Deathsmiles - Xbox 360

    Deathsmiles is a side-scrolling Shoot 'Em Up (also known as a "shump" or Bullet Hell) game created by Cave. Originally released in 2007, the game was began as an arcade machine only title. In 2010 the game was ported to the Xbox 360 in the USA by Aksys Games in a version which incorporated all content that was previously available in Japan plus a bit more.

Saranac Black Forest - Matt Brewing Company

    Saranac Black Forest is a German style Schwarzbier (or Black Beer) brewed by the Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York. This beer was brought back from New York for me by Emily Hohman.

    The Schwarzbier pours the color of molasses, with little to no light making its way through the liquid. A small khaki head forms at pouring, but quickly dissipates.

    Saranac Black Forest smells surprisingly subtle for how dark the beer is. Light roasted malt and dark fruit scents make up the majority of the beer's aroma. A slight bit of citrus acidity can be noted, hinting at light hopping.

     The Black Beer is light to medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. The beer takes on an almost watery feel as you swallow it, washing away most of the flavor. Black Forest has an alcohol content of 5.5% ABV.

    Matt Brewing Company's Schwarzbier has a light flavor, just as the aroma was subtle. Sweet chocolate and caramel malts make up the majority of the beer's flavor. There is only a slight hint of roasted malt flavor in the beer. A slight bitterness from hops briefly shows itself, only to fade quickly. The dark fruits from the scent are also present in the flavor, keeping the beer more on the sweet, than bitter side.

Black Bears enjoy Black Beers in the Black Forest.

     I don't know if you make it to Germany's Black Forest often, but it is a common experience whilst in those mysterious woods to come across a bear enjoying a beer. Most Commonly these bears just look up from their drink and nod at passersby, too relaxed to attack. Unfortunately, a few rowdy creatures just want to fight after imbibing a little Black Beer. It is German legend that if one is mighty enough to defeat these trouble-causers in hand-to-hand combat, that he or she has the right to take this bear's beer and enjoy it themselves. Not only are the Black Bears' Black Beers delicious, but it also is said to have mystical properties, such as giving the drinker the ability to spin the wildest tales in a most convincing manner. If ever you find yourself in a German biergarten around the Black Forest, you may just hear an elderly man weaving such a tale himself!

    Saranac Black Forest's light flavor profile and easy drinkability reminds me more of a Black Lager than more robust, roasted malt brews such as a Porter or Stout. The fact that the Schwarzbier has the roasted malt characteristics, but is not overpowering with them, makes for a great intro to the more intense styles of beer. This beer would be a great transition between Lagers and Porters or light Stouts for someone interested in broadening his or her beer knowledge. While I'm completely fine with the flavors being light in this beer, I'm really turned off by the way that the beer seems to become watery in the middle of the taste, washing away nearly all flavor the beer had up front. I, for one, will stick to the stronger flavors for now.

Amulets and Ale Rating:

Dale's Pale Ale - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

    Dale's Pale Ale is an American Pale Ale brewed by Oskar Blues Brewing Company in Longmont, Colorado. Oskar Blues takes great pride in Dale's Pale Ale, not only because of the beer's quality, but because the brew was one of the first craft brews to be packaged in aluminum cans. If you've followed the blog for long, you may already know that I'm a big fan of beer in cans. Oskar Blues actually packages all of their beers in cans, so they get bonus points for that from me!

    The Pale Ale pours a light amber color with a full, off-white head. The head slowly settles down into a nice film that leaves thick lacing on the glass.

    Dale's aroma is nicely hoppy, with pine and lemon rind. There is a sweet, caramel scent underneath the herbal hops smells.

    The ale is medium bodied and has a moderate level of carbonation. There is a slight astringency to the beer, likely due to the hops content. Dale's Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 6.5% ABV.

Now that's one portable Pale Ale!

     Oskar Blues's Pale Ale tastes less hoppy that the nose would suggest. That's not saying that this isn't an aggressively hopped Pale Ale though! Bitter lemon rind and resinous pine bite your tongue before being mellowed by sweet caramel malts. The hops leave a lightly bitter, citrus-like taste in your mouth.

    Dale's Pale Ale is a bit hoppier than I would usually recommend for a hot day, camping, or as a "lawnmower" beer, but I really feel that it would be extremely refreshing in any of these situations. Dale's heartiness would make for a satisfying drink after hard work as well. I guess I can see why the can's labeling seems to hint at Dale's being taken hiking quite often.

