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HamFon's BrewPub Ratings
The purpose if this page is to keep track of brewpubs that I've visited. If you are interested in brewpubs or
microbreweries in many other locations, check out some of the links on my
Other Info tab.
If you're looking at this page without frames around it, try the main Build A Beer page.
I rate brewpubs since I am a home brewer, and I like many
styles of beer. Also, it seems that most brewpubs have exceptionally
good food, since most of it is made-from-scratch (often with left-over
brewing grain, etc.).
Arizona - Phoenix:
Bermuda:
California - San Francisco:
California - San Jose:
Colorado - Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins:
Florida - The Keys:
Florida - Central:
Florida - West Coast (except Tampa/Clearwater area):
Florida - East Coast:
Florida - Tampa / Clearwater and surrounding areas:
Grand Cayman Island:
Hawaii - big island:
Illinois - Chicago:
Kansas / Missouri - Kansas City area:
Kansas - Lawrence:
Kansas - Manhattan:
Louisiana - New Orleans:
Nevada - Las Vegas:
Barley's Brewhaus
119th and Quivira, Overland Park, KS
Turns out that this isn't really a brewpub. They don't make their own beers.
However, they have a large selection of locally brewed beers, including from
Barley's Brewhaus in Topeka which IS a brewpub. The sampler of beers below
is from Barley's in Topeka. Local brewery products are from Boulevard, River
Market, Pony Express, 75th Street, and Flying Monkey. They also have (from
the menu) 33 bottled American beers, 18 bottled international beers, 13 draft
international beers, 35 draft American beers, and 22 local brewery products.
We visited on Friday August 26, 1996, at 8PM. There was no wait, but it was
pretty busy. Food seemed a bit pricey, but portions were large. Red Hot Wings
were in a Tabasco-type sauce with roast garlic and sesame - VG - dipping sauce
was garlic and slightly sweet. Big Barley Burger (with provolone) - VG - tasty
traditional burger - fries were plain but fresh and hot - G. Smoked Clubhaus
was slightly smoky - E - came with pasta salad which was light and not too oily
or creamy - E. Smoked Sharp Cheddar and Ale Soup was slightly spicy - E - not
overly creamy. Overall impression of visit was quite good.
BEERS (4 oz samples at $1.00 each)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| BilliardBerry | G | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | fizzy | fruity |
| Chief Burnetts IPA | VG | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | | slightly bitter |
| Heartland Wheat | G | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | smooth | |
| Ray's Red | VG | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | smooth | slightly bitter |
| Shunganunga Stout | VG | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | creamy | |
Zymer's Grill and Brewery
5005 W. 117th, Leawood, KS (451-2525)
Under new ownership YET AGAIN.. (was Bayou State Brewery before) - and with a
"real" brewmaster this time. Visited Friday 6 Nov 1998 with wife and friend, at
about 7PM. Busy, but not full. Still somewhat upscale prices - $7 for burger -
Black and Bleu burger was VG and fries VG. Cheese and Broccoli soup was VG.
Baked potato overcooked, and salmon was only G+.
The notes below were done before BSB went belly up and reopened. Visited again
on 5 Sept 1997. BSB is NOT a brewpub anymore - just a restaurant with some brewing
vats for display. Food was mostly Cajun, up scale prices, and not particularly
special. Lunch half-sandwiches were served alone on a small plate (terrible
presentation). Day soup (tomato-y and spicy) was good, but very different. Most
people at the table did not finish their meals (they did not like them). Oh, well.
******* OLD NOTES: ********
This is an upscale brewpub that focuses on New Orleans style cuisine. I could
not get a hamburger or chicken wings (two of my staples for food comparisons).
The parking lot was full of BMWs, Mercedes', and Acuras. We visited Bayou at
10:15 P.M., Saturday, September 21, 1996. Fairly busy, but no wait. Live Jazz
music. Food had a nice presentation. Appetizers priced reasonably, but some
dinners were pricey. Large selection of pepper sauces. Server seemed to be
in a hurry (impatient), although not particularly busy.
We had Cheddar Fondue
for an appetizer - $5.95, VG+, served with garlic toast (had tomatoes and onions(?)
in the cheese). I had Sausage and Cheese Appetizer for dinner - $6.25, VG+,
including tasty sausage pieces, 3 cheeses (pepper jack, smoked gouda, and baby
swiss), with a mild spiced mustard. Caroline had Chicken Fingers Appetizer for
dinner - $6.95, F, batter was too light (would have been better for fish) -
should have been more hearty, served with BBQ sauce and honey mustard, chicken
was OK, but one piece was tough (overcooked?). We had White Chocolate Bread
Pudding for desert - $3.95, E, outside like a cinnamon roll, inside with golden
raisins and bread pudding - very tasty.
BEERS (sampler of six 4-oz beers was $4.25)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Peters Porter Stout | G | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | | Coffee |
| Scottish Heavy | VG | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | | |
| Ambrosian Ale | VG | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | Fizzy | |
| St. James Pale Ale | VG | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | | Tannin |
| Mad Dog's Red | VG | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | Tart | |
| KristallKleer WeizenBier | VG | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Woody | Cloves/yeasty |
Brown Bear Brewing Co.
729 Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS (913) 331-4338
Visited with brother-in-law Richard 9 Oct 1997 at 12:45 pm. Not busy. Presentation
of sampler on wait tray - not very elegant. Chips and guacamole - fresh, average guac,
with pimento, lemon, and garlic. Needs more onions! Small bowl of guac. Chips were
fresh and good (including tomato chips). Portabella soup - mushrooms, potatoes, carrots,
onions, green beans, tomatoes, rosemary - VG. Cheeseburger and fries - VG - heavy
bread (good but different), fries were homemade and E. Fish and chips - catfish with
red pepper mayonnaise sauce - G+ - large serving of 4 fish fillets. Good light batter.
BEERS (4 oz samplers 80 cents each)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Unfiltered Wheat | E | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | fizzy | fresh |
| IPA | VG | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | | |
| Red | G | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | | |
| Stout | G | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | smoky,coffee |
| Peach Wheat | VG | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | fruity | heavy peach |
Boulevard Brewing Co.
2501 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 816-474-7095
This is actually a locally brewery, with no attached brewpub. Of course, that means
that I had to search ALL over town to find JUST what I wanted to taste ;-) There's
a porter and a stout and maybe a bitter still waiting to be tasted... I'm on a mission... *smile*
BEERS
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Nutcracker Ale (bottle) | 3+ | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | Unfiltered Spiced IPA | Nutmeg, Juniper, Allspice Christmas Ale |
| Pale Ale (draft) | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | Light fruit | Light yeast |
| Unfiltered Wheat (draft) | 3+ | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | Smooth but unremarkable | |
| | | | | | | | | |
10635 Floyd, Overland Park, KS
Strictly a place for regulars. Nachos and home-made salsa were
simple and average. Kamikaze wings were not particularly hot, more
like BBQ than spicy (they were "G"). Honey glazed wings were
different - sweet and smoky - VG. On Friday, at 6PM, there was no
crowd, and by 6:30PM, Dave's was only about 1/4 full - mostly
regulars. Dave said that he makes the beer in small batches -
sometimes as small as three barrels. All of the beers tasted
dishwatery. We hope that this was from dirty glasses and not the
quality of the beer. However, the beer was fairly unpleasant because
of this. We may go back some other time to see if it's any better.
The beer ratings reflect this taste.
BEERS (Sampler of 10 4?oz beers was $3.00)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Red Lite | F | | | 3 | | 2 | smooth | |
| Honey Wheat Lager | P | | | 5 | | | fizzy | bitter |
| Cattle Drive English Bitter Ale | P | | | | 5 | | | sulphite |
| Flint Hills Lager | F | | | 3 | 3 | 3 | | |
| Tornado Belgian Trappist Ale | P | 5 | | 5 | | 3 | | heavy sulphite |
| Buffalo Brown Ale | G | 4 | | 4 | 1 | 3 | | |
| Dave's Vienna Red Lager | F | 2 | | 3 | 5+ | 2 | | |
| Fred's Habanero | G | 2 | | | 2 | 2 | | spicy hot |
| Maibock | G | 3 | | 4 | 3 | | | malty and sweet |
| Mother Earth Stout | G | 3 | | 3 | 1 | 2 | smooth | |
6th & Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS
Visited 9 Oct 1997 2:00 pm - almost full restaurant. EXCELLENT customer service,
staff was very knowledgable about beer (both their own and beer in general). A
very professional but down-to-earth atmosphere. Free State was the first brewpub
in the KC area, and continues to set the standard for the others. The Reisling/beer
was an experiment by the brewmasters, which they shared with us - Hogue Johannesberg
Reisling (just a tablespoon or so) in Wheat State Golden. It was interesting.
