Latitude 48 IPA

Latitude 48 IPA
Boston Beer Co.
American IPA
5.8% ABV

OG?

IBUs?

12 oz bottle with a best before date of February 2011 poured into a Samuel Adams “perfect pint” on the early morning of September 30, 2010.


Appearance 5/5
Bright and clear, dark amber red colored with a big, creamy, off white head that's going to leave an excellent, excellent, lacing. I don't know if it's the Sam Adams glass, but IS this a beautiful IPA! The head on this thing is creamy, dense, and rocky, like a classic Belgian ale. Have to wait for the foam to subside before noting anything on aroma.

Aroma 3/5
Nice malt aroma to it, slightly toasty and sweet perhaps. However, where are the hops? Such a weak hop aroma for an ale that tastes this good! A shame.

Taste 4.5/5
Bitter and flavorful from beginning to finish, with a supporting malt base. Has a familiar citrusy zing to it. The taste is very good, if not the best. The finish is clean and leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Nice and crisp, with some remnant maltiness without being anywhere close to cloying. Classic AIPA style.

Drinkability 5/5
Props to Sam Adams for making a good tasting IPA with relatively low alcohol. Just dry hop it generously guys and we have a winner! (Wouldn't the brewers love it when drunk douches tell them what to do!).

Surlyfest

Surlyfest
Surly Brewing Co.
Oktoberfest inspired single hop, dry hopped rye lager
6% ABV

OG: 14.5º Plato

34 IBUs

14 ºSRM

16 oz can with no freshness date poured into a Surly pint glass on the early morning of September 30, 2010. I know it's very fresh since it just came out and I am a homer ;).


Appearance 4.5/5
Clear red brown with a light tan colored creamy head. Average retention. Good lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Rye bread character is dominant; some hop character from dry hopping. Overall impression is good, although hop aroma is rather weak and not long lasting, which is not a fault. Rye aroma, however, is in abundance. However, none of the familiar toasted malt character associated with Oktoberfest beer. The aroma is unlike the base style so it becomes a subjective question. Does it work? Yes, it does.

Taste 4/5
Clean, as I would expect from a well done lager. Some bitterness and flavor from hops that plays well with the rye character. Yields to a clean, mildly bittering finish, with a slight creamy texture. This is a rye beer very well done.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Crisp, but not overly carbonated and good even when warm. Body is medium for a lager of this kind.

Drinkability 4/5
Very drinkable. In fact, perhaps more drinkable on its own (without food pairings) than traditional fest beers. I wish this had lower alcohol, which would make it an excellent session beer.

Rumble

Rumble
Great Divide Brewing
Oak aged American IPA
7.1% ABV

OG?

IBUs?

12 oz bottle bottled on August 18, 2010 poured into Samuel Adams “perfect pint” on September 28, 2010.


Appearance 3.5/5
Clear dark amber with a moderate off white, almost tan colored, head; average retention; and decent lacing.

Aroma 3/5
Noticeable toasted and caramel malt aroma. Some hops somewhere in the background but malts take the driving seat here. Oak? I don’t know where it is! Aggressive hop presence? Hell no! There’s not much to aroma. If this weren’t oaked, this was making a 2/5 at best but blurring styles saves it. The empty glass smells like vanilla, but nothing exciting, especially for an AIPA.

Taste 3/5
Why would I want to drink an oaked AIPA? I don’t know. But innovation is generally not a bad thing, so why not? However, I don’t get any oak at all in this one. Perhaps the oak aging has let hop flavors diminish but hasn’t imparted enough character of its own, or it might just be me being a dick. There’s some American hops’ flavor and medium bitterness, but I really don’t like the aftertaste. Caramel? No. Vanilla? No. In fact, the taste seems far from description on the bottle. Oak aging or not, a thoroughly ordinary example of an AIPA.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Carbonation is alright and the body supports whatever bitterness is present pretty well. Finishes alright, except for the bad aftertaste.

Drinkability 4/5
Went down alright; but a “meh” beer.

Other
I am not buying this again!

Summit Extra Pale Ale

Summit Extra Pale Ale
Summit Brewing Co.
English Pale Ale
5.3% ABV
OG 12.2° Plato
40-45 IBUs
Served in a pint glass at Stub & Herb's.

Appearance 4/5
Clear dark copper colored with an off-white creamy head. Good retention, good lacing.

Aroma 2/5
Nondescript aroma with some sweet malt character and an odd sharpness, like a pilsner.

Taste 4/5
Crisp taste full of earthy hop flavor and good bitterness. Clean finish, bitter aftertaste that doesn't linger for too long. More malts and perhaps more hops will make this beer better, but the unoffensive character (?) might get lost.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Crisp, but too crisp at times. Very refreshing, and not cloying at all, as one would expect.

Drinkability 4/5
Very drinkable, but needs either more malts and hops, or a lower ABV.

Other
Good, but not exceptional.

Schell's Octoberfest

Schell's Octoberfest
August Schell Brewing Co.
Oktoberfest
5.5% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
Served in a pint glass at Stub & Herb's.

