Boston Beer Company’s founder Jim Koch shares with Men’s Health TV how to taste a beer. He shows you how to pour the perfect beer then breaks beer tasting down to 4 steps and gives you the 3 things that make a beer great. Whether you like Sam Adams or not, this is a great Beer Tasting 101 class.

Tasting beer is not rocket surgery but there’s a difference between drinking beer and tasting beer. It’s nice to have it paired down to the basics.

Popularity: 7% [?]

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Popularity: 5% [?]

So my friend, iZathrez on twitter (who posts so very little) swings by to raid my comic book collection, suggests that it was a good day to taste a new beer, which is weird for him, but as it turns out he just wanted to see my beer spot… So, we took the trip there and spent way too much time looking around the beer section. A pink elephant kept catching my eye but I continued looking around anyway. I was looking at Flying Dog bottles, as well as Brooklyn Beer, Chimay, and other various beers. I see him pick up the bottle, with the pink elephant and out of the corner of my eye, I swear he was talking to the bottle, but I let that go and we decided to purchase it. Got Lunch for my wife and kids, sorted through comics, put the kids down for their nap and sent the wife out to do what she does well, SHOP.

I pulled out my favorite glass (thanks Beer Utopia), my friend bought one just to try the beer with (I am getting him a proper glass for Christmas) and we went forth, to try this Delirium Nocturnum. And man let me tell you, this was one of the best choices, beer-wise, we have made in some time.

Delirium Nocturnum is from Brouwerij Huyghe, Belgium. It has been in business since the 1500s and is still a small family owned operation. Delirium Nocturnum is a dark ale of 8.5% alcohol. It is a triple fermentation ale using 3 different yeast strains and 5 different malts. Incredibly well-balanced for ale this high in alcohol, the bouquet has an aromatic sweetness. The body is bursting with flavors of raisins, bittersweet chocolate, and aniseed. The finish is long and develops into a hoppy aftertaste.

Now first off, I have to admit we tried it wrong. We chilled it down, not doing the research which basically said “should be served at room temperature.” **Note to future me, research your beer for 5 seconds before you try.** Now on to what we thought…

How Does it Smell?: POUR, COLOR?: The beer poured this brilliant brownish garnet ruby color, while the head contrasted it and had a great cream color. When the sun hit this beer it was just stunning. As you brought the glass up for the first taste you could smell a slight fruit sweetness.

Taste?: The taste was just amazing. We just got quiet as we drank it, because it was cold, we had to think about the flavors. There was a sweetness to it, with a dark and mysterious fruity undertones at first. Chocolate eventually came out. Drinking this beer cold, as we did, I found this beer to be very balanced and I’m curious how the taste will be at room temperature.

Body?: This beer has a medium body feel, but it was so full of flavor, the carbonation was not that strong making it nice and smooth.

Finish: The finish is pleasurably long, with fruity lingering notes. It builds up, eventually, into a nice hoppiness as the description I read said it would.

Drinkability: This beer was bittersweet with all the proper hints of things all through it, this beer is a must drink, I will have this again properly.

What about the packaging? The Pink Elephant is brilliant, even though I swear my friend was talking to it. The bottle has the ceramic-like coating with the Elephant logo on it. It was a great looking bottle and I had a hard time letting go of it, but the wife said I had to get rid of it. I guess it’s just to the list of the many excuses to buy it again.

Comic Pairings: It was agreed that the Best Comics for this beer was Grant Morrison’s Doctor Who. This is not a beer for Marvel or DC, it’s not for superheroes, a little too refined for that. Before “The Invisibles,” before “Doom Patrol,” before “Animal Man,” even before “Zenith” — there was “Doctor Who.” Grant Morrison cut his teeth on the comic versions sprung from the TV version, writing three stories that 20-some years later, people still talk about.

As for food, don’t hate me, I would love this with a really good pizza, my friend wanted it with a really good roasted Cedar plank Atlantic salmon and red potatoes.

