Day 327: Colette

Name: Colette

Brewer: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Classification: Saison

Alcohol: 7.3%

Thoughts: As I look back at this blog I realize that Colorado has a tremendous amount of great breweries within it's borders. New Belgium, Boulder, Avery, and of course Great Divide, just to name a few. From these breweries I have tasted a lot of amazing brews that are made with quality and passion. So I guess my point is that Colorado is a damn lucky state! Great Divide's Colette is a Saison that pours a murky, hazy yellow-gold color with an enormous, fluffy white head with good retention. On the nose you get a little bit of funk and spice. It is a soft approach from the aroma, but a good one nonetheless. You also get this sensation of being outside; a sunny feeling that is a bit uplifting. This beer is starting to take a turn for the metaphysical. When it comes to the taste we get a great fluff of cider and sugar followed by that infamous Belgian yeast. It is a bit more old school when compared to other American-made Saisons. I read a couple of reviews of this beer over the past day or so and all of them were extremely positive. Rarely do you find a beer that has no opponents. That speaks volumes about this beer. 

Rating: 89/100

Day 326: Karma

Name: Karma

Brewer: Avery Brewing Co. (Boulder, CO)

Classification: Belgian Pale Ale

Alcohol: 5.2%

Thoughts: Avery has been featured on this blog a number of times, including Maharajah which is the Top 10. But they have also had some duds. I wouldn't call Karma a complete dud, but there are a few issues with it. The first issue is that it seemed a little flat. I needed an aggressive pour just to get that itty-bitty head you see in the picture. The next issue, which may have been a continuation of the poor carbonation, is that it tasted a little dull. This isn't the first time I have this issue with an Avery beer. Despite the fact that this beer settled down nicely had made for a good, drinkable Belgian Pale Ale, these issues remained in my mind the whole time. Avery seems to be using the old adage "Go big or go home" because their beers are either amazing or the fall short, sometimes dramatically short. 

Rating: 74/100

Day 325: Red Tail Ale

Name: Red Tail Ale

Brewer: Mendocino Brewing Co. (Mendocino, CA)

Classification: Amber Ale

Alcohol: 6.1%

Thoughts: I have really stayed away from Mendocino because of the previous beers I've had from them. They weren't any good and I wouldn't have gotten Red Tail Ale either, but I wanted to see what their stuff was like on draft. It poured a nice woody amber color with a clean, crisp head. The nose had a big caramel stench coming from it as well as a rein-like pine smell. It was a little stronger than normal piney smells. A few sips I wasn't all that impressed. It was very drinkable and I would definitely have it again, but between the malts, hops and yeast I wasn't "Wow-ed" by any of it. It is all well made, but really average. I do think that there draft beer tasted fresher and just plain better than their bottled beer. 

Rating: 81/100

Day 324: Homemade Hefe (Homebrew)

Name: Homebrew Hefe

Brewer: Some Guy Named John

Classification: Hefeweizen

Alcohol: ?

Thoughts: I work near the State Farmer's Market in Raleigh and I stopped by today for some work stuff. Well there was this guy giving away his homebrew for a penny! Why, because he has to beat two separate NC laws. 1. You cannot make a profit on your homebrew without have a license and a bunch of other permits. 2. You cannot give away beer for free, or at least get caught giving it away for free. So, selling it for a penny beat both of these laws. His name was John and he he just called his beers Homemade this and Homemade that. It poured a lovely orange-copper color with a thin, bubbly head. The smell was downright good! Lots of citrus, lots of wheat and a zesty punch from the fruit. The taste was again pretty solid, but it was a bit overly sweet. The feel is creamy and smooth, like a juice. It was just odd because this beer came out of nowhere and it was a great surprise. Everything seemed to be in the right place and I really hope he is there tomorrow because I might try his IPA or his Stout (the other two styles he had). 

Rating: 85/100

Day 323: Bud Light Lime

Name: Bud Light Lime

Brewer: Anheuser-Busch (St. Louis, MO)

Classification: Light Lager

Alcohol: 4.2%

Thoughts: I really, really wanted to hate this beer. I mean it is a massive gimmick and it is from Anheuser-Busch. However, after careful consideration I think it could pass for enjoyable. I know, I know! It stands for everything I am against, but the lime flavoring is pretty decent. This is better than Bud Light, but still rather shitty. To be honest ... I'd have it again.

