Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) - Dunkelweizen

Pours a deep dark orange with one finger of off white head. Smell is yeasty, cakey, with a banana and maybe raisin aroma. Taste has malts and banana flavors with a yeasty finish. Nice crisp mouth feel, almost dry, carbonation is rather strong. Good and enjoyable, nearly sessionable.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.10%

Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) - Oktoberfest

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass a deep amber/copper color with one finger of slightly off white head. Sweet malty aromas with a hint of hops very nice balance. Taste has sweet caramel malts with a hint of hoppy bitterness. Light carbonation and a minor aftertaste. Overall very enjoyable and drinkable

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.3%

Breckenridge Brewery - Avalanche Ale

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a darker amber/copper color, with a white one finger head. Initially notice aroma of malts followed by some faint bitterness. Taste is similar to the smell with malts present first and bitterness following. Not the boldest of smells, or tastes. Light carbonation with little oiliness on the feel. Drinkable, though I would probably go elsewhere most times.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.41%

New Belgium Brewing - 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Deep, deep, dark amber/black colors with a one fat finger of head, tan/khaki in color. Smell has some spiciness, with some intriguing smokey notes. Malts and yeast prevalent. Taste is smokey, banana, with the yeastiness and maltiness expected. Great carbonation and light bodied feel, refreshing. Extremely sessionable and enjoyable overall. One of my favorites.

Rating: Best

ABV: 5.6%

Alaskan Brewing Co. - Alaskan IPA

Pours an orangish copper color without the "glow" I associate with the best ipas, two finger head that laces nicely. Smell is rather yeasty intially with some grapefruity citrus notes following. Taste is much like the smell, with a yeastiness and a dryness to the flavorings, some pine and citrus mixed in. Feel is dry, medium bodied, with generous carbonation. Overall an average abv and decent taste make it drinkable.

As a fan of most of the Alaskan offerings this left me somewhat disappointed.

Rating: Good

ABV: 6.2%

Monday, April 25, 2011

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale

Pours a deep copper color with an off-white two finger head. Smell is not a powerful aroma, some piney and alcohol notes initially with some slight floral notes following. Not an overpoweringly hoppy beer, piney notes initially with what seems to be a grapefruity finish. Great feel, some slight oilyness with a powerful but light carbonation. Very enjoyable and drinkable beer, good taste, feel and moderate ABV.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.7%

Great Lakes Brewing Company - Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Pours with great colors, with the deep dark reddish brown (almost black) coloring. Nice tan head, about two fingers worth. Smell has wonderful aromas of chocolate and malts, some slight breadiness on the end. Taste has nice easy chocolates and malts in the taste, light alcohol flavors as well. Very nice crisp carbonation, some slight oiliness to finish. Very drinkable, though sweetness of malts can get old for some.

Rating: Best

ABV: 5.8%

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Torpedo Extra IPA

Pours a golden/amber/copper color with an off white one finger head, laced the glass nicely. Great smell, very much piney with some light floral notes on the end. Taste, again very much a piney flavor of the hops, some slight grapefruit notes finishing. Good feel, light carbonation, not to dry. Nice, abv isn't out of this world, but more than a few is a few too many.

Rating: Best

ABV: 7.2%

Cucapa Brewing Company - Cucapa Obscura

Pours a very dark amber color with some clarity and a one finger off white head. Smell is sweet chocolate notes with slight alcohol aroma. Sweet tasting malts with little bitterness to balance. Light carbonation and slight oiliness. Drinkable and enjoyable though not super.

Rating: Good

ABV: 4.5%

Unibroue - La Terrible

Pours a very dark (black) with no clarity. Head is off white and approx 1 finger. Laces minimally. Smell has initial cakey banana aromas with some maltiness. Cakiness comes through in the taste as well, alcohol comes around on the end. Some malty notes but overall very balanced and enjoyable. Nice carbonation with a tight feel. Drinkable, enjoyable, however the alcohol content hinders this a little.

Rating: Better

ABV: 10.5%

Green Flash Brewing Company - West Coast IPA

Pours a gentle golden/copper color with a white head. Smell is very strong pine notes initially then some more floral notes that follow. Taste is very bold hop flavors, pine followed by floral notes. Nice light tight carbonation with ample all the way through even on a slow drink. Good, the only thing keeping this from being an all night beer is the ABV.