Anime Pairing: I would love to drink this while watching FLCL. FLCL (フリクリ, Furi Kuri^?, also Fooly Cooly) is an original video animation series written by Yōji Enokido, directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which included Gainax, Production I.G, and Starchild Records. FLCL’s odd style, hyperactive pace, convoluted, esoteric plot, and tendency to break the fourth wall sets it apart from other contemporary anime. It has an abstractly designed storyline about growing up and losing the childish viewpoint of life that all people once had, and seeing the true reality of the world.

Availability
It’s available in 12oz and 750 ml bottles, year-round. Serving types had: bottle (435), on-tap (13), growler (3).

Some Info on the beer can be found here http://www.delirium.be/

Brewed by: Brouwerij Huyghe In business since the 1500s, Brouwerij Huyghe is still a small family owned operation in Belgium

Style | ABV
Belgian Strong Dark Ale |  8.50% ABV

Other Notes:
Très dense en goût, elle s’oppose en caractère à sa consoeur blonde. Very dense taste, it is contrary to his character consoeur blonde. Elle reflète d’un caractère plus dur et plus corsé et qui fatalement ne rassemble pas spécialement les mêmes amateurs que la traditionnelle “. Elle est à la fois forte en goût, amer d’écorce et de houblon, ainsi qu’en saveur alcoolisée. Son évaluation finale n’arrive qu’en fin de dégustation, avec une prolongation assez longue de son amertume. Chaude et veloutée, elle plait généralement au vrai connaisseur, mais ne la prive pas de découverte auprès des curieux pionniers de bières de caractère.

http://www.delirium.be/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delirium_Nocturnum

Popularity: 7% [?]

Well on my Slow Tour of Beers I have run across Otter Creek Autumn Ale. This beer had a very nice label, which reflected the arrival of cool weather in the autumn that transforms the landscape and read very well, so I decided to give it a try. No one who has grown up with the seasonal fireworks display of the fall can ever forget it. It becomes written on the soul. But this beer, well it’s extremely forgettable.

How Does it Smell? The smell was very weak, I could not pick up much.

Pour, Color?
There was a caramel clear color to this beer. It looked very good.

Body?
A medium body with lots of bubbles.

Taste?
Bitter. This is a bitter, strong, hoppy beer. I’m not too thrilled with the taste of this beer.

Mouth feel?
This hits you with bitterness right away.

Alcohol feel?
Semi-strong.

Drinkability?
This was/is hard to drink because of the bitterness.

Finish?
Bitterness controls this beer down to the end. It’s a wall I cannot get past.

What about the packaging?
Nice packaging; fits the fall season perfectly.

Some info from the brewer ottercreekbrewing.com

Oktoberfest is our version of the perennial favorite Bavarian Autumn beer. Oktoberfest’s deep golden hue helps bring to mind the old country and its time honored traditions. Brewed with Hallertau and Tettnang hops to balance its clean, malty sweetness, it’s the perfect brew for a crisp Autumn day. Available from August to November.

(OG: 1.049, 19 IBU)

From Otter Creek Brewing

Located in Middlebury, Vermont, we brew all of our fine ales in small batches here at our brewery.

We have been brewing Otter Creek craft beers since 1991.

We have been brewing Wolaver’s organic ales since 1997.

Our mission, along with brewing great-tasting beers, is to make a positive difference in our community, minimize our impact on the environment, and support sustainable agriculture.

Popularity: 6% [?]

This was a beer I had to taste because it was fall. When I bought it, the great Pumpkin was about to make an appearance. It was one of the beers that I was tasting because, well, it’s fall and the leaves are changing color. But on to the review, my first in some time due to the insanity of life, anyhoo.

How Does it Smell?: Light pumpkin and spices come through at first pour, the spices smell comes through, in a weak way.

Pour, color: Beer poured very nicely with almost an orange/ amber color in the light I am in. Not the biggest head in the world but well formed.

Body: A decent body, just decent.

