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Anchor Porter - Anchor Brewing Company

Here we've got another deep, dark beer for the spring and winter palate. The porter's color is a dark black. Pours with a good finger's head that stays for a few minutes. Hints of coffee, dark fruit and malted grains in the nose. Texture is a bit thin on the palate but turns absolutely satisfying as it goes down. Strong, dark coffee taste initially with overtones of chocolate and bitter grains. Taste transitions to a sweet shot of dark fruit followed by malted grains and a hint of hops.

Overall this is a very easy to drink beverage that will keep you coming back for more. Its supreme accessibility makes it a great choice for sharing with friends and a natural choice at a bar with an unfamiliar menu (it's sold all over the United States.)

Burger pairing: ½ pound char-grilled steak burger on a toasted roll with lettuce, tomato & onion.

88 points.

A bit about the Anchor Brewery in San Fransisco:

The rich history of Anchor Brewing can be traced all the way back to the Gold Rush, when German brewer Gottlieb Brekle arrived in San Francisco with his wife Marie and infant son Frederick. Brekle applied for citizenship in 1854, and his brewing and business acumen would soon lead to his ownership of a little San Francisco brewery on Pacific, between Larkin and Hyde, which would one day become known as Anchor.

Enjoy.

Horizon Red Ale - Summit Brewing Co.

Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you crossed an IPA with an Amber ale? You would get the Horizon Red Ale. This complex roller coaster of hops and malt is a perfect balance of both. It's almost pine smell, worty aroma and sharp hop taste distinctly yells IPA, but it's smooth mouth coating malt flavor reminds you of it's soft amber side.

The Horizon Red Ale is one of the newest beers to come out of Summit Brewing found in St. Paul Minnesota. It is brewed with a hand full of different aromatic hops such as Amerillo, Cascade, and of course...Horizon.

84 Points

I would grill up a nice angus burger to eat along side your Horizon Red. With the subtle complex nature of this beer, you do not want to become too distracted with the competing complexity of the burger and miss enjoying it.

Other beers from Summit...
IPA 76 Points
Winter ale 84 Points

www.summitbrewing.com

Batch 9000 - Bell's Brewery

This rich beer pours a dark brown with a carmel colored head that dissipates quickly. Nose has soft fig tones. On the palate the aromas are rich with bourbon, mollasses and prunes. Aftertaste has a sweet alcohol flavor. We experienced a lingering dark roasted cofee taste. Burps bring out a heavy hop taste. Batch 9000 is a really well balanced beer at 12.5% that warms the soul.

This could be called a hybrid of a barley wine and an imperial stout. While originally considered by the brewers to be an imperial India Pale Ale, the brewers later labeled this beer as an American Strong Ale which basically means they have no idea how to classify it. Neither do we.

93 points.

This Michigan beer was brewed only once. Since you'll probably not find it in many other states it's only fair to say the only true burger pairing would be our very own East Lansing Crunchy Burger. A juicy half pound chargrilled burger with American cheese. This burger is known in the Lansing area as one of the “Best of the Best” so it deserves to be paired with one of the best beers brewed in Michigan.

Many other beers from Bell's are so great they will most certainly get their own reviews later.

www.bellsbeer.com

Conway's Irish Ale - Great Lakes Brewery

If you are looking for an authentic style Irish ale but don't want to fly to Ireland to have it on tap, Conway's Irish Ale would be a wonderful choice. Just by looking at it's crisp clear amber-red color you know that you're about to dive into a true irish tradition. It's sweet caramel and slight malt taste allows Conway to drink smooth, while at the same time giving your taste buds a nice level of complexity to ponder until your next sip.

Conway's Irish Ale is a seasonal beer who's name derives from the grandfather of Patrick and Daniel Conway, owners of the Great Lakes Brewery found in Cleveland, Ohio. He worked near the brewery as a Cleveland police officer for 25 years building a respected name in the community, and that name still holds that same respect today in our eyes. Patrick Conway, we raise our glass to you.

82 Points

A guacamole bacon burger would be a great pair for the Conway. I know, I know, you were expecting more of a good old fashion Irish tradition, but the complex flavors found in this ale would complement well with this wonderful non Irish dish.

Other beers from GLB...
Edmond Fitzgerald 79 Points
Moondog 72 Points

www.greatlakesbrewing.com

Perkulator - Dark Horse Brewery

Here's a beer for the coffee lover inside you, The Perkulator Coffee Dopplebock is a lager that stands out from lagers. Pop a top of one of these and the instant aroma will let you know what you have just gotten yourself into... coffee, coffee, and more coffee. With a slightly sweet start to it, your mouth is filled with flavors of roasted coffee and bitter cocoa that linger long after the jobs done. It's dark java color and low head retention even resembles a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Good morning, it's time for a Perkulator.

The Perkulator is the only publicly distributed lager from it's Dark Horse Brewery, found in Marshall, Michigan. They use only local, organic, fare trade coffee beans when concocting their beloved Perkulator every fall.

87 Points

We suggest a nice breakfast burger to be paired with this nice breakfast beer. What is a breakfast burger you ask? Add a little italian seasoned beef, toasted white bun, toss in some bacon, egg, and topped with some white cheddar cheese.... then, enjoy.


www.darkhorsebrewery.com

Dragons Milk - New Holland Brewing

Dragons milk is a full bodied, robust ale that resembles a stout, but as you raise your glass to the light, it's true dark ruby red colors appear. The rich dominate flavor comes from the oak barrels in which the beer was aged, giving it a bourbon like essence. Similar to most higher gravity beers, it settles with a low head retention, but even with her 9% alcohol, she goes down smooth.

Dragons Milk hails from a brewery found in west Michigan called New Holland Brewery. Priding themselves in creative and unique beers, they consider Dragons Milk a crown jewel of their brewing and take a boastful approach to promoting it. In our opinion, boast all you want boys.

90 points

Dragons Milk would pair nice with a hearty BBQ or teriyaki burger. Due to it's bold, rich flavor, you need a burger that's taste is not easily overtaken by the Dragon in the room.


www.newhollandbrew.com