AW's Beer Reviews

[AWMiller]

Foster’s Lager
Foster’s Group Limited | Southbank, Australia
Not purchased; received as a gift.

Style: Adjunct Lager

ABV - 5%

Like most adjuncts, this brew poured up the standard clear golden colored body with a frothy white head that dissipates quickly and leaves little to no lacing. Aromas of grains and candy corn (?!). Flavors are bitter and bland in this near-medium-bodied brew with a hoppy bitter finish and aftertaste. Definitely a ‘quaffer’ and one best suited for the BBQ or fish fry.

Pairing Recommendations: beef, buffalo, poultry, fish, pheasant, quail, grouse, pork, salmon, shellfish

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

[AWMiller]

Redhook Mud Slinger Spring Ale
Redhook Ale Brewery | Woodinville, Washington USA
Not purchased; received as a gift.

Style: English-style Brown Ale

ABV - 5.8%

IBU - 30

Try this one… you’re gonna like it!! This brew poured up a clear, dark colored body (like cherry Dr. Pepper) with a creamy off-white colored head with good retention and marginal lacing. Aromas of sweet malts, caramel, toffee, dark fruits (prunes). Flavors are of the same but very robust and very well balanced with hints of rum or bourbon off and on. Medium-bodied, well carbonated, with a nice hit of hops for a slightly bitter finish and a lingering aftertaste of dark toffee candy. Definitely an easy drinker!!

Pairing Recommendations: beef, buffalo, dove, ducks, geese, partridge, pork, rabbit, squirrel, venison

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

[AWMiller]

Widmer Brothers Rotator Series X-114 IPA
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company | Portland, Oregon USA
Not purchased; received as a gift.

Style: American IPA

ABV - 6.2%

IBU - 50

One of the most flavorful IPAs I’ve yet to sample! The beer pours a clear, golden colored body with a thin white foamy head that had light retention but left good lacing. Aromas of citrus fruits, starfruits, hops. Flavors of the same with a large dose of the fruits coming through and a subtle bite of hops throughout. Medium-bodied, lively carbonation, and a finish that is dry and bitter yet very refreshing. A malt-head like me could really get into an IPA of this caliber! Definitely a great IPA for the BBQ or fish fry!!

Pairing Recommendations: beef, buffalo, poultry, ducks, geese, fish, partridge, pheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit, salmon, shellfish, squirrel, venison

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

[AWMiller]

Pilsner Urquell
Plzensky Prazdroj, a. s. | Plzen, Czech Republic
Not purchased; received as a gift.

Style: Czech Pilsner

ABV - 4.4%

IBU - 36

A word to the wise … be leery of clear or green colored bottles!! Reason being is that they let a lot of sunlight in and if not properly stored that sunlight will skunk up a beer fast! And I think that is exactly what happened to this one! In order for me to better review this brew, I’m going to have to go to Czechoslovakia myself and try it there as fresh as I can get it! This brew poured up a crystal clear light golden colored body with a thin foamy head that quickly dissipated and left negligible lacing. Immediately upon opening I could have sworn I could reach in and pull out that skunk by the tail! (This is why I feel that this brew was improperly cared for during shipping/storage/display.) Once the skunky-ness went away, the hops and slight sweet malts began to come forth. I was hesitant to taste it based on my initial smell of the brew but one must be brave and forage onward! Flavors of grasses (almost like lemon-grass) and hops hit you from the beginning and then finish up with a subtle twist of sweet malts to balance things out. Light-bodied with a dry, bitter finish and aftertaste. Definitely a quaffer on this round. If I can find this on tap or in the can I would definitely give it another try.

Pairing Recommendations: greasy, beefy, cheesy nachos!!

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

[AWMiller]

Foster’s Premium Ale
Foster’s Group Limited | Southbank, Australia
Not purchased; received as a gift.

