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Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

American Barleywine

A- amber colored with sediment S- not much smell, but hoppy T- decent, but nothing special. Is definitely on the hoppy side for a Barley wine. Not much depth, don't taste much of anything. Kind of bitter and dry. Some malts, some spice, some pine flavor, pretty std Barley wine except more bitter and hoppy with almost no depth or complexity M- very thin mouthfeel, not all that great O- was once again let down and not impressed by yet another beer that is supposed to be "epic" and the "std" for the style. It was alright, I'd drink it again, but Brooklyn Monster is better and it's cheaper. At 12 for a sixer, it's a decent deal, but there are MUCH better Barley wine beers out there

1neutral

Tuckerman's Pale Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

A light amber color brew with a two-finger bubbly white head and pretty fair lace. The aroma strikes me first of a bit of raspberry and wheat, crisp. The taste is a mild malt with some black pepper and lemon at the front. It has a somewhat creamy feel with a mild hop aftertaste. Quite drinkable. Not highly distinctive but a pleasant choice with some subtle complexity.

2positive

Chipotle Ale

Chile Beer

Appears a semi-transparent, dark copper with a fluffy, light tan head that quickly fades into a mild cap. Tiny speckles of lacing are left around the glass. Smell is of spicy hot pepper up front with a mild smokiness and a sugary, bready backbone that keeps this beer interesting. Taste is of yeasty bread, hoppy spiciness, and citrus, along with a touch of a smokey, peppery heat flavor. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a decent amount of carbonation that makes the sugary sweet malt come through the heat barrier.

1neutral

Ovila Quad

Quadrupel (Quad)

This beer pours a light to medium bodied dirty raison brown in color with a beige one finger head. It appears thinner than most quads. The aromas consist of candied malts, Belgian yeast, bananas, cloves, sweet malts, and alcohol. It's pretty average. It actually smells more like a Belgian Dubbel. The flavors are quite bland and finish very quickly. You get sweet malt, light breadiness, some light dark fruit, and alcohol. It doesn't have much complexity and it drinks very watery. This is by far the thinnest quad I've ever come across. It just doesn't bring anything new or interesting to the table and is light years away from competing with Belgian quads. This Ovila series has been a string of disappointments. I just don't understand how a quality brewery could make such a mediocre line, mainstream or not.

1neutral

Rainier Lager

American Adjunct Lager

Poured a 355-ml can into a pint glass. Appearance - pale yellow with a bright white 1/2-inch head that reduces to a thick sustaining surface foam. Heavily carbonated, this beer has a decent and unexpected ring of lace that creeps up the side. Smell - faint grainy smell with a tinny/skunk aroma. Ultra-light malt/hop/alcohol aroma. I anticipate it will be sweet. Taste - very rounded taste with minimal flavour, seems to be all flushed out. A very sweet adjunct taste comes up the back before the mediocre finish. Mouthfeel - I will give it to this beer that it is very smooth. Fairly active carbonation, but not really an issue - quite neutral. Drinkability - this is a very cheap beer and at a low cost one could put away quite a few of these if on a budget. On the other hand the quality is lacking so to go through a night of a number of these would fall short.

1neutral

Heineken Lager Beer

Euro Pale Lager

This beer is actually better than most of the BA's give it credit for. You can hardly avoid Heinie while in Amsterdam so I just go with it. Very clear gold with a proper white head. (In Amsterdam, there is even a government regulation on amount of beer foam.) Smell is pretty mild; just some hops and hay. Taste is better than average; assertive hop flavor and bitterness. This is way more of a beer than anything from BMC. Mouthfeel is fine and this is eminently drinkable. Just try a pint in a comfortable chair on your shady deck!

2positive

Strawberry Wheat

American Pale Wheat Ale

On tap at the Alcatraz location in Anaheim, CA. Poured a lighter and hazy yellow color with a small sized white head. Aromas of citrus, wheatiness, and some strawberries. Tastes follow of the same citrus, wheat, and strawberries. For some reason, the strawberries reminded me of the strawberry ice tea from Ruby Tuesdays.

1neutral

Hoss

Märzen / Oktoberfest

A - Poured out a clear, bubbly, orange color with a small, yet thick tan head. It left behind minimal lace. S - It smelled of malt and rye with mild floral notes. T - It tasted quite malty and bready with hints of rye. It had a nice spice hop bite. M - It was crisp and sharp with a dry finish. A medium-bodied lager. D - This is a unique twist on the marzen/oktoberfest style. Quite good and quite drinkable.

2positive

Brewer's Art Green Peppercorn Tripel

Tripel

Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Vol. II Issue X: Pepper plant 101, green peppercorns are simply the unripened peppercorns from the pepper plant. The liveliest of the bunch when it comes to head size and retention, as a massive dollop of meringue-like head forms from a normal pouring and does not want to leave. Lightly hazed, pale golden hue. A spicy note forms both the alcohol and peppercorn in the nose, a bit of a fresh veggie, peach juice and yeast twang as well. Deep smoothness on the palate, moderately sized body. Spicy right from the start, but always mellow and never over the top. Complexities reach new heights with suggestions of evergreen, peach orchard and raw honey. Malt lays down a light biscuity base with a light bready finish. Hops pair up very well with the green peppercorn and do more than just balance; spiciness eventually hooks up with the alcohol, which has its own pepper tone and fruity warmth. Finishes a little juicy and mildly spicy, a pleasant ending. Controlled chaos is the best way to describe this beer. Extreme beer at its best. It's not over the top, but captures a traditional style and adds a very interesting twist to it. Easy enough to drink on its own, as the alcohol is very deceiving, but we're sure that there is a plethora of foods to pair with this beer too.

2positive

Staghorn Octoberfest

Märzen / Oktoberfest

Poured from a long neck brown 12 oz. bottle into a standard clear pint glass. Appearance: Clear light amber color with barely one finger of off-white foam. Foam faded quick and left no lacing behind and no cap. Smell: Sweet corn and bread-like malt. Little to no hops present. A bit sweeter and perfume-like than a typical Marzen Oktoberfest style. Taste: Watered down sweet malt and some corn flavor. A lot sweeter and thinner than most good Oktoberfest beers, and not malty enough. Could also stand a little more earthy hops presence to balance all that thin sweetness out. Mouth feel: Light body with typical carbonation. Pretty typical. Overall: I like a lot of the beers from New Glarus, but this isn't one of my favorites. Way too sweet for a Marzen Oktoberfest style and way too thin and watery. There are too many good Oktoberfest beers out there to have any reason to seek this one out again.

1neutral

Sierra Nevada Summerfest Lager

Czech Pilsener

This summer lager pours a clear golden color topped by a thcik bright-white head that holds well and leaves a bit of lace. The aroma is both hoppy and malty, spicy and citrusy hops with some cracker like malts, very nice. The flavor is much the nose, soft, bready malt balanced by moderate hop bitterness and moderate spicy hop flavor. The beer finishes nicely balanced and just dry enough to make you want more immediately. The carbonation is moderate and body medium. Overall a very well crafted, one of the best summer offerings IMO.

2positive

Golden Saison

Saison / Farmhouse Ale

I would swear this a lime-flavored Hefeweizen. The citrus aromas and flavors are quite interesting. Creamy carbonation and a pleasant mouthfeel makes it a nice summertime quaff. Label claims Perle hops, but they are very much in the background. First sip tasted like pear cider to me, but pineapple-orange might be a good description. Tart but not sour. Spicy esters more like a German wheat. Lots of flavor for the modest alcohol. Really very drinkable but more of an amiable oddball than an actual variation on the Saison theme.