BEERS (5oz samplers 85 cents each)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Wheat State Golden | VG | 3 | 2 (20 ibu) | 3 | 3 | 3 | | |
| Lemon Grass Rye | VG | 2 | 2 (18 ibu) | 3 | 2 | 2 | smooth | lemony |
| Ad Astra Ale | VG | 3 | 3 (27 ibu) | 2 | 4 | 2 | | caramel |
| Octoberfest | E | 4 | 3 (21 ibu) | 4 | 2 | 3+ | smooth | winey |
| Copperhead Pale Ale (IPA) | VG | 2 | 4 (48.5 ibu) | 1 | 4 | 3 | | hoppy |
| Bison Dark Ale | E | 4 | 5 (69.5 ibu) | 3+ | 3 | 4 | smooth | hoppy |
| Oatmeal Stout | VG | 4 | 4 (42 ibu) | 3 | 3 | 4 | balanced | hoppy |
| Reisling/Wheat State Golden | VG | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | champagne | |
| Ironman Stout | E | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | | |
4057 Pennsylvania, Westport, MO, (816) 960-0866
Visited at 3:00PM on Thursday (3Sep1998), with brother-in-law Richard - sat at the bar.
1997: reviewed with visiting brother-in-law Richard. Nice atmosphere, live music
at night (jazz, etc.). Had a smoking (cigar) room with board games and books.
Knife And Fork Philly ($7.95) was a Philly Cheesesteak with a single slab of
sirloin (not sliced), white cheddar, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and spicing
(tasted like rosemary), on a potato-onion hoagie bun, with a tasty brandy au jus.
Sandwich was filling, and rates Excellent. Accompanying fries were below average -
a bit soggy. Also got Buffalo Chicken Wings (1 lb. for $5.95). Wings rate VG -
medium hot Durkee-type sauce, with bleu cheese. Richard and I each finished our
sandwiches, but were unable to finish all of the wings (a LOT of food!).
Overall feeling for the place was comfortable and laid-back, but that quality
and presentation were important (food presentation was very artistic, original,
functional, and clever) - a classy (and slightly up-scale) brewpub. They also have a
Dead-Tuesday night, and several employees noticed and commented on Richard's
Grateful Dead shirt. There were ten house rules, including #1, "No one leaves our house
without finishing their beer," and #9, "Save room for desert." Rule #1 makes
sense - rule # 9 ... NOT. Visited Thursday,
17 July 1997, both in the afternoon, and at night (for the live music). Service
was above average, and it was not very crowded. They served beer brewed on-site,
as well as "imports" from 75th Street Brewery, and from Pony Express Brewing Co.
The beer sampler was served on a placemat with spots for each beer, and with small
stories about the beer, it's name, and why it's name was selected.
BEERS (Sampler of 8-5oz beers was $4.25)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Landing Light | 4+ | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | dry | pleasant |
| Newcomb's IPA | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | flowery | bite |
| Mild Specialty | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | | malty |
| Amber Specialty | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | | |
| Black Rye | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | | chewy smoke,chocolate |
| Stout | 4+ | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | creamy | very smooth |
| 75th Street Royal Raspberry | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | no edge | good berry |
| Peach | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | very peachy | sickly sweet |
| Hog Pound Brown | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | smooth | |
| Pony Express Nut Brown | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | | smoky |
Revisited McCoys on 1 May 2004 with Caroline, Maritza, Joe. Very Good salsa (4+). Reevaluated beers:
BEERS (Sampler of 6-5oz beers was $4.50 - plus two complimentary samples)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | fizzy | Alcohol% | IBU |
| Landing Light | 4+ | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | malty | banana | American lager | light straw | 3 | 5 | 11 |
| Hog Pound Brown Ale | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | | brown ale | copper | 3 | 5.7 | |
| Newcomb's IPA | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | | juniper | India pale ale | dark straw | 3 | 6.4 | 45 |
| Hellesbock | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | slight drymouth | | Hellesbock (Maibock) | light copper | 4 | 7 | |
| Red Light Raspberry | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | | fruit | fruit | light straw | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| Thompson's Dry Stout | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | | | stout | black | 2 | 3.9 | 40 |
| Belgian Dubbel Trappist Ale | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | fruity | apricot | Belgian Trappist ale | amber | 2 | 7 | 20 |
| Bohemian Pilsner | 3+ | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | | | Pilsner | straw | 3 | | |
4050 Pennsylvania, Westport, MO, (816) 931-4499
Visited at 2:00PM on Thursday (3Sep1998), with brother-in-law Richard - sat at the bar.
Much more satisfying experience this time - chatted with the brewmaster - very personable,
and seemed very knowledgable. The Pilsner is award winning class. Excellent!
1997: reviewed with visiting brother-in-law Richard. Three of the four beers available
were exceptional. The fourth beer (Pilsener) tasted to us like it had come from
a sour keg, or possibly had picked up some bacteria in the beer lines. We spoke
with the brewmaster as well as the bartender, and they said it was supposed to
taste that way. We suspect that they had a bad keg, and had not yet tried a
taste from it. Still overly stuffed, foodwise (from McCoys), we did not try any
food or appetizers. They serve good wines by the glass (e.g., Franciscan). They
also have a hand-crafted root beer which was VG+, sweet and creamy, similar to
A&W draft. Attention to quality and presentation was average (no coasters, for
example - they used bevnaps). Atmosphere was average - it was slow when we visited
in the afternoon of Thursday, 17 July 1997. Brewmaster seemed to be quite
knowledgable about beer making and components, and about other microbreweries.
He should have offered to taste the Pilsener, though... Sampler presentation
was average - a row of samplers on bevnaps, with verbal identification by the
bartender. The Forty Acre Wheat beer had a solid body (for a wheat), but tasted fresh and was
not yeasty like most wheats. The Tinker's Irish Stout was almost excellent - it
just did not quite have the depth of complexity of a Guinness or Watney's Cream Stout.
BEERS (Sampler of 4-3oz beers was $3.50)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Forty Acre Wheat | G+ | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | spritzy | fruity |
| Real McCoy Amber | VG | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | smooth | light |
| Prospector Pilsener | E | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | smooth | fresh |
| Tinker's Irish Stout | VG | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | fizzy | not chocolate |
Overland Brewing Co.
9083 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS
**** Changed to Sports Page ****
Visited on 14 June 1996 at 1705. Not busy (but it got full by the
time we left). Good background blues music. Jamaica Jerked Wings
($5.95) were very tender, slightly spicy (appeared to be a sauce made
of Worstershire sauce, black pepper, and beef boullion), marinated.
Greasy, but good flavor - G+. Bacon Cheeseburger ($5.55) with poppy
seed kaiser and spiced meat - G+. Chicken Finger appetizer was four
large pieces of white meat in a fish-and-chips type of batter. Crispy
and flaky, but the batter is too light for the chicken flavor -
better suited for light fish. Served with BBQ sauce (sweet, not
particularly good) and honey-mustard. Chicken rating G-. Even
though business was pretty slow when we were there, service was
mediocre to poor.
BEERS (Sampler of 5 3?oz beers was $3.75)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Ruby Red ESB | E | 2 | | 1 | 5 | | | bitter |
| Sunflower Gold Ale | G+ | 2 | | 3 | 2 | 3 | smooth | flowery |
| Tornado Path Porter | E- | 3+ | | 4 | | | creamy | smoky |
| Overland Raspberry Wheat | G | 2 | | 1 | 1 | 3 | smooth | |
| Sunflower Gold Light | G+ | 2 | | 3 | 3 | 4 | smooth | flowery |
Power Plant Restaurant and Brewery
2 Main Street, Parkville, MO (816) 746-5051
Visited on Thursday, 5 October, 2000, with brother-in-law Richard.
Wings mildly spicy, very good flavor. Burger average, VG fries.
80 year old building
with very comfortable bar-type atmosphere - also the roof is covered with tables. Service
at the bar was VG+.
BEERS (Sampler of 6 4oz beers was $6)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Walnut Creek Wheat | VG | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2+ | smooth | lingering malt |
| Colonel Park's Pale Ale | G+ | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | hoppy | bitter but smooth |
| Seasonal - Oktoberfest | G | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | allspice |
| Seasonal - Harvest Rye | G | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2+ | | |
| Southbound Nut Brown | VG+ | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | very smooth | walnuts, long linger |
| Steamboat Stout | G | 5 | 4 | 4+ | 3+ | 4+ | | coffee |
| Specialty - Belgian Ale | E- | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | fizzy | cloves |
River Market Brewing Co.
500 Walnut (Downtown by City Market)
Visited on 5 October 2000 at 2:00 pm with brother-in-law Richard for beer tasting.
