Magic Hat #9

Magic Hat

#9

Not Quite Pale Ale

2/20/15

Info: Had 3/4 of a pint before dinner. Why? Why not.... Lol there does not need to be a reason for all the times someone drinks beer.

Brewery- Magic Hat Brewery

ABV- 5.1%

Source- from a bottle and to a glass. 

Look- Amber in color, looks beautiful in a glass.

Feel- it is not too carbonated or "heady" from the bottle. I have also had the draught version and that too was not too carbonated or "heady". It's a solid beer.

Smell- I love the smell of Magic Hat. I like that I can smell fruit, and I think wheat.  Both smells are distinct and very pleasant.  It does not have the nasty beer smell some beers have.

Taste- I like the taste very much. I could not quite make out which fruit it is (apricot) so I looked it up. I thought it was peach. I'm not normally a fan of fruity beers, but this one is not overpowering at all. I've had this beer before and I've enjoyed it each and every time. I've even had it as the last pint from the keg and it was also still a good beer.  There is no foul aftertaste and the after burp is not bad at all. It's not a beer I mind burping after lol.

Opinion- I really like this beer. It is one that I could drink at dinner, just because, at home watching the game or because it is Friday at 4:37. It's just that type of beer. I do enjoy it very much.. I am going to give my first decimal here and say it is a solid 4.25 out of 5... I would highly recommend this beer to anyone who likes beer.

PS- This beer is also very easy to find compared to the other three more specialty beers I have reviewed. 

Golden Ale- Mayflower Brewing Company

Mayflower Brewing Company

Golden Ale

2/15/15 

Yes this week was a 2 beer week.  I don't have a problem at all.

Brewery: Mayflower Brewing Co. Plymouth Mass

ABV- 4.7%

Source- from the bottle.

Look- It is just like the bottle says, Golden in color. 

Smell- When I first took a whiff, I had a distinct smell of bread or something in that category. After taking a couple more there was the added aroma of bitter hops. The smell was not displeasing at all.  

Taste- There is no real taste. If I had to compare it to something I would say it was a "light IPA".  I imagine that this would taste great when the temperature was closer to 80 degrees F and not 10 degrees F. Oh well it is what it is. 

Feel- It is quite carbonated. The burping started almost immediately as proof of that.

Opinion- I like IPA's and since I described this as "light IPA", I'd have to say I liked it. Is it something I would go out of my way to get, probably not. Would I drink it again, absolutely.  It is a solid middle of the road beer. I'd give it 3 out of 5.

Side Note- Like the Iron Maiden Trooper beer, this also had a paragraph on the back about the history of the Mayflower landing. I liked that!

Samuel Adams- Thirteenth Hour

2/12/15
Samuel Adams

Ale Aged in Oak Barrels

Thirteenth Hour

A little background info: Had this beer (1 pint 9.4 oz) paired with Sloppy Joes tonight. 

Brewery- I think this is very plain to see Samuel Adams

ABV- 9% This one is a bit stronger than the last one. 

Source- from the bottle.

Look- It is a dark full head of beer, the picture does not do it justice. 

Smell- It has a different aroma, kinda spicy but not. That makes absolutely no sense but it is the best way to describe it. 

Taste- You can definitely tell this is a stronger beer (ABV 9%) it has a distinct sweet taste with a hint of something I can not quite put my finger on to be honest. edit: I figured it out, it is a strong taste of syrup. The bottle says hints of chocolate, coffee, spice and oak. I am not sure if it is one of the spices or the oak, but it definitely has a hint of something that I am not sure if I actually like or not. (I guess I liked it I finished the bottle lol) The "reburp" is not too bad either.. lol

Feel- It is a heavier beer, probably not one you'd want to chug by any means. I would consider this a sipping beer at best, as it is a lot of flavor and a high alcohol content. 

Opinion- The beer is full of taste and is not hard to drink for 9% ABV. That being said, I am not sure how I feel about this beer. I mean I really like Sam Adams, and I want to like the beer but I think it is too much. Yeah that is the best way to describe it, too much flavor. Don't get me wrong it was not hard to finish or anything. I did drink it and even enjoyed it somewhat. It was just a lot of flavor. Maybe that is what they were going for. I won't say that I am not a fan, but it is not something I would go out of my way to find or get. If it is available I would drink it again.  I am giving this one 3 out of 5 as I think it is too much in one bottle. 

Until next beer..

The Trooper- Iron Maiden

2/7/15

Iron Maiden -The Trooper

So here is a little background before the actual review... I had the beer with some bacon cheeseburger pizza for dinner.

BREWERY- Robinson's Brewery

ABV- 4.7% so it is light, and one could have a couple and still be pretty good.

LOOK- Amber look, not very "heady", not extremely carbonated so there is not much after burp.

SMELL- hmmm I smell a hint of sweet, but not too sweet.

TASTE- very smooth,no foul aftertaste. Slightly bitter, and what I describe as a little malty.

FEEL- low carbonation. Very smooth to drink.

OPINION- 4 out of 5. I was very surprised by how good this beer was. I bought it as a novelty as I am a big Iron Maiden fan. It was tasty, not too hoppy, not too malty. It was a very good mix of bitter, sweet, malt etc and overall a solid beer. I would definitely drink this again and recommend it to others.

SIDE NOTES: I love the label. As I said I am a big Iron Maiden fan and seeing Eddie on the cover with the Trooper name was pretty damn cool. On the back of the label it told the story of The Charge of the Light Brigade, and being a History Teacher, I also thought that was pretty damn cool. My beer was not only tasty but educational too.

How I became a Beer Snob...

Yes I Am A Beer Snob... Richard Burzynski

Ok so I like beer. Thats why I am doing this, to share my beer experience with others. If you try one of the beers I recommend that is great, if not that's fine too. I am not here to offend anyone or argue with anyone  over my preferences or tastes so to speak but feel free to comment and give your review of the smae beer should you have experience with it. 

So how did I become a beer snob? I guess it was just like anyone else really. When I started drinking beer in college I drank the garbage that is a rite of passage. I drank the .25 cent watered down beers. I drank the Coors Lights, Bud Lights etc that were on special or at the fraternity parties. I was also broke, not drinking for taste and frankly I did not know good beer from bad beer. It was all beer, and now looking back, it was all crap. Now that I can afford a better beer than beat the clock .25 cent until 10:00 PM beer, I want to stay as far away from that as possible. 

So that being said I have very eclectic tastes in beer. I now brew my own beer, which after 3 brews, isn't half bad, and I drink beer for enjoyment and for taste. Some of my favorite beers include: Guinness, Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Newcastle Ale, Dunkles (from Germany), and the list can go on and on. It really depends on my mood really, but Guinness is my go to beer when I am unsure of what to have when I am out for dinner or at a concert etc. I'll give my review on some of my favorites from time to time but will try to avoid them as I feel I am biased so it is not quite fair. 

I will also do a couple mass reviews a few times a year as my poker buddies and I do a night of beer tasting 2-3 times a year. Those may not be as comprehensive but they will be fun (for me anyway). Here is a picture from our last tasting last December.

 I won't try to review any of these as I can not remember what most tasted like. However after 9 of us tried all of them and rated them 1-10, the top 3 were the Punk IPA (third from the left) The San Miguel which scored a solid 6 from everyone- and the most common reason was it was very drinkable and there was nothing really wrong with it but it wasn't spectacular, and the winning beer was the 2nd from the right. I do not remember what the name of it is right now, but I will find it and post it. 

Anyways, so that is where I am coming from and hopefully this finds some success and someone finds it interesting and even helpful......