Taste: It wants to be sweet, but it’s not. I get a subtle hint of nutmeg as I drink it. Over all flat, not hoppy or malty.

Mouth feel: This actually has a good mouth feel to me, flows over all parts of the tongue, giving different subtle and weak flavors.

Alcohol feel : Alcohol feel is tame, a little warming.

Finish: This beer has on OK finish, almost similar to a uber-cheap pumpkin muffin.

Drinkability: I won’t buy this again, a tasting is good. There is just not enough flavor all around. I know how it tastes, and knowing is half the battle.

What about the packaging? The label is cool, seasonal at best, does not scream buy me, but it makes you think it’s a pumpkin beer.

Pairings: If I had to, this would probably go ‘ok’ with a pumpkin and vegetable roti, (the word ‘roti’ where I live refers to a dish of stewed or curried ingredients wrapped in a ‘roti skin’), like the one we get at our favorite Caribbean restaurant.

Comic Pairings: I can’t recommend a Comic for this beer at all, just not good enough to read with.

Some info from the brewer

Brewed by:
Buffalo Bill’s Brewery
California, United States

Style / ABV:
Pumpkin Ale / 4.90% ABV

Twenty-five years ago, Buffalo Bill’s Brewery pioneered a bold new direction in beer-crafting, firing up America’s groundbreaking microbrew stampede. Today, one of the nation’s oldest brewpubs continues to delight patrons with a full selection of outstanding signature brews. This includes the historic Buffalo Beer – the very first beer produced at the tiny brewery back in 1983, the “irreconcilably different” Alimony Ale, Tasmanian Devil ale with its huge hop flavor, and seasonal specialties like the legendary Pumpkin Ale, Orange Blossom Cream Ale, and Blueberry Oatmeal Stout.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Michael Jackson, aka The Beer hunter, was an expert in tasting beer and shared his knowledge in several books

Do you know how to taste beer? Before you accuse me of smoking something illicit, I’m not asking if you know how to drink beer. Anyone with a mouth can drink beer but do you know how to taste beer?

I guess a better question might be do you know how to evaluate the taste of beer? You’ve probably seen beer reviews on various sites around the web, even here on Beer Utopia, and they generally use a similar set of criteria for evaluating a beer: appearance, smell, taste, mouthfeel, and drinkablity.

So why would you want to bother evaluate your beer instead of just drinking it? It’s the difference between looking at a pretty picture and appreciating a work of art. It’s the difference between watching the game on TV and experiencing it in person. It is what separates true beer lovers from those who just like to drink beer. Evaluating these five characteristics will give you all the information you need about any particular beer and being able to recognize and describe these characteristics will qualify you as a true beer geek.

Appearance
The appearance of a beer includes its color, head, clarity, and carbonization.

• Color: Common descriptors from light to dark are straw, yellow, gold, amber, deep amber/light copper, copper, deep copper/light brown, brown, dark brown, very dark brown, black, and opaque. In competitions color is often evaluated using the SRM (Standard Research (or Reference) Method) scale. Pilsners will have and SRM around 2 or 3 while stouts will be over 40. It is not necessary to know the scale but the color can give you a hint about the style.
• Head: Some beer produces a bigger head than others, assuming it is poured correctly and the glass is clean, and is often measured in “fingers.” For example, “the beer produced about two fingers of head,” which means the head was about the thickness of the width of two fingers. A good, thick head is generally a good sign while a thin head can indicate there is a problem with the beer. “Lacing” is related to head and describes the way the foam clings to the glass as it is emptied. Lacing indicates a beer’s ability to maintain its head.
• Clarity: This refers to the cloudiness of the beer. Some beers, like pilsners, should be very clear while others, like hefeweizens, should be hazy.
• Carbonization: This is pretty self-explanatory. Are the bubbles fine or course? Do you see a lot of bubbles or just a few?

