MURPHY'S - RED ALE

Murphy's - Red Ale

-Origin: Brewed by Heineken in the Netherlands.
-I paid: $1.89 for a 12oz bottle at BevMo
-Rating: 2/5
-Verdict: PASS
-Appeal: Murphy's brand name.

-Review:

The first red flag for this beer is that it's not even made by Murphy's. It's overprice. It's got a head like you'd get on a Coca-Cola. It doesn't really have any complex flavor. It tastes like just another generic Ale. It just seems like a way to cash in on the Murphy's name. Murphy's should stick to what they're good at, which is stouts.

STONE - OAKED ARROGANT BASTARD ALE

Stone - Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

-Origin:Escondido, California
-I Paid: $2.89 for a 12oz bottle at BevMo
-Rating: 5/5
-Verdict: BUY
-Appeal: Honestly... I bought it because of the name.

-Review:

The first taste of this beer is like being punched in the face. After a couple more tastes though, it gets really, really good. It's not just the 7.2% alcohol content that gets you, it's also the very strong oak flavor, which is really delicious... once you get used to it. This is probably the most memorable experience you'll have trying a new beer. Also, be sure you read the very arrogant description on the back of the bottle. It had me laughing pretty hard.

MAX

MAX

-Origin: Seoul, South Korea
-I Paid: $1.99 for a 640ml (21.6oz) bottle at H Mart
-Rating: 4/5
-Verdict: BUY
-Appeal: Hard to beat for the price.

-Review:

I was 18 years old and visiting South Korea for 3 months. The drinking age is South Korea is 18, so naturally I tried every type of alcohol I could get my hands on. One type of alcohol shined through all the others. It was beer. In particularly, Max. Yes, the first beer I ever fell in love with is a beer from South Korea. I tried plenty of other beers before this, but this one really knocked my socks off. Let me be clear though, Max is not a top self beer or anything. I don't want you to try it and expect too much from it. What it is, is an absolutely phenomenal cheap beer. It's cheaper than Budweiser, Coors or and any of that other crap, and about a hundred times better. It's safe to say that it puts American Lagers to shame. In fact, I'd say it's more on the level of Asahi or Sapporo. I can't help but think that if it was just marketed better (by which I mean the label looks cheap) it would be much more successful internationally. Until the day when they do change the label, I hope you'll give it a try.

H MART - Garden Grove, CA ***STORE REVIEW SPECIAL***

H Mart - Garden Grove, Orange County, California

-Type: Asian Grocery Store
-Prices: Best prices are fantastic, worst prices are still better than average.
-Selection: Fantastic on Asian imports; below average on domestics.
-Rating: 4.5/5
-Verdict: SHOP HERE
-Appeal: You'll find a lot of stuff here you've never heard of.

-Review:

Whether you're looking for beer, sake, soju, makgeolli or want to experience something new and unfamiliar, you can bet H Mart has it. Overall prices are great. Often, they have truly amazing sales. One of the bargains of the century they have right now is 6packs of Black Beer Stout for $3.99 (on sale). A word to the wise though, not all H Marts are created equal. This one in Garden Grove however, is exceptional. It's clean, it's organized, the employees are friendly and browsing the food is a lot of fun too.

SPATEN - OPTIMATOR DOPPELBOCK

Spaten - Optimator Doppelbock

-Origin: Munich, Germany
-I Paid: $1.69 for a 12oz bottle at BevMo
-Rating: 3.5/5
-Verdict: BUY
-Appeal: Old beer company (est. 1397) and high alcohol content (7.6%).

-Review:

Another tasty, hearty German beer. It's smokey and rich. To be honest though, nothing about it really stood out to me. I think it would really be best with a meal. I don't know if I'll buy it again, but I'm still recommending it because it's at least worth trying once.

ASAHI - SUPER DRY

ASAHI - SUPER DRY

-Origin: Japan (This bottle was actually brewed in Canada.)
-I Paid: $2.99 for a 1pt 5.4oz bottle at H Mart
-Rating: 3.5/5
-Verdict: BUY
-Appeal: Well, everything from Japan is cool, isn't it?

-Review

The Japanese are known for packing a lot of quality in everything they make for a good price. And of course, Asahi Super Dry is no exception. This is one of those Asian "Draft Beers" which is kinda like American style lager. However, in my experience draft beers are about a thousand times better than the American version. As the bottle says, it's dry, smooth and refreshing. I'll tell you something I didn't expect though. I think I actually prefer the Tsingtao from China I reviewed the other day. Don't let that put you off though. This beer is definitely worth trying, and for the price you can't go wrong.

FRANZISKANER - WEISSBIER

FRANZISKANER - WEISSBIER

-Origin: Munich, Germany
-I Paid: $1.69 for a 12oz bottle at BevMo
-Rating: 5/5
-Verdict: BUY! BUY! BUY!
-Appeal: Brewed since 1397; That monk looks pretty freaking happy.

-Review:

I'll cut to the chase. This beer is ridiculously good! I'm not what you'd call a beer snob. I'm a simple man. I can't tell you every little hint of a flavor in this beer. However, I can tell you that it's yeasty, it's spicy and it has a lot of other stuff going on in there too. Once you drink this, you'll understand why I gave Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen a bad review. Franziskaner Weissbier is, without a doubt, one of the best beers I've ever had.