Licher Pilsner Review – It’s about time we sat down with a nice German Pilsner for a beer review.  In our most recent package from Beer of the Month Club, we received a bottle of Licher Pilsner by Licher Privatbrauerei.  This premium pils poured a pale-ish, light yellow into our mug with a thick, fluffy white head.  Like most pilsners, this one had the signature sweet citrus and malt aroma that continued right into the first sip.  The taste starts with a hoppy nibble and continues into a refreshing, clean flavor of citrus and hops, giving the Licher Pilsner a very drinkable quality.  By “drinkable”, we mean the three that came in our package were gone in a heartbeat.  Since Oktoberfest is in full swing, maybe we should head out there to pick up a few more?  StyleCrave Rating: B+

Eisenbahn South American Pale Ale is our last remaining bottle from Beer of the Month Club‘s last shipment.  We drank carefully, slowly, and saved this one for last.  We won’t say this one is our clear favorite, but it’s a solid pale ale with an interesting story.  Eisenbahn is located in Santa Catarina, Brazil, a Belgian-style brewery in the southern tip of the country.  Eisenbahn’s SAPA, or South American Pale Ale pours a light, amber-ish color with a sweet, malty aroma with plenty of yeast character.  SAPA’s flavor is a bit on the light end for a Belgian pale ale, yet matching its aroma with the sweet, malty character (and a slightly bitter finish).  SAPA is enjoyable, not necessarily a “rush-to-the-store-and-buy-six-now” type of beer, but we were happy with it while tasting.  StyleCrave Rating: B

Fisherman’s IPA by Cape Ann Brewery arrived this month thanks to our friends and beer donors over at The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club.  Fisherman’s IPA pours a rich, golden amber with a thin-to-medium head that leaves light lacing as it recedes.  To the nose, this pale ale has the earthy, hoppy scent you’d expect from the style, albeit a bit on the lighter side.  Fisherman’s IPA has the slightly bitter approach of a classic IPA, rounded out with citrus, caramel and a smooth hoppy finish.  It’s going to be a nice weekend, so we suggest ordering up a six pack of this stuff, calling over a few friends and grilling up some fresh Salmon with lemon, butter and dill.  It’ll match this (or any other good IPA) bottle like destiny.  StyleCrave Rating: B-

We’ve got a soft spot for white ales, and cherish every chance we get to taste a new one.  When Colomba Witbier arrived this month in our package from the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, we were intrigued.  One of two Corsican beers in the package, Colomba is marked as a “white ale brewed with spices” on its otherwise unappealing label.  Colomba pours a cloudy, pale color with a thick head that recedes quickly.  Its scent is both spicy and sweet, with prevalent notes of wheat.  To the tongue, Colomba White Ale starts spicy, with malt and citrus flavors ending with an herbal finish.  In comparison with other white ales we love, this one didn’t leave a solid impression, as the taste was a bit medicinal and underwhelming.  I can’t say that you should rush out and grab a bottle of Colomba’s white ale, but I do suggest you should try one if offered.  Beyond the three that arrived in my package from BeerMonthClub, I’m not sure if I’ll be picking up any more of these…

Harpoon Irish Red Ale was the most recent arrival from our friends at the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club.  It has been a while since we’ve had a good Irish red, so this one was certainly a welcome surprise.  “Harpoon’s Hibernian Irish Style Red Ale” pours a clear amber color with a slight head.  To the nose and the tongue, flavors of caramel and sweet malt are present, with a friendly finish leaving room for another bottle.  Harpoon is an approachable Irish Red, but its missing a bit of the character you’d expect from an Irish product, especially microbrewed.  If you’re new to the style, this makes for an easy introduction and will provide an overall pleasant experience.  StyleCrave Rating: 3/5

Angler’s Pale Ale is yet another surprise discovery from our friends over at BeerMonthClub.com.  When we opened our latest arrival from the club last week, we tried this one first– call us suckers for the classic label.  Angler’s pale poured a light amber color with an aroma of floral citrus and subtle, sweet malt.  To the tongue, this beer is sweet to start with a friendly bitter finish, while the citrus and malt scents translate to the flavor quite well.  It’s a medium-bodied pale, which is quite drinkable on a warm spring Saturday afternoon.  While pale’s are not normally our first choice at the pub (we usually reach for something dark, white or basic), Angler’s Pale Ale is a welcome addition to our refrigerator– and this column.  Thanks to the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club for sending us a complimentary pack to try.  You can get your own each month starting at $21.99.

Ever heard of a Corsican beer called Pietra Biera Corsa?  Neither had we, until it arrived in our package from The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club early this week.  Pietra is a European dark lager style beer infused with chestnut and brewed in Corsica, France.  Its color is a cloudless, light amber with off-white head and sweet scents of toffee but surprisingly none of the chestnut suggested on the bottle.  The flavor is malty and bittersweet with a medium body and a clean, dry finish.  In comparison to everything we’ve tasted from BeerMonthClub.com yet, this wasn’t a solid win.  We may not grab a bottle of this one every time we hit our local beer boutique, but we’re still glad we had the chance to give this one a healthy taste.  [check out more of StyleCrave's weekly beer review column!]

Continuing our Beer of the Week column, thanks to our friends and sponsors at The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, I had a chance to enjoy a few bottles of Lakefront Brewery’s Belgian-Style White Beer this week.  Long time readers of the old column on GearCrave will remember how much I love white ales, and this one is no exception.  Lakefront’s White Beer pours a hazy, pale yellow with thick, white head that retains itself quite well.  The aroma is par for the course of your standard whites, plenty of zesty citrus and hints of wheat.  To the tongue, the citrus scent translates quite well to Lakefront White’s flavor, as tastes of fruity orange and robust spice round this one out quite well.  BeerMonthClub knew what they were doing when they included this one in their most recent package– this is the perfect beer for an unusually warm early Spring day, several of which have passed recently…

Have you tried the LakeFront Brewing Belgian Style White Beer?  Let us know in the comments.  If you like the idea of being surprised each month with a collection of hand-selected microbrew beers, check out the packages available from The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club – which start at $20.95/month.

Our friends and sponsors at The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club sent us another beer to check out this week, Jamaica Stout by Desnoes & Geddes Limited.  “Proudly Brewed in Jamaica”, this one is a surprising departure from the common perception of Jamaican beer.  Most casual beer drinkers are familiar with Red Stripe, a beer more popular for its bottle and branding than its below-average quality and taste.  While some beer snobs may scoff at a stout from such an unlikely location, we’ve found this one to be a nice little discovery.  Continue reading after the jump for the dirty details on Jamaican Stout– and if you like the idea of getting a surprise batch of new, interesting beers each month– head over to BeerMonthClub.com and subscribe, starting at just $20.95/month.

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