CS Booze Club.

[Jester]

Thansal, Hoegaarden is deeelicious, and is NOT one of the Belgian beers I think tastes too "Belgiany." I tend to find that more in things listed as "Belgian-style strong ale" or "tripel" or "quad" or "Trappist." Belgian whites (or wits as they are called) rarely turn me off. They are simply the Belgian cousin of the German hefeweizen, which I love dearly.

As for a white not going with ice cream, oh, I must respectfully disagree. I think that it would make perfect sense, as it is already somewhat creamy itself. Yeah, I can see where the citrus element might make you think "I dunno about this," but overall, what you described sounds yummy as all hell.

I tried it - it is as bad as you say - i took one sip, hmm.. odd... took a 2nd sip...no, ick!

I tried to lick the flavor off my tongue, and my dad asked me if i needed a Guinness (extra stout) to rinse the flavor out .... I said "maybe"

Helpful drinker's hint: if you ever have a beer or booze that is just so dreadfully awful that you are considering resorting to an ice scraper to get the flavor off your tongue, try grabbing a pickle spear. A good pickle, in my experience, will kill off 98% of all bad tastes.

Of course, if you don't like pickles, I got nothing for you.

(i don't drink stouts, or most dark beers, I prefer ambers and reds, and belgian wheats)

If you like Belgian wheats, you make want to try some American wheats, some German hefeweizens, and Coedo wheat from Japan. Just a thought.

[Jester]

Time for another new beer! Excuse me while I rummage around in my fridge's Dedicated Craft Beer Shelf....

Ah, here we go! Collaboration Not Litigation Ale, Batch #6. While Avery Brewing is the brewer listed on the label, that is only half the story, as this is a collaborative effort between Avery and Russian River Brewing. When they discovered that they both had beers they had named Salvation, rather than fight over the name, they decided to blend the two in a collaborative effort, and see what happened. This is, according to the label, a Belgian style ale. While not always my favorite style, I figure I'll try anything...and how can you resist the name? (And I do believe I've had another batch from this same lineup a few years ago....)

The color is dark red, almost rust, but with some odd hints of pink in it. Yeah, I know, I'm slightly color blind, but I challenge anyone to tell me that that is NOT what I'm seeing in here. (I usually have troubles seeing pinks, so if I AM seeing it, it is probably there!)

The nose is somehow both rich and light, as well as very fresh. And, of course, that hint of what I can only describe as Belgian-ness, and have yet to figure out just what it IS, exactly. One day...

First sip....hold on. Wait a minute. This is...different. One moment, please.

Second sip. You'll have to excuse me as I pause this review temporarily, as I find it absolutely necessary to go outside and bow in the direction of Avery and Russian River. I'll be right back.





[Muzak heavy metal punk polka marching band mariachi hip hop music plays in the background]







Sorry. Sometimes things are just absolute MUSTS.

Now, back to this beer. How shall I put it? Extraordinary? No. Overused. Brilliant? Nah. Guinness pretty much co-opted that for their hilarious commercials a while back. Amazing? Nope. Sounds like a circus act. Wait...I've got it.

WOW! HOLY BEER GODS, THIS IS WHAT BEER IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT!

Yeah, that about covers it. That, and I plan on trolling on down to the Beer Monger's as soon as they are open to get whatever bottles they have left of this utterly genius brew.

It is Belgian, no doubt. But tempered by a light sweetness, a gentle fruitiness, all working in harmony to make your taste buds stand at attention, beg for more, and that salute smartly after more is delivered.

The score is a no brainer. Easy 9. And I almost never give 9's. Find this beer. Buy this beer. Drink this beer. Thank me when you recover from this beer. (It comes in 22 oz. bottles, and is 8.7% ABV.)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to spend some quality time with my DVR, ignoring the real world while I thoroughly enjoy this top notch beer.



So, yeah, if you're still reading, do you mind? Can't a guy and his beer have some privacy? Come on, you in the back...time to go, dude. Have some respect!


EDITED TO ADD: Okay, I have to admit, the sweetness of the beer grows as you drink it. At least it did with me. Does that mean this beer is not awesome? Please. Of course it is. But I have to admit, a small bit of the sparkle wore off as I worked my way through that 22 ounces, and I know I could not drink that beer every day. And I have to downgrade the score slightly, from an very rare 9 to a still damn impressive 8.5. Still a great, great beer. Just slightly less great after a whole huge bottle of it. But still gonna go buy whatever's left of it at the Beer Monger's.

