Beer of the week: Carolina Pale Ale

Beer score: 6.3
Web site: Carolina Brewing Company

ABV: 5.6

IBU: 40

Coming to us from Holly Springs, North Carolina, this isn't a bad brew. It's got a slightly dark golden color in a glass, and I have to admit it's a little more sturdy than it looks. I wouldn't classify this as a great beer, but the brewers have nothing to be ashamed of here. There was no head whatsoever when I poured it, which is neither here nor there in my opinion, but some folks like more head on their brew. Quite wet with a slight hoppy bitterness that grows stronger the more it lingers on the tongue, but without becoming overly strong. Kind of a flowery smell here, with a touch of malt graininess and maybe a little lemon or orange zest. The style is American pale ale, but it's definitely on the lighter side of any pale ales. Somewhat on the average side, but not atrocious by any means. You could do a lot worse, believe me.

Czechvar

Beer score: 8.0
Web site: Czechvar

This is one of three beers in the world that at one place or another has the name of Budweiser. Yes, for you who did not know, the beer in the U.S. known as Budweiser is not the only, nor the original, brew with that name. In fact, the name was stolen from two other beers in Europe. This particular beer here that I'm tasting is known as Czechvar in the U.S. and Canada for legal purposes, even though they had the Budweiser name a few years before the U.S. company did. This particular beer is what premium American beers only dream they can be. Very refreshing and light looking. Goes down silky smooth with a nice flavor. Comes from the Czech Republic. Give this one a try!

Crooked River Lighthouse Gold

Beer score: 6.6
A nice, light thirst-quenching lager. Light enough you could sit around and drink these all evening without feeling bloated. A good beer for moving furniture (no kidding). But alas, another beer and another brewery that's no longer with us.

Cantillon Gueze Lambic

Beer score: 9.9
Web site: Cantillon
An instant tartness kicks in when you taste this - not quite overpowering, but definitely surprising. Has an apple cider texture and feel. No fizz - goes down smoother than any other beer I can think of at the moment. Many beer drinkers - even experienced ones - probably would not know this was a beer unless you told them. This ale from Belgium is a combination of a lambic made several years back and a recently made lambic, then aged several years in the bottle for bottle fermentation.

Crooked River Black Forest Lager

Beer score: 6.2
The taste of this brew is initially very sweet, almost to the point of tasting like a cider. This is one of the sweetest lager's I've ever tasted. This fine beer comes from Cleveland, Ohio, but unfortunately the economy has tanked this fine brewer the last I heard.

Crooked River Cool Mule Porter

Beer score: 6.4
Heavy and fizzy with a burnt sweet/syrup flavor. A good brew for low-to-medium level beer snobs to work their way up on. Also, while this isn't a personal favorite, I still wouldn't turn it down at a party or gathering. Was brewed by the Crooked River Brewing Company, but they've gone out of business. Hope lives, however, as word on the street is this drink is now put out by Black Box Brewing of Ohio.

Crazy Stallion

Beer score: 2.0
Web site: City Brewing Company
From Hornell Brewing Company of LaCross, Wisconsin, when I first tried it, but now available from the City Brewing Company. Used to be called Crazy Horse. The can says this is the "original malt liquor," but I don't know "original" to where or when. In a glass it looks like dark urine. Tastes like a typical malt liquor, slightly sweet at first, then followed by a bunch of fizz. If you like real beer, stay away from this vile concoction.

Corsendonk Abbey Pale Ale

Beer score: 8.7
Web site: Corsendonk bier
Yet another great-tasting brew from Belgium. This one is brewed and bottled by the La Brasserie Bocq. This beer has a slight fruity sour taste that can make the lips pucker up, though it's not as tart as some lambics (another Belgian-style beer). Goes down easy enough that you could drink it all night. Not quite smooth enough to be served as an after-dinner drink, like wine would be, but almost.

