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Oktoberfest

Märzen / Oktoberfest

A crystal clear copper red color. A very minimal caramel colored head faded to nothing rapidly. A handful of large carbonation bubble rising rapidly. No lacing to note. Very weak aroma. A watered down scent of malt is barely present. Has a faint yeasty bread crust finish. Overall nice scent but just to week to be anything but average. Very nice rich malt flavors. A burnt toffee taste is present in the first sip. A second sip had a doughy burnt bread flavor very similar to a pretzel in taste. Nice flavors with a very light bitter finish on the tongue. A decent feel comes from a slighly thicker then average beer. A light carbonation burst helps push the flavors to the edges of the tongue. Overall a very nice offering. Would go great with a nice thick goulash. A exceptional depth of taste makes up for a weak aroma. This one is a great example of the style. A must try if you are lucky enough to beer at the brewpub when it's offered.

2positive

Oyster Stout

Irish Dry Stout

11.2oz / 330mL bottle poured into a mini "pint" glass. Appearance - Dark ruby black body. Light brown head. Good retention. Patchy lacing. Smell - Spicy. Dry. Cardboard. Smells like a wharf. Taste - Spicy. Acidic. Roasted coffee. Smooth as hell. Slightly hoppy. Mouthfeel - Smooth here too. Lots of frothy body carbonation. Overall Drinkability - Very drinkable. Interesting. Worthy as a tasting, or session beer -- if you can afford more than one!

2positive

Caldera IPA

American IPA

Poured from a can into a tulip glass. There was no date on the can so I'm not sure how fresh it was, and thinking my can was a touch old based on my perception vs some of the other reviews. Aroma - slightly cloudy, murky copper, decent foam that faded quickly but left some lacing around the top of the glass Smell - very little hop aroma, maybe just a hint of citrus and a little more pine, but really had to work to smell it Taste - malty sweetness then bitterness, but nothing outstanding in the way of distinct flavors Mouthfeel - decent carbonation, lower alcohol for an IPA, easy to drink Overall - I had this at a tasting not too long ago and remembered it being much better, so I'm thinking the can I bought may have been old. That said this is a decent IPA, nice that it's in a can, but also nothing stands out about it, either.

1neutral

Stone Mill Organic Pale Ale

English Pale Ale

AP: Clear, vibrant deep amber color, very active with streams of bubbles making a thick 1/8" high constant head. Nose: balance is the key here, hearty malt with grains and wheat, mild earthy hop scent. Taste: A malted barley and wheat flavor at first balanced well with a mild herbal and slightly leafy hop finish. MF: Medium body, feels rather substantial on the pallate with a good active bite. DA: Worth a shot.

1neutral

Samuel Adams Brown Ale

English Brown Ale

Poured from a 12oz brown bottle into a tall pilsner glass -- hey it's what he had. A: Reddish-brown with medium off-white head than leaves a couple of rings. S: Caramelly with slight hops and citrusy fruit which is a little different than I was expecting. T: Nuttier than the aroma with a reasonably crisp, clean finish with a little less toasty malt than a typical English brown ale. Pleasant but nothing spectacular. M: A bit thin with more carbonation than I want -- maybe that's what gives it the clean finish feeling. D: Goes down very easy, maybe a little too easy for a brown ale, but not unpleasant. I wouldn't buy it on its own, but in a variety pack, it's fine.

1neutral

Point Classic Amber

American Amber / Red Lager

I'm not sure why this is listed as a Marzen, other than the label references some lagering. Overall, this is a pretty average amber lager. A bit murky. Flavor profile is flat, with some sweet caramel malt and a touch of apple. Mouthfeel leans slightly to the watery side. Smooth and uneventful.

1neutral

Lager

American Pale Lager

My first West Virginia beer! Pale gold in hue, smallish white head, there is no more than a half finger at the apex. Poor head retention, the bubbles quickly faded to a soapy collar. No lacing. Good animation. This beer looks an awful lot like a standard macro lager. Quite potent nose, for the style, with loud aromas of grain with hints of bread, wet sack, earth, sweet maltiness. Not much hops, as expected for the style. The nose smells better than most macro lagers but its not great as is. The aroma, overall, doesnt vibe with me. While not unpleasant it really isnt inviting the nose is okay. At least it is honest. Is this all grain? The palate is oddly similar but slightly fresher than High Life or PBR. Sweet maltiness, hints of crackers, cider and bread; the grain bill clearly isnt trying to copy a Pilsner. This is a micro-brewed macro lager. Minimal bitterness. For what it is, this isnt a bad beer. Medium light in body, moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel fits this beer and style well. Sweetish aftertaste, pleasant in a macro lager way. This is a golfing beer, a BBQ beer an easy drinking beverage that requires no thinking. Give me a six-pack, some warm weather, some hotdogs and Id be content. Thanks ahatcher78 for my first three WV beers!

1neutral

InFamous

Russian Imperial Stout

On tap at Blue Palms for Flip Flop Fest A - essentially black, with a short-lived and small mocha brown head. S - big malt, considerable coffee and chocolate with some other sweetness T - ridiculously sweet, like holy shit. lots of chocolate, though there is also a bit of coffee. a bit. M - between the sweetness of the taste and the shockingly thick, rich, and creamy mouthfeel it basically feels like drinking a milkshake. O - The first half of this beer shake was delicious, the third quarter was tasty, and the last quarter was cloying, overwhelming, and a slog. I'm definitely glad i got to try it, but i'm not sure i'll order it again. if you're ready for a milkshake, though, this is definitely a well made enjoyable alcoholic one...

2positive

XP Pale Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

Medium golden in color, this beer poured a very decent head that left plenty of very white foam on the inside of the glass. Moderate carbonation was visible. Aroma was sweet vanilla candle and lightly caramelly and matched the mild taste perfectly.Mouthfeel and finish are pleasant enough, but not particularly remarkable. Drinkability? This would be a good one to hook up to your intravenous device and just let it drip all day.

2positive

Organic Revolution

American Pale Ale (APA)

This beer isn't bad, but there really isn't anything I can say to strongly recommend it; there aren't any really distinctive or unique flavors and I thought I detected a faint flavor defect or two. Organic Revolution doesn't do anything to change my impression that in general the quality (or at least degree of "interesting") organic beers remains distinctly below that of non-organic beers. Pours a thick gold lager-color with a very tacky white head that is loosely packed into the top of my glass. Appearance of the beer's body is a bit disconcerting - it has an oily-swirlyness to it. Aroma is only slightly hoppy, with some fruity vinous-ness. Flavor is balanced, but a bit dull with a very faint hoppiness. Some vinous-ness and diacetyl are evident to me.

1neutral

Coors Light

Light Lager

The Silver Bullet Pours a pretty generic strawish yellow color, fizzy head recedes quickly. Welcome to the light lager category. Seen better, seen worse. Smell has gotta be in the bottom quartile though...grainy, musty, tinny... Thankfully I don't drink it for the smell. The taste is probably actually my favorite of the Macro lights. A kind of sweetness helps mask most of the things that one would normally not experience while drinking this beer. Minimal hop presence if any, and maybe some malt contributes to that sweetness, but it cant be much. Mouthfeel is pretty light, watery...big carbonation bubbles make this one sting if you drink it as cold as they tell you to. Overall though, way better than Bud Light, Keystone Lt, Natty Lt, etc etc, still better than Miller Lite. i've foudn my personal winner for this category, and I'm sticking by its side.

1neutral

Dundee Wheat Beer

American Pale Wheat Ale

poured into a hefe glass, some sediment visibile at the bottom of the bottle. pours a hazy yellow golden color with a big velvety looking head that fades to about a half inch of head. pretty good retention and some pretty decent lace on the glass. some very light sediment visible in the beer as well. looks like a good hefe, but something tells me its not going to be. rather off aroma. its metallic, kinda skunky, some faint whiffs of wheat, a little grainy, and an ever so faint hint of a hefe yeast, really only noticed it off the initial pour. definatly has kind of the same taste as the aroma. really metallic which i noticed in almost all the genesee beers in this variety pack. grainy, and maybe just some barely noticable tastes of wheat. skunky too. and wheres the hefe yeast? light body, a tad high on the carb, but it settles out after a little bit. kind of a change from the other dundee beers which seem to have way too much carbonation. but still not an exciting mouthfeel. if you can get around the off flavors, its definatly easy to drink prolly only because of the light body. but i would prolly turn it down if offered to me, and definatly would never even think about seeking any dundee beer out in the future. maybe just some genny cream ale for its cheapness, and drinkability.

1neutral

Older Viscosity

American Double / Imperial Stout

A - Pitch black, off white head, sudsy lacing. S - Lots of roasted malt and cocoa. T - Big, big flavors compacted into a sip. Cocoa and deep roasted malt just overcome. M - So creamy, incredible balance. The sweet and bitter neutralize well. D - It's such a big beer. You can't really have too much of it.

1neutral

Don de Dieu

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

This Belgian Strong Ale poured a large invigorating white creamy head with fine-small bubbles. The body had a cloudy yellow appearance. There was no lacing on the sides of my glass. The aroma was that of apples and grapes. There was yeast and carbonation observed with this brew. The taste was very smooth in my opinion.

