The Bruery 3 French Hens

4.1/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, bottled Dec 2010. Pours very hazy dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense dark khaki head with great retention that reduces to a cap. Some ok lacing on the glass. Aromas of big raisin, prune, grape, apple, molasses, caramel, oak, light cinnamon, and yeast spiciness. Nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of big molasses, caramel, raisin, prune, fig, oak, toasted malt, dark candi sugar, nuttiness, light cinnamon, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of molasses, caramel, dark fruits, and spiciness on the finish for a bit. A good amount of complexity and robustness in the taste. Great balance of flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden at 10%, with only a warming after the finish present. Overall this is an excellent and well balanced Belgian dark ale. Really enjoyed this one.

Another excellent Belgian style from the Bruery. Great flavor balance and complexity; with minimal alcohol presence.

Shorts Rich’s Rye IPA

3.7/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours slightly hazy golden straw color with a nice 2-3 finger dense off white head with fantastic retention that reduces to a thick cap. Some decent lacing on the glass. There was a slow cascade of carbonation as I poured this. Aromas of big pine, rye spiciness, biscuit, herbal, caramel, and citrus. Some nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of big rye spiciness, caramel, biscuit, herbal, grapefruit, pine, and earthiness. Strong bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of rye spiciness, biscuit, caramel, and citrus for a bit. Good balance of flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slightly thick mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is a nice and very enjoyable rye offering. Apparently this bottle was a bit old, but it held up nicely!

Despite being an older bottle, this held up well for a rye IPA. Very rye forward with a good sized mouthfeel because of all the rye.

Breckenridge Avalanche Amber

3.2/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottling info. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a fairly dense 2 finger off white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of caramel, bready grain, light citrus, and spiciness. Fairly nice aromas with good strength. Taste of caramel, bready grains, herbal spiciness, pine, and a bit of citrus. Decent bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of bready grains, herbal spiciness, and light caramel. The breadiness and grain flavors are a bit odd. Decent amount of flavor, but it does come off as a bit watery. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with some prickly carbonation. Very smooth to drink at 4.4%, with no alcohol presence. Overall this is an ok amber ale. A little too bready, and not as much hop character as I would like. Easy to drink though.

Pretty mediocre for an amber ale. It needed more hop flavor and less bready grain character.

Bells Kalamzoo Stout

4.2/5

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

12 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, bottled 9/14/2011. Pours pitch black color, with a nice 2 finger fairly dense tan head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some decent lacing clinging to the glass. Aromas of big milk chocolate, caramel, coffee, roasted malt, light herbal hops, and a hint of licorice. Nice well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big milk chocolate, coffee, caramel, roasted malt, pine, herbal hops, and a bit of spiciness. Good amount of bitterness on the finish with lingering notes of milk chocolate, caramel, pine, and herbal spiciness for a bit. Very robust flavors for 6%, with great balance. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice creamy mouthfeel. Hardly any alcohol presence except for a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is an excellent and highly robust stout. Very drinkable with great flavor balance.

An extremely robust standard gravity stout that is a year round offering. Definitely recommended.

Brooklyn Black Ops

4.2/5

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

750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, bottled 10/21/2010. Pours pitch black, with a nice 2 finger fairly dense tan head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty lacing on the glass; with a good amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big bourbon, caramel, toffee, vanilla, chocolate, roasted malt, light dark fruitiness, and a bit of alcohol. Nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of big caramel, bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, molasses, oak, roasted malt, light coffee, and a bit of spiciness. Lingering notes of chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, and oak on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel. A bit of prickly carbonation from the bottle conditioning. Alcohol is well hidden at 11.3% with only a warming after the finish. Overall this is an excellent, balanced, and smooth barrel aged imperial stout. A bit different due to the champagne yeast bottle conditioning. Probably not worth $22 for another bottle, but it was nice to try once.

A great and well balanced bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. Probably not worth another buy in my opinion though at that price.

Ayinger Weizen-Bock

4.1/5

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

500 ml bottle into weizen glass, no bottle dating. Pours very hazy golden orange color with a good 2 finger fairly dense white head with good retention that reduces to a thin ring of lace. No lacing on the glass; and a good amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big banana, caramel, clove, pepper, toffee, vanilla, bread, and spicy yeast. Nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of big caramel, banana, clove, citrus, biscuit, pepper, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of bread, caramel, citrus, banana, and spiciness on the finish for a bit. Nice balance of flavors with no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Very drinkable for 7%; with hardly any alcohol noticed other than a bit of warming after the finish. Overall this is a highly enjoyable and balanced weizenbock. Very smooth and drinkable; with good flavor balance and complexity.

An excellent and very enjoyable weizenbock offering. This did not have a bottle date, but they released it in 2009; so this might be that old. It would probably be better fresh. Well priced at under 3 dollars as well.

New Belgium Trippel

4/5

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

12 ounce bottle into chalice, best by 11/20/2011. Pours clear, yet cloudy, golden straw color with a 1 finger fairly dense white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some bits of lacing on the glass, with a nice amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big banana, clove, pear, pepper, lemon, coriander, bread, bubblegum, grass, light tart grain, and yeast spices. Nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of lemon, pepper, pear, coriander, biscuit, banana, herbal, clove, lightly tart grain, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of lemon, pepper, clove, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Nice overall balance of flavors with no cloying sweetness as expected. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Very drinkable and smooth for the level of alcohol, but it is a bit of a sipper. Overall this is a damn nice and well balanced Belgian style tripel. Nice flavor profile and complexity.

Very nice tripel offering that is nicely drinkable. This would be a nice introduction to the style for someone who has not had the style before.

Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA

3.8/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled June 2010. Pours extremely hazy golden straw color with a nice 2-3 finger fairly dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap. Some decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of lemon zest, orange, herbal spices, floral, some pine resin, and light spicy alcohol. Fairly nice aromas here with good strength. Taste of big lemon, orange, grapefruit, herbal spiciness, pine resin, biscuit, honey-like sweetness; and other light fruits. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, herbal spice, pine, and bread on the finish for a while. Good balance of flavors and bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Nicely drinkable, but is still a bit of a sipper. Alcohol is well hidden at 8.9%; with only a slight warming on the finish. Overall, for being and DIPA, this has held up quite nicely since 2010. Nice hop flavor profile is still present; with nice flavor balance.

This has held up nicely since the last time I had it. Good hoppy flavor profile and balance.

AleSmith YuleSmith (Winter) Imperial Red Ale

4.2/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, 2011 bottle. Pours slightly hazy red orange color with a nice 2-3 finger dense khaki head with fantastic retention that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Some decent lacing on the glass; with a good amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big grapefruit, pine, orange, herbal, floral, caramel, biscuit, toasted malt, and some spicy alcohol. Nice, well balanced, and interesting aromas. Taste of big caramel, grapefruit, biscuit, herbal, orange, toasted malt, and holiday spice notes. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, herbal, caramel, toasted malt, and spiciness for a bit. Fantastic overall balance of flavors with a nice malt backbone next to the hoppiness. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and nicely smooth mouthfeel. Easy to drink, but it still a bit of a sipper. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming on the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent imperial red style. Smooth drinking and great flavor balance.

Another great Alesmith beer, and a re-rate after over a year and a half for me. Very balanced and drinkable stuff.

Chatoe Rogue Dirtoir Black Lager

4.3/5

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

22 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours pitch black with a nice 2 finger fairly dense dark tan head with nice retention that reduces to a minimal cap eventually. Not much lacing on the glass. Aromas of huge dark chocolate, charcoal, smoked meat, wood, coffee, caramel, dark roasted malt, vanilla, and some herbal hops. Wow, nice aromas here that threw me for a loop. I was not expecting to be hit in the face with smokiness. Taste of big dark chocolate, dark roasted malt, smoke, wood, caramel, nuttiness, and light herbal spiciness. Decent bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, smoke, and caramel on the finish for a while. Medium carbonation and body; with a highly creamy, lush, and smooth mouthfeel for a 6% beer. Hardly any alcohol present other than a slight warming after the finish. Very drinkable stuff; and it is also very robust in flavor for the gravity. Overall this is an outstanding schwarzbier; with a very robust flavor profile, and easy smooth drinking. Definitely surprised me with the smokey profile at first though.

This is an outstanding, robust, and interesting dark lager offering. Very drinkable and enjoyable with good flavor balance!

St. Bernardus Wit

4.1/5

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

11.2 ounce bottle into signature chalice, best by 7/11/2012. Pours extremely hazy golden straw color with a nice 1 finger fairly dense white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap. Some fairly nice lacing clinging on the glass. Aromas of pepper, lemon zest, orange, coriander, grass, bread, wheat, and yeast spices. Nice and well balanced aromas with decent strength. Taste of big pepper, coriander, lemon, orange, bread, lightly tart grain, and yeast spices. No bitterness; with lingering notes of citrus, bread, tart grain, and spices on the finish for a bit. Very nicely balanced flavors, without cloying sweetness. Fairly dry finish. Medium body and carbonation; with a fairly creamy and very smooth mouthfeel. Pretty much no alcohol presence as expected at 5.5%. Overall this is a super smooth, balanced, and very enjoyable witbier; as I would have hoped. Unfortunately it is a bit difficult to find unlike the rest of the lineup.

Another tasty St. Bernardus offering. Did not blow me away as much as I had hoped, but it is definitely worth a pickup.

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen

4.2/5

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

12 ounce bottle into weizen glass, bottled 8/25/2011. Pours a nice and hazy golden straw color with a nice 2-3 finger dense and fluffy white head with fantastic retention that reduces a nice cap that lasts. Some spotty lacing on the glass; and some nice fine carbonation is streaming up from the bottom. Aromas of big banana, clove, bubblegum, lemon peel, pepper, bread, wheat, and yeast spices. Fantastic and classic hefeweizen aromas here with great balance. Taste of banana, clove, pepper, wheat, yeast spices, lemon, and some breadiness. Lingering notes of yeast spices, bread, clove, and banana on the finish for a bit. A hair on the watery side, but still has a very nice flavor profile. Medium-high carbonation with a light-medium body. A very smooth and drinkable mouthfeel that is highly enjoyable. Alcohol is hardly even present as expected of 4.8%. Overall this is an excellent and well balanced hefeweizen. Very drinkable, enjoyable, and widely available at your local grocery store beer aisle. Definitely something I will keep in mind next time I want a tasty session beer at a good price.

Another great beer from Sierra Nevada as expected. They really do a great job on their year round lineup. Really tasty and drinkable beers, at a great price point for being craft.

New Belgium Abbey Grand Cru

4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip, no bottle date. Pours a clear, yet finely cloudy, reddish orange color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap. Some decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of big banana, molasses, caramel, clove, pepper, plum, cherry, apple, bread, light fruits, and yeast spices. Some nice and well balanced Belgian aromas. Taste of big molasses, nuttiness, banana, clove, caramel, raisin, light fruits, biscuit, pepper, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of light fruits, pepper, clove, banana, and molasses on the finish for a good bit. Not overly spicy from the yeast at all; yet still has nice balance with no cloying sweetness. Slightly above medium carbonation and medium bodied; with a slightly creamy and slick mouthfeel. Very smooth to drink but it is still a bit of a sipper. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming well after the finish. Overall this is a very excellent Belgian style offering. Great flavor balance and complexity; with smooth drinkability for the level of alcohol.

