Bison Brewing Organic Honey Basil

Bison Brewing Organic Honey Basil: This simple and straightforward brew pops with notes of basil and a touch of honey sweetness. I truly enjoyed the entire bottle and was a bit sad I didn’t have any more to enjoy. It had a very easy to drink and had a refreshing quality to it, and considering it had a 6% ABV, I would have assumed less due to the mellow and light taste. 

Laughing Dog Brewing Huckleberry Cream Ale

Laughing Dog Brewing Huckleberry Cream Ale: This lovely and light brew offers a very faint hint of huckleberries, both as it passes the lips, and upon finishing. It’s nice that it wasn’t overly strong, and blends well with the beer itself, providing an overall refreshing and satisfying beverage. 

Budweiser Project Twelve Batch No. 91406

Budweiser Project Twelve Batch No. 91406: The one with the red label – deep amber lager brewed by Bryan Sullivan in Los Angeles…it goes beyond the typical flavors of most every domestic brew on the market, it’s like what putting on make-up does for a woman, enhances and defines the characteristics to make a deeper impact. If you aren’t a big fan of microbrews, but want to expand beyond the big commercial brands, this is a step in the right direction. These are very easy to drink without getting too powerful (well, unless you drink too many!), light enough to be refreshing, and just bold enough to take you beyond ordinary.

Budweiser Project Twelve Batch No. 23185

Budweiser Project Twelve Batch No. 23185: The one with the blue label – light amber brewed by Daniel Westmoreland in Williamsburg, Virginia…lager (my favorite!) brewed on bourbon barrel staves and vanilla beans. I think this was my favorite of the 3 brewmaster offerings, it had a deep flavor with a slight molasses sweetness, and was definitely more of an autumn/winter brew with it’s warm flavors. 

Budweiser Project Twelve Batch No. 63118

Budweiser Project Twelve Batch No. 63118: The one with the yellow label – deep gold pilsner brewed by Jim Bicklein of St. Louis, Missouri…as with the other “project” this to me held the same drinkable taste of most domestic brews, but with a kick of extra flavor. This had a crispness to it, but also a warmth, making it a refreshing yet satisfying beer. Pilsners are my second favorite brew style, so really, I don’t think Budweiser was going to disappoint in any of these brews for me!

Samuel Adams Holiday Porter

Samuel Adams Holiday Porter:  This had a depth of flavor that required further sipping…coming from the

caramel and chocolate malts no doubt, and the overall bold coffee flavor. There was also a very subtle sweetness at the finish which made for an overall pleasant nightcap. 

Samuel Adams Maple Pecan Porter

Samuel Adams Maple Pecan Porter: After dinner drink anyone? If you love porters, this one offers a lovely sweet nuttiness with a hint of maple. It’s perfect if you can’t decide between dessert or a drink- because this covers both!  

Samuel Adams Irish Red

Samuel Adams Irish Red: I noticed I reviewed this last year, but I got it in a variety pack on my last shopping trip. So - since the bottle looked different, and I didn't exactly love it last time, I was giving it another shot. Hmmm…I wonder if it was a bad batch or a new recipe, or even my tastes are maturing - because I really enjoyed this one! It had more of a toasty complexity to it and far less “burnt” notes than last time. Definite thumbs up this round!

Stone Collaborations 2012 Saison du Buff

Stone Collaborations 2012 Saison du Buff: Dogfish Head, Victory, and Stone have been brewing this recipe since 2003, a malt beverage brewed with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme (isn't there a song…?) with 7.7% ABV. It has an obvious herbal quality to it, and an earthiness that fades into a faint bitter bite at the finish. I enjoyed a few sips out of the single bottle I purchased, but decided it might suit a Olive Oil Rosemary Bread recipe better.

Lagunitas Brown Shugga

Lagunitas Brown Shugga:  So last year they didn't have this and I had to taste the “Brown Shugga Substitute”. Glad to see I finally get to try the original! Besides being a super strong ale with just under 10% ABV, this had a sweet, then bitter citrusy bite to it. I didn't mind the bold flavor; however I could see myself easily developing a headache from this brew. Now what do I do with the remaining 5 from the six pack? 