    Oskar Blues just recently became available here in Indiana. If all of their beers are this good or better, I can see drinking a lot of them in the future. I feel like Dale's is a bit hoppier than the normal Pale Ale, though that's perfectly fine with me. If you're not afraid of a Pale Ale with a bit more bite than normal, give Dale's a try!

Amulets and Ale Rating:

I Hardcore You - Brewdog/Mikkeller

    It appears as though I stumbled upon a pretty special brew with this one. I Hardcore You is a collaborative effort between Brewdog (Fraserburgh, Scotland) and Mikkeller (Copenhagen, Denmark). This Imperial India Pale Ale is a blend of Brewdog's Hardcore IPA, and Mikkeller's I Beat YoU. I somehow found a bottle at a local liquor store and picked it up on a recommendation of Brewdog by Rebecca Hellowell. I can't wait to see what a collaboration between two of Europe's better brewers (or so I'm told) is like!

    I Hardcore You pours an interesting dark caramel color with a slight orange tint. A small, thin head forms after pouring, but fades quickly.

    The Imperial IPA smells intriguingly hoppy. Fruity, floral hops aromas mingle with the more classic piney resinous scents. There is also a strong background of caramel and other sweet, British style malts.

    I Hardcore You has a medium to full mouthfeel with a low level of carbonation. The ale feels a bit oily, and lightly coats the mouth. There is a little bit of alcohol warmth to the beer, which has an alcohol content of 9.5% ABV.

    The collaborative ale tastes surprisingly malty when you consider that it is a blend of two very hoppy beers. Sweet and robust caramel and toffee malt flavors create a backdrop on which the hops flavors are highlighted. The many different hops used to brew this ale impart many different flavors to the ale. The flavors of tropical fruit are present, as well as more herbal, flowery flavors. There are also more traditional hops flavors such as pine and lemon rind in the beer. This mix really does a great job of showing off the spectrum of flavors that hops can lend to an ale.
 

    I imagine that this beer was named after a couple similar to Romeo and Juliet, only much cooler, that would say "I hardcore you" instead of "I love you", because they were just that hardcore. This couple likely listened to metal music while driving motorcycles through flaming hoops on their dates. The two were so wild that they would probably only kiss inside a cage of hungry tigers while wearing meatsuits. Then, as always seems to happen with such intense love, it's likely that the couple were forcibly separated when a gang of werewolves moved into the woods between their two homes. Of course the two probably fought their way through the hordes of lycanthropes with just their own hands and feet, but each would have sustained injuries in the process. Once the two finally met up, they likely committed suicide together, to avoid turning into werewolves themselves, by cutting off their own heads with an axe. They were pretty hardcore.

   After a bit more research, I found that this was a limited release beer that is no longer being brewed. My local liquor store had a few on the shelf even now though, so if the beer sounds interesting to you, you might get lucky and find a couple dust covered bottles, even here in the States. I'm impressed how well I Hardcore You showcases the many different flavors of hops. This is definitely a unique brew!

Amulets and Ale Rating:

American McGee's Alice - PC/Xbox 360

    American McGee's Alice is an Action/Platforming game that was originally released on PC in 2000, but was eventually ported to Xbox 360 as downloadable content for the Xbox 360 game Alice: Madness Returns. The game was developed by the now dissolved Rogue Entertainment, and published by Electronic Arts. Ten years before Tim Burton introduced us to his vision of a darker Wonderland, American McGee put his own dark twist on the classic tale. It is in this twisted version of Wonderland that American McGee's Alice takes place. I have played both the PC and Xbox 360 version of this game, though the 360 version is what I am heavily basing my review on as I just finished, it as opposed to the 9 years ago that I played the PC version.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

    Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is an American Pale Ale brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California. Sierra Nevada ranks up there with Colorado's New Belgium Brewing as a company that worked hard to make craft ales more popular by distributing their product all over the country. Now days I think of Sierra Nevada as a "Macro micro-brewery", as they produce a huge amount of beer and distribute far and wide.

    The Pale Ale pours a hazy, pale orange with a thick, off-white head. The head slowly subsides into a hearty foam layer on the beer's surface and a thick ring around the inside of the glass that leaves lacing on the glass for the entire time the beer is enjoyed.

    The beer has a light, hops scent to it, with citrus and pine scents being the main players. The hops aromas are lighter than you would find in an IPA. There is also a noticeable caramel sweetness from the malts in the beer's aroma.

    Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is medium bodied with a medium level of carbonation. The body seems to falter towards the end, however, and the beer finishes somewhat watery. The Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 5.36% ABV.

