Murphy's Irish Stout - Murphy Brewery Ireland Limited

This is second stout I taste after Guinness; I must say it’s pretty good I remember my childhood “merienda” which is the “kapi’t kanin” basically it’s a bowl of burnt rice mix with coffee  … nostalgic

Appearance
like any other stout beer, it’s dark and produces a think foamy light brown yellowish head with an excellent lace

Smell
it has light coffee smell, though the smell is not strong there is actually some caramel and the roasted malt / barley, hint.

Taste
The taste is divided into coffee and roasted chocolate – even though the smell is not that striking the taste on the other hand is pretty much strong, at first it has a strong coffee malty taste and on the later part it becomes sweet like caramel and roasted chocolate and the after taste is like Milo or Ovaltine.

I recommend this stout for those drinkers who love sweet and chocolate taste, and it’s a good pair for any roasted meat.

Brewery: Murphy's Brewery Ireland Limited
Style: Irish Stout
ABV: 4.00%
Where did I drink this: Beer Paradise, Makati Philippines

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

If you are a lager lover definitely this beer is for you, it was first introduce to me by my friend in the state ... way way back! since then I was curious, not until last week that  me and the other Beer Junkies saw an article about Beer Paradise -- guess what? they have Sam Adams.

Beer Paradise is a haven for beer lovers they have all kind of variety of beer, commercial foreign beer to local and foreign craft beer, it is located at Jupiter Makati Philippines, will do a separate blog on this ... I'm really excited.

Anyway, Sam Adams for me is a  very well rounded beer -- It pours a light amber near redish in color with a good white head retention. The aroma is strong with a sweet toasted caramel, hops and somewhat old grain.  It taste really really good, an evident of strong malt base a sweetness of toasted caramel with some fruitty note and some spices, the after taste is somewhat dry and a little bitter in end.

I can take this beer anytime of the day, I'm a Ale guy but this lagger right here deserves a salute!

Brewed by: Boston Beer Company | 4.90% ABV

William Wallace Ale - FREEEDOM!

Remember the Scottish guy from the 13^th century who shouted FREEEEDOM! Sir William Wallace – not only he has liberated Scotland from the English rule and has a movie titled Brave Heart he also has a beer name after from himself, William Wallace Ale.

This Ale is quite liberating – with its smooth coffee caramel and malty flavor, slightly bitter and with a dry end, similar to its taste it smells like chocolate, sweet and strong, when pour you will notice a light brown color with a thin light brownish top, with its low alcohol content of 4.5% this beer make a good nightcap.

William Wallace Ale is being brewed by Traditional Scottish Ales which is also the maker of 1488 Whisky Ale which I’ll be trying soon. I am fairly satisfied with its taste specially the smooth hop after taste.

Indio Pale Ale Katipunan Craft Beer

As the largest and leading brewery in the Philippines, San Miguel Beer is being challenged by the Indio Pale Ale by Katipunan Craft Ales that represents the revolutionary spirit of the Filipino with its distinct hoppy, fruity and bitter taste.

The Katipunan was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish Filipinos in Manila in 1892, whose primary aim was to gain independence from Spain through revolution.  History repeats itself through a different form of revolution … The Craft Beer Revolution.

Now let’s find out what would the Tangero’s will say about this movement.

Katipunan Ale has a deep amber color somewhat golden, it has a fruity hoppy smell and it taste like an aged oak with a slightly bitter in the end – it’s bitterness enhances the food a little bit and is noticeable especially when you are pairing it with any meat dish.

In general I don’t think that Katipunan Ale makes a direct competition to any San Miguel Beer product since their beers are mostly lagers – I would like to think that Katipunan Ale make a good addition and variation to the Filipino taste. Quite frankly, I'm wishing that Katipunan Craft Ales will stay in the market a long time to develop and produce more craft beer variations. As a Filipino and a beer lover, I am proud of this beer and I believe it's about time that Filipino drinkers be liberated on the traditional taste.