Bass Brewers Limited - Bass Pale Ale

Pours a deep reddish copper color with a little tan head. Smell is malty flavorings initially of banana, little hops to speak of. Taste is crisp, malty, some late hop notes. Feel has great carbonation, medium in feel, some oilyness. Overall a very good sessionable beer.

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.0%

Ska Brewing Company - ESB Special Ale

Pours from the can a nice copper color little haze, with an off white two and a half finger head that laces enough, but dissipated pretty quickly. Smell pine notes initially with some malty sweetness following. Taste is crisp and piney followed with some roasted malt flavors. Feel is crisp yet very oily, good carbonation. Great drinking beer, very enjoyable, not too stout.

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.7%

Alaskan Brewing Company - White

Pours somewhat hazy, golden blonde in color with a slightly off white, tiny bubbled head that dissipated quicker than expected given the two fingered amount. Smell is definitely banana and spices with some breadiness. Taste spices and citrus, a lttle graininess. Nice crisp feel, carbonation is just right. Overall enjoyable beer, definitely drinkable.

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.3%

Schmaltz Brewing Company (He'Brew) - Genesis Ale

Pours a nice brownish copper color, head is one finger and dissipated quickly. Smell malts initially, with hints of raisin, hops character brings grapefruit, well balanced, just not very bold with the flavors. Taste malts again on the front, hops are less characterized in the taste than the smell. Good feel some oililiness, not super carbonated or crisp. Good drinkable beer, enjoyable, would like something with a little more bold flavorings.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.6%

Deschutes Brewery - Hop Trip (Bond Street Series)

Beautiful glowing copper color. Very clear and bright. One finger head that dissipated quickly not any noticeable lacing on the pint glass. Smell of pine and grapefruit on the nose, some malts balance very nicely. Taste pine and grapefruit again, but again very balanced. Great feel, nice carbonation, ample oiliness and feel. Great taste not overly sweet or bitter, great drinkability.

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.5%

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Anniversary Ale (2007-2009)

Darker in color than some IPA's, pours a copper/golden/amber color with ample tan head of about 3 fingers, laces nicely on my snifter. Faint notes of pine on the nose, not overly aromatic. Taste is again pine, with some malty presence following, almost caramel. Feel is crisp on the front and oily on the finish. Nice sessionable beer, not super bold on the aromas or the flavors, but enough to keep it good.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.9%

Wychwood Brewing Company Ltd - Hobgoblin

I first had this beer in college, when a group of us went across from Johnson City, TN to Boone, NC to get good beer that wasn't available to us in Tennessee. I don't think I appreciated the beer near as much as I should have back then, but it was a cool bottle. This time around I was able to really sip, enjoy and finally review it. Here is what I came up with.

Pours a deep, dark brown/ruby almost black, clear color. One finger of sligtly off-white head that dissipates quickly to a thin crown. Smell is bananas, raisins, sweet malts. Taste is similar to the smell though not quite as bold, a little bit spicier. Light carbonation, with a dry finish, little aftertaste. Drinkable for sure, sweetness is not over powering, very balanced and full flavored.

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.2%

Staatliches Hofbräuhaus (Hofbräu München) - Hofbrau Dunkel

Deep dark amber/ruby in color with a just barely off white head of about two fingers that dissipates quickly to crown the beer. Some initial bitterness with caramel and toffee malts evident on the aroma. Taste has a definite bitterness with a malty aftertaste. Gentle smooth feel and light carbonation in the mouth. Overall extremely drinkable and enjoyable.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.5%

Odell Brewing Company - Levity Amber Ale

Pale copper color, ok maybe not pale but lighter than expected. One finger white head that dissipates quickly and laces moderately. Smell is initially yeasty in aroma, followed by slightly more malty sweetness than hoppy bitterness but very balanced, and relatively plain. Taste again is not powerful but malts sweetness overides that bitterness from the hops. Feel has light carbonation and medium body. Good, generally pretty plain though.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.0%

Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams Irish Red

Pours a nice deep amber color with tan/khaki two finger head that dissipated rather quickly. Smell has a nice aroma of malts with a slight banana aroma. Taste has great flavor of malts that reminds of caramel and coffee on the finish. Feels has a light tight carbonation and lingering aftertaste. Overall extremely drinkable and enjoyable.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.8%

Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) - Dunkelweizen

Pours a deep dark orange with one finger of off white head. Smell is yeasty, cakey, with a banana and maybe raisin aroma. Taste has malts and banana flavors with a yeasty finish. Nice crisp mouth feel, almost dry, carbonation is rather strong. Good and enjoyable, nearly sessionable.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.10%

Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) - Oktoberfest

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass a deep amber/copper color with one finger of slightly off white head. Sweet malty aromas with a hint of hops very nice balance. Taste has sweet caramel malts with a hint of hoppy bitterness. Light carbonation and a minor aftertaste. Overall very enjoyable and drinkable

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.3%

Breckenridge Brewery - Avalanche Ale

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a darker amber/copper color, with a white one finger head. Initially notice aroma of malts followed by some faint bitterness. Taste is similar to the smell with malts present first and bitterness following. Not the boldest of smells, or tastes. Light carbonation with little oiliness on the feel. Drinkable, though I would probably go elsewhere most times.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.41%

New Belgium Brewing - 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Deep, deep, dark amber/black colors with a one fat finger of head, tan/khaki in color. Smell has some spiciness, with some intriguing smokey notes. Malts and yeast prevalent. Taste is smokey, banana, with the yeastiness and maltiness expected. Great carbonation and light bodied feel, refreshing. Extremely sessionable and enjoyable overall. One of my favorites.

Rating: Best

ABV: 5.6%

Great Lakes Brewing Company - Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Pours with great colors, with the deep dark reddish brown (almost black) coloring. Nice tan head, about two fingers worth. Smell has wonderful aromas of chocolate and malts, some slight breadiness on the end. Taste has nice easy chocolates and malts in the taste, light alcohol flavors as well. Very nice crisp carbonation, some slight oiliness to finish. Very drinkable, though sweetness of malts can get old for some.

Rating: Best

ABV: 5.8%

Cucapa Brewing Company - Chupacubras Pale Ale

Pours a deep amber with a two finger slightly off white head. Smell some coffee malts with a slight amount of hoppy bitterness. Taste is good, light malt flavors of coffee, hint of bitterness following. Nice crisp carbonation, no oiliness, with good aftertaste. Enjoyable, not too stout, easily sessionable, my favorite Mexican brew.

Rating: Better

ABV: 5.8%

Abita Brewing Company - Restoration Pale Ale

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a lighter yellow color with white head. Smell is slightly citrusy with some grassiness. Taste was very similar with a bit more hops citrus. Feel was a lighter medium body with a good carbonation and some oiliness on the finish. Overall a good pale ale that I won't shy away from when purchasing.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.00%

Harpoon Brewery - Harpoon IPA

Poured from the bottle into a snifter with a nice amber-golden color and a white head that dissipates quickly. Little lacing. Smell is floral with a hint of citrus. Taste is more of the floral notes, balance is nice. Feel is smooth and medium bodied with a nice, oily finish. Overall a good beer and a tasty IPA.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.9%

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

Magic Hat Brewing Company - #9

Pours a clear strawish yellow color from the bottle into a tumbler. Ample head that laces well. Crisp fruity smell with some grassiness. Flavor is similar with a fruitiness that leads followed by the grassy flavors. Feels good and crisp, a nice drinking summer-time ale.

Rating: Good

ABV: 5.1%