Sierra Nevada Juniper Black Ale

Sierra Nevada Juniper Black Ale
Type of beer: Ale
Container Type: 12 oz bottle
Alcohol by volume: 8.00%
Country of origin: United States
Rating: 55% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Drank From: Mug
website: http://www.sierranevada.com/
Best for: nightmares
Ratings:
Taste: 11/20
Flavour: 10/20
Buy again: 10/20
Aroma: 6/10
Satisfaction: 8/10
Complexity: 4/10
Intangible: 6/10

Handwritten notes: Ohhh, come on Sierra Nevada. Come on. You're going to hop monster me with a dark beer? Close your eyes, think double IPA. Guess what? Double IPA. Fuckin' invite me to your dumb ass beer camp next year and I guarantee my revolutionary idea will not be "the same old beer... just black." I'll fresh idear the fuck out of y'alls. Certainly not black hopmonster, or blackhopula, blackhopenstein or any variation thereof.

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Beer #513 of 3,652

St. Pauli Girl

St. Pauli Girl
Type of beer: Pilsner
Container Type: 12 oz bottle
Alcohol by volume: 4.90%
Country of origin: Germany
Rating: 59% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Drank From: Pil Glass
website: http://www.stpauligirl.com/
Best for: Moving ahead, so life won't pass me by
Ratings:
Taste: 9/20
Flavour: 11/20
Buy again: 13/20
Aroma: 7/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Complexity: 5/10
Intangible: 7/10

Handwritten notes: I saw the green bottle and got what I expected. Beck's, Lowenbrau, whatever you call yourself these days. Is there anything different in the taste to set it apart? Nah. A bit lighter mayhap? Nah. A chick with big jugs on the bottle? Yes, that sets it apart. I'm no feminist, nor am I a masculinist. But the bottle offends me. Maybe it's just there to feed your longing and sorrow. Hey, see this chick? You'll never get her. Now drink up, bucko! I... but... alright.

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Beer #505 of 3,652

Mill St. Stock Ale

Mill St. Stock Ale
Type of beer: Blonde Ale
Container Type: 341 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 5.00%
Country of origin: Canada
Rating: 55% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Drank From: Bit Glass
website: http://www.millstreetbrewpub.ca/
Best for: Minding the store
Ratings:
Taste: 9/20
Flavour: 11/20
Buy again: 12/20
Aroma: 5/10
Satisfaction: 6/10
Complexity: 5/10
Intangible: 7/10

Handwritten notes: This is a fizzy, almost meaningless beer. The only true flavour here is the Canadian malt, somewhere off in the distance like a light beer. I like the idea of Mill St. brewery. I like some of their other stuff. But it feels like this was a tack on to appease some Philistine and give him a way to spend his paycheque and/or welfare cheque. Too bad. I'm only being hard on you because I believe in you, Milly.

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Beer #489 of 3,652

Beck's Dark

Beck's Dark
Type of beer: Dark Lager
Container Type: 12 oz bottle
Alcohol by volume: 4.80%
Country of origin: Germany
Rating: 59% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Drank From: Glass that reads "Jennifer 1992"
website: http://www.becksbeer.com
Best for: dunkin' oreos
Ratings:
Taste: 12/20
Flavour: 12/20
Buy again: 8/20
Aroma: 7/10
Satisfaction: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10

Intangible: 8/10
Handwritten notes: I was hesitant to try this (not available in Manitoba, bought in the US) for justified reasons. What is this beer trying to prove? This is Beck's (original). There is nothing tangibly different in the taste, flavour, or texture of this beer than original Beck's. Quite disappointing, but overall this beer teaches us all a very valuable lesson. As human beings, our shades may be different, but on the inside we are all the same. We are all German skunk-stink beers that I used to think were the bees knees. Got it? Good.

