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Keystone Ice

American Adjunct Lager

Pours a clear yellow color that is very light. There is a very slight head to it. The smell is of alcohol and grain. The taste is of alcohol and grain. The taste is very stingy it is very harsh to drink taste wise. The mouthfeel is overly carbonated. The mouthfeel is very harsh. The drinkability on this is very low, it is harsh and stings of alcohol, good if you are in college i guess.

0negative

Trois Pistoles

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

I burned out on Unibroue pretty severely after moving to British Columbia, but I'm always up for a Trois Pistoles now and then. The typically cheap-tasting Unibroue notes are well masked in this one, simply because it's so sweet, but you do need to be careful about the temperature it's served at; I've had this turn syrupy on me without warning more than once. It seems that everyone knows these guys for La Fin Du Monde, but there are plenty of better blonde tripels out there. This one is relatively unique.

2positive

Heineken Lager Beer

Euro Pale Lager

This is truly overrated European beer and the Dutch could do so much better. The smell is skunk, the head is light and leaves an ugly ring in the glass. The taste is bland and uninteresting. This could be one of the worst beers coming from such a wonderful beer-centric part of Europe. It is too bad. This is the beer that you see at bars and package stores that have no selection, and at weddings where you have choice between Budweiser, Miller Lite, Amstel, and Heineken. They add this crap to the list as though they are appealing to people who know decent beer and have taste. Unfortunately, it's European Budweiser and nothing more. I would no more reach for this than I would a dozen or so other crappy American macro lagers.

0negative

XP Pale Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

An apple juice and ginger ale color, lots of head with lacing, and lots of carb action. Bit into the fantastic head. A light cookie caramel malt smell with pine lime hops and hints of vanilla. A light sweet and bitter taste with cookie caramel malt; pine and lime hops; and flavors of ginger, light licorice, and cola. A light body, dry slightly syrupy texture, soft and lively carbonation, and a slight metallic finish. The untimate true session beer for a beer drinker.

2positive

Pike Entire - Wood Aged Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

This 2009 bottle pours 96.4% milk chocolate colored foam, settles to 0.5cm cap on an opaque black body. Not looking too promising. Smells like bile was mixed with some bitter dark chocolate. A scoach of something oddly savory. Eesh.. Tastes less nasty than it smells. Mildly sour bitter chocolate with a weird off something. Finish is unpleasantly vegetal. There lurks beneath a decent imperial stout with some vanilla and oak. Despite the overcarbonation there is some decent body here with fullness suggested by the explosive carbonation. Somewhat silky. Not awful. Clearly infected. Would like to try the beer as the brewer intended it.

0negative

Atwater Vanilla Java Porter

American Porter

First review. Thought it might be time, as this is a beer I have not seen and will probably not try again. Picked up from Corral Liquors in Granite City, Il. A: Dark coffee brown-black with a light-beige head that retracts quickly. Large bubbles pop as it dissipates; little to no lacing. S: Sweet milk chocolate and mocha. Overpowering both of these is a smell of burnt coffee grounds and nuts. Some vanilla. There is some citrus as well. T: Watered-down coffee masks a light maltiness. There is something metallic on the tongue mid-palate. Sweetness comes through in the swallow, as well as hints of vanilla. M: Thinner than I'd like. Okay carbonation, but too thin for the style. D: Not bad, but not as good as other coffee porters I have tried. Perhaps a good introduction for someone who wants something lighter than a porter, but does not compare to the few other coffee beers I have had (e.g. Peche Mortel, Hitachino Espresso Stout).

0negative

Chatoe Rogue First Growth OREgasmic Ale

American Pale Ale (APA)

This cloudy, orange amber ale with a tall, thick orange tinted tan head is looking good in my Hennepin chalice. Clean citrus smells and light caramel malts. Lacing is tight and dense. The taste is bitter and slightly sweet with just a bit of tartness. Mouthfeel is full and fizzy and dry, very dry. This is a very tasty beer and another I would drink from this brewery. I am reminded of Brutal Bitter (which I haven't seen since the packaging was changed, BOOO) and that is a good thing. Slainte!

2positive

Coors Light

Light Lager

This is an improvement over Budweiser and Budlight. However it still sucks ass because there is not smell, taste, mouthfeel or anything. The flavors are like water and piss. The plus side is you can drink ten of them and not get drunk. I guess I need to say something positive, right?

0negative

Heineken Lager Beer

Euro Pale Lager

Good ol' Heineken. Drank straight from the tall-boy bottle, wrapped in a paper bag. I've had this dozens of times but figured I'd review it while I had one. Bought this because I am at my friends and there is no better beer around and I felt like having a beer today. Simply put, this is probably the least offensive beer 7-11 sells.Not too skunky, no real bad flavors, no real good flavors...its just..plain. Slight herbal notes in the taste. very watery mouth-feel. Color is and head are nothing to write home about either. Over-all I cant hate this beer too much, being the #1 best selling beer in the world, and for its neutral, non-offensive qualities. Good for anyone who wants to "just have a beer." Defiantly a step up from any of "the big 3" here in America.

0negative

5th Element

American Wild Ale

This one poured a nice cloudy gold in color with a light white lacing. It smells of pure melted butter. It doesn't feature any sour or tart aspects whatsoever. The butter is sooo dominant and clearly not what was intended. The flavor again is pure butter. At the very least I expected a Berliner Weiss style beer but this one couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Where's the saison yeast or spice? This reminds me of Pechish Woods. It literally melts on your tongue (duh). This is a complete miss for me. Not a quality production from Squatters. Others can have an issue with me reviewing this but hey, they bottled it. Edit: I was lucky enough to get another bottle of this later down the road. It was very solid and had plenty of funk and brett. I'd rate that bottle as a low A- but my review for the "off" bottle remains since they did bottle it.

0negative

Founders Curmudgeon (Old Ale)

Old Ale

Other than the good looks of this beer, its terrible. Very harsh smell...a mixture of sweet and sour. The taste is just as bad. Tastes too much like alcohol. It know its strong, but c'mon, don't sacrafice taste. Mouthfeel is one of the worst ever, terrible aftertaste. No way you should attempt to finish one off.

0negative

Old Credit Pale Pilsner

German Pilsener

pours a gold color looks similar to apple juice. not clear not cloudy just kind of opaque. no head. this might be soured. smells quite sour, vinegarry. came in a six pack from lcbo called the discovery pack. this is my fifth selection and havent had any problems yet with freshness. maybe not sour but highly vegetal. a bit of a bready yeast under that but still kinda sour smelling. afraid to taste it. godawful. not soured just shite. other then the mill street coffee porter every thing in this 'discovery pack' is horrendous. if someone offers it up dont walk away--run away.

0negative

Double White Ale

Witbier

12 ounce bottle, served in a Sam Adams pint glass at refrigerator temperature. A: Pours a mostly clear, straw colored body with hints of light green. A 1/2" white head quickly fades to a thin, wispy film. A few thick strings of lacing form and drop back into the glass quickly. S: A mixture of light spices are first in the nose, followed by wheat and lemons. T: Coriander and other mixed spices dominate the flavor, and become increasingly cloying as it warms. Light wheat and lemon are in the background. M: Medium bodied, with light carbonation tingle and a light spice sting. D: Tolerable when cold, but becomes overspiced when it warms. I've liked all the other Southampton brews, this one just didn't fit right.

0negative

Saison De Pipaix

Saison / Farmhouse Ale

Bottled in 04/95. Should have been drunk about 8 years ago. Way sour with spicy notes. So much acid it is almost undrinkable. Decent color and spicy aroma. Could this be a bad bottle? I bought it in January anticipating a summer time sipping beer. Way disappointing.

0negative

Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest-Märzen

Märzen / Oktoberfest

12 oz bottle with a best before date of 07/11. Pours a crystal clear deep gold color with a fluffed cap of tan foam. Fades pretty quick and does not leave much lacing. Nose is caramel malts and lagery sulfur. Some sweetness, toast and nuts come out as it warms a bit. Pretty nice marzen smell on this one. Has an initial grab of toasted malt with mild sweetness and is finished off by a substantial (for the style) amount of dried grass hops. Mouthfeel is a touch thin and is pretty high on carbonation. Pretty drinkable, a six-pack of this has disappeared pretty quick from my fridge. I still think Paulaner is my favorite German marzen, though this and Spaten are mighty tasty as well.