Smell
A big part of what we taste actually comes from smell. That’s why kids hold their nose when they have to eat something that doesn’t taste good. The best time to smell the beer is immediately after you finish the pour and you must pour the beer into a glass to be able to accurately evaluate it. The carbonization carries the smell up and out of the beer and immediately after the pour is when you will have the most bubbles. This is one reason why a good head is important on a beer. However, if the head is too thick, it can actually prevent the aromas from escaping the glass. If you don’t smell anything, or smell very little, let the beer sit for a minute or two; often the aromas will be stronger after the head dissipates a little. Beer that is too cold will have little aroma. Allow the beer to warm a little and see how it “opens up.”

So what exactly are you trying to smell? Beer is a very aromatic beverage. Every variety of yeast, grain, and hops has its own particular aroma, though hops tends to contribute the most to the bouquet of beer. Fruity, banana, bubblegum, biscuit, bready, malty (sweet), smokey, spicy, herbal, floral, grassy, and resin are all common descriptors for beer aromas. Perception of aroma is very subjective; you may smell something different than someone else and that’s okay.

Taste
Finally we get to taste. Here again, temperature can make a big difference. If the beer is too cold, you won’t taste much. Take a drink and hold the beer in your mouth. Pay attention the different flavors on your tongue. Your taste buds are localized to different regions of the tongue: sweet at the tip, bitter at the back, and salty and sour on the sides. Good beer is complex and will exhibit multiple flavors. You need to hold the beer in your mouth for several seconds to discern the various flavors.

Then swallow. “Cork dorks,” wine drinkers, often spit out the wine during tasting but with beer you must swallow to experience the full flavor. The aftertaste is as important as the initial taste sensation on the tongue. Beer can be dry (lacking in sweetness), often leaving a bitter aftertaste from the hops, or have a lingering sweetness from the malt. Or neither. Or both. The aftertaste should compliment the initial taste but beyond that, the possibilities are endless.

Also note the balance of sweetness and bitterness. Whether you like sweet, malty beers or bitter, hoppy beers is a matter of personal preference but the balance is an important characteristic to note when describing the taste of a beer.

Mouthfeel
Notice how the beer feels in your mouth. This is primarily a description of the body of the beer. Does it feel full-bodied and thick or thin and watery. Beers brewed with oatmeal often have a “slick” or “slippery” mouthfeel. Generally, lighter beers have a thinner mouthfeel, with industrial light lagers being at the extreme end of the scale, while “bigger” beers brewed with a great deal or malt, like Imperial varieties, are at the other end. However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule. How the carbonization feels on your tongue also contributes to mouthfeel.

Drinkability
Not all beer reviews refer to drinkability and it is definitely the most subjective aspect of beer tasting. Drinkability basically refers to how many of the beers you feel you could drink in succession. Big, high-alcohol beers or those that are overly sweet or overly bitter aren’t usually beers you would want to drink one after another in a single sitting or “session.” This does not necessarily mean they aren’t good or that you don’t like them but some beers are better for drinking only occasionally.

There a few things to keep in mind when tasting beer. Colds, medication, cigarettes, and spicy or sweet food can all affect your taste buds and how you perceive certain flavors so avoid these if possible before tasting beer. Also, each beer you drink will affect how the next one tastes. Drinking more than one kind of beer in close succession (like at a beer fest) will make it difficult to get an accurate idea of how each beer tastes. I often find that I need to drink more than one of a particular beer before I can describe its subtleties accurately.

Finally, make sure you have a clean glass. Hand washing will help insure there is no soap or detergent residue on the glass that can affect taste and head retention. Also, using the proper glass for the style you are drinking really does make a difference, particularly when it comes to aroma.

So the next time you drink a beer, don’t just drink it, taste it. You may be surprised at what you have been missing by not paying attention to the finer details of your favorite brew. Taste a lot of beers (tough assignment, I know) and you will find that your ability to evaluate the subtlties of our favorite libation will grow along with your appeciation and love of beer in general.

Popularity: 7% [?]