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Beer #482 of 3,652

Steam Whistle Pilsner

Steam Whistle Pilsner
Type of beer: Pilsner
Container Type: 341 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 5.00%
Country of origin: Canada
Rating: 50% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 11
Drank From: Flower vase
website: http://www.steamwhistle.ca/
Best for: Grown-up get-togethers
Ratings:
Taste: 12/20
Flavour: 11/20
Buy again: 12/20
Aroma: 3/10
Satisfaction: 4/10
Complexity: 3/10
Intangible: 5/10

Handwritten notes: First things first, this is a Canadian Pilsner. I was, however, surprised that the elements of a Canadian macro-Pilsner were subdued (metallic manufactured taste, dusty, flat hops, lingering taint of bleach). The beer came in the coolest box ever. See their website for how proud they are of their packaging: http://www.steamwhistle.ca/ourbeer/ourpackaging.php . Really, though given the choice between this and a Labatt Blue or a crack in the jaw, I'd take this. G'wan, give it a rip.

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Beer #462 of 3,652

Wernesgrüner

Wernesgrüner
Type of beer: Pilsner
Container Type: 500 mL can
Alcohol by volume: 4.90%
Country of origin: Germany
Rating: 53% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Drank From: HP Glass
website: http://www.wernesgruener.de/#/altersabfrage
Best for: lizard watching
Ratings:
Taste: 11/20
Flavour: 12/20
Buy again: 14/20
Aroma: 4/10
Satisfaction: 5/10
Complexity: 3/10
Intangible: 4/10

Handwritten notes: First of all, I love words that I can practice my bad German accent with. Ver-niss-groo-nerr?? Delightful. This has a crisp and decidedly European honeysuckle hoppiness. The taste lingers medicinally, like some grainy tincture. Overall, it's a bit ho-hum.

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Beer #453 of 3,652

Rogue Mocha Porter

Rogue Mocha Porter
Type of beer: Porter
Container Type: 12 oz bottle
Alcohol by volume: 5.30%
Country of origin: United States
Rating: 59% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Drank From: Glass
website: http://www.rogue.com/
Best for: Lightening the mood
Ratings:
Taste: 12/20
Flavour: 11/20
Buy again: 10/20
Aroma: 7/10
Satisfaction: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10
Intangible: 6/10

Handwritten notes: I expected more of a chocolate flavour, but I don't see it. Nevertheless, this is a nice porter, with a light opening and gradual build to the classic dark flavours, then fading to black with a spiteful bite. A previous beer I reviewed from Rogue had the same shtick - claiming to be flavoured with something that doesn't come through in the beer. Ah well, that's a good thing I guess.

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Beer #441 of 3,652

PC Honey Red

PC Honey Red
Type of beer: Lager
Container Type: 355 mL can
Alcohol by volume: 5.00%
Country of origin: Canada
Rating: 58% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 2nd
Cost: $unknown
Tasted on: 6/30/10
Colours of label: Orange/Red/Brown
Drank From: Red Man Mug
Label Reads: "Brewed in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains”
website: http://www.brickbrewery.com/
Best for: Kicking it, 1997 style
Ratings:
Taste: 12/20
Flavour: 11/20
Buy again: 11/20
Aroma: 5/10
Satisfaction: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10
Intangible: 7/10

Handwritten notes: I need to give a shout out to my bro for giving me a few PC beers he got during a recent trip to Calgary. PC is not "politically correct", by the way, it's "President's Choice". There is quite a mystery with the origin of beers. My bro swears that they are brewed by Big Rock, as they are (in his estimation) always displayed next to Big Rock products. However, my precious Beer Advocate says it's Brick Brewing Company, which makes a bunch of junk low-end beers. The mystery is in the words "Brewed in the shadow of the rocky mountains" on the can. Brick brewing is in Ontario. For you Americans, Ontario is not in the shadow of the Rocky mountains. Calgary (home of Big Rock) is. This is a mystery which may never be solved. Now... to the beer. I can honestly say that I've had American craft beers worse than this. It has a not unappealing diluted honey under-taste. This beer takes arms against a sea of crappy generic beers, and by opposing, ends them.

