and dry hopped with only the whole flowers of Centennial and Simcoe
hops.
Very citrusy and resiny, medium mouthfeel. This hazy orange creation gets
a
99 Rating on RB & an A- on BA.
fruit notes in the background.
hops, German & Belgian Malts. Lively, lightly spiced, fruity esters and
toasted malts,
interesting and complex, hops come on at finish.
with lots of nectar like notes, bitter and citrus hops, it's sweet, and all
of it's elements
work extremely well together.
malts and spicy, peppery hops. You can taste a light dose of cascade hops
on
it's pleasant bitter finish.
jolt on the nose as well as the tongue. Some sweetness hides the 8.3%.
Piney, resinous
and various citrus flavors round out this local offering.
and complexity than we expected from a 5%er. Grainy and malty with a touch
of pine
hops, balanced and drinkable.
Thirstoberfest is Here and we're Loving it!
The Imperials, strong, smooth mouthfeel
Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin - A super
rare, 89 rated Imperial
with a 8% ABV. Spiced, sweet, Fall in a
bottle.
Rock Art Extreme Pumpkin Spruce
Stout
Roasted chocolate malt flavor with spruce notes and
delicate spicing, not very pumpkin-like but good and
complex at 8%.
Point Whole Hog Pumpkin Nice pumpkin
nose, bold balanced
and spicy. Hop bitterness keeps this brew from tasting
sweet, easy
to drink for a 7.5%er.
Williamsburg AleWerks Pumpkin
Surprise! It's the best pumpkin
you haven't heard of with a 95 rating. Caramel and
vanilla, with some
earthy fruity notes keep this beer interesting and
distinguishable from
the rest of the pack. A well disguised
7.3%.
Regular strength Pumpkins go down easy
Shock Top Pumpkin Well done, great
entry level pumpkin, I've given
it to some non craft beer drinkers, and all of them
liked it. It's easy,
it's interesting and finishes quietly.
Stegmaier Pumpkin A tasty spiced ale,
not overwhelming in the pumpkin
department, but a pleasant mix of spices with a slight
caramel underpinning.
Even though the Lion Brewery makes it, it's ok to like
it.
Rocktoberfestbiers, so nice for cold nights
Great Lakes Oktoberfest - We managed
to squeeze another case out of our wholesaler, it's
up there with the best of the best, was featured with
it's German counterparts recently
on NBC's Today Show, and holds several accolades. All
that's left, is for you to taste it for
yourself.
Awards:
- Gold Medal, 2008 World Beer Championships
- Silver Medal, 2007 World Beer Championships
- Silver Medal, 2004 World Beer
Championships
Blue Point Oktoberfest Classic Marzen,
lagered just like the German brews for two months.
Light bodied. Sweet malt and bready flavors round out
this 5% offering.
Bell's Octoberfest Beer
Amber, malty with caramel notes. The citrus like noble
hops make this an untraditional OF Beer 5.8%.
Warsteiner Oktoberfest
Classic, mellow fest at 5%, when you want to keep
throwing back brews all night long just like
Germans in a huge tent in Munich.
Other Seasonally appropriate
Brews we like
Long Trail Double Bag A double German
style Altbier, 93 Rated, 7.2% award winner, staple of
this brewery. Rich caramel, molasses and spicy fruit
notes, slight bitter finish, solid brew.
Duck-Rabbit Amber Ale
Toasted, caramel, bready concoction, thick body
considering it's only a 5.5%er, there's
no shortage of taste here.
Bell's Oarsman Ale, the most mild offering from this brewery. Just because it's a 4% wheat Ale
designed forsession drinking, doesn't mean you need to
sacrifice good taste. This Berliner style holds true to the
thirst quenching, tart tradition of the style. Use this citrusy well carbonated gem
in the remaining warm weather.
For the approaching dark nights, a mellow dry stout will
serve you well. Saranac Irish Stout,
at 5.5%, pours black with ample coffee and chocolate
notes, but won't blow your doors off,
very palatable. If you can handle Guinness, you can handle
this!
If it's a drinkable amber Ale with nutty notes and a light
body, it must be Abita Pecan Fall Harvest.
In keeping with Abita's tradition,
this baby is made for imbibing, that's how they do it in
Louisiana.
Get Punk'd!
New Holland Ichabod Pumpkin
combines more hops than most pumpkins which then becomes fused with
spices like nutmeg, let it get
warmer for maximum enjoyment
Arcadia Jaw Jacker Pumpkin
is spicy, yet mellow bodied, doesn't drink like a 6% brew, finishes
with nuances of
every pumpkin pie spice that I can think
of.
Saranac Pumpkin, a
prime example of a nice spiced Amber Ale, with vanilla and clove notes.
A solid pumpkin at a budget price. How
do they do it for under thirty bucks.
Don Your
Lederhosen!
German schooled brewers produce a spot-on
beer that is better than many originals. Victory Fest is one of
the best
Marzen's available anywhere, bar none! -
Paulaner Oktoberfest Marzenis one of the Six original
brewer's from Munich
that are permitted to serve their beer at
the Oktoberfest celebration. Caramel, malty and slightly sweet, just the way an
original
festbier should taste. - Thomas
Hooker is another Marzen Lager made in the German tradition. - Deep
amber, and creamy smooth captures the
essence of Lakefront Oktoberfest Lager. - While
Warsteiner Oktoberfest is made for the times when you are
drinking more than one, or even six
or seven! It has all the classic elements, but subdued, which allows for many
repeats. - Heavy Seas Marzen also has a light bodied complexion and
mouthfeel, malty, but with a little honey taste on the back end
Appalachian Brewing - Outta
Focus Double IPA More malty and caramel than usual for a
Double/Imperial Style,
citrus, sticky lingering hops on the back
end with a respectable 8% and 80 IBUs.
