Shamrock's Beer Blog

To my sad realization...

2010-06-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

I've really neglected my blog here. Then again with the economy and just sticking to my favorite brews, I haven't really found the time, the energy nor the money to try new brews and review them. I hope to rectify that as soon as I can and get things moving here once again.

I do enjoy trying new beers as well as other alcoholic beverages, including whiskys(whiskeys, those not brewed in KY), rum, bourbons, scotch, and even mixed drinks. The list could go on forever but why bore you with listing everything out there on the market?

It is helpful when a suggestion is made to try something new. After all, it can be difficult to pick and choose a good drink. (Trust me, there are some not worth the money to drink!) Horse Swill! THAT sometimes has a better ring to it than whatever you're drinking! I'm sure we've all had that drink that tasted like pee, smelled like a skunk, or was just indescribable! Blah!

So, if something comes to mind for me to try, drop a comment here and tell what it is. I'll be sure to see if I can get here in central Illinois, buy it, taste it, and review it. What else am I going to do anyway? Watch the paint peal? LOL

As always....

Keep a bar stool and a pint ready for me!!!!

Slàinte!

New reviews to come!!!!

2009-07-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

I know it's been awhile for a review, but seriously I CAN'T drink all the time! LOL

Anyway, I will be putting up new reviews this month and new links to some great breweries! I'll see you soon at the pub!!!!!

Sláinte!!!!

On edit....I've basically taken July off to enjoy the summer and family. So, August will be the time I'll start posting reviews again.

Thank you

Sierra Nevada Stout

2009-06-26T11:42:00.001-07:00

To start off, Sierra Nevada Stout has a 5.8% ABV. Beginning gravity-16.0 Plato and ending gravity of 4.8 Plato. The yeast is a top fermenting Ale yeast. It uses Magnum bittering hops and finishing hops of Cascade and Willamette. The Malts used are Two-row Pale, Munich, Caramel and Black.

The aroma is malty and roasty with a deep-dark hue that is good for a stout. It also has a good head and lacing all the way down the glass!

It tastes very creamy, malty and some sweetness in there. A bit of bitterness too to complement it all. A nice change from other stouts.

Not bad at all, good job! If I couldn't have Guinness or it didn't exist (Heaven forbid!)I would definitely drink this stout. I just may have to pick up a six or twelve pack of Sierra Nevada Stout to enjoy when I'm out of my usual Stout!

Arcadia Ale-London Porter

2009-06-24T06:45:00.001-07:00

Arcadia Brewing Company was established in 1996 as a microbrewery specializing in handcrafted British-style ales. All of their beers are produced in small batches, and their 25 Barrel Peter Austin Brewery and methods originated in England, which allows this style of beer to reflect over 250 years of world class brewing heritage.

Arcadia Ales

This is their version of an 18th Century “Smoked Porter”. A dark, black hue with a barley malt aroma. Decent head and lacing as seen below.

It has an extraordinary taste, malty, caramel, and chocolate??? Yes, I was right, according to their site with also hints of coffee(I mistakenly thought caramel). A bitter, creamy aftertaste, other wise not bad for a porter. For being a porter, I would almost swear it was a stout!

I enjoyed this porter and hope you do too.

Sláinte

Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale

2009-06-24T06:08:00.001-07:00

Hops, hops, and more hops!!! You have to love hops to love/like??? this beer. Magnum, Centennial, Chinook, Amarillo and Palisade, all of these go into this brew. Three pounds of hops per barrel at 3 different times of processing!!!!

It has a medium golden color, but not much of a head. Though the lacing is pretty good. (below)

Definite hop aroma, there's no doubt about that. It's bitter! Just not good tasting at all, I won't be drinking it again! Too hoppy and bitter, plain God awful!

The bottle says it's: "herbal and aromatic and delicious", it is not, whether it's an American IPA or not!

Loose Cannon also uses Crisp English Pale, Carapils, and Munich malts. The ABV is 7.25% (is that the only good thing??)

The beer is hopped 3 ways - in the kettle, in the hop back, and dry hopped. Winner of the Overall Best of Show Award in the Maryland State Governor's Cup 2005 Competition and voted the #1 IPA by Mahaffey’s Pub. We are very excited about this new product and have decided to make this beer available year round!

Clipper City Brewing Co.

The people at "Mahaffey's Pub" must drunken slobs, they should have thrown this one back, into the sea. Davy Jones Locker needs to keep it under lock and key(preferably losing the key!).

Well...Not the first disappointment I've had and probably won't be the last.

Until next time, save a bar stool and a cold pint for me!

Lion Lager

2009-06-24T05:37:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, I couldn't find an actual website for this brew. Disappointing too, I really wanted to learn more about the company and it's other beers. Maybe later, one will turn up and I can edited this post! :)

So, this will be a fairly short review.

