Point Belgian White

My good experience with the Southampton Double White last Sunday led me to try this wheat beer out of a bottle. If nothing else it reminded me why I am usually not a fan of the wheat ones. Smell was orangey and yeasty, definitely had that typical wheat beer aroma. At first taste I got the orange and coriander, then it went down hill with that terrible yeasty bready wheat beer taste that I despise kicking in. It finished very smooth, but that awful taste I can't stand lingered on slightly. If you're a wheat beer lover you might enjoy it, but I was not a fan myself. That was a short lived run with the wheaties, I'll be quickly returning to my hop loaded brews now.

Anchor Porter

Unfortunately I didn't have this one out of a glass, but I know for a fact that it is a very dark beer. Smell was of cocoa and dark chocolate which surprised me. I was expecting a coffee bean or expresso type taste but it didn't really have it. Taste was initially toffee, cocoa and some raisins - not overly sweet at all but with a nice touch of it for a good flavor. Finish was bitter but did not hit me all it once. It was very much a long drawn out bitterness that wasn't overbearing or hard to drink at all. Like the other Anchor beers I've had it was very crisp and well balanced. A very solid Porter that I'd recommend for all.

Southampton Double White Ale

I've seen Southhampton Double White on tap at a few other places and finally tried it out today at Park West Tavern in Ridgewood. I had a bad experience with Southampton's IPA back in February and have been reluctant to try their beers, but figured I'd turn over a new leaf and I'm very glad that I did. This double white ale poured a goldeny yellow and had a very interesting smell of lemons and bananas. Taste was sweet at first with the banana being the predominant flavor, and it finished very smooth with a slight lemony aftertaste. It also had a nice wheat taste to it throughout and wasn't overly fruity or sweet at all. A very drinkable beer that is great for the summer. I'd highly recommend giving this one a try, and as an added bonus it's 6.7% ABV!

Guinness @ The Columns in Avon-By-The-Sea

At the Columns to see the E Street Shuffle band. Bartender took her time with the pour and it showed as the beer was near perfect when I received it. Taste was very smooth with a slight bitterness at the end. One of the best I've had, but it doesn't top the Dublin House in Red Bank. Great pint though, you should be here!

Detour Double IPA

Poured this double IPA out of a big bottle into a pint glass and it poured a very dark amber with a big head that took awhile to disappear and left a trace throughout. Smell was herby, citrusy and very hoppy. Not sure if I've had a beer that had such a strong smell of hops. Taste at first is citrus and hops, nicely balanced, but the finish is very strong. The hops kick in, but so does a very strong alcohol taste. I'm a fan of double IPAs, but this one finishes a little too strong. Also has some slight herbal nodes which were delightful. Overall, a little too bitter and alcoholy in the aftertaste, but not terrible. Definitely more of a late fall/winter beer instead of when its 100 degrees in the summer.

Beach Haus

Live from 12 rows back from the stage at the Goo Goo Dolls concert at PNC, I'm waiting for the band to come on while enjoying a 24oz plastic cup of Beach Haus. Not gonna lie, I got it because it was $9.75 while Miller Lite was $11, but I really enjoy it. It has a nice light orange color that was surprising to me since I was expecting a very light yellowy beer. The smell is malty but with some slight hops - really nothing profound. At first taste its sweet, but then balances out with some hops. Its definitely easy to drink in the summer, but has a nice hoppy kick at the end that really intrigues me. Nothing crazy or over the top, but definitely a great hot summer night drinking beer for someone that wants some hops, but doesn't want to be over blown with bitterness.

Beach Haus is served best cold with your beautiful wife beside you.

Margaritaville Spiked Lemonade

I know this isn't a beer, but its made by Margaritaville Brewing Co. so I have to review/advertise it. I'm not a fan of the spiked lemonades or teas, but this one is refreshingly good. Its not too sweet and is more lemon seltzer than lemonade which makes it easier to drink more than one. I'd recommend it as the perfect thirst quencher on a 103 degree summer day. Fins up!