On the previous visit (1998?):
Excellent burger (the Oregon Tillamook - the grilled onions on it
were great). Excellent french fries. Chicken wings were quite good,
pretty spicy, and had a different flavor from "most" wings
(oregano?). Also, the wing dip was a unique cucumber/dill sauce
(quite good). The Fish (and chips) was light a fluffy - very tasty.
We went Fri PM at about 6:15 and had a 25 minute wait. Good music-
50's and 60's. Service was excellent - attentive, not oppressive.
BEERS (sampler of 5-3oz beers was $5)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Bomber Blonde Ale | G | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1+ | light flavor | hoppy |
| Sodbuster Pale Ale | VG+ | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2+ | smooth | |
| River Market Red Ale | G- | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | smooth | lemony |
| Flying Crow Porter | G+ | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4- | | coffee |
| Seasonal - Alt | G+ | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | hoppy nose | Alt is a German beer style |
Rock Bottom Brewery
11721 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS
Burger good (not special). Fries were very good - ask for Maker's
Mark Gourmet Sauce for dipping - it's a light, medium sweet BBQ sauce
from the folks who brought you great whiskey. Wings were crispy,
with a mildly spicy pepper sauce. Complementary beer bread was thick
and heavy, with carrots and zucchini (?), and was fresh and warm and
moist - very good. Dinner salad had very good house vinegarette
dressing. Hazelnut chicken was excellent - melts in your mouth -
vegetables were flavorful with just enough pepper, and crunchy, yet
tender - chicken was very nutty, with the nuts overpowering the other
flavors. We arrived at 7pm on Friday, and waited for 50 minutes
(estimate was 40-45). Service was very good.
BEERS (sampler of 7 3?oz beers was $4.80)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Palomino Pale Ale | G | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | | | |
| White Tail Wheat | G | | | 2 | 2 | 2 | | |
| Falcon Red Ale | VG+ | 4 | | | | 4 | smooth | pleasant |
| Riverboat Brown | G | 5 | | 4 | | | smooth | winey |
| Schooner Stout | E- | 4 | | 4 | | 4 | smooth | luscious |
| Prairie Rock Amber | G | | | 3 | 2 | | | |
| Bitter Cold | G | | 5 | | 3 | | | |
520 W. 75th, Kansas City, MO (523-4677)
Visited at 3:00PM on Thursday (5Oct2000), with brother-in-law Richard - sat at the bar -
tried out "new" California Common, which is an Anchor Steam style beer.
Visited at 4:00PM on Thursday (3Sep1998), with brother-in-law Richard - sat at the bar.
Visited at 9:15PM on Saturday (23Nov1996), 30 minute wait.
Bagpipes and drums entertainment -
St. Andrews Club was meeting there. Prominent brewing vats and equipment -
more a bar than a restaurant. Service was fair (but the waiter was busy).
Complimentary bread with honey butter (G+). Chicken wing appetizer (VG+) was
spicy hot, but very flavorful and meaty - not your average Durkee's flavoring
like lots of restaurants use, and with a garlic-y ranch dressing. Homemade
potato chips (with garlic-y ranch) were tasty, fresh and crisp, slightly
overcooked (VG). Stockyard Cheeseburger ($6.50) with large ranch fries -
fries were fresh and hot (VG), burger was average (G) and overcooked (was Well,
wanted Medium Rare). Club sandwich ($6.95) with black beans - beans had a
spicy afterteste and came with cheese (VG), club was huge (E), good flavor,
with the flavors complementing each other perfectly (so you didn't taste
distinct cheese or meat flavors).
BEERS (sampler of 7-4oz beers was $1.75)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Cow Town Wheat | G | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | smooth | malty |
| Yardbird's Golden Ale | G | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | smooth | sweet |
| Royal Raspberry Wheat | VG | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | no edge | good fruit |
| Belgian Wheat Christmas Style | VG | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | | clove/cinnamon |
| Cask Conditioned Golden Ale | VG | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | smooth | Distinct hops |
| Possum Trot Brown Ale | G+ | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1+ | 3 | fizzy | |
| Muddy Mo's Stout | G+ | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | creamy | coffee |
| English Pale Ale | G | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | smooth | |
| Russian Imperial Stout | VG | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | honey | very smoky |
| California Common | VG+ | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3+ | | Very good copy of Anchor Steam |
Sports Page
23rd & Kasold, Lawrence, KS
Visited 9 Oct 1997 3pm with brother-in-law Richard. Lots of money went into building
and decorating this place - solid doors, etc. Service was average, even though business
was very slow. Bartender was trying to impress us with his beer pouring skills (we
weren't). Chips and salsa was G+ - picante was spicy.
BEERS (sampler of 6-3oz beers was $3.75)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Unfiltered Honey Wheat | G | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | smooth | |
| Crimson Ale | G | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | | |
| Golden Glove Ale | G | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | |
| Pigskin Porter | VG | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | smoky |
| Real Raspberry Wheat | VG | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | | |
| Brown Ball Bitter | G | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | | |
Sports Page - KC
9083 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS (913) 385-2739
Visited 13 Mar 1998 (Friday) 19:30 with Caroline. Very slow service (same as when
this place was the Overland brewery). Philly Cheesesteak was VG ($7), fries were G,
Caroline had a veggie burger ($5) - rating G.
BEERS (sampler of 7-3oz beers was $3.75)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Unfiltered Honey Wheat | VG | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | smooth | citrus |
| Crimson Ale | G | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | crisp | hoppy |
| Golden Glove Ale | G | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | | metallic |
| Pigskin Porter | G | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | | light smoky |
| Real Raspberry Wheat | VG | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | | light fruit |
| India Pale Ale | VG | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | | bitter |
| Black Diamond Stout | G | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | fizzy | |
Little Apple Brewing Company
1110 Westloop, Manhattan, KS (913) 539-5500
Visited 15 Feb 1998 Noon with Caroline. Large, lots of wood decor. Service
was G. Started to get crowded with church letting out.
Tex Burger (G) with ranch fries (VG) was $5.95.
Portabella Mushroom sandwich (G) with onion rings (VG)was $6.25.
BEERS (sampler of 6-5oz beers was $3.60)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Wildcat Wheat (K-State) | G | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | | slight bitter |
| Wheat bock | G | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | | |
| McApple Scottish ale | F | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | | watery |
| Prairie pale ale (IPA) | VG | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | fizzy | |
| Pony Express porter | G | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | | smoky |
| Black Angus stout | F | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | watery |
Brewpubs in other cities
Millrose Brewing Co.
South Barrington, IL (15 miles W of Chicago)
Visited Monday at 8:00PM (18 Nov 1996) - 45 minute wait, but got a bar table
immediately and ate there. Huge old-west atmosphere barn setting (made from
six 125 year old barns, supposedly) with high rough-wood ceilings, etc. Service
was EXCELLENT! They have a wide menu selection from sandwiches to higher
priced steaks and seafood. I went with a plan of getting the biggest baddest
steak that I could but the appetizer sampler platter looked like something I
should report on. The "Taste Of Millrose" appetizer included: Brew Battered
Shrimp (2 large, very meaty, light batter - E), Rose's Italian Sausage (spicy,
anise - VG), Potato Skins (2 - cheddar, scallions, ham - G), Fried Jalepenos
(2 - stuff with cheese and breaded - E), Wings (spicy - Durkee's type sauce - G),
Onion Straws (light and thin - G), Rib Sampler (sweet, mild - VG), and
Cucumber (who cares...). Also, a complementary bread basket was served with
plain white (medium heavy - G), a Raisin Rye (medium heavy, very flavorful - VG),
and a Tomato Bread (G).
BEERS (sampler of 4-4oz was $5.25)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Panther Ale | VG | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | | |
| Prairie Pilsner | VG | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | | |
| Country Inn Ale | G | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | | |
| Dark Star Lager | G | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | | |
| Harvest Weiss | G | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | | coriander |
| Raspberry Wheat | VG | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | | |
| Wheat N' Honey | G | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | | |
Tied House
San Jose, CA
Visited Tuesday at 9:00PM (18 Feb 1997) - No wait, sat at the bar. Bar service
was good. Didn't try any food.
BEERS (sampler of 8-5oz was $5.25)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Alpine Gold | VG | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | Tart | |
| New World Wheat | VG | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Smooth | Fruity |
| Passion Fruit/Spice | G | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | Slight Bitter | Fruity |
| Wheat Bock | VG | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | Smooth | Fruity |
| Cascade Amber | E | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | Winey | |
| India Pale Ale | G | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | | |
| Iron Wood Dark | E | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | Smooth | Winey |
| Oatmeal Stout | VG | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | Smooth | Smoky |
33 E. San Fernando, San Jose, CA (408) 294-6785
Visited Wednesday at 9:00PM (19 Feb 1997) - No wait. Service was very good.
