Ben & Jerry's Hannah Teter's Maple Blondie

Yet another flavor that I haven't had in a while here. Still in stores, even though it is limited batch. It has maple ice cream with blonde brownie chunks and a maple caramel swirl. The ice cream base itself is great. Excellent texture with big maple flavor as well. Very nice and creamy as well. A good amount of blonde brownie chunks are spread through the entire pint as well. Very nice and chewy texture with sweet brown sugar flavor. Good amount of sweet maple flavored caramel swirled around the pint, putting in some more sweetness to this pint. Great balance of all flavors in this pint as well, one does not take over another. Overall, this is a fantastic flavor, glad I revisited it. Fans of maple syrup should definitely give it a shot. It will probably be around for quite a while longer.

9.5/10

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire

3.9/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, batch 428. Pours clear dark brown color with 2 fingers of dense light tan head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some decent lacing is left on the glass as well. Aromas of sour grape, cherry, apple, spice, a bit of vinegar, and caramel. Taste of big spices, pepper, caramel, tart apple, grape, and pear. Finishes fairly tart and sour in the back with some lingering notes of fruits and spices with a bit of wood. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish. light-medium bodied with very high carbonation with a prickly mouthfeel. Very nice balance of tartness and sweetness. Fairly smooth drinking despite the high carbonation. Overall, this is more nice stuff from Jolly Pumpkin, I would have this again.

Another very nice Saison from Jolly Pumpkin. I would have this one again in the future. This becomes very smooth if you let the carbonation die down as well.

Goose Island Matilda

3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled 12/18/09. Pours cloudy reddish orange color with 1.5 fingers of off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Aromas of dark fruit, tart grape, apple, candi sugar, and spices. A bit of funk in there as well, with some breadiness. Very nice and complex stuff going on here. Taste of a lot of spices, with breadiness, light fruits, caramel, and candi sugar. Light amount of tartness on the finish, with some lingering spices, bitterness, and some fruits. No alcohol in the taste and a decent warming noticed on the finish. Medium carbonation and body. Nice smooth drinking as well. Overall a very nice Belgian strong pale, but I think I noticed a bit of oxidation in there. Interested in trying a newer batch of this to compare.

A nice Belgian style ale from goose Island. Would like to try a newer batch of this as well. Still have a few more of the series to try.

Great Divide 17th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

3.9/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled March 29th 2011. Pours clear red orange color with a 1.5 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some decent lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of orange, grapefruit, caramel, oak, and a bit of vanilla. Nice aromas here with good strength. Taste of huge oak, with caramel, grapefruit, pine, and a bit of orange and vanilla. Nice strong bitterness on the finish that lingers with pine, oak, and citrus flavors. Decent balance of flavors, and nice balance of bitterness and sweetness. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied, almost syrupy mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden for 10%, none in the taste and very little warming on the finish. Overall a very nice Double IPA, but it is a little over the top on the oak flavor.

Very nice oak aged DIPA, I think that some age on this would mellow out the oak flavor, as it does on Imperial Stouts.

Two Brothers Bare Tree 2010 Weiss Wine

4.4/5

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

375 ml bottle into snifter, 2010 version, gusher bottle, the cork blew off after I uncaged it. Pours extremely cloudy reddish orange color with a huge 3 finger fairly dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap that lasts. Some decent lacing is left on the glass as well. Aromas of huge banana, apricot, and clove notes, with a bit of spice, caramel, and oak in the background. Nice strong and interesting aromas. Taste of huge banana, apricot, clove, and wheat; that leads to a decent amount of caramel sweetness, and finishes with some honey, oak, and a bit of spice. Lots of complex flavors going on here, with great balance. No decent amount of bitterness was noted. Alcohol is expertly hidden for 11.3%, none in the taste and a very slight warming well after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Very smooth drinking, but still quite a sipper. Overall, this is just an absolutely outstanding wheatwine, I would definitely have it again.

Wow, this was fantastic. I have always been a bit shy of wheat beers. I always thought I was not a fan of them due to some that I have tried before. This really shows that I could get into the style, if I find the right ones to try. I still have a Smutty Wheatwine to try soon, so hopefully that turns out great as well.

Oud Beersel Oude Geuze Vieille

4.2/5

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

375 ml bottle into tulip, best by 4-20-2026. Pours cloudy golden amber color with a fairly dense 2 finger white head with great retention that reduces to a lacing ring. Aromas of sour apple, cherry, grape, grass, funk, and a bit of spice. A lot going on here, nice aromas. Taste of apple, grape, wood, spice, and earthiness. Fairly sour and tart on the finish, with some woody, earthy, spicy notes that linger for a short period on the finish with a bit of grape and apple as well. Medium carbonation and body. Fairly smooth drinking as well. Nice balance of flavors all around with nice complexity. Overall, this is a highly enjoyable gueuze. I would pick this one up again.

