Review Brew

Samuel Adams – Utopias (limited 2011 edition #11916 – 27%) Pours a thick, dark brown with hints of red, no carbonation but it likes to stick to the side of the glass. Smells of dark fruits, and heavy alcohol. Tastes sweet with hints of vanilla, honey, maple and dark fruits. It is thick on the tongue but extremely smooth with almost no alcohol bite to it. The aftertaste is more of the same, only more muted, a deep breath awakens the flavor. This. is. Amazing.

Samuel Adams – Blackberry Whitbier (5.5%) Pours a pale and hazyyellow with a white head. Smells sweet like fruit (almost a fake blueberry candy aroma) tastes like a wheat ale with a blackberry backing and a fruit-like almost sour zing to it. The aftertaste is decidedly blackberry flavored that seemed to get stronger after the swallow. good tasting beer.

New Belgium Brewing – Lips Of Faith series LaFoile sour brown ale (6%) Pours dark brown with a light tan head. Smells seriously sour, like old juice. Tastes sour as well and again like old juice. This is a sour beer but it has little else to it but the sour which turns to vinegar pretty quickly. The sink is going to finish the rest of this beer for me.

New Belgium Brewing – Lips Of Faith series Biere De Mars (ale brewed with spices 6.2%) Pours a medium almost clear amber with a white head. Smells lightly sour with a hint of yeast. Tastes light and malty with spicy hi-lights of coriander especially in the aftertaste where citrus makes a showing.

Boulder Beer Company – Mojo IPA (7.2%) Pours a clear golden amber with a brilliant white head. Smells like flowery hops, absolutely gorgeous aroma. Tastes like grassy, flowery hops and is a great example of how an IPA should taste without stepping into American IPA territory. I really like this beer.

Boulder Beer Company – Cold Hop (British style ale) pours an Orange-ish brown with a thin white head. Smells of light hops and tastes lightly of hops and malt. There is a slight rubbery flavor that throws this beer off a bit but such a tiny amount that it is still drinkable.

Kilkenny – Irish Draught 4.3%
pours farm brown with a surprisingly white and thin but foamy head. this came from a can with a widget so i assume these bubbles are nitrogen. The smell is very faint to almost non existent. The mouthfeel is very rich with a dark roast malt making itself known. This is a great beer. Simple and delicious cream ale

Spitfire 4.5% Kentish ale
Pours golden brown w pillowy foamy head, smells of yeast and wood. Tastes slightly sweet slightly bitter with a spice kick backed by hops that accentuate the spices and doesn’t cover them.

Shepherd neame – Bishops finger (kennish strong ale) 5.4%
Pours chestnut brown with one finger of head that has a nice combo of extremely tiny and larger foam bubbles. Smells medium roast malt
Tastes sweet then instantly bitter with nice hoppy floral flavors which seem almost fruity then spicy. I’ll let this warm a bit. The flavors remain the same they only intensify.

DogfishHead – Chicory Stout 5.2% Pours a dark black with a creamy, thick head. smells of dark roast malts and coffee with a hint of chocolate. Tastes like a nice dark ale with some smooth coffee bittering.

Shock Top – Pumpkin Wheat 5.2%
Pours a light brown with a thin white head. Smells of sweet spices, almost like a pumpkin pie. Cinnamon is apparent as well. Tastes like a pumpkin beer should. plenty pumpkiny and not overly sweet or pie-ish, not much of an aftertaste. This is awesome! If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it.

Bison Brewing – Honey Basil (organic) 6.0%
pours a nice medium brown with a small white head. Smells slightly earthy, tastes slightly of basil. The aftertaste is of basil and reminds me of pasta sauce. For an organic beer this is pretty good. wouldn’t hunt it down but would have it again.

Samuel Adams – Cranberry Lambic (Wheat Ale with cranberry juice 5.9%) Pours a hazy medium brown with a creamy head. smells acidic, fruity and a bit of citrus. Tastes of tart cranberries, then of wheaty beer. Aftertaste is more of the tart/sour but good.

St. Bernardus – Christmas Ale 10% (Belgium Abbey Ale)
pours medium-dark brown with a thick foamy head that I had to blow off to continue pouring. Smells slightly sour, tastes slightly sour, cloves, with a punch of alcohol followed by a warming, herbal aftertaste. This is pretty good stuff. All I need now is to get my fireplace going and I’m set.

Old Rasputin – Russian Imperial Stout 9% Pours a deep almost black, brown with a beige head. Smells like coffee and is almost chocolaty. Tastes of dark, almost burnt malt with a bitter finish. Straight forward and powerful flavor. You can barely taste the alcohol, it is well hidden behind the malts but I certainly feel it. I really like this.

