Snake River Lager

Snake River Lager - Jackson, Wyoming

What a pleasant surprise. Very drinkable beer that looks a lot like an IPA. Nice amber color and smells of sweet caramel and malt. Not much hop flavor coming through, but a very nice alternative. It's not the best beer in the world but easy to drink a few at a time. I had trouble saving one for Cathy to try out of the 6 pack given to me by Thad (can't find Snake River in Cincinnati).

I would recommend this beer to anyone who can get their hands on a six pack. I have also been told that they sell growlers of this out west closer to the brewery and it probably would get any better than that.

Back to regular posting in June. Wedding and honeymoon this weekend!

Who: Thad
Where: Cleveland
Price: FREE
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Rogue American Amber Ale

Rogue American Amber Ale

Pours a very nice reddish brown amber color with a fair amount of white head at the top. Very hoppy taste for an amber ale. I was very much expecting a more malty flavor but this tastes a bit more like an American Pale Ale than your typical sweet amber beer. Maybe that is why they called it the American Amber...

As I have found with other west coast brews, Rogue comes in with big flavor (a lot like Stone, Full Sail, etc). Not a bad thing when done right, and this beer was done right. It wasn't my favorite beer and I am not going to be rushing out to buy a 6 pack, even though I think that some of my friends could enjoy this beer, especially those who aren't hop heads. I believe that Dead Guy Ale is a much better beer to drink, but all in all, this turned out to be a nice surprise for me and I will definitely try it again.

Who: Joe
Where: Beer Engine
Price: $$$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Buckeye Brewing - Hippie IPA

Buckeye Brewing - Hippie IPA

Craft Brewer from Cleveland, Ohio.

My brother-in-law to be (3 weeks to go), Joe, took me to the Beer Engine in Lakewood, Ohio (10 mins from downtown Cleveland) to take in a few beers and a sandwich before we went to the Indians game.

I only had a sample of the other Buckeye beers but this one rules the roost of the one's I tried (mostly lagers). None of the others were worth getting a pint of...I always try to get the beer of the city/region that I am in since I can't get them back home in Cincinnati. The Beer Engine is the home of Buckeye Brewing so I had to start with them.

Hippie, pours a nice amber with a slight white head. Very much a beer for hop heads, as the explosion of hops is apparent from start to finish (smell, taste, after taste). There is also a caramel malt flavor. Other people didn't think this was quite as bitter as I did, but that was what truly came through in my tasting. Not the best IPA I have had, but was decent and I would probably get another if I ever went back.

Who: Joe
Where: Beer Engine
Price: $$
Score: 3 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Stone IPA

Stone IPA - Escondido, CA

A true IPA if I have ever tasted one. This is a full blast of hops from beginning to end. If you aren't into bitter beer, then this is not the beer for you.

Stone IPA pours a nice deep golden amber/copper color. You can smell the hops from the very beginning a very light amount of malt helps smooth the beer out. There is a lot of hops smell and taste but somehow it isn't that overpowering. They have done a tremendous job in capturing what an IPA should taste like. Hop heads all around will enjoy this beer. It has a pretty high ABV (almost 7), so I wouldn't recommend having more than 2, unless you feel like getting pretty crazy.

Overall it was great to re-discover this IPA. I was worried because Stone is usually so over the top with there beers they are hard to enjoy (Arrogent Bastard comes to mind. This is probably one of the better IPA's out there. I will rank it highly in my list.

Who: Bill
Where: the deck
Price: $$$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Brooklyn Pennant Ale '55

Brooklyn Pennant Ale '55

Last Friday, Bill and I sat on the deck listening to the Reds lose to the Brewers and kicked back with a few beers. I went for the Brooklyn first, since I really enjoyed a few of their other brews.

American style Pale Ale that pours a typical amber/orange color. You could really smell the malt over the hops in this beer. A very sweet carmel flavor with a slight citrus bitterness at the end. It was a pretty smooth drink because the hops were very weak.

I would recommend the East India Pale Ale or the Brown Ale from Brooklyn over this brew. It's not necessarily a bad beer, just not what I enjoy so much. Especially copmared to the Stone IPA and the Hazed and Infuzed we ended up drinking alongside this one.

I wouldn't refuse one next time around, but you probably won't see me buying a 6 pack for myself anytime soon.

Who: Bill
Where: the deck
Price: $$
Score: 3 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Magic Hat - Circus Boy

Circus Boy - Hefeweizen

From the Magic Hat Pandora's Box.

I am normally not into Hefeweizen (or any wheat styled beer), but this one really wasn't all that bad. From what Cathy says, its very close to what you would get in Germany, so in my opinion it can't be all that bad. She did say it wasn't as good as those in Germany, but still not a bad American styled wheat beer.

