#85 Anderson Valley - Oatmeal Stout

Another Anderson Valley beer. Today on the Craft Beer Radio podcast they mentioned Anderson Valley as being a good brewery and a starting point for Craft beer fans.

The smell is full of dark malt and coffee aromas, maybe even some raisin aroma. The color is black though and through, can't see any light pass through the glass. There is only a bit of head.

The taste is rich, with dark malt and bits of hop. There is a coffee taste that stays with the finish of the beer. There is also some malt sweetness to the stout. The hops are only present to complement the malt, giving the beer a nice balance. The mouthfeel is medium, and the beer is crisp. Finishing with a strong coffee taste and some mouth drying.

This is a good example of a coffee stout. I am not the hugest stout fan, but this is a fine beer. I know there are plenty of lovers of stout and I think this beer would be perfect for them.

#84 Anderson Valley - Amber Ale

Another beer from Anderson Valley, I really liked there IPA from a few days ago. This is from California a mecca for craft beer.

There is a strong hop smell to this beer with just a hint of roasted malt. The color is very dark for a beer called an Amber Ale, this is much darker than Amber, more brown like a porter. There is a thick lasting head of foam, making the beer very nice looking.

The hint of roast malt from the smell is still a hint in the taste. The beer has some malt sweetness, with the roast and a bit of hop bitterness. A well balanced beer with a number different tastes coming through cleanly. The finish is a touch dry, and the mouthfeel is a little thin, but this is a tasty beer.

For a amber beer that isn't an amber color this is a good beer. I would recommend this beer to someone that doesn't normally drink craft beer, and especially to any Guinness fans.

#83 Heavy Seas - Loose Cannon Hop Ale

This beer is called a hop ale and not an IPA. I guess the brewery can call there beer anything they want.

The beer smells hoppy, with a punch of hops, but the smell isn't too strong. From the smell I can start to see why the beer is called a hop ale and not an IPA, just not enough hops. The color is light orange with just a bit of haze. This is a strange color for a beer. There is bit of head at the top of the beer, but not the thick sticky IPA head.

This beer tastes like hops, maybe a little sweet, but mainly hops. There is a lot of bitterness not just in the finish, bitterness in the whole drink. The hops taste a little harsh and green, maybe a little like onion. The beer has a nice smooth mouthfeel.

I heard a recent beer review talk about the sweet and hoppy beer and I didn't know what they were talking about. After the last few days of hoppy beers I am starting to understand what they were talking about. This beer is nothing but hops and sweet, no real complexity. This beer doesn't taste bad, it just doesn't taste great.

#82 Dogfish Head - 120 minute IPA

I have heard a lot about this beer and I am really excited to try this beer. The name 120 minute means that this beer was brewed for 120 minutes as opposed to 60 minutes like most beers. Dogfish Head also makes a 90 minute IPA.

The smell is hoppy, but not in the same way as the Hop Ottin'. I am getting other flavors for the smell than just hops, I am getting some citrus fruit, and then some harsh astringent alcohol aroma, and even a little onion smell. The color is a golden red similar to most IPAs, and there is a thick head of foam on the top. Plenty of bubbles are coming up for the bottom to join the head.

With the first sip the taste buds are over loaded with different tastes too many to distinguish. The beer is sweet like a fortified wine like sherry, the sweetness is left on the lips after the beer is gone. Then the hops add a spice to the beer, not the normal hops flavor but a spice along with the sweetness. There is also a strong alcohol taste in this beer, that goes well with the sweetness. The finish leaves a fruity taste in my mouth. The mouthfeel is thick with some bubbles tingling on my tongue.

This is a very unique beer, with tons of taste. This isn't like any IPA I've ever had. The taste and smell of these hops unlike any other hops. I really like this beer it's different, but still tastes like an IPA, maybe a little too sweet, but still tasty. The label says this beer will age well, and I think some time might change the taste of this beer a lot.

#81 Anderson Valley - Hop Ottin' IPA

This beer has won many awards which is no small feat for an IPA which is one of the most popular beer styles. The brewery's web site says "Hop Ottin'" means hard working hops, a good thing for an IPA

This smells like an IPA, a hoppy west coast IPA. This beer smells like so much hops it puts a smile on my face. There is a little grass aroma to the hop smell. The color is golden clear with a think sticky head of foam. There are plenty of bubbles continuing up from the bottom of the glass.