An excellent gueuze. A lot less sour than I was expecting after having the Lindemans, but is nicely balanced and quite drinkable as well. I have a kriek from this brewery to try, but I have not had any krieks yet, so I may pick up some soon to get to know that style better.

Duchesse De Bourgogne

3.6/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip. Pours clear reddish-brown color with a 1.5 fingers of foamy off white head with good retention. Some decent lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big red wine vinegar; with some fruits and spices in the background. Decently strong aromas here, but the vinegar is overwhelming. Taste of cherry, apple, vinegar, and a bit of oak and spice; which leads to some light sourness on the back that lingers for a short period with cherry, apple, and vinegar. This is very malt forward with only a slight bit of sourness. No alcohol in the taste or finish. Medium carbonation and body. Quite smooth and easy to drink. Overall, this is a nice Flanders red, but there is a bit too much vinegar.

It was alright, but I wasn't the biggest fan of it because of the extreme vinegar aroma and taste. If it was more subdued with more fruity notes, I would have liked it a lot more. I was hoping for more tartness also. I may have it again sometime, but only if I find a 11.2 ounce bottle of it.

Stone Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

3.9/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours opaque black color with a small 1 finger dark tan head with decent retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lasts. Some ok lacing is left on the glass as well. Aromas of huge spices, oak, anise, chocolate, roasted malt, smoke, and maybe a bit of booze. Aromas are quite interesting indeed, strong too. Taste of huge oak, chocolate, anise, spices, and a bit of smoke. Some decent bitterness present on the finish that lingers with oak, smoke, chocolate, spice, and roasted flavors. Insanely smooth, creamy, and slick body with light-medium carbonation. No alcohol noticed in the taste and a very minimal amount noticed on the finish. Overall, definitely a very interesting imperial stout, but this is highly enjoyable stuff.

Some interesting flavors going on here, and I can see why most people would not like this very much. I would like to see what some age does to this as well.

Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale

3.8/5

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

12 ounce can, canned 06-01-10. Oh well, I guess I should have checked the bottom before purchasing the single, we will see how this goes. Pours slightly hazy orangish amber color, with a dense 2 finger off white head with fantastic retention. A bit of lacing is on the glass as well. Aromas of pine, grapefruit, caramel, and a bit of orange. Weak aromas, but they are pretty nice for what they are. Taste of big caramel, grapefruit, pine, and biscuit; with a nice bitterness on the finish that lasts for a decent period of time with pine and grapefruit flavors. Light-medium body with medium carbonation. Nice smoothness and easy drinkability. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish. Overall, for being over a year old this pale ale is surprisingly good stuff. I would definitely like to try a fresher one someday.

Very nice pale ale here, despite the age on the can. I hope they start distributing here some time.

Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Red Ale

3.8/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip. Pours clear dark reddish-brown color with a foamy 3 finger light orange head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Aromas of sour cherry, apple, spices, bread, grass, and a bit of funk. Aromas are solid. Taste of big cherry, apple, and a bit of spices on the front; that leads to a decent amount of of tartness on the finish, but it is not overpowering. I was actually expecting more sourness in this one. Great balance of sweetness and tartness. No alcohol in the taste or finish. Prickly high carbonation in the mouthfeel with light-medium body. No alcohol in the taste or finish noticed. Overall this is a tasty sour, nice balance, and good drinkability due to the moderate amount of sourness.

Definitely a nice intro to sours due to the mild amount of sourness in this. I would probably pick this up again, in the smaller bottles.

Tröegs Flying Mouflan

4/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours clear dark red-orange color with a dense 1 finger light tan head with good retention that reduces to a lacing ring. Aromas of molasses, orange, caramel, and a bit of apple and roasted malt. Interesting aromas here. Taste of tons of orange, pineapple, grapefruit, caramel, and light chocolate on the front; that leads to a good sized bitterness on the finish that lingers with grapefruit and caramel flavor. Very nice balance of bitterness and sweetness. No alcohol in the taste and a fairly strong warming after the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied. Overall, quite a big sipping beer, but this is very nice stuff, would definitely like to try an aged one.

All around delicious barleywine, but I have a feeling I would enjoy it much more when it is older.

Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale

4.2/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled 02-10-11. Pours clear dark reddish brown color with a fairly dense 1 finger light tan head with decent retention, that reduces to a lacing ring. Some decent lacing left on the glass. Aromas of dark fruits, molasses, caramel, spices, and a bit of chocolate, coffee, and smoke in the background. Nice complex aromas here with great balance. Taste of big caramel, chocolate, molasses, and roasted flavor in the front; that leads to smokiness, a bit of dark fruits, and a bit of booziness in the back. A small amount of bitterness is noticed in the back on the finish as well. Notes of caramel, molasses, and roasted flavors linger for a short period after the finish. Surprisingly smooth and creamy body that drinks easily for the alcohol level. Medium carbonation and medium-full body. Fairly strong alcohol warming after the finish, with very little noticed in the taste. Overall a great Wee Heavy ale, probably the best one I have had yet.

Another great beverage from Great Divide. Definitely one of the best, if not the best Scotch ale I have had.

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Ice Cream

It has been a while since I had Starbucks ice cream. This one is the winter seasonal limited edition flavor. It has swirled peppermint and mocha ice creams, with dark chocolate chunks. First off, the ice cream texture is nice, and very smooth as well as being creamy. Big mocha flavor, complimented by the cool flavor of peppermint as well. Plenty of dark chocolate chunks throughout the pint, that add a ton of flavor and great texture to this pint. Not really much else to say about this one, but if you are a fan of simplicity and a lot of great flavor, then this is a good choice(though you may have to wait around till the winter to have it).

8/10

Saison Dupont Vieille Provision

4.3/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip. Pours cloudy golden amber color with a huge 2 finger fairly dense white head that reduces to a lacing cap. Some decent lacing left on the glass. Aromas of big tart lemon, apple, grass, spice, clove, and a bit of funk. Very nice aromas. Taste of big lemon, apple, spice, clove, and a bit of leather and funk. A very slight bit of tartness with big spices on the finish. Finish is fairly dry but there are some spice, clove, and apple notes that linger for a bit after the finish. Medium bodied with fairly high carbonation. Very smooth drinking for the carbonation as well. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish. Overall an outstanding saison, would definitely have this one again.

I have been getting very fond of this style lately, may be my new favorite style now. I still have plenty more to try out, and I can't wait.

Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Bourbon Barrel Aged Edition

4.3/5

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

500 ml bottle into snifter. Pours opaque black color with a nice 2 finger very dense dark tan head with great retention, that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap that lasts. Some thick lacing is left on the glass as well. Aromas of huge bourbon notes with dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, wood, and a bit of vanilla. Good strong aromas here, decent balance, but a little heavy on the bourbon. Taste of huge notes of coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, and caramel on the front; with some bourbon and vanilla in the back. Finishes with a fair amount of bitterness that lingers for a bit with coffee and roasted flavor. Outstanding balance of flavors, very smooth drinking for the alcohol level as well. Medium-full bodied with medium carbonation. Fairly creamy feeling as well. No alcohol noticed in the taste and a very slight warming on the finish. Overall an outstanding imperial stout. The nose was really strong on the bourbon, but the taste was great the bourbon sitting in the background.

Another delicious stout from Mikkeller. I still have two more to try that I have found thus far. Mikkeller is on the pricy side, but they put out quality product.

Ben & Jerry's Clusterfluff

Another new Ben and Jerry's flavor right here. It is Peanut butter ice cream, with caramel cluster pieces, marshmallow swirls, and peanut buttery swirls. First off, the ice cream is downright fantastic. Great texture(from what I can tell, the mix ins are overwhelming) and huge peanut butter flavor. Tons of caramel cluster pieces as well that add nice texture and decent caramel flavor to this. Nice and thick peanut butter swirls as well, with tons of flavor, wow. The marshmallow is mostly in the middle, but has very creamy texture, and obviously compliments all the PB flavor perfectly. I am also a huge fan of Fluffernutters, so this was just heavenly as a whole. This very well may be the best BnJ's flavor I have ever had. Super rich, creamy, and loaded with mix ins.

11/10

Sierra Nevada Estate Homegrown Ale

4.3/5

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

750 ml bottle. Pours very hazy orange-amber color with a very dense 2 finger off white head with fantastic retention that reduces to a very thick lacing cap that lasts for the rest of the glass. Sticky lacing coats the entire glass as you drink. Aromas of big orange, pine, grapefruit, caramel, and a bit of bread. Some great aromas. Taste of big grapefruit, pine, spiciness, and caramel on the front; with a nice strong bitterness on the finish that lingers with citrus and pine flavors. Very nice smooth body and drink ability. No alcohol in the taste or finish. Medium carbonation and body. Great balance of bitterness and sweetness. Overall a fantastic IPA. Definitely would get this if they released it again, big hop flavor and great balance.