1neutral

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

Rauchbier

heres to review number 296 which gives me 1000 Karma! A- poured a dark dark ruby wiht a off-white tan that built up pretty quickly and gave a decent amount of lacing on top as well. S- much less smoked than the hefe- version, prolly due to a much longer maturation of the beer. a solid maltiness to it that gives it slight sweetness to it (if you discount the smoky character) T- a wonderful version of the beer, the hefe was way too smoked but this is just spectacular, a wonderderful blend of maltiness and smoky character all over. the blending of malt and smoke i couldnt say more about, lightly smoky on the finish which turns to a slightly sweet finish which is great for a marzen style, the hops are there but pretty laid back and allow the beer to be pretty sweet, which works. M- medium body medium carbonation, slightly lingers on the tongue D- pretty damn delicious M- full body with a medium carbonation

2positive

Midnight Expression

Schwarzbier

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass. No dating info but label had cool story on the side. It was pitch black in color with large carb geyser in center. Slight lacing. It had a large brown head that settled into a carb fed foam center and thin collar. The aroma was good. Still fighting allergies so not getting a complete read on it but coffee, dark roasted malts and caramel coming through. The taste was good but not spectacular. It starts out good but I didn't like the finish. This is one of my favorite styles and I normally like the bitter finishes of them but this one just didn't set right. Was too bitter - too sharp. This also hurt the mouthfeel. Did have good carb levels. Overall, a good but not great beer. Love the style so was a bit disappointed. Always on the lookout for a good schwarzbier. Mild recommend if you can easily get it. For me, I'd try another just to make sure my sample was good (it did go thru 2 shipments) but unless it improved it'd be a one and done.

1neutral

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale

English Brown Ale

I don't know if it's the slate squares or what but this has the same oatmeal sweetness of the oatmeal stout. The start is a bit bitter and nutty and the middle comes the sweetness and a bit of an odd sugar cookie bit.... I must say that I like these Sammy Smith's brews but they really kinda mesh together a bit too much... all tasting a bit too much like each other... not as distinctive as I'd prefer given the price tag. The appearance is top notch as a hazy orange/brown with a 1" well-retaining head. It's an easy drinker and I could easily pound a few if not for the $. Good.... but that's it.

1neutral

Pride Of Milford Special Ale

English Strong Ale

This beer is quite visually appealing, with a crystalline, coppery amber color and a huge, pillowy, slightly meringue-like head. As it subsides it reminds me of cloudscapes as seen through an airplane window. I'm not detecting much besides hops in the aroma, but it's a good smell for all that. The initial big, smooth push of malt offers hints of caramel and toffee. This is quickly followed by a big, slightly fizzy hop snap in the middle. The finish is hoppy and long. I think this is a very well-balanced beer. Note: This is not the type of beer I would tend to drink on its own; I need a pairing to work with the crisp hoppiness. However, I have not yet found a beer that pairs up better with pizza. I don't have the most discerning palate yet, but it seems to me as though the malt flavor is linking up with the wheat in the crust. If I were rating this beer as a pizza companion I'd give it a 5 for drinkability, but for a general rating I had to score it lower.

1neutral

Cantillon Cuvée Des Champions

Gueuze

A - Pale hazy yellow, small head, no lacing. S - Very faint - lemon and grapefruit with tart white grapes. Way too faint. T - Sour, slightly funky. Strongly tart lemon citrus with a touch of grapefruit. A touch of barnyard funk with a faint earthy yeasty fruitiness. Alright. M - Slightly smooth, thin a little refreshing, carbonation is noticeable. D - It is mild and not to sour. PLeasant overall. I wouldn't mind having this one again. Not fantastic, but definitely worth trying.

1neutral

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Märzen

Märzen / Oktoberfest

Poured into pint glasss, golden amber color with a light head. Smells of strong malt and some caramel. Initially slightly bitter taste, hops very apparent then balanced by a mellow malty with a lingering hoppy finish. Very smooth and drinkable, one of the more pleasant of this type that I've had. Definitely one to keep around.

2positive

Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale)

Old Ale

Dropped a bottle of this into a Duvel snifter. So look, this is considered an "old ale" but for all intents and purposes, it is barleywine. Reminded me of Devil Dancer from Founders without the hoppiness and brightness. A: Looks like heavy apple cider. S: thick, rich, spicy, orange and alcohol T: Reminded me of some brews from Unibroue (Maudite, Don de Dieu) but a little heavier/more dense. M: Syrupy, medium-bodied, not too carbonated. D: I kinda miss it since its gone. Good drinkability, or I'm becoming an alcoholic and just can't tell. Seriously (and no offense, BTW) it is a fairly strong beer, but it handles you gently. I would gladly drink another, but I find the hoppiness of Founder's Nemesis (a chameleon of flavor) or Devil Dancer (hoppy and bright) more to my liking. If you prefer a slightly more subdued old ale/barley wine, then this may be perfect for you. I am a man of moods, and this is a great beer for slow heavy drinking (preferably near the sea). Is that wrong to say? Think deeply of the ocean and keep a four-pack in a cooler as the waves lap the shores at night. We are at one with the seas and stars.

2positive

Moosehead Lager

American Pale Lager

ah, moosehead. it was actually a beer of choice of mine back in the day. not so much now, but i still enjoy it on occasion. it pours an unimpressive light golden colour. it's highly bubbly and looks alot closer to champagne than beer at times. the smell is typical of lagers packaged in green bottles: a bit grainy and a bit skunked. nothing more to say. luckily, this doesn't carry over into the flavour, which is nice and crisp and quite refreshing. it's nothing that breaks the bank, but it's better than any US macro, and probably better than all of the canadian ones as well. this is a relatively smooth brew overall that's quite quaffable, especially in the summer months. not great overall, but it'll quench your thirst.

1neutral

Best Of Beer Camp: California Common - Beer Camp #8

California Common / Steam Beer

A: Pours a bright golden with a moderate frothy head. Light lacing. S: Inviting aroma with honey and light citrus. T: Malty with a candy-like sweetness. Full, thick flavors of honey, brown sugar, and tropical fruit. Almost a dessert beer. M: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. Unusually chewy and sticky for the style, but I like it. D: A solid offering and certainly one of the best commons that I've had. Well done!

2positive

Hoppe (Imperial Extra Pale Ale)

American Double / Imperial IPA

22 oz. bomber poured into a pint glass. Pours a clear light copper hue with a nice two finger fluffy white head that dies down to a nice lacing. Good stickiness. Very spicey hop aroma...clean, tingles the nose. Floral scents mix in there with a bit of pine as well. Taste starts off with a good balance between piney hops and pale malt. Hops then begin to dominate as the tongue dries and bitterness takes over. Mouthfeel is light bodied with a fair amount of carbonation. Goes down quite well, smooth and crisp. For 10% abv, this goes down very easy. Job well done, much better than Flying Dog's attempt at a Double Pale Ale. Pick up this one for sure if you can.

2positive

Cerveza Jerome Roja

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Poured from a 750 ml. bottle into a Hennepin flute. A--Dark ginger ale body, active bubbles, no head--maybe a half finger off the pour, but died almost immediately. S--Honeyed caramel malt, with something sour and earthy behind it. Lots of grassiness with a faint green apple skin background. T--Follows the nose for the most part with regard to the honeyed malt and sour sweetness of green apple. Almost cider-ish at points. But there is a definite mustiness, real basement, toward the finish, that's not really appealing, before the noticeable and pleasant bitter hop finish. Would like to have had more hop flavors and aromas evident in the nose and flavor profile. M&D--Mouthfeel is too watery, and too flat. Drinkability--meh. Not objectionable, but not terribly memorable either. Was looking for something more stand out, given this is the first beer I've had from South America. Kind of a deconstructed biere de garde, in a way. More that than a red ale, in my eyes (and nose, and tongue).

1neutral

Hipp-O-Lantern

Pumpkin Ale

I picked up one bottle of this recently, first pumpkin of the year. Appearance is a dark orange color with an off-white head. Smell contains vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin, nice mix. Taking a sip of Hopp-O-Lantern and it tastes great. It has an emphasize on spice, malt is also prevalent, and sweet, but not overboard. Mouthfeel is a proper balance for the style. Drinkability for an imperial pumpkin is surprisingly good. If you have access to this in your state, try it !

2positive

Trois Pistoles

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

A: Ruby/brown in color with large head. Poured into my Unibroue tulip. S: Strong citrus and fruit aroma with a little bready yeasty undertone. T: Tastes of dark fruits and a little bitter citrus to pull it together. Somewhat spicy and bready in the finish. M: Wonderfully carbonated with dry finish leaving a little oil on the palate. D: Great brew to sip on for an afternoon.

