Review: Palo Santo Marron

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron ~ Had my first pour from the bottle last night... true to form, it didn't form a huge head of foam, although the taster I poured for Steve in a shot glass was half-and-half. It was just as good as the draft pour at Pub Dunegal when I first tasted this beer. It has definitely settled into second place on my list of favorite beers; first place, if you only count those that are still being produced and are regularly available. The color is dark and solid, and you can tell you're drinking something substantial. As it warms, it gets a creamier feel to it, and that makes each sip more enjoyable. It's definitely a slow sipping beer, and with it's higher alcohol content, taking it slow is a good idea.

Several bottles and a few weeks later, this still remains my favorite beer. Great for sipping by the firepit, it works well on cooler nights and warmer ones. Very enjoyable.

Review: Amish Four Grain Pale Ale

Lancaster Brewing Company Amish Four Grain Pale Ale ~ Due to alcohol abuse (Anthony was a bit overloaded (with beer, not with... oh, nevermind! =), and accidentally dropped one of the 12 packs out of the "case"), we drank this (one of the two bottles that opened itself upon impact) warm. Given that opening, we weren't expecting much. Aside from some stouts, porters, and so forth that are good or better upon warming, generally warm beer tastes hideous. This was really, really, surprisingly good. It was the wild card in a four-variety sampler: we already knew the Hop Hog, I expect decent or better from the Milk Stout, and the Strawberry Wheat was considered an even draw (with luck). We didn't really know what this would be. What I found was a beer that was very drinkable, even when tossed on it's cap then served warm. It's fairly high on my list, and I can only hope it will do as well cold!