Fantastic IPA for being released last fall(as far as I know). Hops were still shining brightly. Another delicious special Sierra Nevada release.

Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout

4.3/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours dark brown color that is opaque in the glass; with a dense 1.5 finger tan head with great retention that reduces to a nice lacing cap that lasts for the remainder of the glass. Some nice lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big dark chocolate, caramel, coffee, roasted malt, and some big hop spiciness with a bit of citrus. Strong hoppy aromas here. Taste of big chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, smoke, espresso, and a bit of citrus. Decent bitterness on the finish that lingers with caramel and roasted flavors. Great balance of flavors and bitterness as well. No alcohol in the taste and a slight warming on the finish. Medium-full bodied with medium carbonation. Overall an outstanding Imperial Stout, great flavor and balance with smooth drinkability for the alcohol level.

Another great beer from Bear Republic as expected. They put out a great lineup.

Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale

4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip, 2010 vintage. Pours clear golden amber color with a 1 finger dense white head with great retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Decent lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of spice, pepper, apple, grape, lemon, grass, and a small bit of funkiness and leather. Great aromas here, very interesting as well. Taste of big lemon, pepper, grape, and apple; with big spiciness on the finish with small bit of tartness and booze in the back. Some lingering notes of fruits and spices after the finish. Medium-full bodied with medium carbonation. A small bit of noticeable alcohol on the taste, but it smoothed out as it got a lot warmer. Fairly large alcohol warming ofter the finish. Overall an excellent saison, big on flavor, and great balance.

Great saison, though a bit boozy. I still haven't been disappointed by Smutty. I will keep an eye out for this year's release of this.

Bells Consecrator Doppelbock

3.1/5

AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20

12 ounce bottle, batch 10150. Pours clear reddish-brown color with a small 1 finger foamy off white head with average retention. A foamy lacing ring shows up on the glass for a short while. Aromas of caramel, toffee, molasses, dark fruits, and a bit of booze. Taste of caramel, dark fruits, molasses, bread, and a bit of alcohol. Some bitterness and spiciness on the finish with some lingering sweet flavors of molasses and caramel. Some noticeable alcohol in the taste and a decent warming on the finish. Light-Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation, big prickly feel. Overall, this is decent, but has some flaws. I may have it again sometime in the future with a new batch.

Decent brew, but the alcohol bite in the flavor, along with the thin body and weak aroma really kill this one for me. May have to give this another shot someday.

Stone Old Guardian Belgo-Barley Wine

4/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, 2011 vintage. Pours clear red orange color with a dense 1 finger light orange head with good retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lasts. Not much lacing left on the glass. Aromas of dark fruits, spices, caramel, citrus, and sweet malt. Definitely some interesting aromas. Taste of sweet caramel, spice, honey, molasses, and fruitiness. Decent amount of bitterness noticed on the finish, but mostly a lot of lingering flavors of caramel, molasses, fruitiness, and some citrus. Very smooth drinking for 12% as well, still quite a sipper though. Medium carbonation and full bodied. No alcohol in the taste and a fairly large warming on the finish. Overall, a very nice barleywine with Belgian characteristics. Tasty stuff!

Another delicious Stone brew, as expected. I don't know why so many people are hating on his one, it is different, unique, and delicious in it's own way.

Nøgne Ø/Jolly Pumpkin/Stone Special Holiday Ale

4.2/5

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

500 ml bottle into tulip, almost a gusher upon opening. Pours dark brown color with a nice 2 finger dense light tan head with good retention. Some decent lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of ginger, cinnamon, all spice, roasted malt, molasses, and nuttiness. Taste of tons of cinnamon, clove, all spice, ginger, and nuttiness in the front; that leads to strong notes of toffee, caramel, and molasses on the back. Big lingering notes of roasted malt, caramel, and molasses with spices after the finish. Great balance of flavors as well. Nice smooth medium-full body with fairly high carbonation. Drinkability is great for the level of alcohol. No alcohol noticed in the taste and a slight warming after the finish. Overall an excellent winter warmer, probably the best one I have had yet.

Damn fine collab beverage here. Pretty easy to find because I have still seen it around lately. I'd say this is the best to style I have had yet for Christmas beers(not including Belgian style Christmas brews).

