Ah, seasonal brews: the light of my life, fire of my loins…

When I’m holed up indoors during the winter months I find myself appreciating the taste of beer far more than any other season. Mark it up to cabin fever if you want, but my taste buds pucker up in cold weather.

Samuel Adams Winter Lager, one of the brewing company’s many great season-specific beers, doesn’t disappoint in my constant need for a well-bodied, alcoholic beverage in cool weather.

Housed in a deep-caramel color, Sam Adams Winter Lager pours a thin but lasting head that’s holds surprisingly well for a beer of its kind. Upon first gulp, the taste of citrus and spices was apparent, which paired well with the toasted malt finish. While I’m no expert at beer tasting I found the flavors easily recognizable without being too overbearing on heavy flavors.

When a beer of this nature features so many different flavors, it’s important to keep carbonation to a minimum, which Winter Lager does. Clean and crisp, the mouthfeel is very well-balanced, going down smooth without any one flavor dominating. Read More »

I’ve been hearing all this talk about Espresso Stouts lately, so I decided to give them a shot…of espresso! Get it? Isn’t that funny? Shot, espresso…forget it.

If you’re into “desert” beers, Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout will be right up your alley. As for me, the brew left my stomach feeling…bloated. I’m a dude. Dudes are not supposed to say words like “bloated,” but there I was, belly filled with creamy suds and regret.

I think I crapped about 10 minutes after drinking my first (but not last) Espresso Stout. Is my metabolism to blame, or does this concoction take richness to a new level nobody asked for?

Keep in mind that I usually fare well with stouts. I can admire the Espresso Stout’s dark chocolate color and roasted malt flavor, but I’d rather pound a few Sam Adams Cream Stout if I’m going that route. Beer connoisseurs may scoff, but that’s the way I feel.

I’ve also heard claims that Espresso Stouts are light and refreshing; maybe they usually are. All I know is that my experience with them wasn’t light or refreshing. Heavy and sh*t-inducing? Absolutely.

Maybe I had a bad batch…or four. Or maybe I shouldn’t have drank more than one desert beer. It’s probably my fault. Give them a shot…!

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout stats:

Tastes like: chocolate malt, with heavy emphasis on espresso

Smells like: strong coffee

Alcohol content: 7.5 percent; be careful chugging these bad boys…

Do you like cream in your coffee? If so, you may be a fan of Samuel Adams Cream Stout, a dark brew that goes down surprisingly easy.

Thick in more than appearance, this cream stout pours a deep chocolate brown with a tan, foamy head that lingers for a few minutes. Upon settling, a healthy amount of lacing sticks to the serving glass.

Its scent is reminiscent of - you guessed it - rich, dark chocolate and coffee.

Funny enough, Samuel Adams Cream Stout isn’t as “heavy” as one would expect. Creamy? Very much so. This brew packs a wallop on the taste-bud scale, with a complex mix of roasted coffee beans, cocoa beans and a touch of honey for kicks.

Malty, smooth and sophisticated - just the way I like my beer.

While it’s by no means a casual drinking beer - it’s more of a relax and enjoy type of brew - I can picture myself packing away a few frequently during the winter months. The beer’s alcohol content is at a dismal 4.69, but that’s expected when taste comes first. No complaints here, as a higher alcohol content would have probably muddied up its distinct taste.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Samuel Adams Cream Stout to any beer lover, regardless of preference. I can see this brew appealing to the casual drinker as much as any beer aficionado.

Samuel Adams Cream Stout stats:

Tastes like: quality dark chocolate with a strong coffee aftertaste

Smells like: refer to “tastes like”

Alcohol content: very low considering; recommended when drinking “for taste”

If there’s one thing everybody on Planet Earth can agree on, it’s that lukewarm beer is the absolute worst. Sure, some beer is better when standing for a few minutes. But who wants a brew (or any carbonated drink for that matter) at room temperature?

Ice? Forget it. All ice leaves you with is a cool-but-severely-diluted beverage.

We need an alternative.

We need a hero to step forward.

Paging Kent Hodgson to the rescue. Read More »

Blech. Even writing about Old Milwaukee conjures up visions of pit-fires down at “The Quarry” back in high-school.