2positive

Faxe Premium Danish Lager

Euro Pale Lager

Flavorful Lager from Denmark. Worthy of an above average rating for a lager. Tasty and refreshing, with no objectionable after tastes or smells. If your belly (or wife) permits, you can easily drink massive quantities of this.

2positive

Insanity

English Barleywine

12 oz bottle. My understanding is this is bourbon barrel aged, and what's not to love about bourbon barrel aged barleywines? Pours a nice dark golden color with appropriate carbonation. Smells are interesting. Coconut and sweet bananas with some alcohol. Fruits, but more light fruits (apricot, yellow raisin) than dark fruits. The bourbon and oak are in the back, not sure how much I'd pick up on those if I weren't looking. Hints of solvents. (uh-oh) Tastes show more of the bourbon with the alcohol and the coconut/banana. It's interesting and unique, but the alcohol is ultimately too much. It has some sweetness, but more simple sugars than dark/rich toffee and caramel. Stronger bourbon notes with vanilla, oak, etc. would be appreciated and are missed here. There is a solventy vibe that comes and goes, moreso when warming. Moutfeel is fine. Good heft, but not syrupy or heavy. Carbonation keeps things moving. If I want a barleywine, I'm not choosing this. If I want a barrel aged barleywine, I'm not choosing this. (but I do like the coconut)

0negative

Jurassian Imperial Stout (Cuvée Alex Le Rouge)

American Double / Imperial Stout

Picked up on a whim from Julio's. I wonder if aging this beer a few years would help soem of the qualities. Wonder if it would get that nice stouty mouthfeel... A - Poured into my Duvel tulip. Now, I got a nice fluffy 1 finger head from this which left a little sticky side lacing a nice wispy cloud atop a dark brownish red (just barely red). The head was impressive considering the ABV of this. S - Not getting much in the way of typical stout aromas, however, I am getting a fair amount of what this brewery promises. Getting some subtle spiceyness from the pepper as well as some herbal/sweetness from the tea. Sadly not getting any vanilla though, which is the quality I was looking forward to the most. T - Kinda like the nose here. This has a nice sweetness herbal quality to it, presumably from the tea, that one never finds in a stout. There isnt really any roasted qualities, but I'm getting that spicy pepper aspect and if I search really hard I can find a faint hint of vanilla on the back end. Still some more stout qualities would be nice... M - Really disappointed here. This feels nothing like a stout. Very thin, very watery. Not thick at all just a bit creamy. Low carbonation of course. D - A rather confusing beer. The ingrediants dont exactly work for me, or this beer. That being said, if you gave this a thick and creamy mouthfeel maybe it would gel a little better. Its a tough one, I want to like this offering based off of uniqueness, but there are jsut too many misteps here.

1neutral

Dad's Little Helper Malt Liquor

American Malt Liquor

Looks pretty good, especially for any malt liquor I've seen. Extremely clear brassy amber color with a white head and actual retention. Nose is hard to detect but what I find is sweet corn, caramel malt, and light delicate fruit. Tastes likewise with some lingering bitterness which helps counter the sweet caramel corn. Mouthfeel is suprisingly nice for what this is. Coating and smooth with a light to medium body and moderate but extended carbonation. Drinkability is ok. Back in the day I've had some malt liquors that don't go down nearly as easy. Interesting and worth the experience I guess. I suppose if you're on a 'mission' and for some reason have a hankering for malt liquor, pick this up.

1neutral

Papier

Old Ale

We opened this beer for my 22nd b-day!"Which is today" It's number 1915.. A- Pours a nice dark brown with no head at all. S- Smells like a caramel apple that was fermented. T- Taste is very similar to the smell. Tastes like apple cider that was spiked ! Very delicious indeed and Very sweet and satisfying! M- Mouth feel is very smooth .. Has absolutely no carbonation at all. D- Drinkability is good but we would definitely recommend aging this beer for a few years.. the alcohol is soo overwhelming that you can't enjoy all the flavors that this beer has to offer.

2positive

Gulden Draak (Dark Triple)

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Picked up a cute little stubby 11.2oz single from Steve's Liquor here in Madison. Neat white bottle too. Pours a murky mahogany brown with a short off-white head in my sweet new Schlitz chalice. That's right - Schlitz chalice. Anyhow, nose is warm and spicy with apple cinnamon and nutmeg over Belgian yeast. Tastes like chilled sparkling apple cider - winter spices, fresh pressed apples, figs, and some light bready yeast. Quite sweet overall, not a whole lot of bitter to balance it, but I didn't mind. Like a much more refined version of New Glarus' Apple Ale. The 10.5% is almost nonexistent, expertly hidden without bitterness. Another pleasant surprise for the night after DFH's 90 Minute IPA. Good beer night for me. Wish this wasn't so damn expensive, so a rare treat for me that I will surely enjoy again.

2positive

Piraat Ale

Belgian IPA

I paid $13 U.S. (Oct. 2011) for this. I got it based on it's rating on this website. This was a weird beer. At first I told myself that I would like this beer no matter what because "I am a beer connoisseur and I can appreciate anything truly unique and interesting"....I was wrong. This beer was uncomfortable. It was way too carbonated, which was the strangest part of it. It fizzled in my mouth and this made it hard to swallow. If I tried to just get it down it made me gassy before the next sip and I just couldn't bring myself to keep going. As for the taste, I found it obnoxious. It wasn't an IPA and it wasn't a double anything. The malts were just weird and the hops took a vacation to visit better breweries. To give a point of reference...Chimay Blue/Grand Reserve. If Chimay was a perfect 5 (which is close to the truth) this beer would define the bottom end of the style...1/5. But since this beer exists in a world with Bud Light, it obviously deserves more than a ZERO score. The truth/bottom line....I didn't finish my bomber...I tried, but it went down the sink.

0negative

Quatre-Centième Brassin Commémoratif

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Served in a 750 mL bottle and poured into a snifter. A: pours golden orange straw, hazy, with a foamy 2 finger head; very good lacing. S: baked bread at the start mixed with a yeasty, cinnamon clove aroma, a small amount of candy-like aroma as it warms up. T: a very spicy palate to this, with a dominating clove flavor throughout. As the beer warms, the clove flavor slips back, and a bready, coriander flavor with a hint of orange is detectable. It does end on a fairly sharp clove note that dovetails with an alcohol flavor. As I taste this, the beer seems to fit better as a saison than a Belgian strong pale. M: not as dry as many saisons and Belgian strong pales, slightly heavier with medium carbonation. D: A good beer but not as easy to throw back as a Duvel or a Saison DuPont; definitely felt it toward the end of the 750. other notes: from a style standpoint this doesn't fit either the Belgian Strong Pale or the Saison perfectly, although the saison in general seems to be a better descriptor.

1neutral

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale

American Brown Ale

Poured up nice and dark in the tumbler but with less than a half-inch of head. The head looked lazy, as if forced there for effect. A young caramelycharcoaly smell made a good second impression. Rich chocolaty taste burst through immediately but fizzled out thinly very quickly. Half way through the glass it thinned out some more, leaving me enjoying a beverage that just as easily could have been something other than beer. Very light carbonation. Overall decent experience, and I had another, but I saw no reason to continue. Would drink it again, but no reason to seek it out.

1neutral

Arbor Brewing Olde Number 22 Alt Bier

Altbier

Dark brown, nearly opaque beer topped by a thin ring of tan coloured head. Flavour and aroma were intensely malty, some toffee, with very little hop presence. Mild bitterness and a relatively clean yeast character with a bit of dark fruitiness. Some residual sweetness with a short, malty finish. Medium bodied with low carbonation and a slightly sweet, sticky texture.

1neutral

Backburner (Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale)

American Barleywine

s -- bottle, in a three philosphers glass. a -- dark brown, with a small head. s -- it smelled like alcohol asnd fruit. t -- this is one of the better barley wines, with a fruity alcohol taste that is not too overpowerful. m -- not much carbonation, but a smooth feel. d -- one bottle is enough for this night.