Appearance 2.5/5
Clear dark copper colored with no head at all because of the efficient "pub" pour. Couple of swirls forced an off white "soda" head that disappeared faster than it formed.

Aroma 3/5
Toasty and sweet malt aroma, but average at best compared to other examples of the style, say Ayinger's Oktoberfest.

Taste 3/5
Clean with a refreshing bitterness. Moderately dry and bittering finish with some sweet aftertaste and very slight toasty flavor in the end. Very good tasting beer but last I checked, they called it an Oktoberfest. The balance is not towards malt and this is a fault.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Crisp, refreshing, sessionable. Yet, not like an Oktoberfest!

Drinkability 4/5
Good.

Other
It's a pity that I have to rate this one lower than I would like to. A very good beer, that's full of flavor without being over-the-top. However, the malty smoothness & balance of the style is missing. As an Oktoberfest, this is just average; as a beer, it's well above average. I will seek it out more.

Burntwood Black Ale

Burntwood Black Ale
Thirsty Pagan Brewing
Schwarzbier
4.2-4.8% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
Sampled at the brewpub in pint glass on September 26, 2010.

Appearance 1/5
Murky dirty brown with no head and no lacing, in spite of swirling it from time to time. Just awful!

Aroma 3/5
Some sweet malts, some roast.

Taste 3/5
Nice roast and some maltiness. Pretty unoffensive, and good for an ale (?) of this size. No hop flavor. Some sweetness in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Medium body, medium carbonation, medium finish.

Drinkability 4/5
Good, but I didn't find any reason to order more, even though it's pretty low ABV. Also, it looks very uninviting, which is a deterrent.

Hercules

Hercules
Fitger's brewhouse
American Strong Ale
10% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
Sampled at the brewpub in a nonic style 10 oz glass on September 26, 2010. The server told that this is an American Strong Ale that's aged in barrels and has a lot of alcohol, bourbon flavor... it's kinda like a barleywine etc.

Appearance 5/5
Clear dark brown with a good dark tan colored head that stayed around, and left good lacing as well.

Aroma 2/5
Tart, malty sweet. Where's the bourbon? Where's the malt character, or hop character of a barleywine?

Taste 3/5
Tart, sweet, bitter, warming, fruity at times... lots of things going on here but there's no oak/bourbon/specialty malts; in fact nothing that fits the description. Yet because "anything goes" in a Strong Ale, I am being generous with the score.

Mouthfeel 3.5/5
Thin for an ale of this magnitude (ABV).

Drinkability 4/5
Moderate to good.

Other
I thought to myself time and again after reading my notes on this beer whether I got the wrong beer. But, there was no Wild ale on menu, and this was very tart for any other style. If this was a sour brown, it would do real good score-wise, but this wasn't anywhere close to the server's description. So if I did get the right beer, does it mean that it's infected?

Péché Mortel

Péché Mortel
Dieu du ciel!
American Double/Imperial Stout
9.5% ABV

OG?

IBUs?

11.5 oz bottle with a twist-off cap (odd!) and no freshness date poured into big Brandy snifter on September 27, 2010. The guy at the store had told that it was very fresh


Appearance 4.5/5
Pours clear and very dark brown, and looks pitch black in the glass. The head is thick, creamy, dark brown with good retention, but minimal lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Coffee, chocolate, and sweet malts in plenty. No hops.

Taste 4/5
Acidic and fruity coffee notes with some malty sweetness, but the balance is decidedly towards bitter coffee. Medium finish with plenty of roast and a long, luxurious roasty aftertaste, full of coffee bitterness. Warming, but never boozy. Similar to Founders Breakfast Stout, this stout is all about coffee.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
A bigger body won’t hurt this beer and less carbonation would probably make it silkier. This one would be sublime on cask!

Drinkability 5/5
The 9.5% ABV never bothers, yet the body and finish are suitable for this style and alcohol. Very good.

Other
A fine beer, and a treat for coffee lovers. Between this and Founders Breakfast, I will go with the latter because of the price, but that doesn’t alter the scores!

Westmalle Trappist Tripel

Westmalle Trappist Tripel
Brouwerij Westmalle (Adbij der Trappisten van Westmalle)
Belgian Tripel
9.5% ABV

OG?

IBUs?

11.2 oz bottle with a best before date of August 31, 2011 poured into a Gouden Carolus chalice on September 25, 2010.


Appearance 5/5
Pours very clear, bubbly, golden yellow with a big white creamy and rocky head, with great retention and magnificent lacing. Very beautiful beer. The last part of the bottle was stirred and poured in the end, and was murky light brown as expected.

Aroma 4/5
Spicy, phenolic, with banana like notes.

Taste 3.5/5
Opens faintly fruity, followed by spice, and then a dry bittering finish. Alcohol warmth and aroma is felt, but is not harsh. The aftertaste is long and spicy with a very present bitterness. I didn't get the fruitiness that I was expecting from this beer, although I know that this is the quintessential tripel, so my expectations were misplaced. Yet, the fact remains that the taste wasn't to my liking. Perhaps a fresher bottle, or a different setting will do more justice to this beer.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Crisp, effervescent, and light on the palate. Yet, not refreshing, because of strong spicy notes; not a fault by any means!

