TonightÂ’s beer is one that I picked up at a local beer tasting. I was going to try another beer that Petey gave me. It, like last weeks, had gone bad. Again there was some kind of slimy sediment to it. Fortunately, I still had a back up beer. This week I am reviewing Morimoto Soba Ale by the Rogue Ales Brewing. This is one of RogueÂ’s signature beers developed by Chef Masahura Morimoto, of Iron Chef fame.

The beer came in a 1 pint, 6 fl oz brown bottle. The label is silk screened on and is a blue circle with white oriental writing on it and MorimotoÂ’s signature I assume. Bellow the art is the name of the beer in white lettering.

When poured into a glass, there is a nice golden orange color to the beer. There is a mild haziness to it, light passes through without difficulty. You can see carbonation bubbles flow up through the beer itself. It poured a thick white head made of a mixture of large and small bubbles. There was a nice thick lacing on the side of the glass.

The smell is different. I can detect malts and grains, but there is a scent that I am not familiar with. IÂ’m assuming this is the Soba (Buckwheat). The smell is very pleasant, unlike any other beer IÂ’ve ever had. The taste is malts and again something IÂ’m not familiar with (probably the soba/buckwheat). A slight breadiness is also present. There is a touch of lemon zest to the finish. The aftertaste is pleasant and non-distracting.

It is a light bodied beer. Almost no coating to the mouth and the carbonation is a present if not mild.

When I first had this beer at a tasting, I didnÂ’t know what to make of it. It was unusual, different and something I knew I had to try. I just couldnÂ’t tell if it was good or bad after just 2 ounces of beer. IÂ’m rather glad I picked up a bottle to do a full review on. IÂ’ve found the taste to be surprisingly pleasant. I bet this beer would go really well with a lot of different meals. I give it 6 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 380 words, total size 2 kb.

I was going to review another beer tonight, but when I poured it into a glass, there was some kind of unreasonable floating bits in it. When I say bits, I mean chunks! I went online before drinking the beer to make sure that wasnÂ’t normal. (IÂ’ve had beers that were supposed to have floater) After confirming that no, it was wrong on so many levels I had to dump the beer down the drain. (Sorry Petey, it was one of yours) Fortunately last week Bruce and I went to a Beer tasting here in town and I happened to pick up a six pack of beer to do a review on based on the tasting. So tonight IÂ’m reviewing BellÂ’s Cherry Stout by BellÂ’s Brewery in Comstock, MI.

Mine came in the standard 12 oz brown bottle. There is a tan paper label that has a picture of a cherry tree with three huge cherries under it. The company logo is at the top, the beer name is at the bottom. They have a brief description of the beer, “Stout brewed with cherry juice.”

The color is a nice dark ebony. There is a slight reddish tint to it. ItÂ’s so dark and thick that light doesnÂ’t pass through the beer. Even when held to the light you can barely see light passing through the edge of the beer. Almost no head formed when poured into the glass. What head formed was thin and tan. It faded quickly to nothing. There was some very minimal lacing on the side of the glass.

The smell is a combination of Chocolate and rich Coffee malts. A mild cherry mild scent enhances the malt scent. The flavor was much like the scent. The main flavor is a strong coffee and chocolate malt combination that is common with stouts. A slight tart cherry flavor rounds the flavor out. The cherry flavor really does enhance the rest of the beer. The aftertaste is very pleasant and fades quickly.

This is a full bodied beer. There is some creaminess, but for a stout there could be a bit more to it. Still there is more than what you get in most American stouts.

Anyone that has been drinking with me has heard me say, “Fruit does not belong in beers” or “If you have to add fruit to a beer to make it drinkable, then it is not a good beer.” This, however, is the exception to the case. The cherry flavor is so mild, that it just enhances the richness of the malts. It opens up the taste buds to really appreciate the total experience. Even if you are like me and am not a fan of fruit beers, I would recommend at least giving this one a chance. Overall I give it 7.5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 09:27 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 479 words, total size 3 kb.

