Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Corsendonk Christmas Ale

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4.5/5

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

250 ml bottle into signature globe glass, best by 09/13/2014. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a nice 3 finger dense khaki head with insane retention that reduces to a thick cap eventually. Nice soapy lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big dark fruit, molasses, caramel, clove, cinnamon, light pepper, and spicy yeast. Very nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of big molasses, caramel, raisin, candi sugar, bread, clove, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and spicy yeast. Lingering notes of fruit, caramel, molasses, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very creamy and super smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is insanely well hiden with hardly any warming noticed at all. Drinks incredibly easily. Incredible flavor balance and complexity. Overall this is an incredible Belgian dark ale for the holiday season. So much incredible flavor balance, with super smooth drinkability. I am glad I picked up the 6 pack gift set.

I retried this one this year, after having it last year. Totally blew me away this time. Incredible balance and complexity, with easy drinkability.

Hoppin Frog Frosted Frog Christmas Ale

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3.8/5

AROMA
8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

22 ounce bottle, 2011 bottling. Pours crystal clear brick red color with a fairly dense 1 finger khaki head with decent retention that reduces to nothing eventually. A bit of spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, caramel, biscuit, candi sugar, light fruitiness, and spiciness. Some nice and fairly balanced aromas here. Taste almost matches the nose; with big caramel, candy sweetness, cinnamon, ginger, clove, breadiness, and more spices. Lingering notes of cinnamon, ginger, caramel, bread, and big spices on the finish for a while. Big gingersnap cookie-like taste and aromas as well. Slightly cloying with the spices on the finish. Alcohol is fairly well hidden with an alcohol warming right after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel that is definitely a sipper at almost 9%. Overall this is a very nice and tasty winter warmer; just a bit too cloying with the spices. Could use a bit more balance with maltiness, and less booziness.

A very nice and enjoyable Christmas beer that I randomly decided to have again this year when I was at home for Christmas. A little unbalanced, but still enjoyable.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

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4.1/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 10/11/2011. Pours slightly cloudy golden orange color with 2 fingers of a dense off white head with incredible retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts forever. Some nice lacing clings around the glass as well. Aromas of big orange, grapefruit, light pine, spiciness, floral, lemon, light caramel and bread. Very nice aromas here, with nice balance. Taste of grapefruit, pine, spiciness, bread, floral, orange, and some caramel. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pine, grapefruit, caramel, bread, and floral for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy mouthfeel that drinks very easily. Great bitterness and sweetness balance. Alcohol is well hidden with pretty much nothing noticeable. Overall this is definitely an excellent widely available IPA for the holiday season. Fantastic balance with big citrus, pine, and spicy flavors.

Another super balanced IPA from Sierra Nevada. Easy to find anywhere, and always a good pick up.

Ben & Jerry's Volun-Tiramisu

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Here is a Target exclusive flavor that I have not had yet. It is coffee mascarpone ice cream with coca dusted coffee rum lady finger pieces. First off, the ice cream is quite good with nice texture. Definitely not the best coffee flavored one out there(think Coffee Heath Bar Crunch), but it is quite enjoyable. The lady finger pieces themselves have a very nice cake-like texture with plenty of them mixed around the pint. I really did not detect any rum flavor, but there was a bit of coffee flavor in them. The cocoa definitely stood out overall, and added some good flavor contrast to the pint. Overall I would say this was a very nice and enjoyable pint. I have never actually had tiramisu, but I would definitely like to try it sometime.

8/10

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Shorts The Liberator

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3.9/5

AROMA
9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20


12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottles 12/06/2011, so pretty darn fresh. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 1-2 finger fairly dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some fairly nice lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big orange zest, grapefruit, pine, caramel, lemon, floral, and spiciness. Great aromas with good balance; definitely a citrus bomb. Taste of big pine resin, caramel, orange, grapefruit, lemon zest, bread, and big spiciness. Gigantic amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers forever. Notes of caramel, grapefruit, pine, spices, and orange linger on the finish as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with hardly any warming noticeable after the finish. Overall this is a very nice and interesting double IPA. A bit too over the top on hop bitterness, but this is a nice one to sip on, and is loaded with citrus and pine flavor.

Another tasty Short's offering here. A little too bitter, but very nice to sip on with tons of citrus flavor.

Flying Dog Wild Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo

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4.3/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter, 2010 batch(I think). Pours thick opaque dark brown color with a small fairly dense tan head with nice retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some light lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of huge whiskey, oak, dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, toffee, roasted malt, vanilla, brown sugar, and light spiciness. Damn nice aromas with decent balance. Taste of big dark chocolate, caramel, whiskey, oak, brown sugar, vanilla, coffee, roasted malts, light fruitiness, and some bourbon-like booziness(but it doesn’t harm the flavors at all). Lingering notes of whiskey, coffee, dark chocolate, brown sugar, and roasted malt on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a nice, creamy, and slick mouthfeel that goes down smoothly. A little too easy to drink for being 9.5%. Alcohol is incredibly well hidden with only a warming after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding barrel aged beer with great drinkability and balanced flavor. This might be the best Flying Dog beer I have had yet.