2positive

Pumking

Pumpkin Ale

I have wanted to try Pumking for a while and bought it in a growler. Had a sample at the store. The color was a rusty orange with an off-white head that lasted only briefly. The scent is what may entice people to try this beer. Super pumpkin pie spice on the nose and it matches the taste. All too often the scent of a beer does not correlate with the taste of the beer. This one does. As mentioned, loads of pumpkin pie spice, warm and roasty nutty flavors with a hint of vanilla? You definitely feel the ABV at play here. It is a drinkable beer for the ABV (9.0%), but can that can sneak up on you. The mouthfeel is surprisingly pleasant. All together and Southern Tier has put together a heavy weight pumpkin ale that I'd buy again without hesitation.

1neutral

Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

A - Pours a golden/copper with a thin white head that reduces to a thin ring leaving blotchy lacing down the glass. S - Aroma of citrus and floral hops a little piney. Sweet malts follow it. T - Like it smells. Good balance between the hops and malt with a touch of grains that follow. M - Smooth and crisp, decently carbonated, light to medium bodied. D - Good balance makes this easy to drink. Could have a few more.

2positive

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale

American Brown Ale

Pours a dark ruby brown hue with highlights when held up toward to the light. Mocha tan head forms thick with fine even lacing. Big chunky sporadic clumps of laced stick to the glass. Served a bit warm is perfect all kind of malt and hop nose going on here for me to describe. Light coffee dark chocolate roasted malt character with a touch of toasted nut, a bit green and vinous with the hop nose well interwoven with the darker malts. Hops herbal mint with the malts providing a refreshing mix of dark caramel/chocolate/and mild coffee accents. Mouthfeel is medium bodied soft carbonation going on, I guess Sierra Nevada really wants to make a brown ale. Drinkable especially as the beer warms up, I can't wait to settle in with a 12 pack of this as the weather cools off.

2positive

Trade Winds

American Pale Wheat Ale

On cask Pours with a light yellow body, slight foamy head with little retention Smell hints of flowers, slight malt sweetness, citrusy with a hint of elderflower or some other flowers Taste, dry and a little thick on the palette, floral and malty Not a bad little wheat

1neutral

Exit 13

Foreign / Export Stout

Pours a dark brown with a thin tan head that doesn't stick around long. The aroma has some nice gourmet chocolate upfront, along with some coffee, caramel, dark fruits and cream. The flavor is similar with milk chocolate notes initially, along with dark fruits (cherry and plum), coffee, burnt bread and some slight alcohol notes. Mouthfeel is silky smooth and drinkability is excellent. Pretty tasty foreign stout, which a nice chocolate component.

2positive

Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

Pours a reddish-orange hue, producing two fingers of slightly off-white foam that dissipates fairly quickly to a cap that leaves behind thick sheets of lace on the glass. A mostly sour aroma fills the nose, though in this case it is not a bad thing; fruity-sweet notes and cranberry (the source of sourness) essence are plentiful. Medium-bodied and nicely carbonated. A nice sweet/tanginess of cranberry juice hits up front and crowds around the edges, with a middle that is rather smooth and lightly bready with a faint hint of banana mixed in as well. Goes down with a lingering tangy sweetness. Very refreshing and with a fairly light level of alcohol content, making this one quite drinkable. Would pair excellently with turkey and cranberry sauce, complementing the flavors of the cranberries, and with its nice tart acidity it would cut through the fats and oils of dressing and gravy or even delicious holiday duck. This one gets, in my opinion, an undeservedly bad rap from the majority of reviewers, and while the name is misleading and this is no true lambic, and while every palate is different and no palate is wrong, I believe that a great number of negative reviews are not objective, but are based rather in large part on prior negative reviews. This may not be the best that BBC has to offer, but I most certainly wouldn't call it the worst, either.

2positive

Unplugged Iced Barleywine

English Barleywine

Pours a dark mahogany with a silky tan head and some light lacing. Nose has fruity hops, candy malts, booze, cherries and plums. Taste has sweet bready malts, toffee and ripe pitted fruits up front with bitter hops and peppery alcohol through the finish. Full body comes off a bit thick and is still a little hot. Should age nicely for years to come.

1neutral

Samuel Smith's India Ale

English India Pale Ale (IPA)

This is one of those wonderful rare ales that catches you a bit off guard. Pours into your glass a unique, orange tinted hue. Nice color, nice smell, take a sip and the taste just knocks you over. It has its own flavor, something quite complicated and unique to just this Ale. Sort of a sharp, tangy bitterness is the only way I can think of to describe it. I know that sounds bad, but trust me, it's good. This one seemes destined to become one of my favorite pale ales. Would probably make a fairly good baseline against which to compare all other IPAs.

2positive

Orval Trappist Ale

Belgian Pale Ale

A- Pours a cloudy copper color with a huge 4 plus finger cream colored head. S- Wet hay, mineral notes, smoke, and grassy earth. Reminds me a lot of a big Italian red wine. T- Grassy earth, hay, leather. Reminiscent of Italian red wine. M- Clingy, flavors linger, smooth carbonation. D- This is quite the complex beer. There's a ton going on in the nose and palate. This is the type of beer that broadens your palate.

2positive

Newport Storm Regenschauer Oktoberfest

Märzen / Oktoberfest

POurs a golden color. Biscuty nose and hints of grass. tastes pretty malty, kinnda spicy. some hops in the aftertaste, but thats about it. There are hints of Molasses, but in the end, the hops finish it off. Rather light, somewhat watery mouthfell. Pretty drinkable. Not a bad brew, get it if you can

1neutral

Orval Trappist Ale

Belgian Pale Ale

Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River has said in interviews that this is his favorite beer. As his brewing efforts have turned me on to a variety of beer styles, I figure Orval is worth a closer look. Bottled on February 20, 2008, making it about 13 months old. Served at 50F in a Russian River tulip. Pours a cloudy medium tan that reminds me of unfiltered apple cider. The off-white two-finger thick head is chunky, uneven, and long-lasting. The nose on Orval is pure brett, with characteristic wine and vinegar notes. Hints of citrus and spices round things out. Taste is brilliant. If you enjoy Russian River's sours you will understand how this served as one of Vinnie's inspirations upon the very first sip. The huge brett aroma is muted in the taste, giving it a mild sourness, backed up by green apples and spice. Finish is bitter then dry, almost like champagne. The taste that remains between sips reminds me of Perrier. I'm thinking Orval may be the perfect way to introduce people to the idea of sourness in beer. As with most proper Belgians, carbonation is huge. Body is right in the middle, and the 6.9% abv is well-masked. Were it not for the price tag, I would probably pick Orval up much more often. Five bucks for a 33cl bottle is a bit steep, but somehow upon finishing it still seems like a fantastic bargain.

2positive

La Terrible

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Appearance: Very dark thinner than a stout with a head that quickly disappears. Smell: To style, sweet figs with a hint of cherries. Taste and Mouthfeel: This one has a sweet, effervescent flavor with figs and cherries, and a sturdy malt back bone. Spicy alcohol pulls no punches. The mouthfeel is very thin and bubbly and that along with the abv makes me suspect this is fermented at some point with champagne yeast. Not this brewery's best beer but still a good one. Drinkability: 10.5% but still, I'll take it over some cheapie skunk beer any day on the drinkability scale.

2positive

Masala Mama India Pale Ale

American IPA

My sister was in Minneapolis for a college activities planning convention and was nice enough to walk down to the brewpub, buy a growler of this, lug it back to her hotel (almost 2 miles one way), and bring home in her backpack. Im glad she did, its a tasty beer that has more malt complexity than youd expect from an IPA. The brown body is topped off by a medium-sized head. The aroma smacks first of hops, pine tip variety, but is followed up by a solid, sweet caramel and biscuit malt. The flavor is full, the malt thick in the mouth with the tingling carbonation and prickly bitterness lightening the load. Excellent.

