Beer Reviews

As a gift for a recent milestone birthday, my lovely children gave me an amazing gift.  They purchased one beer for each year I have inhabited this planet.  Each beer was a different type which allowed me to try a bunch of different beers I probably would have never purchased on my own.

My wife suggested that I write down a little review for each one so I'll remember which ones I liked.  Below are my reviews of the different beers.

The reviews are ordered chronologically.  The first couple of reviews are fairly basic as I was still trying to determine what information to capture.  Actually, I still struggle with how to describe the different aspects of a beer.  For the last beer I reviewed I asked my son what he thought it smelled like.  Since he is too young too drink he is not familiar with beer odors -hops, malts, etc - so he has to relate the smell to something else.  He said it smelled like honey.  I thought this was insightful.  I may solicit his help on future reviews.

These are very unscientific reviews.  I usually drank the beers right before dinner but there were other times I drank them in the evening.  This may affect my perception of the beer.  I'm not sure.

Brewer	Abita
Beer	Purple Haze
Type	Rasberry Wheat Brew
Color	Light amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma
Taste	Light taste, smooth, very little bitterness, very slight raspberry taste - not overpowing.
Comments	OK
Rating	5
Brewer	Victory
Beer	Prima
Type	Pilsner
Color	Very light yellow color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma
Taste	Skunky bitterness.
Comments	Did not like it - the bitterness was unpleasant.
Rating	3
Brewer	Hebrew
Beer	Messiah Bold
Type	Dark Brown Ale
Color	Brown color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Malt aroma
Taste	Mild bitterness, mild but not completely tasteless flavor of malt and hops, slight bitter aftertaste.
Comments	OK
Rating	6
Brewer	Yazoo
Beer	Pale Ale
Type	Pale Ale
Color	Nice yellow color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Slight hop aroma
Taste	Pleasant bitterness, clean aftertaste.
Comments	Nice pale ale.
Rating	6
Brewer	Yazoo
Beer	Dos Perros
Type	mexican brown ale
Color	Dark brown color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Little fragrance, slight malt aroma
Taste	Strong malt taste at first, finish is clean with no aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	6
Brewer	Highland
Beer	Oatmeal Porter
Type	Porter
Color	Dark brown color
Carbonation	Low
Aroma	Little aroma
Taste	Smooth taste all the way through, little bitterness, finish is clean with no aftertaste.
Comments	Only drawback: seems to lack carbonation.  Still like this one.  The wife liked this one also.
Rating	7
Brewer	Fort Collins Brewery
Beer	Chocolate Stout
Type	Stout
Color	Dark brown, almost black color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Little aroma
Taste	Smooth malty taste, little bitterness,  a slight aftertaste that is off.
Comments	OK except for the slight, awkward aftertaste.
Rating	6
Brewer	Left Handing Brewing
Beer	Milk Stout
Type	Stout
Color	Dark brown color
Carbonation	Low
Aroma	Little aroma
Taste	Smooth malty taste, slight milk like aftertaste which was surprisingly pleasant.
Comments	Good beer.
Rating	7
Brewer	Shock Top
Beer	Belgian White
Type	Belgian wheat ale
Color	Dark yellow, murky light orange color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	A slight skunky type odor
Taste	Mild wheat flavor; mild bitterness; clean finish; no aftertaste.
Comments	OK
Rating	5
Brewer	Monthy Python's
Beer	Holy Grail Ale
Type	Ale
Color	Amber, clear color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Not much aroma, a little bit of hops
Taste	Smooth, little bitterness, little aftertaste.
Comments	It's OK, not much flavor but smooth.
Rating	6
Brewer	Abita
Beer	Pecan Harvest
Type	Ale
Color	Amber, cloudy color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Slight hop aroma
Taste	Smooth taste, little bitterness, very slight pecan flavor - could be a bit stronger; very slight bitter aftertaste. OK