A fantastic offering from Flying Dog, and I believe they just released another vintage of this recently as well. Definitely worth a shot, and the best Flying Dog beer I have had.

Trader Joes Vintage Ale 2010

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3.9/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, best before 9/10/2013. Pours almost opaque dark brown color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some nice bits of lacing cling to the glass as well. Aromas of big clove, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark candi sugar, ginger, dark fruit, molasses, and spicy yeast. Nice and interesting aromas; tons of spices going on here. Taste of caramel, molasses, dark fruit, clove, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, candi sugar, and big yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of dark fruit, molasses, candi sugar, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium bodied with fairly high carbonation, but it doesn’t hurt the drinkability at all. Fairly creamy and smooth drinking; with a fairly prickly mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with nothing but a slight warming noticeable. Overall a damn nice spiced Belgian dark ale. Unibroue rarely brews a bad beer.

More nice stuff from Unibroue here. I always expect a good brew from them.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

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3.6/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best by Feb 19, 2012. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some decent lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big caramel, toasted malt, chocolate, light coffee, spicy hops, and light biscuit. Some nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of caramel, biscuit, toasted malt, light chocolate, spicy hops, and malty sweetness. No bitterness; with lingering notes of light chocolate, caramel, and toasted malts on the finish for a bit. Finish is a lot drier than I was expecting it to be, and the flavors aren’t very robust. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy and very smooth mouthfeel. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. This is extremely drinkable. Overall a nice beer, but pretty lack luster in my opinion. When I read it was a black ale, I was expecting a much more robust flavor and body.

I was expecting much more from this. I was expecting "Black IPA" when I read the label. Not as robust as I would have hoped. I can see the mass appeal of it though.

Fish Tale Monkfish Tripel

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4.2/5

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

22 ounce bottle into chalice, bottled Sept 2011. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice 1-2 finger dense light cream colored head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some nice lacing clings around the glass as well. Aromas of huge black pepper, clove, lemon, orange peel, biscuit, candi sugar, and spicy yeast. Great aromas here with good balance and strength. Taste of lemon, clove, biscuit, pepper, citrus peel, light candi sugar, and spicy yeast. No bitterness noticed; with lingering notes of pepper, lemon, clove, citrus peel, bread, and spices on the finish for a bit. Great balance of flavor in this, with pretty much no alcohol presence at 9%; but is still quite a sipper. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Overall this is definitely one of the better Tripels I have ever had. Great balance and drinkability for the level of alcohol.

A great Tripel from a random brewery in Washington that just showed up here in Michigan. They have a double IPA that is available around here too. I might pick it up.

Brewery Vivant Farm Hand

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3.3/5

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

16 ounce can into tulip, no canning date. Pours slightly hazy bright golden straw color with a fairly dense 2 finger bright white head with good retention that reduces to a nice cap. A small bit of lacing clings to the glass as well, but not much. Aromas of big lemon, clove, pepper, grass, apple, spicy and lightly funky yeast. Some pretty nice aromas here with good balance. Taste of big grass, grain, biscuit, light lemon, pepper, clove, and yeast spiciness. Fairly dry finish; but there are some lingering notes of grain, light fruit, bread, and pepper on the finish for a bit. Medium-high carbonation and light-medium body; with a crisp finish and easy drinkability as expected. No alcohol noticed at all in the taste or finish. Overall a decent farmhouse saison that is very easy to drink. A bit over the top with grassy and grainy flavors that block out the fruitiness a fair amount.

A bit lackluster, and not enough fruitiness for my tastes. Being the seasoned Saison veteran that I am, I was expecting more from this.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Three Floyds MunsterFest

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3.9/5

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

22 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle date but it is this years batch. Pours crystal clear orangish golden amber color with a nice fairly dense 2 finger off white head with good retention that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of apple, pear, biscuit, light caramel, and spicy hops. Nice and fairly standard Oktoberfest aromas; very malty. Taste of toasted malt, light caramel, biscuit, pear, apple, and spicy hops. Very crisp and slightly dry finish. Hardly any bitterness noticed on the finish; with some light lingering notes of biscuit, caramel, toasted malt, light fruit, and spicy hops for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a crisp and very smooth mouthfeel that drinks exceptionally easy as expected. Alcohol is well hidden with nothing really noticed at all. Overall this is a very nice Oktoberfest offering. Nice balance and very drinkable stuff.

Very nice and drinkable Oktoberfest offering from Three Floyds. Pretty spot on with the style, and nothing off the wall like FFF is usually known for.

