TWO BROTHERS BREWING - THE BITTER END PALE ALE
(Warrenville, IL)
Jabez: 2.5
This beer had a nice copper
color and I could smell a citrus scent to it. This is a very bitter beer. I
didn’t care for it and it had an odd metal after taste to it. It had an average
malty taste but the bitterness overpowered that very quickly. It was very
disappointing.
Todd: 4
A nice, sweet, and floral
aroma immediately permeates the air around this one. Certainly a promising
opening! Tastewise, it's a smooth and hoppy character with a well-balanced
malty presence that counteracts the more acidic and bitter elements that other
pale ales exhibit. A standout, and a fine example of the style. Highly
enjoyable.
Tom T: 3
Amber-colored ale with
medium carbonation and a definitive hop presence in the aroma and taste. The
hop levels are moderate, but they are too much on the sour, floral end of the
spectrum for me.
Dylan: 4
Lovely amber color when
poured into my trusty pint glass. The taste is reminiscent of other American
pale ales I’ve had, and compares nicely. Fans of this style won’t be
disappointed here.
MICHELOB - HOP HOUND AMBER WHEAT
(St. Louis, MO)
Jabez: 4.5
This was a cloudy amber
beer. I had this before and I like it the more I drink it. I could smell a
flowery hop odor to it that was nice. I could taste a caramel malt flavor to
this beer and some nice hops flavors that flowed together. It is a nice
refreshing beer. It is nice to see one of the big brewers make something like
this. It was bottled by Michelob and rather inexpensive.
Todd: 3
A nicely clouded golden ale,
this seasonal macro features a balanced blend of Northwest hops and sweet
malts. It's an appealing combination with hints of citrus and caramel notes,
and not as bitter or biting as the name suggests. Hop Hound is easygoing, and
not too complex, but more than drinkable. A nice starting point for the
inexperienced beer drinker.
Tom T: 3
A hazy, golden-amber ale
with better foam and lacing than anticipated. A mild aroma of wheat, malt, and
citrusy hops. Taste is crisp, slightly sweet, and mildly hoppy – unoffensive,
but only average.
Dylan: 3
To paraphrase the old
Wendy’s commercial: “Where’s the hops?” I expected more of the big floral
wallop that comes with a heavy hit of hops, but this lacked said quality. But
it’s a fine beer nonetheless, and I’d recommend it to someone wanting to graduate
from watered-down beers to bottles more in the craft category.
BLUE DAWG BREWING - WILD BLUE BLUEBERRY LAGER
(Baldwinsville, NY)
Jabez: 3
I was really to rip this
beer apart but I had to attempt to be fair. When the label says, “Wild Blue”,
you have to expect some sort of funky beer.
It didn’t look like beer when I poured it, it was a plum color. The
flavor was more a weak grape taste than a blue berry. It tasted more like a wine cooler than a beer
but what do you expect? I was ready to
dump this one down the drain but my friend Joe convinced me to give it a
chance. It was a little odd but the 8%
alcohol was nice. It was OK for
something different but you have to read the label before you drink.
Todd: 1
To start with, I adore
blueberries. Fresh, ripe, and real blueberries, that is. Nonetheless, this Nehi
grape-colored debacle may say it contains "natural flavors and
colors", but beer it is not. And I question the "blueberry"
content as well. Maybe the 8% ABV is meant to obscure the fact that this one
commits abominable and atrocious acts on the tastebuds? It tastes like an
alcoholic grape soda, with no discernable hint of hops, just a weird, artificial
fruity flavor that lingers like a Wild Irish Rose in beer-like form. Ugh.
Avoid.
Tom T: 2
Just a blueberry wine cooler
and decent as far as wine coolers go. It
does earn bonus points for being 8% alcohol.
Dylan: 3
I expected to dislike this
(fruity beers usually suck in uncountable ways), but I was pleasantly
surprised. The blueberry flavor was prominent, but not too forward, and the
tannins of the fruit even lurked around in there. Pleasingly enjoyable.
SCHLAFLY No.15 ALE
(St. Louis, MO)
Jabez: 4.5
I am a fan of anything Schlafly
puts out. This beer poured a cloudy orange color and had good carbonation. I
could smell a fruitiness to this beer. I could taste some wheat with hints of
nutmeg and other spices. I would consider this a lighter version of the Pumpkin
Ale Schlafly puts out in the fall. It also had a creamy finish to it. I loved
this beer.
Todd: 4.5
This nice amber wheat ale
brings a frothy appearance and a fragrant spice aroma - delectable! The first
impression is a well-balanced maltiness, with a hint of citrusy spice. Compares
(very) favorably to it's mainstream counterpart, Blue Moon, and in fact, a
source close to me (who happens to enjoy Blue Moon) rated this one better. I
do, too. A wonderful beer -- not flashy or showy, just eminently enjoyable and
steady. Pick of the month.
Tom T: 3.5
Pours a cloudy light amber
color with a nose of wheat, fruit, and cloves. The fruits and clove come
through in the taste. A decent beer, but lacked texture and character. A little
too understated for me.
Dylan 5:
Yep.
