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Honey Cream Ale

Cream Ale

The beer pours a golden color with a thick white head that fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It boasts of pale malts and a great hop scent. The taste is good also. It tastes like most other pale ales, but with a good hop flavor and a mellowing honey type taste. The honey taste is weak, but works to add a smoothness to the finish. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This beer, like all Rogue beers, drinks very well. It's nothing that is going to knock your socks off, but it is solid nonetheless.

2positive

Oat (Imperial Oatmeal Stout)

American Double / Imperial Stout

Style and Glass: Imperial Stout, Snifter ABV, Volume & Calories: 11% in 22 fl oz. estimated at 400 C Purchased at: Circle Liquors Super Saver, Pennington, NJ for $8.99 Aroma: nice, coffee, roasty, quiet. 9 out of 10. Visuals: beautiful design, black, opaque, little head, staying lace. 4 out of 5. Taste: expertly balanced, coffee malt, full hops, very strong, expertly crafted. 10 out of 10. Palate: highest quality, smooth texture, long dark finish. 5 out of 5. Overall: A beautiful, rewarding, and expensively crafted brew. An absolute repeat, and a favorite, real value, high craft. 20 out of 20.

2positive

Great Lakes Oktoberfest

Märzen / Oktoberfest

A- Pours on the brown side of copper. Head is just slightly on the tan side of off white and one finger thick. A couple rings of lacing. S- Smell is relatively strong. There is a nice toffee smell and some doughy malt. Not as caramely as some in style. T- Again, not as caramel heavy as some in style made by American breweries can be. There is a strong doughy note and a pretty strog toffee flavor. It's a touch buttery in the finish which is ok but a bit unexpected. M- Medium body, medium-high carbonation. Smooth body, on the long side of average in finish. O- A really solid Octoberfest. One of my new favorites in the style. If it was a little less buttery in the finish it would get even higher marks. That just kinda pops up in the finish interupting an otherwise absolute top notch beer.

2positive

Wild Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo Imperial Porter

Baltic Porter

Served in a snifter: Poured a very dark brown very close to black, one finger of perfect brown foamy head with lasting lacing. The scent was of sweet bourbon, coffee, some caramel malts. The taste was first of sweet bourbon, burnt coffee, caramel malts, wood, a little chocolate, and noticeable alcoho. Full bodied, very smooth also chewy, pretty low carbonation. This was a very tasty beer, there was so much flavor and it was all balanced very well, though it was filling it was quite easy to drink.

2positive

Double Chocolate Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

Appearance: The darkest brown in the universe. Easily confused with black. Smell: Coffee, nutty, toasty, hint of molasses, dark chocolate. Taste: Black licorice with a touch of alcohol. Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy, not very lively. drinkability: Not real good drinkability. It tastes nothing like it smells. There's a sharp slightly alcoholic bite that's not at all pleasant. To be fair, I drank this beer while it was a little too warm. FCB Chocolate Stout is one of my all time favorites, but this was a letdown.

0negative

Zhigulevskoye Lubitelskoye

American Adjunct Lager

So.. the sign on back label notes, that the water is taken from an artesian hole at 130 meters depth. I wonder where is this well situated? After drinking this item I understood, that it's somewhere in Byelorussian swamps. Transparent 0,5 l bottle with some muddy luquid of dirty amber color in it. Was it filtered or was their filter broken? :) Well, I like unfiltered beers, but not this. In spite of all that the head of the beer was pretty enought to start drinking. What about smell and taste? Just imagine, that you have and aquarium with pair hundred guppies in it. Then you do not feed fishes and do not change the water for half a year. All your guppies are already dead and smell... like the smell of this very beer. That is a good example of typical "Soviet" beer left at this planet. Please try this beer before this type die out. You won't get any pleasure, but new knowlege and experience will come for sure :)

0negative

La Terrible

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Roasted hazelnut that betrays a hint of crimson when backlit with weak January sunshine. Orange edges add some amount of visual interest. The crown isn't impressive in the least. It's toasted tan in color and lacks any sort of quality texture or stickiness. It looks worse over time and never does grace the glass with any lace. Only the beer's color allows the appearance to be granted an above average score. While I like the aroma, it isn't what I expected. I would think that a Belgian strong dark, especially one called La Terrible, would be more dark malty than this. It's fig and bruised apple fruity with a pleasing amount of clove spice from the yeast. More complexity would be welcome. The flavor gets things solidly back on track. I wish the beer smelled like it tastes, but then the latter is always more important than the former. This 2004 edition is really drinking fine right now. The 'best by' date on the label is 08-08-2007, while the brewery's website says the bottle should be good for 10+ years. I decided not to take a chance and popped it open today. More than most Unibroue products, La Terrible actually tastes Belgian. It's a wonderful version of the style that compares favorably with some of the best I've ever had. For whatever reason, the flavor is darker and richer than the nose suggested it would be. Whatever complexity was missing has been found. Each mouthful is bursting with black raspberries, raisins, cherry tobacco, molasses and dark candi sugar. Weaving in and out, tying it all together into a neat little package, is a spectacular clove and cardamom-intensive yeastiness that becomes even more bold as I get into the bottom half of the bottle. La Terrible is a little sweeter than most BSDAs, but that's how I prefer beer of this style to be. Tangy and spicy make sure that sweet doesn't get out of control. Warming brings about an almost unfathomable amount of depth. I hope 2004 wasn't the final year of brewing because I'd love to buy a a case of this stuff and lay it down for a few years. I just realized that I haven't commented on the alcohol. That's because it's nowhere to be found on the palate. It is, however, beginning to make my head spin, so I'd better quit gulping and start sipping. Contrary to the mouthfeels on most Unibroue beer (which I find to be too light) this one is perfect for the style. It has a minor amount of chewiness and a lightly sticky finish. It also has a Belgian-like amount of carbonation that is further reason to applaud its authenticity... never mind the country of origin. This stunning beer is, by far, my favorite Unibroue offering and is the best beer I've ever had from the Great White North. It's a classic BSDA that I would have sworn hailed from Belgium if I had encountered it in a blind taste test. Forget the overall score, it deserves to be thought of as a '4.5' beer at least. La Terrible is a great name, but a more appropriate one would be La Fantastique.

2positive

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock

Rauchbier

Poured dark mahogany/amber with minimal head. Smells like a fireplace fire. I also got the smell of Skoal chewing tobacco...brings back bad memories when I tried that back in HS and ended up sick as a dog. Tastes like you would expect, very smoky with a bacon flavor. I had read this in other posts and expected it to be a real heavy beer but it really isn't. Medium bodied with good carbonation. Drinkability is very low for me. I'm glad I tried the style but it isn't for me. Based on the taste I'm sure that this is a great representation of the stylye, but again, not for me. Maybe I'll revisit it in a couple years but for now, no thanks.

0negative

Jan Van Gent

Belgian Pale Ale

Darkish, brownish, a dark belgian blonde, with a shy head, actually where is the head? Lot of yeast deposit at the bottom of the glass. Smells very hoppish and sour. Her taste was very alcoholic, and watery reminding me of a bad wine actually. I think I probably had a bad bottle, will try again in a few weeks.

0negative

Cantillon Zwanze 2010

American Wild Ale

Reviewed from a bottle at Churchkey A: Hazy yellow pour with a small white head. Very little head remains. S: Acidic smell full of barnyard funk. I liken it to a sour saison with cherries underneath. T: The acidity and funk start it off, followed subtly by the cherries. The cherries finish off the taste cleanly, nice and tart. MF: Light, acidic, a tad under carbonated. Dry throughout, especially on the finish. O: Very funky, the cherries were only noted in the background. The funky saison really took over. I really enjoyed it overall, but wanted the fruit flavor to be a bit more forward.

2positive

Great Lakes Grassroots Ale

Saison / Farmhouse Ale

Bough a sixer on sale for $6.99. Pours a light golden color with a touch of cloudiness. Small head that fades quickly. Aroma is sweet and biscuity like a standard saison, but then comes the faint herbal smell. I think it's the chamomile. Taste is also decent except for that same overwhelming herbal taste. Now, I know this beer is supposed to have all the herbs in it that I can taste, but the honestly just don't work for me. I think it is the fact that there are too many herbs. It is like a decent saison mixed with herbal tea from a health food store. Interesting concept, but my taste buds think that is tastes terrible.