An excellent dubbel offering here; with great flavor balance and smooth drinking. I have a couple other Lips of Faith bottles on me at the moment; but I will definitely be ordering some off the net in the future. They have a lot of great styles to offer in this series.

Leinenkugels Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout

4/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter, best by 4/25/2011(bottled Dec 2010). Pours pitch black with a nice 1-2 finger very dense tan head with fantastic retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts. Some nice lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, dark fruits, apple, wood, light smoke, molasses, and caramel. Some nice and fairly complex aromas. Taste of rich chocolate, caramel, toffee, molasses, light fruit, coffee, roasted malt, herbal hops, and light smoke. Not much bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, herbal spiciness, coffee, and toffee for a good bit. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very nice creamy and lush mouthfeel. Very easy and smooth to drink at 9.5%. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a slight warming noticed well after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice imperial stout. Easy drinking; with rich flavor, and nice balance.

A damn nice imperial stout offering from this brewer. I really can't say I have much interest in any other offerings though. Very smooth and drinkable for a big beer.

Founders Reds Rye P.A.

4.3/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 1/3/2012. Pours slightly hazy reddish orange color with a nice 2 finger dense cream colored head with fantastic retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some nice lacing clings on the glass, with some nice carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big grapefruit, pine, caramel, spicy rye, biscuit, herbal, and floral hops. Fantastic aromas here, with great strength and balance. Taste of big grapefruit, spicy rye, pine, caramel, biscuit, orange, herbal hops, and a bit of toasted malt. Nice amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, rye, biscuit, pine, and herbal on the finish for a while. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slightly silky mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming on the finish. Extremely drinkable and smooth at 6.6%. Overall this is an outstanding beer as I expected; plus it is quite fresh. Nice spiciness from the rye; very hoppy; nicely balanced; and very drinkable.

Another great choice from Founders. I got this really freshly bottled; and it is extremely hoppy and nicely balanced.

Boulevard Two Jokers Double Wit

4.2/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, bottled 1-2011; best by 12-2011. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of big banana, pepper, clove, herbs, ginger, wheat, citrus, bubblegum, light bread, and yeast spices. Some very nice and highly complex aromas, with great balance. Taste of big banana, bubblegum, pepper, clove, apple, citrus peel, light herbs, bread, grainy tartness, and yeast spices. Fairly dry finish; but some lingering notes of banana, bubblegum, tart grain, bread, spices, and citrus on the finish for a bit. Medium body and elevated carbonation; with a slightly creamy and slick mouthfeel, with some light prickly carbonation. Extremely smooth to drink; with pretty much no alcohol noticed at all for 8%. Overall this is an excellent imperial Witbier. Great balance of flavors; big complexity; and very smooth to drink for the level of alcohol. Really enjoyed this one.

A very excellent imperial wit style brew. Very complex and drinkable for the high gravity.

Arcadia Whitsun

3.4/5

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

12 ounce bottle into weizen glass, bottled 6/14/2011. A bit too old but lets give it a shot. Pours to instant head after a loud release of carbonation upon opening(no gusher though). Eventually turns out to be a hazy and cloudy deep orange color with a dense and fluffy 2-3 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some slight bits of lacing cling to the glass. The yeast seems to have clumped up and is floating around in the glass like bits of ground pepper. Aromas of orange peel, lemon, coriander, light pepper, bread, and not much else. Pretty weak aromas without much complexity; but not offensive. Taste of orange peel, pepper, coriander, wheat, spicy yeast, and breadiness. Some lingering notes of bread, wheat, orange, and spiciness on the finish for a bit. Medium body and carbonation; with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel that drinks very smoothly. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Other than the grainy appearance and weak aromas; this was pretty solid stuff. Good balance of flavors and easy drinking.

Overall pretty solid and drinkable. I was afraid it may be infected like the Nut Brown I had when I cracked it to insane carbonation, but it turned out fine.

Dogfish Head Sahtea

4.3/5

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

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled 4/20/2011. Pours a cloudy golden orange color with a small dense off white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big ginger, cinnamon, clove, pepper, bubblegum, wood, chai tea, light fruits, honey, and yeast spices. Damn nice and interesting aromas; with good strength and balance. Taste of big chai tea, clove, pepper, cinnamon, wood, bubblegum, light fruits, honey, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of light fruits, pepper, honey, and spices on the finish for a bit. Fantastic balance of flavors and spices without getting too cloying. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is extremely well hidden for 9%; with hardly any warming noticed at all. Overall this is an outstanding ancient style representation from Dogfish! Incredibly balanced, drinkable, and tasty; without being cloying with spices at all.

I know many people can't really appreciate the Ancient Ale offerings Dogfish puts out; but they really nailed this one. Incredible balance and flavor; with really smooth drinkability.

Rochester Mills Cornerstone IPA

3.8/5

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

16 ounce can into pint glass, no canning date. Pours hazy golden amber color with a nice 1-2 finger dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big pine, grapefruit, orange, floral, caramel, bread, and herbal spiciness. Some fairly nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of big grapefruit, orange, caramel, pine, bread, floral, and herbal spiciness. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, orange, pine, caramel, and spiciness on the finish for a bit. Nice malt and hop balance make this very smooth to drink. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with hardly any warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very enjoyable, balanced, and drinkable IPA offering.