2positive

Big Bear Black Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

Thick blackish pour, completely opaque. Multi-bubbled head of dark tan color. Head diminishes in 40 seconds or so but clings to the glass in admirable fashion. A slightly oily lemon and dark coffee mark the aroma, with some strawberry fruit. Certainly a black java sense to the flavor, but with an interesting nutty quality that's somewhat unusual in an Imperial. Great bitter charred roast aftertaste. Quite a beer in many ways, coating, good smooth mouthfeel, and a slightly different take on flavor. I would certainly drink this baby again, probably the next time I make it to California. Source: Liquid Solutions

2positive

Tröegs Mad Elf

Belgian Strong Dark Ale

A fresh 2011 12 ounce bottle, poured into a DFH Signature Glass. A: A deep, pretty ruby red, with a thin head that entirely dissipates almost instantly. S: Sweet malt and dark cherries rush at the nose, with notes of honey and hints of spice also making themselves known. this beer is overwhelmingly sweet (not in a bad way). smells almost like candy. T: Dark cherry upfront, with a strong sweetness to the beer. Unfortunately, the cherry flavor comes across is an identificably medicinal flavor. The more I sip, the more I notice. You're left with the same medicinal taste after the finish. There are some slight hints of spice from the Belgian yeast, but my palate is having a hard time picking them out over the medicinal flavor. I wanted to like this beer...but did not. M: Nicely carbonated and surprisingly thin for a 11%. Mouthfeel is fine. O: Definitely disappointed. This is a beer I've heard a lot about and was excited for. Oh well. I have five more that I'll age for a bit and we'll see what happens. Expectations are low.

0negative

Coopers Sparkling Ale

English Pale Ale

Maybe I am missing something here, but I am underwhelmed by this beer. Poured into a Duval glass from a 375ml brown bottle, thought I had stopped before the sediment got out, but the brew was not a clear golden colour, more a dull copper, with no head to talk of. Smell was non existant, not even dirty pants, or even fresh running spring water. The taste, what taste? We are talking about fizzy water here, very unimpressed. Where the 5.8% comes from beats the hell out of me. I have 3 more of these in my garage, I think my son is getting them for Christmas (he drinks anything, as long as it is crap).

0negative

Route Des Épices (Ale Rousse Au Poivre)

Rye Beer

Woah. Slightly hazy orange amber with a fizzy head of light tan. Smells fruity with very light caramel sweetness and toasted grains with rye and distinct peppercorn. Tart aspects of dark fruit in the flavor, with some toasted grains and spicy rye. Lots of fresh green and black pepper spiciness. Unspectacular medium body. Very unique, and probably enjoyable for some. I however found the pepper a bit overwhelming.

0negative

Castle Lager

American Adjunct Lager

Yellow in the glass with a white frothy head, about a finger's worth. Retention wasn't bad, some good lacing. Nicely and steadily carbonated. Smells of melon, cantaloupe. The taste was sharp and bitter with a snappy hop presence, some malt. Carbonated mouthfeel, gassy. It was bitter sour on the finish with a dry, lemony aftertaste. Overall this is an acceptable lager on a hot summer day but the finish doesn't make you want to grab another. The words on the label, "Brewed in Perfect Balance" didn't seem to apply to my can of beer but it's worth a try.

0negative

Chimay Tripel (White)

Tripel

Pours a orange color, slightly hazy, topped with a thick off-white foamy head. Slightly creamy head. Aroma is fruity banana with some yeast and vanilla. The flavor is citrusy with a mix of fruits, banana, grapefruit, and orange. Somewhat of a tart, winey, sour presence. Overall this is excellent with a complex mix of flavors while being even quite refreshing.

2positive

Newport Storm '09

American Strong Ale

750ml corked bottle served in a snifter glass. pours a murky, muddy brown tone with no head or lacing; not the most attractive looking beer. aroma is good. sweet, fruity (plum/raisin/fig; maybe apple), malty... alcohol presence is faint put perceivable. very reminiscent of a barleywine. flavor follows the nose, with the headliner here being a sweet maltiness. a bit astringent; not really doing a lot for me. not a drain pour by any means, but pretty 'meh'. for me, the mouthfeel of this beer is its real undoing. medium-plus bodied but borderline flat. not well-received; this directly translates to how drinkable it is, making it, well, not very.

0negative

Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout

Oatmeal Stout

22oz bottle picked up because i havnt had this since i started my exploration of craft beer. drank from my samuel adams perfect pint glass. A- this one pours out an opaque black body that no light can penetrate. a finger of coffee colored head sits on top. the head takes its time falling, and leaves behind solid rings of lacing. you cant ask for anything more from this. perfect. S- the first thing i pick out of the nose are dark roasted malts. not really burnt smelling, but definitely not light roasted. after that i get alot of dark chocolate and a little bit of smoke. dark roast coffee on the finish. T- the taste starts out with the dark roasted malts that i could smell. after that i get lots of dark chocolate and a little bit of milk chocolate. there is less smoke in the taste than in the nose. the coffee on the finish comes on strong and leaves a long lingering aftertaste. M- thinner than im used to for a stout. on the lower side of medium bodied. the carbonation seems a bit high also. very smooth and creamy. O- this is one of rogues better beers, although i think you have to pay a little too much for what you get. still a pleasure to drink and something that often gets overlooked because of how common it is. there is alot of flavor packed into this somewhat small beer.

2positive

Cantillon Rosé De Gambrinus

Lambic - Fruit

Bottle into a glass, purchased and consumed at the brewery in Brussels. A: Pours a clear rose-colored body with substantial effervescence up the glass. An off-white head develops with the vigorous pour, but it vanishes quickly into a stream of bubbles on top, as expected for a lambic. No lacing. S: Raspberry vinegar. Tart, sour, and a little bit of wild funk in there, as well. T: Intensely mouth-puckering, sour note with a blast of raspberry tartness. I pick up some underlying horse blanket flavors, but it's predominantly a fruit lambic. Light tannins and white wine grapes near the end. Finishes intensely dry. M: Light-bodied and crisp. As mentioned above, this is intensely dry, and I actually start feeling discomfort as we work our way through the 75cL bottle. Visions of heartburn are dancing through my head. Love the flavor, but it's really hard to get through a bottle solo. D: My girlfriend hated this and left me to finish most of the bottle. I was pretty sick of it by the end because of the mouthfeel. It's pretty hard to drink in the bottled quantity, especially alone and without food. I don't see myself getting this again.

0negative

Redemption Red Ale

American Amber / Red Ale

This poured out a clear amber reddish body with a slight beige head that left some lace as it was drank. Aroma was weak with sweet fruity smells and a light hoppiness. The taste was pretty much sweet malt and overall weak like the smell. Body was light to light medium with nothing interesting going on. Not something I would get again with so many good beers out there.

0negative

Santa's Private Reserve Ale

American Amber / Red Ale

The 12 oz bottle calls this "reddish-copper in color with a roasty malt flavor and a hoppy, sprucey finish". Pours a dark red, quite clear with a puffy thick head that leaves behind nice lacing and a very persistent cap of foam that lasts to the finish. Smells of coniferous hops, assumably spruce as the label mentions, along with sweet malts and some spices. Sweet malty front and a hoppy finish, with notes of holiday spice throughout. Not as hoppy as the smell might indicate, though as the beer warms the spices really come to life. There is a nice light fruitiness present, a tasty variation on an amber ale. Mouthfeel is creamy and slightly drying, the hop presence noted by a slight crispness in the finish. Drinkability is good, this is a tasty seasonal I'd be more than happy to try again. I really like what Rogue did with beer.

2positive

Éphémère (Cassis / Black Currant)

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

750ml bottle served in tulip. You can tell its a well crafted brew with alot of work involved but it just didn't do it for me. Huge fruity grape/rhubarb/cherry type aroma that completely dominates the smell, taste, mouthfeel etc. Massive carbonation was a bit annoying and popping in feel. Some sour stinging in the throat and a filmy sour aftertaste that sticks on the roof of my mouth. Pink lemonade with lots of sugar comes to mind.

0negative

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

American Barleywine

2006 bottle. I have about 1/2 a six pack left. I've given this beer three shots to redeem itself, but no matter what my mood, it keeps tasting wrong to me. The pour is nice, looks and smells like a strong ale pale. I've tried several barley wines that are hoppy and I didn't know this would be one of them, but it does retain a few barley wine like qualities: plenty of alcohol, an oily texture, the right color and head. It smells spicey. The taste is hoppy and has a very strong citrus rind flavor, as well as spices and some earthy tones. The palate is completely overwhelmed by a hugely complex beastly drink. The aftertaste, unfrotunately, is like dirty fruit rind and lingers for hours. It was better as I built up to drinking it with some other high EBU beers before hand, but even then, it was too much. In leu of throwing out the bottles that remain, I'll store them for a few years. The flavor is so stong and ripe that it needs a lot of time to mellow. I wish I could recommend it for aging, but without having tried aged Bigfoot, I suggest you store it and pray.

