Game Day Beer Review: Schnebly Redand's Winery and Brewery Big Rod Key West Blonde Ale

(5.30% ABV)  Served on draft at Yardbird in Miami, in a tall rocks glass with a wedge of lime. The beer was golden in color with little to no head apparent.

The overwhelming smell was coconut -- easily identifiable in the U.S. mainland's most tropical city. The beer had the crisp golden ale profile, but the taste of the hops were nicely mellowed by the refreshing flavor of coconut.

 

This beer is a revelation, offering a completely different experience than every other blonde ale out there. The twang of the lime nicely cuts the fattiness of the coconut. Definitely recommended, especially for hot summer days in the tropics: A

Game Day Beer Review: Schnebly Redlands Winery and Brewery Gator Tail Brown Ale

(5.30% ABV) Poured on draft at the Riverside Market in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Beer Advocate lists this beer as a porter, but we believe it may be more properly categorized as an American Brown Ale.  Irregardless, we liked this little gem produced by a winery-turned-brewery in the very southern reaches of Florida.

Gator Tail arrived a Coca-Cola brown color, showcasing only a thin whisp of an off-white head as decoration.  The beer offered the mildest scents of roasted malt and milk chocolate.

We detected some slight hops up front, followed by the rich, creamy fullness of milk chocolate, and ending with a sweet finish. The beer was relatively well carbonated and had a medium-bodied mouthfeel.  The beer's brewer appeared to focus less on the roasted notes than we've seen with many brown ales, but we didn't miss them.  It's a very nice beer, and one well worth trying if you're in the area: B+