As a person of Irish descent, I saw a beer called “Irish Death” and I had to try it! Also, I didn’t see any reviews of breweries starting with the letter ‘I’ on this site. I have had this on tap before, and I think it’s better that way. From the bottle, the mouthfeel is that of a lighter, standard ale, bordering on watery. It goes down very smooth. True-to-it’s-name smooth. The aftertaste is of alcohol, although not entirely unpleasant. It’s nowhere near as malty or smoky tasting as the color would suggest and as I remember it from the tap. However, this is a beer that the more you drink, the better it tastes. The alcohol taste goes away after a few good pulls. There is almost no hop flavor. Even though the picture shows a lot of head, it dies quickly and the beer is not very carbonated. I would not start out the night with this beer. This would make a great second beer of the night, or would go well with salty snacks or a meal, like a thick Irish lamb stew. In a bread bowl.

Specs:
22 oz bottle
ABV: 7.8%

So I woke up this morning with something of a hangover and cluttered fragments of recollections from the previous nights exploits. (The facebook picture of my bare bottom and markings of a hit-n-run car skirmish were a few Momento-esque reminders.) Anyways, as I began to pull out the 16 hup cap nuts from my cargo short’s pocket, I realized my one crucial error…I needed a drink. That drink should have been a Tetley’s Smoothflow (Draught Bitter). Now, the title of Draught Bitter may veer you towards a premature decision that this is not the drink for you, but I ask you to hold off on that decision until you’ve finished reading this reviewer’s rants. Apparently, the name Smoothflow comes from the nitrous widgit inside the can, much like Guinesses. After the numerous false positives from ales with rich amber colors and intense nutty and hop aromas, this beer had a surprising smooth and creamy taste. It has nice lacing and a big foamy head. The fact that it’s served at 8 degrees Celsius makes it quite refreshing and takes the familiar bitter’s bite out. The lesser ABV of 3.6%, as opposed to the traditional bitter’s 3.8% helps too. The aftertaste is, admittedly, weak and slightly bitter…but that’s a good reason to keep drinking it. So if you like a dark, thick, smooth and creamy beer…this definitely does the trick. Now why do I have a 2 gallons of orange paint and a Waffle House menu in my trunk?

14.9 oz can
3.6 ABV

When it comes to spring seasonal beers, I think of lighter beers that feel like the early sun, slowly warming days and new growth that spring brings. I was surprised to see an Amber Spring beer. Rollick’s color was a mix between a pale and an amber. The flavor could also be described that way. It starts smooth and sweet, like a good amber, but finishes crisp with a slight bitter finish. It’s light on the hops and really lets the malts come out. The mouthfeel carries this concept forward; it’s thinner than an amber, but a bit heavier than a pale. The head on the beer was better when I first poured it, but I had to change the batteries in my camera. It didn’t help that this was the lone soldier from a sixer I bought a few weeks ago. Even new, this was not a very carbonated beer. Light on the hops & carbonation, half pale ale half amber, this is a subtle tasty beer. Like many local Seattle brews, it’s got a pretty good ABV too!

Specs:
12 oz bottle
6% ABV

There’s a great cloudy color to this IPA from Arcadia Ales. Arcadia Ales makes English brews, right here in the Midwest [Battle Creek, MI to be specific].There’s one thing that really can draw me into an IPA, and that’s a rich aroma of hops over the glass. A big dry flavor that hits then gradually fades leaving enough to entice another drink. Which in this case I did, until the bottle was gone quite fast. What could make this better? Availability at the carry out, and stimulus money to cover the cost. Definitely. I think those two could improve the experience.

Specs: 12oz bottle
5.9% ABV
41 IBUs

Hola! Here’s a long overdue import from Mexico. Check out the light gold color and a bubbly aroma. There’s not much flavor, just refreshment to quench the thirst with a light finish. You will notice almost a wheaty note to finish; very strange, but it didn’t par up with other Mexican beers. I think next time I’ll cross back over the border.

