27. Carolina Brewing Spring Bock

Yeah, that's a pretty bad picture, but bear with me.  Little to go with.  #2 of the 4 beers I sampled during my inaugural brewery tour was the Carolina Brewing Spring Bock.  This was their spring seasonal offering, and I was geared towards their offerings that I couldn't normally get in the grocery store.  

The spring bock, at 6.5% ABV, can pack a punch if you drink too quickly.  After my stint at the brewery, I definitely drank a little too quickly.  Took a couple hours to get back into a good state of mind.  Anyway, the taste.  I thought the beer was on the sweet side.  It was a light colored beer, a little thin tasting.  For a Maibock, it seemed a little different, but as a person just getting into this, it's very likely that I don't know what I'm talking about.  At all.  

Grade: C
Price Paid: Free (Draught pint)

26. Carolina Brewing Nut Brown Ale

Carolina Brewing Company's Nut Brown Ale is entry number 1 of 4 that was sampled during my first ever beer tour.  Checking out their website (http://www.carolinabrew.com), I noticed that they offered free tours on Saturdays and made the decision to go.  

To describe the tour, we had the chance to try a beer before the tour started.  It took all of twenty minutes to get through it, and then we went back to sampling and drinking.  Not that I'm complaining about the tour and all, especially when I can get back to drinking.  The beer itself was typical of an English brown ale.  Nevertheless, it wasn't better than a Newcastle or some other nut brown ales that I've had.  It lacked that nutty bite, and also lacked body.  Too many other beers around that are the same style, but taste better.  Pass.

Grade: D+

Price Paid: Free (Draught Pint)

25. Ommegang Abbey Ale

I ended up picking up the Ommegang Abbey Ale from Lowes Foods.  Not part of the build-a-six-pack, but just an interesting brew that I wanted to try.  Basically, I noticed that they had the 750 mL bottles available for a hefty price, and I could sample a smaller version for cheaper.  I picked it up, like the cheapskate I am.  

When I saw Ommegang (http://www.ommegang.com), I thought I was getting some import from Belgium.  Wrong.  They're based out of New York.  Cooperstown of all places (Baseball hall of fame for those of you that don't care about sports).  I didn't expect that it was a US brew, but I'm not complaining either.

What I found was a tremendously tasty beer.  8.5% ABV, but you wouldn't know it while you're drinking it. I didn't get a boozy taste while drinking it.  I never had a dubbel before, but I tasted this beer and simply went "wow".  Then I took the time to savor every last drop.  This beer is a winner, and one that I would definitely have again.

Grade: B+

Price Paid: $3.30 (12 oz bottle)

24. North Coast Red Seal Ale

The last entry from the build-a-six-pack at Lowes Foods comes Red Seal Ale from North Coast Brewing (http://www.northcoastbrewing.com).  Now as a huge fan of Red Oak, I had some high and hopeful expectations for this beer.  Basically, if it could taste remotely like Red Oak, it was getting an a-ok in my book.  Alas, Red Seal did not meet my current "gold standard" with red/amber ales.  There was a nice thick head, and the copper color certainly had its appeal.

Now it could be the fact that my tastes for beer are still being refined and ever changing.  I believe the reason I didn't like this beer as much was the fact that the hop taste was more evident.  Even now, I'm starting to get more adjusted to extra hops and if I have a second go-round with this ale, my thoughts might be different.  For now, I'll leave the grade as-is, but reserve the right to change it in the future.

Grade: C
Price Paid: $1.50 (12 oz bottle)

Haul for 11/26/12

I was in Asheville for work again and dropped by the Appalachian Vintner (http://www.appalachianvintner.com) based on the recommendations at Beer Advocate.  Selection was pretty good, prices seemed a little on the high side, but I could get over that.  Picked up a couple of bombers, sampled a few brews (which will be reviewed not in the near future, considering my brew backlog, but I'll get there eventually).  Anyway, here's the haul:

• Foothills Brewing Barrel Aged People's Porter.  I've had the People's Porter before, interested to see if the bourbon barrels will change the taste enough for me to notice.  I'll need to pick up some of the regulator People's Porter for a comparison.  Price paid: $6.99 (22oz bomber)

• Olde Hickory Death by Hops.  I'm not into hoppy beer, but I've started to develop a tolerance so I thought I'd give this one a try.    Price paid:  $6.99 (22 oz bomber)

23. Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

#5 of the create-a-six-pack from Lowes Foods, I snagged it based on the premise that I would get a vanilla porter.  For those of you that don't know, I tend to favor porters and stouts.   I was a little surprised to come across a beer from Colorado (http://www.breckbrew.com); I mean, I know they exist, but usually in the Coors Light variety.  Not that I'm complaining or anything.  Breckenridge is a ski slope, I believe, and there's probably some sort of connection there.

