Half Pints Burly Wine

Half Pints Burly Wine
Type of beer: Barleywine
Container Type: 341 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 10.5%
Country of origin: Canada
Rating: 93% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $6.50
Tasted on: 12/28/09
Colours of label: Gold/Brown/Red
Drank From: HP Glass
Label Reads: "The Winnipeg winter warmer", ""craft brewed in Winnipeg MB Canada".
website: www.halfpintsbrewing.com
Best for: wind-swept winter eves
Ratings:
Taste: 18/20
Flavour: 19/20
Buy again: 19/20
Aroma: 9/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Complexity: 8/10
Intangible: 10/10

Handwritten notes: Being the Half Pints beer I'd hear the most about and never tried, I had some pretty high expectations of this selection. This is a lovely and hoppy warmer. It has an almost syrupy consistency, but not boozy (believe it or not). I had visions of some huge liquor bomb that would send me reeling into tearful childhood memories of past Christmases. Instead it just brought me to the rosy-cheeked days of Christmas present. Wow. What can I say that ain't already been said about this beer? If it was a woodwind instrument, this beer would be a bassoon. Whew, that ABV sneaks up on you...

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Beer #382 of 3,652

Humulus Ludicrous

Humulus Ludicrous
Type of beer: Double IPA
Container Type: 341 mL bottle
Alcohol by volume: 8.0%
Country of origin: Canada
Rating: 93% (see below)
Number of times I've had this beer: 1st
Cost: $4.50
Tasted on: 8/17/09
Colours of label: Brown/Baby Blue/Red
Drank From: HP Glass

Label Reads: "our most ridiculously hoppy beer", "100 IBU".

website: www.halfpintsbrewing.com
Best for: slam dancing/rockin' out
Ratings:
Taste: 19/20
Flavour: 17/20
Buy again: 19/20
Aroma: 9/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Complexity: 9/10
Intangible: 10/10

Handwritten notes: Dear sweet mother of pearl, I think I’m in love. This beer has apparently won awards, which I mention only in passing (because so has PBR and Great Western, apparently). I can say without any hesitation, reservation, or amputation that this is the single best Canadian beer I have ever had. Anyone who knows old Bard knows his affinity for bitterness in beer. And this beer has it in spades, clubs, diamonds, pink hearts, orange stars, yellow moons, and green clovers. The real kicker for me in this pup is the high ABV sweetness hiding like a phantom behind the hops. It’s kind of like looking out at the Ocean on a windy day. The big waves out yonder are the hops. Huge... devastating. The little waves lapping at your feet are the lovely accentuated sweet flavours. They feel nice between your toes. Folks, I don’t take a lot of things seriously, but I ain’t bs-ing you this time. This beer is the bodhi tree under which I gained true enlightenment.

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Beer #267 of 3,652

Guinness

Guinness
Type: Stout
Container Type: 500ml can/pint
Alcohol volume: 4.2%
Country of origin: Ireland
Rating: 90% (see below)
Number of times I've had this type: 50+
Cost: $3.50 can, $7.00 pint
Tasted on: 4/7/09 and 4/9/09
Colours of label: Black/White/Gold
Drank From: glass
Label Reads: "Brewed in Ireland", "Beer-Serve extra cold".
website: www.guinness.com
Best for: smacking around the wife
Ratings:
Taste: 17/20
Flavour: 19/20
Buy again: 18/20
Aroma: 8/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Complexity: 8/10
Intangible: 10/10

Handwritten notes: This includes a draft version at the local... how do I describe this in a way that hasn't already been described? That's like describing the taste of a Big Mac to a fat guy... smooth, tinny, coffee and chocolate... (nubile? Does that say nubile? I bet no one ever called Guinness nubile before.)... the draft version is infinitely better. This one time I went to some faux Irish pub and they were just pouring Guinness like they were pouring a Budweiser. I never went there again.
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Beer #114 of 3,652

O'Hara's Irish Stout

O'Hara's Irish Stout

Type: Stout
Container Type: 500 mL bottle
Alcohol volume: 4.3%
Country of origin: Ireland
Rating: 90% (see below)
Number of times I've had this type: first
Cost: $4.75
Tasted on: 4/4/9
Colours of bottle: black/brown/white
Drank From: cold glass
Label Reads: "Championship trophy and Gold Medal Draught winner of the Millennium Brewing Industry International Awards. O'Hara's Irish Stout is full-bodied and luxuriously smooth".
website: http://www.carlowbrewing.com/home.htm
Best for: bar-be-fucking-cue.