[Jester]

Another new beer review?

Well, if you insist, sure!

From Southern Tier Breweryin Lakewood, New York, we have Iniquity Imperial Black Ale. I am pretty sure I have had this one before, at a bar in Fort Lauderdale, but not sure if (A) I took notes, or (B) whether those notes were worth a damn, or (C) whether those notes made it to this thread. If so, I apologize for the repeat. If not, well, to blatantly steal from those pinheads writing Bud Light commercials, here....we....go....

(Or as I prefer to think, to steal blatantly from that brilliant song by Jane's Addiction, "HERE WE GOOO!!!!")

First the appearance. This black ale is not actually black. Sure, it appears black from many angles, but if you get it in the right light, you see it is actually a very dark brown with reddish hues. A minor point to some, but as someone who likes beer so dark that you fear its gravity will swallow the planet, it's not so minor to me.

Nose? In spades. Maltiness so strong it hit me from a good distance away when I was pouring it, before I even attempted to smell it. And yet, once in the glass, the maltiness seems almost tender, subtle, and restrained. Almost.

Taste? Malty, smoky, peppery, chocolatey, slightly bitter, slightly creamy, but all of these in harmonious balance. And yet despite all this, despite the darkness, the mouthfeel is almost watery. Not quite, mind you, but definitely lighter and less viscious than you expect from such a dark beer.

Intriguing.

Further study should be done. Fortunately for me, this is another beer that came in a big bomber bottle.

If my mom liked beer (she doesn't), she might like this, as the bittersweet taste of dark chocolate is there, but like most of the flavors, not overpowering. This beer takes "balance" to a whole new level.

Verdict: An interesting, intriguing, precisely balanced dark brew that is sure to turn some heads, both for its boldness and its subtlety, which here are not contradictory, but complementary. Score: a sneaky and iniquitous 8.

[Jester]

I have laundry in the dryer I need to fold.

NEW BEER TIME!

From Victory Brewing in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, we have Storm King Imperial Stout. I should start out by stating that I have generally not enjoyed Victory's offerings, with the notable exception of their Golden Monkey, which is simply an exquisite Belgian style ale.

But back to the Storm King. Good start. Pours very much like motor oil (though a bit thinner than many other beers that do the same), and is very, very dark, black really, with a lovely light tan head, somewhat creamy in appearance. The nose is subtle, but has definite notes of roasted malt, bittersweet dark chocolate, and coffee. Hints, really, but hinting at what?

The coffee element really doesn't come through at all in the taste, which is predominantly the bittersweet taste of roasted malt, with a little mocha in there, and perhaps a touch of smoke. It is slightly sweet on the tongue, but leaves a surprisingly pleasant bitter finish.

To enjoy this beer, you must enjoy some bitterness. This is no porter or hefeweizen here. This is a STOUT. Both in style and strength--it's 9.1% ABV. It's been a while since I've had a really good new stout, and this is really, really good. It has some great elements I've had in other beers before, but never all together in one beer. It is rich without being sweet, bitter without being pungent, creamy without being milk, and while it is not chocolatey, there is the slightest hint of cocoa, perhaps even cocoa nibs, to bring everything into balance.

This is a delicious stout, meant to be savored slowly, probably with friends over long and intelligent discussions about politics, philosophy, sports, family, and the way of the universe. This is a Beer Drinker's Beer, as well as a Thinking Man's Beer. As I consider myself to be both, this is definitely my kind of beer.

Final score? This is tough. For once, I am going to wait on scoring it until I have drank the whole thing, and see where it takes me. I do know that this is a very special beer, and I advise you to get it if you like dark beers that are beautiful, rich, regal, and self-assured, for this is all of those.

Final score....in about a beer or so......






Enjoyed the beer for quite some time, then went to bed. (Everything before this paragraph was written last night.) Kinda forgot to finish this post. But the final score was an easy 8.5. An extraordinary beer.

[Jester]

I enjoyed Victory's Storm King Stout so much that I just had to break open another bottle I had sitting in my fridge from Victory: Baltic Thunder Baltic Porter. This is a big bomber bottle, so I really hope I enjoy it!

Visually it's black with a hint of brown, i.e., more of a chocolate black than a obsidion black, if that makes sense. Not much head, and poured a little thinner than I would expect from a porter, but looks good.

Now, the nose hit me as I was pouring it, even before I fully had a handle on the color. Dark, rich, cocoa, mocha, hint of cocoa. Smells delightful. Very promising.