I remember the porter being a deep brown color with a tan head, maybe about a finger's worth.  Little lacing, gave me the impression that this porter would be on the thin side.  My nose could detect the vanilla, which gave me something to anticipate.  From a taste perspective, I found the porter to be average and had a difficult time picking up the vanilla.  Maybe it was because of the carbonation..this porter did have some pop behind it, which could have kept the other flavors from coming through.  Based on my scores for this six-pack, I'm starting to see a trend that I'm either really good at picking crap/average beer, or the store folks are smart in only putting average brews out as singles.  I'm pretty sure grocery stores aren't that clever, and I just have terrible taste.  I'll work to correct this in the future.

Grade: C

Price Paid: $1.50 (12 oz bottle)

22. Dark Horse Raspberry Ale

Entry number four from the Lowes Foods create-a-six-pack goes to Dark Horse's Raspberry ale.  The brewery (http://www.darkhorsebrewery.com) is based out of Michigan and emphasizes the beer over the fruit.  It is evident in this beer because the raspberry taste is mild and there's just enough to distinguish that it exists.  

When I sat down to drink this, I expected a bigger raspberry taste.  Why call it a fruit beer, or a raspberry anything, if it's difficult to pick up on that flavor?  If you're going to do that, then the beer itself better be worthy without the fruit.  Sadly, in this case, the ale doesn't hold up.  It's not terrible by any means, it's just very ordinary, very average.  Average doesn't cut it, especially considering the thousands upon thousands of offerings that are available.  Onto the next one!

Grade: C-

Price paid: $1.50 (12 oz bottle)

21. Big Boss Blanco Diablo Wit Ale

Blanco Diablo is beer #3 from the Lowes Foods build-a-six-pack.  Big Boss (http://www.bigbossbrewing.com) is based right out of Raleigh, NC, and I felt like getting the bottle because of the label.  It was enough of an appeal to be part of this six pack.  

The Blanco Diablo is advertised as a wit..I didn't recall that it was a wit as I was drinking it.  That said, my initial thoughts that went into my head was the citrus taste to it, along with some spices that I couldn't really describe  I also remember thinking that the beer was on the thin side..seemed kind of watered down as well, but it wasn't bad or anything, just average.  At 4.5% ABV, this beer doesn't pack a lot of punch, so it would be a good one (or two) to have on a hot day. 

Grade: C

Price Paid: $1.50 (12 oz bottle)

20. Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit

This was another one of the beers that I purchased in my Lowes Foods build-a-six-pack.  Mother Earth (http://www.motherearthbrewing.com) is based out of Kinston, NC.  My "homebase" is Raleigh, NC, so I tend to favor NC brews.  The more I think about it, the higher my appreciation for Mother Earth.  

In this instance, I tried their weeping willow wit.  5% ABV.  Blonde colored beer that went down easy.  Granted, I think all witbiers tend to go down easy.  There's just something about that type of beer that makes them easy to appreciate.  In this case, I remember tasting the beer and telling myself that this was pretty good.  Nothing more memorable than that.  It's a solid beer to have around in your fridge.

Grade: C+

Price Paid: $1.50 (12 oz bottle)

19. Sea Dog Bluepaw Blueberry Wheat Ale

Sea Dog Bluepaw Blueberry Wheat Ale is a ridiculously long name (I'm sure there's longer names out there..) and so I will dub thee Sea Dog Bluepaw.  It's a fruit beer, with the main ingredient being -- you guessed it -- blueberries!  Sea Dog Brewing Company (http://www.seadogbrewing.com) is based out of Maine and has other fruit beer offerings, which I haven't gotten around to trying yet.  I had this beer as part of a build-your-own six-pack at the nearby Lowes Foods.  I love building my own packs, and it is how I tend to get my beers nowadays.