I guess it's been a little while since I've had a hoppy IPA, but this beer is full of hops. I am getting lots of green, grass taste in the hops and no citrus or fruit. I can't taste any malt, just hops. My mouth waters from having just a sip, and my mouth is left with a after taste of hops that is a little unpleasing. The aftertaste is almost ashy, but maybe my taste buds are killed from the initial sip. The mouthfeel is medium which isn't surprising from the amount of hops in this beer.

If someone is looking for a hoppy beer this is a winner. Hop Heads do not apply this beer is over the top hoppy, but that isn't a always a bad thing. The after taste is a bit annoying and I will have to get a glass of water to wash it down when I am done. And I wouldn't recommend eating with a beer this hoppy.

#80 Ommegang

This beer smells like a Belgian beer, with some notes of coffee, and sweet toffee. The color is a rich golden red, it looks clear but the color is so dark it still can't be seen through. Like a good Belgium beer the foam is good and thick, looks like a penny could be floated upon the foam.

This beer has a sour biscuitty, cereal taste. The sour taste is very clear which is not uncommon for a Belgian beer. The biscuit / cereal taste is a little odd, I am guessing a variety of grains are used for this beer. The beer finishes with some sourness, and the strange grain flavor. The mouthfeel is full, and smooth like a good Belgian. The beer also has some alcohol warmth and flavor.

I am not really happy with this Belgian beer. It is a tasty beer, but there are many better Belgian beers available. I would much rather have a Chimay over this.

#79 Melbourn Bros - Cherry

This is a spontaneously fermented beer, which means this beer does not have yeast added to it, instead the beer is fermented with an open top allowing wild yeasts to work on the beer. This is an old way of making beer from before people knew much about how yeast works. This style is often called a lambic, but I don't see this noted on the bottle.

This beer smells like cherry pie filling, there is a slight high alcohol smell too, but mainly cherries. The color is a clear red that looks like cherry juice. For being a beer with such a strong cherry notes there is a nice ring of foam on the top of the glass.

The taste is also full of cherries, tart cherries. The tartness in the beer drys my mouth like the bitterness of a hoppy IPA. This beer is spontaneously fermented, which tends to be more sour than traditional fermented beers, and this matches well with the sour cherries. I can't taste any hops or malt in the beer, but the bottle claims they are there. Sometimes when a beer has cherries in it the result is a beer that tastes like cough syrup, and that taste is not coming through on this beer

The bottle's tag line is "Beer with Cherry Juice added" and that is what the beer tastes like. This doesn't taste much like a normal beer, with all the cherry flavor, and the spontaneous fermentation. But sometimes a beer that doesn't taste normal is a good change. I wouldn't expect to drink very many of these, but it sure is tasty.

#78 Cumberland Brewpub - Nitro Porter

After Thanksgiving I went to a local brewpub in Louisville's highland's neighborhood called Cumberland Brewpub. Cumberland brewpub only has to fermenters / barrels to make beer, and a nice setup to see the equipment in action. I am reviewing the Nitro Porter but I also tried a very tasty Yerba Mate Pale Ale or YMPA as they called it.

The Nitro Porter has a good dark malt coffee smell with a light hop flora aroma. The color is pitch black with a thick head of foam. At a glance this beer might be mistaken for a Guinness, and since it's served with Nitro I think it might be intended as a clone.

The porter has a smooth dark malt taste, with only a hint of hops. The finish is bitter more likly from the dark malt than the hops. There is also a very pronounced coffee taste to the beer's finish. Overall the mouthfeel is too thin for such a dark beer.

I enjoyed this beer and am eager to return to the brewpub to review more beers they offer.

#77 Kentucky Ale - Ale

For Thanksgiving weekend I went to Louisville Kentucky to stay with my family. Knowing about the blog my mom had this Kentucky Ale waiting for me at Thanksgiving dinner. I have had the Kentucky Ale Bourbon Barrel beer, I think this is the base beer that is added to the bourbon barrels.

The smell is rich and malty, reminding me of a big beer. There is even a hint of sweet apple in the aroma. The color is a light brown and clear, lighter than the Bourbon Barrel but a similar color. A light head of foam with bubbles coming up from the bottom give this beer a nice look.

The taste is sweet and grainy and a little harsh. This reminds me or a watered down barleywine. I can't taste any hops, only the grain and malt flavors.

