthfeel makes this brew pretty drinkable. It could certainly serve as a gateway selection toward hoppier beers. Buy a can and pour it in a glass.

Notes: $1.79 for a good beer in a can slightly larger than a pint makes Derek highly satisfied.

North Coast Brewing's Old Rasputin (Russian Imperial Stout)

Black as night with a tan head. Inky black blots drip on the head as I pour every last drop out of the bottle. Head thins out fairly quickly. Regardless, head retention is there.

Smells amazing: candy-sweet hops (I think it's hiding something from me...), roasted malts, charcoal (can someone say "Prime Rib?"). Sweet fruits remind me of how much I love Ales over Lagers (this is not a fruit beer!). Meaty and savory; full flavored.

Head first in the fire pit with the first sip from the glass. Abundantly burnt, but in a good way. Slick hops help balance the dryness of this brew. Lingering qualities. Certainly a sipper, but I can't help but throw it down. Pitch blackness infiltrates the tan head as it rides up the rim of the glass. Alcohol shows itself like a toned down liquor (9% ABV). Bitter hops blend with the burnt flavors to offer up a serious Stout.

A great brew to enjoy. Cheers!

Yuengling Black & Tan

Out of the can: pitch black with dark brown edges. Nougat colored head slims down, but keeps its composure.

Smells malty; brown sugar; homemade icing on an overdone cake; notably hoppy.

Taste: toasted sweetness on a thin bed of charcoal. Well attenuated while sustaining a respectable body. Hops catch up as it warms and I start quaffing. Like Yuengling Bock, this brew's body turns watery as it warms and is shaken to pull out aromas. I'm starting to think this may be an inevitable characteristic of blended and packaged Black & Tans.

Notes: Yuengling makes good use of its less stellar, Premium brew, as the tan, matched up with their, better than decent, Porter (actually a lager) beer. I really enjoy this on-tap (in some respects it reminds me of Sierra Nevada Stout), and I have no complaints about it being poured into a glass from a Tall Boy can (pint).

Miller High Life Light

Out of the can pours a tarnished yellow-golden hue.  Soft white head sits atop for a minute or two, ultimately settling down to an oddly messy, thin, splattered head. Notably carbonated.

Smells as expected. Faint example of sweet malts; Pilsner-esque; near-muted, but rounded grassiness. Very mild.

Tastes of slight oxidation with a tangy metallic character. Thin, but rounded out with sweet malts (again, faint), and balanced with just a touch of hops. Predominately wet; hardly dry at all until the finish. Apparent adjuncts like rice and/or corn utilized in the wort/brewing process. Corn husk starts to build up in the aftertaste, but nothing too bad.

Not as thin as some light beers, and that I like. Suggestions of a syrupy body, but enough hops to counteract the entrance to that avenue.

A worthy change-up brew for the light-beer-inclined; the folks that refuse to step away from the American Adjunct Lager style.

Gennesee Light (Genny Light)

Yellow in appearance like carbonated water mixed with yellow food coloring for the purpose of staining eggs around Easter. Head doesn't stick around for long, but a slim rim does. Well carbonated.

Icy-grass aroma with mild pilsner-like qualities. Some hops surfing in the distance. Dry in the nose for the most part.

Pleasant taste. Clean and inoffensive. Enough bite to make it a beer, but still balanced with the modest tasting, pale malt character.

Hard to ask for more balance out of this little guy. It doesn't rush to conclusions as it delivers a subtle progression of bitterness, moisture, and finally, an agreeable, slow-dry cleansing. I'm interested in finding this on-tap just to see what it's made of in my favorite format.

Notes: While I find Genny Light to be a quality light beer, I'm still not a fan of the style. A once-in-the-while for me, at best. If anything, it's much better than the Big 3 (Bud Light, Miller Lite & Coors Light).

21st Amendment's Bitter American (Pale Ale)

4 sentences for a 4.4% ABV pale ale from 21st Amendment Brewery...