The lager it's self has a light golden hue and a head that starts off good. The bad thing is that it dispenses rather quickly. As for the lacing, well, it's reasonable then appears less and less on the glass.

Loin Lager has a malt aroma and a definite malt flavor than is also creamy. It doesn't have much bitterness, it's a light full body taste. It's refreshing and surprisingly good.

My only disappoints in the beer are the head, lacing, and the lack of a website to really studied up on it's brews. Hopefully, one will be short coming and I can tweak this post.

Cheers!

Birra Moretti La Rossa

2009-06-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

The most desired beer in Italy.

They must not be able to get any other kind!!!!

Birra Moretti La Rossa is a double bock beer produced using high quality 100% malted barley. Another key ingredient is the Spalt Select hops. The Master Brewers advise a serving temperature between 10° and 12° C(50 to 53.6F).

It has way too big of head if poured too fast and doesn't stick around long. The lacing is fairly decent though. And it also had nice dark reddish-amber hue to it.

It, however, had a very malty smell, almost like Soy Sauce???? That was my first impression, anyway. I thought it strange tasting as well, like Soy Sauce. Not good at all, needed research on this one before trying. YUCK!!!!!

Not good at all, bad aroma, bad taste. Maybe it was old. I would have been better off taking pictures of the clouds than this beer OR DRINKING IT!

It did taste better after settling a bit, but the aroma still wasn't pleasant. Hops/spicy, tangy too and bitter. Not too horrible once you get into it, but I won't be drinking it again!

From their site at Moretti Italian Beer

. A rich sweet taste and an intense fragrance of roasted malt. The amber color that characterizes the beer, comes from the kind of malt used in the recipe (malt is dried, roasted barley).

Another key ingredient is hops. The variety used is particularly aromatic, giving a characteristic bitter aftertaste and a delicate fragrance to the beer.

Well, it has a 7.2% ABV and a shelf life of only 15 months, so maybe it was old? 241 calories per 12 oz. serving and sold in 6-pack/12oz longneck bottles and 7.92 gallon kegs.

Sorry, I just was not that impressed.

Crooked Tree IPA

2009-06-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

Inspired by West Coast I.P.A.'s, but brewed with Michigan style. From their site at Dark Horse Brewing Company.

With a dark golden, copper hue and a bit of cloudiness, this brew has an excellent head that stays with your glass awhile. The lacing is also very good as it "sticks" to the sides of the glass while drinking it.

A very hoppy and malt aroma that is almost stinky at first but flowery in the end. Crooked Tree is heavily dry hopped that gives it it's aroma and (according to their site) a big aroma of pine and citrus.

At first sip, it is bitter and almost unpleasant tasting. You can really taste the malt, hops and a spicy bitterness. I felt it had a very bitter aftertaste as well, but not totally undrinkable. Not bad, but maybe a bit too hoppy for me. Pales Ale, especially IPA's, usually don't taste very good to me, but this one isn't too bad once you get into it.

Now, this is the "single hop" brew with the ABV of 6% and is available year round. There is the double Crooked Tree with an ABV of 13.6% that has limited availability. I will review that one later and no driving for after that one!!!! =D

Save a cold one for me! :)

Schell's Stout

2009-06-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Most people don't know how hard it is to review or compare a stout when you're a Guinness drinker.

So, I'll just dig right in!

Dark black in color. A reasonable head at first but doesn't last long after having a few sips. The lacing is decent but it also slides down the glass quickly.

It has a coffee/chocolate aroma and an espresso/coffee flavor. Mild, no real bite to it with a creamy aftertaste.

Compared to Guinness, it's a second placer for sure!

Then again, it's described on the site as a London Style Sweet Stout with a 5% ABV. I guess I'm too Irish for it. LOL

Well, I have six more brews to try this weekend and no, their not all from the same company this time.

Until, I get those tried out....

Save a pint and a bar stool for me!!!

Schell's Firebrick

2009-06-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

This Vienna-style lager, with 5% ABV, was introduced in 1999, and is named after the bricks that line Schell's old boilers.

I was extremely disappointed with the head that dissipated too fast and the very little lacing it had. Even with it's amber-reddish hue, it seemed bit cloudy.

The aroma? I couldn't really get one! Thought maybe my nose was stuffed up, but it does have a mild malt aroma to it. As for taste.....

Malty and a tad hoppy with a creamy aftertaste. It bites a bit at the sides of the tongue with maybe a touch of sweetness there. You can read how they describe it on their site at www.schellsbrewery.com. 21 and over, please.

It's fairly drinkable but to the other four, they were slightly better, IMHO. Maybe if I had than one to go on, I would have thought different.

ON TO THEIR STOUT!!!

Schell's Octoberfest

2009-06-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

Now my actual review on this particular beer is rather short and to the point. So, I'll start off with a little history of it from the Schell's website. www.schellsbrewery.com Don't forget, if you want to visit this site yourself, you must be 21!!!!