0negative

Samuel Adams Cream Stout

Milk / Sweet Stout

Deep dark black beer that sits in the glass with an attractively mocha color head about a finger thick that settles to a thin film that lasts through the drink. Smell is thin, not much going on for me. Slight sweetness, slight roasted smell. Taste is far more pronounced. Starts with a creamy sweetness that covers the tongue before it transforms, at the back of the mouth, into a rich roasted coffee bitterness. Feels just as slick and creamy as it tastes. This is an easy to drink stout with just the right amount of sweet and bitter balance, that leaves a lingering coffee aftertaste. I would try this one again.

2positive

Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold

Dortmunder / Export Lager

I poured this beer into a perfect pint glass, it has a nice 2 inch fizzy white head that lays down to a nice lace around its golden color body. The smell is nice and malty with a hint of citrus. My taste buds get a sweet malty taste on the first part then a hop and bitterness on the back end of it. The mouth feel is nice with a little of a after taste. Over all i like this beer and would definitely drink it again.

2positive

FestiveAle

Saison / Farmhouse Ale

Very pretty pour. Full sunny honey with a large, retentive head and great lacing. Too bad everything goes down hill after that... The smell is of traditional saison spices that are beaten down by the odor of funky cheese, or feet. It doesn't have that cidery smell of a bacteria infested bottle--it just smells like spices and funk mixed with fruit. The taste is a slight improvement. It's too sweet up front, lots of fruit, which moves into the spices--white pepper, mostly--and ends on the sour funk of the nose. Most saisons grow on you. This one was just the opposite. It started tasted worse and worse as the bomber went on. I had no problem finishing the first twelve ounces, but the last ten were a stretch. This is the first Rogue beer I've had that I would call "bad." It isn't simply "not good." It sucks.

0negative

Samuel Adams Imperial White

Witbier

How anyone can drink this beer en masse is beyond me. There is definitely some interesting stuff going on. It's a heavy beer with some nice soft, woody notes. Vanilla and a little spice. But, the overwhelming aspect of this brew is the alcohol. Like, as in the isopropyl alcohol type. Not good at all. Completely different from the other imperials. The Double Bock is great. Stout is ok too. Steer clear of this one IMO. EDIT Just read LiquidBread's review. Looks like I'm not the only one. Ew!

0negative

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale

Winter Warmer

Pours a light amber with a big spongy off white head. Left ok lace. Aromas of sweet malt, light caramel, spiciness and mildly tart yeast. Tasted of sweet bready malts, lots of fruitiness and a pleasant tangy hop presence. No huge upfront flavors but everything was nicely balanced. Smooth but light bodied for the style with good carbonation. Definitly a quaffable beer. Not my idea of a winter beer but it wasn't bad for what it was.

2positive

Heineken Premium Light Lager

Light Lager

Heineken Premium Light is yellow/golden in color with a nose that features some grassy hops and some skunkiness. The foam on this beer is okay, but it doesnt last very long, leaving behind a thin layer of bubbles across the top of its clear body. This beer offers a light malt flavor that combines some pale malted barley taste with some corn. The beer finishes with only a small amount of bitterness. It is sweeter overall than regular Heineken with only a slight peppery sensation at the end which quickly fades to an aftertaste that combines skunky flavors with sweet malt. Heineken took a long time to finally introduce a light beer and this product, like many other lights, is nothing more than a watery version of the original. I have never been very fond of regular Heineken, so I am even less fond of Heineken Light. I didnt expect much going in and my expectations were met when I gave this beer a try. This product is very light and offers little taste. It also has the same skunky attributes commonly associated with the parent beer. The taste of corn/cereal grains and skunky hops dominate and the beer is a little too sweet. If I had to write down a list of taste characteristics before I had ever tried this beer, my predictions would have been very accurate. It is basically a glass of watered- down Heineken. It has a clean, crisp look and taste, but there is little else positive to say about this product.

0negative

Yeti Imperial Stout

Russian Imperial Stout

Bottled Jan-09 opened Dec-10 Appearance: extremely dark, nice head that disipates, excellent lacing in glass Smell: most notably chocolate followed by a hint of coffee Taste: bitter chocolate followed by a slight hint of coffee that lingers behind. slight aciditic feel that dissolves quickly leaving behind the chocolate/coffee flavor Mouthfeel: coats mouth with pleasant aftertaste. Drinkability: very pleasant; not overpowering but rather smooth with subtle aftertaste. Would definitely purchase again

2positive

St. Sebastiaan Dark

Dubbel

A dark and syrupy beer. Slightly sweet, not particularly hoppy or flavorful. ZERO CARBONATION upon pouring into the goblet. As in NO bubbles. I'm not sure if this is a common problem, but if it is, I'd be hesitant to try it again. It's not good flat, but I see that it could potentially be good with the proper carbonation. I might try it again, and update my review....

0negative

Point Special

American Adjunct Lager

Never loved the stuff but drank it in college because it could be had in bottles, three-for-a-buck in the 1980s. Local pubs also had it on tap for about the same amount. For me this stuff is drinkable as a novelty since it is made a few mile from where I was born.. PSB is definitely an authentic Eastern European lager with distinct sulfur components that are popular this that part of the world. Try it for fun. Hometown loyalty and good business practices help to keep this company afloat. They now produce a few OK beers and an exceptional root beer as well as other soft drinks. Take the tour of the brewery if you are in town.

0negative

Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin Ale

had a dfh 90 followed by this one tonight. not sure what i was talking about before regarding the unhidden alcohol. compared to the dfh it's a stealth bomber. upping drinkability to 4.5 (from 4). this time i really appreciated the lack of sharp spicing that can offend the tongue (as with post road and depending on the night, even dfh). this beer is so smooth and easy going, yet flavorful, so what if it's root beer like? and tonight it didn't even seem so much like it. brownish orange, slightly darker than the post road (drunk right before this one). head falls to a ring but does leave some lace. smell is reminiscent of root beer of all things. sweet root beer/sasperilla, cardamom(?) and alcohol. pumpkin perhaps but only if i really concentrate. way too much unhidden alcohol in the aroma. seems more basic (in the opposite of acidic sense) than most ales, and somewhat metallic. pumpkin pie is in the background. finish is surprisingly clean, with just a tiny bit of spice. carbonation is ample, body is medium. should be fuller bodied?

2positive

Molson Ice

American Adjunct Lager

poured this from a 24 oz can into a glass. don't know why really, guess more out of habit. had a suprisingly tall head that stuck around for a while. the smell is very unpleasent--it is a strongly vegetable smell, makes drinking this even harder. the taste is actually a little better than i expected--it is very bland and mildly sweet with artificial ingredients ever present. overall, not sure i'd want to have this one again, and my belief is that if you want to get drunk fast, do a few shots instead of struggling through several bottles of nasty beer. but this isn't as bad as it could have been.

0negative

Coors Light

Light Lager

very watery...

0negative

Samuel Adams Imperial White

Witbier

Samuel Adams Imperial White ale has a hazy cream colored body with a few lazy carbonation bubbles rising the the surface. About a finger and a half of tan head that is pretty creamy looking and leaves some decent lacing in its wake. There is a little bit of orange peel and coriander (among other spices) in the aroma, but there is also a good deal of fruity flavors from a Belgian Yeast. This doesn't really smell like a witbier at all. Imperial White doesn't taste much like a witbier either, it tastes like a Belgian Strong Pale Ale; one that is on the darker side of the style. The malt adds a hint of sweetness, and although I know there is a significant amount of malted wheat in here, it only contributes a little bit. Next comes a touch of orange peel and a pretty complex assortment of spices that starts with coriander and then itself in some unknown part of my spice cabinet. Next comes some great flavors from the yeast, which adds hints of fruits like apples and maybe banana. The yeast contributes some of the spiciness also. A slight amount of candied sugar sweetness pops up in there also. Just a tickle of hops comes in the finish. Although the spicy character of this beer makes up the main part of the flavors, the malt and other ingredients stop the spices from being cloying or too powerful. The mouthfeel is just awesome. Thick, creamy, full, but still retaining an adequate amount of carbonation. The mouthfeel was the most striking part of this beer. I took Samuel Adams Imperial White out of my buddy's fridge, not expecting much. I was wrong. This is complex, tasty brew that I enjoyed.

