Boatswain Chocolate Stout (4 toasts)

The first thing I thought when I smelled it was, "Whoa, chocolate!  This is a good sign."  But then I tasted it and it tasted like bacon.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but bacon beer is a little strange.  Upon further tasting, it didn't taste chocolaty at all.  In fact, there is more coffee than chocolate.  I almost want to put a little milk in it.  I am going to go out on a limb here and say that this is a breakfast beer!  I really want some eggs, pancakes, and bacon right now.

I think I'm getting the coffee vibe because it was brewed with real cocoa powder, which can taste rather like coffee (dark and acidic).  By the way, the whole bottle doesn't taste like bacon.  That was just my first impression.

Boatswain (pronounced bosun) is from a small brewery in Wisconsin.  I picked it up from Trader Joe's for $2.  I would drink this on its own or with a fatty meal (like breakfast or a beef stew).  But don't drink it expecting to find a Hershey's bar inside.  This is actually much better than Hershey's.

Cheers.

Sam Adams Whitewater IPA (3 toasts)

I promise to do something other than Sam Adams soon.  They were just such a darn good deal.

Disclaimer:  I hate IPAs.  They are too bitter and hoppy for me.  But I put my big girl panties on so that I could review this beer for you.  You're welcome.

So, the SA Whitewater IPA.  This is the working man's IPA.  Pretty smooth and nicely hopped.  It's a little sweet and woody.  If you want an easy drinking IPA, this is for you.  I wouldn't pick this beer up again because it is too bitter for me.  I even drank it warm to see if I could cut the bitterness a bit.  But no, it's still like chewing on pine needles.  If I did want to drink this again, I would want to be on a warm beach with an attractive man fanning me.  Besides this being a warm weather beer, who can complain about beer when you are on a beach with a hottie?

Jim Koch says, "This hazy brew combines the crisp character of a white ale wit the intense pine and citrus flacors of an India Pale Ale.  We took this unique combination to a new level wit the subtle addition of apricots, which provide a slight sweetness to balance the bitterness of the hops."

Cheers!