I said the Bourbon Barrel was using a too thin Ale to be added to Bourbon barrels, but if this is the base beer then I am mistaken. They are just using a crazy ale. I would not recommend any of Kentucky Ale's beers unless you want to try and beer with too much Bourbon.

#76 Sam Adams - Cream Stout

Another Sam Adams beer. Not sure if I'll get a chance to write about the beers this Holiday weekend, but I will be drinking one each day.

This beer has a dark malt coffee smell, with a hint of something roast. The color is pitch black, I think I could hold a light on the other side and still not see through this beer. There is a little bit of foam at the top of the glass but not much.

The taste is rich and dark, with lots of dark malt. The coffee taste is only present as an aftertaste, with a pinch of bitterness. A good amount of hops is used in this beer with some floral flavors mixed with the dark malts. There is a light refreshing taste to this beer which is nice from a beer that can be rather heavy with all the dark malt. This is a nice smooth beer like the name "Cream Stout" suggests.

I like this beer with a refreshing taste on a dark beer. This is a lot more than a normal stout, and I like a beer that takes a style and makes it better.

#75 Boulevard - Pale Ale

This beer is from Boulevard Brewery is Kansas City Missouri, and is available throughout the midwest. Boulevard with only 74 full time employees is on par with Schlafly Brewery which I frequently drink and review. One thing a little different about Boulevard is that they use twist off bottles as opposed to bottle caps requiring an opener like most craft breweries.

This beer has a great hoppy smell, I would swear this is an Indian Pale Ale and not just a Pale Ale. The foam is thick and white, almost over flowing the glass as I fill it. The color is a hazy gold, which is also common with IPAs.

The taste of this beer carries the hops for the smell, but not in the level of an IPA. I can taste so light citrus fruit flavors, but it's really light. There is some sweetness to this beer, that seems to smooth / weaken the taste of the hops. The finish on this Pale Ale is bitter, with hops but it is a weak finish. This tastes like a watered down IPA.

Over all this is a fine drinking beer, but nothing great. I think this is a good introduction beer for someone to learn about craft beer, and beer with more taste. It's more than a Sam Adams, but less than a strong IPA. I would order this at a bar, and recommend it to a friend.

#74 Red Stripe

Red Stripe is a Jamaican beer and brewery, they also brew a Red Stripe light, but I've never seen it for sale. Red Stripe's popularity is US grew from tourists to Jamaica getting to know the beer on vacation and Jamaican ex-patriots. Guinness Brewing Worldwide has a 51% ownership of Red Stripe Brewery.

This Lager beer starts off with the standard lager smell. I am not getting the chalky smell I get from other lagers, but instead a kind of yeasty malt smell. This beer is a very light straw color that is so light it is almost transparent, in a tinted glass this might be mistaken for water. There is plenty of carbonation in this beer, with plenty of bubbles coming up from the bottom.

A very slight malt sweetness with some refreshing sourness, almost lemon taste. This beer has a crisp taste that leaves a dry finish. There is an ever so slight hops taste that is balanced with the slight malt taste. Not too complex, but enjoyable. The carbonation lends to a fuller mouthfeel.

This is a nice drinking beer. There are beers with more taste on the market, but for such a widely distributed beer this is just fine. Easy to drink and more taste than the standard light beer. Hooray, beer!

#73 Anheuser-Busch - 2007 Brew Master Private Reserve 2007

In the trend from this weekend and Special Releases from St. Louis Breweries tonight I have a special release from Anheuser-Busch. I've seen this for sale before at the store and been curious about it. I think it is release every year and is available throughout the country. It's always fun to see what special beer such a big brewery can create.

In the smell of this beer I am again getting a light chalky smell that I have gotten from other Lagers. I might be interpreting this smell incorrectly. I can also smell so malt sweetness, but no noticeable hops. The color is a rich brown that is crystal clear. There is a good thick head of foam on the beer that even makes it hard to pour.

This beer has a strange taste. I can get some high proof alcohol taste, and some sweetness. There is also some conflicting hops flavor that is not well balanced with the malt. There is a slight bitterness and a grainy taste at the finish of the beer. The bottle says this beer is brewed with four different malts, that could be causing the odd taste, I think I have noticed this taste in home brews brewed with a number of different malts. The mouthfeel is medium with a bit of carbonation.

