AW's Beer Reviews

[AWMiller]

Brew: Leffe Blonde

Brewed by: Abbaye de Leffe S.A.; Belgium

Style: Belgian pale ale

Glassware: Best served in a snifter, tulip glass or over-sized wine glass.

Personal Notes:

Let me introduce you to my most favorite Belgian Pale Ale… Leffe Blonde.  Pale amber in color, this ale pumps out a full-bodied, flavor-rich beer.  First you’ll notice the soothing amber color in which light dances on the surface and deep within the glass.  Take a moment to enjoy the substantial head that forms when the beer is poured just right.  As you enjoy this fine ale, take note of the foam rings that line your glass.  Drinking doesn’t just involve taste… take time to enjoy the look and display that your beer provides!

Then take in your first drink… no other ale fills my mouth like this hearty Belgian Ale!  I notice different flavors each time I enjoy this ale but for the most part it imparts a slightly sweet yet slightly spicy flavor that is as soft as warm caramel on the tongue.  There are also subtle hints of vanilla and maybe even some toffee.  At times I’ve tasted (or did I imagine it?!) slight tastes of banana but definitely some sweet spices!  As for the aroma of the ale… well… it really smells like banana nut bread!

Keep in mind that Belgian ales are thought to be amongst the best in the world.  They are very complex but very, very rewarding to the ale connoisseur! So grab ya some Leffe… get it as cold as you can, pour you a glass and enjoy this awesome ale!

[AWMiller]

Brew:  Leibinger Zeppelin Bier

Brewed by: Brauerei Max Leibinger GmbH; Ravensburg, Germany

Style:   German Keller Bier/Zwickel Bier

Glassware: Best served in a mug.

Personal Notes:  A fairly good session brew â€" it pours up a cloudy  murky brown body sporting a nice foamy head that dissipates rather quickly and leaves very little lacing on the sides of the mug.  Scents and flavors of the standards: hops, malts and some fruits of some sort.  Nothing over the top but is a good brew to have during a few sessions.

[AWMiller]

Brew: Pilsener 100 (Pilsener Centenario)

Brewed by:   Cerveceria La Constancia (SABMiller); San Salvador, El Salvador

Style:   South American Light Lager

Glassware: Best served in a pilsener glass.

Personal Notes:  This is my first brew to try from El Salvador and it was a good beer despite reviews I’ve heard and read!  It pours a rich, clear golden body with a light foamy head which dissipates somewhat quickly.  Scents of grains and lemons are easily detected.  Flavors detected include spicy hops, grains and lemons.  The body is light and crisp with a little bit of carbonation.  This brew is so light I can only assume that this is what light beers would taste like.  Very light and goes down like water makes this brew a good session beer during those hot summer days.

[AWMiller]

Brew:  Magic Hat Wacko

Brewed by:   Magic Hat Brewing Co; Burlington, Vermont USA

Style:   Hybrid (Fruit Beer)

Glassware: Best served in the trash (seriously).

Personal Notes:   I'm not even gonna waste anyone's time on this one.  It sucks big time!  This is NOT beer.  Seriously, 'wacko' is the perfect term for this brew.  I'd much rather eat the bottle than to take another sip of this atrocity!

[AWMiller]

Brew:  Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale

Brewed by:  Lagunitas Brewing Co.; Petaluma, California USA

Style:  American Strong Ale

Glassware: Best served in a mug, pint/shaker, or a snifter.

Personal Notes:   Ok, this is my second review on a Lagunitas brew and it will most likely be my last.  Is their water coming from Death Valley??!!  Oh my gosh this brew was horrid; not even worthy of being used in my yard tonic for fear of killing off all vegetation!  It pours up a pleasingly rich dark mahogany colored body with a somewhat nice foamy head.  The aromas were very pleasing; filled with toasted malts, sugars, and hints of cherry.  The taste (oh my) was definitely NOT to my liking.  I don't know what it is but none of their brews possess a well-balanced taste in my opinion. Like a dry, dry wine it was very chalky and it was just something that I could not get around.  It was almost like gnawing on a rotted piece of burlap; yeah, it was that bad.  So I've tried a few of their brews but don't look for any further reviews on their products (unless someone has just begged and pleaded to buy me one, cause I'm not spending any more of my money on them!).

[AWMiller]

Brew:  Shiner Ruby Redbird

Brewed by:   Spoetzl Brewery; Shiner, Texas USA

Style:   Hybrid (Fruit beer)

Glassware: Best served in a mug or pint/shaker.

