Newcastle Winter IPA

Well this post comes at the request of a friend of mine and the fact that every other post has either been an American or a German beer. I thought it was time for something different. Now I know what your thinking, wait I thought Newcastle only brewed brown Ale. Well yes they still do, along with this one and three others, Werewolf, summer ale, founders ale. All brewed in a certin season, But I will blog about them later in the new year. Well this Newcastle is an IPA (India Pale Ale). This is an old world IPA that follows 18th century IPAs  That was a beer brewed with a lager amount of hops to make the long trip from Great Britian to India. Yes it's close to a british pale ale, but with more hops. This IPA is has bold hoppy scent and flower aroma. Winter IPA pours a pale redish color with a sticky yet foamy head. It has a zesty, malty, carmel simi-crisp taste, and has a hoppy creamy finish that is good. This one is a darn good IPA, a good drinkable IPA. Most Newcastles are good and drinkable beers. I would try this again and again I like this one. It's great tasting. Pick some up and give it a taste! Cheers! Please drink responsibly!

Barrel Trolley Belgian White

This Barrel Trolley brew just sprang up out of nowhere in my local Harris Teeter. Never heard of this before. But I do know this style, Belgian White. One of my favorite style and favorite brewing countries. This beer was made for the Harris Teeter company. This is just your average Belgian white. This white is a gold color witha thick white head. It has a strong bread scent. This beer has an average taste of wheat hops, The finish is sweet, smooth, crisp and refreshing. This brew is in the middle of the Belgian whites scale, nothing overly awesome here just plan and average. Not like a Hoegaarden which is great, but that will come later. It's an average good though. Would I try this again, well I wouldn't say no to that, but I wouldn't rush out right now to get more of this. I like it enough, not in love with it. I would say you should try this, but there is no real hurry to try it. Just try it sometime. I think you well see it as I see it. Cheers! Please drink responsibly!

Shiner Beer Bohemian Black Lager

Yes, it yet another beer from Texas, another Shiner. Shiner, the Spoetzl Brewery in you guessed it, Shiner, Texas. This a style much the same as Ugly Pug I wrote not to long ago. The first Bohemian Black Lager was brewed to commemorate their 97th anniversary, that's why there is a 97 on the top of the neck. Shiner brews this beer to keep it to the old-world heritage of the German and Czech immigrants who settled in Shiner. That area of Texas, not far from San Antonio is the german hill country of Texas. So this Shiner pours a dark rich black color with a thin white foamy head. Shiner Bohemian has faint scents of baked bread and grassy hops, but you really have to smells closely to notice them. It has a semi-sweet taste with a light sourish twist in middle. It's in between okay and good. On the after taste, it has a sour hoppy bite that is kind of good. I think this Shiner is one is good, but I do think Ugly Pug is better. This isn't as smooth as Ugly Pug, but still smooth though. I still think that this shiner is good, but it could be a tiny bit better. I would lower the sourness to this one and make it even smoother. I would get this again. Shiner brews great beers and is growing in popularity these days as with most craft beers. Maybe you will like this one better than Ugly Pug. But you need to try it to find out, have a few with a friend and spread cheer with Shiner beer! Cheers! Please drink responsibly!

Rahr & Sons Texas Red

Well howdy, here is another Rahr & Sons offering down in big ol' Texas. This is a Amber Lager. Texas Red, doesn't that sound like a title to a western. I see a ranch had drinking this after a hard days work, well it does have a seen right out of life on the ranch on the front lable. Looks cool. Well it's just the name of a they're beer. I like the name of this one. Maybe cause it has a larger than life state in the name. But I'm not liking this one just cause of name or the picture on the lable, no. I like it cause the way it taste. This Amber Lager pours a deep red color with a white head, and has a great sharpe cripsy sent of a light faint hop plant in a field. It looks like an ale, thats wrong. It has a nice malt carmel tast that is good and full of creamy flavor. This is good! Its super-smooth but not so smooth that it taste like water. Its has good blance of drinkablity and flavor. That's good for a brewer to have that blance in at least three different beers. That I like, and that's what makes it good. It has a nice sweet, super-smooth after taste. It has a great finish and a call for another. I am starting to like the Rahr & Sons Brewery and they're beers. I would like to try all that they brew. I think you should too. Starting with this and Ugly Pug. Its a good one. Tell ya friends and please share some with them for a good time! Cheers! Please drink responsibly!

