Left Hand Oktoberfest

Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
Location: Longmont, CO
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: Oktoberfest/Marzen
ABV: 6%

One of my favorite seasons has arrived and along with it comes a favorite style. Oktoberfest.
Before heading over the the UL game we figured a few good pints would be best. Although
this isn't my first time having this brew it does suprise me every year with how good it is. The beer comes out with very little head and a dark brown color. I highly recommend this brew.

Rating: A

Ziegenbock

Brewery: Anheuser Busch
Location: Houston, TX
Serving: Draft/Pint
Style: American Bock?
ABV: ?

I saw a Texas shaped tap handle at the bar and then noticed on the wall a poster for this beer with the slogan, "Only Texans Get It!". I should have known better but I had to try it out. With my first sip I thought, man that really tastes just like Amberbock. Don't let the dark red colour fool you, it lacks taste and aroma. A completely generic beer. I later found out Ziegenbock is brewed by AB so it makes sense. I will avoid this from now on. I guess not being a "Texan" I just don't get it.



Rating: D

Live Oak Liberation

Brewery: Live Oak Brewery
Location: Austin, TX
Serving: Draft/Pint
Style: IPA
ABV: 6.0%

I had this on tap at the Spider House. It's a nice burnt orange colour. The smell was all citrus. It has a nice bitterness throughout with just a tad bit of sweetness to keep things in check. Refreshing and tasty.

Rating: B

Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company
Location: Calinfornia
Serving: 22oz Bomber
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 7.2%

Lauren works on Thursday nights so I had a bachelor's dinner. Bratwurst and beer. Man was it delicious. My sister gave me a bottle of Arrogant Bastard as a going away gift so I decided to pop it open. It was a nice dark rust colour with a small tan head. Lots of aromas going on here. There was a nice toasty malt smell paired with hops aromas and alcohol. The first thing I tasted was malt, nice and toasted. I love malty beer. A strong bitterness comes in a bit later to balance things out. It paired perfectly with the sausage. Success!



Rating: A

Beer 30 Light

Brewery: Melanie Brewing CO
Location: La Crosse, WI
Serving: cans
Style: Pale Lager
ABV: 3.8%

At first glance I thought it was a joke, Beer Brand Beer, but no this is real. At just over $3 for a 6 pack the O'Flynn took the bait and we tried this purple can of beer brand beer. At first, 2nd and so on drinks there was almost nothing to taste. The carbonation is stronger than the brew itself. It's not until those last 2 swigs where this beer earns its distinction. God awful. The temperature from you hands heats this brew very rapidly so it must be drank quickly or else....I'm glad I tried this brew but know it has not achieved a spot in my rotation.

Rating: C+

Red's Rye

Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Serving: 12 oz Bottle
Style: Rye Beer
ABV: 6.4%

I picked up a six pack of this for our going away party. I wanted to start the day with some decent beer. Poured into a glass, it was dark orange with a medium white head. The head left some lace stuck all down the sides of the glass. Always a plus. This has one of the best aromas I've ever smelled in a beer. It was spicy with lots of fruit and herb from the hops. It starts off with a sweet malty flavor and then you get some of the citrus. The rye added a spiciness and it finishes with a bitter punch of the hops. The rye and the hops dominate but it's well balanced and very delicious.


Rating: A

Upland Maibock

Brewery: Upland Brewing Company
Location: Richo's
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: Seasonal (Heller Bock)
ABV: 7.5%

Met up with some friends from out of town at Richo's to have a pint. As old as the food gets they keep you coming back with all the great brews. In this instance I chose the Maibock. At first glance you could hardly tell the difference between Miller's Hop Devil and this one but taste will prevail. A mild flavor in a beer that could probably just be described in the lager family was one that will be repeated.

Rating: B+

Stone IPA

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company
Location: Escondido, CA
Serving: 12 oz Bottle
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.9%

I love this beer. It has easily worked it's way into my top 10. I snagged a bottle of this from Hill and proceeded to enjoy. It pours a light copper colour with a nice thick head that clings all over the glass. Hop aromas are citrus and herbs. It reminded me of grapefruit and grass. I could splash this on as a cologne. The taste is also hops. Lots of hops. A nice bitter bite that doesn't overwhelm thanks to the malt smoothing things out a bit. Top Notch.



