Author: By J.T. Wampler

I’m a sucker for breweries with history and tradition and Samuel Smith’s is one of the best. It’s a small brewery using the same water and techniques as they did 200 years ago.

The name La Fin Du Monde means “the end of the world,” but don’t wait until doomsday to try this one. It’s a really great beer from a solid brewery.

I’m not a fan of fruit beers in general, but this one is really nice. It’s refreshing and tasty with just enough alcohol to make it interesting.

This is one of the better examples of a smoked beer that I’ve tried. It would go well with barbeque or any smoked meats.

This is a beer I will work into my regular rotation. It’s available in bottles in Northwest Arkansas, but I recently spoke to a representative from the brewery and it should be available on tap in late July 2012.

It stands to reason that if you drank enough of it, you’d get a buzz, but I can’t imagine consuming enough to get there.

This beer is not for those looking for a punch of hops but it’s crisp and refreshing with just enough bitterness to give it depth of character.

Photo by J.T. Wampler This week’s beer: Ichtegem’s Grand Cru from Brouwerij Strubbe in Ichtegem, Belgium Grand Cru literally means great growth. Usually associated with wine, breweries put forth their best beer and call it Grand Cru, whatever the style. This Flemish Red Ale pours a cloudy, red-brown color with barely a head. The aroma