Beer Reviews

[Odin's Hand]

This thread is intended for those of us at CC to avoid bad beer selections at the liquor store or bar via the past experiences of these beers by other posters.

The reviews should include a general sense of the overall impressions of the beer and, if willing, the more subtle aspects of the brew: flavor, body, head, aroma, aftertaste and companion foods that work well with it.

Finally, a numerical rating should be given to the brew (with "1" being the worst and "10" being the best) after the review has been completed.

[IassaFTots]

Awesome!

[Crazy Horse]

Well here's my review................

Beer Good

Only thing better than beer is bacon.............mmmmm Bacon flavored beer

[Crazy Horse]

OMG

http://gobohd.com/shows/BeerNation/?p=239

[LC EFA]

Do not drink Fosters.

It's a blend of formaldehyde and sheep piss. The only reason we export it is because there aren't enough people here silly enough to actually drink the stuff. 

[Eupher]

Do not drink Fosters.

It's a blend of formaldehyde and sheep piss. The only reason we export it is because there aren't enough people here silly enough to actually drink the stuff. 

I remember very clearly when the U.S. Army would host the German/American Volksfest in Berlin.

The Berliners would line up for blocks to buy Budweiser and Miller beer in cans.

Now don't get me wrong - beer brewed in Berlin wasn't terribly good. Berliner Kindl was drinkable on tap, but barely; and Schultheiss tasted like vomit whether on tap, in cans or bottles. Charlottenburger Pilsener wasn't too bad, but the water was extremely hard in Berlin which, I guess, might explain the problem.

But for Germans to think that Americans know how to brew beer on a commercial basis always stunned me. Yeah, I know there are microbrews that are pretty good, but back in the Eighties there weren't a lot of those around.

Budweiser and Miller. God help me. 

[IassaFTots]

Do not drink Fosters.

It's a blend of formaldehyde and sheep piss. The only reason we export it is because there aren't enough people here silly enough to actually drink the stuff. 

Well, if you don't drink Fosters, what do you drink?  Please don't say Budweiser. 

[Chris]

They sell mixed drinks in a can down there.  How lucky can you be?

[Odin's Hand]

Leinenkugel's Original

A nice lager with a metallic first initial drink. Pretty smooth afterward. A good "hot weather" beer.

Overall Score: 8

[LC EFA]

Well, if you don't drink Fosters, what do you drink?  Please don't say Budweiser. 

Budweiser is swill.

If I'm not drinking home brewed beer I tend to favor either Tooheys Extra Dry or New , or Fourex (XXXX) Gold. I don't think they're exported.

Normally I just drink spirits - That you can get premixed ready to drink cans of them is really convenient when your mason jar runs dry a couple days before the fermenter stops.

[IassaFTots]

Budweiser is swill.

If I'm not drinking home brewed beer I tend to favor either Tooheys Extra Dry or New , or Fourex (XXXX) Gold. I don't think they're exported.

Normally I just drink spirits - That you can get premixed ready to drink cans of them is really convenient when your mason jar runs dry a couple days before the fermenter stops.

Very interesting.  Are hops expensive down there?  They have gone up a bit here, and now seem to be getting more reasonable. 

[LC EFA]

Very interesting.  Are hops expensive down there?  They have gone up a bit here, and now seem to be getting more reasonable. 

I just buy the "kit cans" from the supermarket / grocery store - or if I want something more exotic one of the brew shops in town.

I usually don't have an idle fermenter for beer - they're all in use making something that more closely resembles wine.

[Odin's Hand]

If I'm not drinking home brewed beer I tend to favor either Tooheys Extra Dry or New , or Fourex (XXXX) Gold. I don't think they're exported.

I can get Toohey's New at the liquor store down the street. I am just having trouble paying $11 for a sixer right now, though.

[RightCoast]

I'm a recent Blue Moon convert http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Moon_(beer) although I pass on the orange garnish.

[IassaFTots]

I'm a recent Blue Moon convert http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Moon_(beer) although I pass on the orange garnish.

NO fruit in beer!   

My current fave, although more so in the summertime is St. Arnold's Lawnmower.  It is a Kolsch, and quite refreshing. 

For Winter, I gravitate more towards Stouts and Porters.  I do like Smithwicks.

The Sierra Nevada Celebration this year was quite good as well.  But, Sierra Nevada never disappoints.

[RightCoast]

NO fruit in beer!   

