08-28-10

A journey through ALL the beers - From A to Z ! ! !  I'm not sure if I'll survive but I believe it's my sense of duty to bring as much information to you, the public, as possible.  The only things that can slow the epic event down are illness and lack of funds. 

29.  Anderson Valley Deep Enders Dark Porter -

28.  Anderson Valley Brother David's Triple Abbey Style Ale -It has a dirty gold color. There isn't a head on it. It's more like a thin film over the top of this beer. The nose is light with just a little bready yeast. WOW, what a huge taste bud shocker on the first sip. Big wheat with grain and soft malts. That itchy feeling scratches the roof of my mouth from the wheat. A lot of alcohol lingers on the finish. This is a big beer that is fun to drink. I don't see being able to drink more than this one 22oz. bottle or see it going with any meals. I would still buy it again to just sit around and enjoy. B-

-  Anderson Valley Brother David's Belgian Style Double Ale -A rich brown chocolate color with a thin taupe head that poured less than on finger thick. Disappointing! A lot of malt. I love the hints of leather and tobacco. The first sip brings out some fruit (apricots and black cherries) and a bready feel. It's almost like drinking a liquid Fig Newton. There is a lot of alcohol and a burnt finish that shows up after the heat disappears. This beer is almost to complex. It would probably do well in a cellar for a little while (1 year max). It is similar to a Belgian but defiantly Americanized with the overwhelming flavors and high alcohol. B-

- Anderson Valley Boont ESB - A classic beer color. A simple light brownish tan. It has a slight orange tint when the light hits it just right. The head is ok. It's not real thick but it is lacing the glass really well. The nose is very quiet. There is some hops and a little citrus. A very unique taste. It has an earthy, grassy taste that scratches the roof of my mouth and the bitter hops put a lemon bite on the back of my throat. The bitterness lingers for a short time but the citrus hangs out a long while. I would say this is a good beer worth trying. B-
 

-  Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale - It definitely has a classic red color and even a touch of orange. The head is mainly white and a good finger thick. The nose is a rich, malty, and caramel. The heavy malt carries over to the taste. I get the faintest hint of those white yogurt covered raisins my kids love. The finish is long while a sticky caramel coats my lips. Nice! I'm glad I tried this big amber that is easy to drink. It would go great with chicken or pork tenderloin. Solid B

-  Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout - It has a wonderful dark brown coffee pour. The head is thin but a great toffee, caramel color. The nose is bitter but there is still a pleasant smell of coffee and hops. The hops is most certainly where the bitterness is coming from. It has a real bold burnt smoky taste. It has defiantly been Americanized with some hops and bold, robust, over-the-top flavors. I wouldn't mind if it was toned down a little. It's one of those beers that could be drank for breakfast or with some Green & Black Organic Chocolate after dinner. A very high B+

-  Anchor Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2009 - a real dark cherry maroon color. The head is a light chocolate tint. BIG spicy nose! WOW...a lot of popery notes. All the spices, pine, and floral notes rush through my nose and stick to the back of my tongue before I even take the first sip. The taste is really tight and a little tart. It leaves a little bit of a soap like feeling on the back of my throat. I'm glad to see this beer is still developing but it needs to go back in the cellar for another year or more. I'm going to rate this a B- but look for it get better and better with the years to come.

-  Anchor Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2008 - A deep dark red muddled in some bourbon brown. This two year old beer still pours with a nice caramel head. It is full of cedar, pine, and has a floral, popery like nose. I can already tell this beer was worth the two year wait. The body is too light to make me think it will last much longer but I have another bottle that I will set aside for next year. It may be light but it has so much flavor! Pine and cedar again and I get some juniper too. I even pick up a little cinnamon and pumpkin spice on the finish. It has a good lingering finish but not too long. It leaves a dry floral taste on the tongue. Truly spectacular!!  A-

-  Anchor Summer has a faded John Deere yellow color and a one finger white head. It looks just like what I expect a summer beer should look like. It has a heavier nose than I would have expected. The slightest hint of lemon tickles my nose. The citrus comes out in the first sip leaving some coriander on the tongue. There is some grainy wheat on the finish that lingers. I wish it had a little more UMPH! on the flavor. This is still one of the better summer beer out there. C+

20.  Anchor Steam has a clean copper yellow.  A thick head tops off this beer.  It's golden off white color laces the glass.  Not much of a nose?  This disappointing considering it's great appearance.  It has some bitterness but all-in-all a very light beer.  There is no after taste either.  This is the most drinkable beer I have had from the Anchor Brewing Company, but it lacks in something to make it stand out against other beers.  C

