Day 110 - Lagunitas IPA

Lagunitas Brewing - Lagunitas IPA
Petaluma, CA (USA)
ABV 5.7% Calories 180*

This IPA has a great aroma and a beautiful, satisfying after taste. However, the beer itself doesn't jump out at you - it is not as flavorful as some of the IPA's I've had, although you can feel the alcohol. Lagunitas brews a bunch of beers and though this is my first taste of this Petaluma brewery, I'll be sure to try a few more before I make a final verdict.

*estimated

Day 109 - Alaskan Amber

Alaska Brewing - Alaskan Amber
Juneau, AL (USA)
ABV 5.3% Calories 145*

Another sub-par beer. I was hoping for something more along the lines of Rogue or Firestone but it ends up being more of a dud like yesterday's George Killian's. Actually you can switch the labels of this Alaskan Amber and George Killian's and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Pass on this one - I'm actually planning a cruise trip up to the Alaska area, maybe my ideas of this brewery will change if I have one locally...

*estimated

Day 108 - George Killian's Irish Red

Coors Brewing - George Killian's Irish Red
Golden, CO (USA)
ABV 4.9% Calories 163

Not much to say about this Irish Red - it is one of those sub-par beers that have no distinct taste/flavor. Its a bland beer that tastes like 'beer'. Medicore at best.

Day 107 - St. Pauli Girl

St. Pauli Brauerei - St. Pauli Girl
Bremen, Germany (GERMAN)
ABV 4.9% Calories 150

St. Pauli Girl has is a marketing genius and has a history of beautiful spokes-women; many of whom have been Playboy models. However, beautiful spokes-women doesn't compensate for a lack-luster beer. Good women, bad beer.

Day 106 - Firestone Pale 31 - California Pale Ale

Firestone Walker Brewing - Pale 31 - California Pale Ale
Paso Robles, CA(USA)
ABV 4.6% Calories 160*

I actually visited this brewery/winery a few years ago and I've had the DBA numerous times and love it very much. This is the first time I've had the Pale 31 and for a beer with only 4.6% ABV, this packs a flavorful and tasty punch. It is very well rounded and smooth with enough hops to make you want more; and that is my only regret, not buying a few more bottles. On Firestone's website, they list a slew of micro-brews including a Union Jack IPA - I have a strong feeling I would like the Union Jack. I just need to go out and find one.

*estimated

Day 105 - Redhook ESB

Redhook Ale Brewery - ESB (Extra Special Bitters)
Woodenville, WA(USA)
ABV 5.77% Calories 179

This is a fairly common beer you see in your local grocery store and it is funny that after so many years of beer drinking, this is the first time that I've had an ESB. If this beer were rated on smell alone, it would be close to a perfect 10. The initial sniff was decadent - very citrusy and sweet. The taste itself is great compared to the rest of the over-the-counter beers. It has a nice finish and aroma melts into your mouth. Doesn't really rank up there with the Belgian brews or the unique micro-brews but it can certainly hold its own.

Day 104 - Blue Moon Belgian White

Blue Moon Brewing - Belgian White
Golden, CO (USA)
ABV 5.4% Calories 171

A wheaty, malty beer - it pours a nice, light dirty orange. Not nearly as tasty as a Hoegaarden, the Blue Moon only has hints of citrus - a light honey like after taste. Closer to a good beer rather than a bad beer but sits pretty close to the middle of the fence.

Day 103 - Chimay Ale (Blue Label)

Bières de Chimay - Chimay Ale (Blue Label)
Chimay, Belgium (BELGIUM)
ABV 9.0% Calories 180*

This Blue Label (Grand Reserve) is a strong dark Belgian beer and it is very good. I would give this one first place out of the 3 Chimay's. Interesting how 'Blue' always signifies the best - like the 1st place blue ribbons or Johnny Walker's 'Blue' Label. This Chimay has the strongest alcohol content out of the three and you can really taste it between the sweet and bitter notes. I enjoyed every last drop.