2positive

Trappistes Rochefort 6

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

LOOK. Full of life and a seductive crackling fizz on first pour. However, the head and lace dissipated rather quickly. SMELL. Dried fruit, bread crust, milk chocolate. BODY & TASTE. Soft and medium with a crackling fizz. Begins with a slight sweetness which then expresses itself with subtle notes of dark dried fruit and spice. Yeasty, herbal notes persists throughout. Then, finishing it off is note of dried fruit which tastes more like cocoa powder as it lingers. AFTERMATH. Love it with carrot cake, or perhaps a cinnamon-based dessert. Caramelized pears. Fuhgedibowdit.

2positive

Buzzards Bay Olde Buzzard Lager

Dortmunder / Export Lager

I wasn't impressed so far with the Buzzard Bay Golden lager, But this has slightly more promise. Almost no head to speak of, but it came out with a nice golden colour, smelled slightly floral, but not particularly mouthwatering. The taste was actually quite nice, and the drinkability was excellent. This beer practically leaps down your throat and begs for another to follow it. My opinion of the Buzzards Bay company has been revised...

2positive

Paas IJ

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Pale yellow with a dense white head. Masses of coriander in the aroma, rounded off with some citrus and orange, neutral taste with coriander and fruit aromas. A bitter, spicy finish that ends very dry. Very good beer, with lots of coriander. Varies a bit from year to year, but usually pretty good.

2positive

Atwater Vanilla Java Porter

American Porter

Roasty smell, typical of a porter. You can smell a little bit of the coffee and only a hint of the Vanilla. Dark Brown, not black apperance, with minimal head. Nice roasty taste. This is a decent beer. A good beer for people to start with if they are new the world of dark beer. Smoother than most porters. You pick up a good balance of the coffe with the rest of the malts used. very faint hoppiness. light carbonation and creamy mouthfeel. This beer is smooth and therefore doesn't leave as dry of a finish as most porters. This beer is great for a session, no mention of abv on the bottle but any alcohol in it does not come off boozy in the least bit. Beer is chugable!

1neutral

Altbier

Altbier

Pours a nice orange brown into the frosty mug. Nice little head that lasted about 30 seconds, and was gone. I shake it a little, and enjoy the look of the suds for another 4 seconds. I've entered the "taste" portion of this experience now, and the enjoyment has ended. I recall a joke my Dad told me when I was 9 referencing how Budweiser was like "making love in a canoe"... Sorry, but not a lot happening here. It's very smooth, if you're trying to find the mug half-full. I'm not...I'm trying to find it all the way empty. Next, please.

1neutral

Tröegs Pale Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

Served on-tap, in a pint glass, at the brewery. As served, Tregs Pale Ale was a very pale golden bronze, with very little head and little-to-no lace. It didn't appeal much to the eye. The smell and taste were malty and acidic with a low hop presence. No single hop characteristic (citrus, grass, pine, etc.) stood out, and as a result, neither did the ale. Overall, Tregs Pale Ale is better than average, but not remarkable. I won't regret it, but I don't expect to remember it in the morning.

2positive

Samuel Adams Noble Pils

Czech Pilsener

Appearance: Poured from the 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. The beer is clear, golden colored with a decent head (about an inch and a half). Head fades to a solid cap that leaves little lacing. Smell: Scent of a decent hopping comes through quickly. Bursting with aromatic hops, floral and lemony zest aromas. Much more hoppy than I typically expect for a pilsner. One of the most aromatic pilsners I have poured. Taste: Follows the scent of the beer. Some lemony citrous zing, malts seem subdued by a bracing, bitter finish. Not what I would call a textbook pilsner, but very interesting. Mouthfeel: While I want to call this a medium bodied beer, it is well carbonated and that helps to keep it light and lively. Crisp and "clean" (no lingering aftertaste) going down. Drinkability: A very drinkable beer, if you like hoppy pilsners. While this would not be an overly hoppy beer if it were an IPA, it maybe on par hop-wise with some APA's, it is on the hoppy/bitter side of the malt/hops balance of flavors. Unfortunately, I do not think that many pils drinkers want a beer this hop-centric.

1neutral

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin Ale

Appears a dark red color. With a small slightly tan head. Smells of cinnamon and other pumpkin pie spices, brown sugar and earthy pumpkin. It tastes much like the smell. There is a noticeable taste of pumpkin spice but it is not overwhelming. There is a slight taste of brown sugar and a nice pumpkin flavor. The carbonation is moderate high. The drinkability is about average for they style. I could drink more than one but probably not more than two. Overall a nice ale by Sam Adams. I was pleasantly surprised by the natural pumpkin taste in the beer.

1neutral

Double White Ale

Witbier

Southampton Double White, 7% ABV:Beautiful, cloudy, golden appearance . . . Bananas, citrus, and clove in the nose. Malty upfront with flavors of citrus rind, spice, and bananas. Has a nice spritzy effervescence. Flavors dissipate slowly with heavy orange and lemon citrus, spice, and hints of bananas leading way to a nice crisp, semi-dry finish . . . Very complex . . . Very satisfying . . . This Double White Ale is much more complex and sophisticated than its traditional White Ale counterparts. Stylistically speaking, you wouldn't enter this White Ale into a White Ale category. It's much too large for the category. This is a thinking outside of the box White Ale that combines American creativity with the fundamental flavor profile of a traditional White Ale. This is a White Ale with attitude . . . Bad-ass attitude. Thanks, Phil!

2positive

Samuel Smith's Pure Brewed Lager Beer

Euro Pale Lager

It pours clear, the color of straw with a nice, though short-lived, head. There are decent remnants of lace. Smells like grass, hay, hints of cabbage and honey. Smells clean. The taste is juicy malt, subtly fruity, and a lingering gentle hop finish. Occasionally there is the impression of melted butter in the nose and the taste. As it warms there are hints of grapefruit and/or riesling in the aroma. It's very smooth and refreshing, and surprisingly complex for a lager.

2positive

Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin Ale

Color and appearence: Nice burnt orange color. Head is nice and thick after a hard pour. Aroma: I have not had one of these in a number of years. So I am a bit surpriced by the light scent of spice. Bitterness: A hint of bitterness. Seems like the right amount for this style. Alcohol: Seems higher then the 5.60 % that is listed on this site. Makes me think twice before having more then two. Flavor and aftertaste: The flavor is not that strong in the spices. I have a hard time picking which spices I can taste at all.I would have preferred a stronger taste. Balance: A good beer to have when relaxing at home. Can see having more then one for the night though.

1neutral

New York Lager

American Pale Lager

Pours deep amber with a small, quickly fading head. Nose shows sweet malt and spicy, fruity hops. Bit grassy too. Similarly malty flavours, a fair whack of bready and caramel characters really show through. Pretty much a bock. Nice moderate carbonation, could be a little higher.

1neutral

Samuel Adams Black Lager

Schwarzbier

Pours a dark brown color, maybe a little towards amber or a red brown, very dark, but not cloudy. Off-white/light brown head that lingers for a while and leaves some neat lacing. Smells of chocolate malt, a little bit of toasted malt in there. Not sure what I think of the taste just yet. This style is very new to me. Mouthfeel is medium with mild carbonation. Overall I am sure this is a fine beer, I don't know the style that well yet. From a standpoint of pure enjoyment (ignoring conformation to style or level of innovation) I found this to only be mediocre.

1neutral

Black Wattle Superior Wattle Seed Ale

Herbed / Spiced Beer

Pours a clear amber brown. Some crme head. Nose is slightly sweet and a bit bitter at the same time. I have never had anything with wattle seed before, so what the hell do I know. Flavor is pretty distinct, and I can only assume that it is aided by the seed. Besides that though, there is a great slightly roasted aspect to it that puts it one step above the mass of horrid herbed/spiced beers. It gives a nice hearty and robust experience. Feel has a great level of carbonation to it and a well bodied liquid feel. After seeing the low scores on this one, I had equally high hopes. But I have to say I was pretty surprised by this one. I think it is very drinkable and has a lot of positive qualities about it. Well worth trying. When drinking this one, I feel like I am having a real beer, and not just some gimmick piece of crap.