    The ale has a nice, light hops flavor. Citrus and piney, resinous bitter flavors flow across the tongue, followed by a malty sweetness. The flavor dissipates quickly as the body becomes more watery towards the end. The beer leaves the mouth dry and with only a slight bitterness lingering.

    I have a funny connection with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale that is in no way related to the beer's flavor or quality. Around a year ago, my wife went on a spree of watching the many hoarding reality TV shows. As I have a major beer obsession, I would often take note of what beers these hoarders would have around. Eventually, I noticed a trend. An overwhelmingly large number of hoarders had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale boxes, bottles, and cans strewn throughout their homes. This trend continued through a surprising number of episodes of the different shows.

A quick Google search brought up these examples. Click image to enlarge if you don't believe me!

     I will reiterate that this trend has absolutely nothing to do with the taste or quality of the beer. I have yet to launch a scientific inquiry into what exactly makes hoarders enjoy Sierra Nevada Pale Ale so much, but I find the ale to be a very drinkable, mild Pale Ale. This would be a great jumping on point if you are interested in hops flavors without wanting to risk the sometimes cloying bitterness of IPAs. Also, if you're a hoarder, it's time that you get with the program!

Amulets and Ale Rating:

5 A.M. Saint - BrewDog

    5 A.M. Saint is an Amber Ale made by Brewdog which is located all the way over in Fraserburgh, Scotland. Brewdog beers were recommended to me by Rebecca Hellowell, who lives across the pond herself, and loves their brews. I had a faint memory of seeing the BrewDog logo somewhere in the States, but it took some looking to find it. Luckily, I found three of their varieties, and picked up two!

    5 A.M. Saint pours a hazy copper with yellow tints. The beer's head is full, even though it's only around a finger tall.

    The Amber Ale smells thickly sweet. Heavy caramel and toffee malts dominate the smell with slight hops notes beneath.

    I know it sounds strange, but you can usually tell a British brew from an American brew by investigating two things: the head, and the aroma. The different malts used in British brews tend to produce a fuller, darker head than American style malts. The British malts also lend a sweeter, almost musty (in a good way) scent to the ales. I know that it seems weird, but you really can tell a difference between the styles, and I notice that difference in this beer.

    The ale has a medium body with a medium-high level of carbonation. I find the carbonation to be a bit too high for me, but it certainly doesn't ruin the body. 5 A.M. has an alcohol content of 5% ABV.

One more minute, and you can drink it!

    The Saint's flavor starts with a light bitterness from the hops. The ale then shows its rich, maltier side with sweet caramel and toffee malts with a hint of what could be crystal malts. The beer finishes a little bit bitter, but leaves the sweet caramel malt flavor as an aftertaste.

    I can only imagine that the name 5 A.M. Saint comes from the scenario of enjoying a long night of partying on a weekday. Sure, you're having a great time, but the fact that you have to be up early for work the next morning is always quietly screaming in the back of your head. You get home, go to bed, and BAM your alarm goes off seemingly as soon as your head hits the pillow. You wake up feeling horrible, but luckily, the BrewDog is there with some "hair of the dog" (pun intended) to get you up and going! Wow! This beer truly is a saint! (Amulets and Ale does not condone going into work drunk, even if it would make for an amusing story for your friends to tell about how you got fired from your job.)

    5 A.M. is a nice change of pace from the American brews I've had lately. The British style malts are very enjoyable, and the hops in the beer perfectly do their job of keeping the sweetness from being too much. The carbonation starts out being too lively for my liking, but after sitting for a bit, it mellows nicely. Overall, 5 A.M. Saint is a great Amber Ale that I would recommend, especially if you've never had a British style ale.

Amulets and Ale Rating:

Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout - Great Divide Brewing Company

    Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout is a Russian Imperial Stout brewed by the Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado. For this special, seasonal brew, Great Divide ages their super-popular Yeti Imperial Stout on oak, lending a light vanilla flavor to the dark roasty flavor of the Stout. I have had this beer before and loved it, but could not find it again until tonight. Needless to say, I snatched it up and scurried off home to write this review! This beer has the honor of being my fourth favorite beer!

    Oaked Yeti pours an amazingly dark obsidian that seems impenetrable by all light. The beer is topped with a luxurious, two-finger, mocha head that eventually settles down into a thin layer of foam capping the beer and sticking on the sides of the glass.

    The Imperial Stout smells of rich, roasty malts and dark chocolate. The oak definitely lends some of its woodiness to the ale's smell, conjuring the image of a cozy study in an old house in my mind. Just as I imagine a yeti would be, the beer is very strong with an alcohol content of 9.5% ABV.