Dogfish Head Immort Ale

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3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 3/23/2010. Pours very hazy reddish brown color with a small fairly dense khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, grape, dark fruits, molasses, maple syrup, oak, toasted malt, and yeast spiciness. Some nice, interesting, and well balanced aromas. Taste of big caramel, grape, toasted malt, maple syrup, dark fruits, oak, light smoke, pepper, and yeast spices. Not much bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, dark fruits, oak, and spices on the finish for a while. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very creamy mouthfeel. Drinkability is ok, but at 11% this is a sipper for sure. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming on the finish. Overall this is a very nice, interesting, and enjoyable strong ale. Quite unique and very well balanced.

A damn nice offering from Dogfish Head. This is definitely a worthy candidate for aging. A very unique offering as well.

Samuel Adams The Vixen Chocolate Chili Bock

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4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass. Pours opaque dark brown with a nice 2 finger dense tan head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some nice spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big caramel, cocoa, chili, pepper, biscuit, light dark fruit, molasses, toasted malt, and light spices. Nice and balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big caramel, molasses, chocolate, biscuit, pepper, light chili, and spices. Lingering notes of chocolate, molasses, caramel, biscuit, pepper, chili, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming on the finish. Overall this is one of the better bocks I have ever had. The chili definitely balances nicely with the rest of the beer, hardly overpowering. I am really enjoying this small batch series thus far.

Even if you have not been a fan of Sam Adams offerings in the past, I highly recommend checking out the single batch series they just released. Some surprisingly excellent beers so far from what I have had.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Cantillon Kriek 100% Lambic

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4.3/5

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

500th review! 750 ml bottle into tulip, bottled Aug 28 2007. Pours fairly clear blood red color with a minimal thin red head with surprising retention. As I swirl it small bubbles slowly cascade to the top. Some nice spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big sour and tart cherries, cider vinegar, wet hay, funk, oak, yeast spices, and big acidity. Fantastic aromas with great strength. Taste of big tart cherries, light cider vinegar, hay, barnyard funk, oak, and light yeast spices. Extremely tart cherry finish, that turns into a puckering sour acidity after the finish that lasts on the back of the tongue. Lingering notes of cherry, cider vinegar, oak, and light spiciness on the finish. Light carbonation and medium bodied; with a lightly syrupy mouthfeel as I was expecting. High acidity limits the drinkability, but this is incredibly enjoyable to sip on. Alcohol is completely hidden as expected. Overall this is an outstanding Kriek lambic with a ton of great tart cherry flavor. If it had more carbonation it probably would have scored even higher.

Unfortunate about the carbonation, but it was still excellent. The acidity lingered a bit too much because of the lack of carbonation. Still a great choice for my 500th!

Russian River Redemption

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4.1/5

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

375 ml bottle into tulip, batch 009. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice 2 finger bright white head with great retention that reduces to a thin cap that lasts. Some nice lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of lemon, apple, clove, pepper, biscuit, spicy yeast, and light tart funk. Nice aromas with decent strength. Taste of biscuit, pepper, clove, lemon, tart grain, grass, and yeast spices. Crisp finish; with lingering notes of lemon, pepper, clove, biscuit, and spices on the finish for a while. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel that drinks very smoothly as expected. No alcohol noticed at all except for a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is an excellent and very enjoyable Belgian blonde ale. I would have this again.

An excellent and very enjoyable standar Belgian pale going on here. I figured this was a good starting point for my Russian River stash.

Unibroue La Fin Du Monde

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4.6/5

AROMA
9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, best by 4/22/2013. Pours very hazy golden straw color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big banana, lemon, clove, pepper, bubblegum, light fruits, and light yeast spiciness. Fantastic aromas with great balance and complexity. Taste of big banana, clove, lemon, pepper, biscuit, bubblegum, some tart grain, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of lemon, banana, clove, bubblegum, and spices on the finish for a while. Flavor balance on this beer is perfection. All flavors compliment each other; none is more powerful than the other. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel and very smooth drinkability. Alcohol is insanely well hidden, I really didin’t notice much at all(yet this is 9%). Overall this is absolutely a world class Tripel. Perfect balance and great complexity. I need to have this more often.

My taste for Belgian ales has improved substantially in the past year. This is the best Tripel I have ever had for sure. This might be my new favorite style.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Ben & Jerry's Half Baked

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It has been a while since I had this one. It is a mixture of chocolate and vanilla ice creams with gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough and fudge brownies. The ice cream texture is pretty good after letting it warm up. Fairly nice and creamy texture. The vanilla ice cream pretty much feels non existent due to the overpowering of the chocolate flavor, which is pretty average in richness in my opinion. The brownies are pretty great, they are quite chewy and fairly rich. The cookie dough is pretty good, but it is not as chewy as I would have wanted. The Cookie Dough flavor from BnJ's has a much better cookie dough in it than this does. There are plenty of mix ins in this pint which is always nice, there is plenty in ever spoonful. Overall this is an enjoyable flavor for sure, but there are definitely better flavors in the lineup.

