Cheap Beer rankings!!!! The best beer test ever invented!

Ever wander into the beer aisle with $6 in your pocket and wonder which beer is the best cheap beer out there? Neither do I- BUT, if you ever do, this blog entry is for you! Me and 8 of my closet friends did the dirty work for you. We tested 9 beers with 6 pack prices under $6 and survived to tell about it. I'm pretty sure we lost a lot of productivity hours in the library the next day; but hey, it's all in the name of research. So here goes- a complete breakdown of the nine beers we tried along with their average rankings from 1 to 9 and some comments from everyone involved.



As you can see, not exactly a symposium on the finer points of micro-brewing... On to the rankings!!!! We used the same score as the rest of the blog; 0-5 with 5 being highest. Surprisingly, none of these came in at a 5.0.

The first three:



#1 Milwaukee's Best Light: Actually, not too bad. A slight bit of taste for a light beer and much smoother then most of us remembered. The overall ranking came in at 3.21. Here are some of the better commens:

Chris R: Better then expected. Used to hate it.
Kevin P: Crisp start, rusted pipe finish.
John D: Nasty from the smell to the burp.

#2 Natural Light: Again, not so bad. It was rumored this was Busch Light before AB put out the awful crap that is Busch Light. A much finer beer here. I think of the 9 gentlemen in the room, we figured we had consumed at least 4000 cases of this over the last 25 years. Overall ranking was a surprisingly low 2.41.

Cory M: The beer with the taste for food.
Tom W: Smooth and refreshing. A welcome taste in this valley of crap taste test.
Brad O: Just add water and sugar and you get ghetto juice. Not sure if I should take a drink or use it to boil pasta in.

#3 Hamm's Special Light: If this is "special" I'll settle for the regular version anytime. The closest thing to water this side of a public urinal in a truck stop at 11:30 on a Saturday night. Overall ranking was a 2.75. How did this rank higher then Natty Light? Redo!!! Kevin, we'll be back next Friday!

Chris R: Smells like a wet dog- no offense.
Rob P: No real taste.
John D: Tastes like wet cardboard.

BEERS 4-6.



Miller High Life: The champaign of beers. Probably Andre Brut' but "champaign" none-the less. Overall ranking came in at a whopping 3.56! I guess we wanted to live the High Life!

Kevin P: Tastes like salty skin. (That's what he really wrote- I swear)
Tom W: Tastes like the skidmarks from a BMW 7 series.
John Dooley: Certainly the champaign of cheap beer.

Stroh's: Kevin and I thought it would be a good idea to buy 15 of these for about $7at Shop N Save before we started this test. This will go down as one of the worst decisions I made in my whole life. This beer was started in Detroit. I think we now know why Eminem dos not proudly stroll onstage with a can of Stroh's. The overall ranking was a about a 1.1. Seriously.

Chris R: Why did they put dishwashing detergent in it? It was a bad idea to try and chug this stuff.
Cory: Tatses like window cleaner. (Why do all of my friends drink household cleaners?)
Tom W: Simply the worst beer ever created. Period.

Stag: I used to drink this out of the short little brown bottles when I was about 18. I thought it was OK then. Not sure it has stood the test of time. Overall ranking was 2.45. Comments from the peanut gallery:

Kevin P: The Pro Keds of beer.
John D: General taste of ass with a hint of shoe.
Dave L: Bad from the start. Smells like (a teacher in the Wentzville District's) (female area)*

*Comments were slightly modified so I don't get kicked off theis site (and Dave L doesn't get fired- Dave you're welcome).

And the final three:



Icehouse: I never drank this stuff- ever. Now, I know why. Others liked it but not the author of this blog. Sorry, you lose. Overall rating was a 2.95.

Rob P: Good start, bad finish.
Kevin P: Puffed rice start, Malt-O-Meal finish.
Cory M: Smells like a cat's butt, tastes like a cat's butt.

waters...
Hamm's: From the land of sky blue waters... The beer with the coolest jingle in all of history. Add in the Hamm's beer bear and you had some great commercials. If only the beer was as good as the advertising. Overall rating was about a 1.3. Comments for this were so good I'm going to list a few extra.

Rob P: Horrible. Bad taste. (For the record, he almost threw up after he tasted this one).
Kevin P: He started singing the Air Supply song: "All out of Love" for Hamm's. I'm guessing that he didn't care for it.
Tom W: The 2nd worst beer ever created. Whoever said the water was sky blue was colorblind because this water had to be yellow.
Brad O: I'm looking around to see if they are playing a practical joke on me because this really tastes like urine. (For the record, it was just the Hamm's in the can- no help was necessary.)
John D: Smells like a sock after playing indoor soccer.
Cory M: First taste was OK. The second reminded me of an ashtray.