Corona Light

Beer score: 4.0
Web site: Corona Light

Still weak and watery like Corona, but there's less carbonation. This is so weak, it's almost like drinking water. I guess if I were to drink light beers regularly though, this would be the one - mainly because it's the only light beer I know that doesn't have more fizz than the non-light version.

Corona Extra

Beer score: 3.8
Web site: Corona
Weak and watery with a little fizz. There is a slight sweet taste to this Mexican beer, but that's about it. My experience has been that this is typical of Mexican beers. Despite my general lack of excitement for this beer, it would probably go well with seafood or Mexican food.

Coors Light

Beer score: 2.3
Web site: Coors Light
There is a little flavor and some carbonation here. Other than that, there's not much to say. Quite the popular beer for the mass consumers, but below the notice of true beer aficionados.

Coors

Beer score: 2.2
Web site: Coors
This beer is so flavorless it would score higher if it tasted bad. Don't waste your time - tap water tastes about the same. Not the easiest beer to find, despite the popularity of the light version. Not that you'd be missing anything.

Coopers Black Crow

Beer score: 7.7
Web site: Coopers
From Leabrook, South Australia. Very wet and drinkable but leaves a soapy texture on the lips, though not a soapy flavor. Too much carbonation. Not awful.

Columbus Pale Ale

Beer score: 6.6
Web site: Columbus Brewing Company
Immediate strong taste. Goes down pretty smooth but just a tad too much carbonation for me. Not a harsh brew but definitely has a kick. Comes from Columbus Brewing Co. of Columbus, Ohio.

Colt 45

Beer score: 2.8
Web site: Colt 45
For those who need to know, many malt liquors in the U.S. are not allowed to have the word "beer" on the label because malt liquors normally have more alcohol in them than the U.S. legal limit for beers. Colt 45 is a malt liquor. The first sip is smooth but the fizz continues to grow the more you drink. Has the usual weak, sweet malt taste associated with so many bad malt liquors. You could do worse, but you'd have to try at it. For cheap drunks and poor college students.

Cold Spring River Road Red Ale

Beer score: 4.6
Web site: Cold Spring Brewing Co.
This beer tastes like a fairly weak lager with a little "oomph" of bitterness thrown in. There's an interesting sweetness in the aftertaste that reminds me of some Belgian brews (think lambics here). Made in the state of Minnesota.

Christian Moerlein Select Lager

Beer score: 5.2
Web site: Moerlein

The Schoenling Brewery Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, put this beer out when I tasted it, but more recently it's brewed by Moerlein Lagers & Ales. This lager is strong at first, but turns into an overpowering sweetness on the way down. It is or was the first beer in the United States "Brewed in Accordance with the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot Purity Law of 1516" (or so says the bottle). This brew is no longer in production, but the brewer still makes plenty of other beers.

Chouffe-Bok

Beer score: 8.3
Web site: La Chouffe
In my opinion, the best beers on the planet come from Belgium, and this beer is one of the ones that helps me prove my case. It has the look of a thin coffee or dirty tea. It's pretty smooth and wet with a not-overpowering dark flavor. There's just the barest hint of a fruity or cinnamon sweetness. A good dark drink for folks who like their beer dark but not too heavy. Comes to us from La Brasserie D'Achouffe of Achouffe, Belgium. Word of warning: The labels on this brew have changed often over the years, so it might look different by now.

Chimay Premiere

Beer score: 8.5
Web site: Chimay
I don't understand it - this ale does so many things I normally can't stand, but I love it anyway. There's quite a bit of carbonation and a spiced flavor and I usually hate both those qualities - here it works somehow. An experienced beer drinker could spend hours savoring this fine drink. Brewed by Cistercian monks at Scourmont Abbey in Belgium. This is a Trappist beer and supposedly there are only six of those in the world.

Chicago's Legacy Lager

Beer score: 7.0
Pretty bitter for a lager, with a little sourness as you swallow. Sort of tastes like a lager and an India pale ale mixed. Goes down pretty smooth. But, yet again, another brewery that is no longer with us.