Sierra Nevada Sierraveza

Tonight’s beer is one from Sierra Nevada. I pick up their beers with relative frequency, because they’re always solid. For Christmas, I picked up their mixed pack because there wasn’t one from Sam Adams or Magic Hat (those tend to be my go-to selections to bring to parties). Let’s see how this beer was.

ABV: 5%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Inspired by the classic cervezas served ice cold by the beach, we created our own take on those light and easy beers born south of the border. Sierraveza is golden and crisp, with a balanced malt flavor and a hit of floral hops that will have you calling out for another round.”

Random: I always look for good lighter beers so that if we have people over who drink macro beers, we have a decent option. I look even harder for them in the summer and every year they seem to be more plentiful.

The beer poured with a half a finger of off white head that dissipated quickly and left very little lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow-color with a lot of carbonation visible. The nose had some cracker and malt along with some honey. There was also some lemongrass as well. The taste started with some malt and cracker. There was a touch of cilantro and grass but then some honey came through. The body was light and crisp. It had a lot of carbonation, which made it go down easily. The finish was quick and unremarkable. This beer was alright. I wish it didn’t have the cilantro and herbal notes because it took away from the crispness. I wouldn’t rush back to have this again.

Untappd Rating: 2.5/5.0

Flying Dog Bleacher Beer

As a child, I always had a soft spot for the Baltimore Orioles. I collected baseball cards and I always loved Cal Ripken Jr. I also loved Brady Anderson. I recently found all of my cards in my sister’s basement. When my parents moved, they stored a lot of stuff in her basement, including my cards. I have countless binders of Fleer and Topps cards. I also remember being bored as a child. As an adult, I would love to have enough time to be bored. Anyways, let’s get to this beer.

ABV: 4.6%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “The sun’s just peeking out above the third base line. Peanut shells crunch at your feet. The go-ahead run rounds second. Another round? O! yeah.”

Random: Unfortunately, my picture of the beer was way too blurry to use.

This beer poured without any head on top of a clear, bright yellow body with a lot of carbonation. Given the style, this is exactly what I thought it was going to look like. The nose was very mild. There was some corn and not much. The taste was lacking flavor. It had a touch of corn, but nothing else. It was really lacking. The body was light and the carbonation was fizzy. It had an unremarkable finish. I picked this up for about $5, which came to $.31 per ounce. I did not like this beer at all. It was completely devoid of flavor. I wouldn’t have this again.

Untappd Rating: 0.5/5.0

Founders Solid Gold

It seems like a lot of breweries are putting out their take on a typical American lager, so I thought it was worth giving this Founders one a shot. It also helped that during this Philly Beer Week event, I had previously tried all of the other Founders beers on tap.

ABV: 4.4%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Our brewery was built on an attitude of no regrets. An attitude of taking risks to bring the best beer possible to our fellow renegades and rebels. Never brewing to style, but always brewing what we want to drink. Our take on a classic, Solid Gold is a drinkable premium lager brewed with the highest quality ingredients. Challenging what a lager can be? That’s something we won’t regret.”

Random: This beer comes in at 20 IBUs.

The beer poured with less than a quarter finger of head that went away by the time I took the photo. There was a small crown left on top of the slightly cloudy, straw-yellow body. There was some carbonation visible. The nose was rather mild. I picked up some lighted toasted grain along with a touch of lemon peel. The taste was crisp and started with some toasted grain and crackery malt. It went into a small amount of grass and floral hops. It had a touch of lemon at the end with some lager yeast. The body was light with a lot of carbonation. It had a quick, unremarkable finish. This beer set out to be a better alternative to macro lagers and I think it did that. It had some flavor and went down easily. The only reason I didn’t rate it higher is that I’m just not a huge fan of the style.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

National Bohemian Beer

I’ve seen this beer every time I go down to Baltimore, but never tried it. I didn’t have high hopes for the beer, but let’s see if I was wrong.

ABV: 4.28%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Today, Natty Boh has returned to the traditional recipe that made it the beer of choice in Baltimore and across the mid-Atlantic. Likewise, Mr. Boh continues to be a symbol of the community he so proudly represents and can be seen keeping watch over the city on top of the Natty Boh Tower. But he represents far more than a simple mascot, he is also the uncrowned king of Baltimore and plays a significant role in what makes Baltimore different from any other city in the world!”

Random: This was first brewed in 1885.

The beer poured with a quarter finger of pure white head. It dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass, but a small crown remained. The body was completely clear and straw yellow in color. There was a lot of carbonation visible. The nose was filled with some corn and dry grass. The nose was relatively mild. The taste had some biscuit and grass with grain, but nothing stood out. For a macro beer, it was inoffensive and easy to drink. The body was thin with huge amounts of carbonation. The finish was instant with dry grass. A bottle of this was $.83, which broke down to $.07 per ounce. This wasn’t a great beer, but better than the normal macros.