2positive

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Weizen

Rauchbier

A - Opaque brown body, with a finger of creamy off-white head. S - Bacon, smoked ham, smoke, ham, T - I understand why this beer should be smokey, but I dont understand why this beer should taste like ham. Thats the beginning and end of the flavor for me. There is just too much smoke, no balance as in Stone Smoked Porter or Fujizakura's Rauch. The dunkel weizen character is entirely missing here. M - Thin light body. D - If I wanted some smoked ham, I would fry up a plate. Pass on this over the top, unbalanced beer.

0negative

Mardi Gras Bock

Maibock / Helles Bock

Bought this beer with a salad at Tanks in Dayton. I've never really been a big Abita fan and my hopes were low on this being a worth brew. Well I was wrong. This is by far the best Abita offering I've tried. On with the review: Liquid caramel colored , clear with little carbonation.Brilliant white head with medium retention and no lace. Sweet caramel malt aromas. A floral hop agent for aroma is pleasant. Hints of toffee, sweet earthy esters and an effervesence of lemon. Good mouthfeel with perfect carbonation, tingly and invigorating. Toffee malt is layered in a sandwich with chewy caramel, a bit a brown sugar sweetness. A bit of floral hops show through and a bittering hop to balance things on the finish. A great session beer on a warm springs day.

2positive

Lips Of Faith - Transatlantique Kriek

Lambic - Fruit

A: The appearance of this beer is great. A beautiful ruby red color with a thin bubbly head S: Smells like dried sweet cherries, which is good, but then also smells of cough syrup, not good. T: The taste is very similar to the smell. It is sweet cherry syrup, similar to a medicine. The tartness is VERY faint. M: Very thick sweetness, but finishes fairly dry Overall, I do not like this beer. It is not a kriek at all. More like a fruit beer, and not a good one.

0negative

Double Chocolate Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

Opaque, dark brown imperial stout with a thin head and great, pronounced chocolate aromas. The flavor is marred by a harsh, roasted-barley bitterness and a solventy, alcoholic finish. There are nice coffee, cocoa, chicory, and chocolate flavors, but they don't have the time or space to develop given those two flaws. This was my second bomber of this brew, and I had the same reaction both times. It is slightly more palatable as it warms to room temp, but the biting finish is too overwhelming to make this a recommendable beer. FCB's lagers are still their best bets; skip this one.

0negative

5 Day IPA

American IPA

12 ounce bottle from Ryan011235, poured into a Duvel tulip. Hazy caramel orange with a finger of creamy off-white foam that slowly settles to a skim, leaving light streaks of lacing behind. OFallon 5 Day IPA I didnt notice a date on the bottle, but the predominant caramel aroma and muted citrus suggest either an older IPA or simply a more balanced one. Regardless, its pleasant enough, but nothing to terribly exciting. The flavor is a puzzle. The caramel and toasted malt I can get on board with, the very subdued citrus I can tolerate, but theres a really strange, almost beef broth kind of meatiness thats, to put it politely, offputting. Back to more normal beer characteristics, its medium bodied with moderate carbonation, so at least it has that going for it. Old bottle? Bad bottle? I dunno, but something was definitely not right here.

0negative

Chocolate Stout

American Stout

No date on the bottle A) Black glass that goes ruby with back light to show clarity, but still holds the Black color: I'm used to getting more of a brown with clarity. Gives up some minor lacing. S) Cocoa nose with a mild lactic/milk sweetness that gives the beer a milk chocolate element that's rather nice. T) Loads of oxidation that goes papery and cardboard (no date = brewers bad). Under all that is some mild chocolate malt (roasted grain) flavor, some dark chocolate and a ribbon of coffee bitterness in the finish. The paper notes really took the wind out the sails though. M) Weak body, mild carbonation, dry finish. O) Not a lot of chocolate in a pretty weak stout. The result is a lack of body and no support for the flavors that are going on. I wish they'd dial this up a few notches.

0negative

25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog

American Strong Ale

Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass Appearance: cola brown, creamy tan half-finger head that dissipates quickly; light lacing. Smell: malty as hell; bits of vanilla (or was that just my imagination?) Taste: malt comes on like a big dog followed by smoked cedar, toffee and light chocolate. Dry finish. Mouthfeel: light, creamy; medium carbonation. Overall: An excellent brew. Abita's best by far. I wasn't expecting much and this made my taste buds proud. I'll definitely be getting more. A bargain at $4. Well done, Abita!

2positive

Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale (2007-2009)

American IPA

Poured from a 12oz stubby bottle into a pint glass. 2009 labeling. Appearance: Pours a clear, light gold color, exceptional head size on this beer, it continued to grow as I poured and let it sit. Very dense and rocky. Lacing and retention are also right on point. Very nice. Smell: A deep citrus tone takes front, lots of grapefruit and fruity hop aromas lurking all around. Hop spice almost burns the nostrils, not as ground shattering as Torpedo but you can tell they are alike. A deep malt undertone, a bit toasty, is here in the backround but very silent. A refreshing yet interesting nose to say the least. Taste: Of course these Cascade hops really take a toll on the taste buds. Deep, resinous citrus/grapefruit flavors slap you around a bit, very piney and earthy. Upon first sipping this you feel almost as your drinking a shrunk down version of Torpedo, many similarities. Anniversary's hop profile is more reserved, showing off at least a malt undertone that Torpedo doesn't have. The malt in the finish is snappy and refined, toasty, yet doesn't drown out the huge citrus profile. Wonderfully executed. Mouthfeel: Very pilsener-esque like, carbonation is big and bold. The dryness leaves a light yet sustainable bittering effect on the palate. Medium bodied yet light and refreshing enough to enjoy all summer. Drinkability: I love how Sierra Nevada uses their hops to their advantage. The Anniversary Ale is no different. If you like a nice IPA with loads of hoppy goodness and a small touch of malt just to smooth things out then this is the brew for you. I actually liked this better then Torpedo simply because it's a more logical IPA, not as resinous, and doesn't have a weird hop oil aftertaste that left me in dire need of a water well after drinking it. A picture perfect IPA from one of those brewerys that never seems to let me down.

2positive

Keystone Light

Light Lager

Pours a very light, very pale yellow color with a big fizzy head that disappears immediately. Aroma is minimal as well...light malt with a little corn...not very appetising. Taste is jsut as lacking. Quite grainy/husky taste. Light in that there is almost no beer flavor (cue american beer/water jokes) but not very smooth due to the almost astringency. Ok, this is the saturday football beer of choice for my friends' room mates. I had to swipe one to see just how far from what I am used to drinking (even in the lager categories) these cheap light beers really are. I'd say I was disappointed...but I was expecting jsut what I got. Thank god I had this fine cold filtered beer in a specially lined can for free and I only got 104 calories out of it...ok I probably got only 10 calories out of it..the sink got the rest.

0negative

Titan IPA

American IPA

01/17/2011 On tap at Stone. A: Dark golden orange with a one finger white head and some scattered lacing. S: Pretty bland. I get a lot of caramel with a borderline cloying sweetness. There's a little orange. Blah. T: Bready malt with strong metallic notes and muted citrus. Incredibly bland and the malt profile reminds me of cardboard and old bread with some booze. M: Medium body, medium carbonation, slick and sticky mouthfeel. Overall: This is bad.

0negative

Horn Dog Barley Wine Style Ale

English Barleywine

12 oz bottle into a pint glass. A: Poured a deep amber with medium head. The head quickly disapated into a thin film that hung around. S: Fruit smell maybe raisins. T: Had a malty taste with an underlying taste of raisins. Also had some licorice after taste. M: Was crisp but the alcohol was overpowering. D: Low drinkability. First barley wine I had and not sure if I would have another.

0negative

Keystone Light

Light Lager

This beer is only good for alcoholics and for college students that want to get drunk. S: nonexistent. Maybe slight grains, but mostly water. T: tastes like water. There's no way it could fill me up.. M: horrible. Light carbonation, really just tastes like water with a little alcohol mixed in. D: horrible. There's no way anyone can actually enjoy this one.

0negative

Exit 11

American Pale Wheat Ale

A - Poured out a slightly cloudy, golden yellow color with a two-finger, white head of bubbly, crackly foam. It did not last long but left some sudsy lace. S - A nice spicy, fruity aroma with some nice wheat notes. T - It had some spicy hops with a fruity kick. Nice wheat flavors with a touch of sourness. M - This was an exceptionally dry brew. It was crisp, sharp and light bodied. D - Like most wheat ales this is easy drinking. A rare hoppy wheat ale that is worth picking up.

