May Grades and Ranks

Looks like Summer has started. I am drinking more Wheats, Wits, Hefes, and Pils. These are beers that are not the first thing I grab for, but season drinking is very important to enjoying your beer. Plus, to go with my New Year's Resolution* of drinking more beer outside, you do not want to drink heavy beers while in the heat. It's like when I was young, not like fast food in the heat. It just made me sick.

Damn, 29 different beers this month.

*May have been a mid-winter resolution.


[A]

#1 Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi. Maybe my first bier de garde. Golden body, Frankincense & Myrrh flavoring. Hint of Fruit and sour. Great! A 10:48 PM May 18th via web (A, A)

Lost Abbey is certainly high on my list of favorite breweries. And when they can create something as fun as this is to drink, you know that they have all the pieces in place.

#2 Allagash Victoria. The Chardonnay grapes are full of awesome. It is a sweetest drinking Belgian you could ask for. Solid. A 8:21 PM May 3rd via web (A, A)

A fantastic middle ground of beer and wine. Sure, it is obviously a beer, but when someone mentions that there are grape, you are like "Yeah, it does taste like the wine." Worth the extra money or visit to Portland, ME.

#3 Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale. I am so surprised at the quality of this beer, I have to post it again. Do not pass up this can, man. A- 8:01 PM May 26th via web (A-, A)
The best beer from a can that I have ever had. Super hops, but great, smooth balanced taste. Not burning. A- 7:11 PM May 21st via web

One of my favorite new beers. I cannot rave about this beer enough. A fantastic example of an IPA that doesn't kill you with hops, and plus, it will make a believer of you in canned beers can be good. But drinking it from a can is still not recommended.

#4 Smuttynose Barleywine. This is a great example of the style. Nice, spicy taste, smooth body, with a pleasantly bitter taste to finish. A. 7:18 PM May 9th via web (A, A)

You cannot go wrong with the Smuttynose Big Bottle Series, and this is an example why. And, if you ever wanted to try a barleywine and didn't know where to start, this is a place. It's for the hop-heads who want something more from their beer.

#5 Sinebrychoff Porter. Ever want to drink anything Finnish, then I would recommend. Strangely, though, taste like Mexican ground chocolate. A- 7:22 PM May 5th via web (A-, A)

This beer is a sleeper of my favorite beers. It's exactly what I want from a dark, heavy porter. It has that milky body that makes you feel like you are drinking a dessert. And why not? Silly Finnish.

[A-]

#6 Lost Abbey 10 Commandments. I wanted something to go with my burger, worked out great. I love dark Belgians. Another winner from them. A- 7:20 PM May 5th via web (A-, A-)

Again, another great Lost Abbey beer. This one was with a enjoyable treat with a hamburger. It's all about matching intensity of food and beer, and I hit it on this nose with this.

#7 Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits. Super Belgiany sour with Medit. Food, but hopped up at the end. A wild ride, enough for an A- 6:58 PM May 17th via web (A-, A-)

I can't wait for new Pretty Things. Though I don't drink them as much as I was, it doesn't meant it isn't the best kept not-so-secret of the Boston beer scene. I actually wish we had some in the fridge for later.

#8 St. Bernardus Witbier. Perfect example of a Belgian Witbier, lemon, coriander, a nice body and sturdy taste that lasts the whole glass. A- 10:44 PM May 18th via web (A-, A-)

This is where we start to get into the wits that I love. I want it to have that lemon and coriander taste I expect. I think that though American wheats are fine, they lack the flavor intensity that I desire in my beer. It's like wheat bread vs. white bread.

#9 Forest Trail Imperial IPA. A home brew from a local guy. Some serious good stuff. It has an after-bite that you keep going back for. A- 8:48 PM May 7th via web (A-, A-)

Please correct me if I have the link wrong. I was lucky enough to snag some of this from Beck&Tony's party, because I enjoyed it then and then I enjoyed it again. This is a beer that gives me the courage and desire to homebrew.