This is a big changes from Bud Light, but change is not always good. This beer has a very strange taste, I wonder if it would get better with a little age. I am interest in getting another and letting it sit, but this is an eleven dollar Magnum (1.5 liters) of beer that I am going to have to force down, I don't think I'll be rushing to buy anymore. I am excited to get the nice bottle to use for my home brew if that counts for anything.

#72 Schlafly - 2007 Barleywine

Just after midnight and I am drinking the second half of my Schlafly Barlywine vertical. This beer was bottled a few months ago, and just recently went for sale. The bottling was reviewed on STLHops another St. Louis beer blog.

This beer has a floral smell with only a slight amount of sweet aroma. This beer has a light brown color and is very clear. This 2007 has a lighter color that the 2006, and the 2006 is clearly cloudy compared to the 2007. This 2007 still has a good head of foam.

This beer has a strong malt taste and sweetness. There is also a harsh astringent taste to this beer, with an alcohol warmth. This beer has a bitter taste that is harsh when tied to the alcohol warmth. There is an almost medicine taste to this beer. The mouthfeel is thick, but it almost leaves a skim on the top of my mouth in the thick taste.

When comparing the two beers I really liked the 2006 a lot more than the 2007. The 2006 taste might need a little evening out of the taste, but the 2007 has a harsh taste that needs a lot of smoothing out. I plan buy some more of both beers and see how they taste in 2008.

#71 Schlafly - 2006 Barleywine

Tonight just before midnight I am drinking a 2006 Schlafly Barleywine then after midnight I will drink a 2007 Barleywine. This drinking of two different years back to back for comparison is called a vertical. Barleywine's are high proof beers that are intended for sipping from smaller glasses.

There is plenty of dark malt aroma and sweetness in this beer. The aroma reminds me of Belgium beers, I think it is the high alcohol and high quantity of malt needed to get the high alcohol. This beer has a brown color that is clear enough to see though but only slightly. There is a nice head of foam on this beer that has a good staying power.

There are a lot of flavors in this beer. There are some fruity flavors a little like apples. This beer doesn't have any harsh alcohol taste for a 10% beer. The taste isn't completely smooth it starts with the fruit but gets washed away with the foam and then finishes a touch dry with a hint of bitterness. The mouthfeel is feel nice a full with the lots of carbonation.

I really like this beer, I like heavy beers like this that are sipped and not just drank for the sake of drinking. I think a more smooth taste would be nice. I am excited to drink the 2007 and compare the two side by side.

#70 Sam Adams - Pale Ale

I found this Sam Adam's beer in the fridge. I've bought 2 multi-packs of Sam Adams so I am not sure where this beer came from. It might be a few months old, which could be taking away from the taste.

This beer has a nice hop aroma with some citrus. There is also some sweetness in the smell, it reminds me of a German beer. The color is a pale straw color. And the head is small but there are plenty of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass.

The taste is dry, with lots of hops. I think these are German hops because it keeps reminding me of German beers. I am getting some chalky dryness from this beer, I think it is related to the water source. This beer finished very dry with a little after tastes. The mouthfeel has a little feel from all the carbonation.

I do not like this beer. It reminds me of all the German beers I don't like. Dry and with a hops that I don't like the taste of. Chalky start and a harsh finish. Not an enjoyable beer.

#69 Anheuser Busch - Bud Select

Tonight I went to Lemmon's Bar for trivia night. They have a better than average selection of beer but I ended up with a bucket of Bud Select to drink.

Bud Select had a little hops in the smell, but it was in a bottle so I couldn't get a good sniff. I know the color is a straw color, but a bit darker than normal. Lots of carbonation in this beer, but I can't judge the head since it was still in the bottle.

I recently complained that Bud Light doesn't have much taste, but that is not the case with Bud Select. Bud Select has a bitter, sour, maybe little skunky taste. I could only taste the slightest hint of sweetness in the beer, mainly the bitterness came though. The beer finished dry with little remaining taste which is odd for such a bitter taste. There is also a lot of carbonation in this beer which is really nice.

For a cheap 99 calorie beer this is an ok beer. I won't call it good, but it is better than Bud Light. I am holding off on the commercial beers for nights like this when it's more convenient to drink a commercial large company beer than the smaller craft beers.

#68 Anchor - Liberty Ale

This is the last Anchor beer I currently have. I will be searching for more.