Goose Island Sofie

4.3/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled 3/24/10. Pours hazy golden amber color with a huge 3 finger dense white head with great retention that reduces to a thick lacing cap that lasts for most of the glass. Some decent lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of big sour apple, lemon, orange, spices, and clove. Nose definitely has a nice amount of funk in it, great stuff. Taste of orange, lemon, pepper, spices, and light clove. A decent amount of tartness near the finish was noticed, that lingers for a short while with some orange, apple and spice. No bitterness at all noticed, just big lingering spice and fruit notes. No alcohol noticed in taste and a slight warming on the finish. Medium bodied with high carbonation. Very smooth and drinkable as well, despite big carbonation. Overall, a fantastic saison style ale. I will definitely be picking this one up again. Thank goodness it is available everywhere.

Wow, probably the most impressive Goose Island offering I have had yet(haven't had many though). I will definitely be picking up this again for the cellar, after over 1 year big tartness is present. I will be keeping an eye out for the "infected" batches (fingers crossed!). Can't wait to try the rest of the series. I really need to get my hands on the Reserve series wild ales someday. If InBev axes this series I will be upset.

The Bruery Saison Rue

4.3/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip. Pours slightly cloudy light orange amber color with a huge 4 finger white head with incredible retention that reduces to a thick lacing cap. Some thick lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of strong sour apple, lemon, grass, and spice. Definitely a lot of brett funk going on in the aromas, great stuff. Taste of big spices, rye, with light fruitiness and pepper as well. Big spices on the finish that linger for a bit with some light fruitiness. Some very slight tartness is noticed on the finish as well. Medium bodied with huge carbonation. Very smooth drinking for such high carbonation and alcohol as well. No alcohol in the taste and a decent warming on the finish. Overall an outstanding saison. More great stuff from The Bruery.

Damn this was great. Loved the aromas in this, had great flavor and balance as well. I will be getting this again. I have recently gotten into seriously loving Saisons and other Belgian styles, especially those which are tart/sour. Will be seeking more out, already have plenty of the highly popular saisons waiting for future review.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

4.1/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter, 2011 vintage. Pours clear red-orange color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a lacing cap that lasts for the rest of the glass. A small amount of lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of tons of citrus, pineapple, grapefruit; with some caramel in the background. Nice aromas, very hoppy. Taste of big pine, citrus, spiciness, and caramel sweetness on the front that leads to a big bitterness on the finish that lingers for a while with caramel, citrus, and pine flavor. Great balance of the sweetness and bitterness as well. Fairly strong alcohol warming on the finish. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied. Overall this is an excellent barleywine. I would definitely like to try some older vintages of this one.

This is definitely the hoppiest barleywine I have ever had, plus it is the first time having this very well known brew. Would definitely like to age some of these sometime.

Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale

3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours clear dark reddish brown color with a dense 1 finger light tan head with great retention that reduces to a very thin lacing cap. Some decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of dark fruits, bread, caramel, molasses, and some spiciness. Some interesting aromas with nice strength as well. Taste of breadiness, spices, and roasted malt on the front that leads to caramel and molasses in the back. Some decent spicy pine bitterness on the finish that lingers for a decent period of time. Medium-full body with medium carbonation. Some decent alcohol warming noticed on the finish. Overall, a very interesting beer from Lagunitas, but it is very tasty as well.

With the style title of "American Strong Ale", I knew this was going to be a little off the wall haha. Definitely enjoyable stuff.

Green Flash Imperial IPA

4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip. Pours clear orange-amber color with a huge 3 finger fairly dense off white head with amazing retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some nice lacing coats the glass. Aromas of big tropical fruits, orange, grapefruit, pine, and caramel. Very nice aromas. Taste of big orange, pineapple, grapefruit, and caramel; with a nice smooth bitterness on the finish that lingers with pine, citrus, and caramel flavors. The bitterness is not so overwhelming, very nicely balanced with the malt sweetness. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied. Fantastic drinkability for it’s alcohol level, goes down very smooth with no alcohol in the taste and a decent warming on the finish. Overall, another fine beverage from Green Flash. Great balance and drinkability.

Tasty Imperial IPA, but the WC IPA is in a whole other league. Unsure if I would have this one again.

Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone

Another flavor I have not had in a while here. Caramel ice cream with chocolate covered cone pieces and a caramel swirl. There is an insane amount of cone pieces in the pint, it actually makes it difficult to dig into the pint. The caramel ice cream itself is good and has decent texture and strength of flavor. Big caramel swirl that mostly takes up the center of the pint, but it is great. The chocolate covered cone pieces are definitely in the spotlight for this pint. They put out the strongest amount of flavor in this, and the caramel gets the back seat in the flavor profile. Big crunchy texture throughout the entire pint due to cone pieces in every bite. Overall, a great flavor. I just wish that the caramel had a little more prominence.

