GOOD DAY . . . Welcome to Lager or Ale

Welcome to Lager or Ale . . . a blog dedicated to beer, lager, ale . . . and all varieties of the beer world .
These posts are my personal taste tests exploring the world of beer, or lager, or ale, you get the idea.

I hope you enjoy the reviews, as I have enjoyed trying new brands.

I have rated each under these 3 criteria:

1. Drinkability – How the lager meets the taste buds – Smooth, Harsh, or Heavy. Also, how the body and alcohol level of the lager makes drinking the lager difficult, no affect, or a pleasure to drink.

2. Overall Taste – What flavors are experienced and how much my taste buds like it.

3. Appearance / Marketing – Bottle & Label design, why I choose the selection over the others on the shelf.

Each category has a range of  6 bottle caps; Zero to 6 caps, being the highest.
If I give a brand a 6 in any category, or overall, then I would recommend buying a full six pack.
However, a Zero score, and I wish I had never opened the bottle.

C H E E R S !

RED HOOK – Copper Hook Ale

REVIEW #3

RED HOOK – COPPER HOOK ALE
Brewery: Red Hook
Location: Woodinville, WA
Website: http://www.redhook.com

Red Hook - Copper Hook Ale

First Impression
I have to be honest, I have a soft spot for Red Hook beers. The Sunrye ale, is one of my favorites, so I always look for new Red Hook beers on the shelves. This Copper Ale looked like a good buy and one that I had not seen before. I had to try it.

Drink-ability
This is a smooth ale without a harsh, lingering after taste, even when down to the bottom of the bottle. The flavor has a nice hint of fruity-ness and a moderate alcohol level. Smooth across the palette, perfect for hot summer day or with a meal.
Drink-ability Score: () () () () ()  (5 caps)

Overall Taste
Copper Hook Ale has a nice even taste that does not hit you at the end, like some bitter ales. With the moderate alcohol level, the full bodied flavor is more noticeable and enjoyable. I really enjoyed this ale because of it’s hint of citrus and hoppy body. A little more depth of flavor would be welcomed.
Taste Score: () () () () ()  (5 caps)

Appearance / Marketing
The brown bottle has more design detail than the label. Red Hook logo and wheat symbols debossed banding across the bottle has a tactile element that adds more detail to the simple label design, but only when you hold the bottle. A Brown/Orange label on a brown bottle lessens the contrast and visibility on the market shelves. Copper Hook lettering is prominent with the most contrast, but I think the Red Hook logo should be more noticeable to have more brand recognition. Not until I saw the Red Hook logo is when I decided to try the new brew.

I wrote Copper Hook Ale on purpose because the label has “Copper Hook” over “Cooper Ale” – Why have two names, too much left over space on the plain label? Go with one name that best describes the brew . . . Copper Hook Ale!
Appearance Score: () () (   (2.5 caps)

TOTAL SCORE: 12.5 Bottle Caps – Buy a 6 Pack & Enjoy!

The Last Drop . . .
My taste buds have found a new brew to enjoy. Copper Hook with it’s smooth body and enjoyable ale flavor, I would recommend this ale to anyone who don’t normally enjoy ales. The smooth taste and full flavor is well worth paying full price for a 6-pack. You don’t have to wait until this one goes on sale. This ale lives up to Red Hook’s motto – “Liquid Goodness”, in deed.

C H E E R S!

FIRESTONE – Solace Ale

REVIEW #2

FIRESTONE – SOLACE ALE
Brewery:Firestone Brewery
Location: San Luis Obispo County, CA
Website: www.firestonebeer.com

Firestone Solace Ale

First Impression
Labeled as Limited Release and described as a “Crafty Unfiltered Ale” on the label peaked my interest. I like unfiltered wheat beers and full flavor, however, the first taste deflated my expectations as the flavor was more bitter and a metallic “tinny” taste than I expected.

Drink-ability
The Solace Ale has a nice rich, amber color, however the bitter taste left my taste buds wishing that was the last drop. Cold, the ale didn’t make my taste buds happy initially, however as I progressed down the bottle, I got use to the sharp taste making drinking a little bit more palatable, hence the two bottle cap score.
Drink-ability Score: () ()  (2 caps)

Overall Taste
The flavor of the Solace Ale is like a pale ale, with a sharp bite as the beginning with a short lived flavor washing over my taste buds. The Solace Ale has a definite strong lingering metallic, and bitter after taste. This is not my cup of tea. I didn’t enjoy the sharp taste and didn’t give it a good score.
Taste Score: ) (0.5 cap)

Apperance / Marketing
What caught my eye was the Solace and the golden pint image in the middle of the label. This reminded me of a summer ale, with a citrus flavor, which I like. And the “crafty unfiltered ale” banner led me to think this has a full flavor like a hefeweizen, but the taste is more a pale ale. The label colors are balanced with the Firestone name framed in gold metallic. The fight stance of the lion & bear seemed odd, but maybe thats a symbol of the ale’s taste preparing to fight against your taste buds.
Apperance Score: () () )  (3.5 caps)

TOTAL SCORE: 5.5 Bottle Caps

The Last Drop . . .
My taste buds didn’t care for the Solace Ale

C H E E R S!

NAPA SMITH – Wheat Beer

REVIEW #1

NAPA SMITH – WHEAT BEER
Brewery: Napa Smith Brewery
Location: Napa Valley, CA
Website: www.napasmithbrewery.com

NapaSmith-WheatBeer

First Impression
This beer caught my eye with it’s polished logo and label design, and I think I was thirsty for a wheat beer at the time.  I have never seen, nor heard of this brand so I was intrigued to give it a try. The price per bottle was average for a craft beer.

Drink-ability
Once I tasted the sweet, fruity flavor of the wheat beer, I felt this was a smooth, easy drinking beer. The body and alcohol levels are moderate making this a pleasure to drink. Even at the bottom of the bottle, once the beer has warmed-up, the drink-ability is still smooth and easy to finish. No heavy lingering after taste. 
Drink-ability Score: () () () () () ()  (6 caps)

Overall Taste
The wheat flavor is there right away, and lemon, or some citrus adds a fruity flavor that complements the wheat. This beer has a sweet taste, which I like, but might be too sweet for bitter lovers. A great tasting beer, this wheat beer has a nice, moderate body that supports the full flavor. Unlike some wheat beers, this is not light in weight, nor flavor.
Taste Score: () () () () () ()  (6 caps)

Apperance / Marketing
The brown bottle is common, but the label design caught my eye. Again, I have not seen this beer before so I was attracted to the clear and polished Napa Smith branding. The color scheme works well with the brown bottle, having plenty of contrast to grab attention on a busy market shelf. Only the back label is a departure to the overall design. The front label and back label are not complementary, nor consistent. The overall classy label design does the great tasting beer justice.
Apperance Score: () () () ()  (4 caps)

TOTAL SCORE: 16 Bottle Caps – Buy a 6 Pack

The Last Drop . . .
Your taste buds will enjoy this Napa Smith wheat beer year round. You don’t have to wait for summer to enjoy this type of beer with it’s moderate body and full flavor fruitiness.

C H E E R S!