Ben & Jerry's Dublin Mudslide

Now here is a flavor I have been searching far and wide for, but have never seen around me. Until I went to the scoop shop in Cleveland that is. This almost didn't make it home safely, pretty soft when I arrived. It is Irish cream liqueur ice cream with chocolate chocolate chip cookies and a coffee fudge swirl. I am definitely a fan of the ice cream base. Nice creamy and smooth testure with strong irish cream flavor. The cookies in this are fantastic, very chewy and have a strong dark chocolate flavor and a bit of a crunch from the tiny chocolate chips. They are also decent sized and well spread throughout the pint. The coffee fudge is also awesome. It compliments the rest of the flavors with just the right amount of coffee taste. All of the flavors put in this pint just blend incredibly well together. Overall, this is definitely one of the top BnJ's offerings out there, I just wish it was more widely available.

10/10

Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

5/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip, no bottle dating. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color with a dense 2 finger off white head with amazing retention that reduces to a thick lacing cap. Dense lacing clings to the sides of the glass as you drink. Aromas of huge amounts of pine, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, caramel, and spices. Insane aromas with tons of strength. Taste of tons of pine, caramel, pineapple, orange, grapefruit, lemon, and spices. Nice amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with caramel, pineapple, orange, pine, and grapefruit flavors. The balance is completely perfect in this beer. There is a ton of bitterness, but it does not overwhelm your palate because of the malt balance being just as strong. Slightly syrupy with huge creamy mouthfeel, but still insanely smooth. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Alcohol is practically invisible with only a very small warming on the finish. For the alcohol level, this drinks way too easy. Overall this is a mind blowing DIPA. The balance of flavors is insane, and I could drink this all day even though its 9.5% haha. Perfection.

This a re-review of a beer that I already loved at first taste back in January. I believe that this bottle was quite a bit fresher, because the store where I purchased it had a full case in stock. Absolutely incredible and perfect Imperial IPA, and beer for that matter. My first 5.

Two Brothers Domaine DuPage

3.8/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, best by 11/28/11. Pours crystal clear reddish orange color with 1-2 fingers of fairly dense light khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. A small amount of decent lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big caramel, light chocolate, molasses, bread, spices, and some light fruits. Decent aromas, but they are a bit weak. Taste of big caramel, spices, toasted malts, bread, molasses, and pepper. Light bitterness on the finish that lingers with bread, caramel, spices, and molasses notes. Medium carbonation and body, with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. No alcohol noticed except for a small warming on the finish. Very nice drinkability and smoothness. Overall, a very nice offering from Two brothers with a lot of flavor and smooth drinkability.

Another offering that is quite nice from Two Brothers. This one is classified as a Bière de Garde, which is a style I don't think I have experienced yet. However, I do have Ommegang and Jolly Pumpkin's renditions of the style in storage; so I may pull them out soon.

Mt. Carmel Springtime Ale

4.1/5

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

12 ounce bottle, no freshness date. Pours hazy reddish brown color with a fairly dense 2 finger light khaki head with good retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some nice lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, light chocolate, pine, spices, and floral notes. Decent aromas with nice strength as well. Taste of big caramel, chocolate, bread, molasses, nuttiness, spices, and honey. Lingering notes of light bitterness, spices, caramel, and molasses on the finish. Medium carbonation and body, with a very nice creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Extremely drinkable with no alcohol noticed at all, as expected for a brew of 4.5%. Overall definitely an excellent Scottish Ale, with a ton of well balanced flavor.

I had sampled this one at the Blues and Brews event in Akron earlier this month and really liked it, so I decided to pick a bottle up for a proper review. Definitely an excellent ale with a lot of flavor.

Laughing Dog Sneaky Pete Imperial IPA

3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, no bottle date. Pours crystal clear dark red color with 2-3 fingers of a dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big caramel, grapefruit, orange, tropical fruit, toasted malt, bread, and honey. Very malty and interesting aromas with good strength. Taste of huge caramel, honey, grapefruit, orange, spice, and light pine. Big sweetness on the front, with a decent amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers for a while with citrus, caramel, spice, and pine. Bitterness balances surprisingly nice with the maltiness, and as a result it is not overly sweet. Medium carbonation and full bodied. Very creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is really well hidden, only a slight warming on the finish present. Nice smooth drinkability for the alcohol level, but still a sipper. Overall, quite a nice DIPA from Laughing Dog!

Very nice offering from Laughing Dog. I may have to check out some of their other IPA offerings, because I have seen them around here. I also have the barrel aged Dogfather in the cellar right now.

Allagash Tripel

4.2/5

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

12 ounce bottle into goblet, no bottle date. Pours hazy golden amber color with a fairly dense 1 finger white head with good retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Small amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big clove, spices, grass, pepper, honey, and banana. Nice aromas with good strength. Taste of big pepper, clove, spices, banana, and grass; with some lemon, bread, and floral notes as well. No bitterness present, but there is a fairly long finish with lingering notes of spice, pepper, banana, bread, and light fruitiness. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Fairly thick and creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is fairly well hidden, only a decent amount of warming is present on the finish. Very nice complex balance of all flavors, with good drinkability for the level of alcohol. Overall, and excellent tripel with great complexity and balance.

Definitely an excellent tripel style from Allagash. Can't wait to try out some other offerings from Allagash in the future. I will probably have to go out of state to find more. As I found out later on, this one is a basic recipe with two types of malts and one hop variety. All of the complexities come from the Belgian yeast. Quite an interesting fact.

Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life & Limb

3.6/5

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

750 ml bottle into snifter, 2nd version. Pours clear red-brown color with a fairly dense small light tan head with nice retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap that lasts. Some fairly thick lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of huge woody and earthiness; with some smoke, dark fruits, caramel, maple syrup, and a lot of spices. Very strong, interesting, and unique aromas here. A lot of complexity going on. Taste of big caramel, spices, dark fruits, chocolate, woodiness, molasses, and a bit of maple syrup. Nice amount of spicy and piny bitterness present on the finish, lingering with chocolate, wood, and spicy flavors. Significant amount of carbonation for a beer above 10%; with a fairly full, creamy, and slick body. A bit of cloying flavors on the palate after sipping on this for a while. Alcohol makes itself known on the finish with a significant amount of warming present. The alcohol presence smooths out as the beer warms up. Overall, an interesting and unique beer for sure. Good stuff.

Overall a good brew, but it didn't wow me in any way as I was hoping. A little too hot right now as well, so age might help this one.

North Peak Archangel Summer Wheat

3.3/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20

11.5 ounce bottle into weizen glass, bottled 05/12/11. Pours hazy red-orange color with a fairly foamy 2-3 fingers of off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. A lot of bubbles streaming up from the bottom of the glass, and it also formed instant head on the pour that had to settle down. Aromas of big cherry notes, with some apple, grass, bread, and spices. Aromas are pretty weak as I would have expected, but the cherry smells quite authentic. Taste of big spiciness on the front with some cherry sweetness, light tartness, bread, and light fruits in the back. Lingering spice and fruit notes on the finish for a bit. Not much complexity going on here. Tons of carbonation with a light-medium body. Mouthfeel is quite prickly, but this still drinks very smoothly. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming on the finish. Overall, a pretty good wheat beer that is quite refreshing. I may have it again.

A decent Wheat ale from North Peak. I will have to check out some of their other offerings sometime, specifically the IPAs.

Flying Fish Exit 16

4.4/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, no bottle date. Pours slightly cloudy and hazy golden amber color with a fairly dense 2 finger white head with nice retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. A decent amount of lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of huge orange, grapefruit, lemon, pine, caramel, tropical fruit, and spices. Some awesome IPA aromas here with good strength and balance. Taste of huge orange, grapefruit, pineapple, pine, caramel, and a bit of spices. Wow, so much well balanced and hoppy flavor. A bit of lingering bitterness on the finish with caramel, citrus, and pine notes. Fantastically well balanced with perfect contrast between bitterness and sweetness. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. A nice and fairly creamy mouthfeel as well. Super smooth and easy to drink for being 8.2%. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall, an outstanding DIPA, and my first from Flying Fish. I guess the rice lightened up the body a bit and made this fantastic.

So much incredibly well balanced hop character in this one. I will try and get more from the Exit series if I am out near the east coast again. I got this in MD.

Baird/Ishii/Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA

4.2/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, unknown bottle date. Pours cloudy orange-amber color with a fairly dense 1-2 fingers of off white head with nice retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Some lacing clings to the side of the glass as well. Aromas of big orange, grapefruit, caramel, pine, and herbal green tea in the background. The green tea definitely takes a back seat in the aromas. Very nice stuff and also quite strong. Taste of huge pine, citrus, caramel, and herbal green tea. Big amount of bitterness on the front and finish; with big citrus and pine hops in the flavor with a small amount of green tea in there as well. It adds a nice new dimension to this, without being overpowering at all. Lingering notes of big citrus, pine, and caramel; with a bit of herbal flavors from the green tea. Some nice balance is present as well, with a nice malt load to counter the fairly strong bitterness. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied. The slightly high carbonation does not detract from its smooth and fairly creamy body and mouthfeel. Alcohol is very nicely hidden, with only a warming on the finish. Very nice drinkability as well for 9.2%. Overall, this is definitely the best stone collab I have had yet. They nailed it.

Definitely glad I finally got my hands on this one. The distributors took forever to get it delivered into OH. Excellent DIPA, as I would have expected with Stone being involved.

Weyerbacher Fifteen

4.6/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours thick opaque black color with a small, fairly dense 1 finger dark tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lasts. A small amount of lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of big charcoal, oak, roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, and a bit of coffee. Aromas of smoked meat were present as well as it warmed up. Very nice and strong aromas here. A lot of complexity. Taste of huge chocolate, caramel, smoke, coffee, vanilla, and tons of roasted malt. Lingering notes of bitter coffee, smoke, chocolate, and roasted flavors on the finish that last a while. Light carbonation and huge full body. The mouthfeel on this beer is heaven. Super creamy, smooth, and as drinkable as a beer of 11% could be. This beer is super rich, without being boozy at all. Alcohol is hidden perfectly in this, I am not really noticing any except for a slight warming on the finish. Overall, and absolutely incredible smoked imperial stout from Weyerbacher. I will be grabbing more if I see it around for sure.

Absolutely incredible Imperial stout with a mouthfeel that is on par with Founders KBS. Definitely the best smoked beer I have ever had.

Deschutes Black Butte Porter

3.8/5

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

12 ounce bottle, best by 10/03/11. Pours clear dark brown color with a small, fairly dense 1 finger off white head with good retention that reduces to a ring of lacing. A small bit of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big caramel, roasted malt, dark fruits, chocolate, and vanilla. Decent aromas with decent strength. Taste of tons of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, bitter coffee, and some vanilla. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with chocolate, coffee, and roasted flavors. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a nice creamy and smooth mouthfeel. A small amount of prickliness from the carbonation, but does not detract from the mouthfeel. Very smooth and easy drinking. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish as expected. Overall, a very nice porter; my first from Deschutes as well.

