Hello all!
Thanks for your continued interest in this little journey into the world of beer! I'm thoroughly enjoying it and I hope you are too!
Anyway, if anyone reading is a tweeter, I've just started a twitter account where I'll be announcing updates regarding new and coming content about this blog... so spread the word and drop me a line if you're so inclined! I'd love to hear from you!
Cheers!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Headstrong Pale Ale
Headstrong Pale Ale
Big Hole Brewing Company, Utica, New York - Pale Ale
Wednesday 18 April 2012 – 5.5%Alc./Vol. 88 / 100
Initial Thoughts
Fairly interesting woodgrain finished can. An American beer called "Headstrong"... I can barely contain my excitement... Ho-hum… But hang about, in the glass this looks the part one-hundred percent! A really pretty, dark amber color with a nice foamy long lasting head!
First Sip
100% legit! Pure pale ale. Nice complexity of hops reppin' the vibrant brewing industry of up-state New York!
Halfway Through
Very possibly the best head I've seen on a beer (easy Guinness fans, easy...) Truly a fantastic portrayal of a Pale Ale. Not regretting this one bit…
Bottoms Up
Great stuff! Deliciously satisfying in the way that a quality ale ought to be! One of the best pale ales out of North America. Seriously though, the head on this beer is so good it shoulda been an astrophysicist… Well balanced, overall a total winner!
More information...
Gösser
Gösser
Brau Union Österreich, Linz, Austria - Lager
Thursday 19 April 2012 – 5.2%Alc./Vol. 78 / 100
Initial Thoughts
Contained in an eye-catching, metallic green, traditionally styled euro-look, can. Pour it and discover a bright amber liquid below a fast white head. Austria's finest beer… just read the label it'll tell ya so right there!
First Sip
Lagerific! Tastes like an easy going German pilsner! No offense Austria... I like German pilsners...
Halfway Through
Gösser is just a touch sweeter than other lagers from that area of the world. Not a lot mind you, just a little bit.
Bottoms Up
Overall a nicely drinkable lager. Most beer drinkers should find Gösser a pleasant option along the lines of a Heineken or Bitburger, possibly a bit more of a moderate crowd pleaser than some of it's more assertive cohorts.
More information...
Lancaster Bomber
Lancaster Bomber
Daniel Thwaites, Blackburn, Lancashire, U.K. - English Ale
Friday 20 April 2012 – 4.4%Alc./Vol. 85 / 100
Initial Thoughts
Lancaster Bomber comes dressed in a fantastic blue can with a large stylized bomber emblem. The beer itself is a terrific patina copper color with the typical small slow-moving bubbles oft located within a true English ale.
Terrific smell of fresh hops trumpets the pouring of the Bomber into a glass.
First Sip
Nice slow effervescence, mild initial malt and hop flavors with a wonderful late mouth bitterness.
Halfway Through
This is a terrific example of why I love English ale!
Bottoms Up
Easy drinkability with moderate alcohol content definitely the sort of thing you could enjoy one or three of at your favorite pub before a nice walk home!
More information...
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Molson M
Molson M
Molson Coors, Canada - Microcarbonated Lager
Saturday 13 April 2012 – 4.9%Alc./Vol. 77 / 100
Initial Thoughts
A clean, modern looking label theme, pale amber, small lazy bubles... "Microcarbonation" I presume? A really nice thick white foam of head...
First Sip
A wonderful first impression! Very smooth with a nice sort of fresh bread sort of thing going on...
Halfway Through
A surprisingly smooth lager! Really reminds me of some of the local Cornish ales I had when I last visited that beautiful region in southern England! Great stuff!
Bottoms Up
A very satisfying beer! From one of the world's largest brewing concerns... M is a great one to have in the fridge... It's wonderful flavours and easy drinking quality make it a really handy, all-purpose sort of beer.
More information...
Hockley Black & Tan
Hockley Black & Tan
Hockley Valley Brewing Co., Orangeville, Ontario, Canada - Black & Tan
Thursday 13 April 2012 – 4.7%Alc./Vol. 83 / 100
Initial Thoughts
Typical Hockley packaging. A little bit dressier than the others perhaps… A Black & Tan can for the Black & Tan beer… pour it in a glass and it's, wait for it... black with a tan head! Neat eh?
First Sip
Woah! You like malt? If so the line forms here! Great malt, nearly absent of bitterness with a nice sweet character.
Halfway Through
Really nice! Developing a little bit away from the sweet tone and filling out with a wonderful roasted quality and an emerging bitterness.
Bottoms Up
A thoroughly satisfying beer. A great depth and quality of pleasant flavors characteristic of the good folks at Hockley!
More information...