Rating: 60/100

Day 322: Detour Double IPA

Name: Detour Double IPA

Brewer: Uinta Brewing Co. (Salt Lake City, UT)

Classification: Imperial IPA

Alcohol: 9.5%

Thoughts: Uinta's Crooked Line Series is back at it again! This time I have their Imperial IPA, Detour Double IPA. This is supposedly a big, bold IPA with lots of hops and flavor. Let's see how it plays out.  The pour is a dark, murky copper color with a big, fluffy head that leaves strands of bubbles down the glass. The nose is extremely herbal with lots of leafy greens and piney hops creating an intense, heady smell. This thing quickly turns into a "sipper" because of its think, full body and intense feel. The alcohol is also to blame for this being a beer that needs some sips rather than a couple of gulps. It's intense! A thick, sweet caramelized punch hits you in the palate after the alcohol. The finish is desert dry and as bitter as a Kardashian! There is a problem. The hops just don't taste fresh. They seem a bit too dry and without the crispness that I expect form an Imperial IPA. Uinta still has something good here, but it's nothing special. 

Rating: 83/100

Day 321: Narragansett Summer Ale

Name: Summer Ale

Brewer: Narragansett Brewing Co. (Providence, RI)

Classification: American Blonde Ale

Alcohol: 4.2%

Thoughts: I reviewed Narragansett's Lager earlier in The Beer Year. Read that review and just imagine that this is a little bit better. 

Rating: 84/100

Day 320: Aces & Ates

Name: Aces & Ates

Brewer: Big Boss Brewing Co. (Raleigh, NC)

Classification: American Stout

Alcohol: 8% 

Thoughts: I have never had this beer before but I know plenty about it. I thought it was about time I tried it. It poured a pitch black with a minimal, tan head. It took a while to settle just like most stouts, but I'm always amazed at how the sediment floats up and settles as the head. The nose is mostly roasted malts, like burnt coffee. However, there is a noticeable amount of chocolate flavoring, whether from the coffee or actually chocolate nibs. This is a thick stout with a lot of alcohol so it took me quite a while to consume it. I was actually able to write my notes down, usually I have to remember them because I go through the beer so quickly. Those good ol' roasted malts were back with a vengeance. The finish is rather bitter and full of warming alcohol. This is a really good stout because despite its grandeur it is rather simple and delightful. 

Rating: 84/100

Day 319: Burning River

Name: Burning River

Brewer: Great Lakes Brewing Co. (Cleveland, OH)

Classification: American Pale Ale

Alcohol: 6%

Thoughts: It's been a rough week. I have a lot going on at work and so does the wife. So we decided to grab a drink together ... at 4:00. We needed it. When we got to the bar I looked over the menu and while there was a really good beer list I have had most of it on this blog. However, I had not had Great Lake's Burning River, and you can't really go wrong with Great Lakes. As you can see in the picture this beer pours a crisp amber color. I had a few sips before I remembered to take a picture. There is a good balance of fruity hops and sweet malts in the nose. The taste is made mostly of caramelized malts, but there are a few surprises as well. You get a great piney taste from the hops on top of the citrus. Usually you get one or the other. Also, there is a tender tartness to the aftertaste that I really enjoyed. The only way to really describe this beer is to say that is holds all the qualities you look for in an American Pale Ale. Let me just say that as my time doing this blog is coming to an end, Great Lakes has been one of the best surprises. I really have been super impressed with everything they have had to offer. If you haven't had anything from them yet, go get something. 

Rating: 87/100

Day 318: Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Name: Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewer: Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)

Classification: American Strong Ale

Alcohol: 7.2%

Thoughts: If you remember I have had the original Arrogant Bastard Ale on this blog already. However I decided to up the ante and try Stone Brewing's Oaked version of Arrogant Bastard Ale. Let me just say that this dwarfs the regular version in just about every category. The pour is a rich mahogany with a perfectly even and weighted head. The aroma is thick and heady with lots of desirable malts, toffee, and piney hops. The oak is present in both the smell and the taste of this beer, but its the aging that has done this beer good favors. It adds a great complexity that is rarely found in beers. It is usually saved for whiskeys and rare wines. Caramel and roasted malts lead into this sophistication with added touches of alcohol and muted spices. It is something I don't have the vocabulary to describe. Quality can never be understated in a beer and the quality in brewing of this beer is some of Stone's finest. Bravo!

