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Welcome to Beer!

This site is dedicated to tasting notes and reviews of premium beer. Beer! is a spinoff of Critical Tastings, and will be the new home of the beer reviews and tasting notes that were formerly featured there. Please poke around, check out some reviews and leave some comments.

FYI - for those of you who are curious, the site background is a gradient that was made from images of Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA and Pilsner Urquell.

Heavy Seas Peg Leg Imperial Stout

Brewery: Clipper City Brewing Co
Location: Baltimore, MD
Style: Imperial Stout
Brewery Website
Rating: B-

Todays tasting is the Peg Leg Imperial Stout from Heavy Seas. The Peg Leg is an opaque ebony color. The head is dark brownish-tan and foamy. The nose has roasted notes along with some wininess.

On the palate there are winy and roast notes up front. There is a notable residual sweetness here. Also notable is some acidity that hints at citrus and berry notes that balance out the roasted character. Some bitterness pairs with the roast and leads to some coffee undertones. There are some faint herbal hops and some pear/apple notes as well. The Peg Leg Imperial Stout has a medium-heavy body and some slight syrupiness. The finish has lingering roast notes and a faint sweet/acid background.

The Peg Leg is an interesting Imperial Stout. There is a bit too much residual sweetness for my tastes. This tastes like the bastard child of an imperial stout and a barleywine, and it kind of misses the mark for me. The roast seems a bit understated and the sweetness and acidity gives me an odd "sweet-tart" impression. The Heavy Seas Peg Leg will probably improve with age as the sweetness mellows, but it falls a bit short in its current incarnation.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale 2010

Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A

With the Christmas holiday around the corner, I thought it would be fitting to taste the 2010 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. The Celebration is Sierra Nevada's holiday seasonal, an IPA brewed with fresh hops. The Celebration is golden-amber in color with a good sized, off-white, clumpy head. The nose has plenty of ripe citrus (grapefruit specifically). There are some fresh cut grass aromas in the background as well.

The palate is hit with a steely hops bitterness with a lingering bite. Pine resin and some herbal hops peek through after the initial grapefruit bitterness begins to soften. There are some grassy and rye bread notes as well. A faint residual sweetness and some wheat toast take a while to show up, but are notable as the hops fade. The Celebration Ale has a chewy, medium-to-heavy body with some astringency. The finish is quite long and features lingering bitter hops with herbal and citrus undertones.

Sierra Nevada really nailed it with this year's Celebration. There is a big hoppy kick that is really highlighted well by the fresh grassiness of the fresh hops. The aroma is fantastic, and the heavier body really holds up well to the big hops flavor. Everything translates to a fantastic fireside sipping IPA. Fresh hop IPA's are best when they are consumed fresh, so snap up some Celebration ASAP.

Magic Hat Howl

Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Location: South Burlington, VT
Style: Schwarzbier
Brewery Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is Howl, Magic Hat's winter lager. This dark schwarzbier is completely opaque mahogany in color. The foamy head is brownish-tan in color. The nose detects roasted barley, lager malt, a faint wininess, caramel and peanuts.

On the palate there is a big roasted flavor that has bittersweet cocoa along with roasted peanuts and peanut butter. Lager malt notes are here as well, but are hidden under the roast. There is a bit of hops here with herbal and pine notes. There is a bitter kick, but it seems to be more of the coffee ground variety than a hoppy punch. As things settle down the roasted character evolves a bit leading to some grilled corn/veggies notes. The Howl has a body that is a bit on the heavy side for a lager and has some chewiness. The finish is long with big roasted grain notes.

Magic Hat's Howl is truly a porter in lager's clothing. My only complaint is that the roasted character of this beer is a bit too one-sided. I wish there was a bit more of a hoppy twang to provide some counterbalance. If you like big roasted beers, Howl will definitely feed your fix. The question is whether it suits your taste enough to have you going back for more.

Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout

Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing
Location: Middlebury, VT
Style: Oatmeal Stout
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Continuing with our run of dark beers brings us to today's review of the Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout. This beer pours up opaque ebony in color with hints of ruby. The head is a deep, brownish-tan color and is nice and foamy. The nose picks up big, roasted barley notes along with earthiness and some mineral notes.

On the palate there is a big roasted malt note. There is also a sharp minerality up front. Some herbal hops notes are here along with a solid bitter bite. Earthy and woody notes are present. There is also a hint of wine and just a touch of sweetness. The Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout is medium-bodied, well-carbonated and has a nice chewiness that really works well with the big flavor here. The finish is rather long with lingering roasted malt notes paired with bitter espresso undertones.

Otter Creek has another damn good beer on their hands with the Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout. While I did find the mineral note on the palate to be a bit overpowering at first, that tends to settle down after a bit. This beer has some big roasted flavors and a nice bite, which is exactly what I'm looking for in a winter sipping beer.

Sierra Nevada Porter

Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: Porter
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

We've been having a bit of a cold snap up my way, and when the cold weather hits I always get a craving for dark beer. I'm following up on my last review of the excellent Anchor Porter with another great porter from Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada Porter pours up a deep mahogany with ruby highlights. There is a bit of sediment just barely detectable as this beer is nearly opaque. The head looks just like creamy rootbeer foam. The nose picks up smoky, roasted, and chocolate malt notes along with a fruity ale-like hoppiness.

On the palate there is a roasted chocolate flavor that is balanced by some fruity notes. There are both herbal and fruity hops notes along with a moderate bitter kick. A slightly juicy wininess plays well with the hops flavors. Smoke and black pepper highlights sit in the background along with some minerality. The Sierra Nevada Porter has a medium body and is quite easy drinking for such a dark beer. The finish has coffee and chocolate notes along with lingering fruity hops.

The Sierra Nevada Porter is a well-balanced and easy drinking porter. To me, it seems like it pulls some of the best qualities of a rich stout and a fruity pale ale and marries them perfectly. Put this one on your short list of dark beers to sip by the fire this winter.

Anchor Porter

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company
Location: San Francisco, CA
Style: Porter
Brewery Website
Rating: A

In my glass today is the Anchor Porter. The Anchor Porter pours an opaque brownish-black color with some ruby highlights. The nose detects smoke, caramel, banana and some berry-like fruity ester notes.

On the palate the Anchor Porter has a nice roasted note up front reminiscent of roasted almonds. There are some notable complex, fruity notes of berry and banana. Herbal hops sit in the background. Dark toast fades in after a bit. Several minutes after pouring some of the fruity ester notes dissipate and the flavor evolves to that of a rich, fruity dark chocolate. The Anchor Porter is medium-bodied with some slight carbonation on the mouthfeel. The finish is deep-roasted bittersweet chocolate/coffee with a banana highlight.

The Anchor Porter may not have big, over-the-top roasted and smoky flavors, but it has some fantastic complexity that really sets this apart from the typical porter. There are some really interesting fruity notes here. While I found the fruit (the banana note in particular) to be a bit much at first, this beer actually improves after being allowed to breathe for a few minutes. The fruit then mellows out and you are left with what is simply an awesome brew.

Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot Barleywine

Brewery: Weyerbacher
Location: Easton, PA
Style: Barleywine
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Today's tasting is the Blithering Idiot barleywine from Weyerbacher. The beer pours with a short, light-tan head that fades fast. It is a cloudy amber-brown color with lots of fine sediment floating in the glass. The nose has a big wine note, along with sweet oatmeal/cereal. There is a faint fruity hops aroma in the background as well.

On the palate the Blithering Idiot has an initial sweet note up from that fades to an off-dry wininess. There is a big warming sensation, which is not surprising at over 11% ABV. There is a fair bitter kick from the hops and some citrusy notes as well. Yeast and brown sugar play complimentary roles. The Blithering Idiot has a fairly heavy body, which along with the high alcohol definitely make this a sipping beer. The finish has lingering cereal sweetness with bitter and citrus hops highlights.

Weyerbacher have a pretty good barleywine on their hands with the Blithering Idiot. The flavors here are pretty standard for a barleywine that is this big. There is still a good deal of residual sweetness here, but the hops do manage to poke their head through a bit. This is a beer that will do well with a year or more of age under its belt.

Geary's London Porter

Brewery: Geary's Brewing Co.
Location: Portland, ME
Style: Porter
Brewery Website
Rating: B

In my glass today is Geary's London Porter. This porter pours an opaque, deep mahogany color. The head is huge and foamy with a color similar to cola-fizz. The nose has smoke, caramel and some faint herbal hops.