Untappd Rating: 2.5/5.0

Flying Dog Numero Uno Summer Cerveza

Here’s another beer that I tried at Surf Taco. I found it to be a more appropriate choice than the other Mexican lagers.

ABV: 4.9%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “No requiere playa. That’s right; no beach required. Introducing Numero Uno Summer Cerveza, our just-released summer seasonal that begs for warm temps and long nights. Originally released as Agave Cerveza in the summer of 2014 as part of our Brewhouse Rarities program, it’s the artisanal answer to the easy-drinking, south-of-the-border slammers the younger versions of ourselves knew and loved. Flaked maize makes up one third of the malt bill and highlights the distinctive corn and cracker flavor traditionally found in Mexican lagers. Agave is added at the end of the boil and the lime peel post-fermentation to impart a distinct, zesty character and a crisp, clean finish. Your new Summer Cerveza clocks in at 4.9% ABV.”

Random: Route 1 traffic on Cinco De Mayo is insane because one of the only Mexican chains in the area is on that road.

The beer poured with a half a finger of white head. It dissipated at a moderate pace and left a lot of lacing on the glass. The body was clear and straw yellow with moderate carbonation visible. The nose was very mild. It had some corn and grain and not much else. The taste had an agave note with lime and corn. There was a thought of citrus in this, but really not much to get from it. It reminded me of a more complex Corona (which I realize that I’ve never reviewed). The body was medium thickness for the style with moderate to high carbonation. It had a lengthy finish with agave and corn. For the style, this was a decent beer, but nothing I would search out. With that being said, it’s a better option than many American lagers.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Corona Extra

For one of my last dinners, I went to a Mexican restaurant and they had a happy hour special on Corona. Since I never formally reviewed the beer, I thought I’d give it a shot.

ABV: 4.6%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to wikipedia.com, “Corona Extra is a pale lager produced by Cervecería Modelo in Mexico for domestic distribution and export to all other countries besides the United States, and by Constellation Brands in Mexico for export to the United States. The split ownership is a result of an anti-trust settlement permitting the merger of Grupo Modelo with AB InBev. The Corona brand is one of the top-selling beers worldwide. Outside Mexico, Corona is commonly served with a wedge of lime or lemon in the neck of the bottle to add tartness and flavor. In the United States, Corona Extra is the top selling imported beer.”

Random: My sister and parents still drink Corona.

I drank this beer out of the bottle for two reasons. The first one being that there really isn’t a point of putting this in a glass. The second was that I couldn’t find a bartender to give me a glass even if I wanted one. Since the bottle was clear glass, I could see that the body was straw-yellow with no visible carbonation, since it wasn’t poured. It was clear. The nose was skunky and had corn. The taste was old grain, skunk and some lime juice from the lime that was put into it. I can see why people need the lime to get this down. It had a decent sweetness from the grain. It had a watery body with moderate carbonation. The finish was quick with skunk and corn. I remember why I never got into this beer, even in my early twenties. It’s all sorts of terrible, but you probably knew that already. I would avoid this, even at a party.

Untappd Rating: 1.5/5.0

21st Amendment El Sully

I find it interesting that breweries are getting into styles that are typically panned by the craft beer crowd. I’m not a huge fan of the style, but let’s see how it was.

ABV: 4.8%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Con el sol en los ojos, no veíamos bien, pero tú estas más cerca de él en este momento que la mayoría de la gente tendrá la suerte de estar. Wait, sorry about that. The sun was in our eyes and we did not get a good look, but you are closer to him right now than most will ever have the good fortune to be. Who is El Sully? Grab a can of this Mexican-Style lager, head to the nearest beach, even if it’s imagined, and perhaps he’ll come to you. El Sully (the beer) is available this Fall inside our new 12-can variety pack. El Sully (the legend) is a little harder to find.”

Random: Val and I haven’t watched a bunch of things on the DVR, so now that we’re watching them, they have old political ads.

The beer poured with a two finger, pure white head. It went away quickly, but still left some lacing on the glass. The body was clear and straw yellow with moderate carbonation visible. The nose had grain with some tin along with a small amount of hop spice. The flavor was light with the same grain that was in the nose. It had a touch of metal and the same earthy hop spice that was in the nose. The body was very light with lots of carbonation. It had a quick, grainy finish. This can was $1.67, which came to $.14 per ounce. This beer was simple, but I believe that was the intent. I would have this over a Corona any day.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Miller High Life

This was the beer I ordered at brunch. Their draft list was alright, but I had pretty much reviewed every single thing on this. I ordered this one and then asked for a glass and it took 15 minutes to get one. This was already the start of a wonderful meal. Let’s see how I liked this one.

