Alright campers, time to end our Summer Vacation beer specials with a trip to beer camp. In previous years Beer Camp was an interesting idea where a bunch of breweries collaborated to make a 12 pack of unique beers. This time the field has expanded to include 30+ breweries but for only 6 beers! A fact that may actually come back to haunt this sampler like the ghost stories of our youth.
Anchor Liberty Ale: 4.0 – Not sure why I’m surprised another west coast ale was a bit too hoppy, gotta feed that silly hipster beer crowd. Overall it’s an okay beer I guess, but not likely one I’d get again
Price $10 for 6-Pack
Website: http://www.anchorbrewing.com/
Count: 30/71
My Conversation Saison: 7.5 – There’s a hoppy flavor making it more like an IPA but with no real bitterness. It really gets into your nose though, but I like the taste and the beer overall. Aside from the pleasant sensory overload though, and the fairly good taste I couldn’t exactly tell you why I enjoy this beer as much as I do.
Price Average: Name $7 draft
Website: http://www.honestweightbeer.com/
Well we’ve tried the Bully Boy Whiskey before, but in keeping with the current ‘tradition’ of small batch distillers making every kind of spirit in efforts to take over your bar – we have a vodka. In fairness their aged whiskey is quite okay overall if not a little more preachy and overpriced than this – but it’s also a lot more mellow.
Tribute Extra Strong: 6.0 – That is one of the easiest pale ales to drink that I have ever had on my life. It’s light and airy but the taste is still lingering at least to not make this just water.
Price Average: Tribute Extra Strong $4
Website: http://www.staustellbrewery.co.uk/
Amstel Lager: 3.0 – This is another in the category of lagers that are just light and make you think of light beers (and yes I got this abroad and it is not Amstel light), but it just ends up lacking taste and coming off like a shitty saison.
Price $3
Website: https://www.amstel.com/
Count: 29/71
Victory Twelve: 5.5 – We were pleasantly surprised by our other Victory Brewing Company experience – which as an IPA that was actually – good. Here however they have gone for a beer to be complex and luxurious. In that respect they have succeeded – this is complex in flavor, and in texture. It’s not heavy, but it is potent. The problem though is that while all that is true – it’s not a great beer. If given the option I’d likely never have it again – which sure you can make your beer ‘intoxicating’ but it needs to be good overall to survive.
Price Average: Victory Twelve $9
Website: http://www.victorybeer.com/
Good Morning Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls, and all the other ones. I am the man called Justice and I’d like to talk to you about a particularly unique Scotch I didn’t know existed, as I found it somewhat unexpectedly. I was recently returning from a trip to the Dominican Republic, and on my way through the airport, I was not to subtly navigated through at least three duty free shops on my way to my gate entirely by the building’s architecture. On my winding Journey through these magical halls of tax free liquor and suspiciously friendly staff offering me free samples I began noticing a series of Johnnie Walker bottles I didn’t recognize. Long time readers will know that we have sampled at one time or another all of the standard Johnnie Walker Rainbow (Red, Black, Green, DoubleBlack, Gold, Platinum, and Blue), all of which were, if not excellent, then at least above average (I’m looking at you red). Based on that past experience the idea of a new Johnnie Walker, and not wanting to get screwed out of money exchanging my Pesos back to USD drove me to decide on picking up this novelty.
