2011 Day 30: Bavaria - Bavaria Brouwerij N.V.

Name: Bavaria

From: Bavaria Brouwerij, NV, Netherlands

Type: German Pilsner

Saturday was another late night. In fact, this weekend is the first time I can remember being out past midnight two nights in a row for quite some time. I drank this Bavaria Pilsner at about 12:30 AM on Sunday morning. It was my fourth beer of the night, so some of the subtleties might have been lost on me, but I paid close enough attention to give it a fair review. When I saw the green bottle (and Dutch origin) I was sure this was going to be a skunky Heineken-type Euro lager, but it's not. It has that "German" barley smell you get from a Pilsner, and while it's not as robust or full-flavored as a Bitburger or a Jever, it's still pretty good. Maybe a touch sweet, but certainly much better than I thought I was going to get for a $3.50 bottle. I still find it a bit odd that a brewery in Holland would call themselves "Bavaria", but there you are. Pretty good brew.

2011 Day 29: Brouwerij Bockor N.V. Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge

Name: Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge
From: Brouwerj Bockor N.V. - Belgium
Type: Flanders Red Ale

I also drank this "last night" at Quenchers, but since the beer was ordered and consumed entirely after midnight, I think it's acceptable and accurate for me to use it for today (Saturday 1/29). Feeling adventurous, I gave this one a try after my excellent Jolly Pumpkin Biere De Garde (see yesterday) knowing absolutely nothing about it, except that I've seen the word "cuvee" on some sour Belgian beers. It was a deep red color, and when I smelled it, I knew I was in for something weird. The aroma was one of cherries, wood, vinegar, and musty basement. No problems there. Then I drank it, and was blown away at the massive sour assault on my taste buds. This is one brutally mouth-puckering beverage. If you can get past that, there's also some sweet cherry/plum notes as well as some wood, but the overwhelming experience is your tongue being mangled by the sourness. This one is a sipper for sure, but I liked it okay, it was certainly interesting. Looking it up today, I see that it's not bottled (only available on draft) so it was nice to try something "rare" without knowing what it was. My first Flanders Red Ale, I wouldn't mind trying some others.

2011 Day 28: Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza

Name: Oro De Calabaza
From: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Type: Biere De Garde

Finally! A drink to get excited about! So many milquetoast reviews this month, but this beer won't be one of them. Last night I went to Quenchers saloon for a friends birthday and was excited to see a Jolly Pumpkin offering on tap, as I've heard great things about them. For me, it totally lived up to the hype. I loved this brew! The smell was great, lots of lemongrass and orange peel, but also tons of that barnyard funk (hay, wet leather) you get from the wild brettanomyces yeast strain, which some people loathe, but I happen to really like. The taste was complex too, funky, fruity, complicated, slightly tart, with some bitter earthy hops on the finish. The champagne-like carbonation gives it an amazing mouthfeel. A fantastic beer that I would absolutely get again, just awesome.

2011 Day 27: Captain Lawrence Captain's Reserve Imperial India Pale Ale

Name: Captain's Reserve Imperial India Pale Ale
From: Captain Lawrence Brewing, New York, USA
Type: Imperial IPA

This was the first of about 14 beers I got in a mailed package from a dude in New York in exchange for a 12 back of Bell's Hopslam, which isn't distributed up there. I drank this one first because I liked the bottle. It poured pretty light for a double IPA, but had a great smell to it, lots of pine, lots of melon. For me, the taste was only average - beers this big can be really hit and miss, there wasn't anything really off about it but I was struggling to find things I loved too. I had no trouble finishing my glass, but I think there are a lot of other options out there. On the other hand, Katie liked this one a lot, so there you go. A pretty good beer I'd try again.

2011 Day 26: Allagash Tripel

Name: Tripel
From: Allagash Brewing, Maine, USA
Type: Tripel

I had this one over dinner - a french dip sandwich to be specific. When it comes to Belgian beers, I usually opt for a lambic or gueuze, but I enjoy a tripel every now and again. This was pretty good - lots of typical Belgian smells and flavors, especially candied sugar and bananas. It was 9% ABV, and the booze wasn't very well hidden, so it was a slow sipper for sure. It improved as it warmed up, and had a nice sweetness to it without being cloying. Tasty, but drink with caution!

