Anchor Liberty Ale
This is a pretty sweet (as in tastes sweet and not the popular jock slang word) ale. The taste is smooth and enjoyable but lacks a discernible bite. My guess is that they don't use as intense flavoring hops as other ales. It's good though and I would recommend this for people who don't like a big bite in their beer.
Dornbusch Gold
This German style lager tastes like a suped up Budweiser. It has a little cleaner taste and is a little easier to stomach but these poser microbrews that are only a tad better than domestic brews piss me off. They're not worth the money and are just trying to trick consumers. Why be a microbrewery if you're going to just brew Budweiser?
Golden Rail
Why do they push this shit on the masses? This beer is a light lager barely better than Buttwiper. The only thing it's got going for it is it's smoothness. It also doesn't have a bite. This really isn't my objective when drinking beer though. I don't want a no-taste, no bite beer that's little more than flavored water. Seriously though, this is pretty much expensive sh-t beer.
Grant's Golden Anniversary Ale
This ale was damn good but damn expensive. It clocked in at over $4 for a 22 but I figured it was a special occasion, it being their anniversary and all. It was similar to Sierra Nevada's pale ale but without as much bite. Not really worth the price tag and if you got $4 you might as well scrape up another couple of dollars and get a Sierra Nevada six-pack.
Jubelale Festive Winter Ale
Interesting! This is a totally non-traditional holiday beer but tastes great anyway. I can't even describe what the super sweet taste resembles but I've sure never tasted it before. This is a great one for fans of really sweet ales with a fruity aftertaste. Unique to say the least.
Kessler Oktoberfest Beer
This Octoberfest brew doesn't really taste like the traditional Octoberfest style which is actually a good thing. Most, including such notables as Samuel Adams and Pete's, are knock-offs of the German style which is basically malt liquor. So you're paying top dollar for Mickey's. This one is just a straight up ale that is pretty good but not an Octoberfest beer. So if you like high priced liquid crack don't buy this, but if you're looking for a regular, nice tasting ale then give this a try.
Moylan's India Pale Ale
This is a really strong India pale ale. The assertiveness and strength of traditional India pale ales is definitely found here. The paragraph on the back says it is dry hopped which is when you put hops in the aging barrel to give it a super intense hop flavor. This is what gives most ales that delicious bite. This beer is delightfully intense in its character. It almost tastes like a barley wine but not quite as powerful. I really like this beer and recommend it to all you bay area punks as it's from Novato.
Nutfield Harvest Ale
Ummm! This is a really earthy ale that is hearty and powerful. The hops are sharp, probably cascades or fuggles, making this a really flavorful brew. It tastes like their might be some ginger root as their is a little spice to the aftertaste. Pretty good stuff and definitely a unique taste in the world of ales.
Pete's Wicked Maple Porter
This by far the tastiest of Pete's new beers. It's nice to see Pete's brew a darker beer since almost all their beers are lighter than this. This is still not as dark as most porters but the maple probably wouldn't be as good or noticeable if it was. The maple is subtle but kicks in during the aftertaste making this a pretty good beer. Still Pete's isn't pushing the envelope with their new beers with this being a pretty safe release.
Pike Pale Ale
This is a sharply hopped pale ale with a sweet aftertaste. This one delivers all the great characteristics of a good pale ale. A biting taste that is pleasantly assertive, that is countered with a tasty sweet aftertaste. This ranks as one of the better pale ales on the market and underscores the Northwest's powerhouse reputation.
Portland Brewing Wheat Berry Brew
Fucking garbage! I couldn't even muscle down more than a few sips. You may recall this brewery as the maker of Oregon Honey Beer (I am not that fond of that beer either) but this is just sh-t. Maybe it was a bad batch but I'll never buy another to find out.
Pyramid Best Brown Ale
This brown ale isn't the tastiest but it's got a nice solid flavor. It's not as sweet as some other brown ales and has too much of a bite for this style of ale. It needs a touch of sweetness, maybe by adding a common brown ale ingredient like brown sugar. They should also use less bitter finishing hops as this also takes away from the sweetness. If your looking for a traditional brown ale don't grab this.
Pyramid Snow Cap Ale
Super heavy holiday beer. It's got the traditional pine taste but also has the intense sweetness of a barley wine. Amazing thickness and not for the faint of heart. Holiday beers consistently have the sharpest, most powerful flavors and this one is no slacker. Pyramid has come through again with another great flavor.