7/10

North Coast Le Merle

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4.2/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden orange color with a nice 2 finger dense white head with incredible retention that reduces to a nice cap. A fair amount of lacing clings to the glass. Plenty of carbonation streaming up from the bottom. Aromas of big lemon, orange zest, tart apple, grass, pepper, yeast spiciness, and a nice bit of funk. Very nice aromas here with great balance. Taste of lemon, grass, pepper, breadiness, clove, apricot, spicy yeast, light tart apple, and a bit of wheat-like tang. Definitely a lot of complexity going on here. Lingering notes of pepper, lemon, clove, breadiness, wheat, and spices on the finish for a while. Medium-high carbontion and medium bodied; with a bit of a prickly mouthfeel that still drinks extremely smoothly for being over 7%. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish present. Overall this is an excellent, smooth, and very complex saison. Highly enjoyable stuff.

A great saison offering. I have no idea how old this bottle was, but I have a feeling it improves with age.

Shorts Nicie Spicie

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3.7/5

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

12 ounce bottle into weizen glass, bottled 08/20/11. Pours very hazy golden straw color with a nice 2-3 finger fairly dense white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick cap. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big orange zest, lemonade, pepper, coriander, and some wheat spiciness. Some nice aromas here with good strength; a lot of citrus going on here. Taste of big lemon, coriander, clove, pepper, orange zest, spicy wheat and light breadiness. Flavors of citrus, clove, pepper, and big spices linger on the finish for a while. Some wheat tartness is also present on the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a slightly prickly yet smooth mouthfeel that drinks pretty easily. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming on the finish. Some heat from the peppercorn is also present. Over all this is a nice spiced wheat ale. The peppercorn spiciness throws off the balance, but it is still very drinkable and quite enjoyable.

Another enjoyable brew from Shorts. I am really enjoying the fact I live in Michigan now. So much tasty beer brewed up here.

Ommegang Adoration

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3.6/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, no bottle dating but it is probably last years batch. Pours very hazy dark red-brown color with a nice 3 finger dense khaki head with incredible retention that reduces to a nice cap. Some nice spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big grains of paradise, mace, clove, pepper, caramel, dark fruit, fig, orange zest, apple skin, and more spices. Certainly one of the more interesting smelling Belgian styles I have had. More subtle flavors come out as it warms up. Taste of big coriander, mace, pepper, clove, caramel, dark fruit, candi sugar, apple skin, light citrus zest, and spicy yeast esters. Lingering notes of apple, dark fruit, candi sugar, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and medium full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden, nothing but a light warming after the finish. Spices can get fairly cloying the more you drink. Definitely a sipper to be enjoyed slowly. Overall this is a solid Belgian spiced dark ale. A bit off balance and slightly cloying with the spices. Fairly enjoyable though.

Solid Belgian spiced ale from Ommegang. Some of the spices tended to overpower the brew, throwing off the balance.

Weyerbacher Old Heathen

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3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled 12/07/2010; so over a year old now. Pours thick opaque black color with a nice 1 finger dense tan head with decent retention that reduces to a thin cap. Nice bits of lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of dark chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, coffee, light dark fruits, and a bit of spiciness. Some pretty nice aromas with good strength. Taste of caramel, chocolate, roasted malt, nuttiness, light coffee, dark fruit, and spiciness. Hardly any bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, and light spiciness on the finish for a bit. Some pretty nice balance of flavors here as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice creamy and smooth mouthfeel that goes down nicely. Alcohol is pretty well hidden with only a warming on the finish. Overall a very nice and enjoyable imperial stout. Nothing that will blow you away though.

Very nice imperial stout offering. Was hoping for it to be more robust and full bodied than it was though.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Southampton Biere de Garde

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4.2/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, no bottle dating. Cork was stuck and broke off, so I had to use a wine key to remove it haha. Pours slightly cloudy orange amber color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Small bits of lacing on the glass. Aromas of big grape, apple, biscuit, caramel, candi sugar, citrus peel, grass, and spiciness. Some nice and well balanced aromas; with good complexity. Taste of caramel, toasted malt, biscuit, apple, citrus, candi sugar, pepper, and yeast spiciness. Taste and aromas almost mirror each other. Lingering notes of caramel, biscuit, candi sugar, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a fairly creamy and very smooth mouthfeel. Very easy to drink. Alcohol is extremely well hidden, nothing but a slight warming after the finish. Overall an excellent biere de garde. Great balance and complexity. I definitely would like to try out more from this style.

Excellent Biere De Garde offering. There aren't too many from this style regularly available in the US craft beer market though. I am looking forward to Jolly Pumpkin's style representation.

The Duck-Rabbit Duck-Rabbator Dopplebock

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3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottle dating is not notched. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense tan head with nice retention that reduces to a thin cap that sticks around. Small bits of lacing on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, biscuit, chocolate, molasses, toasted malts, dark fruits, and spicy hops. Very nice aromas here with good balance. Taste of big caramel, toasted malt, chocolate, molasses, biscuit, dark fruit, spiciness, and a bit of booze. Lingering notes of caramel, molasses, toasted malt, biscuit, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol has a decent presence with a decent warming on the finish. Overall a very nice and impressive doppelbock. The alcohol presence is a bit much, but overall still very enjoyable.

