A few Beers I'd recommend

I'm no authority, these are just my opinions and observations. If you haven't guessed by now, I'm also extremely biased on this subject. I'll use star rating, one star means it sucks, five means it ain't Bud.

Why in the world is Brenda grinning like the Cheshire Cat if she's drinking a Bud Light?
Must be all that clean Vermont air.......can't be the beer!

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale   ***1/2

Malty at first, and slightly sweet, with a flowery hop nose and bitterness. Tons of cascades in this beer! Refreshing on a hot day. A classic american craft beer.

Ipswich Oatmeal Stout   ****

Holy cow! Dark, nasty-looking, thick, creamy, with that burnt malty taste of a good stout, but with a twist:sweetness and buttloads of hops. And the great part about this beer is that they pull the balance between bitterness and sweetness off perfectly. Ya gotta try this stuff.

Pilsner Urquell (On tap)  *****

Some would say this is one of  the best beers in the world. I find it difficult to argue against that point. The people who brew this beer have been using the same basic recipe for over 700 years! You have to get it on tap, because it's skunked by the time you get it here in a bottle from the Czech Republic. It is full-bodied, light amber in color, with that distinctive saaz hop flavor. Balance is everything with this beer. As close to perfection as you can get.

Budejovice Budvar ("Czechvar" to those of us who live in the land of corporate greed)  *****

Oh my!  What a beer! It's all about subtlety. The balance and delicate saaz hop character of Pilsner Urquell, with a smoother delivery. No wonder Anheuser-Busch & their lawyers kept this beer out of the US for so long --- The original "Budweiser" is awesome. I could drink a lot of this on a hot summer day. Same caveat applies to this as with Pilsner Urquell --- it comes in a green bottle, so be real careful where you buy it, otherwise you're gonna get skunkwater.

Fuller's ESB   ****

The classic english ESB. Malty, with a fruity, almost citrusy hop character that lingers after you swallow. I think I'd like this better if I could get it fresh in England, rather than who knows how old over here in the US. Still a great brew, nonetheless.

Smuttynose/Northampton/Portsmouth ESB  ****1/2

A brewery and two brewpubs all operated by the same folks. I bet this beer is what Fuller's tastes like fresh. In a word, yummy.

Hartford Brewery Praying Mantis Porter  ****

IT'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Check out http://www.hartfordbetterbeer.com/    A smooth, roasty, and very drinkable porter. The inspiration for our own award-winning Bat-Mantis porter. We spent a lot of time in their pub back when it was open!

Anchor Liberty Ale    ****

Made by the same people who brew the famous Steam beer, which is another worthy choice as well. Liberty Ale is sweet and hoppy, with a full body, and amber color. Refreshing. Cool brewery tour, too.

Victory Hop Devil IPA ****

Did someone say hops? Oooohhhh yeah, this baby has TONS of hops. Well balanced by malt, with a slight sweetness. Medium bodied, and very drinkable for the average hophead. If you don't like bitter beers, this isn't for you. Highly recommended, especially for a hot summer day.


Geary's London Porter **** 1/2

OK, I have to admit, I have a liking for beers with Ringwood yeast when it's used properly. And Geary's knows how to use it! This is a dark, complex, smoky brew with a medium body and slight hop presence. A great beer for curling up by the fire with a block of cheese.


Samuel Adams Boston Lager ****

Sammy lager is the granddaddy of the american craft beer scene. There were craft beers before it, and there were beers that might rate higher with a lot of beer snobs, but this one got the most people started on drinking good beer again. This beer is dark amber in color, full-bodied for a lager, and has a very noticeable dose of noble hops, and sweet malt profile that balances perfectly. To this day, still my favorite american lager. And the best part is, no matter where you go, you can almost always get one, even if the rest of the beer selection in the joint is swill.


Smuttynose/Northampton/Portsmouth Black Cat Stout **** 1/2

A thick, black meal in a glass. This stout blows the doors off of most stouts I've had -- it has a sweet roasted flavor and very slight hop presence, full body, and a dense brown head. It's very creamy and satisfying, especially on tap. Yum !!!!!