2positive

Atwater Cherry Stout

American Stout

Poured into pint glass. Pours 1/2 of tan head. Fades down to a thick ring. No lace left. Color is a pretty much black. Aroma: Fresh cherries, roasted malts, chocolate. Pretty straight forward. Taste: The cherries here don't seem as fresh or real, but they show. Some chocolate and roasted malts again. A lot like the aroma. I really can't pick much else up. Mouthfeel: Crisp, smooth, with a bit of sourness to it. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends a bit dry with some cherries. Overall, not too impressed with this one. The cherries are there but they are not very fresh or tart. It is somewhat drinkable, but I would much rather have a NG Cherry Stout.

1neutral

Creme Brulee (Imperial Milk Stout)

American Double / Imperial Stout

Pours a dark brown to a black color, with a light tan head. In the aroma, vanilla, hazelnut, and cocoa, quite sweet as well. In the taste, chocolate, vanilla, and a bit nutty. Like drinking a creme brulee. A smooth, big body mouthfeel and a dry, small bitter cocoa aftertaste. FANTASTIC smell, taste, and mouthfeel. Hides the 10%, and easy to drink.

2positive

Fifteen

American Double / Imperial Stout

Weyerbacher Fifteen has a black, opaque body and a thick brown head. The head has solid retention, and leaves some rings around my glass. The aroma has roasted malts, bitter chocolate and a good bit of fruitiness to it. Weyerbacher Fifteen is pretty nice, and from the first sip I liked it. The aroma leans mostly on roasted malt and bitter chocolate malt. It also incorporates a smokey flavor and a big, fruity flavor that reminds me of black currants and cherries. A hint of hop bitterness lies underneath, and the finish has a blast of boozy warmth. The body is probably a touch below moderate for the style. Considering how big this beer is, the drinkability is pretty good. A nice, fairly complex mix of flavors that balance each other out makes Weyerbacher Fifteen a winner.

2positive

Samuel Adams Holiday Porter

American Porter

This beer pours very dark, darker even that other porters. I can't see any light through this. It also has a lovely light brown head that's about an inch thick after settling. It smells lightly of roasted malt and a bit of tannin. The taste is pure porter: Roasted grain and coffee flavors mix with a light sweetness and creaminess. The body is glassy smooth and creamy. This is a fine porter, one of the most consistent styles.

2positive

Purple Haze

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

I only recently started enjoying "fruity" beers. UFO's Raspberry Hefeweizen being one of my favorites so I thought I would give Purple Haze a shot. It pours nicely but the head was quick to dissipate. There is only a small hint of raspberry in the beer which was disappointing to me. There also isn't much body to the beer. I would certainly drink this beer again, but there are many others that I would choose before I came back to this one.

1neutral

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

American Porter

Appearance: Thick black liquid and a pretty good amount of white foam. Smell: Strong coffee and chocolate malts. An incredibly wonderful! I love this! Taste/Mouthfeel: More amazing coffee and chocolate malt. Basically tastes like a Starbucks drink. Pretty smooth mouthfeel as well. Not very creamy, but lots of carbonation that smoothens this out. Drinkability: Amazing smell and taste make this an extremely drinkable beer. Overall: Great Lakes strikes again. This might head the list.

2positive

YuleSmith (Summer)

American Double / Imperial IPA

Ok so this really does get my first perfect 5! It was the 2007 red and blue bottle. Poured a dep hazy amber with a big billowing white head that was so sticky it literally collapsed on the inside but the top and sides stayed together. Big time lace and alot of carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass. The smell was hoptastic, hey a new word. Such a deep citric smell. Lots of grapefruit and orange, with a touch of pineapple and Lemon thrown in. The taste was out of this world. Bigtime hoppy IPA. Not alot of alcohol taste, well covered up. But soo sticky with hop resin and orange and grapefruit taste. It was rediculously fresh tasting and feeling. Unreal smooth and great dry finish. This really deserves a 5. I ha really liked the winter edition, but this was absolutly the perfect Double IPA. Not too harsh, but yet harsh. Strong but not upfrontly so. I am going to get as much as I can, and being in South Carolina that will be no easy feat. This was easily the best of the style I have ever had and I will hold all future up to it until it gets put down. Now I need to find a 5 in a Pilsner!

2positive

Best Of Beer Camp: Double IPA - Beer Camp #29

American Double / Imperial IPA

Have not tried anything from the beer camp series yet. 12oz bottle... A: A nice clear golden honey color with a 1 inch white head that fades slowly to a lace atop the brew. Good. S: A get an intense hop upfront with its mild citrus and earthy pepper. A mild honey. Malts are buried in the one. T: A nice clean citrus upfront with a bitter hop bite in the middle. A mild, iced tea flavor on the backend. Good. M: Medium body with a hard carbonation. A very bitter / dry finish. Ok. O: All in all, this is an ok brew. Seems like a homebrew. I understand that is the concept behind there beers, but when something tastes like it was homebrewed, and it's commerically released, then you're not where you want to be. Some can make a homebrew taste pro, and that's amazing. Try if you like SN, but otherwise, not one of the best in the style.

1neutral

Half-E-Weizen

Witbier

(a) Poured into a 32oz mug with a thick and creamy head...very remincient to a hefewiezen. Pale in color, see through, decent carbonation. (4/5) (s) This really does smell like a good german hefewiezen. Strong scents of clove, citrus, bananas. Smells great. (3.5/5) (t) Tastes more like a Pilsner rather than a witbier. I've had alot of witbiers, like my fav, but this one is excellent and im not sure if it tastes like a white beer. Strong tastes and texture of a hefewiezen but it feels like a pilsner. (4/5) (m) Light on the tongue like a witbier, little more heavy than what I expected. (3.5/5) (d) Decent drinkability. Pairs well with comfort food and a great summer brew. (4/5)

2positive

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale

American Brown Ale

Nice brown and copper color with a finger and a half off white head and decent lacing. Smell is of lightly roasted sweet malts, caramel and a touch of hops, smells like fall! Taste is of rich malts, roasted caramel and the end gives you a bit of hops to balance it all out. Mouthfeel is medium body with low carbonation and is slightly creamy. Very good fall beer, watch the leaves fall and enjoy.

2positive

Sweetwater IPA

American IPA

Bottle included in a recent trade. Thanks! Beer served in a shaker pint. Beer is amber and completely clear (wasn't this beer unfiltered at some point), thin head, minimal lacing, low carbonation. Aroma is pine and malt, a little harsh. Beer is moderate in body and mildly sweet on the get go, the midpalate is earthy sulfury hops and a decent finish with moderate bitterness. Beer does not finish dry, the overall malt backbone weighs this beer down in a bad way unfortunately. I did not thoroughly enjoy this beer. I've had this on tap before and I remember liking it better. I'd have it again to confirm my suspicions that this may be an older bottle as this is not as hoppy as I recall it to be.

1neutral

Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat

Milk / Sweet Stout

Tallboy into a Cambridge Brewing Co. pint glass. Thanks for the extra htomsirveaux. Reviewed from notes. The darkest shade of brown, all but black in the body. Even an aggressive pour couldn't muster much of a head, though there was some really nice lacing. Very interesting aroma. Right off the bat, there's a strong presence of sweet chocolate malt. Underneath, a slight sour twang that reminds me of cherries. There's another element of sweetness sort of like honey. The taste is sweeter than the smell would suggest, with some bitterness for balance. Quite a big of chocolate along with roasted malts that impart a coffee-like flavor. Not much of a cherry, sour flavor to it. There's also a very pleasant taste of caramel. Mouthfeel is on the thin side, watery and a little overcarbonated. Still though, for the ABV this is pretty chewy and full-bodied. A solid offering in a style I pretty rarely drink. I'd imagine that this would be absolutely delicious on nitro.