On the palate the Geary's London Porter leads with smokiness which is followed by a touch of acidity. The hops sit well in the background with only a faint bite of note. There is some caramel and a slight warming sensation as well. Geary's London Porter is medium bodied, although it does seem a bit light for a smoky porter. The finish has long, smoky malt notes.

Geary's London Porter is an easy-drinking porter. I do find it to be a bit one-dimensional, and I think the flavor would hold up better to a bigger bodied beer. Despite this, the Geary's Porter is a nice smoky porter to curl up with on a cold winter night.

Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Location: Milton, DE
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Up for review today is Dogfish Head's Raison D'Etre. This is a Belgian-style dark ale brewed with raisins. The Raison D'Etre pours dark brown with a hint of ruby. A thick, brownish-tan, foamy head slowly rises. The nose detects juicy and winy notes along with some sweet cereal.

On the palate both wininess and a slightly sweet cereal note come to the forefront. There are notes of brown bread and burnt toast here. The hops take on an herbal character with a touch of bitterness. Oaky/woody notes sit in the background along with raisins. The Raison d'Etre has a moderate-heavy mouthfeel that is nearly syrupy. The finish is off-dry with dark wheat toast being the dominant flavor.

Dogfish Head has a really good beer on their hands with the Raison D'Etre. It drinks similar to an aged barleywine with a bit more burnt/raisin notes and not quite as winy. The raisins here seem to emulate the great raisiny flavor that develops with time on a vintage barleywine (see Thomas Hardy). Similar to aging wine or scotch in small barrels or over oak chips, you get a sneak peek at an aged beverage, but some of the complexity that can only be produced by time is missing. I am very curious to see how this beer ages.

Samuel Adams Boston Ale

Brewery: The Boston Beer Company
Location: Boston, MA
Style: Stock Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

In my glass today is the Sam Adams Boston Ale. While the Boston Lager may be Samuel Adams' flagship beer, the Boston Ale is (unfortunately) often overlooked. In my opinion, the Boston Ale is their best year-round offering. The Boston Ale pours a deep amber with hints of brown and gold. The head is golden-tan and frothy with big clumps. The nose detects citrus and herbal hops notes, along with a faint wheaty malt note.

On the palate the Sam Adams Boston Ale has aromatic citrus and floral hops up front, leading into a rich pizza dough/pretzel malt, which then fades to bitter hops notes of pine and juniper. There are also some wine/barleywine notes here and a hint of residual sweetness. The Boston Ale is moderate-to-heavy bodied with a fairly full mouthfeel. The finish has a distinct barleywine character along with bitter hops notes.

The Samuel Adams Boston Ale is a real winner. It is well-balanced, full-flavored and rich. The malt is the real star for me, but there is just the right balance of hops here to hold up to the rich flavor. Next time you go to reach for Sam Adams Boston Lager as "the old standby", do your tastebuds a favor. Reach right next to it and bring home their Boston Ale instead.

Goose Island Honker's Ale

Brewery: Goose Island
Location: Chicago, IL
Style: ESB
Brewery Website
Rating: B

In my glass today is the Honker's Ale from Goose Island in Chicago. The Honker's Ale is an ESB that at first taste is clearly modeled after the prototypical English style. In the glass it is a golden-amber in color with a faint haze. The head pours on the shorter side and white in color. The nose detects citrus and pine hops in balance with malty biscuit notes.

On the palate there is an initial flash of aromatic hops that quickly fades to a malty bread/crackers note which finally leads to some lingering bitter hops. The hops has herbal and floral notes taking the lead over a background of citrus and pine. The bitterness level is moderate and well-balanced. Also present are notes of mineral water as well as a slightly sweet berry note. The Honker's Ale is light-to-medium bodied. The finish has saltines along ngering piny hop notes.

The Honker's Ale is a well-balanced, British-style ESB. It is easy drinking, but it seems a bit thin to me. This is a good beer, but with a fuller body and a bit more of a bitter bite it would have the potential for greatness.

Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop³ Ale

Brewery: Clipper City Brewing Co.
Location: Baltimore, MD
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

In my glass today is the Loose Cannon Hop³ Ale from Clipper City's Heavy Seas line of big beers. As one can imagine from the name, this is a big American-style IPA. The Loose Cannon pours with a short, off-white bubbly head. The beer is a hazy gold with some light amber hues. The nose screams "Cascade!", as the hops aroma asserts itself quite boldly. It's sort of like getting smashed in the face with a grapefruit, James Cagney style. In a good way.

The initial flavor is big, fruity hops, although some bready malt notes do peek through the haze. The Loose Cannon has some slight residual sweetness. There is a moderate level of bitterness, but overall the bite is rather mild for such a heavily hopped ale. The hops flavors run the gamut from herbal/fresh-cut grass notes, to a hint of juniper, and of course the big citrus Cascade notes are present in spades. I found the carbonation level was a bit lacking, leading to a slightly flat mouthfeel. The Loose Cannon has a smooth finish that is balanced between aromatic and bitter hops with a hint of wheaty malt.

Clipper City continues to put out some really good beer under their Heavy Seas line. The Loose Cannon is a well-rounded IPA with lots of hops flavor. I did find myself wanting a bit stronger kick of bitterness as counterbalance to the aromatic hops, but overall this is a very enjoyable IPA.

Flying Dog Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale

Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery
Location: Frederick, MD
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

On the tasting block today is the Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale, an American-style Pale Ale from Flying Dog. The beer pours a deep, golden-brown color with lots of carbonation. A huge tan, foamy head with big clumps forms immediately upon pouring. The nose has citrus and herbal hops notes, along with a faint pretzel/malty note.

On the palate the Doggie Style Pale Ale has a pretzely malt note along with a fruit/wine note up front. There is a bitter hops note with a moderate bite. The hops present both citrus and herbal flavors. There is also a distinct alcohol/winy note as well. The Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale is medium-bodied with a juicy mouthfeel and some chewy astringency. The finish has both winy and pretzel notes.

Typical of Flying Dog's beers, the Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale is a nice, hoppy pale ale. My only issue is that this beer is a bit too juicy for my tastes; I'd prefer that it was a touch dryer. All-in-all, this is another very good showing from Flying Dog.

Lagunitas Pils

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Location: Petaluma, CA
Style: Pilsner
Brewery Website
Rating: A

In my glass today is the Lagunitas Pils, a Czech-style Pilsner. The Lagunitas Pils is a deep golden-yellow in color. There are fine bubbles of carbonation and a white bubbly head. The nose detects juiciness, herbal hops and a light breadiness.

On the palate there is an initial squirt of juiciness that trails off rapidly. The Lagunitas Pils is dryer than the nose an initial juiciness suggest. A bready note akin to naan or a flour tortilla is here. There is a nice bitter hops kick. Overall, the hops have a grassy, herbal character supported by some floral notes. The Lagunitas Pils is medium-bodied, crisp and has a pleasant fizz of carbonation. The finish is rather short with bitter hops and bready notes.

The Lagunitas Pils is a crisp, dry euro-style pilsner. I love this interpretation of the style. The flavor is bold yet refreshing. While this is clearly styled after your typical euro-pils, there is not even a hint of the typical eurolager skunkiness here. Green-bottle beer fans, this is what your beer is supposed to taste like.

Tröegs HopBack Amber Ale

Brewery: Tröegs Brewing Company

Location: Harrisburg, PA
Style: Amber
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Today's beer tasting goes out to all my friends in the Harrisburg area. On deck today is the HopBack Amber from Tröegs (umlaut will be omitted henceforth for ease of typing...). The HopBack Amber is a golden/ruddy brown in color with a short, off-white head. Lots of fine bubbles can be seen rising in the glass. The nose detects sweetness along with some citrus that combine to give the impression of lemonade. A faint aroma of wheat bread sits in the background.

On the palate there is a citrus hops note up front. Wheat bread and pretzel maltiness build. The hops give a moderate level of bitterness and more of the lemonade flavor to match the nose. There is some notable sweetness here as well. The HopBack Amber has a medium body with a nice carbonated fizziness. The finish is fairly short with more pretzel and lemonade, along with a light bitter undertone.

Troegs HopBack is a nice hoppy amber with a solid maltiness. The only thing I'd change is to roll back the sweetness here which I think is a bit too much. The Troegs Hop Back is a very good drinkable amber, but there is definitely the potential for excellence here.