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Beer #429 of 3,652

Boulevard Brewing Boss Tom's Golden Bock

Boulevard Brewing Boss Tom's Golden Bock
Type of beer: Maibock
Container Type: 355 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 6.10%
Country of origin: United States
Rating: 56% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $1.25
Tasted on: 6/28/10
Colours of label: Red/Blue/Tan
Drank From: Red Man Mug

Label Reads: “From 1925 until 1939, Kansas City was controlled by the powerful political boss Thomas J. Pendergast, whose ‘Goat’ faction feuded with rival ‘Rabbits’ for partisan dominance. The atmosphere of graft and lawlessness fostered a boom in jazz clubs and speakeasies, earning our town the title ‘Paris of the Plains.”

website: www.blvdbeer.com
Best for: Sprucing yourself up
Ratings:
Taste: 11/20
Flavour: 10/20
Buy again: 10/20
Aroma: 6/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10
Intangible: 7/10

Handwritten notes: I've never been really wild about anything Boulevard has put out, and this is no exception. This is a mediocre Bock with somewhat of a honey touch, but mostly a fizzy little back biter with a pilsner finish. What makes this a Bock? I'm not really sure and puzzled at my ignorance. I thought a Bock was a high(er) alcohol content brew with the not-unpleasant taste of having slightly "gone off". I don't think that's happened here. I could be wrong, they're the experts, after all.

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Beer #426 of 3,652

New Belgium Mighty Arrow

New Belgium Mighty Arrow
Type of beer: Pale Ale
Container Type: 355 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 6.00%
Country of origin: United States
Rating: 58% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $1.25
Tasted on: 6/17/10
Colours of label: Red/Green/Brown
Drank From: Glass

Label Reads: "Mighty Arrow Pale Ale provides lots of pleasurable sniffs from Amarillo and Cascade hops with a fetching honey malt base. This is our brewed tribute to Arrow, Kim’s Aussie/Border Collie mix who ran (literally) New Belgium for 12 years. When she wasn’t patrolling the brewery grounds, she was famous for her office visits: She never met a tummy rub she didn’t like. Atta girl Arrow."

website: http://www.newbelgium.com/
Best for: changing the litter-box
Ratings:
Taste: 12/20
Flavour: 11/20
Buy again: 10/20
Aroma: 7/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10
Intangible: 5/10

Handwritten notes: People need to shut the fuck up about their God-damn dogs. First there was this frickin' dog tribute beer. Now this. As a person with feline-only friends, I am offended. Can you imagine if I owned a brewery and made "Whiskers P. Meowington Imperial Porter"? I'd be laughed at and kicked in the backside. Anyways, this beer is a Pale Ale in the most contrived sense of the word. My socks remained firmly in place as I drank this, not having been "knocked off" by a Pale Ale in quite some time. The usual hoppy stuff at the get-go and a lingering bitter. Not bad. It's just that I've been wearing these socks for weeks, people. Somebody knock them off, please!

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Beer #407 of 3,652

Blue Moon Pale Moon

Blue Moon Pale Moon
Type of beer: Pale Ale
Container Type: 355 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 5.40%
Country of origin: United States
Rating: 58% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 2nd
Cost: $1.25
Tasted on: 6/7/10
Colours of label: Blue/Gold/Maroon
Drank From: Mug

Label Reads: "This Belgian-style pale ale is brewed with Cascade hops and a touch of hibiscus and orange peel. These ingredients create a rich copper colored ale with a flavor complexity that one would expect from the Blue Moon Brewing Company".

website: www.bluemoonbrewingco.com
Best for: Moving the crowd
Ratings:
Taste: 10/20
Flavour: 11/20
Buy again: 13/20
Aroma: 6/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Complexity: 5/10
Intangible: 6/10

Handwritten notes: Belgian style Pale ale my white hoser arse! This tastes like a straight up Canadian Pale Ale. Was this brewed by Fort Garry Brewing? It could have been. All of y'all Yanks who want to know what "craft brewed" Canadian beer tastes like, try this. I hadn't realized Canada was ceded to Belgium just yet. In any event, it has a caramelly smell and taste. Of hibiscus and orange peel, I taste none. Such is the palate of an unrefined Canuck like myself.

