Heh.

Ok, so I made a thread about this over a year ago. Would you believe how tastes change ?

I've gradually stopped drinking the import beers and focused on Canadian beers.

Currently, my absolute favorite is the Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale. I also really enjoy their Premium White. Having visited the brewery in Halifax NS last year really made an impression.

Other than Keith's, Rickards really gets my approval with the White and Dark varieties. Rickards White is similar to Keith's Premium White while Rickards Dark has an interesting Québec Maple Syrup aroma.

Last but not least, Pumphouse from my very own province (Go NB !!) has made me a fan of their Blueberry Ale. It's exactly as it sounds. Toss in a few fresh or frozen blueberries in the glass and it is oh-so heavenly... if fruit beers are your thing, that is !

If any of you non-canadians visit our fair country, seek out these beers if it's your thing, you may actually be pleasantly surprised !!

I'm done

Anyone have a special beer they wanna share about ?

I am a wheat fan - Blue Moon is my default go-to beer. It's about time to start looking for Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, but I haven't found any stores around these parts that carry Dogfish brews

Another fan of Blue Moon right here.  Get it on tap in a big cold glass with an orange slice, mmmm.

Lately I've been drinking Hex (Magic Hat seasonal), Stella Artois, Newcastle, and Yuengling.

Sapporo for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Rs6YEZAt8

Have you Blue Moon fans tried their brand of Pumpkin Ale?  Any good?

My stores have started to carry it, thought I'd give it a try.

I have not, but I'll certainly give it a shot if I see it.

Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale not so good. I think maybe pumpkin spice flavors just don't jive well with wheat beers. Dogfish Head Punkin Ale is pretty tasty but I only managed to find two four-packs this weekend I've also been told that Southern Tier Pumpking is well worth seeking out, so I'll keep an eye out for that one.

Yeah, I gave it a try last night, and honestly, I can hardly taste the purported pumpkin or harvest spice flavors at all.  It goes down easy, but I was expecting something more robust.

I still can't handle beer since I find the taste is revolting. But I have discovered, with some encouragement, that I like the taste of spiced rum (Captain Morgan, especially the Tattoo flavor) and black licorice liquor (Romana Black).

Spiced rum makes my stomach churn. I'm not familiar with Sambuca, but from the sound of it you'd probably enjoy Jagermeister, and possibly Salmiakki Koskenkorva as well.

Had the opportunity to sample both Hoegaarden and Weihenstephan this weekend. Hoegaarden did not impress (much rather stick to my Blue Moon), but wow, the Weihenstephan. If you're a wheat fan, you've got to try that stuff.

Over a month since I made this thread now.

I haven't completely stopped tasting import beers.

I tried a brand from Austria, named Gosser. It was actually quite pleasant. A standard "blonde" lager that I can see myself having a couple on occasion.

And now I am currently trying a lager from Denmark : Carlsberg. My comments on Gosser apply here as well.

Any "blonde" type beer I'll gladly try out. I cannot drink red or dark beers, they just don't taste "right" anymore.

Still have a Grolsch and a Tuborg to try as recently purchased import beers. Saving those for tommorow.

I'm hoping I'll be pleasantly surprised with those as I have been with these current two.

Oh... several weeks past I had the opportunity to try the Paulaner Oktoberfest beer. That was a fantastic one !! But its no surprise coming from Germany.

I tried some soba beer at a Yamagata-themed restaurant yesterday.  Not something I'd want to drink every day but an interesting change of pace.

If anyone has an Oktoberfest going on in your area I recommend trying it.  I went to one of the larger ones in the Tokyo area (in Yokohama) and even on a Monday night it got pretty lively.

My absolute favorite German beer used to be Konig Ludwig Weissbier. That was simply awesome. Unfortunately, it got discontinued from our province.

Now the local liquor store where I work at has (hopefully year round) Paulaner in 330 ml bottles. It's even better than Konig. A subtle taste of banana, cloves and spices. Then again I am a sucker for wheat beers.

Another German wheat beer which I've tried recently is Hacker-Pschorr Weiss. The taste is similar, although it was a tad "sweeter" than Paulaner.

Going away from Germany, any of you guys (or gals) fans of Scottish beers ?