Pours a nice hazy yellow/orange color without much head. You can very much taste the wheat and a small citrus flavor at the end. That citrus bitterness is probably why I liked this one a little more than other wheat beers I have tried. Still won't get a very high score from me, but
I would recommend trying this to anyone. Especially since you can get 3 of them in a Pandora's box, if you don't care for it, then you won't have to worry about getting rid of 5 more!

Who: Cathy
Where: Home
Price: $$
Score: 3 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Magic Hat - Odd Notion (Spring)

Magic Hat - Odd Notion Spring 2008

The spring brew from Magic Hat. Available in Pandora's Box (4 types of beer 3 of each kind in the box). It was an Irish Ale styled beer (which makes sense with St. Patricks Day in the spring).

The beer pours a very nice amber red color with a very small or almost no head. It has a simple taste and not as bitter as the Great Lakes (Conway's Irish). You can very much smell the cinnamon, ginger and cardamon in the beer. Those flavors also leave a nice spicy feel to the mouth when you are drinking the beer.

It was easy to drink and I am not upset that I gave it a try. Definitely not my favorite beer but very drinkable.

Who: They Guys
Where: My House
Price: $$
Score: 3 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Ballpark Beer and Dog

The Ballpark Beer and Dog

My favorite time of year is here. Baseball always brings great things, Spring, optimism (every team has a chance) and draft beer with hotdogs, pretzels, or nachos.

It doesn't matter that the beer is Miller Lite, Bud Light or Budweiser. Or that it costs $6.50. We don't care. It's all about making the gameday experience more enjoyable. Partnered with a dog and peanuts, there is almost nothing as satisfying.

Cheers to another fantastic baseball season. And I hope all of your teams come out on top.

My MLB Predictions:

American League
East: Boston Red Sox
Central: Cleveland Indians
West: LA Angels
Wildcard: Detroit Tigers

MVP: Alex Rodriguez
Cy Young: Erik Bedard
Rookie: Jacoby Elsbury

National League
East: New York Mets
Central: Cincinnati Reds
West: Arizona Diamondbacks
Wild Card: LA Dodgers

MVP: David Wright
Cy Young: Brandon Webb
Rookie: Johnny Cueto

Playoffs
ALDS 1: Cleveland over LA
ALDS 2: Detroit over Boston
ALCS: Cleveland over Detroit

NLDS 1: New York over LA
NLDS 2: Arizona over Cincinnati
NLCS: New York over Arizona

World Series: Cleveland over New York

Who: Everyone
Where: Ballparks everywhere
Price: $$$
Score: 5 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Magic Hat #9

Magic Hat #9 - American Pale Ale

I think this beer is actually termed a fruit beer. It really doesn't have the hoppiness of regular pale ales and has a distinct apricot flavor. I first starting drinking this beer when I would visit Luke in Washington D.C. It always had a pretty fair price and is easy to down a few in a row. Magic Hat finally started showing up at my neighborhood grocery last summer and I have been able to grab a 6 pack every once and awhile.

Amber orange color with a sweet citrusy smell. This beer is very drinkable and is easy to introduce to any beer drinker. I would recommend this beer to anyone, especially those who tend not to stray away from the American lights...Bud, Miller, Coors, etc.

All in all I have always had pleasant experiences with #9. I still need to get up to Burlington for Magic Hat fest. I hear its a great time -- plus I could do some skiing while up there.

Who: Luke
Where: DC
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Full Sail Amber

Full Sail Amber - Hood River, Oregon.

When I am tired of IPA's, I always seem to turn toward the amber style. I guess it's a nice change up from the bitter hops of the IPA's.

The beer pours a nice dark amber color as you would expect from the style of beer that it is. A nice mix of citrus fruit, hops and malt are the first things you notice when you smell the beer. Also notice a sweetness (maybe caramel from the sugar).

Pretty smooth and sweet beer. I had 3 last night while watching the Dayton Flyers @ Ohio State basketball game. I think that I would have been better off with 2, as the 3rd didn't go down as easy as the first two. A touch of bitterness showed up towards the end of the last beer that wasn't there with the previous two.

I think that this is a well crafted beer from Full Sail. They talk about how they first started brewing this beer during the 80's light lager craze. Almost as if they were the first brewers to try something different during that time period. I will most likely try others from their collection if I see them in the future and I might even buy another 6 of the Amber if I want a sweeter taste in the future. Overall it was an unexpected pleasant beer.

