Beer of the Week: Time for a break

I've been writing about beer on one site or another for nearly 30 years (boy, does that make me feel old), and it's time to take a break.

I'm not sure yet if I'll come back to this blog for future Beer of the Week entries, but I'm not ruling it out. Right now I have other areas on which I need to focus, and my health isn't what it used to be.

So, a break. Probably not permanent, but who knows?

Time will tell.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Pyramid Hefeweizen

Beer score: 7.8

Yet another week without trying a new beer, but as always, I have notes on some beers I tried years ago.

This one is especially hurtful because it was a quality beer from a quality company that is now closed. This particular beer went by a couple of different names, but the above is the name I last tasted it under.

It was light enough that a beer snob could sit around drink it all day. Still the flavor was probably too complicated for the non-snob group.

Poured a light orange color while giving off bready smells, maybe with a hint of fruit.

The taste has more of those bread aspects along with the fruitiness, possibly banana.

A touch of sweet going in the mouth, along with a touch of bitter on the way down. A little fizz. A little froth.

All around, a pretty good wheat beer with yeast.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Berghoff Original Lager

Beer score: 4.7

This one went through quite a few different breweries and more than one name change over the years, but the headline for this post uses the name I knew this beer under when I took these notes more than a decade ago.

When I tried it, it was being craft brewed by the Joseph Huber Brewing Co.

Poured a cloudy, light yellow cover. Gave off smells of malt liquor or some other cheap beer, but I've had worse.

The taste is bready with some corn.

Strong but too sweet for me. Nothing special but not awful.

Beer of the Week: Miller High Life

Beer score: 3.8

Company: Miller
ABV: 4.9
IBU: 7

Not a great beer, but a decent one for the end of a hard day's work. Better than many a cheap beer on the market.

As can be expected from a premium American brew, this one pours a pale golden color. It smells sweet with maybe a hint of orange.

The taste is sweet on top but with a touch of bitterness on the way down, and possibly another hint of that citrus.

Basically, this one is weak and wet, but there's hardly any fizz and it goes down smooth.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Killarney's Red Lager

Beer score: 3.8

This liquid refreshment was Anheuser-Busch's very late attempt to market a red beer in 2001 several years after the red-beer craze had pretty much died out.

Anyway, this one poured a light red color and gave off smells of weak, sweet maltiness

It was a little sweet at first and wet, kind of like a brown ale.

Non-beer snobs probably thought this one was something different. It wasn't. Which is why it's still not around.

However, I've had worse beers. This one just didn't excite me.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Bert Grant's Scottish Ale

Beer score: 6.9

No new beers to try this week, but as always I have notes from beers I tasted years ago.

This one hits especially hard because the Bert Grant's brand had some awesome beers.

It poured a reddish brown color with a slightly sweet, orange smell.

This one had a sweet taste in the beginning that turned into a strong bitter flavor on the way down. Very little fizz. Wet to the point of being almost like tea. Was probably too rough for beginning beer snobs.

Beer of the Week: Old Milwaukee Beer

Beer score: 2.1

Company: Pabst Brewing Company
ABV: 4.6
IBU: 12

Yesterday was my birthday, and this is what I get.

Before I even have a taste of this stuff, it looks green and smells nasty.

Okay, after that sip, the verdict is weak, watery, a little sweet. Thank goodness it doesn't taste as bad as it smells.

This beer would go good with a meal at any restaurant that serves battery acid.

Beer of the Week: Doggie Style

Beer score: 7.1

Company: Flying Dog Brewery
ABV: 5.5
IBU: 35

This pale ale pours a light copper color while giving off a rather large foamy head.

There's a little citrus in the scent, maybe some lemon or orange, and a touch of sweetness.

Smooth and wet, the way a pale ale should be, but this one is a little too bitter for a typical pale ale. There's some more of that citrus in the flavor, but not as much as in the smell.

This one is worth drinking.

Beer of the Week: Shock Top Belgian White

Beer score: 4.7

Company: Shock Top Brewing Co.
ABV: 5.2
IBU: 10

In my search for a good warm-weather beer, I thought about trying a Shock Top, which I've not had in more than a decade. At first I feared this beer was no longer in production, but then I had a pleasant surprise and found out Anheuser-Busch had sold this Belgian white ale off. So, some beers have an extended life beyond their original brewer.

Anyway, this one poured a light golden color with some haziness and maybe the barest hint of orange. Funny enough, it has a bit of that orange in the smell and more in the taste. However, there also is a light wheat smell, but most of that is overpowered by the citrus in the flavor.

It's not the best Belgian white around, but it's pretty decent and worth drinking with lighter foods, like fish or baked chicken. I wouldn't turn up my nose if handed one.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Wild Goose India Pale Ale

Beer score: 5.4

Man, I've had no luck of late when looking for some beers I hadn't tried in a while. This is another one no longer on the market, and even the brewer is out of business. At least I've got memories and some old notes.

This one poured a light brown color with a little malty smell and maybe a touch of corn.

The taste was pretty bitter with just a hint of the fruity sourness common to most IPAs and the barest touch of sweetness. A little fizzy, even in the aftertaste.

People who like bitter beers that go down a little rough would have enjoyed this one.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Rolling Rock Light

Beer score: 5.4

Still searching for a lighter beer for warm weather, one I've not had before or at least not in a long time, so I thought I turn to the Rolling Rock brews. And was I surprised this one was no longer in production.

As a side note, I've also seen this beer sold as Rock Green Light or Rock Light, but those aren't around either.

Whatever the name might be, this one wasn't bad for a light beer.

As can be expected, this one poured an almost-clear yellow color with scents of corn, typical for most premium or mass-produced beers.

