River Horse Tripel Horse

Style: abbey tripel
Alc./Vol.: 10%
Rating: 3.0/5.0

I ordered this Belgian style beer at the Peculiar Pub in the West Villiage. It has an apricot color with a smooth white head. Citrusy, with a significant vanilla essence from the Belgian yeast, Tripel Horse tries hard to balance these sweeter components with the intense alcohol content. The content overpowers however, and makes for a rather unpleasant drinking experience. This beer could be great, but it tries too hard and comes off overdone and unecessarily aggressive.

Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale

Style: ale
Alc./Vol.: 6.8%
Rating: 4.0/5.0

Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale exhibits a dark red hue along with a large, frothy tan head. Very hoppy and strong like an Arrogant Bastard Ale. The aroma was primarily of hops. Flavors of barley, bitter hops and cherry hints provide plenty of entertainment during a sip. At $4.99/22 oz. bottle, a beer of this quality is hard to beat.

Troegs Hopback Amber Ale

Style: ale
Alc./Vol.: 5.6%
Rating: 3.4/5.0

I ordered a glass of Troegs Hopback at a local bar in Manhattan during a wild Syacuse-Louisville game taking place around the corner at Madison Square Garden. Big Orange lost. At any rate, the beer pours a clear dark orange with a slim head. Hops unsurprisingly come to the forefront along with a pleasant hop floral aroma. Carbonation is mild and the body is somewhat thin. In the flavor department, it’s a balance between the hops and apple sweetness. The aftertaste was a tad on the  sweet side. Overall I felt this beer could have been more inventive – I was left wanting more creativity.

Miller Lite

Style: pale lager
Alc./Vol.: 4.2%
Rating: 1.0/5.0

One of America’s light beer staples, Miller Lite offers little in flavor or character. The taste is stale, watery and features some lemon essence. A load of carbonation makes for a real fizzy experience akin to seltzer water. Miller Lite won’t impress, but it’s not outright gross either. I’d pick this over Coors Light for instance. At 96 calories a can, it won’t add on the pounds as quickly either.

Chang Beer

Style: light lager
Alc./Vol.: 5%
Rating: 2.0/5.0

I first heard about Chang Beer or “Beer Chang” from my wife when she returned from a 3 month stint teaching English on the Thai-Burma border back in 2001. Her claim was that it was cheap and nasty. For the first time, I sampled this expectantly awful beer at a local Thai restaurant while attending a birthday party a week ago. I found Chang to be thin, flat, and extremely sweet. Flavors of lemon-grass and apples were detectable. The consistency was surprisingly syrapy for a light lager. As far as aroma goes, I could only smell the lemon grassiness. Surprisingly enough however, this is a better beer than Singha.

Southampton IPA

Style: ipa
Alc./Vol.: 6.5%
Rating: 3.4/5.0

This delightful IPA pours a clear, light orange tinge with a white head. Moderately carbonated and pleasantly bitter, the brew features a delicious sweetness combined with a defined floral hop character. Alcohol content is well hidden. The beginning and middle phases are a real treat. The dry end is good, but nothing out of the ordinary. For it’s relatively cheap pricetag, this an excellent selection.

Rogue Chocolate Stout

Style: stout
Alc./Vol.: 6.3%
Rating: 3.8/5.0

This thick stout poors pitch black with a beige head. In aroma and taste this beer is overtly dominated by dark chocolate. No other flavors vie for attention here. The carbonation is mild and there’s not much bitterness. With the reasonable alcohol content you could have a couple pints of this without slurring about how much you love chocoloate. If you are a chocolate fan like I am, you’ll be hard pressed not to thoroughly enjoy this rich and delicious treat.

Issaquah Frog Rye IPA

Style: ipa
Alc./Vol.: ?
Rating: 3.8/5.0

I acquired this beer from Whole Foods in a Growler. Issaquah is somehow linked with Rogue Brewing Company from Oregon and they had some taste testing going on there this evening. I tried this rye ale, thought it was interesting, and bought some. At any rate, Issaquah Frog Rye IPA is delightfully hoppy in aroma and taste. It’s dark orange and a bit cloudy. The head pulls a Houdini not too long after the pour. The brew is bitter for sure, but there’s also a citrusy sweetness below that provides support and complexity. The low carbonation allows for big swigs and easy swallowing. A floral aftertaste swoops onto the stage for the finale.

Lagunitas Censored Copper Ale

Style: ale
Alc./Vol.: 5.9%
Rating: 3.0/5.0

As the beer fills the glass a small tan head forms and then assimilates into the clear copper color of the brew. Scents of grass and barley rise up. The impact upon sipping sparkles with a bite. Medium bodied, mildly carbonated and crisp, Lagunitas Censored Copper Ale goes down smooth with an excellent balance of sweets and bitters. This beer is tasty without being overly ambitious – another strong concoction from the Lagunitas Brewing Company.

Sixpoint Brownstone Ale

Style: brown ale
Alc./Vol.: 5.8%
Rating: 3.2/5.0

Sixpoint Brownstone Ale is dark brown with a small head. Hoppy, grass aroma – nothing too special in this department. Smoky licorice and caramel flavors greet the tongue. The Ale is bitter and quite hoppy. There’s not much carbonation, but that could potentially due to the tap it came from (BAM Cafe in Brooklyn, NY while watching a band called Analogue Transit). However, this made the beer pretty easy to consume given it’s hop presence. The ending is very dry with hints of grass and dark chocolate. Good starter for more hoppy, sophistocated beers.