Great Divide - Raspberry

The Great Divide brewery certainly makes some very popular beers, amoung these is Yeti and a few other beer lovers favorite. So naturally I was excited to find a true beer (not a lambic or a framboise) that intimated a fruity undertone without overdoing it.

Well in short, they certaintly didn't overdo it. It no more had the flavor of a single raspberry than Stevie Wonder can skeet shoot by sound. The beer itself was par, but certainly nothing special. A simple midcolor brew. Similar to Budweisers new "American Ale". I was very disappointed.

Taste: 5
Texture: 5
Originality: 3
Aroma: 6

Pros: Not very expensive, high drinkability

Cons: Smelled better than it tasted and totally misconstrued its construction

Rogue - Dead Guy German Maibock

Rogue brewery sports a vast array of specialty beers. They have breweries in multiple countries and are recipients of numerous brewer's awards.

One of their most common is Dead Guy ale. A myraid of specialty hops, some light malts and Rogue's one of a kind yeast makes Dead Guy a bitter but smooth and delicious choice for a drinking beer. It pairs well with everything from burgers to salmon. Amber in color, with a lighter than expected head. Dead Guy also has a light nutty flavor.

It is darker in the 12 oz bottle than from the tap and it also creates a more frothy and creamy head out of a bottle.

Taste: 7
Aroma: 7
Texture: 8
Originality: 6

Pros: High drinkability with a very diverse pairing menu. Refreshing and full bodied with good flavor varieties.

Cons: Not particularly outstanding. You will not be awed by any one aspect of this beer. If poured wrong can be too bitter.

Samuel Adams - Brewmaster's Collection - Cherry Wheat

This particular selection caught my eye. Cherry Wheat? Sounds good. It was not a fruit beer per say, not a lambic or a framboise. This was a simple wheat ale brewed with real cherries. I vaguely doubted the claim.

Upon popping the cap, I took a sniff. It smelled lightly hoppy, definitely could smell the wheat. And what was that... cherries? I was intrigued. Then I tasted it. Light, very smooth, a good wheat ale. Then it kind of popped in my mouth... Cherries? It tasted like cherries. It was good. Really good. It didn't overpower the beer, or turn it into something else. The full body and flavor of the rich wheat and the smooth texture stood on there own and yet somehow the presence of cherries coexisted in a way that could only be described as symbiotic. With each sip the flavors blended more naturally, and soon I found myself with an empty bottle wishing for more.

Taste: 7.5
Texture: 7
Originality: 9
Aroma: 8
ABV: 5.0%

Pros: Great interesting flavor, delicious scent, very refreshing.
Cons: A touch watery, could do with a touch more hops.

The Next Step

After that first escapade into the delightful bitter ocean of hops and wheat tinged with citrus my mind began to actually work. This beer stuff, it has many many varieties, I bet they are all different. What do they taste like? Which kind will I like the best? I had no idea yet, but decided I really wanted an idea. So I took a trip to the only liquor store I knew of that might have something exciting.

I walked in. Scanned the shelves, vodka, rum, whiskey. I know about all this stuff, where's the beer? I walked into the back, turned a corner and.... BEERVANA. There were at least 500 different single bottles of beer ranging in price from $1.99 all the way to over $25 for a 12oz bottle. I knew this would take a while, but I might as well start.

I got 9.

Samuel Adams - Brewmaster's Collection - Cherry Wheat
Great Divide Raspberry Ale
Orange Blossom Pilsner
Rogue - Dead Guy Ale
Piraat Ale
Old Rasputian Imperial Stout
Red Stripe (somehow I had not yet tried this)
Rogue - Mocha Porter
Stella Artois (another common I hadn't yet had)

Now the wheels were really turning.

When It Happened

As mentioned in the description, beer was not for me. It was for others, those who wanted a watered down, sloppy drink. Something that had to be consumed in vast quantities to hold any sort of alcoholic potential. Enough thought I had traipsed through liquor stores, and seen the vast myriads of beers that awaiting my undeveloped palate I did not dare imagine that any could be truly different from the simple, everyday, thirst quenchers we are exposed to. Bikini models in lingerie fighting in the mud over who knows what. That's what I thought beer was. Then one day, I stopped by a local restaurant, I was going to order a liquor drink, I really was. I saw a beer, one I had heard was good with an orange slice. I ordered a double pint.

The frosty mug touched my lips and the sweet yet bitter acidity filtered through an orange slice dazzled my tongue. It had begun. Yes it was a simple Blue Moon at Ruby Tuesdays, but this would become a keystone in something much greater. A passion for beer. Not just an enjoyable drinking of beer, and certainly not a desire to search for a buzz through a hoppy vesicle. It was a desire to discover and taste uncharted territories. To explore the hence unlocked potentials of the chemo receptors resting dormantly in my mouth. I wanted more. Soon I got it...