Author: dave

Surfer, Marine Biologist and Technologist = The ingredients of writing the perfect Sci-Fi

G-Mac’s

  • TYPE: Pale Ale (Celtic Style)
  • BREWERY: Golf Beer Brewing Company
  • LOCATION: Lakeland, FL
  • CONTAINER: 12 oz Can
  • COST: Hard to say, I bought a sample pack of 8 cans for $10.99
  • ABV: 5.0%
  • RATING: 3+ Swigs
  • REVIEWED BY: Dave

A a resident of Florida, I am always excited to try any beer brewed in my home state and I have been very impressed with the quality.  Look out other states, Florida is on a role.  This brew is mild and smooth from start to finish with a pop of floral hints and the kind of beer you throw into your soft cooler before heading out for a round of golf on one of Florida’s spectacular tracks with three of your bestest golf buds or budettes, preferably in your own cart, until that is, you are chased off the course by a series of marshals and starters.  The 5% ABV is just enough to evade the best of them, by driving through the maze of palmettos, down someone’s cart path and pull into the pool area and park your cart with the plethora of other carts then hang out at the pool bar like a boss and ask if they carry G-Macs’s and if they say, “Sorry, we don’t carry that”, then you reply, “No worries..I brought my own.”

THEIR STORY:

Graeme McDowell hails from Portrush, Northern Ireland and makes his living playing golf.  in 2010 he won his first Major to go with his many other professional worldwide wins.  And while golf is his life, Graeme has always been passionate about the beer he drinks, which is why he created G-Mac’s Celtic Style Pale Ale.  G-Mac’s is a crisp refreshing pale ale with a floral hop nose and a snappy finish.  Kind of like a birdie putt on the 18th green.  Enjoy!

So far there are three pro golfers involved, Graeme McDowell, Freddie Jacobson & Keegan Bradley.  I look forward to trying Freddie’s & Keegan’s brews.  Let’s see where this goes.

As of this writing, their website is not quite there yet, but this is the best splash page I have ever seen for site under construction:

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Bengali

  • TYPE: IPA
  • BREWERY: Sixpoint Brewery
  • LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY
  • CONTAINER: 12 oz Can
  • COST: $9.99
  • ABV: 6.6%
  • RATING: 5 Swigs
  • REVIEWED BY: Dave

I have had a few beers from this brewery and so far I have liked all of them.    Let’s start with the can–sophisticated, sleek, regal… It makes you want to jump up and hit a sign… any sign… taking advantage of the male gene for sign-hitting.  Right from the beginning, the florals are there followed by a blast of citrus with the hops goose-stepping through like a north Korea military parade while the 6.6% ABV creeps up on you like the dear leader himself, tapping you on the shoulder and presenting you with a stack on 1980’s dvd’s.    This is the kind of beer you bring out to impress a friend, pretending you have refrigerators full of the stuff… right next to the truffles and beluga caviar.. but a shelf up from them.. a pyramid of cans….. of sorts.

THEIR STORY:  It all started with an epic video game marathon back in 2004. Rocking blaze-orange homebrew, we saw the foam rings  down the glass like tiger stripes.  Thousands of batches and tweaks later, the BENGALI still slashes.  Tip it back and let gravity do the work.  Game on!

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Go To IPA

  • TYPE: IPA (Session)
  • BREWERY: Stone Brewing Company
  • LOCATION: Athens, GA
  • CONTAINER: 1 Pint  (16 oz) Can
  • COST: $10.99 4-pack
  • ABV: 4.8%
  • RATING: 3+ Swigs
  • REVIEWED BY: Dave

I was in a Wegmans looking for an IPA that I could make my goto beer after a strenuous day of doing nothing, so walking the isles, scanning the shelves… well… voila…. Stone Co To IPA…   From the bold colors of the can to the first sip, this was it.. my goto IPA.   Its a bold hoppy taste that strikes all the facets of a session IPA and holds on to a nice fruity finish, leaving you right back where you started… taking another sip with your elbows above your head as you drain it, then crush the can in a primal yell!  Of course, the store’s staff were not too pleased I was drinking in the isle and quickly ushered me to the checkout counter.

THEIR STORY:

Since day one, we’ve been abundantly forthright and fully transparent about our lust for hops.  It’s led us to craft many an IPA, most of them imperial–some intense for their time and all timeless in their intensity.  For Stone Go To IPA, we are embracing our hop obsession in a new way,  funneling an abundance of lupulin-borne bitterness into a session IPA delivering all the fruity piney character of a much bigger IPA.  To accomplish this,  we employed hop bursting, a technique wherein an irrational amount of hops is added during the final phase of the brewing process to coax out  extreme flavors and aromas while also imparting a burst of desirable  pleasant bitterness.   The result is an alpha-acid-rich beer that you can enjoy more of without missing out on the assertive hop character you, like us, crave.  So sit back and go two with your new every day go-to IPA and bask along with us in the glory of the almighty hop.