    Similar to another characteristic I believe would be present in a yeti, the beer is very full-bodied (no fur though, luckily!). There is a low level of carbonation, making the thick brew feel amazingly smooth.

    Oak Aged Yeti's flavors go together so amazingly well that upon first taste it almost seems as though they are one flavor, rather than a mixture of tastes. Upon further sipping, dark, roasted malts become apparent in the flavor as well as dark chocolate and coffee. The wood flavor seems to mellow what could have been too much of a black coffee flavor for my tastes with a subtle vanilla flavor. Each component of the Imperial Stout's flavor blends together and creates a rich, delicious beer that could be dangerous with such a high alcohol content!

    Legend tells that the ancestors of the Great Divide Brewing Company used to brew beer at their family home, deep in the unsettled territories of Colorado. The family would sell their brews to other settlers, as the ales and beers would make facing the harsh, Rocky Mountain winters that much more bearable. The story goes that in the third week of November in their first year of brewing, the family was visited by a gigantic beast that appeared as a huge man covered in white-hair that blended in with the fresh snowfall. Apparently attracted by the smells of brewing, this creature tore through the family's dwelling, stealing anything edible. The family had spent a good bit of their money on the brewing equipment, and the loss of a secure, wind-tight home drained the final bits of gold from their pockets. The family somehow survived the winter without money to buy food, but came out of the situation in springtime with a plan.

How they fit the Yeti in the barrel to be aged, I have no idea!

    The family decided to brew a batch of the strongest, tastiest beer that they could. When the months flew by and the air grew cold once more, the family was ready. A giant barrel of the darkest beer anyone had seen at the time was set out near the edge of the family's land where it met the forest. Before long, the monster once again could be seen stalking the family's cabin from just inside the cover of the trees. When the monster eventually worked his way over to the barrel it sniffed the liquid it contained carefully. The beast then quickly went to work, draining the barrel of its alcoholic contents. Upon finishing its drink, the creature let loose with a vicious howl. Or was it a yawn? For then the creature sat down at the foot of a gigantic tree and fell asleep. In fact, the creature slept for the entire winter! When spring's fresh blooms once again dotted the landscape, the beast awoke from its slumber. Feeling the sun's warmth return to the air, the fur-covered monster retreated back into the coolness of the forest's shade.

    Every year from that time on, the family brewed the same beer, and time and time again the creature would come to drink the brew, only to sleep through its entire season of havok. The monster eventually came to be known by the name of Yeti, and Great Divide still, to this day, brews that same ale (with some minor changes to avoid people sleeping for months at a time after Mr.Van Winkle's unfortunate accident).

    Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout is an amazing ale. I slightly dreaded tasting the beer again for fear that my good memories were unfounded, but after my first sip all fears were allayed and I was greeted once again by the amazing blend of flavors in this beer. I can't put my finger on what it is about the Imperial Stout, but something feels so very classy about it. I know that's strange to say about a beer, but I stand by it. Maybe it's the richness of flavor, or the perfection of balance found in the ale. No matter what it is, I highly recommend Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout to everyone!

Amulets and Ale Rating:

Redd's Apple Ale - Miller Brewing Company

    Redd's Apple Ale is a Fruit Beer brewed by the Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You've more than likely seen commercials for this beer, as it seems to be one of the most advertised beers I have ever seen. With the growing popularity of cider in the United States, I'm interested to see if Redd's leads to Miller looking into brewing their own brand of hard cider.

    Redd's Apple Ale pours an extremely clear, apple juice color. Surprisingly, there is no head to the beer whatsoever. The beer's appearance is very similar to hard apple cider, which concerns me since this is supposed to be an ale.

    The apple ale smells strongly of sweet apples that are a few shades farther than ripe. It basically smells like an apple does once it has fallen from the tree and sat on the ground for a week. This rotten smell is the only real aroma given off by the ale.

    Redd's Apple Ale is very light bodied and has a low level of carbonation. The ale has no real beer-like body to it at all. Redd's has an alcohol content of 5% ABV.

Beer has fallen so far, and begun to rot.

    The Apple Ale's flavor is mainly that of sweet, rotting apples. After the apple flavor settles down, the tiniest bit of malt can be briefly tasted before all flavor fades quickly away. The overall flavor is very similar to alcoholic apple soda. The sweetness seems to be separate from the apple taste, as though Miller backsweetened the beer with another type of sugar.

