San Miguel - Pale Pilsen Beer

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Pale Pilsen Beer

San Miguel Brewing Company

40 San Miguel Avenue

Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila Philippines

Est. 1890 (Re-Formed 1963)

www.sanmiguelbeer.com
www.sanmiguelbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Clear golden color.

Grain husk malt and grassy hops smell.

White firm head that dissipates slowly leaving fairly good lace.

Lots of carbonation.

Crisp taste when cold, but loses character as it warms.

Light to medium bodied. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 

Okay, let's get it straight from the website, this is the "party beer" of the Philippines.

Its alcohol content is 4% by weight or 5% by volume. Aside from the 320 ml standard, San Miguel Pale Pilsen also comes in Grande (1000 ml) that allows you to get more in one package, or in can for a more convenient, no-breakage drinking spree. And if you want it fresh and free-flowing for all, there's San Miguel Pale Pilsen Draft Beer. It's like having a mini-brewery right at your party!

Yes, let's not forget the cans for a no-breakage drinking spree when your out pounding these down. Wouldn't want to be clumsy with those bottles. Or try a kegstand with that 'mini-brewery' draft. (Note sarcasm here, not an endorsement from The Reaper.)

All nonsense aside,  I found this to be similar to your everyday pilsener/lager style beer. It definately needs to be served cold as the husky malt grain does not hold the flavor profile well when warm. Also of note: the website, like the beer, needs a little more polish and shine. But in summary, it was an interesting beer, from a far away place and that made it fun to try.

Brooklyn - East India Pale Ale

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East India Pale Ale

Brooklyn Brewery

#1 Brewers Row

79 North 11th Street

Brooklyn , NY USA

Est. 1988

www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.9 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep amber gold color.

Carmel malt and some floral hops brightness in aroma.
Off white foaming head goes to about one finger high.

Great streaked lacing up and down the glass.

Malty  and grassy taste mixed with a slight hint of citrus; very tasty.

Light carbonation.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Brooklyn does their IPA in the English style which is flavorful, but as the British say, "...not my cup of tea." I have grown accustomed to the American versions and the different hop varieties they bring to bear in flavor. I found the beer to be drier and lighter than most tried. Just my personal taste interjection and by no means a knock on the brewer. Let's face it, I couldn't brew anything near half as good as this at home with my paltry experience. But let's say for an English Style, it is close to the mark of what the Brits find in their IPA's.

While this is certainly a noble beverage, I will take a pass as IPA's go in my taste book.

Itaipava - Pilsen Beer

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Pilsen Beer

Cervejaria Petropolis
BR 040, KM51

Petropolis-RJ, Brazil
Est. 1994
www.grupopetropolis.com.br

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.5 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Pale, clear and light golden color.

Malts plus simple grassy smell with the slight hops detected.

Tight, white bubbly head that leaves spotty lacing.

Lightly carbonated.

Light bodied with clean flavor.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

If memory serves me, this is the first Brazilian beer reviewed. While it is a simple American Adjunct Lager style, it was found to be crisp, tight, clean and refreshing. Maybe it was due to a hot evening, but it slaked my thirst without a fight. To be sure, it was consumed quickly as these styles need to be chill to be thoroughly enjoyed.

The bottle and label are very austere. Aside from the rolling hills of the mountain range region of Rio de Janeiro, there are no loud proclamations of superior craftsmanship or hard to attain quality ingredients. The label merely states what it is and from whence it came. Simple. Just like the beer should be; without flourish. Not a lot going on except cold, liquid refreshment in a bottle.

Stone Cold Fact: Weltenburger Kloster , a fine German brew, is also under the same umbrella in the Cervejaria Petropolis product catalog. Look it up on their website under their "Products" section.

Is it more remarkable than your standard macro in a bottle or can? Nah, but it does make for an interesting conversational beer.