2positive

Staraya Krepost Klassichiskoye Zhivoye

Euro Pale Lager

Picked up on a visit to the Trannistrian separatist region of Moldova. A shopkeeper told me this was the only Transnistrian brew, and that everyone drinks it. He, however, had none to sell. Fortunately, I found some in a kiosk near the massive Soviet war memorial and across the street from the Lenin statue in the capital of Tiraspol. It comes in a Soviet-standard chubby brown half liter bottle with a green and red label featuring a double-headed eagle perched on a wreath around the name. Ingredients conform to the purity law, with the hops identified specifically as pilsner. Best before 9/27/07, thats the day I opened it. Pours a cloudy pale orange gold under a one finger white head with decent body and retention, but no lace. The nose is mild but distinctly of sweet grape, with hints of bad watermelon. The mouth is light and quite prickly, a lot like sparkling water. The taste is mild and sweet, definitely grape juice, definitely bad watermelon. There is very little in the way of grain or hops. The aftertaste is mild and fruity, slightly sweet and somehow unpleasant. It is vaguely drinkable but hardly worth seeking out, despite the political context.

1neutral

Imperial Stout

Russian Imperial Stout

This beer poured into the glass BLACK. No more, no less, no light. The head was a dark tan/medium brown color. The lace was thick in the beginning and lessened to the bottom of the glass. The aroma was intense. Chocolate, currants, roasted malt, hops, spices all seem to be very present. The taste. SMOOTH and like the smell, intense. All the smells are there in the taste and more. Creamy chocolate, cherries, roasted dark malt, alcohol, spices and bitter hops. These flavors dance in and out as the beer warms. Smooth, silky, excellent. I wonder if I can get a keg sent to me.

2positive

Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue)

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Pours a dark brown body with a greyish head that disipated rather quickly and left the signature Belgian style lacing. The beer was very loud it can be heard cracking and popping with out having your ear right next to it. The taste and aroma followed each other. It was a very raisiny sweetness with other dried fruit notes. The mouthfeel was extremely dry and bubbly with carbonation popping on the tounge. This was a slow sipping beer that must be handled with respect.

1neutral

Dernière Volonté

Belgian Pale Ale

Pours a tall, airy, bright-white head with huge retention and lacing. Watch out, the head on this beer is explosive. No need to pour aggressively. The beer is a glowing straw colour, opaque with some small suspended solids. Big, full smell: oranges and limes, Belgian yeast, floral hops, a bit of grain, some sweet caramel malt in the background. Smells like a refreshing, hoppy Belgian ale. Not as big a flavour as I was expecting, judging from the nose. The hops are really present for a Belgian along with more of a wheaty taste than you'd expect. Floral hops and some light malt up front. The finish is quite bitter but not in a bad way; seems more like the finish of a darker beer. Some mild spices in the background, though nothing like you would find in a real Belgian ale. No alcohol presence. The label describes this as a marriage of Belgian and English brewing traditions; I think that's about right on. They don't list it as a Belgian IPA but I would say there's enough hops here to call it that. If this was less watery tasting I would give it 4.5; too thin. Medium-light bodied with fairly present carbonation. Not bad but doesn't stand out as being great. This is very drinkable and currently one of my favorite drinking beers. At 6.5% it's just right for drinking three or four...or six. Interesting and flavourful but won't overwhelm your taste buds.

2positive

Juniper Pale Ale

Herbed / Spiced Beer

I was toying with going out to watch the Pitt/Syracuse basketball game tonight but with the pending weather event and my warm house, I have decided to forgo going out. That means that I will have a prolonged amount of time to spend drinking this beer and I am looking forward to its company. My initial pour created just over a finger of off-white head with low retention. Color was a deep golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose had an earthy characteristic, less "floral" as noted on the bottle and more herbal, if that makes any sense. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full with a peppery blast of spiciness on the tongue. Finish was as advertised: "dry [and] spicy". Mmmm. Let's see how I feel about it after a bomber's worth all to myself, but I would say that this is certainly worth a try, if not something for an occasional drink.

2positive

Pilsner Urquell

Czech Pilsener

Picked up a six pack at my local Bi-Lo in Cleveland. Pours out of the bottle a golden, clear yellow. An Impressive four finger width head comes from nowhere, glad theres some extra room in the glass. This is a pretty beer for what it is, lots of small carbonation bubbles rush for the top. Lacing clings beautifully in clumpy chunks and patches all the way down the glass. As soon as I crack this, Im hit by SKUNK, pretty bad, I can smell it a good foot or so away from my face. Upon closer inspection of the smell, I can detect the malts and bitter hop smell behind the skunk, but whoo-wee is it hidden behind it well. Taste is nice, just trying not to inhale the skunk odors as I drink. Leads in mildly sweet and malty and transitions gently into an earthy, bready flavor, ever so slightly dry at the end. The hops are really subdued here. Mouthfeel is super clean, and crisp. Goes down like nothing. Good beer, I have a feeling this may have been sitting on the shelf a long time to acquire the skunky aroma which was the only downside to an otherwise pleasurable drinking experience. This would make a nice barstool sessioner with the boys. There are other styles that attract my attention more, but this beer is perfectly serviceable.

1neutral

Sweetwater Dank Tank Mean Joe Bean

American Porter

22oz bottle, nice 'n fresh. Served at cellar temperature. Pours dark brown to black with a good light brown head that leaves nice rings of lacing and holds a small cap. Aroma is nice premium coffee beans, chocolate, roasted malts, a touch of dark fruit and hints of herbal and grassy hops. Very good strength. Flavor is more premium coffee, even better chocolate presence than in the nose, caramel, roasted malts, a some dark fruits, very little to no alcohol. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, medium carbonation. Very, very nice coffee Porter. Yet another great coffee beer coming from the state of Georgia...keep 'em coming guys!

2positive

Imperial Stout Trooper

Russian Imperial Stout

This one pours black as night into my Smutty Big Bieer glass. Head rises mightily so I cannot get all 12 oz in on the first pour. Once it has a chance to rest, the remaining beer hits the glass and the head diappears to all but a ring around the glass. Aromas of dark bittersweet bakers chocolate and alcohol soaked black cherries dominate and wanr to hints of fruity espresso beans and fresh figs sauteed, add some port with a vanilla bean. Taste is a rush over the tongue...waaves of dark roasted cocoa beans with a generous portion of sweet black cherriesand some coffee bitterness winds out the tongue. The mouth on this is quite nice as my tongue and lips feel ever coated in this wonderful elixir. This is one dangerous brew that suites my palate quite nicely. I cannot believe how tasty and drinkable this. Not many a flaw here as I may have found my one and only tru e love. Not one characteristic is too overbearing and all of them agree with me famously....I may have to buy all that are left. Thank you NEBC!

2positive

Jockamo IPA

American IPA

Poured a clear, light copper color with a huge pillowy off white head that was moderately lasting. A huge fresh citrusy aroma was detected along with some fresh pine needles and grassy notes. The initial flavor was fresh citrus and pine, dry, with a nice grassiness from the hops coming through in a nice british bready palate. The mouthful was light as well the carbonation, and a tad slick. The beer finished with a nice dry citrus and pine hopping. Overall not a lot to it complexity wise but makes for a decent session ipa in the local watering hole. Decently hopped enough to satisfy the typical hophead and nicely balanced with the malting. Definitely one of their better beers.

1neutral

Ramstein Classic

Dunkelweizen

Dark brown beer with a rapidly fading head.Aroma is banana,cloves and malts.Taste is toasted malts and cloves.Overall a decent beer with a nice faded smoky aftertaste.I would recommend to try at least once and I think think this is something I would purchase again!!

2positive

Big Bear Black Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

A - Black. Light head that finishes with some lace. S - Not too much of a smell, a hint of some yeast, a hint of pepper on the end. T/M - Tastes of coffee, creamy mouth feel, finishes with a strong chocolate/coffee bitterness, yet very smooth. O - Overall, wow, an insanely good straight forward beer for the style, not an imperial, but an impressive 8.1%, Bear republic seems to take pride in everything they do, most breweries would try to pass this off as an imperial and they are so modest at Bear Republic its just a "plain old stout", hats off to you guys!! Do an imperial version and I may die! PP (Price Point) - $6 for a 22oz bomber of 8.1% ABV, this is a smooth beer, no hint of the ABV, bang for the buck is insane! Seek and destroy!!

