Carta Blanca Cerveza

Carta Blanca Cerveza is one of Mexico’s oldest beers, circa 1890. This is a Lager style beer at 4.5% ABV. Carta Blanca has been imported to the US for many years. I have asked my father who remembers his father, my grandfather having it back in the 1960’s. He tells me that my grandfather said that have Carta Blanca was exotic and special. This lager pours a golden straw color with a half of a finger of a bright white head that dissipates quickly. It does fade into nice bubbly lacing. I found tons of light streaming though with lots of carbonation to it. The aroma is faintly malted with sweet corn syrup scent. A little bit of dry aroma there as well. The taste is a little malted with a corn syrup taste that has little sweetness. You get a nice carbonation tingle on your tongue.  The mouth feel is little on this. That does make this brew clean up very nice in your mouth. Nice crisp smooth and clean, yet refreshing. The aftertaste is minimal with a little faint malt flavor. I would give this a C. Just Barely above a Corona, but could be better, but I did not hate this at all. Would I have this again? Yes I would and I would kind of recommend this to some people. Come on down to Mike’s Discount Beverage’s, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC 28209 for all your fine wine and beer. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Smithwick's Irish Ale

This here is Smithwick’s Irish Ale, 4.50% ABV. This is from the brewing company of Guinness in Ireland. Smithwick’s has been operation since 1710, in Kilkenny Ireland. This here is Irish red ale. Smithwick’s pours a nice amber red color with a half to one finger white bubbled head. There is plenty of little carbonation bubbles to this and a good amount of light coming though. Smithwick really looks like your average Irish ale. The aroma on this has a big malt character, lightly toasted with a little sweet caramel around the malts. There is a very faint bitterness there as well but nice. The taste is just as malted as the aroma with a hint of bittersweet caramel. A little roasted notes there on the end of the taste. The mouth feel is slight fuller, but not too much. This ale’s malt characteristics really stay nicely on your tongue. Smithwick’s cleans somewhat nicely, but nice nonetheless. Aftertaste is malty with a touch of a bitter sweetness. That does not stay to long, but just enough to really experience that good flavor left over.  I’m giving this a B. Nothing wrong with this, it just that it could be a step better. An above average Irish Ale, and a good one. But it did not blow me away but I was expecting that from a Guinness product. But would I recommend this? Well I kind of would. It would have to depend on the person and what they do drink. But this is good. So please come down to Mike’s Discount Beverages, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC 28209 for all your fine wine and beer! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Nøgne ø Holy Smoke

I read in Men’s Journal magazine that smoke beer is becoming more popular. This style of beer is otherwise known as rauchbeir, or smoked lager.  It’s basically a lager beer smoked. This style originated in Bamberg Germany. But this beer isn’t from that part of the world. This one gene ø Holy Smoke, 6.0% ABV, comes from Grimstas, Norway.  Most of gene’s beers come in a 1 pint .9 fluid ounce bottle. This beer was created after a local man won a Norwegian home brewers championship. So the brewery decided to brew his beer. Holy smoke, and most smoke beer use pilsner malts, smoked malts and German lager yeast. The do use hops in this, but the type depends on the brewery choice. Holy smoke pours a very dark brown color with a finger and a half tan, almost brown head. The head does stay for a little while until it fades into good lacing. No light or carbonation on this. This beer is pretty dark so I really couldn’t see any light or bubbles.  The aroma on Holy Smoke is nice and smoky like I’d expect it to be but lighter than some. I did get a little lager scent there as well. But mostly I got a smoky scent. The taste is lightly smoky with a hint of bitterness but nothing off putting. There is a very tiny lager taste there but I was really searching for that. The mouth feel is full, smoky, a little silky and smooth. This does finish nice and leaves a good smoky taste in your mouth. The aftertaste is smoky with a little bitterness on the back of your mouth. Holy smoke does stay with you a little with its smoke flavor. I was thinking that this was going to have a stronger smoke flavor notes on this. But it didn’t. So I am giving this a B-. I was thinking this was going to be like drinking good barbeque. It has a lighter smokiness and a little bitterness. It’s good, but the Germans are better like Schlenkerla. That is the best in my opinion. I wouldn’t turn Holy Smoke down, and yes I might have this again. It’s good, just not the best. Good effort from nøgne ø. So please try this and see what you think of this craft beer from Norway. Cheers! Please enjoy responsible!

