Denver Pale Ale

This one from Great Divide Brewing Company, from Denver, Colorado is a pretty good English Pale Ale. It pours a clear, bright orange color with a bubbly head that's perhaps a little too much. The smell is mainly floral with a bit of wood and other earthiness.

It's a good beer to drink because of its crispness on the tongue, and is relatively light in the stomach, but it's thick enough to hold its own and doesn't feel too weak like beers sometimes can. The flavors are mainly earthy malts and a bit of the bite from hops but it's definitely not too much for those that don't enjoy hoppy bitterness. There's even a bit of sweet and fruity at the back end. Overall, it's a pretty darn good pale ale and I would never turn one down or hold it to last in a variety pack. Not one of my regulars though. I'm definitely not disappointed when one of these comes into my possession.

Rating: 83/100

Dig Pale Ale

Dig Pale Ale is a seasonal release from New Belgium Brewing Company, located in Fort Collins, Colorado. (If you ever get the chance to visit, DO IT!) The art on the bottle is great, as usual from New Belgium (who has a local artist, and former neighbor of the owners to do all the designs).

First off, it pours a beautiful amber color with big, foamy white head that will linger a bit, but not too long. The smell is a good amount of citrus and a good amount of floral hops as well.

Five different varieties of hops are used in brewing to make this beer one that should knock you off your seat with bitterness, but it's balanced well and though the bitterness lingers a bit it's not a bad thing. It's really more malty than you might expect based on the smells (and my first sentence of this paragraph). The tastes are mostly citrus with some lemon and orange and is just a medium bodied beer. It's very drinkable and I'd love to have this one again! Vying for a place on my list of favorite pale ales for sure!

Rating: 87/100

Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin Ales are one of the enigmas of my life; I don't like pumpkin pie at all, and can't seem to think of any other pumpkin anything that I enjoy, but pumpkin beer is something I look forward to every year. Now, this review is coming out a little too late for this year, but next year I recommend at least trying a couple of different ones if you've never had them.


Buffalo Bill's, out of Hayward, California, produces this Pumpkin Ale packaged with a good looking label. Once poured into a glass though, it's another story. It sits a orange-red color and has small, foamy bubbles on the top. The bubbles go away quickly, and the beer looks sort of flat in the glass which is never good. The smell of pumpkin beers are what I look forward to most a lot of the time, and this one does a pretty good job in that aspect. You'll smell all the spices you'd want to find in a pie, nutmeg, sweet sugars, and some cinnamon, but the pumpkin aroma could stand to be amped up a bit here. Drinking Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale will be a pleasant experience as it is not heavy and doesn't stick too much to the insides of your cheek. The taste isn't as pumpkin-y as I would have hoped from a pumpkin ale, so it fails to live up to its name, but the other spices stick around in the flavors. Overall, it's a pretty average pumpkin ale, and if you're just starting to try pumpkin beers I'd stay away from this one or you'll be disappointed. Not an awful attempt though, and not something I would turn down if offered.

Rating: 76/100

McSorley's Irish Black Lager

McSorley's Irish Black Lager is named for one of the oldest pubs in New York City, where it is still served. It is brewed by Pabst Brewing Company in Illinois though, and is an extremely tasty black lager. You'll see immediately why 'black' is in its name as you pour it and the almost pitch black liquid fills up your glass. There is a tan/brown foam that sits atop the beer and gives it a dark, ominous look. The smells will remind you of a coffee house, with some smoky cocoa and coffee scents.

Then comes the tasting. Once again it tastes a bit smoky and you can definitely taste the cocoa and coffee a bit again, but it sits surprisingly light in your stomach, and has a lighter mouth-feel than you would expect based on the color. I would pick this beer up at the end of a tough day, or when you want something that isn't too heavy, but has enough weight to not be confused with water. A good choice for those new to black lagers, and a perfect representative for Saint Patrick's Day in America!

Rating: 85/100