A very nice, balanced, and drinkable canned IPA offering. This is the only one they can that I know of; so I will have to visit the brewpub to try some other offerings.

Blue Point Toasted Lager

3.6/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 11/08/2011. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some decent soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of apricot, caramel, toasted malt, bread, and light spiciness. Some decent malty aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of toasted malt, bread, caramel, light fruit, nuttiness, and floral spices. Fairly dry finish; but some lingering notes of bread, toasted grain, light fruit, and herbal spice on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming on the finish present. Smooth and easy drinkability. Good balance of flavors. Overall this is a solid and drinkable Vienna Lager offering. Good amount of flavor and balance.

A solid lager offering from Blue Point out of New York. I remember seeing them when I was visiting in NYC but never picked anything up. They recently started distributing to Michigan, so I will be picking up some other offerings in the future.

Great Divide Tripel

4.2/5

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

22 ounce bottle into chalice; bottled 08/12/2010. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice 1 finger dense white head with good retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of lemon, pear, apple, orange, pepper, biscuit, grass, yeasty spices, and light tart grains. Nice and well balanced aromas. Quite standard for a tripel as expected. Taste of big lemon, apple, orange, pepper, grass, biscuit, tart grains, and spicy yeast. Lingering notes of citrus, pepper, grains, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Very smooth drinking for 9.3% but is still a bit of a sipper. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is an excellent American made Tripel. Great flavor balance and complexity; with good drinkability for the level of alcohol.

Another great offering from Great Divide! A great American Tripel style. Too bad they only brewed this once as far as I know.

Russian River Sanctification

4.5/5

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

375 ml bottle into tulip, batch 005. Pours slightly hazy golden straw color with a nice 2-3 finger fluffy white head with fantastic retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts. Some soapy lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of huge lemon, grass, sour apple, pepper, hay, bread, yeast spices, and nice funkiness. Great aromas here with fantastic balance. Not overly funky or sour with a great mix of all aromas. Taste of big sour apple, tart lemon, grass, hay, pepper, spices, bread, yeast spices, and funkiness. Lingering notes of tart apple, lemon, pepper, bread, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Light acidity present on the finish as well, but is nicely balanced and not overpowering. Medium carbonation and body. Incredibly drinkable and smooth; great balance with the acidity. Incredibly crisp and clean body with a perfect amount of carbonation for the style. Alcohol is not noticed at all for 6.75% as expected. Overall this is a smooth and incredible wild ale. So much great complexity and balance.

This is absolutely a mind blowing sour Belgian style offering from Russian River. I can't wait to try out their barrel aged sours soon.

Shorts Autumn Ale

3.7/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 10/12/2011. Pours hazy reddish orange color with a nice 2 finger dense light khaki head with nice retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big orange, biscuit, lemon, spices, grapefruit, floral, grass, caramel, and yeast. Pretty nice aromas here, but they are a little bit odd and overly yeasty. Taste of big orange, grapefruit, biscuit, caramel, spices, herbal, grass, floral, and yeast. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, floral, herbal, grass, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy and smooth drinking mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with hardly any warming on the finish present. Overall this is a nice ESB offering. Very drinkable with good flavor balance.

Another nice and drinkable Short's offering as expected.

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale

4.1/5

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

750 ml bottle into signature chalice glass, no bottle dating. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts. Some spotty lacing clinging on the glass as well. Aromas of huge cherry, raisin, molasses, candi sugar, caramel, plum, bread, pepper, allspice, and yeast spices. Nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big cherry, molasses, raisin, pepper, plum, caramel, cinnamon, biscuit, and tangy yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of big pepper, allspice, dark fruit, molasses, and tangy yeast on the finish for a while. Nice balance of flavors with spiciness not being overpowering at all. Lively carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Pretty smooth drinking, but it is still a sipper at 10%. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming after the finish present. Overall this is an excellent Belgian style Christmas ale. Plenty of nice flavor balance and good drinking for the gravity. After letting the carbonation die down in the glass, this beer really shines.

A really nice Belgian style ale from St. Bernardus. I still need to give the Abt 12 another try soon to see how much my Belgian palate has changed.

Goose Island Big John Imperial Stout

3.9/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled 3/25/2011. Pours thick as oil opaque black color with a minimal tan head with decent retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Minimal spotty lacing on the glass with plenty of alcohol clinging. Aromas of huge dark chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, vanilla, toffee, light coffee, light frutiness, and herbal spice. Some good and well balanced stout aromas going on. Taste of big caramel, molasses, vanilla, toffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, light coffee, herbal spiciness, and some dark fruit. Fair amount of spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, herbal spiciness, caramel, molasses, coffee, roasted malt, and vanilla on the finish for a while. Medium carbonation and full bodied as expected; with a very creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Pretty smooth for 11.5%, but is still a big sipper. Alcohol is pretty well hidden, with only a good sized warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice thick and full bodied imperial stout. Big on roasted flavors with dark chocolate; and nice to slowly sip. It has a nice balance of flavors, but it didn’t really stand out to me; and it is still a little on the hot side for alcohol.

A very nice stout offering from Goose Island, but I much prefer the Night Stalker to this one. There was not as much chocolate presence as I was hoping for in this.