-  Anchor Porter was like draining used motor oil in a pint glass!! It's almost black. The head is as dark as leather on a well used saddle. It has a rich chocolate smell that makes me skip a second sniff just so I can taste it. There is more licorice than chocolate and an herbal quality that I can't pin down? That herbal taste really lingers on the finish with some hoppy bitterness and a pinch of pepper. I also get some cedar and some smoke flavor. Good beer....I'm not sure when I would drink it. Maybe with some beef brisket and Boston baked beans. B+

-  Anchor Liberty ale is a bright straw like shade of yellow. the frothy white head pours a good two fingers thick. I let this beer sit for a good minute or two and the head hasn't moved. NICE!! A big aroma of floral hops fills the nose and a little grassy. those little grassy notes that are barely noticeable in the nose really come through on the taste. I get some lemon zest too. The finish hangs out just for a little while which is perfect for this ale. Solid B

-  Anchor Foghorn pours a light reddish brown. It reminds me of some of the back roads of Oklahoma when the clay gets wet or the dirt at the Saturday night races. The head is a thick bamboo-like-tan. It continues to lace the pint glass as it sits. The nose is sweet! Raisins and plums fragrant the air. It has a rich, thick feel that coats every corner of my mouth. It has sweet yet dry fruits that roll around as well. A tartness lingers on the finish and a feeling of alcohol warms the depths of my belly. I would treat this beer much like I would a port wine. Perfect for after dinner or with my favorite cigar.  Rates a solid B

-  Anchor Bock is a real brown sugar color, almost the same appearance as root beer. The head is simple, yet a special, tan color. When it reduced to a film over the top of the beer it reminded me of the coco mix in chocolate milk that just didn't quite mix in all the way. The nose is real malty with a hint of a bitter chocolate. The bitterness jumps out right away but it's not overpowering. Some soft leather and burnt tobacco sits on the back of the tongue while a gritty malt texture sticks to the top of the mouth. This will be a great beer to start the fall season but it's still too hot in these Oklahoma Summer days at 100 + degrees to truly enjoy this beer. I will definitely revisit this one when it cools off. B-

- Amstel Light...I can smell this beer as soon as I open it but I always like to start with the pour. In the pint glass it pours a bright, golden, crystal clear yellow. The head is not impressive. Just a plain white that doesn't hang out very long. The nose is quite pungent with a lingering skunkiness. The taste is similar to the nose but with less skunkiness. It was replaced with some bitterness. I wouldn't say it's bad especially compared to some of the other ultras and lights available if you're watching calories. However, like my friend Travis says, "Watch what you eat, not what you drink." D+

-  Affligem Tripel from a 750mL bottle with a champagne style cork. It poured a real hazy wheat color with a half finger white head. A big bread dough nose. I don't get much more than that on the nose. So far I'm a little disappointed in the appearance and smell. There it is....this beer makes up for it on the first sip. I get a lot of clove and some Belgian style yeast and some spices. There is some alcohol heat right away and I feel it the entire time. The second sip brings a nutty slightly rubbery taste. It's good but just not my style of beer. I still can appreciate and respect this quality Belgian beer...B-

-  Affligem Dubbel comes in a 750mL bottle topped with a champagne style cork. It poured a hazy, honey, brownish tan. The head was a rich light cork color. The nose was earthy but a little sweet. Maybe a hint of hazelnut and some yeast. Nice...the first sip is soft and sweet. It was defiantly hazelnut I was smelling because it hit the tongue like a freight train. There is some apricot and tartness on the sides of the tongue that add some balance to this sweet dubbel. Some lingering leathery feel finishes out this nice Belgian beer. This would be great paired with a glazed ham and stuffing. Maybe a side of mashed sweet potatoes or carrots with brown sugar. Perhaps I should keep this beer in mind for Thanksgiving dinner...B-

-  Affligem Blond....Now that is a deep, dark, yellow beer. I would say it is as dark and as clear as apple juice. The two finger white head immediately laces the glass. A rich Yeast aroma rises out of the glass screaming "BELGIAN!". That bready and sweet flowery aroma is a good clue to the high quality of this blonde. A lot more complex on the palate with all the different spices. There are more than my simple palate can pick out. It's like biting into a fresh piece of bread with peppercorns plus some other spices? There is just a little too much bitterness for me but it does balance out the beer well. The heat form the alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing. This is a GREAT beer! It easily rates a solid A

