Anchor Our Special Ale (2010)

3.8/5

AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

2010 12 ounce bottle. Pours very dark red-brown color with a very nice 2 finger tan head with amazing retention and nice glass lacing. Aromas of roasted malts, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and molasses. Taste of strong spices closely matching the nose, with some chocolate in the background. The spices mellow themselves out as I got deeper into the glass. Medium carbonation and body. A winter warmer that has a ton of flavor for being only 5.5%, definitely exceeded my expectations. Tasty!

Very good stuff from Anchor, tons of flavor.

Delirium Noël

4.1/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

750 ml bottle into snifter. Pours slightly hazy dark red color with a dense 1 finger off white head with good retention. Aromas of cherries, dark fruit, molasses, spices, and Belgian yeast. Taste of sweet cherries with spices, and dark fruits, with lingering sweetness of fruits on the finish. Some slight alcohol warming after the finish, but overall very well hidden for 10%. Damn impressive and tasty for a Belgian, and this tops the Nocturnum for me. Great!

A great Belgian Ale, and it beats the Nocturnum for me.

Breckenridge Christmas Ale

3.6/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours slightly hazy red color with a fairly dense 2 finger off white head with good retention. Aromas of dark fruits, molasses, and spices. Taste of molasses, spices, and a little bit of dark fruits, but not much. Mostly spice dominant here with maltiness, and no bitterness. The taste is solid, but the finish is fairly weak, not much lingering taste going on here, but the more I drink it the lingering starts to appear very slightly. A fair amount of alcohol warming on the finish. A solid winter warmer, but there are definitely better ones out there.

Solid stuff, but check out other winter warmers.

Dove Caramel Pecan Perfection Ice Cream

We now have a new discovery(for me) in the premium ice cream market. Dove (owned by mars) has a line of premium ice cream pints. I had seen them around, but I never really gave them a second glance in the past, just because I was crazed over Ben & Jerry's and Haagen Dazs. Based on the nutrition facts (300 cals for a serving, on par with some other heavy hitters from BnJ's and HD) I had a feeling this was going to be great. I was right. The interesting thing about this ice cream is that it is covered with a layer of dark chocolate on top, with the logo imprinted. Now, there were some other people I heard from that complained that it was difficult to get into the ice cream. Good thing I always soften my pints up, and it is well worth it. The chocolate on top came off whole and I ate it by hand haha. The ice cream itself is great, very good texture and taste. A fair amount of caramel in here(though we can always have more, am I right haha). Chocolate chunks are well distributed throughout the pint, and chocolate covered pecans are also well distributed, and good sized. Overall this experience has me curious of what else Dove has to offer in their ice cream selection. I shall be searching out more flavors soon.

9.5/10

Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake

Wow what a surprisingly good flavor. I am glad I made sure to grab 2 pints of it when I finally found it after searching to the ends of the earth. Probably one of the best stand alone ice cream flavors they have put out yet. The pumpkin definitely stands out the most, and the cheesecake flavor just kind of lingers in the background. The graham cracker swirl is very crunchy, just like regular pie crust, and adds a lot of flavor onto the ice cream itself. My only problem would be that they should have put more graham cracker swirl in the pint. The spoon shot shows some of the crust on the bottom right of the spoon, but most of it was found more towards the bottom of the pint. I softened this pint up in the microwave and the texture and creaminess is as good as it ever has been with Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Fantastic.

9/10

Bells Special Double Cream Stout

4.3/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown with a nice sized 2 finger tan head with great retention that reduces to a lacing cap that leaves decent lacing. Aromas of chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, licorice, and cream. Taste of dark chocolate with coffee, and vanilla cream alongside it, with a huge lingering roastiness on the finish. Much more malt forward but there is some slight coffee bitterness on the finish. Very creamy feel with medium carbonation and body. Some very slight alcohol warming after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic sweet stout that is packed with flavor, despite only being 6%.

This is a great stout, though it is not as magnificent as I remember it being the first time I had it. I realize there are a lot of high rated beers on my page currently, but I am trying to keep it going as long as possible. I am not a fan of buying bad beers to try (though I have found a liking for some slightly lower rated beers on ratebeer and such).