Thomas Creek River Falls Red Ale

Oh how I do love a malty beer, and this one, Thomas Creek River Falls Red Ale, 6.2% abv, and fits that perfectly. This style red ale focuses on malts in the beer. River Falls pour a nice dark orange, amber almost red hued color with a two finger off white almost tan head. The head sticks around nicely, with a decent amount of pretty lacing. Light does come though the beer a little, and there is a small to medium amount of carbonation there. The aroma on this red ale is of a nice breaded sweeter malt, and a slight caramel, but a tiny amount. The aroma is not too strong nor is it to week; I found it to be a perfect balance. The taste is malty sweet with nice bread notes coming though with a touch of caramel. There is a little sweetness from the malts, more of a tiny caramel flavor on the back of your tongue. The mouth feel is big with sweet malts. River Falls really covers your tongue nicely and really spreads that nice sweet malt around and finishes smooth creamy and refreshing. The aftertaste is bready malty slightly sweet, but does not stay to long, but just long enough for it to get a great flavorful aftertaste, leaving your mouth feeling a bit velvety. So I'm giving this an A. A great malt forward red ale that is smooth and not overly sweet. This is a greatly brewed effort from the folks a Thomas Creek. I highly recommend this beer, so please remember to head over to Mike's Discount Beverages, 4700 Park RD Charlotte NC 28209 for this Thomas Creek River Falls Red Ale and all your fine wine and beer. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

BridgePort Dark Rain

In recent months I've really beginning to really like pale ales, but I've always loved darker beers and this is two things that I love in one beer. Here were have a Black Pale Ale from Oregon's oldest craft brewery BridgePort Brewing. They call this Dark Rain, 5.6% ABV. It take it's name from the type of weather common to the pacific northwestern US. This dark beer pour a thicker black color with a medium one finger khaki head that fades slowly and stays just above the suface, and provides very nice lacing. I found no light through this due to its dark appearance. I don't see any carbonation bubbles. Dark Rain has a hoppy malted aroma with hints of slight roasted coffee. I didn't find any sweet scents like I thought I was going to find. There is a very tiny bread aroma coming through. The taste of Black Rain starts out smooth then quickly becomes hoppy. I get a nice hop flavor. There is a roasted malt on the back of the tongue. The malt flavor is bold and semi sweet. The mouthfeel start out light and quickly become heavier, but none that is bad or overbearing in any way. This black ale finish nice with a malted semi sweetness and a tiny hint of hops. The aftertaste really coats your mouth and stick around with a nice malt flavor that isn't to strong. Well overall I am giving this an B. The hoppy start is okay, but not the best, but the malted finish really makes up for that and really helps the beer finish well and taste good. So remember to come and see me down at Mike's Discount Beverages 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC 28209 for this, Black Rain, and for all you fine wine and beer! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Tusker Premium Lager

This here is an interesting premium lager, not because of what is brewed into this but where it is from. This is Tusker Premium Lager 4.2% ABV, from Nairobi, Kenya. This Lager is named after the elephant that killed the brewer's founder, hence the elephant head on it's label. Tusker has a nice sessionable quality to it and has a good, lower abv. Tusker pours a bright golden yellow color with a half of a finger head that fades really quickly into somewhat of decent lacing, but not a lot. Lots of tiny carbonation bubbles on this and plenty of light stream though the glass. The aroma is a little barnyard like but not to overly powerful. There is nice faint bready scent there with a tiny bit of grain around it. The aroma reminds me of a nice sunny day. The taste is nice crisp with grains and a tiny amount of sweet honey to it. Mouth feel is mild, crisp and refreshing. This really cleans up very well after each sip. The finish is just as clean, sweet, crisp, and refreshing. Tusker's aftertaste is great with sweet honey and grains, but doesn't really stick around long, but is good none the less. I'm giving this a B-, better than most American lagers and some Latin lagers. But yes there as even better lagers out there. I wouldn't mind having this again, a solid lager beer. So please remember to head over and see me at Mike's Discount Beverages, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC  28209 for all you fine wine and beer. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Genesee Cream Ale