Drinkability 4/5
The taste is not very pleasing to me, which is a shame considering this is the "mother of all tripels". However, drinkability is still very good, and the high alcohol is barely felt which is spot on for this style.

El Nino Double Hopped IPA

El Nino Double Hopped IPA
Fitger's brewhouse
American IPA
7% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
Sampled at the brewpub in a pint glass on September 26, 2010

Appearance 5/5
Poured clear, deep copper-red with a good white head, that had great retention and left an excellent lacing.

Aroma 4.5/5
Smells like a pine forest: piney, herbal and very fresh smelling ale, that seems generously late/dry hopped. Very inviting smell.

Taste 4.5/5
Full of hop flavor without being overly bitter: pine, lemon peel citrus, and grass. Nice, light, maltiness supports the hops pretty well. Finishes dry with a bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Very good, but a higher carbonation might help this beer. Otherwise perfect.

Drinkability 5/5
The best!

Other
This American IPA is as good as any other. I am glad I got to try it! A hidden gem.

Bud Light Golden Wheat

Bud Light Golden Wheat
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Herbed / Spiced Beer
3.2% ABW (The "3.2" version)

OG?

IBUs?

12 oz poured into a funny looking glass.


Appearance 3/5
Pours hazy orange with a big head as the result of a vigorous pour; the head didn't stay for long, nor left any lacing.

Aroma 3/5
Some orange peel, then the typical adjunct aroma.

Taste 2/5
Bad, with a worse aftertaste.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Thin, watery, and carbonated.

Drinkability 2/5
Bad, because of the bad taste.

Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)

Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)
Founders Brewing Co.
Imperial Stout (of the finest kind)
11.2% ABV
OG?
70 IBUs
12 oz bottle (from March 2010) poured into a New Belgium snifter on September 22, 2010.

Appearance 5/5
Pours black with a very dark brown head that is quick to dissipate into a thin collar. Expected from a high ABV barrel aged beer. Dark brown on the edges when held up to light.

Aroma 5/5
Coffee, dark chocolate, sweet bourbon in huge amounts. Some alcohol too, which is expected.

Taste 5/5
First impression is bliss. Bittersweet; malts and bourbon lend the sweetness, coffee and dark chocolate contribute towards the bitterness. Very rich, complex, and delicious taste that finishes bitter, and has a character like powdered chocolate. Some acidity of coffee is also felt. Alcohol warming is evident as well. But, this is not an extreme beer, it's a fine example of balancing the extremes.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Silky and full, but not very big. Medium carbonation, bitter, medium finish. Not cloying at all. A stronger body won't hurt this beer, but this is perfection as it is. Who am I to comment?

Drinkability 5/5
Given the alcohol, it's a sipper. But the great taste doesn't let it be one. I can keep drinking this forever.

Other
When I had it first, I thought it was the best beer I ever had. Still belongs in my "all time best beers" category and for a beer of this kind, there's only one that comes close or equals or possibly exceeds it by a tiny bit: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout. Can only be determined in a side by side tasting, yet to come. KBS is good for everything a stout ought to be good for.

Arrogant Bastard

Arrogant Bastard
Stone Brewing Co.
American Strong Ale
7.2% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
22 oz bomber with a freshness date of November 08, 2010 poured into a Maredsous chalice on September 22, 2010.

Appearance 5/5
Rust brown colored, clear, with a great tan color creamy head that stayed and left it's impression on the glass; kickass!

Aroma 4/5
Hops! Piney, citrusy, herbal, and grassy. People say it all the time, and I agree, that Stone has a way with hops.

Taste 4/5
Firm and "heavy" bitterness full of the hop flavor that was found in the aroma. I cannot tell what separates it from a good AIPA but it's not an AIPA by the style guidelines; and the taste is in accordance: I have always attached a "light" taste as opposed to "heavy" taste to IPAs, so it's an Strong Ale alright! I can see, if not explain, why they invented a style for it.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Medium body that balances the bitterness well. The carbonation level would propel it to the crisp category. It's not the refreshing kind, but it's an experimental style very well done. For the sake of completeness, the finish is very bitter and moderately clean.

Drinkability 5/5
Being good in all other categories implies that the drinkability is high!

Masala Mama IPA

Picture from ratebeer

Masala Mama IPA
Town Hall Brewery
American IPA
6.0% ABV
OG?
86 IBUs
Sampled in a pint glass at the brewpub. Sampled again on 10/31/2010 -- much better on aroma & appearance!

Appearance 5/5
Pours clear copper red with a medium off white head with excellent retention and lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Intensely citrus, zesty.

Taste 4.5/5
Light fruity sweetness with firm hop bitterness. Tons of citrus lemon peel, pine, and grass. Lingering bitterness after a dry finish!

Mouthfeel & Drinkability 5/5
Well carbonated, crisp, and refreshing with great drinkability.

Rogue Chocolate Stout

Rogue Chocolate Stout
Rogue Ales
American Stout
6% ABV (BeerAdvocate)
OG?
69 IBUs
22 oz bomber with no freshness date poured into a New Belgium snifter.

