Buzzard's Bay Golden Ale?($7.99 for a six-pack, available at select Massachusetts retailers)
Widely renowned as one of Cape Cod's best brewing companies, Buzzard's Bay does not disappoint with this American Blonde Ale, delivering a beer that tastes like it is half lager, half pale. It exudes a bright golden color, offering insight into the mysterious title: "Golden Ale." The taste can be characterized as having the strong presence of a lager while exhibiting the subtle flavorings and thin texture of a pale ale?a sensory bonanza akin to hearing Nirvana play "Somewhere over the Rainbow." What I liked most about this beer is that it never overpowered my taste buds, allowing for an unquenchable yet satisfying experience unlike many other high-end beers I have sampled. This beer is definitely considered a sweet brew even though the sweetness doesn't expose itself until the aftertaste. All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who is in the Massachusetts area and is looking to get loose. Though Buzzard's Bay has other terrific beers, the Golden Ale is worth checking out. My Scores: Taste: 4.0, Partyability: 1.9, Benefit/Cost: 3.8.
Endurance Pale Ale?($8.99 for a six-pack, available at select Massachusetts retailers)
During my Thanksgiving vacation, I had a lot to be thankful for?endless gravy and free beer. I stumbled upon this eye-catching American Pale Ale while hunting for the evening beverages. I was attracted by its reference to Shackleton's incredible voyage to the Antarctic. The color is a bit different than most other pale ales I have come across, radiating more oranges than yellows. When poured, I also noticed that this beer is cloudier than most, perhaps in honor of the cloudy weather the crew of the Endurance surely faced. This beer had a moderately strong taste of hops and was complimented well with a citrus splash?perhaps a tribute to the seamen's efforts to fend off scurvy by devouring citrus fruits. To be perfectly honest, Endurance wasn't the most outstanding pale ale I have ever had. But it is hard to resist a beer that pays homage to arguably the most incredible survival story of all time. Is this six-pack worth the money? Debatable. But I'm pretty sure if I were ever stranded on an iceberg with 15 other guys, this would be the brew I would wish for. My scores: Taste: 3.0, Partyability: 2.2 (at school), 4.0 (on some sort of ship), Benefit/Cost: 2.0.
Icehouse ($4.99 for a 12-pack of tall boys at Hannaford)
This macro lager is straight out of the "You won't buy that" area of the refrigerator, right between Colt 45 and Schaffer. I found, however, that this beer was not nearly as bad as people made it out to be. The best description I could give would be that this brew is what beer tasted like before they knew how to make top shelf stuff like Sam Adams or Geary's. Icehouse does have a bit of a disagreeable metallic aftertaste, but what do you expect from beer that could be sold by the gallon at a price lower than a bottle of Shipyard? Another point to make is that Icehouse throws down 5.5 percent alcohol by volume which is about halfway between regular beer and ice-style beer. Also, because these come in 16-22-ounce containers, a 12-pack will undoubtedly take you to the (ice)house. I would recommend this beer for anyone who wants to save some money, drink a lot, and convince your friends that all bottom shelf beers are not all created equal. Or nostalgic students looking to remember the good old days of high school. My Scores: Taste: 1.2, Partyability: 4.3, Benefit/Cost: 4.6.