AW's Beer Reviews

[AWMiller]

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale (2010)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Chico, California USA
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: American Brown Ale

ABV - 5.5%

IBU - 37

My personal notes: Definitely a quality brown ale to have in stock!! Served 'fridge-cold', this brew poured up a rich dark brown colored body with an off-white creamy, foamy head with great retention and lacing effects. Aromas and flavors of caramel, spices, nutmeg, roasted nuts, warm butter, toffee, and hearty roasted malts. Medium-bodied with a nice spicy bite and aftertaste. One of the best browns I have sampled thus far! Easy on the drinkability scale. Excellent when paired with grilled or smoked meat or wild game (duck, dove, rabbit, squirrel, venison).

[AWMiller]

Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock (2011)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Chico, California USA
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Maibock / Helles Bock

ABV - 6.4%

My personal notes: Served 'fridge-cold', this brew poured up a rich, dark golden colored body sporting a frothy pearl-white colored head with marginal retention but good lacing effects. Aromas and flavors of peppery spices, bready yeasts, lemon-grass, and a slight hint of hops and malts on the end. It has a light to medium body and easily drinkable. An excellent brew when paired with fish/shellfish dinners or pastas with a light white creamy sauce to it.

[AWMiller]

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Chico, California USA
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Hefeweizen

ABV - 4.8%

My personal notes: Another addition to the AW Beer Hall of Fame!!! Served 'fridge-cold', this brew poured up a hazy, cloudy golden amber colored body with a hearty pearl white colored foamy head with amazing retention and lacing effects. Aromas and flavors of wheat grains, lemon-grass, hops, apricots (maybe a tease of tangerine?) and something akin to wild honeycomb. Light to Medium in body, this brew is absolutely like velvet or silk on the tongue! Very creamy with a crisp, clean finish with just the right amount of 'bite' from the hops to make for an easy-to-drink hefe! Foods to pair with this brew would be grilled or smoked poultry, fish/shellfish, and wild game such as pheasant, quail, dove, etc.

[AWMiller]

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY
Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery | Lyons, Colorado USA
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV - 9.4%

My personal notes: Another grand addition to the AW Beer Hall of Fame!! This brew poured up a thick, rich, ooey-gooey (like motor oil!), black colored body sporting a one-finger thick mocha-colored head with minimal retention but amazing lacing effects! Rich aromas and flavors of coffee, dark fruits (raisins, plums), bitter chocolate. The body is thick and very creamy; chewy, just the way I like it! Drinkability is very easy but take your time with it and enjoy! This is an excellent brew all by itself. But if I were to pair it up with a meal it would have to be grilled or smoked choice cuts of beef or perhaps a choice wild game dinner compose of wild boar.

[AWMiller]

Harpoon IPA
Harpoon Brewery | Boston, Massachusetts USA
Purchased @ Oliver's Fine Foods - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: American IPA

ABV - 5.9%

My personal notes: Well I just might have found an IPA that I can enjoy! Served 'fridge-cold', this brew poured up a clear, copper-colored body with a sporty, frothy head with good retention and lacing effects. Aromas of hops and fruit (somewhat like grapefruit) and a light hint of malt on the backend. Flavors of melted caramel from the malts are well-blended with the hops and slight grapefruit taste. Medium-bodied and very easy to drink with a good bite in the aftertaste; but nothing overbearing. Pair this up with some wild game such as duck, pheasant, rabbit, salmon, shellfish, and venison for a great dinner & drink!

[AWMiller]

Tecate
Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V. | Monterrey (Nuevo León), Mexico
Consumed @ Casa de Baldwin - Texas USA

Style: Mexican Adjunct Lager

ABV - 4.55%

My personal notes: This brew poured up a pale yellow-colored body with a one-finger frothy head with minimal retention and lacing. General aromas of mild hops and malts. Flavors of the same. Light body and well carbonated makes this an easy quaffer. Brews like this are good for pizza, meatball sandwiches, and hot wings.

[AWMiller]

Tommyknocker Jack Whacker Wheat Ale
Tommyknocker Brewery | Idaho Springs, Colorado USA
Purchased @ Lone Star Beverages - Carrollton, Texas USA

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale

ABV - 5.4%

My personal notes: Another addition to the AW BHoF! This brew poured up a hazy orange-yellow colored body with a white frothy head that dissipated rather quickly and left minimal lacing. Aromas of lemon, malts, lemon-grass. Flavors of the same but also a hint of peach or apricot hiding in the background. The body is no heavy at all and very easy to drink with a nice, crisp, clean finish and no bitter aftertaste. This is an awesome brew for the BBQ! Will pair well with pheasant or quail, fish (such as trout, crappie, catfish, sand trout, sea trout, flounder, etc.) and grilled spicy shrimp!

[AWMiller]

Victory Golden Monkey
Victory Brewing Company | Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Ale | Tripel

ABV - 9.5%

My personal notes: Another addition to the AW BHoF!!! This brew poured up a hazy golden-colored body with a one-finger white foamy head with moderate retention and exceptional lacing. Aromas and flavors of hops, spices, pears. Heavy body making for a thick brew and a spicy bite on the finish. A grilled rack of pork (very spicy) would be my first pairing with this delicious ale!

[AWMiller]

Almaza Pilsner
Brasserie Almaza S.A.L. | Beirut, Lebanon
Purchased @ Lone Star Beverages - Carrollton, Texas USA

Style: Adjunct German-style Pilsener

ABV - 4%

My personal notes: Not a bad brew coming out of Lebanon. This brew poured up a pale golden-colored body with a one-finger fizzy head with minimal retention and lacing effects. There's quite a bit of carbonation going on! Aromas and flavors of grass and apples and something akin to fresh-husked corn. Very light bodied and surprisingly smooth with a dry finish with a nice subtle bite and aftertaste. This would make for a good beer at the BBQ or fish fry.

[AWMiller]

Rahr & Sons Summertime Wheat
Rahr & Sons Brewing Company | Fort Worth, Texas USA
Purchased @ Lone Star Beverages - Carrollton, Texas USA

Style: Hefeweizen

ABV - 5.5%

IBU - 19

My personal notes: Need a great brew for the BBQ or fish fry? This is the one!! This brew poured up a hazy, dark golden-colored body with a sporty two-fingered head with good retention and lacing effects. Aromas of lemon-grass, oranges, bananas. Flavors of the same and very well balanced. The body is medium-light and very easy to drink with no strong aftertaste; just a nice, clean finish. Pair this up with some smoked chicken or spicy grilled fish or shrimp!!