Bargain Beer Corner / Reply to Becky

This is a reply to a question from the fabulous Becky Bloom, but I guess that everyone else can read it as well.

She asked me what some quality brews that she and her hubby Greg can pick up from Trader Joe's might be.

Becks, you're in luck as TJ's carries two of my all-time faves at the bargain basement price of $5 a sixer!

First on the block is Stockyard Oatmeal Stout, brewed for Trader Joe's by Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago, Illinois. It's a little light in body compared to most stouts which makes it a little more approachable for people who don't typically gravitate towards dark beers. It's really delicious and full of the roasty, malty, chocolate and coffee flavors you'd expect from such a beer without being heavy or too sweet. A definite winner and awesome intro to stouts other than Guinness, as it is quite different from it.

Next, we have Wittekerke, a Belgian White Beer. This beer's closest cousin is the ever-popular Hefeweizen, but this style has the signature additions of ground coriander seeds and dried orange peel, giving it a very distinctive, but subtle, flavor. This THE summer beer as it's light and finishes a little dry with faint citrusy and yeasty notes. Wittekerke is such a unique beer, but people tend to LOVE the stuff, regardless of whether their idea of a good beer is Corona or a Sierra Nevada or whatever. Just try it. It is a benchmark for the style and a total bargain. You NEED this in your hand on a hot day. Promise

So there you go, Becky! I hope that you and Greg (and everyone else) try them both and give them a 10.

Or maybe a 10!