USA CURACAO GOLD CUP!!!

After the debacle that was qualifying two years ago, the USA is back on the field in competitive play.  After not conceding a goal in he group stage, they face a nation with about 5 times as big as Wentzville, this shouldn't be much of a game...  But...

We are going to knock out a few beers as we go.  Here they are:

Beer #1

Brewer:  Yellowstone Brewing
Beer Name:  Huckle Weizen
Beer Style:  Huckleberry Wheat
Price:  ?

Aroma:  John says fruity.  I'm thinking honey?  Sort of a weird natury smell.  As I've never smelled a huckleberry, it might be those.

Appearance:  Light golden amber, looks like a light ale.  Very clear.  Filtered for sure.

Mouthfeel:  Very light; no tingle, no nothing really.  Very watery and light.  John says it's very wheat beerish.

Taste:  Tastes like a huckleberry- whatever that is.  You will either like it or not- no inbetween.  I'm saying I'm not a huge fan.  Kind of a funky taste.  Maybe if I was a little more familiar with huckleberrys.  John said they had ice cream and other things so they are more familiar with it.

Overall Rating:  Michelle says a 4; John says 3.75; I'm going 3.

Beer #2

Brewer:  Fernson Brewing
Beer Name Curio
Beer Style:  Tart Ale
Price:  ?

Aroma:  Tart, fruity, smells very light and summery.

Appearance:  This looks like sugar free apple juice.  Super light, clear, no lacing at all.

Mouthfeel:  Again, very light.  Not much mouthfeel at all.

Taste:  This is very nice.  Smooth, tart, fruity.  Grapefruit, grapes, maybe a little key lime.

Overall Rating:  Michelle says 4.1, John says 3.75, I concur.

Beer #3

Brewer:  Station 26 Brewing Company
Beer Name:  303 Lager
Beer Style:  Lager
Price:  ?

Aroma:  Smells like barley and hops.  A traditional lager aroma.

Appearance:  Again, apple juice although this may not be sugar free.  Very clear, slight lacing.

Mouthfeel:  A little more substance and tingle then the previous two but we are still in the very light, nothing happening category.

Taste:  Reminds me of Miller High Life- very sweet for a lager.  John says it reminds him of Budweiser.

Overall Rating:  John says a 2.25.  I don't like lagers but this isn't any worse then others.  I'll go 2.5.

Beer #4

Brewer:  Grand Teton Brewing
Beer Name:  Old Faithful Ale
Beer Style:  Ale
Price:  ?

Aroma:  Honey for sure.  Slightly fruity tartness as well.

Appearance:  Keeping with the apple juice theme, this looks more like Apple-pear juice.

Mouthfeel:  Again, very bland here as well.

Taste:  Very smooth with a slight hint of hoppiness at the end.  I'm going to say it's a honey ale.

Overall rating:  John says a 2.75.  I say 3.25.  It's very crisp.  I could definitely drink it by the pool.

Beer #5

Brewer:  Bozeman Brewing
Beer Name:  Gallatin Pale Ale
Beer Style:  Pale Ale
Price:?

Aroma:  This smells more like a beer.  Hoppy, peachy, fruity.  We started light on purpose.  I know a pale ale isn't usually a heavyweight but relative to what we have been drinking, this smells like Mike Tyson's boxing trunks.

Appearance:  Very clear, this might be a farm fresh apple juice as it is definitely darker then the others.

Mouthfeel:  Slightly more tingly.  We are getting somewhere.

Taste:  John gets more hops with this one.  He detects a change in hops as he moves through the drink.  I get a fairly typical pale ale profile- slightly fruity with slight hops at the end.  It is a solid beer- not a Stillwater Citra but it's definitely drinkable.

Overall Rating:  John says a 3.25; I agree.

Beer #6

Brewery:  Wasatch Brewing Company
Beer Name:  Blueberry Hefeweizen
Beer Style:  Hefeweizen
Price:  ?  (This one was left in the fridge of a hotel room that John staid in on his trip.  For real.)

Aroma:  Very blueberry!  If it was a breakfast cereal, it would be the Boo Berries.

Appearance:  John says light but a little cloudy.  Haven't seen anything but crystal clear so far.

Mouthfeel:  Nothing.  Nothing.  Nothing.

Taste:  Delicious.  Perfect blueberry taste in the light hefeweizen.  Not too sweet; not too tart.  This is delicious.  It's buttery too.  I like the whole waffle thing it's got going on.

Overall Rating:  Michelle says 3.9, John says 3.5.  I'm going 4.  I think it's the best yet.

Beer #7

Brewery:  Tommyknocker
Beer Name:  Blood Orange IPA
Beer Style:  IPA
Price:  ?

Aroma:  Very Orangey- like the orange cleaning product you see on the infomercials.  Or the orange scented handwash you use after you change the oil.

Appearance:  A beer with foam!!!  Darker amber, slight cloudiness.

Mouthfeel:  A little tingle at the end.

Taste:  Tastes like an orange drink.  Almost no hoppiness- certainly not very IPAish.  John says it's orange all the way through with out as much hops as a normal IPA.

Overall Rating:  John says a 3.75.  I say a 3.  Not my favorite.

Beer #8

Brewery:  Snake River Brewing
Beer Name:  Zonker
Beer Style:  Export Stout
Price:  ?

Aroma:  Roasted Malt and Barley for sure; a slight chocolate and black licorice.  John says roasty.

Appearance:  Ummm, exactly what a stout should look like.  Dark caramel lacing around the rim.

Mouthfeel:  Buttery, thick, very tingly at the end.  John says it has a coffee feel to it but not necessarily a coffee taste.

Taste:  Very dry.  It reminds me of a Russian stout for sure.  Very, very roasty, malty, and smoked.  John gets a slight bit of band-aid at the end.

Overall Rating:  John says a 3.5.  Again, I agree.