The Phil-osophy of BeerAles
Ales are a warm fermented beer, and they range in taste from Porters and Stouts to all the Brown Ales, Red Ales, Cream Ales and Pale Ales.
Denotes one of the
original 30 Beers
Abita Amber
I was introduced to Abita beer while in New Orleans a few years ago and have been a fan ever since. The Amber is a great tasting ale good for those who have a preference for lighter American beer.
Abita Brewing Turbodog.
I have been remiss in taking so long to get this on the site. Dark and Malty nice balanced flavor with a smooth taste. One of my favorites !!!
Acme California Brown Ale
I really liked the flavor of this Brown Ale. The flavor is a malt / coffee / brown sugar blend. I will definitely try this one again.
Alaskan Brewing Amber
"Alt Style Beer" or old style ale, It is kind of dry and with a malt flavor.
Alaskan Brewing ESB
Bitter ale that was only mildly bitter. That's good or bad depending on what you are looking for.
Anderson Valley Brewing Co.
Boont Amber Ale
Great Amber Ale Nice body without a strong after taste.
Darker than a typical Amber ale, very drinkable with a light caramel finish.
"If it's not Scottish it's CRAP"
This is a really outstanding Ale. Great malt taste with molasses and chocolate hints and very thick and heavy like a motor oil, but much better tasting!!!!!
Arrogant Bastard Ale
This is a good hopped-up ale. Personally I think it is over hyped, not the do-all end-all ale, just an aggressively hoppy ale. I must be a real bastard for not liking this more.
Avery Brewing Co. Ellie's Brown Ale
Great Brown Ale. Really enjoyed the balanced flavor and drinkability.
Belgian Kreik
see Pete's Strawberry.
Bells Amber Ale
I really enjoyed this amber ale. Personally I am hit or miss with the amber ales. I think this makes a good session drink. I found it to have a sweet malt flavor. Somewhat full heavy taste, but not filling.
Bells Pale Ale
Very mild malt flavor .Very Drinkable, goes down smooth with kind of a fruity hop finish.
Bells Best Brown Ale
It’s no Newcastle, but this is still a nice solid brown ale, good taste, smooth hops finish, it actually has a Sam Adams sort of taste.
Bergoff Honey Wheat.
Nice flavor more wheat than honey but that's not a bad thing. A bit more body than a Dundee's Honey Brown.
Black Sheep Ale
Just OK. Somewhat unassuming ale. Nothing to make it stand out. I have heard this described as a English Pale Ale and that seems to fit the bill.
Black Sheep Riggwelter Ale
Good Traditional Ale. Amber / Brown Ale with some fruity hints. Toasted Malt aftertaste hangs in there for a while.
Bluegrass Brewing Co. Hell for Certain
Belgian Style Ale with a very spicy flavor. Very different type of taste. For flavor they add Black Pepper, Orange Peel and Coriander for that spicy finish.
Bluegrass Brewing Co. Nut Brown Ale
Good smooth taste but a little watery, less of a malt flavor than I would have expected. Not much of a aftertaste.
Blue Moon Belgian White Ale
So I had to try this wildly popular beer. Nice taste, some fruity elements, smooth finish, overall nice tasting beer. Not anything that really excited me. I will say I did not know at the time this was a Coors product and so that did not influence my review. It is a little cool that this is brewed here in Cincinnati, Ohio.
My sister (who admittedly drinks this beer on occasion) says "Blue Moon wishes it was Belgian white ale, but it's just a domestic substitute."
Broughton Ales Black Douglas
Very Sturdy ale, very full flavored and rich.
Breckenridge Brewery Christmas Ale
Ok, somewhat average Christmas Ale. The sweet taste is maybe a bit too strong, has a good finish without much of an aftertaste.
Bluegrass Brewing Co. Altbier
German style amber ale. Great tasting, mild flavor.
Bluegrass Brewing Co. White Wedding Ale
Belgian style Wit Beer. Very fruity, citrus tasting. Also kind of minty. Not anything I like in a beer. To bastardize Billy Idol, It was not a nice day for a White Wedding.
Buzzards Bay Brewing Old Buzzard Pale Ale
I really liked this one. Strong, full bodied ale without any nasty aftertaste.
