Chang

Chang

Country of Origin: Thailand
Style: Pale Lager

Chang is brewed by ThaiBev. To me, it's basically the Thai version of Budweiser. It's a very standard beer. Drink it with anything, anytime. It goes with TV, food, anything. Nothing exceptionally special about it, but a good beer. Try it if you get the chance.

Flavor: Moderate
Finish: Moderate
Aftertaste: Moderate

Price: Moderately High
Availability: Moderate

Similar To: Budweiser

Recommended: Yes. Drink it like a Bud. Nothing special, but worth trying.

O' Fallon Wheach

O' Fallon

Wheach

Country of Origin: USA, Missouri, Greater St. Louis Area
Style: Wheat and Peach

O' Fallon is a microbrewery in the greater St. Louis area.They have yet to disappoint. Wheach is wheat + peach. The peach isn't overpowering. You mostly taste it in the finish (that's what she said). The base is a good wheat beer, and the peach makes a light, summer beer. It's vaguely similar to Blue Moon, but not quite as potent.

Flavor: Moderately Light
Finish: Light and Sweet
Aftertaste: Sweet

Price: Moderate
Availability: Limited
Similar To: Blue Moon

Recommended: Yes. If you like Blue Moon, and are able to find it, it's definitely worth trying. A very good summer beer.

Red Stripe

Red Stripe

Country of Origin: Jamaica
Style: Lager
Brewed Since: 1928

To me, this is Jamaican Budweiser. A good beer to have with most occasions. Drink it with football, dinner, or at the bar. The only thing really special about it is the bottle and the funny ads. A good beer, worth drinking, but nothing to write home about.

Flavor: Medium
Finish: Light
Aftertaste: Light

Price: Moderate
Availability: High
Similar To: Budweiser 

Recommended: Yes. A suitable replacement for Bud, if you want to be a little different, or feel Jamaican.

Sam Adams: Whitewater IPA

Samuel Adams

Whitewater IPA

Country of Origin: America, Boston
Style: India Pale Ale
Brewed Since: 2012
Special Ingredients: Apricot, Spices

Sam Adams recently released it's new Whitewater IPA (India Pale Ale). It's not your traditional IPA. They've added apricots, to give it a subtle sweetness. They did this to counteract the not-so-subtle hops and spices. It is a very strong beer. It has quite a bitter finish. This is not for the casual beer drinker. This is for people feeling adventurous, and fans of IPAs.

Flavor: Full
Finish: Very Strong
Aftertaste: Strong

Price: Moderate
Availability: Moderately High
Similar To: A very unique IPA.

Recommended: Yes. But only if you are an IPA fan.

Paulaner: Naturtrub

Paulaner

Naturtrub

Country of Origin: Germany, Munich
Style: Wheat
Brewed Since: 1634

Paulaner Naturtrub is a Weissbier (wheat beer). Paulaner is the #8 best-selling German brewery. Paulaner is owned 49.9% by Heineken, which Heineken likely bought, due to it's similar taste. I personally like it almost as much as Heineken. If you have the chance, try it, but don't go too out of your way to do so. You can just have a Heineken, and get almost the same experience.

Flavor: Full
Finish: Moderate
Aftertaste: Moderate

Price: Moderate
Availability: Lower
Similar To: Heineken

Recommended: Yes. But only if you don't have to spend too much time or money to get it.

Oettinger: Hell

Oettinger

Hell

Country of Origin: Germany, Munich
Style: Ale
Brewed Since: 1731
 

Oettinger has been brewing beer since 1331. They are Germany's #1 selling beer brand. That is due to low price, not high quality. They have cut costs by having nearly a fully-automated process, with few human workers. Basically, they sell quantity, not quality. It's not a bad beer, but really not a good beer. Bad German beer is still better than bad American beer, but not worth the extra effort of finding it.

Flavor: Full
Finish: Strong
Aftertaste: Moderate

Price: Moderate
Availability: Low
Similar To: Peroni, but slightly worse

Recommended: Not Really. Not worth the price. Not worth tracking down.

Hofbrau

Hofbrau

Munchen

Country of Origin: Germany, Munich
Style: Wheat Ale
Brewed Since: 1589
Made Up Of: Water, Wheat Malt, Barley Malt, Hops, and Yeast

Hofbrauhaus has a ton of history. It is owned by the Bavarian state government, and has a history as the royal brewery in the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was frequented by everyone from Mozart and JFK to Hitler and Lenin. Hofbrauhaus even saved the city of Munich. In 1632, Bavaria was invaded by Sweden. King Gustavus Adolphus agreed to leave the city in peace, in exchange for some hostages and 600,000 barrels of Hofbrauhaus beer.

Hofbrau follows Reinheitsgebot. This is known as German/Bavarian Beer Purity Law. Originally, this only allowed for water, barley, and hops. The newer Provisional German Beer Law allows for cane sugar, yeast, and wheat malt, but no longer allows unmalted barley.

As for the taste, this is hands-down the greatest wheat beer I've ever tasted. It's a little cloudy, since it's unfiltered, but don't let that scare you away. This is my new choice for high-end beer. Heineken is still my default choice, but this is for when I want to treat myself.

Flavor: Full
Finish: Smooth
Aftertaste: Smooth

Price: Moderately High
Availability: Moderate
Similar To: Heineken, but better

Recommended: Yes. Any and every beer drinker needs to try this beer. It's a little pricey, but worth every penny.