Guinness Draught

RATING: 5/5



Best. Beer. Ever.


Hope. You. Enjoyed. The. Month. Of. Beer. Reviews. Visit. Again. Soon. For. More. Fun. Stuff.

Twilight Summer Ale

RATING: 4.5/5



Wow. I honestly wasn't expecting too much flavor from a self-described "summer" ale, but this one surprised me. I can see myself throwing back a few dozen of these at a BBQ.

Tower 10 IPA

RATING: 4/5



I've tried most of the beers that Karl Strauss puts out and none of them can stand up to their Tower 10 IPA. It is smooth and hoppy with a crisp bitter-but-not-too-bitter finish. For the purposes of this blog project, all the beers I rated were drank out of a bottle unless otherwise noted. FYI, Tower 10 is even better on tap. I would rate the draught version a 5/5!

Leffe Blond

RATING: 2/5



I'll be the first to admit that the rating I gave this beer is unfair. By giving it a 2/5, the implication is that it is a bad beer. This is not exactly true. The beer has a complex, rich flavor. The problem is that the flavor is exactly the opposite of the style of beer that I like. If you look at my rating system, a 2/5 indicates that, "although this beer may be likable to some, I found it unappealing." That pretty much sums up Leffe Blond.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

RATING: 4.5/5



I have been a fan of Sierra Nevada for a long time. A few years ago they switched their caps from twist-off to pop-off and I still find myself trying to twist the caps off out of habit (nearly ripping my fingers off in the process). The Sierra Nevada brewery is immaculate and offers a great tour. They make a bunch of beers that are only available on tap in bars around the brewery. When I visited my favorite was their "Crystal Wheat."

Batch 19

RATING: 3/5



I LOVE the idea behind this beer. Apparently someone at Coors stumbled upon an old beer recipe in the basement archives of the brewery dating back before Prohibition. Coors reproduced the recipe and labeled it "Batch 19." It is so cool to taste what beer was like almost 100 years ago! It's also cool that beer doesn't taste like this anymore! Okay it actually doesn't taste that bad. It goes down smooth like a light beer, with a sour aftertaste that kind of burns the back of your tongue. The taste didn't blow me away, but I'd still love to drink it out of a jug at a theme party.

Red Stripe Light

RATING: 3/5



I drank a lot of Red Stripe while traveling through Jamaica and although it pairs well with spicy food (like jerk chicken), I'm not a huge fan of drinking it all by itself. It's just a little too sweet. Red Stripe Light gains a half point because it doesn't have as sweet of a finish as the original. I like that this beer is produced on the island of Jamaica and comes in cool little stubby bottles, but I have to be honest and say that this lager is just okay.

Shock Top Wheat I.P.A.

RATING: 3.5/5



This beer is advertised as a wheat beer that has been "married" with an IPA. I have to admit that I was kind of expecting this marriage to end in disaster. I'm happy to say that I was wrong. The beer starts out light and finishes strong with the slight bitterness of a pale ale. A great combination when you're looking for something light on a hot day, but don't want to sacrifice too much flavor. My only big complaint is the lingering "fake lemon" aftertaste.

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

RATING: 4/5



Very unique flavor. I did taste the caramelized sugar advertised on the bottle, but the aftertaste came off as more of a porter. It's a well crafted beer, but it isn't completely my style.

Stone Levitation Ale

RATING: 4/5



Stone IPA is one of my favorite beers, so I was expecting to be blown away by their Levitation Ale. I was surprised to discover that it isn't fantastic. That is not to say that the beer isn't good. It is good, it's just not great. I mean I can see how Levitation Ale is tasty in it's own right, but it just can't compare with the full-bodied. . . . You know what? Just get the IPA.

Rolle Bolle

RATING: 2/5



This beer wasn't too bad, but I can think of a lot of other brands that I would rather drink. The initial flavor is nice but I didn't enjoy the lingering dish soap aftertaste. Rolle Bolle is made by the same brewery that puts out Flat Tire Amber Ale (another beer that I don't really care for). As with Flat Tire, the label for this beer is atrocious. At first it might look interesting compared to other options on the store shelf, but when you look closely it's clear that it was sketched by a drunken teenager.

