Beer Review 24 - Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is imported from Wells and Young’s Brewing in Bedford, UK. This is one of the beers Silvie and I sampled at the Pours for Purrs in Redmond a few months back. This is a very nice stout. Pours solid black with the usual light brown foamy head. There is a nice dark chocolate aroma. Yum. They use real dark chocolate, which really comes through along with a coffee-like malt in the taste. This is a really tasty stout.

Beer Review 23 - Shiner Bock

Today’s beer is Shiner Bock, from the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX. A bock is a strong lager, with a malt presence. The Shiner is the first Bock I’ve sampled, and I like this beer, without being too impressed. It had a fizzy pour but I was unable to raise much of a head. It is cola-colored and has a pleasant aroma. It’s definitely a lager taste, but a little sweeter and malty. Strangely, there is a quite pleasant taste that hits the mouth which evaporates almost instantly, leaving you with the feeling of having just drunk seltzer. This is a low ABV brew, and the light, extremely drinkable taste, would make this a class A session beer for me. I could drink a dozen of these. Not bad. By the end of the beer I was craving another one. I’d take this over the run of the mill lager any day, although it’s not much to write home to momma about.

Beer Review 22 - St. Peter's Cream Stout

This is a sweet stout from the St. Peter's Brewery in Suffolk England. It was a gift, like many of my recent brews, from Silvie; and I'm pleased to say that it is very good. It poured almost pure black with just the barest hint of ruby red. A nice, rich, sweet coffee-like smell prepares the mouth for a nicely complex dark, roasted flavor. Coffee and molasses are noticeable. Nice, full body, with no bitterness. A quite delicious creamy stout.

Beer Review 21 - Duvel

Duvel is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale from Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat. It utilizes pilsner malt and white sugar, as well as saaz hops. As such, it has characteristics of both an ale and a pilsner. It is a golden ale, and it looks unlike any beer I've had thus far. A cloudy gold color, with a huge, white, loose-bubbled, soapy head. Seemingly endless carbonation streaming from the bottom center. There is a light, fruity aroma (citrus or pear or apple?). The taste is marvellous. Crisp, refreshing, fruity. Absolutely no bitterness or skunkiness. It tastes near to cider. Very easy-drinking; wonderful.

Beer Review 20 - Guinness Draught

Finally, I sample a tall can of Guinness Draught. This is a nitro-can which has a little widget inside (sort of like a ping-pong ball) which helps deliver a distinctive gas discharge into the beer when the can is popped open. It made a cool whistling noise and the beer poured beautifully. Nearly solid black, with the thickest of heads. Impressive looking beer. However, the taste leaves so much to be desired. This is thin, watery and bitter. Even though it was chilled it still tasted warm; yet, unlike the 250th Anniversary stout, I thought the warmness seemed to accentuate the wateriness and blandness. Geesh, just not good at all. I won't give up on Guinness, I have yet to have one drawn from a tap. But, whoa. I don't think I will be picking this up again.

Beer Review 19 - Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale

Hmm, another Brown Ale? Why not? This English Brown Ale is from the venerable Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster, England. I've already positively reviewed Sam's Imperial Stout, and I very much like this offering, too. A billowy, lacy, off-white head tops a beautiful chestnut beer. Not much for the nose here; a clean, slightly nutty smell. The taste is a battle between bitter and sweet, with a nutty undertone. Creamy mouthfeel. A little bitterness at the back of the mouth is the only false note. Rich and malty, dark and hearty. Thumbs up.

Beer Review 18 - Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Rogue Hazelnut Nrown Nectar is an American Brown Ale from Rogue Ale Brewery in Newport, OR. It has a pretty maple color in the glass with a thinnish tan head. The aroma is quite pleasing, nutty and malty. Mmm, a strong, dark flavor with a definite twinge of sweet nuttiness. I also taste molasses and honey. A malty finish. The sweetness and honey bring to mind baklava. Nothing wrong with that. I like it very much.

Beer Review 17 - Duchesse de Bourgogne

Duchesse de Bourgogne is a Flemish red ale from Brouwerij Verhaeghe in Vichte, Belgium. It is oak-aged for 18 months and then blended with 8-month old brew. Silvie bought me this beer for my birthday because she liked the picture on the label. The bottle looks like a wine bottle, and has a cork and wire hood. I popped the cork and poured out a tall glass. It had a nice, clean fruity smell and a tiny stubborn head. Great ruby red color. And, damn, what a taste! Fruity, nice body, sour finish. Almost more like wine than beer. Just incredible. I absolutely loved this beer and can’t wait to try more Belgian brews. Bring ‘em on!

Beer Review 16 - Anchor Steam Beer

Anchor Steam comes from Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, California. This is a traditional West Coast brew which uses lager yeasts brewed at ale fermentation temperatures. It’s really a nice-bodied lager. It is a gorgeous amber color with a spunky, tiny-bubbled head. The smell is earthy/grassy, not much to recommend it. But, man, this beer tastes fantastic. Eminently drinkable, smooth, not too fizzy, with a nice citrus and malt flavor. Just plain delicious. Try one.

Beer Review 15 - Guinness Extra Stout

Guinness Extra Stout. Whoa, I bit off more than I could chew with this stout. I bought a 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle from the grocery store and was eager to try it, as I really enjoyed the 250th Anniversary version. This Extra Stout poured pure black with the customary thick, caramel-colored head. But from the first mouthful I knew I was in trouble. My tastebuds were overwhelmed by the powerful bitterness and it was a chore (sorry to say) to even finish it. I have yet to try the Guinness Draught (there is a can chilling in my fridge now) but I really just could not handle this beer. A disappointment after enjoying the Samuel Smith Imperial Stout. Oh well. Can’t win ‘em all.

