Great Lakes Brewing Edmund Fitzgerald

12 oz. Bottle

Pours only slightly less dark than black; when held up to light, becomes a only a little transparent. Slight dark khaki head that dissolves into a small ring around the edge of the glass. Smells of roasted malt, coffee bitterness, and a good amount of smoke. No sweetness apparent on the nose.

Some chocolate sweetness on the taste, mixed well with some bitterness from hops and coffee, roasted malt, and smokiness. Everything seems to work well, but the aftertaste of bitterness and smoke kind of throws off my palate. Don't get me wrong, this is a really delicious beer; the aftertaste is just a bit of a nitpick. The smoothness of this beer works well with the style, moderately low carbonation is awesome in this porter. 5.8% ABV makes this a fairly sessionable beer too.

In the end, a great porter, and an enjoyable beer overall, but not my favorite.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Maine Beer Company Red Wheelbarrow

Bottle

This beer was described to me as "Nugget Nectar on steroids", so it was an obvious pick up from the Growler and Gill in Nanuet, NY, along with a couple of other fantastic sounding (and hopefully tasting beers).

This beer is absolutely beautiful, red ale doesn't do it justice. Not quite the vibrant red you'd find on a red radio-flyer wagon (or red wheelbarrow), but a tad darker, and translucent with visible carbonation. About a half an inch of small bubbled, khaki head. Pine, citrus, and caramel on the nose. Incredible scent.

First sip is incredibly smooth. Caramel and raisin lead on the palate, but then takes the back seat to slight lemon, lime, and tangerine, before bowing out to a good amount of pine (and a solid, but not overwhelming "hop bite", might be a hint of some pepper involved here as well) mellowed by the persistent caramel and raisin in the background. Everything about this beer works in harmony - scent/flavor/mouth feel all work together to create an incredibly balanced, well executed brew. 7% ABV incredibly well hidden, moderately high carbonation works well with the style.

It is definitely as good as, if not better than, Nugget Nectar. Fantastic brew overall and well worth the $8 price tag.

Overall Rating: 4.85/5

Clown Shoes Billionaire

22 oz. Bottle

Cognac barrel aged English style barley wine.

Pours a medium darkness brown with hints of red to it, a really gorgeous beer. Slight khaki ring of bubbles around the top of the glass. Smells of sweet fruit (getting some strawberry and raisin), caramel, vanilla, and a little bit of alcohol. Not too much alcohol, this beer smells really delicious.

On the taste there's some fruit (again strawberry and raisin), but dominant smooth vanilla, toffee, burnt sugar, and caramel - all of these flavors work really well together and are spot on for the style. Alcohol is apparent, Cognac specifically. Also seems to be some kind of maple or molasses notes working in the background. Nice balance on the flavors. Carbonation might be a little to high for the style, but other than that, everything seems to be in just about perfect balance. ABV of 12% is very well hidden, just some very minor alcohol notes from the cognac aging stand out.

I feel like this would be the perfect beer to enjoy on a cool late fall night with a cigar out on the deck. Really nice flavors at work. Think I'll pick up another bottle and hold it until October/November.

Other than the carbonation being a little too high (and that's really just me nitpicking), my only other wish is that the cognac aging was a little more present; it's a little more subtle than I would have liked it to be. I'm not saying I'd like the equivalent of Bourbon County aging, just a month or two more in the barrel would have been perfect for this one (again, though, this is still a fantastic beer).

Overall Rating: 4.65/5

Harviestoun Ola Dubh 30th Anniversary

12 oz. Bottle

Received this as part of a 30-ish person yankee swap back around Christmas. My buddy, John, has been begging me to open it to let me know how it is (he bought it for the swap, but never actually had it).

Pours dark, close to black, maybe a dark cocoa/espresso color, but with a maroon/dark red hue to it. Really beautiful pour. What little remnants of bubbles disappeared fairly quickly. Smells strongly of Scotch and cocoa, but there's also vanilla, caramel, tobacco, and leather notes on the scent. Really smooth on the taste, really mellow Scotch flavor, balanced nicely by vanilla, caramel, and cocoa flavors, just hints of tobacco, apple, and leather on the back end. Probably the most nicely balanced barrel aged offering I've had from any brewery. The low carbonation really contributes to the smoothness of this beer, and is definitely a positive aspect. 8% ABV is very minimally noticeable.

A really well balanced, flavorful offering. Not quite sure it's worth the price, however, at just about $20 for a 12 oz. bottle.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5

Unconventional Pair: Long Ireland Breakfast Stout and Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka

Growler Fill of LI Breakfast Stout/Bottle of VG Espresso Vodka

Found the Long Ireland Breakfast Stout a little thin so I decided to add some Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka to the mix (about 2 shots to a pint, eyeballed), in order to kick up the ABV (the stout by itself has an ABV of 3.5%, roughly .7% less than Bud Light for comparison) and Coffee Flavor.

Pours dark brown, looks like espresso, with a slight ring of khaki head around the edge of the glass. Smells like coffee and dark cocoa, a little vanilla-y sweetness too, probably from the use of milk sugar in the brewing of the beer. Lots of coffee and sweet milk (it's brewed with a good amount of milk sugar - breakfast stouts typically use a Milk Stout base, but more recently this is not always true) on the taste, melds well with some vanilla and cocoa accents to the flavor. Finishes incredibly smooth, but still lacks in terms of "thickness". I want my breakfast stouts to have substance to them. It's too thin, and the flavor suffers a bit because of it. Fairly high carbonation for a stout as well.

The Van Gogh Espresso Vodka really takes this beer to another level. It was a decent breakfast stout on it's own, but the addition helps to begin to remedy my problem with the thin-ness of the beer, and reduces the CO2 surplus to moderate. It also creates a better balance of flavors; even though the coffee stands out more than the other two, it works.

Long Ireland Breakfast Stout Overall Rating: 3.75

Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka Overall Rating: 4.75/5

Mix Overall Rating: 4.25

Jack's Abby Hopstitution

1/2 Liter Bottle

The first extra pale lager I've ever reviewed, though not the first I've ever drank. This is a fairly uncommon style.

Pours translucent yellow-orange (more yellow than orange) with a fairly large white head (about 2 inches) of large bubbles. Slowly dies down to about 1/2 an inch. Carbonation is heavily visible. Strong citrus on the nose - orange/grapefruit/lemon/lime/tangerine. Really flavorful scent. Hop aroma takes the back seat to the citrus, but blends well with it.

With the taste, the citrus is a little less evident, however, there are a bunch of other flavors that mellow and blend together - some biscuit-y malt and grass-iness specifically, that work really well with the citrus and the slightly, but not overly, bitter hop finish. Nice balance, but lacks depth of flavor. The 5.5% ABV is completely hidden and the carbonation is moderate.

Overall a very well constructed beer with nice balanced flavors, but nothing that really pops enough to stand out and above other beers. Still a delicious beer to have on an afternoon after a long day of work, but I don't know that I would actively seek out another bottle of this specific beer (though I will be seeking out some other Jack's Abby varieties), especially at $4.99 a bottle.

Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Westbrook One Claw

12 oz. Can

My 400th Rating on Untappd.

Pours a murky yellow orange with about half an inch of head, really nice looking brew. Tropical flavors on the nose - pineapple and mango predominantly, orange a little less so. There's a bit of rye spice in the smell of this beer as well, but it is really hidden underneath the fruit. On the taste, some nice, mellow tropical fruit flavors - again the pineapple, mango, and orange - up front, followed by a slight hop and moderate rye bite. Moderately low carbonation works for this beer. ABV of 5.5% very well hidden.

A very nicely balanced beer. I could see myself sitting out by the pool drinking these all day - perfect summer weather beer: tropical flavors with a bit of a hop/rye bite. The only problems I have with this beer are how mellow the fruit flavor is and the rye bite is a little weaker than I would have liked. Again, though, this is a sessionable beer, and I would really enjoy drinking a couple of these on a hot summer day.

Overall Rating: 4.15/5

DuClaw Sweet Baby Jesus!

12 oz. Bottle

Was recommended this by my friend Nick.

Pours a very dark brown. What little head existed from the pour is now completely absent form the top of the beer (about 5 seconds after the pour). Smells like a Reese's peanut butter cup. Exactly like a Reese's peanut butter cup.

Peanut butter and chocolate on the taste (though not as strong as I would have liked), complimented by some nice roasted malts; based on the smell, exactly what I expected. Nice dark porter flavor.

The only downside to the taste is how light the beer seems on the palate - I wish it had some thickness, almost a syrupy quality to it - this in turn would most likely allow the chocolate and peanut butter flavors to be more prominent. Pretty high carbonation for this style as well; I feel this detracts from the overall experience a little bit.

The alcohol content of 6.5% is incredibly well hidden.

An overall enjoyable beer - really just a nicely made porter with chocolate and peanut butter undertones in the end.

Overall Rating: 3.9/5

Westbrook Brewing Co. White Thai

12 oz. Can

Westbrook White Thai pours a murky yellow with a slight white head that eventually dissolves into a thin lacing. Carbonation is visible through the murkiness. The closest thing I can think of, appearance-wise, would be pineapple juice. Up front, on the nose, I get ginger, lemon grass, and a little bit of spice - definitely delivers on the description of the beer, though there's a light citrus component as well.

First taste reveals much of the same, the ginger and some sweet wheat (it is a Belgian style witbier after all) up front, lemon grass and slight sweet citrus (mostly orange) takes over in the middle, and muddles with a bit of spice at the end. None of the flavors are particularly overwhelming or strong, and there is a nice balance. This 5% ABV beer is definitely a session ale - something you can have a couple of in one sitting and not have to worry about getting drunk off of - and the alcohol is completely hidden. Moderately high carbonation works for the style.

A nice refreshing beer to have on a hot summer day with some nice, subtle flavors to it. I just wish it had some stronger flavor to distinguish it and make me want this over any other sessionable beer.