Edy's Limited Edition Peppermint

Well, this certainly was different than what I expected it to be. Originally I thought it would be somewhat strong tasting peppermint ice cream with actual candy sticks inside of the ice cream. This is not the case. It is some very mellow flavored ice cream that still gets the flavor through, and it has peppermint gel bursts throughout the container. Definitely is not overwhelming like I thought it would be and is highly enjoyable for what it is, though I am a fan of mint ice cream overall. The texture is still on spot and is the same as most Edy's ice creams: probably the best feel and creaminess for a light ice cream available. The taste actually mirrors that of the mints you can usually get at the Chinese buffets, or other Asian restaurants haha (the chalky mints). If you were weary of trying this out I would highly recommend it, unless you severely hate mint.

9/10

Dark Horse Scotty Karate Scotch Ale

4.1/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours very dark brown with a 1 finger light tan head with average retention. Aromas of chocolate, caramel, whiskey, toffee, and smoke. Taste of whiskey, chocolate, toffee, and some smoke and wood. The whiskey flavor is not super strong at all (in comparison so some other scotch ales I have had) and is balanced very well with the beer taste. The 9.75% is not noticeable at all except for a slight warming after the finish. No bitterness at all. Medium carbonation and body. My first Dark Horse beer, and I am impressed. Delicious for a malty beer.

The word is that Dark Horse is available in Ohio, I just need to find it.

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

4.1/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

330 ml bottle. Pours dark brown with a dense 2 finger tan head with good retention that reduces to a nice lacing cap. Aromas of chocolate, cola, roasted malt, wood, and smoke. Taste of chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, and smoke. Malty and sweet on the front with chocolate, which rises to a smoky, roasty lingering bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and body. Great stuff, and definitely a ton better than the regular Draught.

a tasty beer, and good thing they finally brought it to the US this fall.

Giant Eagle Caramel Turtle Cheesecake Ice Cream

Quite a surprise here, for a pint I bought on impulse today. Lower in calories compared to your normal BnJs and Haagen Dazs. This one was 180 cals/serving. It is Cheesecake ice cream with caramel filled chocolate praline pecans and a buttery caramel swirl. Although the texture of the ice cream is definitely lighter, the taste is all there. The cheesecake ice cream is spot on and is actually a bit on the strong side as far as flavor goes. The caramel filled chocolate was very dense and hard to chew, but the taste was very good, and there are plenty of praline pecans throughout the entire pint. Could use more caramel, but the overall balance of the caramel swirl with the rest of the pint was very good. I will have to check out some more of their flavors.

9/10

Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged BORIS The Crusher

4.3/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours pitch black with a very nice 2 finger tan head with amazing retention that reduces to a lingering cap. Aromas of strong whiskey with chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, and molasses. Taste of chocolate and coffee with a lot of bourbon in the back towards the finish that slowly fades into a slow rising bitterness on the finish, that lingers with bourbon and roasty chocolate notes. The bourbon flavor lasts the longest after the finish. A very smooth and excellent barrel aged imperial stout!!

Maybe a little too strong on the bourbon, but I love bourbon and it blends well with the Imperial Stout.

Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale

4.1/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours clear copper color with a small off white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap. Aromas of honey, ginger, and cinnamon. Taste of a lot of ginger and cinnamon, with honey coming through towards the back. Lasting notes of ginger and cinnamon after the finish, with some slight alcohol warming. Medium carbonation and body. Wow this is an exceptional holiday ale, and I would go as far as saying it beats out the GL Xmas ale, it has bigger flavor all around. Great!

Fantastic Christmas ale for the season.

Bells Cherry Stout

3.8/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours pitch black with a small tan head with average retention. Aromas of cherry, chocolate, molasses, roasted malts, and caramel. Taste of a LOT of tart cherry on the front with milk chocolate showing more towards the finish. The tart cherry and sweet chocolate notes linger for a bit after the finish. Medium-full body and medium carbonation. A little too forward on the cherry here, but still overall pretty well balanced with the chocolate notes. Overall a very enjoyable and tasty beer, once you get used to the tartness of the cherries.

The tartness threw me off at first, but overall a good stout, but a little too much cherry.

