Here is a list of beers I have tried lately, along with website links and my opinions.
Rock Bottom is chain brew-pub in multiple states. I first tried Rock Bottom with a fellow homebrewer, Trevor, when in Bethesda, Maryland. The food is good, not typical bar food. My personal favorite is the pulled pork sandwich. In any case, each location brews their own beer, but I believe the recipes are similar if not the same, and the brewmaster names the beers after something familiar to that city. I drank a Tall Stacks Ale with my pork sandwich. The beer had a great redish brown color, the head and carbonation were good and the hops were noticeable, but not over-powering. It seemed similar to an English Ale. I thought it was a good beer. I also tried the White Tiger Wheat. This beer had a good cloudy unfiltered look in the glass, but I was not impressed by the taste. The flavor was very faint, with very little character. The fruity esters that make wheat beers good, was not very noticeable. It might be a ok beer in the summer, or without food, but I stopped drinking it and had the Tall Stacks Ale instead.
The homebrewer and webmaster of
O'Finnegan's Master Brew, introduced me to NCBC's Old Rasputin, which is a great Imperial Stout. I had not tried any other beers from this brewery, but a package of their beer caught my eye the other day. They make a Belgian Ale, called PranQster. I pulled one out the fridge on the weekend and enjoyed it with dinner. It is made in California, but in the style of Belgian Abbey Ales. I was impressed by the aroma of the beer and the smooth fruity flavor was quite good. It may not be up there with the true Belgians, but I know if I lived near the brewery I would be a regular customer. You may have to search for these beers, and they are pricey for US beers, especially considering they are 4-packs, but I recommend you pick up some Old Rasputin and PranQster.
A fellow runner and beer connoisseur, Mike, suggested I try Piraat Ale, a Belgian Amber Ale. I recognize the label, but could not recall if I had tried the beer. I bought a large bottle the other weekend and enjoyed a glass with dinner and one after the meal. I have never had a Belgian beer I did not enjoy, and this has to be on the best so far. It is a triple, so the alcohol level is quite high, 10.5% to be exact. It is also sort of an IPA, with the hop content. The beer has strong spicy and bitter tastes that tickle your taste buds. There are hints of tropical fruits. It has an impressive head and carbonation seems ideal.