Here we have Genesee Cream ale, 5.10% ABV, which has been brewed since 1878. This beer is labeled as flavor of a fine ale and smoothness of a premium lager. This cream ale pours a golden color with a one and a half finger bright white head that fades quickly into nice decent lacing. There is tons of carbonation bubble streaming of the bottom and sticking to the side. Lots of light coming through the glass. The aroma on this Genesee Cream Ale, is slightly floral with semi sweet grains. But all are very light scented, but pleasant. I also found a the most faintest of malt scents in there too. The taste on this is somewhat of sweet malts and tiny bit of grassy hops. The mouth feel is light and cleans up nicely with each sip. The finish is a bit creamy and semi sweet with less hops than the start. This Genesse has a great clean and crisp aftertaste with a little creaminess. Overall, I'm giving this a C+. Better than I thought it would be, but still could've been better, you know creamier, a bit sweeter. But still a little above average to me. Getting a C+ all around, and I  would have this again, and I would kind of recommend this. So please remember to come down to Mike's Discount Beverages, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC 28209 for all you fine wine and beer! Cheers! Please Drink Responsibly!  

McSorley's Irish Pale Ale

McSorley's Irish Pale Ale is a Pabst Brewery product from New York and is 5.50% ABV, and has been around since 1854. This Irish pale ale pours a copper redish like color with a finger of white head that fades kind of slowly into a very nice thick lacing. Some light comes through the glass between little carbonation bubbles quickly streaming of the bottom. The aroma on McSorley's is not very strong, with a hoppy scent, but mild at best with a hint of pineapple and citrus. There is a little bread scent as well. The entire aroma is not so strong, leaning somewhat on the lower/weeker side. The taste is hoppy with a nice faint pineapple and bready taste. The mouthfeel is medium and coats your mouth nicely and fades somewhat slower, leaving behind a slight citrusy bitterness that is nice and pleasant. The finish is a little crisp, refreshing and the littlest bit creamy. The aftertaste of McSorley's is slightly bitter with a nice creamy faint pineapple. Nice aftertaste on this one, a nice solid pale ale. Overall I would give this an A-. There are better pale ale's on the market, but that doesn't mean this is bad or not good. Just a solid level pale ale. I would give or recommend this to anyone who has never really had a pale ale before. Could have a touch more hops to this, but is still good. Remember to come and see me down at Mike's Discount Beverage, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC 28209 for this, McSorley's Irish Pale Ale. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!    

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

Here we have Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout, 10.0% ABV. This stout is brewed once every year in limited bottles and had the month and year printed on the neck label. This particular Black Chocolate Stout was brewed on 11-12. The Brooklyn brewery uses six varieties of black, chocolate, and roasted malts to achieve the flavors in this beer. The Brooklyn Brewery only put this stout in four pack of twelve-ounce bottles and from what I hear, it sells very well. Black Chocolate Stout Pours a deep thick black color with a rich cocoa khaki head that fades into nice sticky lacing. No light that passes through this super dark beer with no a trace of carbonation. This pours like motor oil but not in a bad way. The aroma of Black Chocolate Stout is of bakers/Hershey chocolate, and a slight caramel coffee scent. Smells like dessert for sure. The taste of the stout is sweet chocolate with a few roasted malts and coffee, with a hint of bitter caramel. The mouthfeel is medium to heavy with all the flavors really coating your mouth and sticking there for a while. There is a little amount of alcohol burn in the finish, and the aftertaste has a slightly bitter roasted coffee note. Also in the aftertaste, you'll find a slightly less sweet coca flavor. This stout is a bit boozy tasting all around but none too bad, but that would be expected with this being at 10.0% abv. Overall I'd give this an A-. A really good chocolate stout, but a little too much alcohol in this but it's somewhat okay, and it's slightly thicker than I would've liked it to be. I would recommend this to any stout or chocolate beer lover. I solidly brewed beer, and remember to come and see me down at Mike's Discount Beverage, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC 28209 for this, Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout, and all your fine wine and great beer needs. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Great Lakes Brewing Doppelrock