The Octoberfest or Marzen (March) type of beer was originally brewed in
March, and laid down in caves before the summer weather rendered
brewing impossible. Stocks would be drawn upon heavily during the
summer, and exhausted by October.

In
Germany, this tradition has come to be associated with one specific
style, Octoberfest Bier. In keeping with true German tradition, August
Schell Octoberfest beer is brewed just once a year. They carefully select
the perfect balance of Caramel malt, Pale malt, Cara Pils and Black
malt with Cascade and Nugget hops to create a rich, smooth taste.

The color hue of the beer I found pleasing to the eye with an amber hue.
(I tried using a white background to show this)

It had a wonderful malts aroma and a smooth caramel flavor. BUT...Though it starts with a good head, it dissipates. Somewhat disappointing. Plus, not much lacing, as seen in the second bottom pic better.

All in all, it's a good seasonal October Bier! BTW, it's ABV is 5.5%.

Can't wait for Octoberfest 2009 at the riverfront!

Schell's Zommerfest

2009-06-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Now before continuing, I'd like to say I bought a six-pack sampler of Schell's beer that contained 4 year round brews and two seasonal. So, four more to go!!!

Zommerfest(now in season), introduced on Memorial Weekend, 1998, is brewed in a 'Kölsch' style, which originates from
Cologne, Germany. It's brewed with 90% barley malt
and 10% wheat malt and now also with real Minnesota honey from
Madelia, MN.

Sorry, the pic isn't better.

I found it to have a pale gold color with not much of a hop aroma and malt taste. Even though the site says it's has "slight malt flavor and sweet hop aroma", but it also says it is "low in hop flavor and aroma" Which I totally agree with.

It has a dry finish, one that leaves you wanting more to drink, with little aftertaste, it is very refreshing. It also has a excellent head and lacing that stays with the glass(as seen below).

This Kölsch Style Honey Ale is 5% ABV and is claimed to go "well with any summer activity". I can see how to could, but you'll have to judge that for yourself!

Schell's Pale Ale

2009-06-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

Now I'm not one who usually enjoys a pale ale or IPA(India Pale Ale), I just can't find one that is really good and enjoyable to drink. I'm always willing to try a new one though, in the hopes of finding one I can enjoy!

Schell's is the only brewery that produces this particular beer style. It was brewed in celebration of the 135th Anniversary of Schell's and was so popular, they re-introduced it under the name German Pale Ale. With the characteristics of an IPA's English malts and hops then combined with a German Alt yeast, it really a hybrid of sorts.

This brew has a good head and a lacing that stays with glass the whole way.

The Pale Ale has a flowery, hop aroma and good flavor. It's spicy and creamy, hoppy and malty and you can even taste the yeast!! Just Excellent!!!

I love the taste, the bitterness of it as a whole and the creaminess of the aftertaste. It's described on it's own site as : "Rich maltiness with a distinct hop bitterness."

Just remember this beer has an ABV of 5.75%, I know that may not sound like much, but when you start drinking, do it responsibly. One ends up ten, then you just forget how incapacitated you really are.

Save me a pint!!!

Schell's Pilsner

2009-06-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

Developed in Pilsen, Bohemia around 1840, the full hop characteristic and delicate aroma was widely copied by early American breweries. It has lost out over time
to the much lighter-bodied, low-hopped relatives known as
American "Premium" beer.

A Bavarian Pilsner style beer, Schell's Pilsner is brewed with 100 percent barley
malt and showcases the imported German Hallertau hops.

I first take notice in the color, a bright golden yellow hue, and wonder what it was going taste like. With it's fruity, barley malt aroma, I couldn't wait to taste it. I then took notice in the nice head of the beer(above pic) and the lacing on the sides of the glass.

As I was tasting this Pilsner, I thought it had a bitter hoppy taste but also a good barley malt flavor. In fact, very hoppy, almost spicy due to it. Not a bad aftertaste, it's creamy on the palate.

The overall appearance and taste are very good. I would recommand it to any one who likes "true" Pilsners.

This is a little short for a review but it gets to the point that this beer is worth drinking!!! No wonder it has won several awards and those who like to know, the ABV is 5.6%.

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

2009-06-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

Brewmaster's Collection
Cherry Wheat

Introduced in 1995 as a summer seasonal brew, Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat developed a large enough following to be introduced as a year round style. Its distinct cherry character has made it one of the most unique and well liked styles of Samuel Adams beer ever.

The Cherry Wheat follows the centuries old American tradition of brewing beer with native ingredients, in this case Michigan cherries as well as a touch of honey. The sweet fruitiness of the cherries is balanced against the crisp, cereal note from the malted wheat and the subtle citrus flavor from the Noble hops.

