Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer

Aside from having an excellent brewery and beer name, Clown Shoes Brewery's Vampire Slayer is a very tasty Imperial American Stout.  The beer is a dark brownish black that starts with a nice tan head that dissipates very quickly.  The initial aroma is one of coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruit, and raisins, all of which are represented very nicely with the flavor of the beer.  The hops are there to give it just enough kick that i almost detect a little citrus flavor, though that may just be the alcohol as this brew chimes in at a whopping 10% ABV.  The Slayer is a great beer, perfect for after work, or after dinner, and i recommend using a glass you can sift it in to keep the aromas and tastes booming.  Well done.

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Deschutes River Ale

Summer in Texas means trips to the lake to swim and ski and drink beer or trips to the river to float and swim and drink beer.  So, it was nice of the folks in Oregon's Deschutes Brewery to craft a nice summertime beverage with their River Ale.  The beer is a cloudy gold with a lot of floral aromas.  It tastes like a sweet, clean pale ale, with little hints of florals and caramel here and there, and it's amazingly easy to drink.  Cold, refreshing, and just the right amount of hops that give the beer a crisp and slightly bitter flavor.  Good stuff to beat the heat.  (Oh, and don't take glass bottles to the lake or river.  Use your head.)

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Hoegaarden Wit Blanche

Seeing as it's well over 100 degrees here in Austin today, here's a lovely and refreshing beer for you to imbibe.  The Hoegaarden Wit Blanche is a delicious and golden white ale with hints of orange in both the aroma and the flavor.  The beer pours a cloudy gold and has plenty of carbonation and a nice, frothy head.  It's a little sweet, but has more of a tart finish (orange and lemon).  From look to smell to taste, this beer is pretty much the embodiment of one's mental image of what a beer is supposed to be.  And it's a perfect brew for these long, hot summer days.  Bravo.

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Pranqster Belgian Style Golden Ale

Like the Germans, the Belgians just know how to make good beer.  Rarely, if ever, have i found a Belgian ale that i didn't like.  Pranqster from North Coast Brewing is no different.  The blending of yeasts and hops and malts just work right.  This particular brew pours a lovely gold and carries hints of banana, wheat, and clove in its aroma.  The beer is sweetish (but not too sweet) with medium body and a slight aftertaste that makes you remember that you're drinking alcohol.  Top notch.

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Josephs Brau Dunkelweizen

Continuing in the grand tradition of people bringing me different beers to sample and write about (let's keep this thing going everybody), my father-in-law dropped off a few beverages for me to check out.  This being Father's Day weekend, it seemed like the apt choice for inclusion.  I was actually kind of surprised that i dug the Josephs Brau Dunkelweizen, considering this brewer's beers are only available through Trader Joe's.  So, in a lot of ways i feel like i'm drinking a corporate craft brew, but at least it's a tasty one.  The beer is a dark brown and smells sweet.  Toffee, banana, and some light hops make up the bulk of the aroma.  As far as the taste is concerned, the beer is a sweet one, with plenty of the aforementioned banana and some clove-like after taste to give the brew a bit of a bite.  It's very similar to New Castle Brown Ale, just a little sweeter.  I would drink this as an after-dinner beer.

Visit the brewer (i couldn't find a website, so visit Trader Joe's i guess).

Omer Traditional Blond Ale

I don't know what it is about Belgians, but they make good beer.  Up to bat is the Traditional Blond from Omer Brewery.  The beer is a nice golden color, with slight red tinting, and a nice head that dissipates quickly.  Nice aromas of fruit and bread are evident at first pour with some maltiness to even it out.  The beer tastes much like it smells, but with some added lemon flavor.  All in all, it's a light, refreshing beer that hides its 8% ABV very well.  A great brew for a summer evening.

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Honker's Ale

The folks over at Chicago's Goose Island Brewing Co. have just recently moved their craft beverages into the Austin area, and after trying their Honker's Ale, i approve.  The beer is an English bitter that pours a golden caramel and gives off aromas and flavors of said caramel, some nuttiness, hints of citrus, and a light hop that finishes pretty dry.  It's a refreshing beer and easy to drink, and while it's not going to shock and awe you, it will definitely serve you in a pinch.

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