0negative

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

American IPA

Pours a nice copper/reddish color with a nice off white head. As soon as you put your nose to the glass you get hit with the hops then a small hint of fruit and malt. Its a nice aroma! Mixed with a smooth mouth feel and a pleasant after taste of hops. A very enjoyable seasonal beer. Enjoy!

2positive

Somer Orange Honey Wheat

American Pale Wheat Ale

Pours a hazy honey color with a nice white head that rapidly fades. Nose is simple fresh orange with hints of honey. Nose is delicate and elegant and has one thinking of summer gardening and perhaps a nice piece of simple whitefish or cold salmon for lunch! Mouthfeel is medium, feels a little creamy but without character. Flavors are weak white bread yeast and not much else. There may be a hint of honey but one has to really look for it. Rogue continues to disappoint me. This tastes and feels like my expectation of a "light" beer, although I've not tasted one in many years. Rogue-great names; cool bottle graphics; beers - not so great.

0negative

Maudite

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Poured from the bottle into a snifter. I always love the labels of the Unibroue beer and this one is no different. Generally a brown, rusty color with some cloudiness. The head is a lighter off white color with close to one finger in height, it sticks around for a while and laces some as well. The beer smells very Belgian in nature with darker fruits and spiciness. Smell faintly reminds me of a cabernet. Breadiness is more apparent in the taste, with the spicy, dark fruits still available. Great carbonation that dances around quite well, and for an extended period. Overall a very enjoyable beer, in the Belgian Strong Dark style that is becoming one of my favorites. Looking forward to a few more of these.

2positive

St-Ambroise Citrouille (Pumpkin Ale)

Pumpkin Ale

At first pour, this doesn't look like a pumpkin ale - its far too dark, and seems to edge too much towards brown. That is, of course, until you hold it up to the light where it reveals a redolent orange. A small white head fizzles away to a wispy cape and fails to give any lace. The appearance is a bit disappointing, and to be frank, it just looks like a crappy rousse. Things get better quickly with the aroma, though, which is teeming with spice. Ginger leads off with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in support. There's a hint of meaty pumpkin underpinning everything. Hmmm... the flavour is good, and sessionable for a pumpkin, but also not what I expected. A lot of pumpkin beers really accentuate the spice, and this is what you come to look for in your purchase. The nose had me thinking this was a cookie cutter for the style, but the taste says otherwise. The spicing is very toned down, and while all the notes from the aroma are still present, they are not allowed to dominate. This leaves the floor clear for some meaty pumpkin, brown sugar and toasted nuts. The flavour is less interesting for the underplayed spices, but the beer is more sessionable for it, so its some good and some bad. The body is medium-light, with carbonation somewhere in the middle for the style. It made an enjoyable quaff, but you expect more from McAuslan, and for once they don't deliver. I want an exceptional pumpkin, but I got an average one. Thanks to ritzkiss for the in-person swap.

2positive

Jai Alai IPA

American IPA

Draft @ Underground Bluz. I had been wanting to t;ry this beer for a long time. I was not disappointed. One of the smoothest, freshest IPAs I have had. Taste was pink grapefruit from the start, but not bitter like some of the yellow varieties of grapefruit. (Being a Floridian, I know the difference.) Nice hoppy finish with no distractions along the way. Refreshing.

2positive

Chimay Première (Red)

Dubbel

05/03 on the cork. Pours a rich auburn with a frothy light tan head. Smell is fruity, caramel malt, lightly bitter, candy sugar/molasses. Taste is again that rich fruity and caramel malt. Lightly spicy. A bit overcarbonated but that fades as it warms. Rich and smooth. A bit sticky mouth especially in the aftertaste. Not overly complex but surprisingly good.

2positive

Oat (Imperial Oatmeal Stout)

American Double / Imperial Stout

You know, this started out with some wonderful caramel-toffee roasted malt flavor, but towards the end of the bomber, it stated to really have a nasty bitter aftertaste for some reason. Very difficult to finish. Full-bodied, on the sweet side, but a bad aftertaste.

0negative

Road Dog Porter

American Porter

Why did the dog cross the road? The appearance is a dark brown color with a clear appearance. Dark for a scottish and light for a porter. The head is a slight white color but quickly fades altogether. Same with lacing, feint at first and disappears over time. The smell overall is good. A mix of sweet malt and astringent roasted malt almost to the point of coffee aromas. Lighter notes of chocolate are in the background as well. The taste is lighter then I would have expected. There is a watery or wispy taste (especially for style, scottich and porter). The malt has a tangy cocoa and caramel flavor that comes out after the initial taste but then fades quickly for a boring malt aftertaste. Some hop tones are mellow but adds a sour aftertaste. The body is light and a deterrent for the beer. Carbonation is average. Overall there could be improvements on taste and body. Maybe that is why the dog crossed the road, to get a better beer.

0negative

Great Lakes Eliot Ness

Vienna Lager

A: Deep dark amber with decent head and a really sticky lace all around the rim of the glass. S: Stronger malt and hops. Smell was familiar, and average. M: Mild wash, not offensive, grassy aftertaste. T: Yep. This is a Yuengling Amber made without adjuncts. IE: A good beer made even stonger because of the lack of cheapness. Slight bitterness, mostly lightly toasted malt making it's presence known. It also has a fullness , more rounded, but damn, this is like an imperial Yuengling, or something like that. D: You pay for the lack of adjuncts. It's damn good, but when I get a 24 of the Y for $17 (in cans) and this would be $28, well...see my point? Who cares. This is excellent. If this was thier signature beer and was in every bar like Dortmunder, I'd be a happy camper.

2positive

Arbor Brewing Red Snapper Special Bitter

American Amber / Red Ale

Poured this 12 oz. brown bottle into a tulip pint. No date. Coded: 133 A3 11:46. The body was a dull dark amber/red with enough sediment to create substantial haze. The huge brittle head prevented me from pouring the entire beer in the glass with one pour. The head had a long sustain, leaving clumpy lacing. The smell was lightly spicy. Bread crust aroma surfaced as it warmed. The taste was a bit watery. Despite the dark body this one seemed under-malted. Some earthy hops aftertaste. Rather bland. It could be an old bottle? This is not one I would revisit. Dirty and dull. I didn't even finish this one! The body was too light despite adequate carbonation.

0negative

Founders The Chronic

American Pale Ale (APA)

A typical golden yellow tint for a pale ale type beer. There is a greenish hazy tint and a tad of big bubble head. Smelling this bad boy brings about some citrusy pine and a bit of fresh herb...hence the name? There is quite a bit of bitter hop explosion in this. The hops bring about some grapefruit and pine sap. This isn't very balanced with malt (imagine a DIPA w/out the Malt). I would imagine a beer brewed with just hops would taste something like this one. I have endured some tasty burps from this...hop burps! There is quite a bit of carbonation that zings the mouth, but the strange thing, my mouth feels extra wet after drinking this. This is a pretty easy drinker and would be very refreshing on a warm summer day.

2positive

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

Whoa, the cherry is too over-bearing in this one. Pour was disappointing way too clear for a wheat beer. Although it had a nice cherry and malt aroma, the taste went from strong cherry in the beginning to tasting like Robitussin cough syrup by the end of the bottle. Even the wife-zilla, while working on her bottle, said she couldnt stomach another.

0negative

Black Beer Stout

English Stout

Consumed 3-22-10 from a pint glass A - Puffy airy chocolate ice cream colored head that faded in 2 seconds, leaving no lacing. Coca-cola colored in both clarity and color S - Aluminum can smell from a bottle. How'd that happen? There is a mild chocolate smell like an old timey soda with flavoring added at the drive through. No hop or yeast smeel to be found. T - Umm, sour and starchy. There is just a bit of chocolate malt but once again no hop or yeast to be found. The aftertaste is bearable. M - Exactly like sugary soda-pop D - Drinkability implies that is it is possible to drink. I guess this beer does meet that qualification just enough for a two. This beer is to stout what Shasta is to coke.

