Anchor Steam Beer

There are many who credit Anchor Steam Beer as being one of the most influential beers in the American craft beer renaissance. That comes with a certain amount of respect. But when tasting this and comparing it to all the mass produced pilsners, you can understand why this is so different. First, the color is a cloudy copper with a creamy white head. And there's actually some flavor to it! Maltiness with some bread notes and a hint of sour in the finish. Perhaps not a world-class beer, but it is certainly an American classic and gets bonus points for the history and revolution it helped to spawn. After having something like Budweiser or High Life, then drinking Anchor Steam, there is no surprise that people were begging for "More! More of that!" (not-at-all-veiled-Top-Gear-reference).

When you take everything into account, there's no way this isn't an A.

Yuengling Lager Review

Before I get to the taste and such of Yuengling, perhaps I should tell a story. When I was in college, one of my roommates from was from Pennsylvania. He would always bring Yuengling back with him whenever he went home. And since we couldn't buy it where we were in Ohio, it became like a rare delicacy for me and my roommates. Of course, that was the only reason we ever wanted him to go home for a weekend*.

Now, if you compared Yuengling in a blind taste test to other amber lagers, it might not hold up and win huge awards. It's light amber, there is some hop bittnerness and a little bit of sweetness to it. But it's light, it's crisp, it has good taste if not a ton of it, and it's supremely drinkable. If I were rating this blindly, it's probably a low B. But because of the memories I associate with it and that it's still special and rare to me, it's an A in my book. Or blog, as it were.

Abita Amber

From the bayou in Louisiana comes Abita Amber. This is the company's first and most popular beer. It has a light copper color, a little bit of a caramel feel and some citrus notes. It is a lot lighter in color, doesn't feel as heavy, and has a less bold flavor than something like Great Lakes' Eliot Ness or Flying Dog's Old Scratch. Think more like Yuengling. It's very good, just don't expect something heavy and aggressive. I liked it quite a bit and would get it again!

Grade : B