2positive

Werewolf

Belgian Dark Ale

"Never moon a werewolf." --Mike Binder Crystal clear kumquat with amber colored trim. The upper half of the pint glass is filled with a pretty good looking chunk of peanut shell colored foam that lasts and lasts. A serrated collar of lace turns into tattered sheets... that don't last. Not a bad look. The aroma is no great shakes. The beer smells toasted malty, musty and bruised apple fruity. Amazingly enough, almost no alcohol is appreciated. That's almost unheard of with high-ABV Eastern European beer. Maybe things will be different on the taste buds. Here's hoping. Werewolf is definitely not a Belgian dark ale. As far as I can determine, Rinkuskiu Alaus Darykla only brews lagers. Trouble is, I have no idea what style it fits best. Although it isn't that dark, it isn't pale either. How about Euro dark lager or even Euro strong lager? Lithuanian strong amber lager (LSAL) probably won't be a recognized style on this site any time soon. I'm as unimpressed with this higher octane, darker lager as I was with the worse than average Werewolf (Green Label). The flavor profile consists of sugary toasted barley, wood, alcohol and a small splash of turpentine. My tongue is burning and is starting to grow numb... and I can feel my liver cringe after each mouthful. Gack! It's safe to say that this is one of the thinnest 8.2% lagers in existence. It feels like water with a few drops of cooking oil added for a barely perceptible viscosity. The carbonation is borderline flat, adding no mouth excitement whatsoever. Since I can imagine worse, the lowest score won't be granted. The tagline for Werewolf is "you must be sure you wanna taste it". I wasn't sure at all and now I'm sorry I did. This is ghastly, flea-bitten, baying-at-the-moon beer. If you dare, make sure you've had your rabies shots.

0negative

Springboard

Belgian Pale Ale

Poured into a room temp pint glass. Golden pour with slight haze. Thick white head that fell quickly. Good lacing. It smelled like wheat and had a faint malt smell. Bitter taste - not so good. Hoppy, but no malts to back it up. The upper back portion of my mouth was stimulated. I wouldn't have more of this beer. I couldn't completely finish my 16oz pint...

0negative

Abbaye De Saint Bon-Chien

Bière de Garde

a: served in a small thistle style glass, the beer is a deep amber in color, opaque, with a well retained layer of carbonation and some lace s: gorgeous aroma, listed on the menu as a sour and that side really shows here - lots of tart/sour both bacterial and fruity, some dark vinous tannins and boozy spirits, woody oak, a sweet grainy malt side, rich and powerful but artfully balanced m: carbonation low, light-medium body, smooth t: loads of sweet-sour fruits, vinous tannic flavors, fruity/sweet malts well offset by a rich funk, solidly oaky, bacterial tart and sour cherry edges, benign aged hops, lightly sweet booze, complex and delicious d: love this - loads of rich barrel and fruit character with a solid sour/funk throughout, drinks incredibly well for an 11 percent beer consumed at Thirsty Monk, Asheville

2positive

Chimay Première (Red)

Dubbel

Whoa, my first Chimay. Dang, those tops sure do pop loud. Better not open around a sleeping baby! The bottle was the pint 9.4 oz. It poured out with a large two finger creamy head that took a while to dissapate. Slight lacing . The smell was very subtle but I could detect a caramel and spicy fruity aroma. The first drink gives you a light warm fruity spicey watery flavor turning into a slight hop , caramel and alcohol aftertaste. Very clean in the mouth but the flavor goes away very quickly. All in all, you want to drink lots of this Trappist concoction.

2positive

Unplugged Cherry Stout

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

12 oz bottle with red foil wrapped over the neck. Surprisingly dark brown with ruby accents. The tight, oily head didn't leave much residual lacing, as any that was left behind was soon streaking down the side of the glass. Ultrasweet cherry flavors right off the bat, with an acrid sourness that offsets it pretty well...it's not messing around. Not sure what the %ABV of this one is, but you can definitely taste the alcohol with each sip, and soon ensues a slight warming effect on the belly. After having the Belgian Red & Raspberry Tart, the cherry flavors seem more artificial, and even a bit cloying at times, but it's somewhat expected considering the bold use of cherries by the boys at New Glarus. This could also be due to the chocolate & malt flavors that are strewn in as well, which distract from the true cherry flavor. While fairly unique and certainly not lacking any punch in the flavor department, the combination of tastes didn't do anything for me. It's hard to excel with fruit-based beers..and while New Glarus has a number of good ones, this one misses the mark for me. Bottle courtesy of badbeer, thanks again for letting me try this one.

0negative

Cap Espoir

Belgian Pale Ale

341 ml served in a chilled glass Appearance - Beer pours with about one finger of off-white head. The head appears to have some good volume to it as well, lacing has already started. The beer is a cloudy amber with some faint carbonation traces. Smell - picking up some strong banana/orange zest presents as well as sweetness from caramel. There are some slight earth tones to this beer as well. Taste - Very easy drinking beer. What you smell is what you taste! The beer is very nice on the palette offering a smooth feel. Zest and banana is what you taste as well some hints of sweetness. Mouthfeel - carbonation really brings fwd the overall taste of this beer. There is a def amount of orange added in the taste as well, sweetness. The mouthfeel is almost velvet like, very nice. Drinkability - This is a decent beer, one i am glad i tried, but not one i would go out to find again.

2positive

Double Daddy Imperial India Pale Ale

American Double / Imperial IPA

Bronze golden hazy amber orange. Frothy nice laced whitish head. Fruity hop aroma that is really nice. Grassy tingely and floral hops that are great. Very piney, sticky almost the hops are. Medium mouthfeel that is great. Very strong stylishly, completely full and stiff. Very complex flavor, the hops really. A great brew, and a great style I'd like to have more of.

2positive

Samuel Adams Imperial White

Witbier

Appearance Poured a thin off-white head that stuck around the entire time floating on top of copper liquid Smell Aromas of oranges, marmalade, clove and coriander Taste Malty sweetness dominates and finished dry with a slight alcoholic burn similar to some Belgian Tripels and Quadrupels Mouthfeel Rich, full bodied and frothy. A familiar stickiness on the finish typical with most Imperial beers i.e. RIS and IIPAs Drinkability Even with the familiar alcoholic note I would say that the drinkability is comparable with any rich imperial style beer. I'm not much of a fan of witbier's but this one made a believer out of me. I recommend it to anyone.

2positive

Hoptimus Prime

American Double / Imperial IPA

On tap at Standard Tap. Pours cloudy and amber with a slight reddish cast. The head is about two fingers and hangs on forever, leaving streams of lingering lace down the side of the glass. The aroma is hops, hops, hops, hops, and hops. I can't pin down the exact blend, but I taste pine (Centennial?) and light tropical citrus (probably Simcoe). I could stick my nose in this beer and keep it there for a year and a half-- the aroma profile is a hophead's wet dream. Flavor, like aroma, is wall-to-wall hops. The beer opens up with orange rinds, mangoes, and a little pine; these hop flavors hang around, receding into a neat, tacky bitterness. The flavor-hopping never wholly disappears, which calms down the bitterness a little. This beer would definitely be overbittered if it weren't so aggressively flavor-hopped-- WHY don't more breweries do this in their DIPAs? Mouthfeel is pretty much the only place malts are evident-- creamy and crisply carbonated; it'd be refreshing if I weren't so damn thirsty and the alpha content weren't so high, but if you're normally hydrated, this is very refreshing. Great DIPA, it's nice to have it so fresh.

2positive

Heineken Lager Beer

Euro Pale Lager

Not sure what it is about the Dutch and Northern German beers (Heineken, Amstel, Becks), but I just do not like the smell or taste. Perhaps most people refer to it as a skunky smell/taste ... it seems to me more like a rubber smell. Really puts me off. I need to find out if its the green bottles, or if there is a specific hop that I just don't like.

0negative

Infinium

Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut

I had high hopes for this beer, having paid quite a bit for it, sadly this beer didn't deliever, drank it at christmas with my brother, father and cousin we all agreed it didn't taste great. The best way to describe this beer would be the offspring of both champagne and pilsner which is not a good thing. Appearance wise it looked pretty nice bubbling nicely, smell reminded me a bit of moldy fruit, taste was like someone poured sparkling wine into a pilsner and shook it up, it wasn't very drinkable and we all agreed on that, perhaps it needed to be colder and not drank with wines and other beers, but I can't review it very highly given my recollection of it.