A very nice doppelbock, though I haven't had many from the style. A bit too much alcohol heat, but still very enjoyable.

Old Schoolhouse Imperial Stout

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4.4/5

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

22 waxed ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle date but it is not going matter. Pours thick black color with a nice 1 finger dense tan head with great retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Some decent lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big toasted malt, chocolate, caramel, molasses, spicy hops, and bitter coffee. Some nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of big dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, caramel, light charcoal, and a bit of spicy hops. Fair amount of coffee bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, charcoal, and caramel on the finish for a while. Great balance of flavors. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a nice creamy, slick, and fairly thick mouthfeel that goes down fairly easily. Pretty easy to drink, but it is still a sipper. Overall this is an outstanding imperial stout, and one of the more roasty ones I have had. Fantastic stuff here, glad I picked this up randomly in MD.

A fantastic imperial stout with a great creamy body and big roasted flavor. Quite a bit more on the roasted side than other imperial stouts I have had.

Alesmith/Mikkeller/Stone Belgian Style Tripel Ale

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4.1/5

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

12 ounce bottle into chalice. Released in Sept 2008, so it is over 3 years old now. Pours cloudy golden orange color with a 1 finger dense white head with good retnetion that reduces to a thin cap that lasts. Fair amount of lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of big lemon, orange, clove, pepper, candi sugar, light fruits, grains, bready/spicy yeast, and alcohol esters. Nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of lemon, orange, clove, pepper, bread, candi sugar, apple, pear, herbs, and spicy yeast. Lingering notes of pepper, clove, light fruits, bread, and spice on the finish for a while. Nice balance of flavors, with no cloying at all. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is fairly well hidden, only a warming on the finish noticed. Quite smooth to drink, but it is still a sipper. Overall this is an excellent Tripel collab, especially at over 3 years old. Glad I got to try this.

Excellent and well balanced Tripel collab offering from Stone. I am glad I found this randomly.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Boulevard Collaboration No. 2 White I.P.A.

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4.4/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, Batch 2011-4; best by 02-2012. Pours slightly cloudy golden straw color with a huge 3 finger dense white head with incredible retention that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Some decent lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of pepper, clove, herbs, coriander, lemon, orange peel, wheat, and yeast spiciness. Damn nice aromas here, with good strength and balance. Taste of big lemon, wheat, pepper, coriander, herbs, orange peel, and yeast spiciness. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lemon, pepper, and big spicy notes lingering on the finish for a while. Fantastic balance of flavors. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a bit of a prickly mouthfeel, but it doesn’t harm the drinkability at all. Alcohol is not noticed at all in this; very drinkable and smooth. Overall this is an absolutely outstanding witbier/IPA hybrid beer. I have officially been blown away.

With a name like White IPA, I wasn't sure what to expect. Turned out being an insanely awesome hoppy witbier.

Samuel Adams Tasman Red Red IPA

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4.4/5

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

22 ounce bottle, batch 1, no bottle date. Pours crystal clear dark red orange color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with incredible retention that reduces to thick lacing cap that lasts forever. Some nice lacing clings around the glass as well. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange, light pine, caramel, toasted malt, bread, and spiciness. Nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big pine, orange, caramel, spices, bread, toasted malt, and honey-like sweetness. Nice amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, orange, pine, and spices on the finish that last. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel that drinks very easily. Great balance between sweetness and bitterness. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming on the finish. Overall this is an absolutely outstanding amber ale/IPA. So much great hoppy flavor and balance.

A fantastic and surprising offering from Sam Adams, and the best brew I have had from them. If you like hoppy amber ales give this a shot, nicely priced as well.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Atwater Bourbon Barrel Aged Shamans Porter

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3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter; bottled Sept 2011. Pours very dark brown color with a small tan head with decent retention that reduces to a thin cap that lasts. Small bits of lacing cling to the glass. Aromas of caramel, chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, nuttiness, vanilla, light bourbon, and a touch of spicy hops. Some nice aromas with good balance. Taste of big roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, caramel, light charcoal, spicy hops, and a bit of wood. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of coffee, roasted malt, and spiciness on the finish. Nice balance of flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and smooth mouhfeel. A tad bit on the watery side from what I was expecting, but it isn’t that big of a beer anyways. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming on the finish. Overall this is a damn nice porter. The barrels didn’t lend much bourbon taste to this beer, but maybe they enhanced it and added some flavors. I have never had the normal porter so I can’t compare at this time.

A really nice porter. This was just released this fall for the first time, they might be releasing it again next year. I am still really enjoying trying out all of the local offerings every so often.