Stone Levitation Ale

Now here is a beer with a sort of mascot, the gargoyle. The Stone brewery in north county San Diego, is known for brewering strong hoppy beers. Some are way hoppier and stronger than others. Levitation isn't so strong, it's only 4.4% abv. But yes it's very hoppy and sour. I know that this isn't starting out good here, but it is good trust me. It pours a dark red with a hazey thin head. You can really smell the hops in this one, along with sharp scent of a grass. Levitation has a sharp sour hop taste that is more of a good sour than a bad sour. It's not sweet at all it far from it but it a good way. There is no sharp overly sour finish or aftertaste like other very hoppy beers have. That aftertaste is some what small and quite pleasent. This is a good hoppy beer with a good strong taste. Laevitation won 2007 gold medal at The Great American Beer Festival, which Stone has etched on the neck of the bottle as well to the left of the gargoyle. I wonder if he has a name, Stoney perhaps, That gargoyle appears on all of they're beers, bottles, boxes, ect. I like this and would drink it again. But like I said before all the flavors in Levitation are of bold, strong, and sharp hoppieness. So pick this up and try it to see if you like this style. Not all do, but some do. I do! Well it's getting time again to have a beer! Cheers! Please drink responsibly!

The Bruery 4Calling Birds

Here is another Christmas beer. This is another brew from my rare beer of the month club. 4Calling Birds is brewed by The Bruery, in Placeinta CA. You all know the song 12 days of Christmas. Well Every year they make a brew from on the days fo Christmas in the song. Now this is a strong beer due to the fact that its aged on oak spirals. Its 12.6% abv. Its black with almost no head. It smells like old burned coffee. It has the same old burned coffee taste with a heavy spice and bad cough medicine. Aftertast is no good, has that awful medicine taste that leaves a funk in your mouth. This bird sticks to your ribs and coats your stomach and makes you full. This is my least favorite one. I had to throw it out, and I don't ever do that with a beer. But this is just awful tasting all around. Stay away from this nasty pigeon. I call it GROSS. I would never have this again nor would I give it to another beer drinker. No sir! Find something else to have instead of this brew please. Well I now think that the Bruery can't brew beer. So much of that brewery. Merry Christmas! Cheers Please drink responsibly!

Abita Christmas Ale

Happy holidays and a Merry Christmas to all! This is another Christmas Ale. This one is an Abita seasonal ale. I bet you know what season this is for! This is is slighly heavier brew that is dark red amber brown with a thick beige head. This one is not out to be a big one of a kind speciality beer or something of that nature, is not a christmas ale. Nothing more nothing less. I like most Abita beers so far. I think they are good some are great. It smells spicy and bready. This one is a bit like Abita Pecan Ale on the frist taste then it has that spicy bite in the end. The after taste is a big creamy spice that is faint but you know its there. After the drinking one of these Abitas it not as good as you though, but as you drink more of these, if its right after or next week, this one grows on you. I like better now then when I first had one. Its good now. Its almost up there with my favorite abitas. I might by this again. I like it. Buts not a oh thats so good, but its good. Abita gets a B- on this one. If your into Christmas Ale, maybe you should try this one. You might like it. I hope it grows on you too. Well Merry Christmas to you beer lovers. May all you beery dreams come true and have a safe one this christmas. Cheers! Please drink responsibly!

Rahr & Sons Ugly Pug

Howdy! Another beer review here on this cold day in December. Well, this is another beer from Texas brought to me from Aunt over Thanksgiving. This brewery is down in East Texas, Fort Worth. This is a schwarzbier, black beer, or black lager. I've not had black lager before, at least I don't think I have. The Ugly Pug story goes like this, Fritz Rahr once saw Oscar, his mother-in-law's dog and shouted, "What an ugly pug!" I don't know how that relates to a beer but maybe Fritz has his reason for name his black lager that. Ugly Pug pours a nice black color as it says on the bottle. If you don't know that then I suggest you ask for help. It has a semi-thick white foamy yet creamy head. It looks interesting at this point, so now you sip. When you first partake of this you get a light mouthfeel of very faint coffee and a very light taste of malted caramel. When the aftertaste hits you get a tiny little sour bite of caramel candy. This is not heavy like a stout or porter. It's a lager beer, therefore, it is lighter. You should know that. Remember that from now on, that will be helpful when buying beer. This one is good. I don't know much about Rahr & Sons. But I am finding more info about it. I would like to buy this again. I thought it was good, not a WOW GREAT, but a solid good, a buy it again good, tell few of my friends kind of good. You to should try this one. Keep your eyes and ears open to the news here in N.C. about the changes coming regarding the brewing laws. It will be SO AWESOME!! Cheers! Please drink responsibly!