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Beer #396 of 3,652

Flying Dog Tire Bite Golden Ale

Flying Dog Tire Bite Golden Ale
Type of beer: Kölsch
Container Type: 355 mL bottle

Alcohol by volume: 5.0%
Country of origin: United States
Rating: 52% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $1.25
Tasted on: 11/2/09
Colours of label: Green/Red/White
Drank From: GW Glass
Label Reads: "Know how to spot a stupid dog? Just look for the one biting the tire of the car that’s running over it. Know how to spot a smart one? He’ll be lapping up our refreshing Golden Ale. This perfect warm-weather beer goes down so easy, you’ll be lifting your leg all over town. Smart dog."
website: www.flyingdogales.com
Best for: Being funny. Not "ha ha" funny, but, like Robin Williams funny.
Ratings:
Taste: 11/20
Flavour: 11/20
Buy again: 12/20
Aroma: 4/10
Satisfaction: 3/10
Complexity: 4/10
Intangible: 5/10
Handwritten notes: This is an American take on the German lager. I guess that's what Kölsch means. It has a light honey taste but little or much else. I can appreciate the attempt at crafting a Kölsch, but there are several subtleties to the genre, you can't just throw a bunch of cadaver parts together, slap a suit jacket on it, and call it a human being. Gee whiz.

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Beer #350 of 3,652

Leinenkugel Creamy Dark

Leinenkugel Creamy Dark
Type of beer: Dark Lager
Container Type: 355 mL bottle

Alcohol by volume: 4.90%
Country of origin: United States
Rating: 55% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $1.15
Tasted on: 10/29/09
Colours of label: Green/Yellow/Red
Drank From: Mug
Label Reads: "Lager with a unique blend of barley malts, cluster, cascade and Mt. Hood hops." "Brewed with pride by the Leinenkugel family since 1867", "Carefully brewed by the Leinenkugel family for five generations", "The pride of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin since 1867".

website: www.leinie.com

Best for: listening to "Ebony and Ivory"
Ratings:
Taste: 11/20
Flavour: 10/20
Buy again: 11/20
Aroma: 6/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Complexity: 5/10
Intangible: 5/10
Handwritten notes: Dark? Yes. Creamy? Perhaps. This is a coffee-like creamy lager, good for a Wednesday night. I'm sitting here, trying my best not to slander Leinekenkugel. I'm waiting for a bold flavour in one of their beers. But, instead it's like: "oh, the flavour is not bold because it's creamy". C'mon guys, W.W.J.D.? (What would Jacob (Leinenkugel) do?).
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Beer #341 of 3,652

Leinenkugel's Red Lager

Leinenkugel's Red Lager
Type of beer: Lager
Container Type: 355 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 4.90%
Country of origin: United States
Rating: 58% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $1.15
Tasted on: 10/20/09

Colours of label: Red/Gold/White
Drank From: Mug
Label Reads: "Lager with four varieties of specialty barley malts hand-selected cluster and mount hood hops", "Brewed with pride by the Leinenkugel family since 1867", "Carefully brewed by the Leinenkugel family for five generations", "The pride of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin since 1867".
website: www.leinie.com
Best for: renewing your passport
Ratings:
Taste: 10/20
Flavour: 11/20
Buy again: 12/20
Aroma: 7/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10
Intangible: 5/10
Handwritten notes: The fellows from Leineken will find and kill me some day, mark my words. This beer is a clone of Rickard's Red, being a generic tasting macro with little or no life in its sun burnt body. It would be good as a change of pace, if you are completely tired of good beer. Don't worry, Leineken family, I'll get mine. And when I do, I guess I'll have four generations of ghosts to fight in hell.