When you know what to smell for, it gets easy to detect those fruity notes!  Taking a whiff of the beer, the blueberries hit the nose.  Since it is also a wheat ale, there's a lightness to the beer that makes it easy for the beer to go down.  You can taste the blueberries, but it's very light on the tongue.  Sometimes a little too light.  Makes you want to take a handful of blueberries and shove them into your glass.  I had a beer with blueberries in my glass at Logan Airport in Boston.  If I knew the name, I'd add it to my list.  Alas, it'll remain one of the great unknowns.  That said, the blueberry beer I had at Logan was better than the Bluepaw.  It's an okay beer, nothing to write home about.

Grade: C

Price paid: $1.50 (12 oz. bottle)

18. Crispin Honey Crisp Artisinal Reserve

This was the last of the beers/ciders that I purchased on my trip to Asheville.  Unlike the other two, I didn't drink them while I was in Asheville.  Instead, I took it home to try and sample with the wife.  She took a sip and didn't like it.  That said, she's finicky when it comes to wine and beer and there's probably only a handful of drinks that she would pass.  That's why I'm the critic here!  

Crispin (http://www.crispincider.com) is a pretty large operation out of California.  They "sold out" to MillerCoors in 2012.  Hopefully MillerCoors had the sense to leave them alone and let them do their thing.  The Honey Crisp is made with organic honey, which made me anticipate a certain type of sweetness to the cider.  The artisinal series is supposed to highlight unfiltered ciders.  It also has a 6.5% ABV, which packs a decent amount of punch, especially if you decide to keep the bomber all to yourself.  

Remember what I said about anticipating the cider to be sweet?  I was wrong.    The cider was on the dry side.  Ace, Woodchuck, they came off sweeter than this one.  Nevertheless, it was pretty good.  It didn't really do anything to stand out.  It did make me more curious for some of their other offerings on the artisinal line, so I guess it did some good.  Crispin will get more of my business.

Grade: C+

Price Paid: $5.50 (22 oz bomber)

17. Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold 2012

I was with some friends from college at Kickback Jack's when I decided to try the Dortmunder Gold from Great Lakes Brewing Company.  It was one of the handful of beers that I didn't recognize or had tried right off the bat.  Great Lakes (http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com) is based out of Cleveland, OH.

I remember my first reaction when trying this beer.  The nod, the pursed lips as if deep in thought, telling myself that this is a pretty good beer.  The lighting made it difficult to properly assess the color of the beer.  When I received it, there was about one finger of head in the pint glass.  I also remember making the mental note that I would have this again if it was available.  Aside from that, it didn't stand out as an "OMG, best thing evar!"  It's a solid beer, one worth having if your other other choice is Bud/Coors/You get the point.

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $3.95 (Draught Pint)

16. Red Oak Amber Lager

Red Oak (http://www.redoakbrewery.com) is a brewery located in North Carolina, in the Triad (Burlington) area.  Their flagship brew is the Amber Lager.  My first experience with Red Oak was in Wilmington as I helped myself to a beer while I waited for some food that I ordered to-go.  Had other experiences at a Kickback Jack's and a 12 oz bottle given to me by a buddy.

Every time I've had their amber lager, I've been amazed by the smoothness and deliciousness of the beer.  Very easy to drink.  I can usually get a two finger head that dissipates quickly.  The red tinged copper color looks good.  I can taste a metallic twang every once in a while.  That might be off-putting for some, but for whatever reason, I really enjoy it.  

I can expect to pay a pretty penny to get a 12 pack of this stuff, but it currently sits as my preferred daily drinker.  It's that good, in my eyes.  Obviously, taste is subjective, and someone might object.  That said, as much as I like it, part of the fun is in finding that drink that will knock this one off of its perch.  Here's to hunting!

Grade: A

Price Paid: $2.50 (Draught Pint)

Beer List By Brewery

This is just a way to document all of the different beers that I've had.  If there's a brewery that I've somehow avoided, and need to be enlightened, feel free to let me know! 202 and counting..!