Westmalle Dubbel

4.4/5

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

11.2 ounce bottle into chalice, bottled 1/09/2011. Pours hazy and cloudy dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense khaki head with fantastic retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well; with plenty of carbonation streaming up from the bottom creating a creamier head than on the pour. Aromas of huge raisin, caramel, molasses, prunes, biscuit, roasted nuts, light chocolate, and yeast spices. Big malty aromas here with good strength and balance. Taste of big caramel, molasses, pepper, chocolate, roasted nut, biscuit, dark fruit, and spicy yeast. Lingering notes of biscuit, caramel, chocolate, pepper, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Nice malty flavor with no cloying, and less spiciness than I was expecting from the yeast. Medium bodied with lively carbonation; with a fairly creamy and very smooth mouthfeel. Drinks incredibly easily with the high carbonation as well. Alcohol is essentially non existent with only a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic Dubbel style as I would have expected. Great balance of flavors and dangerously drinkable.

A fantastic Dubbel as I would have expected coming from a Trappist brewery. Great flavor balance and easily drinkable.

Bells Hopslam

4.6/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, batch 10846, bottled 1/06/12. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 2 finger light khaki head with great retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of huge grapefruit, pineapple, mango, orange, caramel, honey, light pine, and floral notes. Incredible aromas here with big hoppy sweetness and great balance. Taste of big pineapple, orange, grapefruit, honey, mango, light pine, herbal spiciness, and caramel. Nice amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, mango, pineapple, herbal spices, honey, and caramel on the finish for a while. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a nicely creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Far too drinkable for being 10%, with only a slight warming on the finish noticed. Fantastic malt balance, with plenty of hoppiness and bitterness. Overall this is a world class DIPA with huge hoppiness; but still has great balance and drinkability for it’s high gravity.

Incredibly impressed with Hopslam this year. Very easy to get (being in MI and all) and quite a bit fresher this time around. I am definitely happy I picked up a fresh 6 pack this year.

Stillwater Cellar Door

4.3/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice 2-3 finger fairly dense white head with fantastic retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass, with plenty of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big lemon, pepper, clove, herbal spices, wheat, grass, biscuit, tart grain, and a bit of funkiness. Nice and interesting aromas; plenty of herbal spiciness. Taste of big lemon, grape, herbs, pepper, biscuit, clove, tart grain, yeast spices, and grass. No bitterness; with lingering notes of big herbs, lemon, spices, grass, biscuit, pepper, and clove on the finish for a while. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a slight slick and very smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with non really noticed at all. Nice balance of sweetness and spices. Very drinkable for 6.6% and despite high carbonation. Overall this is an outstanding herbal saison; with great drinkability and flavor balance. I would definitely have this again.

Another great saison style from Stillwater. I still have one of their other offerings on hand right now to try out eventually.

Weihenstephaner Vitus

4.2/5

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

500 ml bottle into signature weizen glass, bottle code of 5429(late 2009 bottling). This took a while to fully pour haha. Pours hazy golden orange color with a nice 3 finger foamy white head with good retention that reduces to a decent cap. Some spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of banana, clove, pepper, biscuit, orange, caramel, bubblegum, and spicy yeast. Nice aromas here with good strength. Taste of big banana, bubblegum, light clove, pepper, citrus, biscuit, wheat, caramel, and yeast spices. Fairly clean finish, but some lingering notes of banana, pepper, biscuit, and clove are on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel that drinks dangerously smoothly for 7.7%. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with hardly any warming after the finish present. Nice flavor balance and sweetness with no cloying. Overall this is an excellent and tasty Weizenbock. Great flavor balance and extremely drinkable for the alcohol level. I wonder if this is better when it is fresher.

Another great Weihenstephaner brew as I would have hoped. I would definitely like to see how a fresher bottle is as well. I will be picking up more styles from them soon enough; they are a great brewery.

Southern Tier 2XIPA

4.2/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled 12/15/2011. Finally picked one up because they date bottles now. Pours a nice crystal clear golden orange color with a nice 2 finger dense white head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some nice soapy lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of huge grapefruit orange, pine, herbal spiciness, floral, lemon zest, caramel, and light breadiness. Fantastic aromas here, plenty of citrus. Taste of big pine, grapefruit, herbal spiciness, orange, biscuit, caramel, and floral notes. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pine, grapefruit, herbal spiciness, orange, and caramel. Fantastic malt balance in this, bitterness is not overwhelming at all like some DIPAs. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a lightly creamy mouthfeel. Very smooth drinking, but it is still a bit of a sipper. Alcohol is nicely hidden with only a warming after the finish. Overall this is an exceptional DIPA. Great citrus flavor, malt balance, and smooth drinking.

Definitely one of the better DIPAs I have ever had. Thank goodness for ST bottle dates now! I shall be picking this up again in the future.

Captain Lawrence Xtra Gold

4.2/5

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

750 ml bottle into chalice, no bottle date. Violent gusher upon opening, but I did not lose very much of the beer. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice fluffy 2 finger off white head with fantastic retention and reduces to a thick cap that lasts. Some decent lacing clings to the glass, with plenty of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of huge lemon zest, clove, orange zest, pear, pepper, grass, light biscuit, and yeast spices. Damn nice big citrus forward aromas. Taste of big lemon zest, pear, pineapple, apricot, orange, pepper, clove, grass, biscuit, tart grain, and spicy yeast. Lingering notes of citrus, pepper, pear, yeast spices, tart grain, and clove on the finish for a while. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel that drinks pretty easily for being 10%. Alcohol is incredibly well hidden; with hardly any warming on the finish noticed. Overall this is definitely an excellent Tripel; with big fruitiness and nice flavor balance.

A great Tripel offering from Captain Lawrence. I have really been enjoying a lot of Tripels lately, and they are my new favorite style right now. This is my last Captain Lawrence bottle unfortunately; I may have to pick up some of the internet to try out more offerings.

