Spaten Oktoberfest

This beer is like Beck's in flavor and is nothing like the rest of the Oktoberfests out there. It has a sourness with it and a bitter hop finish. At 5.9% ABV it is one of the weaker Oktoberfests. I expected more from a company that has been making beer since 1397. Good but not the best Oktoberfest out there.

Morland's Tanner Jack.

IPA like ale in flavor with some bitterness but not a lot of floral in the finish. Not an IPA but called an English Pale Ale. 4.4% ABV. Good beer for fall or spring, but not good in really cold weather.

Widmer Brothers Pitch Black IPA

If a porter and an IPA could mate and have a child, this would be it. At 6.5% ABV this beer is nicely balanced in hops and malt with the malts being the first thing you taste and the hops kicking it as you swallow. Dark and refreshing. This beer is the best of both sides of the beer spectrum.

Schlafly #20, Volume 2 - Hop Toddy

At 9% ABv this beer is alot like an IPA but way better. It is brewed with honey and aged in bourbon barrels. So with the flavors of whiskey and honey you can also taste lemon and lime and the hops are nicely balanced in. I suggest this beer to all IPA lovers and haters, you will love it no matter what.

Samuel Smith's Yorkshire Stingo

With 9% ABV and the fact I have had many of their other beers, I expected alot from this. All i can say is, it did not live up to the Sam Smith name. It is very malty and good, but that is all it is, is Malty. It is aged in Oak barrels, but I only got a small hint of that in the flavor. If it was a bourbon barrel it might have been much better. Good but I suggest you try the other Sam Smith beers first. This one should not be your first.

Ommegang Witte

Typical wheat beer but a very good one. This beer is 5.1% abv and is a very cloudy amber color. In the first gulp you get a nice wheat bite with some floralness in the end. I suggest this beer to all those who love Blue Moon, because it will blow it out of the water.

Ommegang Hennepin

Belgian Saison style beer with 7.7% ABV. This beer is very good and unfiltered to boot. Very wheaty and lots of floral notes. This beer is very good for a hot summer day and I would love to drink it all day if I could.

Dos Equis Lager Especial

This beer if different than Corona which tastes alot like a pilsner. It is 5%ABV. This beer is alot crisper and has alot more sour notes to it. I would suggest it over Corona, but there are better Mexican beers.

Charleville Pilsner

Now I am not a huge Pilsner fan as to me they have very little flavor. This beer is gold in color and resembles a typical pilsner with a nice frothy head. The beer itself is light and crisp with some sourness in the finish. This beer is a typical pilsner and is not one I would be drinking alot of. If you like beers like Becks or Heineken you will love it, but I don't.

Boulevard Two Jokers

A Double Wit beer at 8% ABV. Very fine citrus flavor and malty but not too strong. There is some spice that comes through as you drink but not overpowering. A great drink on a nice warm spring day.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Dunkel Weiss

This beer is amazing. My first reaction when I sipped it was to horde it so no one else could have a sip. At 9% ABV this beer is definatly a strong dark wheat beer. The foam head is a nice off white color and it huge. Nice sour citrus flavors which blooms out with each gulp. If you have had the Fransiskaner this beer is alot like it, but on Steroids. There are black pepper flavors and even hints of cloves in the finish. This is my new fav. and if you see me drinking one, do not expect me to share. Once you try it you will see why. Go out and buy one now, you will not be disappointed.

Boulevard Seeyoulator Doppelbock

Smoky as hell in the first sip but very very good. Banana smell but no banana flavor. Aged on cedar and you can taste it subtly. Not hoppy but nice and malty. Dark brown in color and a light is hard to see when put behind it. 8.5% abv so it is a nice strong Doppelbock. I love it and I am defiantly putting this on my favs. list. I suggest you try it before I drink them all :)

Avery IPA

I would say this is one of my fav. IPAs. 6.5% ABV and a nice golden amber color. Very floral and citrus in smell. Hops hit hard in the first drink, but not overpowering. Almost strong enough to the point of drying your tongue but it goes away fast. I suggest this on a hot summer day because after a 14 hour work shift it made me feel refreshed. Great drink and all IPA lovers will enjoy it.