Okay, I know I normally do the beer reviews on Wednesday, but that didnÂ’t happen, and I wasnÂ’t about to let it go three weeks without one. This is a beer that was given to me by Petey of PeteyÂ’s Powderhorn. He really wants to be the first enabler to hit 24 beers donated! HAHAHA! He had given me a box filled with various beers to try. The reason I selected this one tonight was because at Winter Camp Petey and the rest of the gang from his neck of the woods showed up with cases of it. I did a quick evaluation of it up there, but I held off on a full review until I got home. Tonight IÂ’m reviewing the 1888 Bock by the LeinenkugelÂ’s Brewery in Chippewa Falls, WI.

It came in a standard 12 oz brown bottle. The label is green and yellow and itÂ’s hard to tell, but it appears to be a stream running along the edge of a forest, or in a clearing, or something. ItÂ’s hard to tell because the name of the brewery and the beer take up most of the label.

There is a nice dark reddish brown/burnt amber coloring to it. ItÂ’s clear and light passes through it easily. Yet it is dark enough that you canÂ’t make out images on the other side. The head poured was about a quarter inch thick. It was made up of fine white bubbles, and faded to a film on the top of the beer. Minimal lacing formed on the edge of the glass.

The smell is a basic combination of caramel roasted malts with a slight toasted nut scent. A very mild fruit scent can also be detected. The taste has a thin taste of roasted caramel malts with a hint of a hop bitterness. You can also detect a bit of a grape like fruitiness to it in the finish. The aftertaste is a bit of a week bitter fruit combination.

ItÂ’s got a thin body to it. There is no coating to the mouth. There is a mild carbonation that fits this style of beer.

Overall, IÂ’m less than impressed with this LeinieÂ’s creation. A lot of their beers are pretty good, and this one is not bad, but itÂ’s not what I would expect from them. ItÂ’s a sub-par beer for them. ItÂ’s not a bad beer, but I just donÂ’t think IÂ’d go out of my way to grab one. If you are a leinieÂ’s fan, then I would recommend trying one, if notÂ… IÂ’d avoid this one. I give it 4 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 09:04 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 443 words, total size 2 kb.

The beer review has to be postponed for one night, I forgot to put it in the fridge to cool it off! I don't want to review a warm beer. So stay tuned and tomorrow we'll have a good one!

Posted by: Contagion at 07:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 50 words, total size 1 kb.

Since the Steelers won the Super Bowl, and Bruce is a big Pittsburgh fan, he gave me this beer to review. Now to be fair, I have a ton of other beers that need to be reviewing that were given to me first, but if the rules donÂ’t apply to the Steelers in the Super Bowl, why should they on here. (HAHAHAHAHA!) Anyway, tonightÂ’s beer is Iron City Beer by Iron City Brewing Co in Pittsburgh, PA.

We have our normal 12 oz brown bottle. There is a clear label that has a red oval with the name of the beer on it. Below that in white lettering it claims, “Official Beer of the Pittsburg Nation” It also claims to be a Premium Lager.

It has a clear yellow gold color to it. When I poured it into a pint glass, little to no head formed. What head formed was very thin and faded rather quickly to just a ring around the edge of the glass. The ring lasted until I finished the beer. No lacing formed at all.

The smell was a mildly unpleasant combination of under roasted malts and flowery hops. The scent is almost enough to turn away even the most stout of beer drinkers. The flavor is very mild. It was a hollow and kind of bland. There is a slight lemony flavor to it that masks what might be a malt flavor.

This is a light bodied beer, which has mild carbonation to it. There is no coating and is kind of watery.

Honestly this beer is not very appealing. I wouldnÂ’t go out of my way for it, and I would probably pass it over if there was just about anything else on the shelf. Instead of buying this, I would recommend getting anyone of your mass produced major beers that are on the market. If you are looking for just a beer to drink and you could get this on sale, okay, but itÂ’s nothing special. Overall I was less than impressed with this beer. I give it 3 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:25 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 355 words, total size 2 kb.