I had Satays (shish-k-bob's) (2 sticks per order, about $2 each):
Lamb (E), Chicken/Potato (E), Scallops/Mushroom (G),
Shrimp (E). Also Ginger sweet bread (G). Glazed baby back ribs with baby bok
choy (soy sauce/honey glaze?) was VG. Walnut salad (lettuce/oil-vinegar/walnuts/
sauteed onions/bleu cheese) was $6 and VG.
BEERS (sampler of 4-3oz was !!FREE!!)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Pilsner | G | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | smooth | |
| Marzen Oktoberfest | G | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | | |
| Dunkles | VG | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | | |
| Unfiltered Blond Bock | G | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | fizzy | |
5763 Arapahoe #E, Boulder, CO 440-4324
This is a small microbrewery, no sampling room, no pub/restaurant. The two
guys working there (bottling/washing) were kind enough to give me a tour, and
then provide me with a taster's selection of their current beers (in bottles).
BEERS (6 12-oz bottles - $6.00)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| 14'er ESB Ale | VG | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | | |
| Out Of Bounds Stout | VG | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | creamy | smoky |
| Redpoint Ale | VG | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 2 | | tart |
| Ellie's Brown Ale | VG | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | fizzy | winey |
1125 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 303-402-9294
Visited 2 Jan 1998, at 15:00, with brother-in-law Richard. This is a chain.
Chicken wings - VG, but typical hot "tabasco" style wings., Fries and ranch -
VG.
BEERS (6 5-oz tasters was $4.50)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| BJ's Blonde | G | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | | fizzy |
| Harvest Hefeweisen | G | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | wheat | |
| Piranha Pale Ale | VG | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | citrus | peach/apricot |
| Jerimiah Red | G | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | | clean |
| PM Porter | G | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | | |
| Tatonka Stout | G+ | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | light smoke/coffee | |
Dry Dock Brewery
Aurora, CO
Visited 15 April 2008 with sister and dad. Small location with attached homebrew shop. They are moving to another location in the same
building that is much larger. Knowledgable and friendly staff.
BEERS (4 oz samplers were complimentary)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | notes | style | color | carbonation |
| Blonde Ale | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | Blonde Ale | clear straw | 2 |
| Breakwater Pale Ale | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | American Pale Ale | clear amber | 2 |
| Nut Brown Ale | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | toasty; chocolate | American Brown Ale | clear copper | 2 |
| HMS Victory ESB | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | | ESB | clear amber | 2 |
| HMS Bounty Old Ale | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | | English Old Ale | clear amber | 2 |
| Irish Red Ale | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | roasty | Irish Red Ale | clear amber | 2 |
| Irish Dry Stout | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | roasty | Dry Stout | clear deep mahogany | 2 |
| USS Enterprise IPA | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | green citrus hops; grapefruit | American IPA | clear amber | 2 |
| Urca Vanilla Porter | 3+ | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | vanilla; slightly soapy | Vegetable Porter | clear mahogany | 2 |
Longmont, CO
Brewery for Left Hand beer as well as Tabernash and also contract brewing.
Visited with brother-in-law Richard on 28 Dec 1999. We got an exceptional tour - not rushed - very personal.
We also tasted before and after (small taster cups). The ratings below are from bottles
of beer sold at the tasting area.
BEERS
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Tabernash Golden Pilsener Lager | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | creamy | |
| Tabernash Amber Colorado Lager | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | smooth | |
| Tabernash Munich Colorado Dark Lager | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | very smooth | nice malt aftertaste |
| Left Hand XXXmas Ale | 3+ | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | light | cardamon, maybe cloves? |
| Left Hand JuJu Ginger | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | refreshing | lingering ginger |
| Left Hand Sawtooth Ale | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | | |
| Left Hand Imperial Stout | 4+ | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | creamy | |
| Left Hand Jackman's American Pale Ale | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | | refreshing |
| Left Hand Blackjack Porter | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | | smoky |
Left Hand Tap House
Longmont, CO 772-0258
Outlet for the Left Hand brewery - they don't brew on site. Left Hand brewery does Left Hand
beers and Tabernash beers. Dale's Pale Ale is from Oskar Blues in Lyons (Dale runs the Tap House).
Chili con queso is tasty - spiced ground beef in it. Visited with brother-in-law Richard on
28 Dec 1999 - and we'll probably also tour the brewery itself.
BEERS
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| One Nut Brown Ale | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | | |
| Black Jack Porter | 3+ | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | Light | |
| Dale's Pale Ale | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | | Bitter -IPA style |
| Tabernash Weiss | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | | Cloves |
Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery
1535 Pearl, Boulder, CO 546-0886
Visited 2 Jan 1997 at 3PM - no wait, good service. Very Boulder - Grateful
Dead for music, and foods from burgers to sprouts. I placed an order for
small fries ($0.90) - a pretty large basket of hot and fresh fries with skin -
VG.
Revisited with Richard 30 Sep 2005 (GABF trip), got a 20-taster sampler! Organic burger 4+, $8.50.
BEERS (7-6oz beers for $5)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Fest | G | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | smooth | |
| XXX Pale | G | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | | flowery |
| Java Porter | VG | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | smooth | coffee |
| Raspberry Wheat | VG | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | fruity | light fruity |
| Colorado Kind Ale | VG | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | | hops |
| Thunderhead Stout | VG | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | smooth | |
| Belgian Ale | VG | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | fruity | orange bitters,honey,coriander,ginger |
BEERS (20-2oz beers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | carbonation |
| Annapurna Amber | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | amber ale | hazy amber | 3 |
| Colorado Kind Ale | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | IPA | hazy amber | 3 |
| FYIPA | 4+ | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | IPA | hazy amber | 3 |
| Hogback | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | | | doppelbock | hazy amber | 3 |
| Hollers Haze Porter | 4+ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | porter | hazy amber | 3 |
| Illusion Dweller | 4- | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | | IPA | hazy amber | 3 |
| Java Porter | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | smoked; coffee | porter | hazy amber | 3 |
| Korova Cream Stout | 4- | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | cream stout | hazy amber | 3 |
| Nitro Java Porter | 5- | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | creamy | porter | hazy amber | 3 |
| Nitro Kind | 4- | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | smooth; creamy | IPA | hazy amber | 3 |
| Pachamana Pils | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | pilsener | hazy amber | 3 |
| Pearl Street Porter | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | porter | hazy amber | 3 |
| Quinns Golden Ale | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | | golden ale | hazy amber | 3 |
| Raspberry Wheat | 4- | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | fruit ale | hazy amber | 3 |
| Rice Beer | 3+ | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | light lager | hazy amber | 3 |
| Scotch Ale | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | | | Scottish Ale | hazy amber | 3 |
| Super Kind | 4- | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | | double malt; slight winey | double IPA | hazy amber | 3 |
| Swan Song | 3+ | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | dry hopped | IPA | hazy amber | 3 |
| Thunderhead Stout | 4+ | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | stout | hazy amber | 3 |
| XXX Pale | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | double IPA | hazy amber | 3 |
Fort Collins, CO
Visited 1 Oct with brother-in-law Richard.
BEERS (2oz samplers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | carbonation |
| 1554 | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | | roasted | black ale | dark brown | 3 |
| 2° Below | 3+ | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | winter beer | amber | 3 |
| Abbey | 5- | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | | banana; coffee; clove; slight smoky | Belgian brown ale | mahogany | 3 |
| Frambozen | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | | fruity | fruit ale | mahogany | 3 |
| La Folie | 5- | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | | | sour brown | copper | 3 |
| Le Terroir | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | | sour brown | gold | 3 |
| Loft | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | Belgian ale | gold | 3 |
| Saison | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | fruity citrus | Belgian saison | straw | 3 |
| Test Brew JR0805 | 3+ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | | pale ale | cloudy straw | 3 |
| Tripel | 4+ | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | | | Belgian tripel | gold | 3 |
1095 Canyon, Boulder, CO 303-449-0363 (also 3201 Walnut Street)
Visited the downtown one (3201 only open from 4 to 8 and no kitchen - only finger
snacks) on 2 Jan 1998, 11:30, Friday, with brother-in-law Richard. Only one
other customer at that time, but got busier after noon. Marty is the GM. Had
Green Chili Stout Stew - EXCELLENT! Lots of meat - large chunks of sirloin.
Also vegetables - potatoes, carrots, celery, onion; very
spicy, but all the flavors mixed well - the gravy/sauce was very tasty ($5.95).
