Mac
Ryan MacKay
Registered Since: 2008-01-05 21:57:37
Profile: Live in a small suburb west of Minneapolis . I like Hops, Water, Yeast, and Malt. But not necessarily in that order.
Reviews by Mac:
Pass me another…
Week 16: Summit Maibock (April 14–20) | Reviewed on April 19th, 2008
Sweet, yet a bit more complex than the Schell’s Maifest we tried a couple of weeks ago. While I enjoyed this, I’m thinking I’m not liking Maibocks as much as I used too….maybe I just need to drink a few more.
Maifest (How’s that for a creative title?)
Week 14: Schell Maifest (March 31–April 6) | Reviewed on April 4th, 2008
I like Maibocks. Schell’s MaiFest is not my favorite, it is a little too sweet for my taste. Still, it is not bad and like the other beers from Schell’s it is very competitively priced…although, lately, I’ve definitely noticed the hop shortage reflected in the price of beer 
Bonus Points!!!
Week 12: Finnegans Irish Amber (March 17–23) | Reviewed on March 21st, 2008
Brewed with Potatoes sounds more interesting than the end result, at least to my taste buds, but this beer gets major bonus points for donating the profits to local charities! It also gets bonus points for the Finnegan Lasses (http://www.finnegans.org/sitepages/pid121.php)! Now I better go drink some more before my wife starts questioning me about those lasses!
Has its uses…
Week 11: Schell Pilsner (March 10–16) | Reviewed on March 16th, 2008
I’m not a huge Pilsner fan, but this would be good on a hot day after mowing the lawn.
Wish I had another…
Week 10: Lake Superior Special Ale (March 3–9) | Reviewed on March 5th, 2008
I really like the Lake Superior Special Ale, in fact I forgot how much I like this beer. I was up at the Lake Superior Brewery a few years ago…might have been for their anniversary…I don’t quite remember. I do remember that there was some sort of ‘beer can collectors’ gathering out front…strange hobby, strange hobby….Anyway, nice brewery, run by nice people who make really good beer. Wish I had some more of it!!
An Interesting Style…
Week 9: Brau Brothers Frame Straightener (February 25–March 2) | Reviewed on February 27th, 2008
I’m no Michael Jackson, but I think this is exactly how this style of beer should taste. That said I can see how some people might be put off by the style, the fruity, yeasty flavor. I taste plums and maybe even a hint of peach. I’m impressed that MN brewery is putting out a true Belgium like this. I think you have to be in the right mood, but this is a pretty good beer! This is the first Brau Brothers beer I’ve had…it will be interesting to taste some of the other beers they offer.
A Good Beer for a Cold Night
Week 8: Flat Earth Cygnus X-1 (February 18-24) | Reviewed on February 20th, 2008
My wife is laughing at me because I took the thermometer out to check the temp of the beer after I poured it. I like my Stouts and Porters warmer. So instead of putting the bottles in the fridge, I put in down the basement. Usually, I leave them down there for a awhile to cool, but in this case I didn’t so I wanted to know the temp—60 degrees a little warm, but not too bad. Anyway, I found this to be interesting Porter. It has a great chocolate aroma and taste. I agree with the bottle–a nice beer to drink next to the fire on a cold winter’s night!!
In the minority?
Week 7: Surly 2 (February 11-17) | Reviewed on February 13th, 2008
Well, by the looks of the reviews so far I might be in the minority on this beer. My wife and I stopped in at the Happy Gnome for lunch and had a couple of glasses. When I was reading about the beer beforehand I had been thinking “cranberries? That sounds awful.” But I couldn’t have been more wrong, this is an outstanding beer!! Because of the tartness it reminded me of something from Belgium. Not overly sweet, very, very good!!
Hooray for the Herkimer!
Week 6: Herkimer Meet Up, Alt Bier (February 4-10) | Reviewed on February 7th, 2008
What a great meet-up at the Herkimer!!! The beer was good, the food was good, and I found all the brew52ers to be an enjoyable group of people! And as a bonus I won a 12 pack of the Summit Winter!
I’m always a little nervous meeting new people, so I am not sure I did a really good job evaluating the ALT, but I’m thinking it was pretty darn good. I will certainly visit the Herkimer again!
Not a favorite
Week 5: Summit Winter (January 28-February 3) | Reviewed on January 30th, 2008
Not really a big fan of this one…I think it is just the style I really don’t like. There are a lot of good flavors, but the whole mix together…just really not that crazy about it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a horrible beer by any measure. Reading some of the other comments on this beer I guess I have to agree with CJ Camp, this beer is nothing to get up about. The good thing is that the Great Summit Brewing Co has plenty of other quality beers for me to enjoy!
A Quality Beer
Week 4: Surly Furious (January 21-27) | Reviewed on January 23rd, 2008
Sometimes I really like a hoppy beer like this, not so much tonight, for whatever reason….I would like to try it on tap since I’ve only ever had it in cans. It is a bit expensive, but I love that its a bit stronger than the usual beer and also that it comes in pint cans.
Excellent!
Week 3: Flat Earth Belgian Pale Ale (January 14-20) | Reviewed on January 18th, 2008
I think my store just go this in today! So I braved the -30 windchill and got some. I am glad I did because this is a very tasty beer. I have decided week three is time to break out my new scientific system: the Mac-curate! Beer Rating system:
Taste: 3 out of 3 stars–drink it!
Cost: 1/2 out of 1 star
Other: 1/2 out of 1 star — I always like a big bottle of beer plus it feels like -30 outside (I drink to forget!!)!
Total: 4 stars
Cheap Beer
Week 2: Gluek Honey Bock (January 7-13) | Reviewed on January 9th, 2008
A two star beer for me is something I would drink socially but never buy myself. My initial reaction, after I had taken my first taste out of the can, was that this beer is a two. But after pouring it in a glass, drinking a little more, and perhaps thinking a little too much about it I decided that the taste, low cost, and the Ram on the Can bump this beer up to a three.
That said with 23 cans of this stuff left, a new beer to drink next week, and plenty of home brew in the cellar I need to invite some friends over this weekend!
A Good SnowStorm!
Week 1: Schell Snowstorm (January 1-6) | Reviewed on January 5th, 2008
Pretty good! I’ve always had mixed results with Schell’s beer, but I like this one. I guess the thing I like the best is that it is a somewhat interesting beer, not boring. Of course I’ve had a lot better (and more interesting), but I’ve also paid a lot more for most of those than I did with this beer! The more I drink it the more I like it!