Belhaven Scottish Ale

Brewery: Belhaven Brewery Company Ltd.
Location: Dunbar, Scotland
Style: Scottish Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

In my glass today is Belhaven Scottish Ale. The Belhaven is a deep amber-brown in color. It pours with a short, off-white, bubbly head. On the nose there is a mineral water characteristic along with dark wheat toast. Faint aromas of wood and wine hang in the background.

On the palate there is a distinct flavor of dark pretzels up front. A pleasing near-burnt wheat toast character from the malt takes center stage. There is a mild, herbal hop bite that plays a complimentary role. Faint wine notes and slight residual sweetness round out the flavor. The Belhaven Scottish Ale is medium bodied with a juicy mouthfeel. The finish has sweet juiciness over dark toast.

The Belhaven Scottish Ale has some great, deep toasted malt flavor that is balanced nicely by a juicy mouthfeel with supporting hops. The result is a beer with rich, distinct maltiness that is very drinkable and not overpoweringly heavy.

Newport Storm Cyclone Series "Neo" Cascade Pale Ale

Brewery: Coastal Extreme Brewing Co.
Location:Newport. RI
Style:Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Up for review today is the "Neo" from Newport Storm's Cyclone series of limited release beers. The Neo is deep, ruddy-gold in color with a short, white, bubbly head. The nose has a notable citrus character with aromas of lemonade and grapefruit. Also present on the nose are some pretzel notes.

The Newport Storm Neo's flavor profile is juicy citrus over bready malt flavors. Bitter hops fades in with time. There is a slight sweetness that holds everything in balance. The bitter hops meshes nicely with the toasted pretzel character of the malt. There is plenty of the signature grapefruit citrus of Cascade hops here, but it doesn't overpower. The finish is fairly long with bitterness, citrus and wheat toast. The Neo has a medium body that holds up well to the big flavors here.

Newport Storm really does a good job with this one. The Neo highlights the Cascade hop character well without being overbearing. There is a nice balance here for a hoppy pale ale and the malt really holds up well to the citrus character of the Cascades.

Shipyard IPA

Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Co.
Location: Portland, ME
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

Up for review today is the Shipyard IPA, which is a British-style IPA brewed with Fuggles hops. The Shipyard IPA is deep gold in color with fine carbonation. It pours with an off-white, clumpy head and leaves a fair amount of lacing on the glass. The nose has citrus and grassy/herbal notes similar to a Fume Blanc, as well as notes of fresh bread.

The Shipyard IPA leads with herbal hops notes moving into bready malt and finally into a bit of "Eurolager" notes as the flavor develops. The flavor of salted pretzels is notable as well. There is a mild acidity leading to some juiciness. Hop resin notes lead to a moderate, balanced bitterness. There is an interesting savory character here as well. The finish is a slow fade of juiciness and pretzel malt along with herbal and bitter hops. The Shipyard IPA has a medium body as well as a crisp, almost tingly, carbonated fizz.

Shipyard has a really nice IPA on their hands here. The choice of Fuggles hops really sets this apart from the crowd of IPAs. The Shipyard IPA really has a unique and enjoyable flavor profile that makes this beer well worth checking out.

Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat

Brewery: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Location: Chippewa Falls, WI
Style: Witbier
Brewery Website
Rating: B

Today's beer up for review is the Sunset Wheat from Leinenkugel. The Sunset Wheat is a hazy golden-amber in color with some large clumps of sediment visible in the glass and a short white head. The nose is loaded with sweet fruit. Aromas of blueberry, orange and honey are present with a faint wheaty malt note in the background.

On the palate, the Sunset Wheat leads with a distinctive sweet berry note. As the initial sweet fruit fades wheat malt becomes detectable along with a yeast note. The finish continues with fruity sweetness similar to "Fruit Loops" cereal, along with some wheat bread. The Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat has a light, crisp, fizzy body that is the perfect match to it's flavor.

The Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat is a perfect "beginner beer". This is an easy-drinking, straightforward beer. It is light and sweet (without being syrupy) with a nice fruity kick. This is a great choice for the wine cooler crowd, and a good choice for the more initiated of us when you want something on the lighter side.

Otter Creek Pale Ale

Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing
Location: Middlebury, VT
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A

In my glass today we have the Otter Creek Pale Ale. This has long been one of my all-time favorite beers for the summertime, and it's long overdue for a critical tasting.

The Otter Creek Pale Ale is golden amber with a faint haziness. The head is pale tan in color and leaves a nice trail of lace behind it. The nose detects a citrusy hops note along with some pretzels and a slight sweetness.

On the palate there is a sweet, bready malt flavor up front. A bitter hops character builds slowly. There are some nice hops flavors of citrus and herbs. There is a bit of a mineral water character as well. The finish has bitter hops, some herbs and pretzel notes. The finish fades a little bit quicker than the typical hoppy pale ale. The Otter Creek Pale Ale has a crisp, medium body that is smooth, but holds up well to the hops.

The Otter Creek Pale Ale has the perfect balance for a summer session pale ale. There is a nice hoppy "oomph" here without being overpowering. The Otter Creek Pale Ale is flavorful, yet crisp and smooth at the same time. Along with the Smuttynose Pale Ale and the Long Trail Pale Ale, this is one of the best American Pale Ales coming out of New England right now. Highly recommended.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2010 Vintage

Please bear with me as the posts may be slow to roll for a while due to the birth of my son. Hope to get back up to speed here in the next few weeks.  -E

Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: Barleywine
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

On the tasting block today is Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot barleywine. I am tasting a bottle from this year's (2010) bottling. The Bigfoot pours a deep amber brown color with a thick, light-tan head. The nose has aromas of citrus, caramel, honey and oatmeal.

On the palate there is a distinct wininess along with a mild acidic note. The malt has a pretzel-like flavor. There is a notable bitter hops bite that is powerful without seeming out of balance. At 9.6% ABV, there is an obvious alcohol presence. Minor flavor notes of raisins, toast and mineral water sit in the background along with a slight residual sweetness. The finish has a lingering bitter hop bite. The Bigfoot has a full body without being too heavy.

I have been a big fan of Bigfoot since the first time I tried it. While every year's brewing has produced good results, some years are "A" quality right from day one. This year's brew seems to be a little rough around the edges to me. Notably, the bitter hops notes seem to clash a bit to me. I'm holding high hopes that the 2010 Bigfoot will age well (as most Bigfoot vintages do). I think there is some great promise for this one after a couple of years in the cellar smooths out the rough edges a bit. Good to drink now, but will likely be great to drink in 2-3 years.

Beer Fest!

The week has been Boston Beer Week, and it culminates with the American Craft Beer Fest this weekend. We have reviewed several of the beers that will be featured at the festival this weekend. For those who would like to compare notes, or would like some ideas on what beers to try this weekend, here are our reviews of those beers:

Clipper City:
Heavy Seas Below Decks Barleywine
Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning Uber Pils

Dogfish Head:
World Wide Stout

Harpoon:
Leviathan Big Bohemian Pilsner

Left Hand Brewing Co:
Polestar Pilsner

Long Trail:
Double Bag
Pale Ale

Magic Hat:
Blind Faith

Otter Creek:
Stovepipe Porter

Sierra Nevada:
Pale Ale

Smuttynose:
IPA

Victory:
Hop Wallop

Weyerbacher:
Double Simcoe IPA

Magic Hat Blind Faith

Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Location: South Burlington, VT
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

Along with their full time IPA, Lucky Kat, their current "IPA on Tour" is the Blind Faith, which is on the tasting block today. The Blind Faith is a hazy amber in color. It pours with a clumpy off-white head that fades rather quickly. The nose has notes of citrus, wheat toast and caramel.

On the palate the Blind Faith has an initial citrus and bitter hops rush that fades a bit to open up a cereal/bready malt note. There is a touch of caramel and sweetness present. The hops component has an herbal character along with pine and citrus in the background. The finish is balanced between aromatic and bitter hops along with a sweet malt note with oatmeal and caramel.

The Blind Faith is a really nice IPA. The malt holds up well to the hops without ever stealing the show. This has just the right balance of malt and hops for an IPA, and a nice mix of hops flavors. I'd love to see Magic Hat make this their year-round IPA.

Chimay Grande Réserve (aka Chimay Blue)

Brewery: Bières de Chimay S.A.
Location: Chimay, Belgium
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A+

Today's tasting is the legendary Chimay Blue. Chimay is widely regarded as the preeminent Trappist brewery in Belgium, and the Chimay Grand Réserve is their flagship offering.

