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Sierra Nevada Pale Ale review.

On draft.

A: Pours a clear copper brown with an ever so slight haze. Finger width head that dissipates rather quickly. Moderate lacing.

S: Hops with a generous floral note and citrus in addition to malts.

T: Sweet malts and citrus with a slight hoppy bitterness. Finishes smooth and clean.

M: Light to medium bodied and crisp. Moderate carbonation.

D: Nice drinkability. Easy to go through a few.

A good pale ale.

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Guest CaliWingsNut

I enjoy beer that makes ladies appear more attractive

They sell cans of PBR's for $1 out here. Course, you have to find your limit between beer goggles and going home w/ the toilet.

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Guest Shoreline

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale review.

Eh, that's a nice marketing gimmick, but yeah, Sierra Nevada ale is the s*** -- like Gordon Biersch (both commonly seen on taps in Cali) always better on tap than bottled/canned. I used to have a thing for ales and other dark beers (Guinness included), but like beer in general, it's a taste that comes and goes.

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Did a large lower Michigan brewery tour over the 4th of July weekend. Couple of standouts:

Michigan Brewing Company - Webberville, MI

MBC Maibock: A delicious bock-style lager, so delicious I bought a growler! Being used to maltier bocks, this one was quite different with its hop bitterness. The hops were not so much as to make it similar to a pale ale, but enough to distinguish it from traditional bocks. Nice amber color, small thin head. Easy drinking, so it can get dangerous as its 6.5% ABV.

Founders Brewing Company - Grand Rapids, MI

Founders is now sporting a renovated tap room, which is HUGE. Very long and roomy, with a stage setup on one end with the brewing facility in the background. Long bar with plenty of seats. Unfotunately, they were out of quite a few selections. I ended up getting the oatmeal stout, and I'm glad I did. If they had some of the other ales I was looking forward to, such as Blushing Monk, I probably would have passed it up. Most oatmeal stouts I've had have been on the sweeter side of the malt spectrum. This oatmeal stout was very roasty, almost bitter coffee like. It was a very nice surprise. On top of that, they have it on nitrogen, so the glass had a thick, creamy, delicious head of foam. Definitely a winner here.

Hop Cat Brewery - Grand Rapids, MI

Hop Cat is unique in that they have their own house-brewed selections, but they also stock 100's of bottles, and taps, from microbreweries around the world. I had a few samples (ok, more than a few!), but a memorable one was one of Hop Cats house beers, a pale ale brewed with sage and honey. It was delicious, the honey and sage flavors were subtle and just right. The beer poured golden with a moderate off-white head that left decent lacing on the glass.

Bell's - Kalamazoo, MI

Bell's has also renovated their tap room, and its a cross between modern elements and a lodge-type atmosphere. Had their version of a belgian tripel, which was good but didn't really stand out compared to others I've had. Also tried their Golden Rye at the suggestion of the bartender. It was a very good, pale ale brewed with rye malt. Had a decent amount of hop bitterness, flavor, aroma, as a pale ale should. It wasn't anything I'd go out of my way to have, but if they offered it in bottles (its tap room only right now), it would probably earn a permanent place in my fridge. Had a few other little samplers of their other tap room only beers. If I had one criticism of Bell's, its that they play it safe. I can understand sticking to the tried and true recipes for their bottled beer, but I was expecting a little more creativity in their tap room selections. Still worth the trip, their bar and outdoor area are very nice, wish I had more time to hang out more there.

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Eh, that's a nice marketing gimmick, but yeah, Sierra Nevada ale is the s*** -- like Gordon Biersch (both commonly seen on taps in Cali) always better on tap than bottled/canned. I used to have a thing for ales and other dark beers (Guinness included), but like beer in general, it's a taste that comes and goes.

I stick with more pales and light beers than darks like porters and stouts, especially in the summer. Drinking a Guinness or a porter in July would be awful IMO.

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I stick with more pales and light beers than darks like porters and stouts, especially in the summer. Drinking a Guinness or a porter in July would be awful IMO.

Guinness is always awful no matter the weather. I suggest you try Munich Dunkels though, or dunkelweizens, best summer beers.

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Did a large lower Michigan brewery tour over the 4th of July weekend. Couple of standouts:

Michigan Brewing Company - Webberville, MI

MBC Maibock: A delicious bock-style lager, so delicious I bought a growler! Being used to maltier bocks, this one was quite different with its hop bitterness. The hops were not so much as to make it similar to a pale ale, but enough to distinguish it from traditional bocks. Nice amber color, small thin head. Easy drinking, so it can get dangerous as its 6.5% ABV.

Founders Brewing Company - Grand Rapids, MI

Founders is now sporting a renovated tap room, which is HUGE. Very long and roomy, with a stage setup on one end with the brewing facility in the background. Long bar with plenty of seats. Unfotunately, they were out of quite a few selections. I ended up getting the oatmeal stout, and I'm glad I did. If they had some of the other ales I was looking forward to, such as Blushing Monk, I probably would have passed it up. Most oatmeal stouts I've had have been on the sweeter side of the malt spectrum. This oatmeal stout was very roasty, almost bitter coffee like. It was a very nice surprise. On top of that, they have it on nitrogen, so the glass had a thick, creamy, delicious head of foam. Definitely a winner here.