Hair of the Dog Ruth

3.6/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours hazy amber-orange color with a 2 finger white head with very good retention and nice lacing. Aromas of citrus, floral, caramel, and spicy yeast. Taste of citrus, and floral with some spiciness, then a nice clean bitterness on the finish that lingers for a bit, but has good balance. A slight amount of alcohol warming noticed after the finish. Has a fairly light body feel with medium carbonation. Overall I would say this is a solid pale ale, with good mouthfeel and taste.

I was amazingly lucky to find the Hair of the Dog beers in Indiana because they only distribute locally normally which is Oregon and surrounding states. This was pretty good, but I am really excited to try "Adam" and "Fred" soon, which are some of the highest rate beers on ratebeer.

Three Floyds Behemoth Barleywine

4.3/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20

22 ounce bottle, 2009 vintage. Pours cloudy dark copper with a nice dense 2 finger off white head with great retention and very nice lacing. Aromas of caramel, raisins, molasses, citrus, wood, and banana. Taste of molasses, bourbon, citrus, roasted nuts, wood, and pine. Some very slight bitterness on the finish, it is quite sweet, but very tasty. A ton of flavors going on here, I don’t think I could pinpoint them all. There were more aroma notes there than I could figure out as well. There is alcohol warming after the finish, but not too overly strong. Has a full creamy body with medium carbonation. Lingering tastes of wood, caramel, and bourbon on the finish. Incredibly drinkable for the ABV. I feel quite lucky that I was able to find this while I was over in Indiana, the number of ratings tells me it must be somewhat rare. I had purchased the last bomber that was in the liquor store I visited as well. Overall, this is an incredible tasting barley wine, and is highly enjoyable.

Found this one in Ft Wayne, and it was the last bottle at the liquor store. I feel lucky that I acquired it. So awesome. The wax color shows the year it was brewed, you should be able to see the blue wax on the side dripping down.

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere

4.1/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

750 ml bottle. Pours hazy amber color with a very nice 3 finger fluffy white head with incredible retention and great glass lacing. Appearance is just fantastic. Aromas of sour fruit, spices, and citrus. Taste of sour and tart citrus notes, with spices. Some slight bitterness on the finish, and has lingering tart and sour notes. Medium body and heavy carbonation. Overall, this is another great ale from JP, incredibly drinkable, and highly enjoyable. Definitely need to get my hands on some more of these Artisan Ales.

Another tasty ale from Jolly Pumpkin. Definitely check them out if you can, very highly rated beers across the board on ratebeer.

Häagen-Dazs Bananas Foster

You would not think that banana flavored ice cream could be impressive, I sure didn't until I had this the first time(which was a while ago this year). But there are a lot of flavors going on in this pint, and they all blend together very well. There is banana ice cream, which is pretty much perfect in texture and has a very creamy banana flavor that is paired with cinnamon and nutmeg. Then there is the brown sugar and rum flavored swirl which turns out to be a great compliment to the ice cream. I have never actually had a real bananas foster dessert before, but judging on this ice cream, I have a feeling I would really enjoy it.

9/10

Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout

4.4/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20

500 ml bottle. Pours pitch black with a very nice 2 finger dark tan head with incredible retention that reduces to a lacing cap that leaves great lacing. Appearance just looks fantastic. Aromas of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, and licorice. Taste of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, with a huge creamy full body with a nice clean bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation. Absolutely no sign of alcohol content in this brew. Overall this stout is outstanding, and I would buy it again in a heartbeat if I saw it. I need to try more from this brewery.

I will have to try and get some more Nøgne Ø ordered around my area to try more of their beers. I found this one in Indiana.

Bells Hell Hath No Fury

3.9/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

12 ounce bottle, batch 9999. Pours pitch black with a 1 finger tan head with average retention. Aromas of coffee, chocolate, dark fruits, and Belgian yeast. Taste of rich chocolate, dark fruits, and spicy Belgian yeast. The finish is pretty clean with a very slight bit of bitterness, and with chocolate, and Belgian spice lingering. Medium Body and carbonation. Overall, this is tasty Belgian style that has a lot of stout qualities to it.

I have pretty much never been disappointed by Bells.