0negative

Saison Rue

Saison / Farmhouse Ale

A burnished copper color in my glass, topped by a huge and frothy three finger head. The body is semi-hazy at first, and downright cloudy toward the end of the bottle. A beautiful beer. It smells of earthy rye and musty brett. There's a bit of candi-sugar sweetness, just a hint, and some pungent earthy, woody aromas. The rye shines through brightly, which, combined with the brett, gives this beer a very unique character. It opens very earthy and spicy on the palate with a big rye twang. Aside from a hint of sweetness up front, this beer is bone dry. The mouthfeel transitions into an eternal parching dryness, with flavors of grain, rye bread, tart granny smith apples and herbal hops coming into fruition. This is a great, and original, take on a classic style. Nicely done.

2positive

Coopers Sparkling Ale

English Pale Ale

Coopers Sparkling Ale pours a clear, gold color with no foam and tons of carbonation. The nose is lemon and wheat followed by a bitter, lemon, and vanilla flavor. It's got a thin mouthfeel, very dry, and leaves a bit of a burn in the back of the throat. This is way too bitter to drink more than one. Not recommended!

0negative

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

American IPA

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a dark copper color with 1/2 finger head. Steady carbonation in the glass. Smells of grapefruit, caramel malts, pine, sweetgrass. It's a strong aroma coming off of this one... Tastes like a good Pale Ale...strong, ringing in at 7.2%...but the ABV is masked well behind the other flavors involved. Citrus for sure...pine needles, tart berries, cereal, caramel...pretty hoppy, but not over the top. This beer is well-balanced, tastes great, and is one that can be enjoyed again and again. I'm quite please with this one.

2positive

Cantillon Gueuze 100% Lambic

Gueuze

A- Pours a hazy sunset color with a nice, thick pillowy head. S- Sour, lemon, citrus, funk, orange. T- Bready and it hits like a train with an intense sourness up front. Lemon and citrus play a big part. M- Medium bodied with a good deal of carbonation. D- One of the best sours i've had to date. A great beer that I wouldn't mind having again.

2positive

Genesee Beer

American Adjunct Lager

There is nothing positive to say about this stuff. Color is: yellowish (reminiscent of a urine infection) Smell is like weak Flavor is like that cheap beer we drank in high school when we had to take back bottles to get enough cash to buy a six pack. Not sure how this stuff stays on the market with much better cheap choices out there. The folks making this stuff must love the loyals! One review used the term chemical tasting....RIGHT ON. Great description.

0negative

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale (2007-2009)

American IPA

I believe this was the first beer I tried at the Charlotte Oktoberfest. Maybe because I had very high hopes for trying this seasonal IPA, but there was nothing that excited me that much. Brilliant amber color with a slight head, the malt does not balance out the hops. Easy enough to drink, but I did not go back for more.

2positive

Hop Hog

American IPA

On tap at the Taphouse Pours a lovely copper/amber colour, with a good head. Good lacing Non-overpowering aromas of citrus. Taste is a wonderful mix of just the right amount of citrus, with just the right amount of bitterness, nicely balanced with hops. Really well balanced and integrated. Not too heavy. Really could have drunk this all night.

2positive

Amstel Light

Light Lager

I heard from somewhere that this was Colin Farell's favorite beer. Well, there is no accounting for taste. Simply put: bland and boring. At my first drink, I knew that I wasn't going to like it. My wife told me to stop drinking it if I didn't like it, but I explained to her that if I did that it would be dis-respecting the beer. I wanted to give it my honest opinion. It was bitter and a little too bubbly on the tounge. There wasn't much in the way of taste either. I could taste a musky aroma in my mouth after drinking it that wasn't pleasant either. I wish I could have stopped drinking it, but like I said... that would be dis-respecting the beer.

0negative

Life & Limb

American Strong Ale

A-pours a coca cola color, not quite black, with a tan head with above average retention S-toasted malt, caramel, chocolate, a little fruity and sweet T-more caramel, coffee and chocolate with a smoke flavor towards the end. ton of flavor M-medium-full bodied O- A really big beer. The flavors mesh well and keeps you looking forward to each sip so you can continue to enjoy all the complexity this beer has to offer.

2positive

Uerige Doppelsticke

Altbier

Poured from 12oz fliptop bottle to perfect pint glass. Poured a hazy, slightly reddish brown with a small tan head. It isn't the prettiest looking beer, but everything else about it makes up for this. The aroma is intense: big malt aroma with ripe banana, backed up by spicy hops. The flavor starts with that big maltiness, ripe fruits: banana, raisin, some toffee. There is a spiciness from the hops and warming alcohol. The alcohol and lively carbonation provides a needed drier finish to what could be a sweet beer. Like I said the carbonation is lively, which balances the malt well and works perfectly with the alcohol. The malt provides this silky feel that stays interesting toward the back of the tongue. Overall an expertly crafted beer that traveled to the States well. I wish the bottle, which will be perfect for future use in homebrewing, was larger because one pint might not be enough.

2positive

Coors Light

Light Lager

I've got a limmerick and a haiku that express everything I could ever want to say about this beer: (1) There's this thing called Coors Light that's never tasted quite right. They claim that it's beer, but that's a fallacy I fear. It's more like pee with a bite. (2) I drank some Coors Light -- terrible, ghastly, painful flavor in my mouth.

0negative

Heineken Lager Beer

Euro Pale Lager

Big advertising does not a good beer make. Over the years I have been handed many Heineken's and can honestly say I never enjoyed one. Skunky, bitter, bland why does anyone buy this? Any american mass market lager tastes great compared to Heineken, and for much less. Not to mention all the other europen imports that are in the same price range.

0negative

Unearthly (Imperial India Pale Ale)

American Double / Imperial IPA

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to my East End Brewing pint glass. A: Soft amber/honey colored, with a burst from the bottle of steady carbonation that slows to a crawl. Generally clear, with a delicate haziness. Creamy light tan head that doesn't retain well, dwindling quickly to a thin half-cover of film. Lace sticks sporadically in loose-knit rings. S: Sticky sweet caramel malt is pronounced in those first couple minutes, rising in waves. Once the maltiness subsides, a subdued orange/citrus rind hoppiness rises. Surprisingly mild, but very pleasant. T: About as balanced as a big DIPA could ever hope to be. This one holds a sweet grainy/toasted quality for a while before developing into a more bitter and lightly spiced hop bitterness. Filled with juicy fruits and so thick it has an almost oak-y/vinous quality. In fact, this reminds me of an aged and mellowed barleywine. M: Beautifully thick, somewhat syrupy and very smooth. Though the alcohol burn is well-concealed, there still is a warmth that indicates what a big beer this is. Hardly in carbonation and long-lasting coating of caramel and hop bittering throughout the mouth. D: This is a really nice DIPA, one I'm really happy to have tried. It's a sipper, and not one that I'd have to drink too often. I'd place this alongside the best winter warmers and barleywines, however, and will keep the remaining bottle for sometime next winter. Also, I enjoyed this nearly an hour after removing from the fridge, so it was cool but warmed significantly. One I definitely recommend. Thanks to Joe (chilzwel) for sending.

2positive

Blue Moon Belgian White

Witbier

This was the beer that made me a Wheat beer fan A great safe beer choice at most restaurant chains that don't serve micro beers on tap. I find it sweeter then most Whites and always enjoyable to drink. Poors cloudy like a good wheat beer should so I assume it's unfiltered Coors has kept their branding off trying to suggest it's a micro beer and has done a pretty good job at keeping the quality good for a massed produce beer..

2positive

Tiny

American Double / Imperial Stout

A - A nice dark brown, black. Appears creamy and oily. Head is monstrous and brown. Good looking beer. S - Coffee, roasted malt, a bit of chocolate, dark fruits. T - Follows the nose for the most part, plus some acidy tartness on the last half of the sip. Fruitier than it smells and Cherries are the fruit I detect. Perhaps white grapes as well. Dirt on the aftertaste and it's nice. This beer does a lot with its flavor and while Weyerbacher is quite bold in this regard, it tastes a little bit confused and all over the place. Alcohol is definitely detected on the swallow. M - A very warming beer. I don't have a problem with the level of carbonation...It's a belgian dark - it's not a stout - and there's nothing that says belgian darks should be carbonated a certain way. The carbonation fits the beer. The body is medium and moderately alcoholic. D - A decent beer. A Belgian that you can tell is totally American and it's not a screw-up on Weyerbacher's part - it's just how they decided to craft the beer. Their decisions are bold here and it pays decently. It's pretty hard to drink, overall, though.