Mt. Carmel Winter Ale

3.8/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating, but it is from 2011. Pours hazy brick red color with a nice 2 finger dense khaki head with incredible retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts. Spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big ginger, cinnamon, caramel, nutmeg, honey, citrus, biscuit, and molasses. Fairly nice aromas with decent strength. Taste of big caramel, cinnamon, brown sugar, allspice, ginger, honey, light fruitiness, and herbal spice. Good amount of spices linger on the finish; with caramel, light fruits, cinnamon, ginger, and honey for a bit. Nice balance of flavor and spices here; turns out to be very smooth and drinkable, without being cloying. Alcohol is very well hidden for 8%, with only a slight warming after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a slightly creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Overall this is a very nice winter warmer. Plenty of spice character, yet still has nice malt balance.

Another nice Mt. Carmel offering. A little spice heavy, but still has nice balance.

Allagash Four

4.3/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, batch 18(2008 bottling I think). Pours very hazy dark red color with a small fairly dense khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap. Some spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of huge raisin, prune, banana, caramel, molasses, candi sugar, and yeast spices. Nice aromas with big fruitiness. Taste of big raisin, prune, caramel, toffee, toasted malt, molasses, candi sugar, biscuit, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of molasses, toffee, dark fruit, and yeast spices on the finish for a while. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is extremely well hidden for 10%, with hardly any warming after the finish present. Very smooth and drinkable, but it is still a sipper. Overall this is an outstanding Belgian Quad with tons of great flavor and balance. I would definitely have this again.

A fantastic Quadrupel offering from Allagash. A bit aged, but I am glad the prices of their beers have been keeping them lingering around the brew stores near me in Michigan. I can still go pick up most of their big 750 Belgian offerings, including the ones with wild yeast. I will be checking those out eventually.

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen

4.2/5

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

500 ml bottle into pint glass, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden orange color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap. Some spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big bready malts, caramel, herbal spiciness, toasted malt, and light apricot fruitiness. Classic Oktoberfest aromas, very nice stuff. Taste of caramel, toffee, biscuit, herbal spiciness, toasted malt, and light fruitiness. No bitterness present; with lingering notes of caramel, toasted malt, biscuit, and herbal spices on the finish for a bit. Great flavor balance and maltiness; with absolutely no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with hardly any noticed at all. Extremely drinkable and smooth as expected for the style. Overall this is a great Oktoberfest and one of the best I have had yet. Great balance and great malt flavor.

Another great Ayinger brew offering! I recently picked up their Weizenbock as well, and I am looking forward to trying that soon. I need to pick up the Celebrator again some time though.

Big Sky Powder Hound Winter Ale

3.8/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best by 02/15/2012. A bit of a gusher upon opening. Pours crystal clear golden amber color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some decent lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of caramel, orange, pine, herbal, bread, pine, toasted malt, and light spiciness. Some nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of orange, grapefruit, pine, caramel, herbal, toasted malt, bread, and spiciness. Decent amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of bread, caramel, herbal spiciness, and citrus on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and slightly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Very drinkable and smooth for 7.2%. Overall this is a very nice and drinkable amber ale. Nice hoppy and spicy flavor, with good malt balance.

Another nice beer from Big Sky out of Montana. I will be routinely trying more of their offerings in the future now that I am in Michigan, and they are widely available.

Fantôme Printemps

4.2/5

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

750 ml bottle into tulip, no best before date notched. Pours hazy golden straw color with a fairly dense 2 finger white head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass; plenty of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big tart apple, grape, pepper, hay, lemon, earthy spiciness, and big funk. Incredible aromas here with good strength and complexity. Taste of lemon, tart apple, pepper, hay, citrus, grass, bread, herbal spice, and some funk. Fairly dry finish; with lingering notes of lemon, apple, pepper, spices, and light tartness on the finish for a bit. Medium bodied with fairly high carbonation; with a fairly prickly, yet smooth mouthfeel that drinks easily for 8%. Alcohol presence is pretty much non existent. Overall this is definitely an excellent saison offering from Fantome. I would not expect anything less.

Another excellent Fantome beer as expected. I have a couple others in cellaring right now. I would really like to try the entire lineup eventually.

Founders Backwoods Bastard

4.6/5

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

12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled 10/07/11. Pours cloudy dark red color with a small dense khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of huge caramel, toffee, vanilla, coconut, toasted malt, oak, bourbon, and molasses. Simply incredible aromas here with fantastic balance. Taste of huge caramel, coconut, vanilla, toasted malt, bourbon, toffee, molasses, and a bit of spiciness. Fairly clean finish; but some lingering notes of caramel, vanilla, coconut, bourbon, and molasses on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and quite full bodied; with a very creamy, silky, and incredibly smooth drinking mouthfeel. Alcohol is almost completely hidden; but there is a small bit of booziness and a slight warming after the finish. Incredible balance of flavors in the taste and aromas. Overall this is definitely a world class brew. Incredible flavor balance, with some unique flavor combination thanks to the barrel aging. I am glad I have more of this; I wonder how it is in a year.

Another world class Founders beer as expected. I still have 4 more bottles of this, that I actually had to hunt for to get. I would like to see how it is in a year.

Thirsty Dog Cerberus

3.8/5

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

12 ounce foil capped bottle into chalice, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden orange color with a small foamy off white head that disappears quickly. No lacing on the glass, with some carbonation streaming up. Aromas of banana, molasses, candi sugar, pear, honey, biscuit, pepper, spicy yeast, and a bit of booze. Some pretty decent aromas with good strength. Taste of big pear, orange, banana, molasses, candi sugar, bubblegum, pepper, clove, yeast spices, and a bit of alcohol. Lingering notes of citrus, banana, pepper, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel that drinks pretty well for 10%, but it is definitely a sipper. Good balance of flavors; with no cloying sweetness as expected from the style. Alcohol is fairly well hidden, but there is a good sized warming on the finish. Overall this is a very nice Tripel style, if a bit on the boozy side. Really enjoyed this one.