Personal Notes:     oh yuck!!  I should have stopped when I read that this brew was blended with grapefruit and ginger!!!  There’s just something about fruit-infused beers that are just not up to my liking!  But if you’re into these sorts of hybrids then by all means read on!  It pours up a rich amber body with very little head and that’s gone about as soon as you stop pouring the bottle out!  The smell of ginger and grapefruit were just too much for me and frankly it is very overpowering.  The taste has a bite to it that almost had me spitting it out (but I held back because I didn’t want to have to clean up the mess!).  All I tasted was bad ginger and bad grapefruit and it’s very very bitter.  Shiner totes that this is the “perfect summer beer”.  Well they (and others) can have it that way as I have far better summer beer preferences!  If you’re looking for the strange and unusual in the craft brew world, this one’s for you (but not me)!

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Bohemia Clasica

Brewed by:   Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.; Monterrey (Nuevo Leon), Mexico

Style:  Mexican Light Lager

Glassware: Best served in a pilsner glass or a pint/shaker.

Personal Notes:   An average brew to say the least.  It pours up a pale golden body with a somewhat fizzy head. Marginal scents and flavors of corn and grains.  The body is very light and carbonated somewhat heavily.  Of the light beer family, there are many others that would be more fulfilling than this brew.

[AWMiller]

Brew:    Avery â€" The Czar

Brewed by:   Avery Brewing Co; Boulder, Colorado USA

Style:   American Imperial Stout

Glassware: Best served in a snifter or a pint/shaker.

Personal Notes:   Oh yeah… another one to add to the AW Beer Hall of Fame!!!  This brew pours up a rich black body sporting a rich tan creamy head that stays with the brew for quite some time leaving some nice lacing on the glass while the brew is being enjoyed.  One’s sense of smell is flooded with chocolate, roasted hazelnuts and something along the lines of warm snicker-doodle or warm gingerbread cookies.  The flavor of this beer is very complex and yet very, very enjoyable.  I can’t even find the right words to adequately describe the flavors noted in this brews; but they are all well-balanced and very much to be savored slowly!  The body is just how I like a good stout to be; thick, rich and almost chewy!  This brew is definitely one to be enjoyed as a dessert (even though I devoured mine along with some rich, spicy hot wings!!!).

[AWMiller]

Brew:  Kingfisher Premium Lager

Brewed by:   United Breweries â€" UB Group | Bangalore, India

Style:  Indian Pale Lager

Glassware: Best served in a pilsner glass.

Personal Notes:  This is my first “Indian” brew to review and I am very pleased with it! This brew pours up an excellent golden yellow/amber body  color with a decent white fizzy head.  Scents and flavors of malts and hops abound in this well-balanced brew.  The body feels light and carbonated abundantly. An easy session brew during the hot summer months and tastes good even when it warms a bit.  This would be a great brew to have with some poultry or fish/seafood meals as well as will many Indian recipes!

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Konig Pilsener

Brewed by:  König-Brauerei GmbH; Duisburg, Germany

Style:   German Pilsener

Glassware: Best served in a mug or pilsener glass.

Personal Notes:   A very good German pilsener!  Taken from BeerAdvocate.com: (from the bottle)  “Das Konig der Biere (the King of Beer); Purum Laudatur (Purest [Highest] Praise); Gebraut nach dem Reinheitzgebot von 1516 (Brewed According to the Reinheitsgebot [Purity Law] of 1516)”.   This brews pours up a clear yellow/amber colored body with a nice frothy head (not a thick one but nice enough!).  Wonderful scents and flavors of hops and robust malts.  The body is very light with just the right amount of carbonation.  A nice German pils indeed!   A great compliment to a spicy fish/seafood meal!

[Hawks Feather]

I have to ask.  Are you a photographer with a beer problem or a beer drinker with a photography problem?       Just kidding.

Jerry

[FinsnFur]

He's a connoisseur Jerry 
Did I spell that right? 

[Hawks Feather]

Close enough.

Jerry

[AWMiller]

hehehe.... the simple answer is...... YES!   

[AWMiller]

Brew:  Rahr & Sons Bucking Bock

Brewed by:  Rahr & Sons Brewing Company | Fort Worth, Texas USA

Style:   American Maibock / Helles Bock

Glassware: Best served in a flute, pilsner glass, or a mug.