First the bad news. Just as it poured thin for a porter, it feels thin, texturally. It doesn't have the rich full mouthfeel or thick texture one expects from a lot of dark beers.

Now the good news: The above paragraph doesn't matter. This is a rich, bold tasting beer with all the flavors of the nose, and more, perhaps with some brown sugar and molasses joining the party. For a fan of porter, this is a lovely one, and other than its rather watery texture, this is an excellent example of the style. Victory is quickly going from a brewery I didn't like with one great beer to a brewery I really like with some beers I don't care for.

Score: 8. And I DID deduct for its thinness....that is how tasty this damn beer is. Get some. Now. But not mine. Leave mine alone. I'm gonna enjoy it along with some Top Gear, for that is what manly men do: drink dark beer and watch idiots with cars.

[Jester]

After months of talking about it in theory, and because she and her husband are moving out of state next week, yesterday my friend SP and I went on a Craft Beer Bar Crawl yesterday, visiting five different bars and sampling various different craft beers. Armed with a great pad that a friend got me for my birthday last year, which has sheets of paper to help you rate your beer (you can find such pads here), we had a blast trying beers, most of them new to her, some of them new to me. She followed my lead and basically designated me the "Beer Guide," which was fine by me, and we quickly discovered that her tastes and mine do not always coincide. However, I did introduce her to a new style of beer for her, which she loved, which happens to be my favorite style of beer, hefeweizen. She LOVED Franziskaner, but only somewhat liked Hacker-Pschorr, which kinda shocked me, as I think the latter is far superior to the former, but both are lovely. Also, she didn't care for the richer darker beers I love, though she surprised herself by enjoying a couple lighter dark beers. (A beer can be dark in color and/or style, but still be light in body.) And she likes IPAs, which generally I don't.

Amusingly, many things we meant to try weren't available, or not at the bars we were at, so we found ourselves improvising a lot, which was just fine, as we had no real schedule or agenda to keep.

All in all, it was a blast, sort of a mini-Beercation at home, and something I highly recommend to those of you that want to just have a day off of fun and beer exploration. Though I would recommend that if you don't live in a small town where you can walk everywhere, as we did, that you either use public transpo or a designated driver to get from bar to bar.

And if any of you do this, please report back here....I am sure I am not the only one that would love to hear about your experience. (My full report on the beers will be forthcoming, once I coax SP's notes from her.....)

[Jester]

I don't know what to expect from my next beer. The brewer has never really blown me away with any of their products, but this is supposed to be one of their best beers. It's a yearly project, and every year it changes.

From Schmaltz Brewing's He'brew Beer line comes Jewbilation 15. Every year they change the number, not merely to reflect each year they've been doing this, but to represent the fact that they use 15 different malts AND 15 different hops in it. As if THAT wasn't, enough, they have brewed it to 15% ABV. And it comes in a big bomber bottle. In other words, this is not at all the little skinny Jewish kid that got sand kicked in his face every summer on the beach, but a really big hitter one should be wary of. VERY wary of. And here, I am going to try to drink it and remain conscious while watching an hour of Master Chef. This oughtta be FUN!

It pours almost like motor oil, but a bit thinner, and the color is utterly black, with a very light creamy tan head that dissipates very quickly.

The nose is dark, malty, and rich, yet subtle and refined. In the words of Darth Vader, "Impressive. Very impressive."

Hmmm. Well now. The taste is not as malty, but very rich, with undertones of coffee, but a very strong liquor-esque taste to it, as many high alcohol beers will have.

The good news is that this is probably the best offering I've had from He'brew. The bad news is the liquor overtones are very sweet, and take away from the otherwise very nice flavors of 15. But before I make a final decision and score, I will take some time with it while I watch the aforementioned cooking program, and see if my impression of 15 improves to making it a full-on mensch, or deteriorates to my viewing it as a complete schmuck. (Or possibly stays where it is....)


Well, drank half the bottle while watching Master Chef, and I have to say that He'brew continues to be impressively unimpressive. It's not that they make bad beer, just that they make beer that is good, but in the end, not memorable or in any way extraordinary. It's like that date you had that went really well, but when you never heard from them again, you weren't upset, or surprised, and actually had trouble remembering their name. It just....was.

15 is a beer that falls victim to the problem many high alcohol beers do, that being that the liquor-like taste dominates the flavor, and in the end, it just isn't all that distinctive. And while I don't really mind finishing the second half of the bottle, the problem is, I have a SECOND big bomber of it. Can't say it's going to be a bottle I'll hurrying to crack.