Charleville Maibock

What can I say about a beer that comes from a small local brewery? I have had every beer at Charleville. This beer is good but not great. I like it, but it is not in my favs. They have far better beers, but this is a nice drink. At 7.2% ABV it is in the doppelbock range, but it does come in a 22oz bottle. Orange amber colored and smooth to drink. Hoppier than a regular bock but not overpowering. Nice easy drinking beer. Designed for the hotter days since it is literally a May Bock. Great drink for the summer months, but the dark belgian Doppelbocks are much better for colder weather.

Crown Valley Black Cabin Smoked Ale

Dark amber almost red. First sip you do not taste smoke until you swallow. No strong hops but the smoke comes from the hops. Not overpowering and the smoke flavor disappears shortly after swallowing. Nice easy drink and something unique. 5.6% abv so not strong. Something good to start you out on smoked beers.

Grimbergen Double Abby Ale

This beer is very simple, dark amber in color, and very nice malty flavorings. Great for those who love Belgian style Abby Ales, but not as good as the Trappists. 6.3% ABV and only 23 IBUs. Most sites say it has plum scents, but I did not taste nor smell plums. It just tasted very simple and did not impress, but was still good. I expected more, but I did not get more.

Rouge Mocha Porter

54 IBUs, 5.3% ABVand very dark. Nice creamy looking head. Mocha flavor is not strong at all while you drink but is pretty strong in the finish. In the end the coffee flavor over powers the chocolate flavors. All flavor comes from the malts and hops are hidden beneath. Good flavored porter and better than just a standard porter. I suggest it to you dark beer lovers and even some of you light beer drinkers. Something good to try at least once.

Schlafly Dry Hopped APA

Not as hoppy as most IPAs or APAs. Since ti is dry hopped this means there were extra hops added after the beer was brewed to give it a nice fresh hop flavor, which it has, but not as strong as one might hope for. 5.9% abv and only 50 IBUs, this beer is not strong nor bitter. Nice amber color, but it was missing something. It had a sweet citrus smell, but not alot of flavor other than the hops. Not their best.

Great Divide's Titan IPA

Not the best IPA out there. In fact this beer leaves a grassy taste in your mouth which stays for a good half hour after drinking the whole beer. Good amount of hops and a nice amber color, but I have had far better IPA's and their DPA is much MUCH better. It is 7.1% abv which means it has more bite than a regular beer, but it is not the best out there.

Tallgrass Oasis Ale

This beer tastes like an IPA but they say it is not a true IPA. In fact they call it a Double Extra special beer/IPA. It is Hoppy and it is malty, and is well balanced between the two, but again, it came in a can and is not as flavorful as I expected. They sold it as an overhopped and malted beer, but it is too balanced to be extreme on anything. It has a 93 IBU but does not taste like it. At 7.2% ABV this is the strongest of their 4 beers they make. It is a good beer, but I wish it was in a bottle and that they people making it could sell it better. They should stop saying it is one thing, when you can not even tell or taste the flavors they say it has. Good beer, but I have had way better ones.

Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat Stout

This beer I have heard good things about but was not impressed when I tried it. The sheet I received at the tasting says that this beer is a cream stout and tastes like liquid chocolate chip cookies made with coffee. This I did not taste. The flavor is light but you can taste chocolate and coffee but not like that describe. I feel what saps out the flavor is the fact that it is served in a can not a bottle. I have always found that bottle beers hold their flavor better than canned beers. This is an ok stout, but true stout lovers would rather drink something heavier with more flavor. The light stouts sit around 30 IBU, this one is a 20 IBU and with only 5% abv it really comes out as a light stout. Good but not the best stout out there.

Franziskaner hefe-weiss bier

Strong citrus flavor in the first gulp. Nice amber color. A small amount of sourness from the citrus which makes this beer unique. ABV is 5.0% Thicker than the Schlafly Hefeweiss but the citrus flavor makes it easy to drink. Nice beer for a hot summer day. This is my favoritte Hefe Weiss by the way. It was even one of the first one I have ever had and drink it alot.