21st Amendment

Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Beer

Abita

Andygator

Ace

Fermented Apple Cider
Pumpkin Cider

Allagash

Black
Dubbel Ale
White

Anchor

BigLeaf Maple Autumn Red

Anheuser Busch

Bud Light

Bud Light Lime

Budweiser

Asheville Brewery

Ninja Porter

Aviator Brewing

Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Mamba Stout
Hot Rod Red

Atwater
Bloktoberfest

Ballast Point
Sextant Nitro Oatmeal Stout

Bell's
Christmas Ale
Java Stout
Oberon Ale
Two Hearted Ale

Big Boss
Blanco Diablo Wit Ale
Bad Penny
Night Knight
Sack Time
Saucey Pants
The Countess

Bison
Organic Gingerbread Ale
Organic Honey Basil
Organic IPA

Blackstone
American Pale Ale
Chaser Pale Ale
St. Charles' Porter

Blowing Rock
IPA Ale

Blue Moon

Agave Nectar Ale
Belgian White Ale

Breckenridge
Vanilla Porter

Brooklyn
Pennant Ale '55

Carolina Brewing Company
17th Anniversary Tripel
Nut Brown Ale
Spring Bock
Summer Ale
Winter Porter


Catawba Valley
Firewater IPA

Cisco
Whale's Tale English Pale Ale

Crispin
Bare Naked Organic Cider
Bird on a Wire Hard Cider
Honey Crisp Artisinal Reserve

Dark Horse
Raspberry Ale

Doc's Draft
Apple Cider

Dogfish Head
90 Minute IPA
Chicory Stout
Midas Touch

Dos Equis
Amber

Duck-Rabbit
Hoppy Bunny ABA
Schwarzbier

Epic
Big Bad Baptist
Double Skull Dopplebock
Hopulent IPA

Firestone Walker
Pale 31 Cask

Flying Dog
Underdog Atlantic Lager

Flying Fish
Oktoberfish

Foothills
Bourbon Barrel Aged People's Porter
Hoppyum IPA
Hoppyum IPA CASK
Jade IPA
Torch Pilsner

Founders
Breakfast Stout

Fox Barrel
English Perry Cider
Orange Peel & Coriander Cidery Reserve Unfiltered Pear Cider

Pacific Pear Cider
Rhubarb & Elderberry Cidery Reserve Unfiltered Pear Cider

Fullsteam
Chombers One

Great Lakes
Alchemy Hour Double IPA
Burning River APA
Conway's Irish Ale
Dortmunder Gold 2012
The Wright Pils

Goose Island
312 Urban Wheat Ale

Gordon Biersch
Maibock

Green Flash
Friendship Brew

Green Man
ESB
Porter
Stormtrooper White IPA
The Dweller

Harpoon
100 Barrel Series #43 - White IPA
100 Barrel Series #44 - El Triunfo Coffee Porter
IPA
Oktoberfest

Highland
Cold Mountain Winter Ale
Devil's Britches IPA
Oatmeal Porter

Holly Springs Nanobrewery
Black IPA

Hoppin Frog
BORIS The Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout

JK's Scrumpy

Farmhouse Organic Hard Cider


Kona Brewing
Big Wave Golden Ale
Wailua Ale


Krombacher
Dark

Lagunitas
IPA
Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute Ale
Wilco Tango Foxtrot Ale

Left Hand
Milk Stout Nitro

Leinenkugel's
Summer Shandy

Lonerider
Deadeye Jack Porter
Peacemaker Pale Ale Nitro
Sweet Josie Brown
The Preacher Saison
Trick Shot Impy India Wit
True Britt ESB

Luk
Hard Apple Cider

Magic Hat
Humdinger Series: Burn Pile

McAuslan
St Ambroise Citrouille

MillerCoors
Miller Lite

Mill Street
Tankhouse Ale

Modelo
Especial
Negra

Morland
Hen's Tooth Ale

Mother Earth
Dark Cloud Dunkel
Second Wind Pale Ale
Sunny Haze Hefeweisen Ale
Weeping Willow Wit

Mystery Brewing
Annabel Black Saison
Ballantrae Scottish Ale
Hornigold English IPA
Six Impossible Things Oatmeal Stout

Natty Greene's

Buckshot Amber Ale
Southern Pale Ale

New Belgium

Fat Tire Amber Ale

NoDa
Imperial Coco Loco

North Coast
Red Seal Ale

Olde Hickory
Bee Student Ale
Death By Hops
The Bean

Ommegang
Abbey Ale
Hennepin Farmhouse Saison
Witte


Port City
Porter

Presidente

Presidente Pilsner

Railhouse
Mastiff Oatmeal Stout

Red Brick
17th Anniversary
Laughing Skull Amber

Red Oak
Amber Lager
Hummin' Bird


Red Stripe
Jamaican Lager

Rogue
Beard Beer
Chatoe Rogue First Growth Pumpkin Patch Ale
Santa's Private Reserve Ale