Middle Ages Wailing
Wench Lots of toast, burnt and toffee notes. Some sweet fruity notes,
drinks more like
an Imperial ESB, than a DIPA.
Firestone Walker - Union Jack
IPA Sneaky West Coast style IPA at 7.5%, you'd never know it by
taste.
Piney, sticky, resins mixed with some nectar
like tastes. Just enough supporting malts, to balance.
Harpoon - Belgian Pale
Ale Spice and banana notes with citrus hops that
linger.
Ithaca - Flower Power
IPA Customer favorite with aromatic hops and sweetness, the 7.5% is
well hidden.
Bear Republic -Racer 5 IPA
A four hop mixture, with tastes of orange and grapefruit, piney hops
kick in upon finishing.
Fort Collins - Rocky Mountain
IPA Sweet start with moderate bitterness, courtesy of piney grapefruit
hops, medium bodiedat 6.2%
Boulder Brewing - Mojo
IPA Floral, mango and nectar tastes with hops that kick in midway.
7.2%
Lake Placid - IPA One
of FX Matt's best, mix of toasted malts and piney hops, best bang-for-buck
IPA.
Fish Tale - Organic Amber
Ale Bread and caramel with bitter hops, drinkable
5.5%er.
Sugar Hill - Golden Ale
Blonde, sweet, herby and malty brew with slight
bitterness.
Smutty Nose - Shoal's Pale
Ale English Style Pale with toasted malts backed up by floral, herbal
notes and a bitter finish.
New Holland - Sundog
Amber Ale, toasted, toffee, with a balanced hoppiness 6%.
New Holland - Golden
Cap Saison, light fruitiness, sweet and sour at once, award winner
7%.
Otter Creek - Summer,
Light bodied wheat Ale, a great lawnmower or pool
accompaniment.
Breckenridge - Regal Double
Pilsner, Sweet caramel malts, and a bitter finish
7%.
Harpoon - Summer
Drinkable, crisp, clean refreshing kölschbier (German Style
Ale).
Blue Point - Summer Ale
Delicately spiced Blonde Ale, perfect for eating the
heat!
Anchor - Summer Beer
Light, refreshing Wheat Ale, an anticipated Summer staple since
1984.
RedHook - Wit Their
newest creation is a Belgian White, with a touch of spice, and mild fruit
notes.
Dogfish - Midas Touch
9%er, using a recipe taken from dead remains, sweet malt and honey, wee
bit of bitterness
Cisco Brewing - Bailey's
blonde Ale Impressive blonde with citrus notes and Centennial hops,
full bodied at 7.5%.
Great Lakes - Holy Moses
Aromatic Belgian white with plenty of flavor, I like the yeasty, lemony
and citrus flavors.
Abita Brewing - Satsuma Wit
Louisiana Satsuma Citrus fruit makes the difference in this Belgian
white, spicy, yet refreshing
Southampton
IPA - Balanced and drinkable, a fusion of English
and American IPAs,
hoppy but not too
bitter.
GreenFlash Hop
Head Red - 98 Rated Amber, hoppy concoction,
caramel, pine and a dry finish.
Sierra Nevada -
Southern Hemisphere, 98 Rated Wet Hop harvest IPA,
with New Zealand hops
and a bit of sweetness that combines
with the piney, citrus qualities of the hops.
Firestone-Walker
- Union Jack IPA99 Rated IPA with Centennial &
Simcoe hops.Citrus, floral,
sticky with noticeable malt.
Lagunitas - Hop
Stoopid 99 Rated, the name says it all. Grapefruit,
big 102 IBU, and big 8%.
Breckenridge -
Avalanche Amber Malty, sweet, and grainy and mellow
at 5.4%.
Tall Grass -
Oasis 93 Rated Bitter/ESB with a powerful 93 IBUs
and 7.2%. Pineapple, citrus and
piney hops, plenty of malt and a
bitter ESB finish.
Fish Tale -
Organic "Wild Salmon" American Pale Ale Tangy hop
fruit flavors and some malt sweetness,
finishes dry.
Avery - Karma
Belgian Pale Ale Plum, fruits and spicy peppery
notes. Lingering toasted caramel malts in the
finish.
Six Point -
Bengali tiger IPA 96 rated, 6.8%er, Intense IPA
aroma gets your taste buds in synch for the rich malt
that combines
with the noticeably piney hops.
Flying Fish -
Extra Pale Ale This APA was tailor made for a
summer session. A little fruity, and a little sweet, very
quenching.
Lakefront -
IPARespectable 7%, yet light in the mouth, smooth,
creamy and grapefruit aromas, easy drinker.
Philadelphia Brewing Fleur De Lehigh
- A cross between a Belgian Pale Ale and a Saison. Interesting an
infinitely drinkable with delicate notes of chamomile, ginger and lemon grass to
name just a few. Probably their best seasonal.Left Hand Juju - Mild and
mellow 4%er, with bready malts and some definite ginger tastes, and delicate
hopping
with a clean finish.