1neutral

Founders Imperial Stout

Russian Imperial Stout

Poured into a snifter on 5/14/10 Bottled on 11/27/09 On the pour I can see faint traces of scorched brown; once in the glass however, this beer is jet black. This actually has to be one of the most viscous beers I have poured. So thick, it was almost a drizzle. The head is solid two fingers of milk chocolate colored foam of small, densely situated bubbles. Reduced to about 25% retention after several minutes, it has left good lacing so far. Thin but good retention & spotty lace throughout. Despite being a tad restrained the aroma is good. Licorice is notable upfront & quite prominent. Following are notes of sweet chocolate, roasted malts & hints of toffee. Maybe a spot of caramel & molasses. Not too much in the way of appreciable hops. A little booziness is also to be had. This is a big, malty critter. Moderately sweet chocolate, caramel & licorice hit upfront, leading in to drier, roasted malts. It seems roasted coffee is a faint part of the equation. In any case, the finish is very dry. As with the nose, hops are minimal at best; not exactly a problem though. Come to think of it, hops may account for a portion of the bitterness that embodies the finish. Honestly though, something about the taste isn't quite working for me. Something is missing, possibly distinct burnt characteristics. Very full bodied; this is a thick, chewy brew for sure. Carbonation is low; smooth & creamy, just like it should be. As mentioned above, the finish is very dry. Lots of roasted bitterness lingers on the finish for quite some time. At 10.5% abv, the alcohol is well-hidden. Regardless of the fact that something about the taste doesn't fully jive with me, this is a really solid Imperial Stout. It's otherwise very impressive. More impressive is how easy of a drinker it is at the aforementioned abv. I would have no reservations about giving it another shot next time around, especially if I found it on draft. Don't let me discourage you from giving a try.

1neutral

R.J. King Wingwalker Lager

American Pale Lager

Saw this at the supermarket in 6 packs and picked it up just to try something new and different. Seems well done for the style and overall I really liked it. Nothing spectacular, but definitely beats any macro "lager" that I've ever had the displeasure of drinking in the past. pours a clear golden yellow topped with a tall bubbly head that raises and then slowly falls leaving behind a nice roam rim and lacing. Smells clean, fresh, and like a lager should. Taste is on key for a lager, but doesn't have anything to it to really set it off. Mouth feel was pretty good, very drinkable but a little too sweet. The drinkablility on this one is average, Id say. Its good enough that it's sessionable, however, anyone who appreciates their drinking experience would likely get sick of this after a few and want to switch to something with more of a flavor profile to it.

1neutral

Hopsickle Imperial India Pale Ale

American Double / Imperial IPA

Poured from a freshly filled growler, into a snifter. Pours hazy copper orange in color with one inch of pillowy head. Incredible gooey lacing. The most dominant smell is pineapple, which is backed up by a nice malty sweetness. As it warms, both pine and grapefruit start to emerge, eventually saturating the aroma with the scent of pink grapefruit. It smells incredibly sweet. First sip; incredibly piney and bitter. It is a bit less sweet than I would have expected from the smell. There is a slight presence of sweetness, but the sweetness is totally muted by the lasting bitterness. A strong pine flavor is present, but it is completely trumped by the grapefruit. Medium bodied, smooth mouthfeel. I'm don't think I can say that this beer is balanced, but I was in search of a HopBomb, and that is just what I got. However, it is not too off balance to affect the drinkability.

2positive

D.O.R.I.S. The Destroyer Double Imperial Stout

Russian Imperial Stout

From 11/25/10 notes. Did a side by side tasting of BORIS, BA BORIS, and DORIS with my brother and dad. Served from a 22 oz. bottle, 2010 vintage. a - Pours a dark black color with two inches of tan head and light carbonation evident. Looks pretty good. s - Smells of vanilla, hops, oatmeal, chocolate, roasted malts, and light coffee. Has less dark fruit on the smell than BORIS, but more hops and more of a vanilla/chocolate smell which I really enjoy. t - Tastes of hops, bitter chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, and vanilla. m - Smooth and creamy, full body and low carbonation. My brother and I both thought that DORIS felt like it had less alcohol than BORIS, I was really surprised how well the ABV was hidden. d - I really loved this RIS. I thought it was on par with BORIS, and might even give it a slight edge, and I ranked it ahead of BA BORIS. Lots of hops and vanilla and chocolate in the smell and taste, and it felt great. Would love to have again. Edit: I re-took notes on BORIS during the tasting and had rated it a 4.25 both times I reviewed it, and gave this a 4.20 so I guess BORIS wins, but I would love to have either again.

2positive

Sierra Nevada Wheat Beer

American Pale Wheat Ale

330ml bottle bought from Tuckers, Maltings... poured into a SN glass.. Poured a hazy dark straw colour. White head poured tight, thick and meringue like then faded very slowly to thick coating leaving a good trail of lacing down the glass... very sparse carbonation.. Aroma - Quite bland... light wheat and pale malts, light toasted bread, peppery, some very light fruitiness (apples, some grapefruits), some cardboard / earthy notes, hay traces... Taste - Pretty much as above... pale malts, some creamy wheat, light toasted bread, watered down fruits (pears, apples), light honey sweetness, grassy, faint nuttiness, salty notes... Feel - Pretty smooth and creamy... light bodied... fairly refreshing and drinkable but just a little boring.. Overall - A decent enough brew... not a patch on German or Belgian wheats though... worth a try...

1neutral

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Quadrupel (Quad)

A: View of what appears to be a relatively dark barleywine, small to medium chunky bits floating in the bottle especially with the last third of the bottle. More than the average dregs hanging in a bottle. Smell of doughy bread, biscuit malt, belgian yeast, more dough and some dough. caramel also hanging out with must - not the egyptian kind though. Taste of Dough , bread and toasted biscuits. There is plenty of caramel and yellow plum to go around. Some booze flavors definitely present as expected at 11.3% and some cloves with sourdough bread. If I could type dough again without regretting it I probably would... Mouthfeel is medium with a light carbonation. Drinkable? yep

2positive

Coopers Sparkling Ale

English Pale Ale

Cooper's Sparkling Ale is an average run of the mill tasting beer. There is nothing special about this beer in any regard except that it taste surprisingly like a homebrewed beer. I poured my Cooper's, at around 52 degrees, into a tulip rimmed goblet. It poured a cloudy carmel color. It had the same glow as a homebrew. This beer is definately unfiltered (which is nice to see). The Aroma was nothing special. This beer needs more hops was my first impression. I think if they dry hopped this beer a touch more it would improve greatly. I would also raise the alcohol to around 6.5% ABV. I think these changes would bring this beer from a C+ to a B+ maybe higher. The taste, like I said, was remeniscient of homebrew - which is not a bad thing, but I expect a more refined, professional brew. In short, the cost and hype definately did not fit this beer. There wasn't enough to back up the rave reviews from Michael Jackson (the beer geek, not pop singer), Robert Protz, or BA. I just did not understand why this average beer is so well liked. I will not buy it again.

1neutral

Ridgeway Bitter

English Bitter

Tasted by half-pint at the Pembury Tavern, Hackney, North London on the Easter Day (16/04/06). Served by a hand-pump. A: dark but bright amber hue, coming with a nice fluffy beer head with good retention. S: very intense flowery hops, raw pears, followed closely by sharp hop resins and hints of deeper, earthy/muddy note... honeyish sweet maltiness lies underneath... moments later the intense aroma described above dissipates fast and gives way to a citrus-dominated fruity hop aroma. T: sour-sweet nutty malts upfront, supported by a good backbone of tea-ish hoppyness, turning dryish and more hoppy in the finish, with a little bitter-sweet finish. M&D: light-bodied and thin-ish on the mouthfeel, quite unexpected from the aroma really... Overall this is a balanced bitter, but the palate doesn't quite live up to the complex aroma.

1neutral

Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse Natürtrub

Hefeweizen

Another beer I have heard about for a while and am finally getting around to try it. Poured the bottle into a Hefeweizen glass. Looks nice, orange/yellow color nice creamy think white head. Head fades smaller after a while. Some minimal lacing. Smells of yeast/bread and banana, maybe a hint of orange. Tastes very smooth with an inital bubble mouthfeel. Nice aftertaste. Very drinkable beer, could get a case and enjoy during anytime of the year. One of the better Hefeweizen's I have had.

2positive

LongShot Grape Pale Ale

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

A - Pours out a dark amber color and highly carbonated. It had a small, white, fizzy head that left some lacy residue. S - It had a subtle grape smell. Maybe some clove. It really lacked any greatly noticeable aroma. T - It had a very light grape taste. It was malty with a spicy kick. Overall, it also had no greatly noticeable flavor. M - It was very sharp and crisp. A light to medium-bodied beer. D - Unlike most beers in this category it wasn't very fruiy at all. At the same time it really didn't taste like a pale ale. All that being said, it still tasted pretty good.

1neutral

XS Old Crustacean

American Barleywine

One hard drink. A fierce pour from the expensive flip-top XS bottle produced a deep red brown barely carbonated lacing-no real head to speak of. Not much aroma other than piney hops and alcohol. Not much taste other than bitter hops and alcohol. Trying to taste the sweet malt qualities was hard to do-the chewy bitter hops just overshadowed everything. The aftertaste of hops lingered many minutes between sips. Even as the brew warmed up it still just was hops hops hops. Like unto pulling fresh buds off of the vine and chewing on them. I like hops-but this is just overkilled. You gotta have some sweet along with the bitter. Maybe this is one of those brews that needs a year or five in the cellar before it is mellow enough to drink. I loved Rogue's Imperial IPA. This was a tad over the top.

