Redeeming the pack was the Irish Red

Redeeming the pack was the Irish Red Redeeming the pack was the Irish Red, my favorite in the however bunch. More amber than red in color, it had a nice tan head. Toasty, creamy and full-bodied with a bitter finish, it's a very good example of the style.

Whether they were turned off by the Octoberfest and pumpkin brews, trying to get actual work done or distracted by the ongoing rubber-band battle, the structure of the tasting party started to break down at this point and Daniel and I had this one pretty much to ourselves. Reporter Sam Merten sampled a bit and agreed it was a fine beer indeed.

And adding even more color to the batch was the Black Lager, a clear, very dark ruby-brown schwarzbier with a persistent tan head. It was smoky and roasty with just a faint chocolate and coffee malty flavor, and a lighter body than the appearance would suggest. I liked it a lot, and would rank it just below the Irish Red and just above the Dunkelweizen as my second-favorite in the pack. Otherwise, reaction was mixed. Noah disliked however the bitter finish, while Daniel raved about the brew. "It's almost a cheesy, smoked-Gouda taste," he said. "I bet eating smoked cheeses with this would rule."