IÂ’m getting around to trying one of the beers in the sample case I thought I would hate, the Tommy knocker Maple Nut Brown Ale.

The same brown bottle with front and back labels. On the front we have a Tommyknocker pouring maple syrup into an ale barrel. We have the standard back label with a short story about what a Tommyknocker is and a description of the beer. It also tells me that I should drink this beer before December 11 or it will taste bad. I guess IÂ’m cutting this one close.

When poured into a glass, it has a dark cola-like coloring to it. Light passes through, but you really canÂ’t see whatÂ’s on the other side of the glass. There is very little head that quickly dissipates. Even with trying to make as large of a head as possible, it just wouldnÂ’t form. The only thing I accomplished was large bubbles.

The smell is very sweet. You have a scent of chocolate malts with maple syrup. In fact it almost smelled like I was drinking some kind of flavored pop. The taste was nutty with just a hint of maple syrup. Surprisingly it wasnÂ’t very sweet. It had a mild sweetness to it; there is no bitterness at all.

This ale is very smooth with a light body. There isnÂ’t much to the weight, and it has a velvety texture on the tongue. It drinks too easily. I finished off this drink in less than ten minutes, and that was with typing this review.

ItÂ’s an okay beer. This would be a good beer to give to someone that isnÂ’t much of a beer fan. My wife liked the taste, and she isnÂ’t a beer drinker. ItÂ’s a little on the wimpy side for me, so IÂ’m going to give it a 5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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We work on to the next of the TommyKnocker beer from the sample pack. TonightÂ’s choice is the Ornery Amber Lager.

Again we have the brown bottle with front and back labels. The front label has the TommyKnockers playing pranks on a human. They are tying his shoelaces together, lighting matches in his boot and putting a mouse in his lunchbox. We have a standard back label, again with a dating system and a little story about the beer.

The Ornery Amber has a clear amber color to it. There isnÂ’t a hint of cloudiness or sediment to it. When poured into the glass there is a filmy white head that dissipates quickly leaving a ring and some lacing on the side of the glass.

You can smell the fruity yeasts with a very mild hint of malts when it is brought to the note. The scent is very faint and after the first couple of sips is almost indiscernible. On the first sip you could taste a slight caramel malt flavor with a hint of nuttiness. There is a tangy aftertaste with a mild, but pleasant bitterness to it.

Ornery Amber is light bodied ale with a good carbonation mix. ItÂ’s easy in the mouth and goes down smoothly. This is one of those beers you would empty the bottle before you realized it leaving you wanting more.

This is a decent beer. ItÂ’s nothing to brag about, but I could see myself drinking a six-pack of this in a night, or maybe during a football game on Sunday. This beer ranks a 6 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I am a bad, bad man. It has been a month since my last beer review. Since IÂ’m pretty sure none of you want to hear my lame excuse, IÂ’m going to spare you the horrible lie. After Tommyknocker Butthead beer I reviewed last time, I picked up a sample back of all their brews. Sure, maybe thatÂ’s cheating, but hey IÂ’m the one drinking it! Tonight I had the Jack Whacker Wheat Ale by the Tommyknocker brewery and pub.

The bottle is your standard brown bottle with a front and back label. The front label has a miner getting kicked in the arse by a mule. On the back label there is a description of what a Jack Whacker is, “The Jack Whacker’s role was to whip the last mule to keep the supply train moving along.” Gee, and this whole time I always thought it was the teenager that locks himself in the bathroom. Again we have a date system that tells me that this beer was bottled August 28, 2006. I have just until after Christmas to drink the beer in the recommended time frame.

Jack Whacker has a cloudy straw color to it. You can see sediment in it that after a while settles to the bottom of the beer. Fortunately even after sitting for a while, the sediment doesnÂ’t alter the flavor any. There is a thin filmy head, if you can call it that. There was no lacing and only a slight ring around the glass after a couple of minutes.

The smell is of wheat, citrus and lemon grass. ItÂ’s actually a pleasant scent that is different from what IÂ’m used to. The taste is a combined mix of wheat, spices and lemon grass. It is a bit of sweetness to it, but not too sweet. There is a slightly tart aftertaste that fades quickly in the mouth.

This is light bodied ale with a medium carbonation and a crispness that excites the tongue. ItÂ’s easy to drink and is satisfying. ItÂ’s a perfect beer for this unseasonably warm (54 Degree) November night. It embodies the sensations associated with good Autumnal ale.

Surprisingly to me I actually liked this beer. IÂ’ve found most wheat beers to be hit or miss. IÂ’m giving this ale a rating of 5.5 out of ten.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:51 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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