Smithwick's Irish Ale

Smithwick's Irish Ale is a beer that is produced by Guinness, which is part of Diageo.   I first tried Smithwick's Irish Ale in the fall of 2004 in Fort Collins, CO after getting locked out of my parents house so I walked to the liquor store a few blocks away got some beer and walked back and waited on the back porch until someone else arrived to let me back in. Here is a little more about the Smithwick's story.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Brew Free or Die IPA

Brew Free or Die IPA is brewed by 21st Amendment Brewing in San Francisco, California. I first tried Brew Free or Die in the early spring of 2010 and I found it at The Beer Authority in Lake City.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Twisted Pine Cream Style Stout

Twisted Pine Brewing makes a Cream Style Stout that they call Twisted Stout on their website. I first tried this beer in the summer of 2007. I have previously posted about another beer from Twisted Pine as well.

Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale

Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale is brewed by Anheuser-Busch and was released in 2005. I first tried this beer at the time of release in Colorado. It is available in many larger retail outlets November-January. I haven't tried this beer since the winter of 2007-2008 but I may give it a shot again yet this winter. Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Ninkasi Sleighr

Sleighr Dark Double Alt is brewed by Ninkasi Brewing in Oregon. I first tried Sleighr in the winter of 2009-2010 and most recently had it around Thanksgiving this year. I have found this at beer stores through Seattle as well as grocery stores.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Maritime Pacific Jolly Roger

As the holidays have approached, I have become busier and found I had less time to keep posting but I will make up for the last couple of days with posts today about holiday brews. Jolly Roger is seasonally brewed by Maritime Pacific Brewing in Seattle, Washington. Jolly Roger Christmas Ale is named after their Jolly Roger tap room in Ballard. I first tried this beer in at a bar in Belltown last winter and I have seen it numerous times at PCC in West Seattle this month.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY

Ten FIDY Imperial Stout is brewed in Longmont, Colorado by Oskar Blues. I tried Ten Fidy in the spring of 2010 and I got it from The Beer Authority in Lake City, though I have seen it at a few other beer stores today.

Ten FIDY Returns from Chad Melis on Vimeo.

Here is a RateBeer review and a Beer Advocate review.

Pilsner Urquell

Pilsner Urquell is brewed by SABMiller. This is the original pilsener from Pilsen, Czech Republic and the name Pilsner Urquell, means simply ‘The pilsner from the original source.’ I first Pilsner Urquell in 2002, while living in Colorado. Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Miller High Life

The Champagne of Beer is brewed by Miller Coors. I first tried Miller High Life a few weeks ago, it seemed odd that I hadn't tried this many years ago when I was younger but it is what it is. As Miller High Life is a flagship brew for and brewed and distributed by a major brewer, it is available practically everywhere in the US.
Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Brrrbon

This post is about Brrrbon, a version of Brrr brewed by Widmer Brothers and aged in bourbon barrels. This beer is part of their Brothers Reserve collection and available currently, I have seen it at several QFC stores. Here is a piece about it from the Beer Advocate.
Here is a RateBeer review.

Sleeman Cream Ale

Sleeman Cream Ale is made by Sleeman Breweries. I had Sleeman Cream Ale while I was in the Toronto airport in August of 2007 on my way to visit friends in the UK. Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Snow Cap

Snow Cap is made by Pyramid Breweries. I first tried this beer a few winters ago in Colorado, probably 2004 or 2005.
Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Mac & Jack's African Amber

I first tried this beer in the airport in Seattle when I visited in 2008. It is brewed by Mac & Jack's in Redmond, Washington. Hopefully I will be able to take some time and go on a brewery tour there during 2011. Here is a Beer Advocate review. Here is a RateBeer review.

Carlsberg

Carlsberg beer is brewed by Carlsberg Group in Denmark. I first had this beer in 2002 while living in Colorado but I most recently had it while in Malawi in Africa in 2007. This was because there is a Carlsberg brewery in Malawi.

Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Harbin Lager

Harbin is brewed by Harbin Brewery. Since the Harbin Breweries were purchased by Anheuser-Busch which is now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev it has been much easier to find this beer in the US.  I first tried Harbin Lager in 2004 in Fort Collins, Colorado.   

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Frugal Joe's Ordinary Beer

Frugal Joe's Ordinary Beer is sold at Trader Joe's stores. I first tried this beer in July, 2007 while visiting friends in Illinois.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Medalla Light

Medalla Light is a beer that is available in Puerto Rico, which is where it is brewed and where I had it.

Here is a Beer Advocate review.

New Belgium Trippel

Trippel from New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado is a beer that I first tried in 2001, while visiting friends attending college in Hastings, Nebraska. This was one of my early favorites and one of the first handful of beers I ever tried. For a year or so I lived within walking distance of the brewery and has several opportunities to visit the tasting room and take the self-guided tour. Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Iron Horse Mocha Death

Mocha Death is a beer brewed by Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensberg, Washington. I first tried this beer in the spring of 2010 and I found it first at The Beer Authority in Lake City but I have seen it in a number of other stores in the Seattle area as well. Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Baltika 6 Porter

Baltika 6 is a porter and brewed by Baltika Breweries in Russia. I first tried this beer in the winter of 2009-2010. I picked up several of the various Baltika beers at one time from the Big Star Beer Market.
Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Michelob Light

Since I am double posting today, why not post the sibling beer from the earlier post. Michelob Light is also brewed by Anheuser-Busch and has been since 1978. I first tried this beer in 2001 in Colorado. Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Michelob

Michelob is a beer I first tried in 2002, while living in Colorado. Michelob is available almost everywhere in the US. Michelob has been brewed in the US since 1896 by Anheuser-Busch, which is part of Anheuser-Busch Inbev. Michelob has traditionally had a distinctive teardrop shaped bottle but for several years in the 2000s it shifted to the bottle shape below.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Caldera Pale Ale

Caldera Pale Ale is made by Caldera Brewing in Ashland, Oregon. I first tried Caldera Pale Ale in the spring of 2010 when I found it at The Beer Authority in the Lake City neighborhood of Seattle, I also saw it at The Beer Junction in West Seattle last night when I attended the cider tasting that they held. Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Harar Beer

Harar is brewed in Ethiopia and I first tried it during the 3 weeks I spent there in December 2006. I had never seen any of the Ethiopian beers I had while there in the US before I went but I have seen a few of them in Ethiopian restaurants and a couple of the beer stores here in Seattle.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Hebrew Jewbelation 14

In celebration of tonight being the beginning of Hanukkah I am posting about Hebrew Jewbelation 14, which is brewed by Schmaltz Brewing. This is the newest in their Jewbelation anniversary series of beers and is made with 14 malts, 14 hops and is 14% alcohol for the 14th annivarsary of the brewery. I Jewbelation 14 earlier in November this year and I found it at PCC. It is worth reading the entire label or following the link of the image below as there is a wealth of trivial information about the number 14 that you may enjoy. Here is a list of bars across the US that has all 8 of their Jewbelation brews available this holiday season. The one in Seattle is Brouwer's Cafe in Fremont. I HIGHLY recommend sharing this beer with a friend as it is quite strong but it is a very good beer in my opinion.

Here is a RateBeer review. Happy Hanukkah!

Manny's Pale Ale

Manny's is a beer I first had at a holiday party in December 2008, in Seattle. Manny's is brewed by Georgetown Brewing in Seattle.
Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager

I first had this beer in Colorado in 2002. It is made by Dixie Brewing in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Z Lager

Z Lager is brewed by Fort Collins Brewery in Colorado. Z Lager is a rauchbier with smoke flavors from the malt being dried over flame. I first tried Z Lager in 2002 and I used to visit the Fort Collins Brewery tasting room often. I even joined their tap club, though now I can't visit since I live so far away. Sadly their beers are also not available in Washington so I will have to wait until I return to Colorado for a visit to try it again.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a Rate Beer review.

