Newcastle Brown Ale

Wow, time really does fly. The holidays are over and the presents have been doled out. All that is left is the New Year's and then another year ahead. Last year, I resolved to buy less beer that were not really my taste and stick to the types of beers I like instead of attempting to try it out. So far this year, I have kept that resolution to a greater extent. I have not purchased crazy IPA's just to try knowing that they really are not my favorite type of beer. This coming new year, I'm on the prowl for organic brews and rediscover beers that I thought were just fine, but trying them again years later, I realize they're more than just fine. Like this easily overlooked brown ale:

Although not American, Newcastle Brown Ale is definitely a classic beer without a lot of carbonation, refreshing taste and a caramel hint to it. I really like this beer for its simplicity, there really isn't a lot of favor going on, it is not a heavy beer, but it does a lot of things right in terms of balance. Usually when I read the label, Brown Ale, I have a pretty close idea that it's going to be on the heavy and bitter side. This is untrue for Newcastle, this beer is as light as they come, the only thing dark about this is the color which is attributed to the caramel coloring I think. This is a great entry level type of brew away from lagers without being heavy or intimidating to drink.

Duchy Originals Organic English Ale

The brand of this ale sounds dirty almost but it's really just organic goodness. There's something about the water I'm going to say with these organic brews, they always have this crisp taste to it not found in non-organic brews it seems. I don't have any proof of this, but all the organic ales, pale ales, and the like all have this similarity to them. This is a good English ale to try, I like the weight of it and it is not overly carbonated. I can taste some bit of citrus with a really pleasant sweet aftertaste.

These types of brews are pretty hard to come by without really searching specialty shops for. I'm sure overseas where they are local, they probably come in cans or smaller bottles. It's hard to commit to those giant bottles without knowing what awaits inside. I've gone and dumped a few bottles right down the drain after taking a sip, a gulp, followed by another sip to realize acquiring a taste for it would not be much fun. For the most part, I've gotten some good ones without too much hesitation, I'd easy count this as a good buy.

Coney Island White Lager

I can't help but be drawn to these Coney Island labels, the artist really captures the color and flair of the carnival theme. I'm sure those who've never been to Coney Island may have this image in their heads that it is a smaller version of a state fair, but I assure you it is not. It is pretty run down but has its moments of being the first amusement park in New York. No childhood is complete for a native New Yorker without visits to this dirty beach and amusement park. I recall a summer two years ago where I made it to Coney Island and bought a corndog to only feel defeated by the deflated and staleness of it. Maybe I went at the wrong time, but it was light out, I would assume the lack of foot traffic may have attributed to idling of the corndog.

I thought I would like this white lager just all right and I did. I don't think I will buy another because I am not a huge fan of the style of beer. It's not a strong beer but there is a ton of flavor in it, there's definitely some essence of citrus and spices. I would recommend this to Belgian ale fans who love the tarty orange peel goodness.

Kasteel Cru Fine Lager

I've seen these in four packs and they're pricey at more than $12 for only four bottles. I managed to get a single to try since the label explicitly says made with champagne yeast. How fancy. I'm not much for the fancy besides loving some expensive cognac now and then. This beer does smell a bit like champagne and has the taste of champagne mixed with beer, the tartness of it, and the bubbles. I'm not a fan of champagne or white wine since it does a number on my intestines. However, I am a bit impressed with capturing the champagne feel right into a beer for those who enjoy that type of thing. This is something I would probably never buy or drink again, based on personal tastes, but it is a good beer to try, there is not anything else like it I've seen.

When I wrote about summer escaping too quickly, I did not realize it would be this quick as the weather has changed within a week to feel very much like Fall. I'm going to be pillaging some store shelves to find some brews I have not tried.

Saranac Brown Ale

Dark ales are not always good buys for me. Half the time they're too bitter to be enjoyable, or they're bitter and heavy in alcohol at once that after having just one, I'm feeling like I'm done wanting to drink anything but a gallon of water to flush it out of me. I've had a few good dark ales to keep trying them and really give things a chance in hopes they'll be good, or even turn into one of my favorites. Saranac does it well, I would have to say do they it better than Smuttynose with this one. There is some bitterness to it, but really not a lot and although this has a bit more alcohol than the other brews, it's not an obvious difference.