0negative

Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Russian Imperial Stout

Bomber served in tumbler A- Ultra black beer, very little light escapes it's darkness. Impressive thick, dark brown, almost red head. Intimidating looking, with an enormous presence in the glass. Fantastic appearance. S- Thick brambles of hops, burnt coffee, sour cherries, bitterness abounds. Astringent scent, strong alcohol is unappealing. Some mild oakiness to validate the name, not nearly enough though. T- Damn bitter beer. Lots of hops with spicy alcohol; very big beer, but lacking any malty counter. Too unbalanced and very tough to drink. Definitely not my type of RIS... M- Hot alcohol burns the tongue, but not over carbonated. D- Dude, this was a tough one. I really did not enjoy this beer very much at all. Hops dominant with a whiskey-like burn is not my idea of an enjoyable imperial, although it did improve slightly after nursing it for 40 minutes. Bummer bout this one.

0negative

Founders Centennial IPA

American IPA

Nice copper color. Three finger head that lasts quite a while. Very sweet and hoppy smell, loving it. Great lacing, floral hop smell. Not too bitter and not too sweet, very balanced ipa. Not too boozy and very warming. Average mouthfeel. Overall a good ipa, nice to have something with some balance.

2positive

Samuel Adams White Ale

Witbier

Reviewed after a workout as part of the Sam Adams winter pack. Out of the fridge for a little over twenty minutes and served in a pint glass. A- Pours a hazy yellow with minimal head retention and moderate carbonation. Sporadic lacing on the side of the glass and fine bubbles rocket toward the top of the beer contributing to the slight head. My first impressions of this beer are that its look could be greatly enhanced by a larger more consistent head and some more substantial lacing. When held up to the sunlight one can see through the beer completely. S- Spices are evident right off the bat. Coriander, orange peel, a bit of pepper, a tang of malt sweetness and some slight hops at the termination. Even though the abv is lower, I get some booze off the finish as well. No smell is more evident than the other, as they all blend together to create a larger aroma. T- The taste is not as pleasing as the smell. I get an initial bite like the beer is served to cold even though it has been out of the fridge for over twenty minutes. Other than that, not all that much complexity. Hops and malt are evident but balanced, the spices contribute some to the aforementioned bite, and I am left with a bite of acidity (like sucking on an orange peel) at the finish accompanied by a lingering bitterness. M- Medium bodied even though the abv is on the lower side. The spices add to the heaviness and bite that this beer brings to the table. For a witbeer I expect a lighter more refreshing mouth feel and this beer does not deliver. D- I honestly couldn't see myself having more than one of these. The astringency of this beer is far too much and I am a not a fan of the way the spices come into play.

0negative

Keystone Light

Light Lager

Picked up a 24oz can at the grocery store. That's how these crappy beer reviews always start...I see a big ass can of something for 99 cents and I just can't pass up a deal like that. A - Pale yellow, almost clay color with a very short lived head of active fizz. A ridiculous amount of tiny bubbles rocket towards the surface. After about thirty seconds, all signs of a head, a collar, lace, or anything like what a beer should look like are gone. But the bubbles just don't stop. S - Lightly fruity. Some aluminum can notes along with an old wet musty smell. Just the smell of this reminds me of college, because this is pretty much what I drank whenever I wasn't drinking whatever shit-beer was on tap at our house parties. T - Not much flavor at all. Rice and corn. I actually taste this more upon what I like to call "retro-gustatory-olfaction"...or burping through my nose. The aftertaste is pleasantly fruity, and I can't help but sort of like this 'cause it brings back so many memories of good times at EIU. M - Raspy carbonation, really thin watery body. The mouthfeel is a dead ringer for Perrier. D - Tastes like carbonated water, but if I really just wanted to get drunk (especially when it's hot outside) I could handle this. I don't know why I liked this so much in school...oh wait. I know. It was CHEAP.

0negative

Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter

American Porter

Not a bad brew -- for a black IPA. This is what was disappointing. If you're going to call it a porter, then it should be a porter. This was not a porter. I was looking forward to another quality beer brewed by Troegs, and porter is one of my favorite varieties. However, as soon as I opened the bottle and smelled it, all I seemed to get was a potent hop aroma. It smelled like an IPA. The taste was no different. It was dry and hoppy, and also lacked the heaviness of a porter. Though it is not an unpleasant beer, it is not a porter! I would really like it if Troegs got serious and made a real porter, as I'm sure it would be quite good. They should go back to the drawing board on this one.

0negative

Taj Mahal Premium Lager

American Adjunct Lager

and so it begins another adventure down the road of the bottom of the barrel. stopped in the store on the way home and grabbed a few more tonight. served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 08/16/2010. the pour was actually slightly better then what i was expecting. nice light golden color with a light head of white that was about two inches high and faded down quickly into a thin film that barely covered the sides. aroma is off, musky wet hay, corn, lots of grain, just that macro lager aroma that is just wrong on so many levels. clean, clear taste, but nothing more to it then glorified water to be honest. highly carbonated with only a hint of dry hops on the finish. overall while not a drain pour, it was close. again these things are ok freezing cold, but when they warm up look out.

0negative

Green Flash Imperial India Pale Ale

American Double / Imperial IPA

The beer pours out a beautiful, clear orange/bright copper color with a good sized white head (1/3 inch). Lacing is left all along the glass. The smell is lemon rind and pine mostly, with a toasty note in the background. The taste is toasty, with lemons and grapefruits. A little bit of alcohol is also noticeable. The mouthfeel is pretty full, with moderate carbonation. This is a very enjoyable and drinkable DIPA. A little more complexity in the smell and taste would put it over the top. Still - it is an excellent example.

2positive

Dead Guy Ale

Maibock / Helles Bock

A: Pours a thick white 2 finger. Retention and lacing are good. S: Pine, malt then citrus. T: Slightly bitey with a bitter aftertaste that lingers. M: Light. D: I think the beer is ok. I'm not a huge fan of this style of beer so I don't really want to drink more.

0negative

Faxe Premium Danish Lager

Euro Pale Lager

500ml can 5.0% ABV I tried this beer on June 11, 2008 after purchasing from one of my local LCBO outlets. The beer pours a translucent dark gold with some reddish hues. The head started out as loose and bubbly before quickly receding to a thin ring. The aroma was very grassy with nothing else notably present. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied, medium carbonated. The flavour was primarily grainy malt with a little peppery spiciness on the tip of the tongue.

0negative

Lion Imperial Premium Malt Pilsner

Euro Strong Lager

Aroma is light floral hops and hints of Pilsner malt. After it sat a little, picking up a mild funk. Pours big 3" thick foamy head. Slow to dissipate. Very light golden color. Clarity is high, but seeing a lot of particles floating around. Thin long strands.I don't think this was bottle condition and I'm pretty sure it didn't come from the glass. Big turn off to an otherwise great presentation. Tastes like apple cider. Don't believe this was the intended flavor. Alcohol is very evident on this one. Leaves tongue mildly slick. Obviously an infected bottle. I can't remember where I picked this up but it was in a make your own 6-pack and sat in my fridge for 5 months. So guessing shelf life is well past its prime, still if Lion had better sanitary practices this could have been avoided.

0negative

Major Tom's Pomegranate Wheat

Witbier

Wow. I was completely caught off guard with this one. When one sees a beer calling itself "Pomegranate Wheat", and marketing itself as a witbier or hefe, there are certain things one doesn't expect to find. Citrusy, piney hops is one of those things. I must say, however, the head on this beer is remarkable. It's thick and densely foamy, almost like shaving cream. It remained this way throughout the drink, too. Colour was a yellowy - orange with afore-mentioned lovely, foamy head. Smell was immediately hops, with pomegranate (and perhaps a few more less assertive fruits) hiding in the back, but in there nevertheless. Taste was sweet and hoppy at the same time. The pomegranate, while discernable, was quite muted and overpowered by the hops, in my opinion. This whole thing was just really bizarre. I suppose it isn't a *terrible* beer, just a bit, perhaps, mis-labeled? This, to me, is the brewing equivalent of biting into a slice of pizza and having it taste exactly like cherry pie. I like both of those things, but they're nothing alike, and when I want one, *that* is what I want. Why don't we brew up an oatmeal stout with some spent espresso grounds and some Dutch chocolate flakes and put "English style ESB" on the label while we're at it.... Again, not a terrible beer (not a great one, either), just terribly mis-labeled.