Overall Rating: 3.25/5

Out and About - Various Tasting Round Up

Over the past couple of weeks I've been lucky enough to go to a couple of tastings at a bar close to me (The Growler and Gill), which also happens to be located 3 minutes from my favorite bottle shop in the area (Cable Beverages). I also had the chance to visit Barcade in Jersey City and attended the Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.'s Pig Roast. These are three of the more memorable and delicious beers I've tried over the past couple of weeks:

1. North Coast Old Rasputin Nitro (On tap at the Growler & Gill in Nanuet, NY):

A big flavorful stout, full of chocolate and rich malty flavors and just a touch of coffee. A really fantastic stout by any means normally, but this one really benefits from the nitro. The smooth texture of nitrogenation really complements the thick texture and rich flavor profile of this beer.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5


2. Carton Shipwreck Porter (On tap at Barcade in Jersey City, NJ):

The second best Carton beer I've tasted, right behind Regular Coffee. It's a honey porter aged in rum barrels, and the flavors just work together - nice, rich malt profile in this porter, delicate sweetness from the honey and rum, and a little bit of a kick from the rum barrel aging (and the 10% ABV). A really fantastic beer overall, and something I look forward to having again.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5


3. Carton Applejack Pumpkin Cream (On tap at Barcade in Jersey City, NJ):

Another barrel aged beer by Carton, another winner. Not quite as good as the Shipwreck Porter, but still a great beer. Aged in Applejack Whiskey barrels, the whiskey character definitely comes through. Great for the style of cream ale, and definitely flavorful. I do wish the beer had a little more pumpkin taste to it, though in terms of pumpkin beers, I have been spoiled in the past with great access to Elysian Night Owl (my favorite pumpkin beer ever) and Southern Tier Pumpkin.

Overall Rating: 4.35/5


As an addition to the list, I'd like to mention that I did try a lot more Carton beers at Barcade Jersey City's tap takeover (I was there the day after the original event, and I have to admit a little upset that there was either no Regular Coffee or none left), and the following beers should be honorably mentioned:

Carton Lime Rickey: I wasn't a fan of the smell, but it tasted great - nice cherry/lime flavor; Overall Rating: 4/5

Carton 077XX: Overall Rating: 4/5

Carton Swisher: Overall Rating: 4.15/5

Carton Decoy: Overall Rating: 4/5

Carton Comma: Really nice black pepper taste, delivers exactly on the description of the beer as a black pepper saison - my biggest issue with this beer is that I couldn't see myself wanting another one, even though I was extremely pleased that it delivered on the description; Overall Rating: 4.15/5

Carton GORP: Good ol' Raisins and Peanuts, again, another beer that delivers on the description. Overall Rating: 4/5


And some non-Carton Beers so it doesn't look like they paid me to write the above:

Lancaster White Ale Brewed with Apple and Curry (On tap at The Dog & Cask, Rochelle Park, NJ): Nice apple sweetness and tartness with a kick of curry spice. A really interesting, flavorful beer; Overall Rating: 4.15/5

Bell's Two Hearted Ale (On tap at The Growler & Gill, Nanuet, NY): Overall Rating: 4.2/5

NJ Beer Co 1787 Abbey Single (On tap at Buffalo Wild Wings, Secaucus, NJ): Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Captain Lawrence Sweet Chick (On tap at Captain Lawrence Brewing Co): Overall Rating: 4/5

Captain Lawrence IPA (On tap at Captain Lawrence Brewing Co): Overall Rating: 4/5


And my last honorable mention, as much as I hate to do it:

Amstel Radler: I don't know if I should really rate this here, because it's, as I was told, 60% Amstel and 40% lemon juice, but I do have to admit that it is incredibly tasty. I debated rating this beer because Amstel is owned by Heineken, but in the end, obviously decided to include it anyway. At 2% ABV, it tastes like there is zero alcohol content and even the most lightweight of your friends will get full before feeling it's effects, but it is delicious. Overall Rating: 3.5/5 (And only because I had trouble rating it as a beer).

Epic Brewing Co. Big Bad Baptist

22 oz. Bottle

Been busting out something new every Sunday to split with my brother for Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, it's not on tonight. But why break the beer tradition?

Big Bad Baptist pours black with some mocha head lacing around the edge of the glass. Smells strongly of vanilla, chocolate, and coffee. Really nice nose, pleasant and sweet. Tastes very similar to the smell - chocolate and coffee with smooth vanilla and roasted malt underneath. The whiskey barrel aging is a little more subtle than I would have liked, but it is there in the background. The real stars are the coffee and the chocolate, and it does these all very well. Fairly low carbonation suits this beer well, as does the thickness of the beer - I like when stouts have a thickness to them, especially when they're barrel aged. And the alcohol is incredibly well hidden for 11.8% ABV.

Overall a really tasty chocolate coffee bomb. A really enjoyable sipper. I do wish the whiskey barrel aging was a little more prevalent, but hey, it's still a great, well balanced stout regardless.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

12 oz Bottle

Pours black with about an eighth of an inch of khaki colored head. Smells of pine and spicy rye, a little bit of citrus, but the citrus definitely takes the back seat to the pine and rye. On the taste, nice citrus and pine up front, a little bit of spice hits you in the back - very classic and enjoyable rye IPA finish (though it's not a rye IPA and I'm not sure if it's even brewed with rye). There's also some roasted malt and possibly molasses in there, which adds a nice sweet complexity to this beer. Moderate carbonation, alcohol is very well hidden for 8.7% ABV.

Not sure what to think about this one, in terms of actually pegging a style - there's sweet roasted malt, pine hop, some citrus, and a bit of spicy/smokey rye in there as well. It's a really complex beer, but remains pretty balanced for the most part. Stone definitely doesn't disappoint here, really nice flavor profiles and they all work well together.

Overall Rating: 4.35/5

Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard

12 oz. Bottle

Big fan of Stone brewing, and I've been on a Stone kick, so why not one more.

Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard pours a dark caramel with big dark red/burgundy notes to it and about an eighth of an inch of khaki head. Smells of caramel, oak/wood, and citrus (lemon, lime, and tangerine are the most prominent here) are the primary scents off the top, with a hoppy and slight vanilla background. On the taste, there are some nice citrus notes up front, and a good amount of hop on the back end. There's some really nice malt balance going on the background as well, but what really distracts me from all of this is a strong oak flavor that just pervades and dominates every other flavor from right when it hits the back of your mouth. All of the other flavors really just take a back seat to the wood aging, and not particularly in a positive way. It's way too distracting, and bordering on the taste of almost a Popsicle stick, and ruins any balance the beer might otherwise have had.

Moderately low carbonation. The oak hides the 7.2% ABV well (though that's not saying much, because the oak hides everything else as well).

I am a little disappointed in this one. I open every Stone beer with high expectations and am rarely let down (Enjoy By is one of my top rated IIPAs, Imperial Russian Stout is one of my top rated IRSs, and Old Guardian is a fantastic barley wine, just to name a few). This is one of those rare occasions. The oak aging process did this beer no favors, and I believe it actually detracted from the overall experience (I have the original a rated a full point higher than the Oaked version on Untappd).

I must admit, however, that this beer was a bit better on tap. My rating and review, though, are both for the bottled version.

Overall Rating: 2/5

Also, as I continued to drink it, the beer became slightly more enjoyable, but the oak/Popsicle stick taste still lingered and substantially distracted me from enjoying this beer.

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

12 oz. Bottle

Another 18% ABV heavy hitter, this one on the opposite side of the spectrum in terms of style.

Pours black with some dark khaki bubbles around the rim of the glass. No visible carbonation. Strong chocolate on the nose, with a hint of dark fruit (cherry and plum mostly), a tiny bit of licorice, and hint of booze. Plenty of chocolate on the taste with a plethora of other flavors in the background - cherry, plum, a bit of coffee, and licorice primarily. The alcohol is definitely noticeable in this one, even presenting a bit of a burn on the back end - there's a strong alcohol taste that clearly identifies this as the high ABV monster it is. Moderately low carbonation, and again, the alcohol is highly noticeable at 18% ABV.

This one's definitely a sipper, and a mostly enjoyable one at that, but the high alcohol content's in-your-face-ness prevents it from being a fantastic beer. I think that DFH should focus on flavor before high alcohol content - with the 120 min it mostly worked, but here I find it distracting, and uncomplimentary to the beer and the style. 

With age, the alcohol taste might settle down, so I might keep another bottle in the garage for a year or two to see if that balances the flavor out.

Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

12 oz. Bottle

Been sitting on this one for a while, wanted a nice IIPA to sip on for the night.

Pours a light coppery orange with visible carbonation and a slight white lacing of head around the edge of the class. Very strong scent, I can smells nice citrus, tropical fruit, and pine hop without even putting my nose close to the glass. Closer to the glass, there are some really nice tangerine, grapefruit, caramel, and pine flavors that work really well together - I'm also getting some pineapple, peach, and lime in smaller degrees. Really nice smelling beer, probably up there in the top 15 best smelling beers I've ever had.

Hoppy on the taste, but goddamn this one's complex. Nice caramel sweetness is the first thing I note, then a citrus fruit blend of apricot, orange, lime, raisin, peach, and pear; slight grapefruit and pineapple as well, but less so than the others. Everything is really working in unison here though, fantastic balance. Alcohol content is low-moderately noticeable on the back end with only a slight burn - impressive for an 18% ABV (which I completely forgot about before I opened it). Carbonation is moderate.

Really a fantastic, flavorful sipper. Well balanced flavor and the alcohol is surprisingly well hidden for 18%. Another solid beer from DFH.

Overall Rating: 4.7/5

Thirsty Dog Wulver

12 oz. Bottle

Another bourbon barrel aged ABV beast, figured it'd be nice to enjoy before the weather gets too hot and after a long bike ride at the gym.

Pours a dark amber, really dark amber, but it is still a little translucent. Held up to the light, you can see a moderately high concentration of floating solids. Very little head, maybe a small ring of white bubbles around the ring of the snifter I'm drinking it out of. Carbonation is lightly visible towards the top of the glass. Smells of bourbon (you can tell off the nose that this is a high ABV beer) and caramel, some fruit, mostly dark - plum, apricot predominantly. Really smooth on the taste - nice caramel/vanilla flavors, backed by substantial fruit flavor - apricot, pear, apple, grape, and plum. Really fantastic tastes that work really well together, nice balance, neither of the flavors really substantially dominates another one. I do with the bourbon flavor stood out a bit more, though I am happy there's only a slight trace of alcohol on the taste - which is impressive considering the 12% ABV. Carbonation is slightly evident.

