Shiner Hefeweizen

This is a bottle conditioned, wheat beer (all hefeweizens are) so it is required that you either shake the last half inch of beer to stir up the yeast off the bottom of the bottle, or swirl about half of the beer well enough to do the same. I find the former method to be the most effective for this and for producing sufficient head.

Anyway, it pours a golden yellow color with decent sized white head (the shaking makes the perfect amount) that is very cloudy with yeast. There is enough of it that you should wait a few minutes after you pour for all of it to mix evenly and after this there will still be some hovering at the top so you should swirl it to coax the rest to mix. ANYWAY. It smells strong of floral accents which primes you to expect a pretty strong hop flavor. It is initially bitter with a very light clover honey flavor, but as you swish it in the mouth, the honey and wheat flavors start to build and culminate in the finish to mask the bitterness of the strong hops and leave a sweet aftertaste.

Does not mix very well with jambalaya and tabasco.... But is effective in quenching the heat from the tabasco.

Sam Adams Honey Porter

This is part of the Sam Adams Brew Master's Collection seasonal brews.

It pours a very dark, but very clear red-amber color with a small, light brown head with little lacing, if any. Aroma is very heavy with malt, but slightly floral scented. Maybe even a slight hint of chocolate?
The malt flavor hits the senses immediately, but the sweetness and flavor of honey hits them in short succession. On the rear of the tongue (before you swallow) you detect some of the floral accents from the hops. The finish is not bitter, but is instead mildly sweet.

Certainly not at all an everyday beer because of its gravity and flavor, but if you're looking to enjoy a beer for the sake of enjoying a beer I highly recommend picking up a case of this.

Next time: Shiner Hefeweizen!