Tsingtao Chinese Lager

3 out of 5 Hops




China's Number One Beer! I have not drank Tsingtao in a long time. The green bottled version is a staple in Seattle Chinatown restaurants. Many a spicy Sichuanese meals have I enjoyed along side this brew. This is the first time I have tried it in a can though. Not too shabby. I recall the bottled version being a little skunky like a Heineken; I attribute this to the light striking that occurs in the green bottles. Why do they use green bottles?? So, back to the can. This little 3.8% has a light, mellow malt/rice aroma. They use a mash of barley and rice to brew this. The taste is very delicate and smooth with a honey like lager aftertaste. Pleasant surprise. Hops are used just enough to balance the sweetness but do not allow any distinct hop notes. Clone recipe I found calls for Tettnang and Saaz hops. It has a clean, crisp aftertaste and the flavor dissipates quickly. Still...I am not complaining. Goes great with Asian food; especially spicy I think. In fact, I made stir fry tonight just for this beer. I don't know how the distribution is in the rest of the states, but just for the Hell of it, I dare you to try it. Compare the can and the bottle if you are able. Amazing what bottling can change.

"Half and Half" Harps Lager and Guiness Stout

3 out of 5 Hops


I only gave this combo a 3 out of 5 due to the Guinness bottle. Its really hard to get the right flavor at home without the nitrous pour. I only recently tried a Black and Tan at a pub, but it had Bass Ale versus Harp Lager. I don't know if this is just an American drink or if the Lucky Irish enjoy this as well. My guess is they laugh at this sort of thing. This is also my first taste of Harp Lager. It is a German Pilsener style beer that is light and refreshing. ABV is 5.0% and IBU is at 23.5. Not a bad lager at all. The Guiness is another story. Try as they may, the widgets are just not giving me the draught body and flavor. Oh well. Guinness itself is a great dry stout and calorie count is a low 125, for you dieters. ABV is a meager 4.3 and the taste is decent...just not the same as a bar. To pour a Black and Tan, pour the pale or lager first halfway. Next, pour the Guinness or a large, flat spoon slowly and let it run off the sides. The taste is good. Ale and lager together give this an interesting flavor. Its a nice pour for around the house or to show off for friends. Obviously, the first half is mainly stout and the second half is the lager. Sláinte!

Full Sail LTD Lager Recipe No 04

4 out of 5 Hops



Full Sail is one of those amazing Oregon Brewers that most of my casual drinking friends are not familiar with. Admittedly I was not familiar with them until 2007 when I brewed my first beer; a Full Sail Amber clone. Located on the Hood River, brewing commenced in 1987 and no sign of slowing down now. There are currently 3 LTD Lagers released at different times of the year; 02-March to June, 03-June to September, and 04-December to March. The 04 is a single malt, single hop lager masterpiece. Most beers consist of a blend of malted barley grains for color, flavor, and a base malt for alcohol. Additionally, beers commonly have 2 or more hops for bittering, flavor, and aroma. The LTD 04 allows the drinker to single out the malt and hop flavor independently which is unusual in commercial beer. This lager has a light floral and honey aroma courtesy of Willamette hops and Pale malt barley. Pale malt and lager yeast give this beer a crisp, clean, flavor that makes it suitable for any occasion. I grew up as most of us in the US on watery, tasteless light lagers. It is time for the delicious full body lagers to take a stand change my old expectations of that "lager flavor". Full Sail is amazing. Try the Amber, Pale, Wassail, and the original Session lagers in the shorty bottles. "Stoked to Brew, Brewed to stoke"

Browar Amber "Grand Imperial Porter"

3 out of 5 Hops





Unique Baltic Porter from Poland. I think this is my first Polish Beer. Its a dark brown with a sweet fruitlike smell. At first sniff, I thought it smelled like a flat Pepsi. Funny how we all have our own unique smell-abilities. The taste at first is sweet Port Wine with a slight hop bitterness at the finish. Mouthfeel is thin which seems odd for a Porter until you learn that this brew is bottom fermented according to the Brewery. A bottom fermenting beer is made with lager yeast. There is not much of a "lager" taste; much the way a New Belgium 1554 (also lager yeast) is not lager-y either. Maybe the dark and chocolate roast grains offset the taste. I like the dry, light aftertaste This beer is 8% and very drinkable; albeit unique to my palate. I cannot find the hop info for this one but I would guess they are mostly early boil since I don't detect much aroma.

Spaten Oktoberfest

4 out 5 Hops

So after enjoying the He'Brew "Messiah Bold", I switched gears to try a lager. I must say there was a little disgust in my thoughts because I don't like many lagers. Something about too many North American Light Lagers as a teenager I suppose. They tend to have that..uh.."lager aftertaste". Well lets just say I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Its a dark amber colored lager with a very faint lager smell and little to no foam. The ABV is 5.9%. I really really enjoyed the taste of this! If only all lagers were this good. It has a very balanced hop/malt clean flavor to it. I would recommend splitting a cold six-pack of this Munich goodness between you and your buddy this summer. http://spatenusa.com/6_what_new/6_3_promotions/index.htm. Yumm