Stoudts Pils

I've only had a few German Pilseners before and it was actually a beer straight from Germany, the other was Victory Prima Pils.   They were both great so I do have some high expectations from Stoudts Pils.  Stoudts describes it as delicately dry with a firm bitterness.   They believe that the crispbness of Saaz hops and a dry malt finish make it an excellent aperitif (whatever the hell that means.)
It's been voted #2 in blind tasting in The New York Times.  Also it was selected #3 by Men's Journal for Best Beers in America and has won 5 awards at the GABF (Great American Beer Festival.)   So the beer definitely has a good track record.   It has a session-like ABV which is 4.7% and an IBU of 40.

A:   Nice gold color with a billowing two finger head.   Tons of sticky lacing that clung to the beer all the way down the glass. 

S:  I feel it has a pretty unappealing scent.    A strong bitter scent mixed with pungent skunky grain.   Kind of a turn off for me personally.

T:  Very nice taste mixture of bitterness and malted grain.   The grain taste is semi sweet but doesn't last very long as a bitterness takes over and sticks around for a long aftertaste.

M:  Light bodied and medium carbonation.   It's crisp and refreshing.

O:  It's a pretty drinkable pilsener and the taste isn't bad.    Could drink quite a bit of it, but I'd rather drink Prima Pils.

Lagunitas Lucky 13

I'm going to do this my way. I'm not going to adhere to the rules and regulations of proper beer reviewing etiquette. I know that Mike has done it that way, but not I. I refuse. Mostly because I'm lazy. But also because I'm a rebel.

That being said, this review will come off as more of a story. Because drinking beer shouldn't be so clinical. It's an experience. Not something to be analyzed to the Nth degree...

I picked up Lagunitas Lucky 13 "Alt" from Shoppers Vineyard in Clifton, New Jersey. I had heard of this beer before, but not the "Alt" version. I was intrigued, and since the price was right at $4.59, I added it to my cart.

Lucky 13 is a red ale, so I made sure it was fairly cold prior to the initial pour. Like all craft beers, I didn't want to over-chill it and mask the taste. But I didn't know what to expect from this beer, so I erred on the side of caution. Can't hurt.

The pour was nice. Into a snifter I had just purchased, the red, amber beer emptied nicely, forming a thin head that barely lasted. Lacing? There was none.

I let it sit for a bit and smelled it for a few moments. Very fruity. I'd be lying if I knew exactly what I smelled. But "fruit" is the first thing that came to my mind. Apple maybe? Pear? Whatever it was, it was sweet.

And then there was the taste. Maltier than I expected. But smooth beyond belief. And absurdly easy drinking. For an 8.9% ABV I expected an ever-present alcohol burn, but there was none. Sure, I could taste the alcohol, but it didn't leave any lasting effects.

For $4.59 a bomber, that was arguably the best bang for my buck I've ever received. Just a solid beer top to bottom. Did it blow me away? No. Would I drink it again? Absolutely. And again? Oh sure.

Rating: 8.7 (out of ten)

A challenger appears!

Just call me a mercenary.

That's right. It's me, Sean B. Fitzgerald. *crickets*

Anyway, Mike and I decided to combine our blogging talents (or lack thereof) and do one duel-blog. We realized we both have an affinity for all things beer and we thought it just grand to review all types of beer on a regular basis. It takes a substantial burden off us personally when we don't have to constantly update this thing. We can't ALWAYS get lit up for YOU. You're so needy.

Oh yes, I forgot to introduce myself formally. My name is Sean Fitzgerald and I am an alcoh...I'm 23 years old and live in New York (on the border of New Jersey). I currently write for my own blog (Sean B. Fitzgerald) where I just spew nonsense about nothing. Mostly sports, pop culture, and my daily life. It's all very boring. I don't recommend it.

Early in my drinking life, I never really cared for craft beers. It was all Coors Light, Miller Light, Keystone Light, or Bud Light. Maybe once in a while I would squeeze in a Blue Moon or Sam Adams and I would think myself quite the beer "sommelier".

"Ever have a 'Blue Moon'?", I would say. "Uh, it's fantastic. Very fruity. You put an orange on the rim of the glass and it really gives it a kick."

I was an idiot. But I've come a long way since then. And I'm not adverse to trying anything. But I do have my favorites. Regardless of the time of the year, nothing can beat a hearty, malty Imperial Stout. And although many of you (I'm assuming) are not hop-heads, I am. The hop-ier, the better.