TonightÂ’s beer is Saison Dupont brewed by Brasserie Dupont, Tourpes, Belgium. This is another beer that was donated by Petey of PeteyÂ’s Powderhorn. ItÂ’s a Belgian Farmhouse Ale. Unlike most American beers itÂ’s unfiltered and bottle conditioned.

This is bottled in an 11.2 Fl. Oz. bottle. It has a black label with a yellow and off white checkerboard pattern that is on a tilt across the label. In black letters in the middle of the checkerboard pattern is the name of the beer. The label boasts a 6.5% alcohol by volume. . On the back label there is a bit of a story about the beer and what exactly a Belgium Farmhouse Ale is exactly. “This increasingly rare specialty originated before the age of refrigeration as a beer to be brewed in winter for summer drinking. The style required a beer sturdy enough to age in the bottle but refreshing enough to be enjoyed in warm weather. “There’s a bit more to it, but you’ll have to buy a bottle to read it!

There is a hazy pale straw color to it. Light passes through easily enough, but the cloudiness makes seeing through it near to impossible. When poured into a pint glass a dense off-white head forms about half an inch thick. It fades slowly and even at the end a nice ring is still around the edge of the glass, with a film over the top. A creamy lacing forms on the side of the glass.

When brought to the nose, the first thing you notice is a spicy mixture of clove and coriander. There is a sweet banana-like scent. A touch of yeast carries the rest of the scents and there is a slight white pepper accent to it that brings it all together. The flavor is spiciness with a mellow fruit and hop flavor. The fruit sweetness is balanced by hop bitterness that combines for a beer that isnÂ’t too sweet nor is it too bitter. The taste is rather refreshing with a mild aftertaste that lingers gently.

This is a light bodied beer. The carbonation provides a crisp bite. There is a creaminess to it that is pleasant on the tongue, but isnÂ’t thick or coating.

This is a pleasant beer to drink. ItÂ’s light, flavorful and easy to drink. The sediment is a little disconcerting. This is an enjoyable beer to drink, and I would enjoy drinking this more on a hot summer day than on a gold winters evening. I give this beer 6 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 10:22 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 428 words, total size 3 kb.

Tonight IÂ’m reviewing another beer donated by Petey of PeteyÂ’s Powderhorn. Right now heÂ’s down in Florida enjoying himself at the same event I was supposed to go to. OÂ’well, it was worth the trade. The beer this week is BellÂ’s Lager Beer by BellÂ’s Brewery.

It came in a 12 oz brown bottle. There is a tan label with an old fashioned style map of the Great Lakes. Around the map are 8 icons. (Clockwise from top right) Water-skier, bridge, leaf, snow shoes, sailboat, pine tree, trout, paddle. At the top is the name of the beer flanked by a map compass and an anchor. Under the map it states “Lager of the Lakes”.

When I poured it into a pint glass, a half inch white head. It faded after five minutes into a film on the top. The color is of golden straw. There is a slight haziness to it. Light passes through easily enough.

The smell is dominated up front by grainy malts. There is a hint of hops to it that balances the scent out. A slight grassiness also is noticeable. The beer starts off with a nice crisp malt and follows through with a grassy hop taste. The flavor is very light, itÂ’s reminiscent of a pilsner. A little bland for a lager, but more flavor than a pilsner.

This is a medium bodied beer, with a light carbonation.

This was an enjoyable beer, which was easy to drink. Nothing overly rememberable about it, it tastes good, but it really is a run of the mill lager. The flavor is kind of like a pilsner, but it has a medium body to it. Realistically itÂ’s a good meal beer; you can drink this with a burger because the flavor wonÂ’t affect the flavor of the food. I give it 4.5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:30 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 314 words, total size 2 kb.

damn you liver... it's time to turn you to stone!

Bad week at work, it's time to make my brain and liver pay for it.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:17 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 27 words, total size 1 kb.

Last weekend at Fort Obie, Petey of PeteyÂ’s Powderhorn decided that he wanted to jump up on the enablers list and gifted me a box full of beers to review. Thanks Petey! I started with the first beer in the box that I had been chomping at the bit to review. Tonight IÂ’ll be reviewing Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock by Samuel Adams in Boston, MA.