Final Score: 6. First date was entertaining, but don't bother calling me back.

[Jester]

Time for something different.....a new CIDER.

Tonight from Angry Orchard I have their Apple Ginger Hard Cider. Now, to be honest, I have had AO's regular hard cider, and was very unimpressed with it. But on a whim, I bought this bottle from my Beer Monger's going out of business sale, figuring, "Why not?"

It's color is interesting. It's light, don't get me wrong, but kind of a dark light amber, darker than most ciders, and even darker than a lot of beers. It looks....angry.

The nose, on the other hand, is standard hard cider. Lots of apples, some sweetness, nothing to make you stand up and go, "Helllooooo, Nurse!" I am getting no ginger aroma at all.

So a great look but a boring smell. Guess there's nothing left but to taste it.

Interesting. And not at all what I was expecting. Still not really getting any ginger, but the taste is bold, not wussy like so many ciders. And it is not nearly as annoyingly sweet as the standard AO cider. It is actually rather tasty. Assertive, even. Strong tasty appleness with some sweetness, but not too much. Is this my favorite cider? No. Do I prefer this to many ciders I have had, such as Strongbow and Magner's? Surprisingly, yes.

Well done, AO, from a bottle I was expecting little to nothing from. Score: 7.

[Jester]

Weihenstephaner Korbinian. Mmmmmmmm.........screw Calgon, this stuff takes my stress away.


But now that that's done, time for a new beer. From Xbeeriment (as in a beer experiment), we have Black Force One (seriously, I can't make these names up), a smoked imperial stout from Denmark, which weighs in at a considerable 10.4% ABV. And, while Xbeeriment is the label and apparently the company of record, the label clearly states that this was brewed and bottled for Xbeeriment by Amager Bryghus.

As always, first we have the appearance. And this one truly pours like motor oil. Sweet, delicious motor oil. At least I hope. Black as the decor in a heavy metal guitarist's basement bedroom, BFO has a caramel colored head, that looks both creamy and very, very thin.

The nose, while not overpowering, is heavy on the roasted malt, with hints of smoke, chocolate, and coffee. Kinda smells like a winter day stuck inside to keep warm. If, of course, we had winters down here to stay inside to keep warm from.

The taste is very interesting. Very rich, very dark, with strong notes of roasted malt and bittersweet dark chocolate, along with subtler notes of smoke, coffee, and rich milk chocolate, the last especially obvious on the finish.

This is not a beer for people who want to try out a dark beer. This is a beer for people who already know they love dark beer. It is thick, obvious in some ways yet subtle in others, bitter, yet chocolatey and creamy. The best way I could explain it is, if you've ever had real, thick, rich homemade hot chocolate (or hot cocoa to some of you) and it just warms your bones in every way and makes you smile....this is the cold dark carbonated beer version of that. I could see maybe even tossing some marshmallows in here for contrast. (No...seriously.)

This is a beer to be savored and enjoyed slowly, not merely because it is big, somewhat expensive, and strong in alcohol, but because it is just too good to swill, and too dark to even attempt to chug.

My final score: 8.

EDITED TO ADD: A lot of times when reviewing beer, I can't always figure out what kind of food the beer would go well with, as opposed to other kinds. Some beers lend themselves to lots of foods, some to very few. I don't have that problem, however, with Black Force One. This is a Meat Eater's Beer, and would go great with a thick charbroiled steak, grill pork chops, a nice hearty pork tenderloin, or perhaps some game meat like venison or bison. Also would go well with hearty dishes like pot roast and shepherd's pie. Oh, and I could really see chasing down a good liver and onions dinner with BFO. Or a good bacon-wrapped meat loaf. You get the idea.

[Jester]

So my Boss recently went on vacation with his family to his wife's faraway homeland, Oregon. Tis a strange and beautiful land which produces bounteous craft beer. So I was rather thrilled when Boss told me he had brought some back from a particular brewery. And even more thrilled when Boss gave me a couple of bottles to try out, as he wanted to see what I thought of them.

So now, from the foreign, exotic land that is Oregon (or, as the natives pronounce it, "Oraginn"), I have a couple of beers to try. Both are dark, both come in 22 oz. bottles, and both are from Pelican Pub & Brewery in Pacific City, Oregon. (At least, that's what the bottles claim.)

First up, we have Doryman's Dark Ale. It is a dark brown with hints of red, and a clarity that is unusual in a dark beer. The nose is smooth, malty, rich, slightly sweet, with hints of something I can only call autumn.