Specs: 12oz. bottle
? ABV

I truly feel bad for those of you that don’t have regular access to New Belgium’s various hop-stylings. Not only are they employee-owned and wind-powered, their beers are tasty, high quality, consistent brews. To be honest, I got rather tired of Fat Tire after drinking a lot of it in Las Vegas. It’s not a bad beer by any stretch of the imagination, but everywhere carried it. In a lot of places, it was the best beer available on tap, so I wound up drinking a lot of it. New Belgium has upped the ante by offering this beer in cans. The canned version is just as good as the bottled version; it’s got the same malty, hoppy, amber-esque flavors, as well as the same ABV. However, a can can go so many places a glass bottle can’t. Camping. Canoeing. Picnics at public parks. Lunch bags. You don’t even need an opener; it has one attached! With its bright colors and unusual logo, passersby (Johnny Law included) can’t tell at a glance that you are imbibing alcohol. Maybe it’s just a goofy soda? At a distance no one knows! In the realm of boring canned beers, Fat Tire in a can is a pop top or two above the rest.

Specs:

12 oz CAN

ABV – 5.2%

Brrr is a Winter/Christmas beer from Widmer Brothers Brewery in Portland, OR. I’d seen it at the store a few times, but I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. The 6-pack says “Bold Hop Flavor, Candy Sweet Finish”. This led me to believe I’d be hit in the face with a fistful of hops then left with a mouthful of candy cane. My curiosity eventually got the best of me (it didn’t hurt that it was on sale), and I’m glad it did! The beer is a pleasant amber color. The first taste is full of those great Pacific Northwest hops. Now, I am not a huge hop fan; I have too much of a sweet tooth. However, the hoppiness is not overwhelming in this beer. After the introductory hops, the beer quickly goes to a malty, bitter finish. If the beer were fresher, I bet it would have sweeter notes at the end. That said, this beer is definitely drinkable. The mouthfeel is that of a good winter ale, thick but not syrupy. As a good winter warmer, it’s got a deceptively high ABV. The taste that lingers in the mouth is a satisfying slightly bitter beer flavor. I will definitely try this beer fresher next year!

12 oz Bottle
ABV: 7.2%
IBU 50

The Alaskan Brewing Co is in Juneau, Alaska, which means you cannot drive there – you have to fly or take a boat. So you know this beer has already had at least one fantastic voyage in it’s lifetime. This “Limited Edition Kolsch Style Ale” is a crisp, refreshing beer. I had some last summer though, so I don’t know how “Limited Edition” it truly is. It does have Shamu on the label, which is pretty cool if you’ve never been to Seaworld. Which I haven’t. I imagine it would be like this beer, but smell more like fish and have more splashing.The color is the shade that summer beer should be. There was little head on the pour, but then I poured slowly and carefully since I don’t like foamy beer. The beer is smooth at first, with no overwhelming anything – hops or grains or malts. Picture-perfect balance. It’s very easy to take a long pull, which is truly wonderful if it’s hot outside or you have been working hard and need a break. The finish has an ever so slight bite to it, and the carbonation adds to that by leaving a crisp refresh on the palette and left me wanting to drink another.
And another.
And another.

Specs: 12 oz bottle
ABV 5.3%
Bitterness: 18

Cruzcampo, huh? To quote a famous philosopher, “That was weak sauce.” The German-style pilsener poured out golden, as if making a promise, it knew it would not keep. The carbonation caused a rush of head but no retention. The aroma was unpleasant and tasted like bland, soggy vegetables…not hops, no barley malt, no nothing. I have tasted lawn clippings with more flavor than this beer…in fact, I may enjoy lawn clippings more than this beer. The only redeemable quality is that the astringent finish is short. Actually, there is another redeemable quality, they sell these beers individually. Worst Spanish beer I’ve ever tasted…Best beer in Spain. This is getting 1/2 a star because when it’s 80 degrees out and I’m already hammered off of German beer and Irish whiskey…this stuff ain’t half bad.

12 oz Can
4.8% ABV