S.O.S. (Save Our Shore)

What's better than drinking beer with proceeds going to a good cause?  Not much.

S.O.S.  or Save Our Shore according to the bottle "is a message in a bottle...a distress signal for the troubled waters of our Gulf Coast. For every bottle sold Abita will donate 75¢ to the rescue and restoration of the environment, industry and individuals fighting to survive this disastrous oil spill."

I picked this beer up solely because of what it said on the bottle, and it was relatively cheap.   So even if I didn't like it, not a waste of money any way you look at it.  ABV seems, in my opinion, rather high for the classification they give this brew, which is a Weizen Pils.  Although experts seem to put it in the German Pilsener style, which is what I will rate it as.

A:  First of all, love the look of the bottle, and that is actually something I do take into consideration when I'm rating the appearance.  I take into account the overall presentation of a beer.  Cap, bottle, and actual look of the beer are all things I look at.
Clear bright goldenrod/honey hue.  1 to 2 finger thick fluffly head which disipated at a moderate speed.   The head leaves a nice blanket on top of the beer and also leaves sticky foamy lacing on the glass that dries into place.  Looks like a great beer.

S:   Fresh cut grass scent is present up front which is followed by a grainy malt sweetness.  On the finish of the scent is what seems to be some lemon citrus combined with spicy hops.  Rather simple scent, but I wasn't expecting anything complex.   Pretty average straightforward.  

T:  Piney and grassy sweetness is the initial taste found.   It's followed up with some grainy malt notes.   I was actually surprised that pine was going to be the dominating taste in this beer.   It's not bad, just unexpected for me.  Also the finish is slight lemon zest and herbal hops.  The front of the taste is rather unbalanced, but by the finish it's smooth.

M: Medium leveled carbonation with light to medium body, and a crisp, mouth-watering finish.

D:  The drinkability is quite good, and the relatively high  especially with a 7% ABVthat fails to show itsel.   It's always good when the brewer masks the alcohol as excellent as Abita has done with this one.

Grade:  One thumb up.  Not a wower, but a solid beer.

Here's another picture of the bottle, which I really can't say enough about.

Two Hearted Ale

I've pretty excited to try Two Hearted Ale, I've heard some great things about it.  I've also heard Bell's Brewery doesn't make a bad beer, and based on my experience with Oberon, I won't argue that.   This being said, never have I been more turned off by a label on a beer before.   Maybe that's why it's been sitting in my fridge for about 2 months now.   Two Hearted Ale weighs in at a 7.1% ABV.   This is an India Pale Ale which I'm still getting accustomed to, so I hope I can review it fairly.

A: A hazy golden, bordering on amber color.  Fluffly off-white head and a decent amount of bubbles.  A quick swirl reveals that the beer leaves a large amount of lacing on the sides of the glass.

S:  Right off the bat a huge amount of floral hops blended with citrus hops are present in the scent.  Smells like a pot of fresh cut flowers.  As far as the citrus goes, definitely weighs high on the side of grapefruit with some slight lemon zest and mango.   There's also some faint malt scent that can be picked up.  The scent pretty much dares you to drink the beer.  Definitely one of the most intoxicating scents I've ever experienced in a beer.  I really can't get enough of the way this beer smells.

T:  Very well balanced for an IPA.  I hate the IPAs that are just overwhelming with a pine taste.   The best way to describe the hoppy presence is, aggressive but not overpowering. Citrus hops dominate the front of this beer.  A sweet soft grapefruit and mango taste is heavily present which gives away to a lemon/pine/malt finish.  Very tasty, yet not a beer I want to pound.  It's so tasty, I just want to enjoy it.

M:   Medium bodied, with medium to high carbonation.  Very crisp and refreshing.

D:  This is a solid beer.   It's not something I would want to drink all night due to all the different flavors present, but it's one fantastic brew.

Grade:  Two thumbs up.   Get your hands on Two Hearted Ale if you can.


So far Bells is 2 for 2.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Celebration Ale is a special ale for the holidays.  Featuring the first hops of the growing season, this pioneering IPA is full of complex flavors and aromas from the generous use of whole cone American hops.   At least, that's what it says on the bottle.   I'm not really a huge fan of IPA's, or really much of a fan at all.  So this beer is going to put my palate to the test.  Although I do like citrus style IPA's and I cheated before I made the purchase, Celebration Ale has a citrus base.  Due to it's above average ABV (6.8%) I'm going to dismiss this as a session beer before I even pour it/smell it/taste it etc..  This beer is a gold medal winner and yadda yadda.  Ya know?  The usual.

A:  Dark ruby, almost copper-like color.  Most likely best described as caramel colored.   Nice frothy head and the lacing is out of this world.  All over the glass.