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog

3.8/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours hazy brown color with a 1 finger dense light tan head with very good retention that reduces to a lacing cap. Aromas of chocolate, roasted malts, molasses, cola, and some caramel. Taste of chocolate, roasted malts, nuts, and molasses. There is a nice smooth bitterness on the finish, with a roasted chocolate flavor that lingers. Medium carbonation and body. Overall, this is a damn tasty session beer, would have it again in the future.

I will definitely have to try some more Smuttynose in the future, this is tasty stuff.

Häagen-Dazs Pineapple Coconut

Wasn't sure what to expect with this, though I pretty much already knew it wasn't going to completely suck. It is not very evident what is going on in this pint by the spoon shot itself. There are small chunks of pineapple, and coconut flavored ice cream. I think I saw some coconut shavings in there as well. Pineapple flavors meet you as you sample the ice cream, and the finish flavors are of the coconut ice cream, with sweetened cream. A very delightful experience, but in my opinion, they could have had a bit larger sized pineapple pieces. But overall I fully enjoyed the experience. Haagen Dazs never disappoints lol.

9/10

Boulder Beer Mojo Risin

3.9/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

22 ounce bottle. Pours clear amber color with a 2 finger dense off white head with amazing retention. Aromas of citrus, pine, caramel, and floral. Taste matches the nose, everything I look for in a good IPA (DIPA in this case). Pretty standard stuff here, I enjoy the original Mojo as well and this is really tasty and enjoyable. There is a long finish on this, it starts out with a maltiness and fades into a bitterness that lasts on the palate. The bitterness is not as brutal as other DIPAs I have had though. Seems a bit more malt forward than most. Full bodied and medium to light carbonation. Very well hidden alcohol content. I will admit that there are definitely better DIPAs out there, but this one does not disappoint.

Another tasty beer from Boulder. I will get around to the regular Mojo eventually.

Three Floyds Pride & Joy Mild Ale

4/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours cloudy dark amber color with a 2 finger off white head with good retention. Aromas of caramel, citrus, and some pine. Taste of citrus, pine, and some caramel. Has a nice clean hop bitterness on a dry finish. Very well balanced with the malts. Medium body and carbonation. This is a great session beer. When i took the first sip it tasted a lot different than anything I have had before, but as I kept drinking, before I knew it my glass was empty. I really hope they return distribution to Ohio.

My first Three Floyds brew, and I am thoroughly impressed. I can't wait to try the other ones. Hopefully they return the distribution here.

Ben & Jerry's Dulce Delish

I have had this one before, but I am revisiting it, and it is just as good as I remember. I am a big fan of caramel, so this really hits the spot. Caramel ice cream and caramel swirls. The caramel ice cream is pretty average I'd say, with decent texture and good taste. But the caramel swirl is absolutely fantastic. There is plenty of caramel in the pint, and it blends the flavors together really well. The caramel swirl has a nice and heavy texture and rich taste. Overall this is a very enjoyable pint, and the caramel swirl definitely wins me over with this one.

8.5/10

Great Lakes Christmas Ale

3.9/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours a light copper color with a 1 finger off white head with good retention, and has decent lacing. Aromas of cinnamon, ginger, and caramel. Taste matches aromas, and the finish is very smooth with a small amount of alcohol warming. Taste of ginger and cinnamon lingers after the finish. Medium body and carbonation. Overall this is a fantastic holiday brew. Very interesting, and have not had anything like it before.

This beer definitely screams Christmas, and is one of the best spice beers I have had. Really enjoyable.

Great Divide Hibernation Ale

3.9/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours clear dark brown color with a 2 finger tan head with outstanding retention. Aromas of caramel, chocolate, nuts, and roasted malts. Taste of roasted malts, chocolate, nuts, and caramel. Very creamy body, with some alcohol warming on the finish. Slight amount of bitterness, and overall pretty well balanced. The sweetness and taste of the beer sits on the tongue after the finish. Medium body and carbonation. Overall, I enjoyed this, and it is a tasty offering.

Overall it is a very good offering. I think I let it warm up too much though haha.

Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

4.2/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20

330 ml bottle, 2009. Pours a clear reddish brown color with a small 1 finger off white head with decent retention. Aromas of vanilla, caramel, dark fruits, and brown sugar. Taste of dark fruits, vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel. The beer finishes pretty clean with a very small bit of aftertaste, but wow is this insanely drinkable for the 14% ABV. The beer goes down clean and yet only leaves warming after the finish. No bitterness in this, but I would say it would not matter in this case because it is extremely enjoyable to drink. Light carbonation and a full and creamy body. This is a fantastic experience. Even with the smooth drink, it is definitely a sipper.

I am really glad that the clerk at Belmont Beverage recommended this. It is fantastic.

Starbucks Caramel Macchiato Ice Cream

This was certainly a surprise for my taste buds. I have always been a fan of starbucks coffee, in particular the Frappachinos. The taste of this definitely reminds me of a Frappachino, especially the coffee flavored ice cream. The overall texture of this ice cream is pretty much on par with most other brands, pretty good. The coffee and vanilla ice crams are swirled nicely together giving a very good flavor combo. And there is a fair amount of caramel in this pint, as shown in the spoon shot. More wouldn't hurt either. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this pint. Will look out for other flavors in the future.

8.5/10

Ben & Jerry's Carrot Cake

An impressive flavor. Caramel ice cream with carrot cake pieces and a cream cheese frosting swirl. The caramel ice cream is pretty good, and there are more than enough carrot cake pieces in the pint. I am a huge fan of the cream cheese frosting swirl. The carrot cake pieces are very nice and chewy and the flavor blends very well with the cream cheese and caramel ice cream. It could have had more cream cheese in my opinion, seemed a little bit lacking in that aspect. The ice cream texture is pretty impressive itself, which surprised me because it was partially melted when it made its way into my freezer. This is a Walmart exclusive flavor, and I was lucky enough to find it in Van Wert Ohio. I have not seen it anywhere in the Akron Canton area.

8.5/10

Avery Anniversary Sixteen

3.5/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20

22 ounce bottle. Pours hazy amber color with a 2 finger white head with very good retention that reduces to a cap. Aromas of dark fruits, honey, and floral. Taste of honey, peach, and floral. The taste is very sweet with a very small amount of bitterness. Pretty well balanced for the style. Medium carbonation and body. This is decent and enjoyable.

I am not the biggest fan of this type of beer, but it is still good.

Bells Java Stout

4.2/5

AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown with a very nice 2 finger tan head with amazing retention and glass lacing. Aromas of strong coffee, with some light chocolate and roasted malts. Taste of strong roasted coffee bitterness with roasted malts and chocolate. The coffee aroma and taste is EXACTLY like if I were smelling or chewing fresh coffee beans. Medium carbonation and body. This has got to be the best "Java" stout I have had yet. They tell no lies, this is a true coffee stout. I love it.

Seriously, if you like coffee, you need to try this. The best coffee stout I have ever had(that is exclusively coffee).

Samuel Adams Imperial White Ale

3.2/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours hazy red orange color with a small white head with good retention and decent glass lacing. Aromas of orange, caramel, molasses, spices, and some alcohol. Taste of citrus, spices, molasses, with a huge boozy finish that is really not an enjoyable experience. The finish is sweet with practically no bitterness. After the alcohol calmed down my senses it became a little bit more enjoyable. Full body and medium carbonation. It definitely had me intrigued when I poured it because it looks nothing like a wit, and it smells nothing like a wit. The aromas smelled pretty inviting, but the taste had some off centered flavors that really made it seem unbalanced. It’s an alright beer.

I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about this one, but it did not hit a home run with me at all. Poor quality control? who knows. There are some people that say this beer was amazing. It was really off balanced and not an enjoyable experience.

Lagunitas Ruben and The Jets

3.8/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

22 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown with a 1 finger dense light tan head with very good retention and decent lacing. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, caramel and roasted malts. Taste of chocolate, coffee, molasses, caramel and dark fruits. It has a bit of bitterness on the finish with some alcohol warming after the finish as well. This goes down surprisingly smooth for it’s alcohol content, with a very creamy body. Medium carbonation and body. This is an enjoyable stout, very interesting and different from what I have had in the past. Tasty, this got better as it warmed up a bit more.