That all being said, I look forward to reviewing some beers for this fine blog. And I'm also in the works of producing a beer review vidcast that will premiere on YouTube. The specifics are still a little sketchy, but I will keep you posted. Cheers!

Great Lakes Burning River (Pale Ale)

I've been on kind of a Pale Ale kick lately. I'm not sure exactly why, but I've been extremely partial to them and enjoying nearly every single one. Great Lakes offers a great selection of brews and from what I had heard, their offering of a Pale Ale is no slouch. Great Lakes describes Burning River as an assertively hopped American Pale Ale with citrusy and piney Cascade hops. Subtle malt flavors balance the hop profile and provide a satisfying dry finish. The ABV is 6% and the IBU is 45.

A: Beer pours a deep copper/amber color with a one finger head with very good retention. Very sticky lacing is present on the glass.

S: Floral and citrus pretty much dominate the scent. The lemon/grapefruit scent is pretty dominant. Past the floral and citrus notes there is a little bit of malt sweetness to be discovered.

T: Sweet malts up front, which quickly give away to a bitterness of grapefruit and zesty lemon. The bitterness is very mild although lingers for a little while after each sip.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. It's not as dry of a finish as I was expecting, but I won't complain about it.

O: It's a very good offering from what is considered a very good brewery. Is it the best pale ale that I have ever had? Of course not.. but it's not bad by any stretch. It's a very well balanced beer that I wouldn't reject if it were offered to me.

Grade: Two Thumbs Up and no doubt about it. No reason why you shouldn't try this beer!

Ommegang BPA

I've had two other beers from Ommegang;   Hennepin and Witte.   Both of these beers were absolutely delicious, so when I saw this beer on tap, naturally I couldn't resist.   If I have good beer after good beer from a brewery, I will stay pretty loyal to the brewery and go down their lineup.
Ommegang BPA is Ommegang's version of  a true Belgian style Pale Ale.  BPA comes brewed with 5 malts and 3 hops (Columbus, Celeia, and Cascade.)  The ABV for BPA isn't overly high, although it is above normal..   It weighs in at 6.2% so it's not ideal for a session brew, but the ABV isn't too high where you can't have a few of them.

A: Slightly hazy golden-orange color with a two finger head.   The head fades slowly down to about one finger and doesn't really recede past that.   Fairly sizable lacing is left on the glass while drinking.

S:  Spice and clove notes dominate the smell.   There are also tropical fruits and bubblegum scents present as well.  It's a very nice smelling beer.   They usually don't smell this good in my opinion.   After smelling it, I could not wait to taste it.

T:  The forefront of the taste is dominated by an initial spicy citrus flavor.   Also present is  bit of herbal hoppy bite in the middle and an earthy bitterness on the end.

M: This is a medium bodied beer with fairly lively carbonation.   I'd probably rate it as a medium to high carbonation.   A very crisp beer.  It's very drinkable.   I only had one of these but I could have definitely had a few more of them easily.  Great tasting beer and easy to drink it. 

O:  This beer impressed the hell out of me.   I wasn't really even looking to have a Pale Ale when I had it,  but Ommegang is a fantastic brewery from my experiences so I couldn't resist.   I would highly recommend this beer to anyone regardless of the style of beer they favor.   I'd give this beer a very confident two thumbs up.

Dogfish Head Festina Peche

Dogfish Head Festina Peche is a new style of beer for me.  It's considered a Berliner Weisse.   The definition of a Berliner Weissbier (thanks to www.beeradvocate.com) is a top-fermented, bottle conditioned wheat beer made with both traditional warm-fermenting yeasts and lactobacillus culture. They have a rapidly vanishing head and a clear, pale golden straw-coloured appearance. The taste is refreshing, tart, sour and acidic, with a lemony-citric fruit sharpness and almost no hop bitterness.  Festina Peche is fermented with peaches and has a 4.5% ABV.  IBU stands at 8.

A: Pours a golden yellow color with absolutely no head.  Very little lacing is present also.   Very cloudy appearance.

S: As soon as I opened the bottle and started to pour the beer I noticed a huge present of peach.   More of a sour peach scent than sweet, which seems rather odd.  Citrus scents are also present.