-  Acme Pale Ale...Waiting for inventory

10.  Acme IPA...Waiting for inventory

-  Abita Wheat drops in the glass with an odd dull yellow. It is surprisingly clear for a wheat beer but still just an ordinary yellow. The head was there, I turned around to throw the bottle away, when I looked back it was gone...huh? The nose is very soft and subtle with just barely a hint of bread. I would call this wheat beer the wonder bread of wheat beers. Everyone likes it but it doesn't compete with Grandma's homemade Sunday loaves. The taste is just plain and kind of boring but it's really, really easy to drink and goes with anything. C

-  Abita Turbodog poured a dark brown, almost the same color as the auburn bottle it comes in. the caramel colored head seems to be thick and frothy. The head was still hanging out in the middle of my pint glass when I was half way through this beer. Nice! It smells of rich sweet brown sugar that is very welcoming, and a little leathery. It's a lot softer than I imagined. I guess the black label and the big name always lead me to believe this was a huge stout. However, it is a very drinkable brown ale with hints of molasses and a soft tobacco on the finish. It does linger on the palate a bit longer then I would like. What more can I say....it's good! One of Abita's better beers B-

-  Abita Satsuma Wit...This beer has a great pour. A hazy, cloudy, yellow with a touch of orange. The head is not impressive at all! It doesn't even pour one finger thick. The nose is yeast and fruit, coriander and that very wheat banana smell that I'm not fond of. The taste has a light body with all the fruit in the nose just barely noticeable on the palate. This is a great spring/summer beer. It would be nice for sitting on the patio or after mowing the lawn. 
 

-  Abita Root Beer (non-alcoholic) - This is just for fun but I was going through all the Abita Brewery and found some of their root beer at Pop's on Route 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma.  I love root beer so I had to buy some.  Why not reveiw it, right.  It pours dark dark molassas brownish red.  You can see light coming through it but thats about it.  The head was a typical soda, big and fizzy then gone.  This has the traditional root beer nose with a lot of big spice and a hint of licorice.  It has very little carbonation without tasting flat.  The spices are even more apparent while drinking.  It's SWEET!  A little too sweet for my liking.  I always prefer a root beer with a little more bite.  All in all, one of the better root beers available.  B+

-  Abita Purple Haze pours a light, light, hazed whitish yellow. A very small head is present but seems to be hanging out for a long time. The nose on this beer is huge! it almost smells like Welch's juice. The first sip is like biting into a raspberry filled jelly doughnut. The wheat is present only on the finish by scratching the back of my tongue. The beer is extremely easy to drink. It's not too sweet but seems more like something to have with breakfast. If breakfast is too early for you (on your days off of course) maybe with some cheese cake topped with fresh raspberries after dinner. I'm was going to rate this beer a solid B- but it seemed to become flat as I continued to drink it. So my rating is a middle of the road C

-  Abita Jackamo IPA poured a light brown with a hint of orange. The head is thick, lacing the glass immediately with an off white taupe color. Finally some hops from Abita! The nose is very floral but still has some earthy grassy notes to it. It drinks a little flat at first. The presents of hops is what brings this beer to life. The hops are not over powering, most likely the Cajun European influence make this a very light IPA. As an overall beer I would rate it a C+. As an IPA style it drops in rating to a C-

-  Abita Andy Gator....WOW....Yellow and crystal clear! It looks like there is very little carbonation because it had a small thin white head. It quickly dissipated to just a slight film over the top of this beer. I get a a lot of banana in the nose like some hefeweizen. A bit of skunkiness on the palate with more banana. This beer is light and easy to drink. A little bit of alcohol heat is on the finish. It seems like there is too much to go on at once in this beer. It is a wonderful change from Abita's other beers. Rating B-

-  Abita Amber Ale had a real classic beer look to it.  It was a very clean, clear brown with just a hint of redness.  The head is mostly white and leaves little to no lacing on the glass.  I don't have much experience with amber style beers so the the nose is fairly new to me.  The nose follows right on the palate.  I definitely get a malty sweetness.  Maybe that sweetness is a little bit of wheat.  I barely get that bready grit feeling on the back of my tongue on the second sip.  The finish is short, leaving just enough sweetness in my mouth to want to try another sip.  Overall it's nothing to get too excited about but still a pleasant, easy drinking beer.  I would rate it a high C+.

1.  And so it begins....Abita Abbey Ale, it poured a dark auburn and a bit cloudy.  I was surprised by how dark it was, however, it had a nice thick caramel colored head that left rings as I drank it.  The nose was peanuts and cloves.  It has a malty, rich mouthfeel and a hint of apricot.  I'm not a big fan of cloves but I can appreciate the big part it plays in this beer.  The finish is long but not overwhelming.  This beer has a nice Belgian style but was definitely American-ised by Abita.  They did a great job and I can see having this beer with some pork chops and applesauce.  I would rate this beer overall a mid to low B.