America's Original Pumpkin Ale

America's Original Pumpkin Ale is made by Buffalo Bill's Brewery, a California Brewery which bottles at the Pyramid Brewing Company from Seattle. Pyramid has always been good to me, so I gave it a shot.

Pumpkin Ale is probably the most divisive style among my good beer-drinking friends. Most people either can't wait for October or just flat-out oppose all pumpkin beers. I love pumpkin flavor, and I've been hooked on the style since my first Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale.

America's Original Pumpkin Ale delivers everything I look for in a pumpkin ale. It starts smooth, honestly a bit unassuming. Right away, though, the pumpkin flavor blends subtly with the natural ale flavor. Nothing about it seems forced or overwhelming, or lazy and watery, the two ways pumpkin ales tend to very wrong (I'll admit, bad pumpkin ales are among the most undrinkable beers around).

Overall, I still prefer heavier pumpkin ales, such as Dogfish Head's Punk'n and, my personal favorite, Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale. But for a version that's less like biting into an alcohol infused pumpkin pie and more like an easy-drinking ale with pumpkin hints, Buffalo Bill's is very solid.

Beer: America's Original Pumpkin Ale
Brewery: Buffalo Bill's Brewery
Location: Hayward, California
Rating: 8.4

Bridgeport Black Strap Stout

Black Strap Stout is made by Bridgeport Brewing Company in Portland. Stouts are one of my favorite types of beer, along with IPAs and sours, so I was excited to try a new one. Not to mention that I'm rarely let down by Oregon breweries.

Unfortunately, I was a bit let down by this one. It comes on a bit harsh, then all the flavors mellow out and it gives off an almost watery, plain taste. The aftertaste is barely even noticeable. I kept forgetting what it even tasted like between sips. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't memorable. When I drink a stout, I want either a creamy, refreshing gulp of a Guinness or a thick bite of heavier stout, but the Black Strap Stout doesn't really deliver either, it just gives a quick tease of harsh stout flavor and then disappears. I've had Bridgeport's ESB, which I enjoyed, so I won't write off the brewery yet, but I definitely won't go back to this stout..

Beer: Black Strap Stout
Brewery: Bridgeport Brewing Company
Location: Portland, Oregon
Rating: 7.1

Pliny the Elder

Pliny the Elder is a double Indian Pale Ale made by the Russian River Brewing Company out of California. I had to try three times before even finding any in stock at my package store, and the store has a three bottles per customer limit on it.

I love my IPAs, and I was impressed with Russian River and Avery's Collaboration Not Litigation Ale as well as their Blind Pig IPA, so naturally the intense demand for Pliny piqued my curiosity. I finally found a 16 ounce bottle for $4.99 and dove in.

Like anything surrounded by hype, it was impossible to go in blind. From the hilariously boring 80's packaging to the perfect-looking full pint glass, the build-up was rock solid. Taste-wise, Pliny the Elder delivered as well. It had everything I'd expect out of a great IPA; a sharp hoppy bite followed by a smooth delivery and a delicious aftertaste. At 8% ABV, it had no booze kick and was endlessly sippable.

Of course, the fact that it was delicious doesn't mean it was necessarily worth the hype and price tag. It is a great beer, but as far as Imperial IPAs go, I can get the comparably tasting, stronger Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA for a better price per ounce, or Russian River's equally delicious 6% ABV Blind Pig IPA for a few dollars less. That's not to say I was disappointed with Pliny the Elder, but I don't think it was special enough to jump into my IPA rotation at the price and difficulty of procuring it. If I get a chance to try it on tap, though, I'll definitely be in. I'd say it just lives up to, but does not exceed, the hype while being, predictably, a bit overpriced. I don't know if it's available in Georgia, but if you are in the IPA mood definitely give it a shot.

Beer: Pliny the Elder
Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
Location: Santa Rosa, California
Rating: 9.1

