Hot Pug on Pug Action: We Try Pug Ryan's Dunkel (Special Saturday Edition!)

No pugs were harmed in the taking of this picture. Also, he's not allowed to drink beer.

Jeff

The problem with some dark beers is that, even if you enjoy dark and bitter flavors, finding pairings that won't overwhelm your food can be difficult. Luckily, Pug Ryan's German style Dunkel is a dark beer that not only pairs well with food, but is also a complex and delicious experience all on its own.

Cracking open this beer I noticed it had an attractive reddish-brown hue which complimented its faintly bitter smell. My first drink was surprising- nicely bitter but with definitely noticeable hits of sour and sweet as well. The flavor also had a nice rounded malt flavor to it, almost caramel like, with a nicely balanced note of hops.

H was surprised at the lack of bitterness and, unusually, found this to be a darker beer that she actually enjoyed. I would definitely buy this again and wouldn't hesitate to pair this with food. It's complexity is what keeps it from being overpowering and eminently drinkable.

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Haley

I had to know when we chose this beer to review where the name "Pug Ryan" had come from. The name is as good as the real person behind it was bad. This beer is named after an outlaw: bank robber, train robber, deputy killer. A real bad hombre. Sadly, the can design is a little more tame.

For a beer that is billed as "brewed for the outlaw in you," I wish more of that was reflected in the design. Where's the intrigue? Show me a train, give me an action pose. Guns, danger, pew pew! If you're going to choose something for its edginess, let it be edgy!

That plus even more mountains equals, to me, a pretty boring can design.

We Reel In a Ballast Point Longfin Lager

Jeff

When H and I took the above picture, five seconds in the fierce Colorado sun managed to deflate the nice foamy head this beer had on it when poured. This is a good example of why I so appreciate a nice refreshing beer- with sun this intense, sometimes a dry finish on a beer just isn't appealing.

Ballast Point Brewing Company's Longfin Lager is, luckily, a very refreshing beer. It's a very light lager, both in color and flavor. It has, much like the can itself proclaims, a "hint of hops", and maybe just the faintest touch of citrus brightness. 

My only criticisms are that because of how light it is it doesn't have the robustness I usually want and associate with a lager. Because of this it almost reminded me more of a German beer than anything else.

Regardless, this is a solid, if fairly basic, choice. I'd pack this up for a fishin' trip, no doubt.

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Haley

To fairly judge this can I had to photograph the back and the front, because most of the fun stuff is on the back.

One thing I like right off the bat is how the front design manages to be nautical without being cutesy or overly cliche. The light blue backing on the bottom has a zig-zag in it reminiscent of waves and the use of rope on the logo is subtle. The gold and red stand out with the lighter blue as well, avoiding too much Americana. Also, THERE IS A SWEET FISH ON THE BACK.

But that sweet, sweet fish is also part of the problem. The most interesting design element is relegated to the back of the can. Yes, the colors are all integrated and it is positioned nicely with the text. But overall, this design would be a lot more interesting if the fish and the front of the can were more interestingly put together. As is, it's a bit business in front, (fish) party in the back.

Breck Lager: Will it Turn Haley into A Breck Girl?

Jeff

Breck lager: an unfortunate example of doing everything competently, but nothing above and beyond. This golden beer with the nicely foaming head has a clean taste, with minimal bitterness for a lager. I also detected no iron taste, which I find some lagers to have.

The simple nature of this beer makes it a good substitute for your average canned beer. It's light flavor would pair well with food. The problem is though, its strengths are also its weaknesses. I found the flavor to be fairly boring and basic. It also lost its carbonation quickly when poured. 

Breck Lager reminds me of my work truck. It isn't flashy or showy. It doesn't have any bells or whistles, but it's not a hunk of junk either. It's reliable- it gets me where I need to go every day without fail, but it isn't my dream vehicle either. Breck Lager is the same way: reliable, good, but not great.

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Haley

So, I very much dislike this can. To start with the good though, I do think the periwinkle/gold/red orange color scheme is interesting. Not pleasant to look at, but interesting. 

Unfortunately this same color scheme, from a practical standpoint, just doesn't work. The words are hard to read on the front with the blue and gold fonts on gold background. What stands out to me is the word "beer", which seems amusingly generic.

I wish it had more design elements or a bit more personality. As it is, I find this can to be muted and mostly dull. Even with a sort of mid-century feel to it I just can't work up any enthusiasm for this design.

Pabst Blue Ribbon: Does It Still Deserve The Prize?

Jeff

I am a craft beer fanatic. However, (almost) all of us have a day here and there where we maybe have $ instead of the $$ needed to get something nice and local. But when I'm feeling a little tapped in the wallet department, I still want to drink something good. PBR, which has undergone a cultural resurgence in the last couple of decades, is a beer I haven't had in a long time. So the question is: will it hold up against the more carefully crafted brews that I usually drink now?

Right out of the can some things are very obvious. PBR is very clear, very processed looking. Because it's a huge brand you know every batch is going to come out nearly identical. It has almost no smell and the taste is incredibly mild. It is the most mild tasting non-light beer I can think of.

PBR has subtle hints of nothing. It tastes more like slightly bitter water than beer. To its credit it isn't skunky or iron-tasting like some other cheap beers. It's taste is completely non offensive but it's also non-anything else: non-interesting, non-exciting, non-flavorful.

PBR is a beer to buy when you are looking to get drunk. They've carved out a space for themselves in the public's perception that they care a bit more than companies like Bud or Miller, and their marketing has been less in-your-face than those other big beer companies. But make no mistake: they are a big beer company and their brew tastes like it. 

So if you want a cheap beer for a Saturday night that will turn a party up without setting your bank account back, then PBR might be for you. But if you really enjoy the taste of beer and want something with more flavor and body, then search on my friends. Search on.

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Haley

History is important. It would be easy to dismiss this can because it is such a common design in the here and now- Americana colors, simple designs. But for a beer that's been around since 1844 and did indeed used to come with a blue ribbon around its neck, these design choices make sense.

The ribbon, the colors, the wheat design at the bottom- all harken back to the history and legacy of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Its less old-fashioned than it is old-timey.

With that I say, while I don't personally find this can exciting in this day and age, it is iconic and recognizable at the least. But be warned: anybody new to the scene coming at me with some wheat stalks and red, white, and blue colors isn't going to get the same level of acceptance found here.