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Otter Creek - Copper Ale (90)
German-style Altbier
Vermont, USA
Deep amber/copper, very bready on the nose with malt, caramel and light, dry hops. Crisp, medium body in the mouth, light and earthy, some tang and toasted dryness. This is a really delicious beer, clean and well-balanced, filling and extremely drinkable. Highly recommended.
Founders - Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) (93)
Imperial Stout
2011
Michigan, USA
Tasted on 4/2/2012
Pitch black, pours thick and viscous. Oak, chocolate and freshly brewed dark coffee on the nose. Remnants of bourbon. In the mouth, thick and creamy, gobs of coffee, caramel and biscuity malt. Heat is well balanced for an 11% beer. The finish is thick and full of chocolate, long and full-bodied. A lesson in balance, a stout that shows wonderful restraint while showing off the complexity and depth of flavor.
Notch - Session Ale (87)
American Pale Ale
Massachusetts, USA
Deep copper pale ale, fresh and light with mellow, slightly fruity and citric hops and herbal, nutty notes. Some burnt caramel malt adds a nice counterbalance and the beer finishes crisp and dry. This is a session ale that will satisfy on many levels.
Baxter Brewing - Stowaway IPA (89)
American IPA
Maine, USA
Stowaway is a hop-focused brew. And rightfully so as any good IPA should be. The nose is full of grapefruit, citrus and piney hop notes. The mouth has a crispness that the other two don’t, though you still get that Baxter creaminess that is present throughout all of their beers. And, there’s definitely a similar sweet malty profile underlying the hops that are featured so prominently in Pamola and Amber Road. But, Stowaway brings a nice complexity of pinpointed flavors that aren’t as present in the others – a nice nuttiness in particular, along with some biscuity notes and a long finish with tobacco and bitter citrus.
Baxter Brewing - Pamola Xtra Pale (87)
American Pale Ale
Maine, USA
The Xtra Pale is a drinking mans pale ale. At only 4.9% ABV, it’s a craft that can take you through the night. This golden pale kicks off with a bit of effervescence, froths thick and creamy and brings some slightly bitter hop notes on the back. There aren’t a lot of flavors that truly pop, but it’s strangely satisfying in its subtlety. Pamola is bitter and sweet at points – perhaps a bit overdone on the sweet malt. If you’re looking for a full-flavored, hop-forward and complex pale ale experience, this isn’t your beer. But, sometimes you just want an ale than you can drink without thinking – something good and fulfilling, with no unnecessary frills. In that case, give this a try. I think you’ll find it a nice after-work thirst quenching reward.
Baxter Brewing - Amber Road (89)
Amber Ale
Maine, USA
A tasty, intensely drinkable and well-balanced amber ale. Aromatically, Amber Road’s mellow hops take a back seat to its sweet (but not overly so), earth and spice malt notes – caramel, biscuit, baking spices and a bit of honey. On taste, this amber goes down almost too easy. Quite sessionable, thick and creamy – subtle but full flavored.
Lakefront Brewery - Riverwest Stein Beer (89)
American Amber/Red Lager
Wisconsin, USA
Tasted on 12/5/2011
Dark and cloudy amber lager with sweet but mellow malt notes on the nose and crisp malt in the mouth. Some muted tropical notes come out as well This is a refreshing lager, balanced and well-rounded.
Cigar City - Either (91)
Black Ale
Florida, USA
$10/Single
See Review: 11/11/11
With just the pop of the cap, the sweet honey and malty mocha aromas perfumed from the bottle. The beer is black as night with just the faintest off-white head. Either has a nose of pure honey and mocha, herbal hops and toasted cedar. The body is smooth and luscious on the front and thick and sharp in the back – packing layer upon layer of texture and flavor. The sweet honey is focused and intense, baking spices and earthiness add complexity and the black alcohol spills forth with almost barleywine notes.
RedHook - Long Hammer IPA (84)
American IPA
Washington, USA
Cloudy golden amber IPA, mellow medium-body with not overly strong hops. A little empty on the finish and somewhat muted bitter flavors. Decent. Nothing more.
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) - Black Lager (89)
Schwarzbier
Boston, MA, USA
A surprisingly refreshing, smooth and delicious Schwarzbier from Sam Adams. Fresh mocha and chocolaty malt and a soft smokiness make this a really nice effort.
Stone Brewing Co - 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA (87)
American Imperial Black Ale
California, USA
Tasted on September 22, 2011
Big, black and bitter with roasted coffee and some chocolate. Concentrated sweet malt flavors on the back with a healthy portion of alcohol kick.
Rapscallion - Lager (87)
American Pale Lager
Massachusetts, USA
Honey lemon, nicely balanced lager and quite drinkable.
Pretty Things - Jack D'Or (88)
Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Massachusetts, USA
Sweet Belgian nose, mellowed sweetness on the palate with a nice kick of bitter grapefruit. A solid example of this style.