S:  Tons of citrus hop in the smell, but not to the point where it is too much. There's also a piney scent that lingers as well as some bready malts.  Maybe a hint of caramel or my mind is playing tricks on me.  Beautiful smelling beer.

T:  At first, I get a very sweet citrus flavor, immediately followed by pine and bitter hops.  The bitter taste does disappear rather quickly and leave with a caramel/bready taste.  The end of the beer though finishes with bitterness coming back. The most distinct hop used it's definitely cascade (which give off the bitter citrusy taste).

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.  A rich and smooth beer.

D:  Very drinkable. You can put this beer down quickly and want to grab a few more.  At close to 7% ABV I didn't think pre-taste that I would feel this way.   

Grade:  It's a shame that such a well rounded beer is a seasonal one.  This is one of the beers you could enjoy all year around.   Definitely a solid two thumb up brew.   I wish I had bought more than just one.

Hövels Original Bitterbier

The beauty about living 5 minutes from Disney World and working there, is the beauty of the World Showcase at EPCOT.   So many different choices in terms of food, wine, and beer.   Walking around the other day I got a taste for a beer while walking by Germany.   Just like that I was able to get a beer from across the world.  Due to the brewery being actually from Germany, I do not have much info about this beer besides it's 5.5% ABV and an Altbier, which was exciting for me because I had never had one before so I really wasn't sure what to expect.

A: Golden brown in color. Extremely creamy head, good head retention and great lacing.

S:  Earthy hops and malts are dominating on this beer in my opinion.  There's also some slight grainy scent to be picked up.

T:  Much of the same scents are also found in the taste except in a bit different fashion.   Grainy, metallic character is present up front which gives away earthy hops.  A full malty/caramel flavor dominates the middle and finish of this beer.

M: Medium bodied and a medium carbonation.   Rather smooth beer.

D:  Wasn't difficult to drink although I think this beer would be much better paired with a meal rather than drank sessionally.

Grade:  One thumb up beer.   Wouldn't kill to have it again, although I wouldn't avoid it at all costs.

Session Lager

Easy drinking, but never at the expense of character is the tag line for Session Lager.   Obviously with the name and the tag line they are pushing the fa ct that anyone can drink this beer and drink a lot of it.   Without even tasting or smelling this beer I can tell you it's going to be very similar to your average American Adjunct Lager.  Although it is actually classified as an American Pale Lager.

A little boring info from the website.

Original Session, with the bright red label, is a classic all-malt pre-Prohibition style lager that reminds us of what American lagers used to taste like. It's flavorful, refreshing, and has a touch of that import-style taste. (Which, once upon a time, you didn't have to buy an "import" to get.) Oh, and it comes in a stubby, 11-oz bottle like your grandpa used to buy. So after your next session (surf, jam, gab, whatever), crack open a Session and drink to the good old new days.

Named World's Best Premium Lager at the World Beer Awards and winner of a slew of other shiny trophies, Session has truly earned itself a place at the bar. Not to mention the barbeque.
ABV: 5.1% IBU: 18

With all of their talk, I can't wait to try this beer.  It seems like it's going to be the easiest beer to drink, ever.
As I've already referenced, it comes in a small 11oz bottle.  Reminds me of Red Stripe.  Hopefully this is more stomach-able. 
Hold the phones, it's a twister also.  Albeit a difficult twister.  Yikes.

A - Looks like your everyday adjunct lager with absolutely no head at all.  Also no lacing to speak of. Body is very pale straw and crystal clear with no bubbles at all.   It looks like colored water.  It does surprisingly leave lacing on the glass during consumption somehow.

S - Lots of grain up front with the initial smell.  A small dose of hops is present.  Not much going on here.

T - A small hop bite up front that is fruity and earthy,  followed by a very grainy malt taste. It's pretty simple and straightforward.  Very minimal aftertaste.  Although it's not complex at all, I feel myself wanting more of the taste instantly.

M -Full enough to not be watery, but not a heavy beer by any standards.  Light to medium bodied, and it sways towards the light side of things.   Heavier carbonation than I originally thought it would be which allowed it to have a lively characteristic.

D -  I don't know if I'm just buying into the hype of the name, but the drinkability is high.  It's highly refreshing and thirst quenching.  Totally living up to the name.  Session Lager is a session beer.

Grade - One thumb up.  It's not a great beer, but it's certainly not bad.   After seeing the beer and smelling it I feared the worst.   It bounced back with a decent taste which after all, is the most important thing.  I was pleasantly surprised.   I'd have Session Lager again.

Also here's a bonus picture.  It's the bottom of the cap.   Pretty sweet.