Rating: 93/100

Day 317: Duvel

Name: Duvel

Brewer: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat (Breendonk-Puurs, Belgium)

Classification: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Alcohol: 8.5%

Thoughts: If I could describe Duvel in one word: Legendary. It is THE beer that made me realize that beer is more than Clydesdales and the Rockies. Beer is about passion and craft. Duvel is just that. I was waiting to have this during the last week of The Beer Year but I couldn't stand not being able to drink it any longer. I could ramble on for pages about this beer, but I'm not going to do that. Just drink it and find out for yourself.

Rating: 90/100

Day 316: Big Eye IPA

Name: Big Eye IPA

Brewer: Ballast Point Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)

Classification: American IPA

Alcohol: 6.8%

Thoughts: I don't know much about Ballast Point but I thought I'd give them a try in hopes that this was a sleeper of beer. I rather go into drinking a beer for the first time with no expectations, it means you are surprised no matter what. This was a good surprise. It pours a creamy copper with a one inch, beige head that laced its way around the glass as I drank it. The aroma was very piney and full of hop resin. I call it that "sticky-icky" after another resin filled product. I also got something that smelled like bay leaves and of course, citrus. The taste was gigantic. Lots of flavor and texture to sort out after the first few sips. It starts out a little sweet and fruity, but that quickly succumbs to the pineapple and citrus hops. This beer is packed full of hops that sit on your palate for a while even after you've finished it. The feel is medium-bodied but really soft and velvety. This beer is a session beer. The alcohol is usually what makes a beer a session beer to me, but in this case it is the bitter, dry hops that really drive this beer. If you are looking for a palate challenge look no further. 

Rating: 88/100

Day 315: Belgo

Name: Belgo

Brewer: New Belgium Brewing Co. (Fort Collins, CO)

Classification: Belgian IPA

Alcohol: 7%

Thoughts: I can't tell you how much I am itching to drink a beer and not have to write about it. I knew this blog would eventually get under my skin, but I didn't realize how much under my skin it would get. Ready for Day 366 to come! Belgo pours a very hazy, sediment-filled orangey-copper color. If you are wondering why there is no head it is because this thing exploded out of the bottle and I was very lucky to get as much as I did in the glass. By the time I finished cleaning up my spillage the head was gone. The nose was deep and heavy with lots of Belgian yeast, fruity hops, and bready malts. The taste was acute and aggressive with the Belgian yeast splashing and tingling the back of the throat. The pepper and zesty fruit wash over the palate and down to your stomach before you can realize what's happening in your mouth. Big flavors and big feel make this a really solid beer. New Belgium really is an immensely talented brewery and I am so thankful they are coming to North Carolina!

Rating: 84/100

Day 314: Summer Love

Name: Summer Love

Brewer: Victory Brewing Co. (Downington, PA)

Classification: American Blonde Ale

Alcohol: 5.2% 

Thoughts: Baseball, beer, cookouts, burgers, concerts, beer sweat, beach, fireworks, beer, ice cream, sunscreen, and beer. These are all things that describe my typical summers. The are my "Flavors of the Season" as Victory would put it. Summer Love, their summertime Blonde Ale, is a beer that is supposed to encapsulate what summer is all about. I think they do a pretty darn good job doing just that. Summer Love pours a crystalline yellowish-gold with a fizzy, highly carbonated head. The aroma is immediate and forthright. The first thing I got was cannabis, which used to be part of my summers, as well as grassy hops and crispy, cracker-like malts. There was a small dose of fruit in the smell as well. As this beer runs down the ol' gullet you feel the light airiness of it as well as the sharp bite of carbonation and hops. The taste is layered with fruit, European hops, bitterness, and it finishes dry and smooth. Summertime is always a festive, fun time for me. This beer is also festive and fun, but on top of all that it is a high quality beer with a lot to offer. 

Rating: 86/100

Day 313: Bryant Bridge Gateway Golden Ale

Name: Bryant Bridge Gateway Golden Ale

Brewer: Bull City Brewery (Durham, NC)

Classification: Kolsch

Alcohol: ?