Smooth. There was a little of the corn sweetness in the taste, and it was slightly watery.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Caguama Light

Beer score: 3.2

Warm weather is approaching and I thought I'd try a lighter beer I'd not had in a while. Thinking I'd go for something unusual, at least for me, I sought out the Caguama brews and found they are no longer being made. Still, I have some notes from the last time I had one of these in the light version.

Poured a bright golden color while giving off scents that reminded me of plain cereal. It tasted like a premium light beer with some corn and a little bread. Touches of sweetness, a hint of bitter, not much more.

This one wasn't nearly as smooth as the non-light version of Caguama. It had way too much fizz, though that's fairly typical for light beers. Still, like the non-light version, this one was fairly cooling on hot days and went decent with spicy foods, and it made a decent bar beer.

Beer of the Week: Lowenbrau Dunkel

Beer score: 4.9

Company: Lowenbrau
ABV: 5.2
IBU: 18

Sometimes this beer is labeled as Lowenbrau Premium Dark, but it's the same beer.

Pours a dark brown color in a clear glass while giving off scents of burnt chocolate and toffee.

This is pretty weak for a dark beer. There is a little of the expected burnt taste, but not much. However, there is a little sweetness here, almost like caramel.

For the price, you can do better, but still not the worst beer around.

Beer of the Week: Busch Light

Beer score: 2.9

Company: Busch
ABV: 4.1
IBU: 5

Been a long time since I had one of these, but thought I'd give it another try. so see if it had improved. It hadn't.

When you pour it, it's got that familiar pale golden color common to premium beers. It smells a bit like grain and possibly regret.

This is a weaker and sweeter version of Bush beer, but don't worry, because the fizz is still there if you want to burp. And it's not the worst beer on the market.

The best thing about this beer is the price. So, if you are broke and on a diet, this isn't a bad choice for you.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Pyramid Fling Pale Ale

Beer score: 7.0

Another brewery that went out of business, but that had some quality brews, and I have some of my notes from trying their beers in yesteryear.

This drink started as their Spring beer for 2010.

It poured a light golden color, and gave off light citrus and flowery smells while being poured.

This one was a tad strong and bitter for a pale ale, but it went down easy and wet. It also went down a little fruity. Was too heavy for casual drinking, in my opinion, but was just right for sipping.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Sierra Nevada Glissade

Beer score: 8.2

This was quite possibly my favorite of all the brews from the Sierra Nevada folks, so I was quite disappointed when I went looking for it recently and discovered it's no longer in production. Damn!

Quite possibly the perfect beer for hot weather.

It poured a dark yellow, almost orange color and gave off smells of wheat and maybe a little citrus. Had a light bitterness on the tongue. There was a touch of sweetness right at the beginning, but that dies away after the first sip, though that sweet, almost honey-like quality was still present in the smell.

Had a smooth, fruity quality and a light texture that made this an awesome brew for summer. Basically, this was Sierra Nevada's season brew for Spring.

Must have been a fine trick with the malts to have made such a smooth beer that was known for a high bitterness units rank.

Beer of the Week: Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel

Beer score: 7.0

Company: Ayinger
ABV: 5.0
IBU: 21

This German brew pours a dark brown color but it's not opaque like the thickest of stouts. It has a hint of a sour smell, but not enough to really ruin the experience, mainly because there are also some bready caramel and chocolate scents.

There's some carbonation on the tongue, but again, not enough to hurt.

It's not as heavy as it looks, and tastes nutty with caramel and coffee and a hint of that chocolate.

The perfect beer? No, but it's one of the best I've had in weeks, so I can't complain.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Young's Old Nick Barley Wine Ale

Beer score: 3.3

I was too busy to try any new beers this week, but as is always the case, I had some notes about an older beer that's no longer being produced. I last tasted this one a little more than a decade and a half ago, and while I always hate to see beers disappear, I can't say I miss this one.

Some folks liked this brew from London, but I could barely tolerate it because it was extremely sweet. It poured a dark color with scents of fruit and nuts, possibly cherries. The flavor was similar to the smell with perhaps some coffee taste, and this drink was somewhat syrupy.

To me, the sweetness was reminiscent of some of the stronger Scottish ales.

I guess I just don't care for overly sweet beers, so this one was never one I liked.

Beer of the Week: Molson Golden

Beer score: 4.6

Company: Molson
ABV: 5.0
IBU: 12

I've had better. I've had worse.

Pours a pale golden color while providing a skunky smell with maybe hints of wheat grain.

This drink has a flat, fizzy texture to it. There's a little bitterness, but not much. There's some more of that wheat grain in the flavor along with some corn taste, but not much else.

Not awful when served cold.

This beer could use some work, but by the third or fourth one, you really don't care what you're drinking anyway.

Beer of the Week: Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Beer score: 5.7

Company: Damm
ABV: 5.2
IBU: 25

The Young's brews in the UK have gone through various corporate hands over the years, but they continue to still be some pretty pleasant drinks.

This one isn't the best, but it's not awful by any means.

As one might expect for a stout, this one pours a dark brown color not unlike the look of molasses, though perhaps not quite that dark. It gives off a sweet smell of coffee, dark chocolate, and maybe some hints of brown sugar.

It's a wet stout without the heavy syrupiness of some stouts. The flavor definitely is controlled by chocolate and some sweetness, but there are light bitter hints and nuttiness to be found.

I thought this stout started out okay, but about halfway through I tasted a flat, soapy flavor. I've heard of others who liked this beer about halfway through and then lost interest or turned away, so I'm not the only one.

Worth trying if you're a stout drinker.