Samuel Adams
Blackberry Witbier
Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout
Winter Lager

Samuel Smith
Winter Welcome Ale

Schlenkerla
Rauchbier Marzen

Scuttlebutt
Amber Ale

Sea Dog
Bluepaw Blueberry Wheat Ale

Shock Top

Apple Wheat

Sierra Nevada
Bigfoot Barleywine Ale
Hoptimum
Narwhal Imperial Stout
Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop IPA
Pale Ale
Ruthless Rye IPA
Summerfest
Torpedo Extra IPA

Southern Tier
2XIPA
Pumking

Stone
Cali Belgique IPA

Stoudts
Pils

Sweetwater
420 Extra Pale Ale
Dank Tank Danktoberfest
Exodus Porter
IPA
Road Trip

Terrapin
Monk's Revenge
Moo Hoo Stout
Oak Aged Big Hoppy Monster
Side Project #19 Mosaic Red Rye Ale
So Fresh And So Green Green
Wake N' Bake

Thirsty Dog
12 Dogs of Christmas Ale


Tool
Goliat Imperial Coffee Stout


Triangle Brewing Company 
Belgian Style White Ale

Triumph
Oktoberfest

Twisted Pine 
Big Shot Espresso Stout

Uinta
Cockeyed Cooper Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine Ale
Punk'n

Unibroue
Ephemere


Weyerbacher
Fourteen Anniversary Ale
Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Seventeen Anniversary Ale

Widmer Brothers
Drifter Pale Ale

Woodchuck

802 Dark & Dry Hard Cider

Amber Hard Cider

Fall Seasonal Hard Cider
Farmhouse Select Select Original 91

Granny Smith Hard Cider
Private Reserve Barrel Select Hard Cider
Private Reserve Pumpkin Hard Cider

Yazoo

Dos Perros Ale

Fall Lager
Gerst Amber Ale
Hop Project IPA

Yuengling

Traditional Lager

Wells & Young's
Double Chocolate Stout

15. Abita Andygator

On the same trip to Asheville when I picked up the Ninja Porter (See #14), I also picked up a bomber sized Abita Andygator from a local Ingles.  Abita (http://www.abita.com) is a brewery based out of Louisiana, a little north of Nawlins.  This brew is classified as a maibock or helles dopplebock, all of which is foreign to me, but I did look forward to drinking.

At 8% ABV, it packs a decent sized punch.  Looking back at my notes, the biggest note was that I couldn't finish it all.  I wasn't sure if it was because I tried to drink the Porter and the Andygator back-to-back, which would have left me hurting just a tad (I'm liking this experience of drinking beer, but I'm continuing to maintain a low tolerance).  The other fact could have been that I just didn't like the beer all that much.  It's very rare for me to not finish a beer.  Aside from that, there was nothing really memorable about this beer.

Grade: D+

Price Paid: $4.50 (22 oz bottle)

14. Asheville Brewing Ninja Porter

Alright, now I can leave the normal, domestic stuff alone for a while and focus on more of the craft style that I'm ultimately more interested in.  Asheville Brewing's Ninja Porter (http://www.ashevillebrewing.com) was a bomber that I purchased from a gas station (gas stations carry craft beer?  Totally cool!).  I happened to be on a work trip and dropped in to get some goodies that I could enjoy from the comfort of my hotel room.  This happened to be one of them.

Asheville has become a popular destination for the craft beer scene.  There are plenty of breweries that are within a fifty mile radius of Asheville.  The New Belgium brewery is currently planned to come to Asheville.  I've heard that Sierra Nevada may also make the leap.  Asheville's just that type of town, the red-headed step child to the rest of North Carolina.  The hipster and west coast culture are very evident there.

Anyway, enough of Asheville.  The beer is what this blog is all about, right?  I cracked open the porter and it took me a good little bit to handle a bomber all to myself.  I'm not the fastest beer drinker, and I tend to sip and savor my craft selections.  I only had a small glass in the hotel room that I could use to pour my drink, so I found myself pouring about 5-6 times to finish off the bottle.  

The color itself is a near pitch black, and I remember getting a brown head (the way I poured, it wasn't outrageous or anything).  Hints of coffee and chocolate, like any good porter.  I tended to taste the coffee and the chocolate more than anything.  Light mouthfeel, with a decent amount of carbonation.  I don't know, when I have a dark beer, I always feel like it needs to go down like a Guinness.  If it doesn't feel thick, everything else feels a little underwhelming.  The beer itself was just average to me.  Maybe I didn't do the porter justice, but I struggled to finish and I know I've experienced porters that were much better.  Still, I'm glad I tried it.