Top fermenting ale yeast with a variety of malts such as the two row pale, malted wheat and Munich. It also uses the Tettnang Tettnanger Noble hops. Cherries are added at two different points during the brewing process. Once during the mash and again during finishing. (from their own site, http://www.samueladams.com/)

A wonderful head(as seen in the top picture) and beautiful lacing on the glass.

The aroma is one of sweet cherries and I really enjoy the aroma of this beer. It has a golden color that is also cloudy, as is common with wheat beers.

Very refreshing taste and none of that bitter aftertaste, very smooth. I feel it has a slight creaminess and is very enjoyable to drink.

If you're looking to watch your figure though, you're looking at 180 calories per 12 oz. The ABV is 5.4% and by weight, 4.2%. So, watch out driving after drinking a few of these.

I would like to conclude with my thoughts that this is one of the few Wheat Beers I can really enjoy and not mind paying $7.99(plus tax) for a six pack.

Enjoy you're Memorial Day weekend with some Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat with your picnics and outdoor grilling!

Unibroue Maudite - Canada

2009-06-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Unibroue Maudite, the damned one

According to the site that's is under construction - http://www.unibroue.com/products/maudite.cfm

Maudite has a typically Quebecois name that is reminiscent of the legend of
the Chasse-Galerie (the legend of the Flying Canoe). Legend has it that a group
of lumberjacks struck a deal with the devil to fly home in their canoes, guided
by Satan himself, to make it home in time for Christmas.

In November 1992 Maudite (the damned one), was the first strong beer to
be distributed in Quebec grocery stores. It contains 8% ABV and is
also the first beer brewed in America that improves with age(God, I hope so!). When
served young, it is very smooth, but when served after several years of
storage, its flavor is reminiscent of port. Maudite is a
mahogany-colored, rich-tasting premium beer that has a distinctive,
complex taste.(It does??? They must mean, hard to figure out.)

Because of the warmth it releases, this strong character
beer must be served cool but not cold. Perfect with pasta, red meats,
stews and spicy dishes, it also makes a good aperitif and after-dinner
drink.

It's a strong red ale that is refermented in the bottle on a yeast base. I found it to have an odd smell and taste. All malt?? Or grainy, perhaps, friuty? The site has the taste as a subtle coriande, light spices and a hint of hops with a spicy aroma. I had some trouble to determinate any particular aroma or taste of this beer.

The aftertaste was easier to figure out, creamy. It also gave a bitter tingling at the back of the throat. All in all, I wasn't impressed, even though the bottle had a cool label.

Not something I'll be drinking again. Hardly any head or lacing on the glass. It appears cloudy, almost muddy looking. In fact, it was nearly the same color of the bar's counter top! Maybe, the pub served it at the wrong temperature. All I can say is.....

I wish I would have asked how much it was but since I was running a tab on Guinness, it slipped my mind. Next time when it's Guinness Night at the pub, I'll stick to my 3 dollar pints of Guinness! Shame on me!!!!!

Until the next review....Happy brew hunting!

Foster's Premium Ale

2009-06-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

According to their site, it has a bright, copper color with "enormous" head. It also says you'll smell some sweetness, because of the caramel and fruit and taste a earthy and malt flavor.(We'll see about that.) It's sold in the Oil Can(green) and draft and let's not forget the ABV is 5.5%.

As you see here vvvv, it has a nice dark amber(copper, as they call it) color. Though it has a fairly
good head, there are few bubbles that come up from the bottom of the
glass.

I didn't smell much of the aroma it's supposed to have. Smelled like dirt in my opinion, in the can anyway, I guess that's the earthy part. I did find the aroma maybe a little sweet in a glass, even though I still couldn't smell a powerful aroma of any particular type.

Reasonable lacing on the sides of the glass, as seen here. vvvvvv It slides rather quickly down the glass and back in to the beer.

I'm surprised,, it's actually smooth tasting and not as horrible as it's Kangaroo P*ss brother. I wouldn't go as far to say it has an earthy taste but a malt one for sure. It also had a creamy aftertaste without much of a bitterness. Wow! Another surprise.

Well, even though I wouldn't drink it all the time, it's at least fairly decent. I could drink it from time to time, not on a regular basis, but if I had no other choice I susppose. I'd rather be drinking my Guinness though.

I'll soon bring the Rogue American Amber Ale review. As soon as my husband gives me the beer! LOL

Save a bar stool and a cold pint for me!

Foster's Oil Can

2009-06-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Foster brothers, William and Ralph, created Foster's to be served cold back in 1887. They were so dedicated that they even sold their brew with ice so that it could be enjoyed the way it was meant to be in the harsh Australian climate. After more than 120 years, Foster's is available in over 150 countries, thus making it the largest selling Australian beer in the world.

In 1972, by a partnership between Foster's Australia and Miller Brewing Company, the 25.4oz Foster's Can arrived in the US. The steel can looked so much like an oil can, Americans gave it the nickname Foster's Oil Can, the name has stuck with it for more than 30 years.

