Maple Nut Brown Ale, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO

No Mas. I give up, I have tried the Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale and the biggest conclusion I have drawn from this beer is that I don’t like beers where a good portion from the flavor is nut based. The Tommyknocker wasn’t overly nutty like the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, but it was nutty enough where it threw me for a loop. The Tommyknocker was very sweet, from the maple syrup, yet also very dry. I wish the flavor was a bit more sugary and chocolatey tasting, more of a brown sugar I guess. The 4.5% ABV was solid as I wasn’t looking to knock myself out with one punch. The Maple Nut Brown Ale gets a very even 3.0.

Hazards Ale, Wineglass Bay Brewing

These days, Tasmania is more well-known for its wines than its beers. However, while vacationing on the Freycinet peninsula, I discovered a gem of a brew, Hazards Ale. Its brewers, Wineglass Bay Brewing, are wine makers by trade, but a trial endeavor into brewing proved so successful that they decided to continue producing and selling their creation, Hazards Ale. Made from local Tasmanian barley and hops, Hazards Ale tastes like a traditional English ale: flavorful and smooth, with a very slight, pleasing bitterness and 5.2% ABV. Sadly, it's distribution is limited, and you'll have a tough time finding it outside of Tasmania.

Tule Duck Red Ale, Buckbean Brewing Co., Reno, Nevada

Welcome to the Buckbean Brewing Co. Rubber Match. The Tule Duck Red Ale is the third of the Buckbean beers I have sampled, and so far I have had mixed reviews on the brewery. With trepidation I poured the Tule Duck into my stein and watched the frothy head emerge from the reddish brown sea of beer. The Red Ale was creamy with good malt flavoring. The beer ended with a nice fruity hop tone. I find that most red ales can go either way, and this one is definitely at the top of the spectrum. Yes, it comes in a can. Deal with it. Buckbean seems to be available only in the Nevada and the states surrounding it, so next time you are in Vegas, search it out. With a 6.2% ABV, you’ll at least get your bang for the buck. The Tule Duck Red Ale gets a 4.0.