This beer has a strong smell of hops, very floral, reminds me of summer time. I am getting a little chalky, dust smell from this Ale. The color is a reddish straw with a light haze. The foam is very thick and bubbles are still coming up from the bottom. This thick head seems to be a standard thing with Anchor beers.

This beer has a bitter almost sour flavor. I am only getting a little bit sweetness from this beer, but the bitterness and sour taste is strong, it reminds me of lemon aid, but just a little. This ale has a great mouthfeel, lots of foam making it nice and full. The bubbles in this beer arn't harsh like in some highly carbonated, beer they are small bubble a lot like the Anchor Steam.

This is a fine beer. The taste is a little odd, but still good. I enjoyed the other Anchor's more but they all seem to have a similar taste. The large quantity of bubbles makes me think Anchor is using a unique yeast or unique carbonation method. All the beers have had fruity hop notes. I've enjoyed these Anchor beers.

#67 Anchor - Porter

No more New Belgium beers tonight, but a beer from a good craft brewery. Anchor steam was surprisingly mentioned on last nights Simpson's episode. I think Anchor deserves the plug for being such a founder craft beer.

This Porter has a nice sweet smell, like toffee, or chocolate. There is also a slight smell of mint in this beer. A solid black color, unable to see anything through with a thick brown head of foam, that doesn't quit.

This beer has a really good taste. There is plenty of dark malt sweetness, with the chocolate flavors. The mint smells I noticed are carried over to the taste, I don't think it is really a mint flavor, but I like the flavor I think the unknown flavor is caused the hops. I really wish I could describe the flavor better, but I can say it is very tasty. The mouth feel is a little thin for such a dark beer, but thats ok, it's nice to have thinner beers.

This is a good beer, I really wish I could pin-point the taste to describe it better, but I don't know what to say. I am normally not crazy about porters but this is a great one. Good job Anchor for making good beers other than the Anchor steam.

#66 New Belgium - Abbey

This is my last New Belgium beer from the 6 pack I bough last week. I had the break the streak for over the weekend because I had a lot going on and wanted to have plenty of time to drink this beer and enjoy it. I am very impressed with New Belgium and plan to continue drinking their beers, and seeking out more styles to enjoy.

This beer has an authentic Trappist beer smell. Some sweetness and a little coffee aroma from the dark malts and some nutmeg spice aromas. This beer is a dark brown, but clear enough to see through when held to the light. The foam is nice and thick but no carbonation after the beer is poured. Over all the beer looks just like the picture on the bottle.

The taste is well balanced. There is some almost toffee like sweetness, and a hint of sourness. There is some Belgium characteristic spicy flavors. There is some coffee flavor that matches the smell, but its very light, and just a slight bitterness. The mouthfeel is nice and thick making making it a beer that your don't want to drink too many of.

This is another great beer from New Belgium, they do a good job meeting the Belgium style of beer. I think will have to buy more of this beer, much like the Trippel is a cheaper version of the Belgium beers that are so good.

#65 Samuel Adams - Holiday Porter

This is a beer from a multi-pack of Samuel Adams I bought for a party. I was hoping to blog about a few of the beers in the pack, but too many were drank so I have only this beer left. I might have to but a second pack of beer there were some good beers in the pack, but I didn't take the time to take notes about them, or drink them in front of the the computer so I can onlt write about what I have available.

Lots of dark malt aromas, there is the smell of sweet dark malt and a smell of some caramel. The beer is pitch black without any light passing through. There is a little head but not much.

I have to question the holiday side of this Holiday Porter. The only hints of Holiday is some spicy flavor but nothing clear, I can't make out any cinnamon, clove, nutmeg or ginger. I can clearly make out some porter sweetness, and a nice balanced hop bitterness. There is some spice but I can't define what it is, it could be from an odd hop adding a spice flavor.

This isn't a bad beer, its just not a good definite holiday spice beer. It's a fine porter, and it has a bit of spice making it a little different from a normal porter. I just wish I could make out some known spice, but maybe I just am having trouble tasting after there long night.