Blue Moon Pale Moon

Grabbed this bottle at the liquor store in Newark Penn Station for my ride south. Blue Moon Brewing Company (aka Coors' attempt to disguise themselves as a craft brewery) calls it "a Belgian-style pale ale crafted with a hint of wheat, orange peel and hibiscus". I had no glass to pour it into so I can't give you the color (sorry, I'm working on carrying one with me at all times). The smell is malty with some spicy hops. The hops definitely come through in the taste more than I expected, but are nothing crazy. The initial taste is mostly malty with some spiciness and then finishes with a slight taste of hops and more spiciness. I don't really taste the orange at all, but there is a slight sweetness in there. Its kind of citrusy but if they didn't say there was a hint of orange on the label I never would've noticed it. Overall, not a bad beer but there's definitely better pale ales and summer beers out there. Plus I hate the big beer companies trying to pretend that beers are made at local craft breweries.

Hop Devil

Making me thirsty on the way to work

Brooklyn Summer Ale

Take this review with a grain of salt since I had it right after the Shiner Bock, but I really liked Brooklyn Summer. Smell was citrusy with some light hoppiness, and it obviously poured light since its a summer ale. Had a decent head at first that disappeared, but not completely. Taste was lemony at first and then brought in some slight hops. Very refreshing and smooth, but not too smooth. While I'd never call it one of my favorite beers, its definitely one of the better summer ale's I've had and had more hops than I expected. In the summer ale category, I'd rate it above Sam Adams and definitely recommend giving it a try.

Shiner Bock

Finally tried this one after many requests, and I'm sorry I did. This is by far one of the worst beers I've ever had. I think the high expectations that were set by the reviews of others definitely made it worse, but the beer alone was not good. It poured a ruby/orange with a slight head that quickly disappeared and left no lacing. It had no significant aroma. When I first tasted it I thought it was kind of Yuengling-like, but then it just went watery. No hops, all malt and some slight metallic taste. It was like drinking heavy water if that makes any sense. The best comparison I can give is if you combined Yuengling and Coors Light together, its got Yuengling's darker color and kind of has the same taste at first but then goes to water. It also tasted really flat.

I will say that I did have it on tap at Texas Arizona so I'm going to have to give it a second chance somewhere else. It was literally so bad that I am thinking it had to have been at least partially due to the tap/keg. I'll have to give a follow up review, but as of now Shiner Bock gets a big BOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Guinness from Vanderbilt's at the Hamilton Park Hotel

Had this pint Saturday night/Sunday morning after my sister-in-law Jill's wedding (congrats Jill and Mike), but the review never made it here. I usually will only post reviews while drinking, but since there's been such a lag between posts, I'll make an exception.

Bartender poured this one near perfectly. Took his time, poured to the harp, waited a minute or so, then finished. Head was a little too airy which could be due to the tap and I think that's what threw it off a bit. Taste was a little too bitter, but not terrible. Overall, a good pint worth trying, but nowhere near the top spot. I'd rank Vanderbilt's third behind Dublin House and Tierney's.

On a side note, the bar itself is really cool and is huge inside. Great place to hang out.

Sam Adams

Boston Lager on the left vs. Summer Ale on the right

Yuengling Light

Wouldn't be reviewing this, but since I'm at the BruceClaws game and its my favorite light beer ill give it a go. Got this one on tap (which is really rare) and in a plastic cup. Poured really dark for a light beer and with a nice head that isn't going away throughout. Goes down smooth, but with a slight sweet taste and a bit of hops. Basically, this is a great light beer because it doesn't taste like a light beer. Instead of tasting like Jersey City water mixed with alcohol (aka Coors Light), it tastes like a lighter version of Yuengling which is good in itself. If you love beer and want to taste a good light beer try Yuengling Light. Best light beer in the world, especially on BurceClaws night!!!

Sam Adams Boston Lager

Although Sam Adams tends to be a bit inconsistent with their brews, Boston Lager is always one of my staples. Drinking it out of a plastic cup at BruceClaws night is always a great time, especially on a hot night when you drink half of it before getting back to your seat. Boston Lager is smooth, slightly hoppy and has a little hint of sweetness. A solid lager that isn't amazing, but never goes wrong. I recommend it more in the Fall/Winter, but one or two on a summer night won't be bad when served iced cold.