The Chimay Blue is a hazy, deep reddish brown in color with some fine sediment. It pours a frothy, brownish-tan head bith big clumps of foam. The nose picks up some sweetness, with notes of port, sourdough bread, yeast, as well as earthy and mineral notes.

The Chimay Grand Réserve has a rich maltiness up front. There is not as much sweetness on the palate as the nose would have you believe. There are toasted notes, yeast, wine and some warming alcohol. There are distinct notes of wood and earth. The Chimay Blue has a faint acidity, and a slight note of black coffee bitterness. The finish is soft with woody and earthy notes along with toasted sourdough and a lingering winy warmth. The Chimay Blue has a medium body that stands up well to the complex flavor, and is surprisingly smooth for a beer brewed at 9% ABV.

The Chimay Grand Réserve is one beer that lives up to the hype. Perfectly balanced, and loaded with great flavor complexity, this is the pinnacle of Belgian beer. Buy two and stash one for aging, as a beer of this style and complexity will only improve as the years go by. One matter of note, with many of the complex flavors being quite soft, the Chimay Blue is particularly sensitive to the temperature it is served at. Anything more than a slight chill (45-50F) will kill off some of the softer notes. Give it ample time to warm up a bit if you had this in the fridge.

Long Trail Unfiltered IPA

Brewery: Long Trail Brewing Co.
Location: Bridgewater Corners, VT
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B

Today's tasting is the Unfiltered IPA from Long Trail. The Unfiltered IPA is hazy golden yellow in color with some clumpy sediment. The head is white and bubbly and pours rather short in height. On the nose there are notes of citrus and yeast as well as a "Eurolager" note.

On the palate, the Long Trail Unfiltered IPA has a wheaty maltiness with some yeast. There are citrus and pine hops notes present, as well as a touch of sweetness. There is a bitter hops undertone that builds slowly, as well as some warming alcohol. The finish is wheaty malt with some bitter and citrus hops. The Long Trail Unfiltered IPA is medium bodied with a crisp, juicy mouthfeel.

As I've mentioned before, I don't think going the unfiltered route really lends itself well to an IPA. While this is an enjoyable beer, it drinks more like a hoppy hefeweizen than an IPA. The yeast and malt flavors tend to lead more than the hops here, and that just doesn't say IPA to me.

Victory Hop Wallop

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Downingtown, PA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

Today's beer review is the Hop Wallop from Victory. As we've seen before with their Prima Pils and their Hop Devil Ale, Victory has a great track record with my favorite green flower. The Hop Wallop, as the name suggests, is a highly hopped ale that is not to be taken lightly.

The Hop Wallop is a hazy golden yellow in color. It pours a short, white, bubbly head. The nose is loaded with hoppy aromas of grapefruit/citrus along with pine. There is also a faint wheat aroma notable.

On the palate, the Hop Wallop wallops you with hops. (Yes, that was cheesy.) There is a bitter resinous hop punch. Citrus and pine notes are present in spades along with a bit of a mineral note. Some warming alcohol is here as well, which is expected at 8.5% ABV. The finish has clinging, bitter hops with citrus and mineral notes. The Hop Wallop is medium bodied with clinging tannic hop resin.

The Hop Wallop is another winner from Victory. This is a potent hoppy brew with plenty of flavor to support the strong bitter kick. While the alcohol level is high enough to keep this a sipping brew, it smooths things out nicely and provides a solid background that can hold up to the hops. Victory knows hops, and their Hop Wallop is a must-try for fans of bitter hoppy brews.

Left Hand Brewing Company Polestar Pilsner

Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
Location: Longmont, CO
Style: Pilsner
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

Today's beer tasting is the Polestar Pilsner from Colorado's Left Hand Brewing Company. The Polestar Pilsner is golden yellow/straw in color with a bubbly, clumpy white head. The nose has notes of citrus, eurolager and pine. I also detected a slight skunky aroma, but the bottle I sampled was about 6 months old so that may explain the skunkiness.

On the palate the Polestar Pilsner has a maltiness with notes of both wheaty and lagery notes. There is a mild-to-moderate bitter kick from the hops along with notes of pine and citrus. Some mineral water flavor is present on the palate as well. The finish has lingering lager maltiness along with some faint citrus hops. The Polestar Pilsner has some bigger malt and hops flavors than the typical Euro-style pilsner and it has a crisp, medium body that is just enough to hold up to them without being heavy.

The Polestar Pilsner has a rich European-style lager/pilsner flavor, along with a fair amount of hoppiness. This is one of the better American takes on a European pilsner that I've tried. The Polestar Pilsner is well worth checking out.

Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale

Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company
Location: San Diego, CA
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Today's tasting is the Yellowtail Pale Ale from Ballast Point. The Yellowtail Pale Ale is golden yellow with some fine carbonation in the glass. It pours with a short white head. On the nose there are notes of citrus and pine hops along with lagery malt aromas and some wheat.

The Yellowtail Pale Ale is crisp and off-dry with citrus and wheat bread malt on the palate. There is a nice hops presence with some citrus and pine along with some slight bitter notes. The finish is crisp and smooth with lingering light hops and doughy malt notes. The Yellowtail Pale Ale has a light body with a slight fizz.

The Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale is the perfect model for a summer ale. It is crisp and easy drinking with just enough hops. Impress your guests and serve this at your next cookout.

EB Beer

Brewery: Żywiec Brewery
Location: Żywiec Poland
Style: Pilsner
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Continuing on with our selection of Polish beer this week brings us to EB Beer from Żywiec. The EB Beer is golden yellow in color, with some fine rising bubbles. The head pours up white and foamy. On the nose there are notes of citrus hops, white wine and some wheaty/lager malt notes.

On the palate, the EB Beer leads with a lager note followed by a winy juiciness that fades quickly into a biscuity malt flavor. There are herbal and citrus hops notes paired to a pleasant mild bitterness. The finish is led by a wheaty biscuit malt note. The EB Beer has a crisp, light-to-medium body with a bit of fizz.

EB Beer is a good European pilsner that has some nice flavor without sacrificing its lightness or drinkability. Fans of Carlsberg and Pilsner Urquell should check this one out.

O.K. Beer

Brewery: Browar Okocim
Location: Brzesko, Poland
Style: Lager
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Today we continue our Critical Tastings Polish festival with O.K. Beer from Okocim Brewery. The OK Beer is a deep gold color. It pours with a foamy white head. The nose has a characteristic Eurolager aroma along with bread and a faint herbal note.

On the palate the OK Beer is slightly sweet up front. There is a lagery malt flavor with bread and some vegetable notes. There is a faint spicy hops note along with some herbal flavors. The finish is short and lagery with some residual hop spice. The OK Beer has a crisp light-to-medium body, along with a faint fizz.

Okocim's O.K. Beer is better than OK. This is a quite a good European lager with good flavor.

Żywiec

Brewery: Żywiec Brewery
Location: Żywiec, Poland
Style: Lager
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Up for tasting today we have Żywiec Beer. The Żywiec pours a straw/golden yellow color with a foamy white head. The nose has notes of lagery malt along with some herbal hops notes and a faint winy fruitiness.

On the palate, the Żywiec has lager malt flavor with a bit of a wheaty note to it. There is a pleasant herbal/floral hop note with a slight bitter bite. The finish has a doughy malt flavor with some lingering hops. The Żywiec has a crisp light-to-medium body, and a faint prosecco-like fizz. Żywiec Beer is a nice alternative to the typical Euro Lagers out there, with much more flavor than the typical green bottle fare.

Lezajsk

Brewery: Zakłady Piwowarskie w Leżajsku S.A.
Location: Lezajsk, Poland
Style: Lager
Rating: B-

In my glass today is Lezajsk, a European-style lager from Poland. The Lezajsk is a deep straw-gold in color. It pours with a short white head that fades rather quickly. On the nose there is wheat, lager malt and some faint herbal hops.

The Lezajsk has a rather light flavor on the palate. There is a light lager malt flavor with some sweetness. (The sweetness here is likely due to the addition of rice or corn as an adjunct) Some citrus and herbal hops flavors are noted. The finish is rather short with sweetness along with malt and a faint bitter hops note. The Lezajsk has a crisp and fairly light body.

While technically a European lager, the taste profile and light flavor of Lezajsk puts is closer to the mass-market american lager/pilsners. In comparison to the typical BMC fare, to me this is a far superior choice. The light body and hint of sweetness are well matched, and suited to be served ice cold. If you're a fan of Bud/Miller/Coors you would do well to give the Lezajsk a try.

