Spaten Dunkel

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Spaten Dunkel
Spaten-Franziskaner-Brau
Munich, Germany
Est. 1397
www.spatenusa.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Translucent brown, molasses color.
Malted barley aroma.
Medium bodied.
Quickly dissipating and fowmy head.
Medium to light mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Here's another from the Spaten brew house. A Dunkel that's good, but not so Dunkel. There was a missing element of dark, sinisternesss. Not much hops and a so-so -ness that I couldn't put my finger on. If you are starting to enjoy Dunkel beers then this is a good one to start with. If you prefer yours a bit more on the hearty side, then you need look elsewhere.

Abita - Turbodog Beer

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Abita Turbodog Beer
Abita Brewing Company, LLC
Abita Springs, LA USA
Est. 1986
www.abita.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep brown color.
Malted barley, chocolate and toffee tones in aroma.
Tall, actively bottom forming head that is frothy and caramel in color.
Small clumps of foam cling to the glass.
Full bodied, yet not over powering.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
This little sleeper of a beer drinks like a good brown ale. It can be recommended as a starting point if you've never experienced a brown ale. Maybe you are afraid of heaviness or overpowering hoppiness. You'll get none of that from Abita. This is pleasant and easy to drink without being filling. Laisser les bons temps rouler!

It's no secret that a famous celeb chef (think "Bam!") loves this Louisiana beer; not only in his cooking recipes, but also on occasion, straight from the fridge. Certainly 'lagniappe.' The Willamette hops are not too 'in your face' powerful, but oh so right. It is distinctly different from other brown ales.

Ca c'est bon! There's no denying it, you should get some of this tahyo and you'll see what I mean.

Lucky Beer

Dead Soldier

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Lucky Beer
356 George Street
Waterloo, NSW Australia
Est. UNKNOWN (563 BC ?)
www.luckydrinkco.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.8 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 11.16 

Postmortem Brew Review
Pale yellow and hazy on pouring.
Malted barley, grain smell with faint honey flavor.
Three fingered head that dissipates to a wisp.
Non-existent lacing.
Light and watery body with no hops at the finish. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
An Asian style lager beer...from Australia? WTF?!? Why is it called Lucky? Maybe because you'll be lucky if you can taste the hops? Maybe 'cause they'll be lucky if you return for more? I dunno...I even rubbed his Buddha belly for good luck, hoping for something really special inside. Goes to show; you can't judge a beer by its bottle.

If there's one thing that saved this beer it would be the artfully sculpted green glass bottle of Buddha. Very clever packaging, but are we promoting beer or perfume? Is this more about the taste experience or the imagery? The website is similarly slick in 'hipster' design. It's just begging for trendy folks to stop by and listen to the Asian guzheng as you mouse over the tabs on the page. The final blow is being gypped out of a measly .04 ounces due to the curves of the bottle. Really?!?

It seems they spared no expense on the packaging. Maybe they should spend a little more time on what's inside, where it really counts.

But it is a really nice bottle........what-eva, 'mate!

Hacker Pschorr Original Oktoberfest-Märzen

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Hacker Pschorr Original Oktoberfest-Märzen
Hacker Pschorr Bräu
München, Germany
Est. 1417
www.hacker-pschorr.de

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.8 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Medium to dark amber brown color.
Light malted barley flavor and smell.
Nicely foaming head with very good lacing.
A bit of hops on the nose with an excellent finish.
Medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
S U P E R B ! Enjoy it soon, because I may personally buy the whole lot of it. No worries if you can't read the German writings on the website. Just open another Oktoberfest-Märzen and repeat as necessary until you can!

I have made no 'bones' about it that Oktoberfest-Märzen styles are my absolute favorite of beer. This one hits the bulls-eye 'dead' on. Nothing more to say, I won't even make fun of the name. Just go and get some before I get it all!

Gulden Draak Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Gulden Draak Ale
Brouwerij Van Steenberge
Lindenlan 25
B-9940 Ertvelde, Belgium
Est. 1874
www.vansteenberge.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 10.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 11.2 

Postmortem Brew Review
Crimson brown translucent.
Fruits in the aroma; bananas, figs, raisins and a hint of clove.
Deep, luxurious foaming head that builds and builds.
Wafted lacing along the length of the glass.
Medium to full bodied in mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Oooh mama mama...what a treat. The nose on this beer is fruity and sweet, but not in an overpowering way. It pours out a looking a bit like maple syrup. The high alcohol content does not detract as I have noticed with other high ABV beers and ales, and only has a hint of alcohol taste at the very last sip of the glass.

It is a beer to stand on its own and would make a great aperitif, if beers can aspire to that realm. Gulden Draak is however like drinking two-and-a-half of anything else and has such a complex set of flavors that you might want to set it aside for savoring.

With it's distinctive white bottle your first though might be to mistake it for milk; and you'd be wrong. Unless that is you were thinking "milk of the gods." Friend, my advice is slay one of these dragons when you get the chance.

Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale

Dead Crusader

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale
Black Sheep Brewery
Masham, North Yorkshire, England
Est.1992
www.blacksheep.co.uk
Brewed in
Rochester NY, USA
www.eurobrews.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
The color was golden brown, more gold than brown.
Very pungent smell and was slightly bitter to the back of the tongue.
Rich foamy white/yellowish head.
Medium mouth feel...heavy for a pale ale of note. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
And now, for something completely different! We have a new feature in this posting...a "ghost writer." When I get around to some of this ale, I'll add my two cents. The following comments do not represent my personal views, so tough noogies if you don't like them:

Ghost Writer's Eulogy
I am not a huge fan of ales to begin with. I didn't hate the beer like I dislike Samuel Adams ales, but I wouldn't drink it often to enjoy. The appealing label may be the only reason I would ever choke down the taste again.

The beer is very much like the movie itself, low budget and corny, but distinguished and classic all at the same time. The ale makes you happy when you least expect it, just like the movie. It starts off with a good entry taste and leaves you with a bitter after taste like most ales I've drunk in the past. A good experience to try, but I wouldn't start a crusade to get one.
---EA

Michelob Dunkel Weisse - Dark Wheat Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Michelob Dunkel Weisse - Dark Wheat Ale
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
St. Louis, Missouri USA
Est. 1852
www.michelob.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep bronze color.
Malty taste with caramel, chocolate flavor.
Hints of clove and banana.
Frothy, foaming head; dissipates slowly.
Fair to good lacing with some rings.
Medium bodied flavor. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
I've been looking for this one since the trip out west, when we got to sample it at the AB brewery. I found a six pack in a local grocery and thought I'd get some. If you have had wheat beer before, then you know how good this can be. But when you couple it with the fact that it's also a dunkel (dark), well you're in for a treat.

So if you like wheat beer, dark beer and can lurk in your favorite store until they carry it, then I'd suggest you get some while the gettin' is good.