Wow. [crinkled brow] Wow. Interesting. This is an almost an amber, as it has an odd hop bite to it that you don't expect in a dark beer, and that is not obvious on the nose. However, the hoppiness is slight, and is well met with rich dark flavors of roasted malt, roasted nut, light brown sugar, and a hint of bittersweet cocoa.

I like this. I don't LOVE it, but I do like it. A very interesting beer. And now that I've read the bottle more thoroughly, I see it is actually a brown. (I never read any literature that may be on the label, as I don't want to be unduly influenced by a brewery's marketing department's spin on the beer.) An unusually hoppy brown. Which is to say it has a slight hop bite to it, as most browns have very little if any hops obvious to the taste. It is as if a brown and an amber had an illegitimate child that hid away for a while, only to flourish on its own when it finally came out into the world.

This beer would go very well with pot roasts, casseroles, sheherd's pie, or most comfort foods or one pot dishes. It might get a little buried by some of the more robust meat dishes out there, but overall, I think it could hold its own on many of the heartier entrees. And it smell of autumn because this would be a great beer to drink in the autumn....well, in places that actually HAVE an autumn, and aren't actually small tropical islands in the Caribbean.

I shall enjoy this for a while (that while being until it's done), and then I shall shift my attentions to the other beer, which is, I know, a stout of some sort.



Actually, it didn't quite happen that way. I enjoyed that beer....and then promptly fell asleep, after a long, long day. My final impression of the beer is that, while it's a nice brown, the hoppiness is a bit offputting. I think it can be done, don't get me wrong--I've had a hefeweizen that had some hoppiness added that was awesome--but in this case, it was just okay. Final score: 6.5.

[Greenday]

Just tried bourbon for the first time. I don't know what it was, like 110 proof or something. Delicious. It was rough though, couldn't drink the entire glass. My stomach disagreed with it.

Switched to a Bud Light Lime. Much better tasting than the last time I tried it.

Been drinking Magic Hat #9s when I go out. Always good.

[Jester]

Well, in my travels I always take notes on my beers, and always put off posting them until I run out of room in my phone's notepad. Guess what? I've run out of room again. So here are some beer notes from my last three trips, to Phoenix in April, Miami in May, and Houston in June, as well as some I've tried recently here in Key West. Enjoy!

Michelob Original Lager, Atlanta Airport: The color is the typical pale yellow of American lagers. The nose is slightly sweet and honeyish. While it is not spectacular, it tastes good, with a decent body. In other words, not typical American swill. Good for a hot day, but not overly memorable. Score: 5.5

D-Dub Robust Porter (6.2% ABV), at Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe, Arizona: The color is dark brown to blackish, and has a very subtle and malty nose. It is smooth and malty, with a bit of hop bite (unusual for a porter), and some cocoa overtones. Score: 7.

Hopsquatch Barleywine (12% ABV), at Four Peaks Brewery: Dark brown with ruby red highlights. The nose is sweet, hoppy and fresh. The taste is very barleywineish, sweet, somewhat cloying. It's not my favorite, but I'm not much of a barleywine guy. Our server loved it, but it's not my favorite. I score it a 6, but barleywine fans might think differently.

Sunset Amber from Grand Canyon Brewing: Dark reddish/amber in color, rather dark for an amber. The nose has a subtle bite but has an interesting amber nose. It is a nice amber, slightly sweet, but still with the characteristic amber bite. Tasty and drinkable, it's not great, but pretty good. Score: 6.

My friend TTAZ, who came up for the Diamondbacks season opener, brought me some Bees & Berry from Thunder Canyon Brewing in Tucson. The nose is slightly fruity, and the beer is sweet with a berry jam taste to it. It's a decent dessert beer, and would go well with chocolate, but in the end, I wasn't overly fond of it, as it was a bit too sweet for my tastes. Score: 5.5.

At Copper Blues in downtown Phoenix, while we were pregaming before the season opener, I tried Arizona Peach from Four Peaks: Light yellow in color, with a nose that is both peachy and citrusy. To taste, it has a light sweet peachy flavor, and is quite tasty, though its body is rather thin. Great for a hot day. I would actually prefer more peach flavor, to be honest. Score: 6.5.

Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale: A dark golden amber, though it was hard to see the true color as I was in a dark bar at the time. A beery, dark, and smooth nose. Smooth, creamy, with a slight beer bite. Nice honest Irish beer. Good but not great. Score: 6.