A really nice really balanced beer; to say anything negative would really only be nitpicking. As far as barrel aged Scotch Ales/Wee Heavies go, I do prefer Founders Backwoods Bastard slightly more (comparatively, BB is a little smoother, thicker, and less fruit forward than Wulver), however that shouldn't deter anyone from trying this fantastic beer.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Green Flash Le Freak

12 oz. Bottle

Don't really know much about this beer other than the fact that my friend John told me this was a must try.

"This Belgian Style IPA is an "out of the box" convergence of beer styles where American Imperial IPA meets Belgian Trippel" - Beeradvocate.com description.

Pours an orange/amber hybrid with visible carbonation and some sediment floating throughout. About an inch of slightly off-white head that dissolves into about an eighth of an inch after very little time. Hoppy, grapefruit, honey, citrus, clove sweetness on the nose. Tons of white grape too, bordering on white wine/champagne territory. Really pleasant smelling.

Tons of white grape on the taste - complemented by a bit of spice, a little sour/tart, and a good amount of sweetness. It's really tough to pick out the individual flavors - there's definitely some strong tangerine, grapefruit, and apricot as far as fruit goes in here, a good amount of piney hop on the back end as well. There's a bready, Belgian quality to the beer as well (though I'm not really getting any banana, and only the slighted bit of clove in the taste). Really complex, flavorful experience, though I do worry there might be too much going on in here. Moderately high carbonation. ABV of 9.2% is very well hidden (though you can taste a small amount of alcohol on the back end).

Definitely a nice beer to kick back with and relax on any night. Even with the crazy complexity of this beer, the flavors seem to work well together.

Overall Rating: 4.25/5

Spring Break Beer Run Down

So while I usually write articles concerning beers that I've taken notes on/am drinking at the current time, unfortunately a lot of traveling over my week long break from teaching hasn't given me too much time to do so. I will however provide a top 5 of my most recent (un-reviewed) brews and a short description of each.

1. Firestone Walker Sucaba: What can I say about this big, barrel aged barley wine? Firestone Walker did a fantastic job. I wasn't lucky enough to snag a bottle of this fantastic brew (which is now in my top 5 all time favorite beers), however I was lucky enough to try this last Thursday night at Rattle N Hum in NYC. Big sweet bourbon flavors, nice vanilla and caramel, just a hint of spice. Overall Rating: 5/5

2. Oskar Blues Old Chub Nitro: If you can get past the phallic joke of a name and order this, I promise you won't be disappointed. Extremely smooth Scotch Ale, thanks to the nitro (Nitro version is only on tap, I'm pretty sure the canned version is carbonated). Nice sweetness, but not too much. A really impressive beer, and glad I got to try it on tap at The Gingerman NYC; Oskar Blue has yet to let me down (though I've only tried this and Ten Fidy by the brewery thus far). Overall Rating: 4.5/5

3. Clown Shoes Billionaire: Another big barrel aged barley wine - this time aged in cognac barrels. Barrel aging really does fantastic things to some of the heavy hitting beers, specifically imperial stouts and barley wines. This is just a notch or two below Sucaba, and really a fantastic beer for my intro into cognac barrel aged brews. Overall Rating 4.5/5

4. Boulevard Brewing Company's Rye-on-Rye: Saw this at a bottle shop in San Antonio, Texas during my visit and I knew I had to try it. A rye beer aged in rye whiskey barrels - a unique concept, or at least one that I hadn't seen before. Usually when I think of rye, it tends to be part of big, hoppy DIPAs, but this beer was significantly less hoppy and incredibly smooth. Still a bit of a spicy rye bite though the almost Scotch ale like sweetness, which I was really impressed with. If you can get your hands on a bottle of this Missouri based brew, I'd say it's definitely worth the $13 or so you'd pay for it. 4.5/5

5. Stone Imperial Russian Stout: Big chocolate flavor and solid malt and coffee backbones. An extremely archetypal Imperial Russian, but that doesn't stop it from having big flavor that won't disappoint. Fairly low price for a bomber at around $8 and without a doubt worth the purchase if you see one (or more) laying around. Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Side Note: 2-5 are essentially all tied in my book, really just depends on what kinds of flavors you're looking for. Sucaba, however, is a clear favorite for me (up there with Bourbon County Brand Stout and Lagunitas Sucks), as the flavors literally blew me away, though at $9 for a 9 oz. pour, I would 100% expect the quality that FSW delivered with it.

Honorable Mentions: Founders KBS (4.25/5), Newburgh Brewing Co.'s The Newburgh Conspiracy (4.5/5), Keegan Ales Joe Mama's Milk (4.35/5), and Canaster Winterscotch by Kleinbrouwerij de Glazen Toren (4.35/5)

I must admit that while Founders KBS was really a great beer, in my eyes it did not live up to the hype that surrounds it among craft beer enthusiasts.

Stone Old Guardian (2014)

22 oz. Bottle

Been on a Stone kick recently: First the Imperial Russian Stout, then Enjoy By 4.20.14 (see my review of Enjoy By 2.12.14), and now this one, a barley wine style ale. I don't have too much experience with this style, but I have enjoyed the few that I've had recently.

Pours a dark amber read with a thick tan head. Visible low/moderate carbonation. Really a beautiful beer. Sweet wheat and vanilla on the nose, toffee and butterscotch are really fantastic from this as well. A bit of alcohol and a touch of spice as well. Strong butterscotch and caramel on the taste as well. Really nice sweet wheat backbone to these sweet vanilla-y flavors. White raisin in there too. Touch of spice, bitter hop, and alcohol towards the end (none of which are particularly overpowering and actually work pretty well together) - really creates a nice warm finish to this one that I wasn't expecting, but was enjoyable nonetheless. 11.6% ABV is decently hidden, but you can tell this is a 10%+ beer, especially on the finish. Low/moderate carbonation.

At first it seems almost too sweet, but the medley of flavor in the finish essentially almost completely balances the experience, which is really delicious throughout, regardless of the balance.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Stone Russian Imperial Stout (2014)

22 oz. Bottle

Excited to try this for the first time. Have only heard good things, and I don't think I've had any beer from Stone Brewery that was less than very good.

Pours slightly less dark than pitch black, but not by much. Dark espresso colored head fades to a thin ring around the edge of the snifter. Big chocolate, roasted malt, and coffee on the nose, really nice smelling beer. Slight sweetness to it as well. On the taste, big roasted malt and chocolate up front, with a strong caramel/brown sugar sweetness and slight dark fruit medley backing it up - plums and cherry among others, though the tartness is thankfully absent. Coffee and a slight smokiness on the back end. The beer is thick but thankfully not syrupy. Lower carbonation is perfect for the flavor profile. ABV of 11% is fairly well hidden though there is a bit of alcohol taste on the back end.

This beer is incredibly smooth and tasty. Flavors are balanced to near perfection. I'm glad I picked a bottle up, and will definitely grab a couple more when I see them. Can't wait to try the 2013 version I found too.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5

Carton Regular Coffee

On Tap at The Dog & Cask in Rochelle Park, NJ

I've had the tasting notes for this beer sitting on my desk for a while, just procrastinated writing the review. I first sampled this beer on January 28th, and it was pretty amazing stuff.

Pours a hazy dark tan with thin white lacing for the head. Smells entirely of just pure fresh ground coffee. Essentially like opening a fresh can of coffee. Taste is coffee up front and then an amazing vanilla/sugar dominating sweetness. Really surprising because there isn't really any sweetness in the nose. Both of these flavors linger for a decent amount of time - the coffee a little longer, bring just the tiniest bit of coffee bitterness, but definitely extremely enjoyable bitterness if you like coffee.

But seriously, wow.

ABV of 12% is completely hidden. Dangerously hidden almost, for how delicious and smooth this one is. Very low carbonation presence.

This beer is supposed to mimic a regular coffee in NJ: coffee with milk and two sugars. It does this magnificently well.

Overall Rating: 4.65/5

Ale Smith Speedway Stout

25 oz. Bottle

I've had this on tap, and it's fantastic. Ready to have another one.

Pours black, slightly off khaki head. Smells of coffee and roasted malt. Really nice. Strong coffee on the taste, chocolate, toffee sweetness, and nice roasted malt are there as well, almost equally balanced, but the coffee is a tad stronger and the sweetness is a tad weaker (thankfully so, I feel this beer has the perfect amount of sweetness for the flavor profile). As it warms, you get some slight dark fruit sweetness. Really warm, really nice flavor profile. Amazing mouth feel, really smooth. For cold weather, I really can't think of many other beers I'd rather be drinking (it's bourbon barrel aged counterpart is one of the beers I'd most like to try as well). Moderate carbonation. Alcohol presence is almost completely masked for 12% ABV.

This beer is really straightforward and really delicious.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5

Captain Lawrence Frost Monster

12 oz. Bottle

My buddy Tim bought the last 4 pack at the brewery and was nice enough to give me a bottle to try. I'll have to give him something nice next time I see him (FBS probably, if I have any left).

Pours black with some dark beige bubbles around the top for a light head (as expected, and as is the normal with Imperial Stouts), more prevalent around the edge of the glass, close to nothing towards the middle. Strong chocolate to this one, with some less strong coffee notes and a faint smell of booze as well. Strong chocolate sweetness on the taste - seriously was not expecting such a strong or delicious chocolate up front. There's coffee in the end - you get some of the bitterness, alcohol, and smokey (yes, some very delicious smoke in there) malt towards the end - kind of a slow roll off of the chocolate blitz up front. The alcohol is minor present, but does not detract from the experience of the beer. A really tasty beer. The balance is off, but it almost seems to work for this one. Does a decent job hiding the 12%, but again the alcohol is present. Moderate carbonation.

Again, definitely not the most balanced Imperial Stout I've ever had, but a home run from one of my favorite breweries to visit in my area. I will most definitely be buying a couple more of these if I get the chance and look forward to comparing it to the Stone Russian Imperial Stout (2013) I have aging in my garage.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Ithaca Beer Co. Obscurite

12 oz. Bottle

The third from the "Box of Belgians", a Belgian style stout.

