Rogue Ale's Santa's Private Reserve‏ (JT's Review)

Let me say that this is not a beer that I was really excited about drinking. I am not a big fan of the Rogue family of beers. They all seem to finish with a hoppy explosion that is way too much for me.
 
The Santa seasonal was not different. The malt flavor was almost nonexistent to me. The hops crushed me from the beginning, and it was way over carbonated, which only added to the burn of the excessive hoppiness.
 
I will give them this: The bottle is cool as hell. The guy on the from looks like a cross between Captain Morgan and Santa Clause, drinking a beer. I should have saved this one for a decoration and not tried to drink it.

Bell's Winter White Ale‏ (JT's Review)

Unless winter brews continue to be on sale, this should be my last winter seasonal of the year. This beer made me very ready for Spring/Summer seasonals to arrive.

You would think that people in Michigan, where Bell's is brewed, would know something about winter beer. This just wasn't for me at all.

It had two characteristics that I do not like. First it was very earthy. It had a mixed greens taste to it. I like vegetables on a plate, not in a beer. After the salad flavor came the very dry hoppy flavor. I had three drinks of this beer and dumped it out. For me to dump a beer out, should tell you all you need to know. I'm ready for summer in a big way!

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Black Ale‏ (JT's Review)

You have heard me say before that I really like Black Lagers. I really haven't had a lot of experience with Black Ales. I have seen Old Engine Oil on the shelves at Macadoodles for a while. I haven't ever been able to pull the trigger and get it because it is $23.00 a six pack. I finally found it in a build your own sixer at The Bottle in Fayetteville.

I am really glad that I didn't drop 23 bucks on a 6 pack of this beer. The beer itself wasn't bad at all, but it is way over priced.

Brewed in Scotland by the Harviestoun Brewery, it has an ABV of 6.0%. It tasted like a black lager with a more hoppy finish. I felt like the taste was a little thin and it had a relatively low alcohol content. There are a lot of beers out there that are much better and much more reasonably priced.

Hibernation Ale (JT's Review)

Confusing is the word that I would use to describe this beer. It is considered an ale, but it wasn't like any ale I have ever had.

Hibernation Ale is brewed in Denver by Great Divide Brewing Company. The bottle said "robust" and "malty". I was intrigued.

I usually love good malty beers. This beer is a real life example of too much of a good thing. It was a malt explosion. The best way for to describe it is this: three things I like a lot 1) fried chicken 2) Copenhagen 3) ice cream. I would not mix them in a bowl and expect them to taste good. That's what I felt like drinking this beer. The hops were really dry and it finished with an alcohol bite that was too much. It was 8.7% ABV, which could explain that.

The beer has won some awards, so try it if you dare, but you have been warned.

Shock Top Wheat I.P.A.

I saw this beer last night and I had to buy it.  I am not a fan of I.P.A.s but I am a fan of Shock Top.  And man, does it have a cool bottle! 

The goal of this beer was to combine a wheat beer with an I.P.A.  I think they did a good job.  I like this beer.  It has a definite addition of hoppiness (and ABV of 5.8%) but not too much for my taste.  The wheat and citrus tones down the hops.  I am not sure if true I.P.A. drinkers/lovers will like this adaptation.  But, I could see myself drinking the whole six pack in one sitting. 

I guess we will have to see how long this beer sticks around. 

Ray Hill's Classic American Pilsner

This is another beer that my neighbor was kind enough to hook me up with.  He gave me half of his sixer.  I am a little confused on just where this beer is brewed.  On the bottle you see Weston Brewing Co. in Weston, MO.  You also see Hill Brewing Co. listed on the box, as well as www.rayhills.com.

I guess it really doesn't matter to me because I don't see myself drinking or buying this beer ever again.  The look and smell of this brew was fine, and I like the 4.9% ABV.  The taste was just not good to me.  I am trying to decide if it was more bitter or sour tasting.  It also seemed a little metallic as well. 

I sampled three of these beers................that was probably three too many!

Easy Street Wheat

Yet another beer that my neighbor was kind enough to hook me up with.  It's official.........I cannot and will not move.......ever  (if he insists on providing me with this "research.")

I have had other beers from Odell Brewing Co. (Fort Collins, CO), but never this one.  Like I have said before, I really like wheat beers.  This unfiltered beer is pretty good.  No real complaints.......It is an easy drinking, hazy wheat beer.  I could probably find myself drinking a lot of these in a day if the situation called for it.

The only thing is that there is nothing that really sets it apart from the other craft beer unfiltered wheats.  I would rather spend less money on an equal or better tasting wheat like Boulevard.  If you like wheat beers, by all means, try this one and tell me what you think.

Like JT says.............There are too many great beers out there for just "OK"

Samuel Adams Irish Red‏ (JT's Review)

I couldn't tell you the last time that I drank a red beer? It may have been a Killian's Irish Red, and it was at least 5 years ago. This was a part of a Sam Adams Sampler pack.

It was ok. I like Sam Adams a lot, and I love their seasonal sampler packs. This beer had an ABV of 5.8%, and was smooth. It had a little bit more of a floral taste than I like, but it was ok. It was just a real decent red beer.

Sometimes there are beers in a sampler pack that keep me from buying the pack. This wasn't my favorite, but it was good enough that I didn't mind drinking it to get to the other ones.

Moose Drool Brown Ale‏ (JT's Review)

You guys know that I love a good brown ale. This beer was no exception! Moose Drool Brown Ale was one of the better brown's that I have had in a while. I had heard of it before, but I don't think we can get it in Arkansas. I did find it at a Brown Derby store in Springfield, Missouri.

