KOTBR #26 - The Retro Beer Challenge Round One (Jim's Review)

Since Mike has already set the stage, I'll cut to the chase (gee, I'm full of clichés):

Beer A - Classic American lager color (i.e., yellow-gold). Sugary nose with slight floral notes. Upon first sip, I think, "Wow, this isn't so bad." Crisp, refreshing, slight hop presence. Definitely drinkable, though I'd be scared to find out what it tastes like when warmer. Nonetheless, I wouldn't turn away this beer if offered at a summer function, such as a barbecue. 2.25 mugs.

Beer B - Same color as Beer A (as was Beer C, so I'll dispense with the color thing right here to avoid repetition). Weird nose. Smells faintly like a sweaty sock. Not noisome, but definitely not as nice as the nose on Beer A. I expect a taste that follows suit, but I am surprised. The flavor ends up being fairly pleasant. Has the classic mega-brewed lager taste, but there's extra hop presence here. A little more bitter and certainly fruitier on the tongue than Beer A. Better than Beer A, but not considerably better. 2.75 mugs.

Beer C - Very little nose on this one. Faint, hard to tell what the flavor will be like. Then comes the first sip. Ew. Watery, no character. All I can think of is blandness. Reminds me of this awful crap called Rhinelander that some friends in college used to drink because it was $3.99 for a case of longnecks. For me, this is definitely the worst of the three. I'm feeling charitable, though, when it comes to a rating. 0.5 mugs.

My final rankings:

Beer B - 3 points
Beer A - 2 points
Beer C - 1 point

Stay tuned, as the names of the beers will be revealed after Kelly and Gina post their reviews.

Postscript - Afterward, Mike, Gina, and I head to Deano's for a few quality pints. Jason, who missed us at the Mel, meets up with us. DJ Brian Jones is ruling the turntables with his '80's New Wave shtick. I'm having pleasant flashbacks to my college DJ'ing days until Brian spins Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night." Apparently, someone else requested the song. Bartender Nick reads Brian the riot act and says some rude things about the requesters. I groan but have to admit that Lauper's ballad "Time After Time" is definitely palatable (someone else agrees--I think it's Jason). Eventually, I head out the door with the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" filling my ears. The song serves as a good antidote to the dreck that is the earlier Lauper tune.

Upon arriving home, I catch some of the MLS Super Clasico. I get to see Beckham reaggravate his ankle injury, get kicked in the chest by MLS super-hack Jesse Marsch, and spend the rest of the match limping around because his idiot coach won't take him out. I mean, he only just flew back from Old Blighty after playing 93 minutes for England the day before. Beckham plays the whole game, but the Galaxy pathetically lose 3-0 and are all but done in the MLS Playoff race. Boy, do the Galaxy suck. I don't think Beckham regrets coming to MLS, but I think he probably wishes he could play for another team. Club GM Alexi Lalas, who put together the current bunch of Galaxy footballers, looks to be on his way out the door in the very near future.

And I learned one more thing--it's not wise to eat vegetarian buffalo-wing style soy nuggets at 11:45 p.m., especially after drinking several beers.