Hoegaarden

RATING: 3.5/5



The name sounds like what a gangsta rapper would try to cultivate outside their "crib." The beer is cloudy with yeast, low on carbonation, and a little sweet on the finish. All in all, Hoegaarden is just a little better than okay.

Green Flash Brewing Co. Hop Head Red

RATING: 4.5/5



A fine hand-crafted amarillo dry hopped red india pale ale from the Green Flash Brewing Company. Say that three times fast. A spicy dry ale with a nice bitter finish. Very unique flavor--I tasted grapefruit and copper. When I lived in San Diego, I visited a restaurant called The Green Flash (not affiliated with the beer). I asked about the name and was told that it refers to a rare phenomenon that occurs occasionally at sunset. Apparently there is a green flash visible for a split second, right as the sun disappears below the horizon. I have watched a few sunsets since and I haven't seen the flash. Maybe you're supposed to drink a few of these beers before watching.

Firestone DBA

RATING: 3/5



Meh. I was expecting a much fuller flavor for something called "Double Barrel Ale." Reminded me of a weak brown ale. I really like some of Firestone's other beers, but to be honest it's hard for me to separate the beer from the bachelor. For those of you who don't know, Andrew Firestone is the heir to the Firestone tire fortune. The Firestone family also produces Firestone beer. Andrew was on the reality show The Bachelor a few years ago, which means he's an idiot. The whole time I was drinking this I was thinking that DBA really stands for "Douche Bag Ale."

Mammoth Brewing Co. Epic IPA

RATING: 4/5



GUEST REVIEW!
Here's a guest review from my friend and fellow beer connoisseur, Shawn.

"An extra half star for the name and the can graphics. I give it a solid 4 for the Alpine water and nice balance of hops."

Budweiser Select 55

RATING: 3/5



If you're going to go with one of the trendy low-cal beers, this is the one to pick. The "super light" beers are all pretty similar (light on taste, heavy on carbonation). I like Bud 55 because it has a pleasing (albeit very mild) flavor and it's the lowest calorie beer you can buy. Word of warning though: all these low-cal beers have about half the alcohol of regular beers. This means you end up paying (and peeing) twice as much for the same buzz.

Heineken

RATING: 5/5



There's nothing quite like an ice-cold Heineken on a hot day. Or a warm day. Or during a frigid ice storm. From the distinctive green bottle to the "good skunky" flavor, Heineken is a classic. I must admit that I'm a little biased here because it was my grandpa's favorite beer (and he was the coolest guy ever). As he would say, "It really hits the spot!"

Kona Brewing Co. Wailua

RATING: 4/5



I usually don't go in for flavored beers, but I had had this company's Koko Brown Ale and it was excellent so I thought I would give this one a try as well. I was not disappointed. Great front-end flavor with an authentic passion fruit aftertaste.

Coronado Brewing Co. Islander IPA

RATING: 2.5/5



Probably the least-bitter IPA I have ever had (and that isn't a good thing). It was smooth enough, but it was light on taste and it had a biting, acidic aftertaste that seemed to go on forever. Not horrible, but I definitely wouldn't' seek it out. I had high hopes for this beer. I was married on Coronado Island and it is a beautiful place. I heard the brewery is very nice so I will be sure to check it out next time I'm in San Diego.

Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA

RATING: 4/5



I have always enjoyed Samuel Adams beer and was excited to try their take on an IPA. I was not disappointed. Latitude 48 is a on the lighter side for an IPA, but still boasts a nice flavor with a crisp lemon-citrus finish. Plus every cent spent on Samuel Adams goes towards America!

