Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Samuel Adams Holiday Porter - Boston Beer Company

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint with a tan head and dark brown color. Smell is coffee malts with some spice. Taste is definitely the coffee malts, with the spice less evident. Feel is crisp with a full body and ample carbonation. Overall a very drinkable porter and quite appropriate for the holiday season, regardless of the time of year reviewed.

ABV: 5.9%

Rating: Better

Anchor Steam Beer - Anchor Brewing Company

Poured into a standard pint glass, with a slightly off white head of about two fingers and a orangish-tan color. Smells of some citrus and bitter pine, with some malts as well. Taste is more malty and more piney with the citrus notes taking a back seat. Feel is crisp, with a fairly light body, very carbonated. Good overall beer nice feel, flavor and aroma.

ABV: 4.9%

Rating: Better

Monday, July 19, 2010

St. Bernardus Pater 6 - Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

Poured from the bottle into my snifter, with a dark garnet-brown color and a whitish-tan head that dissipated quickly and crowns with a scattering of bubbles in the top. Smell is dark fruits with some slight spiciness. Taste is very much the same with some more malt presence. Crisp carbonation that gives a great tingling feel throughout. Enjoyable but not quite my favorite representative of the dubbel.

ABV: 6.7%

Rating: Good

Duvel - Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat NV

Poured a clear and golden color with an ample bright white head into my snifter really very beautiful in appearance. Smell is appealing, fruity with some malty hints. Taste is fruity, hints of yeast and malts, enjoyable balance. Feel is very nice, carbonation tickles, light dryness. Easy to enjoy the 750ml, possibly even two, any more might be a stretch

ABV: 8.5%

Rating: Better

Hop Karma IPA - Terrapin Brewing Company

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass a nice dark amber with a slight head that dissipates quickly. Smell has Hoppy grapefruits and some bitterness, nice aroma consistent with the style. Tastes very nice with hoppyness balanced with malts, fruity citrus flavors and bitterness but not overwhelming. Feel is good, not too carbonated and medium bodied. Very drinkable and not to alcoholic, keeps the beer quite sessionable.

ABV: 6.00%

Rating: Better

Dos Equis Amber Lager - Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, S.A. de C.V.

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass, nice orangish red hue, not too dark. With a slightly tan head of about one finger that doesn't last very long, nor leave much lacing. Smell has the grassiness expected with a typical lager but not much else, very non-descript. Taste is similar with some slight maltiness, but nothing to really distinguish it from others of the same style. Feel is really pretty good, with some light, tight carbonation and a generally smooth finish. Overall it is not terrible, but really indistinguishable from others, I will drink it if it is the only option but will probably not search it out.

ABV: 4.5%

Rating: Good

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Old Jubilation - Avery Brewing Company

Poured from the bottle into my snifter a nice deep dark ruby color with ample offwhite/tan head. Smells initially of caramel malts and some piney bitterness, with a spicy aftertone. Spiciness is more evident in the taste with the malts and pine notes finishing. Good feel with medium carbonation and smooth finish. Overall a nice winter beverage.

ABV: 8.0%

Rating: Better

Friday, July 9, 2010

Big Bear Black Stout - Bear Republic Brewing

Poured from the bottle into my snifter. Great black appearance with a slight tan head that dissipated quickly to a nice crown. Wonderful aroma of coffee, chocolate, and roasted malts. Bitterness is slightly present in taste with chocolate and coffee primary flavors. Great feel with ample carbonation that tickles. Really a good stout and very enjoyable taste and a great feel.

ABV: 8.1%

Rating: Best

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Undercover Investigation Shutdown Ale - Lagunitas Brewing

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a deep ruby brown color. Aroma is primarily of malts with caramel and some roasted malts, bitterness of pine sneaks through at the end. Taste is very similar to the smell with more roasted malt flavor, and more piney hops. Feel is slightly on the crisp side with a good bite, and some slight warming from the alcohol. Overall a very drinkable strong ale, and definitely one I'll have again given the opportunity.

ABV: 9.7%

Rating: Good