2011 Day 25: Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen

Name: Haywire Hefeweizen
From: Pyramid Breweries, Washington USA
Type: American Pale Wheat Ale

One nice thing about my job is that people there like their booze, and we have happy hours pretty frequently. We had one Tuesday, so I stuck with my January trend of ordering beers I wouldn't normally try. After my success with New Glarus' Crack'd Wheat, I thought another Hefe sounded like a good idea. It wasn't. This beer smelled with a lager with a little extra yeast, and the taste wasn't much better. Not gross, but certainly not very flavorful. I wasn't very surprised to find it's not even categorized as a Hefeweizen on beeradvocate.com. I had no problem putting down my 22oz draft, but I sure didn't order a second one. This one goes on the "avoid" list.

2011 Day 24: Stone San Diego County Session Ale

Name: San Diego County Session Ale
From: Stone Brewing (with Ballast Point and Kelsey McNair)
Type: American Pale Ale

I have several sub-goals aside from my main objective of trying 365 beers this year. Try at least 25 styles. Try beers from at least 20 countries. Don't go broke. Don't become a raging alcoholic.

On days I'm not really feeling it, I try to make sure I have something around that's low in alcohol. My girlfriend's sister left a Labatt's Blue here yesterday which I'll hang on to for a day I really don't want a beer. Today though, I was excited to try this Stone Session Ale. They collaborated with two other So. Cal. breweries to make this one, which is marketed as a highly-hopped, but low alcohol. I like the idea! IPAs are great, but it you're drinking those while your buddies are drinking Bud Light, you'll be hammered long before anyone else.

Pouring this into a glass, I was stoked. It looked great and smelled amazing. A big blast of citrus and pine hops made this one very similar to other west coast IPAs.

The taste couldn't live up to the smell, it was a pretty one-dimensional beer. The malt profile couldn't hang with the hop overload, so it was really unbalanced. What I mean specifically by that is some of the negative aspects of the hops (the oniony, catty flavor of one of the varieties....is that Simcoe?) really came through with nothing to smooth it out. Not bad, but maybe a little disappointing based on my expectations and the wonderful aroma. Don't avoid it, but don't seek it out either.

2011 Day 23: Goose Island India Pale Ale

Name: India Pale Ale
From: Goose Island, Illinois, USA
Type: English India Pale Ale

Today I watched the Chicago Bears get their asses handed to them by the Green Bay Packers. So it goes. I thought I'd represent with a local brew, so I kicked back a few Goose Island IPAs while the Bears' Super Bowl hopes were being tread into the sloppy turf of Solider Field. It's been a while since I've had their IPA, and the rumor is Goose Island is phasing it out so they can make more Belgians and Sours. That's a damn shame, because this is a fine beverage!

It's an English-style IPA, so the hops aren't overwhelming, but they're still certainly present, and the malts are biscuity and smooth without being grainy or overwhelming. There are certainly more flavorful IPAs, but as far as nicely balanced and sessionable beers go, this is a winner. In a market oversaturated with tongue-numbing hop bombs, this is a good find.

2011 Day 22: Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball Ale

Name: Hairy Eyeball Ale
From: Lagunitas Brewing, California USA
Type: American Strong Ale

For the one or two people who have been following my year in beer to this point, you may be wondering why I'm doing this. Looking back on my notes so far, there aren't too many gushingly positive reviews I've written, and I can see how it may seem I'm not really all that into beer. At this stage in the process, I'm trying to be careful about which beers I use. I find myself ordering beers I wouldn't normally get so I can use them for beer of the day and move on. Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball is one of those beers. I like this brewery, and I hope to drink many of their offerings in my quest this year, but this one was only okay for me. It packs a powerful punch at nearly 9% abv and is tasty enough, but not awesome. I promise if you stay tuned I will eventually rave about beers I love. I'm just trying to pace myself, 365 beers is no small feat.

2011 Day 21: Guiness Black Lager

Name: Black Lager
From: Guinness Ltd. - Ireland
Type: Schwarzbier

This review is NOT of the creamy Guinness Stout you see on draught around the world, this is a review of their relatively new Black Lager. If you've read my earlier entries you'll know I'm not a huge lager fan, but I do like black lagers, and it's not a very common style, so I appreciate having another one around. This beer is no Kostritzer (I'll review that later this year), but I thought it was pretty damn good. It's crisp, clean, and flavorful. It was FOUR DEGREES outside today, so knocking back a hearty beer in a warm room after work was a great way to unwind. This was better than expected, and I'm going to keep it in mind, as I can imagine it being available in places that don't have a lot of "fancy" beer.