    There really isn't anything "ale" about Redd's Apple Ale. I feel like Miller would have much more success if they would purposely brew a cider instead of trying to make an ale similar to a cider. If Redd's were just a bit dryer and less rotten, it would actually taste like a pretty decent cider, since there is no hops detectable and only the slightest bit of malt flavor. I really can't recommend this as a good Fruit beer, but it doesn't taste too terrible if you are just after a sweet, alcoholic, apple drink.

Amulets and Ale Rating:

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements - Xbox 360

    Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements, other than being a mouthful of a title, is a First-Person Action game that has some minor Role Playing elements developed by Arkane Studios and Floodgate Entertainment. The multiplayer portion of the game was developed by Kuju Entertainment and the game was produced by Ubisoft. Dark Messiah was released in 2008 on both the PC and the Xbox 360. From what I have read, major changes were made to the game between the PC and Xbox 360 versions, and not for the better for Xbox gamers. All I know is what the Xbox version is like, so I'll review based only on my own experiences with the game.

Blithering Idiot - Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

    Blithering Idiot is an English style Barleywine brewed by Weyerbacher Brewing Co. which is located in Easton, Pennsylvania. I find this label interesting, as I normally think that clowns are somewhat freaky. However, it seems that if you make a clown into a dark/evil clown, suddenly it's not nearly as frightening. This change must have something to do with the trust children put in normal clowns, only to have them mangle the child into a macabre balloon animal. At least if the clown looks evil, we might expect something like that to happen!

    This beer was donated to Amulets and Ale by Emily Hohman.

    Blithering Idiot pours a cloudy, brown-amber color with a finger of thick, tan head. The head persists for a short while, before fading down into a thick foam over the top of the beer.

    The Barleywine's scent is mainly sweet English style malts such as toffee and caramel. There is a sweet, dark fruit scent to the ale as well that makes me think of figs. There is also a strong ethanol smell to the ale, which makes me worry about the alcohol/flavor balance in the ale.

    This ale isn't "clowning around" when it comes to body. A thick mouthfeel with only a slight bit of carbonation makes the ale feel smooth as it crosses your tongue. This is definitely a hearty ale! I'm surprised that there isn't much of an alcohol warmth to the ale, as I really expected it after smelling the ethanol, not to mention that the ale has an alcohol content of 11.1% ABV! Drink too many of these and you'll be the one cracking terrible jokes!

    Blithering Idiot's flavor is made up of most of the same things that were present in its aroma. The beer first hits with its dark, sweet malts, followed by the sugary sweetness of dried dark fruits. The toffee malts are most pronounced, though a mellow caramel flavor is definitely present as well. There is only the slightest bit of hops bitterness right at the front end of the beer, and it is quickly overtaken by the sweet flavors. At the very back end of the beer I can taste a bit of strong alcohol. It's almost as though you feel it more than you taste it.

Now here's a clown you'd expect to kill you.

    I can't help but be reminded of Kefka from Final Fantasy VI when I look at this beer's label. In case you aren't familiar with this entry in the Final Fantasy series, Kefka is the "big bad guy" of the game. He is also likely the most insane and evil of all the Final Fantasy villains, and surprisingly, also the most successful. Kefka definitely falls into the category of clowns that you know to stay the heck away from! I'd have to guess that this would likely be his favorite beer as well, seeing as its deceptively sweet flavor hides a huge, sinister alcohol content that could turn even the smartest of his enemies into, well, blithering idiots! Who knows, with this beer on his side, Kefka might actually succeed in destroying the entire world! (wink, wink)

    Blithering Idiot is a great example of the English Barleywine with only one flaw, its failure to better hide, or balance, the unpleasant alcohol character. It's not an easy thing to do, especially in an ale with such a high alcohol content, and Blithering Idiot does better than many other Barleywines that I have tried. If you can forgive the alcohol astringency on the back end, I'd definitely recommend this ale!

Amulets and Ale Rating:

Amulets and Ale Giveaway!

    Hello everybody! When I started this blog last December, it was just as a test, to see if I enjoyed it and if anyone would be even slightly interested in reading my reviews. Since then, I've posted over 110 reviews and have gotten way more page views from all over the world than I ever expected I could. I recently received an offer from Customonit.com/ to have two custom Amulets and Ale bottle openers made to promote their site. I'm a huge fan of neat bottle openers, but I couldn't think of a better use for these than to host a giveaway in thanks to all of you for making Amulets and Ale so much bigger than I ever thought it would be!

The Prizes!

    I will be giving away two customized Amulets and Ale, surfer-style bottle openers.

The goods!

