AW's Beer Reviews

[AWMiller]

Brew: Hofbrau Munchen Hofbrau Dunkel

Brewed by: Staatliches Hofbrauhaus (Hofbrau Munchen); Germany

Style: Munich Dunkel Lager

Glassware: Best served in a pilsner glass.

Personal Notes: This is a very fine dunkel! Pours a rich, dark brown body with a hearty frothy head that stays with the brew a long time. Hints of roasted malt and caramel are both smelt and tasted; followed up with a light, crisp hit of bitter hops that's just right! An excellent pairing with meats and wild game!

[Fishaholic]

I'm fairly fond of real Canadian beers, and some of the Dutch imports that are available.

[AWMiller]

Brew: Samuel Adams Cream Stout

Brewed by: Boston Brewing Co; Boston, Massachusetts USA

Style: stout/porter - sweet stout

Glassware: Best served in a pint glass or mug.

Personal Notes: Pours up a rich black body with a nice frothy head that leaves good lacing on the glass while you drink. Warms scents of robust coffee, toffee, caramel and roasted malts. Rich tastes of the roasted malts and coffee/caramel. The body is velvety smooth with light carbonation. Tastes best when it's not so cold. A very nice cream stout indeed! Would serve as a great dessert brew!

[AWMiller]

Brew: Kona Wailua Wheat Ale

Brewed by: Kona Brewing Co.; Kona, Hawaii USA

Style: wheat ale - american wheat

Glassware: Best served in a pint glass, mug, or in a weizen glass.

Personal Notes: This was my first Hawaiian brew and overall it was 'ok'. The brew pours up a very clear, almost peach-like body but not a thick head like I was anticipating (and it dissipates very quickly!). Scents and flavors of sweet malts and various citrus fruits and a light tinge of hops make for a fairly balanced brew. The passion fruit was very dominant which for me made it almost 'too fruity' to enjoy; but others may be looking for something along those lines. It would be a good session brew on a hot summers day.

[AWMiller]

Brew: Murphy's Red Ale

Brewed by: Murphy Brewery; Cork, Ireland

Style: ale - scottish ale

Glassware: Best served in a pint or mug.

Personal Notes: A very nice session brew! This brew pours up a rich red body with a sporty thick foamy head. Scents and flavors of sweet malts and caramel tantalize the senses. The flavors are very rich and complemented with a very clean finish and no harsh lingering aftertaste; lightly carbonated and very, very smooth.

[AWMiller]

Brew: Schneider Aventinus

Brewed by: Private Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH; Kelheim, Germany

Style: lager - weizen bock

Glassware: Best served in a flute or weizen glass.

Personal Notes: OOOOOH MY!! Yet another excellent brew to be added to my own personal 'hall of fame'!!!! This brew pours up a rich dark mahogany body and sports an enormously thick, foamy head. Scents and flavors of chocolate, clove, caramel and so many others you'll delight in each savoring trying to determine what wonderful scent or flavor you are being enticed by!! The body is heavy yet smooth and very creamy and oh so refreshing. Although most say that this brew is to be enjoyed during the wintry months, this brew is (in my opinion) made to be enjoyed all throughout the year! An excellent brew to have with grilled meats and wild game!!

[AWMiller]

Brew: Leffe Blonde

Brewed by: Abbaye de Leffe S.A.; Belgium

Style: Belgian pale ale

Glassware: Best served in a snifter, tulip glass or over-sized wine glass.

Personal Notes:

Let me introduce you to my most favorite Belgian Pale Ale… Leffe Blonde. Pale amber in color, this ale pumps out a full-bodied, flavor-rich beer. First you’ll notice the soothing amber color in which light dances on the surface and deep within the glass. Take a moment to enjoy the substantial head that forms when the beer is poured just right. As you enjoy this fine ale, take note of the foam rings that line your glass. Drinking doesn’t just involve taste… take time to enjoy the look and display that your beer provides!

Then take in your first drink… no other ale fills my mouth like this hearty Belgian Ale! I notice different flavors each time I enjoy this ale but for the most part it imparts a slightly sweet yet slightly spicy flavor that is as soft as warm caramel on the tongue. There are also subtle hints of vanilla and maybe even some toffee. At times I’ve tasted (or did I imagine it?!) slight tastes of banana but definitely some sweet spices! As for the aroma of the ale… well… it really smells like banana nut bread!

Keep in mind that Belgian ales are thought to be amongst the best in the world. They are very complex but very, very rewarding to the ale connoisseur! So grab ya some Leffe… get it as cold as you can, pour you a glass and enjoy this awesome ale!

[AWMiller]

Brew: Leibinger Zeppelin Bier

Brewed by: Brauerei Max Leibinger GmbH; Ravensburg, Germany

Style: German Keller Bier/Zwickel Bier

Glassware: Best served in a mug.

Personal Notes: A fairly good session brew – it pours up a cloudy murky brown body sporting a nice foamy head that dissipates rather quickly and leaves very little lacing on the sides of the mug. Scents and flavors of the standards: hops, malts and some fruits of some sort. Nothing over the top but is a good brew to have during a few sessions.

[AWMiller]

Brew: Pilsener 100 (Pilsener Centenario)

Brewed by: Cerveceria La Constancia (SABMiller); San Salvador, El Salvador

Style: South American Light Lager

Glassware: Best served in a pilsener glass.

Personal Notes: This is my first brew to try from El Salvador and it was a good beer despite reviews I’ve heard and read! It pours a rich, clear golden body with a light foamy head which dissipates somewhat quickly. Scents of grains and lemons are easily detected. Flavors detected include spicy hops, grains and lemons. The body is light and crisp with a little bit of carbonation. This brew is so light I can only assume that this is what light beers would taste like. Very light and goes down like water makes this brew a good session beer during those hot summer days.

[AWMiller]

Brew: Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale

Brewed by: Lagunitas Brewing Co.; Petaluma, California USA

Style: American Strong Ale

Glassware: Best served in a mug, pint/shaker, or a snifter.

Personal Notes: Ok, this is my second review on a Lagunitas brew and it will most likely be my last. Is their water coming from Death Valley??!! Oh my gosh this brew was horrid; not even worthy of being used in my yard tonic for fear of killing off all vegetation! It pours up a pleasingly rich dark mahogany colored body with a somewhat nice foamy head. The aromas were very pleasing; filled with toasted malts, sugars, and hints of cherry. The taste (oh my) was definitely NOT to my liking. I don't know what it is but none of their brews possess a well-balanced taste in my opinion. Like a dry, dry wine it was very chalky and it was just something that I could not get around. It was almost like gnawing on a rotted piece of burlap; yeah, it was that bad. So I've tried a few of their brews but don't look for any further reviews on their products (unless someone has just begged and pleaded to buy me one, cause I'm not spending any more of my money on them!).