Ratings:
Taste: 18/20
Flavour: 19/20
Buy again: 16/20
Aroma: 9/10
Satisfaction: 9/10
Intangible: 9/10
Complexity 10/10
Handwritten notes: caramelly roasted barbecue taste... would be perfect with smoked barbecue... pungent, yet smooth and complex... see you this summer, with a smoked brisket.
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Beer #50 of 3,652

Pilsner Urquell

Pilsner Urquell
Type: Pilsner
Container Type: 330 mL Bottle
Alcohol volume: 4.4%
Country of origin: Czech Republic
Rating: 93% (see below)
Number of times I've had this type: 10+
Cost: $2.25
Tasted on: 3/21/09
Colours of bottle: Red/Green/White/Gold
Drank From: Tall ass glass
Label Reads: "Discover how beer is meant to taste at".
website: http://www.pilsner-urquell.com/
Best for: bar-mitzvahs, bat-mitzvahs, weddings, any day you are happy yo be alive.
Ratings:
Taste: 20/20
Flavour: 20/20
Buy again: 17/20
Aroma: 8/10
Satisfaction: 9/10
Intangible: 10/10
Complexity: 9/10
Handwritten notes: there is a God, and he brews Urquell... coats the mouth (flavour)... woody?... best beer in the world? Maybe, maybe.
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Beer #11 of 3,652

Estrella Damm

Estrella Damm

Type: Pilsner

Container Type: 500 ml can

Alcohol volume: 4.6%

Country of origin: Spain

Rating: 91% (see below)

Number of times I've had this type: 5+

Cost: $2.95

Tasted on: 3/17/09

Colours of bottle: Red/Gold/White/Black

Drank From: Can

Label Reads: "Estrella Damm, the premium quality beer brewed in Barcelona since 1876. Today it remains at the heart of city life. Enjoy the taste of Barcelona".

website: http://www.estrelladamm.es

Best for: barbecues, drinking in the bathtub, while doing dishes

Ratings:

Taste: 20/20

Flavour: 19/20

Buy again: 19/20

Aroma: 8/10

Satisfaction: 10/10

Intangible: 9/10

Complexity: 8/10

Handwritten notes: a fantastic pilsner... different from German or Czech pilseners, but the main idea is the same... you can taste the water they used (kind of metallic, but not in a bad way, like country water from a well on a hot day).

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Beer #8 of 3,652

Lowenbrau

Lowenbrau Original
Type: Pale Lager
Container Type: 500 ml can
Alcohol volume: 5.2%
Country of origin: Germany
Rating: 93% (see below)
Number of times I've had this type: 30+
Cost: $2.95
Tasted on: 3/20/09
Colours of bottle: Light Blue/Navy/Gold
Drank From: Can
Label Reads: "Gebraut nach dem deutschen Reinheitsgebot Munchner Brau-Tradition".
website: http://www.loewenbraeu.de/
Best for: life
Ratings:
Taste: 20/20
Flavour: 19/20
Buy again: 19/20
Aroma: 8/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Intangible: 9/10
Complexity: 8/10
Handwritten notes: one of my favorites... perfect balance of sweet and bite... it's really all you need... refreshing as fuck... here's nothing heavy about it
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Beer #7 of 3,652

Czechvar

Czechvar

Type: Lager

Container Type: 500 ml glass bottle

Alcohol volume: 5.0%

Country of origin: Czech Republic

Rating: 90% (see below)

Number of times I've had this type: 1st

Cost: $2.66

Tasted on: 2/11/09

Colours of bottle: White/Red/Gold

Drank From: Bottle

Label Reads: "Czechvar is the special name of the world famous beer produced by the renowned brewery in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. Benefiting from over 700 years of brewing experience of the South Bohemian region, Czechvar is the golden original, acknowledged be many connoisseurs as one of the best lagers in the world."

website: http://www.czechvar.com/index.html

Best for: warm, rainy days

Ratings:

Taste: 19/20

Flavour: 17/20

Buy again: 19/20

Aroma: 9/10

Satisfaction: 9/10

Intangible: 8/10

Complexity: 9/10

Handwritten notes: No bite... smooth... classic eastern European... sweet... light... not boozy... smells like a summer field at night... flavour I love - something missing though - no bite... tastes like good weed... I like sweet but must be balanced... Budvar for life.

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Beer #5 of 3,652

Wells IPA

Wells IPA
Type: India Pale Ale
Container: 500ml can
Alcohol volume: 5.0%
Country of Origin: England

Rating: 91% (see below)
Number of times I've had this type: 5+
Cost: $2.95
Tasted on: 2/14/09
Colours of bottle: Red/Gold/Yellow/White
Drank From: Can
Label Reads: "Wells I.P.A. (India Pale Ale) is brewed using the finest hops and barley malt with pure water drawn from the brewery's own well. The result is a rich, full flavoured and notably dry ale.", "Wells & Young's Brewing Co. Ltd Bedford UK"
website: http://www.charleswells.co.uk/
Best for: funerals, wakes, Wednesday nights, Thursday mornings.
Ratings:
Taste: 18/20
Flavour: 18/20
Buy again: 20/20
Aroma: 9/10
Satisfaction: 10/10
Intangible: 8/10
Complexity: 8/10
Handwritten notes: IPA usually too dry/bitter. Good level of both... Bite... as opposed to Canadian "dry" beer his is actually good... Liquorice?... This is what "everyday" beer should be... plain, plainly good. Not for a celebration, new job, or testing negative for AIDS.
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Beer #2 of 3,652