Breckenridge Avalanche Amber
Breckenridge Brewery | Denver, Colorado USA
Purchased @ Lone Star Beverages - Carrollton, Texas USA

Style: American Amber/Red Ale

ABV - 5.41%

My personal notes: Definitely going to be a staple brew in my fridge! This brew poured up a dark copper-colored body with a two-finger thick foamy head that dissipated somewhat quickly and left nice lacing effects on the glass. Aromas of oranges, dark sugars, caramel. Flavors of the same but they are very, very intense and well-balanced. Light- to medium-bodied, lightly carbonated, smooth and easy to drink with a crisp, clean finish with just a slight bite. Excellent when paired up with a spicy, creamy fish/shellfish meal or creamy beef and noodle dinner.

Anchor Steam Beer
Anchor Brewing Company | San Francisco, California USA
Purchased @ Lone Star Beverages - Carrollton, Texas USA

Style: California Common / Steam Beer

ABV - 4.9%

My personal notes: Now this is one jim-dandy of a brew! This brew poured up a hazy copper-colored body with a wonderfully thick, off-white colored head with good retention and lacing effects on the glass. Aromas of malts, caramel, citrus fruits (lemons, and maybe some orange). Flavors of the same in a malty concoction that beckons you to take the next sip just as soon as you finish one. Medium-bodied, full-flavored with a dry finish and citrusy aftertaste. Grill up a nice spicy rack of pork to pair up with this amazing brew; or grill some fish or shrimp!

Interesting note: Early steam beers were brewed with lager yeasts, but fermented at warmer temperatures due to the lack of means to cool the tanks in California�s warm climate (back in the late 1800s). Cooling was brought about by the use of wide, shallow fermenting vessels. The resulting beer was very lively and, when the casks were tapped, they were said to �steam� with carbon dioxide. Source: Beers of the World; Kanning, David

Pyramid Curve Ball Blonde Ale
Pyramid Breweries, Inc. | Seattle, Washington USA
Purchased @ Kegs & Corks - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Kolsch

ABV - 5%

My personal notes: This brew poured up a hazy golden-amber colored body with a nice frothy head that dissipated quickly down to a small sheen on top with minimal lacing effects on the glass. Aromas of honey, lemon, and bread fresh out of the oven. Flavors of the same in this light-bodied brew with a hearty amount of carbonation. This is a great brew for those dog days of summer! Easy to drink and very flavorful; pair it up with your favorite meats at the BBQ or fish at the fish fry.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Chico, California USA
Purchased @ Kegs & Corks - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: American IPA

ABV - 7.2%

My personal notes: This brew poured up a rich dark copper-colored body with a thick off-white foamy head with good retention and lacing effects on the glass. Aromas of floral hops, grapefruit, and spicy peppers. Flavors of the same packed with a bitter punch right in the kisser! Medium-bodied, very dry, hoppy, spicy, hoppy with a bone-dry, bitter finish. Oh, did I mention it was �hoppy�?! Smoked salmon, grilled flounder, stuffed shrimp, beer-butt chicken all come to mind as great pairings for this mouth-puckering brew!!

Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat
Flying Dog Brewery | Frederick, Maryland USA
Purchased @ Kegs & Corks - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Hefeweizen

ABV - 6.7%

IBU - 12

My personal notes: Well, another �hefe� added to the AW BHoF!! This brew poured up a cloudy, golden-orange colored body gold beer with a thick foamy head. Careful on the pour as there are yeast floating about so pour in roughly 3/4 of the bottle then give the bottle a few swirls to break up that yeast and then pour the remainder of the bottle into your glass. Aromas of yeast, bananas, cloves and grains. Flavors of lemons, sweet malts, cloves, bananas, and caramel. Light-bodied with good carbonation with a crisp, smooth, clean finish and a long-lingering aftertaste of banana nut bread. Definitely one of the best from the Flying Dog brew line-up! Pairings include: spicy, spicy fish tacos or spicy grilled oysters!

I was listening to some European fellow on the radio a few years back. And he was stating that beer should be drank... drunk , just a little under room temperature. And he pretty much just made fun of the way Americans are obsessed with ice cold beer. I have tried it this way, and its alright. But still like a nice cold brew much better.

Anchor Porter
Anchor Brewing Company | San Francisco, California USA
Purchased @ Lone Star Beverages - Carrollton, Texas USA

Style: American Porter

ABV - 5.6%

My personal notes: One of my favorite go-to porters! This brew poured up near black with a mocha-colored, very foamy head with amazing retention and lacing effects. Aromas of caramel, coffee, toffee, dark fruits (figs, raisins), and a touch of molasses. Flavors of the same in a medium-bodied brew. Extra creamy and smooth with just a touch of a hoppy bite to make for a clean, refreshing finish. You can�t go wrong with this porter! Fire up the grill or smoker and toss on your favorite meat cuts! For the outdoorsy type pair up this brew with some venison or wild boar!!

Deschutes Black Butte Porter
Deschutes Brewery | Bend, Oregon USA
Purchased @ Kegs & Corks - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: American Porter

ABV - 5.2%

My personal notes: How can one go wrong when it comes to choosing an awesome porter? By not choosing this one!! This brew poured up a rich, dark brown colored body with a frothy one-finger head with good retention and excellent lacing effects on the glass. Sweet aromas filled with coffee, roasted malts, warm breads, and a hint of hops. Medium-bodied, silky smooth, and a rich malt-filled flavorful brew. There�s just enough hops to balance out with the malts for a nice, crisp finish full of flavors of brown sugar and grains. If you are going to be stocking up on porters, this needs to be part of your stash! Pair this brew up with your favorite grilled or smoked meats; for wild game this would be excellent with wild boar, venison, dove, ducks and squirrel.

