Pabst Blue Ribbon "trifecta"

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
Location: Mailwaukee, WI
Serving: can (1), bottle (4), "tallboy" (2)
Style: American Lagar
ABV: 5%

Had I been at the track and hit this trifectia I'd be a rich man, but since I was working in the yard (ie: mowing, weeding, seeding, and tree removing) I figured I'd take the bet.....I won. Given I cannot describe appearance other than "Red, White, & Blue" but regardless I know a superior beer when I taste one. Now I've heard certain people complain of these American lagers and their "no taste drinkability" but truth is I don't always want a beer so heavy and filling. In those instantances I go for the Pabst and have yet to be let down (10 years and counting).

Rating: A+

Red Headed Stranger

Brewery: Lovejoy's Tap Room
Location: Austin, TX
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: Irish Red
ABV: ?

I have been exploring the different pubs and taprooms of Austin trying to find a place to fill the Sportstime void that will soon be in my life. This place is at the end of the horrible row of 6th st. bars that remind me of Bourbon St. or Downtown Nashville. It's not actually on 6th and doesn't seem to have much in common with them though. The blacked out windows and the lack of much in the way of a noticable entrance aren't exactly tourist friendly. It's a nice dumpy place with some pool tables and a juke box kind of like the mag bar but without the charm. They had a pretty good selection of drafts and they brew 4 of their own beers. I ordered the Red Headed Stranger because the description intrigued me. I took the deep amber pint to a couch to sample. It had a nice toasty malt aroma with some hints of fruitiness. The hops stand out much more than I expected in an Irish and that is a god thing. This beer was pretty damn tasty. It has a nutty malty flavor that finishes with a nice bitter fruity hop bite. I don't really see myself hanging out at Lovejoys but I might pop in take home a growler of this beer on occasion.


Rating: B+

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-

Robert the Bruce

Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co
Location: Munster, IN
Serving: Growler
Style: Scottish Ale
ABV: 7%

I admit the 6 High Lifes I had prior to indulging in my 1/2 of the growler has affected my memory or tastebuds, because I have hardly any recollection of this brew other than it did me in and was delicious at the same time....and in some situations what more do you really need?

Rating: B+

Barfly IPA

Brewery: Barley Island Brewing
Location: Noblesville, IN
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: American IPA
ABV: 5.6%

I had not heard of Barley Island so I decided to check this out. It turns out they are an Indiana brewery so it was nice to drink locally. This pint was a lovely burnt orange colour with a very small head that left lace all down the glass. It smells citrusy and hoppy, pretty much like every other IPA I've described the smell of. The taste was very nice. A sweet orange flavor is predominate with a mild bitter hop finish. This would be an easy IPA to drink multiples.



Rating: B+

Spaten Maibock

Brewery: Spaten-Franzikaner-Bräu
Location: Munich, Germany
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: Maibock
ABV: 6.5%


After a round of golf I was craving a pint with the mates. Hill and I met Donnie at Sportstime to do just that. The maibock was a light golden colour resembling a pilsner. The aroma is very faint and smells sweet and doughy, like ready to be baked bread. It had a very light sweet taste that finished with what tasted like tobacco to me and spearmint to Donnie. We'll combine the 2 and say it had a skoal finish. Not a bad offering but I prefer Upland's version.


Rating: B-

"The Czar"

Brewery: Avery Brewing Company
Location: Colorado
Serving: 1/2 pint
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.73%

Another out of season brew that I've enjoyed recently during Gravity Head, this heavily roasted imperial stout goes down with smooth harshness of a good stout. The aroma of a roasted cocoa bean creates a thick frothy head which was begging to become that temporary stache we all know and love.

Rating: A-