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Jersey Juice

  • TYPE: IPA
  • BREWERY: Flying Fish
  • LOCATION: Somerdale, NJ
  • CONTAINER: 12 oz Can
  • COST: $8.99 six-pack
  • ABV: 6%
  • RATING: 3+ Swigs
  • REVIEWEDBY: Dave

I am not sure exactly where I was handed this beer, but I think it was around 1,500 ft. I was asking the bartender about local NJ beers and was suddenly swept off my barstool into the vortex, looking the eye-wall in the eye. The smart start to this beer was quickly extinguished for me. I felt it flattened out too quickly and had a bit of a soapy finish, but still, I could drink this all night, in an airship, with stewardesses dressed in 50’s airline outfits, as I sit back in naugahyde seats, staring out the open window and overlooking the Jersey Shore. It did grow on me.  The 6% ABV was a saving grace. I didn’t dislike it, but it is not on my priority buy list.

THEIR STORY:

15 taps, cool tasting room, awesome beer garden.Thirsty yet? Come visit.

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Wet Dream

  • TYPE: Brown Ale (with coffee)
  • BREWERY: Evil Twin Brewing
  • LOCATION: Stanford, CT
  • CONTAINER: 1 pint (16 oz Can)
  • COST: $8.99 for a 4 pack
  • ABV: 6%
  • RATING: 4+ Swigs
  • REVIEWEDBY: Dave

Holding this tall can in your hand, standing in front of a fireplace, you feel privileged in your red smoking jacket with black cuffed sleeves and puma capris athletic pants and Olukai sandals buried into a lambskin rug as you tilt your head upward and laugh, because everything seems insignificant. This is that kind of beer. The rich start and seamless transition into a coffee finish resonates and amplifies everything around you. Then I was tapped on the shoulder and asked if everything was okay. I turned to see a couple I had never seen before and asked if it were they I could assist. Their answer was direct and unwavering. No…. I believe you live next door was their response, leaving me to hang out and dry on the line.

THEIR STORY:

A beautiful brown ale boosted with gourmet espresso beans providing a delightful blend of citrus and spice aroma – the result is amazing , lusty and incoherent – yes, it’s your wildest desires in a can.

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Paradise

  • TYPE: IPA (session)
  • BREWERY: Holy City Brewing
  • LOCATION: North Charleston, SC
  • CONTAINER: 12 oz Can
  • COST: UKNOWN – had it at a friend’s house
  • ABV: 4.7%
  • RATING: 3+ Swigs
  • REVIEWED BY: Dave

A friend who knows I am writing reviews on craft beers gave me one of these.  At first sip, it comes off as a great tasting IPA,.. Very floral… but then it flattens out… a little too quickly.   Very fragrant, bitter to a liking, but could use a little more after-burn. He gave me another can for the way home.  Well… not to drink on the way home.  No way was I getting pulled over by the police, that I thought was just some adolescent teen riding my bumper too closely so I made a quick right that almost ejected me out of my seat-belt, only to see in the rear-view mirror the telltale strips and insignias illuminated by the arc lights of the telephone poll that I almost hit.  And then a knock at my window and when I rolled it down with a vice-grip because the handle broke a long time ago and asked the officer–

“What seems to be the officer.. problem?’

“Out of the car, sir.”

That required another vice-grip to pull down on the handle.

“License, registration and insurance card, please.” he said, the light from his flashlight shining in my eyes.

I complied and handed him all the necessary paperwork.

“What is this ticket for doing fifty in a twenty-five mile an hour zone?” he said dangling the ticket I received a day earlier.

“Sorry,” and I gave him the insurance card.

“We’re going to take a little test, sir.” the officer said calmly.

Knowing I was already screwed and would be someone’s bitch in prison, I complied.

“Great.” I said almost unintelligible with a hick-up. “I like tests.”

“Stand away from the car and hold your arms out to the side, shoulder level.” he ordered me, a little more authority in his voice.

I raised my arms out to the side, steady as a surgeon about to cut into a cadaver.

“Please take your foot off the car door, sir,”  he noticed.

I did.  It was hard standing with both feet on the ground.  I did much better with one foot braced on the door.

“Now I want you to walk in a straight line to my car and back.

I looked to his car.  That didn’t seem so difficult.  I dropped my arms started to walk–

“Arms out to the side, sir.”

I complied.

When I returned, he asked me how I think I did.

“Good… for a person in my condition.” I replied.

He huffed a laugh under his breath.  “Look.  You live a block away.  I’m going to follow you back to your house.  Park the car.  Go inside. And stay there.”

I complied.

THEIR STORY:

We brewed Paradise to celebrate the prevention of drilling off of our home coast, and in support of the coastal conservation league.  This session IPA is a refreshing easy-drinker with a floral nose and lots of hop flavor with two of our favorites: Citra and Mosaic.  Here’s to the continued conservation of our great state of South Carolina.

