Sundance Amber Ale

Welcome to possibly my favorite genre of that cool beverage we call beer: the Amber Ale. I like ambers for their variety - they can consist of so many great flavors and still be called an 'Amber.' They are typically robust, flavorful beers that beg to be drank at almost any occasion.

This one is certainly distinct from many I've enjoyed. A deep copper color, it is said to be the color of a Colorado Sunset. Ok - maybe stretching it a bit far, but that's what Boulder Beer Company says. Boulder Beer is the first microbrewery in Colorado - sock that away in your trivia bank for a rainy day.

A first sip reveals notes of smoke and roasted barley, with a strong yet warm malt taste, a signature of any good amber. Further progression yields a full body and an almost dry finish. I like it. There are the classic elements of a great amber with Boulder's own little twist on it. Nothing too crazy or out of the ordinary. Definitely a pretty versatile brew.

Sundance won a Silver Medal at the 2000 World Beer Cup, an annual competition of over 2000 beers. More than 500 brewers participate in this annual event, and it is always stiff competition.

If you like beers that have flavor, you'll like this one. The roasted barley and flavorful hops make for quite a well rounded taste - you won't be disappointed. While not the best amber I've had, it certainly distinguishes itself among the others.

Character: 17 - original, but not outstanding. Plenty to love here, but the components leave you wanting just a little bit more to spice things up.
Exclusivity: 16 - Found at most liquor stores around the midwest. I'm not sure how widely Boulder distributes, but this is one of your more 'average' ales. Most people wouldn't go pick it up, so extra cool points for that.
Flavor: 18 - Different enough to be distinguished. Everything is well balanced and sophisticated.
Originality: 18 - Boulder was the first real microbrewery in Colorado, and they like to brag about it. This particular beer is pretty unique among the ambers I've tried.
Versatility: 19 - As said before, this one can be drank pretty much year round. Not too filling, light and crisp, yet robustly flavored makes for a perfect year-round selection.

Total: 88 of 100

Beer: Boulder Sundance Amber Ale
Alcoholic Content: 4.8% ABV
Brewed by Boulder Beer Company, Boulder, Colorado
Amber Ale
Reviewed by: Jameson Huckaba

Staropramen

So I'm not typically a pilsner fan. But when I asked the barmaid at one of my favorite hangouts to suggest a beer I most likely had not tried, she was more than happy to suggest Staropramen Pilsner Lager for me. I thought 'great...I've done the Czech pilsner thing before (Pilsner Urquell).'

However, I took her up on her suggestion, and was pleasantly rewarded. Served relatively cold, as most pilsners are, this particular lager had a rich, warm character to it. While still having the characteristic pilsner bite, I discovered that it was nicely balanced by the complexity of flavor the czech hops gave. Slight hints of melon and lemon were found, along with that classic european hops flavor.

One of the complaints I often hear is that european pilsners are skunkish. This is not a 'stinky' beer. For someone looking to transition from our favorite domestics (riiight...), this would be a great place to start. Full flavored, not too weird, and good enough to make you wonder what else is out there.

From their website:

Traditional Czech brewing methods are used in the brewing of Staropramen. Staropramen uses a special blend of natural Czech ingredients. Bohemian barley and Zatec (Saatzer) hops have been used to produce Czech beer for hundreds of years.

When you take a sip of our pale lager, you will surely appreciate its natural "bite." Consistent and sufficient fermentation give Staropramen a full- bodied, pleasantly smooth taste with a thirst quenching finish known as RIZ or "just right." a rich head of foam, and deep golden colour.

I'm not sure that I could have stated it better.

Staropramen is brewed by Pivovary Staropramen a.s., and as of 2000, is actually owned by InBev, who also owns Stella Artois and Becks, among others. Founded in 1869, Staropramen is one of Prague's most popular beers, served in over 800 locations within the city. They are also the Czech Republic's third biggest brewery.

Staropramen Pilsner Lager

Character: 17 - A unique pilsner with a complexity of hops and fruit that will please the palate.
Exclusivity: 18 - while popular in eastern Europe, I've not seen it too many places here in the US. Certainly less popular than other imported macrobrews, such as becks or warsteiner, or Pilsner Urquell.
Flavor: 16 - Still a pilsner, although a good one. This left no hint of a cheap beer after each sip, and the flavor continued to unravel itself as I made my way through the bottle.
Originality: 18 - one of Czech Republic's original brews, and from my experience, unique in its construction.
Versatility: 20 - I can't place a season or an event to this one. You'd be perfectly comfortable slamming (I mean enjoying) one of these before a ball game as you would at a wedding.