It was a beautiful, very easy-going day. The temperature was just right for this time of the year. Doing beer tastings events in the cold has a different effect on me; next year I have to pace myself differently. But all in all, Das Erste! OktoberFestival.

The First Annual Oktoberfest for the Garden State Crafts Brewers Guild was held at NEWARK BEARS RIVERFRONT STADIUM, in Newark NJ. It’s a perfect place due to the amount of mass transportation present (Don’t Drink And Drive!!!). There were ten of New Jersey’s finest breweries at the great venue, which made for a fine event.

Cask conditioned ales and OktoberFest beer were the features of the day. The Cask Ales seemed stronger on the alcohol feel. Basil T’s Maxwell Stout was my favorite beer, a classic stout with roasted barley bitterness and a dense, creamy head and a touch of coffee. Gaslight’s Heart of Darkness was a close second for beers I liked the most for the day. New comer, to me, River Horse was very good. I did not like the Pumpkin Spiced Beer from Gaslight, too heavy-handed on the spices. All the Oktoberfest beers were all nicely done. I liked Gaslight’s the most because it had more depth In flavor compared to the others.

The event itself needs more local supporters from the breweries, but this was the 1st time so it was a little risky. I’m sure next year will be bigger. It was a lot of fun in the end. A great thing about this show was that the brewers were not ‘competing’ with one another. Everybody was happy to present their beer and talk with you for a little bit.

Next year, if you love beer and live in New Jersey, Oktoberfestival is a must. It was smeggin’ fantastic and could be as good as the Camden event in time. Camden had better beer also. The festival needed an event on field also, like a brewer’s soft ball game or something of that nature. It would of added the right kick to the day. But it was a day well worth the price of admission.

List of Garden State Crafts Brewers Guild present and their Beers present for OktoberFestival:

•Flying Fish Brewing Company flyingfish.com

Oktoberfish, Cask-Conditioned Oktoberfish, Extra Pale Ale, Abbey Dubbel

Flying Fish is the first craft production brewery in the southern half of New Jersey and the most widely produced craft beer in the state. We specialize in classic English and Belgian styles and currently brew six bottled beers: ESB Ale, Extra Pale Ale, Porter, Belgian Abbey Dubbel, Farmhouse Summer Ale and Grand Cru Winter Reserve, some of which are bottle conditioned. In addition we brew a variety of draft-only seasonals and cask-conditioned “real ales.”

•High Point Brewing Company aka Ramstein ramsteinbeer.com

Classic Dunkle Weizen, Keller Pills, Barrel Oktoberfest

High Point Brewing Company is the first exclusive wheat beer brewery in America. High Point brews the award-winning Ramstein beers. Ramstein beers are available on draft and in bottles throughout NJ, NY and PA.

•Pizzeria Uno pizzeriauno.com

IPA, Red Ale, Oktoberfest, Porter

We’ve evolved the Pizzeria Uno legend to a brewhouse as well. Our Brewmaster, Mike Sella, brews all of our own beer on premise, using a custom built 15bbl Pub brewing system. Mike has formulated these beers to be the perfect compliment to our delicious food. Fresh beer tastes best.

•River Horse Brewing Company riverhorse.com

Tripel Horse, Belgian Freeze, Hop Hazard

River Horse is a 20-barrel micro located on the Delaware River in Hunterdon County. Opened in April 1996, the brewery produces both ales and lagers and currently features five products.

•Cricket Hill Brewing Company crickethillbrewery.com

Fall Festivus, East Coast Lager

Cricket Hill is the newest microbrewery in New Jersey. Since January 2002 they have brewed two flagship beers: East Coast Lager and American Ale. Most recently they have produced their Cask Ale, Colonel Blide’s Bitter. All three are extremely easy drinking and refreshing. Tours are given by appointment, with Friday afternoons being the most popular time.

