Review: Peroni Nastro Azzurro

Peroni Nastro Azzurro from Birra Peroni Industriale S.p.A.
Rating: C-

To my knowledge, this is the only Italian beer I've had, so I was curious to see what it was like.
Pours a very clear pale gold with a big foamy white head. Little to no lacing.

Almost no smell, except for a hint of skunkiness toward the end. Best before date indicates this still has 5 months to go...

Not a whole lot of taste here... No maltiness to speak of, a little hops bitterness at the end, but very watery...

Crisp mouthfeel, almost like drinking mineral water - actually, very reminiscent of mineral water.

You could drink a lot of this, because it's so watery, but why bother? Maybe it'd be good with some pizza, sitting at a cafe in Italy all afternoon, but it's not for those who like beer for being beer.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-15-2006 02:55:36

Peroni

Review: Tyskie Gronie

Tyskie Gronie from Tyskie Browary Książęce (SABMiller)
Rating: C+

Pours a very clear gold, one finger head with nice lacing as it dissolves.

Hops comes out in the aroma, along with the clean scent of a lager.

Hops hit your tongue first, a clean bitterness, but then it becomes a much more malty beer than I expected, and it's malt that dominates the aftertaste - interestingly. The second sip reveals some corn tastes, too, not as pleasant.... The alcohol is pretty well hidden.

Mouthfeel is fairly watery - too much of a clean filtered lager to have much in the way of body, but the malty aftertaste doesn't seem quite right for a pale lager.

Drinkable, but not something to buy again.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-15-2006 01:27:27

Review: Bass Pale Ale

Bass Pale Ale from Bass Brewers Limited
Rating: B

Pours a very nice dark amber, with a nice head. Aroma has hints of toasted malt and hops... The hops have an initial bite on the tongue but hten fade... Aftertaste is kind of sweet, maybe too much so. Good mouthfeel, a well balanced brew in terms of gravity:IBU. Not a bad standby if only macros are available.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-09-2006 09:09:49

Review: Blue Moon Belgian White

Blue Moon Belgian White from Coors Brewing Company
Rating: B

Had several of these tonight, including one I unintentionally spilled all over myself.... Served with a slice of orange, this brew looks hazy to the point of being opaque. Fairly typical of a wit.

Smells and tastes fruity and citrusy, the latter probably aided by the accompaniment on the side of the glass. The waitress tried to push a Blue Moon mixed with a shot of Citron. Pretty good for drinking several in one night, especially on Wednesdays when it's on special at Po' Boys' ;)

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 03-09-2006 08:59:22

Blue Moon

Review: Purple Haze

Purple Haze from Abita Brewing Co. / Abita Brew Pub
Rating: B-

Pours a hazy gold from the bottle with not a whole lot in the way of noteable carbonation. It's not noticeably purple... The raspberries really dominant the aroma of this, can't detect much besides raspberry, besides a little mild wheat. This fruit beer manages a fairly good balance in the taste department. It's not overpowerlingly fruity, but the fruit definitely comes across. For me, not very drinkable, but I bet a lot of girls would like this one.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-09-2006 08:53:21

Abita Purple Haze

Review: Turbodog

Turbodog from Abita Brewing Co. / Abita Brew Pub
Rating: B

Appearance is almost opaque but not quite, with ruby tints. The chocolate malt in this brew is evident in the aroma as well as the taste, a little toasty too. I feel like it could have benefited from more hops to balance out the mallt. Not a bad beer, fairly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-09-2006 08:48:28

Abita Turbodog

Review: Grolsch Blond

Grolsch Blond from Grolsche Bierbrouwerij N.V.
Rating: D+

Pours a dark yellow... a meager head forms, with no lacing, and few bubbles tracing up the glass.

Smells sweet, and I detect some corn characteristics. No hint of skunking, despite the clear bottle. I taste the same corn... probably used as an adjunct? Sweet, obviously low in alcohol... Leaves an aftertaste that isn't pleasant, but not quite unpleasant either. Could have benefited some more carbonation, I think, to make up for the lack of character otherwise. Not a bad beer, but I won't be seeking it out - one is enough.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-04-2006 07:19:36

Review: Noche Buena

Noche Buena from Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.
Rating: B

Very well presented bottle, great seasonal appeal, although it's a shame that the cap underneath the foil is blank. Looks like carbonated iced tea in the glass, very pretty. Appealing appearance and aroma. Aroma is mostly malt, a hint of hops tucked away in the back. A touch of sweetness, resolving to a mild hops finish. Maybe a little too much carbonation... I feel like some flavors might be being hidden by the bubbles. Not a whole lot of depth in the flavor department, but nothing to complain about either. Crisp finish, very drinkable. Probably the best Mexican macro out there.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-01-2006 02:56:26

Review: Bitter & Twisted

Bitter & Twisted from Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Rating: B

I'm assuming this came out of a bottle since that's how it was listed, but I was never brought the bottle. Appearance is average, straw color, not a whole lot of head. Appealing hop aroma, with some fruitiness. Not as much bitterness as I expected, but a strong fresh hops flavor. Little bittering hops, lots of dry hopping? I guess it's an English IPA, not an American, so it suits the style. In the aftertaste, a little grassiness comes up. Might have spent a tad too long on the dry hops, maybe? I liked this one, so did the girlfriend.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 02-27-2006 02:22:21

Review: Wee Heavy

Wee Heavy from Belhaven Brewery Company Ltd.
Rating: C+

I recently brewed a Scotch Ale of my own, and I know it's supposed to be sweet, but this one really didn't do it for me. Not quite opaque in appearance, slight reddish tint when held up to the light. It looks good, for what that's worth! Overly sweet aroma and taste - not a bad thing in the nose, but too much for my palate, at least. For me, the malt was really overwhelmed by that sweetness. I had a hard time finishing it. The girlfriend (who enjoys darker beers) mentioned an unplesant aftertaste. I was pretty surprised to log on and see how well it's rated. My opinion, here, so don't put too much stock in it, but if you don't have much of a sweet tooth, I'd steer away from this one. If you do, maybe you'll love it as much as most reviewers seem to have. I'll be sure to give it another chance, though.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 02-27-2006 02:09:02