    The openers measure 7" x 1 1/2" and are made of steel. I had no idea why these were called surfer-style bottle openers, but after some quick research I learned that the round end of the opener is used to pull bottles out of ice without having to freeze your hand off. This use explains the sturdy construction and size of the openers, as they really surprised me when I received them. For a while I was starting to think that they were called surfer-style bottle openers because they were so big that you could use one as a surfboard! I suppose that they got their name from surfers at beach parties!

Ha-, no, OPEN ten bro!

    I'm really impressed how good these openers look! I've done some browsing around Customonit.com, and I have to say that there are some pretty cool options there. You can get customized shirts, cups, coasters, key chains, basically anything you can think of over there. I wish I would have known about the site before my wedding, as customized bottle openers or cups would have been a great party gift for guests!

How to Enter!

    It's easy! Just use the widget below to see what tasks get you an entry! Any questions about the giveaway can be posted here in the comments section and I will reply as quickly as possible! I have never used this widget before, so I will be testing it on my own to be sure that things go smoothly! The giveaway has now started, and will run until 11/2/2013 at 12AM!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks!  

    And finally, thank you all so much for following the blog. It means a lot to me! With your help, Amulets and Ale has come this far, and with your help it can grow even more! Any sharing of the blog that you do is extremely appreciated! You all rock! 

Grand Theft Auto V - Xbox 360

    Grand Theft Auto V is an open-world action game developed by Rockstar North and produced by Rockstar games. GTA V is actually the fifteenth entry in the popular Grand Theft Auto series. The game was released  in September 2013, and broke records with the amount of money it made in its first days on the market (over $1 billion in three days!). After playing the game, I can attest to the fact that it truly does live up to the hype!

Tenchu Z - Xbox 360

    Tenchu Z is a Stealth/Action game developed by K2 LLC and published by both From Software and Microsoft Game Studios. The game saw release in 2006, one year after the Xbox 360's launch. Z is the seventh entry in the Tenchu series. I have no idea why the game ended up with the "Z" at the end. You'd really think that it would be an "X" for Xbox or something. All I can figure is that K2 LLC chose the final letter in the alphabet as they realized that their lackluster game would possibly spell an end for the Tenchu series on the Xbox 360.

Mound Builder IPA - People's Brewing Company

    Mound Builder IPA is an India Pale Ale brewed by People's Brewing Company in Lafayette, Indiana. The beer is named after a few groups of Native Americans located in the Illinois, Indiana, Ohio area who in Pre-Columbian times would build gigantic mounds of earth for religious and other important purposes.

    The beer pours a clear, dark amber color with a nice two-finger, off-white head. The foam slowly subsides and forms a thin ring around the inside of the glass.

    Mound Builder smells mainly of hops. The expected grapefruit bitter scent as well as a nice, earthy pine resin scent are both highly featured by the beer. There is also a nice caramel-sweet scent backing up the hops.

    People's IPA is medium bodied and features a high level of carbonation. There is a slight slickness to the beer that sticks around after swallowing. There is also a bit of a warming feeling from the beer as you hold it in your mouth. The beer has an alcohol content of 6.5% ABV.

It is said that the great serpent mound will not rest
until it finds a good Midwest IPA.

    Mound Builder IPA hits hard with hoppy bitterness. The caramel sweetness keeps the bitterness at bay for a short time, but it comes back with a vengeance in the form of an extremely acrid aftertaste. This bitterness is so strong that it actually causes your mouth to burn slightly. If People's could have kept the balance found in the first few seconds of Mound Builder's flavor, this would have been a much more enjoyable beer experience.

    People's Brewing Company is located just a few miles from where I live. As such, I have visited the brewery a few times. On one visit to the brewery I noticed that they had Mound Builder IPA on their Nitrogen tap. I had tried Mound Builder from bottles and normal taps a few times and didn't like it much due to its extreme bitterness. I knew I needed to try it on Nitro just to say I had. Honestly, this beer changes completely when it is poured on Nitro. Nitrogen taps are known to reduce bitterness and to pour a smoother, less bubbly beer. Once the extreme bitterness is gone, Mound Builder is much more enjoyable.

    I generally only choose to drink Mound Builder when there aren't other, better, local IPAs wherever I am drinking. When on Nitro however, I can actually recommend that you give the beer a try. Just know that you'll likely only find the Nitro version of the beer within a small radius of Lafayette, Indiana.

Amulets and Ale Rating:

Derailed Black Cherry Ale - Erie Brewing Co.