Rating: Better

ABV: 7.3%

Avery Brewing Company - The Reverend

Pours a very reddish amber color, with a lightly tan one finger head that dissipated quickly. Smell of cake and some fruitiness, lightly like bananas. Taste is gently spicy with some malts and fruitiness on the tail. Light tight carbonation with an easy feel. Enjoyable beer, ABV to high to enjoy too many...

Rating: Good

ABV: 10.0%

Grand Teton Brewing Co. - Bitch Creek ESB

Poured a deep dark brown in color with little clarity, light brown head, one finger. Smell is malty caramel aromas with bitter hops very evident. Taste has good bitter flavors with the caramel/coffee malts nicely present, overall a nice balance of flavors but each very evident. Very light on the tongue, small tight carbonation. Overall a good beer, sessionable, and enjoyable.

Rating: Good

ABV: 6.0%

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Breckenridge Brewery - 471 IPA

Poured a very copper color with a slight amount of white head that dissipated quickly. Not hugely aromatic, but the slight aroma is very citrusy and floral in nature. Not huge flavor, I have noticed this about some of the Breckenridge beers, that they can tend to be very subtle in flavor and aroma. Hoppy citrus and pine notes are there just not quite as "punch you in the face" as some other beers. Nice light carbonation, like other attributes of the beer somewhat subtle. Alcohol is not overly evident, though the ABV is limiting drinkability or sessionability. However I do find this beer to be enjoyable in its quietness.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.2%

Cucapa Brewing Company - Chupacubras Pale Ale

Pours a deep amber with a two finger slightly off white head. Smell some coffee malts with a slight amount of hoppy bitterness. Taste is good, light malt flavors of coffee, hint of bitterness following. Nice crisp carbonation, no oiliness, with good aftertaste. Enjoyable, not too stout, easily sessionable, my favorite Mexican brew.

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.8%

Ska Brewing Company - Modus Hoperandi

Poured nice clear copper color, one finger off white head. Smell notes of pine, definite bitterness, some malty hints on the tail end. Smell more aggressive than taste, though similar. Hops present piney tastes, with the aftertaste presenting the malts. Carbonation is light, but tight small bubble feel on the tongue. Good flavor, enjoyable and not killer amount of alcohol all lead to a very drinkable beer.

This is one I really miss after my move from Colorado to Alabama. Will be keeping an eye out for it whenever possible.

Rating: Best

ABV: 6.8%

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Palo Santo Marron

Pours a very dark almost oil like darkness. Tan/golden head dissipates quickly. Smell some initial sweetness to accompany the malts, nearly coffee like in its aroma. Very sweet taste, some bitterness and coffeelike. Light carbonation, fades rather quickly. Very potent, though not like some other DFH beers, though it hinders sessionability.

Rating: Better

ABV: 12.0%

Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery - Bottoms Up Kolsch

Pours a hazy copper with a two finger head from a vigorous pour. Smell has lots of malts up front, some grainy smell and some faint fruits on the end. Taste is not very bold on flavors, but not bad tasting, some citrus notes and relatively balanced. Good feel note crazy carbonated, gentle aftertaste. Overall the beer is drinkable, and even enjoyable, not outstanding but still worthy of a pour.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.0%

Rogue Brewery (Brewers on the Bay) - Dead Guy Ale

Pours hazy with a copper color and two finger head when poured more gently. Complex smell with the malt out front presenting a grainy nose, some hop notes but overall very balanced smell. Taste is similar to smell though the hops are more prevalent on taste than smell. Carbonation disappears quicker than most, though not terrible. Good beer, definitely drinkable, overall I enjoyed the beer.


Rating: Good

ABV: 6.5%

Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery - Dale's Pale Ale

To me presentation is as much a part of the appearance as the color and head, the can presentation is great, I Love It. Pours a darker than expected copper, some haze. Head is about two fingers and sticks around quite a while. Smell is interesting my nose first picks up the malts, then the hops. Taste has citrusy hops with a nice balance of malts to finish. Very enjoyable light carbonation. This has become a staple in my beer fridge as what I go to when I just can't decide what I want. Very sessionable.

Rating: Best

ABV: 6.5%

Stone Brewing Company - Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Pours a deep dark ruby colors with an offwhite two finger head. The oak barrel ageing is definitely apparent in the aromas, though some other maltiness and latent hoppiness is lurking. Ooak barrel aging up front in the taste with hoppiness following. Great mouthfeel, very carbonated with smooth finish. Enjoyable and somewhat stout, limits drinkability, however the alcohol is not out in front and therefore could sneak up.