Pours black with some dark khaki colored head, but not much. Tiny bits of visible carbonation. Smells dark and roasty, some coffee notes in there as well; surprised there's not more Belgian influence on the nose as there was with the 2 previous offerings out of the box. The Belgian yeast, however, does very prominently stand out in the taste - strong coffee and banana. And while this does sound strange, and a little unappealing, the combination is actually quite delicious. It creates a sweet/bitter harmony that is complemented with some dark chocolate, (burnt sugar/caramel) and roasted (almost burnt) malts - this combination creates a nice mix of sweet and bitter up front backed by moderate smokiness and subtle spice. It's a strange combination that I wouldn't have expected to work, but it does. Moderate carbonation, alcohol is completely hidden for 10.1% ABV.

Probably my favorite out of the box so far.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Founders Devil Dancer

12 oz. Bottle

Big fan of Founders Brewing. Hoping this one is a home run like FBS and Founders Porter.

Pours a dark opaque amber with a slight white head. No visible carbonation. Nose is interesting: caramel/honey, pine, and citrus, mostly orange and lime and a bit of lemon. A really complex, really good smelling beer. Really complex on the taste - it's almost all over the place in terms of complexity, but it's still strangely balanced. Strong caramel/honey sweetness up front and closer to the back end, hop blast at the end as well. Citrus kind of hits in the middle, meddles with the caramel and smooths out the experience before the hop finish (not the strongest hop finish, in fact I was expecting a more hoppy finish for the style). Not sure that I've ever experienced any beer quite like this triple IPA. Moderate carbonation, alcohol is fairly well hidden for 12% ABV (there is some indication as you drink that this is a high ABV beer).

Really full bodied for an IPA, slight syrupy thickness to this beer that decidedly makes this a slow sipper.

Not the best Founders brew I've ever had, but still a really good beer and one that I will most likely have again.

Overall Rating: 3.9/5

Weyerbacher Heresy French Pressed with Ghiardelli Raspberry Chocolate Fresh Ground Coffee

12 oz. Bottle + about 7 Scoops of Coffee Beans

First foray into French Pressing to add deeper complexities of flavors to beer, hopefully it turns out alright.

Pours black, dark espresso lacing for a head, some residual grounds visible on the side of the glass - these were too small to get filtered out and I'm hoping they won't effect the taste of the beer. Very strong raspberry on the nose, with the coffee and chocolate a little more subtle - both are definitely there though.

On the taste, there is really strong raspberry (which complements the dark fruit tartness of the beer by itself) and coffee, the chocolate is there as well (though again, the coffee and even more so the chocolate take a back seat to the strong dark fruit flavor, more prominent of which is the raspberry, though both add very nicely to the overall composition of the beer as it both warms and sits on the tongue). The flavor profile of the coffee beans works well with the style (Whiskey barrel aged Imperial Stout), though there is absolutely zero whiskey taste left to the beer (whereas it was very subtle in the beer pre-French press). There's a nice, pleasant, raspberry tart finish to the beer that I wish was complemented by a stronger coffee bitterness, but that is still delicious regardless.

The left over bits of grounds that didn't get filtered out are negligent taste and texture wise. I was pleasantly surprised however, to see that there was only a negligible loss of carbonation from french press as I expected the beer to be a little flat.

Next time I do this, I might alter the amount of flavoring components I add to the beer and the time spent seeping the beer with those components, as I think the coffee beans overpowered some of the original flavors of this beer (though I do think I'm enjoying this a little more than the original).

Ithaca Beer Co. Laissez-Faire

12 oz. Bottle

My second beer from Ithaca's "Box of Belgians", a traditional style Belgian tripel.

Pours a light golden-yellow with a slight white bubbly head and visible carbonation. Smell is fantastic blend of banana and clove, which is usually associated with Belgian wheat/yeast. There's some other fruit flavors mixed in there as well - orange and white grape predominantly. Definitely doesn't disappoint on the nose. Taste is strong Belgian wheat combined with moderately strong fruit flavor - again, banana, orange, and white grape. All balanced very nicely. There is a tinge of alcohol flavor to the finish of this one, though it does hide the 10% ABV very well. Moderate carbonation works nicely with the style and creates a very refreshing finish.

I really do applaud the balance on this tripel, all of the flavors work in harmony, and there's just a tint of alcohol to remind you that this isn't your typical Belgian wheat (it's like Blue Moon's older, better looking, smarter, stronger, faster brother).

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Weyerbacher Heresy

12 oz. Bottle

Again, big fan of Whiskey/Bourbon/Scotch barrel aged Imperial Stouts. Hoping this one doesn't disappoint.

Pours black, as expected with about a centimeter of dark cappuccino colored head, really a gorgeous beer. Very strong scents of chocolate and whiskey from afar, very strong bold scents, complemented when I smell it up close by really nice vanilla and coffee (really closer to chocolate covered espresso beans) flavors. Really a fantastic smelling beer, my mouth is watering just from the scent.

Strong coffee and chocolate on this one (especially with the coffee on the back end), though I do wish the whiskey stood out a bit more. There's also some distracting tart, dark fruit flavors (cherry and plum are the most prominent of these). They're not bad. They're just not what I expected based on the nose of this beer. I wanted this to be a big roasted coffee chocolate vanilla bourbon bomb, and it doesn't quite hit that mark. It is a really enjoyable beer, but the tartness throws off the balance and leaves wanting for balance of flavor.

Alcohol is well hidden for 8% ABV; carbonation is low, as I would expect and appreciate for this style.

Really nice flavors, particularly scent-wise. Taste-wise, I wanted a little more balance and some stronger coffee/chocolate/vanilla/bourbon presence. Don't get me wrong, this is still a good beer and worth a try.

Overall Rating: 3.95/5

PS: The tart flavor keeps this one just shy of a 4.

Ithaca Beer Co. Hopbloem

12 oz. Bottle

When I saw some of the descriptions on the beers featured in Ithaca Beer Co.'s "Box of Belgians", I was intrigued. This is the first of 4, an IPA brewed with Belgian yeast. I've been enjoying some good IPAs as of late, and I enjoy a nice Belgian on occasion, so I'm excited to see how this combination works out.

Pours a hazy yellow gold - the haziness is usually associated with Belgians yeast and wheat, but the lighter color I attribute to the IPA style. Carbonation is apparent on sight; slight white foam head, but not much. Smell is sweet banana and clove - smells like a Belgian. There's a bit of a piney/floral hop scent in there as well, but nowhere near as strong as the Belgian banana/clove scents. There's bits of peach and orange in there as well, and a tiny bit of lemon. A very pleasant smelling beer.

On taste, you get some nice sweet wheat/banana/clove flavors up top, followed by a bit of citrus/pine hop - both flavors linger for a while, but it still ends with a moderately strong citrus/pine hop bite (it seems like there's peppery notes in the bite as well, which I'm really enjoying) that is found in most IPAs. The citrus and hop, however, are not too overwhelming, and blend nicely with the Belgian flavors up front. I'm also getting some non-citrus, non-banana fruit in there as well: peach and white grape primarily. A really nicely balanced beer. Fairly high carbonation that works well with the IPA aspect, but a little higher than I'm used to for Belgians. Alcohol, at 8% ABV, is completely hidden.

I definitely haven't been disappointed by the "Box of Belgians" yet, and hope that this continues as I try the other 3 styles.

Overall Rating: 4.25/5

Troegs Nugget Nectar

12 oz. Bottle

A lot of hype surrounding this one, and one of my good friends who enjoy hoppy beers say that this is one of the best. Figured it was time to give it a try.

Pours Amber. Very little white lacing for a head. Exactly the color profile I would expect for an amber ale. Piney hops and sweet fruit on the nose - orange, cherry, mango, peach, apricot - pretty harmonious sweet fruit flavor, maybe a little caramel from the malt in there to sweeten it up as well; very nice smelling beer, it's almost up there with Lagunitas Sucks. Almost.

This beer is incredibly smooth. Strong fruit flavor (orange citrus, peach, and apricot primarily) followed by a decent hop bitterness. Nice sweet caramel malt profile to balance the beer. Probably the most balanced beer I've ever had with this amount of hops. The sweetness and the hops really work in harmony here - neither overpowers the other. Alcohol is completely hidden for 7.5% ABV, pretty low carbonation for the style in my opinion - though this contributes how almost overwhelmingly smooth this beer is (though that's definitely a plus for this one).

Haven't had too many American Ambers, but its a style I will definitely be exploring more of. Kudos to Troegs on another great brew.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5

Evil Twin Brewing Ashtray Heart

12 oz. Bottle

Usually I'd steer clear of anything with ashtray in the name, however I have been growing fond of smoked porters recently. This one by Evil Twin caught my eye as I was searching for some of their Imperial Biscotti Break (which I was unable to find).

Pours black with a think espresso lacing. Smells strongly of chocolate, smoke (almost like sitting around a campfire, though a little more mellow than that), and salty smoked meat. It literally smells like chocolate and smoked pork/bacon. A really strange sensation, as this is the first smoked porter that I've had that smells anything like this. Makes me want to go back to Defiant Brewery and order some barbecue (but eat it with this beer instead of one of theirs).

Strong chocolate flavor up front, a really balanced porter with strong roasted malts. The smoke hits hard in the after taste - a nice strong smokey (and a bit salty) flavor, exactly like the one you would get off of any kind of smoked meat. There's minor coffee notes in there as well, though they do become a bit obscured by the chocolate and smoke.

 This is definitely the strongest smoke flavor I've experienced in any beer, and I have to say that is complements the flavor of this porter magnificently. Alcohol is very well hidden, basically unnoticeable, at 8.9% ABV; low/moderate carbonation.

If you like smoked meat and dark beer, this is for you; and at just under $4 a bottle, it definitely won't break the bank either. This beer definitely isn't for everyone; if you're interested in smoked beers, but haven't had too many, I'd recommend trying something else first and working your way up to this one.