Really excellent pale ale, pretty aggressive hop flavor, but it pays of in the end.
Chimay Bleue "Blue" Ale
Chimay is the Belgian Ale by which all others are measured. Lots of debate between the "Red" and "Blue" as to which is better. My personal preference is for the Blue. Great taste, very complex.
Chimay Rouge "Red" Ale
Not for the weak, aka. light beer drinkers. Most Belgian ales have a lot going on and this is up there with the best. Taste is more fruity and light.
Chimay Triple Blanche "White" Ale
So as much as I like all the other Chimay Ales I did not hit it off with this one. Maybe I got a bad one or maybe they just got me on a bad day.
Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale
The huge brown bottle ( with a cork ) and the dark color give no hint at the fruity taste and sweet finish. It is also interesting the way the carbonation affects the taste. Very Good Belgian ale, very different than a typical brown ale.
Crooked River ESB
Full, fairly hoppy English Ale. Good with a meal, it won't overpower the flavor of the food or fill you up.
Devil Mountain Tasmanian Pale Ale
Great pale ale but it didn't make me spin around and go "loony toons".
Dixie - New Orleans
Not much flavor but would be a good choice for the folks who love the typical mass produced American beer but want something more.
DuClaw Brewing Co. Venom Pale Ale
Hops, Hops, Hops.... Taste is good, finish is all hops, This one ends up with a bitter taste in your mouth that makes you want to drink more....
Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat
This is a fairly new offering from Flying Dog. In 2001 they won a Silver Medal in the Wheat Beer Category. I particularly like the fact that it didn't taste like beer filtered through a loaf of bread. I can't tell you how long I avoided Hefeweizen due to a bad experience with a bad Hefe.
Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale
This is a fairly standard winter ale, drink them all night long no problem. Nice smooth taste but nothing to write home about.
Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA
This is a very traditional IPA with a very strong hop flavor. Not my personal favorite, but I lean to a more balanced flavor.
Flying Dog Tire Bite Golden Ale
If you prefer the lighter beers and want to avoid beers brewed in batches so large they could fill a swimming pool then this is a good beer for you. In 1998 this won the silver in the American Kolsch category at the Great American Beer Festival.
Full Sail Brewing Co. Pale Ale
Our Guest Reviewer Steve D. really enjoyed this American Pale Ale. Since we were visiting Utah he was happy it was not 3.2 abv.
Fullers ESB
Good Ale , Very nice taste
Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale
Although I am not a big fan of the Wheat Beers this one was OK. The wheat taste seemed to blend better with the hops and malts than some other brews.
Goose Island Blonde Ale
Refreshing and smooth. This is a good "starter" beer for someone trying to make the leap from the typical mass production beer to a specialty beer.
Goose Island Hex
Nut Brown
Nice body, not too "nutty" similar to the Holy Grail Mad Monk Nut Brown, maybe a bit smoother.
Goose Island
Honkers Ale
Nice taste, Not too strong for an ale. None of the typical ale hoppy after taste. Much better blend than most of the domestic "English" Ales.
Goose Island India Pale Ale
A good session beer, not overwhelming on the hops with a malty blend. Tasty hop finish.
Goose Island Kilgubbin Red Ale
Above average Red Ale. None of the bitter finish of other Red Ales.
Goose Island Pere Jacques Belgian Style Ale
Not anything like the typical Goose Island. It is even better if that is possible. Wonderful Malty/ Fruity flavor. It is named after the Trappist Abbot that allowed the Goose Island folks to tour the brewery in his Monastery.
Goose Island Summertime
"German Style Kolsch" Good summer Pale Ale. If you want something to wash down the cookout food this is great. Light and refreshing.
Great Divide Arapahoe Amber Ale
Really Nice Ale. Smooth, mildly sweet.
Great Divide Bee Sting Honey Ale
I am a big Honey beer fan so you will see a lot of these types of beers show up here. The Bee sting is a very good honey ale not too much honey a nice overall flavor.
Great Divide Denver Pale Ale
Good pale ale but too hoppy for my taste.
Great Lakes Brewing Co. Conway's Irish Ale
Really tasty Ale!!! Watch out for the 6.5% ABV. Courtesy of my friend Ed who was nice enough to drive me down a six all the way from Northern Ohio. Well really thanks to Gerry for driving.
