Beer of the Week

The beer: Dublin Drop

The brewery: RAK Brewing Company, Frederick, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "Rich, luscious Maris otter stout base with an extended boil. Conditioned on Jameson soaked oak spirals and Irish cream flavoring. The perfect drink to make you feel a little Irish!"

Would I buy it again? This was honestly a very good beer. Rich, creamy, sweet, everything you'd want from an Irish stout on the eve of St. Patrick's Day. There was just a single problem with my drinking experience — it was quite literally 85 degrees on the day I had this beer. The timing was appropriate, it was just ridiculously, record-breakingly hot out. Ah well, what can you do? Anyway, so long as the mercury remains under, say, 60 degrees, I'd definitely buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: McDonnell's Pub Irish Style Stout

The brewery: Brookeville Beer Farm, Brookeville, Maryland

Description (from Untappd): "Smooth and creamy, brewed with chocolate malt & flaked barley. ABV 6.6%."

Would I buy it again? You would imagine that an Irish-style stout would be a lot like a Guinness. And you'd be right. But there's a catch. Whisper this in hushed tones so no one from Ireland can here you, but this is a lot better than a Guinness. It's got the same general taste, but it's much less dry and more pleasant to drink. At least it is in my humble opinion. So if I'm ever in the mood for a Guinness, I'll skip that and go for this instead.