The Braggart Beer Blog

I...tolerate you, Lone Star!

Our fellow Texan readership is certainly familiar with Lone Star beer. It is the cheap beer that reminds us to be proud of our home state. Quality-wise, most beer drinkers liken it Bud Light or something else along those lines. Basically, we won’t say we dislike it, but we would sooner drink something with a bit more character.

For the longest time, I always wondered if Lone Star was known outside of Texas, and, if so, what residents of other states would think of it. I got my answer a short while back when I discovered this article from SeriousEats.com, in which a Bostonian has written a review of it.

In this particular series of articles, called “Bottom Shelf Beer,” the author reviews, in a semi-gonzo journalistic manner, beers that are more on the affordable side of price tags.

You should check the review out here.

In this new, rip-roaring rendition of The Braggart Beer Blog, our brotherly heroes review a German pilsener by the name of Beck’s.

Jay’s Review
It was ok but not great. It didn’t have much at all when comes to aroma, which was kinda surprising. It did have a decent hoppiness to it, though. I would drink it again but probably not spend money on it.

Hans’ Review
This beer was mediocre through and through. To put it simply, it tastes too much like beer. What I mean is that I like beer with character (bitterness, sweetness, bite, smoothness or whatever my mood beckons), and this foreign pilsener had very little of it. Another way to describe it would be to say that it seemed like glorified Heineken, and that is not a beer of which I am fond anyhow. While Beck’s is far from bad, I would prefer not to drink it again.

This week, we review a winter seasonal from a popular brewery that is local to us in Houston, Texas. Brace yourselves, for it gets dark!

Jay’s Review
Boy, is it stout, dark as black coffee. Speaking of coffee, that is the first smell I got and the first flavor I tasted. It was good but a little dark for me. If you like dark beers and coffee, you will love this one.

Hans’ Review
I am fond of Saint Arnold, which is a local brewery, so I anticipated trying this one. As it’s name implies, it is dark in color and strong in taste. When reviewing stout ales, it is easy to compare to Guinness, which is the de facto standard of stouts. Saint Arnold Winter Stout is lighter and less filling than Guinness, and it does not have as strong an aftertaste. As a connoisseur of dark beer, I give this one a thumbs-up and will definitely drink it again!

For more information on the Saint Arnold brewery and what it offers, visit their website at http://www.saintarnold.com. You can follow them on Twitter (@saintarnold), and you can like them on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/saintarnold) too!