Total: 89 of 100

Beer: Staropramen
Alcoholic Content: 5% ABV
Brewed by Pivovary Staropramen, Smichov, Czech Republic
Czech Style Pilsner Lager
Reviewed by: Jameson Huckaba

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Yeah, I had to do it. I was at Old Chicago with my buddy Jeff yesterday, which so happens to be Beer Tour Wednesday. For those who aren't in the know, every Wednesday, Old Chicago will feature a beer (usually unique and obscure) that will count for four beers on one's quest to conquer the World Beer Tour.

Well, the story goes on, and we discover that the 'unique and obscure' beer of their offering just so happened to be the infamous PBR, or Pabst Blue Ribbon. I was jumping for joy, let me tell ya. So what's the excitement about? Blatantly put, I wouldn't pick this beer up just for the heck of it. I've gotta have a pretty good reason. Available most places for $5.99 a 12 pack (yeah, you heard me right), the stuff is akin to some of the more inexpensive beers you can buy.

Pabst Brewing company was founded in 1844, and has a strong will for adhering to tradition. Maybe too strong. They tend to be fans of locality and culture of particular regions, given different brews like 'Lone Star' and 'Old Style.' A quick glance at their other brands reveals several traditionally laughable brands such as Colt 45 and Schlitz. My biology professor was discussing digestion one day and cracked a joke about Schlitz. But that's for another day.

So being the objective type of person I am, I decide to put away my prejudices and preconceptions, and go for it. After all, every beer I take a look at can't be absolutely fantastic, can it? Maybe I'll see this one as something different this time. Probably not, but oh well. It's worth a shot.

PBR won a blue ribbon, hence its name, back in the late 1800's. From Pabst's website:

Our beer was originally called "Select," but people started asking for that "Blue Ribbon" beer in 1882 when we started tying silk ribbons to the bottles. We officially added the words "Blue Ribbon" to the bottle in 1895. Pabst was the first brewery to put beer in cans way back in 1935. This was Blue Ribbon beer but it was called "Export" when sold in the can. Our first cans had a picture of a can opener on the side with instructions on how to open the can of beer, with the can opener.

During World War II, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans were painted olive drab at the factory for military use. All of the canned beer was for the military. Pabst Blue Ribbon beer was not sold to civilians in cans during the war because of tin rationing.

So the taste test began. I took an initial sip, and I was stung with a blast of carbonation. And then came that taste. That sour, stinky, warm beer taste that even the poorest of frat boys loathe. Keep in mind that particular PBR was ice cold.

...and that's all there really is to the taste. It hits your mouth and dies. In an emergency situation (use your imagination on that one), it's drinkable. For comparison's sake, take a warm Natural Light (one of the few beer companies to spell "light" correctly, I commend them for that), and let it sit open overnight. You'll begin to see what I mean, and you can skip the PBR all together.

I had to work to choke it all down. It seemed like such a waste to dump those calories and maltose sugars in me when I clearly wasn't interested in compliance. On Pabst's website, they indicate that one 'wouldn't be at home' dropping a motor into a car or changing the oil without a PBR by their side. I think I'd rather take the motor oil. And no, not Guinness. But hey - maybe It would get better?

It didn't. Drink this one as quickly as you can. It gets worse with age. No decanting on this one, ladies and gents. I moved on to Sierra Nevada's Porter. A beer never tasted so good.

Pabst Blue Ribbon
Character: 15 points - I had to give this one some points for being so terrible. There aren't too many beers out there that one just completely laughs to themselves when asked if they would like one.
Exclusivity: 5 points - Available everywhere, predominantly in boothill regions. No offense to my country lovin' friends, as I'm sure they enjoy a good beer as well. I'm just stating matter of fact.
Flavor: 1 point - I'm being generous with this one. Order of preference: A good beer > water > corona > club soda > gasoline > pea soup > rubber cement > PBR.
Originality: 5 points - This was probably a respectable beer in the late 1800's, but that was also when cholera and diphtheria were prevalant, and muddy lake water was just fine. This stuff is probably still made with that water, and whatever else they put in it definitely kills any diseases that might be inhabiting your cold, refreshing beverage of choice.
Versatility: 3 points - This beer has two purposes. Getting wrecked, and killing diseases. Use as a substitute for Mr. Clean.

Total: 29 of 100

Beer: Pabst Blue Ribbon
Alcoholic Content: 5% ABV
"Brewed" by Pabst Brewing Company in San Antonio, Texas
American Style Pilsner
Reviewed by: Jameson Huckaba