Breckinridge Vanilla Porter (www.breckbrew.com) has the perfect chocolate flavor you get out of most porters along with a very good coffee flavor, however, the vanilla makes this one a litte too sweet for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, this a very drinkable porter and some people will love the extra sweetness the vanilla provides, but it is just not for me.
RATING

Pour: Black pour with a nice thick brown head.
Aroma: Vanilla, chocolate, and coffee come through.
Taste: Very sweet from the vanilla, with coffee and chocolate also in there.
Overall: C-  
I can see how people would like this but as I stated above, it is just not for me. Give it a try though and let me know what you think.

Eastern Iowa:  This beer is on hand year round at my local grocery store and I’ve seen it at John’s Grocery and Hy-Vee stores also.

A beer that is very similar to Heineken, with the “skunky” type of flavor is Becks. A classic German lager, Becks (www.becksbeer.com) might be a little bit sweeter but tastes pretty close to Heineken. With so many terrific beers out there today it is hard to believe that people would drop $8-$10 for a six pack of this. 
RATING

Pour: Light yellow pour with no head.
Aroma: Grassy aroma, that popular “skunky” smell
Taste: Somewhat skunky, but drinkable. A little sweet at the end.
Overall: D

Eastern Iowa:  This beer is available at most liquor/grocery stores in Eastern Iowa but……Save your money! Unless there is a drastic price reduction don’t drop the cash on this stuff and go for some Boulevard Wheat, Sam Adams, or Goose Island Honker’s Ale.

Another watered down beer offered by Anheuser Busch is Rolling Rock. A heavily carbonated, extra pale ale that has a little more flavor than the popular american beers such as Coors, Miller, and Busch, but not a whole lot more. I personally would rather enjoy a Grain Belt or a PBR if drinking American Lager. A positive is that it is easy to find and very affordable.
RATING

Pour: Light yellow pour with no head.
Aroma: Soapy, corn smell.
Taste: Somewhat soapy, not overly pleasant.
Overall: D-

Eastern Iowa: This beer is available at almost anyplace that sells beer and it is cheap.

A transition beer for many people, including myself, into the world of micro beer. Although Blue Moon(www.bluemoon.com) is now owned by Coors a few years back it helped me acquire a taste for better beer. This beer is present almost everywhere now as it has a huge following. A perfect beer for those on the fence to committing to drinking mass produced beers (Bud, Coors, Miller). Serve with a slice of orange and enjoy. 
RATING

Pour: A hazy orange pour with a thick white head.
Aroma: Smell of corriander, orange, citrus, and wheat.
Taste: Orange peel and corriander flavor with a little bit of wheat.
Overall: A very solid 3.7/5    B-

Eastern Iowa: This beer is available almost everywhere now.

Wow! Just found a beer to add to my ever-changing Top 10 Beer List. Flying Dog Raging Bitch is a fantastic Belgian-style IPA; which means you get a little more sweetness from the malts to tone down the hops. However, the hops are still very evident in this beer and for me that is a good thing.  This isn’t a party beer with the 8% ABVso don’t pound a bunch of these and expect to see straight. A great beer to enjoy, a great mix of bitterness and sweetness. For hopheads and fans of IPAs you will love this beer.
RATING

Pour: A copper/amber pour with a nice white head.
Aroma: Smell of citrus, hops, and pine.
Taste: Fruit taste of peaches and citrus with hop bitterness at the end.
Overall: A very solid  A-

Eastern Iowa: I’ve spotted this beer at some Hy-Vees and John’s Grocery. I bought my first sixer or was it four pack? of this at Family Beer and Liquor in East Dubuque. If you try or have tried it, let me know what you think.

A beer that is getting more popular in the midwest is from Big Sky brewing (www.bigskybrew.com) out of Montana. Moose Drool is a brown ale and, according to their website, is the most popular beer brewed in Montana. They claim it is the best brown ale on the market; it is good, but it is not as good as Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Nectar. The good thing about this beer is that it is a more affordable brown ale than Rogue’s. Moose Drool is an excellent choice for a brown ale, malty, creamy, and just enough hops to make it so it’s not too sweet.
REVIEW
Pour:  Dark brown pour with a small off-white head.
Aroma: Malts, caramel, and hops.
Taste: Sweet caramel flavor with hop in the end. A really good brown ale.
Overall: A top of the line brown ale and the price ranges from $6.99-$8.99 for a six pack make it pretty affordable. Give it a try!
RATING: B

Eastern Iowa residents: Hy-Vee and John’s Grocery carry this beer year round.

After work and am now enjoying a Fat Tire from New Belgium (http://www.newbelgium.com/). I remember when this beer first came out; everybody was going crazy for it. I tried and remember thinking it was overrated. I then went to a wedding in Iowa CIty with my wife where they had this on tap and was blown away by how good it was. It is now a “go-to” beer for me when I can’t figure out what I want. It is a very balanced beer with good flavor. If you are new to the craft beer world and looking to try something different, I think this would be a safe bet.
REVIEW
Pour:  Amber color pour with a thick off-white head.
Aroma: Malts, caramel, and hops.
Taste: Sweet caramel flavor with hop bitterness in the end. A really solid amber ale.
Overall: This is a very drinkable beer and for people who are looking for something different, a good start to micro-craft world. Like most beers for me, I think it is much better out of  fresh tap.
RATING: C+

Eastern Iowa residents: This beer is available just about anywhere beer is sold.

A seasonal type of beer that I’ve come to appreciate more is Octobefest styles. Bells and Sam Adams are responsible for my transition into a fan of Octoberfest beers. Bells Octoberfest (www.bellsbeer.com) has a nice malty flavor with that hop bitterness in the end. It is perfect for a fall day. Although I would rather have a Sam Adams Octoberfest, Bells is still a close second.  Octoberfest beers pair excellent with a nice grilled bratwurst or any other type of sausage. 

REVIEW
Pour:  Copper/Amber pour with a thick white head.
Aroma: Roasted malts with caramel.
Taste: Sweet caramel flavor with hop bitterness in the end. Very smooth.
Overall: It is the time of year for us to be drinking Octoberfest beers. If you can’t find Bells, Sam Adams is widely available. A nice cool day and cold Octoberfest go great together. Cheers!
RATING: C

Eastern Iowa residents: This beer is/will be available at John’s Grocery in Iowa City. I’ve seen many Bells products at Hy-Vee but their selection does change. It should be available by the end of August until November.