0negative

La Terrible

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Poured from 750ml bottle into Chalice. A. Poured an impressive 2 finger off white head. Very good retention. Thick lacing. Very dark brown almost black color. S. Smell is dark fruit, raisins, figs, molasses. Yeast, rich dark malt. Smell is very much like Trois Pistoles but maybe a little more balanced and refined. T. Taste is very good. Caramel, a little bit of molasses, a little of the grape flavor. A lot of dark fruit flavors. Drinks very smooth. The same comparison of the taste can be made to Trois Pistoles. A little bit more balanced and smooth. Very good beer. M. Full bodied. Nice full mouthfeel. Some lingering sweetness. Medium carbonation. D. Very drinkable. This revies is the first time that I have had La Terrible. This might be my new favorite Unibroue beer. Very smooth while being complex. Great beer.

2positive

Pike Pale Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

22oz bottle A- Pours a slightly hazes amber color with an off-white head. S- The aroma is sweet malt, caramel and some fruitiness. Not much in the hop department in the aroma. T- The taste starts out with a fruity malt sweetness and the finish has some bitterness from the hops. M- The mouthfeel is between light and medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation. D- Overall, this is a pretty average beer. Not anything amazing, but not bad either.

1neutral

Gonzo Imperial Porter

Baltic Porter

12 oz bottle served in pint glass A- black with a 2 finger mocha head, great retention, lots of lacing. S- burnt malts, chocolate, hops, and alchol T- bitter chocolate, espresso, and hops M- Medium body, good carbonation, creamy D- Great beer, if this was readly available to me I would drink it often!

2positive

Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter

American Porter

Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass. Pours a dark brown color with with sort of roasted almond edges and walnut brown when held up to the light. This beer produces a large creamy looking head that sticks around and gives excellent lacing. Dead Reckoning is one very good looking beer. The smell wasn't quite what I expected. It's not bad, but the hops are what stand out the most, but not to strong. The malts are a little more difficult to detect, smells more like an ale than a porter in my opinion. When we move to the taste however it's a big step up. I actually placed it at a 4.5 but elected to move it down to a 4. I figured it was more because I was so delighted at the flavor after being a little dissapointed by the smell. The malts are much more easy to distinguish in the taste, initially sweet, and I almost feel like I can pick up something extra, almost like a vanilla flavor, but I can't completely put my finger on it. The hops completely take over from that point on, providing a very nice aftertaste from the hops. Call me crazy but it tastes more like a citrusy than piny in my opinion. The mouthfeel is pretty good, but I think it could be a little heavier for a porter, it's pretty light. I know it's an American porter but I feel like this could be a little more robust and smokey still. It makes up for it in the drinkablity category though, an extremely drinkable porter, or beer in general. Got it in a mix a six and I'd get a six pack of this by itself, I could go for another one tonight. A good year round porter.

2positive

LongShot Double IPA

American Double / Imperial IPA

Presentation: 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams Boston Lager Pint Glass. "Purchase before Sep 2009" is notched on the side of the label. A- Slightly hazy copper/amber. Pours with 2+ fingers of light tan head, which fades slowly to a thin cap. Leaves tons of thick, sticky lacing as consumed. S- Delicious pine hoppiness, and also some grapefruit and grassiness. As the head settles, some malty-sweet notes start sneaking through. Very good.. T- Lots of resinous pine, and a bit of grassiness, which gives a formidable hop pop, and has a fantastic bitter finish. Rich malt backbone provides a counter punch of sweetness and balance to the bitterness. Alcohol notes are mixed in subtly. M- Moderate carbonation. Quite full feeling. Wonderfully creamy and smooth. Absolutely stellar. D- Outstanding. Future outlook: Wow...waaay better than I ever expected...this is easily my new all time favorite SA brew...too bad it's not a regular....absolutely loved it. Big props to the winner who brewed this (Mike McDole).

2positive

Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

12oz Bottle Appearance - The beer pours a hazy gold colour with an average size frothy and creamy white head. There is an average amount of carbonation, and there is some good lacing on the sides of the glass. The head didn't last for very long before it was gone. Smell - Breads/grains, cereal, a grassiness, lemon, corn syrup Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation on the tongue, and the most noticeable flavours are corn syrup, pale malts, and lemon. There is also a lot of bread/cereal flavour mixed with a grassiness. The beer finishes with a slightly bitter lemon and corn syrup aftertaste. Drink - An average beer that I wouldn't seek out again. It wasn't awful; it was just nothing special.

1neutral

Brutal Bitter Ale

American IPA

A clear copper color with a solid off-white creamy head and absolute walls of lacing. The aroma offers pleasant pine hop, but very subdued, almost grassy. The flavor brings a beautiful blend of citrus and pine hops with plenty of bite but in a malty bath of bitterness. Very palatable and drinkable. Tasty, in a medium body brew with very even carbonation.

2positive

Mokah

American Double / Imperial Stout

I had high hopes for this beer as in general I am a fan of Southern Tier, and in particular enjoyed Choklat which is mentioned on the label. Appearance: Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass with next to no head and minimal lacing. It pours a pitch dark black but when held up to the light a lot of light makes its way through showing a dark ruby color for a good portion of the glass. Smell: It smells quite sweet but I get next to nothing in terms of the chocolate or coffee. It is dull which was very unexpected. Taste: Follows the nose in that the coffee and chocolate flavors are very weak, next to non existent. Unfortunately this beer is not appealing but since I am against the abuse of alcohol, I will not drainpour. For an 11% brew the alcohol is well hidden, there is no booziness. As it warms it gets sweeter but still no chocolate or coffee. Mouthfeel:I like my stouts thick and viscous. This was medium bodied and lightly carbonated. It was kind of close but not quite where I wanted it to be. Overall: I will not revisit this bottle, unless I can figure out that this bottle was very old. I got it from a store with a good reputation so I am not banking on it being too old. There are far better examples of both chocolate stouts and coffee stouts. As I saw in a previous review, the chocolate and coffee flavors that are noticable taste very artificial and it is a huge turn off.

0negative

Samuel Adams Black Lager

Schwarzbier

Dark brown with reddish edges and an off white head that lasts. Weak aroma of cinnamon, prunes, medicinal notes, maple. Tastes of maple, cinnamon, prunes, some hop presence toward the finish but a lasting medicinal tang takes over in the aftertaste. Light body with medium carbonation. Tangy with spice but a lil too much.

1neutral

India Pale Ale

American IPA

Bottle from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta. Pours a hazy yellow-copper color with a one-finger white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent iacing. Smells of lemon peel and bright citrus aromas with a light pale malt aroma. Tastes similar to how it smells. Mild pale malt aromas up front are overtaken shortly by loads of citrus hop aromas that carry through to a strongly bitter ending. Mouthfeel is good. It has a solid thickness with moderate carbonation. Drinkability is good. I didn't have a problem finishing the bottle and could have another. Overall this is a solid IPA however it doesn't have as light a touch as others put out by Moylan's. The flavors are too strong and just don't have as much complexity as other offerings from the brewery. Still, I have to say that it's worth a shot.

2positive

Ryevalry

Belgian IPA

Served on tap at the Drafting Room A- pours gold with a quick fading, one finger white head. Would have liked to see more of a head on this one S- smells really great, of Belgian yeast with some rye mixed in there as well T- the taste is very perfumey...lots of floral stuff going on here. The Belgian yeast isn't overpowering M- thick body, but it's not syrupy. It doesn't cross that magical line...yay O- great beer. So easy to drink. Would love to see it bottled

2positive

Stoudt's Fat Dog (Imperial Oatmeal Stout)

American Double / Imperial Stout

Poured from a 12 oz bottle, bottled 02/07/10 A - Pours dark black with visible notes of reds and browns. Billowing mocha colored head with good retention and loose lacing. S - Big roasted malt aroma; espresso and cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, and a little alcohol in the nose. T&M - Silky and velvety smooth; slightly creamy. Huge roasted malt flavor. All of the nose elements appear in the flavor; espresso, cocoa and bittersweet chocolate...very earthy. Alcohol is present but only in the background. Malts hang around in the finish. D - 9% well within style guidelines, and very drinkable due to not a lot of "warmth" in the feel. Very enjoyable and not too heavy.

2positive

Old Scratch Amber Lager

California Common / Steam Beer

Pours a standard amber color. (There's even some lace!) Smells of pears (WTF?), and sweet malt. Taste isn't bad, just average. It tastes of malt and just enough hops to keep things from getting cloying. This might not be the best amber out there, but it went down smooth. While I wouldn't go out of my way to buy, I wouldn't turn one down if offered...