2011 Day 20 - Bell's Java Stout

Name: Java Stout
From: Bell's Brewing - Michigan USA
Type: American Imperial Stout

Another "one-and-done" 12oz bottle from Bell's. I'm so thankful I have access to places that sell just one bottle, or I'd be going broke doing this project. This beer was enjoyed with some roasted chicken and sweet potatoes made by my girlfriend. The beer wasn't as good as the dinner, but it wasn't bad either. It smelled and tasted much like I imagined it would. Huge roasted malt character, along with a touch of chocolate and tons of coffee. I like coffee beers (Surly Coffee Bender is one of the best beers I've ever had) and this one was good, but not great. I think the base beer was good, but something about the coffee wasn't quite right. That component seemed a little stale or something. Not muted, not overpowering, but still a little odd. Still, I'd drink this one again if I was in the mood.

2011 Day 19: He'Brew Coney Island Lager

Name: Coney Island Lager
From: He'Brew - California, USA
Type: American Amber Lager

I went out for a drink with friends after work on Wednesday, and got a nice surprise when I opened up the menu. The restaurant was running a special on a number of beers they're trying to get rid of to clear up more room in their coolers. One of them was Coney Island Lager. Normally I'd almost always opt for an IPA or a Porter, but I simply couldn't resist the 22oz bottle for $4. What a deal! The label art of a horrifying clown was a bit off-putting, but I bravely polished off the bottle anyway. As far as flavor goes, this was a pretty decent brew. Maybe not as good as the Brooklyn Lager I had earlier this month, but certainly a well-made, smooth beer. It's always a treat to get something at a bar cheaper than you could at the store. I would certainly recommend this one to anyone who's a fan of lagers.

2011 Day 18 - Bell's Hell Hath No Fury Ale

Name: Hell Hath No Fury Ale
From: Bell's Brewing - Michigan USA
Type: Strong Belgian Dark Ale

I haven't updated the blog in a while, but rest assured I've been sticking to my beer a day plan. Tuesday I had this strong dark ale from Bell's. I like Bell's a lot, but I'm glad I only purchased one 12oz bottle of this stuff. It has strong roasty malt flavors, and there's also notes of banana, clove, plum, and other fruits, but it just didn't wow me. It's certainly not gross, but I expected more. For you foodies out there, I paired this with some soft tacos from Taco Bell, which were of course, delicious. Taco Bell gets a bad rap just because everything on the menu tastes exactly the same. It's scrumptious! And oh so cheap. I could actually go for some right now...

2011 Day 17: Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

Name: East India Pale Ale
From: Brooklyn Brewing, New York, USA
Type: English IPA

Ah yes, the last of the Brooklyn variety pack. I was going to write a fair critique of this one, but I had a long day at work and have a lot of other stuff to do tonight so instead I will say:

Fuck this beer. It sucks and I never want to drink it again.

I don't expect an English style IPA to taste like an American style IPA. I full expect it to be more muted and malt-forward. That said, this tasted like my goddamn homebrew and that is not a compliment. I don't know if it's the yeast they use at this brewery, but the beers are all way too similar. This one was sour and tangy and unpleasant, but also boring. Sort of like a Papa John's pizza. It sucks, and you don't really enjoy it, but if it's in front of you you'll probably guide it toward your mouth. Ugh. There's just too much good beer out there to every justify getting this again.

Brooklyn Variety Pack summary:

Pennant Ale '55 - B+
Brooklyn Lager - B
Brooklyn Brown Ale - C-
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale - C-

2011 Day 16: Red Racer IPA

Name: Red Racer IPA
From: Central City Brewing, British Columbia, Canada
Type: American IPA

I have a lot of nice things to say about this beer. First and foremost, it's delicious. It has a really strong pine smell, which I don't always love in IPAs, but it's complex and interesting and tastes great. Also, there's a sexy lady wearing garters on a bicycle pictured on the can. She's way hotter than the girl on the St. Pauli girl bottle. Moreover, this might be one of the only full-flavored hop forward beers I've ever had from Canada. Lastly, I had a great time watching the Bears beat the Seahawks while knocking a couple of these back at a friend's house, so it wins some style points too. A winner!

