I bought a bottle Hop Rod Rye a year ago from a local place that I did not expect to have beer like this on the shelf. My guess is that it sat there for a looooong time before I came along because it was horrible.

Luckily I believe in second chances and I picked up another bottle of Bear Republic’s Hop Rod Rye a few weeks ago from a more respectable shop. I must say that I am really glad that I gave this beer a second chance – it is awesome! It smells and tastes much like a very nicely hopped IPA, but the difference is that 17% of the malts are made up of rye. I think it is a nice little twist and definitely worth your time.

8.0 ABV, bottle conditioned
Beer Advocate profile: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/610/3158
Dan Hounshell : http://danhounshell.com
Check out Pintley, a social site for rating and sharing beer

Review Submitted By: Dan Hounshell

This is the first time I tried this Ohio brewed beer and I have to say that I am very impressed.

It has a perfect IPA aroma, the first smell pulls you right in. And it tastes just like it smells – I felt that it was nearly dead-on for the IPA style.

6.8 ABV
Beer Advocate page: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1837/5243
My Rating: 4 out of 5

Give this Buckeye born Hippie IPA a try – you’ll like it.

Dan Hounshell : http://danhounshell.com
Check me out on Pintley, a social site for rating and sharing beer

Review Submitted By: Dan Hounshell

The first in my “Lone Star State” series…As I’m going to be leaving Texas behind in a few weeks, I’m focusing my next few reviews on Texas beers while they’re still easily available to me.

Tonight I’m having a Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale from the Real Ale brewing company in Austin, Texas.  Fireman 4 isn’t really a winter drink as it’s a lightweight, low alcohol beer perfectly suited for quenching the thirst caused by a hot Texas summer, but it’s also my favorite Real Ale brew.   It’s malty, starting with a hint of sweetness and is easy drinking and refreshing, not a sipping beer.

I’d give it a 3.2 out of 5.

Just to make sure that I thought what I tasted, I sampled five other brews the same evening. Brewed from the mountains of Lake Placid, NY, and named after a cute pup, Ubu is full of flavor. However, if you’re used to the mainstream brews across the United States such as Budweiser, Coors, or Miller, this beer isn’t for you.

The dark beer can easily be poured into a glass with a nice head. When I first poured it, the look had a slight resemblance of a Guinness draft. This definitely peaked my tastes and I’d rate this a 9 out of 10. In Northeastern Pennsylvania, you can find a case of this delicious ale at around $35 for 24 bottles.

Review Submitted By: Jason Gaylord

As I mentioned in a previous post, I received a subscription to the Beer of the Month Club from Clubs of America (http://www.greatclubs.com/beerofthemonthclub/). The other brewery that was shipped in my first shipment was from the Woodstock Inn Brewery in North Woodstock, New Hampshire.

Their first brew I tried was the Red Rack Ale. Wow. What a brew that’s rich in flavor. It pairs quite well with winter appetizers and is something that you can drink all night. I’d rate this an 8 out of 10.

Next I dried their Pemi Pale Ale. Personally, I thought this was a light bear. I know it’s a pale ale, but it was too pale for my liking. Some may even call it a “premi-“ pale ale as it seemingly needed to be brewed longer. I’d rate this a 6 out of 10.

Review Submitted By: Jason Gaylord

So, as one of my Christmas presents this year, my wife purchased a micro-brew subscription. It’s not too bad and the price wasn’t that bad either. Anyway, in the first shipment, I received two brews from the Boulder Beer Company from Boulder, Colorado.

Of the two, I prefer the Never Summer Ale. It’s a bolder ale with lots of flavor. It’s dark red in color. Its label agrees and says it’s brewed with dark caramel malt. I’d rate this selection as an 8 out of 10.

Their other brew I received is Flashback. I thought it had a burnt taste to it. Watching college football, it didn’t seem to pair well with any of the appetizers that I had served. With each taste, it seemed to be missing the flavor you’d expect from an ale. Plus, the label and logo just wasn’t as cool as the Never Summer Ale. I’d rate this selection as 5 out of 10.

I’d be interested to try other seasonal and regular brews from the Boulder Beer Company. Overall I think that they have promise.

Review Submitted By: Jason Gaylord

Another great dark red/brown beer, but this time by the fine folks at Victory.

It tasted a little less roasted and less hoppy than the Great Divide Hiberational Ale I wrote about previously, but it is still an exceptional beer if this is your style (Dopplebock).

4.2 out of 5 stars.

Review Submitted By: Scott Watermasysk

Brooklyn Local 1 is a Belgian style pale ale, lots of sweet, fruity malt flavor.   This is an excellent beer, smooth, tasty, and easy to drink.

I’d rate this a 4.5 out of 5.

This was my first Great Divide beer. Wow, wow, wow! Easily the best beer I have drank in the last six months (or longer).

For the record, dark red/brown, oaky/roasted beers are my favorite. The Great Divide Hiberation Ale fit this classifcation to the T!

It is mostly brown with a slight red color and is full of roasted goodness.

My only regret is I bought just a single 12 oz bottle. I am hoping to rectifiy this problem before it goes out of season. Highly recommend.

4.75 out of 5 stars.

Review Submitted By: Scott Watermasysk

With its big complex flavors and big alcohol content (9.7% ABV), this beer is not for the faint of heart.

I have been looking for an Old Ale to try and this was my first of the style. I would describe this one as something close to a cross between a Barleywine and a Belgian Dubbel/Trippel. The aroma is sweet: it smelled like a spice cake with raisins to me, but I also got a little buttery scent and a little floral from the hops too. The flavor was very similar to the aroma: very sweet, malty, carmel and a very tiny floral hop kick at the end. A lot of times a high alcohol content beer will be described as having a “Merlot” taste to it. I expected that flavor in this beer but was pleasantly surprised to not find it. The alcohol is definitely present and you can taste it, but it is masked a little by the sweetness and the hops. The specific beer that I drank still seemed a little young and sharp – it would probably mellow out a bit more after sitting for a few more months or a year.

One of the questions in the Beer Advocate reviews of the beer asked if an Old Ale with as much hops as the Triple Exultation should still be considered an Old Ale, so apparently this beer is not a pure example of the style. However, it is a good sipping beer and you’ll enjoy it if you’re looking for something different. But unfortunately (or not!) I’ll have to continue my search for another Old Ale or two to try.

Eel River Brewing (Fortuna, CA) says that it is the first USDA Certified Organic brewery. And the Triple Exultation is a Certified Organic beer. That neither makes the beer any more or less enticing for me, but that’s cool if you’re into those things.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review Submitted By: Dan Hounshell