Beer reviews and blog posts by Michael Larson
Michael co-founded The Beerly in 2009 with Taylor Birkey. He stumbled on to the idea of the blog after his move to Chicagoland. As he settled in to his new life, he realized he greatly missed the camaraderie of his brew-sipping buddies from the north. He wished to know what his friends all across the nation were sampling and thus, this site was born. He is currently in financial planning. Some of his current favorites are Hoppin' Frog's Pumpkin Ale, Southern Tier's Creme Brulee, and Bosteels amazing Tripel Karmeliet.
Struise Tsjeeses Reserva
A friend just got back from the beer lover’s dream trip. He sat in my office and described his river boat tour through Belgium and I practically teared up. He described beer after beer, reveling in each one, reliving the taste and making me, well, jealous. So, while I...
Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 30
Surprise birthday gifts are the best. Surprise birthday gifts that are beer, are even better. Without even a mention, a good friend of my wife’s left two bottles of Ola Dubh 30 on my kitchen counter. As my wife would rather have Pinot than a pint, I guessed that...
Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager
I had this beer a week ago for the first time. It was 80 degrees out and gorgeous. The first heat of the summer always feels weird to me. It’s extra humid and its always a bit surprising, like heading towards Florida and getting out in Georgia and realizing that...
Sinebrychoff Porter
During my last trip into my local beer store, I wasn’t looking for a porter. Honestly, I am never looking for a porter. I guess I’ve just had too many let downs, too many hopefuls that just couldn’t quite get me excited about the style. Well, last...
Two Brothers Reprieve Schwarzbier Lager
Fresh beer is the best beer and being just 20 minutes from Two Brothers brewery and knowing that this particular brew was bottled within the last week, I would say this one classifies as fresh. The pour was nice, a dark, deep brown but nothing too thick or syrupy. It...
Samuel Adams Wee Heavy
Its not often that I’m sipping a brew before noon. Even a breakfast stout feels a little weird if I can still pick up my phone and greet ‘good morning.’ But on this oh-so-special occasion, I have decided to imbibe a bit before the minute and hour hands meet at the 12....
Capital Rustic Ale
I’m always up for a red ale. I like the way they look and taste and they’re typically hearty enough to be interesting, but drinkable enough to quench. Capital’s version, dubbed rustic for whatever reason you’d like to dream up, pours in that typical red ale way. Its...
Stone San Diego County Session Ale
Teamwork. Its not a word associated with big beer. Can you imagine an InBev-Miller Coors collaboration? Escondido’s Stone Brewery, however, has made collaborative brews commonplace. The telltale light brown bottle sitting innocently on my local liquor store shelf,...
Capital U.S. Pale Ale
I haven’t thought about beer in a while. Now, its not quite as tragic as it sounds, I’ve drank beer recently, I just haven’t sat down and really thought about what I was tasting. Today, amidst Chicago’s 5th biggest snow storm on record, I thought it would be a good...
Great Divide Belgica
Purchased for a neighborhood get together as something ‘a little different,’ Belgica found its way into my glass just a bit before the crowd showed up. Like, three days. But it was a new beer to me, and new beers don’t sit untouched for too long in my back room mini...
North Coast Blue Star American Wheat Beer
As I’ve said before, beer is the best gift someone could give. Okay, maybe not the best, but top three, easily. This one was a single from a set of six, a mixed bag of California brews graciously bestowed on me by a friend. I have always loved wheats. Now when I say...
Emmett’s McCarthy Red Ale
Tonight, I was vain, I’ll admit. I wanted a pretty beer. It may sound strange, when you drink beer, not stare at it, but its true, I was looking for a good lookin’ brew. And I found one in McCarthy Red Ale. This red ale was definitely that, a beautiful auburn,...
Emmett’s Robust Porter
First off, I’m not a huge porter fan. That was, until this porter hit my unsuspecting tongue. In general, porters are a bit weak for me, I like big, smooth and robust and typically the porter just doesn’t hit those notes for me. This one, however, is a whole different...
New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest
With just a slight dusting of snow on the ground, a fire crackling in the fireplace and a Sunday afternoon full of NFL football, it felt more like the middle of October than January. Picking up a create-your-own six pack on my way back from Minnesota a few weeks ago,...
Capital Dark Lager
After a B+ pilsner just a bit ago, I was anxious to use the few moments when my daughter was napping to further explore the world of Capital Brewery. On my fifth venture into the brewery’s fine concoctions, I decided to dabble in the dunkel. Titled as dark lager, I...
Emmett’s 1871 Lager
The more you understand something, the more appreciation you have. At least that’s my general feeling. With beer, it often goes the same way. Yesterday, I had the absolute pleasure of a personalized tour, meal and tasting at Emmett’s Ale House in Palatine, IL. I will,...
Capital Pilsner
This one’s a gold medal winner. And not by my review, but by the Beverage Institute’s World Beer Championships of 2009. Anxious to put my yet-to-be-used pilsner glass to good use, I poured this Capital brew with anticipation. Pouring gently, but not timidly, the brew...
Kona Longboard Island Lager
After a great coffee stout, but with still much of the evening ahead, I felt like a palate cleanser. A few weeks ago, an incredibly generous friend toted a couple of boxes into my home. He had surprised me with six Californian brews and a Chicago classic, all but one...
Anchor Christmas Ale 2006
Well it’s Christmas Eve, 2010. Just 36 hours from now, Christmas will have come and gone. The extra ham or turkey will now go between two pieces of bread and the mashed potatoes and Jello salad will be nibbled ‘til they’re gone. So with the holiday season’s end...
New Glarus Coffee Stout
Once a month I have a guaranteed guys night. Or should I say guy night. My wife and her lit-loving girlfriends gather around a few bottles of wine and chat till I’m long asleep. On tonight’s guy nigh, I choose a stout, I’m feeling like sipping on something, not...
Surly Four Double Espresso Milk Stout
After several months of sitting in my fridge and repeated trips to and from my parents ending in unsuccessful sampling, I have finally come to the perfect tasting time. Amidst the feet of snow on the suburban Minnesota lawn out the window, and a long night ahead, a...
Capital Winter Skal
After a couple of cups of coffee way past when I should have had them, I wasn’t as near as ready for bed as I should have been. And with sheets of ice covering the 4 inches of recently fallen snow and Elf playing on the TV, a winter seasonal seemed a more than...
Surly Smoke Lager
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in MN? Drink Surly. Today, I had the pleasure of drinking my second in a series of Surly special release beers. Less impressed than I had hoped with Four, I still had high expectations of Smoke. My father’s generous gift pours...