Goose Island Pere Jacques
Alison: 2.5
Pours an elegant, amber with a thin creamy head that doesn’t stay up long. It appears to be lightly carbonated and is full of aroma. When one drinks it, it starts off sweet yet ends in your mouth, like a dry syrup. It looks refreshing, but it’s definitely lacking. If you were to drink it, keep it in the bottle, it’s less fussy that way.
Tom: 4.5
Pours a cloudy amber brown with a foamy tan head. Sweet, malty aroma with hints of bourbon and a warm, creamy medium body. The high alcohol content is apparent in the complex rich, spicy flavor. A great after dinner beer.
Todd: 3.5
Saved this powerhouse for last, and for good reason. It's a limited edition ale that, in the grand tradition of classic Belgian ales, is bottle-fermented with active & living yeast, so aging further develops the flavor. But I'm not waiting to write this review, so off comes the bottle cap and into my glass it goes. Hmm. It's a nice opaque amber in color, with an odor of bourbon (indubitably the strong 8% alcohol content), candy sugar, and maybe grapes. The flavor is sweet, with an unmistakable muted burn. Definitely a brew to savor. The beer snob in me says to rate this one higher, but I can't help but feel it needed some time/aging to reach its full complexity. As it stands, strong and hearty, but lacking individuality.
Dylan: 4.5
I use a Guinness pint glass to drink beers that I review, and although I know it’s not perfect for all (there are tulip, fluted, etc glassware, depending upon which brew you’re enjoying), it works just fine – lots of surface area, and plenty of glass for a good view… the point here is that GI’s Pere Jacques is one of the most lovely-looking things I’ve ever put into that glass. All the traits of an excellent Belgian ale are here: an amber that’s nice and cloudy, a rich head, plus all the taste – that malty/spicy taste along with the burn on the nose… all conspire to create a near-perfect American version of a world classic.
Blue Moon Honey Moon
Alison: 4
Supposing a beer shouldn’t be all a about its head is a good thing for this Honey Moon because it’s definitely lacking. What it lacks in head, it makes up for in taste. It starts out crisp with citrus, but ends with a depth that comes from the clover honey.
Tom: 2
A clear yellow gold body with only a whiff of honey in the nose. The thin mouthfeel matches the virtual absence of flavor aside from a metallic aftertaste. I am not a fan of the Blue Moon beers and this version does nothing to change my opinion of them.
Todd: 3.5
Blue Moon's summer seasonal is a clear amber wheat ale brewed with clover honey and orange peel for added zing. The flavor is overwhelmingly sweet, and heavy on the honey, though Honey Moon feels lighter and less filling than the signature Blue Moon, so it's a better fit for those steamy summer days. Pretty tasty stuff...not too complex but refreshing just the same.
Dylan: 2
Here’s a no-brainer brew that doesn’t challenge, although I can see it being appreciated by both beer snobs and regular people like most of us who enjoy simple, refreshing beer. Honey Moon works nicely for a summertime brew, and has seemed to take the best parts of “regular” Blue Moon without some of its demerits.
Michelob Pale Ale
Alison: 2.5
I didn’t know a beer head could look like spray foam, and this beer certainly does, which is nice for in a “this beer needs protection.” (I also like a head that tracks how much work I’ve put into each drink.) It’s crisp, yet dry and goes down smooth.
Tom: 3
Amberish orange appearance with a hoppy, pilsner-like aroma. Relatively smooth and crisp with the hop content making it drinkable and masking the graininess of the malt. Not a great pale ale, but a decent beer.
Todd: 3.5
This attractive amber pale ale pours with good lacing. The appealing floral/hoppy aroma also bodes well for this craft macro. But that's all window-dressing. What's it taste like? Well, Michelob's Pale Ale has a brisk and balanced hoppy character, but it's not too acidic or strong (nor complex) as other pale ales. A sturdy, solid beer -- not memorable, but a good representative of the style, and a nice place to start.
Dylan: 3
An American pale ale that features Old World attributes, Michelob’s offering starts strong and finishes even better. I like that balance of hops and malt, along with a nice effervescence and a clean finish. A non intimidating ale for someone just branching out into the big world of beer. Recommended.
New Belgium – Skinny Dip
Alison: 3
I like a beer that looks like a good sunset when poured into a glass. Its creamy head clings to the glass as its supplies are diminished. Goes down crisp and clean with out much taste, after or otherwise. Refreshing beers that stand dangerously close to the beer flavored water are always good in my book. (What a girl thing to say…) Binge drinkers beware.
Tom: 3.5
Pours a clear copper with a surprisingly pleasant nose. Decent flavor and a relatively full body for a light beer. Sweet, sour, and bitter with a hint of citrus. One of the better brews this month.
Todd: 4
This clear golden ale is New Belgium's summer seasonal, and it's among the brewery's lighter offerings. The flavor is mild and malty, with a slight hoppy character and a hint of citrus. Oddly, I place this one curiously between a traditional lager and a pale ale. It's certainly tasty, and unique. Like most of New Belgium's employee-(and Earth-) friendly brews, this one's quite satisfying.
Dylan: 4
I was pretty disappointed in Fat Tire ale, especially after I’d heard so much about how wonderful it was. Frankly, my first reaction was “meh.” Thin and lacking character, Fat Tire just felt like a flat tire. Here, however, New Belgium’s summer offering is all a hot-weather beer should be: light, but with plenty of flavor; bursting with florals from a quality array of hops; a crisp mouthfeel and finish… all put together in bottle of sheer refreshment.