1neutral

Smooth Hoperator

Doppelbock

Given that the character on the label is a ram and this beer ends in ator, I have reviewed it as a Dopplebock. I later checked the Stoudt's website and they call it an American Style Dopplebock. Appearance was dark amber with a nice 2 finger+ tan rocky head. Retention was quite good. As the head did recede it left a nice lace down the glass. As I drank it the much of the lace crawled slowly back down the glass, really nice looking. There was not a lot to smell here, the aroma was clean and fresh with a malt and tangerine rind hoppy but as I said not strong by any stretch T-There is a Carmel and biscuit malt character up-front, along with some sweetness. This is quickly beaten back by a good dose of citrus and green hop flavors. The citrus hops dominate with a tangerine and lime zest flavor, there is a contribution of bitter green flavor as well kind of like raw kale. This follows through to the finish and lingers for a nice amount of time. M-medium body, quite creamy, perfect carbonation for the creamy body. D-I could have several of these babies, the ABV is hidden well and could creep up on you. Overall-As I said, I reviewed this as a dopplebock, even though it is listed here on BA at the time I reviewed as an Amber Lager. With that in mind, I don't believe it hits the dopplebock mark head on but it one of the best I've had to date. The out-of-style big hop presence really adds to the style in my mind (which resides in my hophead). So having now been to the Stoudt's website and seeing that it is listed as an American Dopplebock, I say hell yeah, if Americans can their own IPA, then why not the dopplebock. Awesome beer.

2positive

Irish Red

Irish Red Ale

This beer pours into the glass with an amber body topped by a thin head but with good lace left on the glass. Sweet and hoppy aroma with a fuity maltiness behind. Sweet and fruity malt flavor with good hoppy accents. Smooth, medium bodied, with a touch of dryness.

1neutral

Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale

Dubbel

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass Appearance: Amber color with a nice white to off white head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. Smell: Has a very sweet corn smell similar to the adjunct lagers out there but with a little bit better scent. Taste: Simalar to the smell but with a little bit more of the wheat beet taste, Not bad but nothing exceptional either.

1neutral

Chimay Première (Red)

Dubbel

Quick back story. This was one of the first beers I ever reviewed on BA and gave it a score of 4.55 (with some juvenile notes from my uneducated palate thrown in). Since then I've failed to recapture the sensation of orgasmic ambrosia I thought this beer was at the time and when the re-weighting came in the score was bumped up to 4.8. Too high, I thought, so I put the challenge to my friends to serve me this blind some time so I could re-evaluate in fairness. BA @lacqueredmouse heeded the call, and this new review is the result. Pours a dirty red colour with much floaties. Head is off-white, nice and dense with a whipped-egg texture. Lace is sticky and provides a nice sheen. Quite good; not sure about floaties. Smells very musty and slightly mouldy, a bit weird. Lots of grain on there and yeast esters as well. Hint of white bread and brown sugar, maybe some acetyldehyde as well. Slightly cidery, slightly bready. Can't say I'm a big fan. Taste also lacks a lot. Plenty of sweetness to it with barley and some brown sugar notes. hint of honey on there and some herbal notes coming through late. Mild grass and some myrtle with some light thyme and medicinal phenols on the back. Sweetness on the front and spice on the back don't quite merge seamlessly with one another, and overall I'm a bit underwhelmed. Thin mouthfeel, little bit of texture but lacking a bit as far as making its presence felt. Quite disappointed. There's just not a lot to this.

1neutral

Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager

Czech Pilsener

Deep yellow, crystal clear body with no head or lacing. The aroma is well balanced between the saaz and pilsner malt, but there's a slight skunk holding it back. Not nearly as bad as green bottle beers, though, by any means. Muted sweetness gives way to a huge chalky, metallic and bitter aftertaste. Not the best combination of flavors. Mouthfeel is spot-on, highly carbonated and very drying. I applaud anyone making respectable lagers, but there are a few craft brewers out there making a better version that Sierra Nevada. Victory and Brooklyn come to mind. This one isn't bad, but I would pick the others I mentioned over this one next time.

1neutral

I.C. Light

Light Lager

Appearance: Clear, pale golden color with a small white head, and surprisingly thick lacing. An occasional fat bubble quickly rises to the surface. Aroma: Dry with a cooked corn note and grain husk. Taste: Opens with washed out corn malt flavor, and a little alcohol, these soon fade to nothing. The finish is dominated by a harsh herbal bitterness and is fairly dry. Mouth feel: Quite thin and insubstantial. Drinkability/notes: Little more than carbonated water, and not good carbonated water at that. Presentation: Packaged in a twelve ounce aluminum bottle, served in a Pilsener glass.

0negative

Double Simcoe IPA

American Double / Imperial IPA

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a Chimay goblet. Appearance: Pours an opaque amber color with a 1 finger cream colored head which dissipates quickly. Minimal lacing. Smell: Mixture of caramel and florals with just a hint of citrus and pine. Taste: Malt up front followed almost immediately by a hoppy lemon rind bitterness. There is a definite sweetness throughout which is contrasted by the intense bitterness. The aftertaste is a mixture of bitter citrus and pine. Very long lasting flavor. Mouthfeel: Medium-to-full-bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. Quite sticky. Drinkability: Great drinkability but only if you love hoppy bitterness. The bitterness is very high. Overall: An excellent IPA. I'm very happy that I picked this one up when buying a twelve pack of singles. I will be buying this one again.

2positive

Hop Hearty Ale

American IPA

Pours a clear copper color with a medium head. Has a really nice floral and citrusy hop smell. This is one great tasting beer. The in your face bitterness and light floral tones are offset very well by a slight caramel malt taste. This excellent brew is both medium bodied and carbonated. New Glarus really hit one out of the park with this one.

2positive

Gonzo Imperial Porter

Baltic Porter

a: This was a dark chestnut brown. It poured with a short tan head. s: Heavily roasted malt aromas, definitely on the extreme side. I also got some herbal bitterness and plenty of heat. t: Starts off okay, tasting of dark richly roasted malts. This gets better towards the middle as a little chocolate emerges. The finish is almost overwhelmingly bitter, dry as hell with herbal bitterness. m: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. That finishing bitterness lingers for a long time. d: Not bad, but a little over the top. I've never had a porter like it, I'd like to try this with a few years on it.

1neutral

Coffee Stout (Brewmaster Series)

American Double / Imperial Stout

Long Trail Coffee Stout on tap at Shorty's, HK, NYC. Appearance: Beautiful, intense shiny black with a nice nitro-style mocha-colored head and outrageous lacing. Smell: Cold coffee, smells sort of like a coffee pot leftover in the kitchen stove and inspected the morning after (but not in a bad way). Sugar, some coconut and chocolate cake. Roastiness, a bit of a coal feel. A tad underwhelming all around, more so considering the beautiful looks. Taste: Intense coffee bitterness, followed by a creamy sweetness, lots of sugar and a hint of chocolate. Rather one-dimensional, but delicious. Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, feels like a nitro. Intense coffee finish. Medium body, full flavor, surprisingly low carbonation. Overall: I really like this. It's not mighty groundbreaking, not amazing, perhaps could qualify as a single stout rather than an Imperial, but it is oh-so-enjoyable, drinkable and yummy. The coffee flavor is delicious, nothing short of outstanding.

2positive

Pisser Mauvais

American Wild Ale

First time in Cambridge Brewing Company restaurant and I wanted to try a special beer in the menu. A: Very dark and full bodied. It was served in thick stemmed flute glass. It had very little head but retained a wispy all throughout my session. S: Very strong sour smell. The waitress warned me that it would taste sour and the smell was evident to that. T: The taste, however, was not say just sour but more lightly bitter with complexity sourness. The first sip was an adventure of sourness, then that bitter red wine-like mouthfeel, to the heavy wood from the cask aftertaste. D. Tough to drink but got easier when it became at room temperature.

1neutral

Horn Dog Barley Wine Style Ale

English Barleywine

A - Pours deep brown with hints of ruby in the light. Head was low but retention and lacing were both good. S - Caramel and warm alcohol are the primary aromas. The background has a little bit of licorice and earthy hops. T - Sweet malty taste, caramel and brown sugar dominate. Fruity flavors stand in the background but are really hard to pick out. Alcohol finishes up the flavor with a small amount of hop bitterness. M - Medium bodied with average carbonation. Very smooth and creamy for 10.5 %. D - Drinkability is good. I would not have any issues with trying to put down a few of these.

2positive

Rudyard's Rare Barley Wine

English Barleywine

a: thick brown color, nice thick head settles to a beige ring, little lacing s: dark sweetness--molasses and some malt and alcohol t: sugary - not quite molasses sweet in taste but not far off, some other aged sweetness in there with the alcohol and moderate bitter finish m: medium body with little carbonation d: a fairly moderate flavors make for an approachable barleywine, but that said it wasn't smooth, full-bodied enough or memorable

1neutral

? The Riddler ?

Dubbel

Was attacked by a man in green tights with this one on 7/1/2007. 1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bomber poured twcie in a goblet. A somewhat off-white 1/4-inch head starts things up, with a minimal touch off stick; the thick initial stuff dies down to just a whisper of a trace. Winking ochre hue is a touch hazy but still allows for the eye to discern some loosely scrambling action. Lots of watermelon bubblegum on the nose, with some prune juice notes, as well as root beer barrels, black strap molasses, and some light ashen scent. On the mouth, some definite fruity banana spins first, followed by a rock candy sweetness and s somewhat sulphrous backing. As it warms, there are some more fruit tones noted - raspberries, white grapes, and even a bit of kiwi. Body is fairly even keel, middle of the road. Am happily surprised by yet another in their extreme series.