Heavy Seas Summer Ale - This mild
blonde has some sweet malts and a touch of lemon zest. Clean and
balanced.
Blue Point Spring Fling - Copper/Amber ale, yeasty, malty and a little spicy. Nice dry
hopped finish.
Southampton Keller Pils - They nailed it! A true German Pils, that may be, dare I
say?...better than many of the originals. Bitter, crisp and clean just like a
great pilsener should be.
Belikin - The official beer
of Belize, serve it ice cold, outdoors, or while cutting the lawn. This baby was
made for hot weather.
Abita Satsuma Wheat - Belgian style wit, with some citrus and orange aromas and flavors,
finishes with a little bit 'o spice.
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice - Creamy Ale with sweet notes, hops and some spices. Like Dreamsicle
or Cream soda, Yum!
Thomas Hooker Watermelon - This must be the year of the watermelon, for we can't seem to keep
this stuff in stock,
due to customer demand. Strangely refreshing is their credo,
it's true, it's really drinkable, not overdone and is an extremely refreshing
ale.
Point Nude Beach - Citrus,
smooth wheat Ale, with orange and banana notes, yeasty wit ha dry
finish.
Cigar City Guava Grove Saison -
Interesting array fruit and flower aromas with the addition of guava,
sweet upfront, yet a tart like finish, thanks to a decent
helping of hops (for the style).
Wittekerke Belgian White - Wheaty and spicy with citrus and a decent level of carbonation.
It's much like a Hoegaarden
4.2% Belgian Witbier, with a mild sweetness and just the
right amount of spices blended together.
Cricket Hill Jersey Summer
Breakfast Ale - Mellow Belgian Style Ale of 4.5%.
Yeasty,
Gritty's Summer Vacationland
Ale 5%Golden Ale with earthy herbal qualities
and a hoppy finish.
Mendocino Golden Blonde
Seasonal AleSweet malts and bready, with just enough Cascade
and Saaz
Lakefront Cherry LagerTart local Wisconsin Cherries with sweet malts provides a nice balance
of flavors.
Southern Tier Hop SunWheat Ale with plenty of spice and citrus, assertive finish without
being overwhelming.
Tailgate Black Top Blonde From
San Diego, CASweet malts, floral notes and plenty of hops, make
this a tailgate favorite.
Great Lakes Holy Moses Belgian
White AleAwesome Belgian Wit with the right amount coriander,
orange peel,
Smutty Nose Summer
WeizenAuthentic Belgian yeast with spice and fruit flavors.
Clean, light, with a zesty finish.
Cisco Grey Lady AleWonderful Wit aroma, that delivers a complex dose of enjoyable
flavors.
Ithaca Partly SunnyInteresting take on a Belgian White Ale, all of the usual tastes, done
slightly sweeter,
Red Hook WitNew from Redhook, banana, clove and ginger, lemony with decent
bitterness, a solid Hook.
Narragansett Summer Ale – An
American Blonde/Pale Ale, A- BA Rating, the best
offering to ever
come out of this brewery, at 4.2%, that says a lot. Faint pine hops, sweet
grassy malts.
Seadog Blueberry Wheat Ale
– Wheat Ale with Blueberry. Wonderful blueberry aroma,
not sweet nor
sour, just right with the use of wild Maine
blueberries. Wheat notes surface after the fruit and gives a slightly bready
finish combined with the berries.
Troeg’s Sunshine Pils
– Noble Hops and just
the correct amount of bitterness make this the perennial Summer Pilsener.
It’s refreshing
and just ever so slightly sweet, it wouldn’t be Summer without this one.
Anchor Summer Beer – This hazy wheat Ale has tastes of
citrus and nuances of hops,
I get calls for
this one, two months before it’s release!
Otter Summer Ale – Thin body with some caramelized malts
and honey, tad of citrus, great on a day like this!
DogFish Head Festina Peche – Sour
Berliner Weisse style brew is strangely drinkable, with a nice peach aroma.
Not overdone in any way. It’s A- rating,
and our strong sales of FP, suggests this brew has an incredible following of
fans. Can Sam do no wrong?
Atwater Block Dirty Blonde – Orange peel, coriander and some other spices
add some depth to this slightly sweet refreshing brew.
Dominion Beach House
– Golden Pilsener Bready aroma, dry
and bitter, with some
complex hints of
flavor, a wonderful golden brew!
Blue Moon Pale Moon - Belgian Pale Ale. Macro-brewer Coors,
gets creative, some floral & orange, aromas with sweet malts, not much hop
action, but a solid offering from Coors, and a giant step in the right
direction.
New Castle Summer Ale– This blonde was only available in draft last year, which
created headaches for us here, since customers were demanding this drinkable
brew.
Long Trail Belgian White – I had this one last week and was quite
impressed with the Belgian qualities and respectable spices, combined with
wonderful orange-esque aromas, this slightly sweet one is a great summer
quencher.
Breckenridge Summer Bright Ale – Lemon, wheat and yeasty aromas and
tastes. Soft hops with a clean, crisp finish.
New Kids In
Town
Cottrell Brewing From
Connecticut - Mystic Bridge IPA, citrus, piney and caramel.
