this is stuff that i am writing on my blog page to see if it gets cut off in the stupid ass formating of the blog posting. this is not a reasonable problem to have, you know the size of the text field and the space on the page. this is beyond stupid. beyond stupid.

Wells Banana Bread Beer

Beer exploration continues. Wells Banana Bread Beer, how can you walk past a beer with that kind of name in the store. I've been eyeing it for a while, even though I usually think that fruit beers are a terrible idea. I had to try this one. I never say I regret drinking a beer, and I don't regret drinking this beer but it is close to the worst beer I have ever had. I found myself debating whether it was an ale or a lager half way through. The beer is clear and light yellow. Nearly flat, so no carbonation at all. No head. Overwhelming smell of bananas, but not the fruit bananas, think banana runts. Surprisingly, it did not taste a lot like bananas (although each time I burped they tasted like bananas). Mouthfeel was weak and thin. The aftertaste of the beer was stronger than the taste. The aftertaste was that of a poorly made Kolsch. On the bottle, they wrote:"Long ago, ale was known as 'liquid bread'. We've used our long history of creating the finest malt blends and added fairtrade bananas to awaken the senses with a seriously fruity, rich, yet surprisingly versatile banana bread beer." Lies, all lies. Don't bother with this beer. It was close to undrinkable.

Drinkability: * / *****

Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale

Swung by Gator Beverage on the way home last night after picking up Krissi and we got some beers that we have never had before. I have found myself lately being rather predictable in my beer selection and have decided to reverse that trend. The following several entries here will be about beers that I have never tried before. The first one, Brother Thelonious. Apparently a purchase of this beer benefits a Jazz organization out in California, good to know. This was a standard fair, American made Belgian style ale. It was darker than I expected but it turned out to be about a strong brown ale. The mouthfeel was sweet and full. Dark brown, almost no head or carbonation but you wouldn't especially expect a beer like this to have either of those. Nearly 9% ABV and this was a big bottle, it packed a wallop. It wasn't the easiest beer to drink. The sweetness of the malt and the sweetness of the high alcohol were not as balanced as I would have liked. There is definetly a market for this beer though, it just may not be me. I have seen this beer (and maybe you have too) and have been curious for a while. I am glad I drank one and it is a good beer for me to start out my new journey on. If you like brown ales or porters and are looking for a serious one, or if you are into Belgian style ales (especially dark ales), you should check this out.

Drinkability: *** / *****

Bitburger Pils - On Draught

To round out my lager drinking night at Stubbies, I had the Bitburger Pils on draught. Again, this beer was served not only in the proper glassware, but in a glass mug specifically designed for that beer. Impressed? I am. I have had Bitburger Pils in the past. It is an interesting beer. It has an odd flavor that one does not expect from a Pils. As you drink it, the flavor becomes more pronounced. The beer is clear, as you would expect, light yellow in color. The carbonation is steady but it doesn't form a head. There is no lacing on the glass and I cannot recall what the smell is. It is a good beer to try, and I have ordered it on multiple occasions. It is not my favorite beer but everytime I order it I end up trying to describe the flavor to myself. If you see this beer on draught at a bar someplace, check it out. You probably won't regret it. Next time, I think I will start an IPA tour to prepare myself for the tasting of my homebrewed Stick Elephant Indian Pale Ale.

Drinkability: *** / *****

Spaten Optimator - On Draught

Spaten is an excellent German brewery that is surprisingly available to the general public. It is not uncommon to see Spaten beers in the cooler at a local chain grocery store. Getting a Spaten beer on draught is less common. Stubbie's T-shirt pub currently has two Spaten beers on draught, Optimator and Oktoberfest. I had a draught of Optimator served in a Spaten glass. Optimator is a darker lager beer. The carbonation is there but it is not aggressive. The color is dark brown. There is a slight hint of roasted malt but not a strong hop character. This is one of my favorite "dark" lagers. I prefer this to the Oktoberfest, which is also very good. Please check out this beer, even if you have to buy the bottles in the grocery store. It is very good.

Drinkability: **** / *****

Golden Pheasant (Zlaty Bazant) - On Draught

Golden Pheasant is a Slovakia Pilsner and an overall good example of a Pilsner. It is easy to drink. My Golden Pheasant was serves in a tall slender Golden Pheasant mug (don't you love proper glassware) filled to the 500 ml mark. It is aggressively carbonated but did not form a persistant head. Easy to drink, interesting malt character for a pilsner. You can taste some hop flavors too. Overall, an excellent, drinkable, wet beer. I order it frequently and enjoy it everytime. Better on draught than in bottles.

Drinkability: **** / *****