#64 Tsing Tao

I drank this beer at Growlers a bar that carries over 100 different beers, many on tap. I choose this beer because it was from China and I don't see many beers from China. Like any time I drink a beer not in front of my computer I take notes to blog later. Unfortunately I lost my notes and with have to go off a slight memory of this beer. To make things worst I've been so busy I havn't gotten to write this post until two days later. I did drink a different beer that day as planned I am just writing a poor blog entry on it

It's a Lager beer with a standard lager smell, a sweet smell with little other character. It's a straw color with very little head, but some bubbles coming up from the bottom. This beer comes in a green bottle which can cause the beer to get skunked sometimes on purpose.

The taste was a pretty standard lager. Not too much taste just some sweetness. This beer had an odd chalky taste that I think might be from the water in China but I don't know much about the water there. There was a little skunk is the flavor, but not much.

I didn't like this beer, it reminds me of many other mediocre lagers I've drank is the past. It's beer thats for sure, but thats all I can say.

#63 New Belgium - Trippel

I've had a few Belgium beers so far in my year of beer. Belgium beers became famous in monasteries where the monks made beer to support themselves, serve to their guests, and over all keep themselves busy since monks are allowed very little free time.

This beer has a very distinct Belgium aroma, notes of banana, nuts, and a little sourness. This beer has a good thick head of foam that reduces to covering of foam that stays through the beer. The color is gold and clear.

This beer has a taste taste that follows closely to the aroma. There is a great banana taste with a rustic nut taste. There is also some sourness but it is very light and blends well with the taste. This beer leaves a great banana fruit taste in my mouth that makes me excited to have another sip. The mouthfeel is nice a full with lots of bubbles.

This is a wonderful beer. New Belgium should be proud they lived up to their name and made a Belgium style beer in America. This beer might be a little better behaved with less harsh tastes than a true Belgium but that isn't a bad thing. I will be buying more of this beer because it is cheaper than true Belgium's and just as good.

#62 New Belgium - 1554

This is a Enlightened Black Ale according to the bottle. According to the web site this is supposed to be what beer tasted like in 1554. I am skeptical that beer was this good in 1554, I would think there would be more off flavors from poor sterilization techniques. but I can't be sure.

This beer has a strong coffee aroma, with a hint of hops. I think this beer smells a lot like the Sam Adams Black Lager, which isn't surprising since the are both black beers. The color is black for sure, with almost no head. Only a few bubbles are at the top of the glass, but no head to really speak of.

The coffee aroma is present in the taste, but there are other flavors. There is a sweet dark malt taste, and some caramel to go with the coffee. This beer has a hint of hops to go with the heavy malt tastes. There is a nice foamy feel to the beer that normally is accompanied with a large head of foam. Other than the carbonation the mouthfeel is a little thin for such a dark beer. Only a little bitterness in the finish of the beer makes it easy to drink and enjoy.

I really like this beer. As the weather gets colder this is the kind of beer I am looking to drink. The mouthfeel could use to be heavier but the taste is still enjoyable. I really like this beer and will happily buy some more

#61 New Belgium - Skinny Dip

Another new Belgium tonight. This one is a light beer which is different since most craft breweries don't make light beers. Making a good tasting light beer can be tricky since the basic idea of brewing is adding sugar to yeast to make alcohol and sugar = calories. Also a light beer has a stigma of watery bad tasting beer.

I smell some yeast in the this beer. I also smell some citrus aromas from this Skinny Dip. This beer has a medium straw color, with lots of big bubbles. The foam on this beer is not subsiding and the bubbles coming from the bottom of the glass are larger than normal.

I taste some hops in this beer, a clear hop flavor that is like smelling a bowl of hops, maybe a raw hop flavor would be a good description. I think this beer has a nice clean taste that leaves only a slight bitterness in the mouth. I can taste the slightest hint of citrus when drinking this beer, it blends well with the hop flavor. By no means a full bodied beer this one has a light beer mouthfeel, something close to water.

In that past I never paid any attention to this beer. But I think the hops in this beer and the clean taste make this one worth sampling. I think this is a great summer time drink, light and refreshing with low alcohol at 4.2%.

#60 New Belgium - Fat Tire

This is the first New Belgium beer I have ever seen for sale. It is carried at many bars in the St. Louis area and has been for years. This is New Belgium's signature beer and the only beer that many people know of when it comes to New Belgium.

Strong hop aroma from this Ale. Little grassy, and a little soapy is how I describe the smell. There color is a reddish brown that is clear enough to read through. There is a good thick head of foam and a supply of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass.