I'm realizing August is sliding its way to a close and I'm feeling like summers are shorter and shorter as years go by. I used to measure parts of the year not by season but by things that should be done before a certain time but everything seems cyclical it is hard to keep track of where time really goes. There's only a few more months left in the year and there are a few little personal milestones and markers to pass, but other than that, I'm really just looking for those Fall brews to hit the shelves.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

For years, I've drank these at random and never thought too much about it and after trying many types of brews, I've come to realize this is a really good beer. Sierra Nevada really gets it right with this pale ale, the weight, flavor and alcohol content is very balanced. This is really an anytime type of beer and pairs well with most foods. This leaves a sweet aftertaste without a lot of bitter or grit, it's probably one of best common beers I can think of.

I'm not too worried that my favorites will be replaced by better brews as I keep trying more of them. But sometimes, it's a nice surprise to try a beer again after many years and think differently of it.

Brooklyn East India Pale Ale

Being a huge fan of Brooklyn for its lager and pilsner, I'm always ready to try whatever they have. I can only think of Chocolate Stout being the bad brew, one I could not even stomach so much. Brooklyn dark brews are known for its bitter bite towards the end, but in a refreshing and enjoyable way. I don't know them for IPA styled brews and I had no idea what to expect of it. This one pours out in typical pale ale color, not too thick and certainly not too thin and smelled pretty hoppy. Brooklyn's attempt at this style of beer is mild, a lightweight easy to drink brew which may lack flavor to some folks. There is the bitter bite, since this isn't a pungent brew by any means and won't leave the drinker with cottonmouth, it is very forgettable in taste.

Blue Point Toasted Lager

I've tried a few Blue Point beers and I've liked all of them. I didn't think this would be any different, I'm a fan of lagers in general as long as they aren't too carbonated. Blue Point does it right with this lager, it's not water thin and has the toasted grain smell and punch to it. I'm not too big on that toasted bite of an aftertaste, but it is definitely different than some of the more common lagers.

Troeg's Hopback Amber Ale

Troeg's is based out in Harrisburg, PA, several hours from me but I haven't heard of them until I started combing around for craft beers. I really love the label design and liked even more that they were an east coast brewery. Normally, I'd be a bit wary of labels showcasing a giant hop, knowing that I'm not a huge fan of overly pungent beers. This is a good flavorful ale, easy on the carbonation, and not too thick. This beer is an easy sipper with some sweet caramel pop to it, really easy to drink and have with food and did not leave a bitter or gritty aftertaste. I'm looking for more of these or hoping to find a variety pack to sample all the brewery has to offer.

Wychwood Hobgoblin Dark English Ale

I'm a sucker for these types of labels. Usually things that come with bad-ass looking or cartoony labels aren't too good tasting, but I've had other Wychwood brews to know it's not so much of a gamble. This is a darker ale and there's quite a bit of alcohol in it. I'm not too big of a fan of beers with too much alcohol in them, but this isn't hard to drink. There's no denying there is bitterness and overall the beer isn't something you'd drink with a meal, it's a good after dinner beer. I can compare this to Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale, both being dark ales that aren't too bitter to drink and would recommend them both to someone who actually prefers a darker brew.

Blue Point Blueberry Ale

I love blueberry tarts, pies, muffins, and scones, but I've never had blueberry beer. I'm really not a fan of fruit infused brews because I find them a bit sickening after half a glass. Blue Point's Blueberry Ale is actually a very light beer with just hints of blueberry essence, it's so little that it comes up in the aftertaste more than when I'm actually drinking it. It's nice, refreshing and definitely a great summer beer. I prefer this over Magic Hat fruit fused beers because the taste of of it is more obvious and overwhelming than Blue Point's.

Samuel Adams Black Lager

I think out of the Sam Adams brews I tried this year, I liked this one best because they have the combination of taste, texture, and weight narrowed down to a science in this beer. The carbonation is just right with this beer, it's got the soda pops without the big burps. I prefer darker beers to light ones, and this one was very easy to drink and didn't leave a bitter aftertaste. The alcohol content in this one was average as well. I find that a lot of dark beers have too much alcohol in them that it is difficult to drink more than one of them in one sitting. If you're not usually drawn to Sam Adams brews, but like a dark beer, this is definitely a good one to try.