0negative

Shenandoah Chocolate Donut Beer

American Stout

Thanks to Bmanning for hooking me up with a couple of bottles. A: Very dark brown/deep mahogany. Tan head with tightly packed bubbles on top. Good head retention sitting at amount a quarter of an inch thick but no lacing at all. S: It certainly smells like a chocolate donut. In fact it reminds me of those glazed entenmanns donuts. It is sugar sweet and reminds me a bit of cake batter and vanilla glaze. T: Again some of that cakiness comes through. Vanilla frosting/ glazed sugar and a bread. There is an off flavor sort of metallic tasting or almost like tuna fish which was strange. M: Slightly rough around the edges and a bit light in body. D: Atleast this beer is what it says it is. Dont come in exprecting a ton of roastiness because its not there. It is a fun concept and does have its moments, but ultimately falls flat.

0negative

Samuel Adams Triple Bock

American Strong Ale

Bottle into a glass thanks to oglmcdgl for biting the bullet on this one. A- Triple bock is a black beer with hardly any bubbles and no lace and that's all he wrote. S- Soy sauce and salt with a very light amount of oak and the faintest sense of sweet maple. I dont really get any roasty qualities, just salt. T- Im salty, this is bad beer, the salt content on this is just unbearable as is that soy sauce flavor that does not live up to more common versions. I dont get anything else. M- Above medium and saltier than that lepingers Gose I've had recently, how the hell did sam do this. Carb is pretty much a distant memory. D- This is a interesting beer and I liked it in a weird way but it's not drinkable and it's not good. It's good if you want to get back at somebody and you slip them this thinking it's an average stout. Glad I knocked this one out, now lets never speak of this again.

0negative

Newport Storm - Alyssa (Cyclone Series)

American Brown Ale

This lady pours out clear, chestnut brown with a very brief head of beige that fizzles out instantly and leaves no lace. Aroma is sweet malt, caramel, brown sugar, fruit, light floral notes, and alcohol. Flavor is very sweet and malty, with some faint fruit and nutty notes. There's a hint of chocolate in there too. Alcohol is hot. Completely unbalanced. Body is just shy of medium with a slick, and somewhat gritty mouthfeel. I would have trouble drinking more than one. Thanks to Dmeadows for the trade!

0negative

XS Old Crustacean

American Barleywine

Bought the fancy ass XS series cermaic like bottle. Amazing presentation. This poured a deep maroon color with an awesome brown colored head. The body was quite hazy. THe nose was nice but nothing extraordinary. I thought it was actually kinda mild in the hop department. This tasted almost wine like or a strong belgian. It was really malty which is nice, I am sick of DIPA style barleywines. The mouthfeel is smooth and syrupy.

2positive

Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

Got a WInter sampler as a gift. This is my least favorite in the box. I have had great Lambics and this is a poor representation of the style. The only thing that makes it a lambic in my opinion is the label. It is very thin and watered down tasting. Malt comes through but sweetness seems forced or artificial. I appreciate their effort but wouldn't want another.

0negative

Hoegaarden Grand Cru

Belgian Strong Pale Ale

An absolutely huge example of the style, almost to the point of self-parody. Pours Hazy, lemony yellow with specks of sediment suspended and lively streams of carbonation. Starts with a big, frothy head that subsides to a thin haze of bubbles with only slight lacing. The aroma is simply vast. You can smell it inches away form your nose, a huge wheaty attack, with citrus and spice everywhere. The flavor follows, with a giant blast of phenolic, wheaty taste, citrus, spice, coriander and clove and all-spice all over the tongue. A little hop bite on the back end, but the finish is a little thinner than one might expect from such an aggressive attack. The mouthfeel is thin but refreshing, with a slight bite of carbonation. This is a great beer, though perhaps too big to be supremely drinkable.

2positive

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale

Winter Warmer

Winter Wonder, another fine sam smith brew. This one poured a clear amber with a nice medium off-white head that maintained itself & laced very well. The aroma is light, but fruity laced with winter spice. The taste is well blended spice, fruit notes,malt and faint hops. Mouthfeel is left slightly tart or bittersweet with a dry finish.This makes a great "holiday" beer. It does't overpower any meal and to add holiday dress to the table, the foil wrapped good looking bottle looks good next to holiday or special glassware.

2positive

Sea Hag IPA

American IPA

Pours a hazy dark orange body. Tight white head sits atop nicely with thin lacing wrapping around the glass. Nice bouquet of hops with a healthy dose of grapefruit and orange citrus notes. A bit of sugary sweet maltiness. This can packs a punch with plenty of bitterness and a nice citrusy hop punch. Some malt backbone but nothing to suggest it's too balanced for the style. Mouthfeel is crisp, bubbly, and medium bodied. Overall, a solid IPA with nice tasty citrus notes.

2positive

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

American Porter

I wouldn't doubt that I'll be back at some point to raise my marks and enhance my praise for this beer. Ranks up with Anchor Porter as one of the most dumbfoundingly phenomenal domestic porters. Basically, it's coal black and the head pours with a tremendous swell - mousse creamy - leaving a thick collar and swirl while lacing nicely. Huge chocolate aroma with a smooth, rounded bitterness - densely malty. Like the Anchor, this features not a trace of that subtle sour tang in the taste that may be characteristic of many porters, nor does it lend any apparent fruity or hoppy flavors. What it does have is thick, malty chocolate out the ass. I'm not even sure there's any roasted tones to it. A bit of light toasted grain throughout. But surely bittersweet chocolate at its core with some (roasty? hoppy?) bitter and light sweet coffee in the finish. Maybe some caramel qualities in the middle as well. Just a wonderful, supremely-balanced recipe all-around. With each sip, it coats not only your mouth, but your entire innards as it goes down. I want to say it's heavy, but that could be the thick concentration of its malts playing on my senses. It honestly drinks deceptively moderately light. Can't help second guessing myself when I suggest this is "almost" perfect (on every point). Could it be just a little creamier please? Needlessly nitpicking at this point. I would by a sixer, nay, a CASE of this in a heartbeat.

2positive

Hop Logic

American IPA

On draught at the CPR, served in a shaker pint, Hop Logic IPA is hazy burnt gold leaving light, scattered white lace. Nice glow to it. Smell is fruity, big apricot and tangerine, hoppy but estery as well. Nice, a sweetness to it, like the sugar coated candies. Taste is similar, big blast of the sweet citrus hops up front, grainy midpalate before a spicy finish. Nice complexity and comes off fairly balanced, if a bit pleasantly rustic. Mouthfeel is light and slick, medium light body. Perhaps a bit sticky. Drinkability is pretty good, a solid IPA, nice fruitiness while still being malty enough to stand up. Refreshing, a nice summer IPA, if a bit dangerous at +6%.

2positive

Infinium

Bière de Champagne / Bière Brut

first beer of 2011 A: poured into a champagne goblet, with a finger of head, pale yellow body. S: exactly like a stick of butter, i hate putting a something down like this but its just weird. T: butter again, i feel horrible that this was an Christmas gift to my father, id rather have a stick of butter. there are barely any hops. overall its butterscotch. M: very bubbly, sticks to the palate. D: it may be drain poured, ive had better higher carbonated beers. this is just weird. overall its way to buttery. the bottle art is the only thing i give an A

0negative

White Birch Hooksett Ale

Belgian IPA

A: The beer was very cloudy, perhaps due to some yeast still in suspension. S: Smells of alcohol, which overpowers hop aroma typical of this style. T: Tastes of alcohol that overpowered any sort of citrusy/hoppy flavor. M: What I would expect for a Belgian IPA -- crisp and light, medium carbonation. D: I have a feeling there may have been a problem with this particular batch, it was drinkable, though the amount of sediment in suspension was not normal.

0negative

Sleighor Double IPA

American Double / Imperial IPA

Goddamn. I knew this beer wouldn't be good. Knew it. I see it all the time, undisturbed, at local stores. Bought it anyway. Under four bucks for a DIPA, how bad can it be? Pours a brownish amber. Huge off-white foam head. Smells like medicinal soap and a bit of earthy hops. Flavor is so, so off for the style. Dank, earthy, musty bitterness. Barely a hint of pine or citrus, if any. Just .. off. I have a 22 oz. bottle of this, and I'm about to drainpour the majority of it. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being my worst rated DIPA, ever, and forever. Mouthfeel is thin, for the head, very little carbonation. This beer's failure is now complete.