Very nice porter from Deschutes. I really want to try some of their limited release offerings.

Odell 90 Shilling

4.1/5

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

12 ounce bottle, best by 08/18/11. Pours slightly hazy red-orange color with a dense 2 finger light khaki head with good retention that reduces to a decent sized lacing cap. A bit of fairly thick lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, molasses, dark fruits, roasted malts, bread, and spices. Decent aromas with decent strength. Taste of huge caramel, molasses, light chocolate, roasted malt, and some spiciness. Decent amount of bitterness is present on the finish and linger with caramel, light chocolate, spices, and roasted flavors. Medium body and medium carbonation; with a nice creamy and smooth mouthfeel, with very nice drinkability. No alcohol in the taste or finish as expected. Very nice balance of all flavors. Overall, an excellent scottish ale that has tons of flavor and balance. My first brew from Odell as well.

Very impressive stuff from Odell, hopefully I can get my hands on some of their IPAs. I have heard great things.

Häagen-Dazs Cherry Vanilla

Here is yet another simplistic Häagen-Dazs flavor I haven't really seen around Ohio anywhere. The ice cream base has a combination of cherry juice concentrate and natural vanilla flavoring. The base has incredible texture, some of the creamiest and smoothest textures I have had in Häagen-Dazs ice cream. There is a great balance of both cherry and vanilla flavor in the ice cream as well. There are very nice sized cherry chunks spread throughout the entire pint. This also adds nice texture to the pint, and compliments the ice cream base perfectly as I would have expected. Overall, another incredible offering from Häagen-Dazs once again. They always seem to nail the simplistic flavors more often than not.

9.5/10

Ithaca Thirteen

4.4/5

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

750 ml bottle into snifter, batch E!033. Pours extremely cloudy orange amber color with a fairly dense 2 fingers of off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap that lasts. Some fairly thick lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of big orange peel, grapefruit, lemon, spices, and a bit of wheat. Damn nice aromas! Super hoppy stuff. Taste of big orange peel, lemon, pine, spices, caramel, and a bit of wheat. Nice amount of bitterness present on the finish, with lingering notes of pine, orange, lemon, and caramel sweetness. Fantastic balance of bitterness and sweetness here, nothing is overwhelming. Medium carbonation and a fairly full body with a nice creamy mouthfeel. Surprisingly, absolutely no alcohol noticed at all for being 9%. Super drinkable as well for the alcohol level. Even though this doesn’t really match up with what I would expect from a wheat ale; this is fantastic with tons of hoppiness and great balance of flavor.

Ithaca definitely nailed this one. Nothing close to being what I expect from a wheatwine, but super balanced and hoppy. Incredible stuff.

New Holland Golden Cap

3.7/5

AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20

12 ounce bottle into tulip. Pours hazy and cloudy golden amber color with a nice fairly dense 2-3 fingers of white head with great retention that reduces to a ring of lacing. Some nice lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of big tart apple, grape, grass, funk, pepper. and spices. Nice strong and complex aromas! Taste of big breadiness, pepper, and spices; with a bit of apple, funk, and grape in the background. Lingering notes of big breadiness and spices on the finish that last for a bit. Taste is not as good as the aromas lead me to believe. Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Nice smooth drinkability with no alcohol in the taste or finish. Overall, this is a pretty nice saison. A little more bready than I was expecting from the aromas.

A good Saison, but I was hope for more funk or tartness like the aromas lead me to believe.

Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA

4.3/5

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

12 ounce can into tulip, canned 5-31-11. Also says "420? try 428!"(batch number perhaps?) haha. Pours thick hazy orange amber color with a fairly dense 2-3 fingers of off white head with great retention. Aromas of huge grapefruit, orange, lemon, pine resin, pineapple, mango, caramel, and a bit of spices. Damn that is a nice and strong nose, not much alcohol at all. Taste of big grapefruit, orange, lemon, pine, caramel, and a bit of tropical fruits. A nice sized bitterness fades in after the finish and lingers for a while with pine and citrus flavors. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied. A bit of a syrupy yet creamy mouthfeel is present as well. Incredibly drinkable for the 10% ABV, but still a sipper. Fantastic balance of bitterness and sweetness, making the huge bitterness very tolerable. Overall an outstanding DIPA that has a great balance of flavors and nice complexity(yet only uses 1 hop variety!)

Such an outstanding DIPA offering from Oskar Blues. Glad I picked this one out when I was out of state, still pretty fresh as well.

Okocim Porter

4/5

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

500 ml bottle into snifter, no bottle date. Clear dark brown color with a dense 1 finger light tan head with nice retention, that reduces to a thin lacing cap. A nice amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big dark fruits, roasted malt, caramel, molasses, chocolate, coffee, wood, and a bit of booze. Nice aromas here with good strength and complexity. Taste of nice chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, and dark fruits; with a bit of wood and smokiness as well. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with some caramel, and chocolate flavors with a bit of hop spiciness. Very malt forward, but also has a nice balance of all flavors. Medium bodied with a slightly higher than medium amount of carbonation. The carbonation does not really detract anything, and the beer still has a fair amount of creaminess in the mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden, only a small warming after the finish. Very good drinkability for 8.3% as well, nice and smooth. Overall this is a great Baltic porter, with a lot of complexity and nice balance.

An all around solid Baltic Porter from Okocim. This was a beer I was recommended from one of the bottle shops I visit every so often. Not many other offerings from them are readily available however.

