I Met a Nashville Blonde

I rarely buy beer in cans. Admittedly, I've been a bottle or draft "snob" for a while now. But Blacktop Blonde from Tailgate Brewery in Nashville may have changed my mind about canned beer.

--As a side note, Tailgate Brewery was formerly located in California. They chose Nashville, TN as their new home. Seems they are joining a long line of companies that are relocating to our great state from California. Looks like the Golden State is losing some of their nuggets?--

Anyway, I was going to a gathering where the beer was to be shared. I wasn't sure about the availability of a bottle opener, so I thought I'd pick up some canned beer. I was in a bit of a hurry and the store was running a special on the Blacktop Blonde, so I grabbed it. It was somewhat of a random choice, although the selection of canned beers was very limited (unless you count those other "beers").

What a lucky choice! It was perfect for the event I was taking it to. Low alcohol (4.7%), and a delightful, summer beer. My original intention was to have one and share the other five, but before I had quite finished the first one, I grabbed another to make sure I got to have a second.

It has a surprising, almost sweet taste that you just want to keep in your mouth and roll around for a little while before you swallow. It finishes clean and clear. No lingering aftertaste. You're ready for the next mouthful as soon as that one's gone. I must not have been the only one that enjoyed it, as the remaining four were gone in a flash and enjoyed by a lucky few of the other guests. I say "lucky few" because the only other beer there was a Yuengling Lager. I don't necessarily have anything against Yuengling. I hope to be reviewing some of their beers in future posts. But when I left, there were a few Yuenglings still there and the Blacktop Blonde was long gone.

By the way, it turns out that there were plenty of bottle openers there.

Would I buy this beer again? Uh-HUH!

Hoppy To See You Rating: 4 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5

Rollin' Down Highway 420

Photo: SweetWater Brewery, Atlanta, GA

OK, guys. You're not fooling anybody with the highway sign. Nice try. We all know what "420" is associated with. At least with your Hop Hash Double IPA (which I hope to review soon) you're up front with your reference.
But seriously, I like this beer. For a very long time it was my "go-to" beer when in a bar or restaurant. I always knew it would go great with a pizza, burger, or just about anything. I started buying it to have at home. There was almost always a SweetWater 420 in the fridge. It's easy to see why this is one of SweetWater's most popular choices. I liked the fact that it was mild pale ale, not a strong hoppiness (not that there's anything wrong with that), but you can taste them. No strong bitterness. It has a 5.7% alcohol content, so it's not too much to have a couple of these with your evening meal if you want.
I still tend to ask for 420 in restaurants. Most restaurants that have any kind of beer selection at all have it, so it's an easy and "safe" choice.

Would I buy this beer again? Of course!

Hoppy To See You Rating: 3.5 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5

Feeling Rebellious

Once again, we enter the land of "Is It Really A Craft Beer". Whether or not Sam Adams is considered a craft brewery or not, I happen to think they make some mighty fine brews. I must give credit to the Sam Adams brewery for furthering my interest in good beers and shining the light on the fact that there are many other beers out there that are not fizzy, watery, lager/pilsners (not that there's anything wrong with those... OK, I take that back - there's plenty wrong with those). They helped me figure out that beer can be enjoyed for the flavor. That it's fun to pair with certain foods. You can actually drink beer because it tastes great, not merely because it aids in getting you to the dance floor.

I decided to pick up Sam Adams Rebel IPA when I overheard the guys at the beverage store talking about it. I figure they sample a lot of beers, and if they thought this one was particularly good, I should give it a try.

I'm glad I did. It is a very refreshing, yet substantial IPA. Not overly bitter. Easy to drink, but with just enough of that hoppy flavor to let you know this is an IPA. As you can see from the photo, it has a nice amber-honey color and a pretty nice head. The head was somewhat bubbly and was completely gone before I was even a third through drinking it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I like a creamier head, but you're not going to always get that with every beer.

If you're on the IPA fence, you may want to give this one a try. I know a lot of people don't like IPA's. They find them too bitter or overpowering. One of my friends is fond of saying, "I don't want my beer to taste like grapefruit". That's cool. I don't want my beer to taste watery, fizzy and flavorless - which is what many "mainstream" beers taste like to me. I guess they're both an acquired taste?

Would I buy this beer again? Yes

Hoppy To See You Rating: 3.75 | 5
Highest possible rating: 5

Goose Island Summer Ale

OK, before I start on Goose Island Goose Summer Ale, I know that Goose Island is not technically a craft beer. It started out that way, but it's now owned by gigantic-mega-huge-corporation InBev, the giantic-mega-huge-corporation that also owns that obscure brewery: Anheuser-Busch. You may have heard of them?

Having said that, I'm not going to let that sway my judgement. After all, good beer is good beer, whether it's owned by a giant corporation or brewed in a boutique home-town brewery.

I also want to apologize for the photo of the bottle. The label is wet and torn and is at a bad angle. I had this beer at a benefit event that my band was hired to play for. Band members were allowed one free drink, so this is what I chose. The selection of beers was not that good, but it rarely is at these events. Frankly, I was glad to see something besides Bud Light, Budweiser and Michelob Light! Anyway, I set the bottle down on a tray and snapped a quick pic with my phone.