9/10

The Brew Kettle Production Works Old 21 Imperial IPA

4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip. Pours clear golden amber color with a dense 2 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Plenty of sticky lacing on the glass. Aromas of huge pineapple, mango, grapefruit, pine and a bit of caramel. Mostly huge simcoe aromas going on here. Taste of big pineapple, orange, grapefruit, and caramel; with a big, and fairly smooth bitterness on the finish that lingers for a while with pine and citrus flavors. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied. Very smooth drinking for the alcohol level, but it is quite a sipper. No alcohol in the taste and a fairly strong warming on the finish. Definitely a huge hoppy brew, a little harsh at first with a clean palate, but it smooths out a ton. Overall, an excellent DIPA from Brew Kettle, definitely would have this one again.

An excellent DIPA, and it is incredible hoppy. Definitely reminded me of the Weyerbacher Double Simcoe. Description says this is brewed with Simcoe, Citra, and Centennial.

Anderson Valley 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA

3.8/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip. Pours crystal clear orange-amber color with a fairly dense 2 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Some lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, mango, caramel, pine, and pineapple. Nice aromas. Taste of big bread, caramel, orange and grapefruit up front; with a nice sized pine and citrus bitterness that shows up on the finish and lingers for a while. Decent balance of flavors here. Nice sized alcohol warming on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Nice an smooth drinkability for the alcohol level. Overall, this was a very nice DIPA, definitely enjoyable stuff.

Good stuff from Anderson Valley here. The taste was a little bit off in respect to what I like in DIPAs though.

Southern Tier Mokah

4.5/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours dark brown with a fairly dense 1 finger tan head with good retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Small amount of lacing on the glass Aromas of big milk chocolate, caramel, toffee, and a small bit of coffee. Very nice aromas here, smells like tootsie rolls. Taste of strong milk chocolate, caramel, toffee, roasted malt, and light coffee. Light amount of bitterness on the finish, but big lingering tastes of milk chocolate, caramel, and roasted malt. No alcohol noticed in taste at all and a very small warming on the finish. Insanely smooth and creamy body with low-medium carbonation. Insanely drinkable for being 11% as well, goes down easily. Overall an incredible Imperial Stout from Southern Tier, can’t wait to have Choklat.

This is definitely the best Southern Tier beer I have had yet. Will definitely keep an eye out for it again.

Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti

4.7/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, Bottled on 3-31-11. Pours opaque black color with a very dense 1 finger dark tan head with fantastic retention. Very nice lacing clinging to the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, oak, vanilla, and caramel. Very nice aromas, good strength as well. Taste of insanely rich chocolate, caramel, and deep roasted malt; with some coffee, oak, and spicy cayenne pepper in the back that brings some heat. Not much bitterness on the finish, but there are big notes of dark chocolate, cayenne pepper, and caramel lingering on the finish for a while. Some slight alcohol warming on the finish, but most of the warming on the back is from the pepper. Insanely creamy, thick, and slick mouthfeel with light-medium carbonation. Very drinkable for being 9.5%. For only being in the bottle for two months, this is ready to go already. I wonder what age will do to it. Absolutely incredible, and insanely rich flavor.

Absolutely incredible. Insanely rich, smooth, and thick for 9.5%. I wonder what an aged bottle would be like.

Buckeye/Cornerstone Colastic Colab German Style Ale

3.1/5

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

12 ounce bottle. Pours clear orange-brown color with a enormous head that fills the entire glass. This is going to take a while to pour, insanely high carbonation. Amazing head retention however, and some sticking glass lacing as well. Ends up being a fairly frothy off white head. Aromas of spicy hops, caramel, bread, and toasted malts. Very weak aromas. Taste of caramel, roasted malt, bread, and some spiciness. No bitterness on the finish, but there is some lingering notes of spices, bread, and toasted malt that stick around for a short period. Some unknown odd flavors in the taste as well. Very weird mouthfeel, pretty smooth, but there seems to be quite a strong alcohol warming on the back of the throat, which is odd for a 5.5% beer. Medium carbonation and body. I have a feeling there was something wrong with the bottle because of the insane carb bomb on the pour. Maybe this is much better when it is fresh. Never had an altbier before, but I will have to try out some other ones that are fresh. Decent.

Definitely did not age well. Maybe a slight bit oxidized or infected. I still have one more to try out of the 12 pack, the Berlot.