Slightly hazy amber-orange appearance, with a slim, but sustained, head.
Cinnamon-butter and pineapple found happily in the nose.
Carried by dry hops in the taste, with a near-balancing amount of toasty malts.
Feels and finishes dry; exceptionally approachable and impressive.

...One of the best session beers I've had yet.

Notes: Came in a can; poured into a fat weizen glass.

Great Divide's Hibernation Ale (bottled 2007 - imbibed 1-16-2011)

Notes from 1-16-2011 (Bottled 2007)

From the bottle it smells of milk chocolate with dark notes. Poured into czech pilsner glass, the brew is dark brown and kind of scary. Very little head. Hardly any at all; slim rim. Tons of sediment in suspension.

Tastes like I'll survive to see tomorrow. Chocolate-y with warming alcohol in the back. They didn't shy from the use of hops; definitely counteracts the sweetness from the discerned use of chocolate malts. Again, so much sediment in suspension; quite the thing to see. This brew is likely a hoppy, cold cocoa.

Hefty body to this one. The alcohol really starts to come out when the temperature begins to rise past the 40 degrees mark.

Mouthfeel transcends into a more syrupy condition. Alcohol, hops and chocolate malts start to bring out a smoky, burnt malts taste. As tasty as last year, at least I remember it that way.

Yuengling Bock

Mahogany-brown in appearance with a light-gray head on top that slims down to a thin yet respectable rim with a misty surface. Smells of wet malts and strange hoppy aromas. Floral with citrus notes (lemon and lime). Alcohol shows itself in the nose as well. Swirled the beer for more head and caught a whiff of a well-herbed beef stroganoff with mushrooms. Call me crazy.

Taste is muddled at first sip. Dry, bitter, and a bit muted. Fairly hoppy. Attenuation, just a smidgen; I'm not complaining. Alcohol flavor pulls itself up from below the stage. Faint caramel notes.

Mouthfeel...drink cold for best results. I'm drinking another to take another look, and a cold Yuengling Bock feels a lot better than one that's warming up after 20-30 mins. Pretty close to their Black & Tan in that respect.

Not bad; a little messy. Similar to Penn Brewery's St. Nikolaus Bock, but not as good.

SIDE NOTE: I've heard whispers that Yuengling Bock is merely another Black & Tan style of beer; this time a mixture of Yuengling Traditional Lager with Yuengling Porter or the Black & Tan. In my opinion, Yuengling would do better to create an authentic Bock. Still, if your Yuengling fan (and I'm one), not a bad seasonal change-up from the year-rounds.

Augistiner Lager (Iron City Brewing Co)

Poured into my fat 20 oz weizen glass from Leinkenkugel's. Brew is a golden amber color with a cream colored head on top. Smells wet. A near-Oktoberfest aroma. Brown sugar on toasted wheat bread. Sweet malty smell spreads thin, but matches the taste. Attenuated with a balancing amount of bittering units. A mallty, honey-like sweetness in the taste. A touch of alcohol in the finish as it drys on the buds. I appreciate the head for sticking around.

Some people around my way like to compare this brew to Yuengling's Traditional Lager. While they've got a point, Iron City's Augistiner is more tepid and reserved. Still, a highly drinkable brew.

Because I work at a distributor, I paid around ten bucks for a case, but any customer can walk in and walk out with a case of IC's Augistiner for roughly $13, and that is not at all a bad thing.

Lion Brewery's (Sri Lanka) Lion Stout

Black as expected with brown floaties (such a poor choice of words, I know) that tell me this brew is left unfiltered. A creamy, tan head sits atop and looks delicious. Remarkable lacing does its thing from the pour.

Smells rich with dark roasted malts, bitter chocolate, coffee beans and alcohol. Dried prunes & figs (smell is outstanding).

Taste embodies characteristics in the smell with a smoky, burnt contour; so rich. Warmth from the alcohol (8.8% ABV). Oily hops brighten the taste & lighten up the taste buds. I welcome the creamy, heavy body. The flavors allow an otherwise mild swiss cheese to expose its better attributes. I can't get enough of the smoky, burnt aspect to this brew. It even washes down smoothly.