Southern Oregon Brewing Pin-up Porter

Southern Oregon Brewing Pin-up Porter: Rich coffee flavor with a nod in the direction of velvety chocolate, and a hint of bitterness on the finish – it’s not a bad representation for the porter’s out there, but also not my favorite. Though there is an attractive bookworm type on the label with nice stems, so that may score bonus points for some!

Mt. Shasta Brewing Company Jalapeño Weed Ale

Mt. Shasta Brewing Company Jalapeño Weed Ale: I was terribly nervous to try this intense sounding beer, however was pleasantly surprised at the fresh pepper flavor and slight bite it had. It didn’t burn my taste buds as I had anticipated it would, but was refreshing and flavorful. I enjoyed it immensely, and that is coming from someone who isn’t a fan of really spicy foods!

MacTarnahan’s Winter Hum Bug’r Holiday Porter

MacTarnahan’s Winter Hum Bug’r Holiday Porter: Sipping on this rich porter was a satisfying experience in this dreary wet weather we've been experiencing in Southern Oregon. Anyone who enjoys drinking coffee upon waking up in the morning would surely exact the same pleasure in enjoying one of these before bed! 

Michelob Ultra Pomegranate Raspberry

Michelob Ultra Pomegranate Raspberry:  YUM! What can I say about this light and fruity treat? For the moment it spends on your lips, it will not be forever on your hips (you ladies will understand this riddle), and it is the perfect accessory to any meal or outing. If it was a little easier to locate –we had to travel to Northern California to find it- I would be drinking it more often! 

Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb

Julian Hard Cider Cherry Bomb: WARNING! This is dangerously delicious! I am not even going to go into the unspeakable amount of calories in this cider (it’s not even listed on the bottle), but it is wickedly good, and since I only drank one, I won’t worry. It was pleasantly tart with a very natural cherry taste. It is 100% natural according to the bottle, and you can tell it is a high quality drink, with plenty of antioxidants (from the cherries!) to boot. Definitely try this one if you see it, it would even make an acceptable toasting drink to serve at your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve parties!

Chatoe Rogue First Growth Pumpkin Patch Ale

Chatoe Rogue First Growth Pumpkin Patch Ale: The first impression as this brew passed my lips was PUMPKIN! And then more pumpkin and subtle spice, followed by a wayward thought wondering if this was beer or pumpkin juice. Of course, after numerous sips (half of a large bottle), my brain just simply disconnected due to the high rate if inebriation and I no longer cared what it was, just that is was damn good! I highly recommend this brew for any autumn occasion which calls for alcohol!

TBA Extra Hoppy Brown Ale brewed with Brown Sugar and Molasses

TBA Extra Hoppy Brown Ale brewed with Brown Sugar and Molasses: This was another collaboration by several breweries - Bear Republic, Fat Head’s, and Stone. I do regret to come to the conclusion that I simply didn't care for it. It was entirely too bitter, despite the sweet additions, but it just didn't work for me. I know this probably goes against the grain for a lot of beer lovers out there, but yikes. I tried to like it, but the heaviness and hoppiness just makes me cringe.  

Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale:  This festive beer reminded me of fermented figs. I didn’t hate it, but wasn’t entirely sure I loved it either. My fruity impression must come from the flavors it was brewed with, however there was no fruit mentioned. Caramel and chocolate malts, cinnamon, ginger and orange peel, to me, came across as sweet dried fruit. It is something I would recommend trying, especially if you are a fruitcake lover (I know you must exist, since fruitcake has never disappeared from the market) and maybe I should try fruitcake again too because it might help me decide the verdict for this interestingly unique beer. 

Henry Weinhard’s Redwood Flats Amber

Henry Weinhard’s Redwood Flats Amber:  I find it very cool that Henry Weinhard’s has been coming out with new brews lately. Their beers are also pretty delicious and easy to drink. This one was no exception. I found it to be well balanced between the bite and the nutty finish, and it also tastes like a heavier, bolder beer, but goes down light. Buy it if you see it, and tell me what you think!

Great Divide Brewing Co. Wild Raspberry Ale

Great Divide Brewing Co. Wild Raspberry Ale: I really liked this beer from Denver Colorado! It is fermented with raspberries, which lends it a true fruity flavor upon first sip, but then finishes like a lightly toasty beer. It’s pretty mellow so the tastes don’t knock you out, and it’s very easy to drink all by itself or paired with spicy food and even fruity desserts.