Doppelbock lager has got to be one of my favorite beer styles, and this here is Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland Ohio, Doppelrock, Doppelbock coming in at 7.8% abv.  But Doppelrock is a only a seasonal beer, offered February though March in four packs. Doppelrock pours a deep rich black color with a khaki head that fades into nice tan lacing. There isn;t any carbonation bubble on this and ni light coming through due to it dark color. You know when I first poured this I could really get the aroma on this a little. The aroma of Doppelrock is chocolatey roasted malts with a tiny bit of caramel coming though. Nice dark fruit a little there too. Very nice aroma on this. The entire aroma really makes you want to drink this doppelbock. The taste on Doppelrock, is almost taste like it smells, there is a nice roasted chocolate malt up front with a little dark caramel fruit right behind that. This has a medium mouth feel and the taste really stays in your mouth. Very flavorful doppelbock here, quit nice too. The finish is nice sweet malty full and rich. The aftertaste is just like to the taste but a little less, just as good. All the flavors aren't as strong on the aftertaste but are just as delicious. So overall I'd give this an A, really a great doppelbock, but not like Ayinger  Celebrator doppelbock. Doppelrock is really really close to how good Celebrator is, a very very very close second. I really highly recommend that you get Great Lakes Doppelrock. So come to Mike's Discount Beverages, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC 29209 and see me for Doppelrock and all your fine wine and great beer needs! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Lobster Lovers Porter

Well here is another Rinkuskiai beer, this is Lobster Lovers Porter, a Baltic Porter, an English style porter brewed for the Baltic countries. The porters the ABV of this is a little funny because beer advocate has is listed at 8.2% abv and the bottle has it a 5.2% abv . A bit strange on that, but it seem more like a 6.2% abv to me. This porter pours a deep amber color with a huge pillowy off white to khaki  fluffy head, it looks like ice cream. This porter doen't look like a true porter, but it is. The head sticks around a fades slowly. Not very much light coming though with very little carbonation. The aroma of Lobster Lovers Porter has a big scent of sweet caramel and bit of malts arounds. it does have a little bready scent as well. It does remind me of a nice sweet desert bread. Very nice aroma on this one. The taste of this Porter is a big sweetness and nice caramel with a hint of the malts coming. The taste of this is kind of deserty and sweet, something to have after a meal or on it's on. The mouth feel is full and rich, and lingers there a while. The finish is nice sweet with a big malt hit with a though of alcohol following it. The after taste is sweet cream with a full rich malted bread taste. Over all I give this an A+. Really a surprisingly great beer. Very good aroma, scent, flavors, taste and such on this. I really enjoyed this, wow it is wonderful. I highly recommend this Lobster Lovers Porter. Please come to Mike's Discount Beverages, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC 28209 and see me and pick a up a few. I'd love to see you down there! Stop on in! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!       

Quilmes Cervaza

This, Quilmes Cerveza is Argentina's Favorite beer, at 4.9% ABV, and is one of the most widely sold beers in Argentina, and is easily found here in the US. This is a traditional lager. This lager pours a golden straw color with a thin fast fading white head. Lost of Carbonation on this, with tons of light coming through the mug, due to its light color. The aroma of Quilmes is bready and malty with a slight metallic scent too. It really as a nice traditional lager aroma. The taste on the Quilmes is of crisp breaded malt with a tiny metallic taste on the end, and the mouth feel is light and crisp. The beer cleans up nice on your tongue with little carbonation. The nice flavor doesn't linger at all it goes instantly and is refreshing. So yes it does finish nicely, and the aftertaste is slightly bready but less malted and still crisp, clean, and refreshing. Overall I would give this a B. Good but not overly great or anything. If you like Corona the you might like this. It is almost as good as Corona. A step down form a Corona, but not bad at all. I would have this again soon. I do recommend this to anyone who likes Mexican, Centra American, and/or South American beers. Solid good traditional lager here So come on down and see me, Evan, at Mikes Discount Beverage, 4700 Park Rd Charlotte, NC 28209, and pick up a few bottles of Lobster Lovers Beer! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!     