Ommegang Gnomegang

4.2/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, best by 02/2013. Pours cloudy amber color with a nice 2 finger dense white head with great retention and some decent lacing. Aromas of honey, orange, lemon, spices, and a bit of banana. Nice aromas with good strength. Taste of lemon, apple, banana, clove, spice, bread, and a bit of honey. Lots of apple, clove, spice, and bread linger on the finish for a bit. No bitterness noticed at all. Medium-full bodied with medium carbonation. Extremely drinkable for it’s alcohol level, very smooth. No alcohol in the taste an a small warming on the finish. Overall a fantastic Belgian pale ale. I still have yet to be disappointed by Ommegang.

More greatness from Ommegang. I haven't had any D'Achouffe in a while, and I have seen a few other ones around, might have to pick one up.

Corsendonk Pater (Abbey Brown Ale)

4/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, best by 09/06/11. Pours clear reddish brown color with a huge 3 finger fairly foamy light tan head with great retention and some decent glass lacing. Aromas of cloves, spices, roasted malt, caramel, and dark fruits. Nice aromas here. Taste of caramel, dark fruits, apple, and spices. A bit of chocolate and bread noticed as well. Nice complexity and balance in flavor. No bitterness, but there are big notes of spices, caramel, and some chocolate lingering on the finish. Medium bodied and highly carbonated, with a prickly feel. Very smooth drinking as well. No alcohol in the taste and a slight warming on the finish noticed. Overall, this is a delicious Dubbel, and I would definitely have it again.

All around solid Belgian from Corsendonk. Still need to try the Abbey Pale Ale.

Dogfish Head Hellhound On My Ale

4/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip. Pours cloudy light orange-amber color with a nice dense 2 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Some slight lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of strong grapefruit, pine, lemon, caramel, and a bit of spiciness. Nice aromas here, definitely centennial hops haha. Taste of big grapefruit, orange, lemon, pine, and some spice. Fairly strong bitterness on the finish that lingers for a bit with lemon, pine, and spices. Good balance of bitterness and sweetness as well. Very smooth drinking for the alcohol level. No alcohol in the taste at all, but a decent warming on the finish was noticed. Overall a delicious DIPA, but there is nothing that sets it apart from others, the lemon flavor was overtaken by the hops. I would have it again if given the chance, but I would say it is not worth the price paid for the 750 ml bottle.

Another tasty Dogfish Head DIPA, still more on the maltier side. Not too unique, but still a drinkable brew.

Great Divide Belgica

4/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled 12-20-2010. Pours slightly cloudy amber color with a fairly dense 2 finger white head with good retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap that lasts. A small amount of lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of orange, pine, spices, and lemon. Nice balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of bread, with lots of spices on the front. A bit of citrus and pine in the back with some spices and a decent amount of bitterness that lingers on the finish with spice and citrus notes. Medium body and medium-high carbonation. Nice and smooth drinking, with no alcohol in the taste and a small warming on the finish. Overall I definitely enjoyed this one, very nice Belgian IPA.

Another delicious offering from Great Divide here. Really impressed with the stuff they put out.

The Brew Kettle Production Works Tunguska Imperial Stout

4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours very dark brown color with a dense 1 finger tan head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some decent lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, dark fruits, and maybe a bit of smoke as well. Nice aromas here, with good strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, caramel, and some dark fruits. A small amount of bitterness noticed on the finish that lingers with some spiciness. Big chocolate and roasted flavors linger on the finish as well. Light to medium carbonation and very full bodied. No alcohol on the taste and a decent warming on the finish. Very well hidden for the alcohol level. Very creamy and viscous body. All around great imperial stout! Very well put together.

Definitely enjoyed this Imperial Stout. My first brew from Brew Kettle. I am interested in trying out the 4C's pale ale(mainly because I love those hops), and the Imperial IPA. Hopefully I will make it up to the brewpub soon and possibly try some White Rajah if it is still available, plus other tap only brews.

Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout

3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle. Pours very dark brown color with a fairly dense 1.5 finger dark tan head with decent retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Aromas of smoke, dark chocolate, dark fruits, caramel, and roasted malt. Decent aromas here. Taste of smoke that leads to some dark chocolate and coffee notes with roasted malt. Finishes with a small amount of bitterness with lingering smoke, citrus, and roasted flavors. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied. Has a nice creamy feel to it as well. No alcohol noticed in taste and a slight warming on the finish. Overall a very tasty smoked stout.

As usual, another tasty brew from Dark horse. I have a Plead the Fifth in the cellar, and I will probably have to wait til next year to have the Tres. Then I will have had the whole stout series(except barrel aged Fifth of course).