    Derailed Black Cherry Ale is a Fruit Beer made by Erie Brewing Co. which is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. I find the beer's name interesting, as a train derailing seems like something that people would like to avoid, rather than enjoy...

    Derailed pours a semi-hazy, brown-orange with little to no head at all. There are a huge number of bubbles present in the ale, so I expect a high level of carbonation.

    The ale smells unsurprisingly like cherry juice. There is also the presence of bready malts. The beer also has a strange metallic scent to it.

    Derailed has a medium body with a medium-high level of carbonation. The beer leaves a slick film in the mouth after swallowing. An alcohol content 5% ABV is present in the ale.

Drink Derailed! The only beer responsible for multiple horrible deaths!

    The Fruit Beer tastes mainly of sweet cherry juice. There is a light flavor of the same bready malts that were present in the ale's aroma. There is a slight metallic aftertaste to the beer which is in stark contrast to the sweet fruit flavors.

    I can't get over that the beer is called Derailed. The word "derailed" brings nothing but negative connotations to mind. I don't see why anyone would name their product after a disaster, especially something with such sweet flavors.

    Derailed Black Cherry Ale has good fruit flavor blended with mild malt character. I'm put off a bit by the beer's metallic aftertaste and smell, though. There is a slight sourness to the beer that fans of Sour Ales might enjoy, though this is by no means a Sour Ale. If you've never had a Fruit Beer before, this would be a decent one to start with!

Amulets and Ale Rating:

Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale - Coors Brewing Company

    Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale is a spin on an American Pale Wheat Ale brewed by Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado. This is Blue Moon's summer seasonal release. I'll have to admit that I'm already somewhat biased against Blue Moon beers, but I promise to give this one a fair chance!

    The ale pours a clear, pale straw color with lots of effervescent bubbles. A large, off-white head forms after pouring, but very quickly subsides to a thin film over the beer.

    The Pale Wheat smells of sweet wheat, almost like cereal. There is a slight earthy zing in the aroma as well that could either be from hops or the agave nectar. Overall though, the smell is pretty light.

    Blue Moon Agave Nectar Ale is medium bodied, and nearly syrupy in texture. There is a low level of carbonation, which I find surprising after seeing so many bubbles in the glass at pouring. For once I wish that there was a higher level of carbonation in a beer. The Ale has an alcohol content of 5.6% ABV.

Agave Nectar Ale growing in nature.

    The Pale Wheat Ale's malt flavors are extremely light and nearly not there at all. Cereal wheat flavor is present, as well as some corn sourness. These malt flavors are soon overtaken by an extreme sweetness from the agave nectar. This sweetness persists even after the ale is swallowed, and is almost overpowering.

    Agave nectar is an interesting flavor to try to describe. If you want to know just how sweet this ale is, imagine honey. Now add a little bit more of a vegetable/"green" flavor to honey and you have agave nectar. I'm guessing that the nectar was added after fermentation, as there would be much less sweetness to the ale and a much higher alcohol content.

    When I smelled the beer at first I was hopeful that I had found a Blue Moon variety that I would like, but was soon disappointed. What I mistook for earthy hops turned out to be the agave nectar which adds an almost unbearable sweetness to the beer. I would suggest that Blue Moon lightly hop this ale so that the sweetness is tamed down a bit by some bitterness. Otherwise, this beer is much too sweet for me to enjoy.

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Giddy Up! - New Belgium Brewing

    Giddy Up! is an Amber Ale that is infused with espresso. New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado brewed a limited amount of this ale, and at this point the beer is no longer being made. Unlike Fruit/Vegetable Beers, where the fruit is added before fermentation or in secondary, this espresso infusion is achieved by adding actual brewed coffee to the finished beer. Now that's two different kinds of brewing in the same bottle!

    The infused ale pours a dark, chocolate color with an amber tint. A thin white head forms upon pouring, but subsides to a thin white ring around the glass that leaves light lacing on the edges.

    The beer smells like sweet roasted malts and strong coffee. The sweetness and coffee scent really reminds me of coffee flavored jelly beans. The coffee scent kind of turns me off as it makes me think of how old, spent coffee grounds smell.

    The beer's body is on the low to medium side with a similar level of carbonation. There is an alcohol content of 6% ABV.

What do you mean it's a bad idea to mix uppers and downers?

    Giddy Up! hits the pallete with the same, old coffee flavor that is present in the aroma. Sweet cocoa and caramel malts back the coffee, bringing to mind sweet espresso drinks. There is some bitter lemon peel flavor in the beer as well which seems to be at odds with the other flavors.