#10 KleinBrouwerij Jan de Lichte. A celebratory beer for a new job. Enjoyable wit. Yeasty, nice cloudiness. A great example of a style. A- 10:34 PM May 29th via web (A-, A-)

Beth loved this beer at a fest and we decided to splurge and get some for home last week. And again, it has the Belgian taste that I desire. But, what made this beer stand out is the excellent cloudiness that came with it. Kind of like drinking a magic potion.

#11 Southern Tier Back Burner. Sure, 10% ABV, but not really. The thing is that ST either is good or too flashy. It's a good Barleywine. A- 7:30 PM May 6th via web (A-, A-)

This was a result of a trade at the end of EBF. Solid and Strong, but not crazy. Though, I feel all Southern Tier's beer taste a little the same. I guess it's a good thing that I like that taste, huh?

#12 Avery Mephistopheles Stout. Wow, at 16% ABV is this an intense drink. We split a 12oz bottle. Sipping was super smooth/caramelly. A- 7:06 PM May 20th via web (A-, A-)

EBF beer also. This was surprising enjoyable. I though that it was just going to be a crazy, get-drunk-quick beer, but it was more than that. I always forget about Avery when I think about Colorado beers. I love their Maharaja, too.

#13 Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. I like splitting beers in wine glasses. Especially tasty, high ABV ones. Big & Rich, smoky, too. A- 5:25 AM May 17th via web (A-, A-)

Brooklyn is incredible with all the knowledge that they put into their beer. And you can taste the passion in this beer. They craft so lovingly that it is hard to get a bad beer from them.

#14 Mayflower IPA. Seriously, I think this is becoming one of my favorite IPAs. It has the important balance of flavors with the right tang. B+ about 15 hours ago via web (B+, A-)

As you may have realized, I am working my way through a lot of Mayflower and Ipswich lately. Both local, both have pictures of ships on the bottle. Also, I am trying to distinguish the variety of beer that they offer. I do think that this is the tip of the top. This is getting into the session beer that will work with almost anything.

#15 Ipswich Ale. This is a beer that can go so well with anything. Dinner, drinking, sitting outside. Ooh, this should be my outside beer. B+ 9:26 AM May 5th via web (B+, A-)

This would be the Ipswich representative. This is not as hoppy as the Mayflower, so it gives you a little more of a smooth and relaxing experience. I just like the other one a tad better.

#16 Dogfish Head 90. i like it better than 60. i quick true to my hops roots. not so good with added hot sauce. B+ 7:37 PM May 23rd via txt (B+, A-)

Strangely enough, this falls right into line with the previous two. This is more intense and you have to be geared up to drink it. I frickin' love, though. Funny story though. When I was drinking this, I was eating out and accidentally popped the top of the hot sauce bottle off into my beer. It actually flattened out the taste. They were very nice to me by giving me a new beer for free.

#17 Spezial Rauchbier. Tasty beer for brunch. Light like a pilsner, smoky like a porter. My first official Rauchbier, so hard to compare. A- 11:16 AM May 30th via web (A-, B+)

The danger with smoky beers is the bacon factor. Beth and I always mention one beer in particular as the "bacon beer". And not in a loving way like the Bacon Brown Dog. And though this had a slight bacony taste, it was very drinkable. Especially at 10am for a brunch. Remember, if you are drinking beer for breakfast, please go with a lighter beer.

[B+]

#18 Southampton Double White. A surprise for me when I got home. Good classical wit, little strong, a lot tasty. Good example of the style. B+ 11:26 AM May 23rd via web (B+, B+)

Southampton a brewery that I like but never think to buy, but this beer was good enough that I would try to drink more at home. Double Wits are an interesting beer, because they are more robust, they seem to me to be less intense in that wit flavor.