Schlafly Grand Cru

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3.6/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, no bottle dating. Pours hazy and cloudy golden straw color with a nice 2 finger white head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap. A mild gusher upon opening, and tons of carbonation is streaming up from the bottom of the glass. Some nice thick lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big lemon, pear, apple, bread, light tart graininess, and spicy yeast. Fairly nice and balanced aromas, tons of fruitiness. Taste of big lemon zest, pepper, coriander, spice, bread, tart grains, and yeasty tang. Lingering notes of pepper, spices, bread, light fruits, and tangy yeast on the finish for a bit. Seems a little off balanced upon tasting; a bit too grainy and spicy. Needed more fruitiness in the taste. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a fairly creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming on the finish noticed. Nice drinkability but is still a sipper. Overall, a solid Belgian pale ale style. I wasn’t feeling this one too much because of the overly grainy flavor.

A little too grainy for my liking; could have used more fruity character. Pretty decent stuff, no idea how old the bottle was though.

Dogfish Head Theobroma

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4/5

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

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled 101st day of 2011(April 11). Pours hazy golden orange color with a small 1 finger off white head with good retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Small bits of lacing cling to the glass. Aromas of orange, cocoa, chili powder, biscuit, honey, nuttiness, and herbal spices. Some nice and interesting aromas with good balance. Taste is actually quite nice: toasted malts, cocoa, caramel, honey, bread, light fruitiness, herbal spiciness, pepper, and the taste of whole chilies(with hardly any heat at all). No bitterness; with lingering notes of chili, biscuit, pepper, spices, and light cocoa on the finish for a while. Medium caronation and medium-full bodied; with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel with very smooth drinking. Surprisingly well balanced beer with all of the spices and additives. Was hoping for more heat; the chilies only end up warming your throat a bit. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish noticed. Overall this is a damn nice beer; it is not what I was expecting it to be at all. Great balance of flavors and very enjoyable to drink.

I wasn't sure what to really expect from this beer, but it really surprised me. Very nice stuff overall

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Mikkeller Santas Little Helper 2010

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4.4/5

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

750 ml cork and caged bottle into tulip glass. Pours extremely dark brown color with a nice 2 finger dense tan head with fantastic retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts. Nice thick lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of plums, dark fruit skin, molasses, roasted malt, candi sugar, citrus peel, nutmeg, light chocolate, and yeasty spices. Very nice and pleasant aromas with nice balance. More on the interesting side of things as well. Taste of big plum, dark fruit, caramel, toasted malt, chocolate, molasses, citrus, nutmeg, and light yeast spices. No bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of molasses, dark fruit skins, chocolate, and roasted malt. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very silky, creamy, and smooth mouthfeel that goes down way too easily for being almost 11%. Alcohol is practically invisible with only a slight warming well after the finish. Overall, this is an incredible Belgian strong dark ale. Fantastic balance and dangerously drinkable.

A fantastic Belgian dark ale, and yet another great beer from Mikkeller. I have one of the other Christmas holiday beers from them on hand right now, the From via To(bottled last year I believe).

Arcadia Nut Brown Ale

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3/5

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


12 ounce bottle, bottled 10/12/11(I think). Pours hazy reddish brown color with an instant head. Super carbonated as evident upon opening. Turns out to be a fairly dense 2-3 finger light khaki head with insane retention. Obscene amounts of carbonation streaming up from the bottom. Small amount of lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of apple skins, caramel, toasted malt, roasted nuts, and light chocolate. Welp it looks like we have an infection here. Taste of caramel, toasted malt, chocolate, roasted nuts, and light fruitiness. Insanely dry finish with a bit of lingering caramel, chocolate, and fruitiness. Did not seemed so infected in the taste, except for the super dry finish. I swirled out the carbonation; so it ended up having medium carbonation and body. A bit of a creamy mouthfeel, with very smooth drinkability. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall I have to say this: for being infected this was still quite drinkable and minimally offensive. I will probably be picking up another single for a re-review because the price is pretty nice. I have a feeling I will probably like a non infected bottle.

Despite being obviously infected, this was pretty decent. I would guess that a non infected bottle would be pretty good.

Pretty Things Baby Tree

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4.2/5

AROMA
7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

22 ounce bottle into chalice; Batch 3 bottled Oct. 2009. Pours slightly cloudy reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts forever. Some awesome thick lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of big caramel, toasted malt, bread, molasses, plums, light chocolate, and spices. Nice aromas, but weaker than I wanted them to be. Taste of big caramel, molasses, toasted malt, bread, chocolate, nuttiness, plum, other fruits, pepper, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of toasted malt, caramel, molasses, and dark fruits on the finish. Nice balance of flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with a very nice and creamy mouthfeel that drinks smoothly. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is a very impressive and excellent Belgian-style quad. 2 years have been kind to this beer.

Excellent quadrupel offering from Pretty Things. Very balanced and drinkable stuff.

