Great Divide Brewing - Hercules Double IPA

Pours a deep dark golden brown, slightly darker than honey with an off-white almost tan head that dissipates quickly to cap the beer. Wonderful smell of hops with very piney notes. Not very much citrus on the nose. Taste is very similar to the smell, with piney hops being the primary flavor, and some faint malt flavors on the finish and aftertaste.Good feel, light carbonation, not huge alcohol flavors or warming. Some oily feel.Overall very good clean crisp flavors and really a good drinking beer.

Rating: Better

ABV: 10.00%

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%

O'Fallon Brewery - Smoke

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a dark opaque brown with an offwhite head that left a minor crown after dissipating quickly. Smell was smokey with a roasty smell behind. Taste was much the same. Feel was smooth and lighter bodied than expected, some oilyness was noticed. Overall a pretty decent "Smoked Porter" but not the best "Porter". A good beer and I will not turn it down.

Rating: Good

ABV: 6.00%

The Matt Brewing Company -Saranac High Peak Series imperial IPA

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a darker amber golden color with an off white head that dissipates quickly. Smell is faint but primarily malty in nature, more like a barleywine. Taste generally is much the same with malts taking the forefront and some slight pineyness on the finish. Feel is amply carbonated and crisp, with a medium body and a dry finish. Overall not a bad beer but not the best IIPA in my opinion.

Rating: Good

ABV: 8.5%

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%

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%

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%

Brasserie de Rochefort - Trappsites Rochefort 10

Poured a deep dark brown, with a slightly off-white quarter inch head that dissipated quickly and laced a little bit. Smell has notes of yeast and fruity notes of banana. Taste is sweet with malty notes and followed by the fruity flavors and the alcohol. Mouth feel is deep with some thickness, medium aftertaste. Overall a good drinking beer, with ample complexity and feel.

Rating: Better

ABV: 11.3%

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%

Avery Brewing Company - Mephistopheles Stout

Pours deep dark brown/black with a dark brown head that starts at one finger and dissipates quickly. Smells of roasted malts and alcohol. Taste starts with a bitter coffee bite and finishes smoother with chocolates. Feel has a nice early sharp tingle that smoothes away. Overall sweet, high ABV both lend to one and done status for me, but keep in the style pretty well.

Rating: Good

ABV: 15.1%

Good People Brewing - IPA

Tonights reviews are some of the enjoyable brews I have had to taste since moving to Alabama. These are some that are readily available in the Birmingham area, though not exclusive to to Alabama. With the new laws in place it should open up to a better selection of both local and regional beers. Enjoy.


Poured from the can into a snifter a cloudy orangish copper color with an off white head that lingered and laced nicely. Smell is more piney and floral with ample bitterness. Not so much on the citrus side in this one. Taste is similar with pine leading the charge of a pretty balanced taste. Feel has a good carbonation and body with a slightly dry finish. Overall a good IPA and a beer that has become one of my favorites from the area.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.0%

SweetWater Brewing Company - SweetWater IPA

Poured from the bottle into a snifter, color is a good coppery-golden hue with an off white head that laces nicely. Smell is primarily hops with citrus leading the way and some pine following. Taste is very similar with a little more pine. Feel is very nice and smooth, with an oily finish. Overall a great representation of an IPA and a very good beer.

Rating: Better

ABV: 6.7%

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%

Terrapin Beer Company - Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a deep dark almost black opaque color with little to no dark brown head. Smell is very much coffee malts with little if any hop character. Taste is very similar, very coffeelike with littly hoppiness. Feel has very light carbonation and is very smooth. Overall a great beer and one I will frequent when available.

Rating: Best

ABV: 8.1%

Brouwerij Verhaeghe - Duchesse De Bourgogne

Poured a deep dark ruby with little if any haze, two fingers of slightly off white head that faded to a nice cap and laced slightly. Aroma is complex almost like a red wine vinegar but not as pungent, some fruityness. Nice taste of fruit followed by malts, relatively gentle taste compared to the smell. Gentle carbonation with light aftertaste. Overall very good, not too sweet, not too tart really pretty balanced but with some sourness, not too difficult to finish the 750.


Rating: Better

ABV: 6.2%

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%

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - World Wide Stout

Pours a deep dark brown, almost black, very opaque. Head pours a light brown approx two fingers. Smell has notes of vamilla, roasty malts, and the alcohol is extremely noticable. Taste is again malty and very sweet with some vanilla notes, but the alcohol almost dominates. Good mouth feel with light carbonation and definite alcohol warming. Too sweet for my taste, and alcohol is too prevalent.

Rating: Good

ABV: 18.0%

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%

Boulevard Brewing Co. - The Sixth Glass

Pours a deep ruby with ample off white head into my snifter. Nice smell of spice, bananas, and alcohol, some maltiness. Taste has a very nice balance with malts up front and finishes with spicy aftertaste and alcohol. Feel has a very tight carbonation that tickles, and some alcohol warming. Overall a good, enjoyable beer. The alcohol hinders drinkability some but not because of taste.

Rating: Better

ABV: 10.5%

Boulevard Brewing Company - Double Wide I.P.A.

Found this beer to be extremely enjoyable, I was trying several different IPA this night and it fit right in with some of my favorites

Poured from the bottle with lots of head, three to four fingers, settled quickly to a 1/8" cap on an amber hazy color. Good hoppy citrusy aroma, thought I noticed some smokiness but very faint. Taste had nice citrusy flavors, some dryness. Good feel and carbonation in line with the style. Overall very drinkable, alcohol not extremely noticable.

Rating: Better

ABV: 8.5%