2011 Day 15: Brooklyn Lager

Name: Brooklyn Lager
From: Brooklyn Brewing, New York, USA
Type: American Amber Lager

Some days I just don't have much to say about the beer of the day, and this is one of those days. Brooklyn Lager is very solid lager, maybe a touch too sweet for my tastes, but good. It's just hard for me to really excited about this style. This is the type of beer I could give my friends who usually drink PBR or Bud; I think they'd like it.

I said I'd drink a new beer every day this year. I didn't say I'd have anything interesting to say about all of them.

2011 Day 14: Brooklyn Brown Ale

Name: Brown Ale
From: Brooklyn Brewing, New York USA
Type: American Brown Ale

Brown ales were some of the first beers I started drinking when I realized there were other brews out there besides Bud. I'm sad to say that with a few notable exceptions (to be reviewed later this year), I don't enjoy them nearly as much as I used to. Sadly, Brooklyn Brown isn't one of those exceptions. After the extremely accurate description on the bottle of Brooklyn '55 Pennant Ale (reviewed a few days ago), I was disappointed I couldn't really smell or taste the chocolate and coffee notes described for this one. It didn't smell bad, there just wasn't much interesting about it. The beer was nicely balanced, but there was something a little funky about the yeast they used that made this a miss for me. Unlike a lot of beers, as it got warmer and the smells and tastes filled out a bit, I actually enjoyed it less, as that weird sour yeast taste took over. This isn't a bad beer by any means but I wouldn't seek it out again, there are better examples of the style.

2011 Day 13 New Glarus Crack'd Wheat

Name: Crack'd Wheat
From: New Glarus Brewing, Wisconsin, WI
Type: Hefeweizen

Yesterday was a strange day for beer. I had everything planned out. My girlfriend and I were going to go to the Chicago Brauhaus, eat some delicious German food, enjoy a German lager, and then come home. This is exactly what happened (I had chopped venison steak and a Steigl) but instead of coming straight home, we stopped at a local bar for a nightcap. This bar always has a pretty good beer list, but I was very surprised to see five New Glarus beers available in bottles.

For those of you who don't know, New Glarus is a small Wisconsin brewery that makes some really excellent beers, but doesn't distribute to Chicago. Like most industries, the distribution channels in Chicago are famously corrupt and shady. New Glarus decided that even though there's a huge demand here for their products, the pay-for-play politics aren't worth it, and they aren't going to deal with the crap. Long story short, you can't get it here.

But lo and behold, one of my local taverns decided to drive to Wisconsin, grab a few cases of NG products, and sell them illegally at their bar. I'm okay with this. The Crack'd Wheat I drank was delicious. A huge aroma of bananas, bubblegum, and cloves. Taste was similar, but also had a pretty aggressive shot of hops in the finish. It was extremely full-flavored without being sweet or sticky and all and all, was a very refreshing beer. Hefeweizens aren't my favorites, but this was really good and I'd buy this again if it was available in my area. I'm hoping to get back to try a few more NG beers before my local gets caught!

2011 Day 12 - Hudy 14-k

Name: Hudy 14-k
From:
Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewing Ohio, USA Type: American Pale Lager

One nice thing about my 365 day challenge is that I have a lot of interesting places near where I live to drink unique beers. One is Cinner's, a bar a few blocks away where I play darts and occasionally enjoy some Cincinnati chili. Less frequently I drink the Cincinnati beers that are also available. One of those is Hudy 14-K, a beer a feel safe saying I have never seen at any other bar. It's $3.00 a can, and really not all that bad! It's a little sweet, and maybe has that smell of cooked veggies you sometimes get from cheap beer, but all and all it's a pretty solid offering and I'd choose it any day over a Miller, Coors, or Bud Light. I'd like to try it side-by-side with PBR, Old Style, Stag, and other crappy beers.

It also had bios of famous Cincinnati Reds players like Chris Sabo, who was one of my favorite players growing up. I have to say I like when cans and bottles have a lot of text to look over. I'll be ordering this one again.