Perła Chmielowa

Brewery: Perła Browary Lubelskie S.A.
Location: Lublin, Poland
Style: Pilsner
Brewery Website
Rating: B

Today's beer tasting is the Perła Chmielowa (aka Hop Pearl). The Perła Chmielowa is deep gold in color with a touch of amber. It pours with a 2-finger, white foamy head. The nose is on the light side, with notes of wheaty malt, citrus and white wine.

On the palate, the Perła Chmielowa has a wheaty malt character. There are notes of dry white wine along with a faint hop bitterness. The hops bring flavors of pine and herbs. The initial flavor fades quickly leaving a finish with faint hops notes. The Perła Chmielowa has an easy drinking, light-to-medium body that is crisp and slightly fizzy.

The Perła Chmielowa is on the dry side with a fair amount of hops for a light European lager. This is a refreshing (and tasty) change of pace that I recommend to fans of the typical green-bottle fare.

Break out the kielbasa and fire up the grill...

... because it's Polish beer week at Critical Tastings! The summer grilling season is here, and nothing pairs better with Polish sausage than Polish beer. We have 5 days of beer tastings coming up to help you pick which beer to serve at your next cookout. Na zdrowie!

Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA

Brewery: Weyerbacher
Location: Easton, PA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B-

Today's tasting is a Double IPA from Weyerbacher. Weyerbacher brews this IPA using Simcoe hops, which is a fairly new variety first bred in 2000. Simcoe is most commonly used as a bittering hop, but has the potential for some complex aromatic properties.

The Simcoe Double IPA is a hazy dark amber-brown. The head pours thick with a short cascading effect, leaving a 3-finger thick light tan head. The nose has citrus, sweet cereal, and an aroma reminiscent of a juicy white wine (such as a Riesling).

On the palate, the bitter hops make themselves known right away. There are sweet notes of caramel, along with some wine flavors. There are some floral and herbal hops notes present, but for the most part this beer is dominated by a resinous, oily, bitter hop character. The finish has more lingering hop resin. The Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA has a fairly heavy body, which holds up well to the powerful bitter hop note.

As much as I like bitter, hoppy beer, I think the Double Simcoe overdoes it a bit. The bitterness just seems to overpower a lot of the other flavors here. It's a good IPA for bitter hop fans, but this wouldn't be an everyday beer for me.

Smuttynose IPA

Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Co.
Location: Portsmouth, NH
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Up for review today is the Smuttynose IPA. The Smuttynose IPA is golden with a faint reddish tint and a slight haze. The head is bubbly and off-white in color. The nose has pine and fruity hops up front along with wheaty malt notes and some earth.

On the palate, the Smuttynose IPA leads with a bitter hop note. Also notable is a wheaty malt note. The hops component has pine, herbal and grapefruit notes along with a resinous hop character. There is also some woody and earthy flavors. The finish has lingering bitter hops with an espresso-like bite. The Smuttynose IPA has a medium body that is well matched to its flavor profile.

The Smuttynose IPA is a good one for the bitter hops fans. There is a nice diversity to the hops flavor profile along with a solid malt backbone that holds everything in balance. This is quite well rounded for a beer with such a bitter kick.

Thirsty Dog Hoppus Maximus

Brewery: Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
Location: Akron, OH
Style: Amber
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Today's beer tasting is the Hoppus Maximus from Thirsty Dog.  The Hoppus Maximus is copper colored with a few fine bubbles that rise in the glass. The head is rather short, off-white in color, and bubbly. The nose seemed a bit on the faint side, with citrus and herbal hops notes as well as an earthy grain malt note.

On the palate, the Hoppus Maximus has a bitter hop bite along with some wheaty malt notes up front. There are supporting notes of salt, earth and mineral water, but the bitter hops really run the show here along with a touch of pine. The finish has the bitter hops continue on along with a pretzel-like malt note. The Hoppus Maximus is medium-bodied with some tannin-like astringency.

The Hoppus Maximus is another solid showing from Thirsty Dog. This a highly-hopped amber, and at only 5% ABV is a worthy session beer for hopheads, especially if you like a bitter beer that bites back. Well worth checking out if this is your kind of beer.

Flying Dog Raging Bitch Belgian Style India Pale Ale

Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery
Location: Frederick, MD
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

The Cascade hop variety was developed in Oregon in 1972 by the USDA breeding program. It is one of the quintessential American hop varieties. Along with the Columbus and Centennial varieties (commonly referred to as the "Three C's"), Cascade hops are known for their distinct citrus aroma. The Cascade hop in particular is noted for a very distinct grapefruit aroma.

Why do I mention the Cascade hop here? Because the Flying Dog Raging Bitch is loaded with them. It's interesting that Flying Dog uses a hop that is so distinctly American in a beer that they label a Belgian Style IPA.

The Flying Dog Raging Bitch IPA is reddish-amber color with a touch of gold. It pours a 2-finger thick, light gold, foamy head that leaves a trail of lace down the glass. The nose is dominated by hops. There are notes of pine and lemon and a huge Cascade aroma of fresh grapefruit.

On the palate, the Raging Bitch has fruity, grapefruit hops up front over a background of sweet cereal malt. The hops bitterness starts on the mild side and then builds to a moderate level. The finish has bitter grapefruit over slightly sweet cereal malt notes. The Raging Bitch has a crisp, medium body that holds up well to the assertive hops fruitiness of this IPA.

The Raging Bitch is an interesting IPA. Its flavor is dominated by the fruity Cascade hops, with bitter and malty notes as bit players in complimentary roles. The grapefruit notes in both aroma and flavor are truly distinct here. If you enjoy grapefruit and/or Cascade hops (as I do), then you will love this beer.

Unibroue Quelque Chose

Brewery: Unibroue
Location: Chambly, Quebec
Style: Fruit Ale
Vintage: 2006
Brewery Website
Rating: A+

The phrase "quelque chose" is french for "something", and this beer sure is something. As loyal readers are aware, Unibroue is a brewery from Quebec that makes some top-of-the-line Belgian-style beers. The Quelque Chose is closest to a Belgian Kriek-style ale, and it is about as good as it gets for fruit ales. I had the pleasure of trying a bottle from the 2006 vintage last night (best before date is 7-17-2011). Here are my tasting notes.

The Quelque Chose has the color of dark Grade-B maple syrup with a strong reddish tint. There is little head to speak of, just a few foam remnants floating on top of the glass. The nose has sweet cherries, toasted port wine, honey and vanilla.

On the palate there is a tangy sweet and sour note up front. There is a toasted winy note similar to vintage port or sherry. The sweet notes are led by honey, caramel and vanilla. The cherry flavor is stong without being overpowering, and is reminiscent of ripe Bing cherries. There is a faint bitter undertone that rounds out the flavor profile. The finish has sour cherries over toasted malt and vanilla. The Quelque Chose had a medium-to-heavy body with a slight fizzy carbonation and some tannins.

The Quelque Chose is the best fruit ale I've ever had. While this isn't a typical light, juicy fruit ale for a session on a hot summer afternoon, this is a delicious beer that is worth savoring. This beer deserves to be on your "must-buy" list. In fact, I highly suggest adding 3 or 4 of these to your must-buy list since this ages quite so well. I know I plan to cellar several of these in the very near future.

Saranac Pale Ale

Brewery: Matt Brewing Company
Location: Utica, NY
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

Up for review today is Saranac's Pale Ale. The Saranac Pale Ale is a deep copper color with a light tan, bubbly head. The nose has a malt note that is very charicteristic of a British-style Pale Ale. There are also both herbal and fruity hops aromas.

On the palate the Saranac Pale Ale has a bready malt note. There is a moderate acidity that highlights cherry and plum fruit notes from the hops. There is also a mild bitter hops note on the tail end. Mineral and nutty flavors are also present. The finish has wheat bread along with a tart fruit acidity. The Saranac Pale Ale has a smooth, medium body with a touch of juiciness.

The Saranac Pale Ale is a tasty British-style pale ale that is smooth drinking with a nice hint of acidity. To me, this tastes like a fuller-flavored take on the Bass Ale style. This is really worth a try if you're a Bass/Belhaven fan.

Blue Hills Xtra Pale Ale

Brewery: Blue Hills Brewery
Location: Canton, MA
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B

I happened upon the Blue Hills Xtra Pale Ale when I stopped by Not Your Average Joe's in Randolph, MA for lunch recently. I was pleased to find a few local beers on the menu. My Xtra Pale Ale was served in a pint glass with a short white head. It is golden yellow in color. The nose has a light wheat aroma with some citrus.