It comes in an impressive 1 pint, 9.4 fl oz brown bottle, aka 25.4 fluid ounces. The label looks like cast pewter, texture and all. The name of the beer takes up most of it. What looks like hops are flowing around the edge to the bottom where it kind of resembles tilled fields. The bottle cap is covered with a plastic wrapper, which reminded me of how wine is sealed.

There is a nice dark brown coloring to it with a touch of crimson to it. Light passes through with much difficulty. When I initially poured it, an inch thick tan head formed. The head was made up of tiny bubbles. The head fades to a ring around the top of the beer. There is no lacing at all.

The smell is very simply that of chocolate and cocoa. You can make out the feint scent of malts as it warms. The taste is very simple as well; itÂ’s mostly chocolate with a touch of coffee malts. There is a bit of bitterness to it that one associates with coffee and dark chocolate. The aftertaste is reminiscent of chocolate milk.

This is a medium bodied beer, based on the appearance I was figuring it would be a bit more full bodied.

This beer costs about $14.99 a bottle locally (Thanks again Petey!); to be honest I was expecting a lot more from it. ItÂ’s not a bad beer, but for the price itÂ’s really not worth it. Based on the price, the bottle and the marketing, IÂ’m going to say this is one of those beers that is drunk by people being pretentious. I enjoyed the beer, but it was lacking in its simplicity. Overall I give it a 5.5 out of ten.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 367 words, total size 2 kb.

Due to all the fun activity around the house this last week, IÂ’m a day behind in my beer review. To make up for it I promise that IÂ’ll do another next weekÂ… Okay, so I do one most weeks, but thatÂ’s the best you are going to get out of me. Tonight IÂ’m reviewing Shiner Holiday Cheer by Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX. I found a six pack of this hidden in a Christmas display at the local grocery store stuffed between a cases of domestic mass brewed beer.

We have our standard 12 oz bottle. The label is a festive red, white and green. The label has a white oval that has “Give Shiner Holiday Cheer”; of course Shiner is the largest name in red. On the back label states the following, “’Tis the season for cheer. Happy holidays from the “Little Brewery” in Shiner, TX. We hope you enjoy your shiner cheer, an old world dunkelweizen brewed with Texas peaches and roasted pecans. The malty flavor of this dark wheat ale are enhance through the use of malted barley and wheat. And Krausening ensures a smoothness that makes the subtle peach and pecan flavors all the more satisfying. May your days be merry and bright and your Shiner be cold* Prosit!”

When poured into a glass, an inch thick tan head forms over the dark brown with ruby accented body. The head fades slowly to a ring around the edge of the beer. A nice lacing forms in the glass and lasts all the way until the beer is finished.

The smell is an interesting combination of peaches, pears and nuts. There is a nice hop background to it, which really brings out the sweetness to the scent. ItÂ’s not so sweet that it deters an avid beer drinker from wanting to drink it. The smell sets up the taste. A smooth combination of Malts, peaches and apricots crosses the tongue. A nice nutty finish of pecans rounds off the flavor. The flavor lingers after youÂ’ve finished drinking.

This is a medium bodied beer that is light on the carbonation. ItÂ’s smooth and very easy to drink.

Normally IÂ’m not a fan of fruit beers, but this one was really enjoyable, surprisingly so actually. When I first smelled the beer and the sweetness to it, I figured it would be like drinking fruit juice mixed with beer. It was nothing like that. I found this rather enjoyable to drink. Overall I give this 6.5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 428 words, total size 3 kb.

I picked this beer up a couple of days ago at the local grocery store. It was another winter seasonal beer. This time itÂ’s a local brew, Red Bock Winter Ale by Berghoff (The Joseph Huber Brewing Co. Aka Minhas Brewing Company) in Monroe, WI.

It came in the normal 12 Fl oz. bottle. The label is the normal Berghoff shape, what appears to be a barrel with an oval through it. The coloring is crimson and in the middle is a white snowflake. Berghoff in a red script is across the middle with the name of the beer in a smile like arch at the bottom.