It is brewed by Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana. It has an ABV of a solid 5.1%. I loved the label, as it has a moose in a lake about waist deep in water getting a drink(I'm always a sucker for a cool label).

The beer was very rich and smooth. It had a ton of malts that tasted differently as I worked through each drink. The most prevalent was one of caramel. The hops were soft in a nice smooth finish.

To be honest, I drank 5 out of the 6-pack in one sitting, and by the end of the 5th one, I was ready to get back to an Anheuser Light. I liked it a lot, but the taste was a little sweet to have more than 3 or 4 at a time. It is a great after work beer!


My Review:  I agree with JT.  I, also, am a fan of the brown ale.  I really liked this beer at first.  The more I drank it, the more it became a little too sweet with the lingering aftertaste.  I loved it for the first 8oz.  Drink one of these if it's on tap........or with a meal.  Not awful, but plenty of better "browns" out there.

Kennebunkport Brewing Company Blueberry Wheat (Shawn's Review)

This summer, J.T., his wife and daughter, his brother and wife, and my family are all going to visit Maine. My wife picked up a Maine beer for me in St. Louis at Trader Joe’s. It is from the Kennebunkport Brewing Company in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Kennebunkport Brewing Company is the brewery for Federal Jack’s Restaurant and BrewPub in Kennebunk, Maine.

The selection I had from KBC was their Blueberry Wheat Ale. Now usually I stay away from fruit flavored brews because it isn’t my bag. However, of the ones I have actually enjoyed over the years, the blueberry ones always won me over.

Upon opening, getting a whiff of the aroma sent me to my childhood, not because I was drinking beer at 7, but because it smelled like Captain Crunch Berry cereal! I figured with a smell like that it can’t be bad.

With the first taste I found a high level of carbonation on the front of the tongue and blueberry on the middle of the tongue. It was delicious and once again the blueberry brew didn’t disappoint! This would be a great dessert beer that would go good with any blueberry flavor cakes or pound cakes. I hope to pick up some more this summer!

Efes Dark Beer (Shawn's Review)

Holy Balls! I will start this review with that. Holy Balls can have two different connotations. One can say, “Holy Balls, that girl is unbelievably hot!”, which would imply a positive meaning. On the other hand, one can say, “Holy Balls, that is the nastiest beer I have ever put into my mouth.” I expect you can now guess which way this is going.

Here it is: Efes Dark Beer. Brewed in Turkey by Adadolu Efes Brewery. Remind me when I visit Turkey to bring my own stash!

The put a panther on the logo; they should have put a skunk with a rotted sphincter on the front. I opened the bottle and it smelled like a skunk; not skunky, but like a real live skunk! I didn’t want to continue, but the beer sampler must press on like Columbus into the New World!

I poured it into a glass hoping to allow it to air out. Its color is deep amber and is far less offensive than the smell. I dreaded the taste but was pleasantly surprised at the taste. It wasn’t great but it was far better than the smell. So like the world explorer, I pressed on.

Just as Joe Dirt believed he found a meteorite only to learn it was a pile of frozen, hardened air plane poo, Efes Dark had the same effect. The longer I drank it the worse it tasted. It seems that with most beers the more you drink the mouth becomes accustomed to the flavor and the rest goes down easy. That is not the case with Efes Dark. It continued to decline with each sip, probably after the 4th drink. I eventually had to pour it out.

J.T. had this to say about it: “I believe this to be the Milwaukee’s best of dark beer.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Touche!

Samuel Adam's Whitewater IPA‏ (Shawn's Review)

I have been drinking Sam Adams religiously since around 2002. I love their beers and have since my first taste. As a result, it pains me to have to give a not raving review about a Sam Adams beer.

The S.A. folks recently released some new brews, one of which was their Whitewater IPA. Now, I am normally a fan of IPA’s and have really grown to appreciate their complex flavors and surprising bite. Upon opening the Whitewater, it gave the same pleasant aromas of an IPA. Upon taste the hops were definitely there and they were strong! Probably too overpowering for my liking. But I can adapt to hops, that is not an issue. The issue was the taste. There was on overpowering flavor of sap that I could not shake. I do not know why, but it was there and it ruined this potentially wonderful brew for me.

Shawn's Intro (Written by JT)

There are several other people besides Brian and myself that have played a large roll in Brian's Beer Guide. If you have read very many of my reviews, odds are you have heard me make mention of my neighbor and fellow beer lover, Shawn. With his love for and knowledge of beer, we pressed him into service. Please keep in mind as you read his reviews that being a former English teacher, he is a much more accomplished writer than I am( I can drink more beer than he can though!!!). His reviews are excellent! Enjoy:

Mission Street Pale Ale (Shawn's Review)

Today’s sample arrives at my Rogers, Arkansas home via St. Louis (my wife had a conference) via Paso Robles, California, at Mission St. Brewery. The selection is Mission St.’s Pale Ale. I had trouble locating a web site for this brew and couldn’t give additional information on the brewery; therefore, on to the tasting!

This Pale Ale is smooth to drink and has a natural, floral feel to it. I would liken it to like drinking velvet lavender; not by taste necessarily, but by feel. It hits the mouth easy and fresh. It is light on malt and not overkill on hops.

It hits the front of the tongue wet and has a little bite in the middle, but finishes very smooth and goes down easy. There are hints of citrus zest that combined with the rest of the flavors make it disappear quickly, but I don’t think it is a beer that I could drink over and over. It is a 2 bottle and move on type brew but is pleasing in its flavors, aroma, and feel.