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Beer #322 of 3,652

Edelweiss

Edelweiss
Type of beer: Heffe Weizen
Container Type: 330 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 5.0%
Country of origin: Austria
Rating: 53% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $3.25
Tasted on: 9/9/09
Colours of label: White/Blue/Silver

Drank From: Glass
Label Reads: "Weissbeer aromatic taste of alpine herbs", "Snowfresh", "Alpine herb flavoured wheat beer"
website: http://www.edelweissbeer.com/
Best for: remaining anonymous
Ratings:
Taste: 12/20
Flavour: 9/20
Buy again: 8/20
Aroma: 6/10
Satisfaction: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10
Intangible: 6/10
Handwritten notes: The immediate smell and taste of this bad boy is that of laundry detergent. Sometimes, in doing these reviews, I feel like a colour commentator on some football game. I'm just filling the air with words while everyone looks at the pretty pictures. Ah... this beer is fresh, but artificially so. It's like dating a chick who wears a ton of makeup. At the end of the night you're tucking in next to a pimple-faced hag and a Phosphate-free beer.
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Beer #297 of 3,652

Great Western Gold Strong

Great Western Gold Strong
Type of beer: Lager
Container Type: 341 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 6.3%
Country of origin: Canada
Rating: 52% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $1.50
Tasted on: 9/5/09
Colours of label: Gold/Red/White
Drank From: Red Man Mug
Label Reads: "Strong Beer", "Brewed Smooth".
website: www.greatwesternbrewing.com/
Best for: pondering
Ratings:
Taste: 9/20
Flavour: 10/20
Buy again: 11/20
Aroma: 5/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Complexity: 5/10
Intangible: 5/10

Handwritten notes: Thinking back on this beer's big brother, GWG Extra, that beer probably did numb my taste buds, because so does this beer after a while. So much so that it mimics taste. The first sip is kind of gross, The third through fifteenth sips get progressively blurry and you scratch your nose and say "that ain't bad, boy". That's life, I guess. You wake up early, wishing you had cancer so you wouldn't have to go to work, swearing with all of your life and soul that you'll go to bed early that night. Next thing you know it's midnight and you're surrounded by empty chip bags and bottle caps and you think it might be a good idea to try out the ShamWOW! Go to bed.

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Beer #295 of 3,652

Hockley Stout

Hockley Stout
Type of beer: Stout
Container Type: 473 mL can
Alcohol by volume: 4.2%
Country of origin: Canada
Rating: 59% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $3.00
Tasted on: 8/31/09
Colours of label: Tan/Black/Red
Drank From: Glass

Label Reads: "Traditional Irish Stout", "pours like liquid midnight", "At Hockley Valley Brewing Company we take our time brewing our beer. In fact each step of the brewing process is done by hand in small batches. This 'hands on' approach to our craft beers ensures 'The perfect balance'".

website: www.hockleybeer.ca

Best for: playing a round of air hockley

Ratings:

Taste: 12/20

Flavour: 12/20

Buy again: 10/20

Aroma: 7/10

Satisfaction: 6/10

Complexity: 6/10

Intangible: 6/10

Handwritten notes: I'm the type of fellah who appreciates "scare quotes" and good stout. That's why, reading the label, I was "optimistic". This beer is a very carbonated almost "refreshing" stout. It's got all of the smoked business that a stout should have but it's a little "too crisp" for my liking. A stout should linger and plant virile seeds of flavour in your mouth. This one is meant for the "stupid hoser" palate. A straight-up Mick would be appalled, but as it is I can tolerate it. The hands down best part of this beer are the words "it pours like liquid midnight" on the label. Hoo-whee, that's some mighty fine wordplay. I have come to the realization that brewmasters are part-time poets. See, for example, brewmaster Dave's comment on the Black Oak Saison: "It sneaks up on you like a velvet hammer". Brilliant.