The coloring is a beautiful dark amber color with crimson shading. There is no sign of cloudiness to it, light passes through with some difficulty. When you look through you can make out objects on the other side. A thin tan head forms when poured into a glass. The head fades quickly to nothing and there is no lacing on the glass.

The smell is an exquisite caramel and chocolate malt combination with a fruit undertone. The fruit smelled like strawberry or raspberry, but that might the combination of the malts mixing with the fruit to alter the scent. There is a mild sweetness to the smell that is pleasing. The taste is much like the scent, a sweet, but not overly sweet, combination of caramel malts and berries. The flavor is a little weak.

ItÂ’s a smooth, light bodied beer that is very easy to drink.

This is not like most of the winter ales IÂ’ve drank. The flavor isnÂ’t in your face. ItÂ’s mild and soothing. Something that you can drink just about any time you want. This is one of those beers that I could see myself picking up a six pack of on a whim. I give it 7 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:25 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 321 words, total size 2 kb.

Tonight IÂ’m reviewing a beer I found at the store and wanted to try. ItÂ’s a seasonal beer by the Redhook Ale Brewery in Portsmouth, NH called Winterhook Winter Ale. I figured since we are in the Christmas season, I might as well try to do some winter season beers.

Mine came from a 12 oz brown bottle, the label is kind of plain. The top half is blue and the bottom half silver. Then name of the beer is in white letters in the blue and silver letters in the blue portion and the logo of the company in blue and white in the silver portion. Next to the name of the beer is a picture of Old man winter, Jack Frost or some winter spirit blowing a cold breeze onto the name of the beer.

When poured into the glass, it has a nice chestnut brown with garnet highlights. There is no cloudiness to it that can be detected. Light passes through the beer, but it is dark enough that you canÂ’t make out what is seen on the other side. When poured a thin tan head formed that turned into a film that lasted until I was finished with the beer. There was some lacing on the side of the glass.

The scent is mainly of dried dark fruits like prunes and raisins. A touch of citrus and the spicy bitterness of hops rounds off the smell. The first sip mainly consists of the taste combination of caramel malts and hops. There is a citrus hint and a touch of cloves to the finish. The flavor is kind of thin and watery.

This is a medium bodied beer that has a nice carbonation level to it.

ItÂ’s pretty easy to drink. I wouldnÂ’t recommend it as a compliment to a meal. This is definitely a beer that one drinks by itself, preferably while sitting next to a warm fire in the accompaniment of friends. ItÂ’s definitely one I would drink again, most likely on a special occasion. I give it a 5.5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 09:33 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 350 words, total size 2 kb.

Tonight I will be reviewing Berghoff Solstice Wit Beer by the Berghoff Brewing company, AKA The Minhas Craft Brewery AKA Joseph Huber Brewing Company in Monroe, WI. This was a beer that was left at my house sometime over the last couple of months, and I really canÂ’t remember who left it for me, but I know they did. So if you are the one that donated the beer, IÂ’m sorry.

The beer came in a 12 oz brown bottle. The label is a metallic silver and orange. The center of the label center has a sun on it; the name of the beer in orange lettering is played across it. The name of the beer is on a semi-circle under the name of the company. The label is in the shape of a barrel with an oval spread across it.

It has a slightly hazy pale gold color. Carbonation bubbles could easily be seen rising through the beer. Light passes through the body easily enough. When I poured it, no real head formed. A slight white head formed and almost instantly faded into a film on the top of the beer and then to nothing. There is no lacing on the side of the glass at all.

The scent has been very mid. You can make out a faint combination of malts and orange zest. There is none of the spiciness that is normally associated with Wit beers. The scent is much like the flavor. There is a thing wheat flavor with a touch of orange and a slight hop finish. As it warms to room temperature you get more of the coriander flavor that is common in wit beers.

ItÂ’s a light bodied beer that is a little heavy on the carbonation. The carbonation bites on the tongue. ItÂ’s still easy to drink, but the carbonation does keep it a sipping beer.

