Cisco Brewers - Indie Pale Ale

Cisco Brewers is a brewery based out of Massachusetts, they do everything from Barley Wine to Witbier and are widely regarded as one of the best "budget" breweries in the North East.

This is their classic IPA recipe and it's called an "Indie Pale Ale"
A good and affordable beer, or as it says on the label a "Good fresh beer". 7.58% ABV.

This bottle ran me $6 i think, 1Pint + 6 oz.

-Poured out with little to no head, as opposed to the generous head it had on tap last time I tried it.

-Nice Red-Orange color, smells like grapefruit, alcohol and hops at first.

-Good amount of Hops to it, another simple flavor profile. I get things like Mint, 'bitterness', and woodenness immediately with more of a 'bitter' aftertase. Enjoyable and refreshing.

-It reminds me of a standard English IPA, not too flashy... but everything is done right.

I dig it, but I'm not gonna run around calling it something special or out of the ordinary:

8.5 out of 10

Dogfish Head "My Antonia" Pilsner

My Antonia is a continually-hopped Imperial Pils.

I got this instead of an IPA today, as a recommendation.

9.4 fl oz bottle, 7.5% alcohol.

-The recipe Sprouted up in 08' during Dogfish Head's owner Sam's trip to Italy.

-They decided to brew it again in Delaware, limited US release since June. $7.99 a bottle.

-The flavor profile is straight forward, it bites hard and has a thick, bitter initial hit.

-I could say it's a little grassy but what I really mean is it's just plain Hoppy, it's so unexpected from these newfangled 'imperial' pilsners. Then again I don't know what to expect from an Imperial Pilsner in general since every one I've had seems different so far.

-I do like the mixture of Noble and West Coast hops in this beer, and it has a very distinct 'Old World' appeal to it. However the flavor is a little simple and leaves something to be desired.

-It's a manly beer and although it might seem good for hot weather, it might be a little intense with too bitter an aftertaste to be absolutely refreshing.

I like this beer, but I don't love it.

7.5 out of 10

Try it though, if you like bitter beer (which I do) you won't be disappointed.

American Fruits Apple Liqueur

Produced & Bottled all at Warwick Valley Wine Co. In Warwick, NY.

I bought this at the distillery after a wine and liquor tasting, WHICH might I add only costs 5 dollars and comes with a free Warwick Valley glass.

It's Bourbon Barrel Aged for a period of 1 year. 19.5% alcohol.

First off, I can't say enough good things about Warwick Valley, and it's only a 45 minute drive from the Paramus area.

Ever had Doc's Hard Cider? Yeah well they make all of it there, produced and bottled.

I bought a few things there last time but managed to drink them all before I considered reviewing them.

This Liqueur smells like a carmel apple, it's great in light beer or as an alcoholic mixer.

It's sweet and has a warm feeling to it, notes of Whiskey afterwards. It's basically the same color as apple juice.

8 out of 10 because it's great (award winning actually) but they've done better.

www.wvwinery.com support local business.

In fact you should all go to the Warwick Farmers Market which takes place every weekend from here until the end of the summer. They have a stand set up.

Hoegaarden White Beer.

Hoegaarden is a Belgian white beer brewed with spices, it's a 4.9% and lends itself well to flavoring with things like Liqueurs and fruit preserves.

Pours out a sandy white which is common for a Weiss beer.

There's a lot of carbonation in this beer as well, that combined with a full but un-invasive flavor means that this beer would go well with richer/ more bold and flavorful foods.

It's citrusy and has a fair amount of tang to it, which makes it a good summer beer.

Drink this beer this time of year, it's a summer standby in my opinion.

9 out of 10

Cisco Brewers 'Grey Lady Ale'

Here's a pint of Witbier with a cool label I picked up today.

The Brewery is based out of Nantucket and it's a 4.5%

Pours out a Hazy-lazy yellow, Golden and Citrusy looking.

Smells like berries, Juniper berries to be precise.

Don't let the Ale title on this one fool you, it's a very mild beer with little to no bite at all.

I wouldn't call the flavor too complex either, but the mouth feel is syrupy and there's a lot of sweetness to it... So I wouldn't pair it with too many different things.

One thing I definitely DO like is when I pour out a pint and the bottle still has a generous portion left over.

The beer is pretty good, kind of boring but easily palatable and sweet so I could see how someone would enjoy it.

Also the girl ringing me up and Whole Foods forgot to charge me for it so... it was free.

All in all the beer gets a 7 / 10

Anchor Brewing Company 'Liberty Ale'

Liberty Ale is a Dry Hopped Ale dating back to 1975.

It is Brewed in San Francisco California by Liberty Brewing Co. and is a 6%.

Pours out crispy and golden with lots of carbonation and a thin head.

Smells Botanical and Hoppy Immediately (I like that in a beer).

The mouth feel is eye opening, a lot of bite and a nice 'grassy' flavor that catches your attention whether you want it to or not.

I just got finished doing some yard work and this beer is waayyyyy refreshing, a good pick up indeed. There's also a back end of Pine in the flavor which really opens up your senses for some reason.

Although I keep attesting to how light this beer is I must also say it has a lot of body to it, very well balanced.

Good beer, not an IPA but for people who like them.

9/10

Harpoon IPA

This IPA is from Harpoon brewery and is a 5.9%

It pours out a light wispy copper color and has a thinner lacy white head to top it off

A light, but noticeable floral smell with an air of bitterness to it.

What might surprise you when you first try this beer is the citrus notes that come out in the flavor, it isn't something you would smell but it's definitely noticeable (not overpowering in the least).

It's of medium carbonation (which is pleasant) and has a bit of body to it (I would prefer a little more but hey...)

It's a good introductory IPA for a summer beer drinker and is what I would like to call a 'lawnmower' beer, like something you would drink while you were mowing the lawn.

not bad, not amazing... solid IPA

7/10