*estimated

Day 102 - Chimay Ale Tripel (White Label)

Bières de Chimay - Chimay Ale Tripel (White Label)
Chimay, Belgium (BELGIUM)
ABV 8.0% Calories 180*

In my mind, this White Label Chimay is slightly better than the Red Label. It has a beautiful aroma from my goblet style glass. A little lighter in shade than yesterday's Red, this White Label is delicious; a very fine beer. The only beers I've had so far that have come close to these true Belgium-Trappist beers are the Unibroue's from Montreal. Trappist meaning they are still brewed in the monasteries of the Trappist monks - a reason Chimay's are pricier than most beers is that part of the proceed go towards non-profit work; definitely a worth cause.

*estimated

Day 101 - Chimay Ale (Red Label)

Bières de Chimay - Chimay Ale (Red Label)
Chimay, Belgium (BELGIUM)
ABV 7.0% Calories 180*

I'm starting off the next 100 beers with one of my all-time favorite beers (prior to the start of this blog). I have always held Chimay in the highest regard - and had my first taste of a Chimay brew on a business 'side'-trip to Brussels. Even though I have not had one of these in quite some time (well over 100 days); but after tonight's beer, my sentiments are still the same. This is a classic Belgium beer and is definitely still one of my favorites. There are two more Chimay's for me to taste and I will look forward to more in the near future.

*estimated

Day 100 - Guinness Draught

Guinness - Guinness Draught
St. James Gate, Dublin (IRELAND)
ABV 4.2% Calories 125

100 beers - this is the first milestone on my quest for 365. Today I drink a Guinness Draught right out of the bottle. I've had many Guinness' before and have always thought of it as a dark, full-bodied, and filling beer. The Draught is actually fairly light but just as creamy and enjoyable as the Stout. Malty with a more bitter than sweet after taste. Not one of my personal favorites but one that I could enjoy from time to time. Tomorrow I start off the new centennial with a bang.

Day 99 - Hofbräu Original

Hofbräu München - Hofbräu Original
München, Germany (GERMANY)
ABV 5.1% Calories 150*

Another German "Munich Helles Lager", this Hofbräu is not even close to the quality of yesterday's Spaten. A little lighter in flavor and color, it lacks and positive taste notes and actually has a nasty metallic tinge. I'd stay away from this one - kind of hard to finish. Maybe it is just not my type of beer or I got a funky one?!

*estimated

Day 98 - Spaten Premium

Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu - Spaten Premium
Munich, Germany (GERMANY)
ABV 5.2% Calories 160

Unlike most European lagers that lack flavor and oomph, this Spaten Premium brings it all. A hearty lager with plenty of spices and hops. I usually don't like these types of beers but am pleasantly surprised by this brew; definitely a beer to note and one to purchase when I'm in the mood for a 'light' refreshing beer.

Day 97 - Rogue Dead Guy Ale

Rogue Ales Brewery - Rogue Dead Guy Ale
Newport, OR (USA)
ABV 6.5% Calories 200*

Out of the close to 100 beers I've had so far this is easily in the top 5. A perfect amber color and sweet scent, this Dead Guy Ale is smooth. You can taste the fresh, maltiness of the beer. It has a great hoppy finish and has just the type of flavors I look for in a beer. Although on the pricey end, I am going to search out more Rogue beers. Rogue actually has a 'Double' Dead Guy Ale - can't wait to get my hands on that one.

*estimated

Day 96 - Woodchuck Draft Cider - Granny Smith

Green Mountain Cidery - Woodchuck Draft Cider - Granny Smith
Middlebury, VT (USA)
ABV 5.0% Calories 160

Another Woodchuck Cider - this one in the form of Granny Apple flavor. The color looks just like Squirt (a dirty white color) - it has the same type of sweetness as the Draft Cider - Amber, but with the subtle addition of sour green apple. Again, I left 1/2 for the wifey.