1neutral

Cháu Tiên Pale Ale

English Pale Ale

A- Had to knock off a few points for the color...it is certainly a Pale Ale, however, it is a few shades darker than one should be (perhaps too much specialty grains). Exactly the colour of an ipa, a reddish caramel with a nice light tan head, foamy and heavy, about 1 finger thick. S- Like the label reads, a fruity, malty aroma. Alot of ale yeast esters going on here... Some fruit reminiscent of cherry, yeasty, rich and bready. The malts stand out here, too, with sweet, caramel notes. Hop presence is slight, but definitely there. i get a tad bit of grass, a very subtle citric floral quality, perhaps herbal...almost like lemon grass. Great nose on this distinguished pale ale. Going by style guidlines, not quite typical, so I should knock some points off, but it is inventive and wonderful, so... T- Much like the nose, the malts and yeast are the stars in this pale ale. The hops hide until the very tail, where they come in very dry and pleasant, floral like honeysuckle. Bready, malty, slightly fruity. This is alot like an English pale more than an American, even more so towards an ESB even. Great tasting ale with some interesting and delicious characteristics. M- A little lacking in the mouth... Some slight sticky sweet from the malts, a coating effect from the yeast (that stays in the palate longer than anything), and some drying from the hops. D- This is a very enjoyable beer. I've had it with dinner and with a warm Bay Area day. Good for all occasions. Recommended.

2positive

Hop Dam Triple IPA

American Double / Imperial IPA

Poured into a 13 oz tulip. Pours a bright reddish orange, with a 1 inch off white sticky head, plenty of lacing. Smell grapefruit, grass, pine, and some breadyness. Taste is all of that with a large grapefruit pucker at the end, very little taste of alcohol, impressive for the abv. Nice body and great carbonation especially for it's big abv. Nice beer, but I want to be amazed for $18.99 a bomber and I didn't notice a date on the bottle.

1neutral

Molson XXX

American Malt Liquor

Had one of these left over from playoff hockey. Figured I'd review it. A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a crystal clear golden colourwith a fizzy one finger head that never really fully went away, just faded into a white halo and thin wisps. S - Some light malts, corn, and even some fruit sweetness. Surprisingly good nose and the ABV isnt really detecteble. T - This is more of what I expect. There is some malt sweetness, and some corn, but mostly you're tasting the 7.30% ABV in every sip and it only gets worse as the beer warms up. M - Crisp and dry thanks to the carbonation, but the high ABV is definately noticeable. O - Overall this isnt a bad macro. Its high ABV can really creep up on you, and once it warms up it tastes hideous, but for what it costs its worth the money.

1neutral

Hopsquatch Barleywine

American Barleywine

What idiots come out with a barleywine to drink when it is 110 degrees outside, and that doesn't have air conditioning? If they sit on this beer a few more months I am sure it would get a better review but their atmosphere (heat) made drinking this beer almost impossible. Had to drink 3 glasses of ice water just to get it down. Good barleywine color, not a lot of hop aroma, more malt based than hoppy. I like the food at Four Peaks but find that their beers including this one are made just too mainstream. Hello MCFLY. This is a barleywine. Make it a barleywine and not just an american strong ale.

0negative

CB's Spring Fever

Maibock / Helles Bock

Fortunate to have a preview. Malt, hops and fizz. Wish they would serve this at the ballpark instead of flat and dry national brands. Refreshes. Pale in appearance and pales against rest of their lineup. Smells like beer, as nothing over-the-top added. Unoffensive choice.

2positive

Hop Rod Rye

Rye Beer

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a dark amber color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of hops, some citrus. Taste is the same, very hoppy, some citrus notes, the 8% alcohol is well hidden, as is the rye. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

1neutral

The Devastator Double Bock

Doppelbock

Found this one in a state liquor store somewhere near St. George, Utah, on my way to California. I was surprised at the somewhat archaic beer laws in Utah (special rooms at gas stations, high alcohol beers only in state run liqour stores, not sold cold, only singles), but decided to pick a few bottles up. This one poured from the bottle like liquid caramel glistening in the sun. Nice aromas of caramel and earth hop, give way to apples and fruity hops on the palate. A different and interesting dopplebock.

1neutral

Moylander Double IPA

American Double / Imperial IPA

22oz bottle poured into a tulip. No freshness info. Pours a cloudy honey-amber orange with one finger of foam and lots of carbonation. Spotty lacing. Smell is classic, wonderful. Grapefruit citrus and pineapple sweetness. Malt and hops are balanced nicely on the nose with appropriate leaning towards the hoppy side. The hops smell bright and fresh. Mouthfeel is heavy and full. Almost syrupy but not really. Still not as drinkable as some DIPAs. Carbonation is right on, helping give it more life on the tongue and keeping it from weighing down. This is packing some serious IBUs. A tinge of rich malt hits the palate first before a tidal wave of hops singes off our taste buds. Lots of grapefruit citrus and a little bit of pine. Solid malt backbone keeps it from being too overwhelming but the finish is still nice and resiny. Definitely an outstanding effort and sure to please any hop head.

1neutral

American Pale Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

Thanks to SheepNutz for this tasty brew...it was sampled in a glass chalice Appearance: Pours a deep amber with an airy off-white head that lasts during the entire session, and laces incredibly down the glass. Smell: Grass and Grapefruit...not much maltiness at all in the aroma. Taste: Hugely grapefruit...it's very similar in flavor to Weyerbacher's Hops Infusion, yet without the metallic taste. There is a bit of toasted maltiness present in the taste. Mouthfeel: Very harsh bitter aftertaste. Body is medium, but bitterness doesn't balance well with it. Drinkability: Easy to drink. It did take me a while to finish, but it got much better when it was warmer.

2positive

30th Anniversary - Jack & Ken's Ale

American Barleywine

Poured into Founders snifter Pours 1/2 finger of beige head. Color is a copper brown. Good head retention with some splattered lace. Aroma: Roasted malts with notes of chocolate, caramel, and toffee. I get some earthy, piney hopes with some grapefruit citrus. Fairly roasted and malty, but still pretty hoppy. Taste: Roasted malts with much more citrus here. Grapefruit and orange citrus. Chocolate and caramel malt with a bit of toffee. Grassy and floral. Some dark dried fruits as well. Mouthfeel: Roasted and bitter with some creaminess. Medium to full bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Ends sticky, yet roasted. Overall it is an awesome take on the style. Kind of like the best of both worlds. The hop profile is well done which is important with these type of beers. It has a decent drinkability.

1neutral

Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

The beer pours a bit thin, not much of a head. Dark red color (to be expected from the CRANBERRY lambic) Smells of very slight cranberry with a hint of cheep alcohol. The taste is very lacking. The cranberry being very diluted, almost like background noise. It has a metallic mid and after taste. This beer is pretty weak. If I were to describe it accurately, It's kind of like drinking a beer that the Flintstone Vitamin company made.

0negative

Mountain Goat India Pale Ale

English India Pale Ale (IPA)

Appearance - 3.0 Poured two fingers of foamy white head with lots of suspended sediment in the cloudy amber-beige body. Smell - 3.0 Quite a soft aroma, sweetish with an apple juice like fruitiness and not much in the way of malt. Taste - 2.0 This is a beer that to me suffers from the "Coopers Syndrome" of having far too much yeast. Crisp with bready pale malt, red apple and moderate bitterness. The yeastiness is if anything, stronger than the hop bitterness, which is completely wrong for an IPA, and gives a detergent-like taste and astringency. Mouthfeel - 3.0 Possibly a little over-fizzy. Drinkability - 1.5 The more I have of this beer, the less I want to take another sip. OVERALL - 2.45 After the very competent Hightail Ale, this beer is a great disappointment. It is sad to see another Australian ale spoiled by an overly yeasty character. I'm not sure if Aussie micro brewers do it to make their beers more "Coopers-like", but I sure as hell don't like it.

