Review #4 - Ambers & Irish

After a very, very long holiday break we reconvened in the barrio for another beer review. This time it was decided to tackle amber beers and Irish brews, since St. Patrick's Day is "right around the corner" even though it was only February 22nd. So really we could fit a second Irish beer tasting in before St. Patty's, however, we found that there really isn't that large an assortment of Irish beer. They invented Guinness and I guess they stopped there.

So here's what we got:

Beer #1 - Barrel Trolley Amber
5.3% ABV

Christina - It doesn't just look like beer, but beer and soda. It has a sweet flavor.
Melinda - Smooth, lemony. A good barbecue beer.
Ruben - A smooth flavor with a dark taste. Almost medicinie or like what I think eucalyptus would taste like.
Alana - Yeah, I get that feeling, too. Smooth, but it tastes numbing, like an antiseptic.
Kurt - I like the label.

Beer #2 - Fat Tire Amber
5.2% ABV

Melinda - It looks nice and clear. No UTI's.
Christina - But it tastes like dirt!
Kris - Yeah, it's Earthy. It has a grassy/straw character.
Kurt - I think this one smells like a hangover.
 - Melinda - Like a dirty bar?
Ruben - I think it's a good party beer.

Beer #3 - Green's Amber Ale
Gluten Free (no crustaceans)
6.3% ABV

Alana - Whoa! I taste apples.
Christina - Yucky aftertaste. A bit of a pale aftertaste with the apple.
Ruben - Really medicinie. The carbonation is different.
Kurt - I like this one the best out of the first three.
Lynn - It could use crustaceans.

Beer #4 - Murphy's Red Ale
Irish
5.0% ABV

Ruben - That's light and hoppy.
Christina - I could drink this all night. It's not that strong.
Kris - It's smooth.
Alana - The Budweiser of Ireland?
Kurt - There's no taste.

Beer #5 - Abita Christmas Ale
5.0% ABV

Ruben - That's really piney.
Alana - Yuck, yuck, get that off my tongue!
Kris - Quite perfumie.
Kurt - It's an amber IPA.
Melinda - I'm not a fan.

Beer #6 - Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale
5.8% ABV

Christina - Ugh, this looks like a UTI beer.

Alana - Good but only in small doses. Though kind of like a Vicks cough drop.
Lyn - I'm not loving this one.
Kris - A bit of an armpit smell to it. Maybe a sweaty Winnie the Pooh. Mild taste, though. 
Kurt - Meh, not bad.

Beer #7 - Guinness Red Harvest Stout
Irish (duh)
4.1% ABV

Alana - Poured into your glass, it looks like a lava lamp as it settles. It tastes light.
Lynn - It's flat!
Christina - Doesn't taste like a normal Guinness. Easy to drink.
Melinda - I'd order this in a bar.
Ruben - You guys are talking me into liking this one.
Kurt - The first thing I taste is water.

Beer #8 -  Guinness Extra Stout
Irish
5.0% ABV

Kris - Not as flat as the Red Harvest. I like this Guinness a lot better.
Ruben/Melinda/Lynn - This is what I imagine a Guinness to taste like.
Christina - Black licorice! Though it could be the nacho I just ate. It tastes like every other beer we've thrown away because it's gone flat.
Kurt - Guinness out of a bottle is terrible.

Beer #9 - Guinness Black Lager
Irish
4.5% ABV

Melinda - Chocolaty. It tastes like "other beers."
Lynn - Not as flat. I like this one.
Ruben - I like it. It tastes like any other lager.
Christina - I expected more.

Beer #10 - Wexford Irish Style Creme Ale
Irish? No, it's an English beer. Sons-a-bitches tricked us!
5.0% ABV

Ruben - Does "Irish style" mean flat? I like the flavor, though I just don't like how it's flat.
Lynn - I taste some caramel. 
Kurt - Yeah, it's flat but I taste a lot of caramel, too.
Christina - I don't like this one.
Melinda - I don't get a normal aftertaste with this one.
 - Alana - But I taste something.
Kris - The sweetness is weird.

Beer #11 - Harp Premium Lager
Irish (from the brewers of Guinness)
5.0% ABV

Ruben - This is the Budweiser of Irish beers.
Melinda - But with a kick.
Kurt - No bitter taste to it. That surprises me.

Bonus Beer - Ballast Point Pale Ale
San Diego
5.2% ABV

Christina - Smells poochie.
 - Kris - Coochie? There is a big tuna on the label.
Lynn - I like it. I can taste citrus.
Ruben - I love pale ales. Ballast makes their beers easy to drink whether you're new to beers or a seasoned [drunkard].

So none of the ambers really stood out to us and if you're going to Ireland, you'd better like Guinness because that's about all there is. We all kind of rejoiced when we popped open the Ballast Point.