I love sampling all these "summer ales" that are on the market this time of year. There are so many, I doubt I'll get through them all before summer is over.

This is described on the label as a "session" ale. What is a "session" ale you might ask? Well, without going into too much detail, it generally means a beer or ale with 5% or less alcohol content. Meaning that you can still have your "sea legs" after an extended "session" of enjoying two or three (or more). It may be a good idea for a future post to go into the origin(s) of "session" beers.

I have to say this is a pretty good beer. It has a nice flavor. Despite the large hops illustrations on the label, the hoppiness is not that prominent. It hits the taste buds less like a "POW", and more like a "poof" (which is not a bad thing). It has a slight bitterness and a tame, grapefruity finish. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to pour it into a glass, so I can't describe the color and the head. Overall, I found this beer to be pleasant. After the band played, I even paid for a second one.

Bottom line: If you're somewhere and the selection of beers is limited, but they have this beer, you could do much worse!

Would I buy it again? Mmmm... maybe. Depends on the circumstances.

Got the Blues

SweetWater seems to consistently produce tasty beers. I'd seen this one around for a while and decided it was time to give it a try. I must say that when I read the label and it said "...a light bodied wheat ale laced with natural blueberry flavor" I was a bit hesitant. After trying it, my first thought was that I should have been drinking this beer a long time ago! It is most delicious. The blueberry flavor is there, but it sits way in the background, waiting to be summoned if wanted. 

I found this beer to be refreshing and delightful. With a 4.6% alcohol content, you can have more than one and it's not going to keep you from "functioning within normal parameters" as Data from Star Trek, The Next Generation would say. 

SweetWater Blue is one dang fine beer. It could possibly be the answer to the question: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one kind of beer, what would it be?

Would I buy it again? You're ding-dang-diddley-tootin' I would!

First Review: Red Hook Audible Ale

Chosen totally at random for my first review is Red Hook Audible Ale. I bought this beer based on the description on the side of the six pack. I'm not a big sports fan, so I'd never heard of Dan Patrick, but evidently the "audible" reference has something to do with a phrase he uses often in sports broadcasting. Anyway, I was looking for something that was somewhat light and refreshing. A beer that I could have more than one or two of that wouldn't effect my brain and body functions. A good "back yard barbecue" summertime beer. But also a beer with a good flavor that didn't taste like the "light beers" I was familiar with from my misspent youth.
Well, I must say that this beer fit exactly what I was looking for. Low in alcohol content and a great taste. Good straight out of the bottle, but when poured, has a nice "semi-creamy" head and a clear, amber color. A solid, all around beer.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

How I came to really like beer

First let me explain that if you want to read a good beer blog, there are many better ones than this. I don't plan on writing articles, doing interviews, or doing any actual work. This blog is just my impressions of beers I've tasted– Why I think they're good, or bad, or meh. I'll try to make it interesting and fun.

Ever since I became aware of the Craft Beer movement, I started liking beer. Yes, as a young man I drank my share (maybe more than my share) of the American lagers like Budweiser, Miller, Coors, etc. I drank it, but I never really liked it like people like a fine wine, or a fine cheese. But these beers were cheap, my friends all drank it, and besides, I didn't know there was any other kind of beer.
I pretty much stopped drinking beer regularly throughout my 30's, 40's and into my 50's, preferring wine and cocktails in social situations. In about 2003 or so, I discovered a local brewery in Nashville, TN called Yazoo.

I tried their Hefeweizen. In those days you couldn't buy it in bottles. You had to go to the brewery and buy it in a tiny plastic "keg" that would sit in your refrigerator. I poured it into a glass and the first thing I noticed was that it was "cloudy". Is that right? Is it supposed to be like that? I took a sip. It was like no beer I'd ever tasted. It was fruity and smelled good. It went down smooth. It wasn't "fizzy". It was a beautiful color and had a creamy head. I thought, "Is this really beer?"

From that point on, I was anxious to try more kinds of these "strange new beers". I was all in on this Craft Beer thing (not even sure if they were calling it "craft beer" then).

Today there seems to be a new beer coming out every week. There are as many breweries as there are Starbuck's. It's impossible to try them all, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

I would also like to address another point. Yes, beer is an alcoholic beverage. Yes, if you drink too much of an alcoholic beverage it impairs your judgement, makes you an unsafe driver, can change your personality, make you fat, and I'm sure you can think of other things that are negative about beer if too much is consumed. I'm not talking about sitting down and consuming mass quantities of any alcoholic beverage. I enjoy beer strictly as examples of the brewer's art. I never drink beer with the intention of becoming inebriated. I find no joy in that. Where I do find joy is discovering that great tasting fine brew. There are wine lovers, steak connoisseurs, donut experts... All of these can be over-consumed with negative consequences. I like donuts, but I would never eat an entire box of them. Moderation is the best way to enjoy anything. Especially beer.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm no beer expert. I'm just a regular guy that loves beer. So I'll review each beer from the "regular guy" perspective. If the beer experts think I don't know what I'm talking about, well, they're correct! I don't claim to be a beer geek. I just want to share my love of beer with other folks that like beer, too. Maybe I'll recommend something you'll like. I hope you'll post some suggestion on beers you enjoy, too.