Avery Out of Bounds Stout

3.7/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown color with a very dense 2 finger tan head with incredible retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. A small amount of lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of caramel, chocolate, roasted malt, coffee; with some spicy hop aromas as well. Some decent aromas here. Taste of roasted malt, chocolate, and some caramel and coffee. Decently strong bitterness on the finish that lingers with spicy, citrus, and roasted flavors. Finish is fairly dry as expected. Medium bodied with fairly high carbonation. Fairly creamy mouthfeel as well. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish. Overall quite an enjoyable dry stout, I would have it again.

Good dry stout from Avery. Decent mouthfeel.

Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga (The Firefly)

4/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, Blend 5 bottled 5-14-2010. Pours hazy reddish orange color with an insanely large, fairly foamy 3 finger off white head with incredible retention. Thick lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of some sour apple with grapes, spices, and a lot funkiness. Taste of strong spices with some caramel, light fruitiness, and very slight tartness. A little lackluster. Fairly dry finish, but there is some lingering spice notes and caramel, with a slight bit of tartness. Fairly high carbonation with a medium body. No alcohol noticed on taste or finish. Really smooth drinking for the carbonation level as well. Overall, this is a very good brew, the taste was a bit lacking in some aspects though. Was hoping for more tartness. This is much like a saison.

Quite an enjoyable Belgian style from JP once again, but I was hoping for more tartness from this.

Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René

4.1/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, first beer I have ever had to cork with a corkscrew! Bottled June 3 2009. Pours clear amber color with a foamy 2 finger off white head with decent retention. Some decent lacing is on the glass, with a decent ring of lacing as well. Aromas of sour apple, grape, and lemon; with some hay and a lot of funk. Interesting and strong aromas. Taste of sharp tart and sour notes on the front with lemon, grape, and apple. Very acidic up front with a small amount of spiciness. Fairly dry finish, but there is some tart and sour notes that linger for a short period on the finish. Medium carbonation and light-medium body. No alcohol in the taste or finish. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this one. I wasn’t sure how much sourness to expect, but it was stronger than I was expecting. Also my first gueuze. Excellent stuff though.

Very enjoyable for being my first Gueuze, cant wait to try out some others in the style.

Hoppin Frog Rocky Frog Imperial American Porter (2010 Beer Week Collaboration With Rocky River)

4/5

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

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown color with a very dense 2 finger tan head with amazing retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some nice lacing is left on the glass. Aromas of tons of caramel, dark chocolate, and roasted malt; with some coffee and citrus as well. Nice balanced aromas here. Taste of caramel, roasted malt, and chocolate. Fairly spicy citrus hop notes show up on the finish and linger with a fairly strong bitterness. Some roasted flavor lingers as well. Very decent level of carbonation with medium body. Fairly creamy feel, but not as much as I was hoping for with the carbonation level. No alcohol noticed in the taste but a slight warming on the finish is present. Overall quite an enjoyable porter, a little hoppier than what I am used to, but still great stuff.

A very nice hopped up porter here. I still have 2 left from the 12 pack(had extras of some and only 1 of others).

Weyerbacher Unfiltered Double Simcoe IPA

4.2/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip. Pours very hazy dark red-orange color with a enormous 4 finger off white head with incredible retention that reduces to a decent sized lacing cap that lasts. Fairly thick lacing sticks to the glass. Aromas of huge amounts pine, pineapple, mango, orange, and grapefruit; with some caramel and bread as well. Taste of big pine, pineapple, grapefruit, caramel, and bread. Strong bitterness shows up on the finish and lingers for a while with caramel, bread, citrus, and spiciness. No alcohol in the taste but a slight warming on the finish is present. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied. Fairly smooth drinking as well, but is definitely a sipper with it’s huge flavor and body. Overall, and excellent imperial IPA, and it is extremely hoppy, just how I like them.

This one was insanely hoppy, and it actually surprised me because even Ruination is an extremely drinkable brew for me. This one is definitely one to sip on for a while to enjoy. I wonder if the filtered bottled version is toned down.

Ben & Jerry's Triple Caramel Chunk

Another flavor I have not had in a while here. Caramel ice cream with a swirl of caramel and fudge covered caramel chunks. The ice cream base is fantastic, great caramel flavor and fairly strong as well. Great smooth texture. The caramel swirl adds intensity to the caramel flavor, and it well represented in this pint. Plenty of caramel here. The fudge covered caramel chunks add even more to the awesomeness, really chewy and crunchy texture and they add a nice and rich chocolate flavor to the mix. There are an outstanding number of the chunks spread through the pint as well. All around just an incredible flavor, and extremely well put together. A must have for fans of caramel(which I am). I also remember really enjoying this the last time I had it.

9.5/10