For those 21 and older, Natty Greene’s in downtown Greensboro is the popular place to be on Thursday for one very important reason — $2 pint night. The question then becomes which beer do you choose?

One of the reasons why Natty Greene’s has such a big following is because of the six traditional year round homebrewed ales they offer.

The beers, from lightest to darkest, include Wildflower, Guilford Golden Ale, Southern Pale Ale, Buckshot Amber Ale, Old Town Brown Ale, and finally the General Stout. I sampled all six brews to uncover each one’s unique flavor and to make your decision a lot easier.

The Wildflower:

This is the lightest of the beers. It is a white beer spiced with coriander and chamomile, giving a citrusy taste to the drink. The beer also gives off a hint of herbal flavor, which tastes like drinking flowers. The flowery taste is there because of the vast amount of hops put in. If you are a light beer drinker, go with this.

Guilford Ale:

The Guilford Ale is the “middle of the road” beer. It is a good transition from the traditional lagers like Coors Light and Bud Light. It is a hoppy beer, much more so than the Wildflower. The surplus amount of hops makes it taste like wheat, but it is still light-bodied and smooth.

Southern Pale:

This is the first bitter beer of the six. The taste hits you right away on the tip of your tongue. Its distinct bitter character makes it seem that the beer has layers. The Pale Ale is also one of the hoppiest beers, which is what creates the bitter flavor. This ale has a piney flavor and a citrus kick, especially in the after taste.

Buckshot Ale:

The Buckshot is known as the amber ale because of its rich smooth flavor. It is similar to the Irish Killians beer. This ale is relatively high in hops and has a distinct flavor that tastes like caramel and toffee. What sets the Buckshot apart from the other beers is that it really goes down smooth, it is as if you are drinking flavored water.

Old Town:

Old Town is the traditional, English-style, full-bodied brown ale. It has a significant malt aroma and a very smooth texture. It has a smooth texture because it is very low on hops. It is similar to the Newcastle beer, and has both sweet and bitter qualities. Old Town is called brown ale because you can actually taste the chocolate in the drink.

General Stout:

The General Stout is Natty Greene’s version of the classic Irish-style dry stout, with a hint of a French Roast nose. It is a very thick beer that will weigh you down. It has a particular bitter taste to it, but also a creamy texture palate.

Personally, it is hard to say that one of these drinks is my favorite, because all of the beers have excellent qualities.

I enjoy the Wildflower because of its light flower feel. I love the Guilford Ale because of its wheat-like taste. I really like the Pale Ale because of its bitterness and distinct after-taste.

I like the Buckshot Ale because of the smoothness. I really enjoy the Old Town because of the chocolate flavor the beer possesses. And I love the General Stout’s layers and texture.

If I were to rate each of these beers out of 10, none of them would fall below an eight. Each one of the six traditional ales passed my taste test, I hope they pass yours.