A nice and enjoyable Tripel as I was hoping for. Good drinkability for such high gravity.

Founders Double Trouble IPA

4.4/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled 12/23/11. Pours slightly hazy bright amber color with a huge 3 finger off white head with fantastic retention that reduces to a thick lacing cap that lasts for the remainder of the glass. Some decent lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big grapefruit, floral, grass, pineapple, lemon, pine, and some herbal spiciness. Damn nice and fruity aromas here with good strength. Taste of strong grapefruit, lemon, pineapple, pine, and floral notes; with a bit of spice as well. Nice amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pineapple, grapefruit, pine, and spiciness on the finish for a while. Good balance of bitterness and sweetness. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel that drinks very smoothly for being over 9%. No alcohol noticed other than a small warming after the finish. Overall this is definitely a fantastic DIPA. Tons of fruity flavor, with great balance, and smooth drinking for the level of alcohol.

Another favorite I will always pick up around this time of year. I had it much fresher this year, so I re-reviewed it.

Great Divide Belgian Style Yeti Imperial Stout

4.4/5

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

22 ounce bottle with gold foil into snifter, bottled 6/17/2011. Pours opaque black color with a small dense tan head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lasts for the entire glass. Some spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of dark chocolate, caramel, molasses, roasted malt, yeast spice, banana, dark fruit, wood, anise, and coffee. Very nice aromas here, and some of the most interesting stout aromas I have had. Taste of huge dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, molasses, caramel, dark fruit, pepper, biscuit, wood, and yeast spices. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, coffee, molasses, caramel, dark fruit, and spicy yeast on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a huge creamy and lush mouthfeel that drinks super easily for being 9.5%. Alcohol is barely even there other than a slight warming well after the finish. Overall this is yet another home run stout in the Yeti lineup. Huge robust flavors and balance just like every other variation; with smooth drinkability as usual. Great divide really knows how to make exceptional stouts.

Another exceptional stout from Great Divide. I would expect nothing less from the Yeti series.

Atwater Voodoo Vator Doppelbock

3.2/5

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

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled Oct 2010. Pours slightly cloudy dark reddish brown color with a fairly dense 2-3 finger khaki head with great retention that lasts for the whole glass. Some soapy lacing on the glass, with tons of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of light caramel, dark fruit, molasses, roasted malt, bread, and some spices. Ok aromas, but there really isn’t that much there that I can detect. Taste of caramel, spices, stale bread, molasses, citrus, light dark fruit, and toasted malt. Finish is pretty dry; with some lingering notes of caramel, spices, bread, and toasted malt on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel that drinks pretty easily for being 9.5%. The positive note about this beer is the 9.5% is practically invisible. Overall this is an ok beer. The flavors are pretty lackluster and lack robustness for being 9.5%. Has good drinkability for the gravity though.

A smooth beer for being 9.5%, but it last big flavor and robustness one would expect from such a big beer.

Boulevard Sixth Glass Quadrupel

3.4/5

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

750 ml bottle into chalice, batch 69198 (bottled 07/17/2009). Pours hazy reddish brown color with a foamy 1 finger light khaki head with ok retention. Minimal lacing on the glass; plenty of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big caramel, plum, raisin, bread, molasses, candi sugar, light fruits, light spices, and alcohol. Some decent aromas here, but they are a bit boozy. Taste of big caramel, raisin, molasses, candi sugar, toffee, light pepper, yeast spices, earthiness, and light alcohol. Lingering notes of caramel, raisin, molasses, earth, light spices, and light alcohol on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is definitely showing itself with a fairly large warming on the finish, and a bit in the taste and aromas. Definitely a sipper to be enjoyed slowly with the alcohol presence. Overall this is a decent and fairly enjoyable Quad. Some good flavors, though it is a little boozy. The age of this bottle is probably the culprit; combined with the fact it was sitting on a store shelf up until a couple months ago.

This one definitely fell apart with the aging in a store, and it was on the top shelf. I hope a similar fate did not become of the Boulevard Tripel I have. It is the same age as this and was in the same store.

Left Hand Fade to Black Volume 3: Pepper Porter

3.9/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 10/27/2011. Pours clear almost opaque dark brown color with a thin tan head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. A decent amount of lacing on the glass as you drink. Aromas of big chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, red pepper, chilies, light coffee, and a bit of smokiness. Very nice aromas with good balance; pretty much everything I expected. Taste of big chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, light coffee, red chilies, light smoke, and nice spiciness. Small amount of bitterness with spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, chocolate, roasted malt, and light coffee; with long lingering spicy heat on the finish. Medium body and carbonation; with a very nice creamy mouthfeel that drinks fairly smoothly. The peppers limit the drinkability a bit, but it still goes down nicely for being over 7%. Alcohol is not noticed at all, and is probably masked by some pepper heat in the back. Good balance of flavors, but the peppers take the front a bit more in the taste. Overall this is a very nice, unique, and enjoyable porter. I really enjoy spicy food, but I believe a little less pepper heat would have made it even better.

A nice porter as I would have expected. A little to much heat, but still very enjoyable.