LAST, and not the least was Olympia. The Butler Bulldogs of the taste test! No one expected anything but this impressed everyone. A nice surpise. Overall ranking was a 2.96.

Kevin P: Nutty grain start; orange peel finish. Reminds me of blue moon. (Anything would after the Stroh's).
John D: It in the water all right; the leftover water from the Stroh's factory.
Corey M: A nice golden brown color. Tastes like poop though.
Brad O: Best so far. Must be in the water. (He gave this a 5).

AND THE WINNER IS:
Miller High Life with a 3.56!!!!
#2 Milwaukee's Best Light 3.21
#3 Olympia 3.00
#4 Icehouse 2.95
#5 Hamm's Special Light 2.75
#6 Stag 2.45
#7 Natural Light 2.41
#8 Hamm's 1.30
#9 Stroh's 1.1

There it is. Science never lies! Go live the High Life (if you can't afford real beer). It is good stuff- especially if you only have about $5 for beer! Thanks to Kevin for hosting. Basement looks great. Thanks to everyonewho participated and took time to participate in this "tomfoolery."

Tom W

Happy Mardi Gras!!!!

Happy Mardi Gras to everyone!!! I couldn't go anywhere so I figured I'd get some beer and write a blog. I have five different beers to drink and rate tonight so I better get to it! I'm going to be watching the Duke/ UNC game during so I'll probably comment on that as well. I am a huge Duke fan and there are not many things more enjoyable then Duke beating UNC. I have my JJ Redick jersey on for the occasion.

The first beer tonight is straight from New Orleans. According to the label, it "captures the essence and is characteristic of the gracious charm and joy of living so inherent in the New Orleans and Southern way of life." The classic Dixie Lager which I have never had before.




Brewer: Dixie
Beer Name: Dixie Lager Beer
Beer Style: Lager
Price: $7.99 per six pack at Friar Tucks

Appearance: Very Light in color; somewhat cloudy; almost no head and lacing. Tons of bubbles. It looks like a traditional lager.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat substatial for a lager but still light overall.

Smell: You can smell the hops in the beer and also a slight amount of the malt as well. It has a slightly sweet odor to it. Overall, it smells good.

Tatse: Very smooth, refreshing, and slightly sweet at the end. This beer would be good on a hot, humid southern day. I can see an 18 pack on the beach with no problem. It is a good beer to start with tonight and will be finished very shortly.

Overall Rating: 4.0 A very nice, refreshing lager that would be good on the beach, fishing trip, or the golf course. The next time I head to Gulf Shores, I'm going to grab some of this and head for the ocean.

The second beer is from the same brewer but is their light beer; an amber called "Jazz." Here goes!!

Brewer: Dixie
Beer Name: Dixie Jazz Amber Light
Beer Style: Amber Light Lager
Price: $7.99 per six pack at Friar Tucks



Appearance: Looks similar to the regular lager. Very light in color, slightly cloudy as well.

Mouthfeel: Significantly less substance here. Pretty watered-down which you would expect from a light beer.

Smell: A junior version of the regular lager as well. Slight hint of hops and malt followed by a sweet odor at the end.

Tatse: We have lost quite a bit here. There is not a whole lot to it. This might be a case at the beach at least. You could drink this all day and never get really drunk. It is definitely a light beer and the taste reflects that. This is something my wife might like because of the sweet aftertatse like the regular lager.

Overall Rating: 3.5 for a light beer. Significantly less taste and punch then the regular but that is what light beer is.

The third beer is from Abita Brewing company, the makers of Turbo Dog and Purple Haze.

Brewer: Abita Brewing Co.
Beer Name: Mardi Gras Bock
Beer Style: Bock
Price: $7.99 per 6 pack at Friar Tucks



Appearance: Medium Brown, slightly cloudy. Decent Head and lacing on the glass. Looks like we are having some real beer here.

Mouthfeel: Not too heavy; not too light. A good medium feel.

Smell: Skightly sweet; a nice aroma overall.

Taste: The overriding feature of this beer is the smoothness. For a bock, it is very melloow and smooth with very little aftertaste. Along with the Turbodog, another very nice output from Abita.

Overall rating: 4.0. A solid beer here that is just heavy enough for the cool days of early spring.

And the fourth beer in the list is straight from France. Sure, they make wine too but they also brew beer. After all, not everyone likes wine.