It tasted a bit weird at first, but got a bit better. Tasty stout, I think you can still find it at Myers Lake Drive Thru in Canton. They still had it last time I was there.

Sierra Nevada Stout

3.9/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown with a 2 finger tan head with very good retention that reduces to a lacing cap that leaves nice lacing. Aromas of roasted malts, dark chocolate, floral and citrus hops. Taste of chocolate with hop bitterness on the finish. The chocolate, coffee, and bitterness lasts for a bit after finishing. Medium carbonation and body. Pretty creamy and has decent bitterness. Overall, a tasty stout, and very good session beer.

Definitely liked the stout better than the porter. Very good stuff.

Sierra Nevada Porter

3.6/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown-red color with a foamy 2 finger tan head with very good retention and decent lacing. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, caramel, roasted malts, and a bit of toffee. Taste of bitter coffee and chocolate with a bit of toffee sweetness underneath. Medium carbonation and body. At first the porter tasted a bit weird to me, but as I finished my glass it got better. Overall this is a solid porter and good session beer.

For some reason this came off a bit weird to me, with off tastes in it. It was still solid overall though.

Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond

Wow. Once again it is restated that anything that Haagen Dazs makes is fantastic. This has a very rich vanilla flavor(probably the richest I have ever had) and inside the ice cream there are dark chocolate cover almonds. Ice cream texture is amazing, and there are multiple almonds in every spoon scoop. There are plenty of almonds in this pint, they do not skimp on the mix ins. Also, the balance of flavors of the vanilla to dark chocolate to finishing crunch and flavor of the almonds is fantastic.

9.5/10

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Wild Ale

4.1/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20

22 ounce bottle. Pours clear amber color with a 2 finger off white head with amazing retention that reduces to a lacing cap that leaves very nice lacing. Aromas of citrus, pine, with some fruits and spices. Taste of strong citrus and spices with pine, that finishes with a very big citrus bitterness that lasts with some spiciness. Very big hop presence in this over the malts. Alcohol presence is minimal except for a slight warming after the finish. Medium carbonation and body. As always I am a fan of hops, so this is some tasty stuff. More Lagunitas awesomeness here.

This beer is very hop forward. Probably one of the most aggressive beers I have had.

AleSmith Speedway Stout

4.6/5

AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20

750 ml bottle. Pours thick opaque black color with a dense 1 finger tan head with very good retention that reduces to a lacing cap that leaves nice lacing. Aromas of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, vanilla, and caramel with a slight amount of alcohol. Taste of tons of dark chocolate and fresh coffee with a huge finish of lingering chocolate and coffee. Huge amount of alcohol but there was no sign of it other than a warming after the finish. Full bodied with low amount of carbonation. This beer will coat your mouth for a long time as you drink. This is god damn incredible.

One of the best Imperial stouts on the market, highly recommended. It is rated in top 10 in the world as well.

Dogfish Head Midas Touch

3.9/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours hazy amber color with a 1 finger white head with good retention and nice lacing. Aromas of dark fruits, honey, and spices. Taste of sweet grapes and honey with almost no bitterness. Lingering sweetness of honey on the finish. Super smooth drink with medium carbonation and body with some alcohol warming after the finish. This was definitely a new experience, but this is very enjoyable, and is one of the smoothest drinking 9% beers I have ever had.

A fantastic malty beer from DFH, and I am not even that much of a fan of malty beers.

Rogue Mocha Porter

3.7/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown with a 2 finger foamy tan head with very good retention. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, and roasted malts. Taste of bitter chocolate and coffee with a lingering taste of chocolate and coffee and bitterness on the finish. Medium carbonation and body. Feels just a tad bit thinner than I wanted it to be, but overall a tasty porter from Rogue.

The double porter and this were about the same on taste and mouth feel.

Ben & Jerry's Flourless Chocolate Cake

This is another good ice cream for chocolate lovers. It has flourless cake pieces with frosting all in chocolate ice cream. The ice cream texture is very good, which is nice considering that the pint was partially melted when it got in my freezer. The cake pieces are slightly crunchy which was interesting, maybe because they were frozen? not sure. But overall this is just a super rich chocolate experience that would please any chocolate lover for sure.

