Ales

It's no secret that Weyerbacher makes award winning beers and their Winter Ale is one of them. Taking home the Silver Medal at the World Beer Championships this beer is no slouch. This winter ale has everything needed to keep you warm through those blustery winter months with a molasses-like brown sugary sweetness, dark fruity esters of cherries and plums and just enough hops to keep the sweet flavors from becoming too cloying. Read More »

So my buddy gave me a one of those big bottles of beer for my birthday. After a couple of weeks of cooling off in the refrigerator I had to crack it open. The name of the beer was Ruination IPA from Stone Brewing Company. The label had this sweet looking gargoyle on it, the bottle was cold and I hadn’t had a beer in over 24 hours so I was pretty thirsty and anxious and very thirsty. I cracked the top and light white smoke came slowly out of the bottle and disappeared quickly. I went right in for a quick smell and WOW, very nice. The sweet smell of hops, freshness and slight citrus was awesome. My mouth was watering. Read More »

Light and malty. Soft bready malts hit the tongue first leading you into a light and refreshing beer with hints of orange peel and coriander. There is a hint of citrus hops but it never really made itself present. The finish was a little flat with that same sourness I noticed in the smell. Read More »

I haven't always been a huge fan of cream ales as they seem to sometimes be too cloyingly sweet but the Anderson Valley Brewing Company has a done a good job making their cream ale stand out from the others. This velvety ale has just enough flavor to let you know that a craftsman was involved in creating this brew but is sufficiently muted to enjoy as a session beer. So while this may not be my go-t0 beer to beat the summer heat it's not a bad beer in it's own right. So if you're looking for a good summer session beer this one is certainly worth a try. Read More »

This is the flagship beer for Cigar City Brewing Company in Tampa Florida. Jai Alai IPA (pronounced "high-lie") pushes the boundaries of an American IPA with almost enough hops to push it into the Double ( or Imperial) IPA category. However when you try it you'll notice that even though this is a hop monster its also beautifully balanced with a caramel sweetness that makes this one of the best IPA's I've had the opportunity to try. The hop profile is professionally choreographed with flavors of citrus and piney bitterness that has fruity highlights of peaches and apricots. This is proof that the brew geeks over at CCB know how to make some pretty decent suds. If you haven't tried this, or any CCB beer for that matter, don't delay any longer. Get out there and try some of the best craft beer America has to offer. Cheers! Read More »