Overall this is a decent beer. I found it pleasant enough, but not something I would go out of the way to get. There was just something about it that really didnÂ’t impress me. I give it 4 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:48 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 363 words, total size 2 kb.

TonightÂ’s beer review is sponsored by my blogless friend Wil. He brought this one up to the Colonial Ball for me to review. Some of you may remember Wil from previous infamous reviews of Yuengling. This time he provided me with Fireside Nut Brown by Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls, WI.

The label on the bottle had a picture of a hearth with a fire blazing in it. The LeinenkugelÂ’s name is center, with the name of the beer in a golden banner under it. The label is rather busy and itÂ’s hard to describe in full all of the detail on it as there is a lot of writing. The neck label has the LeinenkugelÂ’s logo.

When poured into the glass it forms a quarter inch thick creamy tan head made of tiny bubbles. There is a nice dark brown color with an orange tint to it. Light passes through easily enough and there is no cloudiness to the beer itself. Yet it is dark enough that you canÂ’t see through it clearly.

The smell is a sweet combination of maple and caramel with a slight nuttiness to it. The flavor is a mild and unobtrusive combination of Hazelnuts, maple and sweet malts. There is almost no bitterness of hops at all. There really isnÂ’t much of an aftertaste, but there is a slightly sweet one. ItÂ’s not syrupy sweet (mmm tastes a little sappy), but gentle sweetness that is pleasant.

It is a light bodied beer with a medium carbonation level. It is very easy to drink and it slides past the mouth easy.

Over all this is a pretty good beer. ItÂ’s sweet enough to tickle the taste buds, but not so sweet as to be distracting. I found this to be a very pleasant beer to drink. Overall I give it 6 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 09:18 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 316 words, total size 2 kb.

This weekÂ’s review is sponsored by Petey of PeteyÂ’s Powderhorn. He donated a can of Beamish Irish Stout by Beamish & Crawford in Cork, Ireland. Thank you Petey!

It came in a 14.9 fl oz nitro can. Yes, this is one of those beers that have the widget that when the can is opened it injects nitrogen into the beer making it creamier and have a thicker head. The can is black with a cream colored ban at the top, which may be trying to emulate what the beer looks like. In bold read letters running the length of the can is the name beamish. The company logo, a red B in a red circle, is in the middle with the worlds Genuine Draught Irish Stout.

There is a nice dark mahogany color to it with ruby highlights. ItÂ’s almost black like a cup of coffee. When the can is first opened and poured into a proper pint glass the bubbles flow on the inside of the glass as the head forms. It gives the look of waves flowing down the inner part of the glass. The head is a thick and creamy tan color. It leaves a decent amount of lacing on the glass.

The smell is a faint combination of Cocoa, Coffee and nuts. There is also a nice undertone of roasted malts. The flavor is mild for a stout. There are subtle notes of roasted coffee and chocolate malts. A mild bitterness is noticeable in the finish. As well as a very slight nuttiness. There is not much of an aftertaste to it at all.

This is a medium bodied beer. There is a nice creaminess to it that coats the mouth and throat and helps to keep the flavor fresh. Even though it is creamy, IÂ’m surprised that it isnÂ’t heavier bodied. I like my malts to be a touch thicker.

This is a pretty good stout, itÂ’s very easy to drink and goes down smoothly. It wouldnÂ’t be my first choice of stouts, but I definitely wouldnÂ’t pass one up. I could also see myself picking up a four pack when I was in the mood. ItÂ’s pretty good. I give it 6.5 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:42 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 377 words, total size 2 kb.

Yea, it's about like that.

Posted by: Contagion at 04:26 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 13 words, total size 1 kb.

Bruce of Back to the Batcave donated tonightÂ’s beer for review. He actually gave this to me about a month ago, and IÂ’m just now getting around to reviewing it. Tonight beer is AmericaÂ’s Original Pumpkin Ale by Buffalo BillÂ’s Brewery in Haywood, CA.