Smuttynose Brewing Co. - Black IPA (88)
American Black IPA
New Hampshire, USA
Smokey, porter-like, nicely balanced black IPA.
Peak Organic Brewing Co. - Amber Ale (86)
American Amber/Red Ale
Maine, USA
St. Johns Brewers - Island Hoppin' IPA (85)
American IPA
Virgin Islands
This beer, very appropriately, screams tropical islands. On the nose there are huge notes of banana, coconut, kiwi and lush berries. On taste, you get an initial burst of flavors – a mellowed down tropical fruit collage – that goes away rather quickly. In the mid palate and on the finish the flavors fade and the beer fails to really come through with its light body. There’s even a bit of a tinny aspect to the flavor that’s somewhat off-putting. Overall, it’s a decent IPA, unique in its approach, but it falls a bit short.
Terrapin Beer Company - Hopsecutioner IPA (88)
American IPA
Georgia, USA
Tasted on August 3, 2011
Hopsecutioner is big, thick and bold with a tall, frothy white head. It\'s a deep orange/amber with an ample amount of sweet, citrus malt notes on the nose. There\'s a pleasant helping of hops as well, but they\'re well balanced by the malt. On taste, the Hopsecutioner is deep, thick and frothy and stays around for quite some time. The name becomes very suitable as your mouth is taken over from every side by the citrus, malt and hops. There\'s a bit of grapefruit as well - but a southern grapefruit, not west coast. This is a bitter beer, so if you like your IPA\'s on the mellow side, this probably won\'t be your cup of tea.
Founders Brewing Co. - Pale Ale (87)
American Pale Ale
Michigan, USA
Burnt orange, cloudy and full of sediment, this Founders isn\'t my favorite of their line. But that\'s not saying much since most of their beers are top notch stuff. This is a decent pale ale but doesn\'t match up to the incredibly high bar they\'ve set with beers like their Rye PA and KBS.
Highland Brewing - Kashmir IPA (88)
American IPA
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
North Coast Brewing - Old Stock 2010 (89)
Old Ale
California, USA
Sweet Christmas cake, nutmeg, bread pudding, caramel. On the mouth, sweet ale, stout and chocolate pudding notes. Slightly thick syrup, but very tasty.
Bear Republic Brewing Co. - XP Pale Ale (88)
American Pale Ale
Healdsburg, California, USA
Caldera Brewing Co. - Pale Ale (89)
American Pale Ale
Oregon, USA
Light hopped pale ale. At only 5.5%, very sessionable.
Olde Hickory Brewing - Death By Hops (87)
American IPA
Hickory, North Carolina, USA
Surprisingly well balanced for such a hop heavy, low alcohol beer. Huge white frothy head with hop aroma for days.
Bell's Brewery - Two Hearted Ale (88)
American IPA
Michigan, USA
Floral and fruity IPA
Abita Brewing Co. - Resotration Pale Ale (85)
American Pale Ale
Louisiana, USA
Pisgah Brewing Co. - Pale Ale (86)
American Pale Ale
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA
Very floral, big bitter finish, mild.
Nantahal Brewing Co. - Appalachian Trail Extra (ATX) Pale Ale (89)
American Pale Ale
Bryson City, North Carolina, USA
Light orange, citrus nose. Orange citrus comes through quite a bit. Light to medium body pale ale. Easy drinking and smooth. A nice ale.
Lost Coast Brewery - Indica IPA (90)
American IPA
California, USA
Founders Brewing Co. - Red's Rye PA (92)
Rye Pale Ale
Michigan, USA
Dark orange/brown with a frothy white head. Big red grapefruit and citrus hop notes on the nose with a kick of malt and rye. This beer is smooth, thick and delicious! It just fills up your mouth! Malts, bitter hops and rye come together in a beautiful harmony to create an exceptionally well-balanced rye beer. The finish is slightly dry with spicy herbaceous notes coming through.
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Samurai (88)
Rice Ale
Denver, Colorado, USA
Heady rice aromas and thick white sediment at the bottom of the bottle leave the first impressions. The beer is cloudier than expected. Mild, crisp and refreshing. A well-balanced rice ale that trumps others in the style (many of which I\'ve had at Asian restaurants). A little nutty, earthiness to add depth. A solid take on an old world style.
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale (84)
English Pale Ale
Denver, Colorado, USA
Rustic, earthy, herbal, thick and heavy with a slightly off-putting bitterness. I get a little cola/root beer action going on. Nothing to write home about.
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Colette (88)
Saison / Farmhouse Ale
Denver, Colorado, USA
Rustic farmhouse. Fruit notes up front, dirt and bramble in the mid palate turning into a complex funkiness in the finish. Nicely done effort.
Ipswich Ale Brewery - Original Ale (87)
English Pale Ale
Massachusetts, USA
Cigar and orange citrus make this ale unique. Nice balance, medium body, very drinkable.