New Holland Pilgrims Dole

4.3/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle code so this is probably over a year old. Pours hazy brick red color with a small light khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big caramel, molasses, raisin, toasted malt, biscuit, vanilla, wood, light citrus, light fruits, and some spiciness. Very nice aromas with good complexity going on. Taste of big caramel, molasses, raisin, toffee, vanilla, wood, toasted malt, bread, herbal spices, and light wheat. Not much bitterness; with lingering notes of caramel, molasses, light fruits, wood, and spiciness on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a huge creamy and slick mouthfeel, that drinks super smoothly for being over 11%. Alcohol is extremely well hidden; I am really not noticing much at all on the finish. This was not the flavor profile I was expecting out of a wheatwine, but this is an outstanding brew. Big creamy and lush body; with a very dessert-like flavor profile; without being cloyingly sweet. I would have this again for sure.

The best New Holland brew I have had to date. A year of age has done great things.

Dieu du Ciel Rigor Mortis Abt

3.7/5

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

11.5 ounce bottle into chalice, batch 15(or something). Pours cloudy dark brown color with a small light khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap. Some small bits of lacing on the glass. Aromas of big plums, molasses, chocolate, caramel, candi sugar, bread, raisins, and a bit of yeast spices and light alcohol. Very nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of big chocolate, caramel, biscuit, toasted malt, molasses, dark fruit, herbal spiciness, pepper, and spicy alcohol. Lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, molasses, dark fruit, and a bit of alcohol on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel. Drinkability is limited due to some booziness but it is a pretty nice sipper. Alcohol is noticeable, but not too bad. Overall this is a pretty nice Quadrupel. Some good flavor complexity and balance. If it was a bit less boozy I probably would have liked it more.

A little too boozy, but overall a pretty good offering.

Unibroue 16

3.9/5

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

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled December 2009. Pours hazy reddish orange color with a nice 2 finger light khaki head with great retention that reduces to a lacing cap. Some spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, candi sugar, plum, raisin, apricot, molasses, biscuit, apple, and yeast spices. Some nice and interesting aromas. Taste of caramel, plum, apple, molasses, gold raisin, candi sugar, biscuit, and spicy yeast. Lingering notes of caramel, dark fruit, molasses, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium-high carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel. Very smooth drinking for 10%; with only a slight warming on the finish noticed. Good balance of flavors and spiciness. Overall this is a very nice Belgian strong pale. Interesting mix of flavors that come together very well.

Another nice Unibroue beer. Maybe a bit odd in some areas, but still very enjoyable.

The Brew Kettle Production Works Four C's Pale Ale

4.1/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle date. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a lacing cap. Some spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange peel, herbal, pine, caramel, biscuit, and spiciness. Damn nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of grapefruit, orange, pine, caramel, herbal, biscuit, and spiciness. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, orange, pine, caramel, and biscuit on the finish for a bit. Great balance of bitterness and sweetness make this super smooth to drink. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is one of the better American pale ales I have ever had. Great balance, yet still has plenty of hoppiness that would satisfy any true hophead.

A nicely hoppy, yet balance pale ale offering! Very drinkable as expected. Another nice Brew kettle offering.

Epic/DC Brau Fermentation Without Representation

4.1/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter, release 3, bottled 10/22/2011. Pours extremely dark brown color with a small tan head with good retention that reduces to a thin lace. Some decent lacing clings to the glass as well.. Aromas of huge pumpkin pulp, squash, ginger, cinnamon, chocolate, roasted malt, bread, clove, caramel, and spices. Nice aromas with huge pumpkin presence. Taste of big chocolate, roasted malt, pumpkin, caramel, cinnamon, ginger, light coffee, clove, and spices. Fair amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pumpkin, chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, clove, and spices on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice creamy mouthfeel that drinks easily for 7.5%. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Great balance of flavors and bitterness. Overall this is an excellent pumpkin spiced porter. Great balance of flavors; with plenty of pumpkin as I hoped would be there. Very drinkable and balanced.

Overall this is an excellent porter; with plenty of pumpkin presence. One of the better pumpkin beers I have had.

Samuel Adams Third Voyage Double IPA

3.9/5

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

22 ounce bottle into snifter glass. Pours crystal clear reddish orange color with a nice 2-3 finger dense light khaki head with great retention that reduces to a cap. Some spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of orange, grapefruit, floral, caramel, pine, herbal, biscuit, honey, and a bit of booze. Some nice and fairly well balanced aromas. Taste of big orange peel, grapefruit, caramel, honey, pine, herbal, biscuit, spices, and a bit of tropical fruit. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, caramel, honey, and herbal spice on the finish for a bit. Great overall balance of flavor and bitterness in this; not over the top like some DIPAs. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel. Very easy to drink for being 8%; and the alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is a very straightforward and balanced DIPA offering from Sam Adams. Very enjoyable and drinkable; with some big citrus flavor.

Another nice beer from the Sam Adams small batch series. They have really gained my respect and interest from these new offerings. I only have the barleywine left, but people have been saying it is a bit boozy so I may hold off on trying it for a bit.

New Belgium Hoptober Golden Ale

3.8/5

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best by Nov 20, 2011. Pours hazy golden straw color with a nice 2 finger dense white head with great retention that reduces to a cap. Some nice lacing down the glass as well. Aromas of grapefruit, floral, orange, apricot, light caramel, bread, and a bit of wheat. Some nice aromas with decent strength. Taste of nice grapefruit, pine, floral, orange, bread, light pine, spices, and wheat. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, pine, spiciness, bread, and light caramel for a bit on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy mouthfeel that drinks smoothly. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Overall a nice and drinkable blonde ale. Quite enjoyable and definitely a nice option for a session. It is nicely balanced in flavors and not anything extreme that would make it unpalatable after a few glasses.

Another nice beer from New Belgium. I have really enjoyed the blondes they have made(other one being the Somersault). Very drinkable and balanced stuff.