Choosing from my beer reviews by date rather than any other factor makes the decision process much easier.  I know that I will get to them all eventually, but this way I am not allowing some of my favorites to cut to the front of the line.

Since I did not look ahead to which evaluation was coming up, it must be only a coincidence that today is another shout out of sorts to my Midwestern beer news correspondent Erin and even more specifically to Leinenkugel.  This is another one of those beers I would enjoy greatly after mowing the lawn (or similar activity), much like the Labatt Blues of the world.  What this one has going for it is a deeper flavor profile than the American Lagers.

Brewery: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. (Chippewa Falls, WI)

Name: Classic Amber

Style: Vienna Lager (?)

ABV: 4.9%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.  $6.99 per 6-pack

Aroma: Clean malty aroma overall with some very slight hop notes.

Appearance: Medium to light amber color.  One finger, off-white head that dissipates quickly with no trail.  Clear with many visible bubbles rising.

Flavor: Medium malt flavor up front with some hoppy bitterness toward finish.  Slightly dry at finish, though not lingering.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with moderate to high carbonation.  Slightly creamy on palate.

Overall Impressions: Easy drinking with good malt flavors compared to similar brews.  Definitely a good warm weather, outdoor activity type beer.

Grade: B(ish)

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. - Classic Amber

After receiving some fine Genesee product for Christmas this year, I was inspired to finally share the review of another beer that holds a special place in my heart.  Surely my final grade is influenced by the fondness that I have for it even if I try to block all of that out.  I suppose when you go very long stretches without having something that you used to enjoy all of the time it will have an impact on your perception of it.  I have yet to enjoy Blue Light down here, but I would put that right up there with Blue for my “right after mowing the lawn” beer of choice.

Brewery: Labatt Brewing Company Ltd. (Ontario, Canada)

Name: Labatt Blue

Style: Standard American Lager

ABV: 5.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.

Aroma: Slightly sweet (corn?) with some faint graininess.  Not much aroma overall.

Appearance: Pale straw color.  Three finger, white head with moderate retention and no trail.  Crystal clear with many visible bubbles.

Flavor: Slightly grainy with faint sweetness.  Even balance with no aftertaste or lingering finish.  Not a ton of flavor in total.

Mouthfeel: Light body and high carbonation that brings some bite.  Crisp with slight dryness.

Overall Impressions: Guilty pleasure of mine for sure.  Really refreshing and great when thirsty.

Grade: B

Labatt Brewing Compnay Ltd. - Labatt Blue

As I continue to work through my still pretty large backlog of beer reviews I again come to something a bit more common and easier to find on the store shelves.  It seems I stayed within a certain comfort zone a bit early on in my formal evaluations.  It is a good thing to know exactly what it is you like (or don’t like) about some of those beers that you drink most often.  Part of the fun of writing this stuff down is that if I was to do the review of this beer again now that it is cooler, I might just have some different reactions to it than I did when the weather was quite hot.  That and I have a little more practice in writing down my opinions of a beer!

Enough of my rambling . . .

Brewery: D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. (Pottsville, PA)

Name: Traditional Lager

Style: Standard American Lager

ABV: 4.4%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pilsner glass.

Aroma: Low maltiness with some sweet grain.  Slight bit of fruit/yeasty nose.

Appearance: Amber to copper in color.  Medium height, slightly amber head that slowly dissipates.  Very clear with many visible rising bubbles.

Flavor: Slightly malty with a little bitterness and no lingering finish.

Mouthfeel: Light body with high carbonation that leaves a little bite.  Crisp and smooth.

Overall Impressions: Really easy drinking and smooth.  Refreshing and light enough to be pretty thirst quenching.

Grade: C+ to B-

Yet again another picture has gone missing!  It will make an appearance as soon as it is found . . . if you are curious before then please see the brewery link above.

When first starting this site I already had a pretty sizeable build up of beer reviews that I was sure would help keep a steady flow of content early on.  Now four and a half (or so) months in I still have quite a backlog since I am constantly adding to the inventory and I am realizing that some evaluations were done quite a long time ago.  So it’s time to start knocking a few of the oldest ones off the list.  Fortunately I take good notes!

There is really no need for introduction on this one since I am sure that most everyone has seen it on the shelves of their local grocery store.  Recently though I learned (while watching Three Sheets) that because of ownership we are not able to get regular Amstel in the United States because they don’t want it to compete with Heineken.  Just another reason to go to Amsterdam is suppose.

Brewery: Amstel Brouwerij B.V. (Netherlands)

Name: Amstel Light

Style: Lite American Lager

ABV: 3.5%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pilsner glass.

Aroma: Slightly sweet with low, slightly spicy hops.  No real malt aroma.

Appearance: Pale straw color.  Extremely tall, white head with moderate retention.  Crystal clear with lots of visible bubbles.

Flavor: Crisp and somewhat dry (almost acidic).  Very low hop bitterness and flavor overall.  Flat finish with no lingering.

Mouthfeel: Light (watery) body and high carbonation.

Overall Impressions: Crisp, refreshing, and a pretty standard light beer.  Not the best, but as expected.

Grade: C (fine for light beer)

Sorry, I have no idea where I put the picture for this one!

This evaluation is probably an appropriate one to share during football season.  Don’t we all wish we had draft beer at home to enjoy while watching the games?

The verdict was probably in on this one before I even took a sip.  This is a beer that most of us have had previously and developed an opinion on already.  I wanted to give the home draft option a try since I know that I like Heineken better on draft that out of the green bottles.  The draft part was cool to have in the fridge, but it didn’t really change my thoughts much on the product inside.  My feelings will certainly not hurt its worldwide appeal though.

Brewery: Heineken Nederland B.V. (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Name: Heineken

Style: Premium American Lager

ABV: 5.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pilsner glass.

Aroma: Medium to low malt aroma that is slightly grainy and sweet.  Low to no hop aroma.

Appearance: Pale straw color.  Tall (2-3 finger), white, frothy head that slowly dissipates.  Very clear with many rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Very low grainy sweetness with no noticeable hop flavor.  Some dryness at the finish (not lingering).  Rather bland (as expected).

Mouthfeel: Light body with medium to high carbonation (some bite on tongue).  Very clean and crisp.

Overall Impressions: Draft (draught keg) is better than the bottled (more skunky) Heineken and is very nice experience for the home.  OK beer for what it is, but it really drinks like water.  The tap spigot continues to drip for some time and was a bit messy.

Grade: C

Something is missing

Much better