(Oh, Iris - come back to me, my darling…)

It’s funny: I’m a big-fan of cheapo beer when the mood hits, but Old Milwaukee just turns my stomach. Maybe it’s that I’ve been weaned on the skunked taste of Natty Ice, but I find absolutely no reason to throw back one of these bogus brews.

Ah, the taste: Old Milwaukee tastes like month-old Budweiser and year-old corn flakes. Nice, right? Yeah…it’s not so nice when you attempt to down one while stone-cold sober. As a pre-game beer it’s just plain bad - after a few forced swigs I wanted to go home, curl up with a good book and quit drinking altogether.

“The Beast?” Give me a break. Read More »

One of the first things every college student should locate when they hit campus is the best place to catch the game. Sure watching it in your room with a bag of Cheetos can be fun, but nothing beats catching it with a few thousands of your classmates. And the students on these campuses have it way better then the rest. Read More »

F*** Russell Stover and other ho-hum variety pushers - beer samplers are where it’s at.

Magic Hat’s “Night of the Living Dead” sampler is a 12-pack stacked with 4 different beers at 3 beers per brew (do the math; it’s rad). The varieties in tow are #9, Circus Boy, Jinx and the most intriguing of all, Mystery Beer.

First up, #9: this fruity beer is copper in color, apricot in taste. Depending on how tolerant you are of fruit flavors in beer this could be a distraction.

On tap #9 is a bar favorite; the bottled version’s taste is far more subdued in comparison. If I wasn’t used to its taste on tap I may have not minded as much. Still, it’s worthy of inclusion. Read More »

Fun fact: Blue Moon is a Coors product. Some may know this, but it’s important enough to bring up when reviewing this very un-Coors like brew.

Blue Moon, a white beer, has a carbonated-pulp look not unlike Orangina. And funny enough, it also has a citrus-infused taste that’s usually complimented by a slice of orange when served at certain bars. While a slice of orange may be overkill to most it does effectively intensify the fruity aroma Blue Moon wears ever-so-proudly.

The brew’s closest relative (and competition) would unfortunately be Hoegaarden, high-shaman of the sweet beer stable. To compare the two is quite unfair, seeing that Hoegaarden is far more expensive - and far more tasty, admittingly.

Calling Blue Moon a low-rent Hoegaarden may seem a bit harsh; but considering the quality of the beer it’s being compared to you could do far, far worse in terms of taste. Sure it’s more “watery,” but not as watered-down as Natty Ice and beers of that ilk.

My preferred time to drink Blue Moon would have to be in the late, autumnal hours of October…like right now! Read More »

All hail old-timey traditions that include things like…beer!

I’ve been trying for over 24 hours to enter this site. Now that it’s up and running, feast your eyes and taste buds on the future of pizza.

VIDEO: Fastest. Stripper. Ever. (Notice I only said fastest.)

I can barely carve an eye into a pumpkin, let alone the Death Star.

The family that drinks together, sinks together.

Somebody wanted a pony really bad. Somewhere in Scotland a Pixie is loose.

And the Minnesota Timberwolves wonder why they came up short against the Indiana Pacers.

Amy Fischer has a sex tape in circulation. Yeah, I forgot who she was too.

Yuengling, the yeast from the east. Not many west-coasters have experienced the cheap-yet-digestible taste that America’s Oldest Brewery provides.

Similar to Coors in its smoothness Yuengling is a staple of Northeastern frat-parties and post-college keggers. Its neutral taste hardly offends, with decent head and a nice honey-grain finish. Guys and gals alike love Yuengling.

Comparable to Corona in value, Yuengling is cheap enough to buy in bulk yet quality enough to pass off as “good beer.” (You know what I mean: “Hey, I don’t feel like drinking canned sh*t - can you pick up some good beer?”)

Experts in the beer-drinking field (read: alcoholics) tend to call Yuengling a “lawnmower beer,” perfect for outdoor drinking while doing heavy-duty yard work. While I can’t say that I’ve knocked back a case while operating heavy machinery, I have sipped one while taking out the trash - does that count?

Still, I must admit: Yuengling’s low alcohol content takes it down a half-notch in overall…drinkability? Yes, drinkability. Read More »