Beck's Sapphire

RATING: 3/5



I was curious how these much hyped "sapphire" hops would taste. (Would it be like drinking a glass of fine jewelry?) Unfortunately it turned out to be a pretty basic beer. Very light flavor with a bit of a sake aftertaste. Not spectacular, but okay summertime drinkin.' I do think it's pretty unbelievable that they packed so little taste into a beer with 6% ABV. Hide this one from the kids!

Fireman's Brew Brunette Beer

RATING: 4/5



This German-style doublebock was very easy on the palette. I was expecting a heavy malty-sweet taste (it's 8% ABV) but it was actually pretty mild. My brother is a fireman and fights fires in the area around where this beer is produced. Next time I visit I'll try to convince him that we should go on a brewery tour together. My plan is to borrow his uniform and sweat it out while drinking what I can only assume will be a massive amount of free beer.

Belmont Brewing Company Chinook IPA

RATING: 5/5



This beer doesn't come in a bottle--you have to get it straight from the source. The brewery only makes Chinook occasionally which is probably good since it's so easy to drink it's scary. Full IPA flavor without being overly bitter. Light on carbonation with a long lasting hoppy aftertaste. The fact that the brewery is located on the beach doesn't hurt, either.

Magic Hat #9

RATING: 3/5



This beer didn't leave much of an impression on me. It was light on flavor with a kind of bitter orange-peel finish. The label promises "a performance in every bottle." Extending the metaphor, I would compare this beer to a street musician. While I enjoy listening to a song while I walk by, I'm not going to sit down on the curb and listen to the entire set.

Redbridge

RATING: 1/5



While about 0.1% of people in the United States are allergic to gluten, it seems that 99% of the US population think they have a gluten allergy. If you want to poison your body with alcohol but NOT gluten, Redbridge is the beer for you. Actually, scratch that--I'm not sure Redbridge is for anyone. This stuff is bad. It kind of tastes like carbonated vinegar water.

O'Doul's

RATING: 3.5/5



Fake beer is not just for alcoholics y'all! It's great when you want the flavor of beer but don't want to get tipsy. I have tried many fake beers and I think that O'Doul's is the best. It has a relatively full flavor with a nice caramel finish. It's not over-carbonated and not too sweet.

Interesting fact: fake beer costs more to produce than regular beer. I got into a conversation with a distributer a few years back and he explained that the brewery has to make the beer with alcohol first and then extract it. A process that takes extra time and money.

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

RATING: 4.5/5



I have been a fan of Lagunitas for a looong time and I am so happy that they are finally carrying it in SoCal. I'd like to think that I had something to do with their expanded distribution since I was a kind of (completely unofficial) ambassador for them. Every time I went up North I would buy some and bring it home for my friends to try. A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' is nice and bitter with a crisp brown sugar finish. I could drink this one all day.

Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale

RATING: 1.5/5



Agave nectar is basically sugar, so I was expecting a syrupy sweet beer. While this ale did have a hint of sweetness, it actually tasted sour, like a bad cider. To be honest, this beer made me a little sick to my stomach. It could have been the four huge tacos and three scoops of ice cream I had before I drank it, but I liked this beer less with every sip.

Baltika 3

RATING: 3/5



I applaud the way these Russian beers are classified. Each style is assigned a number that is clearly printed on the label. Saying the name of these beers aloud kind of sounds like you are referring to different spaceships. I saw numbers 1 through 9 in the store and I'm excited to try them all. The number 3 reminded me of a Dutch beer (light flavor with a somewhat skunky aftertaste). Good for a summertime BBQ.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

RATING: 2.5/5



Initially sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Okay flavor but nothing that makes me want to run out and buy a bunch more. I really like the label and have fond memories of drinking this in high school college. Back then the label glowed in the dark!

Tusker

RATING: 4/5



Nice light beer with a distinctive semisweet aftertaste. I’m not a huge fan of lagers but when I find a good one I get excited. This one reminds me a bit of XXXX (Australian beer) which is a good thing. Great for summertime drinking. Also, the beer is from Nairobi, Kenya and it is named after a freaking elephant that killed one of the brewery’s founders. So that's pretty badass, too.