Saturday, March 27, 2010

Boulder Beer Company - Never Summer ale

Poured into a standard pint glass, with a nice ruby/brown color and a light tan head of about one finger that dissipated quickly and laced minimally. Aroma was of an earthy nature with roasted malts. Taste is malty with again an earthy flavor. Feel is smooth, with light carbonation and a medium feel. Good winter beverage that reminds me some of a scotch ale.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.94%

Avery Brewing Company - New World Porter

Poured into a pint glass, very dark brown, nearly opaque. Tan head that was about three fingers thick and retained well. Laced well in additon. Aroma of the coffee and roasted malts primarily. Taste has the bitterness from the malts, coffee flavors primarily. Feel is full bodied with some slight crispness. Good porter from a great local brewery.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.7%

Spoetzl Brewery - Shiner 100 Commerator

Poured from the bottle into a snifter. Deep clear ruby red color with a rather slight tan head that laced minimally. Aromas of the roasted malts were noticable, with a bit of a dark fruit presence leading the way. Taste is darker fruit and the malts. Alcohol is slightly present. Smooth feel with a definite medium to full body. Pleasently drinkable and enjoyable doppelbock.

Rating: Good

ABV: 6.7%

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

New Belgium Brewing - Blue Paddle Pilsner

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass. Straw-golden color with a two finger white head that leaves an excellent lacing. Aroma is grassy with a bit of maltiness following. Tastes slightly grassy with the maltiness a little more present. Feel is good and crisp, with a light-medium body, and some dryness. Overall the beer is good and a fine example of a German Pilsner.

Rating: Better

ABV: 4.8%

AC Golden Brewing Company - Herman Joseph's Private Reserve

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass, a vigorous pour produced a three finger slightly off white head that retained well and laced mininally. A bit of citrus on the initial aroma followed by a grassiness that is typical of the style. Taste is a bit citrusy and slightly sweet, with a dryness that finishes well. Feels light bodied with a great crisp finish. Great drinkability and characteristics make this a good German Pilsner.

Rating: Better

ABV: 4.95%

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Shmaltz Brewing Company (He'Brew) - Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass. Great color of a golden orange, with a white-ish head. Pretty balanced aroma with the spicyness of the rye balancing the bitterness and sweetness of the hops. Hops were piney in nature. Taste was similar with just a good balanced flavor. Excellent feel with just enough carbonation and a medium bodied feel. Very drinkable, alcohol was not overly noticable given the ABV, so it was extremely drinkable.

Rating: Better

ABV: 10.0%

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Unibroue - Trois Pistoles

Poured from the bottle, into my St. Bernadus goblet. Dark brown with an orangish-ruby tint. Head is ample, and tan in color. Laced slightly. Smell is greatly complex with the typical Belgian spice combined with some dark fruits and citrus. Taste is similar, with the various flavors molded together very well creating quite a smooth ale. Feel is lighter than expected and very smooth. Carbonation starts aggressively both smooths through the bottle. Really enjoyed this beer and will have to keep an eye out for it at the stores.

Rating: Best

ABV: 9.0%

Friday, March 19, 2010

Flying Dog Brewery - Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA

Pours a nice orangy-amber with a slightly off white head that laces nicely and dissipates rather slowly. Aroma is nice and spicy as it should be with ample citrusy hops backing up the spice. Taste is again spicy and citrusy. Feel is crisp and light bodied, with a slightly oily finish. Overall drinkability is good, I'll definitely have a few more of this Belgian IPA.

Rating: Good

ABV: 8.3%

Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams Imperial Stout

Poured from the bottle into a goblet. Deep, dark brown, nearly black with a brownish golden head that dissipates quickly and leaves very little trace on the glass. Aromas are of dark fruit and roasted malts, however not as distinct and complex in smell as desired. Taste is similar, good, but not very defined as the best can be, regardless of flavor. Feel is good, with a light carbonation and some alcohol warming. Overall a good introduction to the style and appropriate to the style, but not quite as distinct in aroma and flavor as the best.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.2%

Oskar Blues Brewing Company - GUBNA Imperial IPA

I love a canned beer, and this one is very nice. Poured from the can into a snifter, beautiful copper/orange color with an off-white head that laced well and stuck around a good bit before dissipating to a cap and crown. Quite complex aroma with a bitter pine note prevailing slightly over the rye. Taste is nicely balanced with the rye being maybe just a slight bit more prevalent than the hops. Feel is very smooth with a medium body and slightly less than average carbonation. Great drinking beer even for the ABV.

Rating: Best

ABV: 10.0%

Deschutes Brewery - Red Chair NWPA

Poured into a snifter from the bottle a nice copper color with a slightly off white head that sticks around somewhat before dissipating to a white cap and crown on the beer. Laces minimally. Smell is very much along the lines of pine with some faint citrus notes. Taste is bitter pine notes with a nice crisp feel and a slight aftertaste of the pine. Overall extremely drinkable with great aromas and flavors.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.4%

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Lagunitas Brewing Company - Olde Gnarleywine

Poured from the bottle into a goblet. A dark ruby color with a one finger tan head that dissipated quickly. Laced pretty well throughout. Initial alcohol aroma doesn't last long, as the malts take over. Flavors have an initial strong malt but the hops balance nicely on the finish. Feel is definitely warm from the alcohol with some distinct oiliness in this medium-bodied beer. Overall very good barleywine with great balance and appropriate flavorings.

ABV: 11.0%

Rating: Better

Thursday, March 4, 2010

New Belgium Brewing - Ranger

Poured this from the bottle into a nice rounded snifter. Ample white head that laces very well and dissipated down to a crown slowly. Aroma is bountiful from the initial pour all the way to the bottom. Pine is the initial hop aroma, with citrus following to sweeten the scent. Taste is a very bitter pine initially with the sweet citrus following. Feel is very crisp, almost a bit dry with ample carbonation. Light to medium body, and an oily finish. Extremely drinkable, and enjoyable. Overall a great India Pale Ale.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.5%

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

J.W. Lees & Co (Brewers) Ltd - Vintage Harvest Ale (2001 Vintage)

2001 Vintage

Poured cloudy brown with ruby hints. Virtually no head. Great aromas of malty sweetness, very little if any hop aromas. Malty aromas are dark fruits. Definite alcohol in the aroma as well. Taste is very sweet, with some fig, raisin type fruity flavor as well. Alcohol doesn't really appear until the end, pretty well masked. Feel is smooth, syrupy and has very little carbonation. Overall a very good Barleywine with great characteristics. Really enjoyed the beer.

Rating: Best

ABV: 11.5%