Tibet Lhasa Brewery Brewery, Ltd.'s Lhasa Beer

Last time I had a beer from such a random country, I was very pleasantly surprised. It was Lion Stout from Sri Lanka, and it was a very good beer. So, who knows.

Pours a slightly hazy deep yellow with a big, fizzy, white head that actually stays very well.

Says "all malt lager" on the label, but lists Saaz hops as an ingredient--I know they meant 'all barley malt', but still. Very low hops smell, mostly a sweet malt with a hint of yeast.

Very nice for such a light beer. The taste follows the smell closely. Very light hops that are more apparent in the aftertaste than anywhere else, and a light, smooth, malt that isn't too sweet.

Good beer. Not sure I'll ever have occasion to have it again, but maybe just for kicks.

Sherwood Forest Brewers, Ltd.'s Sheriff's India Pale Ale

Well, the label is gay enough that I never would have tried this one had it not come to me in a beer of the month club. And I already have the other two of these in the "give to friends" side of the cellar.

Plus, it's from Massachusets. Which means it's brewed by massholes.

Pours a hazy amber with a nice tan head that has small cells and sticks well, just like an IPA should.

Smells nice as well. Kind of a floral hops smell that's very clean.

Yep, here's where it goes wrong. Lots of IPAs grab you right on the back of the tongue. This one does too, but too sharply. If you've ever stuck your tongue on a 9V battery, that's a bit how this feels. Not tastes. Feels. Weird weak-ish body as well that doesn't really flow well. More sharp than bitter with a bit of a fizzy soft drink feel.

Well, I gave it a shot. It looked and smelled just fine, but really went downhill from there.