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!