"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."-Benjamin Franklin

For quite some time I have been trying to get people to do guest reviews for my blog with the hopes that An Amateur Beer Enthusiast could become more than just my perspective of beer. So Thanasis Tsiris, famed author of the blog Thanasis Tsiris, has put together what I think is a pretty nice beer review. Here is Thanasis’s review of Heavy Seas Loose Cannon American Hop ^ 3 from Clipper City Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland.

Heavy Seas Loose Cannon American Hop ^ 3 by Thanasis Tsiris

I was recently slogging my way through a round of Tiger Woods golf on the Wii when I remembered that I had promised my good friend James Jennings (coincidentally enough also the author of this blog) that I would write a guest beer review for him. Luckily I had just purchased a variety 6-pack from Slippery Rock’s best beer place, Coney Island. After my fourth bogey in a row I took a break from looking at my +8 score to pop the top off a Heavy Seas Loose Cannon American Hop³ Ale. Now it should be noted that, for you loyal readers of this blog, James is a stickler for taking notes while he drinks the beers he reviews. Not me. I was too busy with video game sports to be bothered. I finished my beer and the round of golf at +11.

 Moral of the story?

 At 7.0% abv, Loose Cannon did not help me play video game golf.

 But it sure was a delicious beer. Anyone reading this that knows me may find it ironic that I’m writing a piece about a good beer. Those same people have likely seen me with a camo can of Busch Light in my hands, or worse. (I once drank a beer that was simply entitled “Beer Ice.” True story.)

 But I digress.

 When I find a good beer that I like I usually like it a lot. Loose Cannon is one of those cases. Brewed by Heavy Seas, a branch of Baltimore’s Clipper City Brewing Co., Loose Cannon is a quality beer that is both easily drinkable yet hearty enough to make memorable. It’s rich amber color distinctly reminded me of Yuengling, yet the taste was altogether different. Heavy Seas describes it as having a “rich citrus hop aroma.” Well, considering the label on the bottle has “Hop³ Ale” printed on it, I’d say the website understates the hop level a bit. Don’t let this deter you; Loose Cannon is really wonderful for anyone that likes some hops in their beer. It is a great IPA and I highly recommend trying it if you can get your hands on a bottle.  Heavy Seas also offers a wide variety of other brews that I’m eager to get my hands on. I hesitate to compare the taste of Loose Cannon to anything else I’ve had before because I like it so much that I just want people to try it on their own without any preconceived notions. Give it a shot.

 Plus it has a pirate on the bottle. Who doesn’t love pirates? (The Johnny Depp kind, not the angry “we’ll blow you up with a rocket launcher” kind.)

Photo Credit: It’s The Beer Talking

There you have it! The first guest review for this site gone and done. I hoped you enjoyed it. I think I am going to review Loose Cannon for my Cleveland Craft Beer page at The Examiner. Thanks again Thanasis.