Samuel Adams – Chocolate Bock (Ale with Cocoa and natural flavors 5.8%) Pours a deep brown with a frothy light brown head. Smells lightly of chocolate. tastes like a dark beer with a smooth chocolaty finish that dries to a cocoa aftertaste. This is a tasty brew. Highly recommended.

Koningshoeven – La Trappe – Quadrupel Trappist Ale 10%
pours a cloudy brown with a white head. I can smell some yeast, citrus, alcohol, and the taste is malty/sweet with yeasty overtones. Alcohol makes an appearance towards the end and the aftertaste is of alcohol and sweet malt. This is a strong, good flavored beer. I wouldn’t knock people over to get to it but I’d have it again.

Irondale Brewery – Bull Maclary’s Mór Barley wine 9% Pours dark amber with a light amber head. Smells fruity and floral. Tastes sweet and wheaty at first, then changes to an almost fruity flavor then the hops take over. All in all it’s a good beer. Definitely going to be buying this again.

Hermitage Brewing Co – Saison style ale 7% Pours golden yellow with a thick white head. Smells fruity, floral and spicy. Tastes slightly sour, then yeasty with a black pepper and clove finish. I like this. Finishing it faster than usual. I’ll grab another bottle or two to age.

Sierra Nevada & Dogfish Head collaboration – Life and Limb 10.2% (Ale brewed with maple syrup and birch syrup) Pours dark brown with light brown head. Smells of dark malts, and a hint of maple and chocolate. Taste is of sweet dark malt followed by a hint of alcohol that fades into light chocolate with a creamy aftertaste. Really good beer!

Pours a medium brown with an off-white head, Smells absolutely amazing, flowery hops. Tastes of bitter flowery hops, with a bitter hops aftertaste. This is an absolutely amazing beer. First thing in the morning and I’m getting another 6pack. This is a damn good beer, and I don’t say that lightly. This just made the list of my favorites. Don’t buy this. Leave more for me.

hermitage brewing company – 1 Door – Flemish Style Sour Ale (7%)
pours a dark amber with a thin blonde head. Smells ever so slightly sweet and tastes lightly sour like just-went-bad milk mixed with beer. The aftertaste is cheese. I’ve only ever had one sour beer before. This one is bad. I’m glad the first one I had was good or this would have ruined the whole style for me.

Stone thirteenth anniversary ale 9.5%
Pours a beautiful brown with a small cream colored head. I can smell sweet malt backed by some deep hops. Its got a load of bitter hops and a good alcohol kick that drys at the end. ok, as the beer warms the hops almost completely take over in smell and taste. It is certainly a sipping beer, it’s strong in both flavor and alcohol.
I wasn’t ready for this beer. Much like the first time I had Arrogant Bastard Ale. I’m sure I’d like it more the next time I have it.

my 4th homebrew – blueberry wheat ale

pours pinkish red with a light pink head that diminishes quickly a light hoppy aroma hits you first. The first is sharp and leaves a dry aftertaste and a bit of a chemical flavor that I can’t quite pinpoint. meh. at least it’s strong

Samuel Smith – The Celebrated Oatmeal Stout

pours a dark brown with little to no head, smells similar to wine and tastes silky smooth and creamy with a light malty and dark chocolate aftertaste. I like this beer. It’s tasty, easy drinking and has nice flavor! As it warms, a nice coffee flavor emerges and actually gets a tad bit sweeter. very nice experience!

Stone – IPA 6.9%

pours a gorgeous clean light gold with a foamy head that gives off floral aromas.
The first sip confirms it’s an IPA but the hops are very floral and citrusy and just bitter
enough to balance out on the aftertaste. I really like this IPA, the Hops they chose are
amazing. drinking this ale fast would be a complete waste, sit back and sip it, allow it to warm to enhance the flavors.

Abita – Pecan Harvest Ale

pours a golden brown with a thick head and a very light aroma of what I can only call beer.
it’s kinda bland and I can taste some hops but that sbaout it, not much if any pecan flavor.

overall impression: meh

well, out of the bottle it tastes more like pecans than it does in a glass… hm

Samuel Adams – Octoberfest
pours a bright golden brown with a fat cream colored head. I can’t describe it any better than the name does. This beer tastes like Autumn. The malts and hops are almost perfectly balanced. I like this beer!