T: Very tart and sour taste.   I don't ever recall tasting a beer quite like this.   I don't taste as much peach as I thought I would based on the heavy presence in the scent.  Very yeasty finish.

M/D: Light bodied with mild carbonation.   Leaves a sour taste on the tongue, although it's quite crisp and refreshing.   It's very easy to drink.

Grade:  This beer is a little bit of a disappointment in my opinion.   It's not awful but it's a little bit too sour.   Doesn't seem to have a good balance.   I probably wouldn't revisit this beer willingly, although I wouldn't keep someone else from trying it.   I'm sure some people will find this beer rather pleasant.

Chimay Tripel (White)

Chimay is an authentic Trappist beer that is brewed within a Trappist monastery, under the control and responsibility of the monastic community. Only 6 beers in Belgium can carry the appellation "Trappist": Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren and Achel.  I haven't had very many Tripels, so the style is still something new to me.   The only beers of the style that I have had are Victory Golden Monkey and La Fin Du Monde, so due to that, I don't have a heck of a lot to compare this beer to.  I've been looking forward to trying this beer for quite sometime.

Tripels generally range from 8% to 12% ABV so although Chimay White is rather high in alcohol (8.0%) it's on the low end for a Tripel.  The IBU is 36.
The glassware recommended for this tasting is a snifter or goblet.  I have neither and feel foolish for using it, but, oversized round wine glass is going to have to do.

A:  Hazy amber color with an off white head.  Pours a one finger off white head that disippates to a slight wisp rather quickly.   Very good sticky lacing on the glass is present.

S:  Tons of yeast is present up front in the scent along with spicy hops.  Banana is also present in the scent with helps offset the onslaught of spices and yeast.

T:  More banana is present on the taste than the smell.   Banana is present up front which gives way to a bready yeasty flavor.   The beer has a rather dry and bitter hops finish to it. There's also a little bit of an alcohol induced warming sensation on the back end of the taste. There's hardly any aftertaste present besides the hops.   It's got a very well balanced overall taste to it.

M:  Medium bodied yet heavy on the carbonation which makes it rather difficult to drink quickly, which is a good thing due to that 8.0% ABV.

D:  It's a tasty beer and the 8.0% doesn't jump out at you in the taste at all.   It makes it a drinkable beer.   Obviously it's not a beer you want to session, but it goes down fairly easy.

Grade:  This isn't the best beer I've ever had, but I see no reason to not give it two thumbs up.  It's well rounded and tasty.   You can't ask for much more.

Big Flats 1901

There's not a whole heck of a lot of information out there about Big Flats 1901.   It's a fairly new beer that's the private label beer of the store Walgreens.   Interesting enough just for those reasons, it's also cheap enough that it could rival PBR & MHL as far as drinkable cheap beers go.   Big Flats 1901 will cost you $2.99 for a 6 pack.   You can't beat that which is why I rushed to try it..  mostly just for giggles.   The way I feel is this beer can't be any worse than Bud, Miller, or Coors so it's totally worth a chance, and I'm sure most people are going to feel the same.

There's very little actual information about this beer circling the internet at this point.   All I really have to offer is that is it an American Adjunct Lager (obviously) and it has a 4.5% ABV.   Also it's brewed by Genesee Brewing Company, which is better known for Genesee Cream Ale.

The can made me laugh..  "Brewed from only the choicest hops."   "Genuine Brew"  "It's the water that makes it."
Pretty nifty looking can though, in my opinion.

A:   Light straw color with two fingers of white head.  Pours a clear, thinly-hued, light straw body.   A 2 to 3 finger puffy and bubbly white head initially sits on top of the beer but reduces to just a small ring around the glass.

S:  Standard grain and corn is about it.  Faint (understatement) spicy and earthy hops.

T:  Very light and mild taste.   Not a whole heck of a lot to it.   Grains, corn, and spicy hops sum up the flavor very well in my opinion.  Very watery/dry finish to this beer with a hint of bitterness.

M: Low bodied with medium carbonation.   It's crisp and refreshing.

D:  I didn't have a problem putting one down within a minute or too.   The lack of a taste makes it really easy to drink.   I'd challenge someone who doesn't like beer to drink one of these because I don't think they'd be able to say it's disgusting.   I could see stashing a few of these away in the fridge for a warm summer day.