Fish Tale Organic IPA
from Olympia, Washington - 6.5%, a little sweet with multiple hop
varieties,
Kind Beers Pale Ale
North Carolina - malty, with fruit notes and sweet caramel.
Tantalizing
Spring-Summer Seasonals
Lancaster Brewing Kolsch -
Traditional German Ale very crisp and refreshing, perfect for your
BBQ
Breckenridge Regal -
Double Pilsner of 7%, jacked up hops and malt!
Heavy Seas Dubbel Cannon
- Belgian Style IPA, 7.25%, with all of the spices you expect, such as
coriander
and orange peel.
Victory Summer Of Love -
Golden Blonde Ale, with a twist, German Hops!
DIPA's
Moylan's Hopsickle -
Prototypical, highly acclaimed 9.2% DIPA from a small California Brewery and
restaurant.
Rock Art Extreme Belvidere Big
IPA From Vermont - 8% Sweet caramel, bready and bitter
Oooh!
Laughing dog sneaky Pete
- DIPA of 10%, aromatic with huge citrus, and grapefruit flavors
tempered with honey..
Old Fav's
Lagunitas Little Sumpin'
Ale - 7.2%, Wheat based IPA from an incredible San Diego
brewer.
Bell's Pale Ale -
Solid 5.3% Pale from one of our favorite brewers.
Alesmith "X" - Incredible staple type
of brew. At 5% it goes down way to easy. It just provesthat
one does not have to compromise taste in a mild mannered brew. Sweet
toffee malts, and
floral,
piney hops make this an incredible 97 Rated standout among the APA category.
Long Trail Brew Master's Series Double IPA Their new brew master
line is meant to change
your
perception of Long Trail, and it will. This one-time so, so session
brewer, has decided to
break
their mold, and up the ante. Fans have responded in kind with a 98 rating.
Tart, citrus and savory
hop
profile, with solid malt support, at 86 IBUs this one feels more balanced than
many, with the alcohol
being
felt more than tasted.
Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shutdown American Style Strong
Ale, Pop the cap off,
you
won't be complaining that this one doesn't have a nose. Pungent, piney, strong
bitter hops, with sweet burnt roasted malt notes and alcohol. The numbers: 98
Rated, 74 IBUs 9.75%
Alexander Keith's Nova
Scotia Style Pale Ale Crisp, clean, mellow
citrus hops with a creamy malt
complexion.
Not a hop-head's brew, but rather a traditional golden English style Pale Ale.
Magic Hat Blind Faith - What's old is new again! This brew was
one of their original flavors, when they first hit the market years
ago, and has been unavailable for the last 4 years. Currently, MH is
brewing it as one their rotating IPAs on tour. Some piney, earthy aromas
and hop tastes, with some sweetness and a bitter finish. The levels of hops and
malt are commensurate with it's 6.2% ABV, this is a "working man's"
IPA. 86 Rated
Ithaca's Flower Power IPA It's their best hoppy
offering, it sits atop of the IPA "food chain", but don't
get
used to it, because they don't make enough of this 95 Rated, 7.5% hazy orange
stunner of an IPA.
I
could sell 100X what they send me! It all starts with the abundant nose of
resinous hops, and continues with orange, lemon zest and some sweet bready
notes.
Bear Republic Racer 5 A blend of four hops, with some
earthy notes and lots of nectar like flavors with an accompanying sticky
mouthfeel. Sweet malts and a dry finish cap the experience. 99 Rated, 75 IBUs
7.5%
Avery IPA 96 Rated, 69 IBUs, 6.5%. Nice tasting fairly
prototypical IPA. Hop forward, malt kicks in,
creamy
mouthfeel, bitter lingering finish. What's not to like?
Brewdog Hardcore IPA 9.2% DIPA, 99 Rated. Heavy bodied and really
bitter with 150+ IBUs. Pine and
overripe
fruits with a heaping of English malts and sweet caramel notes. Too much
of everything, tastes wonderful
Red Hook Long Hammer Fairly Standard IPA that drinks more like an APA
by today's standards. More malt forward than any other IPA in this mix. Caramel
sweetness, and grassy, zesty hops. Sessionable, or nice with seafood 6.5%.
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale Sam's 98 Rated Brown
Ale, that's really a dark (not black) IPA. Plethora of dark fruits, coffee,
chocolate and lots of sweet molasses. It all works together, it's not heavy and
is fusion of many different styles. Very nice.
Middle
Ages Impaled IPA Fruity, orange and grapefruit notes. Lots of malts add to the copper
color of this brew. It's a dry, bitter Brit. style with some more oomph than
it's UK
brethren.
Yards Saison 6.5%
This brew is fine example of
a blonde Belgian Farm House Style Ale,
without the price tag.
Banana, clove & coriander, with some citrus zest
and
floral notes.
Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom
5% Cream Ale
Aromatic orange aromas waft
from this one, taste is the same,
tastes like real oranges
with some sweetness, and earthiness
in the background. The
Creaminess comes out in the end.
Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat 5%
Citrus wheat aromas, that
lead to orange and tangerine zest, with
a slightly bitter finish.
Lagunitas Undercover Shutdown Ale
98 Rated, 9.75%, American
Strong Ale, 74 IBUs, sweet caramel, malty, pine
hops, bold and boozy
Otter Creek Summer Wheat Ale 4.9%
Very refreshing wheat ale
with some nice citrus notes, moderate
maltiness and some hop
bitterness contribute to a satisfying end.