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Beer #291 of 3,652

Alley Kat Charlie Flint's

Alley Kat Charlie Flint's
Type of beer: Lager
Container Type: 341 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 5.0%
Country of origin: Canada
Rating: 55% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $2.00
Tasted on: 8/21/09
Colours of label: Orange/Green/Yellow
Drank From: Red Man Mug

Label Reads: "A Crisp, blond lager crafted with premium Alberta Malt and European Hops".

website: www.alleykatbeer.com
Best for: plotting your own self-destruction
Ratings:
Taste: 11/20
Flavour: 10/20
Buy again: 9/20
Aroma: 6/10
Satisfaction: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10
Intangible: 6/10

Handwritten notes: A smooth but unlikeable brew. A nice Canadian taste but a disappointing lack of boldness. I think that this is the same type of taste that "Pilsner" is striving for. As any Big Fellah will tell you, Alberta is "Pil Country" so I don't blame AK for trying to tap into that market. Wait a minute... yes I do. Give your head a shake, man. I can't believe that Alberta is so blue collar that they will drink donkey piss if it gets them drunk. There have to be a few accountants or something out there whose taste buds haven't been burned away by tar fumes and Player's Lights. Am I wrong?

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Beer #279 of 3,652

Saint Andre

Saint Andre
Type of beer: Vienna Lager
Container Type: 341 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
Country of origin: Canada
Rating: 53% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $2.00
Tasted on: 8/21/09
Colours of label: Maroon/Grey/Tan
Drank From: HP Glass
Label Reads: n/a
website: n/a
Best for: calculating your tip
Ratings:
Taste: 11/20
Flavour: 12/20
Buy again: 10/20
Aroma: 6/10
Satisfaction: 5/10
Complexity: 5/10
Intangible: 4/10

Handwritten notes: Even the label on this beer is pretentious. It looks like the sign for a classy restaurant where you'd pay $20 for frozen & thawed Bruschetta and tip the waiter 20% for the privilege. I think I have come to understand this type beer to be that of the Canadian micro. This is of course a generalization, and thus holds true only 51% of the time or more. The American micros, hugely flavoured and hopped, scream "just what the hell are you going to do about it?!?" These types of Canadian micros are amped up macros, with extra flavour, that whisper "oh, I apologize, I didn't see you there".

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Beer #278 of 3,652

Nektar

Nektar
Type of beer: Lager
Container Type: 500 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 5.0%
Country of origin: Bosnia
Rating: 52% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $4.00
Tasted on: 7/31/09
Colours of label: Red/Gold/White
Drank From: Glass
Label Reads: "Keep in a dark place".
website: n/a

Best for: looking on the sunny side
Ratings:
Taste: 11/20
Flavour: 10/20
Buy again: 11/20
Aroma: 5/10
Satisfaction: 6/10
Complexity: 4/10
Intangible: 5/10
Handwritten notes: This beer has that Eastern European taste to it, coming straight out of Bosnia. That is, it’s grey and dismal. The beer itself is actually yellow, and the taste is a flat and constant drone with no nuances. This beer kind of just goes down like a steady drizzle onto the sterile concrete streets of Bosnia. Somewhere, far off, an old lady in a babushka paws through cabbages at a vegetable stand. Children run barefoot through the puddles, with juvenile disregard for while lies beneath the water. A young married couple begin to argue on a balcony above you. Will the rain ever stop? You hear the nervous bleat of lambs and goats, no doubt being led to slaughter. No one speaks of the bullet holes pock-marked on the stalwart buildings around you. The rumble of thunder. The squeals of children. The panic of livestock. Bosnia. So I says “Nektar? Damn near killed ‘er!”. Hahahaha!
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Beer #251 of 3,652