Who: Billy
Where: My house
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Snake Rive Pale Ale

Snake River Pale Ale - Jackson Hole, Wyoming

I had been itching to try this beer for a couple of years but was always unable to find it. A couple of weekends ago while in Cleveland, Thad bought a 6 pack for me to try -- Actually not knowing I had wanted to try the beer, but because he really enjoys the Snake River brews when he heads out West with friends.

The beer was better than I expected. It had a very smooth taste and was not as Hop heavy as other pale ales -- probably because its an American PA. Poured a nice dark yellow color with slight head. Nice floral and citrusy smell. A hint of caramel malt to tone the bitterness of the grapefruit (not nearly as potent as the Loose Cannon).

It wasn't my all time favorite, but a very drinkable beer that I will keep on my list of beers to buy if I see it again. I would love to get the chance to taste the other Snake River brews. Thad says that they are much better out west, and I believe him. Based on my experience with beers from the west, when drank in Cincinnati vs. where they come from, it isn't even close.

Who: Thad and Cathy's family
Where: Cathy's Mom's house
Price: Free
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Landshark Lager

Landshark Lager from the Margaritaville Brewing Company.

Jimmy Buffett brings us this Island style lager from the songs he sings about. I would guess that this beer is best enjoyed with a big fat cheeseburger with all of the fixins and sitting on your deck or patio with a nice summer breeze blowing.

My brother brought this over to our parents house for Easter lunch since we hadn't tried it yet. It was as expected for a beer from Jimmy Buffett. Think something in between Corona and Bud Light. Now, I'm not one to put Lime in beer, but it just seemed weird that there was no lime and a hot breeze blowing in the background. This beer really made me want the warm weather and honestly I can't wait to kick back with another 6 pack on the porch this summer. It wasn't my favorite beer but once its hotter and I don't want something so bitter and filling, I'll probably grab this before Corona next time.

Who: the family
Where: Mom and Dad's house
Price: Free
Score: 3 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Heavy Seas - Loose Cannon

Heavy Seas - Loose Cannon

After our first wedding shower (well I should say: Cathy had a bridal shower while my dad and I went and had lunch...came back and moved packages from the shower to the cars), we went out with some of our friends to the Winking Lizard in Peninsula, Ohio for a couple of beers. I really like bars like the Lizard because they have so many to choose from and usually I can find a few I haven't tried before.

My first beer at the bar was the Loose Cannon. I really wasn't into the beer at all. It was very bitter and not really what I wanted at the time. It has a very distinct grapefruit smell and you could really feel the bitterness of the fruit in the back of your mouth. That is the only thing that I remember from the beer because it was so overpowering for me. So I can't really tell you anymore about it.

I almost always like IPA's and I think if I were to drink it again, I might like it more. I had a few beers at lunch with dad and I think that kind of hurt the palette for this beer (I had a Sierra Nevada, a Bell's Two hearted and then when we got home from the shower I had a Great Lakes Eliot Ness...)

Right now the score for this beer is probably going to be on the low side, but maybe after another try I will like it more.

Who: Cathy, Ang, Mindy, Bethie
Where: Winking Lizard (Peninsula)
Cost: $
Score: 2 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Green Beer - St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patricks Day!

America's drinking holiday, where you don't have to be believe in anything to celebrate!

So, to honor this day, here is my review of green beer.

What can you say really, its usually Bud Light or Miller Light with green food coloring. Most of the time you end up with rings of green around your face from all of the drinking. But good times are always had by all. So its really a perfect beer....sort of.

Who: Everyone
Where: Bar's Everywhere
Price: $
Score: 5 / 5

Happy Drinking! --- PS - Be safe today!

Samual Adams - Cranberry Lambic

Samual Adams - Cranberry Lambic

In my last review, I talked about how much I enjoy the Sam Adams brews...and now I'm going to talk about how I don't enjoy all of them. This was also included in the winter pack or brewmasters collection...I can't remember.

The problem I have with the Cranberry and Blueberry beers is that it tastes a lot like carbonated and flavored water (Clearly Canadian anyone?). Don't get me wrong, I love cranberries and blueberries, just not in beer. These are the types of beers that you can have about 6-ozs. of and then are completely tired of it.

In terms of cranberry beer, I think that Sam Adams has come up with a decent brew, its just not my kind of beer. I know that some of the girls we are friends with really like these kinds of beers, especially the blueberry (probably because I am always drinking IPA's and other hoppy beers and they just can't stand all that bitterness). And, I will try any beer once or twice to get the feel of it, and I also wouldn't tell someone not to drink a certain beer (everyone has their own tastes). But I can and will recommend certain beers over others and this one shall never be recommended, unless of course you ask me what Cranberry beer you should try.