0negative

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

American Barleywine

2011 bottle that poured with a respectable, dense beigish-orange head that very slowy reduced to a wispy cap. Thick sheets of sticky lacings coat the glass. Color is a combination deep amber and dark orange with a very heavy, viscous haze....almost like carbonation bubbles frozen in suspension. Heavy but smooth with a light resinous, yet creamy feel. Aromas are not as intense as I expected, but a nice balance of citrus orange and sugary sweet caramel malt with a hint of pine and biscuit. Intense citrus and pine hop flavors in the front. Citrus flavors slowly fade as the pine hop bitterness intensifies through the finish. The hop flavors ride an intensely sweet malty backbone from beginning to end. Long lasting pine bitter hoppiness with alcoholic heat clearly showing at the finish. Depsite the intense sweet and bitter flavors, the feel and slowly evolving flavors provide a mellowness to this brew.

2positive

English Brown Ale

English Brown Ale

Pours very dark brown with less than a fingers worth of tan head. Spotty lace. The nose is malty and very nutty. There are some fresh hops within the heavy malt bill that adds to the character of this brew. Dessert-like with a chocolate covered nut aroma. The taste is sweet with a bit of bitterness from the hops. There is a rich nutty taste that has a bit of milk chocolate surrounding it. Pretty damn tasty. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with enough stickiness to keep the nutty flavors lasting. Overall, I really enjoyed this brown ale and thought it had great characteristics all around.

2positive

Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout

Russian Imperial Stout

Had this delightful beverage in a pint glass. The color is an impressive midnight black. The smell is of smoke and chocolate in great balance. The taste is very much what the smell would indicate, more smoke and chocolate. The mouthfeel to me is a bit overcarbonated, but the beer is growing on me. I had an amazing Oak aged Yeti Imperial stout last night, and I recall enjoying it a bit more, and there being slightly less carbonation. The beer is as drinkable as an imperial stout can be, much like nipples, one is too few and three is too many.

2positive

Belzebuth

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Small capped bottle poured into a snifter. Hazy orange, lots of sediment, very thin white head that does not hold at all; little to no lacing as expected for the high ABV. Aroma is alcohol, grains, a strong note of corn. Thin on the mouth, it is excessively hot even after well over one year of aging; grainy, with little maltiness to be noted. It is not the hottest beer out there, but it has very little else other than some grains and alcohol. Not wortwhile.

0negative

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Märzen / Oktoberfest

Octoberfest poured a dark amber color, with a nice sized head, that lasted for a while. There was a bit of a sweet smell, good amounts of malts. It tasted very malty, a little bit sweet, with some earthy flavors, overall the flavors were strong. The tasted last for a while, good carbination, and it wasnt too hard to drink, my dad would even have one. Overall a really good beer, one that I look forward for.

2positive

Iniquity (Imperial Black Ale)

American Black Ale

A neat little IBA. Pours a dark brown, small amounts of carbonation, rich, deep two finger head. Smell, lacking, no herbal, floral, citrus, pine or any other hop aroma noticeable, which is a rarity for a ST brew. Taste is where you really get thrown off. Again, the hop character wasn't there ocmpared to a normal iba, and certainly not ST. Malt wise, super weird, not chocolate or coffee, can't figure out what predominates the style roasted deep brown here, and its flavor component. Sure, there's a bit of nuttyness, but I doubt its driving it entirely. Kind of a mystery. One of those beers that makes you wish you could see the recipe list with it while you drink it, because I have not much of a clue. Mouthfeel, decent, doesn't fade, just keeps being mysterious. Drinkable, yes, as you keep wanting to drink more hoping to find the answer to its riddle, but alas, I missed.

2positive

XO Beer

Euro Strong Lager

Weird beer! - but then, mixing cognac in beer IS a weird idea! The result: Aroma and flavour neither of beer nor cognac - but of RASPBERRIES!! and boysenberries. Rather sweet, but not as sweet as the aroma makes you fear. Not really godawful, but definitely not a beer I'll buy again. Beer is beer, and cognac is cognac - and never shall the two meet (again)!

0negative

Lakeside British Ale

English Brown Ale

On tap at the brewpub in Coeur d'Alene in August 2009. Couldn't put this review in with the rest of my backlog earlier, as this place was listed as closed for a period of time. Pours a moderate bronze-copper color with a short head and a bit of lacing. The nose brings a bit of light caramel and toffee. The flavor is about the same. Nothing too terrible here, it's just quite, quite plain. Feel is a bit thin. Not a terrible beer, but no real reason to drink it other than the fact it was sitting in front of me.

0negative

Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold

Dortmunder / Export Lager

Its been quite a while since I've had this beer on tap or bottled. I decided to give it another review since its a local favorite. Appearance - A nice thin membrane of milky head. Appears well carbonated. A beautiful clear straw yellow. Smell - Hops and light malt. Light lemon and fruits. Natural and grassy smelling. Taste - The best dortmunder i know of. Subtle and sweet hops. Slight banana or perhaps banana chips. Light clove spice. Sweet hops as well. Very citrusy, tangy and fruity. Mouthfeel and overall - Consistently smooth. Medium bodied and fresh. I love this beer, even when i overpay for the bottled version at Cavs games.

2positive

Southampton Altbier

Altbier

Pours a clear dark tea color with an off white head of tiny bubbles that melts slowly to a top covering ring. Aroma is toasted amber malt with a hint of caramel and slight hop finish. Taste is toasty amber malt as well. Light sweetness that is followed with a nicely drying citrus hops. Mouthfeel is surprisingly creamy and smooth and aftertaste is a drying citrus hop. Very good Alt Bier...Very good.

2positive

Cantillon Vigneronne

Lambic - Fruit

750 corked and capped, courtesy of my good man bobsy! Cheers mate. Pours a hazy golden yellow, with a light covering of head on top that leaves small patches of lacing. Nose is initially a lot funkier than expected - lots of barnyard and mustiness. Then a light white grape juiciness peeks through, a touch of vinegar sourness in the nose as well. This beer walks a fine balance between wine and beer, perfect for the white wine lover! Funky, earthy sourness melds with a ripe juicy yet tart white grape quality, bone dry finish and a touch of oakiness make for a really satisfying experience. I felt the carb could have been upped a bit without hurting it but this beer is hard to fault, great on its own, as an appertif, or with just about any meal. Thanks Rob!

2positive

Clancy's Red

American Amber / Red Lager

Pours an amber reddish, rusty colour. Smells of malt... and that's about it. The beer was as disappointing as the smell. Zero body or mouthfeel. Tastes like a lager-ish light ale. Heavier on the hops than Brit pub ales, also much more carbonated. Very little actual taste. The can makes its presence known through a metallic tinge, and also sourness that I've come to associate with over-carbonated beers. Not recommended, except for that subcategory of people who like light beers with lots of hops and CO2.

0negative

Founders Breakfast Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

As a former Midwesterner, I've had my share of Founders. Everything they brew is amazing. Even when I moved to Seattle -- one of the great beer spots in the US -- I missed it. Breakfast Stout is a big reason why. And now I have my hands on it again. I won't go beer nerd on you. I will just tell you this beer is outstanding. It's exactly what it says it is: a Double Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Stout. And it's perfect. Not too much of anything. Easily the best stout I've ever had. It's just as good in the bottle as I remember it from the source. Stout lovers, get this beer... at any cost.

2positive

INDIAna Pale Ale

American IPA

A- An ever so slightly hazy light golden color. The head is modest in size, but has pretty good retention. There are no streams of carbonation. S- Smells kind of sweet and carmely, but there are some sour notes in there as well. A little bit of honey and vanilla are picked up as well, but this smells a little weak for the style. T- Same as the aroma. Sadly, it's a little boring... with just a smack of bitterness. M- Not bad. Just a bit on the dry side. D- Well, this is just not my thing I guess. In a country full of IPA's, this one does not really stand out in the slightest.

