A Word About Beer...

This beer has a fresh, woody aroma. It has a strong "nutty" brown essence with a small amount of tanginess. It has a "oak-like" taste as it is swallowed. Of all the the pale ales I've had, this one is definitely above average. This is indeed a popular beer. It has a taste that you can never forget, even after your first bottle.

This beer has an aroma similar to that of Grolsch. In the mouth it displays sourness, and a kind of acidic taste. As it is swallowed, it gives a flat and bitter, if not stale, sensation.

You may have seen the commercial for this beer, in prime-time: relaxing scenes of people on the beach - followed by the slogan "change your whole lattitude". It surprises me that such an insignificant beer (compared to beers like Budweiser, Miller, or Coors) would air such commercials. The verdict: commercial, nice. Beer, not nice.

This beer doesn't have the bitterness and harshness that other lagers do. It has a mild, even taste. One thing I like about this beer, is its clean, light body. In fact, I would recommend this beer to those who think that most other beers are too bitter and/or harsh.

After opening the bottle, I could notice an unpleasant aroma - like stale air. In the mouth, it displays a quite "skunky" taste. However, that's not a defect - it's meant to be that way. The taste could be perhaps described as a cross between fresh-cut grass and vinegar. And after swallowing, it leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.

This is a beer that I will never understand. People praise it, and give it high ratings, but I don't know why. My own sense of taste tells me otherwise.

One can sense a malty scent as the bottle is opened. In the mouth, the roasted, smoky, charcoal-like taste makes itself known. And when it's swallowed, the taste is even stronger.

This is a beer that everyone loves. It has been labelled as the best beer in existence. But my question: is this beer? Perhaps people drink it around campfires, to enhance the aroma of the smoke? If you like flame-broiled steak, here is a flame-broiled beer.

The perfect beer! Upon opening the bottle I can detect a beautiful aroma - the most refreshing aroma of any beer I've come across: light, full, clean, fresh. Lightly malted, and cereal-like, there is no indication of any 'bitterness' - it is a sweet, butterscotch-like smell, comparable to that of a flower.

In the mouth, the beer demonstrates a feather-light body. The flavor sensed is, to use a term, quite sweet - along the lines of the sweetness displayed by honey or maple syrup. Soft, effervescent, clear, this beer brings about the feeling of being in a cool, windy meadow. I could further define the flavor as being similar to that of brown sugar or gingerbread - a beer that delivers an intense flavor without being harsh. I let the beer linger around my entire mouth, and swallow it slowly, loosely, documenting the "smooth tanginess" that gives the beer its character.

I experience, as the beer is swallowed, a light, sugary bliss - a wonderfully crisp, smooth, brisk essence, about which I can find nothing unpleasant. This beer - being a wheat beer - reminds me of a fresh, brand new bowl of cereal: the smooth, flavorful essence of wheat can be sensed as the beer goes down. It is indeed the sensation that this beer leaves in the back of the throat that is the reason that this beer was given its rating: honey-touched, with a hint of gingerbread, brown sugar, and maple syrup - refreshing, full, clean, sweet, light, soft, effervescent, smooth - this beer is as fresh as the fields of wheat from which it was brewed - which is why I am giving it a '10'.

This lager displays a "gentle" scent when opened (rather than "harsh" like most lagers). Most lagers have a degree of "harshness" when tasted, that can also be noticed as the beer is swallowed. This beer, as a lager, stands apart. Overall, I would describe this beer as being "smooth". I would define smooth as a softness, evenness, and non-coarseness that a beer displays as it is swallowed.

As opened, this beer displays a crisp, brisk aroma. In the mouth, one can sense its trickling effervescence. It demonstrates a certain cleanness, and sweetness, that cannot be found in many other beers. As the beer is swallowed, it leaves a sensation that is both light and mellow.