Who: Cathy
Where: Home
Price: $
Score: 2 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Samuel Adams - Cream Stout

Samuel Adams Cream Stout.

This was in one of the Samuel Adams Winter Classics or Brewmasters 12 pack. I think there were 6 different beers in the pack but I can't remember anymore since I drank this beer before Christmas.

I do remember this being my favorite of the whole group though. I am a sucker for the stout's and porters, probably its my chocolate addiction. The beer pours a very dark brown almost black color with a nice tan head. It's not very thick when compared to other stouts, but this didn't negatively affect my experience. It has a very sweet cocoa malty aroma and tastes almost like it smells. The cream taste comes from the vanilla and sweet milk flavors.

I feel that Sam Adams has a lot of different flavors to offer and this one is one of my favorites. I'm sure that this beer doesn't get high marks from others that I think it should because it comes from the very large Sam Adams brewers. But don't let that keep you away from this very fine craft brew.

Who: Billy
Where: Home (during the Dayton vs. Louisville game -- GO FLYERS!)
Price: Free
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Sierra Nevada - ESB

Sierra Nevada Early Spring Beer.

West Coast taste on a Extra Special or Strong Bitter. Starts off with a nice amber color and smells of both hops and malt. I was expecting something that was more bitter than it was, but the malt really comes through to sweeten up and to smooth out that bitter flavor.

My brother Cody had asked me if I had tried this beer yet and thought that I would enjoy it. After that conversation it was the next 6 pack that I purchased. He was right and I did enjoy the beer. I have been recommending it to a few friends who enjoy the slightly bitter tasting beers.

What I liked most was the drinkability. I felt I could easily have 2 or 3 and not be tired of it. Not usually likely when it comes to me and the ESB's.

Who: Cathy
Where: Home
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Bells - Two Hearted Ale

Bells Two Hearted Ale.

Hailing from Kalamazoo, Michigan - Bells checks in with another fine IPA. This one very easy to recommend to anyone and can easily be drank one after another.

I didn't get a chance to pour the beer out of the bottle when I drank it (so I can't comment on the head), but I could see that it does have a nice dark orange/brown color. The beer also has a nice citrus and floral aroma which is typical of the IPA style. It does have a nice hoppiness but isn't overwhelming, this is why Cathy prefers the taste of the Two Hearted Ale over the previous IPA review (Dogfish Head 60 Min).

Maybe I'm just partial to the regional breweries (Great Lakes, Bell's, etc.), but I really haven't tasted a beer that I didn't enjoy from Bell's. I will be looking to add a few of their brews to my list after we get through the next few months before the wedding.

PS - Sorry about the image, we were inside with hardly any light and I can't use a flash or it blows out the label.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy, Emily, Billy
Where: Allyn's Cafe
Price: $$
Score: 5 / 5

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

This is the beer that Dogfish head is know for, and in my opinion, one of the better IPA's available (unless you ask Cathy). This was one of the first craft brews I got hooked on, and at the time, it really opened up my eyes to what a good beer can and should taste like.

To start it has a very nice orange/amber color which coincides with the citrus flavor. For an IPA it has a rather light bitterness which makes this beer very enjoyable and easy to drink. It also has a pretty nice hoppy finish and if you look closely you can see all the hops on the label.

I honestly was very surprised when I saw the beer on Arthur's menu, and after I saw that on the list, I looked no further. When we lived in Hyde Park and were frequenting the café often, the only beers you could get in bottles were Bud, Miller, Coors and Sierra. Maybe they have a beer geek doing the purchasing these days.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy and Ang
Where: Arthurs
Price: $
Score: 4/5

Chrisitan Moerlein - Over-the-Rhine Ale

Cincinnati based brewer Christian Moerlein's Over-the-Rhine Ale. Named after the downtown neighborhood where all of the old breweries used to be. The Moerlein offices are still located there. They were the top brewer in Cincinnati's beer heyday's along with: Hudepohl Brewery, Red Top Brewing Company, the Bavarian Brewing Company, and Burger Brewing Company.

I bought this beer over the weekend as part of my world of beers tour at Allyn's Cafe. I wasn't overly impressed with the Ale. It does have a nice copper color, but I didn't care for the citrus flavor, it almost overwhelmed me. I prefer my cooper ales to be a lot smoother and not nearly as bitter. My friend Bill said he liked it and if he were out at the store, would consider buying a 6 pack. I'm glad I tried it at the bar where I only had to drink 1, because I just wouldn't recommend it to any of my friends. In contrast to the Mt. Carmel Copper Ale (another Cincinnati beer), it just doesn't stand up.

Who: Billy, Emily, Cathy
Where: Allyn's Cafe
Price: $
Score: 1 / 5