Grade: C

Price paid: $3.75 (22 oz bomber)

13. Budweiser

Bud.  Weis.  Er.  Maybe you're old enough to remember the famous lizards that debuted during some Super Bowl in the 1990's.  Budweiser (http://www.budweiser.com) is known as the "Great American Lager".  The "King of Beers".  Maybe it was deserving of that moniker back in the day, can't say the same thing about it now.  

A Budweiser has a little more ABV than Bud Light, as expected (5.0% range).  The beer is also more full bodied and packs more flavor than its Light counterpart.  I could drink this more than a Bud Light, but that's not saying much since I'd drink almost anything over a Bud Light.  

I read an article that Budweiser doesn't use the same hops in an effort to cut costs, and that for the "Great American Lager", they're Bud Lighting it because it appeals better to their overseas counterparts.  Capitalism at its finest.  I haven't had a Budweiser in a while, but I'm also not interested in supporting InBev either (I might indirectly support them, just don't expect me to buy a Budweiser anytime soon).  Don't be cheap.  Bad, bad, bad!

Grade: C-

Price paid: Free (12 oz can)

12. Bud Light

Ah yes, Bud Light (http://www.budlight.com).  The #1 selling domestic beer in the United States.  Reduced calorie and reduced taste, so everyone is comfortable drinking more of it.  I will give Anheuser Busch credit for making some pretty funny commercials, but that's about the extent of it.

As the #1 beer in the US, I have obviously found myself consuming some Bud Light here and there.  I can't remember the last time I bought Bud Light...maybe college or something.  I'm sure that the last time I had one, I grabbed one from a friend's fridge and that was that.

Most folks drink it out of the can and bottle, myself included.  If it was actually purchased on draught, you would notice the golden color and about two fingers of head, give or take depending on who is doing the pouring.  Even more so than Budweiser, the beer still tastes incredibly watered down, with little to no flavor. It's the everyman's beer, good for any time.  At least, that's what their marketing department would say about it.  I'll tell you this, it's certainly not for me.

Grade: D-

Price paid: Free (12 oz can)

11. Bud Light Lime

Alright, onto some of the domestic offerings that I can say that I've consumed.  Bud Light Lime (http://www.budlightlime.com) is the first on the list.  Through the picture, you can notice the low ABV of 4.2% and the "infused" lime flavor into Bud Light.  The makers from Missouri must have thought that this would cater to women, I don't know.

First of all, I'm not a fan of Bud Light.  So what would make a Bud Light Lime any better?  I didn't know, but I was willing to give it the ol' college try to see if anything stood out.  It has a nice golden color to it.  I poured it incorrectly to give it a decent amount of head.  The lime aroma is not subtle on the first whiff.  It drinks easy enough, but that's because there's not a lot of taste there.  The lime presence is evident, but so is the fact that I'm drinking a Bud Light.  There's not a lot of pronounced flavor, I feel like I'm drinking watered down beer.  Unless I was visiting friends and this was all they had, I wouldn't drink again.

Grade: D

Price paid: Free (12 oz bottle)

10. Blue Moon Belgian White Ale

Number 10!  Woot!  We've gone into double digits baby!  All right, that's enough excitement for today.  If you haven't tried more than ten different types of beers, and you call yourself a beer drinker, then you have bigger problems (or horrible taste..there is no gray area here).

Blue Moon is one of those psuedo-craft beers.  By that, it says that it comes from the Blue Moon Brewing Company, (http://www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com) but is owned by MillerCoors (those names sound familiar, right?).  Created at Coors Field of all places, the Belgian White is described as a witbier and is usually served with an orange slice (If you're a man, you pass on the orange slice).

My last experience with Blue Moon, I was in a sports bar, getting a pint with some vendors.  The beer itself has this hazy orange color to it, which makes it a darker witbier.  The witbiers that I have consumed in the past were even lighter colors than that.  Nevertheless, this beer is pretty good.  It tastes great on a hot day, very refreshing.  I'm itching to try the varieties that come in their seasonal 12 packs.  