In a new sports bar on Mill Avenue in Tempe, I tried Mr. Pineapple from San Tan Brewing, another Arizona brewery. To the eye, it is amber yellow and slightly hazy, to the nose it bears a light fruity pineapple nose. It has a lightly fruity taste, but not overly pineappley. The flavor is somewhat muddled, but decent enough I suppose. My friends Cat and TTAZ loved it when they tried it the previous night, but my reaction to it was no more than "Meh." Score: 5.

The aforementioned bar was so lame, I made some separate notes on it. Called Devil's Den, it provided mostly lousy service when I was there, as I was ignored by multiple employees. When a bartender finally did pay attention to me, it became clear quickly that she didn't know all that much about the beer her bar was selling. It quickly became clear to me that Devil's Den hires their employees for their looks, not their brains or quality of customer service. To be fair, the employees WERE very attractive...but that was pretty much it. The draft was somewhat warm, and the lack of service was doubly unimpressive considering how dead it was when I was there. MAYBE 8-12 people in the whole bar, and it was not a small bar. My impression of it, honestly, was this was a douchebag's sports bar.

Hopf Helle Weisse Hefe Weizen, from Germany: Light golden amber in color with a thick creamy head and a wheaty nose. The body was thin, but the beer was still tasty, with typical hefeweizenish banana and clove flavors. A good hefe, but I've definitely had better. Score: 6.

From the United Kingdom's Orkney Brewery, I tried Skull Splitter which, let's face it, has one hell of a name. It is a rich mahogany brown in appearance, and has a lovely malty nose with a hint of brown sugar. It's sort of a sweetish red beer, tasty, but not for everyone. I liked it, and scored it a 6.5. Then, as I drank it, it got progressively sweeter, and not a good way, so I dropped the score to 5.5.

From Evil Twin Brewing (which appeals to the Gemini in me), we have Yin Imperial Taji Stout. (Yes, they do have a Yang as well, but for whatever reason, I didn't try it. It pours thick like motor oil, and is black with a tannish brown head. The nose is thick and malty. Yin is scarily smooth, with a roasted malt flavor and a hint of coffee. It's subtle but yummy. Score: 7.5.

From Durango, Colorado's Ska Brewing comes Steel Toe Working Class Milk Stout. It's black with a creamy head and a rather weird nose, malty yet somewhat...soapy. It's a tasty coffeeish stout with a creamy aftertaste, and honestly, the taste is better than the nose. In the end, despite it's great name, this beer is only okay. Score: 5.5.

From those wonderful folks in Scotland comes Old Engine Oil Engineer's Reserve (9% ABV): Once again I found myself in a dark bar, so the color was hard to determine, but it seemed to be a dark chocolate-like brown to black. The roasty malty nose has hints of coffee. This beer is thick, tasty, malty, chocolatey with a hint of mocha, but not overly coffeed. Wonderful beer for a malthead such as myself. Score: 8.5.

Mahou Light from Madrid, Spain: Medium golden amber color, and a beery nose with a hint of honey. Decent medium body, nice flavor, not too light, very drinkable. Score: 6.5.

I tried the above beer at the Lucky Clover in Miami, which was not a very impressive bar, as Irish pubs go, or as bars go for that matter. I ordered the Mahou from a beer menu that did not indicate it was a light beer. But then, there were many misspellings on the various menus, which in a bar that size does not bode well. The service wasn't great, though not terrible, but apparently at this particular bar they put a gratuity on everything, even one guy ordering one beer. No...I won't be back.

From Lost Coast Brewing, I tried Downtown Brown: Ruby reddish brown in color. The nose is smooth but with an amberesque hoppy bite to it. It seems sort of like a hybrid between an amber and a brown. Light in body and drinkable, tasty even, but not overly memorable. It's decent enough to order if nothing better's available, but I wouldn't seek this beer out. Score: 6.

From Left Hand Brewing in Colorado comes Black Jack Porter. I think it was black with hints of red, but once again, I was trying a dark beer in a dark bar. Very subtle earthy nose. Chocolatey, but not overly so, with a hint of cherry. Good, but not great, and rather a disappointment coming from a great brewery like Left Hand. Score: another mediocre 6.

Cigar City Brewing in Tampa offers up Ligero Black Lager. The color is obsidion black, and the nose is very strong of coffee. This would normally turn me off, but since the bartender gave me a taste, I tasted it, and was glad I did. The taste is more of mocha and dark bittersweet chocolate, with just a hint of coffee. Dark and fun, and I scored it a solid 7.