Great Lakes Brewing Co. Dortmunder Gold
This is a really spectacularly good, lighter beer that I always recommend to my friends who are stuck on the mass produced pilsners. This multiple, multiple, multiple award winner seems to be a good bridge between mass produced beer and the really good beers.
Great Lakes Brewing Co. Burning River Pale Ale
Definitely a "lighter" beer than you might expect. Great flavor with out too much of the accompanying pale ale type flavors. I have never been a fan of the fruity flavors that some of the pales end up with.
Harpoon Munich Type Dark Beer
Very nice blend of toasted malts. Good flavor overall and surprisingly not a overly filling beer for a dark ale. You could go through a number of these in a session.
Hoegaarden
Very Good Wheat Beer. Similar to but better than Blue Moon. Has a distinct fruity flavor, banana or lemon possibly. Hard to tell, the bartender stuck a slice of lemon it.
Harvestoun Brewery Old Engine Oil
Thick as engine oil, but a much better taste. Sweet but not overly so. Hint of bitterness.
Huyghe Delirium Tremens Belgian Ale
Yum !! I guess if you have been brewing since 1654 it must be perfect by now.
Jamaica Brand Red Ale
from the Mad River Brewing Co.
Very good red ale not overly hoppy even though it is advertised as " A crisp, hoppy red bitter for the celebration of life" If you like Red Stripe you should like this.
It is, contrary to it name, brewed in the USA. Bummer Mon'.
Jamesport Brewing Co. Kolsch
We enjoyed this smooth, clean somewhat fruity tasting ale. It did however have quite a "wheaty" finish. Not a bad thing if that is to you taste.
Jamesport Brewing Co. English Mild
This was a fairly average English ale with a overly coffee / charcoal taste.
Jamesport Brewing Co. Altbier
Very tasty traditional ale. Great balanced hop flavor.
Jamesport Brewing Co. E.S.B.
Also a very balanced taste. Smooth flavor with a hint of a scotch ale.
Jamesport Brewing Co. Hefeweizen
Smooth Taste, Smooth Finish. Not too "wheaty". Blue Moon could learn something.....
John Courage Amber
I spent an evening in New York drinking John Courage and I remember little about the evening I do remember really liking this beer. Not too over bearing, good taste. Nice follow-up to a huge dinner!!!
Key West Sunset Ale
Nothing to write home about. It was OK but too sweet / malty taste. My travel companions and I preferred Sam Adams for a similar yet better beer.
Kirin Ichiban - Special
Premium reserve.
Strong but not over bearing. " Brewed under strict supervision of Kirin's brewermeister by Anheuser Busch" Guess that says enough right there.
Lakefront Brewing New Grist Sorghum Beer
This was an interesting taste experiment. This stuff is brewed as a gluten free beer for the drinkers who have to watch their gluten intake. Apparently Sorghum brewed beer is also popular in Africa due to the abundance of sorghum. I did not enjoy this brew. It has a very sharp, unusual flavor. I would imagine a more adventurous drinker might like this, or It could become an acquired taste.
Left Hand Brewing Co. Deep Cover Brown Ale
Good taste, smooth finish, but somehow mildly disappointing. I am always searching for an American Brown Ale that can stand up with Newcastle.
Left Hand Brewing Co. Jackman's American Pale Ale
Great smooth pale not too hoppy good balance.
Left Hand Brewing Co. Sawtooth Ale
Solid balanced Ale. Not overly sweet, nice and smooth. This is a good beer with a meal. Not too heavy.
Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss
I have had this beer now on a number of occasions and liked it every time. Sweet, but not enough to set your teeth on edge like some Honey beers. It actually more of a malty flavor than a wheat flavor.
Maccabee
Premium beer from Israel. Somewhat odd taste but not bad at all.
A Surprisingly light golden ale. Balanced hop flavor. Not bad, but it didn't really work it's magic on me.
Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale
"Tempered over burning witches". But how did they know they were witches, were they dressed like witches?? Were they turned in to a Newt?? Did they throw them into the pond???