Lobster Lovers Beer

Everyday at work I see this bigger bottle of beer on the shelf with a half naked woman with a lobster. It looks very interesting. So took one home to try. This is a pale lager from Rinkuskaia Brewery in Lithuania. This brewery does brewery two others that I know of. This Lobster Lovers Beer at 5.0%, no it's not made with lobster, just a name they gave it. I think it's kind of a cool name, and has a cool interesting label, it's eye catching. Lobster Lover pours a deeper orange color with a nice bright head of white that fades kind of fast but to fast. There is a good amount of little carbonation bubble stream to the top, and not a lot of light coming through this but some. The aroma on the Lobster is faintly bread with a nice sweet orange scent with a bit of the orange peel there, but not a real strong orange. Nice aroma on this, very pleasing. The taste of this pale lager is sweet with a nice semi orange flavor followed by a faint bread flavor. This beer has a medium mouth feel, and the flavor does coat your mouth for a short while then fades quickly. Not a lot fo the bubbles on the tongue. This finishes nice crisp sweet and is highly refreshing. Lobsters aftertaste is just a nice and pleasing as it starts. There is a nice sweet semi citrus on the end. Very nice, very good! Overall I'm giving this an A. I loved this and was surprised how it tasted. I would really go back to this again and again. I highly recommend this beer to anyone. Great, great stuff. So come on down and see me, Evan, at Mikes Discount Beverage, 4700 Park Rd Charlotte, NC 28209, and pick up a few bottles of Lobster Lovers Beer! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Thomas Creek Class Five IPA

Another beer has come to me. This here is Thomas Creek's Class Five IPA, 5.5% ABV, from Greenville South Carolina. An IPA is an India Pale Ale, originally brewed in England with more hops than a normal pale ale in order to make the long journey to India. But now most IPA are enjoyed around the would, especially in the USA. But this is more of an American IPA This Thomas Creek IPA pours a copper almost red color witha big fluffy white rock head that does stick around a while. Not to much carbonation on this, but a little, with not a whole lot of light coming through. The aroma on the Class Five IPA is very hoppy with a tiny lemon scent that almost non existent. I did get a greenery scent too, semi-grassy green leaf. The amora had a bit of a sticky topical fruit scent to it as well. This really does smell like a true American IPA. Class Five has a big hop taste that starts out nice with fresh hops and the kicks you with a big hop bitterness, but nothing like a double, imperial, or triple IPA would. There is some bready taste in here as well. The bitter hop flavor has a medium mouth feel and does stay in your mouth for a little bit after each taste. There is bits of a grassy leafy taste too, nothing over baring. Nice though with hints of pineapple and a tiny mango. The aftertaste is a little more bitter, but doesn't stay long and cleans up well with a tiny creamy clean finish with a hit of fruitiness. Over all I would give this a B+. Nothing really wrong with this, it is that I found the hops in this to be more present than anything else but not over whelming or to powerful, and the other aromas and flavors were somewhat muted by it. I would love to have this again and again. I highly recommend this one and you can head over to Mike's Discount Beverages 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte NC, 28209 and see me and pick one up, and let me know that you read about This, Class Five IPA here on The Best Beer Blog. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!      

Estrella Damm

¡Hola! It's another beer from around the world this Lager beer comes to use via Barcelona Spain. Estrella Damm at 5.2% ABV has been brewed since 1879. This is the largest brewery in Spain. The back of the label it does say the this premium quality beer embodies the vibrance and tradition of the city it represents. That's a little deep for me. I don't see how a beer can taste like a city or would I like ti to. Estrella pours a sharp golden straw color with a medium to thin white had that went quickly, but did leave nice thin lacing. Lots of nice carbonation bubbles streaming off the bottom and racing up to the very thin head. Tons of light coming through the mug on this one, I can clearly see right though. There really isn't any sizable aroma on this lager. I did get a somewhat yeasty or dough scent that was a little different for a lager. Not a lot really going on the aroma with this Estrella. Not a bad thing though. The taste of this lager is a slight yet faint metallic taste with a little faint sweetness there. Not a lot of huge standout taste here. But the tastes that are there are solid, and good. This beers carbonation does not tingle on your tongue, but on the back of your mouth. Estrella finishes well witha tiny bit of sweetness and  cleans up nice in your mount with out sticking around. It is smooth easy drinking and crisply refreshing.  The aftertaste is mild, crisp, clean, smooth, and refreshing. This is a beer good for a sporting event, you can have a more than two or three. Over all I would give this a C-. Not the best European lager I've had but still good. Not any really distinctive flavor in this for me to rate this any higher. I do like this enough, but I would not hurry back to this when I need new beer, but I would drink a few of these. I would kind of recommend this. So you can pick up a six pack of this Spanish fellow at Mike's Discount Beverage, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209, and come check out our amazing selection of fine wine and great beer. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Wittekerke Belgian Wheat