I can taste caramel malts and bitter hops. There is a strange taste in this beer that I don't know how to describe, it's maybe a little earthy or dirt tasting from the combination of the malt and hops. The bottle describes the taste as biscuit like, I have never been sure of that flavor maybe this is what I am tasting. The finish is very bitter, leaving a dry taste in my mouth.

I have not liked this beer before I knew much about how beer should taste and I still don't like this beer now that I know more about beer. I don't know what the taste is but I am not a fan. I am not inclined to think poorly of New Belgium yet, I have 4 more beers to try.

#59 New Belgium - Blue Paddle

I recently picked up 6 different New Belgium beers from World Market in their loose beer section. I've always heard good things about New Belgium brewery and I am looking forward to my beers for the next 6 days.

This beer has a sweet lager smell with hints of lemons. Also in traditional lager fasion the beer is clear enough to read through with a yellow straw color. A nice head of foam is there ins the start of the beer, but it subsides after a few seconds.

This beer has a bitter flavor that is almost sour. I can taste a bit of sweetness, but mainly bitterness. This beer leaves my mouth dry for all the bitterness. The mouthfeel is pretty thin. My mouth is left with a dry unpleasant taste.

I'm not really crazy about this beer. I think the bitterness is too much, I would like something else in the flavor. For a lager is this is one of the more creative I've ever tasted.

#58 Anheuser-Busch - Bud Light

I went to a Charity Pub Crawl called the Bar Bounce for Angle Arms a charity that works with foster children and getting them homes. The Bar Bounce was in the Soulard neighborhood, which has a bar on every corner. The Bar Bounce provided free pitchers of Bud Light at each bar, I planned to drink a more unique beer for the blog after I got home, but I was too full of beer to drink anymore so Bud Light it is.

But light has very little smell some sweetness and light hops, well balance but not too strong. The color is a yellow straw color that is commonly associated with beer. The foam is well behaved, never over flowing and only present in the original pour with little head retention. There are till bubbles coming up from he bottom of the glass remind you the beer isn't flat.

The taste leaves a lot to be desired. There is plenty of sweetness and think that is caused by the use of some rice in the beer. There is a little hint of hops, just enough to keep it tasting like beer and not just a carbonated drink. The carbonation keeps the beer crisp and light making a good choice of beer to drink plenty of. There is a mouthfeel of water, nothing thick just something wet.

Living in St. Louis I drink plenty of bud light. If I have a choice I choose most beers before Bud Light, but if I am going to be drinking lots of beer it is a fine beer to have on hand. It's cheap, doesn't taste bad, and is supporting a local company.

Thanks to Flickr user sweetpea515 for the picture.

#57 Sierra Nevada - Stout

It's starting to get cold in St. Louis so I am thinking I need to move to more dark beers, and winter warmers. Todays is another stout from Sierra Nevada an always enjoyable brewery.

Starting off this beer has a strong caramel smell coming from the dark malts used to make this beer. I can't smell any hops which is acceptable for this style beer. The stout is a very dark brown that can only barely be seen through when held to light. A great head of foam is poured from the bottle that makes this been look good.

The taste starts sweet but is quickly overcome by a strong bitterness. There is some chocolate flavor left on the palate to complement the bitterness. This beer has a great smooth mouthfeel that adds to the chocolate taste making me think that some Halloween chocolate would go well with this beer.

Stouts are normally enjoyable. Dark color, smooth mouthfeel, and strong tastes. This is a good example of a stout, maybe a little on the bitter and short on the malt sweetness. But without a doubt this is a good beer.

#56 Rouge - Dea Guy Ale

Dead guy ale for all Saints Day.

This beer has a great hop smell that makes my mouth water. There is also a dark malt aroma from this beer, but the hop aroma is far stronger. This beer has a thick head of foam that requires careful pouring to not overflow. This beer has a red gold color that is hazy.

This beer has mainly hop flavors. With hop fruitiness, almost orange flavor, and plenty of hop bitterness. There is no sign of malt sweetness in this beer. There mouthfeel of this beer is very smooth and creamy, with some bubbly tingling on my tongue. The bitterness leaves a dry taste in the mouth.

The mouthfeel of this beer is wonderful and very different. I really like all the hop flavor. This is a great beer, good flavor and a good mouthfeel. This isn't the beer that you would want to drink a ton over but a few would be very enjoyable.