Beer Review 14 - Abita Amber

Abita Amber is the flagship beer of the Abita Brewing Company in Abita Springs, Louisiana. It is a Munich style lager, brewed from crystal malt and Perle hops. It’s a very tasty beer. The smell is heavenly, spicy with a touch of caramel; and this is borne out in the flavor as well. A nicely smooth, malty beer with medium body and a great clean finish. Thumbs up for this one.

Beer Review 13 - Tecate

This beer is Tecate, brewed by Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma and named after the town of Tecate in Baja California, where it was originally brewed. It tastes to me like the Budweiser of Mexico. Pretty basic pale lager. Bitter, bland, uninspired; yet it goes down smoother the more you drink. Hmm, seems like I’ve been here before…. Not a horrible beer, but I think I’m getting too used to things like flavor and character. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll have this beer again, especially when I’m putting away a sweet homemade quesadilla (like I did tonight).

Beer Review 12 - Orval Trappist Ale

I’m trying my first Trappist beer, the highly regarded Orval Trappist Ale from the Abbaye Notre-Dame d’Orval monastery in the Gaume region of Belgium. This is a complex beer with a distinctive flavor produced by a unique yeast strain. I poured this beer to raise a head, but I should have done my research first. What a dense, stubborn, beautiful pillow of froth! Incredible. There was a hoppy aroma which was quite agreeable. The first taste was a surprise – such an unusual citrusy-yet-earthy taste. Very fizzy, very hoppy, and a nice smooth drink from start to finish. I’ve read a lot about balance in beer, but this is the first I’ve really tasted it. Definite hoppy bitterness, yet the citrus balances the hops very nicely. I was impressed by this beer, and I imagine I’ll have another at some point. I haven’t spoken of price yet in my reviews, but it bears mentioning that this beer was $6.75 for an 11.2 oz bottle at my local specialty beer house. I truly don’t mind spending a bit in order to taste a rare beer, but I can’t help but let that steep price affect my review, even if just a bit. The price point is just too steep to make this a regular buy. It is one of the best beers I’ve had so far, though. Nice aftertaste. I feel like my tastebuds have been primed for another one. Okay, where’s my wallet?

Beer Review 11 - Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout

Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout. This dark beer comes from the Samuel Smith Brewery in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, England. This is the second dark beer I’ve tried, and would put it on par with the Guinness 250 I tried earlier. This one actually poured much darker, pure black. High ABV, too. It had a coffee smell and an impressive thick caramel-colored head. This beer tasted dark and roasty, with a little extra-dark chocolate and coffee too. Then I recognized a dark rye flavor. I enjoyed it. It left no bad aftertaste at all, and got much better as I got through the glass. I could definitely see how this would be good warm as well. Wow, what a dark, complex beer. One of the best ones I’ve had thus far.

Beer Review 10 - Bridgeport IPA

The next beer is the celebrated Bridgeport IPA from down the I-5 in Portland. This is a multiple award-winning beer. Nice head, great lacing, good sweet aroma. Hmm, bitterness. I did not have a good initial response to the taste, and the bitterness is intensifying in the aftertaste. I might at this point suspect that I’m not a pale/amber ale kind of guy. It somewhat bothers me when I dislike a beer that gets such rave reviews, but I just don’t care for this one.

Beer Review 9 - Bohemia Clasica

Today’s beer is another import, Mexico’s most awarded beer (or so they say), Bohemia. This is a pale lager. It pours quite yellow, has a thin head with minimal stickiness, and slight predictable lager smell. It is quite fizzy and has a nice crisp bite to it. A wheat flavor too, perhaps. There is no skunkiness, and a nice smooth aftertaste. A refreshing lager. Mmm, nothing wrong with this beer. Check it out.

Beer Review 8 - Redhook ESB

Next, I’m sampling a local staple, the Redhook ESB. Redhook is a Seattle-born brewery which now operates in Woodinville, WA and Portsmouth, NH. I’ve been to the brewery in Woodinville, with Silvie and my mom and brother, but it was crowded and a bit of a wait for the next tour, so we went to a nearby winery instead. ESB is Redhook’s flagship beer, and stands for Extra Special Bitter. A bitter beer is a pale ale, and an ESB is a stronger bitter. The Redhook ESB pours nicely, with an amber color and a creamy head. I taste slight honey and bitter hops. There is an unfortunate, almost metallic, coppery smell and taste, as if a roll of pennies were soaking at the bottom. Not thrilled. And the bitter pill taste lingers. Hmm. I don’t feel too bad about missing that tour.

Beer Review 7 - Smithwick's Irish Ale

Today, I’m trying my first Irish Red Ale, and it’s Smithwick’s (pronounced “Smitticks” or “Smithicks”), from Ireland’s oldest operating brewery, founded in 1710. Nowadays, it is owned by Diageo, which also owns Guinness. Red ales get their distinctive color from a bit of roasted barley, and this is certainly one of the most beautiful beers I’ve poured thus far. The color is deep red, the head nice, and lacing impressive. There was little in the way of aroma and the first taste was underwhelming. It was quite bitter and earthy, although the bitterness did not last and turned into a not-unpleasant caramel flavor. Medium-bodied. Slightly fizzy. I would not whole-heartedly recommend it based on my first bottle, but I’d definitely try it again. Middle-of-the-road but somehow intriguing.