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Grass Monkey

  • TYPE: IPA (Wheat Ale)
  • BREWERY: Sweet Water Brewing Company
  • LOCATION: Atlanta, GA
  • CONTAINER: 12 oz Can
  • COST: UKNOWN – had it at a friend’s house
  • ABV: 5.4%
  • RATING: 3+ Swigs
  • REVIEWED BY: Dave

I was parched and made my way to a friend’s place, a friend not known for drinking anything, let alone having a beer in the house. So I was a bit hesitant when offered one.  At first sip, this beer tasted like an IPA with hops bursting from the can, but then hints of wheat and lemongrass came into play.  Okay… I read that on the can, but that is exactly what I tasted.  I wasn’t sure I liked it, but after finishing one, I found myself wanting another.  It was quite refreshing and paired  well with a great, spicy salsa, jacked up with my Rapox Hot Sauce.  I’m a fan.

THEIR STORY: 

Spring got sprung with this funky monkey.  We dropped a big stash of lemongrass hops into both the kettle and the dry hop– delivering a big citrus blast.– and topped it off with a lemongrass addition for a refreshing twist.  Light in body with a bright citrus notes, this is an extremely complex, but very easy drinking brew.

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All Day IPA

  • TYPE: IPA
  • BREWERY: Founders Brewing Company
  • LOCATION: Grand Rapids, MI
  • CONTAINER: 12 oz Can
  • COST: Paid $10.21 for (6) separate  beers ($1.70/can/bottle), Wegmans
  • ABV: 4.7%
  • RATING: 3+ Swigs
  • REVIEWED BY: Dave

This is a light IPA and a perfect selection of beer to drink before going over to another friend’s house, who might not have IPAs to drink, and so you can drink more beer without feeling like you drank too many beers at the first place, before going to the second place… wait… where am I in this story?  Oh  yeah! This is a light tasting IPA, smooth, crisp and a very enjoyable IPA to be drinking around a kitchen island with a bowl of pistachios, before going to the second place in question.

THEIR STORY:

The beer you have been waiting for.  Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp.  An All-Day IPA Naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops.  Balanced for optimal aromatics and a clean finish.  The perfect reward for an honest day’s work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life’s simple pleasure.

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HI-5 IPA

  • TYPE: IPA (California Style)
  • BREWERY: Terrapin Beer Company
  • LOCATION: Athens, GA
  • CONTAINER: 12 oz Can
  • COST: Paid $10.21 for (6) separate  beers ($1.70/can/bottle), Wegmans
  • ABV: 5.9%
  • RATING: 3+ Swigs
  • REVIEWED BY: Dave

I like the company name, but the can design looks more like orange soda to me than a craft beer. That said, I love an IPA. But this one, like the company name (Terrapin), was a slow crawl for me. I enjoyed it, but maybe only one can at a sitting. It was a bit sweet for my taste and just not a stand out or that memorable. Even their story does not seem to convince themselves it stands out among others of its class… I mean, you are a Georgia Brewer and comparing your beer to a California IPA for surfers? It’s a bit weird. I have surfed my entire life and I, nor my buds, have ever talked this way or thought this way. Something more along the lines of: “You just had an epic surf session with your buds so try slowing it down with a Terrapin Hi-5 and the stories and waves get much bigger.”

I will have one of my buds try it to hear their feedback.

THEIR STORY:

Surf / Boogie / Slap hands / Paddle: like a memorable adventure along U.S. Route 101, “Hi-5” California Style IPA leads you down a road of pure adrenaline and beauty. Capturing the majestic flavor of citrusy hops that roll off your tongue like a white cap on an ocean wave, this scenic wonder will keep you in awe, sip after sip.

A gesture in which two people simultaneously slap hands together in celebration of receiving a Terrapin Hi-5 California style IPA.

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Jammer

  • TYPE: Gose
  • BREWERY: Sixpoint Brewery
  • LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY / Memphis, TN
  • CONTAINER: 12 oz Can
  • COST: Paid $10.21 for (6) separate  beers ($1.70/can/bottle), Wegmans
  • ABV: 4.0%
  • RATING: 4+ Swigs
  • REVIEWED BY: Dave

If there is such a thing as the cocktail of beers, then this fits. With the flip of the tab and woosh of effervescence, the smell of the sea with fields of coriander lining the littoral zone come to mind and you immediately want to wear an ascot and say things like, “Bully… there I was, staring down the yolk of an empty slingshot into the eyes of a charging meerkat… what was I to do? So I did what any man would do.. I danced the dance of dances, arresting the charge of the meerkat until it fell soundly asleep in my lap.”

But this is not the beer you will drink all night, but one you might start with upon the threshold of an epic evening about to unfold. They suggest serving this in a glass, and I agree.. a short tumbler would be perfect.

THEIR STORY:

This Ale was brewed with hand-harvested sea salt and coriander. This Schewe, the rhythmic rocking, and that aroma. We’re talking about the ebb and flow of tides here… ahhh, that glorious brine! Gnarly waves, shooting off mist, just tangy enough to tingle the tastebuds. JAMMER! Let it rip.

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