Sierra Nevada 2009 Summerfest Lager

Whenever I think of Sierra Nevada, I'm thinking of ales, but I had to pick this one up after getting a glance at the label. I like this one, not because it comes from a tried and trusted brewery, but it's a light beer without tasting too water thin, and is refreshing to drink. How do they do that? It's probably worked out in its secret formula but there's nothing but balance and good stuff in this one, easy on the carbonation, and mild in flavor for a light summer style beer.

Summer seems to have been hiding for a bit, nothing but gloomy days and rain the last week or so. I don't think Summer is actually Summer until we get weeks of sunshine and become inspired to do things like eat out at outdoor cafes, take those long walks, and enjoy being outdoors hours on end. The foul weather pattern tells me to quickly run indoors to avoid a storm. What kind of summer is that?

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

I've read about it and read some pretty good reviews on this brewery and what they're good at. I've even seen the bottles around but never felt that much curiosity about it since I'm not a huge IPA fan to begin with. It must have occurred to me randomly that I should try at least a milder version of what they're good at. Nothing bad to say about this one, there's definitely the bite of the IPA, the smell and flavor all in place, a good entry for a lighter IPA. This is a good one to try, just to get a feel of what the brewery has to offer. Dogfish Head is known for their premium IPA's and they're well regarded as brews to try for the fans of pungent beers. At one point or another, I will throw down the $10 and buy myself the 120 Minute IPA.

Green's Dubbel Dark Ale

I fell for the organic paper bowtie of a label on this beer and did have high hopes of it tasting pretty good. I could tell by the smell of it, I wasn't going to be happy. The sour definitely stood out and combine it with the bitters of a dark ale, it's not a winning combination. I couldn't drink the whole thing, it went straight down the drain to beer heaven. Ever since I was a kid, I used to always rationalize things and why they existed and would come to the conclusion, someone(s) out there must like this stuff, that's why factories keep making it! I'm instantly seeing a giant popcorn flavored jellybean and wondering why it still exists. As an adult, I realize that it is pretty much true, someone must be buying this stuff up. I just haven't met those people yet.

Sierra Nevada 2009 Early Spring Beer

Before Spring was officially over, I did pick this one up since the word "Spring" stared me in the face looking for a sign I may register the label in my head. This is a great one to try, it's got the mild ale taste with just enough carbonation to keep it crisp and refreshing. I can see this one pairing up with most foods well. This beer didn't leave any unpleasant aftertaste, I'd be happy if these were around the whole year instead of being seasonal.

Peak Organic Pale Ale

I like pale ales, they're usually lighter ales with a bit of a lager taste to them. What's not to like? I've never tried a Peak brew of any sort before and I was obviously drawn to it because it's labeled as organic. I actually didn't like the taste of this one, it had a bit of a sour aftertaste that I never really liked in any brew. The good is the weight balance of the brew, it wasn't water thin and didn't taste bitter, either. Luckily, I bought a single and didn't have to slowly drink them before they went stale. Since I like to buy up singles of things, I often forget that I've tried them. I managed to pick up a six pack of these for my folks to try and drank another before realizing I already tried this and did not like it. I didn't like it the second time around, either.

Brooklyn Summer Ale

Brooklyn is one of my favorite breweries because its brews are never water thin and offers seasonal stuff as well. Since Summer is quickly approaching, I noticed the summer brews popping up along the shelves of stores. I like summer brews because they're light and usually pretty refreshing. This one is no different, it's got a bit of the lemon zest going on, but overall it's very drinkable and would probably match well with all the great summer outdoor foods. I'm not a fan of light beers so much but summer ales manage to taste pretty light without actually being light which is a quite a balance to achieve.

Magic Hat HI.PA

I managed to get a single of these to try because I thought I wouldn't be able to tolerate a sixer of beers that may be too bitter and gritty. This one is a mild IPA and I'm feeling like I could have gotten six and would have been pretty satisfied to stash these in the fridge. Magic Hat calls this a Half IPA for the reason that it is milder than a full bodied IPA. There's definitely flavor in this, the taste of the hops are just strong enough to be flavorful but not overpowering. I prefer a milder brew like this one because I can actually drink the beer instead of taking sucker punched looking sips of a really strong IPA that leaves me incredibly thirsty. This one fits the bill pretty well as an easy beer to kick back with and not feel overwhelmed by the combination of flavors.