New Belgium Mothership Wit

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3.8/5

AROMA
8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

12 ounce bottle into weizen glass, best by 12/04/2011. Pours slightly hazy light golden straw color with a nice 1-2 finger fairly dense white head with nice retention that reduces to a thin cap. A dacent amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big banana, clove, pepper, bubblegum, grass, coriander, wheat, citrus peel, and biscuit. Very nice aromas with good strength. Taste of coriander, pepper, bread, lemon, wheat, light banana, light bubblegum, and yeast spice. Lingering notes of coriander, pepper, clove, citrus, and banana on the finish for a bit. Light-medium bodied with medium-high carbonation as expected. A bit on the watery side for taste, but still solid. Very drinkable with no alcohol noticed at all as expected. Good balance of flavors, but the spices are a bit too strong in this one. Overall this is a very nice and enjoyable witbier. Definitely worthy for a session in my opinion.

Quite an tasty wheat beer from New Belgium. A little watered down, but very drinkable and flavorful.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Hoppin Frog Barrel Aged BORIS Royale

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4.4/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle date but I got this on the first release back in May of this year. Pours thick black color with a small dark tan head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lasts. Small bits of lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of big vanilla, caramel, toffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, and whiskey. Great aromas here with good balance and strength. Not as bourbon forward as the normal BA BORIS. Taste of big dark chocolate, caramel, toffee, roasted malt, vanilla, oak, and whiskey. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, whiskey, and oak on the finish for a while. Low-moderate carbonation and full bodied; with a very creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is fairly well hidden with only a large warming present after the finish. Alcohol definitely cleans the palate in this case and makes this not cloying at all with the lush body. Great drinkability but it is still a sipper. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged imperial stout. Great balance of flavor, highly enjoyable, and a lush mouthfeel that has me wanting another sip.

Another delicious offering as I was expecting. I might have to give BA BORIS another try when I get back home for the holidays.

Three Floyds Robert The Bruce Scottish Ale

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3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle, no bottle dating. Pours slightly cloudy dark red-brown color with a fairly dense 2 finger khaki head with good retention that reduces to a nice sized cap that lasts. A small amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of raisin, caramel, molasses, biscuit, roasted nuts, toasted malt, spicy hops, and light chocolate. Some nice aromas with decent strength and balance. Taste of big caramel, bread, molasses, toasted malt, nuttiness, light fruits, and herbal hops. Light amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, bread, and herbal spiciness. Medium carbonation and body, with a fairly creamy and smooth mouthfeel that drinks very easily. No alcohol noticed other than a warming well after the finish. Overall this is a very nice and enjoyable Scottish ale that I would have again in the future.

Honestly, I have never really had a disappointing beer from Three Floyds. A very tasty offering.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Smuttynose Wheat Wine

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3.9/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 2009. Pours slightly hazy red orange color with a small fairly dense light khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap of lace. Small patches of lacing clinging to the glass. Aromas of big caramel, molasses, banana, orange zest, clove, spices, and a bit of booze. Very nice and balanced aromas. Taste of big caramel, banana, molasses, citrus, light fruits, light vanilla, spices, and maple syrup. No real amount of bitterness noticed on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, light fruits, molasses, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming on the finish noticed. Great balance of flavors, the alcohol definitely cleans the palate with every sip and doesn’t detract from the flavor profile at all. Nice drinkability but it is still a sipper. Overall this is a damn nice wheat wine that is very enjoyable and smooth for the level of alcohol.

A very enjoyable Wheatwine that has held up well over the past couple years.

St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout

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4.3/5

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

11.5 ounce bottle, no bottle date. Pours extremely dark brown color with a nice 2 finger dense dark tan head with incredible retention that reduces to a fairly thick cap that lasts. A nice amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big dark chocolate, rich caramel, toffee, roasted malt, roasted nuts, cream, and coffee. Great aromas here with nice strength and balance. Quite a bit different than oatmeal stouts I have had in the past. Taste of big chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, nuttiness, oats, coffee, and spiciness. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, nuttiness, and spicy hops. Medium carbonation and body; with a very nice and creamy mouthfeel. No alcohol noticed at all; very smooth to drink. Overall this is one of the best oatmeal stouts I have ever had. Excellent and inviting aromas with a robust flavor profile, and yet it is only 5%.

A session gravity stout that does not cut corners on flavor. Very impressed with this one.

Bear Republic Pete Brown Tribute Ale

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4.2/5

AROMA
7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20

22 ounce bottle, no bottle date. Pours slightly cloudy reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with excellent retention that reduces to a nice cap. Fair amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, toasted malt, cola, spicy hops, nuttiness, and light chocolate. Decent aromas here with good strength. Taste of big caramel, toasted malt, nuttiness, molasses, cola, and spicy hops. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, nuttiness, light chocolate, and spice. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and smooth mouthfeel. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Nice flavor balance. Overall this is an excellent and robust brown ale with a great flavor profile.

