The first night I dug into my Beer Appreciation beers, I finished off two good beers – the Sierra Nevada Wet Hop Harvest Ale and the Budweiser American Ale. I didn’t dip into the third one until tonight so I thought this would be a good time to talk a little about them.

I really didn’t know what to expect from the Wet Hop Harvest Ale. They say on the bottle that they take the hops right from the field without drying them to make the beer. The beer also came in a 24 oz. bottle, and I don’t always like change when it comes to beer, which is strange since I am trying 22 new beers in this process.

When I finished, I wondered why I ever had any doubts. I really liked the beer and would gladly drink another one. I am the worst at describing tastes so let’s just say that Sierra Nevada produces a solid ale with a distinctive taste. Plus, it was two beers in one so who doesn’t love that?

The second beer I tried was Bud’s American Ale, one of their new “microbrew” styles. When you first think of A-B getting into this market, it might sound a little strange, kind of like pandering. However, I had heard good things about this beer, and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the taste, which had some power behind it, but not too much. I could have easily drank a few in one sitting and will probably invest in a 6-pack or maybe even a case down the road.

Tonight brought the real test, the first stout. As a rule, I generally don’t drink stouts or porters. I just really don’t get the same satisfaction out of these styles as I do when I drink a lager or ale or pilsner. That is why I drink Harp, not Guinness.

But Eric put the Cape Ann Pumpkin Stout high on the list so I had to give it a shot. In the end, I think he made a good pick with this one. The beer didn’t have as heavy of a taste as most of the dark beers I have had in the past and managed to slide that pumpkin/cinnamon taste into the mix without overwhelming your mouth. I needed a few sips to get used to the consistency and taste of the stout, but found myself pretty satisfied at the end. Not satisfied enough to want a second one (I followed it with a Harp), but I would definitely give it another shot if I had a chance again.

Over the weekend, I will take on the Sam Adams Boston Ale – one of the two in the case I have had before – and the Philadelphia Brewing Co.’s Kenzinger Ale. Since this is one of my favorite style, I really look forward to these next two in the set.