2011 Day 11 - Brooklyn Pennant Ale '55

Name: Pennant Ale '55
From: Brooklyn Brewing - New York, USA
Type: English Pale Ale

This is the first beer from a mixed 12-pack I picked up after work today. I've had a couple of Brooklyn beers before that didn't blow me away, so my expectations were low. So, I'm pleasantly surprised and happy to report this is fine beer. One interesting thing about it is that it tastes exactly the way it's described on the bottle. This is actually pretty rare. You'll read about a beer and it will tell you you're about to taste subtle hints of clover and thyme and melon rind and then take a drink and think "this just tastes like a beer". Not so with the '55. The Maris Otter malt gives it that classic English ale taste, and the yeast gives the smell and aroma a fruity aspect. There's almost something sour in the aftertaste but it works. This would be a great summertime beer, as it's not overwhelming at all, but still packs significant flavor. I'll definitely be picking up a six-pack or two of this come baseball season.

2011 Day 10: Greene King's Abbot Ale

Name: Abbot Ale
From: Greene King, Suffolk, England
Type: English Pale Ale

Back home in Chicago, and after a long day of finding jobs for actuaries, I was ready for a beer. Abbot Ale comes in 16oz cans, and I have to say, I really like it. It's got a full rich flavor, with caramel malt notes and grassy hops. It's got the typical flavor profile for an English "real ale" which is fine by me The ABV is low enough that you can have several of them, and it's one of those beers that maintains a good head and leaves rings of lacing down the glass, so you can see every drink you've taken. I think it was $9.99 for a 4 pack of cans, which isn't exactly cheap, but it's not too pricey either. A perfect beer to enjoy with a soccer game, especially if it happens to be on around noon. I'd really love to try this one on cask, I bet it's phenomenal.

2011 Day Nine: Molson's Export

Name: Export
From: Molson, Ontario, Canada
Type: American Pale Ale (I guess...)

Unsurprisingly, Sunday morning I was feeling a little rough. I spent a few hours walking around Downtown London Ontario and ate a huge meal of Indian buffet, and then was ready to have my daily beer before I had to get to the airport. You don't have to walk far to find a pub in that city, so I popped into one that was showing the early NFL playoff game and looked over my options. I thought a visit to Canada should include at least one beer that everyone else seemed to be ordering. So, I got a Molson's Export, which I was surprised to find out was an ale, not a lager.

Like most of the other Canadian macros, it was over-carbonated, astringent, boozy, grainy, but ultimately not too offensive. It beats a Coors Light, that's for sure, but Molson's Export is a pretty unremarkable beverage.

2011 Day Eight - Alexander Keith's Dark Ale

Name: Dark Ale
From: Alexander Keith's, Nova Scotia, Canada
Type: Dark English Mild Ale

My second day in Ontario was a little more interesting. I won't bore you with the details, but just allow me to say at one point in the night I was doing the Batusi with a couple of locals on a ventilation grate behind a factory before going on a late-night poutine run.

I drank more beers that night than I'd like to admit, but the best was Alexander Keith's Dark Ale. It's not quite a stout, it's closer to a dark English mild. It reminded me of draft Guinness, only without the chalky, roasty, stout taste. The pints went down way too quickly. but at 4% ABV, I was able to hang with the Canadians, who if nothing else, are seasoned drinkers.

I was surprised I liked this one so much, Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale was easily the WORST beer I had up there...it tasted more like a hefewiezen than an IPA. But the dark ale was a winner, and I wish we had it down here, as I'd definitely order it when I was craving something full-flavored but low in booze content.

2011 Day 7: Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion

Name: Hoptical Illusion
From: Flying Monkeys, Ontario, Canada
Type: American Pale Ale

I traveled to Ontario last weekend for work, so my next three beers will be local offerings I had while there. After a three-hour career fair Friday night, I was ready for a beer. I went to a place called "The Ale House" that had a decent selection of Canadian bottles and drafts, even beyond the typical Molson's / Labatt's selections you get.

The pub itself was okay at first glance. The waitresses (and waiters) all wore short skirts and you were given a bowl of peanuts in the shell to eat while you waited for you meal, and were invited to throw the shells on the floor. I'm a sucker for getting to throw things on the floor.

The beer itself was unremarkable. It tasted like a pretty typical pale ale. In my opinion, there wasn't enough of a hop profile to justify the name, but that might just be my perspective as an American who has blown his palate on over-hopped IPAs.