0negative

Verboten

Belgian Pale Ale

12 oz. bottle poured into an Orval goblet. Pours a reddish/orange gold. A very moderate head fades quickly. The nose is very bready with lots of bubblegum and light cloves. In the mouth, this beer is dry and bitter. It opens with a bready yeast flavor that gives way to a floral-banana mixed with black pepper and bubblegum. This gives way to a strong hop finish. Overall very pleasant though not exceptional example of the style. The slightly strong hop presence gives away the beer's American origins.

2positive

Pike Entire - Wood Aged Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

I'm so bummed to write this review. In May, I visited Pike Brewery several times over the course of my trip to Seattle. I had a blast at night for a party, then had an even better time hanging out and meeting nice beer folks the next day. I even bought a bunch of shirts and glasses. The 5X was the beer that will always remind me of my trip, great times exploring a wonderful city. Since then, I've ordered the 5X through mail order places several times, promoted Pike's product to my friends, and worn my T-Shirt so much it's starting to fade. I was giddy the morning I saw Liquid Solutions had this up. I bought 6 bottles on the spot. Well, I'm no longer a devout Pike fan after this disgrace of a beer. Have the decency to not release a product that you know is infected, it costs a lot less than loosing your reputation! Poured from a waxed bottle into my tulip. Oh shit - it's foaming up. The air smells like bourbon and sour funk - it smells like I just mixed an Ommegang Rouge and a shot of Makers. Not good, this is going to be a heartbreaker. My glass is 1/4 black liquid and 3/4 mocah head that is overflowing. G-R-E-A-T. Tastes like I feared. There is a decent enough beer buried somewhere in here, but a sour taste just makes it completely lost. On top of the absurdly thin mouth on this, it also is so damn carbonated I can't even taste all the details. Mouthfeel is the worst I've ever had for a Stout. Sharp and really feels like pop rocks on my lips. Pike, I love your amazing space in perhaps the greatest city in this country. I really enjoy your 5X stout. But a passionate promoter of your brewery just became a disenchanted customer - all because a special premium version of your premier product was unfit to be released but you released it anyway. I'll still happily quaff your releases when I find them on tap, but I won't be paying a premium to get your products shipped to me in Cleveland, OH any more. Please do the right thing and don't release an infected beer like this again. You're doing a disservice to both your fans and those who don't know any better. We've grown to expect much, much more from you.

0negative

La Fin Du Monde

Tripel

Very opaque hazy gold, big and generous head that laces in thick sheets rather than delicate threads. Champagne-like aroma, a sense of yeast as well. Great mouthfeel and moderate carbonation., malts of candied plums and cherries, slightest sense of a pithy hop bittering at the end. Just a hint of a wheat quality and little woodsy sense. A lot of fresh qualities. La Fin du Monde? Nah, this is just a beginning, one that gives me a sense of being live in Belgium and sampling the Ales fresh. Maybe my favorite Unibroue so far, powerful but tasty and drinkable

2positive

Old Viscosity

American Double / Imperial Stout

a: This beer made a strange glugging sound I hadn't heard before while I was pouring. This beer is thick! The pour produced a massive tan head that lingered for quite a while. Looks like an impy stout. s: Sure doesn't smell like an impy stout though. Vanilla and a surprisingly strong grapefruit hop are the most obvious aromas. Some fruity esters that suggest cherries and a bit of coffee also. As it breathes and warms the bourbon begins to assert itself. t: Doesn't taste like an impy stout either. Earthy oaky bourbon and a dry grapefruit hop dominate while allowing some cherries, vanilla, and dark chocolate to peek through. This is an enigmatic, bizarre, and wonderful beer. m: Sooo thick and silky. This coats the entire mouth with vanilla bourbon goodness. The tongue tickling carbonation is perfect. d: Bombers of this are a bit pricey in these parts, but somehow I have to force the PA Dutchman in me to buy some more. Port Brewing has made something both unique and delicious, they deserve tons of credit.

2positive

Éphémère (Apple)

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

Ok, first off let me say that I love almost any kind of beer. I even like Wild Blue, even though that tastes like grape soda instead of beer. But this... this is not beer. It doesn't even taste like cider. It tastes a little like sparkling white grape juice and apple juice mixed together with even less of a cheap pilsner. I drank it, and can't believe that I did, so I gave it at least a 2 for drinkability. But it tasted awful at first!

0negative

Boddingtons Pub Ale

English Pale Ale

I saw this last night and thought, "hmm.. ale in a can?". It wasn't until I got home that I realized it was a nitro can, and that was when I started to get excited. After it exploded all over my kitchen, I performed the engineering project necessary to get it into a big 16 ounce pilsner glass. Pouring a foamy beer from a can whose sides are wet into a curvy glass is not easy! I was very impressed with the head and the lace, the microbubbles in the head are always fun, but unfortunately it doesn't get much better from there. The color is alright, a sort of pale gold. The smell at first reminded me of Guinness, but perhaps what I was smelling is nitrogen. After I took a few sips, the smell almost completely disappeared, which brings me to... Taste? The only way I was able to get much flavor out of this beer was to also be breathing deeply through my nose. Then and only then did I detect faint malts, just a very small note of hops, and perhaps a stale smell. The mouthfeel wasn't very impressive either, which was disappointing for a nitro beer. Only large sips really give any sort of feeling other than that of liquid flowing over the tongue. The nitrogen makes the experience a bit more interesting, though. I do not think I would buy this again, at least not in can form. I am sad to say I could not even finish the glass, because I knew I had Full Sail's Barleywine waiting for me.

0negative

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

American Double / Imperial Stout

Black Pour with a nice mocha colored 1 finger head that really looks gooood. Smell espresso and chocolate..some oak a bit of vanilla. Taste Espresso, chocolate, burnt malt...as the beer warms I get more chocolate and less Coffee. Has a creamy full bodied mouthfeel..with low carbonation.... Nice beer..I think I like The straight Oak aged Yeti a little more

2positive

Harvest Ale

Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)

12 oz. bottle into pint glass. A: Pours a clear golden orange with one finger white head, which dissipates slowly and a coating remains throughout the drinking session. S: Weak but good, of malts with some smoky and maybe even musty notes. Even after warming aroma is not very pronounced. T: Bitter, as may be expected, with a slight element of citrus behind a prominent bitter hoppy flavor. M: Pleasant, a smooth beer with a nice bitter aftertaste. D: Easy to drink, light bitterness doesn't have much impact here. A great beer in its own right, I think this one would be especially effective at convincing casual beer drinkers to gain interest in the craft beer world.

2positive

Czar Jack Imperial Stout

Russian Imperial Stout

Growler offered by beerloco at a tasting tonight with mrsbeerloco, mikey711, and myself. Appearance: Pours an attractive opaque with a 1 finger creamy light brown crown. The head shows moderate retention and lace. Smell: Nice amount of Jack Daniels presence over moderate to deep roasted malt. Good amount of sweetness from the oak whiskey barrel. Taste: Same as the nose but the sweetness doesn't come through as much. A bit muddled but the elements for success are all present. Mouthfeel: Perfect carbonation, hefty for a medium bodied beer, and satisfying. Drinkability: The alcohol flavor and abv hold it back but its good for the style.

2positive

Rigor Mortis ABT

Quadrupel (Quad)

a- bottle poured into a snifter, one plus fingers head fades slow leaving nice lace for such a high abv beer, murky hazelnut brown color. s- strong, little alcohol, really liquory almost, sweet figs, sweet brown sugar, belgian yeast. t- strong! lots of dark fruit, some nutty flavors, raisins soaked in liquor, lots of alcohol flavors. m- medium, slick, coating. d- not great, this beer was a bit too strong for me, not my style.

0negative

Raspberry Wheat Ale

American Pale Wheat Ale

A: Very light yellow, with lots of bubbles but little head. Light beer to champaign. S: Pungent, sweet raspberry. 2 feet away and could smell it. In a way, a fake smell, but there is a twinge of genuine goodness with a little malt smell at the end. M: Sour, not bitter, just sour. Cheap beer remainder. T: Wow, did this one miss the mark. Liquid rasperry Pez is what this tastes like. The fakey raspberry flavor really demands all the attention, but then the bitter aftertaste takes over and a corn-like remainder. That's it. That's all. D: Liquid raspberry Pez. Need I say more?