Yeungling Lager

I tried Yeungling Lager in 2003 while living in Colorado. While looking through the Yeungling website today I noticed several beers that I hadn't seen before and I will need to stay alert and see if I find them anywhere. Yeungling is the oldest american brewery in operation, having opened in 1829.

Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Elephant

Elephant is a beer I first saw in Denmark in 1995, though I didn't have it until 2001 in Colorado. It is brewed by Carlsberg and is widely available.

Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Odell Easy Street Wheat

A hometown classic for me simply known as Easy Street in Fort Collins and Colorado in general. Easy Street Wheat is brewed by Odell Brewing Company in Fort Collins, CO.

I first tried Easy Street in 2000 most likely at Old Chicago but more recently I lived within walking distance of the brewery in 2007-2008 and it was a relatively frequent pilgrimage I made to have some of the sampler trays they offered.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Killarney's Red Lager

I am going way way back to January 2002, when I first tried Killarney's Red Lager but it was discontinued by Anheuser-Busch shortly thereafter.

Even though it isn't available any more and probably will never be revived, here is a review from The Opinionated Beer Page.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine

Sierra Nevada Brewing in Chico, California makes what I think is a great barleywine called Bigfoot! This is one beer that I can't remember exactly when and where I had it, whether it was in Colorado or in Washington but I will definitely have Bigfoot again in the future.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

HUB Abominable Winter Ale

In honor of the blizzard we experienced/are experiencing currently here in the Puget Sound (note: blizzard just means wind blowing the snow, there is only about 2-6 inches of snow, but lots of ice and steep hills!) I am sharing about an appropriately named beer. The Abominable Winter Ale from Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland, Oregon is a beer I got last week at the PCC. Maybe it was a prophetic purchase, maybe just random, I don't know.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Kona Wailua Wheat

On a snowy, messy day in Seattle, why not think of a fun happy thing (beer) and place (Hawaii)? I just glanced through my beer list and the one that popped out at me was Wailua Wheat from Kona Brewing in Hawaii. Unfortunately this beer is only available from March to September so it won't help me on this snowy day but at least it provided a happy thought.

I first tasted this beer at the 2006 GABF in Denver but I didn't actually try a full serving of it until 2007 while visiting friends in Wyoming.

Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Billy's Chilies

Billy's Chilies is a chili beer that is brewed by Twisted Pine Brewing in Colorado. I first tasted this beer at the 2007 GABF in Denver but I first had a full serving at Thanksgiving with my family at my sister's house later in 2007. This is my favorite chili beer that I have ever had.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a Rate Beer review.

Four Loko Watermelon

Today I am sharing that I tried Four Loko Watermelon during 2009 here in Washington state. Last week the state banned these alcoholic energy drinks, that are flavored malt beverages. You might say, that isn't a beer - but it is brewed the same it just has flavors and other ingredients added to it. Why post about it today? Because today is the day the ban takes effect. Since that happened last week and other states also banned these types of drinks Four Loko has decided to change their formulation and remove the caffeine.

Yes, these types of drinks are included in my grand total but constitute a very minute portion of it.

Cobra Beer

I tried Cobra, when I was in London for a couple of days in March of 2007.
Cobra beer was brewed to be the perfect beer to drink with curry as you will see is pretty explicit on their website. Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Karmi

Okacim Karmi is a low alcohol brew, what we would often call a non-alcoholic beer even though it is just about 0.5% alcohol. That is pretty standard for non-alcoholic beers. I found Karmi at the Big Star Beer Market and tried it last spring because it sounded interesting. Okacim is a brewery in Poland and they make other beers as well. Here is a Beer Advocate review, though they note it is no longer brewed but I am not sure about that.