•Basil T’s basilt.com

Maxwell Stout, Rosies Pale Ale, RocketRed Ale, XXX Golden Ale

There are always at least six hand-crafted ales on tap. The bar features New Jersey’s largest mug club, happy hour, and live music on Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

•Harvest Moon Brewery and Café harvestmoonbrewery.com

Pumpkin Ale, OktoberFest, Smoked Oatmeal Porter

The Harvest Moon Brewery/Café is a casual relaxed restaurant offering creative American cuisine at affordable prices in a unique setting. Handcrafted freshly brewed English style ales including our flagship brews, seasonal, cask conditioned, dry hopped and guest taps.

•Triumph Brewing Company triumphbrew.com

OktoberFest, Pumkin Ale, Grand Cru, Gothic Ale Cask

An ambitious and eclectic menu is served in an architecturally unique setting. Seven craft-brewed beers are always on tap including ales, lagers, nitro-pour stout and hand-pumped real ale.

Tun Tavern Brewery & Restaurant tuntavern.com

Oktoberfest, N.J. Hop I.P.A., Tun Light

Tun Tavern is Atlantic City’s first and only brewpub. It was recently voted the Number One Restaurant in New Jersey by the Server Foodservice News and Favorite Brewpub in New Jersey by readers of Gary Monterosso’s What’s on Tap newsletter. Tun Tavern offers casual gourmet cuisine and handcrafted brews.

•Gaslight Brewery & Restaurant gaslightbrewery.com

Abbey Normal, Zum Alt Dorf, Oktoberfest, Dog river Farm Organic Pumpkin Ale, Heart of Darkness Cask

This is Essex County’s first brewpub. We offer a relaxed atmosphere where people can come to enjoy freshly brewed beer and delicious food, watch a game on TV, play darts or shuffleboard, and listen to good music. We try to make this a spot where everyone can have some fun. We try to have live entertainment at least three times a week.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Deschutes Brewery (Bend, Oregon) - Jubelale 2008 (Winter Seasonal)
One of my all time favorite beers, the Jubelale is back for the fall and winter season. Yes! This strong ale is a dark mahogany color with a beautiful dark fruits (apple resin) and spices (cinnamon, coffee) aroma. It avoids the burst of evergreen pine that many IPA’s have, it is subtler and yet more stable and even more mature tasting (An IPA tastes experimental compared). The taste is very full but not overly complex and it actually does taste like the holiday season; I don’t know how they do it, but I immediately think of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the snow. This beer gives you the comfort of a porter or stout but without the heaviness, and with some extra hoppy kick that is classic for the Pacific Northwest. Don’t pass this one by.

Hale’s Ales (Seattle, Washington) - Kölsch
I should have reviewed this one earlier in the year because I just found out that this Kölsch is only supposed to run through August. I can still find it at Whole Foods, and probably New Seasons, Belmont Station, etc. (in Portland). If you live outside Portland, you need to call your best beer store. The bottle says “German Style Ale” and I don’t know what makes it that. Some reviews I’ve read say that it is not a “real” Kölsch. Whatever it is, or isn’t, it IS a really great tasting beer. I enjoy the simplicity of it, and it’s earthy quality. It has a roasted nut and toasted bread taste to it while remaining a bit thin. The warmer, toastier, taste sort of swells a little after you swallow and then it rounds out. There are some hops added that give it just a tad more kick than I would expect from a German beer. Try to pick this one up before it disappears, it may come back every year too, but I don’t know that for sure…

Bridgeport Brewery (Portland, Oregon) - Hop Czar
Another beer that may be leaving stores soon. Pick it up ASAP at Belmont Station, Whole Foods, or New Seasons… maybe call them first. Brideport’s Hop Czar is an IPA that I consider to be the classic beer for the Pacific NW (the Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale is another classic). IPA’s have since become testing grounds for ultra hoppy and bitter qualities that you would find in say a Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA or Double Mountains Hop Lava. The Hop Czar from Bridgeport could be considered, by some, to have the same classic feeling as the normal IPA, but an instant classic for all these new Imperial and Double IPA’s. I don’t know if I would go that far; it’s good, but it’s new and one of the characteristics of the newer imperials/doubles is their wild quality. Bridgeport is usually more reserved. The Hop Czar is an Imperial IPA, with 8% alcohol. It has an extremely potent and noticeably sharp hop smell, like the hops were just put in the bottle or something. Consistent with Bridgeport, the drink is nicely balanced, not pulling you one way or another, and leaving you feeling great about what you just drank. Lots of citrus flavor that reminds me of lime, grapefruit, or others and has a nice lasting aftertaste. A 22oz was a bit much so I split it with friends. That’s always a good way to taste beer.

