I’m not usually all about value.  When shopping, I tend toward convenience and availability, rather than, say, bargains.  For example, I like bing cherries.  I suppose I could shop around and check to see which market in my area has the best price on bing cherries.  Or, alternatively, I could be like some scoundrels and mock up outrage at the price per pound of the cherries once I hit the checkout counter.  Thereby leaving the poor young checker no choice but to take 3.99 for a whole 2lb bag of cherries when, in fact, the price was 3.99 per pound.  Instead, I go to HEB and buy my expensive bing cherries without qualms, because they are good and they are in season.  I look forward to bing cherry season.

I’m especially unable to fathom the allure of couponing.  Certainly I get the attraction of extreme couponing in the sense it’s a game.  I also understand that there are certain folks, perhaps less so now and days, that coupon specifically because they can’t afford not to take advantage of what is advertised as a good value.  But couponing, either because of necessity or competitiveness, requires an exquisite degree of patience and fortitude that I do not possess.

What IS an alluring value to me is beer.  Specifically, 5 beers for 5 dollars.  Especially, when the beers aren’t those pansy-assed Coors or Pabst Blue ribbon type beers, but good, honest Texas-based cervezas.  So yes, I was nervous about the beers at No Label Brewery.  I’m not going to lie, crappy beer makes me sad and uncomfortable.

I’d never had anything from No Label before.  So after setting up my chair near the Houston Racing Triathlon club and  filling my belly with a mustard drenched hotdog,  I tasted my first No Label branded beer –

1st Street Ale is No Label’s Blonde type  brew.  I’m not going to go on and on about beer types and shit on this blog, because I really don’t have a clue.  I just know if I like the way a beer tastes.  I like the way 1st Street tasted.  It was light and airy.  Very non-filling.

The second beer I tried was No Label’s Ridgeback.  They call this a “Dark American Amber.”  It has a beautiful light carmel, reddish color.  Although it has a bit of a edge to it, it’s really quite a tasty beer.  It’s non-bitter, and also not particularly heavy.  I had two tastings of this beer. I like non-heavy beers in the hot and humid Katy prairie.

The third beer I tasted was No Label’s El Hefewiezen.

El Hefe was just yummy.  It had a very citrus tinge to it that mixed well with a deep hearty texture.  I had two tastings of this beer.

All of these beers are very light and perfect for Texas.  Highly recommended.