Appearance 5/5
Clear, viscous (see mouthfeel) looking dark brown, almost black while pouring; darker than the usual stouts, and more closer to an Imperial Stout. Big dark tan color creamy head that has a good retention and an equally good lacing. Very good looking beer.

Aroma 4/5
Bitter, dark chocolate, and some malty sweetness.

Taste 4/5
Hard to separate it from aroma but overall very flavorful. Nice dark chocolate taste until a medium dry finish and a lingering dark chocolate aftertaste. The chocolate is very "unsweetened", and so the bitterness is very clean. Therefore it's hard to say what part of it is coming from hops. In my opinion this beer will benefit from more malty sweetness, of which I get practically none. Also, can't really say that it has a decent amount of roast to it. Still, very good!

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Smooth with medium-high carbonation. Medium body, a tiny bit thin but not watery by any means. Like I have remarked in the taste section, some sweetness and a bigger body will help make this beer a delicious dessert. I said in the Appearance section that it looks viscous; it's not though.

Drinkability 5/5
Killer!

Hercules Double IPA

Hercules Double IPA
Great Divide Brewing Company
Imperial IPA
10% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
12 oz bottle, bottled August 05, 2010 poured into a Bell's tulip on September 18, 2010.

Appearance 4.5/5
Clear, orange red, with an off white head and medium head retention. Some sticky lacing. Looks almost oily! The head and lacing were sub par but so was my pour so I am going to give it benefit of doubt.

Aroma 4/5
Nice hop aroma in the nose: tropical fruit, mango to be precise; grassy-piney as well. Some malty sweetness is present but it's hard to pinpoint it... perhaps caramel?

Taste 2/5
Fruity to begin. Malts and hops play well together towards that. That's the only good part of the taste. Some medium bitterness is the middle. Malts don't hold up until the end. For a DIPA, no hops in here, no malts either. Warming. Dry finish. The taste is average. The aftertaste is just bad.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Thin. Not cloying. The slight warming is welcome. Carbonation is medium.

Drinkability 3/5
Goes down easy but the body cannot support the alcohol and the aftertaste is just bad.

Other
Disappointing, and I cannot blame it on the bottle because the aroma was good. Somehow this reminds me of an adjunct lager at the end.

Indian Brown Ale

Indian Brown Ale
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
...a cross between a Scotch Ale, an India Pale Ale, and an American Brown (brewer's description); American Brown Ale on BeerAdvocate
7.2% ABV
OG?
50 IBU
12 oz bottle, bottled July 21, 2010 poured into a New Belgium snifter on September 18, 2010.

Appearance 5/5
Pours clear and deep brown, that gives an appearance of black in a glass. Tan colored creamy head that starts huge, sticks around, and leaves an excellent lacing.

Aroma 3.5/5
The initial aroma is sweet, but hops overpower it. The hop aroma is very fresh and herbal: grassy, citrus. I could not detect any of the sweetness from the first impression over the course of the beer; it was a hop-fest.

Taste 4/5
There is some malty sweetness, and a good backbone from start to finish, but it's always in the background. It never gets sweet and remains bitter all along, sometimes because of flavorful hops, and because of the roast at other times. The roast can be very well felt and once in a while it tastes like over roasted coffee, not meant in a bad way. But, where's the caramel? It seems like a hoppy porter or a Black IPA: a generously hopped ale brewed with dark malts, and a pretty good one at it. But, not a malt forward beer as it claims to be. Clean and bitter finish.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Seems alright. Carbonation is medium, so is the body. Never cloying.

Drinkability 4/5
Good. Overly bitter at times, even though the IBUs are low for the body.

Other
Too much roast is my complaint with this one; I expected a different beer from their description. But, is it good? Very much. Will I drink it again? Yes! Would I recommend it? Yes!

25th Anniversary Ale
Bell's Brewery Inc.
American Strong Ale (BeerAdvocate)/Strong Amber Ale (brewer's description)
8.5% ABV
1.084 OG
IBUs?
12 oz bottle, bottled August 12th, 2010, poured into a New Belgium snifter on September 16th, 2010. Shelf life is six months according to Bell's.

Appearance 5/5
Poured dark amber, or light brown, with good clarity and a good off-white head that stayed till the end and left great lacing on the glass.

Aroma 4/5
Aroma hints at a hoppy beer that is malt forward as well, and not like a DIPA where hops would dominate. I believe there are centennial hops in this one too because the hop smell is similar to Two Hearted, but not as fruity and dominating. The sweet, caramelly, malt aroma is equally strong.

Taste 3.5/5
Fruity sweet start that is quickly superseded by a decent hop bitterness. The finish is medium-dry and warming. Leaves a malty aftertaste on palate, and a bitter warmth at the back of the tongue. Good taste but I don't quite get the elements present in the aroma. I let it warm up, almost to room temperature, but still didn't quite get what I was looking for.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Silky because of the low carbonation but a tad thin. Coats the mouth to some extent but doesn't get cloying.

Drinkability 4/5
Alcohol is on the higher side, but the body is a little low, which is a minus for me given the style. However, alcohol warmth and malty richness keep things in check. Still, the taste is lacking that affects drinkability too.