One Scottish brewery that keeps impressing me is Innis & Gunn. What makes them stand out is that they age their beers in Oak barrels, similar to what many wine makers do. It gives much complexity and character to a beer than usual. By far the best is their Highland Oak Aged Beer. It is aged in barrels that were used for 18 year old Scotch Whiskey. It has a very sweet and DOWNRIGHT AWESOME aroma. The taste is even better. Definitely a beer to try out if it's available in your area.

Going back to Canada and Alexander Keith's, they've released a limited brew for Fall called Harvest Ale. Fans of brown beers might enjoy this one. From what I recall, it's slightly bitter yet very drinkable.

Yeah, import beers still have a hold on me after all

Once again with import beers... this time from Ireland and France !

For Ireland, I've tried Harp Lager yesterday, which is connected somehow to Guinness. A fairly standard lager, slightly bitter.

Now for France.

Kronenbourg 1664 is once again a typical lager with a bit of a bitter taste to it. I can see myself drinking on occasion, not all that often though.

Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc is a completely different story ! For one, this is not a lager, but a wheat beer !! And what a delicious wheat beer it is. As described on the label "Fresh & Fruity". I get hints of lemon and citrus via smell and taste plus a bit of coriander. Wow !! This is actually good !! Wheat Beer fans, take note ! Another standout feature of this beer is that the bottle is blue ! How many beer bottles are actually blue ?

That is it for tonight. Tommorow I'll be tackling a couple of beers from England. Should be interesting.

The English beers I've tried, Greene King IPA and Old Speckled Hen are both terrible. Just an awful aftertaste. Won't be bothering with those again.

Tried another Irish beer, Smithwick's, like the English beers above, it did not impress me.

Anything that is not blonde or a standard lager will be avoided from here on out.

Gotten into Belgian beers with Leffe and Affligem. Both are stronger than your typical beers (6.5 % abv) so they hit a bit more, but they have a pleasant taste like the many German beers I've tasted.

I'll be trying the well known Stella Artois tommorow.

BTW, I'm currently on (paid) vacation this week, so I can booze it up within moderate amounts. So I'll be able to provide some more insight on the variety of import beers.

Tried the Paulaner on tap this past week, and found it to be just average to my tastes. The Weihenstephan hefeweizen remains unchallenged, and Blue Moon is great when I'm too lazy to drive across town to the specialty shop. I've enjoyed Paulaner, Hoegarden and Lagunitas as I strongly prefer wheats to other styles, but these three don't compare to the first two for me. I've also been pleasantly surprised by this brew - I'm generally not a fan of fruit beers, but I love the flavor of acai berries and this beer was surprisingly smooth.

I suddenly feel the need to re-state my love for Innis & Gunn.

Their Highland Cask still blows me away every time I drink it. Recently tried their Winter and Spiced Rum Finish varieties. Both were quite pleasant in smell and taste. The Winter beer has some definite warmth to it plus the subtle orange peel notes really brings this one up there, but not quite going as high as the Highland Cask tho. The Spice Rum beer definitely has the spice rum taste going, but neither the oak or rum tones overpower each other. They work together to create a unique taste. Not a bad beer by any standards, but still not hitting the mark like the Highland Cask.

Just the fact that these beers are aged in oak barrels really adds complexity and character to what could have been an average beer. I have no idea what the availablilty is in the US. If you find this brand in the import beer section, by all means, give it a try. You may come to love it as much as I do.

I'm hoping the Highland Cask variety will be a year-round offering eventually. I'm not big on scotch, I've only tasted Chivas Regal and loved it, but the scotch whiskey used in the beer just clicked with me. 

Heck, even the original variety, which has notes of oak, vanilla and toffee is incredibly good ! Then again, I am biased.

I currently own 5 branded glasses. These were offered with their Christmas pack. Usually, you get 3 beers and a glass. The latest pack has one Original, a Winter and a Spice Rum Finish.

So yes, I clearly a fan of Innis & Gunn. I have absolutely no clue if this is offered "on tap" in pubs and such. Even if it's only available in 330 ml bottles, I think they are definitely worth checking out.

Ok, I'll shut up now Has anyone on here tried these ? I'm really curious about your opinion if you have.