Beer of the Week

The beer: Conway's Irish Ale

The brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, Ohio

Description (from the website): "Named for Patrick “Pa” Conway, our founders’ grandfather and a beloved traffic cop who’d agree this smooth, full-bodied Irish Ale is just the ticket."

Would I buy it again? Irish red ales are an underrated warm-weather beer, and this is a fine example. Easy to drink, has some pleasant maltiness, and a decent but not overwhelming amount of hoppiness. Plus, it's got a higher ABV that most Irish red ales I've had, which is nice. It's not spectacular, but it's a great drinking beer. I'd definitely buy this again.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Barrel Aged Imperial Amber Lager

The brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, Ohio

Description (from the website): "Join our 35th anniversary celebration with this limited edition Imperial Amber Lager inspired by one of our original 1988 recipes, aged in Bulleit™ bourbon barrels."

Would I buy it again? You don't usually see imperial lagers. Stouts, all the time, IPAs, not as common, but definitely out there. But an imperial version of a regular old amber lager? I couldn't resist trying it out. But does it work? Yes and no, I would say. You can definitely taste the bourbon in this, and I'm not going to deny this beer tastes good. It's not an easy drinker, but I enjoyed drinking it. However, I feel like something has been lost of the original lager, which I have had before. That doesn't stop this beer from being very good, and I would drink it again, but I'm not sure how well it works as a celebration of their regular amber lager.    

Beer of the Week

The beer: Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale

Brewed by: Fat Head's Brewery, Middleburg Heights, Ohio

Description (from the website): "Brewed with fresh harvested spring honey and infused with fresh blueberries. A light, refreshing ale with a nice blueberry aroma, crackery malt flavors, a hint of sweetness and a refreshing blueberry finish."

Would I buy it again?: This falls into the general category of "not bad, but not great." It was definitely not as sweet as I was expecting, in fact, there were more notes of bitterness than sweetness. At least I think it was bitter, I'm not a taste expert. I also don't really like blueberries, so take this review with a grain of salt. If you do enjoy blueberries, your experience may vary. But for me, I wouldn't pay for another bottle of the stuff. Too bad, I was expecting more from a brewery called Fat Head's.