8-Bit Pale Ale by Tallgrass Brewing

Some beers are love at first sight, and this is one of those beers. The first time I grabbed it off the shelf it was just because of cool 8-bit video game graphics on the side. However, upon discovering it was a pale ale, the beer was promptly added to my shopping cart.

Full disclosure: this isn't my first time trying 8-Bit Pale Ale, but it's good and deserves a review. Plus, the act of "reviewing" really changes the way I try beer.

When I first take a sip of 8-Bit it seems as though it's going to be a smooth, mild ale, but within milliseconds a million bitter, almost burned coffee-like Pac-Men find your tongue and, after you down the beer, your tongue is left with a strong, very pleasant aftertaste. Somewhere amidst the bitter you'll notice very slight nutty flavors, but that's hardly the most important element of this beer.

As you may have already surmised from the bitterness and pleasant aftertaste, this beer is all about the hops. It's one of the most genuinely awesome expressions of hops I've ever tried. It's really excellent!

VERDICT: Two-thumbs up for this hop-tastic beer!
SUMMARY: Like Tetris, I will enjoy this beer for a long time.
PAIRING: As ridiculous as this sounds, the idea of drinking this beer with a peanut-butter and strawberry jelly sandwich makes me smile. I think the bitter hops would contrast nicely with the jelly and the nutty hints would be brought out by the peanut butter. Further investigations are necessary.

90 Shillings Amber by O'Dell Brewery

If Jurassic Park taught us anything it's that surprising things can happen when you tinker with amber, and O'Dell seems to understand this. Just like the ill-fated park, when you tinker, things are bound to break out.

90-Shillings is O'Dell's signature creation. Upon pouring it, the color was pretty typical, but in my opinion, that's where the similarity to conventional Amber Ale ends.

On first sip it has a pleasant bit of roasty, malty flavors too it, but as time went by I realized it kind of reminded me of a Nut Brown Ale. We're not talking T-Rex busting through a fence, it's more subtle and you might even have to open your mind a little to find it.

The carbonation seemed to be little harsh, but it wasn't distracting.

Lastly, this beer begs to be paired with feast of red meat on a cool day.

VERDICT: One-thumb way up. I will definitely try this one again. SEQUEL!
SUMMARY: A unique kind of Amber, with similarities to a Nut Brown Ale.
PAIRINGS: Red meat, or maybe even vanilla ice cream.

Omission Pale Ale by Widmer Brothers

As my eyes scanned the beer list a mental scratch line went through everything. Michelob Golden Light? Might as well have water. Summit EPA? SO good, but I want to try something new. Leinenkugel's? Oh, they're out of that. Omission Pale Ale (gluten free)? Pale Ale is great, but I don't mind gluten. So, why drink a beer that was made with compromises? Because?

Ultimately, I did have the Omission and without spending too much time, let's just say it was the antithesis of "unremarkable." My first impression was that it had an excellent color of reddish brown, and upon sipping was surprised that the gluten-free wasn't noticeable. However, as hinted earlier, there wasn't much of anything to notice. No hints of fruit, spikes of hops, or a rusty aftertaste. Nothing. It went down smooth and down easy. I imagine this beer deep in the heart of Men in Blacks unassuming headquarters, and thousands of these bottles are being shipped out while MIB Agent Zed (Rip Torn) tells them, "From now on you'll have no identifying marks of any kind. You'll not stand out in any way. Your entire image is crafted to leave no lasting memory with anyone you encounter. You're a rumor, recognizable only as deja vu and dismissed just as quickly. You don't exist; you were never even born. Anonymity is your name. Silence your native tongue." It tasted like a Pale Ale, but it left nothing to grasp at.

VERDICT: One thumb down. I finished it, but will not be having another one anytime soon.

SUMMARY: Gluten-free beers can be just as unremarkable and boring as regular beer.

PAIRING: Would go well with a black suit, tie, shades and a standard-issue neuralizer.

Loose Leaf by O'Dell Brewery

The Loose Leaf is an American Session Ale, which means that it follows in the tradition of being low in alcohol content so one could enjoy it during a break session and go back to the factory floor without getting their appendages coiled in a flywheel. Loose Leaf has an ABV of 4.5% which, apparently, sets it outside the standard range of a session ale (3-4%). Misappropriation of a name is a no-no, and in this age of Instagram and hipsters, screams "look at how unique my beer is!" The misappropriation of the name and its light-color meant this two-dollar a bottle beer had an uphill battle to win me over.

Having tried all 12 oz. Ina pint glass, it is clear why they named it Loose Leaf. There's a subtle combination of smells that would best be described as "hardwood forest on a drizzly day." There's a noticeable bit of hops and it pairs neatly with a slight hint of lemongrass. All around, I would describe this beer as a smelling like outside and that's a very, very good thing. 

Ultimately, this beer would be best suited to a summer day of yard games or relaxing on the beach. The smooth carbonation and light taste plant this beer solidly among other summer seasonal beers.

VERDICT: This beer fought a tough uphill battle and barely earned one-thumb up.
SUMMARY: Good for upscale summer binge drinking.
PAIRINGS: I would love to try this with chicken or a shore lunch of walleye.