Now, with this partnership, the Foster's you drink here in the US is actually brewed right here in the States under tight supervision of Foster's Australia. Only a few breweries in the world are entrusted with the recipe. Foster's is brewed to the same strict quality standards as in Australia and uses the original, exclusive Foster's yeast and "Pride of Ringwood" hops. These hops are grown in Australia especially and only for Foster's beer.

According to their website, Foster's has a bright, golden color and a creamy foam head and has a crisp, bold flavor and "clean hops finish as it washes over your taste buds." We'll see about now, won't we?

My past experience with Foster's was over ten years ago. I was slim on money and the bar had $1 Foster's drafts. Naturally, I bought the Foster's. I wasn't impressed, as I remember, but you do what you have to do when money is tight. What I especially remember is the horrible gas pains I had the next day!! So, we'll see what happens this time.

A side note here, I met an Australian once and asked him, "How can you drink that stuff?" He laughed and said, "We don't, that's kangaroo p*ss!" I then asked him what they drink there and he replied, "American beers, like Budweiser and Miller." HA!

And so here's my review: It's a European-style malt lager, with 5%ABV. Sold in 25.4 Oil Cans, 12oz bottles, 12oz cans and draft.

Lots of head at first, as seen below, vvvv

but it dispenses in under a minute. vvvvv

Not much of an aroma from what I can tell, a grainy smell? It has a golden color, meh, same as some cheap beers. There's very few carbonation bubbles that come up from the bottom of the glass and not much lacing that stays on the sides of the glass.

A definite creamy, bitter aftertaste. It leaves you smacking your tongue.

While drinking this crap, it was bitter and watery and not a crisp, clean taste, like the Foster's claim. Yep, it still sucks! Crisp, bold flavor my arse!

"G'day, mate! Have some p*ss in a can and we'll put another shrimp on the barbie for ya!"

Only two GOOD things have come from Australia, Hugh Jackman(Wolverine) and where they filmed LOTR, opps.... That was New Zealand!

Until the next review...........God Speed!

Grolsch

2009-06-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Grolsch

Grolsch Premium Lager, brewed and bottled by Grolsch Bierbrouweril, Enschede, Holland, since 1615, making this one of the oldest companies in the Netherlands.

Grolsch has a long and interesting history that I invite you to read, providing you're over 21 to enter the site. http://www.grolsch.com/ Take the journey while you're enjoying this brew.

The founder, Peter Cuyper, taught his fellow-brewers the best methods and secrets of brewing a good beer. He was responsible for refining the natural method of beer brewing, almost 400 years later, it is still the same method used today by Grolsch.

The "swing-top" was introduced in 1897 by Theo de Groen, along with the advertisement, Beer is always fresh, no need for an opener, and you don't have to drink the whole bottle at one time.

Like I said, there's a long history, from where it was started to where it is today.

The bottle is 15.2oz and has an ABV of 5%. To serve this beer, the following steps should be consider.

1. Serve at 43F to 46F.
2. Avoid the slightest trace of grease on the glass, if necessary, clean glass with soda, rise thoroughly with warm water, and LET IT DRAIN, do not dry it.
3. Rise glass with COLD water just before pouring.
4. Hold the glass at a slight angle and pour the beer steadily until 3/4 full, then hold glass upright, let the head rise and fill the glass to the top.

My English pint glass is bigger than 15.2oz, but you get the idea.

A malted barley aroma with a light/medium yellow color. Not much carbonation and not much head, as it dispenses quickly.

BEFORE

AFTER

It's bitter but not a bad bitter, it gives a slight bite under and at the back of the tongue. Definitely malted barley and hops taste. Even though it doesn't leave much lacing on the glass(as seen above), it has good flavor and is easy to enjoy while reading the history on Grolsch.

A smooth, mild creamy aftertaste, none of that bitter or sweet gag-me-crap you get with some beers. Dragon Stout is a good example of gag-me-sweet aftertaste, like molasses.

Even though the ceramic swing-top has been replaced(2001) with a polypropylene swing-top, it is still the iconic symbol of Grolsch. They have in 2008, also streamlined their bottles with caps to fit in refigerator doors, but you can read all about that on their website.

Cheers!

Steel Reserve 211

2009-06-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

"Extra malted barley and select hops for extra gravity. Slow brewed for exceptionally smooth flavor." Or at least that's what the can says.

I forgot how I didn't really enjoy the taste of it. I don't care what the can says, it's 24oz of crap! Good thing it was only a buck 70! I guess that's the appeal of Steel Reserve 211, cheap, high alcohol content, and packaging. If you're looking to just get drunk, then the 8.1% abv should do the trick. If you're looking to drink something great, don't be fooled, this is not the beer for that.