Overall Rating: 4.25/5

Allagash Fluxus 2012

750 ML Bottle

Allagash does so cool things with its Fluxus series, and I'm happy I was recently able to get my hands on an older batch (the bottle includes the definition for the word fluxus, continuous change, and makes it very clear that each year will be different than the last and most likely never brewed again). The 2012 variant is an ale brewed with green and pink peppercorns; I'm hoping they'll add a little bit of a spicy character to this one.

Pours an opaque golden orange with very visible tiny bubble carbonation that leads to a thin white foam of completely white bubbles on the head. Very strong butterscotch on the nose. Definitely not what I was expecting. The sweetness is overwhelming, but delicious at the same time. There's a hint of spice in the background, but a really small hint, you really have to search for it in the sweetness.

Strong butterscotch and honey on the first taste; again, wasn't expecting this ale to be so sweet, but it's definitely tasty. There's small hints of spice and hops at the end, but very minor; the butterscotch (and honey-ish) sweetness is the star here, and it knows it. The spice and hop play very minor roles in the overall final product (they both become a little more profound as the beer warms, which is nice). There's a bit of a Belgian wheat characteristic to this one as well, which upon doing a little bit of research, because it uses a strain of wheat that a lot of Belgian breweries use. A little higher than moderate carbonation on this one. The alcohol is very well hidden for 7.7% ABV.

Overall, definitely not what I expected, but a really good beer nonetheless. As the beer warms, the flavors balance and work together really nicely. If you can find a bottle, I'd say it's worth a try. However, I'd also say there's several beers out there that most people, including myself, would pick up with the $18 price tag before getting another bottle of this. I find that Allagash, as a brewery, rarely disappoints in terms of quality, but their prices can get a little out of hand at $17-$20 for a 750 ml bottle.

Overall Rating: 4.25/5

Firestone Walker Wookey Jack

22 oz. Bottle

I've been on a Rye IPA kick recently, primarily sticking with Red Rye IPA's. This one stood out for me for two reasons: 1: I haven't encountered too many black rye IPAs and 2: Firestone Walker is well known for fantastically crafted beers (including several world class IPAs).

Pours black with some khaki colored bubbles that form a bit of a foam head up top. Smell of pine, along with some spicy rye on the nose - really nice contrast and harmony. On the taste, there's definitely hints of spicy rye that work really well with the moderately high hop finish. It's a really bread-y beer, strong rye bread taste to this one, blends nicely with the malt profile. Really nicely balanced beer - gives me a good amount of hop without being incredibly hop heavy. There's a small bit of sweetness in there as well, can't really put my tongue on it - potentially molasses, but not quite sure. It does, however, work really nicely with the other flavors in the beer. Moderate carbonation, alcohol is essentially completely hidden at 8.3%.

Firestone Walker definitely does not disappoint on this one. A very nice, complex, and balance beer. While I don't have too many Black Rye IPAs to compare it too, I plan on changing that in the very near future.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Innis and Gunn Original Oak Aged

Growler Fill from The Growler and Gill in Nanuet, NY

I've had a few of Innis and Gunn's offerings, but never quite got around to the original. That was a mistake.

The original pours a golden with slight amber hue to it, about an inch of white foam that eventually dies down to a small lacing around the edge of the glass (a really nice Innis and Gunn glass that I got for free for filling a growler on tasting night). The nose is strong whiskey and butterscotch - the flavors meld really well, a really nice smelling beer, though the scent is mild. Definitely smells like an oak aged beer. First thing I noticed upon drinking was how incredibly smooth this beer is. Wow. Nice oak/whiskey flavor, and nice butterscotch sweetness to boot - there's a bit of apple crispness in there as well. While this beer is not as complex as other beers I've enjoyed, the 2 or 3 flavors in this beer are done very, very well. Medium carbonation, alcohol content is essentially completely hidden at 6.6% ABV (again, there are strong whiskey notes, but none of the burn). A very nicely composed beer with exceptional balance.

My only complaint with this beer, and again, it's being very nit-picky, is that there is a lack of depth and complexity of flavor that I usually search for in craft beer. What this beer lacks in complexity, however, it almost completely makes up for in drink-ability.

Overall Rating: 4.1/5

Cigar City Jai Alai

12 oz. Can

The first time I had Cigar City Jai Alai was at The Ginger Man in NYC, on tap. It was delicious. Picked up a can to review it here.

Pours a cloudy dark orange with red tints and some white-ish floaties, slight white head. Smells very strongly of citrus - particularly grapefruit and tangerine, minor notes of lemon, lime, and orange in there as well. A nice piney back to the nose on this one as well - nice balance of flavors. Not the strongest smelling IPA I've ever had, but it definitely smells good.

Nice sweet tangerine and grapefruit up front on the taste - sweet with a little tint of sour. Nice solid hop aftertaste. A really solid brew. Very smooth with a dry finish. Alcohol content for 7.5% is essentially unnoticeable.

I think the best word to describe this beer is refreshing - I'm definitely going to hold on to a couple of cans for when the summer hits.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Trappistes Rochefort 10

11.2 oz Bottle

Big fan of Belgian quads - apparently this one is up there with St. Bernardus Abt 12 (one of my favorites) and Westvleteren XII (widely considered the best Belgian quad in the world, if not the best beer in the world).

Pours a gorgeous dark caramel/amber with small dark hints of red. Some nice a little bit darker than khaki foam, starts at about an inch, fades to about an eights of an inch, some dark discoloration in the foam in spots, almost looks like there's some cinnamon floating on top.

Strong fruit on the nose - cherry, plum, orange, and banana; a bit of cinnamon/clove spice and sweet wheat as well. A bit of alcohol scent in there rounds out the nose. Really complex scents that are really well balanced. Really nice fruity flavors (mainly the cherry and plum, but also hints of orange and banana) in the taste as well, balanced by a nice wheat body, some caramel sweetness, and a touch of spice (though I do wish the spice notes were a tad stronger); does a really nice job of making sure that this quad is not too fruity. Lower carbonation gives this a nice smooth, almost velvet mouth feel, really enjoyable.

Other than wishing there was a bit more spice to this one, my only other complaint-ish comment is that there is a really strong alcohol presence in this beer. I do understand that this is an 11.3% Belgian quad, and that a decent amount of alcohol presence is the norm for this type of brew, but I was really surprised by just how much the alcohol was present on the taste. These are, of course, very minor complaints; the finished product is still an amazing beer.

Overall Rating: 4.4/5

PS: Gave it a tenth of a point lower than St. Bernardus Abt 12, which I though was just marginally better, but still wanted to make that distinction here.

Heavy Seas Yuletide (Rum Barrel Aged)

On Tap at The Ginger Man NYC

Pours a dark amber with strong red tints. Light, off white, brownish read foam, about 1/4 of an inch thick for the head. Smells strongly of ginger, cloves, cinnamon - really nice warming flavors, probably largely due to the Jamaican rum barrel aging. Really warm and smooth on the taste. Nice sweet ginger and cinnamon flavors - the rum barrel aging really made this imperial red ale shine. The rum flavors are incredibly strong - vanilla, caramel, a little spice, but the alcohol flavor usually associated with rum barrel aged beers is all but completely absent (for 9% ABV). Some raisin and fruit flavor presence in the mix as well - more like a butter rum raisin flavor that's really tasty. The flavors are really nicely balanced. Medium to light carbonation.

The thing that I really enjoyed about this beer is that the flavors are smooth and harmonized. This is a fantastic winter sipper (though I would definitely drink this all year long), and one that I will definitely be seeking out more of.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak (Rum Barrel Version)

20 oz. Bottle

One of the bottles that I picked up in a gift pack - hoping this one is better than the Apple Brandy version (which was mediocre) and St. Vincent's Dubbel (which I didn't enjoy at all).

Pours very dark brown, pretty close to black, with some dark khaki colored foam that starts at about 2 inches, but fades eventually to about half an inch. Strong sweetness on the nose, definitely a clear rum scent (alcohol, sweetness, a bit of spice). There's some nice vanilla notes as well, and the tiniest bit of roasted malt in the nose.

The taste is really spot on for the description of the beer - I'm really very pleasantly surprised by how well the smokey malts in this imperial porter really work with the spicy/sweet rum characteristics to create a nice harmony of flavor. There's some really good chocolate malt in there as well  that bridges and connects all of these flavors. Moderate low carbonation, and a very well hidden 12% ABV (there is a slight alcohol tint, but definitely no burn - a lot of it is the rum presence).

That being said, none of these flavors are particularly strong - none of them pop or are particularly exciting, it's a much more mellow harmony than I was expecting for the type of beer and the price tag ($20).

Don't get me wrong, this is a good beer. My only issue is that I don't believe it's spectacular enough to merit the $20 I paid for it.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Terrapin Cinnamon Roll'd Wake-n-Bake

Growler Fill from The Iron Monkey in Jersey City, NJ

It's a cinnamon roll flavored coffee imperial stout. I think the reasoning behind my growler fill choice is pretty self explanatory.

Pours as close to black as you can get with a thin tan lacing of head around the top - very thin, I would assume there's a little more head to this if I were to get it straight from tap or from a bottle. Strong coffee and cinnamon bun flavors from the top - it smells like if you were to combine a Starbucks and Cinnabon (which by the way, would smell fantastic). The first flavor that hits you is the coffee - a really nice, bold, flavorful coffee blend with a nice amount of bitterness that is soon balanced out by a sticky, sweet cinnamon bun flavoring that balances the bitterness of the coffee and roasted malt really nicely. Seems to me there's a bit of almond and vanilla flavors in there as well. Slow fading sweet and bitter on the aftertaste. Really nice flavors and balance. Minor carbonation. Alcohol is really well hidden (you can taste it the tiniest bit underneath the cinnamon bun/coffee combo) for 9.4% ABV. A really solid showing from Terrapin Brewing Co.

Really my only two concerns about this beer is the fact you probably can't enjoy too many of these in one session, just because of how rich and sweet it is, and I wish the roasted malts and oatmeal flavors stood out a little bit more and added some substance texture-wise to these amazing flavors.

