Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

☺☺☺☺½

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.; Chico, CA
Brew: Torpedo Extra IPA
Pour: Heady pour. Head sits around for a good while. Lots of glass lacing. Really beautiful.
Appearance: Coppery-blush colour. Non-transparent.
Aroma: Pine needles hit you right on the nose. I could smell when I opened the bottle. Lots of fresh, fresh pineapple, too! Fruity-tooty.
First sip: Nice round hops. Almost a caramel-y malt. (I know I'm probably wrong on their choice of malt, but whatever they used, it's interesting.) Pineapple is huge, with grapefruit coming right after.
Mouthfeel: Not thick, but definitely not watery. Not too much bitey carbonation.
Finish: Hoppy finish with a lemony aftertaste.
Notes: Lovely!! I just burped and it tasted like a Christmas tree! Not bad for a 7.2% ABV. I knew Sierra Nevada could make a good beer!

Intro to Beer-o

This is the start of my new blog, "Here, Beer." I have a beer journal (you know, a real physical one, made of paper, glue, and leather) that I've kept pretty well (even after a few too many) and wanted to digitalize it. For awhile, I'll just be typing up pages and excerpts from my "real" journal. But will start adding recent ones as I go along. I mean, I must try three or four new ones a week (don't remind me of all the repeats, please. My liver will hate you) so I should be here often, right? RIGHT?

Saint Arnold Oktoberfest

☺☺☺☺

Brewery: Saint Arnold Brewery; Houston, TX
Brew: Oktoberfest
Pour: Weak head. Thick pour. Huge bubbles.
Appearance: Golden amber.
Aroma: Hoppy, toasty. A little sweet. Okay, fine, a lot toasty.
First Sip: Very toasty malt. Hops are a little strong at first.
Mouthfeel: Wonderful. Very gentle; low minerals, low carbonation. Not overbearing at all.
Finish: Hops fade out. A little honey at the very end.
Notes: Like a hoppier Fat Tire. I like. I like a lot. Not a bad session beer. Easy to drink.

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen

☺☺☺☺

Brewery: Paulaner; Germany
Brew: Hefe-Weizen
Pour: Beautiful pour. Large bubbles and yet a thick head.
Aroma: Cardamom and bananas. Rusty. Like a nail. I think I smell bubblegum?
Appearance: Dark, cloudy amber. Lots of proteins swimming around unfiltered.
First sip: Bananas, cloves, cardamom, and butter. Still a little rust. Malty, but nice hops. Very sweet. Burnt malt.
Mouthfeel: A little bite with a lot of foam.
Finish: Creamy with a little of that odd bubblegum flavor at the very end again.
Notes: Happy beer! More complex than a Franziskaner, but more confusing with the rust and the bubblegum.

Pyramid Curveball Blonde Ale

☺

Brewery: Pyramid Brewery; Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, Berkeley, CA
Brew: Curve Ball Blonde Ale
Pour: Light pour. Very weak. Doesn't hold a head for more than a millisecond.
Appearance: Light amber. Very pretty little blonde ale.
Aroma: Fresh hops. Little malt. No trace of anything but nice hops.
First sip: Very hoppy. Not many other flavors besides the nice smooth hops. A little unpleasantly bitter, like Heineken. Like vomit.
Mouthfeel: Light. A little bubbly, but not too bad. Not too acidic.
Finish: Bitter. No flavor. Really. Nothing.
Notes: BOOOOOO.

Two Rows IPA

☺☺☺☺☺

Brewery: Two Rows; Houston, TX
Brew: India Pale Ale
Pour: N/A: I didn't see it pour from the tap. However, it did keep a really nice head for awhile.
Appearance: Beautiful bronze color, kind of bubbly, very small bubbles.
Aroma: Super hops. A hint of mango and especially pineapple.
First sip: Just like the aroma. Very hoppy, tropical fruit flavors. Awesome. An expected roasted malt is apparent.
Mouthfeel: Bubbly. Nice carbonation. Not too heavy; not light.
Finish: Everlasting hops. Pineapple lasts forever.
Notes: All my exes live in Texas, and it's why I hang my hat in Tennessee! Thank you Pranav and Chris.

Shiner Smokehaus

☺☺☺½

Brewery: Spoetzl Brewery; Shiner, TX
Brew: Shiner Smokehaus
Pour: Nice head! Small bubbles, but not too thick. Foam disappears, but not too quickly. No lace on the glass.
Appearance: Golden amber colour.
Aroma: Instantly hoppy. A little bit of smoke, just like it says on the bottle.
First sip: Smooth and delicate. A little tangy. Definitely smoky, like I'm sitting next to a barbeque pit.
Mouthfeel: As expected for a lager. Very nice, not too watery.
Finish: Clean finish. A little hoppy aftertaste, but not much else.
Notes: I like it! And I'm not even particularly fond of lagers. It's not the most amazing brew I've ever had (far from that, sorry Shiner), but it's definitely worth note.