The folks at the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas send beers my way from time to time, and honestly, many of their gentle offerings are lost on my gonzo craft beer sensibilities. But I’m glad they kept the brews migrating north, because every once in a while a gentle beer is just what it takes […]

I was just about six years old when the original Star Wars movie was released, and it made a big impression on me.  I collected the figures, coveted the playsets, and marveled that I could have actual images from the big screen in my pocket (I had complete set of trading cards).  The movie was […]

Hype can ruin a beer, because few brews can live up to the expectations heaped upon them by mad beer geek love.  Hype ruined Pliny the Elder for me, and it screwed up my approach to sour beers – had I know they tasted like week-old laundry left in the washer, I would’ve expected less.  […]

It’s rare that a beer will catch me off guard these days – I guess it’s part of being a beer geek in the information age.  I usually know a little something about most beers before I try them for the first time, at least the good ones. I guess there’s also a legion of […]

. . Here’s a quick look at Noble Rot, Dogfish Head’s beer/wine hybrid that was brewed with grapes infected with the botrytis fungus.  While it sounds gross, the result is actually a wonderfully sophisticated beer that your wine snob friends (if you have any, traitor!) are sure to love. For more about Noble Rot from […]

A flight of beers typically consists of four to six different beers served in sample-sized glasses that are tasted in a single session.  Most times you start with the lightest of the beers and work your way through to the darker samples, with the flavors intensifying along the way.  This is a great way to […]

I know I’ve beaten this reindeer to death, but I like my holiday brews to taste like “Christmas” to me.  Many of our readers disagree, saying that they can take only so many winter warmers until they get bored and long for holiday seasonals that break the mold a bit. While I could happily drink […]

Let’s be clear from the outset – I won’t ever be wishing anyone “hoppy holidays.”  It’s not that I don’t like hops – sometimes they call to me, especially when I have an Avery Maharaja chilling in the fridge.  But hops and holidays don’t mix in my book.  This time of year I want big […]

. It looks like Sam Adams is trying to rekindle the romance with hardcore craft beer geeks with the release of their small batch series of beers.  Glancing at the labels, you wouldn’t guess that these are Sam Adams products, and I think that’s the whole point. When we discussed our “no-go” breweries here yesterday, […]

This was disappointing.  I cracked open a Rogue John John on Friday evening, only to be greeted by a thin and sour tasting beer. I’ve had it before and don’t remember it being a sour (it’s Rogue Dead Guy Ale aged in Rogue Dead Guy whiskey barrels), so I think there might be a quality […]

I picked up a six pack of Schlafly Irish-Style Extra Stout on Friday night and have to say it’s a wonderful beer.  It has a dry, chocolatey flavor and a creamy, satisfying mouth feel. It’s a total treat, and is only available for a limited time, so go snap some up if you’re a stout-loving […]

I never understood why the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid existed until I tasted a Bison Organic Beer.  Up to that point, the idea of a huge planet-choking SUV with a feel-good hybrid drive train seemed like an oxymoron to me.  Who in their right mind would pay an extra $13,500 to gain 8 miles per gallon […]

I always like to try a beer more than once, especially one I didn’t like.  There’s always a chance that I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind when I tasted it the first time, and that it’ll be more pleasing the second time around. My experience last night with Founders 2010 Nemesis  was […]

I had a craft beer “a-ha’ moment this weekend, when my buddy Frank brought over a four pack of Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve had one of these beers, and it struck me what a truly wonderful brew this is, and how it’s a testament to the […]

I have a confession to make.  I’ve never had a beer from the Brooklyn Brewery that made me go “wow.”  Actually, the other night at my company holiday party I had a Brooklyn Pilsner and a Brooklyn IPA, and both made me go “meh.”  I respect the heck out of Brooklyn brew master Garret Oliver […]