Bottoms Up! Rivertown Brewing's Hop Bomber Pale Ale

Hop Bomber Pale Ale from Rivertown Brewing Company is described as:

"an American pale ale named after the famous B-24 Liberator bomber. This beer has a wonderful malt backbone from the use of dark English crystal malt and spicy fresh rye malt. It is dry hopped with two varieties of American hops for a crisp, refreshing flavor". 

Here are my interpretations of this beer.

Appearance-Hop Bomber from Rivertown Brewing pours a dark honey hue with a very thin head and almost no lacing.

Smell-The smell of this brew is sweet and perfumey with a hint of spice.

Taste-An interesting blend of hoppy bitterness paired with malty sweetness and a touch of spice. Each flavor is distinct but nNo one flavor overpowers this brew.

Mouthfeel-Medium body and carbonation make this beer a quick drink. It is a little dry.

Overall Impression-This is a good all around beer. I was expecting the hops to be a little more assertive, but it is a very easy drinking beer. Pair this beer with tangy cheese, such as feta, asiago or parmesan, steak, prime rib, roast beef or lamb dishes.

Hop Bomber is brewed locally by the Rivertown Brewing Company from Lockland ( Cincinnati), Ohio. It is available for sale in 12 ounce bottles or on draft. Bottles may be purchased as a six pack or as a part of a variety sampler. It can be purchased in bottles at Heather's Coffee and Cafe, located in Springboro. For more information, please visit the Rivertown Brewing website or Facebook page.

Bottoms Up! Helles Lager from Rivertown Brewing

Helles lager, from Rivertown Brewing Company, is described by its brewer as:

"true symbol of our German heritage. A rich, crisp, full flavored Bavarian style Lager brewed with the finest imported German barley, choice hops, and natural water". 
 
This description, while adequate, comes off as a bit vague. Here are my interpretations of this beer.
 
Appearance-Helles lager pours a golden yellow hue with some sediment; very little head and little lacing.

Smell-This lager offers a crisp, clean-almost grassy-scent; sweet and fresh.

Taste-Tastes clean and smooth. It is neither hoppy or malty-strikes a nice balance between the two.Tastes similar to its smell-somewhat grassy.

Mouthfeel-Medium carbonation and a little thin; crisp flavor.

Overall Impression-Nothing stood out to me as exceptionally good about this lager, but nothing stood out as exceedingly bad, either. It is a very easy drinking brew that would be perfect on a hot summer day. When pairing with food, this unassuming beer will work well with Mexican, barbecue, burgers and salty snacks such as chips, pretzels and popcorn.

Helles Lager is brewed locally by the Rivertown Brewing Company from Lockland (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is available for sale in 12 ounce bottles or on draft. Bottles may be purchased as a six pack or as a part of a variety sampler. It can be purchased in bottles at Heather's Coffee and Cafe, located in Springboro. For more information, please visit the Rivertown Brewing website or Facebook page.

Bottoms Up! Shock Top Lemon Shandy

Several months ago, I was sent several bottles of Shock Top's Lemon Shandy to review and I am just now getting around to tasting them. First, I want to apologize to the powers that be at Shock Top Brewing Company for taking so long to review their product. Second, I need to apologize to my taste buds for not trying this seasonal brew earlier. Shame on me!

Shock Top's Lemon Shandy is described as:

"Brewed with two row and six row malted barley and five different types of hops, this Belgian-Style Wheat Ale is then combined with citrus peels, coriander, natural lemonade flavor and a hint of sugar for a subtle sweetness. The end result is an incredibly refreshing, crisp and smooth beer that hits the spot as the thermometer heats up. "

I always read a brewery's description of the product with a grain of salt-they always want you to be titillated by their words so you will rush out and buy it. Well, for once in my life, I agree wholeheartedly with words gleaned from a product page. Here are my interpretations of this beer:

Appearance-This brew pours a bright hazy yellow hue that is topped with a fluffy, fast receding white head. The head reduces quickly to a thin amount of lacing that tops the beer and the glass.

Smell-Lemon Shandy has a very light scent that is reminiscent of wheat bread and fresh lemon.

Taste-Upon tasting this beer, I was immediately struck a bright lemon flavor that is neither overpowering nor cloying, like so many lemon flavored foods are. It fades to a malty sweetness that leaves you wanting more.

Mouthfeel-The feel of this beer is very light, very wet and lightly carbonated, making it a very easy beer to drink on a hot summer night. It appears much more bubbly in the glass than it actually is on the palate, which was a pleasant surprise.

Overall Impression-I was very impressed with Shock Top's Lemon Shandy. Other reviews on the internet are not so positive and I'm not completely sure why. Some complain that it is too weak while others say it is too strong. I felt it struck a nice balance between sweet and tart. If you are expecting the flavor of a hard lemonade, you will most certainly be disappointed. However, if you are looking for a lightly flavored wheat beer to enjoy when the temperatures soar, Lemon Shandy should fit the bill nicely. I would recommend serving this beer with the lighter flavors of summer-fruit and cheese trays, salads and fish dishes.

Bottoms Up! Black Lager from Guinness

I will never forget my first experience drinking a Guinness Stout. It was while visiting the Ohio Renaissance Festival with my dad sometime during the 1990's. Up until then, my beer experience had been very limited and I was unsure of what to think about something so dark. We overheard a husband and wife discussing her first taste of a Guinness and she described it as "urine filtered through a dirty sweatsock", but she wasn't quite so eloquent with her words. That obviously colored my opinion of the beer and I wasn't too thrilled with it when I took a sip. Since then, I have experienced a huge range of beers, from organic fruit ales to oatmeal stouts and all kinds of other specialty beers in between. I am now able to fully appreciate Guinness without comparing it to unpleasant things.

Guinness describes its black lager as:
"Guinness Black Lager is an easy-drinking lager, so it’s a completely different product from Guinness Draught, which is a nitrogenated stout. Lagers and stouts are made in quite different ways. Lagers are brewed for longer at lower temperatures for a crisp, refreshing taste. This is what we do with Guinness Black Lager. But we use our signature roasted barley to bring a new taste to lager, combining the refreshing taste of a lager with the character of Guinness."

Here are my interpretations of this beer:

Appearance: Dark and unable to be seen through. It has a very light, airy, ample fluffy head that is  light tan in color. Head fades to some light lacing in the glass.

Smell: This beer smells quite yeasty and bready. There is a definite alcohol presence in the scent of this. There is also a light malted smell with a hint of molasses.

Flavor: Guinness Black boasts of a deep, roasted flavor, I didn't find this brew as bold as I was expecting it to be. There are some malt flavors and light spicy/hoppy finish with a slight sweetness in the middle.

Mouthfeel: This feels very thin for depth of color. I was extremely disappointed that this lager wasn't "heftier" feeling. Beers is crisp with medium carbonation.

Overall: I am well versed in the differences between lagers and stouts, but judging by what Guinness was hoping to accomplish, I was let down by this beer. It was nowhere near as hearty as I was expecting it to be. It IS a decent beer-very crisp, very clean with a lingering bitterness on the palate. The nature of its aroma and taste turn sweeter as it warms. I would serve this beer on a hot summer evening with flavorful foods, such as smoked or grilled meat, bbq, Latin American or German foods. For more information about Guinness and their family of beers, please visit them on the web, Facebook or Twitter.