Wolaver's Organic Wildflower Wheat Ale 5.5%
Organic Wildflower Honey and
Chamomile make this brew an interesting
drink. Fragrant floral notes
and spices make an appearance and enhance
this lively ale, just the
thing for summer...or anytime.
Red Hook Pilsner 5.3%
Clean, crisp golden pils.
with some grainy, bready notes. A classic thirst
quencher, with more oomph,
than a standard American "big three" brew.
Great Lakes DoppelBock 8%
Mahogany color, big malts,
some sweetness with some nuttiness, little bit o’
coffee and hops.
Point Brewing Nude
Beach Wheat Ale 5%
Grain & Straw-like
qualities with Yeast qualities of bubblegum and banana, lively with citrus
notes, extremely refreshing.
Troeg’s Sunshine Pils – Pilsener 5.2%
Classic gold, with a bit of
lemon zest and citrus with a clean, crisp finish.
Philadelphia Brewing Fleur De Lehigh
Saison 4.2%
Ginger, Lemon and spices and
yeast. Oddly interesting and refreshing.
Harpoon Summer Beer – Kolsch 5%
Great Summer refresher,
golden, grainy with a sweet malty flavor and a nice bitter finish.
Bell’s Oberon Wheat Ale 91
Rated 6%
Quintessential Summer Wheat
Ale, lemony and lightly spiced with some floral notes, slightly sweet and
slightly hopped.
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice Cream
Ale 5.6%
Malty copper Ale with just
the right amount of sourness to be palateable.
Citrus, orange and bready
notes fill this one out quite nicely.
Sierra Nevada Summerfest, Lager 5%
Pilsner hops give this a
nice tang. Citrus, and floral spice with nice
bitter end.
Peak Organic Simcoe Spring Ale 5.4% Rated 86
Kissed with Simcoe hops,
reminds of the Vic. HPA, the pine and earthiness of
the hops shine, everything
works so well together.
Otter Creek Summer Wheat Ale 4.9%
Orange tartness, wheat and
honey combine with floral notes and slight hop bitterness.
J.W. Dundees Summer Wheat HefeWeizen 4.2%
Yeasty, Dough like qualities
are the highlight of this unfiltered brew, with
some spices and honey, very
mellow thirst quencher.
Blue Point Spring Fling Amber Ale 5.2%
Earthy amber dominated by
sweet caramel and some citrus hops. Some noticeable rye with a bitter English
hop finish.
Tale of Two DIPAS
Rock Art Belvidere Big
IPACaramel and sweet malts combine with Piney-Citrus
hops
to give this DIPA a 93 Rating with 8%
Alcohol.
Maltier than many other Imperials I've
had.
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
100 Rated, extremely approachable DIPA.
Sweet, floral, citrus 100 IBUs+ an enjoyable 8%
bomb.
Work Horse IPAs
Brooklyn Brewing East India Pale
Ale
Made in the English tradition, with English
hops,
but with a heavy American
hand. Some citrus and pine
qualities, but the shear bitterness is what
stands
out with a little maltiness in the
background.
Ballast Point Big Eye PA
This is one we can never get enough of.
Resinous,
earthy, floral and sweet malty. 98 Rated, it's all
here
and it'sall good!
Central City Red Racer
IPA
And you thought Canadians couldn't make a
98
Rated IPA? They can, and it's definitely worth
the effort to have one. Balanced, yet with the dial
turned slightly to the hoppier side, they use
great
hops with nectar like notes, that work well
with
the sweet malts.
Thomas Hooker Hop Meadow
IPA
Three different hops with aromatic
qualities.
Hints of butterscotch with herbal hops. 91
Rated
6.5%
The American Pale Ales
Great Divide Fresh Hop Ale
98 Rated 6.1% Grassy, with citrus zest,
very hoppy without being overdone, dry
finish.
Peak Organic Simcoe Spring
Ale
They kissed this brew with these signature
hops
for perfect hints of floral, piney nuances and so
much
more. These hops go a long way in small
quantities.
Great responsible use in this APA.
Belgian Ale From The New Mexico
Desert
Monk's Ale by Abbey Beverage
Company
Lots of Pale Malts, caramel and grainy
sweetness
with banana, vanilla and muted spice
notes.
Once you have Black....
Cannon you may never go back to Regular IPAs again!
Their wildly popular Loose Cannon gets a roasty,
toasty,
coffee infused makeover. A little nutty with some cocoa
notes
as well, change is good!
Other Seasonal Players
Bell's Cherry Stout
Sweet creamy malts combine with tart cherries for
a wonderful contrast with plenty of chocolate
overtones.
92 Rated 7%
Summit Brewing MaiBock
This rich blonde bock has lots of bread, grain
and
grassy qualities. An easy to drink 7%
Lager.
New Holland Imperial Mad
Hatter
96 Rated Double IPA with a
9.4% piney, oomph.
Nice hop aroma, smells like
it tastes, the resinous hops endure throughout
with some floral notes. Easy
to quaff light feeling DIPA.
Smutty
Nose Big "A" IPA
So many hops went into the
creation of this 99 Rated 9.2% Grog.