Hitachino Japanese Classic Ale

I remember picking of two types of Hitachino beers at once several months ago and after trying one and not liking it, I held off trying this. Fast forward many months later as this poor forgotten beer lingers in the back of the fridge, always being passed over by newer beers and favorites, it was time. I decided to open it and give it a shot one night and I knew it I did something bad when it poured out. The oxidation was terrible, it looked deep and rusty, with floating specks of orange, I could tell it was acidic by the smell. I took a sip and I can only describe the taste as pure acidic waste. My lesson learned is this stuff doesn't age well and if it wasn't good to begin with, it'll be even worse later. I don't want to say it is an awful beer because I didn't have it at its freshest state, but I can genuinely say I'm not really a fan of this brewery based on style of their beers. Along the east coast, I have never seen this served on tap or in the Japanese restaurants but I have seen an assortment of these at Japanese supermarkets.

Lagunitas Czech Style Pilsner

The problem with trying lagers is the better ones are pretty similar and the cheap ones are also very similar. I'm not quite sure how to really describe a great one besides the combination of getting the weight and carbonation balanced. The cheap ones are like club soda with a dash of sugary hop flavor but the better ones I've found manage to tune down the carbonation, pump up the flavor, and retain the consistency that makes these types of beers enjoyable for most occasions, especially outdoors in the summer. There are some great light beers out there that are cheap, but are truly enjoyable for barbecue type meals and sports game watching. Lagunitas does it right with this one, the perfect easy sipper for most meals and most days for the beer fan who isn't looking to be weighed down by a heavy brew.

Pinkus Organic Pilsner

I saw the words "organic" and "pilsner" together and I knew it was something I had to try. All the organic brews I've tried have been refreshing and good. When I mean refreshing, I don't mean cheap lager to wash down pizza with, I'm talking about the that unsweetened ice tea in the middle of summer feeling. For a beer with a name like this, it looked a bit cloudy and tasted more tart than I'd expect of a pilsner. There must have been some of that lemon and orange zest in this, which made me not like it as much as I could have. I was really looking for a more clean lightly carbonated beer with a bit of sweetness without the zest.

Sidenote: The label reminds me of Coney Island for some reason, the red, blue, and the lettering.

Wells Banana Nut Bread Beer

I saw this beer and didn't know what to make of it. It seemed like a one or zero type of thing. This would either taste like baked rotten bananas shoved in a bottle or turn out to be pretty good. I knew what I was getting into when I bought this, I'm a big fan of banana nut bread and muffins, but in a beer - that's new territory for me. When I opened the bottle, the smell of bananas was pretty strong but not in a sickening way. I had a few sips and slowly did taste the whole banana essence. It was pleasant in a strange way and I'm not a fan of too many fruit infused beers. This was a taller bottle than the sixer type of bottles so about slightly half of a glass later, I was over it. I think this is a good one to try, Wells does it right with the combination of flavor and balance of how strong it should taste.

Samuel Adams Honey Porter

I've never been a fan of any Sam Adams brews. I can't put my hand on what it is exactly but I will try the brews from time to time and still never feel the loyalty to buy them regularly. It's certainly not the brand name or the label, or any association, and I think it comes down to taste. I picked up a seasonal variety pack with all sorts of printed ribbons of excellence on it. The first one I tried was the Honey Porter because normally a lot of porters are a little too bitter to be truly enjoyable, I figured with a touch of sweetness this would be an easy sipper. I was right, this one has the obvious honey taste to it, it's a nice touch to counter the bitter bite and works well with this dark beer. Halfway through the glass, I started to grow used to the sweetness and really did not care for it, but I think this one is definitely a great beer to try because it balances texture, taste, and alcohol content very well.

Butternuts Farmhouse Ale Snapperhead IPA

I forgot how crusty the placemats were when I took this picture and they're pretty grimey. I really liked the Butternuts IPA because it didn't have the "snapper" bite to it. I'm probably admitting to some sort of weakness but I dislike beers where the tart, zest, bitterness is so powerful at once, it has this battery acid aftertaste common in a lot of IPA's. This one is a mild sipper and actually tastes refreshing. I'm also liking the can design where the fish is jamming out to what looks like a cassette player. If I could find these cans outside of having to buy the Butternuts variety pack, I'd be overjoyed.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Before the Winter is done for, I'd have to put this up and write a bit about it. I'm a big fan of Brooklyn brews not only because they're local, but they're different in taste than a lot of other beers I've come across. The Black Chocolate Stout pours out dark like ink, like a hefty stout, and I could smell the burnt and roasted chocolate grits just by hovering over the glass. Unfortunately, that burnt smell is what it tastes like: bitter with obvious hints of burnt bits. I really wanted to like this, but it just wasn't very good to drink more than a few sips of. As for acquiring that taste for it, I just couldn't, half a glass later, it was still not palatable. Unless someone likes espresso flavored beer, this isn't something I'd recommend trying.