Mendocino Imperial IPA

3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, no idea on the age of the bottle. Pours slightly hazy brick red color with a dense 2 finger off white head with fantastic retention that eventually reduces to a thin lacing cap. Aromas of big caramel, pine resin, orange, a bit of spices, and a bit of alcohol. Seems like there is a lot of sweetness in these aromas, decent stuff though. Taste of tons of caramel, pine, orange, spices; with light grapefruit and a bit of pineapple. Tons of sweetness on the taste and finish; but there still is a decently strong bitterness that shows up after the finish to balance out the sweetness, and lingers for a good period of time. Some lingering notes of pine, spices, caramel, and citrus on the finish as well. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Fairly syrupy mouthfeel, but still manages to be quite drinkable despite the alcohol level. Alcohol is nicely hidden; nothing but a slight warming after the finish. Overall, despite this being quite malty, it is surprisingly delicious stuff; I definitely enjoyed it.

A damn nice DIPA. No idea on how old it is, but it may or may not do well with a bit of age. Most of the beers from this brewery are not very well liked, but I may pick up some other ones in the future.

Goose Island Pere Jacques

3.8/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled 1/13/10. Pours very cloudy dark red color with a dense 2 finger khaki head with great retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Some decent lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of big molasses, dark fruits, banana, spices, and alcohol. Very strong aromas here, pretty good stuff. Taste of big caramel, molasses, spices, light dark fruits and a bit of banana. Lingering notes of molasses, with light spices and a bit of fruitiness on the finish that last for a bit. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Slightly syrupy and fairly creamy mouthfeel that goes down pretty smoothly for the alcohol level. Alcohol is fairly well hidden, but there is still a good sized warming noticed on the finish. Overall, a nice Dubbel from Goose Island. I also have a 2009 bottle of this that I found at the store a couple weeks ago, I might sit on it for a while to see what happens.

Overall a very nice Dubbel from Goose Island. I will hold onto the 2009 to see how it ages for a while.

Lagunitas Lucky 13.alt

4.3/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter. Pours crystal clear orangish golden amber color with a dense 1 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Nice amount of thick lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big pine, orange, lemon, grapefruit, breadiness, caramel, and molasses. Very nice and complex aromas with nice strength. Taste is tons of orange, lemon, caramel, pine, honey, breadiness, and a bit of spiciness as well. Nice amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with caramel, citrus, and pine flavors; with some nice sweetness in there as well. Insanely balanced beer, with just the right amount of sweetness, and overall great balance of all flavors throughout. Insanely smooth drinking for being almost 9%, with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is basically invisible, only a a slight warming after the finish noticed. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Overall, an absolutely outstanding offering from Lagunitas. So much well balanced flavor.

Another excellent beverage from Lagunitas. They still seem to put out excellent new stuff every year, at a great price point as well. They are releasing a Wheat Doppelbock in the fall, which I can't wait to try out.

Rust Belt John Young Select A Big Ail

4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip. Pours crystal clear reddish brown color with a dense 1 finger khaki head with very nice retention that reduces to a ring of lacing. Small amount of lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of huge caramel, toffee, molasses, cherry, and some breadiness. Very surprisingly nice aromas with good strength. Taste of big caramel, toffee, spices, cherry, and breadiness. A very small bit of tartness and funkiness was noticed as well. Lingering sweet notes of caramel, fruitiness, and light spices that last for a bit after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied, with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Excellently masked alcohol for 8%, with only a very slight warming after the finish noticed. I am not sure if they put Brett in this or not; but this is definitely excellent with highly complex flavors, and great drinkability for the level of alcohol.

Impressive stuff from Rust Belt, which is a fairly new brewery out of Youngstown, OH. This is a new one they made in the spring of this year. Hardly anyone has actually reviewed this one, but I found it at a local supermarket. I will definitely have to try out some of their other offerings. I think this one was either brewed or bottled with wild yeast because of the slight tartness that was present in this(it was about 4 months old at the time of consumption).

Bells Oberon Ale

3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle, bottled 06/03/11. Pours hazy and cloudy golden orange color with a fairly dense 1 finger white head with nice retention, that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. A small amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of orange, wheat, pepper, spices, bread, and yeast. Fairly nice aromas, but they are a bit muted. Taste of big orange, bread, spices, pepper, and lemon. Lingering notes of pepper and spices on the finish. Nice balance of flavors throughout. Medium carbonation and body, with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel as well. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish as expected. Very high drinkability as well, as expected. Overall this is a very nice wheat ale I would have again.

A very nice Wheat Ale from Bells. I will have it again in the future, which will probably end up being next summer haha.

Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA

4.3/5

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

12 ounce bottle, no freshness date. Pours crystal clear light orange amber color with a dense 2 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a thick lacing cap that lasts. Some fairly thick lacing sticks to the glass as you drink. Aromas of big citrus, orange peel, pine, caramel, spice, breadiness, and a bit of tropical fruits. Some nice aromas with decent strength as well. Taste of huge orange, pine, caramel, and spices. Big caramel sweetness on the front with a nice amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers for a while with pine, spice, and citrus flavors. Very nice balance of bitterness and sweetness in this as well. Medium carbonation and body with a very smooth and slightly creamy mouthfeel. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish, very drinkable as well. Overall, a fantastic IPA with great balance, flavor, and drinkability.

Delicious IPA from AVBC. I definitely enjoyed this far more than their DIPA.