Other
Good beer. I would seek it out again if I could but this is "limited edition". Like most people who have tried this beer, I expected a much more solid offering from Bell's for their 25th! Perhaps barrel aged Expedition?

Lion Stout

Lion Stout
The Lion Brewery Ceylon PLC
Foreign Extra Stout
8% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
625 ml bottle with no freshness date poured into a Summit pint glass.

Appearance 4/5
Clear, very dark brown, almost black; big brown creamy head that receded rather fast and left moderate lacing.

Aroma 3.5/5
Dark malts and molasses is the first impression; an almost burnt sweetness is evident. I don't detect any hops, which is fine by the style. Also, aroma fades real fast in this one, and very little of the strong molasses aroma is felt later. Some fruity tartness.

Taste 4.5/5
Opens fruity, resiny. Some hop bitterness is felt eventually, but is never overwhelming. Burnt in a nice way. Finishes medium dry and clean for the sweet beginning. Roast can be well felt in the aftertaste. Very good. Some booze as the beer warms up. I won't be surprised if it's actually brewed with molasses.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Silky, with medium carbonation and medium body. Not the richest stout but it's not exactly an Imperial Stout, and mouthfeel is spot on for the style.

Drinkability 5/5
Very good. The body and taste are a perfect match for the alcohol.

Other
I would drink this beer again and again, and highly recommend it.

Odell Double Pilsner

Odell Double Pilsner
Odell Brewing Co.
American Double/Imperial Pilsner
8.1% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
12 oz bottle with a freshness date of 12/15/10 poured into a Samuel Adams perfect pint on 09/16/10.

Appearance 3.5/5
Golden yellow with a moderate head and some lacing. Slightly hazy, but I expected it to be clear.

Aroma 3.5/5
Some floral hops, some pils malt. Nothing too exciting here.

Taste 3/5
Little sweetness; bitter in the end with some flavor. Not a horrible beer by any means. But, there is a lot of nothing in this beer: the body is medium-big yet the beer lacks enough malt flavor. However, that doesn't change the fact that it is under attenuated -- cloying and irritating at times. For the kind of impression I have of this beer, it needs a lot more hops to balance things out.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Coats the mouth initially but good carbonation is present to take care of it, in part. Yet there's plenty of unexpected aftertaste. Also, as a pilsner, I want it to be clean and refreshing which this one's not. Carbonation is the only saving grace I must say; otherwise this was getting minimum score in this department.

Drinkability 3/5
Poor because (i) it's cloying (ii) it has a lot of alcohol which doesn't go well with pils character. I still rate it average though because when cold, you can slam it fast.

Other
Perhaps, pilsner is not a style that you can brew "double". I expected a crisp, refreshing, and flavorful beer but it seems like a malty mess, and the hoppiness is way lower than I'd deem appropriate. It seems like an experiment gone wrong. The kind that was done to please big beer seeking crowd. Aside from a mildly good aroma, this is a malt liquor. Just avoid this one unless you're too intrigued.

PS: Fuck "double" everything, really. Excluding Imperial IPA/Stouts which are better than their "enkel" versions at times.

Edmund Fitzgerald

Edmund Fitzgerald
Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Robust Porter/American Porter
5.8% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
12 oz bottle with a freshness date of 11/29/10 poured into a Surly pint glass on 09/16/10.

Appearance 5/5
Clear and dark brown with a nice two finger tan colored head that looks promising and leaves nice sticky lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Roasted dark malts: dark chocolate; some sweetness. Smell is not overpowering. Decent amount of hops which strike me as earthy and herbal. I expect more roast though.

Taste 4/5
First impression is nice! Rich chocolate taste, which is pleasantly surprising for a "non-imperial" beer of the darker kind. Starts slightly sweet on palate but hop bitterness emerges and stays until finish. The hop flavor is strong and dominates over initial chocolate. There's of course a roasted taste and feel, which is not burnt by any means. Finish is medium and bitter.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Low but very present carbonation seems fitting. I could've done with even less. Medium bodied, but has the finish of a higher bodied beer. Some warmth is felt, which doesn't seem out of place.

Drinkability 4.5/5
At this ABV, this is a mighty flavorful ale and I could have a few without getting drunk, which is a plus. Not cloying per se but the finish effects drinkability to some extent.

Other
Probably the best porter I have had till date. Honestly, I have found this style to be a little disappointing but this one is very good!

Orval Trappist Ale

Orval Trappist Ale
Brasserie d'Orval S.A.
Belgian Speciality Ale/Belgian Pale Ale on BeerAdvocate
6.9% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
330 ml bottled April 29, 2009 with a freshness date of April 20, 2014 poured into a Gouden Carolus chalice on September 15, 2010.

Appearance 5/5
Pours slightly hazy, amber-orange colored, with a huge, thick, creamy off-white head that lasted forever. Excellent lacing on the glass. Very inviting.

Aroma 4/5
Fruity and spicy, as expected. The fruit character is of fresh fruit, not dry/dark. Not much funk here though; could be because of the relatively young bottle.