BEERS ($3.50 for all - 3oz beers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Scarab Red | G | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | Fizzy | |
| Tut Brown Ale | E | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | Well Balanced | Nutty |
| Oasis Pale Ale | VG | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | | Bitter |
| Zoser Oatmeal Stout | VG+ | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | Creamy | Malty |
| Capstone ESB | VG | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | | Bitter |
| Snoasis (seasonal) | E | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | Cinnamon/Clove | Nutmeg |
| Kolsch Pilsner | E | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | Smooth | Nutty |
| Porter | VG | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | | Smoky |
| Cider (apple) | VG | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | | Fruity Apple |
Odell Brewing Company
Fort Collins, CO
Visited 1 Oct with brother-in-law Richard.
BEERS (2oz samplers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | carbonation | notes |
| 5 Barrel Pale Ale | 3+ | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | Pale Ale | gold | 3 | 5.2% abv |
| 5 Barrel Pale Ale | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | | Pale Ale | gold | 3 | 5.2% abv; nitrogen pushed |
| 90 Shilling Ale | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | | Scottish Ale | amber | 3 | 5.3% abv |
| Cutthroat Porter | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | coffee; roasted; slight smoky | porter | dark mahogany | 3 | 4.8% abv |
| Dortmunder Lager | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | lager | amber | 3 | |
| Easystreet Wheat | 4- | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | slight citrus; low banana; low clove | wheat | hazy straw | 3 | 4.6% abv |
| Levity Amber | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | amber ale | gold | 3 | 5.1% abv |
| Levity Amber | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | nice balance | amber ale | gold | 3 | 5.1% abv cask conditioned |
Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
Lyons, CO
Visited with brother-in-law Richard after dinner at Torguga's (in Longmont) on 29 Dec 1999.
Young crowd, live blues - one main performer, and others joining and jamming - VERY
enjoyable :-)
BEERS
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Lucky's Lager | 3+ | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2+ | | Koolaid |
| Dale's Pale Ale | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | | Bitter -IPA style |
| One Nut Brown Ale | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | | |
| Reverend Sandi's Sinful Stout | 3+ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | Watery |
| Dubbel Trouble Stout | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | | |
| Guest Tap Stout | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | | |
Redfish New Orleans Brewhouse
2027 13th Street, Boulder, CO 303-440-5858
Visited 2 Jan 1998 at 13:30 with brother-in-law Richard. Brewmaster Brian was
very knowledgable, and also very happy to talk about his work and his beers.
Menu was Cajun, but didn't eat.
BEERS (5 oz samplers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Wild Magnolia Pale Ale | G+ | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | | bitter |
| Angry Monk Belgian Ale | VG | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | lambic | |
| Gaston's Swollen Delta Stout | VG | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | smooth | |
| Pelican Smoked Porter | VG | 3+ | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | | smoky |
| Ragtime ESB | VG | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | smooth | fizzy |
| Santa's Big Helper Scotch Ale (9.3%) | VG | 5 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | sugar | caramel |
Rock Bottom Brewery
Denver International Airport, Denver, CO
Visited 15 April 2008. Actually is a taproom pouring beers from Rock Bottom in Westminster, except the 16th Street Wheat which comes
from the downtown Denver Rock Bottom.
BEERS (4 oz samplers - $5(?) )
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | notes | style | color | carbonation |
| Falcon Pale Ale | 4+ | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | citrus; grapefruit | American Pale Ale | cloudy gold | 3 |
| 16th Street Wheat | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | peppery; slight banana; clove | Belgian Wit | cloudy amber | 2 |
| Red Rocks Red | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | caramel; slight orange | Irish Red Ale | clear copper | 2 |
| Molly's Titanic Brown Ale | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | roasted malt; slight chocolate | American Brown Ale | clear deep mahogany | 2 |
Sandlot Brewery
Coors Field, Denver, CO
Visited 1 Oct 2005 with brother-in-law Richard. Menu was bar snacks, but didn't eat.
BEERS (2 oz samplers were free)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | carbonation |
| Arbitrator German Dopplebock | 4- | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | | | doppelbock lager | copper | 3 |
| Barman Pilsner | 4- | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3- | | | pilsener | amber | 3 |
| Blue Moon Belgian White | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | fizzy; slight banana; coriander; orange peel | Belgian wit | cloudy straw | 3 |
| Goat Rancher Pale Bock | 4- | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | fizzy | bock lager | gold | 3 |
| Hefeweizen | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | big banana; big clove finish | wheat | cloudy straw | 3 |
| Helles of a Play | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | lemony; fizzy | helles | straw | 3 |
| Pinch Hit Pils | 4- | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3- | | citrus | pilsener | straw | 3 |
| Sandlot Stout | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | | lactose | Irish Stout | dark mahogany | 3 |
| Second Hand Smoked Beer | 4+ | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | very smoky | rauch lager | amber | 3 |
Overland Stage Stop Brewery
Longmont, CO
Small brewpub, pool table, friendly atmosphere. Chips and Salsa - corn chips
were blue, yellow, and tomato. Salsa was mild and fresh, with cilantro and
with large chunks of tomato. Good, but not spicy enough. Thursday 2 Jan 1997
at 11PM.
BEERS ($6.00 for 6-5oz beers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Red Coach Amber | G | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | | |
| Li'l Bear Brown | G | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | | |
| Whales Pale Ale | G | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | | |
| Tamarack IPA | VG | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | |
| Jingle Ale | VG | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | | cinnamon/cloves/cardamon |
| Old Man Winter Stout | G | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | | |
Pints Pub Brewery and Free House
Denver, CO
Friday, 29 September 2006 - in town for GABF with Richard, and stopped at Pints for lunch before the
afternoon session. They have a 3-barrel system. Through a clear tile in the floor of the bar, you can look
into the cellar which has 30-40? kegs in it. Pints brews their own beer, and also serves some of it on
hand pump. Food was above average, and a particularly interesting item was the homemade potato chips (very
thin) with dried malt sprinkled on them. Pints other claim to fame is that they have the largest selection
of single malt Scotches (in the world?) "on tap". They currently have 260 different single malts, and they
are all lined up around the bar in upside-down shot pourer contraptions. Very comfortable atmosphere -
all wood, but lighter than a typical pub. Definitely worth the walk from the convention center (5-10 minutes).
BEERS (no "taster" set, but they gave us a couple of individual samples)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | comments |
| Dark Star Ale | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | cask conditioned |
| Lancer IPA | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | cask conditioned; slight sour |
| Alchemy ESB | 4- | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | nitrous draft; light on hops |
| Gael Force Ale | 3+ | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | slight sour; caramel |
| Airedale Pale Ale | 4- | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Phone Box Amber | 4- | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Pump House
Longmont, CO
NTN trivia. 11PM Thursday 2 Jan 1997. No food or snacks - kitchen closed.
BEERS (5-3 oz beers in snifters $2.25)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Fire Pail Ale | VG | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | smooth | |
| Red Alert Ale | VG | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | | winey |
| Wildfire Wheat | VG | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | | |
| Pumper Porter | VG | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | | smoky |
| English Brown Ale | G | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | syrupy | |
Twisted Pine/Peak To Peak Brewing Co.
Twisted Pine and Peak To Peak merged on 1 Jan 1997. Also, according to Gordon
Knight (the Twisted Pine owner), they absorbed Timberline Brewing Co. This is
a microbrewery only, no food or tasting facilities. I brought home a sample
of each of their beers for tasting.
BEERS (3-22oz for $7.50)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Raspberry Wheat Ale | E | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | smooth | fruity |
| Twisted Amber Ale | E | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | creamy | winey |
| Twisted Brown Ale | E | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | creamy | smoky |
2880 Wilderness Pl, Boulder, CO 444-3402
This used to be the Boulder Brewery, started in Niwot in 1979 or 1980. They moved to
the current location in Boulder in 1984. They make the excellent
Boulder beers available around the country. Visited Thursday 2 Jan 1997 at
noon - full but no wait. I sat at the bar. Service was excellent (Tony).
David Zuckerman is the brewmaster. Wilderness Pub is the brewpub, while the
brewery is called the Rockies Brewery. Seasonal beers are: Igloo (winter),
Cliffhanger (winter/spring), Single Track (late spring), Extra Special Bitter
(summer), and Fall Fest (fall). Clapton on CD - can't lose with that, eh?
Hot Cajun Wings were VG - $5.50 - dry spice, medium hot, flavorful, with chili
pepper and oregano and fresh (crunchy) carrots and with (who cares...) celery.
Visited again 2 Jan 1998 16:45 with brother-in-law Richard - was busy. Mostly
the same beers, added Single Track and Unfiltered Porter.