The Blue Hills Xtra Pale Ale has a crisp wheaty malt flavor with a short kick of hop bitterness. There are notes of pine and lemonade. There is a bit of sweetness with blueberry and blackberry notes. The finish has wheaty malt with a bit of a hoppy bite. The Blue Hills Xtra Pale Ale has a fairly light body with a refreshing light fizz.

The Blue Hills Xtra Pale Ale is definitely geared towards fans of lighter beers. It still has some nice flavor and is well suited to a night-long brewpub session at only 5.25% ABV. This is a nice quaffable light ale that is a good match for a hot summer day.

Samuel Adams Pale Ale

Brewery: The Boston Beer Company
Location: Boston, MA
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B-

Up for review today is the Samuel Adams Pale Ale. The Sam Adams Pale Ale is deep gold in color. The head is short, white and bubbly. The head disappears rather quickly after pouring. The nose has aromas of toast and well-done pizza crust, along with some "Eurolager" notes.

On the palate the Sam Adams Pale Ale has bready malt up front, followed by a mild bitter hop kick on the back end. There is a touch of acidity as well as some earthiness, all over a lagery malt backbone. The finish is rather short with a bready malt note. The Samuel Adams Pale Ale has a fairly light, crisp body.

All in all, the Sam Adams Pale Ale has a little too light a flavor for my tastes. This beer tastes more like an upgraded version of the typical "mass-market" pilsner/lagers out there. Not a bad beer for a hot summer afternoon, but not in the same league as some of the better pale ales coming out of the New England area right now, such as the pale ales from Smuttynose and Long Trail.

Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Location: Escondido, CA
Style: Strong Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Up next for review is the Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale from Stone. This is a version of their renowned Arrogant Bastard Ale that has been aged with oak chips. Oak-aged beer isn't exactly a common practice, and by using oak chips the goal is obviously to maximize oak-to-beer contact and thus oak flavor in the final product. Let's see how well this works...

The Oaked Arrogant Bastard is deep red in color with a hint of brown as well as a slight haziness. A firm pour results in a 2-finger thick, reddish-tan head head with big bubbles. There is a thick, sticky lace left behind as the head recedes. The nose picks up fresh-cut timber, citrus hops and a touch of liquid smoke.

On the palate there is an earthy malt that is balanced by a bitter hop bite. There is a piny hops note that pairs very nicely with the prominent oaky wood flavor. There is some citrus that peeks through on the hops side as well. The finish has lingering bitterness with a nice sawdust counterpoint. The Oaked Arrogant Bastard has a medium-to-full body that holds up to the big flavor here.

The Oaked Arrogant Bastard has a great flavor profile that I really enjoy. The wood flavor is prominent without being overpowering, and the Arrogant Bastard is a big enough beer to hold up to it. To me, the flavor and aroma remind me of hiking through timber country of the Great North Woods. I will definitely be bringing a sixer of this up with me during hunting season this year. The oak brings a nice earthiness that really meshes well with the hops and malt profiles of this beer. Highly recommended.

Beer Works Bunker Hill Bluebeery Ale

Brewery: Beer Works
Location: Boston, MA
Style: Fruit Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Beer Works is a small chain of brewpubs in the Boston area. They have recently begun bottling some of their more popular beers. After a disappointing Red Sox game, I popped into their Fenway location and nabbed a sixer of their Bluebeery Ale. This is normally served at the brewpub with a handful of mini blueberries thrown in the glass. While they weren't the mini variety, I did have some blueberries hanging around, so in the glass they went.

The Bunker Hill Bluebeery Ale is golden yellow in color with a short, white foamy head. The nose has the aroma of fresh blueberries along with wheat and bready notes. On the palate, a wheaty, biscuit malt note predominates. A fresh blueberry flavor plays a strong supporting role to the malt. The finish has wheat bread with more blueberry supporting notes. The Bluebeery Ale has a light-to-medium body that is crisp with a bit of juicy acidity.

The Beer Works Bunker Hill Bluebeery Ale is a smooth, easy-drinking, malt-forward beer. The blueberries here play their part well without detracting from the malt. Unlike other fruit beers (and blueberry ales in particular), this isn't syrupy nor is it like drinking a soda. The Beer Works Bluebeery Ale is a blueberry ale that beer lovers can get into.

Samuel Adams Imperial White

Brewery: The Boston Beer Company
Location: Boston, MA
Style: Witbier
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Up for tasting today the Samuel Adams Imperial White. The Imperial Series is Samuel Adams's line of big beers. The Imperial White is a Belgian White style ale brewed at a whopping 10.3% ABV. The Imperial White is amber-red in color with a haze that has chunky clumps of sediment floating in it. The beer has a short, off-white head. The nose has notes of buttered bread and orange.

The Sam Adams Imperial White has a bit of a tart twang to it, along with some sweetness. The malt has a wheaty quality to it. There are notes of orange and yeast on the palate, as well as a bit of butteriness. There is some alcohol to note, but the beer is not as strong as 10.3% alcohol would seem. The finish has a lambic-like tartness along with butter and wheaty malt notes. The Samuel Adams Imperial White is fairly heavy bodied with a rich, clinging, syrupy mouthfeel.

For the sake of fair disclosure, I must admit up front that I am generally not a big fan of the White Ale style. Having said that, this is a unique interpretation of the style that I rather enjoyed. While the more popular witbiers tend to be lighter-bodied, similar to a hefeweizen, the Sam Adams Imperial White is much richer and fuller-bodied. The fruit notes typical to the style are present here but sit nicely in balance. If you're a Blue Moon fan looking to branch out, the Samuel Adams Imperial White is well worth a taste.

Scrimshaw Pilsner

Brewery: North Coast Brewing Co.
Location: Fort Bragg, CA
Style: Pilsner
Brewery Website
Rating: B-

Up next for review we have the Scrimshaw Pilsner from North Coast Brewing Company. The Scrimshaw Pilsner is golden yellow in color with a very faint haze. There are some fine bubbles that rise in the glass. The nose is led by a lagery malt aroma with notes of herbal and piny hops.

On the palate, the Scrimshaw Pilsner has a light, wheaty lager malt flavor. There is a mild acidity and some citrus notes. There is a very mild hops bitter undertone. The Scrimshaw Pilsner has a light-to-medium body with a light foamy mouthfeel. The finish is rather short, with wheaty malt notes.

The Scrimshaw Pilsner is rather light in flavor for my tastes. There isn't much in the way of hops going on here. This is a beer best suited to hot summers and tailgating. If you're a Bud/Miller/Coors drinker looking for an upgrade then this would be a really good place to start.

Ipswich IPA

Brewery: Mercury Brewing Company
Location: Ipswich, MA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B

Up for review today is the Ipswich IPA from Mercury Brewing Company. The Ipswich IPA pours a 3-finger thick, foamy, golden-tan head. It is amber-brown in color and quite hazy do to its unfiltered nature. The nose has fruity notes of cherries, plums and and the distinct grapefruit aroma of Cascade hops. There is also a sweet malty aroma akin to sweet bread.

The Ipswich IPA has a hoppy, bitter kick. There are notes of yeast and wheat toast. There is a hint of acidity and mineral notes. The hops has pine and cherry flavors, as well as a strong bitterness reminiscent of very strong coffee. The finish has lingering bitterness similar to unsweetened cocoa. The Ipswich IPA has a medium-to-heavy body with a chewy mouthfeel along with a touch of juiciness.

The Ipswich IPA has a fairly unique flavor profile as far as IPA's go. For my tastes, I find that the unfiltered nature of this beer clashes a bit with what I expect from an IPA. It just seems a bit too heavy and not quite crisp enough for my tastes in an IPA. While this is still quite a good beer, this translation of the IPA seems to fall a little short for me.

Long Trail Pale Ale

Brewery: Long Trail Brewing Co.
Location: Bridgewater Corners, Vt
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Today's beer up for review is Long Trail's Pale Ale. The Long Trail Pale Ale is golden amber in color. It pours a light-tan, foamy head that leaves behind a nice lace trail down the glass. The nose has a huge bouquet of hops, with notes of pine, grapefruit and juniper.

The Long Trail Pale Ale has fruity hops notes and malt up front. The hops bitterness builds over sweet cereal and wheat toast malt notes. The hops give a resinous bitter kick with notes of lemongrass, pine and grapefruit. The finish has bitter hops over a background of sweet malt. The Long Trail Pale Ale has a medium body that is well-matched to the full flavor of this beer.