Grade: B-

Price paid: $3.50 (Pint)

9. Woodchuck Fall Seasonal Hard Cider

So I finally got down to adding the last of the varieties that came with my Woodchuck 12 bottle variety pack. (http://www.woodchuck.com).  The fall seasonal is a good one, albeit a little different.  My first thought was apple pie.  You can smell and taste the cinnamon and nutmeg.  There are probably some other subtle flavors in there as well, but the first two are the most pronounced.  Again, the hard cider is on the sweet side.  If that's not your type of thing, the Fall seasonal definitely isn't for you.  

Grade: C+

Price paid: 1.17 (13.99 for 12 pack)

8. Natty Greenes Buckshot Amber Ale

Natty Greene's (http://www.nattygreenes.com) is a brewery based out of Greensboro, NC.  They expanded to Raleigh as well.  Some of their varieties are offered at the PNC Arena (formerly RBC Center).  It was here that I decided to pay for an overpriced beer and help myself to some Buckshot.  

I'm a big fan of amber ale.  There aren't a lot of amber ales that I don't like.  That said, I don't remember Buckshot to be overly memorable.  Reaching back into my memory banks, Buckshot was more hoppy than some other amber ales and had a somewhat off-putting taste.  Based on what I paid, I knew I needed to man up and drink the whole thing.  I probably need to give it another try, see if my underdeveloped palette at the time just couldn't handle it.

I went to Natty Greene's brewpub earlier this week and tried some of their other stuff, so I know they can be hit and miss.  (Of course, I have a loooong way to go before I get to those entries!)

Grade: C-

Price paid: $9.00 (20 oz draught)

7. Presidente Pilsner

And we take a break from our normal cider listing endeavor to take a detour and list something that's not a cider.  Presidente Pilsner! (http://www.presidente-pilsner.com) If you couldn't figure it out, Presidente is a product of Le Republica Dominica (That's the Dominican Republic for you non Spanish speakers).  I ended up getting a 6 pack of Presidente from the local Harris Teeter, prior to an exhibition futbol (soccer) match between Juventus and Chivas Guadalajara.  

First thing first..these bottlecaps do not twist off!  Nothing like trying to tailgate and realizing that you're missing a bottlecap remover.  My brother and I tried using a mash of tools to try and get the cap off.  Eventually, a nearby group felt sorry for us and loaned us theirs.  Hooray for fellow beer drinkers!

The beer itself was different..from my memory, it didn't taste very great.  I was drinking directly from the bottle, so I couldn't figure out what the head retention was like or anything like that.  I drank my half, but it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences.  Needless to say, this is one brand that I don't plan on ever drinking again...because of the gluttony of choices, not because it's terrible.  I'd still get this over a Coors Light.  Bad tasting or not, at least this beer has a little more character.

Grade: D+

Price paid: $1.33 ($8 for 6 pack)

6. Woodchuck 802 Dark & Dry Hard Cider

Ah yes, the 3rd variety out of that Woodchuck (http://www.woodchuck.com) 12 pack is the 802 Dark & Dry.  For those of you wondering, 802 is the area code in Vermont where the cider is made.  I could say that it looks like apple juice, but that wouldn't help you.  The cider is darker than its amber variant..it has a bronze color to it (for those of you wondering, I'm terrible with colors..or at least trying to describe different shades).  From the company's description, the amber is made with caramelized sugar (the amber with white sugar), which gives that bronze color.

Also true to its name, the 802 has a dry taste to it.  The caramelized sugar gives obvious caramel notes to the cider.  Little head retention for all of the Woodchuck varieties, but no complaints there.  It's not a bad variety, but I like the granny smith and amber variants better.  Just my personal opinion.

Grade: B
Price paid: 1.17 ($13.99 for 12 pack)

5. Woodchuck Granny Smith Hard Cider

Woodchuck Granny Smith cider (http://www.woodchuck.com) was one of the varieties offered in the 12 back that I purchased a long time ago.  In my previous post, I mentioned that the amber variety was my favorite.  The granny smith variety is currently my second favorite.  

The granny smith variety is a much lighter color, almost champagne colored.  It tastes a little more dry, a lot less sweet.  Like a granny smith apple, it has a tart little bite to it.  If I'm not in the mood for something sweet, this would do the trick.  With an ABV of 5%, it'll take a lot of these to get a buzz going.