European Beer Tour

Robbie Drew

Beer Country

Guiness Ireland 9.0 8.6

Guinness Extra Foreign Stout 9.6 8.8

Smithwicks 7.6 7.2

Bulmer's Cider 7.0 7.8

Kilkenny 8.5 8.0

Porterhouse Oyster Stout 7.8 6.8

Porterhouse XXXX Wrasslers 8.7 8.6

Porterhouse TSB Bitter 5.0 8.3

Porterhouse Chiller Lager 2.0 -

Porterhouse Templebrau 6.8 -

Erdinger 7.2 7.7

Czech Republic

Mestansky Pivovar 8.5 9.0

Pilsner Urquell 7.5 7.0

Budweiser Budvar 6.5 6.0

Dark Master 7.5 7.6

Krusovice Kralovsky 7.0 7.5

Budweiser Original 7.5 7.9

Bud Super Strong 6.0 5.6

Dacicky Vycepni 6.5 7.0

Gambrinus 8.0 8.4

Pivovarsky Dum Visnove (Cherry) 7.5 7.0

Pivovarsky Dum May Bock 8.0 8.0

Pivovarsky Dum Stepan (Pale Lager) 8.5 8.2

Pivovarsky Dum Koprove (Nettles) 2.8 .0002

Germany

Augustinerbrau Munchen 7.5 7.4

Franziskaner Weissbier 8.0 8.7

Franziskaner Dunkel 8.5 8.3

Aventinus Weisenstarkbier 9.5 9.5

Augstiner Weissbier 8.0 8.3

Hofbrau Original 7.0 7.4

Hofbrau Dunkel 8.5 -

Hofbrau Weissbier 8.5 8.5

Hofbrau Summerbier 9.0 8.9

Aventinus Eisbock 8.0 8.4

Konig Ludwig 8.7 -

Schneider Weiss Original 8.5 8.9

Augustiner Dunkel 8.5 8.6

Hofbrau Urback 8.5 8.2

Ayinger Dunkelweissen 9.2 9.1

Paulaner Thomas Zwickel 8.0

Paulaner Weissbier 8.7 8.9

Paulaner Dunkelweissen 9.2 9.1

Aktienbrauer Dunkelweissen 8.5 8.1

Hofbrau Lager 7.8 7.5

Ayinger Old Bavarian Dark 8.4

Lowenbrau Lager 7.1 7.3

Italy

G. Menabrea E. Figli 8.7 8.9

Von Wunster 7.3 -

Cere Denmark Strong Ale - 6.2

Birra Moretti 6.8 7.2

Nastro Azzuro 7.4 7.4

Hacker-Pschorr Hefeweissen 8.1 8.5

Switzerland

Rugenbrau Special 7.3 7.5

Rugenbrau Zwickel 7.7 8.1

Brauerei MB 6.5

Rugenbrau Dark 6.4 7.0

Scheigzer Lager Hell 7.0 7.0

Feldschlosschen Original 6.9

Amsterdam

Duvel 9.4 9.6

Heineken 8.4 8.3

La Chouffe 9.3 9.1

Brand Urtyp 8.7

De Koninck 8.5

Grolsch 6.7

Palm 8.0 8.2

Weihenstephaner Weissbier 9.2 9.4

Tripel Karmeliet 9.5 9.6

Old Speckled Hen 7.8

Belgium

Framboizenbier 9.8 9.6

Primus 7.1 7.4

Rodenbach 9.7

Sixtus 6 9.0

Deliriem Nocturnum 8.5

Geuzegirardia Black Label 8.3

Slaapmuiske Blond 8.9

Brugge Zot 8.6 8.4

Waase Wolf 9.3

Orval 8.7

Lindeman's Pecheresse 9.7

Cantillion Krieke 8.4

Von Steenburghe St. Adriaans 8.7

Rochefort 10 9.5

Brigand 8.3

Hoegaarden Grand Cru 8.8

Brugse Straffe Hendrick 8.7

Kriek Max 8.4

Lucifer 8.1

Avec Les Bous Voeux 9.1 9.3

Jacobins Passion Max 8.5

Celis White 9.4

Kwak 8.6

Brugge Zot Dubbell 8.3

Hercule Stout 9.2

St. Bernardus Triple 9.6

Rodenbach Grand Cru 8.9

Floris Triple 8.8

Westvleteran Quadrupel 9.8 9.8

Cambrinus Blond 8.2

De Ranke XX Bitter 8.7

Nostradamus 9.5 9.3

Watou's Witbier 9.2

Dulle Teve "Mad Bitch" 8.5

Troubador Blonde 8.8

Faro Lindeman's 8.5

St. Bernardus 8 9.4

Duchesse de Bourgogne 9.2 8.8

Gouden Carolus 9.0

Fantome 9.8 9.8

Archel Extra 9.4 9.7

Jupiler 6.5

France

1664 6.64

Afflegean Blond 8.6

Amstel 8.0

Amsterdam Navigator 0.9

Kronenbourg 7.3 7.6

Desparados 8.1

Biere de Chartes 8.6

Ch'ti Blonde 8.5