Anchor - Porter

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Anchor Porter
Anchor Brewing Company
1705 Mariposa Street 
San Francisco, CA USA
Est. 1896
www.anchorbrewing.com

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

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep brown. Nearly solid in color.
Malty sweetness with a slight air of roasted malt (chocolate.) Hops are noticeable.
Dark tan head that produces two fingers of nice foam with tight bubbles. Leaves a nice cover.
Some stretched and spotty lacing on glass.
Toffee and chocolate roasted malt notes with a dry pop finish.
There is a pronounced hops presence in the finish, along with a slight coffee flavor.
Very smooth and easy to drink.
Medium bodied. One or two hits the spot.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another finely crafted ale from the Anchor house. This porter was quaffed after a long day's work when I was looking for something to "fill the hole", rather than refresh. It is quite sumptuous and a surprisingly good porter. Actually, I don't know why I was surprised. Anchor produces some really quality stuff. They use all natural ingredients and time honored brewing to craft their beers. This porter recipe dates back to the early to mid 1970's for their brewery. It's one of their first commercially made brews.

Put this one up against your regular porter, anytime...

Bitburger - Premium Pils

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Bitburger Premium Pils

Bitburger Braugruppe GmbH

D-54634 Bitburg, Germany

Est.1817

www.bitburger.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.8 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 169.0701 (5 Liters)

Postmortem Brew Review

Nice golden color.

Lemon zest, biscuit and slight fruit notes.

One finger, firm white head. Foam leaves some spotted lacing.

Slightly sweet and fruity with a nice dry taste.
Good amount of carbonation; nice nucleation.

Light and airy mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Bitburger has nearly 200 years of brewing expertise in crafting their beer according to the German Purity Law. Its dry-finished, hoppy taste has made Bitburger Premium Beer Germany’s no. 1 draught beer. And that is all you need to know about this beer, if you want to have one tremendous tasting pilsener brew.


Of course, with the above type container, you will need a few friends to polish this one off. Once you pop the stopper at the top, you will need to consume it quickly as freshness will tail off. No worries, I discovered they make tall-boy four packs of these. This is a totally fresh tasting German pilsener. Wunderbar! 

Pensacola Bay Brewing - Sawgrass Wheat Ale

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Sawgrass Wheat Ale

Pensacola Bay Brewing

225 E. Zaragoza Street
Pensacola, FL USA
Est. 2009
www.pbbrew.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 32.0 (Growler)


Postmortem Brew Review

Golden straw color.

Bready wheat, with scant citrus and hops on the nose.

Draped lacing, tan head that simmers out to a wisp of yeast cover.

Starts citus tasting and blends to a bready fruit finish.

Moderate carbonation. 

Light bodied. Easy drinker.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Third of the bunch brought back for my enjoyment was the Sawgrass Wheat. We shared this one among family and friends at the crypt. Very enjoyable for this hot day. Love the freshness. You can't beat it when someone drives all the way from the panhandle to South Florida with a bunch of these in a cooler.


Thanks to Cliff, now I need to plan a long distance road trip and see what I've been missing.

Maredsous - Brune 8

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Maredsous Brune (Bruin) 8

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat

Abbaye-Abdij

Breendonkdorp 58
Breendonk-Puurs, 2870 Belgium

Est. 1871
www.maredsousbieres.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 11.2 

Postmortem Brew Review

Dark brown pour.
Malty sweetness and dark fruits on the nose.

Light brown head that produces one and a half fingers of head. Sticks around a while.

Draped lacing on glass.

Roasted malts and caramel with some dark frutiness. Tastes consistent with the aromas.

Lightly carbonated. Thin drinking quality with dry malt aftertaste.

Medium bodied. Alcohol is nicely masked.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Maredsous is brewed under the Duvel Moortgat family of beers. The tradition of monastic brewing goes back to the 6th century, where St. Benedict encouraged monks to contribute to the local communities and their brewing processes were used. Because of disease and other epidemics, the practice of boiling water had become common and was used in the production of their beer. Yes, the Reaper was on hand during those difficult plague ridden times. Ah those were the days. But I digress...don't hate the player...after all, they learned to survive on beer making practices. So there you have it. The Reaper was the impetus behind beer's ability to flourish. Winning!

At that time, these beers were likely to be low in alcohol as a result and reserved for fasting monks that often made their entire diet on these brews. More enjoyably for us now, they are available in higher ABV percentages.