Dieu du Ciel Corne du Diable

3.1/5

AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20

12 ounce bottle, 08-2011 notched in the side. Pours hazy red color with a gigantic foamy off white head that lasts half a century and reduces to a thick lacing cap. Some decent lacing sticks to the glass as well. Tons of carbonation bubbling from the bottom of the glass. Aromas of big caramel, molasses, pine, floral, bread, and lots of spices. Really odd and unique aromas for an IPA, I’m not liking them too much. Taste of big caramel, pine, spices, and a bit of citrus. Nice amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with lots of pine and spices. Huge amount of carbonation with a big prickly mouthfeel, but this still drinks very smoothly with a medium body. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish. Overall, a decent IPA. The aromas were really weird, but the taste was pretty good.

I have a feeling something went wrong with this bottle, because of the unusually high carbonation. I never really see this one around, I wish more stores carried this brewery. I would like to try other offerings from them(mostly the Belgians really).

Nøgne Ø India Pale Ale

3.9/5

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

500 ml bottle, no idea how old this is. Pours hazy orange amber color with a fairly foamy 2 finger off white head with good retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. A bit of thick lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of strong pine, grapefruit, caramel, wheat, breadiness, spices, and a bit of orange. Very unique IPA aromas here, very good strength as well. Taste of big caramel, citrus, pine, and spices. Very piney, bready, and spicy taste; with a decent sized bitterness on the finish that lingers for a while with pine, caramel, and spices. Very nice balance of bitterness and sweetness. Medium bodied and fairly high carbonation. Fairly prickly mouthfeel during drinking, but still very drinkable. No alcohol in the taste or finish noticed. Overall, a very nice IPA, and quite unique as well.

A nice IPA offering from Nøgne Ø. Really interesting with great balance and big flavor.

Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Chunk

Here is a flavor I have never been able to find over here in Ohio. Really basic stuff, mint ice cream with fudge chunks. The base ice cream texture was alright, a little bit icy feeling, but still quite creamy. There is a lot of mint flavor in the ice cream, but it tends to taste really artificial and odd. The mint chunks are good sized with good richness and they add a nice crunchy texture to the pint. They are also well spread throughout the pint as I would have expected. Still a fairly enjoyable pint, I just wish the ice cream flavor wasn't so artificial tasting.

7/10

Founders Cerise

4.2/5

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

12 ounce bottle, bottled 5/13/11. Pours slightly hazy light orange amber color with a fairly dense 2 finger white head with very nice retention that reduces to a decent sized lacing cap. Some fairly thick lacing is present on the glass as well. Aromas of tart cherries, peach, breadiness and a bit of funkiness and spiciness. Pretty nice aromas, though a tad weak. Taste of big tart cherries, with breadiness, spices, and big sweetness in the back. Wow, this actually tastes just like cherry pie. Fairly dry finish, but some tart cherries, spiciness, and breadiness does stick around for a bit. Medium carbonation and body. Very drinkable as well, with no alcohol noticed other than a small warming after the finish. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it is Founders, and they pretty much have never let me down. Excellent stuff, I might have to pick up a 4 pack before they are gone for the season.

Great stuff from Founders yet again. They never seem to disappoint me in any brew they offer.

Two Brothers Hop Juice

3.8/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip, 2011 bottle. Pours slightly hazy reddish orange color with a dense 2 finger light khaki head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some fairly thick lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of huge caramel sweetness, orange, grapefruit, pine resin and a bit of pineapple; with a bit of alcohol. Decent aromas but not what I was hoping for. Taste of big caramel, pine resin, orange, grapefruit, and spiciness. Big amount of bitterness on the finish, as expected, that lingers for a while with citrus, pine, and caramel flavor. Fairly full bodied with medium carbonation; with a slick and sticky mouthfeel. Well balanced with bitterness and sweetness. Alcohol is fairly well hidden for being almost 10%, but the big warming on the finish lets you know it’s there. Definitely a sipping beer, not drinkable at all, but that was expected. Overall, a very nice DIPA to be enjoyed very slowly.

Very nice DIPA, it just didn't blow me away. This is brewed with all Amarillo hops, but maybe I don't like Amarillo alone in an IPA/DIPA.

Mikkeller I Beat yoU

4.3/5

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

11.2 ounce bottle into tulip. Pours very hazy red orange color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some lacing clings to the glass as you drink as well. Aromas of huge caramel, orange, grapefruit, pine, mango, and breadiness; with a tad bit of alcohol. Super big hoppy and sweet aromas here. Taste of huge orange, grapefruit, pine, and caramel; with a bit of spicinessand mango. Big bitterness on the finish that lingers for a long time with caramel, citrus, and pine flavors. Medium carbonation and a full and fairly slick body and mouthfeel. Even with the massive hopping of this beer, it still manages to be very balanced with big maltiness on the front to offset the big bitter bite on the finish. Quite drinkable for being almost 10%, but still a sipper. Surprisingly no alcohol noticed other than a decent warming on the finish. Overall a fantastic DIPA from Mikkeller. I have not been disappointed by them yet.

Outstanding DIPA from Mikkeller, no idea on age. However, as I understand apparently most of the IPAs that get exported to the US are 3 months at the youngest when they are stocked in stores. This holds up well to a bit of age then.

Heavy Seas Dubbel Cannon

3.8/5

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

12 ounce bottle, best by Sept, 2011. Pours crystal clear reddish orange color with a fairly dense 2 finger off white head with good retention that reduces to a decent lacing cap. Some lacing sticks to the glass as you drink as well. Aromas of big spicy yeast; with some citrus, bubblegum, and banana notes underneath. Some nice and interesting aromas, with good strength. Taste of big spicy yeast, banana, bubblegum, clove, citrus, and pine. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with banana, bubblegum, and spicy flavors. Medium carbonation and body. Also has a bit of a creamy mouthfeel. Decent balance of flavors. No alcohol in the taste or finish, well masked for the alcohol level. Very easy drinkability for the alcohol level, very smooth. Overall a very nice Belgian IPA. I would have it again.

