Spring is upon us and that means the last of the winter brews. Marzen, or March, brews tend to be the last of the brewing season. Don’t worry, these are made strong to last the summer until the next crop of barley and hops is ready. Gordon Biersch’s Marzen has a sweet aroma to go with its auburn color. This was nice and strong but a smooth blend of barley and hops to give a crisp dry finish to the medium bodied taste. The sweet and strong brew went well with the spicy dip I was eating. Definitely pick this up if you come across it in the store, and keep an eye out for more Marzen brews!

Specs: 12oz bottle
5.7% Alcohol

I quickly realized this porter certainly did get poured from a stovepipe. Otter Creek, from Vermont, produced a porter with a notable smokiness and bitters on the nose. The thick head on my glass must have been trapping some of the hops because as soon as I took a drink they hit hard and fast. The full-bodied smokey malts were good but the strong hops took over faster than I had hoped. As it warmed towards room temp, the hops became less harsh and I ended the glass on a good note. I’d serve it cool and only to those who aren’t afraid of some bitter heavy beer.

Specs: 12oz bottle
5.4% Alcohol

This Michigan native brewing company brews 3 beers year round, this being one of them. Not only does the art work on the bottle look good, but so does the yellow/red color this this beer. The aroma is sweet, hoppy, and fresh. The bitter from the hops don’t over power this beer, but they do tingle on the tongue. The taste lasts only a minute, so there is not a lasting after taste that you might get from other IPAs. I rather like this beer, it is just a bit watery, but a good craft brew.

Specs: 12oz bottle
5.8% ABV

This beer pours up a brown color that if held up to the light show some red color. The head was low on this pour. A sweet malty aroma is what you can expect from it before you begin to drink. It is a good prelude to the taste. The taste is sweet like caramel. There is little after taste if any from this. The sweet taste is almost too much for me, but because it does not stay long, I can handle more than one a sitting. This is a solid doppelbock for the price.

Specs: 12oz bottle
5.7 ABV

What is an orange doing on the rim of a beer?! It’s a Belgian White, this one is more commonly referred to a Blue Moon. It is their flag ship brew. When this beer is poured, it looks quite nice. The fact that they leave this beer unfiltered gives it a cloudy orange/yellow color. It even smells great, full of citrus and sweetness. The taste, this is where it looses me, has too much orange taste. I know there are other spices like coriander in there, but without tasting just it by itself; I am not 100% that is the other taste I do not like. I know this is a very popular beer, and I almost began to like it, but then I had a Sunset Wheat. Goodbye Belgian White, hello Sunset Wheat!

Specs: 16oz draft pour
5.4% ABV

My wife is the coffee drinker in the house. Not that I do not like coffee, my body goes overdrive, and then shuts down. I really got this beer for her, perfect size for two glasses. Even though she does not like bitter beers, she was willing to try this one. It poured up black with little bubbles that formed the cappuccino colored head. The smell was that of coffee and roasted malts. The initial taste was good, with just a bit of bitter at the end. As I continued to finish mine, and my wife putting down hers, I noticed that the bitter taste became the predominate taste. The bitter from the coffee was taking back stage. I did like this, but I do not think I could drink many of these in a sitting. I would suggest this as a beer to finish a hearty meal with, that is if you can find this limited beer!

Specs: 24oz bottle
8.3% ABV
29.5 IBU

Now finding a beer like this one for a buck is a steal! A crystal clear red color that poured a nice head. Surprisingly light taste with some rich malts quickly followed up by the hops and a mild bitter finish. I give it a 3star - it’s a good taste but not a great IPA, more hops and a stronger finish would have brought this a higher rating.

Specs: 1pt 9oz bottle
5.0% Alcohol