ABV: 4.6%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to wikipedia.com, “This beer was put on the market in 1903 and is Miller Brewing’s oldest brand. High Life is grouped under the pilsner category of beers and is 4.6% ABV. The prevailing slogan on current packaging is ‘The Champagne of Beers,’ an adaptation of its long standing slogan ‘The Champagne of Bottle Beers.’ Accordingly, this beer is noted for its high level of carbonation, making it a very bubble-filled beverage, like champagne. It was originally available in miniature champagne bottles and was one of the premier high-end beers in the country for many years. Except for a brief period in the 1990s, High Life bottles have always been quite distinctive, as they have a bright gold label and are made of a clear glass that has a tapered neck like a champagne bottle. High Life has brought back its ‘Girl in the Moon’ logo, which features a modestly dressed young lady that, by legend, is company founder Frederick Miller’s granddaughter. The ‘Girl in the Moon’ logo was originally painted in the early 1900s by an unknown artist and has since been re-painted by Nebraskan artist Mike Hagel, who added his own unique touch to it. High Life beat out 17 other contestants to take home the gold medal in ‘American-style Lagers’ category at the 2002 World Beer Cup. High Life has enjoyed a resurgence recently, using its humorous ‘Take Back the High Life’ campaign—which features a common sense-wielding deliveryman (portrayed by Windell Middlebrooks) removing beer from ‘non-High Life locations’ (such as restaurants serving $11.50 hamburgers) to position the brand as ‘a good honest beer at a tasty price.'”

Random: I’ve never had this beer before, even during my macro-drinking days.

This brew poured with a two finger, white head that dissipated slowly. It left some lacing on the pint glass. The body was a clear golden-yellow color with high carbonation visible. The nose was bland with light corn, but nothing offensive. The taste was slightly better with grain and corn and slight malt to it. The body was light with high carbonation. It had a quick finish with corn. Despite the fact that this brew was really bland, it wasn’t that bad. Out of all the macros I’ve had, this was the most pleasant. I wouldn’t rush to have it again, but if this was the only option available, I’d have it again.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Natural Ice

Funny story, I’ve never, every had this beer, nor any other beers in its family. I know that most people have had one of these at some sort of kegger or party, but I have never had the pleasure of tasting this one. I saw a single can in the cooler at the beer store and decided that it was time to review it and see how bad it truly is.

ABV: 5.9%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website (and yes, I’m leaving it in all caps), “NATTY ICE IS MADE USING OUR EXCLUSIVE ICE-BREWING PROCESS, MAKING IT QUITE POSSIBLY THE COOLEST BEER EVER.”

Random: I felt like I should shotgun this beer or something to that effect. I’ve only tried doing that once and it pathetically failed, by the way.

This brew poured with a half a finger of pure white head. I was surprised that it took awhile to dissipated, although it really didn’t leave any lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, straw yellow color with insanely high carbonation. The nose was simple with corn and some sweetness grainy malts. There was not much complexity to the taste, to say the least. All I got was really fizzy and slightly sweet corn water. As quick as the flavor came, it went. I kept sipping this trying to find some other flavor to it, but there was none. The body was very watery and the carbonation was very intense. The finish was non-existent with some fizz and corn. I can’t see any reason to drink this other than to get buzzed, because this is as close to flavorless as I think I’ve ever found in a beer. I definitely will not be having this one again.

Untappd Rating: 0.5/5.0

Coors

A few weeks ago, my sister and I went out to brunch. Our brunch was awful. I got this chicken sandwich that had more bones in than a piece of fish. It was seriously gross and I couldn’t even eat. We ended up in the bar next door to watch a baseball game afterwards. Although they advertised having some craft beer, they were ones that I had already reviewed, so I sat down with this classic brew to give a try.

ABV: 5%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: Right now, Coors has four different heritage cans. You can see them here.

Random: Even the label on this one looks like an antique. I don’t think I’ve had one of these brews since I was in my early twenties.

I had the option to try this one in a “frosty glass.” I shockingly declined. This one poured with a half a finger of white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, dark yellow color with light carbonation visible throughout. The nose gave off whiffs of corn…and that was it, although it wasn’t surprising. The taste was heavy with corn and then some honey sweetness right behind it. It had a slight hint of skunk at the end of the sip. The body had moderate carbonation and was relatively heavy for the style. The finish was way too long with corn. This beer had very few redeeming qualities. It didn’t have much flavor and it was one of those beers that was wet and that’s the most that you can expect. I wouldn’t have this again.

Untappd Rating: 2.0/5.0