0negative

Honey Moon Summer Ale

American Pale Wheat Ale

The big, fizzy bubbles are most notable in the look; otherwise, it looks like a pale yellow, watery macro. Minimal marks are made as the liquid moves and, quite frankly, it ain't much to look at. A beer (I thought) with honey, and I can't smell it? I truly was neutral--maybe even positively skewed before I began this--but now I'm really getting nervous. I recognize the brewer and all, but it actually smells like a (gulp) Coors! The taste is considerably better than expected. I do detect some sort of honeyish sweetness. Still, I'm not writing home about it. I can imagine the figurative beat-down coming from this, but Blue Moon was--and still is--among my higher ranked Belgian-style beers. I've just failed to develop the palate appreciation for Belgian yeast. I don't really like pale malts or, consequently, pale ales either, but just that lil' hint of honey-type sweetness will carry it just past average. If water is our baseline taste, this is like sugar water (with alcohol). Nothing's really happening on the mouthfeel. It's carbonated--so does that mean it's fresh? I really remembered more of a pleasant honeyness. This one's been sitting in the back of my fridge for a while--maybe a month or two--but I really wouldn't expect that that's the problem. It's just not very good. I really thought I kinda liked this beer. I'll try it again, and I should vow to edit this if I've somehow ruined this beer...with refrigerator light--is that possible? Where the sweetness aided the taste, it hurts the drinkability. Sugar water might have its place (ridding hiccups, perhaps), but I'll try someone else's before I consider buying this one again.

0negative

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Märzen

Märzen / Oktoberfest

Thows out an tan-amber liquid. Little to speak of in the way of a head. Vanishes in a matter of moments. Grainy and slightly toasty on the nostrils. Dominant iced-tea impression. Odd, but ok. Delightful blend of slightly toasted graininess, mixed with a delicately buttery carmel malt sweetness. Never oversweet (which is a huge plus in my oktoberfest fest book). Finishes with a wave of tea-like hops. Medium-light bodied, gently carbonated. Works nicely in the mouth. A person could suck down a whole lot of these.

2positive

Keystone Ice

American Adjunct Lager

A: Pale yellow, lots of carbonation bubbles. Decent amount of head initially, but quickly dies down to a thin ring. Definitely meant to be inside a can. S: Smells like a typical light "college party beer", which makes me slightly upset to my stomach. Sours hops, grain, wet paper, a hint of citric sweetness. Toilet water. T: Metallic and grainy, some sweetness that makes it just a little more bearable than Keystone Light. I mean, it is better than say Natty Light or Genny Light, but that's not saying much. M: Thin and watery, really terrible. D: I suppose if it's ice cold it's at least "drinkable". This beer is what it is: A (really) cheap buzz bear that you can buy in large quantities at gas stations and grocery stores. A "beer pong beer" in my book really. I would also like to point out that I'm not one of those people that is unwilling to drink macro light beers. I don't mind an occasional Coors or Bud Light with some chicken wings. That being said, I would never want to drink this outside of a college party, and even then not really.

0negative

Raspberry Wheat Ale

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

This is what you want for a summer seasonal; fruity ( lots of Raspberry on the nose and the intial taste. The colour is a pinkish red colour with a pinkish head. The beer has a nice moutnfeel though not too complex but in reality this beer works for the style. A salute to Summer.

2positive

Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue)

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Had this a long long time ago, before my BA days, and recently just had a sip of my friend's and I was reminded how damn good this stuff is. So I went out and got some. 750ml corked bottle. Pours a transparent brown color, not too dark, nice and smooth looking with a huge tan head full of swiss cheese like holes. Smell is very inviting, very rich. Smells of sweet toasted malts and spiced fruits, perhaps a little dark rum thrown in, with a dash of mustiness. Taste is fabulous. Lots of flavors, lots of complexities. Very bready, but not like your standard loaf. More like pumpkin bread or banana bread or something else sweet like that. A tad woodsy too, with Belgian spices and a touch of bitter hops. Medium bodied but very smooth tasting, not light but not too heavy, despite the brown color. I would drink this beer all the time if it didn't cost as much. Despite it being one of the more popular/commercial/well-know Belgian beers out there, it's with out a doubt one of the best.

2positive

St. Rogue Red

American Amber / Red Ale

Bottle poured into a pubglass. Beer looks nice, great color, right on the mark for the style, and a frothy lace-leaving head. Immediate smell is the centennial hop. The hop choices give this brew a great aroma and the malt lends a caramel smell to all the citrus and florals. I'm not picking up much in the way of yeast. The taste does not reflect the smell. I won't say over-bitter but definitely not balanced well at all. Chinook and Centennial are two of my favorite hops but I'm experiencing a lack of flavor from the hops and the malt, and the yeast. I'm really not tasting much at all besides the bittering addition. Chinook is great for bittering but it needs a big complimenting flavor hop addition and Id've guessed that Centennial would work well in that situation but either I'm just wrong, or his Centennials were bunk. The faint malt flavor is completely overshadowed by the bitterness here. Not bad really, in the mouthfeel dept. dry afterfeel but smooth enough going down. I suppose this could be a drinkable beer with some alterations but at this point it is what it is and it is not a very drinkable beer, Kind of hard to consume actually. This one falls way short. Bad recipe I think. I'm a hop freak, but there should be some balance.

0negative

Gemini (Imperial Blended Ale)

American Strong Ale

Presentation: Split a bottle of this with a friend. Poured directly into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass. I've had the Unearthly before, but never the Hoppe, so I'm not completely sure what to expect. Appearance: Golden orange in color. Hazy, not much light penetrating the glass. Two finger white head with good retention. Aroma: Big caramel and butterscotch notes here. Some citrus and pine notes come through after. The caramel and butterscotch notes here are really the star and make this completely unqiue. Taste: Much like the aroma, the butterscotch and caramel notes are the highlight. There is a really nice balance between them and the hops. The bitter citrus and pine provide a nice counter to all the candy sweetness upfront. Mouthfeel: Full mouthfeel, but with a nice crisp feel that makes it really drinkable. Drinkability: The 10.5% ABV is not even noticable to me here. Really nice balance also helps to make this really enjoyable. Overall, a unique take on an IPA. The butterscotch and caramel flavors are really the highlight for me. Definitely worth a try for anyone. I'm certainly going to pick up a bottle of Hoppe now after trying this.

2positive

Coors Light

Light Lager

Will try to be objective about this one while refraining from the college frat party references. A- Pale yellow lager with a wimpy insipid head which hung around for a while. S - Nothing attractive here - maybe a soapy dishwater aroma. T - I have had flavored club sodas with more taste than this one. Tastes more like the container than anything else. Maybe a little quinine or a slight grassy vegetal taste. M - Thin, light bodied and no finish or aftertaste to speak of --which is in this case is not a bad thing. D - Couldn't get through this one as I poured half of the bottle down the drain. Pass.

0negative

Molson M

American Adjunct Lager

A recent gift from some of my beer friends who know about my ongoing passion for CANs and The CANQuest (TM). Many thanks, fellows! How curious - "M" for "microcarbonated", whatever that means. Also interesting is that it came in a 710 ml CAN, which is a volume that I do not remember seeing before. An inauspicious start with regard to the head - I had an equipment failure with my chair just after my initial pour and while I had a finger of bone-white head initially, by the time I corrected the problem, the head had dissipated. Color was a pale golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose was pretty standard - a lager sweetness overlain by all kinds of adjuncts. Nothing terribly new or exciting in that respect. I CAN't say much for the taste, since it was about as bland as processed AmeriCAN cheese. What a whole buncha nuthin'! Microcarbonated? Microtaste! Finish evidenced a little bit of the style's characteristic taste, possibly because I allowed it to roll around in my mouth before swallowing. Generally, though, it was simply bland. Overall, "M" did NOT stand for "Mmmmm, good."