Full Sail IPA

Drinking a 12oz bottle of this IPA outside the Lakewood Blue Claws Stadium before BruceClaws Night! As you can tell from the Full Sail title, the intentions are for a easy drinking summer IPA. It doesn't have a ton of hops, but gives you just enough to be happy, and is very easy to drink. No strong aftertaste, no overwhelming hoppiness and doesn't leave you dehydrated. Full Sail is great if you're setting sail on your boat or just pretending you are while sitting in your backyard. A great summer beer and an easy drinking IPA. Bon voyage!!!

Tatra

Tried this Polish pale lager out of a 16.9oz can poured into a tall glass courtesy of my Uncle Tom. I don't usually like lighter European beers but I thoroughly enjoyed Tatra. It has a larger than expected head that faded pretty quickly but not completely. The taste was very crisp and refreshing with a touch of hops, but nothing crazy. It finished a little bittery and metallic alcoholic, but not overbearing - it is 6 percent abv too so that's kind of expected. Overall, a very refreshing and crisp beer that is great for the summer. Worth a try.

Guinness @ Shannon Rose in Clifton

Had high expectations coming in, but was quickly disapointed when the bartender came back 30 seconds after ordering with a full pint of Guinness settling. He clearly did not follow the pour to the harp, let settle and top off - which clearly led to the larger than needed head. The taste itself was decent, pretty smooth but slightly too bitter, most likely due to the pour. Sorry Shannon Rose, but you get a big F for the terrible pour.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

I had heard great things about this ale so when I saw it on tap at the Shannon Rose I decided to give it a try. Smell was sweet, maybe caramel, with a slight hoppy scent. Taste was sweet, again caramely with some hops but overall it was pretty smooth. Was pretty disappointed with the lack of hops in the aftertaste. This one is probably perfect for a beginning pale ale/IPA drinker because its not overly hoppy, but has enough to give a flash of the goodness. For me, it lacks hops and has minimal flavor. If you've never had a hoppy ale/IPA or don't drink them often, give it a try. If you're a hophead, don't bother.

Sapporo

Happy Fourth of July! Since today is the day that we celebrate the independence of our great country, I decided to try a Japanese beer (aka my sister-in-law Katie randomly bought it for me to try). I've seen Sapporo on tap at many Japanese restaurants, but this one came in an indestructible 22oz can that was very unique. I'm not sure how they made this can, but its impossible to make a dent in and could definitely be used as a weapon. It also has a very skinny mouth and is flat on the bottom as opposed to slightly arched like most cans. Very intriguing. As for the actual beer itself, it tastes like a typical light beer. Very watery and not much going on with the taste. I can see the appeal of pounding ten of these while having a sushi or hibachi dinner, but wouldn't recommend it at any other time. Cool can though!

Lagunitas Censored Rich Copper Ale

One of my favorite breweries, Lagunitas makes this enjoyable ale. Since I'm drinking it out of a bottle, I can't tell you what color it is, but it has a very malty sweet smell. The taste is of the sweet malt and maybe caramel, but it finishes very smooth and clean. There's also a slight spice to it which is very enjoyable. It has a good amount of hops, definitely less than the IPA Lagunitas makes which isn't a bad thing and makes it very drinkable. Its a great beer that can be enjoyed by both hopheads and non hophead ale lovers because it has the best of both worlds - crisp caramel taste with a decent amount of hops to please hop lovers. Definitely worth a try, just like every other Lagunitas beer I've had. Definitely worthy of the "Censored" name.

River Horse - Tripel Horse

4th of July weekend is here so let's get this thing started. We begin in New Jersey with New Jersey's own River Horse Brewery who put out this "Belgian-style ale with spices" that comes in at 10% alcohol by volume. I'm not really into Belgian-style ales, but love this one. Its got a really nice orangey color and a slighty fresh smell of nutmeg, which makes sense because its brewed with it. At first taste its slightly sweet and has that typical Belgian-style taste, but it never goes to that disguisting next level of too much malty sweetness. The aftertaste is slightly of alcohol, but not overwhelming especially for a 10 percent abv beer. I'd highly suggest trying this one on a hot day in the summer because its cool and refreshing, but watch out - they go down smooth and could knock you on your ass after too many. Happy 4th of July weekend!