Goose Island Honkers Ale

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 4.2%
Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: English Bitter
2011 Rating: B+
2010 Rating: B+
2009 Rating: B

Comments:  I don't care if A.B (In-Bev) owns Goose Island… this is still a damn good beer!  Amber color, nice white head with great lacing. Great blend of malt & hops. Good ESB.  Easy to drink all night (& I did).

Rivertown Hop Bomber Pale Ale

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: ?
Brewery: Rivertown Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Pale Ale
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A



Comments:  The name says it all "Hop Bomber".  Great hop taste… but not in the same league as New Belgium's Mighty Arrow Pale Ale.

Rock Bottom Maibock

Reviewed: March 2011
ABV: ?
Brewery:  Rock Bottom Brewery - Cincinnati
Country: USA
Beer Type: Maibock
2011 Rating: F
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  SWEET!!! The worst beer I have had in a while. I'm a trooper, so I drank the entire beer… but  my recommendation would be - JUST DUMP IT

Rock Bottom Red Ale

Reviewed: March 2011
ABV: ?
Brewery: Rock Bottom Brewery - Cincinnati
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Amber Ale
2011 Rating: C+
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Copper in color, 1 finger head, no lacing (but served in plastic glass).  Nice malt aroma.  Taste:   smooth malt taste with a nice hop finish - well balanced..  Not too much hop - Pat liked this beer. :)

Moerlein Northern Liberties IPA

Reviewed: March 2011
ABV: 6.3%
Brewery: Christian Moerlein Brewing Co.
Country:  USA
Beer Type: IPA
2011 Rating: B+
2010 Rating: B+

Comments:  Copper color, creamy white two finger head, great lacing!    Aroma: disappointing -not much happening.  Taste: More malt taste than most IPAs.  Sweet malt start, hop & citrus finish.  A "Good Solid Citizen".

Rivertown Dunkel Beer

Reviewed: March 2011
ABV: ?
Brewery: Rivertown Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Dunkel Lager
2011 Rating: D
2010 Rating: C

Comments:   Medium brown color with a 2 finger head that disappeared quickly, no lacing.  Smells and tastes of sweet malts, grain & hints of caramel.  Just average.  There are many great Dunkels available.  Why drink this one?

Samuel Adams Summer Ale

Reviewed: March 2011
ABV: 5.2%
Brewery: Boston Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type:
American Wheat Ale
2011 Rating: B+
2010 Rating: B+

Comments:  Pours an orange yellow color with a 2 finger foamy white head, some lacing.   Wheat & lemon aroma.  The taste is lemon, wheat and spice.   Almost too much lemon for me, but overall a great summer beer!

Hofbräu German Pilsner

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 5.0%
Brewery: Hofbräuhaus
Country: Germany & USA
Beer Type: Pilsner
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:   Nice golden color with a 2 finger white head.  Great floral hop aroma.  Clean, crisp, and refreshing with a nice hop flavor.  A "classic" pilsner.  If you are at the Hofbräuhaus in June, order the German Pilsner "Beer Of The Month".

Sam Adams Light

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 4.0%
Brewery: Boston Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Light Lager
2011 Rating: C+
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  If you must drink light beer, drink a Sammy's Light! Light amber color.  Nice blend of malts & hops.  Easy to drink.  Much better than a Bud Light or Miller's Lite!

Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 5.3%
Brewery: Boston Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Pale Wheat Ale
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: B-

Comments:  Pours a beautiful cloudy yellow - orange color, two finger head, minimal lacing  Wheat & lemon aroma. Smooth wheat, spice and lemon taste.   Easy to drink.

Rivertown Wit Bier

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: ?
Brewery: Rivertown Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Belgium Style Ale
2011 Rating: C+
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a hazy golden color, with a 2 finger white head, no lacing.  Wheat-lemon-orange & spice aroma.  A tart wheat spice & citrus taste,  Better than I expected.

Limited Edition Cask Conditioned Arnold's 1861 Porter

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: ?
Brewery: Christian Moerlein Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Porter
2011 Rating:
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a black color with no head because it is a cask conditioned beer.  It is an unfiltered, unpasteurized beer that still contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the glass.  This process creates a natural CO2 carbonation carbonated keg. Cask Conditioned Ale is served without any extraneous gas to push the beer out of the keg.  Aroma & Taste: Roasted malt, coffee and a slight chocolate taste.
Excellent - This was a very interesting beer!

Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 6.8%
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Country: USA
Beer Type: IPA
2011 Rating: TDTR
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  I love IPAs… so when my only comment on this beer was - "just another IPA", I must have been: Too Drunk To Rate :)

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 5.0%
Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
Country: Germany
Beer Type: Dunkelweizen
2011 Rating: I & B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:   Pours a dark brown color with a 1 finger beige head, little lacing.  Caramel malt, banana & clove aroma.  Strong banana taste, along with caramel malt & clove (just like it smells) An interesting mixture of a Hefeweizen and a Dunkel bier.  INTERESTING...but one per night is enough!

Rivertown Oatmeal Stout

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: ???
Brewery: Rivertown Brewing
Country: USA
Beer Type: Stout
2011 Rating: B-
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a dark, almost black color, with a 1 finger tan head, no lacing.  Aroma: roasted malt & coffee.  Roasted malt & coffee taste with a dry bitter finish.

Rogue Dry Hopped Red

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 5.1%
Brewery: Rogue Brewery
Country: USA
Beer Type: Red Ale
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Reddish copper in color, a roasty malty flavor, with a hoppy-with an interesting spruce finish.  Very Good!

Spaten Bock

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 6.5%
Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
Country: Germany
Beer Type: Bock
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: B+



Comments:  Dark golden color, two finger white head.  Caramel malt start / hop finish.  Probably what a true bock should taste like.

Warsteiner Premium Verum

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 4.8%
Brewery: Warsteiner Brauerei
Country: Germany
Beer Type: Pilsener
2011 Rating: A
2010 Rating: A
2009 Rating: A

Comments:  Because life's too short to drink cheap beer!  A classic Pilsener.  Brewed according to the German Purity Law of 1516.

Red Stripe

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 4.7%
Brewery: Desnoes & Geddes Limited
Country: Jamaica
Beer Type: Lager
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: B
2009 Rating: B

Comments:  This beer should be rated a "C" - just average, but it get's a "B" because of the short stubby painted bottle :)

Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 4.9%
Brewery: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Weiss (Wheat) Beer
2011 Rating: C
2010 Rating: C

Comments: Pours a clear pale yellow color with a 1 finger white head.  No real aroma.  Sweet honey taste in the beginning followed by a wheat & slight lemon taste.  Better than the Summer Shandy, but unremarkable.

2XIPA

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 8.2%
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Double / Imperial IPA
2011 Rating: N/A
2010 Rating: A-

Comments:  Clear golden color, 2 finger white head, nice lacing.  Great hop aroma.  Nice citrus hop taste with a malt finish.  Label states: "brewed with 4 variety of hops and 3 types of malts".  Very Good…but not in the same league as Hopslam.

Rio Bravo

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Reviewed: May 5th, 2011
ABV: 4.0%
Brewery: Cervecera Mexicana S.A. De C.V.
Country: Mexico
Beer Type: Pilsener
2011 Rating: C
2010 Rating: N/A





Comments:  Pours a clear golden color with a 1 finger head, no lacing.  A "Budweiser" aroma.  Smooth, easy to drink, but just average.  Only $4.50 for a 6-er @ Party Source!  I had to buy it in memory of "the Duke".

Dos Equis XX Amber Lager

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Reviewed: May 5th, 2011
ABV: 4.5%
Brewery: Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
Country: Mexico
Beer Type: Vienna Lager
2011 Rating: C+
2010 Rating: N/A
2009 Rating: C

Comments: Pours a nice amber color with a 1 finger, foamy off white head, minimal lacing.  No real aroma.  Caramel & malt taste with a slight hop bitterness.  Very Drinkable.  "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis. Stay thirsty, my friends."

Schlafly Bavarian-Style Weissbier

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 4.9
Brewery: The St. Louis Brewery
Country: USA
Beer Type: Hefeweizen
2011 Rating: B+
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments: Pours a cloudy straw yellow color with a 1 finger white head, no lacing.  Banana, clove & wheat aroma.  A bready malt, banana, clove & lemon taste.  An EXCELLENT Hefeweizen!

Good Juju

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 4.5%
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Herb Beer
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a dark golden color with a nice 2 finger tan head, that disappears quickly, no lacing.  Ginger & sweet malt aroma.  Sweet malt taste upfront, followed by ginger and a slight hop finish.  Light, crisp & refreshing - a nice change of pace.

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy

Reviewed: May 2011
ABV: 4.2%
Brewery: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Fruit Beer
2011 Rating: F & I
2010 Rating: B

Comments:  Sometimes its all about where & when you drink a beer.  Last year I had Summer Shandy at the Cabana on a hot day… this year inside at the Sports Depot on a cool Saturday evening.   Here's last year's comments: "Hazy yellow color, drank it in a plastic cup at the Cabana - by the time it was served, the head was gone.  Strong lemon  / lemonade smell & taste - great beer for a hot day in the sun."   This year my comments are: "It's lemonade - just dump it."   I'll try this beer again in July.