0negative

Red Stripe Jamaican Lager

American Adjunct Lager

a- great unique bottle, poured into pint, inch and a half bubbly head that faded quickly leaving mild lacing, bright straw coloring. s- smells like it would be strong, with a little sweetness at the end, smells almost winey. t- nice lager taste, little sweetness, but evens out, little bubbly. m- mildly filling mouthfeel. d- very drinkable, pretty tasty.

2positive

Founders Nemesis 2009

Wheatwine

Had this on 2010-09-10 in Columbia, PA A - Dark honey with no head but some small bubbles S - Bourbon, maple, rock candy T - Pretty intense and too much of everything. Tons of bourbon (not my favorite flavor), too sweet maple, vanilla, honeysuckle. M - Medium-heavy body, syrupy. It was effervescent with more carbonation than I expected. D - I'm in the minority on this one. I really didn't like it. The strong flavors seemed to each fight for prominence. Couldn't finish it although you can tell it was made well with quality ingredients.

0negative

Chimay Tripel (White)

Tripel

Orange amber cloudy hued pour with a prominent ivory foamy beige head cap leaving plenty of spotted sticky lace in a CHIMAY goblet. Sediment particles settle and form an army at the bottom of the goblet. Aromatic spicy clove and yeasty characters present. Some adjacent fruity aromas pervade of peaches and apricots. First swigs: Delicate orange citrous twinge with a palatable awl-kee-hawl ester boozy flavor. Lingering peppery yet clean aftertaste. Foamy carbonated mouthfeel. Medium body. Gin like awl-kee-hawl properties prevent the feel from ever getting to the point of full bodied. Last swigs: Orange juice and light flavored gin beer. The most prominent booze CHIMAY of the big three in their stable. 8.0 % ABV is prevalent. So many other brewers have blown the doors off of the seminal Tripel style that this West Coast Video of triples is left scratching its head with a Blockbuster rental card in its hand. Beer is good. Happy beering.

2positive

Founders Breakfast Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

Had a pint on draft at the Landmark 1850 Inn in Milwaukee. Appearance -- Pure black with a thick, creamy, khaki two finger head. Head lasted for quite a while. Very nice to look at. Smell -- Very inviting chocolate and coffee. The smell is very reminiscent of breakfast. It gets intense as the stout warms. Taste -- The taste changed for me with each sip. Taste went back and forth between bitter chocolate and a strong coffee flavor. Complex to say the least. Warming alcohol is also apparent but by no means overwhelming. Mouthfeel -- Thick and creamy. Very dense. I'm reminded of oatmeal or some kind of warm cereal. Drinkability -- I could do one or two at a time. The flavor is quite rich. The higher ABV is also masked well so if you were to have a few I'm sure it would catch up fast. One I'll seek out again, but not at a bar. I prefer a bottle over draft.

2positive

Pale Ale

English Pale Ale

12 oz Brown Bottle. The only thing nice about this beer was the appearance. There was no hop presence what so ever, malt was thin and lacking, and there was a vegetable taste through out the drink. In the end of the drink there was a very present soapiness. I hope that this was a bad bottle for I had to dump it.

0negative

Saku Originaal

American Adjunct Lager

500ml bottle 4.60% ABV I tried this beer on May 8, 2008 after purchasing a couple of bottles from the Queens Quay LCBO outlet (one was given to lenusik). The beer poured a very pale golden yellow with a bubbly white head that quickly disappeared. The aroma was very sick grainy malt with a slight hoppy hint. The mouthfeel was medium bodied. The flavour was very grassy.

0negative

Lone Star Light

Light Lager

Lone Star Light pours a poor yellow color with small head and no lace; Not much for smell but is malty and weak; Taste of corn and rice; Mouthfeel is watery and thin, light body, highly carbonated; Refreshing; Drinkable but nothing else. A typical light lager. Salud!

0negative

Snow Day Winter Ale

American Black Ale

Snow day pouts a black color with wonderful ruby highlights. The head is an impressive off white color that stays with the beer though out the drinking experience. The aroma is of a wonderful mix of hops. Present is grapefruit and other citrus fruits along with some mild pine aroma. The taste is the only unfortunate aspect of this beer. The flavor is of dark malts but lacks depth and complexity. The mouthfeel is solid. Overall this is an okay beer. I do not really like the blend of dark malts with so much hops.

2positive

Edition 2004

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Another quality "broue" from The Great White North. It's a cloudy peach color with foamy head. It's ripe fruit and spices are this brewery's trademark "tell". A sharp, inital alcohol taste morphs into a calming peach washing of the palete. A very thick brew that could make this a nitecap. When have I had a bad brew from these guys?

2positive

Blue Moon Belgian White

Witbier

Had this beer many times, I originally experienced it as a substitute for a Black&Tan when the bar was out of Bass, and I actually prefer it to the standard Bass ale.... A: Appearance is somewhat more impressive than i expected, head is actually somewhat creamy and lasts longer than i expected... S: Quite spicey, citrus and coriander, cloves present... T: I consider the taste quite light, compared to other "wheat" beers... spice is more prevalent than anything else (not that there's anything wrong w/ that. this is, in fact a "spiced" ale.... M: Very crisp, but unfortunately quite watery. D: This isn't a beer that I would sit down and drink one after another, but it is exceptional when combined with a Guinness when making a black&tan....

0negative

Imperial Stout Trooper

Russian Imperial Stout

Pours dark brown wih a decent amount of brown head. Te head sticks around for quite a while. Smells roasted and chocolatey. Tastes dry and not very sweet. A bit of chocolate And some nice bitterness but it's so dry. Mouthfeel suffers because of this. Fairly drinkable but overall not really that good. No better than stone IRS or old Rasputin for sure which are much easier to acquire.

2positive

Mohawk Barley Wine

English Barleywine

Barley wines dont come around often here in Sweden. Mohawk is thus somewhat of an exception. And thus, I had some expectations. So lets see. Nice copper color, almost no head. Ok. Smell: a little weak overall; malty and sweet. Smells like brown sugar. Not too much going on here. Taste: again, somewhat bland and weak; very malty, notes of caramell, toffee, some dried fruits like raisins and figs. Not much hops to talk about, which is fine I think. Alcohol is nicely integrated. But overall the taste is a disappointment. Ok, an english style bw, and I like that style more than the too bitter american one. However, Mohawk isnt the best example of the style, in fact, judging from this bottle, its not really good at all.

0negative

EMU Export

Dortmunder / Export Lager

Pretty god dam awful stuff, sweetish, with a faint hint of hops (you've gotta try hard though), lots of chemical preservative flavours in there aswell, not really good at all.

0negative

Lips Of Faith - Biere De Mars

Bière de Garde

Too much carbonation, almost to the point of being undrinkable. I tried pouring the beer into a glass and instantly the glass was full of foam. I finished off the beer from the bottle, but it was almost like drinking Champagne due to the intense carbonation. Flavor - Fruity with a malty aftertaste. Appearance - thick foam when poured into the glass. Mouth feel - Sharp from the carbonation.

0negative

Cabin Fever

Maibock / Helles Bock

I had never heard of this one before so I enjoyed an opportunity to try a new beer with no pre-conceived notions. I didn't even know what the style would be. It looked like a run-of-the-mill pilsner. Had no aroma whatsoever. Tasted slightly sweeter than a pils but had no hop profile at all. I commented to my friend that, if tasted blind, it would be difficult to distinguish between this and an Old Style or Hamms. Now that I see it is described as a "Pale Bock" I am still not impressed. The sweetness that was contributed by the honey is no different on the tongue than that of a corn that is frequently used in mass-produced cheap macro beer. In summary, NG used more expensive ingredients and a more intensive brewing process but failed to produce anything that is better than a crappy macro.

2positive

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

Oatmeal Stout

550 ml bottle poured into a pint glass.This one came out of a three-pack sampler (with the Old Brewery Pale Ale and Nut Brown Ale making up the remainder). Very dark, but the head was light in colour with fine/medum texture. The head disipated quickly and left only minor lacing. Smell was toasty/malty. Typical stout. Flovour was nice and crisp for a stout. Some roast in the malt gave it a coffee-esq quality, but not overly so. It was refreshing and left me wanting a second. the package only had the one, so I tried the Pale Ale next. Overall: Nice, but its not going into my regular rotation.