Thoughts: When you are coming into Downtown D-town at night you pass under this bridge with blue lights strung across it. You can't miss it and while it may not seem like something special, it is the Bryant Bridge. The Bryant Bridge is the Gateway to downtown Durham, much like the Archway in St. Louis is the Gateway to the West. Downtown Durham, the West ... same thing, right? Anyways this Kolsch-like beer is in honor of it. I say Kolsch like because I am really unsure of what kind of beer it really is and this was what I would have guessed it to be. It pours a cloudy solid gold color with a thin, steady head that floats right on top of the beer the entire drinking experience. The smell had some bready malts in it, but it was mostly fragrant, fruity aromas that were sincerely intoxicating. The taste is very light and follows its precursory nose. I got peach and orange and lemon and a low level of hops. This is an excellent summer beer and a great thirst-quencher. It is also a beer that both beer-newbies and beer-oldies can enjoy.


Rating: 85/100

Day 312: Ruination IPA

Name: Ruination IPA

Brewer: Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)

Classification: Imperial IPA

Alcohol: 7.7%

Thoughts: I usually don't order bottled beer at a restaurant or bar when there is the option of draft available, but I did just that with Stone's Ruination IPA. By the way ruination is defined as "the action or fact of ruining someone or something or of being ruined". Stone says they named it this because it has so much hops in it that it will ruin your palate. Which, to put it lightly, is a stupid name! I say that because it doesn't ruin your palate at all. In fact it is like Viagra for the palate. It pours a hazy, perception-bending orange-gold  hue with a thick, heavy head that ribboned around the glass really well. The aroma is a tsunami of hops and malts. The hops are piney and minty, while the malts are biscuity and sweet like shortbread. Alcohol remained absent from the smell despite this being an Imperial IPA. Usually an Imperial IPA has lots of alcohol content and have ABV% around 10 or so. 7.7% ain't too shabby though. The taste is just more unrelenting hops. Those dry bitter hops that just coat your tongue and throat until you can't handle any more hops. Here's an analogy. Hops are to Ruination IPA like butter is to anything Paula Deen makes. If hops caused Diabetesssss this beer would be on the USDA watch list. This is a fantastic drink, and it gets two thumbs up and a full recommendation from me. 

Rating: 92/100

Day 311: Golden Cap

Name: Golden Cap

Brewer: New Holland Brewing Co. (Holland, MI)

Classification: Saison

Alcohol: 6.25%

Thoughts: After work I went and grabbed a drink with a few co-workers. We went to Raleigh Times which is one of my favorite spots in downtown Raleigh, or anywhere to be honest. It was a lovely day sit outside and enjoy some alcoholic beverages, so that's what we did. As you can probably tell I ordered New Holland's Golden Cap as it was on draft. It poured a golden-straw color with bright white, frothy head. The photo is rather picturesque of how a beer should look. The aroma was very sharp and yeasty. Pepper or clove was involved, not exactly sure which, and also bready malts. The breadiness was more appetizing than in other Saisons I have had. Saisons are just amazing complex beers with lots of surprises in each one. This one was a bit more wheat-based than others. It was a sweet wheat that blended well with the spicy Belgian yeast and tamed clove. I had just as much difficulty tasting the spice as I did smelling it. That's not a bad thing, just an observation. Overall this beer did the trick. It gave me joy, it was complex and pretty interesting. I recommended it to one of my co-workers and she enjoyed it too, so I'm not the only one that thought it was a good beer.

Rating: 86/100

Day 310: Iron City Beer

Name: Iron City Beer

Brewer: Iron City Brewing Co. (Latrobe, PA)

Classification: American Adjunct Lager

Alcohol: 4.5%

Thoughts: Both the Iron City Brewing Co. and Pittsburgh Brewing Co. claim to make this beer. I am unsure of the story here but it might be interesting to look into. That of course assumes that you are a beer nerd like myself. The reason I have this is because it is a Shitty Beer Special. Someone mentioned during my Shitty Beer Week that this was in fact the shittiest beer in the country. And it surely does taste massively shitty, but I don't hate it. It doesn't pretend to be really good. It sells for $1 in the store and isn't a cornerstone of the American beer market. In fact, I commend this beer for taking on the persona of its city. Pittsburgh is a shitty town with one in particularly shitty person that I am friends with. Yet, it is a hard working city with a lot of dignity. This beer is too. 