Schlafly Hefeweizen

Light, smooth, easy to drink. Not strong or overpowering hops or malt. Not much citrus flavor either. Just a simple beer that one can chug. Most of the flavor is in the last few gulps though> Not the best Hefeweiss but easy to drink at 4.1% abv

Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier

Most of you who know me know that I am mostly of German descent, which means I love my German beers. This beer my friends I stumbled upon in a magazine and saw that it comes from the Worlds Oldest Brewery which is still in production. I have had my share of Hefe Weissbier, but this one is by far the best. It comes in a one pint, .9oz bottle and a 5.4% ABV it is a nice drinking beer to enjoy doing anything. Today I worked 15 hours in two different restaurants and after that much work, this beer refreshed me and made me feel relaxed and rejuvenated. It is a nice cloudy amber color and has a nice citrus taste which is not over powering. It is smooth and refined. They have had since 1040 AD to perfect it and they have. If you love weissbier or wheat beers, then this is right up your ally. I am adding it to my faves. list and will be sure to try and review the rest of Weihenstephaner's beers.

Firestone Walker Double Jack Double IPA

If they serve Beer in heaven it needs to be this one. Holy Cow man. At 9.5% ABV and standing at 22oz, this beer packs a punch. The second I cracked it open I could smell how sweet it was. My mouth was watering as my shaking hand poured it into my mug. This beer is the epitome of amazing. Hoppy to the core but it does not leave your mouth dry and shriveled. In fact it has enough bitterness to make you salivate and want more. This beer has a IBU of 100 so you know it is going to be a bitter beer, but the blend is perfect and the citrus flavors just keep it nice and juicy. When I researched this beer I saw that it has 3 different malts and 3 different hops, one of which is a dry hop. This same beer, because of its flavor, brought Firestone Walker the best Double IPA Medal from a Bistro Double IPA festival in San Francisco recently. I suggest this beer to all those who love IPAs and APAs. This is by far the best double IPA out there. Drink it and support craft beer brewing.

Firestone Walker, Walker's Reserve Porter

This beer is a great drink. In fact I am still drinking it as I write this. At 5.8% ABV, this porter is not too strong but not too light. It came in a 22 oz bottle which is just over a pint so it towers over those little 12 oz beers. dark brown almost black color with a fine mix of malts. The hops can not really be tasted since they are mixed in well but after several gulps, they slowly come out and this is not a smokey porter at all. The brewery that made this beer has won the gold medal for 2004, 2006, and 2010 for champion mid size brewery at the World Beer Cup. With only 16 beers, five no longer available, this brewery is not as huge as most, so they can focus on the beers they have to make them so good. I suggest this beer to all Porter and stout lovers out there. Even you do not like these kinds of beers, at least try it, it may change your mind.

O'Hara's Irish Red

Where they lacked in taste with the Stout they made up with it in their Irish Red. At only 4.3% abv this is not a strong beer but a very tasty one. The color is dark red almost brown. First sip you get hit by the malts and then the hops finish it out in the end. Your mouth is not left dry and in fact it made me want to just keep on drinking. This my friends is a damn good Irish Red and I suggest it to the serious beer lovers out there. This beer will not disappoint and will have all the flavor you desire.

Murphy's Irish Red

At only 5% ABV I thought this Irish Red would have more to offer. Not a strong taste but really smooth with a bite of hops in the end. Really no malt taste. Color is light as well with the beer being dark gold with red tinges. I have had better Reds but this would be a nice beer for someone who does not like beer all that much. In fact I suggest it to anyone who loves Bud Light. At least it will taste better than a Bud Light.

Great Divide's DPA

The DPA stands for Denver Pale Ale and I love it. At 5.4% ABV is not strong but it is good. It has a nice balance of hops which will not leave you wanting a glass of water. It is a bitter beer with some sites giving it a 70 to 73 IBU. Smooth beer with a bitter finish, but to me it is what you would a imagine a great golden pale ale to taste like. I suggest it to those who love and hate pale ales because I am sure you will love it. If not, at least you tried something new.

O'Hara's Irish Stout

At only 4.3% abv this stout is not one of the strongest, but it is one of the mildest. It is as dark as Guinness but not as good. The chocolate and coffee notes are not strong but there but it has a nice smoky malt finish. Not a bitter beer at all. This is a stout for people who do not like the strong coffee flavors but love the malt-ness of the stouts. I suggest that if you like Guinness, try this stout out. If you love your dark, thick, strong stout, then this is not for you.