2positive

Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout

Russian Imperial Stout

Appearance- Dark black beer, tan moderate to thin foam lacing, little to any carbonation Smell- almost an up front smell of vinegar and soy/Worcester sauce, little bit of dark roasted malts, nuts, espresso slightly in background Taste- Sour bitterness which is surprising from the get go what you would have guessed in a beer of this style and the aromas upfront to me, really strong honestly in the steak sauce flavor again--so unusual never tasted anything like it to be honest, lots of maltiness in the back, a very long lasting finish, definite long finish, unique Mouth- Medium bodied and actually lighter bodied that you would expect for the strength, smooth on the tongue, Drinkability- Not overally powerful in alcohol considering the high percentage, but with that said definitely a sipper, I have to be honest and say I didnt really love this beer on its own, its one if I were to visit again I would have to pair with some type of a proper food pairing to kind of give it something to pair off of, just a very bit of oddness to me which if i had to put my finger on I guess was just the sourness, definitely a unique stout to try not sure its one for me though, complex and certainly how unique I found it to be makes it worth giving a try, seemed to be very different reaction from person to person on this one,

1neutral

Strawberry Blonde

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

This is from a 22 oz bottle: purchased for $2.49 at BevMo in Sacramento, CA. It is actually brewed, according to the label, by the Coast Range Brewing Company in Gilroy, CA. . When poured into the glass it was crystal clear, and raised big soapsuds like head with big bubbles that settled fairly quickly and left minimal lacing. The nose is more strawberry than anything, with some lights malt in the background. Carbonation seems low, so the mouthfeel is fairly velvety, and light. The strawberry flavor is actually even more light, giving you the sense there was very little there. Overall, the flavor is extremely light, but the good news is that the strawberry is actually fairly decent, and actually tastes like genuine strawberries, so the beer isnt offensive. Finish is very mild, almost like a pils with the hops missing. It is hard to get too excited about a beer this bland, but for people that like light beers this is actually quite decent. I guess I am in the minorit of recent raters,, but as fruit beers go this seems drinkable

1neutral

California Honey Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

Poured from a growler into a mug. A: Slightly hazy, medium golden color with one finger of persistent white foam head. Light lacing remains on the glass and scattered bubbles rise in the column. S: Husky grain that is slightly toasted and slightly soapy, with a whiff of honey that fairly lacks character. T: Begins sweet, with early dishwatery off-flavors that give way to substantial pilsner malt accentuated by the presence of slightly acidic honey that spreads to fill the palate pleasantly. In the middle husky grain and honey persist while flavors otherwise become more dry and increasingly acidic. The finish begins with a slightly bitter snap that lasts only briefly, and finishes with softening malt. M: Medium viscosity, smooth and balanced on the palate, with moderate carbonation. D: While not fatiguing on the palate, this beer is not as effortlessly approachable as one might assume. Malt presence is substantial and while not at all hoppy, the intensity is blunted only by the balanced presence of honey in the flavor. A very satisfying, even memorable, honey ale.

1neutral

Founders Breakfast Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

102nd review on BA Bottle to Pint 12 oz bottle. App- Its dark and viscous and did I mention dark? Great looking stout in the glass with a minimal head on it but wonderful to look at. Smell- Big chocolate and malt. It for me was like smelling a dark choclate bar upwards of the dark 70% variety with some coffee mixed in. Taste- You get this roast sensation but its capped off with a chocolate sweetness that plays with the tastebuds and makes them stand up and dance for more. Mouth- Its very full and a bit chewy but that was to be expected. Drink- Hand's down best stout I have had. (Ill probably change my mind today or tomorrow when I have the KBS)

2positive

Southampton Triple Abbey Style Ale

Tripel

The new Southampton triple! I liked the corked and cage model; let's see how this compares, shall we? Yes. We shall. The pour is placid so far. No head to speak of; looks a bit like grapefruit juice. A bit of a hazy, gold/amber color. Smells like... fruitcake; and not really in a good way. Plums and nectarines that are starting to get very mushy is what it reminds me of. Pardon my dangling participles. Muddled scents that aren't appealing. Why, Southampton? Why do you keep brewing beers with this profile? This tastes like apple juice with vodka mixed in; a less syrupy version of the Southampton Gran Crus I have had. I can't get past the apple juice and vodka thing. Maybe if you like appletinis you'll like this. Mouthfeel is pretty good all in all. Relatively light and sparkling. The sweetness is a bit sticky but doesn't linger around as long as it could. Every once in awhile I get moments where I think I detect tasty Belgian yeast works but those moments are few and far between. I shan't be getting this again.

1neutral

Green Flash West Coast I.P.A.

American IPA

Hoppy hop hop hippy hippy don't stop. Hip hip hop, around the hoppy clock. Pine, citrus, and grapefruit. A classic west coast ipa and delicious if you're in the IPA mood. The bitterness makes it a little less drinkable than desired. However the mouthfeel is great. a perfect lightness for the style.

1neutral

Tröegs Pale Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Macado's Halloween-branded American pint glass. Appearance: Pours a translucent dark golden color with a thin fizzy head that dissipates almost immediately and leaves almost no lacing. Smell: Hoppy and fruity. Has notes of grapefruit and floral hops. Taste: Very hoppy and bitter. It is well-balanced with some sweet malts as well. Mouthfeel: A little on the thin and over-carbonated side but not overwhelmingly so. Drinkability: A decent pale ale. There are better out there but this one is worth a try.

1neutral

High Tide Fresh Hop IPA

American IPA

22 oz. bottle, no freshness date. Pours a vibrant lemon orange with a thick, tight, fluffy white head that clings to the glass. Aromas strong with hops, wet grass, lemon rind, pine needles all coming together with a slight grainy maltness to it. Pungent with hop oils and blasting with bitter citrus complexity. All this hop hell is balanced by a slight pale caramel malt characteristic. light to medium bodied, slightly watery with okay carbonation but still finishes dry. Great flavor for the ABV, Port is never stingy with the hops.

1neutral

Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Bock

Pours a dark brownish copper color with a fizzy tan head that quickly dissapears. Smell is sweet and malty with some winter spices, alcohol and a wierd metallic twang in the aroma as well. Semi-thick and slightly chewy mouthfeel make way for a nice malty base with some holiday spices. Overall, this is a decent brew but nothing to get excited about.

1neutral

Viven Imperial IPA

American Double / Imperial IPA

Pours a burnt copper hue with beautiful carbonation that leaves a three finger head and heaps of lacing,the smell is piney hops,stonefruit,wet grass,liquorice and boiled candy,it has a light-medium bodied mouthfeel and has tastes of liquorice,passionfruit,fresh ripe oranges,nectarines and finishes with a piney hoppy bitterness and overall an alright drop but at the price i could think of better examples cheers.

2positive

Tröegs Nugget Nectar

American Amber / Red Ale

tregs- Nugget Nectar Appearance- Reddish brown with a big foamy heavy lacing head Smell- Big strong pine and green hops. Taste- Oily pine with fresh of the vine hop flavor. Mouthfeel- Oily and sweet up front with a dry body and a slight bitter and oily finish. Overall- A huge flavored beer! Very good a 6er of this would be sufficient for the night!

2positive

Black Fox Don't Call Me Wit Wheat Saison

Saison / Farmhouse Ale

Pours a hazy, bright yellow with a huge creamy white head of foam that sticks around forever and leaves awesome walls of lace. The aroma is clove forward with a nutty dominance from the fresh grain. Esters of banana follow in the back with a floral note at the end. A little twangy funk lingers. The flavors follow the nose with nutty based, light bread and cloves, black pepper in the front with banana esters hinting in the back. Interesting balance. Some citrus tang and funk trhoughout. Slightly hoppy in the finish for the style. Rich, light bodied, creamy and smooth. Overall, a little too hoppy for a saison, but not too bad. Light, refreshing and goes down easy. Different and interesting.

