Cisco whale's tale pale ale

I heard about sunset grill on beer tv. I think it was rated the highest for best beer selection in the country.

I just played at berklee with Ari Hest and he and his buddy and I are getting a beer and food. I told the waiter I wanted a local ale so he recommended the cisco whales tale pale ale.

I must say on the first couple sips, it has a slight taste of ocean. The hoppiness is not offensive and the aftertaste is mellow. It feels like a very classic, true pale ale. I like!!

Rating: 9.5



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Cain's Dragon Heart Brown Ale

Headed into my 4th week on tour with Paul Brady, the opportunities to blog about beer have been slim because it has been Guiness auto-pilot. Comparing Guinesses between cities could have worked, but the bottom line is that Guinness is best in Ireland and that's it.

During a day off in Liverpool I am taking a little time for myself at a restaurant adjacent to our hotel. I was pleased to find that they had several locally Liverpool- brewed beers although I would have prefered them on draft as opposed to in a bottle.

However I was intrigued when they brought it out at room temperature.

I don't usually like American nut brown ales but this English brown ale was far from that... It was very full with a strong caramel/brown sugar tint. It still had a bit of a hoppy start despite how smooth and mellow the finish was. Loved it.

Rating: 9 out of 10



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Location:Liverpool UK

Velvet Elvis Stout - Oskar Blues - perfect 10!

I am in love with Lyons, CO.i dont want to leave. Their local Oskar Blues beer is delightful.

After a sampler (shared among 3 people) I chose the stout as my favorite.

This particular stout has a chocolatey start with a smooth caramel finish. No bitterness and very elegant. This is the most drinkable stout I've ever tasted on draft.

Overall rating: 10!
Http://www.oskarblues.com



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Location:Lyons,United States

Pond Scum ESB, Oskar Blues

Last night was the last show of the duo tour, and it was a total blast. The folks in the Lyons/Boulder area are so psyched for music, it really cranks my chain.

Since T and I aren't going to be together on our birthday in April, we celebrated tonight with a movie and dinner. Crazyheart and then Q's in Boulder. Yay and yum.

We're capping the night off with a beer at Oskar Blues in Lyons. I got the "Pond Scum" ESB, this one is English style.

My favorite ESB is Redhook and this one is tamer but in a good way. This one is close to an ale in flavor. The bitterness is pretty non-offensive and it had a super long aftertaste which I've found to be true with most ESB's. Pleasant.

Overall rating: 8.5





Http://www.oskarblues.com




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Amicas IPA

Salida may be my new favorite Co town. We had an amazing show at Salida Cafe. We met such nice peeps and got lots of recommendations for local brews. Supposedly the famous local beer is the INdia Pale Ale brewed by Amicas. Salida Cafe had it on tap so I had to try it.

Over time I've lost my taste for IPA and have drifted more towards ales and dark beer, however this may be the best IPAs I've ever tasted. Some IPAs can be thin but this one is full and bright. It has a sweet start with a floral middle and then a bitter hoppy-ness at the end that is actually quite pleasant. Also there is something about this town's love for this particular beer that gives it an extra dimension of character.

Overall rating: 9.5




Http://www.salidacafe.com
Http://www.amicasbrewerysalida.com

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Location:Salida, Co

Alamosa Amber

Before our show in Alamosa, we cozied up to a booth at the local brewery. I started with a sampler so I could decide which one I liked best. Don't worry, Travis helped me!

All of these beers were very good. There was even a green chili beer! I chose the Alamosa Amber as my favorite.

It was very smooth but had an undertone of soft hoppy-ness which you don't always taste in lagers. It was fuller than other lagers too that I've tasted. Yum!

Overall rating: 9








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Santa Fe Pale Ale - Perfect 10

We had a couple days off so I made my way to Santa Fe to write with the legendary Bil Al (NRBQ)...He has become a favorite writing partner of mine and his home in Santa Fe is glorious with guest quarters, equipped with a full fridge...you know what this means!?  I stopped on my way to his place and grabbed a six pack of the local Santa Fe Pale Ale at Whole Foods.  I remembered loving this beer at the brewing company last time through, but had forgotten how perfect it is.

If I had the ability to brew beer, this is exactly what it would taste like.  It has a fullness that is light at the same time.  Not too hoppy, but not too subtle.  It is almost creamy...but bright.  It reminds me of the crispness of Anchor Steam.  It tastes like hapiness.  And this isn't even on tap!!

Rating 1 out of 10: 10!
http://santafebrewing.com