One thing I should note is that it was tough to give this beer my full attention, as the glass it was served in absolutely reeked of sanitizer. I'm glad they're dedicated to cleanliness, but if you're going to hype your restaurant as an ale house, you should serve beer in glasses that are ready for it.

2011 Day Six: Bridgeport IPA

Name: India Pale Ale
From: Bridgeport, Oregon, USA
Type: American IPA

My good friend Jason recently took a new job at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. He was nice enough to comp me a ticket to a show tonight (As You Like It). The show was fantastic, and I got a nice surprise at intermission. As the house lights came on, my friend said "there's a pub downstairs, let's grab a beer". Not only did they have a pub, there were some good selections, such as this Bridgeport IPA. You get your beer in a plastic cup with a lid and then (this is the best part) get to take it back to your seat.

The beer itself is a fairly typical West Coast hop-forward IPA, lots of strong grassy and fruity hops in both aroma and taste. While it didn't blow me away, I have to say I enjoyed as much as any beer I've had all year. It was such a great feeling to watch the show and enjoy a brew at the same time. Life is good sometimes. I'd drink this beer again for sure - hopefully at another play.

2011 Day Five: Miller High Life

Name: High Life
From: Miller, Wisconsin, USA
Type: American Adjunct Lager

On Wednesday nights I play darts at a local bar, and since I'm going on vacation soon I'm trying to save a little money. So yesterday's beer of the day was Miller High Life. I'm not a huge fan of American Lagers, but High Life is actually a pretty decent beer. It's got some body to it and I don't get that super-watery flavor I get when I drink Bud or Miller light. Well worth the $2.50. I still played terribly.

2011 Day 4: Dogfish Head Indian Brown

Name: Indian Brown Ale
From: Dogfish Head, Delaware, USA
Type: American Brown Ale


Today's beer was an Indian Brown Ale from Dogfish Head, which I drank with some fish tacos for dinner. This is marketed as a highly hopped brown ale. The one I drank today wasn't all that hoppy, in a blind taste test I would have guessed it was a porter, or even a stout, as the roasted flavors were really strong. I've had it before and noticed the hop presence much more than I did today. DFH stamps their bottles with dates, so I could see it was only three months old. I suppose that's long enough for some of the hop flavor and aroma to fade. Still, it was rich and flavorful and went down really easy. A tasty beer!

2011 Day Three: Escape Artist Pale Ale

Name: Escape Artist Pale Ale
From: Asheville Brewing Company, North Carolina, USA
Type: American Pale Ale
Today I enjoyed an Escape Artist Pale Ale made by Asheville Brewing in Asheville North Carolina, where my brother Brad lives. He was nice enough to bring me a couple when he visited over Christmas.

This is a solid, sessionable beer. Not too malty, not too hoppy, just smooth and flavorful. It has a strong caramel taste I enjoyed, and I had no problem polishing off the 22oz bomber, and didn't feel drunk after I did. Brad left the price tag on ($4 for a 22oz bottle), and it was nice to see it was a good deal. I probably won't be able to have this one again until Brad brings me replacements or I go visit him, but this is a pretty good beer.

2011 Day 2: Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale

Name: Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale
From: Br. Van Steenberge, Belgium
Type: Flanders Oud Bruin

I've been drinking more "weird" beers lately, and that includes sour beers. I'll review more of them, but first up is Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale brewed by Br. Van Steenberge. I've really enjoyed some of the sour beers I've tried, but this one doesn't really do it for me. A lot of these beers have a vinegar smell, but this one is really pronounced - apple cider vinegar to be specific. The sourness is mild, and there's a really thick, malty sweetness to the beer that reminds me of brown sugar. There's also something in the taste that reminds me of cinnamon. It was very reasonably priced, but I think I'd rather spend a couple of extra bucks for a better beer.

Verdict One: Not bad, not great
Verdict Two: Would probably go well with some fish n chips

2011 Day 1: Hop Rod Rye

Name: Hop Rod Rye
From: Bear Mountain, CA USA
Type: American IPA


Hop Rod Rye from Bear Mountain is a fantastic brew. It's a massive hop bomb with extra bitterness from the rye grains. It's 8% alcohol. It's only $5 for a bomber. This is one of the best quality to price ratios I've found. Excellent beer, dumb name.