Rogue Ales - Double Dead Guy

Nice deep copper color, very clear, pours a nice two finger head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma opens with some caramel malts, followed by some slight pine notes of hops. Taste is very crisp initially, malts sweetness, with some crisp pine notes, overall nice balance. Feel is good with tight and crisp carbonation that transitions to an oiliness on the finish. Overall nice drinkability, very balanced and a good overall beer.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.0%

Odell Brewing Company - India Barley Wine

Darker copper color, with a light brown head that laced slightly in the glass. Some sweet malts presenting as banana, but the primary aroma is from the hops, grapefruit mostly. Taste is crisp pine followed with sweetness and some alcohol. Initially very carbonated but by the second pour carbonation was mostly gone. Enjoyable beer, abv limits repeatability, though i will drink again. Would like to try this aged several more months.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.7%

Avery Brewing Company - Hog Heaven Barley Wine

Deep dark copper color, clear, with ample tan head and some minimal lacing on my snifter. Great pine and citrus aromas, followed with some definite malt sweetness. Taste is again hoppy with pine and grapefruit, followed by some brown sugar and caramel on the finish. Great feel, with a nice carbonation, and some oiliness on the finish. Overall great, very balanced beer with great character, abv the only thing keeping this from sessionability.

Rating: Best

ABV: 9.2%

Moylans Brewery - Hopsickle Imperial Pale Ale

Pours a nice clear copper color, with an ample tan head that dissipates quickly. Smooth citrus notes of grapefruit, with pine following in the aroma. Taste of pine is most prominent with the citrus as a follower. Feel tight, strong carbonation with an oily finish. Drinkable given the obvious fact of the alcohol content, other than that i could drink these for days.

Rating: Best

ABV: 9.2%

Green Flash Brewing Company - Le Freak

Pours a golden copper color with an off white head of one finger that hangs around quite well. Smell is definitely spicy with a cakey aroma to open with clear hops following. Love the spicy flavors initially with a crisp clear hoppy bitterness finishing each sip. A little light on the carbonation in my opinion, but overall a good feel. Overall very enjoyable and a great change of pace, though these hybrids arent usually my favorite.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.2%

Breckenridge Brewery - 471 IPA

Poured a very copper color with a slight amount of white head that dissipated quickly. Not hugely aromatic, but the slight aroma is very citrusy and floral in nature. Not huge flavor, I have noticed this about some of the Breckenridge beers, that they can tend to be very subtle in flavor and aroma. Hoppy citrus and pine notes are there just not quite as "punch you in the face" as some other beers. Nice light carbonation, like other attributes of the beer somewhat subtle. Alcohol is not overly evident, though the ABV is limiting drinkability or sessionability. However I do find this beer to be enjoyable in its quietness.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.2%

Brasserie de Rochefort - Trappistes Rochefort 8

Pours a deep dark brown with just slightly off white head, while leaving moderate lacing. Smell imparts some dark fruits, bread and yeast. Alcohol not too noticeable. Tastes similar to smell, very nice and balanced, some dark fruits, light alcohol. Feels good with a gentle tingling, slight oilyness. Overall very good, not an overpowering taste, light sweetness, gentle aftertaste all lend to good drinkability.

Rating: Best

ABV: 9.2%

North Coast Brewing - Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Poured a deep dark brown, almost black with a very thick (3 finger) dark brown almost golden head. Smell is hazelnut and chocolate, roasted malts, no alcohol odor. Taste is definitely roasted malts and chocolate/cocoa flavors, really seems to be very balanced. Feel has good light carbonation, not tremendous thickness. Overall very good and very drinkable, easily have more than 2 at a session.

Rating: Best

ABV: 9.0%

Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde

Poured a hazy golden color topped with an ample, slightly off white head that laced the glass as the beverage went down. Smell is floral with spices, malty-breadiness evident. Taste has spiciness with fruity tones, breadiness and alcohol present. Feel has a nice tingliness with carbonation, some oiliness. Overall very drinkable and enjoyable.

Rating: Best

ABV: 9.0%

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

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

2010 Vintage poured a golden brown into a tumbler, head was average with minimal lacing. Aroma is very well balanced, with sweet malts and citrus hops leading the charge. Taste is nicely balanced as well, good sweetness from the malts with some citrus flavors on the finish. Medium to full bodied feel, little syrupy, with some oilyness to complete. Very drinkable Barleywine with great characteristics.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.6%

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%

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%

Green flash Brewing Company - Imperial India Pale Ale

Poured into a goblet, pours a nice golden yellow color with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly to crown the beer. Great citrus and pine aromas initially, with the alcohol following through. Taste is more piney than the smell, with the citrus and alcohol more present on the finish. Feel is a little more than medium bodied and has a good oily finish for the DIPA. Very good drinkable beer for the style and quite enjoyable.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.0%

Avery Brewing Company - Salvation

Poured a very light but bold orange, cloudy, with little to no head. Aroma is of orange and fruits, some yeasty notes. Fruity dry bite with sweetness, really lacked flavor to me based on the smell. I expected so much more, almost like a club soda with flavoring...Feel is dry, nice carbonation, feels good. Distinctly unique in the flavorings, probably need to try this one again in a few months.

Great Divide Brewing - Yeti Imperial Stout

Pours a deep dark brown, black with golden brown head that took a vigorous pour to two fingers. Smells of caramel, coffee, chocolate malts and alcohol. Taste is roasted malts that bring flavors of chocolate, coffee, and caramels, some bitterness follows on aftertaste. Thick, oily feel with good carbonation. Overall a better version of the imperial stout, drinks well, tastes good and brings a great feel to the table.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.5%

Brewery Ommegang - Three Philosophers Belgian Style Blend

Poured into a standard pint glass a deep brown color with one finger of head that was slightly off white and retained well and laced nicely. Interesting smell almost creamy, some fruitiness. Taste was very similar to smell, creamy, some maltiness and fruitiness. Thick and fluffy, good carbonation feel. Overall a good beer but too creamy and sweet to drink a whole lot of.

Rating: Good

ABV: 9.8%

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - 90 Minute IPA

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass a nice copper color and clear with a slightly off-white one finger head. Aromas of caramel, malty and some fruity notes. Taste is well balanced hops are striking but expected. Fruity notes are present, alcohol is noticeable but not overwhelming. Nice feel, carbonation tingles, light aftertaste. Very drinkable and enjoyable. Not super heavy or filling.

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.00%

Flying Dog Brewery - Gonzo Imperial Porter

Poured into a standard pint glass. Pours a deep brown with golden highlights and a yellowish golden one finger head that dissipated quickly though it initially left some decent lacing. Aroma is of coffee and chocolate with the alcohol playing a small part in the smell. Flavor is primarily of the malt sweetness and coffee, with a chocolate malt presence. Mouthfeel has a good tickle of carbonation with some slight oiliness on the finish. Overall a very good example of the style, and definitely a drinkable beer'

Rating: Better

ABV: 9.80%

Yazoo Brewing Company - Sue

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass. Pours a very dark alomst opaque brown with an off-white head that dissipates quickly and leaves no lacing. Smell is of coffee and roasted malts, smokiness is evident though almost closer to mesquite in aroma. Taste is definitely smoky, again more mesquite-like in flavor, with some smoothness of coffee. Feel has ample carbonation, very tight and crisp. Excellent beer with great characteristics, very enjoyable.

Rating: Best

ABV: 9.00%