This is a pretty sweet (as in tastes sweet and not the popular jock slang word) ale. The taste is smooth and enjoyable but lacks a discernible bite. My guess is that they don't use as intense flavoring hops as other ales. It's good though and I would recommend this for people who don't like a big bite in their beer.
Dornbusch Gold
This German style lager tastes like a suped up Budweiser. It has a little cleaner taste and is a little easier to stomach but these poser microbrews that are only a tad better than domestic brews piss me off. They're not worth the money and are just trying to trick consumers. Why be a microbrewery if you're going to just brew Budweiser?
Golden Rail
Why do they push this shit on the masses? This beer is a light lager barely better than Buttwiper. The only thing it's got going for it is it's smoothness. It also doesn't have a bite. This really isn't my objective when drinking beer though. I don't want a no-taste, no bite beer that's little more than flavored water. Seriously though, this is pretty much expensive sh-t beer.
Grant's Golden Anniversary Ale
This ale was damn good but damn expensive. It clocked in at over $4 for a 22 but I figured it was a special occasion, it being their anniversary and all. It was similar to Sierra Nevada's pale ale but without as much bite. Not really worth the price tag and if you got $4 you might as well scrape up another couple of dollars and get a Sierra Nevada six-pack.
Jubelale Festive Winter Ale
Interesting! This is a totally non-traditional holiday beer but tastes great anyway. I can't even describe what the super sweet taste resembles but I've sure never tasted it before. This is a great one for fans of really sweet ales with a fruity aftertaste. Unique to say the least.
Kessler Oktoberfest Beer
This Octoberfest brew doesn't really taste like the traditional Octoberfest style which is actually a good thing. Most, including such notables as Samuel Adams and Pete's, are knock-offs of the German style which is basically malt liquor. So you're paying top dollar for Mickey's. This one is just a straight up ale that is pretty good but not an Octoberfest beer. So if you like high priced liquid crack don't buy this, but if you're looking for a regular, nice tasting ale then give this a try.
Moylan's India Pale Ale
This is a really strong India pale ale. The assertiveness and strength of traditional India pale ales is definitely found here. The paragraph on the back says it is dry hopped which is when you put hops in the aging barrel to give it a super intense hop flavor. This is what gives most ales that delicious bite. This beer is delightfully intense in its character. It almost tastes like a barley wine but not quite as powerful. I really like this beer and recommend it to all you bay area punks as it's from Novato.
Nutfield Harvest Ale
Ummm! This is a really earthy ale that is hearty and powerful. The hops are sharp, probably cascades or fuggles, making this a really flavorful brew. It tastes like their might be some ginger root as their is a little spice to the aftertaste. Pretty good stuff and definitely a unique taste in the world of ales.
Pete's Wicked Maple Porter
This by far the tastiest of Pete's new beers. It's nice to see Pete's brew a darker beer since almost all their beers are lighter than this. This is still not as dark as most porters but the maple probably wouldn't be as good or noticeable if it was. The maple is subtle but kicks in during the aftertaste making this a pretty good beer. Still Pete's isn't pushing the envelope with their new beers with this being a pretty safe release.
Pike Pale Ale
This is a sharply hopped pale ale with a sweet aftertaste. This one delivers all the great characteristics of a good pale ale. A biting taste that is pleasantly assertive, that is countered with a tasty sweet aftertaste. This ranks as one of the better pale ales on the market and underscores the Northwest's powerhouse reputation.
Portland Brewing Wheat Berry Brew
Fucking garbage! I couldn't even muscle down more than a few sips. You may recall this brewery as the maker of Oregon Honey Beer (I am not that fond of that beer either) but this is just sh-t. Maybe it was a bad batch but I'll never buy another to find out.
Pyramid Best Brown Ale
This brown ale isn't the tastiest but it's got a nice solid flavor. It's not as sweet as some other brown ales and has too much of a bite for this style of ale. It needs a touch of sweetness, maybe by adding a common brown ale ingredient like brown sugar. They should also use less bitter finishing hops as this also takes away from the sweetness. If your looking for a traditional brown ale don't grab this.
Pyramid Snow Cap Ale
Super heavy holiday beer. It's got the traditional pine taste but also has the intense sweetness of a barley wine. Amazing thickness and not for the faint of heart. Holiday beers consistently have the sharpest, most powerful flavors and this one is no slacker. Pyramid has come through again with another great flavor.
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