2positive

Big Barrel Double IPA

American Double / Imperial IPA

Karl Strauss is rather easy to overlook in the San Diego beer scene - there are just so many great brewers at work in the area. I enjoy their sessionable ales once in a while, but here we have an attempt to make a BIG beer on par with some of the offerings from their more renown neighbors. Poured from a 22oz bomber into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass. Deep tangerine colored body toppd by a thick, lasting, soapy beige foam finger. Ropy lacing and faint glassy legs. Nelson hops are readily apparent in the nose, adding a candy/berry like fruit note with a hint of guava and grapefruit as well (from the Ahtanum I suppose). Malts are present with a vague sweet/spicy/smokey element too. Big citrus (grapefruit) flavors up front with a pungent pine-like element, but smoother than most C-hops. Hay-bale like backbone, sweet and grassy, but rather bitter, probably from a mixture of malt and (Warrior) hops. Smooth, almost cocoa or even oat-like finish once the bitterness finally recedes, though the fruit persists as well. Medium-bodied, well carbonated, and very lightly astringent - alcohol is well disguised/integrated. Unique, subtle, and very tasty - I'll be picking up the rest of this series of "big" beers over time.

2positive

Chimay Tripel (White)

Tripel

A: Pours a copper-orange body and a large loose white head. The body is kind of translucent but has yeast particles floating around. S: Like an Orval I had a couple months ago, one of the first smells that jumps out is reminiscent of tomato sauce. Also candy sugars and a small amount of raisins. T: Caramel and raisins and finishes off with a little bit of smokiness and pepper at the end. M: Not as lively as I was expecting but still smooth. D: Not too intimidating; of the three Chimays, this is probably the most sessionable.

2positive

Augustiner Lager

Vienna Lager

Pours a rich gold color. This beer is full of carbonation. Starts with crispness and a fruitful flavor on the tongue. Finishes with a sour, rusting aftertaste. With how good it begins, I thought I found a diamond in the rough. But the aftertaste left me very disappointed.

0negative

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

American Porter

Serving from a 12oz. bottle into a nonic pint. Best by date: 06-14-11 Color is a dark brown or black with ruby edges on the glass. Luxurious tan head 3 fingers high gave way to very good lacing. Nice aromas of coffee and chocolate from the dark malts. Also a fair amount of smokiness is present, presumably from the roasted barley. Taste is of toasted malts and dark, bittersweet chocolate. A smooth, creamy beer. Aftertaste is somewhat bitter, like coffee. Medium-full body with a medium level of carbonation. Overall, a very well-crafted porter - one of the best I've had.

2positive

Weltenburger Kloster Urtyp Hell

Munich Helles Lager

This was one of the closeouts at the Vintage Cellar this month. I think I know why after drinking and reading other's reviews. This must have been sitting around awhile past its prime. Pours a clear golden yellow with a short, thin, white bubbly head. The head retains pretty well at a 1/2 finger skim, and it yields light washes of slippery lace with each drink. Light carbonation is seen throughout the beer. Aroma is definitely displeasing. Bubblegum meets honey meets spoiled grain. It's sickly sweet, and, while aspects of it aren't that off-style, something's definitely off. Taste gives up a lot of lemon and wheat - a very clean and crisp taste. There's a good dose of honey sweetness, slightly cloying, with a hint of that bubblegum from the nose. Crisp green apple finishes the flavors. Well carbonated with a light syrupy film in the finish. Drinkability is hard to rate. I can barely get past the nose to the beer, and even when I do, I don't find much worth making the trip for. I'll have to try again when a new shipment comes in and see if it's just me or if it's actually the beer.

0negative

Grimousse

American Amber / Red Ale

Smells like grape juice with a splash of urine. I'm not sure that i can take the next step, which is to taste it... Wow!! Ugh!! tastes like grape juice with... No this can't be happeming. NEVER buy this. NEVER DRINK THIS. NEVER SERVE THIS. Unless it's a revenge plot...

0negative

Atwater Vanilla Java Porter

American Porter

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle chilled to ~35F. Appearance - Dark reddish brown, clear. Head was light brown and fizzy, quickly dissipated. Color is too light for a robust porter, IMO. Aroma - I don't get any coffee or vanilla in the nose. All I get it a artificial raspberry aroma. Taste - Not good. Overwhelming tangy and fruity, with a little roastiness. Nothing like what I would expect from a "Vanilla Java Poter". Possibly infected. Mouthfeel - Very thin for a robust porter. Drinkability - Not much to say. It's terrible. I dumped it.

0negative

Boddingtons Pub Ale

English Pale Ale

Presentation: 1 pint "Draughtflow System" can. Poured into a proper Imperial pint glass. Appearance: An amber brew with slight chill haze. An amazing cascading effect produces a 1 finger thick perfect nitro-induced creamy white fluffy head that sticks to the glass and never goes away. Smell: Clean. Faintly floral with dextrins, faint fruity esters and metallic in the aroma. Taste: Silky. Silky smooth, soft and creamy. Body is medium. A toasty malt sweetness starts of the experience, it's thin though but gets better as the beer warms. Hops are very gentle, not overly bitter, but rather complementary, floral in taste. Hops are also slightly raw and leafy in the feel. There's some coarseness and bitty-ness that follows, along with a strong metallic flavour on the palate. This carries through into the finish as the beer dries up with a mouthful of strong grain tannins and a grain husk/powdery feel. Notes: Not a dreadfully bad brew. It's rather mild, making it an okay session bitter for fans. However, the metallic and grain tannin aftertaste is a bit much for my palate and rather annoying. The aftertaste literally murders this beer. I wouldn't purchase this beer for my own consumption. And, too bad about the nitro. Nitro beers, in general, tend to mask a lot of the beers character ... which is why most nitro beers share common characteristics, regardless of their style.

0negative

White Birch Espresso Imperial Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

Got the bomber at the Lebanon Health Food Store in Lebanon NH for $10.75. Bottled: April 16, 2010. Batch: One Bottle: 68 out of 516. Served a little chilled in a cold tulip. There's a good cake of sediment visible at the bottom of the bottle. Brew pours a thick black into the glass and generates a very stable 3" of very sticky solid dark brown foam that doesn't go away. Smells a very thick and robust chocolate, coffee, roasted barley, startchy grains, seriously dark and yummy, but lacking any kind of sweetness. Mouthfeel falls completely flat... thin and still, no creaminess or viscosity, very underwhelming. All the White Birch beers I've had have been impressive for hiding an impressive amount of alcohol in a thin body and this follows the trend perfectly. But if you call it an Imperial Stout, it's supposed to be thick. The taste of this is dry, roasty, dark coffee and dark cocoa, a bit acidic. Overall it's no doubt well-crafted, but not in line with the style and not what I was looking for this evening. I wanted a big, thick, sweet and filling stout. What I got was a cold cup of 10% ABV coffee. Way too watery and completely dry for the style, not filling, and easily chuggable when it should be anything but. It'd be a good beer if it was called something else or carried a disclaimer on the label. Bad marks for trashing my expectations and leading me astray, I'm a bit pissed. Maybe I should know better because I've had other White Birch beers and I somewhat expected it'd go this way. But c'mon.. putting the words Imperial Stout on something this thin is blatantly dishonest and misleading.

0negative

IPA (India Pale Ale)

American IPA

This beer pours a clear medium orange colour, with a small thin soapy white head, and very sparse lace. It smells of light citrus hops and sweet caramel malt. The taste is orange and grapefruit hops, and more strong caramel malt. The carbonation is average, the body is nice and full and creamy, and it finishes off-dry and hoppy. A very well-balanced and tasty Yankee IPA.

2positive

Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA

Belgian IPA

A: Pretty standard looking beer. Mild amber color, and a thin white head. S: Really nice light smell. Slightly bready and hoppy, almost soapy , which was interesting. Kind of a sweet, nectar smell on top of it all. T: Great tasting beer. Sweet, nectar taste right off the bat, with some mild hoppy undertones. Also a sweet bready taste, almost like an amber ale, is barely there. The lingering flavor is what really does it for me. Pretty nice bitter for an IPA, but the spiciness is really excellent. The belgian yeast mixed with the bittering hops is great. M: Pretty standard. Carbonation is medium, initial feel is very smooth, medium body.

2positive