2positive

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale

Winter Warmer

March 13, 2009 vertical: 2008/2009 Fresh: A3.5: Bronze with a thin white head, very little retention or lacing. S3.5: Marmalade/rind, floral hops, candied pineapple, apple/fruity esters, light caramel. T3: Very floral hopping, nice fruitiness (predominantly candied pineapple), a little more bitterness than previous vintages. M:3.5 Moderate body is smooth, moderate carbonation. D3.5: A decent drinker. 2007/2008 (at 1 year): Probably the most well-rounded with a slight hop bias. 2006/2007 (at 2 years): Still my favourite of the more recent releases. It's slightly more malt-pronounced with a light caramel residual sweetness. Seems to be more of a winter warmer in my opinion. --- Feb 1, 2008 vertical tasting: 2007/2008 (fresh) Bottle #SH24C1: Perhaps the most balanced malt/hop flavour of the last 3 years, allowing the fruity esters to be a little more perceptable. Without the benefit of the cellar, the alcohol is a little more warming. 2006/2007 (at 1 year) bottle #SH17B1: My favourite of these 3, with some darker malt flavours shining through (dark fruit, caramel & bread). With a little more residual sweetness, this one has a little more body as well. It still has a good bitterness and pleasant spicing from the hops. Definitely the best of the 3, and the most reminiscent of earlier vintages. This one's closer to a winter warmer than the other strong ales. 2005/2006 (at 2 years) bottle #SI07A1: The last of the clear bottles, but I've kept this one in the dark. It's a slightly lighter hue than the newer versions. Amazingly this one still has the hoppiest nose, with a remarkable amount of hop flavour still apparant (earthy-orange citrus). I still think this one lacks the maltyness that a winter warmer should have. There's still plenty of head & a little retention, but there's a slight hint of oxidation (flat, wet cardboard). I don't think I'd keep one for more than the 2 years. --- Jan 19, 2006 - 2005/2006 Vintage Fresh: I picked this up when the LCBO winter release was hitting the shelf (no light exposure). With the recent snowfall, I thought I'd re-welcome winter. A: Very clear, coppery in colour. Pours with a nice white head, leaves a nice lace, but there isn't a lot of retention. S: Not a lot of nose. A little malty (bread and caramel), with some grassy hops and a hint of citrous (Goldings?). T: Seems to be hoppier than previous years. There's a fair amount of hop flavour (Goldings?), with an assertive, crisp bitterness. Certainly balanced to the bitter side, but there is some nice caramel malt flavour. There isn't much fruit flavour... a think a fruitier British yeast would be nice. M: Moderate body is slightly creamy. Moderate carbonation. D: Drinkability is good. A few of these should warm you up!

2positive

Stone Soup

Belgian Pale Ale

Had a bottle of this at my brother's house in WI. Poured into a pint glass. Pours a very hazy light gold. Nice off-white head on top. Retained well, left some nice lace on the side. Very crisp body which is par for the style. I'm not the biggest fan of that feel. A little harsh. Big yeast scent mixed with some pineapple. Flavors of sour yeast, citrus, and a mild bready flavor on the finish. This was not as sharp as I expected. It was drinkable and tasty. Glad I had the opportunity.

1neutral

Xingu Black Beer

Schwarzbier

Had this at Spikes the other night. Served in a Duvel tulip. Appearance: Pitch black body with a foamy, light tan, head on top. Decent retention and spotty lacing. Smell: Meat, perfume, black malt and sweet alcoholic esters. Really fragrant for a schwarzbier. Taste: Lager yeast and spicy hops are predominant, with a touch of chocolate and dry alcohol. Mouthfeel: Kinda light, creamy, and a tad flat. Good, other than the lack of carbonation. Definitely smooth. Drinkability: Pretty good for a schwarzbier. Pronounced flavor profile and smooth.

1neutral

Lucy

Herbed / Spiced Beer

Starr Hill Lucy is a mild beer with a hint of lime. Enjoy it in the summer. A: Orange colour and decent sized head that fades to poor lacing. 3.5 S: A little bit malty with some spiciness too (maybe rosemary). 4 T: The main taste in the beginning is a tangy spiciness that I assume is the lime and yeast. This is a very mild beer and there isn't much else going on. 3.5 M: Quite foamy. 3.5 O: Nice and light. 3

1neutral

Sint Canarus Tripel

Tripel

Poured the contents of a an 11.2 oz. bottle, including sediment, into a chalice. I'm not sure I've ever witnessed the presence of such an absurd amount of lees in as limited an amount of liquid as this; it's as if it's the Belgian response to Turkish coffee. Otherwise, the appearance is a brilliant honey orange with a sustained but slowly diminishing head which leaves a respectable if splotchy lacing. The aroma is a little on the faint side, but I perceive, most prominently, sour apple and some sweet bready malts, lending the nose a sort of apple turnover/apple strudel quality. There's some subtle spice here, too...difficult to identify until I've actually tasted it, but I suspect coriander plays a pivotal role. Lastly, a scarcely noticeable delicate vinous trait is interwoven with the more apparent features of the nose. The flavor is a peculiar mix of tart citrus rind, clean but abrasive bittering hops (which, presumably, are the prime contributor to the somewhat soapy finish), coriander, and, unfortunately, some readily discernible alcohol, although this last factor somehow becomes less pronounced as I proceed. There is some awkward incongruity among the flavor components but, all in all, the taste is agreeable if not exemplary. I'm especially partial to the dry (if soapy) finish. Light- to medium-bodied; quite lively carbonation-wise but finishes dry and mellow. Drinkability is decent; as aforementioned, the alcohol seems sharp and unpleasant initially but desensitization quickly sets in. I actually had more difficulty with the hops: while the booziness seemed less prominent as I proceeded, the lupulin seemed to become increasingly aggressive, almost to the point of astringency. I have no regrets about trying this beer; it's certainly nowhere near a drainpour, but the positive attributes are too few to entice me to seek it out again. When tasting it, there is a fleeting moment when all the flavors come together harmoniously, but this is entirely too brief, and is preceded by a clumsy convergence of disparate flavors and followed by an anticlimactic (although not unpleasant) finish.

2positive

Carling Beer

American Adjunct Lager

Tallboy can picked up at the LCBO. I've never had this Canadian classic before, but according to this year's Canadian Brewing Awards it's one of the better pale lagers available to us Canucks. I kind of want to see if they're full of it or not (like I need an excuse to drink new beer...) Pours a familiar pale golden-straw colour, topped with a little more than a finger of bone-white head that takes a few minutes to dissipate into a reasonably thick, creamy cap. Bland aroma; corny adjunct and grains. Wow this is boring. Pale grain malts and sickly-sweet corn are basically the only flavours. Clean finish with virtually no aftertaste, but that may have to do with the fact that it has little taste to begin with. Heavily carbonated, watery and thin-bodied, but ridiculously easy to drink. If nothing else, it's inoffensive. This is without a doubt the least-interesting non-light beer I have ever consumed. I have definitely had worse beers, but I am struggling to think of anything I have ever had that approaches this level of blandness. I get that this is an adjunct lager and minimal flavour was probably intended, but it's possible to make an AAL that doesn't just taste like corn water. Why bother? Oh right, the price.

1neutral

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

Rauchbier

S--smells like a campfire or a burnt out oak tree. Really could not distinguish any of the bready malts that would be in a standard marzen. Smoke is just such a powerful profile to have much complexity. A--deep walnut stained color. Tan head. Fluffy with okay retention. T-- smoked salted ham. Some type of raw nuttiness was present. M--smooth and dry not unlike a scotch, but not quite as intense. D--it's a slower sipper for me. To be honest I hate this style and didn't like this beer, but I did it because it's always good to be open. Based on the reviews and comments on other rauchbiers this is exactly what they taste like and is a good reproduction.

1neutral

1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Belgian Dark Ale

12oz longneck. A) Pours with a finger thick head. Settles some leaving a nice lacing at the edge of the glass. Dark mahogany when held to the light. Lacing is thin and sticky as I drink it down. S) Bready. Notes of chocolate. Roasted malts. T) Chocolate. Milky flavors. Hints of smokiness and vanilla. Just a nip of bitterness in the finish. M) Full body. Crisp. Fairly smooth. Dry in the finish. D) A nice brew. I'd definitely have another.

2positive

Double Dog Double Pale Ale

American Double / Imperial IPA

Thick, cloudy amber hits my glass making more of a thud then a splash. Strong aromas of sweet malt sugars left over from exhausted, drunk yeast colonies swell out of the glass. The anticipation of immense sweetness is pleasantly put off by a bitter hop oil filled mouthful that is all but balanced by this serious malt backbone. Hop flavors add a different complexity to what would otherwise be categorized as a barley wine in my book. The thick appearance of this beverage is again misleading. While certainly being a full bodied beer, it is not syrupy. Very drinkable for a beer of this abv; no lingering sticky sweetness due to drying bitterness from hop oils and acids.

2positive

Dos Perros

American Brown Ale

Poured from bottle recently brought back from Nashville by my GF - 5/24/2010. Dark coppery-brown in color. Smells richly of chocolate and vanilla. Taste is milk chocolate, light hops and considerable roasted malt. Medium-bodied; Good drinkability & quite tasty!

1neutral

Old Scratch Amber Lager

California Common / Steam Beer

Bright orange-amber, heavy on the orange, with several whispy floaters suspended within. The head is dark cream in color, average in size and leaves mere scraps of lace on the glass. The nose is faintly hoppy at best. Not much else going on in the aroma; it's pretty subdued overall. Disappointing on the palate. The first thing that strikes me is the thin, watery mouthfeel which makes describing the flavor difficult. The beer doesn't hang around on the tastebuds long enough to make much of an impression. Caramel malt with a touch of earthy hops is about all I can manage for a description. This is one seriously under-flavored beer. I haven't been impressed with Flying Dog in the past and Old Scratch Amber Lager does nothing to change that. If the brewery put as much effort into their beer as they put into their labels, they might end up with something a little better than merely decent.