Guinnes Draught
Guinness Ltd. | Dublin, Ireland
Purchased @ Kegs & Corks - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Irish Dry Stout

ABV - 4.1%

IBU - 40

My personal notes: I had high expectations for the Draught. I mean, being from Guinness I was ready for one stellar Irish-style Dry Stout. Unfortunately this one did not meet those expectations. Maybe the recipe was changed or something? Whatever the case may be I think I am going to stick with other brews in the Guinness lineup until this one gets some backbone put back into it. This brew poured up a near pitch black colored body with a creamy one-finger head with excellent retention and lacing effects (at least the visuals were enticing!). Aromas of hot caramel, sweet malts, coffee and chocolate; all somewhat on the smokey end of the spectrum. Medium-bodied (but rather watered-down tasting) with flavors of roasted malts, coffee with a very dry, slightly hoppy bite on the finish. I say that it is medium-bodied but in all honesty this one was just way to watery for my tastes and expectations. It is not a bad brew, but it is definitely not the best in this beer style. Best paired up with smoke meats (rich in fat) and grilled veggies.

Lone Star Beer
Lone Star Brewing Company | San Antonio, Texas USA
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: American Adjunct Lager

ABV - 4.72%

My personal notes: When it comes to macro-brews, this here�s my go-to! A Texas boy�s gotta love a Texas macro-brew!! Salute, y�all! Now being an adjunct (mass produced) brew, I don�t hold it up to those standards as I do for the much better craft brews! Nevertheless, this is one brew that I�ve always liked for some reason or another. This brew poured up a clear, straw-colored body with a one-finger bubbly head that quickly dissipated to a thin sheen and minimal lacing effects on the glass. Scents and flavors of basically any adjunct lager; grains, some malts, some hops. Light-bodied and smooth; some sweet malty flavors followed up with a clean, refreshing finish of a little hoppy bitterness. I�d definitely go for this one before any of the other mass-produced, mass-advertised brews (Miller, Coors, Busch, Keystone, etc.). A good beer for the BBQ or fish fry or some greasy, beefy nachos during the big game!

Redhook ESB
Redhook Ale Brewery | Woodinville, Washington USA
Purchased @ Lone Star Beverages - Carrollton, Texas USA

Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter

ABV - 5.8%

IBU - 28

My personal notes: This brew poured up a clear, amber colored body with a hearty head that was very creamy that soon dissipated to a thin sheen on top and left minimal lacing on the glass. This one smelt very lively dominant with hops which lent it a citrusy smell and hints of light caramel. Medium-bodied and very easy on the drinkability scale. Sweet malts are tasted first followed by a good hoppy bite (much like grapefruit). As the brew warmed the scents and flavors intensified more pleasingly. The finish is crisp and dry and powerful. Grilled pork or perhaps some grilled or roasted venison would make a great pairing with this brew.

AW - you ever tried anything from Ska Brewing out of Durango, CO? Really good lineup, would be interested in your review of any of them. Pinstripe Red Ale is their most popular, I believe, but I've liked every one I've tried.

Not tried those yet but am always looking for new brews to try out!

Rogue Dead Guy Ale
Rogue Ales | Newport, Oregon USA
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Maibock / Helles Bock

ABV - 6.5%

My personal notes: Truly a brew for quality quaffing! This brew poured up an amber colored body with a bubbly thin head that dissipated rather quickly and left good lacing effects on the glass. Sweet aromas of malt, hops, and island fruits (almost like jack-fruit which is used to make Juicy Fruit gum). Medium-bodied, smooth, easy on the drinkability scale. Very malty so it has a good �thickness� to it. The finish is so creamy and clean with no harsh aftertastes of any sort. Definitely a brew to pair up with grilled or smoked fish!

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the 'bier vorgeschmack' and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.

San Miguel Pale Pilsen
San Miguel Corporation | Manila, Philippines
Purchased @ Beer & Wine World - Mansfield, Texas USA

Style: Adjunct Pilsener

ABV - 5%

My personal notes: Another great go-to of mine in the adjunct (mass produced) beers! A twist of lemon or lime and let�s fire up the grill or fryer! This brew poured up clear golden-colored body sporting a very bubbly head that quickly dissipated down to a thin sheen that left marginal lacing effects on the glass. Strong aromas of warm bread, fruits, and something akin to honeysuckles. Very light bodied and well-carbonated. Sweet malty flavors with an exceedingly refreshing finish with no harsh aftertastes. This brew should be a staple at your BBQ or fish fry. Seriously good brew!

Disclaimer: All beer tasting notes and reviews are subjective. The thoughts and opinions contained herein are those of the 'bier vorgeschmack' and him only. The intent of this beer review is to spur interest in brands and styles that one may not normally indulge in and to entice them to venture out and try new brews. While some may argue that there are no other beers than Miller, Coors, Bud, and Keystone, this is much akin to arguing which vanilla ice cream tastes the best. There are more brews out there; try some and enjoy the savory adventure.