Overall Rating: 4.25/5

Sixpoint Hi-Res

12 oz. Can

This one pours a little darker than most double IPA's, and a little cloudier as well. The head is a thick, foamy off white, about an inch thick (it does slowly fade into a thin layer of bubbles floating on the top). Nice pine scent in the nose, followed by some light citrus scents - tangerine and grapefruit mostly. There's some sweetness and minor tropical notes in there as well, but nothing concretely distinguishable. Really nice tangerine and grapefruit sweetness flavors up front - very strong, followed by a refreshing, piney, hop bite and a dry finish. Really nice balance between the two types of flavors. Alcohol very well hidden for 11.1% ABV, less carbonation than I'm used to in an IIPA, but it works.

A really nice beer, great showing from Sixpoint brewing, one of the only breweries that distributes their beer solely in cans. My only complaint about this one is that I wish there was a little less sweetness - it kind of clashes on your palate with the hop bitterness at the end (though I'm not sure even reducing the sweetness would help here). If you like nice tangerine/grapefruit flavored IIPAs, this is your beer. My only caution with this one is to be careful, Hi-Res has very high drink-ability for such a high ABV.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 

Southern Tier Creme Brulee

22 oz. Bottle

Pours close to black, with a light burnt caramel head.

The nose on this beer is amazing. Burnt caramel. Vanilla. Toffee. Fresh baked cake and sugar cookies. A little bit of coffee as well. Frappacino-ish hints. It's almost inexplicable how good this beer smell. Tied, if not a close second with Lagunitas Sucks for the best smelling beer I've ever had.

Strong vanilla in the taste, really strong, lingers in the aftertaste as well with a bit of roasted bitterness - most likely from a slight coffee flavor or the roasted malts - though it's a little strong for this one. I'm really getting some strong creme brulee flavors in this one - the warm vanilla and burnt sugar in this one are really impressive and pretty spot on. Definitely a dessert beer, and definitely a sipper, especially at 9.6 % ABV. A little more carbonation than I would have like as well. This beer is also a lot lighter bodied than I thought it would be, especially for a milk stout, though this in no way detracts from the overall experience of this beer.

My only two complaints about this beer (bitterness at the end/too strong carbonation), though, are really minor when you look at the big picture.

Overall, a fantastic beer. One of the best uses of vanilla beans in beer that I've ever had. Southern Tier is doing some pretty awesome things with the Blackwater series - I really hope I get a chance to try Warlock and Mokah soon, because if Creme Brulee and Choklat are any indication of the quality of the two I haven't had, they'll be really good, flavorful beers.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

12 oz. Can

There's a lot of hype surrounding this beer. A lot. It comes in an aluminum can. A little odd for a stout, but what the heck, I'll try any beer once.

Pours as close to black as it gets, with a thick dark brown foamy head that diminishes into a similarly colored lacing. On the nose, there is nice warm chocolate and roasted malts, light hints of caramel, alcohol, maybe a hint of coffee. This is one good smelling imperial stout. On first taste you're hit with a strong amount of chocolate (definitely the strongest flavor here), roasted malt, and espresso. Really nice flavors here. As the flavors sit on your tongue, you get a little bit of dark fruit in there - fig and plum (among possibly others), and a bit of warm caramel. The finish does have a little bitter espresso/alcohol bite to it. Light carbonation is just right for this one. You can taste the alcohol a little more than most would like, but it does a decent job for a 10.5% ABV beer.

Definitely a quality product, and probably one of my favorite imperial stouts. Really nice, balanced flavors - between the roasted malts, the warm and sweet chocolate, and the espresso/alcohol bite at the end.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5

Ithaca Caskazilla

Growler fill from The Growler and Gill in Nanuet, NY

Bad news: my tire has a bubble in it from catching pothole/curb on the way home tonight and I had to park my car at the fire station and walk the rest of the way home carrying at least $50 worth of beer because my car couldn't make it up the hill with the snow on the ground.

Good news: I picked up a lot of good beer today and filled my growler.

Growler and Gill was supposed to have an Ithaca tasting this evening, but I left early fearing I wouldn't be able to get my car home (which I wasn't able to anyway). I ended up carrying the beer from my car to my house.

Caskazilla pours a reddish brown, a little less red than I'm used to for these types of beers (Red ales, Red IPAs, etc), with a bit of light khaki color foam that eventually diminishes to light lacing around the edge of the glass. Off the nose I get a nice amount of hops and citrus sweetness, even a little bit of red fruit tartness - maybe raspberry and strawberry. On taste, a decent amount of hops - not too powerful. This is definitely a refreshing beer. Minor floral, citrus, and fruit notes, but again, the balance is just right - nothing is too out of place or potent that it makes other flavors seem out of place. Nice amount of carbonation - probably medium amount, and moderate ABV, sitting at 7%.

I really like the balance of this beer. This is not the beer to drink if you want something that is going to blow your taste bud's mind. This is the kind of beer you drink if you want to sit back, enjoy a few, and have a good time.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Troegs Mad Elf Ale

12 oz. Bottle

Troegs Brewery has been one of my favorites ever since I first had Troegenator on tap at the Yardhouse in Palisades Mall in West Nyack, NY. When I saw that they had produced a winter seasonal, particularly one brewed with cherries and honey, I knew I had to pick up a bottle. I'm finally now getting a chance to try this tonight (I've been sitting on this one for a while).

This beer pours almost completely red, it's darker than just pure red and has a bit of a brownish hue to it. A bit of pure white lacing at the top. Carbonation is present visually. Smells almost completely of honey and cherry - a really nice combination, with a bit of a wheat presence in the background. But the cherry/honey sweetness hits you right off the bat, there's no shortage of strength in the nose of this beer. First taste reveals a heavy, minorly spicy, wheat presence (adds a nice bread-y quality that definitely distinguishes this as a slow sipper), a heavy sweet honey presence, and a strong cherry tartness. There's a bit of a bitter hop presence on the back end of this one as well. This beer really delivers on all it promises (in terms of the cherry and honey; they definitely weren't being stingy when it came to either flavor). Carbonation is a little heavy, but the alcohol is does a good job of making itself hidden for its 11% ABV.

I think that I would have preferred this to be a little less sweet, maybe a bit more complex (maybe adding a bit more spice, cinnamon perhaps to balance the sweetness a bit and complement the bit of spice from the Belgian yeast), but for this beer, that's just me nitpicking. A really nice showing from Troegs, a brewery that rarely disappoints me.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. St. Vincent's Dubbel

20. oz Bottle

Came as part of a gift set that I bought at the brewery with Smoke From The Oak Rum Barrel Version, Smoke From The Oak Apple Brandy Version, and a Captain Lawrence goblet. A little pricey, considering the package was 50 bucks, but they do sell each of the smoked from the oaks for $20 a bottle and St. Vincent's for $10, so essentially I just got a free goblet out of it.

Anyway, the beers pours a medium brown with a strong red hue to it, very visible carbonation. About an inch of light khaki colored foam on top. In the nose I'm getting primarily bits of wheat and alcohol, and a little bit of sweet fruit, maybe raisin. As the beer warms up, the raisin becomes a little more profound, though the scent continues to lack in terms of strength.

Interesting on the first taste, the beer is a lot lighter than I thought it would be. There's a very tiny bit of alcohol presence (8%), but it isn't as profound as it is on the nose. There is some strong raisin flavor, particularly in the aftertaste (the dark fruit sweetness of this one is actually very nice). There's also a bit of strong Belgian wheat in there. Strangely, there's a sourness (almost like a very lemony prune flavor) to this beer that seems out of place with the rest of the flavors - very unexpected and not the most welcoming addition. Carbonation is moderately present.

Definitely not what I thought I'd be getting from a Belgian style dubbel. There are a lot of qualities that seem out of place about St. Vincent's, 2 in particular that caught me by surprise, those 2 being how light this beer is on the palate and the strong sourness that seems out of place. I really wish some of the flavors that I normally associate with a dubbel were more profound - the wheat and sweet raisin/dark fruit qualities need to be the real stars.

Overall Rating: 2/5

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! Peche Mortel

12 oz. Bottle

When the weather gets cold I'm a big fan of imperial stouts with big, bold coffee flavor. The reputation of this beer says that this may be one of the best. Hoping it lives up to the hype.

Pours as close to black as beer gets, slight dark brown lacing. Strong coffee off the nose. Really strong coffee off the nose. Minor chocolaty sweet notes as well, but the coffee smell is amazing, like freshly ground coffee beans.

Taste reveals really strong coffee flavor. It really pops with everything associated with coffee flavor - strong coffee bitterness, some nice roasted flavor. There's minor amounts of chocolate flavor and roasted malts as well - the chocolate lingers a bit in the aftertaste, creating a nice warm, roasted bitter taste towards the back of your tongue that makes you want to take another sip. Minor notes of hazelnut and cinnamon hidden throughout the beer as well.

It's a really smooth beer. Carbonation is light/moderate presence, alcohol only has a minor presence for 9.5% ABV.

A really tasty, definitely coffee forward beer. One of my favorites in terms of just raw coffee flavor. I do wish some of the other flavors were the tiniest bit more profound, not to the point where they overtake the coffee flavor, but enough so that it would create a slightly better balance among the flavors (the flavors do become more balanced as the beer warms). A fantastic beer, and most definitely worth a shot if you can find a bottle.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Founders Backwoods Bastard

12 oz. Bottle

A bourbon barrel aged version of Founders Dirty Bastard, this is a very highly rated BBA Scotch Ale.

Pours a dark maple syrup/molasses color with just a bit of light colored head around the edge of the glass. Smells beautifully of maple syrup, vanilla/caramel, some bourbon, a little bit like a fresh baked snicker-doodle cookies. This is really one amazing smelling bourbon barrel aged beer. 

First taste reveals some nice maple syrup/molasses and caramel/vanilla notes, and a bit of cinnamon, the bourbon is strong in this one, hits you soon after the maple and vanilla. There is a strong resemblance in taste to a boozed up pecan pie. Finishes nicely with light vanilla/maple/molasses tones and a bit of dark fruit, maybe some cherry, fig, or plum, I'm tasting a little bit of apple in there as well (almost like an apple pie). Strong toffee in the finish as well. It's a very rich beer (a slight syrup consistency), a sipper for sure. Alcohol is present, but there is no burn, and FBB sits comfortably at 10.2% ABV. Low/moderate carbonation.