Both of the following beers were tried at a lovely little bar in Houston called Little Woodrow's with over 100 different beers, "where the beautiful people come to get ugly." I highly recommend this bar. Both bartenders on duty were very friendly, and the one I mostly dealt with gave me many tastes of many beers, and didn't charge me for anything over the two beers I actually drank, and put up with many of my beer nerd questions with good grace and sense of humor. So for my simple $6 tab I dropped a $20, as she definitely earned that 200%+ tip. Fun times at Little Woodrow's!

Lawnmower, from St. Arnold (Houston): This krolsch-style beer is a light golden yellow in color, and has a fresh, rich, and heathery nose belying its appearance. Very tasty, but hard to describe. Light but rich. Hint of honey, but not overly sweet. Sort of like a sweetened pilsner. I like it! Score: 7.

Brewhouse Brown, from Real Ale (Blanco, Texas): Translucent brown with ruby highlights. Subtle but malty and rich nose, with a hint of brown sugar. A beautiful brown, with a beautiful balance of sweetness and crispness, and flavors of brown sugar, molasses, and light chocolate. Delicious! Score: 7.5.

The following beers were sampled at The Flying Saucer in downtown Houston, a beer bar of the likes of World of Beer or The Yard House, with over 200 beers offered. From going over the menu, my friend and I determined that I had tried a little over 50% of the beers they offered. Not bad, if I do say so myself. I should note that while the Flying Sauce has a great variety of beer like the other bars mentioned, it does not have nearly the cozy or intimate atmosphere that they do. At least the downtown Houston location didn't. Still a great bar and good times to be had, where they not only offer sample flights of beer, but the bartenders will often give you quick tastes of the drafts. Sign in the Saucer: "Only amateurs ask for frosted mugs."

Real Ale Devil's Backbone (Blanco, Texas): This Belgian-style ale was deliciously sweet and slightly wheaty, and I liked it a lot more than I like most Belgian beers. Score: 7.

Weisse Versa Wheat from Karbach (Houston): Wow. Unexpectedly wonderful. Strong on the banana. One of the best American hefeweizens I've ever had. Score: 8.

Santa Fe Nut Brown (Santa Fe, New Mexico): Average nut brown, not spectacular. Good but utterly forgettable. Score: 5.5.

Ugly Pug from Rahr (Fort Worth, Texas): This black beer is not great, and while the taste itself is good, the aftertaste is simply horrible. Score: 4.

Real Ale Fireman's #4 (Blanco, Texas): Light but tasty. Pleasantly sweet. Decent. Score: 6.

Sympathy for the Lager from Karbach (Houston): Very weird taste. Seems sour or off. No sympathy is right! Dreadful! Don't bother with this swill! Kind of weird that Karbach offered up both one of the best beers I had in Houston, and perhaps the absolute worst. Score: 2.5

Blanche de Bruxelles: Tasty Belgian wheat, good, but nothing special. Score: 6.

Live Oak Hefeweizen (Austin, Texas): Pretty much the same as Blanche de Bruxelles. Score: 6.

512 Pecan Porter: Tasty, coffeeish, good taste but badly bitter aftertaste. Score: 6.5.

Buried Hatchet Strong Stout from Southern Star (Conroe, Texas): Tasty, smooth coffee tones balanced with hint of brown sugar. Pretty good. Score: 6.

Polygamy Porter from Wasatch Brewing (Park City, Utah): From the same people who make the best amber I've ever had (Evolution Amber), this is a very good and tasty porter, one I recommend. Score: 7.

Weedwhacker from St. Arnold (Houston): This wheat beer was the most interesting beer of the night. Not a hefeweizen, not really a wheat, but tastes wheaty. And....grassy. But in a good way. Definitely a memorable and unique flavor profile. Score: 7.

(Here ends the Flying Saucer section.)

Coney Island Albino Python: This white lager brewed with spices is from Schmaltz Brewing, the same people who make the He'brew line. It is slightly hazy and light golden amber in color, and has a fresh, deep, and summery nose. Very flavorful, interesting spice component. Hard to describe, honestly...a hint of pepper, a touch of cinnamon. A light refreshing beer with a surprising burst of flavor. Very good. Score: 7.

Cristal (Peru): Although the server told me it was a "dark" beer, it is maybe a shade darker than Miller Lite. I would hate to see what she considers LIGHT beer! Subtle but fresh and light nose. Delicious light beer, refreshing but still with flavor. Perfect for a hot day or spicy food.