Mt. Carmel Copper Ale
I have now had this draft and from a growler. I think draft works better. This beer seems to get flat and warm very fast. Draft it tasted great and warranted another taste.
Mt. Carmel Nut Brown Ale
Easily my favorite from Mt. Carmel. Sweet, nutty flavor. Goes down smooth with a Chocolate finish.
Newcastle Brown
Ale.
A personal favorite. A great bartender handed me a Newcastle one night when I said I was in the mood for something different and I have been a fan ever since. This is, hands down, my favorite beer. There are a few better beers, but for my everyday, first choice beer, this is the one !!!!
New Holland Brewing Sundog Amber Ale
Nice tasting amber ale with a great tasting sweet malt finish.
New Holland Brewing Mad Hatter I.P.A.
This is a multiple award winner that is somewhat heavy on the Hops, but with a balance that pulls the whole thing together.
New Holland Brewing Full Circle Single Malt Ale
Very full malt flavor. Not too malty with a smooth full taste.
Old Speckled Hen
"English Fine Ale" I think that's all that needs to be said.
Oldenburg Holy Grail Nut Brown Ale
When I first drank this a few years ago it was too strong for my taste. As I have developed a taste for these darker type beers I tried it again and found out I really loved it. Great flavor, smooth taste!!!!
Peroni
This is a really nice Italian beer. Good addition to a huge plate of Pasta.
Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale
Very good mildly Hoppy flavor with a hint of a orange / citrus taste. Similar to a Pete's Wicked or Sam Adams but not as full a flavor.
Pete's Strawberry
Blonde
As much as I like Pete's, I just can't stand fruit beers. It is not an overwhelming strawberry taste. If you like that kind of thing stick with wine coolers!!!
Poleeko Gold Pale Ale
Very crisp and refreshing. Goes down smooth and sweet. One of the many wonderful beers produced by the Anderson Valley Brewing Co.
Portland Brewing Woodstock IPA
Oak Aged, really mellowed it out. Nice flavor, not bland like some other IPA's
Pranqster Belgian style Ale
A little bitter, I thought it would be smoother.
Pyramid Alehouse ESB
Very smooth for a bitter.
Red Hook Autumn Ale
Good, smooth malt taste. Very nice balance of flavors, a sweet caramel flavor hiding in the mix. Very Drinkable, you could knock a few of these back very quickly if you weren't careful.
Red Hook Nut Brown Ale
Great!!! Very tasty and smooth. Sweeter and less bitter than most of the Nut Brown Ales I have tried. I really like the way the chocolate flavor smooths out the whole brew.
Real Ale Brewhouse Brown
Solid tasting Brown Ale, not too chocolaty, good balance. Not too bitter. Very similar to Newcastle or Dogfish.
Red Rock English Mild
Found this brewpub in Salt Lake City. My guest reviewer didn't think very highly of this one. He found it to have a thick, syrupy taste.
Red Rock Nut Brown Ale
Really liked the taste, somewhat similar to the Rock Bottom Brewery Nut Brown. Very nutty taste with a smooth finish.
Ringwood Brewery Old Thumper
Very Good Ale. Really great full spicy / fruity flavor, nice tasting, smooth finish.
Rock Bottom Brewery Brown Bear Brown
Tasty Brown Ale. Nice hopps flavor without being bitter. Great sweet finish.
Rogue Honey Cream
Ale
I expected a smoother taste. I am not a fan of cream ales anyway.
Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Very much a Nut Brown Ale. Great flavor. Very distinct taste. Another impressive offering from Rogue.
Rogue Morimoto Hazelnut Signature Ale
Wow, A very distinctive taste right off the bat. Sweeter and smoother than just about any other nut / brown ale. Still wondering if it is not a variation on the above Brown Nectar. I guess I need to do a side by side comparison. Also this is one of a number of beers from Rogue supervised by "Iron Chef" Chef Masaharu Morimoto
Saint Arnold Brown Ale
Starts off with a toasted malt flavor, more of an organic taste. It is a little weak on the overall flavor. An average tasting brown ale.
Sam Adams Brown Ale
As much as I love Brown Ales, I did not seem to hit it off with this one. Something about that signature Sam Adams hop taste didn't blend with the nutty malt flavor of the Brown Ale.
Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
I renew my objection to adding fruit flavors to beer. I have said numerous times that I am not a fan of this style of brew but my fellow tasters tell me this is a really good balance of the wheat and cherry. Kudos to Boston Brewing for using Traverse City Cherries!!!!
Samuel Smith's Nut Brown
I recently have had a chance to try this again and found it to be a great Nut Brown !!! Wonderful taste, not too sweet, very nice finish. I would have to say this moves up the list if not to the top of the list of the Brown Ales. My first experience with this beer was not that great, I was surprised to find it a bitter tasting beer with a nasty after taste. I truly believe I got a bad bottle the first time.
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale
Nice light tasting ale. Nice malt flavor with a little fruitiness, but still a very balanced taste.
Samuel Smith's Organically Produced Ale
Very tasty full bodied ale. Caramel malt taste with a little bit of a hop thing going on. Smooth finish.
Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale
I have now received several "guest reviews" on this one, all of which state that is an awesome ale and that I needed to try it again. With further research I have found that I really like this seasonal Ale. Has a great malt flavor, that manages to not be over bearing.
Spanish Peaks Nut Brown Ale
Average nut brown not as strong as a Newcastle but a good flavor.
Saranac IPA
Medium leaning to heavy taste for an IPA. Has a Dry / hoppy finish that hangs around for awhile.
Saranac Pale Ale
This one had a definite caramel finish, nice flavor, not overly hopped out. One of the better domestic "English" Ales.
St. Peters English Ale
Fabulous English Ale. Great flavor, smooth finish. Great looking bottle.
Scrooge & Marley Hazelnut Christmas Ale
One of my Christmas gifts this holiday season was this 12 pack of beers from Scrooge & Marley. This (fictional) brewery only sells this seasonal holiday gift pack . I think the whole variety pack is a fun conversation piece at a holiday gathering more than a serious attempt at craft brewing. That being said this Ale was very tasty and drinkable. The hazelnut and other spices were a nice blend without having an overpowering taste that I have found in some other Christmas Ales
Scrooge & Marley Red Ale
Fairly average Red Ale, tries to be Killians but more of a watered down taste.
Shiner 96 Marzen Style Ale
Another good drinkable beer from Shiner. Nice flavor, good finish with little aftertaste. Like Shiner Bock it just doesn't quite seem to hit the mark. It is not quite up to the level of a good Marzen or Oktoberfest.
Sierra Nevada Summerfest Ale
Slightly above average Summer ale. Goes down smooth and is very drinkable. Lighter than most Summer Ales.
Sweetwater 420 Pale Ale
After much encouragement I finally got the opportunity to try this really great Pale Ale. It is not quite a traditional Pale Ale. It seems to have less of the hopp bite than most Pale Ales. Nice sweet / smooth finish, no problem with several of these in a session.
Tabernash Weiss Beer
Just a little to "wheaty" for me.
Three Floyds Alpha King Pale Ale
Very nicely balanced pale ale.
Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale
The mild Maple taste added a sweetness that made this an exceptionally smooth Nut Brown. Yum!!!
Upstream Brewing Co. Downtown Brown
Solid Brown ale, with a heavy hop finish.
Upstream Brewing Co. Dundee 90 Shilling Scotch Ale
Great Malt Flavor, not too sweet. Very nice balance.
Upstream Brewing Co. Gold Coast Ale
The brewery's answer to domestic beer fans. My guest reviewers found it sweeter than Bud. Much better taste than the standard American Beers.
Wolaver's Brown
Great Brown Ale, very nice taste. Wonderful finish.
Young's St. George's English Ale
Good Ale, above average for an English ale. Goes down very easy, no overwhelming flavors to comment on. Not the best and not the cheapest offering in this category.
Young's Waggledance Honey Ale
So I had to look it up. A Waggledance is the strange dance bees perform to let other bees know there is a good source of nectar. Beyond that there isn't much to say here. Young's has produced a nice bitter style ale here but the whole honey thing is lost in the mix and actually detracts from the overall flavor. My longtime favorite Dundee's Honey Brown is a better choice for honey brewed beers.
Young's Winter Warmer
Very Malty Sweet taste, Good overall flavor.