Comments	OK
Rating	6
Brewer	Dundee
Beer	Oktoberfest
Type	Marzen lager
Color	Dark, clear, amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Mild malty aroma
Taste	initial taste is a strong malty flavor, slightly bitter; finish with slight malty aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	5
Brewer	Lost Coast Brewery and Café
Beer	Great White Beer
Type	Light Ale with wheat
Color	Light golden color, little cloudy
Carbonation	Low
Aroma	Slight aroma
Taste	Smooth, light taste, no bitterness; mild aftertaste; Good mild beer for guests.
Comments	OK. The wife liked this one also.
Rating	5
Brewer	Flying Dog
Beer	In-Heat Wheat Hefeweizen
Type	Hefeweizen
Color	Dark amber color, slightly cloudy
Carbonation	Low
Aroma	Slight wheat aroma
Taste	Smooth, light taste, a slight bitterness; mild aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	5
Brewer	Redhook Ale Brewery
Beer	Late Harvest
Type	Ale
Color	Medium amber color, cloudy
Carbonation	Low
Aroma	Slight hop aroma
Taste	Some slight bitterness at first, clean finish with little aftertaste.
Comments	I like this one.
Rating	7
Brewer	Sierra Nevada
Beer	Pale Ale
Type	Pale Ale
Color	Light clear amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Nice hop aroma
Taste	Strong bitterness at beginning, fades quickly, clean aftertaste.
Comments	OK
Rating	6
Brewer	Cerveza Mexicali
Beer	Special Dark Beer
Type	Dark Beer
Color	Clear, dark color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Slightly skunky aroma
Taste	Strong bitterness at beginning, a little skunky bitterness; lingering bitter aftertaste.
Comments	Lingering aftertaste was unpleasant.
Rating	4
Brewer	Boulder Beer Company
Beer	Hazed and Infused
Type	Dry hopped Ale
Color	Slightly cloudy amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Mild hop aroma
Taste	Strong tasteful hoppy bitterness at beginning; pleasant fading aftertaste.
Comments	This is a good hoppy beer.
Rating	8
Brewer	Kingfisher Premium
Beer	Premium Lager Beer
Type	Lager
Color	Very slight cloudiness, light amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Strange hop aroma
Taste	Skunkiness taste at beginning; little to no aftertaste.
Comments	I did not care for this one.
Rating	4
Brewer	Spaten
Beer	Oktoberfest
Type	Oktoberfest
Color	Clear, rich amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Nice clean hop aroma
Taste	Pleasant bitter hop taste at first; finishes clean with no aftertaste.
Comments	Excellent beer.  Although this beer is just as bitter as others, the bitterness is of a different type and is pleasant to both the nose and palette.  The bitterness almost has a flowery type aspect to it.  I'm guessing a different type of hop is used in this beer.
Rating	9
Brewer	Redhook Ale Brewery
Beer	ESB Original Ale
Type	Ale
Color	Medium amber color, cloudy
Carbonation	Low
Aroma	Slight skunky hop aroma
Taste	Some slight bitterness at first, clean finish with little aftertaste
Comments	It was OK, bitterness was a little skunky.
Rating	5
Brewer	Bluegrass Brewing
Beer	Amber Ale
Type	German Style Altbier
Color	Dark amber color, slightly cloudy
Carbonation	Low
Aroma	Slight malt aroma
Taste	Smooth, light taste, a slight bitterness; mild aftertaste
Comments	It was OK.
Rating	6
Brewer	O'haras
Beer	Irish Stout
Type	Stout
Color	Dark, almost black color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Very little aroma, slight malt aroma
Taste	Smooth taste all the way through, little bitterness, finish is clean with no aftertaste.
Comments	Only drawback: seems to lack carbonation.  Still like this one.  The wife liked this one also.
Rating	7
Brewer	Dixie
Beer	Blackened Vodoo Lager
Type	Lager
Color	Dark brown, cloudy, color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Slight malty aroma with a little skunkiness
Taste	Mild malty taste at first with a strange flavor I cannot place, no aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	6
Brewer	Wolters
Beer	Pilsener
Type	Pilsner