A delicious and robust brown ale. I would have expected nothing less from Bear Republic.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale

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4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle with green foil over the cap, bottled on 9/30/2011. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with incredible retention that reduces to a thick lacing cap that lasts. Good amount of lacing clings to the glass, with plenty of carbonation streaming up from the bottom. Aromas of huge fresh orange zest, lemon, pine, grass, light caramel, breadiness, and light spiciness. Very nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of big orange, lemon, pine, grass, biscuit, and spiciness. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, grass, pine, biscuit, and spiciness on the finish for a while. No alcohol noticed at all except for a slight warming after the finish. Great balance of bitterness and sweetness. Medium carbonation and body with a slightly creamy and very smooth mouthfeel. Overall this is definitely an excellent fresh hopped pale ale. Very drinkable with nice flavor balance.

A delicious fresh hop pale ale offering from Great Divide. A little too much biscuit-like presence in my opinion, but it was very enjoyable and fairly fresh.

Upland Infinite Wisdom Tripel

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3.9/5

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

22 ounce bottle into chalice, notched bottle date of Feb 2010(almost 2 years old). Pours very hazy golden straw color with a fairly dense 1 finger white head with good retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lasts. Slight bits of lacing cling to the glass. Good amount of carbonation streaming up from the bottom. Aromas of big bread, lemon zest, pepper, banana, apple, light caramel, orange, spicy yeast and a bit of alcohol. Nice and balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big lemon, banana, clove, pepper, bread, apple, grape, tart graininess, candi sugar, and spicy yeast. No bitterness; with lingering notes of pepper, bread, citrus, banana, and spicy yeast on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy and smooth mouthfeel that drinks quite easily but is still a sipper at 9%. No alcohol other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is a surprisingly very nice and enjoyable Tripel. Good balance of flavors with smooth drinkability for the level of alcohol.

A very nice Tripel offering from Upland. Very nice flavors and balance without booziness. I think the age did good things for it. I have tried some Upland Lambics at tastings in the past and have been very impressed by them. I would pick up some brews from them again.

Brewery Vivant Solitude

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3.9/5

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

16 ounce tallboy can into tulip glass, no canning date. Pours crystal clear reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense caramel colored head with good retention that reduces to a cap. A fair amount of lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, pepper, brown sugar, roasted malt, cracker, raisin, candi sugar, and big yeast spiciness. Nice and balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big caramel, bread, molasses, roasted malts, light dark fruits, pepper, and herbal spiciness. No bitterness as expected; with lingering notes of caramel, roasted malt, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and very smooth mouthfeel that drinks easily. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is a very nice and drinkable Belgian style ale. Great balance and nice flavors.

This is a very nice and enjoyable Dubbel style ale. I have the other two canned brews from this brewery in the fridge right now.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Ommegang Zuur

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4.1/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, no bottle date. Pours slightly hazy dark reddish brown color with a nice 1 finger dense khaki head with excellent retention that reduces to a lacing cap that lasts. A nice amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of bit tart cherries, apple, sweet malts, light caramel, and a bit of spice with some funk. Nice aromas with fairly high acidity as expected. Taste of lightly tart cherry, apple, toffee, caramel, oak, light vinegar, spices, and a bit of funk. Finishes fairly tart and dry but not overwhelming; with light lingering notes of cherry, oak, spices, and caramel on the finish. Taste is a little on the light side, but is still substantial. Medium body and medium-high carbonation; with a lightly creamy and very smooth mouthfeel. Nice balance of sweetness and tartness; nothing is too overwhelming or cloying. No alcohol noticed at all other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is an excellent and well rounded Flemish brown ale with nice balance and easy drinking. I would have this one again.

An excellent and highly enjoyable Flemish brown ale from Ommegang. This one is a collab with Liefmans and has nice balance with out too much sourness (even though I am a fan of highly acidic Belgian style beers).

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

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3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle, no bottle date. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger light tan head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. A fair amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big vanilla beans, caramel, roasted malt, light chocolate, biscuit, and some light spicy hops. Nice aromas, very big on the vanilla beans as expected. Taste of big vanilla, caramel, light chocolate, bread, and a bit of spiciness. Light bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of vanilla, caramel, light chocolate, and spiciness. Medium carbonation and light-medium bodied; with a lightly creamy and very smooth mouthfeel. No alcohol noticed at all as expected for a beer of 4.7%. Overall this is a very nice and sessionable porter. Nice amount of flavor and good balance.

A very nice porter for being under 5%. I really don't understand all the rating hate for this one. I really enjoyed it.

Baudelaire Beer iO Saison

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4.2/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, Blend 5, bottled 1/26/2011. Pours slightly hazy orange amber color with a nice 3 finger off white head with incredible retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts. A fair amount of dense lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big tart apple, lemon, floral, grass, spice, a bit of strawberry, and funk. Nice and standard Jolly Pumpkin aromas here as expected. Taste of big floral notes from the flowers; with lemon, apple, spices, grass, hay, and a bit of funk. Fairly dry finish but there is some lingering floral notes with hay and spices on the finish. A small bit of fruity tartness is present as well. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a very smooth mouthfeel that goes down smoothly. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is an excellent and very unique saison. The flower petals definitely add an interesting dimension to the flavor and aroma profile.

Another delicious offering from Jolly Pumpkin as expected. They really do put out a great lineup.