Nice orange glow with a
textbook perfect pillow. Careful and precise hopping
showcase this aromatic
multi-dimensional DIPA with a backbone that can
bear the heavy hop load.
Bitter good!
Oskar
Blues Gubna
Smoothest tasting 98 Rated
10%er you'll ever imbibe.
Earthy, floral and resiny
friends greet you in your first sip. Settle in,
and it just gets better,
nice malts, with grapefruit and floral nuances.
Laughing
dog Alpha Dog
If 127 IBUs doesn't get you
rolling, you may not have a pulse.
96 Rated golden hued 8%er,
with huge grapefruit, citrus aroma
and taste. Not harsh, thanks
to sweet malts that balance the mix.
Yum!
Buffalo
Bills Alimony ale
Kicking it old school, California style. Brewed
like the original
WC IPAs. It's bitter,
through and through, all the way to the end,
just like an unhappy
divorce. Caramel malts provide the balance
that keeps you from needing
a stick to bite down on, because of
the bitter pain.
Dogfishead
Aprihop
It's one of the brews from
DF that I anticipate every year, so much better
than a New
England Apricot Pale. For this true IPA fires on all cylinders
and easily hits it's hoppy
stride upon the first sip. This brew tastes like it's
hopped differently than a 60
minute. Thankfully, it's brewed in a "not too
sweet" fashion. We like
it, crave it, and the apricot notes make it a quaffable,
unique offering. 93 Rated,
7%
Bell's Two Hearted Ale
100 Rated, 7%. Why should I
even bother to describe it? It's perfect, a
beautiful seamless balance
of malt & hops in perfect symphony. Oops...
got go grab one right
now!
Mt. Shasta
Mountain High Weed IPA
Golden colored 7% malt
forward IPA with caramel and biscuit notes.
Balanced Hops, medium
bitterness, easy drinker, all the right stuff,
just limited doses of it,
good IPA for warmer weather.
Speakeasy
Prohibition Ale
94 Rated Amber Ale of 6.1%
Aggressive Hops tempered by
sweet Maltiness, and a clean hoppy finish.
Central
Waters Glacial Trail IPA
Another 3rd coaster, with a
fine IPA. Light in body, caramel, malty
and well hopped for
it's 5.5% ABV.
Williamsburg AleWerks Chesapeake Pale Ale
Solid amber APA with citrus
hops and nice malt balance. Just
what an American Pale Ale
should be.
Victory
Headwaters Pale Ale
Newest offering in the
Victory family scores a 91, nearly unheard of for
an APA. Why, because Victory
doesn't stray from what the category is all
about. This brew strikes a
perfect balance, while providing the right amounts of
our favorite citrus and
floral hops, but in the right amount. This lively brew will
surely become one of my
favorites this summer.
Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti
Imperial Stout with a 100 Rating
at 9.5% ABV
Brewers Description:
Espresso Oak Aged Yeti
Imperial Stout is a new addition to the Yeti clan.
A generous infusion of Denver’s own Pablo’s
espresso adds yet another
layer of complexity to this beer, combining with the
vanilla oak character,
intense roasty maltiness and bold hop profile to create
a whole new breed
of mythical creature. It’s official, you can now have Yeti
with breakfast.
Suggested food pairings:
Breakfast burrito, eggs Benedict, hash browns, cheesecake, creme brulee.
Me:
Huge Chocolate & Coffee
aromas, then a plethora of flavors,
a little wine, vanilla,
coffee, wood toast working together with a
little booze warmth and a hoppy
finish.
Welcome heavy mouthfeel. Worthy of it’s rating.
Brewdog Paradox Smokehead
Imperial Stout of 10% with a
96 Rating
Brewers Description:
Collaboration between
SmokeHead Whisky and BrewDog.
Me:
Lively heavy body with
bacon-like bbq smokiness, the complexities of the whiskey are there,
some
vanilla that adds to the smoke and woodsy qualities,
but mostly dominated by
burnt coffee and malts, some toffee
and chocolate, though not as aggressive as
the aforementioned
lavors, this is an interesting, one-of-a kind brew, that’s
way worth the trip.
I’d like to age this one and review it again.
Avery Mephistopheles Imperial Stout
100 Rated, 16++%!!!!
Brewers Description:
Mephistopheles is the crafty
shape shifter, the second fallen angel. Amazingly complex,
coal black, velvety
and liqueurish, this demon has a bouquet of vine-ripened grapes,
anise and
chocolate covered cherries with flavors of rum-soaked caramelized dark fruits
and a double espresso finish. Mephistopheles is the final installment of
"The Demons of Ale" series.
Me:
Wow! Motoroil Black. There’s
not many brews in this class. But it is unlike the other two I’ve had
(BD Tokyo
& DF WWS). This one is way chocolately, with a heavy dosing of dark fruits,
cherries
and nuts. Definite alcohol assertiveness, but not nearly as rough as
one would expect from this ABV.
Courtesy of the sweetness. Finishes with
coffee and sweetness.
Laughing Dog Dogfather
98 Rated Imperial Stout of
10.85%
Brewers Description:
I got a brew you can’t
refuse. The Dogfather is one of the biggest brew we have ever made,
weighing in
a 10.85% alcohol. 7 malts and 4 hops give it a complex flavor profile.
Over 11
month in the making some of the DogFather has been barrel aged.
This is a very
limited release, only 300 case made.