Be sure to also visit the Abbaye's webpage for Maredsous. Beautiful ale with a beautiful website, as a bonus. As if we need a bonus beyond the beer.

Bavik - Wittekerke Wit Bier

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Wittekerke Wit Bier

Brouwerij Bavik N.V.

Rijksweg 33

Harelbeke-Bavihove 8531, Belgium

Est. 1894

www.bavik.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 11.2

Postmortem Brew Review

Translucent straw yellow in color.

Yeasty. Orange zest and wheat grain for aromas.

White bright, fluffy soapy head.

Soft carbonation.

Amazing hanging lacing on glass, though the head dissipates fairly soon.

Crisp, clean taste with slight citrus zestiness.

Light body. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 

The neck of the can states in three languages, "BIRRA BIANCA", CERVEZA BLANCA" and "BELGIAN WHITE BEER". Internationally renown, Wittekerke is a universal word for refreshment. A pale white wheat beer, it is easy to drink regardless of the country you are in, or the language you speak.

Cool witbier in a can. I've also had it on tap. I guess you could say that's just a bigger can.  Wittekerke is equally refreshing and delicious from either can, if you dig a wheat -style beer.

Pensacola Bay Brewing - Banyan Brown Ale

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Banyan Brown Ale

Pensacola Bay Brewing

225 E. Zaragoza Street
Pensacola, FL USA
Est. 2009

www.pbbrew.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 6.9 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 32.0 (Growler)


Postmortem Brew Review

Deep brown color with some red hues.

Roasted malts, bready and caramel with scant hops on the nose.

Stringed lacing, tan head that sticks around for a while.

Caramel and toasted malts giving way to a dry, nutty finish.

Moderate carbonation. 

Medium bodied. Finishes very clean.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy

This one was supposed to be for someone else. After all, I was brought two others; the Lil' Napoleon and the Sawgrass Wheat. Well, I am not one to turn down good beer, especially when it's draught from a growler.


The brown was tasty and finished with a clean pop. Sorta like it started, when that tipper-top was opened.


Time to pop over to Pensacola and check them out.

Pensacola Bay Brewing - Li'l Napoleon IPA

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Li'l Napoleon IPA

Pensacola Bay Brewing

225 E. Zaragoza Street
Pensacola, FL USA
Est. 2009
www.pbbrew.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 7.5 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 32.0 (Growler)


Postmortem Brew Review

Hazy amber/orange color.

Bready malts front of nose presence with  floral hop notes.

Draped lacing, off-white head that simmers out to a wispy cover.

Tastes nicely hopped and bitter up front, finishing with a balance of malt.

Moderate carbonation. 

Medium bodied. Finishes very clean.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Brought to me from the other timezone of Florida, was this half-growler of Lil' Napoleon. I've heard of this brewery/pub but they are about a ten hour drive from my parts, here at the crypt. Fortunately, I have friends in the right places.

This is a real nice IPA. In the growler bottle, it didn't stand a chance. I reaped it within 24 hours of pour from the tap and must say that it was very enjoyable.

One of three to review, from Pensacola Bay. Can't wait for the other two.

Maredsous - Tripel 10

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Maredsous Triple (Tripel) 10

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat

Abbaye-Abdij

Breendonkdorp 58

Breendonk-Puurs, 2870 Belgium

Est. 1871

www.maredsousbieres.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 10.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 11.2 

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep golden color. Translucent.
Malty sweetness and dark fruits on the nose.

Smallish, light white head. Dissipates over time.

Surprisingly it has long stretchy lacing on glass.

Higher amount of malt than other Tripel's. Fruits flavors seem all over the map; cherry, apple, raisin.

Medium amount of carbonation.

Light/medium body. Alcohol is noticeable from middle of sip throughout finish.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Maredsous Triple is like none other that I've tasted in the Tripel style. There is a more pronounced malt presence and the fruits are coming in from all over. Not to say that this is a bad thing.

The alcohol is high at 10% ABV and this ale makes no bones about it. About midway through the sip it comes bang on and sticks around with warmth and booziness. Again, not a bad thing.

Maredsous Tripel/Triple 10. A different Tripel. Not a bad thing!