BEERS (11-4oz for $5)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Rockies Premium Ale | G | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | fizzy | |
| Buffalo Gold Premium Ale | G | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | smooth | |
| Boulder Extra Pale Ale | VG+ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | smooth | winey |
| Boulder Amber Ale | G+ | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | dry | |
| Unfiltered Amber Wheat Ale | VG | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | served with lemon |
| Igloo Seasonal | VG | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | spices | cloves |
| Wrigley Red | VG | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | | smoky |
| Boulder Brown Ale | VG | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | smooth | winey |
| Boulder Porter | E | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | smooth | smoky |
| Boulder Stout | E | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | smooth | chocolate |
| Cliffhanger Seasonal | E | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | dry | hoppy |
| Cask Conditioned Brown | E | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | smooth | fresh |
| Single Track Copper Ale | G | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | fizzy | |
| Unfiltered Porter | VG | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | smooth | coffee |
Stingray Brewery
Grand Cayman Island, British West Indies
This is Grand Cayman's only native beer - the brewery is a micro, with a reception
area for purchase of souvenirs, and for small tastings. Visited on 31 July 1997.
No food or snacks.
BEERS (2-4 oz beers in plastic cup - free)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Stingray Premium Wheat | G+ | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | | |
| Stingray Light | G | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | | |
Big Dog's Brewing Company
Las Vegas, Nevada
Brewpub several miles north and west of downtown. Got there via public transportation bus.
Visited 21 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday. Burger 4- and
crispy fries 4+. 15 barrel system. Excellent service. Yummy brewed Root Beer.
BEERS (2 oz samplers - $0 ("taken care of"))
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | Style | Color | Carbonation | Notes |
| Big Dog's 38 Special | 4- | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | nice combo | Blend | clear amber | 3 | 5.3% abv; blend of Pale Ale and Red |
| Big Dog's Small Beer | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | North German Alt | brilliant copper | 3 | 4.5% abv; second runnings of Moondog Barleywine |
| Bitches Brew Pumpkin Ale | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | mace; brown sugar | Vegetable | clear amber | 3 | 5.0% abv |
| Black Lab Stout | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | | complex layers; coffee; chocolate | Sweet stout | clear deep mahogany | 3 | 5.5% abv; nine malts |
| Dirty Dog IPA | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | | | American IPA | hazy light gold | 3 | 6.5% abv; dry hopped Summit |
| Fur Hound Peach Lager | 4- | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | | very peachy - almost syrupy | Fruit beer | brilliant amber | 3 | 5.0% abv |
| Holy Cow Original Pale Ale | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | American Pale Ale | clear amber | 3 | 5.3% abv |
| K-9 Kolsch | 4- | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | Kolsch | clear straw | 3 | 5.0% abv |
| Leglifter Light | 4+ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | light lager | clear straw | 2 | 4.0% abv |
| Red Hydrant Ale | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | red ale | clear deep copper | 3 | 5.3% abv |
| Tailwagger Wheat | 4+ | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | banana; big cloves | Weissbier | cloudy milky white straw | 4 | 4.8% abv |
| Traditional Oktoberfest Lager | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | nice lace | Oktoberfest | clear deep amber | 3 | 6.0% abv |
| Wardog Imperial IPA | 4+ | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | | smooth; alcohol warmth | Imperial IPA | cloudy amber | 3 | 8.3% abv; Warrior/Simcoe/Galena |
Chicago Brewing Company
Las Vegas, Nevada
Serving room is in Four Queens in downtown. Did not visit the actual brewery which is west
of the Strip.
Visited 19 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday.
Tasty brewed root beer. Growlers for $7.
BEERS (4 oz samplers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | Style | Color | Carbonation | Notes |
| All Nighter | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | Blonde ale | clear straw | 2 | 4.6% abv |
| Black Star | 4+ | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | | roasty; creamy | Dry stout | clear black brown | 2 | Nitrogen 4.5% abv |
| Blueberry Vanilla Hefeweizen | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | very berry; moderate woody | fruit beer | cloudy gold | 2 | |
| Hardway IPA | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | | resiny; cascade; centennial; grapefruit | American IPA | very slight hazy gold | 2 | 6.2% abv; unfiltered |
| Old Town Brown | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | Northern English brown ale | clear deep gold | 3 | 4.6% abv; "German-style brown" |
| Ramblin' Reck | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | American Amber Ale | clear amber | 3 | 4.5% abv |
| Sin City Brown - Riviera Casino | 4- | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | American Amber Ale | clear copper | 3 | Riviera casino contract brewed |
| Weizenheimer | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | banana | Weissbier | hazy gold | 2 | 4.6% abv; unfiltered |
Ellis Island Casino and Brewery
Las Vegas, Nevada
Brewpub just off the Strip.
Visited 21 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday.
Yummy full flavored complex brewed Root Beer. They don't have "samplers" but they did them
for me anyway. $1 pints of their beer.
BEERS (3 oz samplers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | Style | Color | Carbonation | Notes |
| Amber Ale | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | toasted malt | American Amber Ale | brilliant amber | 2 | |
| Dark Lager | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | roasty | Schwarzbier | clear deep mahogany | 2 | |
| Gold | 4- | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | DMS; corn | Blonde ale | brilliant gold | 2 | |
| Hefeweiss | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | | banana | Weissbier | cloudy white straw | 3 | |
| Light Lager | 4- | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | Light Lager | clear straw | 2 | |
Gordon Biersch Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Brewpub off the strip in Las Vegas. Visited 20 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate
Farrah's 21st birthday.
BEERS
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | Style | Color | Carbonation | Notes |
| Blonde Bock | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | | Maibock | clear gold | 2 | 7.0% abv |
| Golden Export | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | | Helles | clear straw | 2 | 5.0% abv |
| Hefe Weizen | 4- | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | banana; cloves | Weissbier | cloudy light copper | 3 | 5.5% abv |
| Marzen | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | Oktoberfest | clear amber | 2 | 5.7% abv |
| Octoberfest | 4- | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | Oktoberfest | slight hazy gold | 2 | |
| Schwarzbier | 4- | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | roasty | Schwarzbier | hazy mahogany | 2 | 4.29% abv |
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino Pub and Brewery **CLOSED**
Las Vegas, Nevada
Brewpub in the base of the Monte Carlo hotel/casino. Didn't try the food. Visited on 23 July 1998,
during the Active Worlds Reunion.
BEERS (6-5oz beers for $6)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Las Vegas Lites | VG | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | fizzy | |
| Jackpot Pale | G | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | | |
| Winners Wheat | G | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | |
| Orange Wheat Special | G | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | lemon,oranges |
| High Roller Red | VG | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | | |
| Silver State Stout | VG+ | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | smooth | |
Tenaya Creek Restaurant and Brewery
Las Vegas, Nevada
Brewpub several miles north and west of downtown. Got there via public transportation bus.
Visited 21 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday.
15 barrel system.
BEERS (8 - 2 oz samplers - $5)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | Style | Color | Carbonation | Notes |
| Belgian Tripel | 4- | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | | fruity; slight tart | Belgian Tripel | brilliant light gold | 2 | 8.6% abv |
| Belgian Wit | 4- | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | | orange peel | Belgian wit | brilliant light gold | 2 | 5.2% abv; 18 IBU |
| ESP Pale | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | American Pale Ale | brilliant light gold | 3 | 5.5% abv; 38 IBU |
| Gold Medal Pilsner | 5- | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | | Bohemian Pilsner | brilliant light gold | 2 | 5.4% abv; 19 IBU |
| Hefeweizen | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | banana; slight cloves | Weissbier | brilliant light gold | 2 | 5.0% abv; 11 IBU |
| Nut Brown Ale | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | walnuts | Northern English brown ale | brilliant light gold | 2 | 5.5% abv; 28 IBU |
| Oktoberfest | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | Oktoberfest | brilliant light gold | 2 | 5.9% abv; 22 IBU |
| Ringtail IPA | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | slight citrus; grapefruit | American IPA | brilliant light gold | 2 | 6.5% abv; 49 IBU |
Triple 7 Brewpub - Main Street Station
Las Vegas, Nevada
Brewpub in downtown Las Vegas, in the Main Street Station casino. Barbecue bacon/cheese
chicken sandwich was G. Food nothing special. Visited 25 March 1999 at 13:15 with Caroline.
BEERS (5-5oz beers for $5)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| High Roller Gold | G+ | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | clean | crisp hops |
| Hefeweisen Special | G+ | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | light | mild yeast |
| Marker Pale Ale | G | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | | strong hops |
| Royal Red Lager | G+ | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | clean | |
| Black Chip Porter | G | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | watery | slightly smoky |
Revisited 20 October 2007 while on trip to celebrate Farrah's 21st birthday.