This here is Wittekerke, authentic belgian wheat beer, 5.0% ABV. This and Bavik are produced, bottled and owned by the same company. Wittekerke is a style of beer most common to Belgium, which there are many different wheats or Wit beers. This Belgian wheat pours a very hazy light yellow whitish color with a big fluffy white head that sticks around with lots of thin lacing. Medium amounts of carbonation in the glass, but not a lot. No light really coming through the glass on this due to the belgian yeast that is used. Most of the Belgian wheats have sediment, or yeast in the bottom of the glass, because the last process of brewing or fermentation is done in the bottle. The aroma on Wittekerke is very lemony and yet smoewhat fizzy. I get a nice lemon candy scent almost like a lemon head or a nice lemon drop. There is a lemon peal scent there too, but is kind of faint. The lemon aroma has a slightly sweet nature about it that is pleasant on your nose. Now the taste on this wheat beer is a little different than some other Belgian wheats that I've have had. Wittekerke's taste has a a nice sweet lemon candy to it that is not overly lemony or strong. The lemon is weaker than I was expecting there to be. But I did find lemon to be nice and sweet enough. The sweet candy like lemon flavor really stay with you on your tongue with a nice tingle from the carbonation bubbles. The aftertaste is not lemonade like but more of a faint lemon candy with a effervescence wheat taste, but the sweet candy lemon still stays and coats your entire mouth. But Wittekerke finishes nice, crisp, and refreshing. This is not a heavy wheat beer, it doesn't stick to your stomach. Overall I would give this a B+. This is good but not the best, I really liked this, but the more I drank this the more it grew on me and became better. I would really have this again. But I think that the wheat on the lemon could've been a little stronger on it, but was good. Yeah there is slight room for improvement here, but not a lot. I would recommend this Belgian wheat, and can pick Wittekerke Belgian Wheat up at Mike's Discount Beverage, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!      

Casa (Casablanca) Beer

Well up until now I didn't know that there is beer brewed in Morocco. But I do now. Here is a Pale Lager, a lager brewed with pale malts, from Casablanca. Casa Beer is brewed and bottled by Brasseries de Marco, since 1919, and is 5.0% ABV. Casa pours a slightly dark golden straw but clear color with a big bright white bubbly head that dissipates rather quickly. Big amount of light coming though the glass. not a lot of lacing either. There is a large amount of tiny carbonation bubbles streaming off the bottom of the bottom of the glass, and some do stick to the sides. The aroma of Casa beer is sweet with biscuity gains and a slight breaded scent. But as I took in the aromas of the is beer I could almost hear the bubbles. Looks smells quit nice. Casa Beer's taste is bready with malty gains on the front of you mouth, filled with a tingle on your tongue from the carbonation bubbles. But I did get a floral hoppy taste on the end on the back of my tongue. They may be from the pale malts they use, but nothing over powering. The finish is clean and slightly crisp and somewhat refreshing. The finish on the Casa Beer is nice, sweet, slightly bubbly. There is a little non-sweet cookie taste on the finish but doesn't linger there. Overall I would give this a C+. It is better than most American Lagers and the tiny hop flavor kept in interesting enough for me to like it. I wouldn't rush back to try this, but I would have it again. I would recommend that you try this at least once. The fact that it is from Morocco is interesting enough. So head on down to Mike's Discount Beverage, 4700 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209 and pick one up, and please let me know what you think! Cheers Please enjoy responsibly!  

