Review: Taj Mahal Premium Lager

Taj Mahal Premium Lager from United Breweries - UB Group
Rating: C

Sampled along with a delicious Indian meal.

Nice that it comes in a big brown bottle! No skunking and planning ahead. Room was dark, but it looked like it poured a pale straw color, good head. Nothing to complain about appearance-wise, considering the style.

Aroma is mild, but more present than most AML. Malt at first, then bread.

Taste is bready, too. A little bit of bitterness, but no hops flavor. All around very light in the flavor department. Mouthfeel is watery, especially after the first few sips. Carbonation is just right for the style. The breadiness and the wateriness detract from drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 04-29-2006 01:49:24

Review: Smoke Ale

Smoke Ale from Rogue Ales Brewery / Brewer's on the Bay
Rating: B

Comes in a big 22 oz bottle, reassuring considering the price. Pours a red tinted amber. As soon as the cap is off, you can smell smoke smoke and more smoke! Not a whole lot in the way of head retention.

Tastes a bit like drinking barbecue sauce. Good balance of sweetness and smokiness. Not a whole lot of hops flavor coming through... Since this is my first experience with a smoked beer, I don't have much to compare to, but it does taste a bit like beer with liquid smoke added....

Well carbonated for its purpose, pretty good mouthfeel.

It seems to get more and more drinkable as you go, but the 22oz serving is probably a bit much. I bet this would go fantastically with some barbecue.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 04-22-2006 23:23:17

Review: Dead Guy Ale

Dead Guy Ale from Rogue Ales Brewery / Brewer's on the Bay
Rating: C+

Appearance: Pours an appealing honey color, not a whole lot of head

Smell: Not a whole lot going on... some malt.

Taste: Malty, overly sweet.... kind of cloying by the end of the glass. Overly malty, some more hops would help.

Mouthfeel: some more carbonation might have helped... very sweet aftertaste

Drinkability: not too high, not a whole lot going on and too sweet for me...

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 04-22-2006 23:12:11

Rogue Dead Guy 22 oz

Review: Rolling Rock Extra Pale

Rolling Rock Extra Pale from Latrobe Brewing Co.
Rating: D+

Pours a color like apple juice, good head retention and lacing. Unfortunately, this was the high point - never a good sign.

Almost no aroma at all, smells like a squeaky clean AML.

The smell is an indication of the taste. Watery, no real flavor to comment on... Not very pleasant aftertaste.

Any bite in this beer comes more from carbonation than hops, I think. Mouthfeel is watery, again.

About the only thing this would be good for would be playing some drinking game where you have to drink beer like water - hey, that's pretty much what you'd be doing.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 04-19-2006 20:40:30

Review: Redhook IPA

Redhook IPA from Redhook Ale Brewery
Rating: B-

Pours a light caramel, had to pour straight down the middle in order to produce a meaningful head on this one. Poured at 45 degrees for the first two I had in the six-pack, and almost no head formed. Nice lacing, very clear.

Smells of fresh hops... has another aroma in there somewhere unrelated to the hops that I associate with homebrew, but I can't pin it down.

Tastes like drinking a sweet hop tea. Little in the way of malt flavors going on. Hop flavor, followed by hop bitterness.

Not exceedingly drinkable... Needs more carbonation and more malt flavor, and a dryer finish. If nothing else, though, a good way to show non-beer-drinkers what hops actually taste like.
Mouthfeel is a little on the sweet side, and not as carbonated as I'd prefer. Long, bitter finish.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 04-18-2006 01:20:26

Review: Samuel Adams Brown Ale

Samuel Adams Brown Ale from Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)
Rating: B

Appearance: Dark amber, almost red in the glass. Nice one to two finger slightly off-white head and some lacing.

Smell: Toasty malt aromas, a little nuttiness and I think a touch of diacetyl... A hop presence as well.

Taste: Toasty and a bit nutty. Buttery diacetyl is present, but it's not as distracting in this one as I've found it in others. There's a bit of bitterness to offset the malt, but not enough that the hops comes through on their own.

Mouthfeel & Drinkability: Easy mouthfeel, pleasant aftertaste, highly carbonated... Good drinkability

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 04-10-2006 02:40:41

Review: Yuengling Traditional Lager

Yuengling Traditional Lager from Yuengling Brewery
Rating: C+

Pours an orange-tinged amber with a one finger head with little lacing. Little in the way of smell that I can detect... Flavor is a welcome change from the usual macro offerings. A little too sweet in the flavor department. Crisp lager finish. Mouthfeel is better than most macro lagers, but still a little thin. Leaves me wishing for more substance. That said, this is a good standby beer, especially in Florida where it's the same price as Bud.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 04-03-2006 00:12:34

Review: Singha

Singha from Boon Rawd Brewery Co., Ltd

Rating: C-

Pours gold into the glass, two finger head but no lacing to speak of.

Not a whole lot of aroma here. Smells lager-y, clean, maybe a little grassy, but wholly unremarkable.

Flavor is light, but there are a few things going on: maltiness, a bitter finish and then a certain minerally aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is thin. That said, I bet this would be great for washing down some spicy Thai food when you don't care what your beer tastes like.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 04-02-2006 23:40:00