Color	Clear, light yellow-orange color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Very slight aroma
Taste	mild bitterness with slight skunkiness, no aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	5
Brewer	Napa Smith
Beer	Wheat Beer
Type	Wheat Beer
Color	Slightly cloudy, light orange-yellow color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Slight aroma - can't really place the odor, wheat maybe?
Taste	Strange taste with a lingering unpleasant aftertaste
Comments	I did not like this one.
Rating	2
Brewer	Cerveza Mexicali
Beer	Original Formula
Type	Ale
Color	Clear, light yellow color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Slight skunky aroma
Taste	Initial skunkiness, quickly subsides, very slight aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	6
Brewer	Harpoon Brewery
Beer	Hefeweizen
Type	Unfiltered Wheat beer
Color	Slightly cloudy, light golden color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Sharp bitter smell - not skunky
Taste	Nice initial bitterness, quickly subsides to a pleasant finish with no aftertaste
Comments	This is the first wheat beer I have liked.
Rating	8
Brewer	Fuller's
Beer	London Porter
Type	Porter
Color	Dark, almost black color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Strange, skunky aroma
Taste	Initial skunky bitterness with a lasting, unpleasant aftertaste
Comments	I could barely finish the bottle.
Rating	1
Brewer	Highland
Beer	St Terese's Pale Ale
Type	Pale Ale
Color	Clear, dark amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Very slight hop aroma
Taste	Initial taste is a slight skunky bitterness, finishes clean with little to no aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	4
Brewer	Paulaner
Beer	Oktoberfest Marzen
Type	Oktoberfest
Color	Clear, dark amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Mild hop aroma
Taste	Initial taste is a skunky bitterness, finishes with a lingering slightly skunky aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	3
Brewer	Bridgeport
Beer	India Pale Ale
Type	Pale Ale
Color	Very cloudy, amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Mild hop and orange armoa
Taste	Initial taste is a mild skunky bitterness, finishes with a slight bitter aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	4
Brewer	Boulder Beer Company
Beer	Singletrack Copper Ale
Type	Copper Ale
Color	Clear, medium amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Mild skunky aroma
Taste	Slight initial bitterness, clean finish with small amount of aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	5
Brewer	Harpoon Brewery
Beer	Oktoberfest Beer
Type	Marzen lager
Color	Clear, dark amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Very slight hop aroma
Taste	Initial taste is a slight skunky bitterness, finishes clean with little to no aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	5
Brewer	Saranac
Beer	Caramel Porter
Type	Porter
Color	Dark brown, almost black
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Odor is an odd aroma that is a sweet caramel-like smell
Taste	Initial taste has strong flavor of caramel mixed with some bitterness, finishes with slight bitter aftertaste
Comments	I found the flavor odd, not necessarily unpleasant, just odd,  could probably only drink one.
Rating	4
Brewer	Spaten-Brau
Beer	Franziskaner Weissbier
Type	Dunkel
Color	Slightly cloudy, medium brown color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	Slightly skunky aroma
Taste	initial taste has strong bitterness that is slightly skunky, finishes with very slight aftertaste
Comments	OK
Rating	4
Brewer	Sam Adams
Beer	Noble Pils
Type	Five hop beer
Color	Slightly cloudy, light amber color
Carbonation	Good
Aroma	A strong aroma that is slightly fruity, kinda honey-like, and slightly bitter
Taste	Bitter, pleasant hop taste at first, a little fruity/sweet taste immediately follows, no aftertaste
Comments	Different than other hop-heavy beers.  Has a slight sweet, fruitiness to it.  A pleasant bitterness.  Not as bitter as I expected for a beer with lots of hops.
Rating	7