The Long Trail Pale Ale is a hop-forward pale ale with a solid malt backbone. This beer just smells awesome, and the flavor has all the hops diversity that the nose detects. The Long Trail Pale Ale is simply one of the best American Pale Ales out there right now.

Unibroue Maudite

Brewery: Unibroue
Location: Chambly, Quebec
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A

It was a slow week on the site last week, so I'm making it up to you this week by starting off with reviews of a pair of top-notch beers. First up is Maudite from Unibroue. Unibroue is renowned for their extraordinarily complex, Belgian-style ales aged "on lees" in the bottle. And Maudite is arguably the cream of the crop from Unibroue.

The Maudite is deep, ruddy amber in color. It pours with a light tan, bubbly head that fades rather fast. The nose is complex with toasted notes, raisins, orange peel and rye bread. It also has aromas reminiscent of a Belgian White ale as well as dry white wine.

On the palate, the Maudite has notes of raisins and toasted rye bread. There are flavors of orange, port wine and a very faint buttery note. Flavors of berry preserves and mineral water are perceptible in the background. The Maudite has a warming wininess. There is a touch of residual sugar remaining as well as a faint, lambic-like acidity. The finish has flavors of off-dry wine with herbal and lambic-fruit undertones. The Unibroue Maudite has a clingy, drying mouthfeel and a fairly heavy body.

Unibroue really nails it on this one. The Maudite has great complexity with nothing out of balance. If you like Belgian-style ales (that includes fans of Belgian Whites) and you haven't tried Maudite yet, then you owe it to yourself to try this ASAP.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Location: Milton, DE
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A+

We're saving the best for last for our IPA Extravaganza on Critical Tastings. The 90-Minute IPA from Dogfish Head is the big brother of their 60 Minute IPA, and is brewed with 90 minutes of continuous additions of hops during the boil. The 90 Minute IPA is golden amber-red in color. It pours with a huge, golden, foamy head. The nose is dominated by a big, fruity hop-citrus aroma, along with a hint of sweet, bready malt.

The 90-Minute IPA has bitter hops up front on the palate along with a sweet cereal note from the malt. The hops flavors are led by citrus (orange peel being the most notable citrus flavor), along with some floral and herbal hops notes. While the hops steals the show in this beer, the sweet malt plays a nice counterpoint and helps open up a variety of complex flavors. There are flavors of caramel and whiskey. In addition there are notes of wine, oak, earth, and salt along with a faint minerality. There is a long, hoppy finish with citrus and bitter hops over a background of sweet maltiness. The 90 Minute IPA has a medium body that stands up to its big, complex flavor.

Dogfish Head has another winner on their hands with their 90-Minute IPA. There is a powerful hops flavor that is assertive without being overpowering. The malt and alcohol are present in just the right balance to open up a higher level of complexity without detracting from the hops. The Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA is everything I want in an IPA and then some.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Location: Milton, DE
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

The Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA is one of several IPA's in Dogfish Head's series of continuously-hopped IPA's. This means that hops are continuously added during the boil in the brewing process (in this case over the course of 60 minutes). The 60-Minute IPA is golden in color with a hint of amber. It pours with 1-finger of bubbly white head. The nose has hop flowers, pine and a fruity/citrus aroma from the hops. There are also some malt notes in the back along with a bit of earthiness and some toasted aromas.

On the palate, the 60 Minute IPA initially presents malt and floral hops notes. Bitter and piny hops notes then begin to show up, in balance with the malt and floral hops. There are winy alcohol and mineral notes present as well. The finish has herbal and fruity hops along with some bitterness over some sweet malt notes. The Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA is medium bodied with some crisp fizziness.

The Dogfish Head 60-Minute IPA is crisp and refreshing with some great hop flavor. It may not have the intensity of its bigger cousins, but it is rather reminiscent of a good, hoppy amber. Fans of Red Seal Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale should check this one out.

Victory Hop Devil Ale

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Downingtown, PA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Up next for review we have the Hop Devil Ale, an IPA from Victory Brewing. The Hop Devil is a deep, golden amber-red in color. It poured a huge, off-white, frothy head. The nose has citrus, stone fruit, juniper and pine from the hops, along with a faint hint of malt.

On the palate the Hop Devil leads with some malt up front. The bitter hops present themselves well, but without too much of a bite. A wide array of hops flavors are present, including juniper, pine, lemon and fresh herbs. There is also a sweet maltiness and a touch of cucumber. The finish is balanced between hops and a lingering sweet maltiness. The Hop Devil has a medium body that is well-matched to the full flavor.

The Hop Devil is just about everything you can ask for in an IPA. It has a full, rich flavor. There is a broad spectrum of hops flavors and aromas without too much bite. The Victory Hop Devil is just a great, fruity, flavorful IPA.

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

Brewery: Harpoon Brewery
Location: Boston, MA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Tonight we have the Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA. This is a big IPA, weighing in at at 10% ABV. The Leviathan IPA is golden amber in color, and looks a bit on the light side for a big IPA. It pours with a thick, bubbly, off-white head that leaves a trail of sticky lace on the glass as it recedes. The nose has piney and floral hops aromas, along with some grapefruit and a hint of sweet malt.

The Leviathan IPA has a hoppy twinge up front and the bitterness slowly ramps up from there. There are notes of winy alcohol, sweet cereal malt, bubblegum and sweet corn. The hops flavor is led by floral and herbal notes, along with some pine. There is a long, herbal-hop finish with lingering bitterness. The body is on the heavy side with a tannin-like astringency.

The Leviathan IPA is rather unique in the way the hops take on primarily a floral/herbal flavor profile. Matched with a bit of sweet maltiness way in the background, and the bitter notes from the hops, these flavors are reminiscent of an herbaceous liqueur. While these flavors are tucked away in the background it does add an interesting layer of complexity to the flavor profile. This is quite an interesting take on an IPA without reaching way out into left field.

Magic Hat Lucky Kat

Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Location: South Burlington, VT
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B

On tap for review (well, in-bottle actually) we have Lucky Kat, which is the year-round IPA from Magic Hat. The Lucky Kat is ruddy-amber in color with a slight haze and very fine bubbles rising. It pours with a 2-finger, foamy, off-white head. The nose is on the faint side, with pine and herbal hops alongside a touch of sweet, bready malt.

At first taste, the Lucky Kat leads off with smooth malt as bitter hops start to fade in. There are notes of pine as well as faint citrus on the hops side. There is also a bit of a faint "eurolager" note in the background. The finish has more bitter hops which are rather mild for an IPA, but linger pleasantly. Lucky Kat has a light-to-medium body and is quite drinkable for an IPA. Balanced without being overpowering, The Lucky Kat IPA from Magic Hat is a great intro IPA for the hop newbie.

Stone Ruination IPA

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Location: Escondido, CA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Up next for review is the Ruination IPA from Stone. The Ruination is deep gold in color with a touch of amber. It has a bit of haziness that reminds me of fresh-squeezed lemonade. The Ruination IPA pours with a clumpy, 2-finger thick, off-white head. On the nose, the Centennial hops jump right up your nostrils and hit you with a wallop of white grapefruit. (This, my friends, is a good thing.) The overall aroma is straight-ahead citrus with just a touch of yeasty bread and some sweet notes way in the back.

On the palate, there is a fruity hop bite. The hop flavors run the gamut from citrus/grapefruit to pine and hop-resin. Overall, the flavor is well balanced between the bitter hops and aromatics. There is a touch of sweet, grainy malt, along with some cherry, plum and alcohol notes. There is a long, clinging finish of bitter hops with some hop fruitiness. There is some slight astringency, and an overall light-to-medium body that I find to be enjoyably smooth for all the hoppiness.

Stone has another winner on their hands with the Ruination IPA. This is one for big-time hopheads to savor.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Brewery: Sierra Nevada
Location: Chico, CA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Up for review today is the Torpedo Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada. As the name implies, this is a big India Pale Ale, weighing in at 7.2% ABV. The Torpedo is reddish amber in color, with quite a bit of fine bubbles rising. The head is 1-finger thick, clumpy and ivory in color. On the nose there are citrus and herbal notes as well as the aroma of fresh pine needles all attributable to the hops. In addition some bread notes from the malt are also present on the nose.

On the palate there is a fair bit of malt up front before the hops take over. There are citrus and pine notes as well as a resinous, deep bitter hop bite. Flavors of salt and bread are also notable. On the finish, the bitter hops flavors slowly fade, leaving a lingering bready malt flavor. The Torpedo is medium bodied with a fair amount of astringency.

