So finally I get to try a good ol homebrew from Tom!!!! (about time!!!) Anyway his wife stopped in with two samples (both which were gone in about 20 min.) I do have to say that I really did enjoy this brew. First off it had a specific sour taste to it that kinda reminded me of the Penn Weizen which is copied from a southern german recipe. This one had lots of citrus flavor, a nice malty aroma...sort of banana taste? Not much spicy accent to it (which I prefer). Alcohol seemed decent (4.5% +?) Great carbonation...not too much...not too little. Good lacing on the glass. Medium body with a good mouthfeel to it...dry almost. Tart! Color was just like a wheat beer should be. I noticed that there was little sediment in the bottle which is ok (some brewers leave a little in there for extra flavor) which is fine with me. All in all I would really have to say this is a good hefe! Congrats Tom...brew some more!!!! 3 out of 5!

Finally a decent brew to enjoy.....what? you say Brooklyn out of a can? YES!!!!! Believe it or not it is the same damn beer that is in the f'n bottle. Anyway...pour it into a glass and quit being an ass. This fine brew is a good session lager. This 5.2% abv lager has a little dark color to it. Decent body (typical lager body) and a slight malt aroma. Not really any signs of hops but hell this beer tops Yuengling any day of the week. Good carbonation and a decent aftertaste makes this brew a great summer beer. Not too much into lagers but this one definitely takes the taco...lol.... 4 out of 5!

Ok....I swear this New York one was like drinking a Yuengling Lager but with a higher price tag...really? They claim they are a "craft" brewery but yet they use corn and other cheap "macro" ingredients. Man I have to be honest, I was really dissappointed in these. Guess I really won't be recommending these to any of my customers except the macro ones. This gets a 2 out of 5.

Next up was the New Jersey Lager. This one was a little darker than the PA lager...not much body/taste. Slight malt aroma, but other than that...a glorified Yuengling Lager light lol.1 out of 5.

So the other night I got to try a couple of beers new to the Zoo. Hometown Brewing came out with a few beers and each one is going to be the name of a state. So naturally I tried the ol PA lager first. Not much taste to it as far as hops and malt...more like a macro pilsner. Considering it is contracted through Lion Brewery (Lionshead) it actually kinda tastes like Lionshead. Eh...for a thirst quencher...1 out of 5.

Next up was the Shiner Hefeweizen. I was quite surprised with this one. Now let me tell you that this 5.28% abv hefe was decent. It is not up to par with the Sierra Kellerweis or some other good German weiss beers, but for someone who has never had one, this would be a go to beer. It has a citrusy/fruity/spicy taste and aroma. Banana flavor? Good mouthfeel, low carbonation. Decent! 3 out of 5!

Ahh...Shiner Bock...the Yuengling Lager of Texas as I refer to it. It has some similar qualities as the Y. Lager, but it is better tasting. This 4.4% abv dark lager was a little on the sweet side. I couldn't taste any hop character in it at all. A little maltiness to it, but this tastes more like a macro than a craft. hmm...kinda dissappointing if you are into "better beers" like me. When I say better beers I say beers that use better ingredients not cheap ones. Beers that aren't massed produced on the scale of A-B, Miller-Coors-Molson, Pabst, etc..... Anyway, it does have a slight roasted taste to it (kinda reminds me of Michelob Amber Bock), it has a light body with high carbonation. I would buy a case for some non-craft drinkers to tempt them into the craft scene. I would kinda see this as maybe a gateway beer for the Miller/Bud/Coors drinkers. 2 out of 5.

Next up was the seasonal Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. This is a great weiss! Full flavored! This 4.8% abv hefe had a pretty complex flavor to it. It has a touch of citrus and yeasty flavors/aroma to it. Doesn't really seem on par with most american hefeweizens I've had. Can't pin it down...it's just different. Definitely has a clove taste to it, yet it is not too overpowering. I Great summer beer for sure...I will be buying quite a few more cases! 4 out of 5!

Ok so I got to try a couple of beers tonight! First up is New Belgium Brewing Company's Fat Tire! (I used to live in Phoenix, AZ and every bar had this on tap...kinda like Yuengling Lager around here) I honestly haven't had this in about 8-9 years since I lived there, but it was nice to have it again. A customer brought this one back from South Carolina. So I had it and I thought that this 5.2% abv amber ale poured an amber color (after all it is an amber ale lol). It had a good malty taste with and a little nutty flavor to it (not like a brown ale...seemed different somehow). Good mouthfeel to it...not really sweet, mild bitterness to it. Good carbonation. Definitely a session beer that would replace any macro. Overated?...probably but none the less a good brew. For the style it gets a 3 out of 5.