Sea Dog Brewing Company: Apricot Wheat Beer — Brewed in Maine 4.8%

pours a bright, clean and clear yellow with a thick white head The apricot aroma hit me before I even finished the pour. it tastes as clean and crisp as it looks. The fruity apricot taste is mellow but noticeable. This is a beer first, fruit second. Another dessert beer but certainly drinkable any other time. (especially in the heat)

What a great, refreshing summertime beer!

Lagunitas – Olde GnarlyWine style ale
poured thick, and golden, reminded me of a wiskey that had spent a week in the freezer.. the head was thick, creamy and yellowish. a sweet nose followed by a sweet initial taste with a strong alcohol flavor followed by a lingering bitterness. BarleyWine wasnt my thing, but I felt a need to give it a shot.

Ok first off, it pours purple, like grape juice and immediately the blueberry smell is amazing. small amount of lacing in the glass and oh wow the flavor is amazing! like a dessert wine. ok a dessert beer but at 8% its close. the bottle warns that it may contain blueberry sediment which isn’t so much a warning as it is bragging about its natural flavors.

I wouldn’t take this beer to the game or pop one open after a long day working
in the sun, this is more of a relazing picnic beer. it’s pretty sweet. sweeter than I like my beers, but this works!

Samuel Adams – Cream Stout

pours a muddy brown with a darkish tan head. I can smell sweet malt wow. this is like a light version of Guiness.  I can detect some hints of coffee, but the creamy smooth aftertaste is strangely appealing. I like this beer. wouldn’t want to chug it but I could certainly have more than a few just for the flavor, the more I sip this the more I’m tempted to take bigger pulls. wish I had more than 2

Samuel Adams – Blackberry Witbier
pours a cloudy hazy yellow with a small head.
smells slightly fruity ans has a slightly fruity and cirtusy flavor
the aftertaste is also slightly fruity. this would be a nice beer to have after dinner, or with a fruit salad.

Pours a deep dark brownish red with a dark tan head that leaves lots of lacing as the glass empties. I can’t detect much of an odor but it had a rich medium maltiness followed by a light earthy/spice flavor. the carbonation leaved this beer very creamy and smooth, I wish I had drank this in the winter instead of 3 months after the freshness mark. I’m drinking these beers late but they are still good.(I let the holiday pack hide in a minifridge under my dartboard all through winter and spring)

Samuel Adams Old Fezziwg Ale
pours a deep red with a rich tan head
malty and earthy molasses flavor with a creamy but clean mouthfeel.
I went back to the bottle and apparently i should have drank it for Christmas and not July 4th, but it didnt make a difference to me this is a tasty beer.
the lingering aftertaste is certainly christmasy reminds me of a nice pie. oh man, I really shold have drank this during a cold winter night, Wish we had one now. it’s a smooth drinking beer but certainly meant for winter. not that it’s bad any time else, it would just be that much better after a ham dinner.

Seadog Bluepaw – Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale
first smell POW! blueberry pancakes covered in blueberry syrup. pours a dark yellow/light honey clean and clear and lightly bubbly no head at all. initial taste is clean and the blueberry flavor comes in the aftertaste. It might actually be all in the aroma, who cares, it’s good. Still one of my favorite beers.

Kona Brewing Co. – Wailua (wheat ale brewed with passion fruit limited release)

I havent said “WOW” to a beer since Budweisers American Ale
exceptionally clear beer with a light lacing and a sweet
aftertaste. nice beer after a hot day!

Pours a thick but translucent brown with heavy hints of red. Small foamy head the smell is of a strong ale but the taste is a different story. At first it’s got a sweet creaminess then the malt kicks in followed by a wallop of alcohol and strong hops that lingers on for quite some time. A strong tasting and high alcohol content beer. The alcohol flavor makes for a rough drink, but the hops try to smooth it out but end up making it rougher but somehow better.

Pours a brilliant clear amber with a rich creamy head. Smells strongly of hops and flowers, tastes like an IPA. Strong but not overpowering hops that start out with a slight sweetness then quickly bitter. The bitter aftertaste sticks around for along while. very good IPA

(wheat ale brewed with real cherries and natural flavors added)

Pours a light, clear bubbly amber with a small white head made of very tiny bubbles. Smells like maraschino cherries, tastes sweet and tangy at first then the cherries wash over your tongue followed quickly by a light maltiness then another wave of cherries, but this time much more subtle but it stays well into the aftertaste where it bitters slightly. Go try it!

Pours a hazy orange with a pillowy white head. Smells of citrus, flowery hops, and some fruit. Is it mango? Tastes flowery, fruity and only slightly sweet but that dries up fast and leaves a nice fruity bitterness. The bitterness lingers on in the aftertaste. I like this! It’s almost an IPA but much more soft and subtle.

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