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale

The dog's name on the label is Olive, but he's a brown dog. Anyway, this is a dark ale with more alcohol in it than a typical beer. It's thicker and heavier than most ales, as well. Although there aren't hints of sour or overbearing bitterness, this is not a light beer in texture or flavor. I found it hard to drink more than one in a sitting because of the alcohol content and the taste of it did not match well with the foods I was eating. I would probably only drink this after dinner since the alcohol and flavor was overbearing towards food. Unfortunately, I couldn't buy a single to try and ended up with six. There's still one floating in the fridge and because of the higher alcohol content and the awkward pairing with foods I like, I'm not inspired to drink them.

St. Peter's India Pale Ale

Whenever I see these, I have to get at least one since they're not very common. St. Peter's IPA is a good one to try, it's very crisp, super easy to drink since it's not bitter or tart. My feelings on most IPA's is they usually taste good, but it's hard for me to drink the whole thing or drink more than one of them in one sitting because of the gritty aftertaste and the cotton mouth feeling. I would not hesitate to buy a case of these if it were available since they're so easy to drink.

I'd have to categorize this as a really good mild summer beer since there is some sweetness to it. Between this and the English Ale, and even the bad experience with the Cream Stout, I'm pretty set to buy anything St. Peter's to try at least once.

Butternuts Farmhouse Ale Porkslap Pale Ale

Wow, I can't believe it is March already. Where has all the time gone? I hope I'm making some good progress with everything I'm trying to get completed. As I'm going along with the entries, I'm trying to be as open as possible about trying the styles of beers that don't appeal to me as much. After all, I can't confirm I don't like it unless I try them.

The Butternuts pale ale is pretty good, it's not too thin compared to their stout and definitely isn't overcarbonated. This is an easy sipper, I would say it is relatively light, easy on the bitterness, and goes pretty good with just about any type of food. Now, the can design is a hit or a miss for people I gather. I'm not sure how many people would want to try a can of Porkslap Pale Ale but it's worth trying for folks who enjoy ales that aren't hop-bombs.

Southern Tier Harvest Ale

I completely forgot about this seasonal brew from Southern Tier while trying their sampler pack. In retrospect, I do notice a taste pattern with Southern Tier, its brews are all golden and hoppy in nature, each one not tasting far too different than the other besides the India Pale Ale which left a gritty aftertaste. Southern Tier brews will leave the drinker thirsty for water afterwards but they do cram a lot of flavors in a bottle.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

I've seen this bottle many times over but was not a big chocolate fan, well, not enough to drink over a pint of it. I settled on getting one as a dessert type of beer and I think dessert would have been an understatement. This beer is thick and creamy, like there was a chocolate bar blended right into it. There is no bitterness in this one, it goes down easy, and there's no gritty aftertaste. I could easily say this was a full on meal and if it was socially acceptable, you can trade this for a Nutrament drink. Young's isn't domestic but I've seen it pretty frequently in a lot of stores, it's worth trying for chocolate fans.

Smuttynose Portsmouth Lager

The box says, "Make mine a Smutty!" I thought that "m" could be replaced with an "l", or not. I like a good lager because they go great with chips, burgers, and all the foods that would also go great with soda. Smuttynose makes a darker lager than the typical American lagers and it doesn't taste like them. This one doesn't have the carbonation overload and thin density common in most lagers. Overall, this was good, I'd put it up there right below Brooklyn Lager for being great lagers.

Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

Sometimes, I get this vision that I could bake something and the smell of sweet stuff would fill the kitchen, and whatever it is that's in the oven would be amazing. No, that never happens. For the life of me, I just overmix stuff, not mix enough, or can't tell the tablespoon from the teaspoon. Thankfully, prepackaged cake mixes solve all that mess for poor saps like me who can't seem to get it mostly right. I can't read all the mono-sides and other substances in the ingredients list, but that does not deter me from eating it. After making a big mess, the end result is a chocolate cake with premade icing plastered all over it. It's good stuff.