Taste 4/5
Very spicy and fruity with some fruity tartness, and possibly, pepper. Flavorful, yet very light on palate. Another very unique taste that I can't quite place, but is not to my personal liking; hate to say this but it reminds me of detergent at some points. Warmth brings out the hop bitterness at the back of the tongue. Also, the balance of the beer shifts from fruit to spice as the temperature increases. Extremely dry finish; although some remnant maltiness and bitter aftertaste is felt overall.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Light and crisp. Generously carbonated and very refreshing. Initially brewed to compete locally against pilsners, and I can see why.

Drinkability 5/5
If only this one was cheaper!

Wild Brunette {Wild Rice Brown Ale}

Wild Brunette {Wild Rice Brown Ale}
Barley John's Brew Pub
American Brown Ale
7.2% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
Sampled at the brewpub from a nonic pint glass

Appearance 3/5
Clear dark brown with no head whatsoever. Later, couple of swirls forced a tiny brown collar that left equally tiny lacing on the glass. Neither did the collar stick around, nor did the lace.

Aroma 3.5/5
Some sweet malts and a very unique aroma because of wild rice. No fruitiness or hop aroma. Not much of chocolate/caramel/nutty/toasty aromas either.

Taste 4/5
Slight fruitiness from malts and esters in the beginning. Firm bitterness in the middle from early hop additions, but the hop flavor is low, if any; hard to say. There's some stout-ish roasty bitterness and feel too. And a lot of taste that's from wild rice, which is very unique to this ale. Finish is medium-dry with a firm, lingering bitterness. Some alcohol warmth is noted. This beer needs more malts, or less hops and less alcohol, in my opinion.

Mouthfeel 3/5
A tad thin. For a brown ale with this ABV, I have to guess that the wild rice contributes quite a bit to fermentables given the body. However, I would either prefer more malts and a bigger body in this one, or less bitterness and a lower ABV, as noted with taste too. Also, this beer was pretty flat for its body.

Drinkability 4/5
Quaffable. But alcohol is on the higher side compared to body, for this style.

Bud Light Lime

Bud Light Lime
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Lite American Lager
4.2% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
Clear 22 oz bomber with no freshness date poured into a funny looking plastic glass.

Appearance 3/5
Light yellow colored with a white creamy head that receded into a thin, but moderately persistent one. No lacing whatsoever, but it could be the glass. Very clear.

Aroma 3/5
Smells of adjuncts (can't say which) like all its cousins, and of lime extract: not citrus like the real thing, however. No hops.

Taste 3/5
Tastes like carbonated water spiked with lime extract. Some sweetness in the middle but generally bland. Less disgusting than other "lite" beers because lime doesn't let the yucky taste stay on the palate. Finish is medium dry, but nowhere as crisp and bitter like a real pilsner. There are no hops whatsoever.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Thin and watery.

Drinkability 4/5
I didn't find this one disgusting, even though I let it warm up a bit. And I drank the 22 oz bottle easily.

Founders Breakfast Stout

Founders Breakfast Stout
Founders Brewing Co.
American Double/Imperial Stout
8.3% ABV
OG?
60 IBUs
12 oz bottle, bottled August 30, 2010, poured into a New Belgium snifter on September 11, 2010.

Appearance 5/5
Pours impenetrable black with a big, creamy, dark mocha colored head, that stays throughout the course of the beer; although the head did recede from its initial glory, it left an excellent lacing. No beer is actually black and this one was clear dark brown at the edges. Looks the way a stout ought to look.

Aroma 4/5
Intense coffee and some malty sweetness; thing smells more like coffee than coffee itself. No hops. Very fitting name. Some alcohol is notable at room temperature.

Taste 4/5
Firmly coffee-bitter, with some accompanying malty sweetness. Slight coffee-ish acidity, that is enhanced as the beer warms up, and plays well with the understated malty sweetness. A powdered chocolate-ish finish with a lingering bitterness, right into the throat. Doesn't linger for too long though which brings the drinkability to maximum. Overall, the finish is medium with some residual sweetness, and *none* of the ashtray character of over-roasted coffee. Hops are mute in this one, which is probably good. To me, this is an style by itself, so the idea of having any hop aroma or taste seems out of accord. No booziness at all at any temperature even though I could sense some in aroma when the beer was warm. This is coffee in a stout: I don't detect much roast or any hops; everything about this stout seems like coffee riding over a solid beer, and very well integrated. The only reason this doesn't get a full score is because I am comparing it to the elder brother, KBS.

Mouthfeel 5/5
It's probably the oatmeal, but this one has the silkiness of a stout on cask. Medium carbonation, which is fitting. It is warming. I have had too many "big" beers to call the body huge, but in all honesty, this is above average in general, and fitting for a stout, if not exceptionally "imperial".

Drinkability 5/5
Very very good. For this body and this ABV, this beer goes down very easy. It can be had fast, which is dangerous! It's like the "hard" version of some coffee based drink (can't name because I like my coffee black and don't have much experience)

Other
I haven't given this one a straight 5, although I think it is exceptional. However, Founders KBS is better. This beer lacks the complexity of its big brother in the aroma & taste department. Yet, I know that I am underrating this one.

