Nicaraguan Beer

So, this weekend I went to visit my girlfriend Laura in Colonial Williamsburg. She got back from a mission trip in Nicaragua recently, so it was our first weekend together in a while. It was a really great time. While this blog is about Colleen and my quest for tasting new beer, I do enjoy a good glass of wine every once in a while. Keeping that in mind, Laura and I visited Williamsburg Winery and took the tour/tasting. Some of the wines were pretty good, others were kind of eh. I suppose you are at the mercy of whatever lands on the tasting menu as well.

Toña: This is a beer from Nicaragua. Laura brought it back for me. It was nice to try an international beer from a place that wasn't Europe. That said, this beer reminded me of your run of the mill macro-brew in the United States. It went down smooth while cold, but didn't have much going for it when it came to taste. Nonetheless, I thank her for the generous gift.

Acme California Pale Ale: Laura and I went out for a beer at the Green Leafe on Saturday night after dinner. When she returned with the beers from the bar, she wasn't sure which one was mine. I say this because, my first impression was truly unbiased. I tasted it and thought it tasted as exactly a Pale Ale should. Since she did not order a Pale Ale, I knew it was mine. This was heavier on the hop on the initial taste rather than the after taste.

Tuppers Hop Pocket Ale: Being that it was gorgeous in Williamsburg this weekend, Laura and I decided to walk to Duke of Gloucester street and sit in the sun over a small plate of food. We got a plate of cheese at the Cheese Shop - which also has a sweet selection of beer. Hint: beer also pairs really well with cheese - I'd highly recommend a Pale Ale with a sharp Cheddar or Gouda. They had a nice (albeit expensive) selection of cheese, and I was fortunately able to find a Pale Ale to go with the cheeses. I thought the beer was rather complex in taste, and paired really well with the cheese. Bonus points since it was a local brew.

The scorecard:
Paul: 209
Colleen: 206

Cheers,
Paul