Butternuts Farmhouse Ale Moo Thunder Stout

I bought a Butternuts variety pack a few weeks back and slowly went through each wacky labeled one. I was a bit surprised a small brewery pushed their product in cans. I'm not biased against beer in cans, but I wouldn't be happy if it arrived in a plastic bottle. I had to try the stout first, partly because I liked the whole happy cow plastered in the front. What does Moo Thunder taste like? I'd have to say it's pretty thin, but in a good way, and I wasn't hit with the sour and bitter at once. Overall, it was a mild one that could have used perhaps a plastic widget to keep the bubbles going. This would probably be great on tap with more carbonation.

Butternuts is from New York, but I'm sure it's possible to find the variety pack in stores along the east coast.

Magic Hat #9 Not Quite Pale Ale

For the longest time, I was put off by the odd label and name of this beer. The whole thing just didn't appeal to me. Finally, one weekend I decided to pick it up and discover what makes this beer popular. I didn't read the packaging properly and was a bit surprised with the apricot taste. I'm not a fan of apricot flavoring in beverages other than iced tea, tasting it in beer was a not terrible but not something I'd go and buy regularly. This is a pretty light beer both in taste and in color. I think this would be a good summer beer for light beer drinkers who may find great wisdom and advice printed in bottlecaps.

Wychwood Scarecrow Golden Pale Ale

I had to pick this one up just by the label, it just looks like it came out of an American comic book page. I think I may have picked it up when the Batman movie was still running and was probably drawn to it by the name Scarecrow. I haven't tried enough pale ales to really have an opinion on them. There is an organic label on this one, which made it appealing because organic brews aren't very common and I'd like to try enough to know the difference. This beer is lightly carbonated and tasted very good, crisp and sweet. Maybe it's the brewery or the organic factor, but this is a very good one and definitely worth trying.

Goose Island India Pale Ale

Being from the northeast and all, I don't know any breweries coming from Illinois but I read something about Goose Island and had to give it a shot. This one smells good, I mean I know it seems weird to smell the bottle once you open it, but if it's going to be bitter and rancid, you'll know right away before it hits your tongue. This one packs a lot of flavor into one beer, there is not a whole lot of carbonation but enough to keep it not tasting too flat, and it's certainly not a beer for folks who do not like the taste of hops. After just having one, this beer left my mouth incredibly dry, like I have eaten a bag of cottonballs. I thought I was losing my mind and continued to drink glasses upon glasses of water to try to get it evened out. I gave it a rest and days later tried it again, same result. As much as I want to like this beer, the aftereffects are not desirable and I can't imagine drinking more than one of these in one sitting because of it.

Crumbs Cappuccino Cupcake

This post does not feature a beer, but this was a treat, much like a beer. Like beer, cupcakes can be awful, too much of something, not enough of something else, and sometimes pretty amazing. Pardon my paperbag handling, things will get smushed, do not trust me to deliver any cakes, especially wedding cakes.

After having a margarita warming my belly after dinner, I walked past this bakery and knew I had to pick something up. There was something appealing about the simple slogan, "Made by hand. Baked with Love.", and how neatly arranged the cupcakes were. It was a bit difficult to choose which one, there were quite a number of flavors I wanted to try. But I like to roll the dice quick, so I went with something safe, it's pretty rare a bakery makes a mess of chocolate stuff. I got the chocolate cupcake with cappuccino frosting and chocolate chips on top. The inside was filled with some frosting as well, nice little touch, a pretty good cupcake from a bakery I've never heard of.

Southern Tier India Pale Ale

It may have been a bad idea to sample the beers at once in a sampler pack (tongue twister) but I did not love this beer. It left my mouth pretty dry and the aftertaste was a bit gritty and bitter. Most india pale ales are a hit or a miss for me depending on carbonation, the tart factor, and the aftertaste. So far, I'm going to say I liked Lagunitas India Pale Ale best out of the ones I tried last year.

For this year's spending related resolution, I'm going to resolve to buy more singles and not whole packs of beers I'm not quite sure would be any good.