    Everything about this beer makes me wish that it were a porter or a stout. I wish it had a thicker body, that the coffee flavor was better accompanied by roasted malts, and that the lighter Amber Ale flavors were better suited to accompany such a strong coffee flavor.

    I honestly cannot drink this beer wtihout thinking of old, gross coffee grounds that have sat in a machine overnight. I wonder about the quality of espresso used in the infusion, and if it were better, if the beer would taste better overall. Though the flavors are interesting, I can't recommend this beer to anyone that would be looking for anything but a novel, strange flavor to try.

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Hoplanta - Red Brick Brewing Company

    Hoplanta is an American India Pale Ale created by Red Brick Brewing Company in Atlanta, Georgia. I have to mention the quote on the label because it makes me laugh, it says: "Hoppier than a bullfrog with a stubbed toe!" I imagine that would be quite hoppy indeed!

    The IPA pours a slightly hazy, orange-amber color with a thin, half-finger, white head. The foam leaves some thin lacing on the sides of the glass.

    The beer's aroma is that of citrus fruits mingling with earthy, piney hops. There is a small bit of caramel sweetness behind the hops scents, as well as a light, bready smell.

    Hoplanta is medium to full bodied with a medium level of carbonation. I'm quite surprised how full the body is for an IPA. The combination of body and carbonation work together to create a very creamy mouthfeel. The ale finishes dry, with most of the flavors quickly dissipating after swallowing. The beer has an alcohol content of 6.7% ABV.

A good cure for a stubbed toe.

    Hoplanta features hops prominently, as most IPAs do. Bitter grapefruit and orange flavors mingle with the more earthy, piney, resinous flavors that hops are known for. There is a mild sweetness to the beer which keeps the more astringent bitter flavors at bay, while still letting some hop character come through. The only bitterness left in the mouth after swallowing is reminiscent of citrus rind.

    As I said before, I'm highly amused by the bullfrog with the stubbed toe line. It seems to me that frogs, especially ones with painful feet, are one of the animal types that most need a beer. I mean think about it, a huge number of their species is being found mysteriously dead, or creepily mutated with more than one head. Our current world hates frogs, and it's likely our fault as humans. If that wouldn't drive a frog to drink, I don't know what would. I don't know if Red Brick had frogs in mind when they made this beer, but I think that they might have unknowingly made a few amphibious friends with its creation.

    Hoplanta is a much fuller-bodied IPA than most I have had. This could be seen as risky if the fullness stuck around as a hugely bitter aftertaste, but Hoplanta avoids that problem and showcases some of the more common hops flavors wonderfully. My one real complaint with the beer is that the flavor seems to dissipate quickly, leaving a watery taste in my mouth. Not a bad IPA though. If you're ever in, or around Atlanta, this would be one to try.

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Silverback Pale Ale - Wynkoop Brewing Company

    Silverback is an American Pale Ale brewed by Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado. It's important to mention that this release actually benefits the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund. 
With each purchase of this beer, money is donated to help save mountain gorillas.

    Silverback pours a hazy, light orange. The ale has a massive head with great retention that would make even gorillas proud. Thick lacing stays on the glass as the beer goes down.

    The Pale Ale smells of piney hops with a slight bit of floral hops scent as well. There is a slight spiciness to the ale's scent as well, likely from the grains of paradise used in brewing and mentioned by the label. A light, yeasty scent is also present.

    Silverback is medium bodied with a high level of carbonation. A very high level of carbonation. In fact, it feels like the beer turns to foam as soon as it enters my mouth, making swallowing difficult-- not pleasant. The Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 5.5% ABV. 

"Helping" Mountain Gorillas

    Silverback's flavor is very hops forward. Resinous, piney hops flavors attack the palette at first, followed by the interesting spiciness and mild, sweet malts. The ale finishes quite dry, but leaves a bitter aftertaste in your mouth. The ale's bitterness is too high for my liking, with such a small amount of malt sweetness to balance it out.

    On one hand, I think it's pretty cool that money is donated to a wildlife charity with every purchase of this beer. On the other hand, I'm almost insulted on the gorillas' behalf that Wynkoop didn't make a better tasting beer that would sell better than this one. If I were a gorilla, I would drink something else first, then drink a bunch of Silverback Pale Ales and throw the cans at the brewery windows. Sure they're not heavy enough to break the window, but they'll make a lot of noise, oh yeah, AND THERE ARE FREAKING GORILLAS OUTSIDE THEIR WINDOW! That should be more than enough of a protest.

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