BEERS (5 - 5 oz samplers - $4.95)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | Style | Color | Carbonation | Notes |
| Black Cherry Stout Brewmasters Special | 4- | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | | very cherry; slight metallic | Fruit beer | clear black brown | 2 | 5.2% abv |
| Blackchip Porter | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | | roasty | Brown porter | clear dark brown | 2 | 4.3% abv |
| High Roller Gold | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | American wheat | clear light gold | 2 | 5.0% abv |
| Marker Pale Ale | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | citrus | American Pale Ale | hazy gold | 2 | 5.6% abv |
| Royal Red Lager | 4- | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | | vienna lager | brilliant copper | 2 | 4.5% abv |
Hops! Bistro and Brewery
Scottsdale, Arizona
Brewpub at Scottsdale Fashion Square (mall) and 8668 E Shea Blvd (602) 998-7777.
Chips were fresh and hot (E), salsa were homemade (E), guacamole was VG.
Visited on 23 Jan 1999.
BEERS (6-5oz beers for $8)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Brewers Blonde Ale | VG+ | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | crisp | |
| Sunset Red | G | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | |
| Grand Slam Golden Ale | VG | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | | hoppy |
| Three Peat Wheat | VG | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | | banana/clove |
| Raspberry Royale | VG | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | not tart | fruity |
| Paradise Porter | G | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | | smoky |
| IPA Cask Conditioned | G | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | smooth | |
Kona, Hawaii
Brewpub visited 16 June 1999 with Caroline. Excellent Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Pizza.
BEERS (4-6oz beers for $6)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Pacific Golden Ale | 3+ | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3+ | 2 | full body | slight bitter |
| Longboard Lager | 3 | 2 | 3+ | 2 | 3 | 2 | | |
| Duke's Draft Golden Ale | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2+ | 2 | light body | slightly dry |
| Awa Awa IPA | 3+ | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | | |
| Fire Rock Pale Ale | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4+ | 2 | | |
| Lavaman Red Ale | 3 | 3+ | 2 | 3+ | 2 | 2 | slight roast | |
| Pahoehoe Porter | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | smoky | |
| Golder Bear (guest - Golden Pacific Brewery - CA) | 3+ | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | bite on presentation | |
Mehana Brewing Company
Hilo, Hawaii
Tasting room visited 14 June 1999 with Caroline. 275 E. Kawili Street, (808) 934-8211.
BEERS (2oz beers for free)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Mehana Beer (Ale) | 3+ | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | fresh | slight yeast |
| Mehana Red Ale | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | fizzy | slight yeast |
| Tsunami Lager | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | fresh | |
| Tsunami Light Lager | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | |
| Roy's Private Reserve Lager (for local restaurant) | 4+ | 3+ | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | | |
Bermuda Triangle Brewing Company
Bermuda, middle of the Atlantic Ocean
Planned to visit on 24 Dec 1999, but it turns out that the brewery had JUST gone out of
business. I was able to get bottles of three of their beers at a local store - they are
rated below. On Bermuda, there was also North Rock Brewing Company - a brewpub - but we
got there 30 minutes after they had closed for the rest of the holidays, and missed it :-(
BEERS (bottles $1.60 US each)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Spinnaker Kolsch | 3+ | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | | Limes |
| Full Moon Pale Ale | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | Syrupy | |
| Wilde Hogge Amber Ale | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | | Hoppy - IPA style |
Big River Grille and Brewing Works
Orlando, Florida
Visited 11 April 2003 with family. 2101 N Epcot Resort Blvd, Lake Buena Vista, FL, on Disney's Boardwalk,
(407) 560-0253. Homemade salsa 4, Beer Cheese Soup 3+.
BEERS (sampler of 6-4 oz beers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Southern Flyer Light Lager | 3+ | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | | |
| Tilt Pale Ale | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | | |
| Magnolia American Brown Ale | 4+ | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | | coffee |
| Wowzer's Wheat | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | banana |
| Rocket Red Ale | 3+ | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | | |
| Irish Red Lager | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | | |
Revisited Sat, 26 Feb 2005 at 5pm. Had customers but not jam-packed like last time. Caroline says the
blackened salmon was "yummy" - rated 5. Chicken cashew salad 4. They have a 10-barrel brewing system.
BEERS (sampler of 5-4 oz beers for $4.95)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | fizz | notes |
| Southern Flyer Light Lager | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2- | | | light lager | straw | 4 | 2.92% abw; OG 8.5°; Liberty hops |
| Gadzooks Pilsner | 4+ | 3 | 3/td> | 1 | 2 | 2+ | | | pilsener | straw | 3 | 4.00% abw; OB 12.0°; Hallertauer hops |
| Sweet Magnolia Brown Ale | 3+ | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | slightly sour (ok) | American brown ale | copper | 3 | 4.13% abw; OG 12.5°; 1998 GABF gold winner |
| Rocket Red Ale | 4+ | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3+ | | citrus | red ale | copper | 3 | 4.25% abw; OG 13.5°; cascade hops; 2003 GABF gold winner |
| Tilt Pale Ale | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | pale ale | cloudy amber | 3 | 4.18% abw; OG 13.0°; perle hops |
11448 University Blvd, Orlando FL, 407-381-9109
Visited Sat, 26 Feb 2005 at 2:30pm. Beers consistently above average - one of the best Hops, beer-wise.
Sampler served in chilled rocks glasses. This works well for Light and Gold, but others get more
flavor as they warm up a little. Restaurant about half full - seems to be good business for
the middle of the afternoon. 7-barrel brewing system, fermented in 14 days. Manager gave me a
tour. Briess malt purchased pre-crushed.
BEERS (sampler of 6-4 oz beers for $3.25)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | fizzy |
| Clearwater Light | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2- | | refreshing | light lager | light straw | 3 |
| Lightning Bold Gold | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2+ | | | golden ale | gold | 3 |
| Hammerhead Red | 4 | 3+ | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | | amber ale | amber | 3+ |
| Alligator Ale | 4- | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3+ | | | porter | mahogany | 3 |
| Oatmeal Stout | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | roasted malt | oatmeal stout | black brown | 3 |
| Scottish Ale | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | | nice malty; not cloying; fizzy | Scottish ale | dark copper | 4 | |
1105 Main Street, Lady Lake FL, 352-750-4466
Visited Sat, 26 Feb 2005 at 11:30am. Part of a Main Street in a cool retro 1700s Spanish style town.
DME Brewing Services 10-barrel system. Salad very crispy 5-, Steak soup 4. Nice long chat with
assistant brewmaster Doyle. Business good, got busier continuously.
BEERS (sampler of 8-4 oz beers for $3.50)
| Name | rating | malty | hops | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | fizz | notes |
| Spanish Springs Light | 3+ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | slight tart | light lager | light straw | 3 | 4.2% alc |
| Sebald's Select | 3+ | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | Munich lager style | lager | gold | 3+ | 4.8% alc |
| Hefe Weizen | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | | clove; banana | unfiltered wheat | slight hazy gold | 3 | |
| Father Rollando's Righteous Ale | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | American pale ale | amber | 3 | 5.0% alc |
| Wilhem Sebald's Oktoberfest Bier | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | | malty | Oktoberfest | copper | 3 | 5.8% alc |
| Cherry Berry Lambic | 4- | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | | raspberry; cherry | fruit lambic | hazy garnet red | 3 | 8.0% alc; made with fruit puree |
| Seymour's Southern Stout | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | | smoky roasted malt | stout | black | 3 | |
| Scottish Ale | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | | fizzy; roasted malt | Scottish ale | mahogany | 3+ | |
Ragtime Tavern and Grill
Atlantic Beach, Florida
Visited 4 December 2004 with Caroline. 207 Atlantic Blvd, Atlantic Beach, FL. Hopping on Saturday night at 10 PM,
live (single-performer) music, wall-to-wall people.
BEERS (sampler of 5-2 oz beers for $3)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | fizzy | notes |
| Dolphins Breath Lager | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | | lager | straw | 3 | OG 8.5° Plato, 3.0% abw |
| Red Brick Ale | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | red ale | cloudy copper | 3 | OG 13.0° Plato, 4.18% abw |
| Sweet Magnolia American Brown Ale | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | | | brown ale | cloudy mahogany | 3 | OG 12.5° Plato, 4.13% abw |
| Holiday Porter | 3+ | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | | cinnamon?, allspice? | winter ale | cloudy copper | 3 | |
| A Strange Stout | 4- | 4+ | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | | chocolate | stout | black | 3 | OG 14.5° Plato, 4.5% abw |
Monkey King
Stuart, Florida
Visited 20 May 2007 with Caroline. Bar was busy, bartender didn't have much time to spend talking beer with me.
The Berry Wheat is the wame as the Honey Orange Wit, but they added some of the Berry Salmon Glaze from the
kitchen.