Personal Notes:  Oh sweet day in May!!  This is one AWESOME bock!  An awesome session brew to be enjoyed over and over and over!!  This brew pours up a rich almost caramel-y body and sports and amazing frothy head.  The scents are absolutely intoxicating!  Sweet toasted malts mixed in with some caramel and subtle hints of baked apples.  The flavors in this brew are stunning to say the least!  Loads of malts and an exceptionally balanced sweet/bitter bite with a solid finish that entices you to your next savoring.  Again this is an exceptional brew to be enjoyed with some fish/seafood meals or all by itself!  Excellent work Fritz!

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Saint Arnold Summer Pils

Brewed by:   Saint Arnold Brewing Co.; Houston, Texas USA

Style:   American Pilsner

Glassware: Best served in a mug or pilsner glass.

Personal Notes:   This was a fairly good pilsner.  Pours up a very clear, light yellow/amber body with a minimal fizzy head.  Scents and flavors of malts and hops entice the senses.  Just the right bitter kick on this smooth and easy drinking brew.  Goes good with a grilled chicken or spicy fish meal!  Makes for a good session brew on a hot summer day.

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout

Brewed by:   Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster) | Tadcaster, United Kingdom (England)

Style:   English Oatmeal Stout

Glassware: Best served in a mug or pint/shaker.

Personal Notes:   Well, here’s another addition to the AW BHoF!!!  This hearty brew pours up a rich, dark  (near black) body sporting an exceptional tan frothy head which provides for some excellent lacing as this brew was savored.   The sense of smell is flooded with rich oats, robust/strong coffees, malts, caramel, and molasses.  The taste is absolutely out of this world!  Smooth, rich, creamy; these terms pale in comparison of the uniqueness of this fine brew!  There’s just enough bite from the hops that keep this from being on overly sweet brew.  What I enjoyed most were the teasings of toffee and chocolate aftertastes.  Definitely a brew I would enjoy with smoked meats or a wild game dinner!

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale

Brewed by:   Widmer Brothers Brewing Company | Portland, Oregon USA

Style:   American Pale Ale

Glassware: Best served in a mug or a pint/shaker.

Personal Notes:   A good ale that almost had me guessing that it was a hybrid (fruit beer with grapefruit/orange) in disguise!  This brew pours up a copper-colored body and a good frothy head.  Scents of grapefruit and orange abound.  Flavors of grapefruit/orange are dominant followed up with a well-balanced hit of hops and malts and finishes off with a tart aftertaste.  As strong as the citrus-y are, I’m not quite sure what would go well with this brew; therefore I would opt to enjoying it all by itself.

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Boddingtons Pub Ale

Brewed by:  Boddingtons | Manchester, United Kingdom (England)

Style:  English Pale Ale

Glassware: Best served in a pint glass (shaker/nonic/becker).

Personal Notes:   This has DEFINITELY been one of the most interesting brews I’ve tried in a long, long time!  This brew pours up a gorgeous copper colored body and it’s the pour that’s truly, well, intoxicating!!  As this brew is being poured it is immediately clouded up from the bottom of the glass to the top of the liquid.  And then suddenly the head begins rolling up and the body of the brew clears off revealing its rich dark color.  The head of this brew is absolutely the best I’ve seen and tasted; ever!  Foamy, thick, and rich.  And it stays with the brew long after the liquid is gone! Scents of honeycomb and warm bread are detected right off the bat.  Not too heavy, not too light; just right.  Flavors of a well balanced set of malts and hops; maybe a little bit of lemon grass there at the end.  The body of this brew is so smooth and creamy and there’s not a lot of carbonation going on which makes for an easy brew to drink and not get filled up too quickly.  Definitely a great brew to have with some spicy Cajun shrimp or buttery lobster tails!

[AWMiller]

Brew:   Indian Wells Lobotomy Bock

Brewed by:   Indian Wells Brewing Company | Inyokern, California USA

Style:  American Dopplebock

Glassware: Best served in a pilsner glass or a mug.

Personal Notes:  I’d class this one as a near-average brew; not bad but not much to rave about.  It pours up what looks just like a cola; which made me think about an ice cold Dr. Pepper at the time.  No head at all; but that could be contributed to the fact that my glass was not a ‘beer clean’ glass.  Aromas of sweet malts and caramel teased the sense of smell while flavors of that same sweet malt along with some English toffee were detected.  This is a lager so be ready for a thinner body feel if you have some; don’t let that rich dark colored body trick your mind into something thick and rich is in that glass!