#19 Anchor Liberty Ale. Paired much better this time with a nice chicken and pea salad. Match intensity with intensity. Good job us. B+ 7:58 PM May 19th via web
Hard to drink after a stout, but once past the first sip, enjoyable. But, did not pair that well with steak and bleu. B 9:22 PM May 13th via web
Sorry to tri-tweet it this month, but it was damn fine to drink while getting the grill ready. B+ 7:02 PM May 20th via web
This is a stand by for Beth and I when it comes to session beer. But it is extra dry when you eat something salty. B 6:25 PM May 15th via web (B+, B+)

Sorry about all the tweets about this beer, but it was a lesson in how to pair your beer. If things pair badly, you probably will blame the beer, and it makes it less enjoyable. But if it is a good pairing, certainly the food is better, right? I mean, it makes the food taste better, so why not? Beer can be fickle.

#20 Southern Tier IPA. What I like about all Southern Tiers is that generic peppery taste, especially anything Pale. It works for this. B+ 9:08 PM May 14th via web (B+, B+)

This is the taste that I think all Southern Tier beers have. If you like this taste, you will like them.

#21 Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. Didn't expect a chance to drink this unique drink again. A light drink with bite and body. Kudos. B+ 9:19 PM May 13th via web (B+, B+)

Glad to have another chance with this beer. Thank you new upstairs neighbors. It's a light beer with a surprising kick. You can't go wrong.

#22 Brooklyn Summer Ale. Light and Bready. Just what I want to drink on a hot day. Was able to enjoy it outside. Two-row Barley? It's good. B+ 8:16 PM May 28th via web (B+, B+)

Summer beers are pretty much wheat beers. Though this is a good beer, I drink a wheat beer and want it to be Belgian Style. I know that I need to get over this unfair assumption. It's like going to the White Mountains and expecting the Rocky Mountains. Though you may like one more, you better enjoy it for it's own personality.

#23 Sam Adams Lager. When there is nothing else to drink, you cannot fail with this classic stand-by. This is the middle of us and them. B+ 9:17 PM May 13th via web (B+, B)

I forget that I like this beer. There is a reason why it is a national beer. It is enjoyable, and easy to find.

#24 Oskar Blues Ten Fidy. I drank it straight from the can, which I haven't in a long time. Really intense beer in a small package. Too much? B 8:11 PM May 2nd via web
Good beer to share, esp. for dessert. Served it from the can into white wine glasses, still a funky-smoky taste. B+ 8:32 PM May 11th via web (B+, B)

This is a fun beer to drink. It's strong and heavy, so you'll have to prepare yourself.

#25 Oskar Blues Yella Pils. So, yes, my third from these canners. Good and tasty, but I like my pils lighter, especially on a hot day. B+ 9:56 PM May 25th via web (B+, B)

The third Oskar beer of the month. All three combined make me believe that Oskar Blues is doing things right and there is no loss of flavor in a can. The drinking experience is better from a bottle, but the beer itself should be unaffected.


[B]


#26 Harpoon UFO. I mean, if you want to get a Hefe, but you don't know what to get, this is a solid example. Harpoon, a great place to start. B 10:05 PM May 23rd via web (B, B)

I might like this better than the IPA, which was my first love of my craft beer movement.

#27 Ipswich IPA. Very hoppy and surprisingly unbalanced. Not in a bad way, but it was heavy-hopped. Kind of an afterburner taste to it. B. 8:38 PM May 10th via web (B, B-)

Sadly disappointing in the long line of great IPAs. This is a good beer, no doubt, but I just like others better.

#28 Harpoon Summer. I am not a fan of American Wheats. Maybe it's the dryness or lack of "other" flavor. But good for a holiday BBQ. B about 15 hours ago via web (B, B-)

This beer started my American versus Belgian wheat beers discussion.

#29 Ipswich Oatmeal Stout. Maybe it was an off bottle, it had a tinny-ness to it that distracted from a good taste. Too little oatmeal. B 9:20 PM May 13th via web (B, B-)

Again, I like it, but I want it to turn the corner into either more oatmealy or more stouty. And it misses the mark more each time I drink it.