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.

Samuel Adams Cream Stout

☺☺☺☺

Brewery: Samuel Adams; Boston, MA
Brew: Brewmaster's Collection Cream Stout
Pour: Heavy pour. Not much head or carbonation. Very thick and syrupy.
Appearance: Dark, dark brown. Light does not pass through this bad boy.
Aroma: Chocolate and bananas! Very malty aroma.
First sip: Thick, rich, creamy. Flavors of coffee and chocolate and, yes, a little caramel. Different with that little wee bit of banana in there.
Mouthfeel: Rich without being too heavy. Creamy without being butter or syrup. Heavy but not stinging carbonation.
Finish: All the hoppiness at the end makes your mouth water.
Notes: Great with coconut ice cream. I promise. Jason agrees.