Moose Drool

Moose Drool brown ale is made by Big Sky Brewing in Montana. I first tried Moose Drool while I attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie in 2005.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Windhoek Lager

Windhoek Lager is a beer made in Namibia by Namibia Breweries. I recall having a couple of these at Joe's Beer House in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia when I arrived in Feb. 2007. I had just flown into the country, rented a car and driven all the way into town. I stayed at a place called the Cardboard Box, backpacker style, it was great.

Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Lan Kwai Fong Blonde Bomb

While I was in Hong Kong in 2007 I spent a day on the other side of the Pearl River Delta in Macau. I actually tried this beer at the Wynn Macau. That is where I tried Lan Kwai Fong Blonde Bomb, though it may be discontinued in favor of their flagship beer. It seems strange to me that I didn't see this or try it while I was in Hong Kong but it is what it is.

Here is a Beer Advocate review that states the Blonde Bomb has been discontinued.

7 Seas Ballz Deep Double IPA

I first tried Ballz Deep Double IPA in the earlier portion of 2010. Ballz Deep is brewed by 7 Seas Brewing in Gig Harbor, Washington. I am fairly confident that I got this beer from The Beer Authority in the Lake City part of Seattle. This is another beer brewed here in Washington.

Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Stella

No, this is not Stella Artois that I am posting about today. Stella is a beer found in Egypt, that I tried on my first day in Cairo in the fall of 2006. It is brewed by Al Ahram Beverages, which is part of Heineken. I enjoyed Stella, it was a cold beer in a very hot place so that is always a good combination, though I think there were a couple of others I liked more.
Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Newcastle Brown Ale

I first tried Newcastle while living in Nebraska in the late 90s. At the time they were the primary jersey sponsor of my favorite Premier League club, Newcastle United. My favorite player also played for the team, Alan Shearer.
Here is a Beer Advocate review of Newcastle.

Victoria Bitter - VB

Victoria Bitter is an Australian brew that I first had on my flight from LA-Sydney in 2007. According to the US VB website, this is only available at one store in San Francisco as far as US availability goes. I will keep an eye out for it here in the stores in Seattle as well though. Here is a great Australian advertisement for VB below.

Here is a Rate Beer review of VB.

Baltika 3

There is a series of Baltika beers brewed in Russia. I have had several of these and all of them have been ones I have tried while living in Washington. There is a really great eastern European selection of beer at the Big Star Beer Market and that is where I found all of the Baltika beers. For this post I will focus on Baltika No. 3, Classic.

Here is a Beer Advocate review of this beer.

Hop Rod Rye

Bear Republic Brewing makes the Hop Rod Rye, which is relatively easy to find as I have seen it at each of the beer stores I have been to in Seattle and it is at grocery stores too. I first had this beer earlier this fall. The reason I am posting about this today is I found a link in the Craft Beer newsletter I receive in my email. The link was about beers that are good for Thanksgiving. Here is a Beer Advocate review.

Rolling Rock

Rolling Rock is a beer that I first tried in 2002, while living in Colorado. At that time the beer was brewed by Latrobe Brewing Company in Pennsylvania. Here is a link for those of you who are interested or are wondering about the mysterious 33 on the bottles. Rolling Rock is now brewed in the US by Anheuser-Busch, which is now part of Anheuser-Busch Inbev.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Old Speckled Hen

Old Speckled Hen is a beer that I first tried in 2006, while living in Colorado. The history of Old Speckled Hen and when it was first brewed got a chuckle out of me so it is worth reading.
This english pale ale is brewed in the UK. Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.

Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale

This evening I have a few minutes so I will make a second post, which mostly makes up for skipping yesterday. This post is about Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale from Flying Dog.

I first tried Doggie Style in 2002 in Colorado, where Flying Dog was originally from. I haven't seen it here in Seattle, though I haven't been looking for it so I will keep my eyes open at the stores around the area.

Here is a Beer Advocate review and a RateBeer review.