[Jester]

I've also tried some rums and wines recently, but didn't want them getting lost in the beer notes, so here they are....

Rums:

Centenario Gran Reserva 25 year (Costa Rica): Dark mahogany in color, with a slightly fiery nose, rounded out by smooth light brown sugar. Wonderful flavor. Smooth, sweet taste, predominant brown sugar, light taste of molasses, slight hint of caramel. One ice cube does smooth it out a bit, but I prefer it without ice. Very round, very smooth, slight burn leads to a long, dry finish. It evolves as you drink it, and merely gets better. Score: 8.5.

Ron del Barrilito, 3 star (86 proof): Lovely subtle nose with hint of rum fire...wow! Awesome! Smooth, sweet, silky firewater. It's definitely rum, but really nice rum, and smoother and better with an ice cube. Score: 8.

Now I didn't take many notes on the wines, but here are my memories of them:

Layer Cake Malbec: bold and delicious.

Radio Boca Tempernillo (Spain): soft body, but still delicious and luscious.

La Crema Pinot Noir: Bold nose and assertive taste; perhaps the best pinot noir I've ever had.

[Jester]

Well, on a day off when I got nothing accomplished that I wanted to get accomplished, when all I did was lay in bed and watch most of the first season of Game of Thrones and update this site from my phone notes, it seems only appropriate that I should finish up with the second of the two beers my Boss brought back for me from his vacation in Oregon.

From Pelican Pub & Brewery in Pacific City, Oregon, this is Tsunami Stout. Like the other one I tried, this one comes in a large 22 oz. bottle.

While I don't usually read the labels on beers I am trying for the first time, at least not until I've tried them (as previously stated, I don't want their marketing department to influence my thought process), I was glancing over the label looking for Tsunami's ABV, and while I couldn't find it, I did happen to see the phrase "midnight black" referring to the color of this beer. And I cannot argue with that assessment, but will add that it has a dark tan creamy head and pours like motor oil--if you saw your mechanic putting this in your car, you wouldn't think twice.

The nose is very subtle, giving up few hints, but is a bit rich and malty, with vague hints of coffee and chocolate, neither of which are surprising in a stout. But the proof is in the pudding, as they say, or in this case in the beer. Unlike the nose, the taste is not subtle, but it is rather refined. A deliciously bitter combination of coffee and roasted malt flavors, with vague suggestions of cocoa bean in the background. It is bitter, but for this beer, it works really, really well. Think I'll spend some time with it and some Top Gear before I come to a final conclusion on it.....

And the final conclusion is that it is sort of a smoother and sweeter version of Guinness Extra Foreign Stout. Bitter, but cool. Final score: 7.5.

[Jester]

Working through more of my beer supply (I have plenty)....

From Ridgeway Brewingin the U.K., Warm Welcome Nut Browned Ale (6% ABV). Not "nut brown ale, mind you, but nut BROWNED ale. I have no idea what that means, other than perhaps an attempt at a clever marketing ploy. After all, I know how meat is browned, but I have no idea how ale is browned. Speaking of marketing ploys, the label says "A Perfect Holiday Toast." We shall see if that is true.

Yes, yes, I know. It's not the holidays. But I live in Key West, where we have summer-like weather for about 11 months of the year. So I drink beer whenever, whatever the season. Christmas beers in July? Sure. Oktoberfests in April? Why not. Summer beers in January? Hell yes. You get the idea.

The color is almost right for a holiday beer. Rather than a dark brown, it's kind of a light brown, so on appearance at least, this looks like a light holiday beer. Hmmm...light? Holidays? Seems to be a contradiction.

The nose is definitely holidayish, but like the color lighter, or at least more subtle. The holiday spices are there, they are just not as obvious.

And the taste continues the trend. A holiday beer, but lighter. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as some holiday beers can be a bit heavy. And this beer delivers all the requisite flavors you would want from a holiday beer. The spice notes, the richness in flavor, it's all there...but lighter.

Now, I suppose during the holidays, when your belly is bursting from all the great food you've eaten, this would be a great compromise beer to drink: all the holiday flavors, but not as heavy as your typical holiday beer. Other than that time, though, this seems just a bit....watered down. And something I would expect from an American brewery, but not a British brewery.

And everything above applies whether you consider this a light version of a holiday beer or a light version of a nut brown ale. Either way...potentially good beer that was just watered down.

Good, but not great. Score: 6.5.