Hop Cat Brewery - Grand Rapids, MI

Hop Cat is unique in that they have their own house-brewed selections, but they also stock 100's of bottles, and taps, from microbreweries around the world. I had a few samples (ok, more than a few!), but a memorable one was one of Hop Cats house beers, a pale ale brewed with sage and honey. It was delicious, the honey and sage flavors were subtle and just right. The beer poured golden with a moderate off-white head that left decent lacing on the glass.

Bell's - Kalamazoo, MI

Bell's has also renovated their tap room, and its a cross between modern elements and a lodge-type atmosphere. Had their version of a belgian tripel, which was good but didn't really stand out compared to others I've had. Also tried their Golden Rye at the suggestion of the bartender. It was a very good, pale ale brewed with rye malt. Had a decent amount of hop bitterness, flavor, aroma, as a pale ale should. It wasn't anything I'd go out of my way to have, but if they offered it in bottles (its tap room only right now), it would probably earn a permanent place in my fridge. Had a few other little samplers of their other tap room only beers. If I had one criticism of Bell's, its that they play it safe. I can understand sticking to the tried and true recipes for their bottled beer, but I was expecting a little more creativity in their tap room selections. Still worth the trip, their bar and outdoor area are very nice, wish I had more time to hang out more there.

If you didn't check out Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids, you should have. An old monastery converted to a brewery that brews in the classic German style.

edit: The oatmeal stout is far and away the best beer Founder's has, in my opinion. It sucks that it's nitrogen infused because I can't get growlers of it. Luckily, Vivant fills other brewery's growlers.

Edited by Travis

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When I go out, I simply drink light beer, like Miller Lite or Bud Light. Don't like the feeling of being filled up by regular/craft beers.

Flame away.

drink German helles beer or pils, hardly any more calories but twice as much flavor, schwarzbier works too.

Drinking miller lite to avoid being filled up is just something born out of marketing i think, quite frankly it is overpriced. When i lived in germany the last few months everyone: women, wine drinkers, weight watchers, ect all drank helles beer and never complained about being bloated. Hell, they could put down a few maßes of them.

I agree to a point, coming back from Germany i can't drink high gravity craft beers like i used to.

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drink German helles beer or pils, hardly any more calories but twice as much flavor, schwarzbier works too.

Drinking miller lite to avoid being filled up is just something born out of marketing i think, quite frankly it is overpriced. When i lived in germany the last few months everyone: women, wine drinkers, weight watchers, ect all drank helles beer and never complained about being bloated. Hell, they could put down a few maßes of them.

I agree to a point, coming back from Germany i can't drink high gravity craft beers like i used to.

I don't think is as much marketing - I drink that because it really doesn't fill me up. Don't get me wrong, I really like and appreciate craft beer, but I only drink it when I'm at home and can enjoy it.

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I don't think is as much marketing - I drink that because it really doesn't fill me up. Don't get me wrong, I really like and appreciate craft beer, but I only drink it when I'm at home and can enjoy it.

you can achieve the same thing with helles beer (who knew helles means "light" in German) and actually enjoy it, ironically miller lite fills me up because it tastes so bad i can't take more than a few sips. Just trying to help you out staying away form the big giants who don't set out to produce quality beer.

Edited by jollymania

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You may like "Helles" because its a term meaning light in color and is specific to a style of German blond lagers (as opposed to Czech Pilsner style). Spaten, Paulaner, Augustiner lagers are all Helles. "Leicht" is what the Germans use to mean lower calories and/or alcohol. German leicht beers tend to suck too.

Edited by kook_10

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You may like "Helles" because its a term meaning light in color and is specific to a style of German blond lagers (as opposed to Czech Pilsner style). Spaten, Paulaner, Augustiner lagers are all Helles. "Leicht" is what the Germans use to mean lower calories and/or alcohol. German leicht beers tend to suck too.

All of the Leicht Weissbiers are crappier than the originals but miles ahead of miller or the like. I wasn't using Helles to denote "Lite" beers just pointing out that it is an easy to drink style that isn't very filling.

Edited by jollymania

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Poured from a can into a pint glass.

A: Pours a nice golden amber color with a finger width head. Fades after a bit, a moderate amount of lacing left behind.

S: Very bready with caramel and roasted malt hints. Undertones of grain and citrus present as well.

T: As with the scent, nice malt and caramel tones with a slight bitterness.

M: Medium mouthfeel with moderate carbonation.

D: Nice drinkability. Not one to pound back, but more than one can be enjoyed.

A fair Canadian brew.

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Bud Light Golden Wheat.

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy amber color. Nice two finger width head that fades before too long, leaving behind pretty minimal lacing.

S: A pleasant grainy scent with hints of citrus and coriander with hints of wheat.

T: Very similar to the scent. Flavors of grain and wheat with citrus. A nice hint of spice as well. Pretty similar to Blue Moon.

M: Light body. Pretty moderate carbonation.

D: This is an easy one to drink. A step above Bud Light.

Pretty good choice. Better than what I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

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