The Lost Abbey - Avant Garde

Pours a nice reddish brown copper color with an off white head that laces decently and dissipates quickly. Not very strong aromas, but some biscuity malt followed with some apple. Taste is similar to smell with some dryness and crispness. Dry feel with some good carbonation that doesn't stick around long. Drinkable for sure, but not one I'm going after really often.

Rating: Good

ABV: 7.0%

Bear Republic Brewing Co. - Racer 5 India Pale Ale

Poured a hazy(bottle conditioned) golden color, with little head, and not any retention past about a second. Great aromas of hops, specifically citrus and pine did not notice a strong malt presence. Taste is crisp pine notes, with grapefruit finish. Crisp feel, little carbonation, some oiliness. Enjoyable, and very drinkable. Nothing keeping me from downing a sixer of these.

Rating: Best

ABV: 7.0%

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Torpedo Extra IPA

Pours a golden/amber/copper color with an off white one finger head, laced the glass nicely. Great smell, very much piney with some light floral notes on the end. Taste, again very much a piney flavor of the hops, some slight grapefruit notes finishing. Good feel, light carbonation, not to dry. Nice, abv isn't out of this world, but more than a few is a few too many.

Rating: Best

ABV: 7.2%

Green Flash Brewing Company - West Coast IPA

Pours a gentle golden/copper color with a white head. Smell is very strong pine notes initially then some more floral notes that follow. Taste is very bold hop flavors, pine followed by floral notes. Nice light tight carbonation with ample all the way through even on a slow drink. Good, the only thing keeping this from being an all night beer is the ABV.

Rating: Better

ABV: 7.3%

Stone Brewing Company - Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Pours a deep dark ruby colors with an offwhite two finger head. The oak barrel ageing is definitely apparent in the aromas, though some other maltiness and latent hoppiness is lurking. Ooak barrel aging up front in the taste with hoppiness following. Great mouthfeel, very carbonated with smooth finish. Enjoyable and somewhat stout, limits drinkability, however the alcohol is not out in front and therefore could sneak up.

Rating: Better

ABV: 7.2%

Great Divide Brewery - HadesAle

Poured into a snifter a light yellow color with a white head that dissipated quickly. Aroma definitely brought the bready, floral scents. Taste followed with the spice and floral. Feel had quite the bite, a medium body and an oily finish. Overall I enjoyed the beer but not my favorite in the style.

Rating: Good

ABV: 7.8%

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Indian Brown Ale

Pours a deep dark amber brown but clear when viewed to light has an off white one finger head that quickly dissipates. Balanced smell, some hops on the nose, but very even with malts as well. My favorite thing about this beer is the balance in the taste. Starts with some citrusy, bitterness and the hops but leaves a nice even hops aftertaste. Feels very nice even carbonation. Overall, excellent, I could sit and drink these all night. I have to give full disclosure, this is and always will be one of my favorite beers.

Rating: Best

ABV: 7.2%

Cigar City Brewing - Jai Alai IPA

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a nice orangy copper color with ample offwhite head that laced nicely. Smell is of pine with some citrusy grapefruit background. Taste is citrusy with some caramel malt notes. Good smooth, medium bodied feel with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Overall a great IPA that has quickly become one of my new favorites.

Rating: Better

ABV: 7.5%

Bells Brewery - Two Hearted Ale

Poured a nice orangish golden from the bottle into a tumbler. Head was ample, though it laced minimally. Smell was citrus in nature with a nice malt backbone. Taste was orangy and grapefruity with some bitterness. Malts played a strong part. Feel was average with a nice crispness. Overall a better than average Imperial Pale Ale.

Rating: Better

ABV: 7.1%

Full Sail Brewery - Full Sail Imperial Porter

Poured a nice dark, dark brown with a tan head that dissipated quickly to crown the beer in the glass. Definite coffee and chocolate aroma typical of the malts. Ample bitterness with the roasted malts and some very prevalent sweetness backing it up. Great complexities of flavors with a nice smooth, yet still chewy feel. Drinks easy and smooth. ABV is not so high to limit consumption greatly.

Rating: Better

ABV: 7.5%

Russian River Brewing - Damnation

Poured into a standard pint glass a golden slightly murky color with 3 fingers of head that retained well and laced nicely. Sweet fruitiness, hints of orange in the aroma. Taste is similar to smell, virtually no aftertaste. Feel has ample carbonation some initial thickness and a bit chewy. Very drinkable, this may be come a favorite of mine, I really enjoyed it and the alcohol is not so prevalent to mask the other characteristics.

Rating: Better

ABV: 7.75%

Stone Brewing Company - Arrogant Bastard Ale

One of my favorite beers of all time, just love the magnificent flavors of the malts and hops, so bold and big.

Poured into a standard pint glass a deep dark amber with cream colored head and medium sized bubbles, 2 fingers of foam that sticks around well. Very balanced with caramel hints of malt sweetness and bitter pine notes of hops. Taste followed smell very closely, initial caramel sweetness, followed immediately with the hoppiness and pine notes. Finishes with hint of malts, very balanced flavors. Oily feel with fine textured carbonation. Medium full body & alcohol isn't over the top.

Rating: Best

ABV: 7.2%

New Belgium Brewing - Trippel

Poured into a goblet a deep golden yellow color with a finger and a half of white head that retained well and laced pretty well. Aromas were of banana, spicy and some alcohol. Taste was a bit grainy with some spice and the fruitiness. Feel was a slightly chewy medium bodied beer with some crispness. I enjoyed this beer very much as a beautiful local option for the style.

Rating: Good

ABV: 7.8%

Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu - Spaten Optimator

Poured into a chalice with only one finger head that was tan . Colors a deep dark brown with ruby hints. Aromas are faint and malty. Tastes malty in general a light chocolate flavor followed with some very faint fruitiness and alcohol spiciness. Feels good on the palate with a light tickling of carbonation and an oily finish. Overall a nice drinkable beer.

Rating: Good

ABV: 7.2%

Paulaner Salvator Thomasbraeu AG - Salvator Doppel Bock

Poured into a chalice, pours an orangish, brown color with a light tan head that dissipated quickly to a crown around the top. Aromas were somewhat faint but malty. Taste is slightly stronger but still malty, with little hop presence. Feel in the mouth has a little bit of light crisp carbonation, with some alcohol warming. Drinkable for sure with about average flavoring, nothing says overpowering about this beer.

Rating: Good

ABV: 7.9%

Russian River Brewing - Temptation

Light yellow golden color, with quarter inch white head that laces well. Some licorice on the nose along with a white grape. More grape in the taste than the aroma. Feel is very light and crisp. Drinkable in that the abv is not overpowering, though the taste is different and might take some getting used to.

Rating: Good

ABV:7.25%

Meantime Brewing Company Limited - India Pale Ale

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass. Poured a slight brown with some cloudiness and a light tan head that dissipated quickly and left little lacing. Aromas revolved more around the malty sweetness than the hoppy bitterness. Some alcohol also in the aroma. Taste was sweet as well, almost a hint of brown sugar detected. Light to medium bodied, with appropriate carbonation and some slight oiliness on the finish. Good beer though the sweetness could limit drinkablility some.

Rating: Good

ABV: 7.50%

Saint Louis Brewery/Schlafly Tap Room - Biere De Garde

Poured a gentle amber color with some light cloudiness, great head with differing size bubbles and good lacing. Aroma is light with some Belgian hints but primarily of apples. Tastes good very tart and slightly sour with apples being the primary flavor. Mouthfeel is a crisp medium body very slightly oily. Drinkability is good for the style though a little tart for my tastes.

Rating: Good

ABV: 7.00%