If someone can think of a negative remark in regards to this stout's quality, I'm all ears, but I certainly won't be jotting anything down. Simply outstanding.

Miller Lite

No freshness date on can. All I know is that my brother brought a few cans over back in early December 2010, and considering how fast this stuff moves, I'm guessing it's only 3-4 months old now.

Hay to yellow color pours out into my weizen pilsner glass. Head sits atop for nearly a minute but slims down into a thin off-white rim. Tons of carbonation bubbles. Looks very light (who would have guessed?).

Smells of wet grass, malts, hops; faint aromas, but the pilsner smell is there.

Taste is pretty mild. A slight bitterness from the hops (did you know it's triple-hopped?) and some of the usual dry malts one can expect from a "pilsner." Finishes dry with a little bit of that cardboard aftertaste from cheaper pale lagers which I don't like. Too attenuated. Comes off as a brew that's better when imbibed in the its original container (I also know from experience).

As light as baby steps in the mouth. If this was genuinely triple-hopped it would taste better. Muted flavors.

My brother and father must get something about this brew that I just don't gather. Gotta love family, though. It's the rest of the population that's got me mouthing, "what the...?" Still, to its credit, it's at least a few points better on-tap.

Dogfish Head's Palo Santo Marron

Notes from 1/29/2011

My wife compiled a six pack of different brews for my birthday and included this curious and mysterious brew.

Dark brown in appearance, nearly black. Dark nougat head. Aroma similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, not that I'm a wine expert. Fruity. Cocoa nibs. Pealed apples (green). Woodsy aromas remind me of olive oil. Fierce alcohol & acidity presenting itself in the midst of a nuance of smell variables. Sticky like jam hands (smell still).

Man, oh, man! Alcohol up front (taste). Very warming. That it's aged on wood is clearly evident. Wife calls it "salty" (reluctantly tried it). The alcohol is upfront like I said, but warming as opposed to offensive & aggressive. Washes down smoothly. Nearly a wine, but with the body of a beer. Woodsy notes linger like reverberating chords.

Sip, sip, sip slowly. Any reasonable palate will only permit a savoring of this brew, not a fast, hasty finish. I find it hard to distinguish between the hops & alcohol in this brew as it carries so much depth, but they're both playing their part undoubtedly. Mouthfeel is warm like wine, but offers a broader body with far more discernible death.

Other than slowly sipping this for a cool 45-60 minutes, it almost has zero drinkability. The high alcohol content (12%) renders this brew an "only one" endeavor.

North Coast Brewing Co's Old #38 Stout

The only thing that tends to be up in the air in terms of a Stout's appearance is the head. In this case, a beige to sandy brown. Head is definitely sticking around on this one.

Smell is deeply rich. Chocolate cake on ice, chocolate milk, thick brown bread, enough hops to bring it to a splendid balance.

Taste is roasted to burnt up front. Smoky. A touch of bitterness from the hops. Amazing how they pulled off such a milk chocolately, friendly smell while pushing harsher qualities through on the taste. Mucho props. It's part of what makes this beer so delicious.

Enough bite, but a tad bit thin. That in mind, a little dangerous because it's exceptionally drinkable. My only suggestion would be for the brewmaster to add a little more to the body. Other than that, a solid, in some aspects, outstanding stout.

Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary - Fritz and Ken's Ale (Imperial Stout)

Aged in my fridge for 10 months, beginning in March 2010; imbibed last night, January 5, 2011.

Posthumous reflection:

Appearance -  black body with an immense, fluffy light beige head.  Inky.  The body falls back through the head after sipping, rendering a chocolate colored trail.

Smell - Dark, deep roasted malts; citrus hops in the back.

Taste - Deep roasted malts; charcoal; alcohol taste is quite reserved. 

Mouthfeel - Thick and aggressive.

Drinkability - Loved the brew and would definitely drink a bunch of it, but considering the brew sits at over 9% ABV, I'd have to take it easy.