Beer Reviews

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 beer is the product of the ever creative Left Hand Brewing Company located in Colorado that in 2007 took home the bronze metal at the North American Beer awards (pretty cool!). It's easy to see why this refreshing pilsner is award winning. The flavor is skillfully crafted to be subtly sweet and yet refreshingly hoppy making this a light, crisp, dry beer that ranks among the best session beers I've had the chance to review. I will no doubt be stocking my fridge this summer with lots of Polestar (and how cool is the name?). But don't fear, even though this is probably the perfect beer for the summer heat this masterful lager is among their "perennial" beers meaning it's available all year round. So the next time you have a bbq or make a pot a chili or just need something to combat the seemingly never-ending heat of summer, check out Polestar. You won't regret it. Cheers! Read More »