Originally posted on beerandscifi.com here.

Popularity: 12% [?]

It was a late night and I needed to relax, sit back for a minute and soak in the madness of the last few days. It was a cool September Saturday night and the sky was partly cloudy. It was really quiet and one of the last nights I would be having in what used to be ‘my back yard.’ I got to have a bottle that night and I gave a bottle to my good friend iZathrez. Anyhoo, it was a very good beer.

Smell from the bottle - At that time of night, it was nice to get delicate smell of sweet hoppyness and malts. I know I did not get the full effect from the bottle but it was good.

Appearance - I did not pour this beer into a glass, but Flying Dog has great labels, nuff’ said.

Taste – This was a nice clean, light caramel beer, left me wanting more.

Mouth feel- This beer is halfway from a REALLY GOOD natural soda and a Flying Dog Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale to m.

Comic Book Pairings - I am going to read JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #25
On October 1, 2008 Written by Dwayne McDuffie; Art by Ed Benes; Cover by Ed Benes
Vixen and Animal Man journey into the sacred Tantu Totem to solve the mystery of their altered power.

Food Pairings – All I wanted that night was a hotdog from Grey Papayas in the east Village in New York City and if I knew my wife would not beat the living crap out me, I would of gone out there and gotten one.

Drinkability and repeat Drinkability - I have drunk this beer every year since the first time I had it. Dogtoberfest is not just some beer you enjoy just for the tasting, it’s something you have in October in as many ways as possible. For me it’s the Oktoberfest beer that sets the benchmark for all the others

Brewer’s breakdown and info

The origins of Dogtoberfest are shrouded in mystery, but scholars think it has everything to do with an insane German king and a crazed Oompah band. You can read the full historical record of Dogtoberfest at FlyingDogAles.com. Dogtoberfest is deep mahogany in color with an intriguing caramel finish and brewed with 100% imported German ingredients for a true German flavor.

ABV: 5.3%
Plato: 14
IBU’s: 30
Specialty Malts: Vienna Malt, Munich 90 Malt, Munich 100 Malt, Light Munich Malt
Hops: German Perle, Hersbrucker
Process: 100% imported German ingrediants for an authentic flavor

Popularity: 6% [?]

Budweiser is exploring new ground with their first ale which will hit stores in one week on September 29. It is already available in draught.

Appearance:
Nice copper color as you would expect from an amber ale. Huge head that lingers for several minutes after the pour.

Smell:
I don’t know if it was because of the size of the head or the temperature of the beer, but the first fragrance I got was… Budweiser. This is weird because this beer has little in common with a Bud. Once the head went down a bit and the beer warmed up, I got definite caramel and some light grassy hops scents.

Taste:
The taste was true to the smell. It’s fairly malty at the front, with caramel being what I tasted most with some subtle biscuit flavors mixed in. The hops hit at the back of the palette and are nicely balanced with the malt. The hops linger after you swallow, a bit much for my taste, but the bitterness is not overpowering.

Mouthfeel:
I would call this beer is medium-bodied and smooth.

Drinkability:
I wasn’t sure what to expect from an amber ale made by Budweiser. I was pleasantly surprised. It is well-balanced and hoppier than I expected, though not overwhelmingly so. I think this would make a decent session beer and maybe a good “gateway” beer to the world of craft brews for those who are usually Bud drinkers.

5.3% ABV

Popularity: 11% [?]