Very nice stuff from Heavy Seas. I have hardly had any Belgian IPA's, so I will have to seek out some more to try.

Avery Ellies Brown Ale

4.3/5

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

12 ounce can, no dating, but it can’t be too old. Pours slightly cloudy reddish brown color with a dense 2 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. A small bit of lacing clings to the glass as you drink as well. Aromas of caramel, roasted malt, chocolate, nutmeg, and molasses. Very nice aromas, but a little muted. Taste of huge caramel, chocolate, roasted malt, nutmeg, vanilla, molasses, and a bit of citrus. Small amount of bitterness present on the finish that lingers with caramel, chocolate, and light citrus flavor. Medium carbonation and body. Very nice and creamy mouthfeel with maximum drinkability. No alcohol in the taste or finish as expected. Overall, this is definitely an outstanding brown ale. Tons of flavor, complexity, and smooth drinkability.

A fantastic well done brown ale from Avery, probably the best of style I have had.

The Brew Kettle Production Works Summer Solstice

4.4/5

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

22 ounce bottle. Pours hazy golden amber color with a 1 finger foamy white head with decent retention that reduces to a ring of lace. Small amounts of lacing stick to the glass as you drink. Aromas of huge clove, pepper, banana, spices, and wheat. Very nice stuff here, nice strength too. Taste of big banana, clove, pepper, spice, wheat, and some citrus. Fairly dry finish, as expected, but there is some lingering citrus, spice, and banana notes. Medium carbonation and light-medium bodied. No alcohol in the taste or finish, as expected. Overall, an absolutely outstanding witbier. So much flavor and super easy to drink as well.

This one is definitely the best Witbier I have ever had. Tons of flavor and aroma and only 5.4%! I wonder how it is on draft.

Breckenridge Lucky U IPA

3.7/5

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

12 ounce bottle. Pours crystal clear orange amber color with a dense 2 finger off white head with great retention, that reduces to a thick lacing cap. Thick lacing clings to the glass as you drink. Aroma of strong caramel, pine, big spiciness, and a bit of citrus in the background. Very interesting IPA aromas here, different than what I am used to. The aromas fade the more it sits. Taste of big caramel, pine, wheat, spices, and some citrus. Decent amount of bitterness present on the finish that linger with pine, citrus, and spicy flavors. More malt forward than I was hoping for, but still nice. Medium carbonation and body; with a decent amount of creaminess in the mouthfeel. No alcohol noticed other than a small warming after the finish. Very smooth and easy to drink. Overall, a nice IPA. I would have it again sometime.

A good IPA here. A little too malty for my tastes in IPA; but still drinkable and tasty.

Smuttynose Baltic Porter

4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, 2010 bottle. Pours very dark brown color with a fairly dense 1.5 finger tan head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some fairly thick lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, caramel, vanilla, and dark fruits. It was a bit boozy at first, but it changed as it warmed up in my glass. Taste of huge dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, roasted malt and a small bit of dark fruits. Lingering notes of dark fruits, chocolate, coffee, and caramel on the finish for a decent amount of time. No noticeable bitterness in this. A bit of alcohol heat in the back, but it isn’t too bad; none was noticed in the taste. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied. Nice creamy mouthfeel as well, with some prickly carbonation that smooths out the longer it sits in the glass. Definitely a sipping beer, but highly enjoyable as such. Overall, this is definitely an excellent Baltic Porter, I highly enjoyed it.

Great stuff from Smutty, I haven't had too many Baltic porters. I look forward to trying more from the style; some interesting flavors, and big complexity.

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled 02-09-2011, so a bit aged. Pours slightly cloudy dark orange color with a dense 1 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a thick lacing cap. Aromas of big caramel, orange, grapefruit, and some alcohol in the background. Decent aromas here, with decent strength. Taste of huge amounts of grapefruit, orange, caramel, and pine. Big sweetness on the front with a decent amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with caramel, citrus, and pine flavors for a good amount of time. Much more malt forward as I expected. Medium carbonation and full bodied, with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden, only a decent warming present on the finish. Fairly easy drinkability for the alcohol level, but still quite a sipper. Overall, a very nice DIPA with nice flavor and balance; with good drinkability for the level of alcohol.

Overall, a very nice and tasty DIPA from Great Divide. I need to go seek out some really fresh stuff sometime.

Häagen-Dazs Green Tea

This is one of the Haagen Dazs flavors I have been seeking out, but didn't see in Ohio. When I went to NYC it was basically everywhere. It is one of the simplistic flavors from them, only containing: cream, skim milk, sugar, egg yolks, and Japanese Matcha green tea. As expected, the ice cream texture was absolutely perfect. Very creamy and smooth as usual Haagen Dazs flavors turn out to be. I know this is supposed to be green tea, but it was definitely quite odd to have in ice cream in my opinion. I would say they definitely nailed what they were going for though. The initial flavor was very herbal as I should have expected, but did not know what to expect haha. This herbal flavor is followed by sweet cream flavors on the finish. Quite an enjoyable pint, but a little odd in my opinion. Overall, they definitely nailed what they were going for, but I will stick to cups of green tea in the future. It was nice to try though, and is worth a shot if you like green tea.