Bell's Expedition Stout

Bell's Expedition Stout
Bell's Brewery, Inc.
Russian Imperial Stout
10.5% ABV
1.11 OG
IBUs?
12 oz bottle, bottled December 18, 2009, poured into a Bell's tulip.

Appearance 5/5
Pours black and opaque with a big, dark brown head that takes its own sweet time to build up. The head recedes to a thin collar eventually and leaves an excellent lacing. On a first glance, it's impossible to comment on clarity but after the head has receded, clear dark brown edges can be seen. Inviting!

Aroma 4/5
This is the smell of a big badass stout. Hard to describe fully because there are a lot of things going on here. Reeks of molasses and malts initially. Then chocolate, and possibly, coffee and vanilla. Booze, especially when it gets warm.

Taste 3.5/5
Big, dark malts surrounded by hoppy bitterness that stays until the long finish. There's booze in finish, noticeable even 9 months after bottling. Then plenty of rich aftertaste which is so roasty, that it seems burnt at times. Everything about this beer is big, but too rough and oddly bitter.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Silky, but not cloying over one bottle, which is the ideal amount to drink for this beer. Low carbonation, which is perfect for this beast. Body is big, as expected.

Drinkability 4/5
I have had the cask conditioned version too, and that was one of the best beer experiences I have had. Noticeably better on cask. Still, the drinkability is alright. However, this beer seems very rough which affects the score.

Tallgrass Oasis

Tallgrass Oasis
Tallgrass Brewing Company
Double ESB/IPAish (from brewer's website); DIPA on BeerAdvocate
7.2% ABV
OG?
93 IBUs
16 oz can with no freshness date (but possibly fresh, judging by liquor store) poured into a Samuel Adams "perfect pint"

Appearance 4.5/5
Pours clear and deep copper-red with a creamy, big, light tan head and good retention. Good lacing on the glass. Inviting.

Aroma 3.5/5
Medium piney and grassy hop aroma with some malty sweetness. No fruity esters. Above average, but ESB elements are missing. And if this were to be judged by DIPA standards, then aroma is not strong enough.

Taste 4/5
Good hop flavor and high bitterness, with malts pushed to the background, similar to an AIPA. No fruity esters. Dry and bitter finish. Again, the ESB elements are missing, and the hoppiness isn't enough to compensate for deviation from style.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Medium body, suitably carbonated. Nothing "double" about it though.

Drinkability 5/5
Very good. Alcohol is not noticeable at all.

Other
This is a hybrid style that the brewery describes as Double ESB/IPAish. My impression is that of an AIPA, with not enough hop aroma to back it up, or of an ESB with maltiness missing. However, as a beer, I like it and I would seek it out more. In the ratings, I have tried to take elements from both basic styles (ESB & DIPA) into account, and might have rated it higher than it deserves.

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen

Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen
Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying
Oktoberfest
5.6% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
500 ml bottle poured into a Samuel Adams "perfect pint"

Appearance 4/5
Bright golden-amber with a creamy dull white head and some lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Pleasantly rich and sweet toasted malt aroma. Boiled potatoes like notes, but not repulsive in any manner. Nothing overpowering. No hops.

Taste 4/5
Taste is never overpowering. Slight sweetness and balancing bitterness is noted. Taste has toasted elements of smell. Finishes fairly clean, but a malty beer will get to you in enough time: the finish tilts towards bitter when the beer is cold, and towards malty, but not cloying, when it's warm.

Mouthfeel 4/5
Medium body, average carbonation, and a creamy mouthfeel, especially as the beer warmed. The residual sweetness brings the score down to 4.

Drinkability 4/5
Pretty high. I could see it as a sessionable beer, although alcohol is high by my standards of a sessionable beer. And, it's one of those beers that are best drank cold.

Other
Good representation of the style. To quote BJCP, "This is one of the classic malty styles, with a maltiness that is often described as soft, complex, and elegant but never cloying". However, as a beer, it's not something that I would designate as "must have".

Ruination!

Stone Ruination IPA
Stone Brewing Co.
Imperial IPA
7.7% ABV
OG?
100+ IBUs
12 oz bottle with an "enjoy by" date of October 19, 2010 poured into a New Belgium snifter

Appearance 5/5
Very clear orange-red; amber when backlit with white light. Big, off-white, persistent head and insanely fantastic lacing.

Aroma 5/5
Very fresh and herbal, intense, hop aroma. Piney and grassy. I can smell it without sticking my nose in it.

Taste 5/5
Starts bitter, finishes bitter; or as BJCP says, absurdly bitter. There's a decent malt backbone, but I must say that it's just a backbone: no sweetness can be perceived when the beer is cold and it's tough to let it warm (see Drinkability). But for the sake of review, I let another bottle warm up, and the hop flavor, combined with the malts renders a fruity character before the finish. But this beer is not about malt character at all. It's all it claims to be! A dry and bittering finish, with notable warming; not just mouth (tongue, teeth, even lips), even my throat is bitter. The best kind of bitter, that could have gotten annoying, which brings us to the next item.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Hard to say whether it's an IPA or a DIPA, on the basis of mouthfeel alone but this won't deter me from giving this one the best score. The body is spot on, less than this could have made this an annoying experiment. Well carbonated and crisp, but not harsh.