Steel Reserve is sold in 40oz bottles, single-serving 24 oz cans(as seen above, 22oz bottles, 16oz cans in packs of four or six, and 12oz cans in
packs of six or twelve. The "211" on the label is the medieval symbol for steel and appears only on Steel Reserve High Gravity Lager. The term "High Gravity" refers to the term "specific gravity", a measurement used to quantify the percentage of alcohol in a fermented beverage.

The claim on the label suggest, "We use nearly twice the ingredients of many normal Lagers and brew for over twice as long as many quality beers." The packaging once proclaimed that it was brewed for 28 days, the brewer has since replaced the "28 days" stamp on the label with an "S/R".

Well, I poured it into a glass for color and aroma testing. There's a lot of carbonation bubbles that come up from the bottom of glass, but the head dispenses quickly. Golden yellow in color with not much of an aroma, corny I would say, but more than likely it's the barley.

The taste is very malty and very barley, it says it right on the can! HA! It has a strange aftertaste, creamy???? Definitely malty and very bitter. Not something easily enjoyed, not by me anyway.

As you can see here...

not much lacing is left on the glass, usually a sign of a poor quality beer. This is definitely a malt liquor and a poor drinking beer at best.

For the inexperienced beer drinking, this beer is only good for two things....Price and alcohol content. Other than the nice packaging, I'd rather pour it into a toilet!

So much for Steel Reserve 211.

On edit: I was over at my liquor store to pick up some lotto tickets and found out I could have bought this swill for $1.19!!!!!! That makes me sick to think about nearly paying 2 bucks for this when I could have gotten it cheaper!!!! Oh, well, it's still crap and wouldn't buy again anyway.

Another Night at the Old Pub Review

2009-06-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

New Belgium Mothership wit.....YUCK!

Unpleasant smell and taste. It smelled corny, very unappealing. The color was sandy, grainy, yellowish, reminding you of urine! Just horrible, the Urquell was better beer! A far cry from Fat Tire.

So, instead of finishing that swill, I choose the Mackeson XXX Stout.

A pleasing dark color with roasted malts and chocolate malts aroma. Bitter tasting with a creamy aftertaste. I will drink this again.

Dark Horse Amber Ale

A nice amber color. A malty, creamy taste with not much of an aftertaste. A pleasant surprise.

I tired some of my husband's LandShark.

Don't waste your money. A dead copy of Corona but more bitter, bad with or without the lime. Light color and light head. Poor man had to drink it, yuck.

Black Marlin Porter

Beautiful dark color. 22oz of dark malts and strong hopping. Has a bitter bite but leaves a creaminess on the palate. It's smoother from the bottle and creamier from the glass. Little head after pouring into glass until agitated. I really enjoyed this one.

Anchor Steam

I've had this one before and have enjoyed it. This was another ones of my husband's, but I had a few sips just for the review and refresh my memory.

Very little head with a dark reddish amber color. A roasted, nutty aroma. Has a bitter, hoppy taste and a light creamy , bitter aftertaste.

Until the next view....

Sláinte

Guinness 250th Anniversary Stout

2009-06-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

Guinness 250th Anniversary Stout

Yes, it is here and it is great! Bold, creamy, smooth, bitter taste that has made the Guinness name! It's too bad it is for a limited time only. I could really stock up on The G-250.

I bought a six pack for my husband's birthday and a second six to keep. Well, I came to the misfortune of not having anything to drink one night and decicded to go ahead and drink the keepsake six pack. I'll tell you I wished I had more. I really liked it, though I'm partial to the Guinness Draught. Now don't get me wrong, I like the Extra Stout as well.

Being that it is for a limited time only, I will have to go out and buy another six pack or two to keep back. In fact, I may just buy two or three to drink and compare to the 275 Anniversary Stout that I'm sure will come in twenty-five years.

There's is nothing bad to say about The G-250. A good head(I poured mine into a glass, instead of drinking it from the bottle), rich, dark color, wonderful aroma and the taste holds true to the Guinness name. Bold and creamy, that slight bitterness and incredibly smooth taste just makes you day complete! Very refreshing after a long day no matter what has gone on.

So, I implore you to go out and buy Guinness 250th Aniversary Stout before it's gone. Take part in the rich heritage that has made this Stout what is today and loved around the world.

Sláinte

Night at the Old Pub Review

2009-06-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we got to go out for a bit on my husband's birthday and try some new beers. The kicker here is that for his b-day drink, the bar tender sat down a half a glass of Guinness and a Jameson/Bailey mix shot glass! I knew right away what it was...The dreaded ICB! He asked what it was which the bartender told him and we immediately said,"Oh, an Irish Broiler Maker. He said it was good but I was seething.

How can one do that to their Guinness and Jameson, or even Baileys, is beyond me.

The first drink I order was the Celebrator Doppelbock which, of course, they didn't have. What a shame, it's really good.

So, Theaskston Old Perculiar was next my list. It's a dark beer but not bitter. I thought it had a fruity aroma but later came to the conclusion it was nutty. A thick, bold taste but surpisingly smooth with a nutty aftertaste.