1neutral

Colt 45 High Gravity Lager

American Malt Liquor

This beer is light gold in its appearance, with a soapy head that doesn't stick around. The aroma is mainly straight-forward alcohol, balanced with sweetness, corn & generalized graininess. The taste is a big punch of alcohol, and alcoholic bitterness, with no hops and very little grain/malt presence. Then the aftertaste leaves a slight trace of barley malt. To be quite frank, it has sort of a wine aspect to it. It's clean, crisp, super dry, and very carbonated. Overall, it's just too alcoholic for my preference for beer. I don't mind the alcohol taste at all, but it's almost just that, and no beer aspects whatsoever. There is no skunkiness or fowl aromas or tastes to it, but it's just too unbalanced for me.

0negative

Peeper Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

Extra special thanks go out to Drazzamatazz for hooking me up with this as an extra. The review is from notes taken on 6/4/2010 and poured from the bottle to a pint glass. Appearance: Pour is a bright lemony yellow/pale straw color; starts with a massive 3 finger fluffy white head with great retention; body is perfectly clear and shows a ton of carbonation; big fluffy patches and swaths of lacing are left behind on the sides of the glass. Smell: When I crack this beer my nose is literally bombarded with citric/lemony hops that smell sticky and bitter; once it settles a little bit a very nice sweet malt presence creeps in and offers some balance while allowing the hops to do their job. Taste: Very nice bitter/citric (lemony) hops dominate the flavors, but don't really wreck the palate like some uber-hoppy beers do; a light, toasty graininess falls in there, but I have to wonder where the sweet malts went that I picked up in the nose; hoppy bitterness lingers in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel: Body is especially light and the carbonation is very strong and a tad sharp; a light sticky coating is left behind and holds the bitter hops in the aftertaste quite well. Drinkability: Quite high - very nice flavors that aren't overpowering, refreshing and light body; a simple and straightforward beer with a moderate ABV that would be hard not to like.

2positive

Don de Dieu

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Two years ago, I would have turned by nose and mouth away from a Don de Diue. Now, in this post-Pop the Cap, 250+review pallette, this one is a great example of the style. Clean and fresh, this one sparkles in the mouth, gives only a slight hint of its alcohol content, and retains just the slightest head and bit of carbonation to make it welcoming from first sip to last. Only $2.50 a bottle at the local gas station of all places, this one is a great introduction to those just trying this style or high gravity beers. Another great brew from Unibroue.

2positive

Samuel Adams Boston Ale (Stock Ale)

American Pale Ale (APA)

Serving: poured bottle into mug. Color was copper orange, did not keep head long. Good smell. Clean and cool drink. Sharp aftertaste. Drank quick, probably too quick. Had a good feel to it, kept a good taste. I may have expected more, but it was better than average.

1neutral

Sweetwater IPA

American IPA

Sweetwater IPA 12oz Bottle into Snifter Hazy pale orange with a fluffy off white head. Citrus rind and just very slightly piney hops in the aroma--there's a pleasantly sweet malt backbone that plays nicely with the aromatic hops. The hops upfront infuse the beer with a sweetly floral flavor, citrus rind and a solid maltiness that comes across a bit sweet and helps to balance things out nicely. While the hops don't linger too long in the finish, the beer is very drinkable with plenty of hop character. Not sure I'd reach for this one again--with all the IPAs I currently enjoy satisfying my hop cravings, this one falls just shy of making it in the rotation.

2positive

Mothership Wit (Organic Wheat Beer)

Witbier

Reviewed 7/23/2008 (Draft @ Flying Saucer, Houston, TX): Pours a very cloudy pale yellow colored body, with a good sized head, foamy & white. Citrusy belgian aroma, banana, spice like clove. Watery taste, citrus & some spice. Weakish flavor. Eh, not a big fan or whites, but this is a decent one.

1neutral

Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen

Dunkelweizen

Pours a very nice copper-mud color, unfiltered, with a tiny bit of head, but no lacing. Nice scent, some nice dark grains with a nice sweet wheat malt aroma and a hint of pepper/spice. Good taste, deep and rich, a nice dark wheat with a strong pepper aftertaste from the noble hops. Goes down fine, if a little too thick.

1neutral

Road Slush Stout

Oatmeal Stout

Pours a dark, dark brown with mahogany hints around the edges. The head is thin and dissipates quickly leaving a small swirl around the top with minimal lacing. The smell is big on roasted coffee and chocolate malts with a hint of hops - really nice aroma on this one. The taste is bigger on the sweet chocolate malts followed up by a more subtle coffee and oatmeal taste that gives way to fairly dry, slightly hopped finish. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied for an oatmeal stout with decent carbonation. This a decent stout from New Glarus and extremely drinkable.

2positive

Jerome Cervenza Nochebuena Ale

Belgian Dark Ale

Picked up a bottle of this at the Boise Co-op for about five bucks and enjoyed with my roommate. Ive had a couple other Jerome brews and havent really been wowed by them. Comes in a 500mL bottle with batch code NA-101 stamped on the side. Drank from my Big Horn Mai Bock pint glass while watching the National Championship game. Appearance- Pours a dark mahogany that breaks to a dark orange/yellow around the edges. Perfect two finger head forms that slowly recedes to leave a thin cap and nice thick collar. Some splotchy lacing is present but not all that much. Smell- This brew is loaded with lots of warm winter spices. Very peppery with loads of clove and nutmeg. Reminiscent of a pumpkin brew but Im not picking up any cinnamon. Full of sweet roasted malt along with a soft floral hop. The spices definitely dominate though. Taste- This beer reminds me almost exactly of a pumpkin brew, minus the pumpkin. The spices are in full swing with clove, nutmeg and white pepper (think gingerbread cookies). Slightly metallic with plenty of brown sugar and toffee. Maybe a tad cloying but not to the point of it being undrinkable. Once the sweetness wears off a subtle bitterness creeps in and leaves a spicy, bitter aftertaste. The alcohol is slightly detectable but with so many big flavors it gets lost in the background. Mouthfeel- Full body with a sticky feel and light carbonation. Drinkability- Overall Id say this brew is pretty tasty but Im glad I split the bottle with my roommate. Its a little to sweet for my tastes but the spices do a nice job of keeping it drinkable. Enjoyable as a winter warmer but nothing youd want to have more than a bottle of at a time.

1neutral

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale

Winter Warmer

Sampled the 2006-07 version. Sampled & reveiwed on 1/19/07: Ap: Hard pour raises two fingers of rocky head. Good carbonation. Copper color sparkles in the light. Ar: Sweet malt prevalent. Some raisins, dates & plums. No hop profile noted. Buttered caramel toast. Ta: Sweet malt dominates the flavor as in the aroma. Caramel, toasty flavor. Biscuity. Slight bitterness in the finish nicely balances the sweetness. A bit sweet towards the end of the bottle. Mo: Medium bodied. Very clean on the palette. No real lingering aftertaste. Carbonation leaves mouth tingling. Dr: Easy drinking. Smooth & clean. No overbearing flavors to detract its drinkability. Comments: Very tasty Winter Warmer. Not overdone with spices as in most WW. Almost an Old Ale but not as high ABV as most Old Ales. Good flavor & well balanced. Again, a bit sweet after a full bottle, but a smaller portion would be perfect.

2positive

La Black Watch

Scottish Ale

Bottle: Poured a clear deep amber color ale with a rather large foamy head with good retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of caramel malt with some nice notes of toffee and molasses. Taste is more complex then I had anticipated with some rather nice notes of toffee, molasses and caramel malt. Easily drinkable with good carbonation and an average body.

1neutral

Blue Moon Pale Moon

Belgian Pale Ale

appearance = amber/orange/brown and cloudy. Has a nice 2 finger head smell = Smells very floral, but full of spices and differnt flavors. Citrus smell as well. taste = This is a great tasting beer. The flavors are balanced and interesting, with a nice crispness to them. mouthfeel = Very very crisp. overall = My favorite of the "Moon" series. If you like blue moon, but think its too complex or heavy, definitely try this beer.

2positive

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

American Barleywine

I decided to try this again after my previous dismal review. Surely SN's barleywine isn't THAT bad. Maybe my bottle was funky. Maybe I was off. I tried it again, and, I wasn't too surprised to discover that the taste was far smoother than I had previously experienced. Rich malts showed up. Yes the hops jump up and smack you, but this time, I don't mind the smack! Lovely barleywine and I can't wait to enjoy this further down the line, letting the 2005 continue to improve with age.

1neutral

Hazelnut Brown Nectar

American Brown Ale

Served on tap in a pint glass. Appearance: A deep, slightly cloudy burgundy color, with cherry changing to brown with the thickness of the glass. Soft off-white head lingers casually. Smell: Strong, smooth, nutty aroma dominates the nose; roasted malt and vanilla also present. Taste: There is a persistent, controlling hazelnut taste from start to finish. Caramel sweetness and a roasted malt flavor provide additional introductory stimulation, and some vanilla notes find their way into the flavor. Mouthfeel: Very smooth taste is somewhat thrown off by the carbonation. It would be an improved with a creamier feel. Drinkability: With a good level of complexity and balance, this is a great niche beer in the brown ale category. Definitely worth looking for on a regular basis.

2positive