Grade:  One thumb up.   It's not a bad beer by any means.   It's not something you'd seek out, but if you were at Walgreens or in the general area, why not pick it up?   You won't be disappointed.    I'd drink this over Bud, Miller, or Coors.

Left Hand Milk Stout

Dark and delicious, America's great milk stout will change your perception about what a stout can be. Preconceived notions are the blinders on the road to enlightenment. 'Udderly' delightful.   I haven't had a Milk Stout before so I'm pretty excited to try this one.   Still getting a bit used to the darker beers, so my hopes aren't too high on this one.   Low expectations going in might mean a high reward.  Far more malts are present in this beer than hops so it shouldn't be very bitter.   IBUs sit at 25 and the ABV sits at 6%.  I feel a 6% ABV is rather low for a stout.  Left Hand Milk Stout has one quite a few awards at various beer festivals and a lot of those awards have been golds.   So it's widely considered a very good brew.


On with the show.

A:  Pours with very black body an off white head.. Not completely black as there is a bit of red hue present along the edges..    The head disappeared completely on me within seconds.  A quick swirl reveals that the beer does leave quite a bit of lacing on the glass, although that too slides down back into the beer fairly quickly.  Just based on the appearance it seems a little bit more watery than I would thought.


S:  Heavy uo front on the roasted malt scent..  I'm having a hard time smelling the chocolate or coffee that some claim to find in this brew.   A tinge of sweetness follows the roasted malts..   A sweet milk like scent.  I guess the proper terminology would be "lactic notes."  That milk scent isn't powerful by any means, but it is there. 


T:  Definite roasted malts up front on the taste although not as heavy as the scent would indicate.  It's actually much more well balanced than I would have though based on the scent.  The roasted malts quickly give away to a mild sweet cream flavor.   There's also a bit of a fig taste to the beer that seems to be mixed in with the cream flavor.   They seem to hit you at about the same time.  The finish on the beer is kind of hard for me to put my finger on.   A get this slight twinge of sourness, almost like spoiled milk, but it quickly goes away and leaves the roasted malt flavor.


M:  Low to medium bodied with little to no carbonation present.   I expected this beer to be much more full bodied even after I claimed that I felt the appearance did seem a bit watery.


D:  Definitely a very drinkable beer.  I wouldn't call it sessionable though due to the sweetness.   Seems like after 2 of these I wouldn't want anymore.


Grade:  One thumb up.   It's a good beer, not a great beer.   The awkward spoiled milk like taste was a bit of a turn off although not enough to ruin the experience of the beer. 

Widmer Hefeweizen

I love myself a good hefeweizen, but unfortunately contrary to the name, this beer is classified an American Pale Wheat Ale. I also enjoy that style, so this is a win/win for me. I've only had one other beer from Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, which was, Drifter Pale Ale. I really enjoyed that beer so I'm hoping the Hefeweizen can be just as good. The Widmer Hefeweizen is the flagship beer of the brewery. They classify it as "a golden unfiltered wheat beer that is truly cloudy and clearly superb."
1998 and 2006 GABF Gold Medal Award Winner
2004 and 2008 Gold Medal Beer Cup

4.9% ABV which makes it a sessionable brew.
30 IBU which means it should't have really any bitterness to it at all.

Seems like a fairly straightforward "hefeweizen." Let's get to the review.

A: Pours a cloudy straw color. Little to no head and very minimal lacing is present. What is present though are tons of bubbles. Seems like a super carbonated beer.

S: The scent is primarily yeast, almost biscuit-like.. if that's even a word. There's also mild citrus present mixed with a little bit of clove. Overall, it's a fairly weak scent. Albeit it's a weak taste, I'm pretty excited to try it for some reason.

T: Taste is actually pretty bland. There aren't really too many defining characteristics. It seems to have a bit of a watery taste. There is definitely wheat present and a very banana/clove finish and aftertaste, but that's about it. Not a bad taste, but much like the scent, weak.

M: Light bodied with high carbonation. Seems really counterproductive and odd.

D: It's still a drinkable beer. The ABV is relatively low. The taste and mouthfeel, though not outstanding, are not offensive to the point that they are a turnoff.

Grade: It's a one thumb down beer. I'm pretty disappointed in it. Although not bad, I wouldn't seek it out again.
On the bright side though.. not sure if you can see it in the picture, but I like the cap and will definitely be adding it to my collection.

