Beering in Atlanta: If you SMELL...What the Rock...Is Brewin

Here in Hotlanta where the weather is 35 deg F. Feel good to be back in my stomping ground, but actually with a few dollars to my name. The city is looking great these days, very clean, very classy. They're really upped the ante with Midtown and Downtown. I got one of the boys from FAMU living in town and we decide to get some food and brews. Atlanta has about 5 brewpubs I want to try, and first stop is

Beer Log: December 7, 2008

State: Happy to be in Atlanta, eating a steak

Rock Bottom Brewery in Buckhead

Buckhead is this swanky big money area of Atlanta just north of downtown. It used to be a slew of cool bars and hangouts, but after the "hood" started hanging out in Buckhead, they decided to condo up. There are still a lot of good places to go, and Rock Bottom is one of them. The decor is very nice with some Christmas theme, and there are a few Steelers fans in full regalia acting a fool watching the tube. The waitress seems to know her beer, and we go ahead and order a flight of all their beers.

Hooch Pilsner

First one is clear with a straw color with a white thin head. It's got a nice bread background with medium body. Very light hops that taste like Saaz. There is a slight malt there as well. Low 3 Stars.

Pinstripe Pale Ale

Getting into the hoppy stuff now. It smells of flowery hops and light caramel. It tastes like your basic English Pale Ale although she claimed it was an American Pale Ale. There's a moderate amount of hops, likely cascade, and it goes down great with it's low carbonation. 3 Stars.

IPA

Looking forward to this. Slgith malt smell with a strong hop presence, but not killer I'd expect of an IPA. It has that dark amber color. Low 3 Stars as the flavors did not mesh well for me.

Sweet Magnolia

No smell and it is dark brown and opaque. It has a nice roasted and choco malt flavor, but I'm getting a lot of butter. It's biscuity and buttery to me. Low 3 Stars. Sad as this one is their signature beer. I think they actually cook with this one.

Iron Horse Stout

Sounds like it should be pretty hard core. It smells of roasty smoke malts. It has a nice brown head with a black color. It's okay on the flavor, but not much there but some roast and malt. It's not budweiser, but it's still a 2 Star for me. That butter is hitting me once again.

Winter Seasonal

Finally the seasonal. It tastes like the last one, just a little better and a little more hoppy. I didn't write down a rating.

I think it's obvious the top three beers were the

3. Hooch Pilsner

2. IPA

1. Pinstripe Pale Ale

They do a pretty good job with the drinkable lighter beers but something is off in my opinion with the dark beers. It could be that I was just having an offnight. I'll give them another shot next time I happen upon one of their chains.