0negative

Newport Storm '02

American Barleywine

Pours extremely cloudy dark brown. It's very thick, seems to move in slow motion. The head is slow to form, but not because of lack of carbonation, but because the liquid is so vicious that it take a while for the bubbles to reach the top to form the head. The head is unusually dark for a beer this color. I'm both excited and frightened to taste it. The aroma is thick sweet malt backed up by fruit rind bitter hops. The alcohol just barely tickles the sinuses and only if you're smelling really hard looking for it. That's impressive for a 12% beer. The flavor is just as slow moving as the liquid. Begins with sweet caramelly malt, slowly builds in intensity, then in comes the bitter hops (some citric rind, but no coniferous flavors and little citric qualities other than the peel). As the malt leaves the palate the bitterness of the hops lingers. Unfortunately, the qualities that impressed me early on (the thick sweet maltiness) quickly becomes cloying and syrupy and it was a struggle to drink both glasses. The overwhleming sweetness is a real drawback to this beer.

0negative

Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic

Lambic - Fruit

Pours a peach-tinged brown, just a dark pink really, with nice white head, but not enough of it. Just a thin rim of cloud, although lacing is delightfully dense and sticky. Strong bead - good-looking fruit beer, really. Could use more head though. Nose is intensely sour. Large amount of brett, with a pongy brie rankness to it, and a large metallic coppery whiff as well. A fresh tart character at the back probably suggests fruit, but there is not a lot of distinctive cherry character. An impressive funk, but it just seems very brett, and I suspect this nose could be quite easily homebrewed with the right ingredients. I'm prepared to be wrong, though. Oh yeah, taste is hugely sour. A real citric acid kind of intensity all over that. Right from the front taste my tongue feels like a layer is coming off it. Gets richer and slightly more mature towards the mid, with more of that pongy cheese rankness, some rubber and leather notes and some soil coming through as well, and what do you know - of all things - some tart, underripe cherry character as well. Yeah the richness on the late back palate are fruity hints, but the sourness really just pervades everything in a way I haven't experienced in a beer before. An intense, teeth-grinding, head-expanding explosion that makes you shriek "Yes! Come in my mouth some more, you sour-faced bitch!" Very impressive, for want of a better word. The mouthfeel rips the fucking enamel from your teeth and I can feel ulcers popping out in my mouth. It just feels like swallowing acid. Insane, and painfully drying. It's too impressive for me to hate it though. An unforgettable beer experience, but by 'unforgettable' I think I mean I will be getting major restorative work done on my digestive system as a result, and will forever live with the pain. A whole bottle was unbearable, and half of this went down the drain. This beer is a lot of things, but drinkable absolutely is not one of them.

0negative

Chipotle Ale

Chile Beer

Pours a deep amber with a one-finger dense head. Decent retention. Aromas of caramelly malt, overlaid with a distinct smoky, almost sweet spicy smell. BBQ in a beer... Taste: Wow. Punch of smoke right up front, followed by a wonderful maltiness that brings to mind Oktoberfests (looking on the bottle, I see that they do indeed use Munich malt), and then a slight heat as the spice from the peppers brings it all together in the finish. Great, dry finish that leaves a faint spice and smoke on the tongue. Hard to be more descriptive than this, as it is best described as "chipotles in a glass". Mouthfeel: Medium-full body, medium carbonation. Drinkability: If you like chipotles, then this is a great beer to pair with summertime BBQs. It goes down remarkable easy, and is not at all rough like other chile beers can be (Crazy Ed, I'm looking in your direction...). Overall, an excellent beer and a testament to craft brewers' innovation.

2positive

Choklat

American Double / Imperial Stout

22oz bomber poured into a mug A - dark black with 0.5cm of head, if that. S - Hershey's syrup and cocoa. not much else going on here T - hershey's syrup tastes with two other weak chocolate-like taste, but it mostly tasted like watery chocolate syrup. alcohol was not noticeable, nor were any hops. M - very watery, too thin to be an IS D - not good.

0negative

True North India Pale Ale

English India Pale Ale (IPA)

Acquired via trade from biegaman, so a big Thank you goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass. A: The beer is a bright amber color with a thin white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass. S: The aroma is of pale hops, spice, some citrus and a nice background of caramelized malt. T: The taste pretty well-balanced, with flavors of caramel, spice and light malts. The hops presence is complimentary but not over-powering and eventually exerts a slight dominance. The after-taste is slightly bitter. M: Smooth and very crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is dry and slightly sticky. D: Tasty, goes down easy, not too filling, good kick, nice representation of style, although Im more partial to the American style, this is one of the better EIPAs that Ive had. Its a good beer to drink for a while.

2positive

The Legendary Duff Beer

German Pilsener

A: Pours clear yellow with a good amount of head, but low retention. Nothing special. S: Revolting. I get generic mega-lager with strong hints of can. T: Taste follows the nose. Big hit of aluminium. Quite unpleasant, and I get the feeling it's not a good beer (tasteless?) even without that aluminium taste. I'm not willing to buy the bottled version just to make sure. M: Good amount of carbonation for the style. One of the only decent things I can say about this beer. It is certainly not a saving grace, though. D: The only reason to get this beer is as a joke. It is, predictably, quite bad. One of the worst beers I've ever had.

0negative

White Birch Berliner Weisse

Berliner Weissbier

Poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a White Birch flute. Special thanks to vanillamike for this from our recent trade! Bottled: June 2, 2010 Batch: One Bottle: 650 of 1458 ABV: Alc. 6.4% by Vol. A: Pours a hazy pale gold, like pear nectar. Clouds considerably after all the yeast is poured in. One finger of crackly, bright white head forms breifly on top before completely disappearing. S: Excellent aromas of lemon zest, toasted wheat, dried wildflowers, clover honey, and baked bread. T: Just like above with a lot more tart, tangy, and sour citrus. Lemon is a major player here. M: Tart, sour, and quite prickly. Lively effervescence keeps things very interesting and playful. D: A very refreshing interpretation of a warm weather classic.

2positive

Hofbräu Weizenbock

Weizenbock

Had this on 2011-11-25 in Pittsburgh, PA at the brew pub. A - Hazy amber with a 3.5-finger white head and light lacing. S - Big bold banana and clove and some light fruit floral. T - Tastes like a "Pumped Up Kicks" hefe. Again plenty of banana and clove plus some lemon citrus and dark fruit. A bready malt flavor emerges as the fruit and spice notes fade. The alcohol is well-hidden. M - Medium body and carbonation. Creamy. O - I enjoyed this brew. Not as refreshing as a hefe because of the higher ABV and strong flavors but a nice treat. One was enough.

2positive

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Märzen / Oktoberfest

Ba Review #40 Served On: 8/18/2011 Glassware: Pint Well it's Mrzen season already. At least Boston Beer Co thinks so. Saw a 12 pack of their Octoberfest and grabbed it up. Look: Poured a dark copper. A little darker than the Boston Lager. Initial head was a nice 3 fingers of tan foam. It disappeared quick and left a thin patchy film. Not much for carbonation bubbles. Smell: Spicy hops with that typical Sam Adams malty twang. Also some breaddy lager yeast. I swear most of their offerings start out with the Boston Lager wort - then they just add flavoring in the finishing tanks. I guess it sort of smells like an Oktoberfest. Taste: Ok, this was a Boston Lager without the sourness and a little heavier body to it. Maybe even a little more sweetness. Other than that, I fail to see any qualities that would make this beer stand out from all the other exceptional Octoberfests out there. Im starting to see Boston Beer as a Jack of all trades master of none. It just doesnt seem like much effort was put into this one.

0negative

Carling Black Label

American Adjunct Lager

This beer has an interesting history if nothing else. A case study in the power of marketing. In the early 80s in Canada this was a beer associated with rummies, ie the down and out old guys who drank beer in dives all day. Sometime in the mid to late 80s some genius decided he or she was going to turn this beer into the hippest, chicest beer in Canada. Out of nowhere stylish black and white ads appeared showing beautiful young urbanites drinking this swill as if it were sex in a bottle. The label was also modified to what was then a swanky angled placement. What happened was that the beer became a trendy best seller among the Queen Street crowd and those who aspired to be associated with all that entailed. And still the beer was horrible. What they proved was that you can sell a label to enough people that it really doesn't matter what is in the bottle. Corona followed this model not long after. Black label seems to have largely and greatfully disappeared from the market as the major Canadian breweries seemed to have focused on a few other product lines that have an even more massive and generic appeal. In short this is barely beer.

0negative

Genesee Cream Ale

Cream Ale

Light lager gold in color, this cream ale pours with a generous and dense frothy head. Subdued but nevertheless present aroma of soft hops and under roasted light malts. Creamy without the associated sweetness; very smooth, velvety mouthfeel and a taste somewhat reminiscent of Schlitz. EZ drinking and rewarding, this is a refreshing and enjoyable brew designed for daily multi-partaking consumption.

2positive