Drinkability 5/5
Supreme. Nobody can have just one*
*Talking about those who can have one in the first place.

Other
Indeed a liquid poem to the glory of the hop. Had been waiting to get a fresh bottle to review and I have to say, it doesn't get better.

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

Celebrator Doppelbock
Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying
Doppelbock
6.7% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
330 ml into a Samuel Adams "perfect pint"

Apperance 5/5
Pours clear and dark brown with a light brown colored bubbly head, that recedes to a thin, but persistent and creamy one, with good lacing.

Aroma 5/5
A very rich aroma, full of dark fruit (raisins and figs), like a fresh, warm dessert. Caramel. There is a strong malt presence that goes well beyond mere sweetness. This is one of the best smelling malt forward beers that I have had a chance to try.

Taste 4/5
Taste is similar to aroma, but has a stronger candied, almost burnt, sugar character, that could be identified as molasses, but nowhere as viscous. Sweet all the way without being cloying, because of the excellent flavor. There is a slight bitterness that doesn't seem "hop-like". This bitterness balances the malts quite well, so that the overall impression is like caramel: nice! The finish is moderately dry: attenuated, given the sweetness. Although a residual sweetness is still notable over the course of the beer, it is adequately complemented by a darker taste. What's missing? Strength.

Mouthfeel 3.5/5
For a beer of this taste, I would prefer a stronger body. Also, the carbonation is higher. Wait after drinking some of it, and it does feel like you've had bread: very fitting! But my only complaint is a thin body.

Drinkability 3.5/5
I can drink a few of these. But if you're having more than one, it needs to be accompanied by some food, to avoid cloying aftertaste. I wrote that the taste is not cloying but a malty beer will get to you, given enough sips. Period. Usually this won't affect drinkability score for me, but this beer has a thin body. Had it been stronger in body, I'd give it a 5/5 on drinkability but in the long run, for this ABV & body, drinkability is not the best.

Other
Overall, this seems like a milder doppelbock. An enjoyable drink indeed, but going by the style guidelines, it needs to be more aggressive in taste and body.

Stone Smoked Porter

Picture from Stone's website

Stone Smoked Porter
Stone Brewing Co.
Robust Porter
5.9% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
22 oz bomber with an enjoy by date of September 04, 2010 poured into a wide mouthed Gouden Carolus glass.

Appearance 5/5
As described on the bottle, dark and deep mahogany color. Clear, with a full, creamy, tan head from an aggressive pour that recedes to a thin head, but with a nice collar that leaves outstanding lacing. Inviting and true to style.

Aroma 3/5
I get no smoke at all. The first impression is a little coffee-like tartness with a burnt character. I would like to describe it better, but the aroma is weak. Dark chocolate once in a whiff. A few swirls and plenty of malty sweetness becomes evident. Even two days before it's freshness date, there's some hop aroma to be found: this is fine by me and not against the style either, but I do not deem hop aroma necessary in a dark ale of this kind. Again, this hop aroma is once in a whiff.

Taste 3/5
Sweet to begin with, with some roasty bitterness in the finish. Hoppy bitterness is also present. The coffee-like tartness of smell is very present, and compliments the initial sweetness. The taste wasn't impressive but the aftertaste is better and flavorful with specialty malts. Finish leans towards bitter but is not dry by any means: it is medium-long; there's bitterness, there's roast, and there's sweet. This will make a good session beer paired with food, but on its own, it's not much of an experience.

Mouthfeel 3/5
Thin and unimpressive. Glad that this beer was warm enough or it would've been harsh, which might be desirable in an IPA or Pilsner, but would've been thoroughly confusing here. Carbonation is at a suitable level.

Drinkability 5/5
It's low in alcohol, it has light body, so you could drink a few, but the question I'd ask myself is, what's the point? Yet, the fact remains that it could be a solid session beer.

The Oracle

The Oracle
Bell's Brewery, Inc.
Double IPA
10.0% ABV
OG?
IBUs?
12 oz bottle, bottled August 23, 2010, sampled August 31, 2010, poured into an Ommegang glass. Shared with a friend because of limited beer.

Appearance 4.5/5
Pours clear and deep amber red with an average off white head and great lacing.

Aroma 4/5
Faint aroma of malts and hops initially, but as the beer warmed, I could detect more prominent citrusy and grassy hop aroma riding on a solid malt base.

Taste 4/5
Bittersweet: the beer is well hopped and it is a bitterness blast but the malty sweetness never fades, until a medium dry and very bitter finish. For a beer this malty, the finish is amazingly clean. Overall balanced, but tilting towards flavorful hoppy bitterness, as is suitable for the style.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Perfect to style: decently carbonated, yet not overly crisp; between smooth and crisp, I would call it smooth, even creamy.

Drinkability 5/5
Could've had a few, had it not been for alcohol which is well masked; but more importantly, and unfortunately, there was just one 12 oz. bottle between myself and a friend!