Now, my husband tried the Dead Guy Rogue after his birthday "drink". It had a hoppy aroma, very hoppy taste and a bitter aftertaste. I didn't enjoy this beer, nor did my husband, he keep wanting to drink my Old Perculier!

On to the Fuller's 1845 Ale. A nice reddish-amber color, head stays and doesn't dispense quickly. Hoppy, nutty smell with a crisp, robust malty taste. (sorry for the blurred pix)

Breckenridge Avalanche Amber Ale: Amber-red color(in bar light, anyway). Mild hoppy smell, after agitating the aroma seemed corny, grainy. Genererally a great brew with a nutty, bitter, and bold carmelized malts taste with a smooth, mild, and a creamy, bitter aftertaste. I wouldn't have it all the time though.

Until next time...Keep a bar stool open for me.

How to Taste Beer

2009-06-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

Though most people drink beer just to drink it, there is a certain way in tasting beer. You may want to find another favorite beer to drink than "sticking with" the usual. Perhaps, when your favorite is not available, you have something to fall back on or just maybe you like to mix it up now and again.

To taste beer means to sense it and perceive it with all the sense organs. It's perception involves the eyes, nose and mouth.

Sight is the first to react, the visual impression of the beer gives an idea of it's color, clarity, cloudiness, or brilliance. The color of the beer is a distinctive feature of different types- Light and Dark. Each beer has its own hue. Example, light beer should have, besides the right color, good clarity that is identified by the brilliance when you look at it through a glass.

The appearance also allows one to evaluate its carbon dioxide content, head and head stability. High quality beer should have a compact, abundant head that "sticks" to the walls of the glass and is left around the edges. It should not be less than 40mm in height and stability not less than 4 minutes.

Note, visual impression can reflect on perception of the other organs. The perceived senastions come from smell as well as taste, with the nose sometimes anticipating the sensation more than the tongue.

The tasting has several steps:

1. Concentrating and perceiving the aroma in several intakes of breath though the nose.
2. Agitating in circular motions and noticing the difference in intensity and quality of the aroma after agitation and without it.
3. Visual evaluation of the head formation, clarity, and brilliance.
4. Taking a little bit of beer in the mouth and holding it for 15 seconds while fixing on the first impression.
5. Then perceiving the full aroma with the nose and mouth.
6. And last, swallowing and perceiving the taste and aftertaste.

One should take notice, first of all, if the taste, aroma, hoppy bitterness are the characteristics of this beer style and then if the beer has any extraneous flavors. It is recommended to use the following list of terms in evaluating the beer.

Aroma ~ inherent to beer - balanced, hoppy, malty, fresh, yeasty, flowery
~ Extraneous smells - phenol(medicine smell), musty, sour, oily(diacetyl), boiled corn(dimethyl sulfide), green apples(acetaldegide), rotten eggs(hydrogen sulfide), etc.

Taste ~ pure, full bodied, balanced, expressed, unbalanced, weakly expressed, bland, sweetish, malty,
~Flavors - yeasty, caramel, fruity, acidic, metallic, sufurous, honey, oily, phenol

Bitterness ~ delicate, coarse, residual, pleasant, unpleasant, strong, weak, un-hoppy

Temperature influences the taste perception, with increase of temperature, the colloid system of the beer changes it's properties and is reflected on its taste. If the temp. is considerably lowered, the taste is bland, if it's made too high, it's unpleasant. This is why beer should be served in the range of 46.4F and 53.6(8 - 12C) and served in specially designed stemmed glasses, narrowing at the top to avoid fast diffusion of the aroma elements.

Now that you know to "taste beer", go out and enjoy some fresh new brews!

Slàinte!

WHEAT/SPECIALTIES BREWS

2009-06-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

WHEAT BEERS

American Wheat Ales: Light in color, usually yellow to medium gold. Aroma will be grainy with tones of cirtus and spices. The body will be similar to a light ale without the hops.

Weisse/Weien: The most common form of the wheat beer. Color will be light to medium gold. Should appear cloudy due to the addition of yeast in the bottle. Aroma is noramally characterized by cloves, bubblegum, of banana. The body should be full to medium in character without much hopping.

Wit/White: The rarest of Wheats. Be definition, it must have yeast in the bottle and should be served with the yeast in suspension. This action gives it a shimmering sandy color and appears closer to white in direct sunlight. Aroma is dominated by spices and should be crisp and invigorating.

SPECIALTIES

Christmas/Festival Beer: Specialty beers without limits. These brews should not be compared to their brewers other brands.

Cream Ale: Light to medium gold in color. Should appear to a lager with an aroma of hoppiness, without much fruitness.

BOTTOM FERMENTED BREWS

2009-06-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

Bock: A strong brew of German origin. Traditionally ember-rust to deep purple in color. The aroma is sweet and the body should be complex with tones of chocolate, mocha, and spices.

