Hop Gusher's got the sort of balance that's a bit rare in IPAs - I feel like the malt backbone and sweetness counteract the hop flavor and hop bitterness that typically turns off macro drinkers, although both are still there and very enjoyable. It starts off light on the palette, despite an aggressive...
I waited until Elda M warmed up some so that I knew I would get the full effect of this 10 malt stout. The flavor profile was heavy on roasted coffee and milky sweetness with hints of...
The pour into my 20oz beer glass revealed a dark liquid that had a heavy aroma of coffee and chocolate with a large amount of head forming at the brim. I being the simpleton I was, before the craft scene, immediately envisioned...
Citra Mellow IPA is my first beer from Galveston Island Brewing. Very mild, would be a killer beer for the beach! Very mellow to start, hop bitterness to finish. Slight floral notes along with a sneaky high ABV. A very good intro to IPAs as it not very hoppy/bitter at all. An easy drinking, all day type of beer. ...
Honey Hole ESB is a terrific beer from SpindleTap Brewery, and it's one of my favorites from them. I think I enjoy it so much because it's a bit unusual to see an ESB, and Honey Hole really hits the spot for the style (pun wholly intended). ESB stands for Extra Special Bitter, and Honey Hole's extra special, alright! It starts off clean and...
Despite my skepticism from last year, I went out to 11 Below’s 11-11 Celebration for the release of Negative Space. It ended up being...
I popped the cap and poured Black Wit-O into my favorite “We Love Houston Beer” pint glass and observed the carbonation create a thin layer of head settle at the top. This brew is as black as ink and immediately made me think of Guinness or a strong coffee stout. I had slight whiffs of licorice followed by...
From the immediate pour to the lift of the glass, I was swarmed with caramel hints and what seemed like coffee undertones. The beer’s physical appearance was a copper with murkiness that allowed very little light to shine through, it seemed almost thick but allowed a thin lace of head to rest on top. My first taste was...
Sailing Santa is actually a consumer inspired brew! The great minds at Saint Arnold's Brewing listened when we asked for a seasonal blend of Elisaa IPA and Christmas Ale with a touch of Christmas spice! It isn't a true IPA, more malt characteristics than anything. It sure is smooth sailing though! it has a sneaky high ABV which is always good around this time of year. Most places are releasing stouts this time of year because cold weather is perfect for that style of beer. However, in Houston,...
Citra Mellow is a special beer. The team and I have been on a hunt for the last few weeks to gather a handful of certain "special" beers from around the Greater Houston area, and Citra Mellow was on that list. (More info on why it's special soon.) We got word that Galveston Island Brewing had started canning Citra Mellow, and the day the cans were available, we made a drive down to Galveston for a couple 6 packs....
8th Wonder Brewery did the city justice with Hopston. It's a TX IPA that's light on the tongue, but not light on flavor. I really dig 8th Wonder for their creativity - not only in the beers themselves, but in their names and artwork. Hopston's no different. Hopston is bit stronger in flavor than other IPAs I've had, but it's...
Every single time (and I mean every time) I pop the top of that 12oz aluminum can the memories of my days in Germany come flooding back. The aroma is crisp and clean, reminding me of the abundant wheat beers and taps that flowed like honey during festivals. Its Vienna malt...
Garden State Hefeweizen by Southern Star brewing is the perfect hefeweizen for my taste. I'm of the opinion that Southern Star is hit or miss sometimes. I really like Conspiracy Theory, but I don't care for the Bombshell Blonde. I hesitated picking up Garden State Hefeweizen for that very reason. Man did I have some egg on my face for that, Garden State has a...
The Ranga is my first beer from Platypus Brewing, and it tastes great! I've never had an Australian beer, so I didn't know what to expect, but something told me Platypus would be churning out great beer. It starts off clean and sweet and the sweetness continues all the way through until...
Buffalo Sunset is a black IPA that mixes two of my favorite drinks, IPAs and coffee. The coffee comes from the Houston based coffee company, Amaya Roasting CO. The name, Buffalo Sunset, comes from the old Sunset Coffee building that was built on the Buffalo Bayou in 1910. Buffalo Bayou described this series as "aggressive and boundary pushing" and it...
I looked at Copperhead Breweries website and was delighted to see that this was a small craft brewery based out of Conroe that distributed only in Texas; making it a true Texan made beer for Texans. The reason for my cheerfulness was that...
Fresh Nugs has a cleeeeean flavor - man it's so good. The flavor starts off bright and crisp. Since the news of the Karbach sellout, this beer is going to be a bit harder to find. Many local bars that specialize in local beers are saddened by the news and have all but dumped their Karbach kegs. Despite all the bad press, I wrote about these beers before they sold out, and people that don't know much about craft, might not know if we don't tell them....
Is it too early to talk about Christmas Ale? Halloween JUST passed and The Great Pumpkinator won’t rise out of my sincere beer cellar (errr… beer fridge) until next year. Either way, Christmas Ale has been out for a few weeks and good beer doesn’t “show up too early” to me....
One thing about Yellow Rose is, although average in looks, its overpowering smell arrived before the beer touched my lips. It was a full blitz of citrus and fruity blended aromas. My first taste was absolutely pure bliss. Its perfect blend of citrus flavors with just the right amount of hops made this the smoothest IPA I have ever...
Baa Baa Brewhouse is quickly becoming a force in the local beer scene. They have a solid line up, and I think this Father Goose IPA is the headliner! No disrespect to the other beers they brew - they're legit, Father Goose is just that much better to me. Man, hold up, this might just be Beer Chronicle history in the making! I don't think I've ever...