Rating: A

McChouffe

Brewery: Brasserie d'Achouffe
Location: Belgium
Serving: Snifter
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 8%

My friend always raves about this beer and I finally had the chance to try a glass of it from his birthday bottle. It resembled a cloudy soda, deep brown with a nice off-white head. It had a really great smell, lots of sweet fruitiness and yeast. It had a crisp sweet flavor to match the smell with lots of malt. I might have to buy my own bottle of this on occasion.


Rating: B

Prima Pils

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Pennsylvania
Serving: Draft/Imperial Pint
Style: German Pilsner
ABV: 5.3%

I picked up a growler of this from Sportstime to enjoy while it's available. I finally cracked it open the other night. It poured a very clear pale gold with a decent white head that left rings of lace down the glass as I drank it. I really enjoyed the smell of this one. It had an herby grassy aroma that went nicely with the summer weather. The taste of this one was typical pislner flavor but with a few twists and turns. There is a nice bitter bite from the hops that is assuredly missing in the average pils. The malt shows up to provide some balance and the bitterness doesn't blow your tounge out. A nice session beer.


Rating: B+

Colt 45

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
Location: Texas
Serving: 40
Style: Malt Liquor
ABV: 6.1%

What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by drinking a big bottle of malt liquor. Ian and I decided to hoof it down to the corner liquor store for some forties. The store sells everything from behind a counter, I guess they get robbed a lot. The patron told us he had King Cobra and Colt 45. We decided to go all out and pay $0.50 more for the Colt 45, we were celebrating after all. The giant bottle held a pale yellow brew with a head that resembled dish soap bubbles. It smells like every other Macro Lager but with a dash more alcohol to make things interesting. The taste was surprisingly sweet, with some corn and malt flavors. It disappeared quickly and we were off to the Mag Bar for the good stuff.


Rating: C-

Shiner Bock

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery
Location: Shiner, TX
Serving: Draft/Pint
Style: Bock
ABV: 4.4%

We visited the Corner Pub to watch the EURO final. Nothing better than pints and soccer. I ordered a Shiner Bock as they were on special. My pint arrived missing a few ounces, but that's another story. It was a brown soda colour with no head anywhere to be found. The smell, or what little I could find, was sweet. The taste is sweet and malty, but there isn't much of either flavor. The touch of bitterness disappears as do all of the other flavors after a few seconds. To sum up this beer in one word: BLAND. All was not lost however, as Spain defeated the evil Germans.


Rating: C

Dos Perros

Brewery: Yazoo Brewing Company
Location: Nashville, TN
Serving: Draft/Pint
Style: Altbier
ABV: 3.5%

I enjoy trying out the local brews when I travel and on a recent trip to Nashville I got to do just that. We met up with our friends Ian and Sarah at a late night sushi bar called PM. I ordered a pint of the Dos Perros from the local Yazoo brewery. Our awkward server brought me a dark brown beer with no head. It has a nutty, roasted aroma with a bit of chocolate. The hops didn't come through at all. The taste is mostly chocolate and toasted malts with a hint of sweetness. It was not heavy and all and pleasantly crisp. The website says that it is brewed in the old style of Mexican beers which descended from Austrian occupation. I wish most of the current Mexican offerings would revert back.


Rating: B-

HopDevil Ale

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Pennsylvania
Serving: Draft/Growler
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.7%

I have read plenty of good things about Victory beers, the only problem being they weren't available in Indiana or Kentucky. Well they are finally getting distribution in Indiana and Sportstime picked up a few kegs. I stopped by and grabbed a growler of the HopDevil to try out.
It poured a caramel colour with a beige head that clung to the sides as I drank it. Much to my surprise I could actually smell some sweet maltiness, the aroma wasn't completely dominated by the hops. That malt also comes through in the taste. Nice toasted bread compliments the dominant citrus hop flavor. It finishes up with a crisp clean bite. I'm not used to this much malt in an IPA and I was pleasantly surprised.


