Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Burton Baton

Very enjoyable beer, I always enjoy when brewers try to enhance a style and I enjoy trying the different concotions, however I will always go back to the basics.

Poured into a standard pint glass a deep, dark mahogany, with a small tan head. Smell is very citrusy grapefruit aroma. Taste had a nice hops flavor up front with some oaky tones later, closer to the 120 than the 90 in my opinion. Not quite the alcohol (given with the ABV) that the 120 had though. Feel is very good, with ample carbonation and oiliness. Overall good, I could enjoy several of these before calling it quits.

Rating: Better

ABV: 10.0%

Avery Brewing Company - Maharaja

From cask at Falling Rock Tap House in Denver, looked very much like a double/imperial IPA should almost copper in color, clear, with a thick, two fingered almost off white head. Aroma was very appropriate, citrus notes, hoppy bitterness, though alcohol was very muted given the ABV. Taste was good, citrus, hops, much the way it smelled. Mouthfeel was nice, light carbonation, some oilyness and aftertaste. Overall very drinkable, dangerous given the ABV, could have easily had a few more

Rating: Better

ABV: 10.3%

Russian River Brewing Company - Consecration

Pours into the snfter a deep mahogany with a surprisingly bright head for the color. Smells very much similar to a merlot, a very interesting floral and fruity smell. Taste is much like the aroma, and very much like some merlots, sweet, with a tartness. Feel is nice, carbonation seems just right, with an aftertaste that lingers. Overall rating is good, the bomber was ok, but more would be tough given the sweetness (personal preference) and the alcohol.

Rating: Better

ABV: 10.0%

Brouwerij Huyghe - Delirium Tremens

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a cloudy, golden hue with substantial bright white head that took a good bit to dissipate. Aroma is complex, bready, with some fruity/floral notes. Taste starts with fruity notes, bready in the middle and finishes with the alcohol. Carbonation is good, feels nice, smooth, some dryness. I enjoyed the Tremens though I don't know that I would drink more than one of the 750ml bottles in an evening.

Rating: Best

ABV: 8.5%

Russian River Brewing Company - Blind Pig IPA

Poured from the bottle a golden color with ample bright white head, dissipates quickly but laces nicely. Aroma is floral with citrus notes consistent with many India Pale Ale. Taste is very similar to smell, hoppy bitterness and citrus notes. Felt good with ample carbonation and an oily finish. Overall very drinkable and enjoyable.

Rating: Best

ABV: 6.1%

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

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

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

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

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

Port Brewing Company/Pizza Port - High Tide Fresh Hop IPA

Poured from the bottle into a snifter a nice clear golden brown with a slight orange tint and a white head of about two fingers that lingered nicely and left some slight lacing. Aroma was a pretty well balanced hop profile with some definite pine and citrus notes prevailing. Taste was much the same with the ctirus taking a little bit more of a forward position than in the aroma. Feel was smooth with some oiliness on the finish for this medium bodied India Pale Ale. Extremely drinkable and enjoyable, this will be making its way back into my beer fridge soon.

Rating: Good

ABV: 6.5%

Stone Brewing Company - Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale

Poured from the bottle into a snifter. Dark brown, slightly opaque. Tan head of about 3 fingers, laces nicely throughout. Initial malt tones in the aroma followed by peppery spiciness, with some slight citrus notes. Taste is peppery and spicy, with the malts balancing nicely. Feels smooth with a crisper finish, and light carbonation. Very drinkable and enjoyable.

Rating: Better

ABV: 8.9%

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%

Brooklyn Brewery - Black Chocolate Stout

Poured from the bottle a blackish brown with a slight tannish head. Smells of bitter chocolates and roasted/burnt malts. Taste is similar with slightly more chocolate flavors. Good feel with light carbonation, very smooth and thick body. A food drinking Imperial Stout.

Rating: Better

ABV: 10.1%

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%

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%