Stone Levitation Ale

I don't have a lot of experience with Stone brews.   I believe the only one I've had was the Smoked Porter.   Although I didn't like it, I could definitely tell it was a well put together beer.  Stone is generally regarded as one of the better micro breweries, so I'm hoping this beer lives up to the high standards.   Right on the bottle Stone lists that Levitation is a gold medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival. 
According to the website, "It's been said that "Gravity Sucks." Simple enough. Well, we at Stone have identified gravitational forces in the beer world. And we have come to the conclusion that they, well, see above. So we avoid these less-than-desirable gravitational forces. We avoid dumbed-down flavor profiles and the vigorous pursuit of the lowest common denominator. We avoid big dollar marketing mentalities. We avoid additives, cheap adjuncts, stabilizers and chemical preservatives. So in the defiance of gravity we bring you Stone Levitation Ale. This deep amber ale has rich malt flavors, a big hoppy character, citrus overtones (courtesy of the hops and our special brewers yeast) and modest alcohol."
Levitation has 4 different hops, Columbus, Simcoe, Crystal & Amarillo.   I'm expecting a complex taste.  The ABV is 4.4% and the IBU is 45.

A:  Solid amber color with ruby highlights.  A one inch off white head sits on top and laces the glass very nicely.  Love the bottle though.   One of the things I love about Stone is the complexity they put into the appearance on their bottles.   It's great stuff.

S:  Pine hops dominate the scent.  Citrus and floral hops are also present.   Sweet malt is present on the back end of the scent.

T:  A very hoppy taste.  Pine and bitterness dominate the front of the taste but give away to a more fruity and smooth finish.   In my opinion there is a bit of a coffee malt present which helps to contrast the hop presence a bit.

M:  Light bodied, almost on the verge of it being water-like.  Based on appearance I thought this beer would be a bit heavier on the taste, and this part of the beer left me disappointed.   I think I would have liked it much more if it had more of a full character to it.   The carbonation is fairly good though.

D:  It's a very drinkable beer.   Low ABV and a pretty good taste.

Grade:   I'll be harsh, even though I didn't dislike this beer.   I'll say one thumb down for the simple reason that I wouldn't seek it out again.   I really felt like it was missing something as far as body goes.   It was a little weak for my liking.  But to actually put that into perspective, I'd probably give this beer a C+/B- rating.  It's definitely not bad. 

In comparison to the only other American Amber / Red Ale I've had to this point.. (Key West Sunset Ale)   This is better.

Dale's Pale Ale

Dale's Pale Ale is the flagship beer of Oskar Blues brewery out of Boulder CO.   It's America's first hand canned craft beer.   It's widely regarded as one of the best canned beers you can buy as well as one of the best beers altogether.   It's helped to change the way that canned beer is perceived in the craft beer community.   Dale's Pale Ale is an American Pale Ale that weighs in at 6.5% ABV with 65 IBUs.  According to the can it says "A Huge Voluminously Hopped Mutha of a Pale Ale."   I'm expecting it to be super hoppy, which I normally don't like, but lately I've been diggin' every beer.  So I have high expectations for this brew.
Let's get this show on the road.

A:  Let me just start off by saying I love the look of this can.   Love the colors and overall appearance of the can.  It's just great packaging for what is regarding as such a great beer.  The beer itself has a burnt orange color with a fairly white one finger head.   The head dissipates rather quickly but leaves the glass colored in lacing which I'm sure will just accumulate with drinking.

S:  Citrus hops are dominating in presence.   Wow, extremely heavy on the grapefruit and orange peel in this one.  There are also some floral style hops present.   Can't forget about the sweet, smooth malts either.  Based on the scent, I can't wait to try this beer.

T:  Had to get a second mouthful of the beer before I had to even stop to think about how it tasted.   It's got quite the taste to it.  It's not as hoppy as the scent would allow you to believe.   The citrus hops are definitely present in the taste, don't get me wrong.   Heavy grapefruit and orange taste which gives away to a spicy flavor.  There are also some coffee/toffee flavored malts on the finish.  The aftertaste is citrus hops.  Definitely a great taste.  

M:  Medium bodied with low carbonation.   It's smooth and velvety.

D:  A beer you could have 3-4 of and not blink an eye.   Although not a true session beer due to the ABV being above 5%, but I could see drinking these one after another.

Grade:  Two thumbs up and no if ands or buts about it.