Rating: A

Dragon's Milk

Brewery: New Holland Brewing Company
Location: Holland, MI
Serving: Draft/Imperial Pint
Style: English Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%

I feel like a giddy school girl whenever I see this on the draft board at Sportstime. I know I'm in for a treat. I was served a glass as black as night with a light brown thin head. When held up to the sunlight coming through the window it is a not black but a deep brown colour. This Ale is aged in oak barrels and that comes through in the nose. Oak, chocolate, and vanilla all hit when I took my first whiff. The taste is sublime like a good bourbon. Vanilla with dark chocolate give this a rich creaminess. It has a nice sweet bitter twang to finish things off. This one's in my top 5.


Rating: A+

Dry-Hopped Red

Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery
Location: Oregon
Serving: Draft/Imperial Pint
Style: American Amber
ABV: 5.1%

Yet another trip to Prost yields another Rouge ale to try. This time I went with the dry-hopped red. It had a dark reddish brown colour and a decent sized white head. I'm going to call the aroma of this one "hop bread". Lots of hops hit you first with some orange pine-sol, but then some malty bread comes in. It has a pleasant sweet caramel flavor that quickly gets taken over by the hops. The finish is all hop bitterness. This is a pretty interesting example of a red, a category I tend to find pretty average.

Rating: B-

Export IPA

Brewery: Schlafly
Location: St. Louis, MO
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: IPA
ABV: 8%

With Schlafly in town promoting a new IPA, there was no other choice given Schlafly's track record of taste. The typical burnt amber color. An unusually frothy head resembling a pilsner which lead to a lacey delight. An immediate bite with hops coming out strong with a flowery finish. What made the evening was, every pint purchased got your name in the hat for a "prize". First drawing my friend Tom won, 2nd drawing I won, 3rd drawing Tom's friend won....all at the same table...3 drawings in a row....ill take it. Regardless I was again impressed by Schlafly.

Rating: B+

Brutal Bitter

Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery
Location: Newport, OR
Serving: Draft/Imperial Pint
Style: Imperial ESB
ABV: 6.5%

There were several new brews on the board at Prost and it was hard to choose one to try after the Scotty Karate. Donnie started off with one of these and after sampling it I couldn't pass up a pint of my own. The pint was a really nice looking orange/red with a small white head that disappeared quickly. The smell reminded me of an IPA aroma but turned way down. The taste was not what I expected with an Ale calling itself "Brutal Bitter". There was definitely a hoppy flavor with a bit of citrus but not even close to overpowering. It strikes a very nice balance with the malts. I am a big fan of English bitters. It's nice to be able to set down and enjoy a beer that doesn't wear you out. The offering from Rogue was a great twist on that. I feel like I could have sat down and had quite a few rounds without getting blitzed.


Rating: B+

Scotty Karate Scotch Ale

Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Location: Marshall, MI
Serving: Draft/Imperial Pint
Style: Scottish Ale
ABV: 9.75%

Hill was working at Prost on Friday so we decided to visit and enjoy a pint or two. I settled into the comfy leather couch and ordered up a Scotty Karate. I had tried this during Gravity Head and loved it so I was excited for the second go-round. It was a dark brown colour and when held up to the light I could not see through it. A sweet bread/fruit aroma initially hit my nose but as I drank the alcohol smell became more prominent. The taste is heavenly. This ale has a very good mouthfeel. Malt flavor is strong but balanced with a very lovely sweet nutty finish and just a dash of the alcohol to warm you up. Dark Horse succeeds yet again.


Rating: A

Dortmunder Gold

Brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company
Location: Ohio
Serving: Bottle
Style: Dortmunder
ABV: 5.8%

I tend to pick out new beers to try based on their packaging. Shallow maybe, but I'll reach for attractive design 9 times out of 10. This is the reason I've never had any Great Lakes beers. The packaging just looks cheap to me. After reading nothing but positive things about the brewery I decided to put aside my bias and give them a shot. The Dortmunder poured a deep golden yellow that was crystal clear with a nice medium white head that stuck around for quite a while. It had a very sweet smell with a touch of citrus. The taste was malt malt malt. A nice sweet bread flavor with some hop bitterness made it smooth and balanced. Worked perfect to wash down my Chinese food. Overall a great beer, which I guess goes to show that looks aren't everything. I'm definitely going to check out some of their other offerings soon.


Rating: A