5/6/2003 SARANAC PALE ALE
We really liked this ale. It was a beer that grabbed the happy middle ground between thin, mass produced lagers that are served ice cold and hearty microbrews and English ales that are poured at a little below room temperature. We tasted Saranac Pale Ale from 12 ounce longnecks served bone cold. It was a incredibly refreshing, a real lip smacker after a warm day, but offered enough malts and hops to excite our palates. Well done. (Rating ****1/4)

See if our retailer can send you this brew by surfing to BUY BEER. Otherwise, for more information, surf to www.Saranac.com.

 
4/24/2003 ROGUE SHAKESPEARE STOUT
Yummmmm. This black beer is made with Northwest Harrington Klages, Crystal 135-165 and Beeston Chocolate malts, Cascade hops, rolled oats, roasted barley...and water. It's a tender, robust, delicious stout. Truly tasty, and nicely blending both sweet and bitter notes. Stout lovers are obliged to give this one a sip. (Rating ****1/4)

See if our retailer can send you this brew by surfing to BUY BEER. Otherwise, for more information, surf to www.Rogue.com.

 
4/2/2003 BALLANTINE'S XXX ALE
I first learned of Ballantine's while reading something by Hunter S. Thompson. He seemed to like it (then again, what didn't he drink). At the time, I couldn't find it: beer store guys looked at me like I was asking for some 19th century product. Now, though, it can be found with relative ease, at least in New York City. I won't kid you: Ballantine's XXX is a cheap beer. Yet, unlike Hollandia or numerous other thin yellow beers, it has a character all its own. Whatever hops they use (Cascade?) import a dry, sweet bouquet to what would otherwise be a very pedestrian brew. Drink it very cold, for as it warms up it loses its crispness and becomes flabby. (Rating ***1/4) Churned out by the Falstaff Brewing Company, Ballantine XXX goes for $1.10 for a 16 ounce optic lime green can. You can learn a bit more about Ballantine by surfing to this fan site: http://www.jadetech.com/~smallsha/ballantine_ale.htm.

 
4/1/2003 LAGUNITAS BREWING COMPANY DOGTOWN PALE ALE
We came across this one while in dodging junkies and snaggle-toothed street people in downtown San Francisco. We paid $1.75 for a 12 ounce bottle. Lagunitas (that's Lah-GOO-KNEE-tuss) is made in Petaluma, California. LBC's IPA struck us as watery and not quite right, but this pale ale was quite good. Pretty amber-copper color, a thin head...a nice easy ale that has good flavor, a nice balance between sweet malt and crisp hops, and a finish that bites but softly. Well done. (Rating ****) For further info, contact Lagunitas at http://www.lagunitas.com.

 
3/20/2003 JENLAIN BEER FROM FRANCE
Long ago, I tried a French beer. It was a disappointment. I recall asking someone else to taste it. He too thought it was awful. Our attitude, perhaps unfairly, quickly became, "The French ought to stick to wine and cheese."

The other night I decided to try JENLAIN. In New York City, JENLAIN is available it in corked champagne bottles for $4-5. The label boasted that it was finely crafted, used excellent materials, and so forth. I was hopeful. I poured it and it was deep copper colored with a fat head. It looked beautiful in a burgundy glass. I sipped it- my face bunched up. What the hell? The beer itself wasn't spoiled or cooked. It just was thin and had a certain rank flavor that overwhelmed what few pleasant notes there were. Maybe my taster was of. I asked a frien with a near bottomless belly for beer to atke a sip. One was enough. We dumped the bottle. (Rating *1/2)

 
2/13/2003 FULL SAIL WASSAIL ALE AND HALF PIPE PORTER
God love the folks at Full Sail. Everything they do tastes great. This Wassail winter brew is a real biggin: it's 6.5% ABV, robust flavored, offering a little mocha, cinnamon, coriander...Goodness. This is one big brown beer that grows tastier and tastier as it warms. Eat up! (Rating****)

The Half Pipe Porter is also grand. It's a nearly black, fat headed brew. As with the Wassail, let it warm and breath a bit and you will be rewarded: soft smoke, chocolate...Yet it is not a huge, mouth blowing ale. Dare we say that it is delicate and restrained? Regardless- do try this one. (Rating ****1/4) For more information about Full Sail beers, surf to www.FullSail.com.

 
2/3/2003 ROGUE AMERICAN AMBER ALE
This brew is a beauty. Looks like a nutbrown when poured into a glass. It is malty, sweet, full-flavored, and full bodied. It's an under 75 degrees Farenheit weather sort of brew that closes softly with delicious Cascade and Kent Golding hops. Yum. (Rating ****) For more information on Rogue ales, surf to www.Rogue.com.

 
1/25/2003 HOLLANDIA BEER...SINCE 1758?
At the corner store I found 16 ounce cans of Hollandia priced at $1 a piece. "Well," I thought, "maybe it is a real bargain like Ballantine's Ale." So I nabbed a few cans and took it back to the office to share with another taster. Shared conclusion: if these guys have been making this since 1758, they sure lack skill and taste. This is a thin yellow beer. It's not awful, but it has little taste and what little it has reminds one of Budweiser from a stadium tap. (Rating **) Brewed and canned by H. West, Maarsen, Holland, and imported by Bavaria USA, Inc., Dallas, TX 75287.

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