The Beer Files

...because life's too dear to be drinking bad beer.

Spaten Oktoberfest

Fall colors, Halloween candy, and the temperature finally backs off a little.  What isn’t great about October?

I was just perusing Total Wine last night, creating a mixed 6er, when I turned the corner and saw a mountain of blue and white checkered 12-packs.  I immediately put back away all the beers I just spent the last fifteen or twenty minutes picking out, and snapped one up.


I wait for this beer all year.  It has such a smooth mouthfeel, so it’s a pretty easy drink.  The brew has a toasty, sweet malt flavor with just a little bit of a bitter finish; almost reminiscent of a red ale.  It isn’t so distinct and overwhelming that it would be hard to drink often.  Which is good because I like to keep a cool 12 pack of bottles in the fridge all through the fall.

It’s a great beer, go try it.

No glass by the pool? No problem.

Does your pool neighborhood pool have a list of 17 rules?  Because mine does.

And on the list, like number two or so, is NO GLASS BOTTLES. That presents a problem for a complete beer snob such as myself. Have you ever taken a trip down your local grocery store’s beer isle?  Ever notice that 95% of beers that come in a can suck?

You can imagine my glee when I saw this 10pk of 14oz Stellas.  Was $17.99 marked down to $9.99.  Meant to be.

Walk, don’t run :)

Blondes Have More Fun

This is probably my favorite ale.

It has a sweet, malty flavor and a nice, light golden hue. Leffe’s been around for a while and they want to own up to the ye olde Belgian Abbey Ale from the 13th century deal. This bottle was brewed in the Stella brewery owned by A. Busch however.

Nevermind that though, it’s an easy-to-drink, great-tasting brew. If you haven’t already tried it, go grab a sixer; you’ll thank me later.

A little Sierra Porter action. It’s like an iced coffee almost. The roastedness is SO present and the color could have it mistaken for a Pepsi.

A little Sierra Porter action. It’s like an iced coffee almost. The roastedness is SO present and the color could have it mistaken for a Pepsi.

A Good Pilsner

Sometimes I forget how well they complement a good dinner. Give me a frosty mug and a green bottle anytime.

Bigfoot Ale!

Talk about a kick in the mouth.  I don’t know if you’ve ever had a job where you had to maintain a soda fountain, but if you have, this might make more sense to you.  

This beer is like the syrup that you have to cut with the soda water. I mean, it is thick! When I poured it, the first thing I noticed was the brown-colored head, and how creamy it was.  I’ve been getting used to OMB’s fizzier, light heads.

If you take a whiff, it’s very hoppy.  And when you take that first sip, the first thing you might notice is the mouthfeel.  It is heavy.
It’s another hop-strong brew so be ready for that and some spice.  Other than that… 

Come hungry.

For a quart of Ale is a dish for a King

—William Shakespeare

So it’s Friday night.  I’m settling down to stream True Lies, play some guitar, and, of course, have a beer.

On the menu tonight, we have Sierra Nevada’s seasonal brew called Glissade.  On the first sip, you get slapped in the face with that hoppy taste.  Nothing new there from Sierra Nevada.  Although, I have to admit, almost immediately after, a malty sweetness crept over my taste buds; not in an overwhelming way, but just enough to notice, and help balance out that bitter hop flavor.
The mouth feel is pretty round and full, and the aroma betrays the sweet factor we covered earlier.  It was a pretty complex brew for a spring beer.  All in all, I liked it.  Go give it a shot.

Oh, and if you somehow haven’t seen True Lies, you’re about a decade overdue.  Go take care of that first.