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+

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-

Budweiser

Brewery: Anheuser-Busch Inc.
Location: Missouri
Serving: Draft
Style: American Macro Lager
ABV: 5%

Ahh the dog days of summer. Nothing like 90 degree weather and a baseball game to put you in the mood for "the king of beers". I half-expected an American flag to pop out of my ass, but I digress. $1 beer night at the stadium led me to a beer I normally avoid like the plague. It's so easy to bash Bud that I'm not going to waste my time. My plastic cup presented me a thick white head that led to a clear yellow beer. It smelled of corn but it went down easy enough and did it's job. I'd much rather drink a Pabst or High Life if I'm going with this style but beggars can't be choosers.


Rating: C-

Red Seal Ale

Brewery: North Coast Brewing Company
Location: Fort Bragg, CA
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: American Amber Ale
ABV: 5.5%

Nothing like a wedding to go and ruin a perfect Saturday afternoon. Luckily Josh was waiting in the distance for a run-in at the all favorite Sportstime. What do I want? I've been looking at that
Red Seal sign for years and never tasted it (as far as I know it hasn't been available) so Hill poured the pint and I accepted. A color more resembling orange than red and a taste that says "alcohol before flavor", not a preference for me. Not a smell that will stick but definetely a taste that will kick. I think i'll stick with the Old Ras' next time I venture through their territory.

Rating: C+

Brooklynator Doppleback

Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: Dopplebock
ABV: 7.5%

We decided to head to Sportstime on Saturday to watch a friend drink a boot of Spaten for his birthday. While waiting I treated myself to a couple pints. The first was this Dopplebock from the Brooklyn Brewery. The dark brown pint arrived resembling a large glass of soda. It had a nutty sweet aroma and very little head. The first sip reminds me of bland raisin bread which isn't really something I want to drink. There is not much complexity to the flavor in this one. It's overly sweet and doesn't really do much for me. This is the first time I've been let down by Brooklyn Brewery.



Rating: C

Tecate

Brewery: Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Montezuma
Location: Mexico
Serving: Bottle
Style: Mexican Macro Lager
ABV: 4.5%


A round of golf led to some Mexican food. I decided to forgo my usual Negra Modelo to try a Tecate. I had read a poll where it won the best of the Mexican beer offerings, so I wanted to give it a whirl. After tossing aside the lime wedged in the bottle, I got down to business. I didn't have a glass for the beer, (some would say I am a cretin for drinking out of the bottle, but those people can get over themselves) so I can only guess that the colour is the customary straw of most Macros. It had a very sweet smell that was unexpected and a taste to match. The typical corn flavor was present but much sweeter than usual. I wouldn't call Tecate a great beer by any means, but it washed my carnitas tacos down nicely. I'll stick to my Negra Modelo or Dos Equis drafts because they have much better flavor.


Rating: C

Lone Star Beer

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
Location: Texas
Serving: Pitcher / Pint
Style: American Macro
ABV: 4.72%

We decided to have dinner at a pub called, The Dog and Duck. It was a nice funky little place that I can definitely see hanging out at. They had a nice selection of drafts but we opted for the Texas experience with Lone Star Beer. Lauren and I split a pitcher which means she had a glass and I had the rest. The white head disappeared rapidly leaving a clear glass of that pale straw colour we've all come to love. After my first drink I immediately sprouted a handle bar mustache, cowboy hat, and developed a hankerin' for a side of beef. The taste was pretty standard macro fair but slightly above average. It was sweet and crisp, the kind of beer that quenches on a hot day, fairly bland but drinkable.


Rating: C-

Oktoberfest

Brewery: Upland
Location: Bloomington, Indiana
Serving: Draft (pint)
Style: Oktoberfest
ABV: 4%


A poor morning leads to a pour lunch...and a generally favorite style Oktoberfest (given it is out of season) goes from "great" to "ehh"....looking for something to ease my troublesome morning I ordered the Oktober to relax and prepare myself for the 2nd half of the day. A burnt orange pint was presented and consumed. A clean scent with mildly sweet, overly carbonated taste was enjoyed but not to the standard of what is expected from a good Oktoberfest.


Rating: C+

Kaiser 2nd Reising

Brewery: New Albanian Brewing Co.
Location: Indiana
Serving: Draft
Style: Old Fashioned Pilsner
ABV: 5.9%

I had pretty much stopped ordering NABC beers except for the occasional specialty brew like Olde Lightening Rod. There are just so many great beers on tap that the NABC brews can't really stand up in my opinion. Monday was NABC day, meaning pints were $1.25 off, so I decided to try a few out to see if anything has changed.

Kaiser was a clear pale yellow with little to no head. It had a very faint smell that was kind of sour. The taste was tangy with some hints of grain/corn. The finish was not my cup of tea, kind of bitter but not in a good way. It doesn't taste anything like other pilsners I've had but I think that's the point since it's brewed in the old style.

These two beers didn't really change my opinion. The NABC beers are pretty good (they used to be so much better)and much better than the mass produced beers, but they just don't hold up to other craft breweries to me.


Rating: C-

Old Style

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
Location: Texas
Serving: Pitcher/Pint
Style: American Macro Lager
ABV: 4.7%

Donnie and I took a trip to Nachbar to check it out. It's a nice cozy little place with some decent beers on tap. I started off with a Dead Guy, but we switched it up for some games of darts. The Old Style poured golden and clear with a small white head. It smelled kind of like an old lady with a hint of sourness. Not the best thing to inhale before drinking. The taste was clean, water, and slightly sweet. Heads above the "big 3" American mass consumption beers. It's crisp and refreshing and you could drink it by the gallon on a hot day. Not that I condone that sort of behavior...

Rating: C+