Rating: 60/100

Day 309: Newcastle Summer Ale

Name: Summer Ale

Brewer: The Caledonian Brewery Co. LTD (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Brewed in Newcastle, England

Classification: English Bitter

Alcohol: 4.4%

Thoughts: Getting free beer samples never gets old! Newcastle has just sent me a couple bottles of their Summer Ale, and I guess I'll just have to drink it and tell you what I think. It pours a very bubbly, golden orange color that is quite opaque. The head isn't much to talk about, but I devoted a whole sentence with a comma in it to it. The aroma is tart. That's not all, but it is the first and foremost characteristic of the aroma. I also smelled an adequate amount of apple and earthy hops. The mixture made for an interesting, almost juice-like nose. After the first couple of sips the tartness started to bother me. Then, all of a sudden, it disappeared. I mean it vanished and toasted malts, more hops and a cereal-like quality came to the forefront. It wasn't all that exciting, but it was much more enjoyable than this taste plus the tartness. I have to admit, even though Newcastle gave me some free samples, this isn't a brilliant beer. It needs some work. Mainly I would add more hops and maybe a different variety of them. Maybe they will take my notes and create the greatest beer in the world and I will become super famous! But probably not. 

Rating: 74/100

Day 308: Blue Moon

Name: Blue Moon

Brewer: Coors Brewing Co. (Golden, CO)

Classification: Witbier

Alcohol: 5.4%

Thoughts: Now Blue Moon could be considered a Shitty Beer by some. It is brewed by Coors, it is a mass produced beer, and people who know nothing about beer really like it. I on the other hand think this is not a Shitty Beer, but one of the best mass produced beers in the US. It pours a faded, cloudy copper color with a creamy, beige head. The smells are fairly traditional for a witbier. It has notes of wheat, citrus, grain and the tiniest bit of spice. Nothing special, actually not very beer-like at all. However, the taste and feel of this beer makes the drinking experience rather enjoyable. The taste is bready, wheaty, malty, and big time citrusy. Add a little orange and this is a great drink on a summer day. The feel of this beer is velvety and milky. It really coats the throat and is the best part of the beer. By no means am I saying that Blue Moon is this amazing, phenomenal beer, but it is good, despite its mass production. I wonder how this would taste in smaller batches. 

Rating: 83/100

Day 307: Flashback

Name: Flashback 

Brewer: Boulder Beer Co. (Boulder, CO)

Classification: American Brown Ale

Alcohol: 6.88%

Thoughts: Brown Ales have become a really good find for me during this past year. I really only drank a couple of different Brown Ales before this blog but there are several more that I would recommend now. I thought I would try one of the oldest Craft Breweries in the country's version of of American Brown Ale. This brown ale does in fact pour a brown color with reddish hues and a thin, fizzy head. The aroma was rather malty with a bit of toffee and coffee. It reminded me of a heath bar in a lot ways. After the smell I anticipated it to be rather normal and sane. However, Flashback gave me flashbacks of my very own Pale Ale. It was filled with malts, but not too much. The hops had a bitterness to them that really set the mood. And on top of it all was the great finish. Smooth, clean, reassuring and of course sweet. The feeling of this beer was a bit bubbly, but thin. It is a very drinkable beer. Boulder is such a great brewery and I really haven't had anything bad from them. 

Rating: 86/100

Day 306: The Preacher

Name: The Preacher

Brewer: Lonerider Brewing (Raleigh, NC)

Classification: Saison

Alcohol: 5.8%

Thoughts: I had this beer at lunch with my family. I had heard that Lonerider had released it, but I had not seen it anywhere. So of course I ordered it, and after a sip of mine my Aunt ordered it too. This was one of the best Saisons I have ever had, to put it simply. It pours a luscious dark copper color with an evenly gorgeous white head. The aroma was slightly peppery with a hint of biscuity malts. It was simple and clean. Now, when it comes to the taste of Saisons you want so crossbred of sweet and spicy, but not too much or too little of either. This one hit on the head of the nail in both. The clove was supple and inviting, and the hops packed enough bitterness to not overwhelm you. I also got some notes of white grapes and to wrap it all into a nice bow was the Belgian yeast. The most well balanced Saison I can think of. Well done Lonerider! 

Rating: 88/100

Day 305: Modelo Especial

Name: Modelo Especial 

Brewer: Grupo Modelo (Mexico City, Mexico)

Classification: American Adjunct Lager

Alcohol: 4.4%

Thoughts: Of all the Mexican beers that I had had previous to this blog, Modelo Especial was my favorite. It is the perfect beer to have on a hot day because it is as smooth and as clean as water. I have always thought there was a place for Modelo in the beer world and I still do. Now, it isn't the greatest beer in the world, it may  not even be the best Mexican beer. However, the fact that it has a real identity and many enjoyable qualities make it worthwhile to me. The next time you plan on tailgating or do some day drinking this summer, reach for the Modelo instead of your Bud Light's and Coors. 