Dunkel: A dark lager by definition. The color will range between medium to dark brown. The aroma should be malt dominated with a balance of floral hopping. The body will be malt dominated with a mildly sweet or spicy character.

Malt Liquor: A strong Lager by definition. The color will be light to medium gold. Aroma will be malty and without complexity. They are not brewed to be coy.

North American Lager: The Lager style roughly accounts for 98% of all the beer sales in America. Color should range from light yellow to light gold and have sweet, grainy aromas.

Pilsner/Pils: Color should be light gold with a hoppy aroma. The body should be drier than most brews.

Vienna Lager: Color ranges from traditional amber-red to medium gold and a light brown. Aroma will be dominated by malt with additions of spices. The body should be smooth, graceful, and spicy.

TOP FERMENTED BREWS

2009-06-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

Amber Ale: Color ranges from medium gold to deep rust. Aroma should be defined more by the malt than the hopes. The body should be influenced by the malt, and should not wiegh heavy on the palate or stomach.

Belgian-style Ale (Abbey Ale and Trippel) Abbey Ale: Color should be an earthy brown. The aroma should be complex with spices. Varieties will compare to the Trippel. Trippel: Color should be medium gold. The aroma should be medium-dry and sometimes fruity. Varieties will compare to the Abbey Ale.

Bitter: The staple of most Bristish pubs. Bitter has an amber to rust color with an aroma that tends to be leafy if dry hopped, and slightly malty. The body should be softer than a pale ale, and have 3.5% to 5% alcohol content.

Brown Ale: Originated in the norteast region of England, is an easy drinking ale, designed for the end of a hard day's work. It should be brown in color, balanced with a blend of nutty and fruity notes and a woodyiness in American browns. Should also have a certian amount of dryness from the malting.

Canadian Ale: Golden in color and balanced with malt and hops. The aroma can contain fruit, light spice, or grain. The body should be full.

German-style Ale (Alt, Kolsch)

Alt: Color should be a copper brown. Aroma, fresh and lightly fruity. The body will be assertively hopped and therfore bitter.

Kolsch: Golden in color, the aroma shold be hoppy with an earthy notes. The body will be delicate in it's maltiness with a light acidiness from the hopping.

Pale Ale: Though the color is not pale, but lighter than porters and dark ales. The aroma should be hoppy and complex, the American pale ale, ranges in color from deep golden to copper. With the bitterness flavor, the aroma is dominated by hops. Pale ales have medium body, and low-to-medium maltiness.

Stout: Should be deep brown to jet black. The aroma tends to be roasty with a body showing the complexity related to its style.

Strong Ale/Barley Wine: Color is rust to dark brown with a forceful aroma from the heavy hopping. Alcohol content ranges from 8% to 10% with a few at 14%. An important characteristic is that it should not bully the consumer.

TOP AND BOTTOM FERMENTING

2009-06-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

Top Fermenting

Top Fermentation beers are fermented in warmer temps. and are generally aged for a shorter time period than the Bottom Fermentated beers. These beers are widely identified as ale class, though stouts, wheats and other styles are also top-fermented. The reason these brews are known as top-fermented because they employ yeast strains that work up to the top fermenting vessel.

As a general rule, and important one to beer tasters, these brews tend to have characters of fruityness and even possibly sweet. Top fermentation is the oldest technique in brewing and has dominated four of the last five thousand years of brewing.

Bottom Fermenting

These beers are identified as the lager class and they known as such because they employ yeast strains that work at the bottom of the fermenting vessel. A generalization is that the beer will turn out with a crisper, drier character when done.

I will go into the definitions of the different styles and tell you how to taste beer in later blogs. Then it's off to my normal beer reviews and the establishments I drink them in.

Welcome And Sláinte

2009-06-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Shamrock's Beer Blog. As a public service for those who don't have that good of taste in beers or newcomers to the world of "beersnobbery", I offer my services here at this blog to educate and inform beer drinkers of young and old (hopefully 21 and older, or as one beer site says "fully fermented"!) true quality, taste, and enjoyment of a nice, refreshing brew.

I do post my own opinion on different ales, lagers, porters, stouts, etc. and yours may vary due to your own likes and tastes, but I hope to give some of you out there an idea for those who just drink the same thing for "trendiness" or indecision.

There are many great beers out there and I hope to provide some insight to the ones I find particularly good and those that I find to be nothing but swill and a waste of money.

Also, I will post news and updates concerning different beers and breweries as well as take requests on occasion, but don't get your hopes up if either it cannot be bought locally or I've already found it to be horrid. (Plus I am taking donations for those drinks that are a little out of range pricewise.)

So enjoy and I hope you have as much fun reading the blog as I do writing (and tasting for it).

Save a pint and a barstool for me.

Sláinte