Beer Reviews

Thought I'd start putting out some of my beer reviews. I'm sure I'll offend someone here, but if that's the case, have a few beers and I'm sure you'll mellow out!

I use a 5 star rating, but so far I haven't had a beer that I'd rate a full 5. That would have to be the beer that puts all others to shame and I don't know if they even make that one yet!

Hops Infusion - Weyerbacher (3 of 5 stars)

Hops Infusion - Weyerbacher (Easton, PA)

A slightly above average IPA with a definite strong showing in the hops department. Falls about in the middle in terms of bitterness - a little less than I'd expect in an IPA. I don't like extremely bitter beers, but an IPA should have a little bit of punch-in-the-face.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Black Hole - Weyerbacher (1.5 of 5 stars)

Black Hole - Weyerbacher (Easton, PA)

Their site claims it is "slightly 'Porter-ish' with a strong malt body and a very light hop finish." I agree with the 'Porter-ish' claim, but I didn't think it had much body - a little on the flat side. And it had more bitterness than their IPA. Something wrong about that. Tasted hints of coffee and dark chocolate, but rather than complementing each other, they fought a no-holds-barred cage match and neither ended up winning.

Rating: 1.5 star out of 5

Singletrack Copper Ale - Boulder Beer (4 of 5 stars)

Singletrack Copper Ale - Boulder Beer (Boulder, CO)

An incredible copper ale, Singletrack is one of my top go-to beers. It packs a serious flavor punch and one that is well rounded - makes your mouth stop and think for a minute. A little lower alcohol content means you can have an extra one or two before your tastebuds go numb - always a good thing.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

HotShot ESB - Great Divide Brewing (4 of 5 stars)

HotShot ESB - Great Divide Brewing (Denver, CO)

HotShot ESB (Extra Special Bitter) is another excellent beer from Colorado. The beer comes out fighting - literally! As soon as you pop the cap off, foam starts flowing. Poured into a glass, it took about 5 minutes to settle down completely. But that 5 minutes is important - this beer is better slightly warmer than the normal 'just out of the fridge' temperature that I usually drink beer. The bitterness definitely comes on strong here, but the flavor is nothing but WOW! Their site says it has a "slightly fruity nose and light-caramel malt character," and I would agree. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Denver Pale Ale - Great Divide Brewing (2.5 of 5 stars)

Denver Pale Ale - Great Divide Brewing (Denver, CO)

Another beer that keeps you on your toes when opening - do it over the kitchen sink. Overall it is a decent beer. The first one I had was very flat and rather poor example. I gave it a second shot though and I'm glad I did. Though still a little on the flat side, I don't think it's enough to fault it. Every aspect - flavor, hops, bitterness, body - is done well, though none stand out. Not a bad beer, but for the price, I'd go for something else.

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

St. Bridget’s Porter - Great Divide Brewing (3.5 of 5 stars)

St. Bridget’s Porter - Great Divide Brewing (Denver, CO)

St. Bridget, a legendary Irish saint, created a sensation by turning her bathwater into beer. While not a pleasant image, this beer definitely shines in the Porter department. Coffee, chocolate, and carmel all rolled into one beer. Each flavor is given it's own time to shine as you drink. I recommend serving very cold and drinking slowly - each flavor comes into its own at a different temperature.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Oberon Ale - Bell's Brewery (4.5 of 5 stars)

Oberon Ale - Bell's Brewery (Galesburg, MI)

Now, this is a wheat beer that sets the bar to aim at for other wheat beers. A bit of spice on the nose and the fruit/spice explosion when you drink is excellent - just strong enough to really wrap your mouth around, but not so strong that your tastebuds need a shower and a nap. Of all the wheat beers I've had, this ranks up at #1.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Right on, Cloudy! Definitely one of my favorites. I can even find it on tap here in Pittsburgh sometimes. The beer store near me has two or three other Bells beers in stock - will be trying some of them soon too.

Roger that - I'll try to make it over that way at some point. I periodically drive up to Empire to visit a friend, but as that's a nine hour or so drive, I don't usually stop anywhere other than the gas station and I don't make it as far west as Kalamazoo - go up through Ann Arbor to Bay City - then up through Cadillac.

If I ever do make it out that way, I'll let you, twoputts, and Capt know - maybe we can all hit Bells Tavern.

Stone IPA - Stone Brewing (3.5 of 5 stars)

Stone IPA - Stone Brewing (Escondido, CA)

Definitely a contender for the IPA Heavyweight belt. Comes in strong in the bitterness department and has some really good hop flavors. My only problem with it is that the bitterness is a bit too extreme. I want the really bitter beers to have a strong flavor to go along with it. This is lacking that strong flavor. Overall, a good IPA.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

HopBack Amber Ale - Tröegs Brewery (3 of 5 stars)

HopBack Amber Ale - Tröegs Brewery (Harrisburg, PA)

A little spicy, a taste of caramel, and a pleasant bite, this beer is the best of the 4 from their sampler pack. This amber beer goes down smooth with just a bit of bite to remind you it's there. I would definitely get this one again - by itself, not the sampler pack.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Pale Ale - Tröegs Brewery (2 of 5 stars)

Pale Ale - Tröegs Brewery (Harrisburg, PA)

An average beer. Nothing that really bothered me about it, but nothing that stood out either. Out of the 4 beers in the sampler pack, this comes in at the bottom.

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Unfortunately I haven't. The beer store here carries both the 90 and 60 minute versions, but the 60 is $35 and the 90 is $50ish.

Can't justify spending that much on beer. Want to find a place with them on tap or by the bottle though. I've heard nothing but good things about them.

Rugged Trail Ale - Tröegs Brewery (3 of 5 stars)

Rugged Trail Ale - Tröegs Brewery (Harrisburg, PA)

Coming in second in the Battle of the Sampler Pack, Rugged Trail puts up a strong showing as a brown ale with slight hints of a chocolate/coffee porter. But just small hints. None of the bitterness associated with porters. Definitely smooth and a good choice for a dark, but not too dark, beer.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5