7/10

21st Amendment Hop Crisis

3.9/5

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

12 ounce can into tulip, interesting can design with inscriptions haha. Pours crystal clear light orange amber color with a dense 2 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a thick lacing cap. Thick lacing sticks to the glass as well. Aromas of big grapefruit, pine, caramel, pineapple, and pine. Big sweetness in the aromas, with little spiciness from hops. Taste of tons of orange, pine, orange zest, caramel, oak, and a bit of spiciness. Big sweetness up front with a decent amount of bitterness on the finish, but not as much as I was expecting. Some lingering bitterness on the finish with citrus and pine notes. Much more malt forward DIPA here. Low-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied with a bit of a sticky and slick mouthfeel. No alcohol noticed at all surprisingly. Overall, a damn nice DIPA, with easy drinkability and all around good flavor.

My first 21st Amendment brew, and it is quite impressive stuff. I really need to get around to trying Bitter American, and some other ones.

Lagunitas 2009 Correction Ale

3.8/5

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

22 ounce bottle, lets hope for the best with this old bottle. Pours cloudy orange amber color with a fairly dense 2 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some lacing sticks to the glass as you drink as well. Aromas of caramel, bread, pine, grapefruit, orange zest, and a bit of spiciness. Interesting IPA aromas, but nice stuff. Taste of big grapefruit, caramel, pine, orange zest, and a bit of breadiness. Big sweetness in the front followed by a decent amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with pine and citrus flavors. A bit more malt forward on this one as expected from the age of the bottle. Medium carbonation and body; with nice smooth drinkability that goes down easily. No alcohol in the taste or finish. Overall a very nice IPA from Lagunitas, even if it was old.

This was pretty nice for being an old IPA(even though Lagunitas says its not haha). I randomly found this at a bottle shop in Toledo, so I said what the hell its cheap I'll get it(5 bucks like every Lagunitas bomber ever made).

Hoppin Frog Turbo Shandy Citrus Ale

3.7/5

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

22 ounce bottle, bottled in May, picked it up at the brewery. Pours slightly hazy bright golden amber color with a small foamy white head that reduces to nothing pretty quickly. A good amount of carbonation nucleation from the bottom of the glass as well. Huge aromas of lemon zest, orange zest, lime, and a bit of yeast breadiness. Interesting aromas to say the least, smells like fresca or something. Taste of huge lemon, lime, orange zest, and a bit of spiciness. Some tartness from the lemon and lime on the finish, with lingering citrus notes for a brief period of time. No bitterness noticed at all. Medium body and medium carbonation. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Very easy to drink for 7% ABV. Overall, this is actually pretty damn good. I don’t think I have actually had a shandy before, but this is tasty stuff!

Interesting style indeed. I think I actually had the Leinenkugel once, and this is definitely far better than that. Probably the best one in the style. A little cloying with the sweetness though, but I think this is more of a woman beer.

Dogfish Head Festina Peche

3.4/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20

12 ounce bottle, bottled 2011. Pours slightly hazy bright golden amber color with a foamy 1 finger white head with poor retention, that reduces to almost nothing. A ton of carbonation nucleation from the bottom of the glass. Aromas of peach, citrus, funk, and sourness. Pretty interesting aromas, but pretty muted as well. Taste of peach, tart apple, breadiness, and maybe a bit of spices. Super dry finish, nothing lingering at all. No alcohol noticed at all, as I would have expected. Light body with medium-high carbonation. Super smooth and easy to drink, very refreshing. Overall, this is certainly interesting, and my first Berliner weissbier. I would have this again on a hot day in the sun, this is extremely refreshing.

Decent beer, and definitely super refreshing. My first Berliner Weiss, so I wasn't sure what to expect from it. I will see how the Bruery Hottenroth goes, because I am sure they will nail it for the style.

Stoudts Double IPA

3.6/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip. Pours slightly hazy orange amber color with a fairly dense 1 finger off white head with good retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Aromas of huge amounts of grapefruit, orange, caramel, lemon, mango and a bit of pine; small amount of booze as well. Huge sweet aromas here, with very little spiciness, all fruits. Taste of big orange, grapefruit, mango, caramel, and a bit of pine. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with citrus, caramel, and pine flavor. A very malt forward DIPA. Low-medium carbonation with a fairly full body. Surprisingly no alcohol noticed except for a warming on the finish, well hidden. Overall, a good DIPA, enjoyable stuff.

A good IPA, and my first from Stoudts. The over the top sweetness in the flavor and aromas didn't really impress me much for being a DIPA.

Great Divide Colette

4/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottle March 3, 2011. Pours hazy golden amber color, with a fairly dense 2 finger white head with great retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. A bit of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of huge grass, lemon, pepper, spices, bread, a bit of funk and some light fruits(apple, grape). Very nice and complex aromas here. Taste of grass, lemon, pepper, spices, grape and a slight bit of funk. Very slight bit of tartness noticed on the finish. Lingering notes of spices, lemon, pepper, and breadiness on the finish for a decent amount of time. Quite refreshing and easy drinking for the alcohol level. Medium carbonation and body. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish. Overall, a very nice saison with nice flavor and balance.

All around solid saison style from Great Divide. I usually expect good things from them regardless of style.