It came in a 12 oz shortneck brown bottle; the label has a black background with a picture of a pumpkin on it. The name of the beer is at the top and the name of the brewery is at the bottom. Under the name of the beer it claims, “Ale brewed with real pumpkin and spices.”

There is an orangish/amber color to the beer. ItÂ’s clear and light passes through easily. I was unable to detect any haziness or cloudiness at all. There was no head when poured into a glass. As it poured it fizzed like a carbonated soft drink, but nothing lasted more than a couple of seconds. Almost as soon as I finished pouring the beer the head disappeared to nothing. As it sat in the glass it almost looked like I had a glass of some kind of dark apple juice instead of beer.

The smell is an overpowering combination of pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. It gives the beer a scent of pumpkin pie or my friendÂ’s wifeÂ’s pumpkin squares. I was unable to detect the scent of malts, hops or any normal beer scents. The taste is almost like the scent. A very strong combination of pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. There is a strange slightly bitter aftertaste.

It is a light bodied beer that is kind of watery. ItÂ’s very easy to drink. There is no coating to the mouth or throat, which helps the aftertaste to fade even quicker.

I really did not find this beer to be very pleasurable to drink. The flavor, while fine if eating a desert, is not really something I look for in a beer. It was overly sweet and really not much of any beer taste. Seriously, it was almost like drinking a pumpkin pie smoothie. Yet, it didn't taste too bad with Apple Cider Doughnuts. Honestly I think Bruce bought this for me because heÂ’s on a personal quest to find the nastiest, most horrible beer for me to drink. He must take some kind of sadistic pleasure in having me drink some really god awful swill. Heck, this isnÂ’t even the first pumpkin ale heÂ’s given me to review. With that being said, IÂ’m sure it takes no one by surprise that IÂ’m giving this beer a rating of 2 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:43 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 440 words, total size 3 kb.

This weekÂ’s beer is brought to us by Petey of PeteyÂ’s Powderhorn. He gave me a can of Belhaven Scottish Ale Draught by the Belhaven Brewery Company LTD. In Dunbar, Scotland.

It came in a 14.9 fl oz nitro can. You know, the can with the widget in it that injects nitro into the beer making it extra creamy. The can is two tone with the upper half a tan color and the bottom a dark brown, which may be in homage to the way the beer looks in a glass. On the front of the can there is a picture of an old Scottish village. In a half circle above the picture is the name Belhaven. Below the image it says Scottish Ale in gold outlined boxes.

When poured into a glass it has a dark reddish copper color. ItÂ’s clear with no cloudiness to it at all. ItÂ’s too dark to make out whatÂ’s on the other side of the glass, but light still passes through. The head is thick and creamy. It has a nice tan color to it and it lasts for a long time. There is a very minimal amount of lacing on the side.

The scent is grainy and cereal like, almost like a whole grain or bran cereal. The gentle scent of hops follows along with a touch of fruit. The taste is much like the taste. There is a sweetness of toasted malts with a mild hop follow up. There is a fruit flavor that is reminiscent of apples or pears. A slight nuttiness is also present. The aftertaste is mild and fades quickly.

This is a medium bodied beer. There is a creamy coating that washes through the mouth as it is drank. It helps to lock in the flavor. ItÂ’s easy to drink and is refreshing.

IÂ’m a huge fan of Scottish Ales. IÂ’ve drank many of them, and this is a pretty good one. ItÂ’s a little light in the color and flavor, but still not bad. The smokiness and dark roasted malt flavor is not present like in most Scottish ales. Overall I like this beer; IÂ’m giving it 7 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 08:25 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 371 words, total size 2 kb.

ItÂ’s been a couple of weeks since IÂ’ve done a beer review. Last week I was busy with stuff and the review suffered, sorry. This week IÂ’m reviewing a beer that Blogspawn Bruce of Back to the Batcave donated. ItÂ’s Blue Marble Organic Pilsner by the Blue Marble Brewery in Chico, CA (subsidiary of Butte Creek Brewing Company). Why he decided to get me a hippy beer I donÂ’t know.