Rating: Better

ABV: 7.2%

Odell Brewing Company - St. Lupulin

Pours a beautiful golden/copper color with a one finger bright white head. Smell has piney notes followed with some citrus (grapefruit), very clean, crisp smells. Taste is outstanding gentle hoppiness, not overwhelming but very present. Again, piney notes with some citrus aftertaste similar to grapefruit. Feel has some oiliness, gentle carbonation, very smooth. Extremely enjoyable and definitely sessionable.

Rating: Best

ABV: 6.5%

Odell Brewing Company - Red

Poured wit a very appropriate appearance, deep dark red/amber color with nice one finger head with an off white color. Smell was initially yeasty, malty aroma, followed by very heavy hops smell. Taste has some initial malty notes with the hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste. Gently carbonated but very nice feel in the mouth, some light oilyness in the end. Extremely, very enjoyable beer, moderately high alcohol content but still on the border of sessionable for some, definitely for me.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.5%

Victory Brewing Company - Wild Devil Ale

Poured from the bottle an amber/copper color with an off white three finger head. Nice balanced smell with some malts up front, bitterness of hops is still very evident. Taste strong flavors from both ends of the spectrum, malts evident with some hop bitterness as well. Yeast really transforms flavor of the original. Enjoyable feel no great distractions. Drinkable and even sessionable, enjoyable beer though not anything outstanding.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.7%

Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV - Maredsous 6 Blonde

Poured from the bottle a golden copper color with some very slight haze. Capped by a 3 finger white head. Smell is yeasty, malty, with some floral notes. Taste some cakiness, nice light taste very balanced. Light feel nice carbonation. Very good and definitely a tasty beer, drinkability is high with moderate alcohol content and a light feel.

Rating: Best

ABV: 6.0%

Monday, April 18, 2011

Terrapin Brewing Company - So Fresh & So Green, Green

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass a nice deep orange color. Good citrus notes on the nose, some sweetness present. Taste is balanced with an initial tinge of hoppy citrus bitterness. Feels amply carbonated with some hop oil and a medium body. Overall a good representation of an IPA with a fresh hop flavor.

Rating: Better

ABV:6.6%

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Green Flash Brewing Company - Hop Head Red Ale

Poured a deep reddish copper with a tan two finger head that dissipated to cap the beer, some yeast floating in beer. Definitely hoppy pine aromas, some maltiness hiding in there. Similar to smell, starts, goes, and finishes with hops, but not overpowering. Very nice feel with good carbonation that keeps on coming all the way through, and crisp finish. Definitely enjoyable and very sessionable. A great cross between a red(amber) ale and a IPA, though it is very much skewed toward the IPA.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.4%

Victory Brewing Company - HopDevil Ale

Pours deeper color than some IPA's, on the darker side of copper with an of white head. Smells on the drier side with piney tones and bitterness. Very crisp with some dryness, piney flavors with citrus notes on the back end. Feel carbonation on the lighter side with definite crispness. Very sessionable in my opinion, I could put away a few of these easily. Overall a good offering in the style.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.7%

Boulder Beer Company - Mojo Risin' Double IPA

Pours a slightly hazy yellow with a white head that dissipates quickly. Smell of piney hops with slight citrus notes. Smell is not super strong. Good IPA taste, piney notes, some citrus notes, overall a good beer just not my favorite in the style. Feel some oilyness, good carbonation, tickles the tongue. Drinkable,again not my favorite but sessionable if necessary.

Rating: Good

ABV: 10.5%

Great Divide Brewing - Hercules Double IPA

Pours a deep dark golden brown, slightly darker than honey with an off-white almost tan head that dissipates quickly to cap the beer. Wonderful smell of hops with very piney notes. Not very much citrus on the nose. Taste is very similar to the smell, with piney hops being the primary flavor, and some faint malt flavors on the finish and aftertaste.Good feel, light carbonation, not huge alcohol flavors or warming. Some oily feel.Overall very good clean crisp flavors and really a good drinking beer.

Rating: Better

ABV: 10.00%

Brasserie de Rochefort - Trappistes Rochefort 8

Pours a deep dark brown with just slightly off white head, while leaving moderate lacing. Smell imparts some dark fruits, bread and yeast. Alcohol not too noticeable. Tastes similar to smell, very nice and balanced, some dark fruits, light alcohol. Feels good with a gentle tingling, slight oilyness. Overall very good, not an overpowering taste, light sweetness, gentle aftertaste all lend to good drinkability.

Rating: Best

ABV: 9.2%