Me:
Score one for potato
country! Dig the major tan head. Caramel and bready with a
sprinkling of
chocolate notes. Dark fruits, coffee and alcohol appear midway,
take another
sip and you’ll finish with some bitterness.
I really enjoyed this one immensely.
The Gemini
TwinsSouthern Tier Gemini is the tale of two great beers
inside of one huge bottle.
Southern Tier kicks of up the jams in this
10.5% blended ale which is a combo of Unearthly
and Hoppe. Seven types of brewing/kettle
hops and Five types of dry hops alone
help push it's rating to the lofty "99"
score. Careful crafting in just the right proportions,
ensure that the four types of malts, keep a
slight reign over the the pine & grapefruit hops.
The result is a splendid tasting beer with a
well hidden alcoholic oomph!
Oh what a Lucky bastard you
are!Stone Lucky Bastard proves that two bastards are
better than one!
In the fermentation tank, the brewer blends
their award winning Double -B- with their Oak Aged -B-, and dry hop
them together. This 13th anniversary "one
off" commemoration of the Bastard's inception results in a viscous, ultra
malty
consistency, caramel woodsy taste with their
aggressive citrus, fruit hops. A solid 99 rating and a solid 8.5%. These guys
know
how to throw an anniversary
party!
Hoptimum is Optimum!Only
the "Whole Hop Buds" are used in this one. SN is successfully combating the
notion that they are becoming
a "garden variety" brewer. The excellent Pale is their
blessing and their undoing at the same time. As brewers keep upping the ante
and creativity in their newest offerings, their Pale seems
to be getting left behind. Afraid of being branded the "Sam Adams" or
"Saranac"
of the West Coast, this brewer has been churning out some
incredible offerings in 2010 (with a little help from their friends). I, myself
certainly
have a new found respect for their prowess as a world
class brewer. This year is off to an even better start! They've been
busy
developing their own type of hops during the last few
years, and the early fruits of their labors are in this bottle. First you need
to drink in the aroma, then drink in the piney and
resinous hops that form a brutal bitterness with a little sweetness. We call it
100 IBUs of 10.4% greatness, the critics responded with
a "99" as well.
Fishy Brewer Has Eyes For
YouBallast Point, if you ever get a chance to meet any of
their brewers at an event, do it! It's amazing
that some of these brewing greats are also
the coolest "regular guys" in the world. Yeah, we appreciate them for who they
are, and they just happen to make some our favorite IPAs. Big Eye PA is
one of our "go-to" IPAs. Their sea-centric nomenclature serves them well (all of
their brews have a fish theme). In case you were wondering, they also have a
team of anglers. What a life, great beer and fishing, I could get used to that!
This "98" Rated 6%er is made for drinking. Sweet malt flavor and a healthy dose
of nectar-like hops make this WCIPA a winner every time. This brewery is
definitely on my San Diego wish list.
Once you go Black, you may
not go back! At least that's what the folks at an Eclectic Brewery
named TommyKnocker are thinking!
Their "91" Rated mixed upBlack
Rye-IPA features chocolate rye malts and 95 IBUs. The roasted creamy
molasses taste somehow
manages to wrangle the piney hops for a
tasty balance.
Shoot The Moonwith a Heavy Seas Black Cannon, their wildly popular Loose
Cannon Hop 3 gets the Black IPA makeover! Their
newest offering is still a powerful (for a
regular IPA) 7.25%. The addition of dark roasted chocolate malts puts a slight
gaffe on the earthy,
piney and citrus hops. In the end, the
bitterness is left on your palate.
I'm High on this
one. What's not to like? A West Coast Style IPA from a third
coaster brewer meets peppery, spicy pumpernickel like rye malts. The rye
enhances and makes the hops stand out even more. For me, rye is a welcome
addition when you have lots of hops, and not so much when a brewer lets the rye
stand alone. I like this one, Arcadia Sky High Rye is worthy of it's
"92" rating.
A Gentle GiantRiver Horse Hopalotamus doesn't taste as menacing or as huge as the
name suggests. But, alas it is, with 95 IBUs and a 95 rating. We like brews that
inspire us. This is such a brew. My favorite friends in the form of floral,
citrus and earthy hops are in there with lots of sweet malt, but not too much.
Seemingly, the brewer's plan was to let the hops shine through while maintaining
a dangerously drinkable 8.3%.
Forbidden
Fruit Really any offering from Weyerbacher could be called
Verboten since all of their unique creations are so darn good they
should be illegal! Their Belgian Pale Ale originally named Zotten, was conceived
after their group trip to Belgium. Unfortunately the name bared a similarity to
an already established Belgian Ale From Bruges, Belgium and the brewer made them
"cease and desist" with "Zotten" Which literally means "fool", oh well! Aroma of
an IPA with Belgian with solid bready notes. Earthy, orangey tastes, mixed with
some of that banana like Belgian Yeast quality, and of course, some great
American IPA hops on the back end. Very nice, slightly sweet with a light easy
to drink quality, Rated 89, high for a BPA.
Bock
Bands
Live from Michigan Atwater Voodoo Vator Doppelbock a powerful 9.5%
deep ruby brown with a bold creamy head.
Major caramel malt sweetness with a well
hidden alcohol, we like this year's edition better than 2009/2010.
