Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Michael Shea's Irish Amber

Beer score: 5.8

The Highfalls Brewing Company of Rochester, New York, made this brew when I tasted it back in the 1990s, but then the beer was bought by the Genesee Brewery folks who then retired this beer.

Looking back on my notes, it seems this beer didn't know what it wanted to be. It had the barest touch of sweet one minute, then it'd have a little bit of bitter on the way down. Wet but had way too much fizz. Overall, not a bad beer, even a good beer, but not a great beer.

Beer of the Week: Orval Trappist Ale

Beer score: 7.4

Company: Orval
ABV: 6.9
IBU: 32

This Belgian brew has a lot of carbonation and a strong alcohol flavor, almost as if you're drinking a weaker Scotch whiskey instead of an ale. The smell is slightly spicey, just barely, and a touch of citrus with perhaps some hints of grass.

Some sweetness here and very unique flavoring. Leaves a bitter flavor in the back of the throat. Quite wet despite all the carbonation. The flavor is like the smell, with an addition of some dried fruit taste and a metallic hint that's there but not annoying.

Not something I'd want to drink often, but worth tasting from time to time.

Quite pricey. Hard liquor drinkers should like this. One of the most unique beers I've ever tasted.

Beer of the Week: Michelob Ultra

Beer score: 3.0

Company: Anheuser-Busch
ABV: 4.2
IBU: 10

This is a low-carbohydrate light beer for that market.

As with most light beers, there's lots of carbonation here.

It's a light golden color when poured into a clear glass while giving off scents of corn.

Going down it's vaguely sweet with more of that light sweet of corn.

Really, this is a fairly bland beer. "Boring" might be the right word to use. There are worse light beers available, but there are also better.

Beer of the Week: Samuel Smith Taddy Porter

Beer score: 9.0

Company: Samuel Smith Brewery
ABV: 5.0
IBU: 32

In a clear glass this one is a sort of reddish-brown with tan foam. It smells a bit like chocolate and coffee, though the scent isn't overly strong.

It does, however, have an extremely strong burnt maple flavor that lingers in the mouth long after you've swallowed. There are also more hints of that chocolate and coffee. It also goes back very smooth, almost as easy as water.

Has quite the creamy texture in the mouth.

This isn't everyone's favorite beer, but I think it's top quality, one of the better porters around. But then I tend to love all the beers from the folks at the Samuel Smith Brewery.

Beer of the Week: UFO Hefewizen

Beer score: 7.0

Company: Harpoon Brewery
ABV: 4.8
IBU: 18

Kind of a cloudy mustard color when poured. Definitely has some citrus and perhaps clove on the nose.

Has a great, smooth taste and texture, and light enough you could drink this regularly. The taste has more hints of that citrus, definitely some orange and maybe a little lemon, and there's a soft sweetness that's never overpowering. There's a bit of a bready taste, and there's a little creamy texture.

Goes well with lemon or lime, in my opinion.

A pretty solid beer, all around, especially if you prefer or are in the mood for something lighter.

Books read in 2024: No. 20 -- The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy

published by Zondervan

Started: April 10
Finished: April 10

Notes: Having just finished Paul's first letter to Timothy, I thought I should go ahead and read this second letter.

Mini review: Here Paul talks a little about what to expect at the end of times, but for the most part he advises Timothy to remain strong in the Christian faith. Unusual for most of Paul's letters, Paul here also provides a short list of people to whom he has had disagreements or whom have done him evil, in his opinion, yet he does not curse these folks.

Books read in 2024: No. 19 -- The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy

published by Zondervan

Started: April 10
Finished: April 10

Notes: Now we get to the first of Paul's letters written to an individual instead of to a church, so it'll be interesting to note if there are any differences.

Mini review: In this letter to Timothy, Paul outlines some basic leadership for the church and the type of men who should be such leaders. Paul also provides some notions of what Christians should try to be in this world while looking ahead to the next world.