0negative

AleSmith IPA

American IPA

I poured this son of a bitch into a Duvel tulip glass, anticipating that it would be good enough to sit in such a luxurious vessel. This is the first time I've seen Alesmith in these parts (Arcata, California) -- exciting. Ok... Pours a brilliant, almost glowing amber. Whipped, frothy head, white as cooked egg whites. Smell: floral and citrus burst of hops upfront (lemon at first, deepening into grapefruit rind, freshly peeled and a little juiced; also some nice, I don't know, rose petal? the hops make a glorious perfume here); the middle and finish bring out some malt sweetness, slight caramel, cotton candy still warm from the cotton candy machine (whatever they call that thing, I don't know). Taste: deep cut of solid hop force underneath my palate (juicy as hell, citrusy; grapefruit, lemon zest, maybe some tangerine thrown in as well; a fruit salad here!), followed by a sharper bitterness that becomes almost peppery, more mild than black pepper, maybe like the stuff that comes from the can, not freshly ground, but pleasant; the finish brings out a nice sheet of malt sweetness to contrast with the intense hop progression. Mouthfeel: slick, a little sticky on the roof of my mouth, but no complaints. Amazing IPA. I hope Alesmith's brews stick around here, and that we receive a wider variety in the future -- the only other Alesmith brew I saw at the store is the pale ale.

2positive

Centennial Red (Brewmaster Series)

American Amber / Red Ale

22 oz. bomber poured into a balloon glass. Good head on the pour with decent lacing that stuck around for a while. Smells of roasted malt and some subtle brown sugar. You can definitely smell the hops too, which is always nice with a red. Taste is malty, but dry and a little chalky. The hops are not in balance and after the first few sips they pretty much fade to the background if not fade away. The chalkiness appears in the mouthfeel too but it's not too much of a distraction. Overall this is a decent beer and it's easy to drink. I love visiting Long Trail and like their Eco Friendly corporate philosophy. I recently had a Lagunitas Lucky 13, and that is by far the superior imperial red, but this one is worth trying once. Cheers!

1neutral

Black Phoenix (Chipotle Coffee Ale)

American Stout

Many thanks to leschkie for this one! Poured into pint glass... A- Well, this is waaay over carbonated. I think I got less than a cm of beer and 3/4 glass of foam... Once things settle, its a dark brown/maroon color; pale khaki head atop still billowing over the glass. S- Intense carbonation aroma. Not much coffee, but there is a touch of rotated barley in the nose. Overall light and underwhelming. T/M- It's just an over carbonated porter. Not much coffee, no chipotle, nothing spectacular. Caramel sweetness in the finish, but thats about as far as it goes. Taste follows nose closely- light and disappointing. Body is where this all went wrong. Carbonation is through the roof and prickly on the tongue. Too much gas, not enough body. O- Could have been decent, ended up a blank, foamy, light, liquid. Not sure if a batch issue or what, but I see some reviews eith my same problem and some without. The base porter I could taste really was decent, but everything else... sigh

1neutral

Sierra Nevada Porter

American Porter

Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights and a moderate tan head that sticks around for a while, slowly receding to a nice lace. Smell is roasted malt, chocolate, toffee and a little bit of hop. Taste is pleasantly chocolatey with some roast notes and a slight tartness that has lingers on the palate. The roasted grain really pulls through, but it backs up the chocolate flavors well. The hops lend it a nice little fruitiness that is extremely powerful in balancing out the malt. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and big enough that it doesn't feel weak. Nicely done.

2positive

Dogtoberfest

Märzen / Oktoberfest

Flying Dog has some great looking labels on their beer. Seroiusly, they are very creative. Now if only they could pass off some of that creativity into their recipes. Pours a typical yellow/orange color - very nice fluffy head on top. Not much of a smell to speak of. I kept leaning in for a nose on it, but I couldn't get much other than basic beer grains. Actually, the taste was pretty good. Nothing to knock my socks off, but easy to down. Has a lager feel with a bit less hops and perhaps some irish moss. Seems an awful lot like Pete's Wicked Oktoberfest.

1neutral

Chocolate Stout

American Stout

An inch of dark tan almost brown head forms with mixed bubbles. Body is a oily blackness like ink from a vintage pen. Nose has shades of smokey malt and coco and maybe even some dill seed. Enters the mouth creamy and smooth with big up front coco and vanilla. Most of the flavor is upfront on this one. You do get a little bit of a burnt malt feel on the back of the tongue. As it warms a little you get notes of dark fruit also. Mouthfeel is chocolatey thickness with a tit of bitter on the finish. Decently drinkable.

1neutral

Brahma Malzbier

Schwarzbier

I had never tasted or heard about a Malzbier before so I didn't know what to expect, and that's why I orderd it. When the bootle arrived on my table I realized it was a dark beer. Until there everything was good, my expectatons where good. Then I started pooring it into a pilsner glass and saw its brownish appearence, thouth it was strange but OK. After that I noticed that there was very little head or close to nothing and started to get worried. Could really smell anything, a bit of caramel maybe. Well, the caramel confirmed itself, the beer was very sweet and reminded my of cherry coke, but without the sparkling. It was so sweet that I had to stop drinking it half way down.

0negative

Kennebunkport IPA

American IPA

unlike everyone else,I really liked this beer. It is really kind of on the weak side for an ipa, but it was tasty going down.If you can look past that fact that it is not a true IPA, you will like it. Nice color, body and head rentention. Really drinkable, and cheap! 5.99 a six pack at Trader Joes.

2positive

Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue)

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

A dark brown, almost black beer, with a frothy head that disappears after minutes and leaves a small layer. Smell was chocolate and a slightly burned smell, not the explosion I expected. Taste was OK with burned coffee and caramel with a nice maltbitterness, some nutmeg and peppery notes which give the beer some complexity. Alcohol was not noticable. Body was rather thin and bland, aftertaste was dry. The thin body and the low complexity do not live up to my expectations.

1neutral

Chimay Première (Red)

Dubbel

Highs: Balanced taste Lows: Value Pours a dark tea color with a one-finger dark tan head that fades to heavy lace that lingers. Nose is of bitter hops and a tea-like aroma. Taste is again bitter and hopsy, with a hint of alcohol. No tea here, however odd. Mouthfeel is wet and bubbly; not bad. Finish is light bitter, not much on it. Drinkability is pretty goodits a mellow, unassuming ale. However, the premium price will probably keep you from drinking more than one. Overall: I like this ale, its well balanced and lacks the metallic notes Ive seen in many others. Given its price, however, Id keep looking. Worth a try.

1neutral

Old Style

American Adjunct Lager

This was the first beer I ever tried, I was 8 and my father would let me sip his Old Style on most weekends. I loved this stuff then and still enjoy it now. Had a chance to have one in Chicago and couldnt pass it up. Poured a pale yellow with a nice amount of carbonation creating a head that overlapped the top of the glass. Old Style has a nice mellow clean slightly hop scent to it. The tatste is much like the scent mellow and crisp. Clean and refreshing. Slight floral hop flavor with the sweet malt like flavors.

1neutral

Starobrno Cerveny Drak

Märzen / Oktoberfest

Returned for me by my parents from their trip to the Czech Republic. If they go back I'll have to request the 'Drak Black' just for its name. In the meantime, the Cerveny Drak... Pours a lovely colour, butterscotch amber with bubbly, pearl white head. At its peak it would surpass two fingers worth, a good fraction of which stayed the sitting. Some lacing. High marks for looks! Aroma was initially very inticing, a crisp shot of vienna malt. Sadly, that would fade and be replaced by ... nothing really. Literally, near nothing. In the same fashion, the flavour establishes itself quickly with a nice malt base, then quickly disappears. Carbonation is way too high for the style. Bad metallica aftertaste. Apart from a tiny, almost undetectable hint of amber malt this is no different from many of its Czech lager brothers: refreshing (maybe, in the right mood) but overly 'macro' in quality. It was hard to make a reading on this beer until you understand why - there just isn't much to it.

1neutral

Samuel Adams Brown Ale

English Brown Ale

Poured from a bottle into a glass, maybe a little colder than I usually like. The head formed nicely, thick, 2 fingers and quickly dissipated into a white ribbon. The color is deep, dark red. Smell is definitely sweet and malty. Maybe a trace of fruit, musky, earthy. Taste is heavy on the hops, not as big of an ale as I would expect in this class. Mouthfeel is thin, runny, oily. It has a sweet taste dissolving into tannic. I note a trace of diethyl taste. I was much less than impressed. I expected a nice full beer and what I found was a weak, overly hopped beer. I wouldn't drink another.

1neutral