Where's the best beer in America?

Here’s the top 10 states in terms of overall number of medals.
1. California – 474
2. Colorado – 322
3. Wisconsin – 232
4. Oregon – 170
5. Pennsylvania – 162
6. Texas – 133
7. Washington – 114
8. New York – 98
9. Missouri -90
10. Massachusetts – 76

I thought this was a very interesting chart to share with my followers. Enjoy!

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat

Appearance: Nice, bright golden-yellow look. Ok on the foam and good on the lacing I guess. Seems to be on the light side regarding wheat beers (as evident by the fact that it's a pale wheat ale).

Smell: Lemony with a fair amount of grain as well. It's a pleasant and subtle smell. No malt and not many hops.

Taste/Mouthfeel: 312 tastes like an above average beer. It has a nice crisp bite to it, making it refreshing. Doesn't really have a distinct taste and is a kind of watery. I guess some bitter/sour citrus.

Drinkability: Very drinkable for a wheat beer, considering the refreshing bite.

Overall: I would highly recommend this beer. It is rich in flavor and easy to drink. Great year round beer!


Rating: 4.7/5


Goose Island Brewery

Delirium Tremens

Appearance: Bright golden color, clear, medium head with good retention & lacing

Smell: Belgian yeast, very fruity and floral

Taste: Up Front: All kinds of fruit, bready malts. Finish: Spicy with mild hops

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a crisp/sharp carbonation

Drinkability: Very drinkable for a moderate-heavy drinker. 

Overall Impression: This is a very tasty Belgian Strong Pale Ale. I would strongly suggest it!


Rating: 4.7/5

Pilsner Urquell

Appearance: Pours out in a pale gold color with a ton of foam. Not overly carbonated either.

Smell: Smells great...like lemon and fresh grass. Also a ton of hops.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Also tastes great...also like lemon and fresh grass. Has the right amount of bitterness and leaves no bad aftertaste. Very hoppy.

Drinkability: Easy to drink, although definitely a beer to savor and enjoy.

Overall: Great introduction to real European pilseners. It's not too scary, but definitely more exciting than the American counterpart.


Pilsner Urquell Webpage

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Over the past week I have been very intrigued by Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale.


Appearance: A beautiful golden brown.

Smell: Aromatic, with a spicy sweetness, and floral notes.

Taste: A great mix of bitterness with the fruit and hop notes. It is a wonderful balance, and very impressive for a bigger company such as Sierra Nevada. Very nice, not too full, or imposing. Slightly malty, and compliments the slight bitterness that hits the pallet early in the taste.

Drinkability: As always, one of my favorite beers, and a great choice for most any occasion, a great pale ale, and deserves great recognition. Pick a case up!


Rating: 4.2/5


Official Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Webpage

Hofbräu Original

Appearance - Miniscule head, very clear dark gold, moderate carbonation. Light lacing. Looks tired.

Smell - Slight skunk present, remainder of the smell is hoppy with a trace of spice.

Taste - This isn't bad at all. Its like a maltier pilsener with maybe a half strength hop bite at the finish.

Mouthfeel - There is more carbonation bite to it than the appearance lets on, which is a good thing for this kind of lager.

Drinkability - This is actually pretty good for a lager. If I want a lighter colored lager and not looking for the more intense bitterness of a real pilsener then I would probably grab one of these. Pretty impressive overall considering the type of beer.

Below is a link to their website: 

Hofbrau Brewing Website

Strongest Beer in the WORLD

Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog on Vimeo.

http://www.brewdog.com/tactical_nuclear_penguin.php

Tactical Nuclear Penguin

ABV: 32%

OG: 1092

Malts: Marris Otter, Dark Crystal, Caramalt, Chocolate Malt, Roast Barley

Hops: Galena, Bramling Cross

Mini Bar Crawl

This is a map leading you from Carthage to 3 very good bars in Kenosha. I have been to all of these establishments and would recommend checking each one out if you have not already.
View Mini Bar Crawl in a larger map

Beer Education

I have been a member of Beer Advocate for the past year and it is a very good website when looking to find out anything about beer. From brewing advice to pouring advice it provides you with a rating system on how good an actual beer is. I have followed the rating system when selecting a new beer to try and it has not failed me yet. I will provide you with a link so you can get access to Beer 101. I highly recommend browsing the site next time you are looking to find a new flavor of beer to enjoy. ENJOY!

Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse

This German beer, rich in lemon flavor and medium bodied, receives a 4.5-5 in my book. The crisp lemon flavor is satisfying and refreshing, but not overwhelming such as Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy. I would recommend looking at link below to get a better understanding why this beer is so pure. This beer is hard to find in the Kenosha area, but when there is a will there is a way. Tenuta's italian store and Woodman's carry this upper class beer. It is a bit pricy, but worth it for a day of summer afternoon drinking.

Franziskaner Overview

Captain Mikes Stout Samplers

This week a group of my collegues and I sampled an assortment of different stouts. For anyone who isn't familiar with stout beers, they are dark in color and rich in taste and alchohol content. They are generally brewed with roasted malt, barley, and hops, along with additives making each one unique. I will be posting a video sometime this week when my computer with the video clips gets back to me from Apple. So keep posted everyone, because the video is going to be worth seeing!

Captain Mikes Website

Leinie's Beer Sampler Pack Tasting

This is a review of the Leinie's summer sampler pack. It includes: Summer Shandy, Sunset Wheat, Classic Amber, and Honeyweiss.

SPRING/SUMMER TIME

Leinenkugel has come out with a variety of beers which compliment each season. This week I tasted their Sunset Wheat. It is a wheat beer and is very rich in flavor and aroma. Pouring it down the middle of the glass is the suggested way of serving it. This is supposed to release all natural flavors and aroma. Served cold (approximately 40 degrees F), with cheese, fish, or poultry is hard to beat the crisp sweet flavor. It almost has an initial taste compared to that of Cheerios. I would rate this beer a 4.3 out of 5 on my scale. 

FLO-RIDA BARELY POP

During my Spring Break in Panama City Beach I was able to enjoy the crisp tasting Land Shark Lager, which is Jimmy Buffets line of beer. I was very impressed with the overall taste of the Lager. I am not usually a fan of beer which is hyped up by a celebrity. I would give this beer a 3.8 out of 5 on my scale.

Wisconsin Beer

Mexican Brew

Barley Pop Buzz

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