Day 95 - Woodchuck Draft Cider - Amber

Green Mountain Cidery - Woodchuck Draft Cider - Amber
Middlebury, VT (USA)
ABV 5.0% Calories 200

Not sure if I would count this as a beer but since it was in my local store's beer section and it comes in a beer bottle, I'm going to give it a pass. There is no head on this Draft Cider and could easily pass for sparkling wine - and it tastes like one as well. It is 5% abv and weights in at a whopping 200 calories (it actually says so on the bottle; another reason why this can't be a real beer - people who drink beer don't want to know how many calories in the bottle...). I'm not going to lie, I like apple juice and this is an alcoholic apple juice - though the manly side of me will pass this along to the wifey.

Day 94 - Stiegl Goldbräu Premium Lager

Stiegl Brewery - Stiegl Goldbräu Premium Lager
Salzburg, Austria (AUSTRIA)
ABV 4.9% Calories 150*

Usually I'm not a big fan of this type of beer - a simple lager, malty, and lacking any distinct flavors. However, the Goldbräu was very refreshing and the ever so slight sweet after taste was a nice added bonus. Maybe not as refreshing as Stiegl's lemonade beer (Day 72), I was still happy to pound this one home.

*estimated

Day 93 - Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale

North Coast Brewing - Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale
Fort Bragg, CA (USA)
ABV 9.3% Calories 400*

Fort Bragg is just north of Mendocino County, which is the origin of several of the other beers I've had so far; the interesting thing about this is I recently saw a show on TV describing the whole area's economy dependant upon marijuana production (60% of its residents are involved in some capacity with marijuana growth). My first thought was, maybe people high simply know how to make better beer - the best example would be all the Belgium brewers, which are only a few steps away from Amsterdam. Brother Thelonious is a strong dark beer, malty, lingering, and sweet. It is the closest I've had to a Belgium beer not brewed in Belgium. North Coast Brewing has a bunch of other craft beers and I will definitely search them out (even though it is more expensive than most beers, I'm sure the cost simply helps subsidize the weed for the brewers!).

*estimated (750ml)

Day 92 - Golden Pheasant

Pivovar Zlaty Bazant - Golden Pheasant
Hurbanovo, Slovak Republic (Slovakia)
ABV 5.0% Calories 150*

I googled Slovak Republic, I have no clue where this country is located. The same goes for this beer; I have no clue if it's any good - actually I do; it is a pretty cruddy beer. I hope the Country of Slovakia is not as cruddy is this beer; that would be sad.

*estimated

Day 91 - Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock

Paulaner - Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock
Munich, Germany (GERMANY)
ABV 7.9% Calories 200*

You can feel and taste the alcohol in this beer - it has a strong after taste but not as flavorful as the Oktoberfest from yesterday. A good beer but doesn't rank up there with my favorites.

*estimated

Day 90 - Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märzen

Paulaner - Paulaner Oktoberfest-Märze
Munich, Germany (GERMANY)
ABV 5.8% Calories 185*

Another German beer for me today - I definitely like this one more than the earlier Paulaner I had (Day 11). The Oktoberfest has literally no head and pours a pure amber color. It does have a strong malty flavor and if you swish it inside your mouth you can taste the slight sweetness in the brew. Easy to drink and it went very well with the CPK BBQ pizza I had for dinner.

*estimated

Day 89 - Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel

Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu - Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel
Munich, Germany (GERMANY)
ABV 5.0% Calories 175*

This is the first decent beer I've had in over a week. This Hefe-Weisse Dunkel (dark) is spicy with the right flavor tones. It still goes down smooth like its lighter counter part (see day 39) but packs a nice little punch. The only knock I have on this beer is the slight metallic aftertaste that lingers in your mouth.

*estimated

Day 88 - Baltika 3 Classic

Baltika Brewery - Baltika 3 Classic
Saint Petersburg, Russia (RUSSIA)
ABV 4.8% Calories 140*

Apparently there are a series of Baltika beers - cleverly labeled from 2 - 9. I've had the new before and thought it had a unique (although not very good) flavor. The 3 seems like a slimmed down version of the 9 w/out the tangy, syrupy taste. I could live without trying the other beers in Baltika's series but if I do see the others and I need other beers to round out my 365, I may just pick them up.