Style: Adjunct Ale – Extra Special/Strong Bitter (ESB)

ABV - 5.5%

This brew poured up a dark amber colored body with an enormous foamy off-white colored head with fair retention and marginal lacing. Go easy on the pour cause this brew foams up fast! Aromas are somewhat musty and smell of wet grains; none to pleasant. Flavors … egads this was a bland brew but there are some grapefruit and caramel but none to my liking though. Medium-bodied and somewhat carbonated. The finish is dry and hoppy and a poor aftertaste to say the least. To be honest I did not get through the entire brew as the flavor was just not my cup of beer.

Pairing Recommendations: swash it down at the BBQ or fish fry

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

[AWMiller]

Witches Brew
Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V. | Ertvelde, Belgium
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Belgian Tripel

ABV - 9.3%

Tripels … gotta love them tripels and this one is right up there with some of the best! This brew poured up a golden colored body with an enormous frothy head with long-lasting retention and phenomenal lacing. Aromas rich with fruits (apples, pears, bananas) and one can definitely smell the alcohol in this brew! Flavors are amazing (honey, apples, hops and sweet malts) and only get better as the brew warms up! Medium-bodied and very well carbonated with a sweet, smooth finish that is warming and full of sweet fruity aftertastes. Pairs well with some spicy Cajun meals or all by itself as a sweet dessert beer.

Pairing Recommendations: beef, poultry, pork

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

[AWMiller]

Pacifico Clara
Grupo Modelo S.A. de C.V. | Mexico City, Mexico
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Adjunct Lager

ABV - 4.5%

This brew poured up a clear, golden colored body with a very thin white fizzy head that quickly dissipated and left no lacing. Aromas of hops and a hint of malts. Flavors are standard fair; bitter hops and a touch of malt to balance out but definitely nothing spectacular about the taste. Light-bodied, lightly carbonated easy to quaff, with a dry finish and slight bitter aftertaste. A good brew to slam along with some hot-n-spicy wings.

Pairing Recommendations: a fairly good throw-down for the BBQ or fish fry

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

[AWMiller]

Saint Arnold Elissa IPA
Saint Arnold Brewing Company | Houston, Texas USA
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: American IPA

ABV - 6.6%

IBU - 60

Quite a tasty Texas IPA! This brew poured up a clear amber colored body with a thick, frothy white head with good retention and thick lacing. Aromas full of citrusy hops, sweet malts, and caramel. Flavors are well-intermingled and each vying for their own dominance; grassy hops, citrus fruit zests, and caramels. Medium-bodied, well-carbonated, very smooth and easy to drink with a finish that is very clean and very dry with no harsh aftertastes.

Pairing Recommendations: beef, buffalo, poultry, duck, geese, fish, partridge, pheasant, quail, grouse, rabbit, salmon, shellfish, squirrel, venison

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

[AWMiller]

Kona Longboard Island Lager
Kona Brewing Company | Kona, Hawaii USA
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: American Pale Lager

ABV - 4.6%

IBU - 18

Here’s a great lager to throw down at your BBQ or fish fry! This brew poured up a cloudy golden amber colored body with a thin, foamy head this dissipated quickly and left faint lacing. Aromas full of pears, citrus fruits, sweet malts, and bread dough. Flavors of the same in this near-medium bodied brew that is very smooth and easy to drink. The finish is clean and very refreshing with no harsh aftertastes; only sweet malts lingering about.

Pairing Recommendations: beef, buffalo, poultry, fish, pheasant, quail, grouse, pork, salmon, shellfish

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

[AWMiller]

Stella Artois
Stella Artois | Leuven, Belgium
Purchased @ Lone Star Beverages - Carrollton, Texas USA

Style: Euro Pale Lager

ABV - 5%

This brew poured up a clear, light-golden colored body with a white frothy head that dissipates very quickly and left no lacing. Standard norm on the scents and flavors as that of adjunct lagers: grains, hops, malts. Light-bodied, easy to drink, highly carbonated with a clean, dry, hoppy finish. A good brew to have with some zesty fish-n-chips!

Pairing Recommendations: beef, buffalo, poultry, fish, pheasant, quail, grouse, pork, salmon, shellfish

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the ‘bier vorgeschmack’ and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.