THE BEAST!!!!!!

The beer I am talking about is Avery's the Beast. It is a Grand Cru with a ABV of 15.02% IBU of around 70. This beer is a beast and a half. It is a Belgian Style Dark Ale but that doesn't really matter compared to the taste. When I had it all I could taste was Honey and bread. It was like drinking bread soaked in alcoholic honey. I had to sip it and it took me a good hour to finish it. I would not suggest drinking more than one as this beer will have you drunk after just one and a half. Great beer to sample and enjoy slowly but not one for partying.

Founder's KBS

Founder's KBS aka Kentucky Breakfast Stout, is by far one of the best Imperial stouts on the market today. ABV of 11.2% with a IBU of 70 this little beer packs a punch, little because I had it in a 12 oz bottle. Like the Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout, the KBS is bourbon barrel aged so but has a stronger bourbon flavor. In fact everything about this beer is stronger than the Schlafly stout. The coffee and cocoa flavors are more pronounced and hit you followed by the bourbon. I would defiantly drink this beer for breakfast. I saw at Schnucks you can buy a 4 pack of 12 oz bottles for $16 which is a deal since each beer is almost the same as drinking 3 regular beers. So one beer can get a buzz going and is defiantly a sipper beer. Guzzle and you will not be liking the results. I suggest this beer to all those stout lovers out there.

Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout

This beer is one of my favs. At 10.5% ABV and an IBU of 50 this beer packs a punch. Stouts are my favorite kind of beer, but this is like a double stout. A nice not too heavy coffee flavor, but with an extra punch of bourbon whiskey. The stout itself is aged in bourbon barrels and this helps give it that hint of whiskey in your beer. The night I had this beer was a Schlafly tasting at my job. I had an entire 750ml bottle, that is the size of a wine bottle, to myself. I was drinking the 2010 edition but the guy over the tasting let me try the 2008 edition which was by far stronger and alot more malty. Most people do not understand that good beers can be aged like wine, and this one, I would drink over any aged wine out there. This is a good beer for anyone who loves strong stouts. You will not be disappointed.

Schlafly Special Release Export IPA

At 7% ABV and a 65 IBU this beer is good. Not too hoppy and not too light either. Schlafly says it is a stong, heavily hopped, English style Ale, but to me it is a nice balance of the hops and malt. Normally with heavy IPA's you feel like your tongue is shriveling up from all the hoppy bitterness, but not in this beer. I could drink a few no problem with a meal and not feel like I need to guzzle water as well. All in all a nice medium colored beer for those who like hops, but don't love them.

Schlafly's Helles Style Summer Lager

This Lager was very smooth and was almost like water. ABV is 4.5% and the IBU is 17 which means that this beer is not bitter at all. It goes down smooth but I did not taste much. It is one of those beers that anyone can drink from a woman to an old man. No one will have any complaints except the fact that it is not strong and is too smooth. One could drink a 6 pack in minutes before they begin to even notice that they are drinking a beer. Might be good on a hot summer day, but it was rainy and cool outside when I had it. Good beer, but not the best out there, especially not the best from Schlafly.

Welcome

I bet you are wondering, why a blog about beer? Well, I love beer. Wine is good, but nothing goes good with food for me than a nice cool or warm beer. Now I will be reviewing alot of craft beers here and not alot of domestic beers. I will state now that I hate anything and everything from Budweiser. There are only a few domestics I will drink and they are Pabst Blue Ribbon and Stag. Bud, Miller, and Coors can go away for all I care.

Now I am not some beer genius or a sommelier, which is a fancy word for those who are trained to taste wines and beers and know exactly what is in them. I myself am a regular guy. I have been drinking beer for years and have had over a hundred different ones. So I am not going to come on here and say stuff like, I taste a hint of pepper with a soft undertone of cherry blossoms. I am going to describe the beer as I remember and what I know about the beer.

Two terms that are a must know are ABV and IBU. ABV is the alcohol by volume or how strong the beer is. The IBU is the International Bittering Unit scale which is how bitter the beer is and measure things like hops content.

I am hoping at least the readers will know the difference between beers like Ales, lagers, stouts, and porters. If not I will discuss them later.

I hope you all enjoy this and remember I am doing this for free so do not expect excellence.