Liefmans - Cuvee-Brut

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Cuvee - Brut

Brouwerij Liefmans

Aalststraat 200

9700 Oudenaarde, Belgium

Est. 1679

www.liefmans.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review

Hazy and cloudy reddish brown color. Deep red color if held up to light.

Tart cherry fruit nose. Rich malt aroma.

One finger, pale rose' head. Minimal spotted lacing.

Slightly, but not overly sweet. Astringent dryness to palate. Good balance of maltiness on finish.
Lots of carbonation.

Medium to light bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Liefmans Cuvee-Brut was formerly known as Liefmans Kriek.  The Cuvee-Brut starts with twenty six gallons of old brown ale that is macerated  with more than twenty eight pounds of fresh whole cherries. The nearly one-to-one ration is kept in shallow tanks to mature for one year. Then it is combined with Oud Bruin (a Flanders Brown ale) and Goudenband (a brown ale from Liefmans) to produce this unusually delicious cherry flavored brown ale. This process differentiates it from a Kriek Lambic style. The 750ml bottle itself is a bit bland and perfunctory. So to add a bit more flourish, the whole thing is wrapped in fancy cherry red colored paper.

The care, expertise, the time and the patience these brewers use in creating these ales has had a profound impact on my palate. I'd originally been dismissive of 'fruity' flavored beers. I needed this bottle to earn a beautiful Duvel tulip glass. After drinking, it made me pause and take notice of this whole other universe of beer. Belgian beers are fast becoming my favorites, no matter the style, largely due to the artisan crafting techniques of these brewers.

Some of them are, shall I say - - - to die for.

Brooklyn - Summer Ale

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Summer Ale

Brooklyn Brewery

#1 Brewers Row

79 North 11th Street

Brooklyn , NY USA

Est. 1988

www.brooklynbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Pale golden straw color.

Grassy, piney and citrus lemony in aroma.
Off white foaming head is about one and a half fingers high.

Minimal lacing on the glass.

Bready malts,soft hops and lemon zest taste on the palate.

Active amount of carbonation.
Light and airy mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

According to Brooklyn, this English "dinner" ale is a common form of summer ale served there.  reading on, they were also know as "luncheon ales" or "family ales". Wow! I think they left out breakfast! Yet it is light and flavorful as it picks up the lemon citrus that blends so well with the hops. The malts give the whole thing stability. There you have it; summer in a can for lunch or dinner. And for the whole family, to boot.

The Pre-Prohibition Style wording on the packaging throws me for a loop. If this is an English style, then who's prohibition? If it is the US prohibition, then did we ever produce such a soft and balanced summer style ale as this? Confused? Don't worry. Crack one open and see what's inside.

Dogfish Head - Burton Baton Imperial IPA

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Burton Baton Imperial IPA

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

6 Cannery Village Center

Milton, DE USA 

Est. 1995 

www.dogfish.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 10.0 % ABV 

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Translucent copper orange appearance.

Hops that are citrus in tone with malt and vanilla aromas. Slight amount of woody oak scent to the nose.

One and a half-finger caramel tan colored head.

Spots and strings of lacing on the glass. Head covers til end of glass.

Creamy rich caramelized malt taste with balanced hops in abundance.
Touches of oak and vanilla on back of tongue if left to slightly warm.

Medium carbonation.
Alcohol is well masked; only warmth noted.
Full bodied, not too complex. Rich lingering malts and hops finish.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 

Burton Baton is made from a blend of an English style Old Ale and an Imperial Ale. The two are brewed (fermented) separately and then blended. Finally, they are aged on wood for one month to impart the oak flavors.


Burton Baton is one great Imperial IPA. I mean, what other beer do you know of that has its own action hero in a movie? And in The Legend of the Ancient Ales, The Reaper certainly digs the skeletal hand still grasped around the unearthed bottle of DFH Good & Evil at 3:44 into the clip. Very good indeed! Muah-haha-haa-ah-haa-haa!


Need more proof? It's so good, that it comes with it's own disclaimer, "Please share it with loved ones and hoard it from the non-believers." That I shall, that I shall, indeed! In fact, if I ever find myself with an executioner's last request, I will ask for this ale. It is only produced 3 times a year, so I might get a stay from execution if it is not available. Bwaaahaha! It's that good.