Brewer: Fischer's
Beer Name: Fischer's Blonde
Beer Style: Blond Ale
Price: $3.99 at Friar Tucks for 1 pint, 6 oz. bottle.




Appearance: Light brown; semi-clear, nice head and good lacing.

Mouthfeel: extremely light; even for a blonde

Smell: Sweet, not very beery at all. Very citrusy and light.

Taste: Very good beer here. Smooth, almost silky taste. I could drink gallons of this during the summer. Somewhat unique in that it combines hints of Belgian blondes with a Stella Artois feel to it. Very interesting and I'm having no problem finishing the entire 1 pint, 6 oz. bottle. I am surprised although the one thing the Frenchies have going is their food and drink so I shouldn't be.

Overall rating: 4.5. A very smooth, nice mellow beer with a good taste, afertaste, and aroma as well. This will be bought again.

And the last beer switches back to the brewers from Lousiana: Dixie Blackened Voodoo lager.

Brewer: Dixie
Beer Name Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager
Beer Style: Lager
Price: $7.99 per six pack at Friar Tucks



Appearance: Dark color; almost brown with a whole red hue to it. Almost no lacing or head when poured.

Aroma: Malt, malt, and more malt. This lager is made on malt alone.

Mouthfeel: rather substantial for a lager. I like it. It's bubbly and slightly heavier then Bud or one of the other standards.

Taste: If you like malty beers, this is the beach beer for you. At 5%. it won't kill you in the sun and it packs some serious taste for a lager. Beats the heck out of any Budweiser or Miller lager for sure. Actually, it's getting better as I finish the glass as well. This is pretty good stuff overall.

Overall rating: I'm giving this a 4.5 for a lager. Not as good as an ale, but for the style, I'm not sure I've had anything better. Good flavor all the way through and at 5%, it'll do the trick.

Listen to this playlist: Nouvelle Vague

2011 Oscars Movie Review- Kids are All Right!!!

Watched the fifth movie nominated for Best Picture in 2011 on Saturday night. "The Kids are All Right" was directed and written by Lisa Cholodenko. The film stars Anette Benning, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo. Benning and Moore play a married lesbian couple who decided to each have a child from the same sperm donor. After the oldest child has turned 18, she calls to find out who the donor was. After she and her brother meet him, the family is put to the test because of various different events.

The film had an interesting take on the strain families can be put under. The in your face, on the fly way the viewers are forced to reconcile with different feelings from different perspectives gives the film depth and a recurring theme that carries the movie. Each charcter is clearly flawed yet we identify and even like most, if not all, by the end of the film. Bening's performance as one of the moms earned her a nomination for best actress. Personally, I didn't see it but Mark Ruffalo's performance as the sperm donor/ step dad/ maternal father was outstanding and deserved the nomination it earned.

I would definitely recommend this film as it does pose some very clear questions and it forces the viewer to reexamine his/ her own thoughts about the security we gather from the family structure.

Next up is "127 Hours", the film starring James Franco about the hiker who chopped off his own arm in order to get to safety and ultimately live.

Friday Night Beer Fights are Back (Kind Of)

The first true beer blog of 2011 is here!!! We (Kerry, John, and I) are going to review two beers tonight. Both are from the Crown Valley Brewery in St. Genevieve, MO. About an hour south of St. Louis, this brewery/ winery is becoming a major player on the local brewery scene. So, without further ado, off to the beers:



First, the Worktruck Wheat:
Brewer: Crown Valley Brewery
Beer Name: Worktruck Wheat Beer
Beer Style: Wheat
Price: $7.99 /six pack at Schnucks in Wentzville

Tom says sweet, almost Belgian, A good beer if you are in the mood for a sweet aftertatse.

Kerry says needs the lemon slice but his kids blew up the kitchen with the lemon. Beer was overly carbonated and took away from the taste.

Johnny D says it has the Belgian flavor he doesn't like.

Appearance: Light to Medium Brown- nice head- good lacing.

Mouthfeel: Light, fresh- good overall feel.

Smell: Smeels like an ale from Belgium. You can detect the sweet undertones from the odor.

Taste: OK until the end when the Belgiun aftertaste kicks in. If you enjoy Belgiun beer, get this when you go to the CV in St. Genevieve.

Overall rating: 2.5 based on crappily sweet Belgian taste/ aftertaste.


And, second, the Horseshoe Pale Ale.
Brewer: Crown Valley Brewery
Beer Name: Horseshoe Pale Ale
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Price: $7.99 /six pack at Schnucks in Wentzville

John: Full bodied, a true pale ale taste.