IT comes in a standard 12 oz brown bottle with a tan label. There is a picture of the earth in the upper right corner and the name of the beer takes up most of the label. Below the name of the beer it claims, “An Earth-friendly beer with an out of this world taste.”

It has a pale yellow color, like lemonade. There is cloudiness to it with floating bits. Light passes through easily, but you canÂ’t make out images on the other side of the glass. It poured a thick foamy head that fades really slowly. When I poured it into the glass, I poured it gently, but it produced more head on a beer than IÂ’ve ever seen before. It took three pours before I could pour all of the beer into the pilsner glass. The head was so thick that on the second attempt it actually extended out of the glass.

The smell is mainly of bitter hops. There is a hint of lemon grass, corn and sweet malts. It has a very mild taste that starts with sweet malts and finishes with a bitter hop flavor. As the beer warms to room temperature it takes on a biscuit finish.

ItÂ’s a light bodied beer without much mouthfeel to it. There is no coating which could be good because the unpleasant aftertaste would last longer than anticipated. The carbonation is at a nice level, but is inconsistent with the amount of head that formed.

This isnÂ’t a bad beer, but it really is bitterer than I would prefer, especially in a pilsner that is supposed to be mild and maltier. It was pretty easy to drink, but the taste kind of haunts you and not necessarily in a good way. I really did not enjoy this beer, but I can see how some people would. Overall I give the hippy beer 3 out of 10.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 397 words, total size 2 kb.

IÂ’m sorry that this weekÂ’s Beer Review is a night late. Yesterday was, uh, interesting. But thatÂ’s a post for a different day. Tonight IÂ’m review another donated beer. TonightÂ’s beer is Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale by the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Chico, CA as donated by Shadoglare.

It came in the standard 12 oz brown bottle. There is a white label on it. The Sierra Nevada logo is on the top in a yellow banner. The name of the beer is in the middle in green lettering. Between the name of the beer and the company logo is a small picture I canÂ’t make out. There is a description of the beer on it. They also note that this is the 25th release of the Bigfoot barely wine style ale.

ItÂ’s dark brown in color with a nice rich ruby highlights. It poured a thin tan head that faded quickly to a film on the top of the beer. It is cloudy, light passes through easily enough, but you canÂ’t see any clear images. There was some lacing.

The smell is of dark fruit with a hint of vanilla. The scent of bourbon from being aged in a bourbon barrel. The bitter scent of hops is present, almost overpowering. The taste is a mixture of roasted malts, vanilla bean and hops. The bitterness from the hops overpowers the scent and the taste of the beer, and leaves a very IPA like aftertaste to it. IÂ’m not sure if this beer is just a little skunky or if it should taste like this as it doesnÂ’t taste like any other barleywine style ale that IÂ’ve ever tasted. Although I will say that you canÂ’t taste the alcohol in this 9.6% Alcohol by Volume beer.

This is medium bodied beer that is light on the carbonation. There is some coating to it, which may be why the aftertaste sticks around for a long time.

This beer has been sitting in my fridge since June; IÂ’m really thinking that it may have turned. I had two of them and in the non-traditional style of beer, the second one was worse than the first one. Overall I was not impressed and IÂ’m currently giving it a 2 out of 10. Due to the circumstances IÂ’d be willing to re-review this beer.

Mental note, cleaning out any beer in the fridge that has been in there from before I left for Oklahoma.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:59 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 416 words, total size 3 kb.

1 Damn. With a name like that I was hoping it'd be better.

Posted by: Navy CPO at September 25, 2008 08:48 PM (lx5Kv)

2 BigFoot Piss?

Posted by: oddybobo at September 25, 2008 09:52 PM (dVFQh)

3 Happy Birthday!

Posted by: Shadoglare at September 29, 2008 05:41 AM (OHoWV)

4 Can't figure out why, but beer never lasts more then a week in my fridge!!

Posted by: bx19 at September 30, 2008 02:19 PM (wzqYA)

Hide Comments | Add Comment