As to who is/was Burton Baton...the findings are slim on that info. Sufficed to say that he must be that fellow on the label, sitting on the barrel wearing a large cowboy hat and strumming a six string. Those off-centered fellows at Dogfish Head keep us guessing all the time.

Santa Fe - Pale Ale

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Pale Ale

Santa Fe Brewing Company

35 Fire Place

Santa Fe, NM USA

Est.1988

www.santafebrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.4 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Rich golden amber color.

Caramel malts up front and hops in the background, on the nose.

One finger, near-white head. Disappears quickly leaving some spotted lacing.

Malty with a balance of starting and finishing hops. Rather lager like in flavor profile.
Tingly carbonation.

Medium bodied malt and hops flavor.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Another of the west coast finds while travelling, Santa Fe Pale Ale caught my eye by the pleasing juxtaposition of the blue sky, green grass and rocky outcropping on their simple but pleasing looking label. The beer was equally good. It is a solid offering that doesn't go to extreme in the style, nor does it underwhelm. Nicely balanced, full bodied and some zip to the carbonation...it kept well on my journey back to the crypt.

The Cascade and Willamette hops were in nice balance to the malt side of the brew. It went down easy, without any fuss. An easy to session pale ale no matter how you look at it. I've another of their brews in the fridge for review. Can't wait to try it soon.

Dogfish Head - 120 Minute IPA (2009)

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120 Minute IPA (2009)

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

6 Cannery Village Center

Milton, DE USA

Est. 1995

www.dogfish.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 18.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 3.0 (On Tap)

Postmortem Brew Review

Amber to orange color with a bit of cloudiness on the pour.

Sweet, sugary scents. A bit of raisin.  Powerfully resiny pine notes. Alcohol detected on second whiff.

There's not much head, but there are legs of lace on the glass.

As with the smell, it is a sugary, honey and candy-like taste. Citrus hops come through after a sip.

Low amount of carbonation.

Lightly syrupy mouthfeel.. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 

Dogfish Head's famous 120 Minute IPA is hard to find in a bottle. It's even harder to find in a keg on tap. But that's the way you'd find it if you attended the 2011 Hoptomic Bitter Beer Festival held on June 18th at the Straz Center in Tampa, FL. This highly sought after, highly hopped (120 IBU's), high alcohol beverage is about as rare as a UFO sighting. But it has equal deer in headlights drawing power.

I was tipped off by a friend at the festival that it would be making an appearance. The first order of business after having my wristband slapped on, was to locate the jockey box's location. It was soon spotted outside, under a tent, tucked away in the corner of the festival. I was allowed behind the pourer's table to snap the photo above, after asking. I wasted no time in stepping up for a close encounter of my own kind.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the beer. All I know is a 120 minute hops boil, achieving 120 IBU's at 45-degree plato and 15 to 20 ABV makes for one helluva big brew. Caution, this is an extreme beer. Indulge responsibly. Muahaaahaahaa!

Mendocino - Blue Heron Pale Ale

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Blue Heron Pale Ale

Mendocino Brewing Company

1601 Airport Road

Ukiah, CA USA

(Saratoga Springs, NY)

Est. 1983

www.mendobrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.1 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Amber golden color with very slight haze.

Yeasty smell.

Off-white head that covers nearly to the end of the glass.

Moderate carbonation.

Nice amount of stringy lacing on glass.

Crisp taste with light malts and nice hops finish.

Light bodied and easy to drink. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 

Another in the "birds of prey" beers by Mendocino. This pale ale is an easy to drink brew. Must be the great ingredients listed from their website such as the premium two-row Pale malted barley and two types of hops; Cluster, used for bittering and Cascade, used for the finishing.


This magnificent bird of prey (the Blue Heron) is found right here in Florida, in great abundance. We are also home to the White Heron variety. Both species frequently drop into the back yard of the crypt, usually with a fish in their beak, caught from the nearby lake.  Next time one stops by, I will reach in the fridge for one of these, Salute!