8.5/10

Bells Octoberfest Beer

3.7/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours clear amber color with a 1 finger white head with average retention and average glass lacing. Aromas of caramel, pumpkin, and spices. Taste of spice and pumpkin with a bit of a bitter finish with spices that linger afterward. Medium carbonation and body. I was actually surprised on how tasty this was considering the aromas. Tasty!

Bells almost always delivers good beer. Probably the most enjoyable Oktoberfest I have had.

Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

3.8/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20

750 ml bottle best by April 2009. Pours dark brown color with a 1 finger tan head with good retention. Aromas of chocolate, licorice, nut, roasted malts and vanilla. Taste of chocolate, and vanilla with a bit of bitterness on the finish with a little alcohol warming. Medium body and carbonation, with a finish that wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. I guess i kind of expected it to be like a stout. The first half of this beer was a little thin, but the second half was very tasty. Enjoyable beer!

This one is pretty rare in the 750ml version. Most of the reviews were the one in the winter pack in the 12 ounce bottles.

Bells Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Ale

4/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours clear red orange color with a really dense 2 finger off white head with insane retention and insane lacing. Aromas of citrus, caramel, some fruits, and oak. Taste of rye, citrus, and caramel, with some fruit notes. Some slight bitterness on the finish. Creamy medium body and carbonation. Alcohol is no where to be seen despite 8.5%. Overall this was pretty interesting stuff, but another tasty brew from Bells for me!

Bells is so awesome. Enough said.

Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout

3.8/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown with a 1 finger tan head with nice retention and nice lacing. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, and oatmeal. Taste of sweet chocolate with roasted flavor and a bit of bitter coffee on the finish. Creamy with medium body and carbonation. A small bit of alcohol warming on the finish. After reading some harsh reviews I was quite skeptical on how this would be, but this is a very enjoyable oatmeal stout.

An enjoyable stout, but I have had better ones.

Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA

3.7/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours slightly cloudy amber with a 2 finger white head with very good retention. Aromas of pine, caramel, citrus, and floral. Taste of grapefruit, pine, and caramel. It also has an interesting aftertaste that I cannot recognize. Medium body and carbonation. Overall pretty solid, I wouldn’t make it a regular IPA for myself though.

Pretty good IPA, but there are a lot better choices out there.

Great Lakes Nosferatu

4/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours clear copper color with a dense 2 finger off white head with amazing retention that leaves a nice cap and glass lacing. Aromas of pine, resin, grapefruit, and caramel. Taste of pine, caramel, grapefruit, rye, and some spices with a nice bitter finish. The finish lasts for a bit afterward as well. Medium carbonation and body with creamy texture. some slight alcohol warming on the finish. Highly enjoyable brew with the bitterness I love.

Great Lakes makes a lot of good beer. Too bad this is only available in the Fall.

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja

4.1/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

750 ml bottle. Pours hazy red orange color with a 1 finger thick off white head with very good retention that reduces to a lacing cap that leaves good lacing on the glass. Aromas of sour fruits, spices, grapes, cherries, and oak. Taste is sour cherries, apples, and some citrus with spices. Tart flavors on the front and a nice sour finish that lasts for a bit, and the flavor envelopes my taste buds. Medium body and carbonation. Wow, I have never have had a sour ale before, but after getting used to the style through the drink, I have thoroughly enjoyed this, and will seek out more JP in the future.

My first sour ale, and it was a great experience. I really want to seek out the Russian River sours though. I have heard they are the best available. Oh and this bottle had an accident because it fell out of my fridge, which forced me to drink it, but it still tasted amazing.

Dogfish Head Bitches Brew

4.2/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

750 ml bottle. Pours thick dark brown with a dense 2 finger dark tan head with fantastic retention. Very nice glass lacing. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, honey, and vanilla. Taste of chocolate, honey, coffee, vanilla and gesho. Very creamy full body with medium carbonation. Some light alcohol warming on the finish, but fairly mild and well hidden. Some lingering chocolate taste on the finish with a bit of bitterness, and a smooth drink. This is a tasty stout and is something new and interesting. I am glad I had a chance to experience it.

This is a great stout, and the only stout I have had from DFH yet. I really hope I can find world wide stout someday. I may have to have it shipped by mail.