After a rather long hiatus, we sample a couple of beautiful Belgian Blondes today. Leffe Blonde and Abbaye d'Aulne give totally different experiences to the palate.

Recently, East West Brewing Company dropped the "Far East" name from their cans of IPAs sold here in Ho Chi Minh City. It got me wondering if they changed their beer, just changed the can/marketing, or if something more was afoot. Today we try out these two beer (cans) side by side to see if there is a discernable difference in the beers. Survey says: NOPE. That's the same beer in a new package. Listen along to see how we reach this conclusion, and watch me WAY overshoot what I think the IBU level of this beer is. I like it!

Over a year and a half ago, I tried this Pale Ale from East West Brewing Company, but I opened another one today with their new marketing design. It is clearly a well made beer coming in at 6% ABV and 32 IBUs. The hop bill is magnificient and this was a winner. I decided to try my hand at video podcasting today, and this will be my inaugural episode on YouTube. True to form, I rant a little bit about the upcoming presidential elections in the United States, discussing what appears to be signs that Vivek Ramaswamy will soon be dropping out of the race. While it appears obvious that Trump will win the Republican nomination, I am rooting for anyone who will not be another octogenarian in office.

Merry Christmas from our Christmas Day edition of Let's Have Another Round. As promised, we crack open this delicious IPA from Heart of Darkness Brewery-- Kurtz's Insane IPA. This may be the best IPA in SE Asia. It is remarkable, with a great hop bill of 7 different hops, and a strong grain bill in an excellent support role. After thoroughly enjoying this beer, I rant a liitle about the 6,000 person migrant caravan heading through Mexico towards the US border. Biden has undermined our national security through his open border policies, and the media mistakenly tries to point a finger at Congress for not passing enforceable immigration laws.

Today we try out a very fruit forward pilsner brewed here in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Tropical Bia by Heart of Darkness Brewery tastes like a Passionfruit Shandy. It is crisp and crushable at only 5% ABV. If you like beer that tastes like fruit juice, this will be right down your alley. After reviewing this beer, I go on a rant about the recent Colorado Supreme Court decision to keep Donald J. Trump off the ballot under the insurrectionist clause of the XIV Amendment. I also discuss the war in Gaza and lay the blame for all its destruction squarely on the back of Hamas.

Today we got back in action from Saigon, Vietnam, trying out a local craft brew from Heart of Darkness Brewery (https://heartofdarknessbrewery.com/) right here in Ho Chi Minh City. This is a deliciously poundable pale ale just aching to be quaffed.

Today we sample Urban South Brewery's HTX Hazy Juicy IPA. This IPA hopped with Citra and Strata is delicious. It is a perfect blend of hops and grains to make a very drinkable and enjoyable Hazy IPA. This may be one of the best beers I have had brewed here in Houston. After cracking this baby open, I go on another rant about Michel Doukeris, the CEO of ABInBev. The man is out of touch with reality and he needs to lose his job. Bud Light needs to die on the vine and ABInBev needs to move on to a new chapter in their corporate life.

Continuing on our quest to drink local and promote local brews, we check out another beer from Back Pew Brewing-- Tanuki IPA. This fairly low IBU beer is full of flavors and malts that I am sure suits the palates of some people, but just doesn't hit home for me. I prefer a more bitter IPA with a dominate hop bill that screams lupulin. . .this beer does not. Still, you gotta love the art work on this can, and I even discovered the Japanese origin of some of the hops used in making this beer. Tanuki, by the way, is a Japanese canid known as a Racoon Dog. We all learn something new in this episode.

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone. Today we celebrate by drinking a locally brewed Mexican Lager, brewed right here in Houston, Texas. In the process, I discovered an excellent beer and even tried to teach you guys a few things about this Mexican-American holiday and its ties to Texas. Be safe, and enjoy the holiday!

Today, we sample Grit & Glory Brewing Company's Four Sixes Hazy Session IPA. I was totally surprised by the quality of this beer. It is refreshing and quite good. The hop bill is excellent for this 4.8% session ale. While I am not a fan of the deceptive marketing that makes it appear the beer is made in Texas, overall I like the beer and will gladly have another.

I then spend the rest of the episode railing on AB InBev's CEO Michel Doukeris. He is totally blind to the reason Bud Light drinkers have abandoned in brand, and he refuses to acknowledge that the two morons he fired have royally screwed up and alienated his core consumer base. I surmise that the Bud Light brand itself may not survive this fiasco unless Doukeris really comes back to the consumer on bended knee. . . which we know won't happen. . .so Bud Light is a failed brand.