Rating: 77/100

Day 304: Spine Tingler

Name: Spine Tingler

Brewer: MacTarnhan's Brewery (Portland, OR)

Classification: Tripel

Alcohol: 8.5%

Thoughts: Sometimes beers have very confusing back stories. Sometimes it is because of weird stories or a shady past and other times, like with Spine Tingler, it is because of licensing and distribution. I may be wrong but it sounds like this is Brewed by MacTarnhan's Taproom in Portland, but bottle and distributed by Pyramid Brewing Co. in Seattle. Either way it comes from the Northwest. This Tripel has a light, fizzy head that floats on top of a bright, crystalline golden colored brew. The aroma bursts at the seems of this beer and radiates right into your olfactory nerves. The aroma and the taste are quite similar. Both have a malt forefront, which is crisp and light. Then the fruity hops show up. They are a bit acidic like apple juice, but complement the malts extremely well. Next, the Belgian yeast comes home to roost with pops of clove and pepper. The weight of the spice is Goldie Locks-esque, just right. To finish this brew off you get a warming, tingling, alcoholic run down down your throat. It is actually a throat tingler, but I assume Spine Tingler is just a cooler name. This is a decedent brew with lots of class and stigma. I really enjoyed it. 

Rating: 88/100

Day 303: Hoppus Maximus

Name: Hoppus Maximus

Brewer: Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. (Akron, OH)

Classification: Amber Ale

Alcohol: 5%

Thoughts: Thirsty Dog makes a number of beers that I want to try and have yet to, but in the interest of keeping a little variety in my drinking I chose their Amber Ale. Hoppus Maximus pours a dark copper/light amber color with minimal, white head. The aroma was really strong. As I was taking the second picture it was creeping into my nostrils and enticing my senses. It has a bright, hoppy smell that you usually get with an IPA, not an Amber Ale. A few sips in I knew this was a different type of Amber Ale. This one had malts, but less than normal. It had hops, but more than normal. It had sweetness, but fruitier than normal. The feel was thin, but more carbonated than normal. This beer was an amber ale, but not normal. Not really that much better than a normal Amber Ale.

Rating: 79/100

Day 302: Carolina Blonde

Name: Carolina Blonde

Brewer: Foothills Brewing (Winston-Salem, NC)

Classification: American Blonde Ale

Alcohol: 4.3%

Thoughts: I ended up having some friends over on Saturday night and one of them left some Carolina Blondes in my fridge. So what else was I supposed to do but drink and review them. Thanks ReTodd! This American Blonde Ale pours a light yellow with very little gold to it and an frothy head, similar to the head you get on a witbier. The smell was fairly earthy with some grass, malt and something musty. I don't know what the musty smell was from, but I have noticed it in Blonde Ales before. The taste is very acidic and bitter. Not an impressive start. However, the latter stages of this beer develop nicely. The hops are light, but crisp, and the malts are not very fruity, but sweet. This is a decent beer and there are a ton of different options out there. I think this could be passed over, but its not bad. 

Rating: 78/100

Day 301: Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Name: Summerfest

Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico, CA)

Classification: Czech Pilsner

Alcohol: 5%

Thoughts: I've been helping my friend Matt take down some trees in his front yard over the past week and today he paid me in beer. He gave me a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada's Summerfest. However, it looked as if he got a little thirsty because in place of two of the Summerfests were a Blue Moon and a Bud Light Lime. So, it looks like I will be having a "Shitty Beer Special" sometime this week. I used a couple of the remaining bottles to make some beer brats. I am sure they will turn out fine because this is a pretty decent beer. I drank it straight from the bottle because I was too lazy to pour it in a glass. The smell is really interesting. It tasted like freshly sliced bologna. That may sound weird to some, but it makes total sense to me for some reason. The taste was a little oily, maybe this is what's making the smell bologna-esque. It was very sharp with a quick bit to the palate. The swallow is sharp, crisp and slightly bitter. The malts are very light and the hops have all the room in the world to work their magic. On the burp it taste totally Euro-centric. It reminds me Czech beers and that is a good thing. No, a great thing! However, it is a pilsner and can only take you so far, but this a good one at that. 

