Bell's Oarsman

Described as a Berliner-Weiss, sort of. It's good but finishes a little sour, which I like.

A beer on a boat

I know that I've had Beck's before, but I don't think I've had it on draft and certainly not with such a nice foamy head. The draft is better than the bottle or can and the cool boat ride helped!

More kolsch!

We sat outside at a nice brauhaus near the cathedral and enjoyed dinner and a kolsch. This tastes very similar to the others that I have had here, but the restaurant was pretty cool.

Black bier!

I made it out of Cologne and tried a German black bier. This was very good - I could taste the malt, but it was not overpowering. It was smooth and finished crisply, but not tartly. Three people tried it and we all liked it!

A pilsner!

This was my first non-kolsch! I like German pilsners and this was no exception. Tomorrow we are taking a day trip outside Cologne, maybe I will try a new style of beer!

An education on kolsch

Informative and interesting. Yeah, and delicious!

My first kolsch

This was my first kolsch in Cologne and I liked it very much. I had also been awake for nearly 36 hours and had just trekked across the city with 75 pounds of luggage. Still, I think it's pretty good.

Kolsch, kolsch and more kolsch

Cologne is known for its kolsch. Every restaurant or bar offers basically one beer - and it's a kolsch. I think this is my favorite, although I'm not sure there is a huge difference among those I've tried. The locals say the water gives it a special taste, much like the brewers of Coors and Budweiser. I believe the Colonians, not sure about the rest!

A story for every beer

Lately, I've been taking some criticism about the content of my commentary on the beer blog. So, for this beer, I'll tell you a story because, let's face it, can I really give you tasting notes on this? If you want a cream ale, try Anderson Valley's Summer Solstice Cream Ale. If I have not blogged about it, here you go. It's awesome - complex, smooth, not too malty, not too hoppy, just right. And a fun can that looks like rootbeer.

But, I digress. Back to the Genny. This is one of the first beers I ever drank. I think I was about 7 or 8. Then, for my 10th birthday, I had a little party at my house. We were going to drive the tractor (stop laughing) with the wagon full of picnic supplies out into the forest for a picnic. We had a great idea - let's take a six pack of my dad's Genny and hide it in the wagon for the party. I executed the first part, but then my friends also put all the food and non-alcoholic beverages under the blanket, thereby raising all parental suspicions. Needless to say, my mother pulled back the blanket and there was beer! Oops. That explains a lot, doesn't it. Genny cream ale is not worth the trouble I got into! Nor was it worth the $4 I spent on it last Saturday.

Beer quotes = fun

Tripod

It's a beer and a tripod! St. Pete's organic English ale. Malty and a little tangy, if that applies to beer. Overall, not my favorite English ale, but pretty good!

FFF Gorch Fock

Halles style lager, finishes a little sweet. Not bad.

Dizzy

Billed as a true blonde, this is dizzy. If it were a true blonde, it might be ditzy. Putting that aside, this is a nice blonde ale and a good drink for a hot summer day.

The future of beer

Here's your shout out, bi#*£! This beer is from the future. It was bottled in December 2010. Or simply a mis-stamp. This is a black Belgian style double ipa, a collaboration between Brewdog and Stone Brewing. It is 8.6% abv, but sort of tastes stronger and has a nice malty / mocha finish.

Capital

Island wheat. Hmmm. The capital is pretty, but not on an island. The beer is smooth and easy to drink.

Wheach

O'Fallen Wheach - a very nice peach aroma. Smooth and refreshing. Surprisingly good.

Cherry Wheat

Bell's cherry wheat. Nice cherry taste, finishes a little tart. Creamy smooth, but nicely carbonated. The consensus was bell's > sam's.

Widow maker

A friend brought me this special can of Keweenaw Widow Maker, which is named after a mining tool that was used in the copper mines in northern Michigan. It earned the name because it produced a lot of dust and the men who operated the tool died of diseases related to the inhalation of dust. It is a very dark beer, but not as malty as you might expect, and it has a slightly hoppy finish with a lingering chocolate taste. Very enjoyable, even on a hot summer night. Thanks, ndh!

Bamb!

Some friends bought us a growler of this New Holland limited brew. I opened it, took one whiff and thought, hmmmm... This smells a little off. I poured a glass and dove in. Delicious. Starts with pomegranate and finished with clove. Very enjoyable.

FRB, this one is for you!

A very nice, smooth oatmeal stout. Great pour, luscious creamy head that lasts. Overall, a hit.