There is a plethora of different flavors at work in this one, and I have to say that this one is really well balance. All of the flavors work really well together, which is one of the things I look for most in any beer I drink. The flavors have to work together to create something better than any one of its parts. Backwoods Bastard does this, and does it well.

A very nice showing, Founders. You rarely disappoint.

Overall Rating: 4.75/5

Victory Prima Pils

12 oz. Bottle

Pours a golden yellow with a bit of white head, a thin lacing of it, and very visible carbonation. The beer appears a little cloudy as well. Fresh cut grass and wheat, hops, and a bit of lemony citrus on the nose, very nice for a pils. On first sip you get a bit of lemon and grapefruit and a good amount of hop - this creates an intensely refreshing dry finish, though the hops overwhelm the delicateness of the other flavors a bit at the end. There's a bit of sweetness in there as well, I almost wish this sweetness was a little more profound within the taste, there's a bit of a balance issue there. Medium high carbonation and zero alcohol presence in this 5.3% ABV pils.

I think that the best thing I could say about this beer is that its a very easy drink, and very refreshing. My biggest issue with this Pils is that the balance seems to be off - it there was a bit more sweetness and the hop wasn't so overwhelming in the finish, I think this would be up there as one of my favorite pils.

A decent beer, but not my favorite pils. Will definitely give this one a shot again during the summer.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Weihenstephaner Hefeweisbier

12 oz. Bottle

Brewed by the world's oldest brewery, and supposedly one of the best beers in the world, figured it was about time I'd give it a shot, especially because it's on the cheaper end of the craft store spectrum at just about $2 a bottle.

This hefeweizen pours a beautiful golden orange with about a finger's width of white, foamy head. Carbonation is very present visually, with a continuous stream of tiny bubbles constantly floating towards the top. Sweet banana and wheat scents off the top, with some clove spice as well, maybe a little bit of cinnamon. Hop presence is minimal, but there, in the nose as well Definitely a pleasant smelling beer. Nice banana and cloves in the taste, some nice wheat flavor there as well. Minor citrus notes - particularly lemon accents. Slight hop on the finish, but it adds nicely to the overall product. A very balanced beer, though could use slightly less carbonation - that's probably my biggest complaint about this beer - you almost get a slightly seltzer water-ish aftertaste because of the high carbonation of this beer. It does help the nice, clean, crisp finish of the beer, but could have done so as well with slightly less. And at 5.4% ABV, there is no discernible alcohol presence.

Really a nice showing, I suppose when a brewery has been open as long as Weihenstephaner, the brewers tend to have ironed out all of the kinks in the recipes by now (especially since they've been brewing this one for about as long as the brewery has been open).

Overall Rating: 4/5

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

20 oz. Bottle

Was looking for something new to celebrate my birthday with last week, the word cappuccino caught me by surprise.

Pours a dark brown, close to black, I'd say just about the color of a nice espresso. Some light tan foam at the top, about an eighth of an inch of it. Smells predominantly of fresh roasted coffee, with some roasted malt and bitter dark chocolate in there as well. The scent on this one is really nice though, like opening a new can of ground espresso coffee beans. Very strong coffee on the first taste, chocolate and roasted malt in there as well. There is a little bit of a milky sweetness as well, but the taste seems like it should be espresso stout rather than cappuccino stout. On the back end, you get some espresso bitterness works really nicely with the fading sweetness of the chocolate and milk. As the beer warms up, the sweetness becomes a little more profound, it does begin to taste very much like a cappuccino. I'm really enjoying the balance of this beer, and the strength of the individual flavors. For 9.2%, the alcohol is very well hidden, carbonation is light/moderate. Leaves your mouth feeling like you just drank espresso: nice warm bitter espresso flavor.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 18 Reserve

12 oz. Bottle

Again, big fan of anything whiskey aged, and not many beers that I've found are scotch whiskey aged, let alone BA beers that are sold with aged label scotch. The Harviestoun website says that depending on the age of the scotch, different flavors are imported to their Ola Dubh (Engine Oil) Old Ale.

Ola Dubh 18 pours viscous black with no noticeable head. Smells of vanilla, leather, smoke, espresso, and tobacco - the scotch aging really imparted some nice flavors on the nose. On first taste, lots of smoke, tobacco, and toffee up front, wonderfully balanced. There's some dark fruit sweetness in there as well, hard to distinguish exactly which dark fruit, possibly some cherry and plum, and strong notes of espresso, hazelnut, and almond. Really nice mellow molasses flavoring in here too. The finish is warm roasted malt, some espresso bitterness, and a good amount of smoke. There is a decent amount of alcohol presence in this 8% ABV, but nothing too overpowering. This is definitely a beer meant to be sipped, not the kind of beer where you can down a few during a football game. Very little carbonation presence, both visually and taste-wise.

A really nice, really delicious Scotch aged Old Ale.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Bell's Hopslam

12 oz. Bottle

Pours a golden amber with a bit of white foamy head. Smells of honey and mild piney bitter hops, maybe a bit of citrus in there as well - orange perhaps. Smells fresh - make sense since it was bottled on 1/17/14 (about 3 weeks old at this point). Pleasing, but nothing exciting on the nose. Nice honey and orange flavors to the beer to start - followed by an intense hit of hoppy bitterness. The hops calm down after about a second and the bittersweet combination lingers on the dry finish of this Imperial IPA. The hops are really there though, I don't think I've ever had a beer that hits that strong with the hops.

Carbonation is apparent visually as well as when drinking. ABV of 10% very well hidden.

A very strong showing from Bell's. Not my favorite IIPA though. I understand the idea of intense hop flavor, but unless the rest of the flavors can support that flavor, I don't really appreciate the overall product as much. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad beer by any means, I just don't think it lives up to the hype that surrounds it.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Stone Matt's Burning Rosids

20 oz. Bottle

The story behind this beer is fantastic: it's actually Stone's way of honoring the memory of one their brewers that passed away recently due to a brewery accident. This was one of Matt Courtright's last creations, a very unique creation in my mind: an imperial cherrywood-smoked saison.

If you get a chance, you can check out a bit of the story behind this beer here.

Matt's Burning Rosids pours a beautiful halfway between gold and amber, with very little head - there is a tiny bit caused by some tiny and fine carbonation that is very visible. Off the top, you get some nice fruity flavors, particularly some white grape and cherry, mixed it with some sweet smoke (or perhaps the fruit creates the sweetness in this smoke). Really nice on the nose.

This beer really delivers on the smoke and the cherry flavor - they're the two flavors that hit you up front. Finishes with a smokey bitterness - this lingers longer than the sweetness. There's some nice spice in here as well, which is typical of Saison style (or "farmhouse ale"); this spice adds well to the finish of the beer and balances out the sweetness well, as does the tiniest bit of sour from the cherry. This beer is very crisp - a lot of flavor up front, but a nice, dry finish with that smokey bitterness. A really nice imperial Saison overall. Alcohol presence is minimal for this 10.5%; carbonation is present, with really fine small bubbles that add to the nice crisp finish.

If you enjoy smoked beers, you won't be disappointed by this one. The fruit and smoke really blend well with this farmhouse ale. The balance here is magnificent.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Dogfish Head Namaste

12 oz. Bottle

This is probably one of the strangest brews I've ever picked up: "A white beer brewed with orange slices, lemongrass, coriander, and peppercorns."

Pours incredibly light gold, very transparent, with carbonation incredibly present visually, and about a quarter of an inch of white head. Some nice sweet notes off the nose, I'm definitely getting the orange and lemongrass. There's a bit of freshness, possibly the coriander, though it's tough to tell with all the flavor in the nose. You get a bit of the spice at the end, lingering lightly. A really pleasing beer on the nose.

My first though upon sipping this beer is how drinkable it is - there's a decent amount of sweetness to this beer from the orange, but it's definitely not overpowering. I'm getting a little lemongrass and coriander freshness towards the middle, and a mild dry spicy finish (the spice seems to take the background at the beginning of the sip and really shines in the finish). Carbonation is incredibly evident on taste - adds to the almost sharp character of the beer when combined with the spiced finish from the peppercorn. Alcohol presence, at 4.8% ABV is essentially non-existent.

A really strange, yet tasty combination. The refreshing element of this beer feels like it should be disrupted by the pepper/carbonated "snap" of the finish, but it isn't.

This beer is worth a shot at least once. I'm not sure that I'd ever go looking specifically for this one again though.

Overall Rating: 3.75/5

Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. Smoke From The Oak (Apple Brandy Barrel Version)

20 oz. Bottle

First foray into Apple Brandy barreling - also bought one of the Rum barrel varieties of this beer, but I've had rum barrel beer before and was curious to see if I got some nice apple and brandy notes out of this.

Pours a dark brown, close to black, with a dark tan head that starts at almost 2 inches and quickly fades to about 3/4 of an inch. Smells of warm malts and alcohol, a nice bit of apple sweetness in there as well.

Alcohol warmth and a nice malty flavor are probably the strongest tastes on the first sip, only a tiny bit of smoke is present on the back end of the sip. There's a bit of apple sourness mixed in with apple and vanilla sweetness, but the sweetness isn't strong and left me wanting more of those flavors in the forefront. There's some bitterness from the malt and possibly from some coffee flavoring as well, though the coffee flavor is very light - the barrel aging and smoke may have added to the bitterness, it's hard to tell.

I did find that the beer became more balanced (but still, this is the area where this beer lacks) as it warmed up. There are a ton of great flavors in this beer, each one just needs to find it's proper place. The alcohol content is moderately apparent, low carbonation.

To be honest, this was one of the most confusing beers I've ever had - it did have some nice flavor, just didn't deliver on my expectations.

3.5/5

Great Divide Brewing Company Espresso Oak Aged Imperial Yeti

20 oz. Bottle

Pours black. Incredibly black. Head of about a quarter of an inch of espresso colored foam. Probably some of the darkest head I've ever seen. Smells of espresso and rich dark chocolate. Some roasted malts in there as well. Roasted malts and espresso up front on the taste. Wow. What a combination. There's some chocolate and vanilla notes in the background that become more apparent as the coffee and roasted malt flavors begin to fade, leaving only a bittersweet dry finish. Flavors are really balanced (barring the really up front bold flavors of espresso and roasted malt). Carbonation is moderate. Alcohol is very well hidden for a 9.5% ABV. 