Warka
Warka - Strong
Warka Brewery, Warka, Poland - Strong Beer
Wednesday 12 April 2012 – 7%Alc./Vol. 71 / 100
Initial Thoughts
A big 500ml bottle with a very traditional black and gold label and a guy with a mustache! Does it get any better? Hold the phone… 7 percent alcohol by volume oh my…
First Sip
Coppery gold colored liquid with nice lazy bubbles. This is a beautiful beer to behold... Wow! Equal parts bitterness and sweetness. I guess this is how you make a very strong beer sneak up on people…
Halfway Through
The strong flavor is a necessity in order to stand up to the high alcohol content. Higher alcohol beers can have a numbing effect on taste-buds but the assertive nature of Warka is shining through.
Bottoms Up
When a tumbler of vodka seems a mite mundane, Warka makes a nice potent diversion. Pushing the alcoholic limits of "beer" perhaps touching the bottom end of what might be barley wine or malt liquor territory Warka makes a pleasant job of delivering more punch per pound than most other beers out there. Careful moderation required if you intend to drive, ride a bicycle or otherwise engage in any other form of conveyance after enjoying more than one of these mustachioed bottles!
More information...
www.grupazywiec.pl (Polish site)
Żubr
Żubr
Kompania Piwowarska SA, Poznań, Poland - Strong Beer
Wednesday 11 April 2012 – 5.6%Alc./Vol. 69 / 100
Initial Thoughts
A handsome, classic looking beer. Bright golden color with a white foamy head. Another robust Polish brew. At 5.6% alcohol, in typical Polish fashion, it's a tad more punchy than the rest of the crowd.
First Sip
Very true to a lager, almost pilsner-like. If anything this beer has a slightly watery character for a European lager of the apparent potency of Żubr.
Halfway Through
Moderately bitter, a nice middle of the road classic lager sort of thing but perhaps a little thin in the overall flavor department.
Bottoms Up
A big friendly Polish lager for the Coors Light crowd when they get to feeling adventurous... For the rest of the beer drinking world Żubr is simply a moderate euro- style lager which would probably make a lot of friends at a summer pool party or barbecue.
More information...
www.zubr.pl (Polish site)
Lezajsk
Lezajsk
Browar Lezajsk, Lezajsk, Poland - Lager
Tuesday 10 April 2012 – 5.5%Alc./Vol. 80 / 100
Initial Thoughts
A classic European style bottle with gold and blue writing. Another Polski piwo! So King Zygmunt of Poland gave exclusive rights to this brewery in 1525, interesting… If it wasn't for my semi-Polish heritage I would've opened the bottle by now... an award winner, cool… Nice medium gold color with a bone white head. As soon as I pour this in the glass the fragrance is notable! A little bit like a freshly peeled oranges!
First Sip
Refreshing smelling and only mildly bitter, a really fine pilsner style lager! Truly quite enjoyable!
Halfway Through
I have to say I'm really enjoying this… it's tough to point out anything particularly different about this beer. Other than it seems to tick all the boxes of a really good lager! Yum!
Bottoms Up
Not a show stopper but every bit a solid lager. If Lezajsk has anything outstanding it is just that it is a really well represented, make no apologies (though none are needed) Lager. Good stuff that any beer liver will find highly drinkable for any occasion.
More information...
Monday, April 9, 2012
Sleeman Honey Brown
Sleeman Honey Brown
Sleeman Breweries Ltd., Guelph, Ontario, Canada - Lager
Sunday 8 April 2012 – 5.2%Alc./Vol. 79 / 100
Initial Thoughts
Fantastic, a real Sleeman! Honey Brown is my youngest brother's favorite beer... Packaged in the proper Sleeman clear glass bottle with their minimalist paper bottleneck label... A very handsome beer, with a nice brown-amber color. Lots of small fast moving bubbles racing to the top...
First Sip
Only slightly bitter. All the flavor of honey with only a touch of sweetness, very nice.
Halfway Through
A really airy beer... not quite gassy, just really bubbly. Not unpleasantly so...
Bottoms Up
Sleeman Honey Brown presents really well from top to bottom. The active effervescence maintains a nice foamy layer of head all the way, which is a nice touch! A decent beer for sure. Nice to drink, even nicer to look at. Kudos Mr. Sleeman, kudos.
More information...
Corona Extra
Corona Extra
Cerveceria Modelo S. A., Mexico - Pilsner
Thursday 5 April 2012 – 4.6%Alc./Vol. 69 / 100
Initial Thoughts
La Cerveza Mas Fina! A long standing summertime favorite, Corona is a little challenging to review as it's a beer, that officially or otherwise, is nearly always enjoyed with the addition of lime (or lemon). Pale amber Mexican pilsner... good times!
First Sip
Ideally cold, refreshing and with just a trace of fresh lime juice, great stuff!