Kerry: Good, no weird wang taste. I'm out on this one so don't ask me. That's what he said.

Tom: Good, ummmmmmmmmmmmm good. A solid beer with a bitter aftertaste. Malty at the end but still a good.

Appearance: Light amber in color; clear. Short head when poured but a good looking beer nonetheless.

Mouthfeel: Slightly watery but overall feels good.

Smell: A sweet syrupy odor is present. The smell doesn't give away the hops embedded in the taste.

Taste: Ummm. Good pale ale taste. A little hoppier then normal but I like that.

Overall, we are giving this a 3.5. John and Kerry said 3 but I liked it a bit more and I'm typing.

We spent the last two hours drinking and watching Between the Ferns w/ Zack Galifinakis and also the female sports ESPN Classic skits from SNL. All funny. Watch them immediately. Again.

I went and bought beer for the upcoming blogs. A veritable cornucopia of beer.

First up, this weekend, I'm going to do a Mardi Gras beer blog featuring five different beers: Abita Mardi Gras Bock, 3 different Dixie brand beers, and a true French beer. I'm assuming the good ol' USA beer will kill the Frenchy beer but you never know. They do make some good wine over there.

After that, I am going to do a St. Patrick's Day blog featuring 2 different Guiness beers (I've never had Guiness before- amazing after drinking at least a couple of hundred different beers that I've never had Guinness), Harp's lager, some St. Pat's day beer from a brewer I never heard of and also Smithwick's. I may be adding to this list as well. After all, I am 25% Irish. Bring on the potatoes!!!

We are shooting for our Spring Break "Beer Gone Wild" blog on or about the first day of spring break in about 2 1/2 weeks. Right now, we are going to do a round table questionarre featuring comments from about 6-8 guys on about 6-8 different cheap beers. So for anyone who thinks I am a beer snob, this one's for you. If you are interested in participating, we are going to do it the first Friday of March Madness at Porter's house- with TL's permission which is pending and always subject to change. We'll clean up after ourselves and Owens promises not to throw up between the couch cushions!!!

Keep checking back as I have lots of beer in the fridge!!!

2011 Oscars movie Review- Winter's Bone!

I watched the film "Winter's Bone" last night and I was surprised by the lack of publicity it received; especially here in St. Louis. For those of you who, like me, weren't familiar with the film, it is set in the Ozarks or south of the Ozarks. The premise behind the movie is that a 17 year old girl (Ree) has to raise her 12 year old brother and six year old sister because her father has abandoned them to cook methamphetamine and run from the law. The strain this put on the mother was too much and she has had an apparent nervous breakdown and is basically useless as a parent and needs care from Ree as well. The father has an upcoming court date and has used the house and all of his belongings as bond. If he doesn't show up to court, the house will be repossessed and the family will have nothing. So, Ree sets out to find him.

While it is a powerful story that provides both a look at the life of meth cookers, dealers, and users and the culture they create, it also takes a look at the backwoods of Missouri (and presumably other states) and the absolute lack of progress both socially and economically that these areas have made. The setting, characterization, and theme all are first rate and a fresh alternative to the cookie cutter crap that Hollywood throws at us regularly.

I was very impressed by the film and thought it was by far the best I have seen this year so far (with all due respect to the Cohens). The climactic scene was disturbing beyond belief and will stay with you for a while whether you want it to or not. Go see it immediately but don't have the kids around as this is not apprpriate due to violence, drug use, and language.

2011 Oscars

2011 Oscars are near!!!!

I have seen four of the nominated films so far and they have all been good in their own way.

Inception was a mind bending story that demanded your full attention or you would be lost. The acting and cinematography was up to par but nothing exceptional in my opinion. This was a good nominee but a long shot to win in my opinion.

The Social Network was an extremely interesting story of the acebook guy who was (and I guess still is) a gigantic ass. It was amazing to see a common man become a multibillionaire in the span of a few months. A dark horse to win as well. Great story but not the impact of a best picture.

True Grit was fantastic as all Cohen brothers films are. Jeff Bridges was outstanding reprising John Wayne's Rooster Cogburn. As he won last year (deservedly so), I can't see him winning this year as well. Hailee Stanfield should win the best supporting actress as she was outstanding although I haven't seen the other films yet so I suppose that could change.

I also saw Toy STory III and while it was etertaining, it doesn't belong on this list as Up didn't elong last year. It looks like the academy is going to nominate the kids movie of the year each year as lip service to the genre.

I am going to watch Winter's Bone tonight and maybe another nominee if any more are out. More on this subject to come.