Really fantastic blend, especially if you enjoy espresso (if you don't, this probably isn't the beer for you). Flavors are really nice, it's a well made RIS that adds a deeper coffee complexity and a really nice roasted malt.

Overall Rating: 4.25/5

Stone Enjoy By 02.14.14

20 oz. Bottle

This beer pours a beautiful golden towards the bottom and gets to be more of an amber towards the top of the glass. Carbonation is incredibly present visually, topping off with a lacing of white head. Off the nose I'm getting not too much hop which is surprising though there is a bit of pine beneath the mango and pineapple flavors, maybe even a bit of lemon. I'm starting to find that I like the smell of a great Imperial IPA (this and Sucks) almost as much as the smell of any other beer, if not more.

There is a good amount of hop (bitterness and pine) to this beer. But it is really well balanced by the fruit flavors that accompany it - primarily the pineapple and mango. Wow these flavors are all really strongly present. There a bit of citrus in there, but these fruit flavors definitely are cameo appearances compared to the rich, sweet, tangy tropical notes of the pineapple and mango. Carbonation is moderately evident. The beer finished quite dryly, as most hoppy beers, but your mouth will be watering from the strength of the tropical flavors.

A really solid beer with really strong flavors that pop in your mouth. Both the flavors of the hops and the tropical fruits linger for a while after drinking the beer - with the fruit flavor hitting you with a stronger burst on the sip and then slowly receding to let a really nice bitter pine hop flavor take the lead - both sticking around in waning degrees for quite some time.

Definitely recommend this one if you can find it, especially with the $8 price tag.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga' Substitute Ale

12 oz. Bottle

Beer pours a beautiful golden orange with very visible carbonation. About a centimeter or so of almost white foam up top. Nice floral and citrus notes (and a bit of pineapple even) on the nose, really nice balanced and complex smell. Hops are also really present (bitter/piney scent that is not incredibly overwhelming, actually plays really nicely with the other scents here). The scent is incredibly pleasant - probably one of the best smelling beers I've tried.

Incredibly smooth on the palate to begin, followed by a not so subtle piney/bitter hop burst. Not incredibly hoppy though, and definitely not something that detracts from the beer. There's sweetness in there, with some citrus and floral notes - dominant citrus here is definitely orange, though there is some lemon and a bit of grapefruit in there as well as far as citrus is concerned and you get a strong bit of peach and some minor pineapple notes as well. There's a bit of mango and papaya in there as well - kudos to Lagunitas for the infusion of so many fruity flavors that are both harmonized and distinct at the same time. The sweetness definitely balances the bitterness of the hops. Carbonation is moderately present - alcohol content for 7.85% ABV is very well hidden.

The best compliment I can probably give this beer is that it is incredibly balanced. The fruity, floral, and hoppy flavors really work in unison here to create something special. Probably one of the best Imperial IPA's I've ever had. Lagunitas really hit the "just right" mark with flavor intensities in this beer.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Southern Tier Choklat

20 oz. Bottle

Pours a dark brown, borderline black with a thin dark brown lacing for head. Smells almost entirely of chocolate, some roasted malt and vanilla in there, and a tiny bit of coffee bitterness. But definitely overwhelmingly of chocolate.

On first taste, some nice roasted malts, and some bitterness from hops/faint traces of coffee. Mouth feel is smooth and creamy, which really adds to the overall experience of this beer.

But wow. Chocolate. Some bitterness to add to the faint coffee and hops from dark chocolate and a nice comforting warmth from milk chocolate. Really amazing blend of chocolate flavors that really are pushed to the forefront of this stout. The malty flavors really add to the experience and make the chocolate pop.

The bitterness on the end from the hops (and maybe from the coffee) seems a little out of place. Overall a really fantastic beer though. Alcohol content of 10% is pretty well hidden - I think that if it wasn't for the bitterness towards the end highlighting the other flavors of this imperial stout that the alcohol would almost be completely hidden - the small amount of alcohol taste, though, almost adds complete balance to this beer. Carbonation is moderately low.

I'm really not sure of this beer, though I did enjoy it. It's overwhelmingly sweet, but in a good way. The chocolate flavor is really amazing, on that Southern Tier definitely delivers.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Founders Sweet Repute

On tap at Rattle and Hum NYC

This was the first wheatwine style of beer I've ever had. Founders has an outstanding reputation regardless of the type of beer so I figured I'd give it a try. Founders Breakfast Stout is one of my favorite beers after all.

Pours a beautiful dark amber - about halfway between amber and maple syrup. Delicate white lacing for the head, very little of it. Smells of maple sweetness with a bit of caramel and apple. Strong wheat presence in the nose as well.

Nice sweetness on first taste - strong maple and bourbon presences. The bourbon aging adds a really nice, balanced vanilla component. There's some apple in there as well, maybe some other faint fruity traces as well. Wheat presence is definitely palpable - it is a wheatwine after all (part of which is aged in maple syrup barrels and another part of which is aged in bourbon barrels and then blended). Very balanced beer overall - the more delicate flavors like wheat and fruit don't get consumed or drowned out by the bourbon aging or maple sweetness which is really nice.

This wheatwine finishes with a bit of wheat bitterness and lingering maple/vanilla sweetness. Alcohol taste is moderately pleasant - you can tell this is a "high gravity" beer from the start - though the 12.6% doesn't detract from the overall experience. Moderate to low carbonation.

Overall a solid showing from Founders Barrel Series.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Troegs Mad Dreamz

On tap at Rattle and Hum NYC

Not technically a real beer, but rather a blend of Troegs Mad Elf and Troegs Dreamweaver. Saw it on the tap list and figured I'd give it a shot.

Beer appears a nice light amber color with tints of pink. About half an inch of slightly off white head. You can smell wheat and sweetness off the nose, sweetness has a tint of honey. Really close to a freshly fried doughnut scent. Taste is strong on the cherry and honey, a lot of this comes from the Mad Elf I'm sure. It's a very candy like sweetness, almost bordering on too sweet. Ends in a little bit of banana-y flavor, this is probably from the Dreamweaver. There's also a nice bit of wheat in there, between the two flavors, possibly mixed with a little bit of white grape, but it could also be residual from the cherry flavor. The ABV of 11% is very well hidden, I was really surprised that the ABV was that high. High drink-ability, but again be careful with the alcohol content.

Overall a really nice beer, flavors were mostly balanced but the sweetness was a little overwhelming at first.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Lagunitas Czech Style Pilsner

12 oz. Bottle

As part of my journey to find more lighter colored beers that I will like, I happened to come upon some suggestions for Pilsners. This is one of the few that were recommended to me.

Pours a nice translucent golden orange with a bit of white foam, almost the color of apple juice, but a little more clear and orange. Carbonation is very evident by sight. Smells strongly of sweet and tart white grape, some hop in there too. Maybe some peach in there as well - light and dry fruit sweetness is the most pervasive scent. First sip reveals a little bit of the grape/peach sweetness and a bit of sour, but is soon taken over by a moderate amount of hops. There's almost a bit of a sweet, light white wine feel to it before the hops after taste. Because of the hops, there's a nice, clean, dry finish. Not bad for a Czech pils. Carbonation is surprisingly less evident than I assumed, considering how visible it is in the glass. Alcohol presence is absent, as expected from this 6% ABV pils. Moderately high drink-ability.

The strength of the hops throws the balance off a little bit. Though without the hops, the beer might almost be too watery. I would have liked the fruit sweetness/sourness to be a little more profound. It almost seems like this Czech pils wanted to be an IPA and got trapped somewhere in between.


Overall Rating: 3/5

Bell's Cherry Stout

12 oz. Bottle

Have never really had anything by Bell's Brewery before, but the guy at the bottle shop said they had a Bell's stout tasting not too long ago and most people enjoyed them, the idea of a cherry stout caught my eye above the others.

Like most stouts, appears black in glass with a thin lace of dark khaki head. During the pour, when it wasn't so concentrated, you could see a reddish tint. Smells of chocolate covered cherries and roasted malts. Really balanced and pleasant on the nose.

First taste wasn't what I was expecting: first you get hit with some decent roast malts that are typical of American stouts and a bit chocolate that's not really sweet. The cherry really hits you on the after taste with a nice sour tartness. Really solid cherry flavor, but surprisingly lacking the sweetness I expected/wanted from a cherry stout, especially considering such strong cherry flavor. The finish is a tad tarnished by just how sour and tart the aftertaste is (and a little bitter from the malt/chocolate). Alcohol isn't perceptible, and at 7% ABV it's not going to knock you out of your socks. Carbonation is mildly present.

Bell's Stout is not a bad beer. It just lacks balance. There's strong tartness, mild bitterness, and some pretty decent roasted malt flavor. And none of them get along. I think that had there been some sweetness, this beer could have gone from alright to great.

Overall Rating: 3/5

Alltech's Lexington Brewing Co. Bourbon Barrel Stout

12 oz. bottle

I've been looking for a couple of beers that have been brewed with either coffee or espresso and this was one of the beers I picked up on a recent store run - hoping there's some strong coffee and bourbon flavors here.

Pours black, with a tiny bit of khaki head that quickly dissolves into nothingness. First smell is overwhelmingly of coffee (it is brewed with Haitian coffee after all). A tiny bit of bourbon and vanilla sweetness. But damn, it's like opening a canister of fresh coffee.

First sip reveals really strong coffee flavor. And roasted malts. Nice amount of bitterness (from the coffee and also from a small bit of dark chocolate in there) off of it, a tiny bit of sweetness, but not quite enough; both of these flavors linger in the aftertaste. The bourbon is also a little too tough to find. 8% ABV is well hidden. Carbonation is moderate.

The coffee completely dominates and overpowers any other flavors that might be mixed in there - at the same time it's the beer's only real redeeming quality. The problem is not that the coffee flavor was too strong, but rather that all of the other flavors, namely the bourbon for which this beer is named, lacked in strength to keep up with let alone harmonize with it.

Overall Rating: 2.5/5