BEERS (sampler of 3?oz beers)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | notes | style | color | fizzy |
| Berry Wheat | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | raspberry | Fruit beer | clear straw | 3 |
| German Pils | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | | German pilsner | clear gold | 3 |
| Hear No Evil Honey Orange Wit | 4- | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4.4% abv | Belgian Wit | clear straw | 3 |
| Oatmeal Stout | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | coffee | Oatmeal Stout | clear mahogany | 2 |
| See No Evil Light | 4- | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3.5% abv | lager | clear light straw | 3 |
| Speak No Evil Amber | 4- | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5.9% abv | American Amber Ale | clear copper | 3 |
Palm Harbor, Florida
Visited 1 November 2002 with Caroline. 36221 East Lake Road, (727) 786-2966. Burger excellent, fries
good, Caroline's shrimp fajita very good.
BEERS (sampler of 8-4 oz beers plus a root beer for $9.95)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Royal Bohemian Pilsner | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 3 | fizzy | |
| Tampa Red | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | smooth | |
| Old Porch Dog (brown) | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | fizzy | |
| Fischer Hefe Weizen | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | wheat | yeasty |
| Wild Berry Lambic | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | fruity, too sweet | strawberry |
| Cattail Pale Ale | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | | |
| Flying Gator Ale | 3+ | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | | |
| Amarillo Light Pilsner | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | smooth | banana |
| Helm's Dunkler Bock | 4+ | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | creamy | coffee |
Revisited 14 March 2005 with Caroline. Franz (the brewmaster) has a Monday night get-together. He's a very passionate
brewmaster - and very inventive too. His family has been brewing for Austrian royalty for 500 years. Root beer 4+.
He also noticed that the Amarillo Light was cloudy and immediately 86'd it.
BEERS (sampler of 12-4 oz beers plus a root beer for $10)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | carbonation | notes |
| Amarillo Light Pilsner | 3- | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2- | | slightly sour | light pilsener | cloudy straw | 3 | 3.9%; almost a Belgian Wit |
| Royal Bohemian Pilsner | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | pilsener | gold | 3 | 5.0% |
| Cattail Pale Ale | 4- | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | | | pale ale | amber | 3 | 6.4% |
| Tampa Red | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | red ale | copper | 3 | 4.8% |
| Fischer Hefe Weizen | 3+ | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2- | | light banana | unfiltered wheat | hazy light straw | 3 | 5.4% |
| Erics Dusseldorf Alt | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | coffee aftertaste | alt | dark copper | 3 | 5.8% |
| Wild Berry Lambic | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | | | fruit lambic | garnet red | 3 | 10% |
| Gueze | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | lemony sour | sour brown | amber | 3 | 6% |
| Piña Colada Lambic | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | | | fruit lambic | hazy straw | 3 | 10% |
| Blitzen | 4- | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | | slight winey | barleywine | copper | 3 | 9% |
| Bourbon Blitzen | 4+ | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | | mild mellow bourbon | barleywine | copper | 3 | 13.5% |
| Rootent Berry | 4- | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | | root beer | barleywine | copper | 3 | blend of Cattail and 3 other beers plus sarsparilla; aged 2 years |
Trinity, Florida
Visited 20 June 2004 with family (father's day!). 8817 Mitchell Blvd, 34655, (727) 375-2667. Burger excellent, fries
good, Caroline's salmon average (chewy).
BEERS (sampler of 10-4 oz beers for $7)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | fizzy | %Alcohol |
| Helms Dunkler Bock | 4+ | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | | chocolate and coffee | bock lager | chocolate brown | 2 | 6.6 |
| Fischer's Hefe Weizen | 4- | 2 | 2 | 3+ | 1 | 2 | | banana and cloves | Weizen | cloudy dark straw | 1 | 5.4 |
| Fischer's Hefe Weizen Bock | 4+ | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | | | Weizen bock | cloudy copper | 1 | 8.2 |
| Royal Bohemian Pilsner | 5- | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | smooth | malty | Bohemian Pilsner | light straw | 3 | 5.0 |
| Bohemian Swinger | 3+ | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | | bitter (almost pale ale) | Saax dry hopped Bohemian | straw | 3 | 5.0 |
| Wild Berry Lambic | 4+ | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | | raspberries, blueberries, and notably blackberries | fruit lambic | cloudy cherry | 3 | 11.0 |
| Hammel Burger Maerzen | 3+ | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | | | Maerzen | copper | 2 | 5.7 |
| Amarillo Light Pilsner | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | | | Pilsner | straw | 4 | 3.9 |
| Cattail Pale Ale | 4- | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | dry mouth | | American Pale Ale | light copper | 2 | 6.4 |
| Tampa Red | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | Irish Red Ale | copper | 2 | 4.8 |
Revisited Feb 2005 - note that they have changed their beer selection quite a bit, some of them
now matching the Tampa Hoppers.
BEERS (sampler of 11-4 oz beers for $9)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | fizzy | %Alcohol |
| Amarillo Light | 3+ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2- | | | light pilsener | gold | 3 | 3.9 |
| Eric's Dusseldorf Alt | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | fresh hops and malt | alt | copper | 3 | 6.2 |
| La Duchess de Bourgogne | 4+ | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | | winey, nicely balanced | Belgian sour brown barleywine | mahogany | 4 | 9.2 |
| Wild Berry Lambic | 4+ | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | | raspberry, blackberry | fruit lambic | red gold | 4 | 11.0 |
| Hefe Weizen | 4- | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | | banana | wheat | cloudy straw | 3 | 5.4 |
| Royal Bohemian | 4+ | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3- | | | pilsener | gold | 3 | 5.0 |
| Tampa Red | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2+ | | slight sour and yeastiness | red ale | slight reddish gold | 3 | 4.8 |
| Blitzen Ale | 4+ | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3+ | | nice balance, not overly alcoholic | barleywine | copper | 3 | 11.7 |
| Cattail Pale Ale | 4 | 3 | 4+ | 2 | 3 | 3 | | malty | pale ale | copper | 3 | 6.4 |
| Old Porch Dog | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | | green hops | English brown ale | copper | 3 | 6.8 |
| Piña Colada Lambic | 4+ | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | | pineapple | fruit lambic | cloudy straw | 4 | 10.0 |
Tampa, Florida
12227 West Linebaugh Road, Tampa, 33626, 813-814-7748. Visited 30 October 2004 with Caroline. Innovative and good selection
of beers. The only bad note is that their Helms Dunkler Bock had gone bad (soured). The problem is that they knew
it, and were still serving it. Bartender said that they planned to take it offline in a few days. I don't have a problem
with the beer going bad - but it seems like a bad plan to keep serving the beer even when you know it's bad!.
BEERS (sampler of 10-4 oz beers for $9.95)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste | style | color | fizzy | %Alcohol |
| Royal Bohemian Swinger | 4- | 3 | 2 | 2+ | 2 | 2+ | | | pilsener | light straw | 3 | 5.0 |
| Helms Dunkler Bock | 2+ | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | | sour | dark lager | dark brown | 3 | 6.6 |
| Wild Berry Lambic | 4- | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2+ | | cherry, blackberry | lambic | red copper | 3 | 11.0 |
| Cattail Pale Ale | 5- | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3+ | | | American pale ale | copper | 3 | 6.4 |
| Fischers Hefe Weizen | 4- | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | | strong banana, cloves | unfiltered wheat | cloudy straw | 3+ | 5.4 |
| Oktoberfest | 5- | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | | malt | Oktoberfest | amber | 3+ | 5.2 |
| Duchesse De Bourgogne | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | | alcohol | barleywine | cloudy brown | 3 | 9.2 |
| Summer Mango Tango | 4+ | 3 | 2 | 4+ | 1 | 3 | | alcohol | lambic | cloudy amber | 3+ | 11.5 |
| Old Porch Dog | 4+ | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | brown ale | black | 3 | 6.9 |
| Tampa Red | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | | yeast | red ale | copper | 3+ | 4.8 |
Tampa Bay Brewing Company
Tampa, Florida
Visited 9 August 2002 with Caroline. 1812 N. 15th Street, (813) 247-1422. Caroline says salmon was
excellent. Burger very tasty, with spiced fries. Sampler presented on a wood tray with labels for all
the standard beers - very professional looking - and it looks like they are serious about it :)
BEERS (sampler of 12-2 oz beers plus a root beer for $8.50)
| Name | rating | malty | hoppy | sweet | bitter | body | finish | aftertaste |
| Redeye Ale | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | Amber ale | juniper |
| Jack the Quaffer London Porter | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | | chocolate |
| Old Elephant Foot IPA | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | | |
| Iron Rat Stout | 3+ | 4 | 4 | 4 | |