Rating: 82/100

Day 300: SkullSplitter

Name: SkullSplitter

Brewer: Orkney Brewery (Orkney, Scotland)

Classification: Scotch Ale

Alcohol: 8.5%

Thoughts: Today is Day 300! I simply cannot believe this Beer Year has flown by so quickly. With only a couple months left I need to start going after some of the beers I really want! I am going to start with Orkney's SkullSplitter. This is a top notch Scotch Ale made on the Orkney Islands, which are off the Northwest Coast of Scotland. This Wee Heavy pours a rich nut brown color with a beige, creamy head. It is a lot darker than most Scotch Ales. The smell is pretty big. I got some toffee notes, roasted nuts, raisins and alcohol. The alcohol scared me because it was a little strong for my taste so I expected it to be over my head in the taste. But, it was scaled back a bit and really added itself nicely to the notes of scotch whiskey, sugar, raisins, and toasted malts. It is an expansive taste with loads of complexity and sophistication. This is a well-crafted beer that has the bonus of being a little rare and very unique. A 100% recommendation from me!

Rating: 90/100

Day 299: Ruby Redbird

Name: Ruby Redbird

Brewer: Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner, TX)

Classification: Fruit Beer

Alcohol: 4.01%

Thoughts: I tried to be a little adventurous in my beer selection tonight. I got Shiner's Ruby Redbird, which is a beer brewed with red grapefruit and ginger. It actually sounded like a fun and interesting combination. However, as usual I was a little skeptical of it being "all that good". It poured a pinkish color and looked very much like a pink ginger ale with tons of carbonation. The head was all bubbles and faded very quickly. The smell was amazing, probably the best part. Lots of grapefruit esters, rich malts, and of course ginger. When it came time to taste the beer I was really hoping for a good mesh of ginger and grapefruit and that one didn't overpower the other. But that wasn't the case. While the grapefruit was noticeable, the ginger was everywhere. I thought I would be able to handle it as it tasted like a really sweet ginger ale with a splash of alcohol. But about halfway through I couldn't take it anymore. I have to give Shiner credit as it can definitely work, it just needs a little retooling. 

Rating: 73/100

Day 298: Bruno Bitter

Name: Bruno Bitter

Brewer: Boylan Bridge Brewpub (Raleigh, NC)

Classification: American Pale Ale

Alcohol: 5.5% 

Thoughts: For the people in this world who are not aware of Boylan Bridge Brewpub be forewarned, it is awesome! It os a local Brewpub that sits on the edge of a bridge that has an awesome patio that overlooks all of downtown Raleigh. The view is simply epic. The food could be better, but the view is the best! Oh yeah, they make their own beer too, which ain't half bad. I ordered the Bruno Bitter. A cloudy, light copper colored brew with a small, wispy head sitting on top of it. Even in the open air with breezes blowing about I could still get the bitter, stingy hops and pale malt aroma. The taste of the beer was less bitter than I thought it would, which ended up being a good thing. It had a little bit of sweetness built of top of toasted malt. The bitterness came in afterwards for a quicky and then ducked out again before the aftertaste was over. The finish was dry and a little rough, but nothing I couldn't handle. This isn't a complex beer, but it is an interesting one. I feel confident saying that even though I was mesmerized by the location in which I was drinking this beer. 

Rating: 83/100

Day 297: Sea Nymph

Name: Sea Nymph

Brewer: Heavy Seas Beer (Baltimore, MD)

Classification: American Blonde Ale

Alcohol: 4.5%

Thoughts: Heavy Seas has been one of the surprise breweries of this long journey to beer enlightenment. Before I started I didn't think so highly of them, now I do. I thought I would try their summer ale, Sea Nymph, and I hope they don't fail me now. The beer pours a strong gold with yellowish hues and a razor thin head. In the nose sits a lot of light malt, lemon peel and a very tender sweetness. It is very light as you would expect from a Summer Ale. The feel of this beer is very watery and clean. I could imagine sitting on a Pirate Ship, pillaging some coastal village and drink a bunch of these in the process. The taste isn't all that exciting, but it manages to keep me drinking. It is really clean with no bitterness. The malts own this beer with little to no hops being noticed, unless you count the lemon peel as part of the hop flavors. I could imagine a ton of beers I would rather have, but I would still recommend it as it is a half-decent Blonde Ale. 

Rating: 80/100