Another sexy performer on her annual
tour, hails from a small BBQ grill and brewhouse in Colorado. Breckenridge Pandora's
Bockis never a disappointment to open up. This
slightly sweet coppery "babe" gives off yeasty, bready and consistently
solid
malt notes through to the end. This medium
bodied brew somehow goes down too easy, and you can still find more
nuances
like toffee and caramel all night. Just
beware of her 7.5% wrath.
A classic bock that peaked in the 70's still
holds up today. Ahead of their time back then, Genesee always had a great line up of
seasonals, unfortunately they had poor
management that bankrupted the brewery. This one-time macro-brewedDunkler Bock doesn't
up the ante in alcohol at 5.7%, but remains
true to the style and imparts a much better than expected taste of rich toffee
malts and respectable
hop presence for the style, which results in
a clean lingering bitterness.
We've got Big Thaw's! That right,
Dominion is a workingman's all-star.
Why? They produce consistently great brews, even "big beers" without the high
ticket price, such as their Oak Barrel Stout. This former Virginia brewpub, got
infused with capital and bought a brewery in Newark, Delaware. Since that time
their new owner has taken their theme one step
further. Their newest release is Big Thaw Heller/Mai
Bock. Lush amber hues and with a floral bouquet and piney,
citrus hops.
Hops are what Sierra Nevadamakes their living on. A true Rock
Star brewer. Leave it to this nationwide super star to make a really hoppy Bock
CalledGlissade.
The first time I had this brew, I couldn't believe I was enjoying a
lager. A very hoppy complex lager, a departure from some of the other sweeter
& maltier offerings, though SN claims that they emphasize the malt. We say
hello....Spring!
Kicked In the Teeth By Some New Stouts
Dark Horse
Fore Smoked Stout. Great smoke aroma, but a responsible use of
the smoke as far as taste is concerned. This "black as a witch" concoction
features roasted, smoked malts. Lots of cocoa and chocolate tastes, strike a
nice balance. Slight hops are detected in this creamy "98" rated winner of
8%
Don't hate me because I'm Organic! Of course
we can't. Robust Pacific Northwest hops, chocolate and powerful espresso style
coffee produce a 9.5% Russian Imperial Stout from Eel River with a "96" rating. Keep drinking and
you'll discover the molasses and boozy finish. Raven's Eye is very crafted (and very expensive)
but nothing great is cheap, is it?
Speaking of very expensive, Avery - The Czar Imperial Stoutwith a cellarable
10.8% grabs a "99" rating as well. Forget the numbers, and drink in the opulence
of luxuries toffee, molasses combined with the proper amount of dark fruit
notes, candied raisins and so much more, combined with a decent dose of
sweetness. You may want to savor it, the way you would with a succulent piece of
fine Belgian chocolate that you wish wouldn't eventually dissolve in your mouth.
You can't get this at Starbucks, but there's
a serious amount of exotic "Joe" in this one. Williamsburg AleWerks Coffeehouse Stoutexudes the
aroma and carries it through to your palate. As a compliment, they roast the
malts, dose it with cocoa, vanilla and toffee notes. A creamy "96" rated
regular strength stout that won't throw you for a loop.
Warming Delicious Baltic
Porters
Dark is what they do, and they do it well.
Duck-Rabbitis a self-proclaimed
dark beer brewery. Their Baltic Porteris a malty "100" rated powerhouse of 9%. Pure black, with an extremely
roasted overtone and sweet bready aromas. Espresso and chocolate dominate this
multi-dimensional brew with lots of other hints such as licorice. Deserving of
it's accolades.
Underrated Publick House and Brewer, Southamptonrarely disappoints.
TheirImperial Porter is another
shining compliment to our growing list of favorites. Dry roasted coffee tastes,
bittersweet chocolate and some earthy dark fruit notes makes for a drinkable
7.2%, 98 rated, Olde English style Porter.
An Excitable Belgian
Quad
Holy
Mackerel!While were flexing our beer muscles, we decided a Quad
style would go nicely in this mix. Panic
Attackfrom Fort Lauderdale is one of the newer brews in the
house. It all starts with Belgian yeast that add so much complexity and a tiny
bit of funk into the mix. This sweet Abt gives off many candied fruit flavors
and lots of various spice notes, cinnamon & coriander to mention a few. The
thick, sticky mouthfeel lets you know that you're drinking a big
10%er.
A Gift From California:
Lost Abbey - Gift Of The Magi
About the
brewer:
From humble beginnings, this
brewery originally sprang up as a pizza joint with a brewpub. The founders
decided to focus exclusively on brewing and in 2006 took over Stone Brewing’s
Old facility. We’ve known about Port’s
incredibly crafted
Hoppy offerings such as Wipeout
DIPA, but their Lost Abbey Division showcases
their brewing prowess to the
utmost. One sip (or two) and you’ll know you’re sampling a brew that any Belgian
would be proud to call there own.
Bière de
Garde
Rated a “97” at
10%
A very floral fruit nose permeates
the air as this beer is uncorked….
But this brew has a split
personality as the aroma isn’t indicative of it’s
taste.
A very unique garde bier. There’s
a liberal dose of spices as one would expect,
however, there’s also a hoppy
barleywine quality the asserts itself upon the first
sip. You’ll remember the peppery
spice qualities, the lingering bitterness and
of course the wrath of it’s
alcohol, for it is easy to imbibe this high powered
elixir.