This beer is "in a class by itself" - it doesn't seem to fit into any of the main existing beer styles. I would say that it's closest to golden pilsner - blonde, clean, and dry. NOTE: if you are a non-beer-drinker, I would recommend trying a "grocery store" beer - this beer packs a punch!

After opening the bottle, one can sense a dark, chocolaty aroma. Without doubt, a sweet beer. The taste could be labeled as being licorice, or semi-sweet chocolate. It also has a tiny bit of toastiness. When swallowed, one can taste the true sweetness of this beer.

Previously known in the past as "milk stout", this is definitely not your ordinary beer. This beer is to licorice, what coffee is to Guinness. These two beers are opposites - they're both "triple stout" - one sweet, the other, dry.

As the bottle is opened, one can sense a dark, semi-sweet, chocolate-like aroma. In the mouth, it has a thick, strong character. As it goes down, it has a rich, "frothy" texture. This beer is definitely no typical beer. Though an expensive beer, it surely lives up to its money's worth. NOTE: this is a strong beer, and is not for the timid! You've been warned!

"Black and tan" stands for the colors of the styles of beer of which this beer is a combination - porter (black) and lager (tan). This beer presents a wonderful bold, rich dark charcoal-like aroma, like Guinness Extra Stout, only much sweeter and chocolatey - similar to McEwan's Scotch Ale. The beer displays a medium body in the mouth and expresses a dark, roasted character. A strong, pleasing toasty-yet-sweet sensation can be sensed in the back of the mouth as the beer goes down.

This beer demonstrates a deep, malty aroma with a hint of caramel behind it and a touch of nutty essence. In the mouth it displays a medium body that is accompanied by a dark, malty caramel-like character. There is a degree of bitterness - a nutty bitterness - included. As the beer goes down, one can detect a pleasing dark, dry, bittersweet caramel nuttiness that emphasizes the beer's flavor.

This beer has an aroma similar to Bass Pale Ale, only slightly more bitter. In the mouth, it demonstrates a wet, blunt consistency. As swallowed, it is again similar to Bass Pale Ale. It has a drier taste, though, and is slightly more sour. In my own opinion, I consider Newcastle Brown Ale to be borderline. It isn't bad, nor is it great.

Take note that this beer previously went by the name Pete's ESP (Extra Smooth Pub) Lager. This beer delivers a sharp, dry, deep aroma similar to that of a brown ale. It displays a medium body in the mouth and delivers a deep, rich, crisp textured nutty flavor. Included with the flavor is a woody, dry caramel-like bitterness. The beer, upon being swallowed, demonstrates a full, dry, bitter-yet-flavorful character. If I were to summarize this beer's flavor, I would best describe it as a cross between the flavor of a pale ale and a brown ale.

Fruity! After opening the bottle, one can smell the aroma - a delightful, sweet cherry aroma. In the mouth, it is light and refreshing. It has a crisp, clean body. As it goes down, the pure essence of cherry can be sensed.

Of all the beers I've tried so far, that claim to possess fruit flavoring, this is the best one I've tried so far. It must be stressed that this is not a "wine cooler". A good definition of a wine cooler is Kool-Aid with alcohol added - which is what this beer is not. NOTE: a sweet, mild beer, like this one, is a beer I'd recommend for a non-beer-drinker to try out.

After opening the bottle, I could detect an aroma that would be best described as a pineapple-coconut / mango-like scent. In the mouth, the beer displays a medium body and presents a quite "exotic" / tropical taste, similar in nature to the aroma, that is accompanied by a hint of lime. The character is tart and acidic - but not in negative ways. Upon swallowing, a pleasant, bittersweet tropical-fruit like, lime-touched essence is sensed, that emphasizes the positive aspects of the flavor traits described above.

Can this beverage be labeled as "beer"? To be honest, this beer tastes more like what you'd expect from a wine cooler or from something like 'Zima'! Perhaps it should be put in a class by itself. In terms of fruit beers, however, my favorite still remains Samuel Adam's Cherry Wheat.