*estimated

Day 87 - India Ale (IPA)

Samuel Smith Brewery - India Ale (IPA)
Tadcaster, Yorkshire (ENGLAND)
ABV 5.0% Calories 180*

Worst IPA till date. This will be the last Samuel Smith beer I ever buy.

*estimated

Day 86 - Nut Brown Ale

Samuel Smith Brewery - Nut Brown Ale
Tadcaster, Yorkshire (ENGLAND)
ABV 5.0% Calories 180*

This Nut Brown Ale tastes like a bitter version of Newcastle. Again, this is the unpleasant type of sour/sweet bitter that I am personally not fond of; however, reviews of this beer are mainly optimistic. You should try the Samuel Smith's for yourself and make your own decision. So far for me, I would rather drink some local microbrews or anything coming out of Belgium over these English beers.

*estimated

Day 85 - Winter Welcome

Samuel Smith Brewery - Winter Welcome Ale
Tadcaster, Yorkshire (ENGLAND)
ABV 6.0% Calories 200*

This is 3-for-3 with the Samuel Smith brews - a perfect 100% so far for sub-par beer (in my books). There is something about these English beers; a sour bitterness and sweet tinge that I dislike as opposed to the hoppy bitterness of the Belgium beers (which I love). The count down continues, hopefully one of the next two Samuel Smith's will impress me... one of them is an IPA.

*estimated

Day 84 - Bud Light

Anheuser-Busch - Bud Light
St. Louis, MO (USA)
ABV 4.2% Calories 110

Had dinner at a local establishment during happy hour and decided to have a Bud Light for my beer of the day. You know how it tastes. The photo is the first that isn't my own - I do have the bottle but am too lazy to take a picture of such a lame beer. It is sad to realize that at the end of it all, I will probably consume more Bud Light's than those really good beers I truly love.

Day 83 - Organically Produced Ale

Samuel Smith Brewery - Organically Produced Ale
Tadcaster, Yorkshire (ENGLAND)
ABV 5.0% Calories 180*

Being organic doesn't make this beer much better. This is one of those beers I don't agree with the reviews; it has an average B+ rating based on 231 reviews. This beer is borderline failure in my books. Samuel Smith has not impressed so far; I have three more to try - and if they are anything like these first two, I'll probably never purchase another SS again...

*estimated

Day 82 - Old Brewery Pale Ale

Samuel Smith Brewery - Old Brewery Pale Ale
Tadcaster, Yorkshire (ENGLAND)
ABV 5.0% Calories 180*

This Pale Ale actually received fairly high ratings on more than one site. I'm not the biggest fan. This is my first Samuel Smith beer and I have a few more that I will try this week. The Pale Ale is a nice amber-ish color with a nice solid scent; but it leaves an unnatural honey sweet after taste that I'm not very fond of - we'll see how the other Samuel Smith beers pan out.

*estimated

Day 81 - Żywiec

Żywiec Brewery - Żywiec
Żywiec, Poland (POLAND)
ABV 5.7% Calories 160*

Watched the Bachelor Finale while drinking this beer; I feel the Bachelor is essentially a more civilized version of the old school Jerry Springer shows. Everything coming out of the Bachelor's mouth was such a piece of crock - just like the labels on this beer - get one, check it out. Other than having won many medals the label also has an interesting 'thermometer' that let's you know when the beer is cold enough and perfect to drink. I'm sorry to say that the beer isn't that impressive at any temperature.

*estimated

Day 80 - Fat Tire

New Belgium Brewery - Fat Tire
Fort Collins, CO (USA)
ABV 5.2% Calories 159

Another New Belgium brew; actually the only one I've had prior to the start of this 365-quest. In my memory this was always a quality beer and one that I would order if it were ever available. My sentiments have not changed as the Fat Tire is still a quality, tasty beer (and probably more readily available than some of my actual favorites - since most of those are micro-brews you won't be able to find at your local dive bar).