Ben & Jerry's Blueberry Cheesecake

Here we have a Walmart exclusive flavor that I found when I was down in Maryland for a day. Have not seen it anywhere around here sadly. It is blueberry and cheesecake ice creams with a thick graham cracker swirl. Ice cream base texture is fantastic with this one, lots of creaminess and smooth texture. On initial tasting of the top of the pint there is a very strong cream cheese flavor with the usual cream cheese tang flavor as well. Blueberry ice cream has decent flavor and strength, but is pretty overtaken by the cheesecake counterpart. Plenty of graham cracker swirl is present in this and is spread thoroughly through the entire pint. The graham crackers have a very buttery flavor with crunchy and grainy texture. As I made my way through the pint the cheesecake ice cream tang and the buttery flavor of the graham crackers became the main thing noticed in the taste. Blueberry ice cream basically was not noticed at all. Overall a decent pint of ice cream from Ben & Jerry's, definitely glad I got to try it. May have it again if I ever see it again. Definitely one of the strongest cheesecake flavored ice creams of their cheesecake lineup.

7/10

Update: I have spotted this in Canton, OH's WalMart SuperCenter as of today. It is making it's way around now I guess(even though I have known of it's existence for months)

Captain Lawrence 5 Years Later

4.3/5

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

750 ml bottle into oversized wine glass. Pours clear dark brown color with a huge 3 finger light tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap that lasts. Nice thick lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, bread, roasted malt, chocolate, orange, and pine. Nice complex and hoppy aromas. Taste of big chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, orange, and pine. Decent amount of bitterness present on the finish; with lingering notes of orange, chocolate, and roasted flavors. Medium carbonation and full bodied. Nice creamy mouthfeel and smooth drinkability for the alcohol level. No alcohol in the taste and a fair amount of warming present on the finish. Overall, a delicious black ale. Tons of flavor and complexity with easy drinkability for the alcohol level.

Outstanding Black IPA, apparently it was a one time released beer so I am glad I got to experience it.

Captain Lawrence Saison

4.3/5

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

750 ml bottle into oversized wine glass. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color with a nice dense 2 finger white head with great retention, that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap that lasts. Some thick lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big pepper, grass, lemon, and spicy yeast. Very nice aromas here, with nice strength. Taste of big pepper, lemon, spices, breadiness, light fruits, grass, and some funk as well. Lingering notes of lemon, spices, and pepper on the finish for a bit. No bitterness noticed as expected, but a lot of spiciness. Medium carbonation and body, easy drinking and smooth as well. No alcohol in the taste or finish. Overall, an outstanding and highly enjoyable saison with great drinkability.

More great stuff from Captain Lawrence as I expected. I will have to give them a visit if I ever go back to New York.

Rodenbach Classic

3.9/5

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

750 ml bottle into oversized wine glass, best by 11-28-07. Pours crystal clear red color with a small off white head with decent retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lasts. Small bits of lacing cling to the glass as well. Aromas of cherry, vinegar, oak, and some spiciness. Decent aromas here, a tad bit more muted than I was expecting. Taste of big cherry, oak, vinegar, and apples. Nice sweet taste with a slight bit of apple and cherry tartness on the finish. The finish is surprisingly dry, with only some light sweetness and tartness on the finish. Medium carbonation and body. Very smooth drinking with no alcohol in the taste or finish. This is quite a refreshing and easy going beer due to the light amount of sourness present in this. Overall, a very nice Flanders red, I would like to try a younger bottle of this sometime.

A nice Flanders red, but I would like to try a fresher one to see how that measures up. It wasnt as start as I was hoping to get. I really want to try the Grand Cru as well.

Ben & Jerry's Milk & Cookies

Another revisit flavor for me, I haven't had this one in over a year. It is vanilla ice cream with a chocolate cookie swirl, chocolate chip and chocolate chocolate chip cookies. The ice cream texture is very nice and creamy, especially after warming up before digging into it. The base ice cream flavor has good vanilla strength, but also has a very strong creaminess to it as I expected. The chocolate cookie swirl is basically crumbs of Oreo style wafers, and the chocolate flavor is very nice and strong. Both types of cookies are very chewy and awesome in this pint, and it also has small chocolate chips that add nice texture and flavor as well. The cookies and cookie swirl is spread well throughout the pint as well. Overall a very excellent flavor that I really enjoyed.

9/10

Sixpoint Sehr Crisp Pilsner

4.3/5

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

16 ounce can, best by Sept 29,2011. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color with a fairly dense 2 finger white head with great retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lasts. Some decent lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of honey, bread, lemon, grass, citrus, and a bit of spiciness. Very nice and inviting aromas. Taste of big breadiness, with lemon, grass, and citrus. Finishes with a grassy and spicy hop bitterness that is decently strong and lingers for a bit with lemon and citrus sweetness. Medium carbonation and light-medium body. Nice crisp and refreshing finish, as expected. Extremely drinkable and delicious stuff with no alcohol in the taste or finish. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Outstanding stuff, and a perfect summer beverage I would drink on a hot day.

Fantastic Pilsner, definitely one of the best I have had!

Captain Lawrence Captain’s Reserve Imperial IPA

4.2/5

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

500 ml bottle into oversized wine glass. Pours a hazy golden amber color, with a 2 finger fairly dense white head with amazing retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some decent lacing is left on the glass as well. Aromas of strong caramel, pine, grapefruit, mango, orange, and spices. Excellent DIPA aromas here, very strong as well. Taste of strong grapefruit, orange, pine, caramel, lemon, mango, and some spices. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish that lingers with citrus, pine, and spicy flavors. No alcohol noticed in the taste or finish. Very smooth medium-full body with medium carbonation. Nice balance of bitterness and sweetness, with the sweetness being a bit more than the bitterness. Very drinkable stuff for being 9% as well. Overall, a very excellent DIPA with great balance and drinkability.

A damn nice DIPA with lots of the hops I love in my IPAs. Very drinkable and balanced.