Grade: B

Price paid: $1.17 (13.99 for 12 pack)

4. Woodchuck Amber Hard Cider

Yes, I'm still going through my list of ciders.  Don't worry, I'll eventually start getting into the varied stuff.  For now, you'll just have to tough it out!  I had tried some Woodchuck (http://www.woodchuck.com) a long time ago when a friend offered me one.  Found it pretty good.  Waited a while to try some more, opting for a 12 bottle variety pack.  (Want to take a guess what #5, 6, and 7 will be..?)

The Woodchuck Amber is their flagship product.  Looks like apple juice, doesn't taste dry.  On the sweet side, but not as sweet as a glass of apple juice.  Slightly carbonated, with an aftertaste that can be good to some and irritating to others.  Of all the Woodchuck varieties I've had, I still find the amber to be the best, as well it should be.

Woodchuck was recently purchased by an Irish company for a pretty sum.  Hopefully the formula doesn't change along with the ownership.

Grade: B+

Price paid: $1.17 (13.99 for 12 pack)

Haul for 11/19/12

I thought I'd post when I get some new beers into my stash.  If it's in my stash, then you can rest assured that a review and post will eventually come out of it.  Some hauls will come in faster than others.  Today's haul (from Bottle Revolution in Raleigh):

• Crispin Bird on a Wire - Limited release that was place in whiskey cask-aged barrels, very excited about this one!  Price paid: $4.99
• Bell's Christmas Ale - I've had some good experiences will Bells, hoping for more good things.  Haven't had a Christmas seasonal yet, so I'm looking forward to this one.  Price paid: $1.89

3. Ace Fermented Apple Cider

Ace Cider (http://www.acecider.com/) is another hard cider maker from California.  My experience with Ace was that they were somewhere between Woodchuck and Fox Barrel on the sweetness scale.  I think Ace strikes the right type of balance with their hard ciders.  

In this installment, I was at a World Market.  Within the store, they'll allow you to build your own six-pack.  At the time, I was too cheap to buy a six pack, so I picked this one up along with maybe one other and considered that my haul for the day.

I already mentioned that my wife liked JK's.  I didn't mention that she was not high on the Fox Barrel.  She did, however, like Ace as well.  I feel confident that I can take most anything from their lineup and give it to my wife and she'd enjoy.  So would I.

Grade: B+

Price paid: $2

2. Fox Barrel Pacific Pear Cider

Fox Barrel (http://www.foxbarrel.com) was a brand I came upon during a random trip through my local Kroger.  I was torn between Crispin or Fox Barrel, but found Fox Barrel to have the better looking bottle and labeling (and it has a fox for crying out loud..!  It would beat a simple tree everytime!  Do a barrel roll!).  I snagged the 4-pack and took it home.

My only real comparison for Fox Barrel cider was JK's Scrumpy and Woodchuck.  I was looking forward to the fact that it was a pear cider and was drawn by the details of how the cider was produced.  After that first sip, I realized that the cider wasn't sweet at all.  It was nothing like JK's or Woodchuck.  It was part of the realization that you could have different ciders or even the same "type" of beer, but get pronounced tastes with each one.  The cider would be refreshing on a hot, summer day.  The pear taste wasn't very pronounced..really subtle.  In fact, I'm not sure if I could remember that I was tasting pear the whole time.  Even though it was different, I'd definitely drink again.

Grade: B

Price paid: 2:00 (7.99 for 4 pack)

1. JK Scrumpy Farmhouse Organic Hard Cider

I talk about my interest in beer and the first thing I put out is a hard cider?!  You saw that right.  I feel that it should be included in my quest and when I first started to get into beer, I found myself attracted to hard cider.  It was a gateway drink for me.

I ended up getting a JK "bomber" (22 oz bottle for those of you wondering) while eating at a Mellow Mushroom in Atlanta, GA (http://www.organicscrumpy.com).  We were in town to watch an Atlanta Braves game after we had a enjoyable time whitewater rafting down the Ocoee River.  I'm obviously trying to call my past, so forgive me if my reviews are lacking.

My wife isn't a big beer or cider drinker.  She usually will take a sip, but that's about it.  This was one of the first things that she actually liked.  We've actually had this cider in other occasions, which is quite the rarity.  

The standout of this cider was the fact that it was sweet.  Really sweet.  After having future ciders, I'm looking back and realizing that maybe it was too sweet.  Tasted like some carbonated apple juice, with just a little bit of bite.  

Grade: B

Price paid: $10