Real Ale 4 Squared Dry Hopped Ale

Smells like grapefruit and arm pit. Tastes kinda like a dirty arm pit, if I had tasted one before. Very Hoppy. Not sure if I would drink it again. Got it at Hopfield's in Austin.

New Belgium Dig Pale Ale (Spring Seasonal)

Hmm. I wanted to blog about this one last night, but I didn't know how to describe it. So, 24 hours later, all I came up with is, perfect. Not too hoppy but pleasantly flavorful with a bit of citrus. Too bad it looks like its around just for Spring. It's delish. Get some! Should be easy to find at any local grocer that carries New Belgium.

Saint Arnold Spring Bock

Tried this brew a couple of weeks ago at Trudy's. Its a really smooth malty beer, not too sweet and definitely not heavy on the hops. It's not too heavy or thick. It's one of those beers you could drink on for a while (and have more than one). Nothing too extraordinary, but in a restaurant or store with a small selection, this would be a decent buy.

Pouring the Perfect MILK STOUT

I had previously told you how much I love Left Hand Milk Stout, but that I prefer it on draft b/c you get better head than when you get it on draft (TWSS).

Then....I noticed one of those scan codes on the side of the 6-pack, leading to instructions on the perfect pour. You definitely pour this differently than other beers. So...I thought I would post: milkstoutnitro.com. Check it out! Easy and yummy!

Rogue/Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale

Got this one for Christmas from Chris' cousin Julie. I'm going to guess she picked it up at Spec's or Whip-in. I was holding it for a special day and figured ehh- it's Registered Dietitian Day, why not celebrate with BACON MAPLE ALE?! This is the smokiest beer I've ever tried, like you have the flavor of burnt BBQ lingering in your mouth. I thought the maple flavoring would make it sweet, but fortunately that hint isn't too distinguished in this ale. The beer itself is made with applewood bacon....but the beer is so smoky, I couldn't pull too much pork out of it (thank goodness bc I was kinda scared). Definitely not putting this on my wish list, but glad I got to try it! That's half the fun!

Left Hand Brewing Co. Milk Stout Nitro

I tried several beers over the weekend, but eh, forgot to get their names, evaluate....etc. I first tried this Milk Stout Nitro at Pinthouse Pizza in Austin. I loved it so much; I call it chocolate milk stout. It's smooth and mocha-y, not dry, and just mildly sweet and smokey. I prefer it on draft by a bartender that knows how to pour it perfectly so each sip gets the perfect amount of head, over a bottle. The foam makes it that much creamier and yummier. It's my favorite stout out there, right now. I've seen it all around Austin, and of course we saw it around Colorado, since that's where Left Hand Brewing Co. is located. We bought this six-pack at Whip-In, but I think it is pretty easy to find! Give it a whirl. I'm sure I won't be drinking porters and stouts as the weather warms. Cheers! And also, I hope you like my Easter lavender nails!

Jester King El Cedro

I had no intention of posting about two beers in one night....and well, then....Chris cracked open a Jester King (brewed just outside of Austin) El Cedro. It is a "hoppy cedar-aged ale." It is hoppy like an IPA, but the bitterness doesn't linger as long. I think it is very citrus-y, particularly grapefruit. Only other beer I have had with grapefruit hints is Shiner Ruby Redbird (the nastiest ginger/grapefuit beer I've ever had). I would drink it again. Bottle came from Spec's and it is a Limited beer. So, there you have it, hoppy and grape-fruit-y. Hey...I told you this was a NOVICE blog!

Breckenridge Brewery Vanilla Porter Ale

I've postponed some beer drinking previously, as I wanted to have the "perfect" beer review for my first blog. But, well, then we drank some of those "perfect" brews, and I still hadn't started my blog. So....today, I start my first real entry, with a cool, light porter we had in the fridge, BRECKENRIDGE VANILLA PORTER ALE. I tried this for the first time on my 30th birthday in Keystone, Colorado. This porter carries just enough sweet, without making it a cocktail. It has the perfect amount of vanilla if you ask me too (I don't recommend to people that don't like vanilla). I think it is fairly light for a porter, not quite as heavy as a stout. I think it is a great cold-weather beer. It might not be one to drink all night, but is a nice dessert, or after-dinner beer. You can find it at Spec's.