Halfway Through
Summer’s coming. Just never fast enough... almost wishing for a sunburn at this point...
Bottoms Up
The classic summertime refreshment! Seriously though, what could be more refreshing than an ice-cold, easy-drinking Mexican pilsner with a bit of lemon or lime juice thrown in to the mix? Not something you’d want to drink under all circumstances, but you don’t wear a bikini to the theatre either...
More information...
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Coors Light
Coors Light
Coors Brewing Company, Golden, Colorado, USA - Beerish
Wednesday 4 April 2012 – 4%Alc./Vol. 33 / 100
Initial Thoughts
The Silver Bullet! Oh boy… how exactly do they do this thing called "Cold Certified"? Not bad color… In fact it "looks" more like beer than Budweiser...
First Sip
Fizzy, and in spite of the "cold certification" not terribly cool… tastes like beer with soda water. Actually, beer-ish… with soda water.
Halfway Through
Ho-hum…
Bottoms Up
The Kardashian’s never had to put Kim in an outfit that would change color when she was gorgeous or pay a modest GDP for Superbowl ad time to generate interest in their daughter's affections... Just saying'…
More information...
Budweiser
Budweiser
Anheuser-Busch Inc, Planet Earth - Lager
Wednesday 4 April 2012 – 5%Alc./Vol. 52 / 100
Initial Thoughts
The crown jewel of the Anheuser-Busch empire. The same globally recognized design on the label. "The King of Beers"… I'm shaking in my boots. Pale, but bright golden color beneath a quickly disappearing white head.
First Sip
Very mild, only the slightest traces of bitterness of hops or sweetness of malt. Pleasantly refreshing to be fair. Tastes like beer but with very little character…
Halfway Through
Budweiser is easy enough to drink, but there is not a whole lot for hardcore beer drinkers to admire. The flavor of Bud (what little flavor there is) fades quickly as the beer disappears from the glass. The best sip was the first one at this point.
Bottoms Up
Not terribly satisfying. Sort of tastes like beer, sort of looks like beer, you burp when you drink it. But that's about it. Think mil-spec. Somebody, somewhere far from the trenches came up with the idea that if your looking for a beer this will do.
More information...
Orange Peel Ale
Orange Peel Ale
Great Lakes Brewery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Novelty Ale
Saturday 31 March 2012 – 5.3%Alc./Vol. 79 / 100
Initial Thoughts
Great big brown glass bottle with a painted label. Medium light amber brew with a decent head. Nice, light, orangey-citrusy smell...
First Sip
Not as fruity as you might expect, but good. Not as complex as some other offerings from Great Lakes Brewery.
Halfway Through
Orange Peel Ale doesn’t taste terribly sweet. It is a little bit sweet but has a nice smooth feel in the mouth, not quite syrupy but sort of syrupish... Good hop presence.
Bottoms Up
Overall not bad. Not as show-stopping as Pumpkin Ale from Great Lakes Brewery, but a really decent beer nonetheless.
More information...
Tyskie Lager
Tyskie
Kompania Piwowarska S. A., Poznan, Poland - Lager
Friday 30 March 2012 – 5.5%Alc./Vol. 72 / 100
Initial Thoughts
Big traditional European flair on the label. Red, white and gold. Polish beer! This ought to be fun! Pale gold beer with a rapidly forming and vanishing head of white.
First Sip
A pleasant smelling beer, with a slightly metallic taste not unusual in European lagers. A nice smooth almost soft bitterness, if that makes any sense...
Halfway Through
Tyskie is proving itself moderately delicious but there isn’t a whole lot going on. The smooth bitterness is hanging in well enough.
Bottoms Up
This is a fairly typical example of a Polish lager. Overall not bad. A nice change, or something perhaps a little different for people who like staying fairly close to home with the beer selection.
More information...
Lug Tread
Lug Tread
Beau’s All Natural Brewing, Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Canada - Lagered Ale
Tuesday 4 April 2012 – 5.2%Alc./Vol. 93 / 100
Initial Thoughts
Terrific presentation! 600ml brown branded glass. Old fashioned paper labels front and back. The colour of beer with a light fluffy head. And organic! Lagered Ale... what is this fascinating beast? Curious stuff…
First Sip
This is a cool brew! Delicious. Refreshing. A little unusual. It's smooth like a really good ale but with the sorts of flavours you tend to find in a lager.
Halfway Through
It's almost hard to believe that this beer is made only of the traditional four ingredients; water, barley, hops and yeast... and all natural versions of them to boot! It's got a smooth, yet full, mouthful of flavours, with a slightly sweet character… nice!
Bottoms Up
Lug Tread could very well be the best organic beer available. It's so good it might be the best beer you've never tasted, until now… Grab one, it just might become your favorite organic Lagered Ale of all!
More information...
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