Red Hook Double Black Stout
This stout is really good. It's brewed with Starbuck's coffee (how 90's) but it really does give it a great taste. It's nice and dark, with a strong coffee taste that makes it pretty unique. There are a couple stouts out like this, Espresso Stout by Kalama Brewing Co. being the most notable, but this one is way better. It's funny cause I don't like coffee but I really like this. It's a must for the stout lover.
Rogue Cran~N~Cherry Ale
I was looking forward to this one as Rogue is my favorite American brewery and their new flavors are always so insane. Well, this one wasn't. Either I got an old one or the flavor tester guy was out the week they brewed this. The fruit flavor is nowhere to be tasted. Instead of using a wheat beer as a base they brewed a heavier ale that completely masks the fruit flavor. I was pretty unimpressed considering every other Rogue flavor is at the peak of microbrewery perfection.
Samuel Smith's India Ale
This has a similar taste to their regular pale ale, complete with the butterscotch aftertaste, but it's not really characteristic of a classic India Pale Ale (which is a shame considering the English invented it and Samuel Smith's is one of their oldest breweries!) I admired Samuel Smith's for not introducing new flavors in the midst of the microbrew craze but if they're going to they might as well make a good flavor, Sadly, they missed the mark big time. Might as well buy the pale ale over this.
Saranac Wild Berry Wheat
Such a fake syrup concoction I can't help but laugh. With the plethora of good berry beers out there right now I would definitely pass on this. I know they don't brew it with the fruit, they just dump syrup in the center and you can tell. Blecch!
Swanky English Style Ale
A little light for my taste. It's like a sweet version of Budwieser and has none of the bite common in most British ales. However, there's something to be said for the plain, easy drinking beers. The flavor is pretty good and the easy drinkability makes it a smart choice when you're looking for something that's not really heavy. One last remark: this isn't really good enough to be ranked with the traditionally distinct microbrews that were around before the craze.
Whistler Mother's Pale Ale
This one's a little weird. It doesn't really taste like a pale ale. It's very sweet tasting and doesn't have any of the characteristic hoppy taste of pale ales. Not that this ale is bad, it's actually pretty good. So if you're expecting a pale ale don't buy this, but for a sweet ale that has a smooth drinkability it's definitely above average.
Winterhook Winter Ale
This beer is pretty good but really doesn't taste too much different than the rest of Redhook's products. It tastes just like an ESB and doesn't have that pine taste that makes so many winter ales especially tasty. This isn't really a winter beer, it just seems like an ESB in a different label. Good all the same but no winter beer here.
Young's Oatmeal Stout
This is kind of a let down. Knowing how good Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout is I purchased this one figuring they would be similar because they're both from London. Wrong! This is totally watered down stout that tastes way too much like an ale. The oatmeal is good but this just ain't a stout. Shame on Young's for putting out this crap.
This stout is really good. It's brewed with Starbuck's coffee (how 90's) but it really does give it a great taste. It's nice and dark, with a strong coffee taste that makes it pretty unique. There are a couple stouts out like this, Espresso Stout by Kalama Brewing Co. being the most notable, but this one is way better. It's funny cause I don't like coffee but I really like this. It's a must for the stout lover.
Rogue Cran~N~Cherry Ale
I was looking forward to this one as Rogue is my favorite American brewery and their new flavors are always so insane. Well, this one wasn't. Either I got an old one or the flavor tester guy was out the week they brewed this. The fruit flavor is nowhere to be tasted. Instead of using a wheat beer as a base they brewed a heavier ale that completely masks the fruit flavor. I was pretty unimpressed considering every other Rogue flavor is at the peak of microbrewery perfection.
Samuel Smith's India Ale
This has a similar taste to their regular pale ale, complete with the butterscotch aftertaste, but it's not really characteristic of a classic India Pale Ale (which is a shame considering the English invented it and Samuel Smith's is one of their oldest breweries!) I admired Samuel Smith's for not introducing new flavors in the midst of the microbrew craze but if they're going to they might as well make a good flavor, Sadly, they missed the mark big time. Might as well buy the pale ale over this.
Saranac Wild Berry Wheat
Such a fake syrup concoction I can't help but laugh. With the plethora of good berry beers out there right now I would definitely pass on this. I know they don't brew it with the fruit, they just dump syrup in the center and you can tell. Blecch!
Swanky English Style Ale
A little light for my taste. It's like a sweet version of Budwieser and has none of the bite common in most British ales. However, there's something to be said for the plain, easy drinking beers. The flavor is pretty good and the easy drinkability makes it a smart choice when you're looking for something that's not really heavy. One last remark: this isn't really good enough to be ranked with the traditionally distinct microbrews that were around before the craze.
Whistler Mother's Pale Ale
This one's a little weird. It doesn't really taste like a pale ale. It's very sweet tasting and doesn't have any of the characteristic hoppy taste of pale ales. Not that this ale is bad, it's actually pretty good. So if you're expecting a pale ale don't buy this, but for a sweet ale that has a smooth drinkability it's definitely above average.
Winterhook Winter Ale
This beer is pretty good but really doesn't taste too much different than the rest of Redhook's products. It tastes just like an ESB and doesn't have that pine taste that makes so many winter ales especially tasty. This isn't really a winter beer, it just seems like an ESB in a different label. Good all the same but no winter beer here.
Young's Oatmeal Stout
This is kind of a let down. Knowing how good Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout is I purchased this one figuring they would be similar because they're both from London. Wrong! This is totally watered down stout that tastes way too much like an ale. The oatmeal is good but this just ain't a stout. Shame on Young's for putting out this crap.
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