My current fave, although more so in the summertime is St. Arnold's Lawnmower.  It is a Kolsch, and quite refreshing. 

For Winter, I gravitate more towards Stouts and Porters.  I do like Smithwicks.

The Sierra Nevada Celebration this year was quite good as well.  But, Sierra Nevada never disappoints.

Blue Moon is definitely a summer drink, I stick with Sam Adams or Sam Light in the winter.  Haven't tried Sierra Nevada yet.

[Aaron Burr]

Pacifico. Works well with seafood. Pleasant aroma, nice finish, small head. Amberish colored, not too sharp, pretty easy to drink 3 or 4 without noticing.

If I want to be snotty about beer I'll go get a Chimay.

But yeah, I'd have a few schooners of Fourex. And then pass out in the back of the local Diggers club. You guys make strong beer. Why is that?

Angst?

[Eupher]

Pacifico. Works well with seafood. Pleasant aroma, nice finish, small head. Amberish colored, not too sharp, pretty easy to drink 3 or 4 without noticing.

If I want to be snotty about beer I'll go get a Chimay.

But yeah, I'd have a few schooners of Fourex. And then pass out in the back of the local Diggers club. You guys make strong beer. Why is that?

Angst?

Chimay Blue is pretty strong on its own. As it's a Belgian beer, it's a weird one anyway. The Belgians are renowned for weird beer.

And Stella Artois is rat piss.

[Thor]

Pacifico. Works well with seafood. Pleasant aroma, nice finish, small head. Amberish colored, not too sharp, pretty easy to drink 3 or 4 without noticing.

If I want to be snotty about beer I'll go get a Chimay.

But yeah, I'd have a few schooners of Fourex. And then pass out in the back of the local Diggers club. You guys make strong beer. Why is that?

Angst?

Pacifico is little more than "Tourista" beer.

[Thor]

Leinenkugel's Original

A nice lager with a metallic first initial drink. Pretty smooth afterward. A good "hot weather" beer.

Overall Score: 8

After I got stationed in MN, I was introduced to a few good local beers. Leinenkugel's was one of them. That has to be one of my preferred American beers.

[Wineslob]

Had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap at the New Year party......................yum........

[IassaFTots]

Had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap at the New Year party......................yum........

The Sierra Nevada Celebration is a holiday beer, and is always yum.  You are in CA, so you shouldn't have much problem liking it.  St. Arnolds, out of Houston is my favorite state micro brew, not a fan of Shiner.  Sierra Nevada, and Fat Tire are my secondary choices.

[NHSparky]

Pacifico is little more than "Tourista" beer.

Pretty much ALL Mexican beer is "tourista" beer--aka goat piss.

Depends on the mood, kids:

Summer--Long Trail Blackbeary Wheat, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, or Red Hook ESB.

Fall--Sam Adams Oktoberfest.  Nuff said.

Winter--Red Hook Winterhook or Moat Mountain Apfel Bier.

Spring--Red Hook Copperhook (can you tell I like Red Hook?)

Anytime--Arrogant Bastard Ale.  22 oz bottles, 7.5 percent alcohol.  Guiness.  A few Smuttynose brews on tap.

In a pinch when I don't want the local formaldehyde in a bottle:

China--TsingTao or Carlsberg.
Japan--Kirin Ichiban, Sapporo if they don't have Kirin.
Guam--Nothing.  Sitting on a 100-degree dock for two weeks turns it ALL to piss.
Singapore--Tiger, but not much at S$40 a "jug".
Australia--XXXX okay, but I liked Toohey's better.  Didn't mind Victoria Bitter either (sorry, LC.)
Thailand--Kloster.  Singha gives me a MONSTER headache.
Phillipines--San Miguel, 24 flavors per case, baby!
Europe--Guiness, Smithwicks, and last time I was in London I had a Kronenburg "White" ale that had an apricot flavor to it.  Freakin. AWESOME.

[Odin's Hand]

Sam Adams Oktoberfest is okay. I prefer the Irish Red. Actually has that heartier that flavor that the Oktoberfest tries to produce, IMO.

[Chris]

Sapporo is Budweiser.  I seem to remember reading somewhere that A-B couldn't get the rights to sell it in Japan unless they allowed a Japanese company to brew, bottle, and sell it for them.

The 'unofficial' biography of the Anheuser Busch dynasty is an interesting read.