The Duck-Rabbit Porter

Well, the last two days have been looking like dark beer days, cold cloudy, and not so nice. But here is something to make those bad weather days better. The Duck-Rabbit Porter 5.70% ABV, from Farmville North Carolina, not far from the Outer Banks. The Duck-Rabbit brewery claims itself to be a dark beer specialist. The term Porter comes from old England in a time when the river cargo unloaders, delivery people, and doormen of various buildings enjoyed a dark heavier beer, so the name Porter from which they were called stuck. This Porter pours a dark black muddy color with a Khaki almost brown one finger head that dissipated quickly, and what was left formed around the sides, and had very faint lacing. No light was coming through at all and there is very very little to no carbonation on this. The Duck-Rabbit Porter has a strong roasted coffee aroma with a little tiny raisin scent. I didn't find any sweetness on the aroma or any real dark fruitiness there, just a roasted coffee scent seems to be the theme of the aroma. The taste of this porter is a fuller-bodied big roasted coffee taste with a little booziness that really coats your tongue and kind of stays a while. The coffee flavor is not bitter at all. The aftertaste is still coffee-like with a little alcoholic warming feeling going down, but not over or to intense. But after first the taste is somewhat okay, but after a few more it begins to grow on you and I found this porter to become a bit better. The taste is a bit on the stronger side so I would say this is a beer you sip and enjoy after dinner or on a dark cloudy or rainy day by the fire. It kind of made me feel a bit cozy and happy.  I would rate this a B-. Not the best coffee-like flavors on this but still good none the less. Got a little overly boozy towards the end of the glass. I don't think I could really drink more than seventy-five percent of a twelve-ounce bottle, much less a whole bottle. Good solid beer here, but I think it does have room for some improvement. I would have this again, and I do have one bottle left. This one did surprise me a little, I thought it was going to be at least a D to a D+. But no A good B-. So please go out and try this one and let me know how you like it. Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly!

Wells Banana Bread Beer

Welcome, I was in my local grocery store and I saw this on the shelf and was really wondering if I should try this and review it. I was standing there for a little while until my younger brother showed up and saw what I was looking at and said I should get it. So I bought it. This is Wells Banana Bread Beer, 5.2% ABV. This is brewed in Bedford England by Wells and Young. They've been brewing beer 1876. Some of the beers from them are either under the name Wells or the name Young. Wells Banana Bread Beer is found only in the 1 pint 0.9 US fluid ounce bottle and was around $4.00. Not to bad for a beer this size. This Banana beer pours a light copper, dark red color with a two finger white fluffy head that dissipates kind of quickly. There is a good about of tight bubbles throughout the head coming off the carbonation from the bottom of the glass. I could see light though this, but I wasn't seeing much else through the glass, not a cloudy beer, just a dark colored brew. The aroma on this Banana Bread Beer hits you as soon you pour this into a glass. Well of course you going to get fresh ripe bananas. That scent of banana is a bit strong, but otherwise pleasant. There is a malty breaded scent that had a nutty scent around it. After taking in the full on aroma of this I began to think of fresh banana bread. The aroma of this is very inviting. Putting this beer to your lips and taking a drink you immediately get fresh sweet bananas, followed by a sweet nutty malted bread flavor that seams to coat your tongue nicely without a lot of tingling carbonated bubbles. This nice beer has a medium mouthfeel. This Banana Bread beer definitely tastes like good fresh baked banana bread. The finish on the Wells Banana Bread beer is creamy, nutty, rich, and with of course ripe bananas, but does finish smooth, sweet, and creamy. But the overall flavor of this beer is a bit fuller then some, so I wouldn't say this is sessionable, but you could drink a pint of this. Anymore of it and the flavor would being to over powering, and you'd want to move on to something with a not so full flavor. Overall I would give this a solid A. Very well crafted beer. It's exactly like banana bread with out having to much of one flavor, or being way to sweet. Everyone (three) in my family loved it. You could have this with a big hearty pastrami sandwich with rye bread. I think it would pair nicely. My father and I think so. I'm going to try that sometime. I would definitely have this again. You should too! Cheers! Please enjoy responsibly.