The Torpedo Extra IPA has a powerful bitter hop flavor, with aromatic hops notes and bready malt playing backup. If you like bitter beer, the Torpedo is right up your alley. Well-recommended for the hopheads out there.

Offshore India Pale Ale

Brewery: Offshore Ale Brewing Co.
Location: Martha's Vineyard, MA
Style: IPA
Brewery Website
Rating: B

On tap today we have an IPA from Offshore Ale Brewing Company on the island of Martha's Vineyard. The Offshore IPA is golden amber with a slight reddish tint. It is very hazy. I'm not sure if I accidentally bumped or shook the bottle before pouring, but I got a huge fist-sized head. The head is light tan in color and both creamy and foamy. The nose picks up fruit, flower and pine from the hops, along with a dose of sweetness and bread.

The palate picks up bready malt along with floral and piny hop notes. There is a medium bitter hop kick. There are also some berry flavors detectable. On the finish, the piney bitter hops linger paired with some faint bready notes. The Offshore IPA is medium-bodied with bit of astringency.

The Offshore IPA is a very drinkable beer that is well balanced between malt and hops. Its only downfall is that it is actually a bit too balanced for an IPA, which is a very hop-forward style. If this was billed as a Pale Ale I would probably have rated this higher. The Offshore IPA drinks more like an American Pale Ale with a hoppy kick. Fans of Red Seal and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would do well to check this one out.

IPA Extravaganza

When I first kicked off this blog, I mentioned that IPA's are one of my favorite styles of beer. So why have I only reviewed one IPA so far? Because I've been saving them up for just such an occasion. Prepare for a week of India Pale Ale overload.

Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Brewery: Unibroue
Location: Chambly, Quebec
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Unibroue is a renowned Canadian brewery that is well-known for their distinctive beers. Almost all of their beers are aged "on lees". This means the yeast and solids remaining from the brewing process remain in the bottle and lead to a second fermentation that provides natural carbonation. This generally leads to more complexity and good aging potential (and provides an excellent source of B-vitamins as well!).

The Trois Pistoles is dark cola-brown in color with a significant amount of haze. There is a thick, fizzy head that is off-white in color. The nose has fruit, wine and a faint butteriness. There is a rich scent that is almost meaty in aroma.

On the palate, the Trois Pistoles is reminiscent of a very dry wine. It is as if someone took a malty beer and removed all of the sweetness from it. There is a faint bitter bite and a hint of acidity. Notes of woodiness and mustiness are present. There is a touch of butteriness reminiscent of some Belgian White Ales. There is a rich, coating mouthfeel and a heavy body.

The Trois Pistoles is a very rich beer that would be well suited to accompany a hearty beef stew. My only issue is the flavor is personally just not my cup of tea. In particular, the butteriness seems a bit out of place. Regardless of my personal tastes, the amount of dryness really leads to the Trois Pistoles being a unique, complex beer.

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Brewery: North Coast Brewing Co.
Location: Fort Bragg, CA
Style: Stout
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Up today we have the Old Rasputin Imperial Stout from North Coast Brewing. Named after one of my favorite historical personalities (and one of my favorite movies), this beer is as dark as Old Rasputin's soul. It pours an opaque ebony color with a thick tan-brown head that hangs around for a good long while. The nose has fruity and floral hop notes, as well as aromas of coffee, malt and a banana-like sweetness.

On the palate the Old Rasputin has coffee and unsweetened chocolate flavors as well as a bitter hop component. There are also hints of black pepper spice. A metallic/mineral flavor is strong initially, but then fades into balance. The alcohol is noticable, which is expected at 9% ABV. The finish is quite bitter with coffee and chocolate notes. There is a creamy mouthfeel and a medium-to-heavy body that matches the big bitter flavor rather well.

The Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout is a big stout loaded with coffee and chocolate flavors. There is a nice bitter hops kick that compliments the malt quite well. This is a great curl-up-on-the-couch winter beer for coffee/chocolate stout fans.

Thirsty Dog Old Leghumper Robust Porter

Brewery: Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.
Location: Akron, OH
Style: Porter
Brewery Website
Rating: A

Today's tasting is Old Leghumper, an award-winning porter from Thirsty Dog. Thirsty Dog is currently distributed in 11 states, and by some lucky chance Rhode Island is one of them. If you can find them in your area, do yourself a huge favor and check them out.

The Old Leghumper Porter is deep mahogany, nearing black in color. It pours with a thick, light-mocha colored head that leaves a nice lacing behind as it fades to a clumpy foam. Its nose has liquid smoke, floral hops, citrus and woody notes.

On the palate, the Old Leghumper hits you with some bitterness up front, followed by a quick squirt of acidity. Following that roasted notes start to kick in. There is some sweet maltiness. Undertones of bitter hops, grassiness and carrots are present on the palate as well. There is a touch of steely minerality on the finish, along with roasted and citrus notes. The Old Leghumper has a medium to heavy body that is well matched with its robust flavor. This is a beer that just screams out "big porter". If that's your style, then do what you need to hunt down this beer. Your search will be well-rewarded.

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery
Location: Frederick, MD
Style: Porter
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Today's tasting is the Gonzo Imperial Porter from Flying Dog's Canis Major Series. This is Flying Dog's "big beer" line. The Gonzo Imperial Porter is nearly black in color with a faint hint of reddish brown. It has a somewhat short, light brown head. The nose has chocolate and roasted notes. There are also fruity hops, reminiscent of plums.

On the palate the Gonzo Imperial Porter has cocoa, smoky and roasted notes. There is a mild bitter kick, as well as some fruity hops. There are background flavors of grass and cucumber as well. Through all of this a powerful smoky flavor remains dominant. There is noticible warming alcohol. The Flying Dog Gonzo Porter has a fairly heavy body that clings to the tongue a bit. The finish has some bitter notes akin to unsweetened chocolate. The powerful smokiness seems a bit out of balance to me, but if you're a smoke fan then this may just be the porter for you.

Newport Storm Cyclone Series Luke India Style Red Ale

Brewery: Coastal Extreme Brewing Co.
Location: Newport, RI
Style: Amber
Brewery Website
Rating: C+

Today we have a brew from my home state of Rhode Island. Luke is from the Newport Storm Cyclone Series, which is a line of limited release beers generally brewed in a big style. Cyclone Luke is a deep amber red/brown in color, similar to cherry wood, with a slight haze. The tan head pours very thick and foamy. The nose has butter, bread and tart lambic notes.

On the palate, Luke's flavor is dominated by a strong buttered-popcorn flavor. There are smoky notes, bitter hops and some alcohol on the palate as well. The bitter character is reminiscent of unsweetened dark chocolate. Supporting notes of earthiness and wood are present as well. The Luke India Red Ale has a medium body with a bit of astringency. The finish is butter and bitter notes.

To me, this one is a bit of a swing and miss for Newport Storm. There are some nice flavors here, but the strong buttery diacetyl flavor clashes with the strong bitter hops. If you like buttery beer, then you may like this. I just can't get into it myself.

Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale

Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Co.
Location: Portsmouth, NH
Style: Pale Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A-

Up for review we have the Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale. With all the great craft breweries in New England, I think Smuttynose tends to fly under the radar a bit, which is a real shame since they brew so many great beers, such as the Shoals Pale Ale.

The Shoals Pale Ale is ruddy amber in color. It has a slight haziness and many very fine bubbles. The head is a rather thick light foam, and is a light golden color. On the nose, the Shoals Pale Ale has fruity hops notes of cherry and lemon, along with bread and some sweetness.

On the palate, there is a grainy, bready malt flavor up front with a medium hoppy kick. The bitter and aromatic hops are well-balanced with floral, pine and citrus notes. There is a slight acidity which rounds out the flavor well. The finish has bitter hops with a background of sweet malt. The Shoals Pale Ale has a drinkable light-to-medium body with some juiciness.

The Shoals Pale Ale is a well-balanced pale ale that drinks like a good IPA. There is a lot of nice hops flavor without being overpowering, and a great bready malt that holds its own with the hops. This is easily one of the top pale ales coming out of New England at the moment.

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Location: Milton, DE
Style: Stout
Brewery Website
Rating: A+

Dogfish Head frequently takes chances and ends up producing a multitude of very unique beers. There are both hits and misses along the way, but generally there are more hits than misses. The World Wide Stout is one of the big hits. At 18% ABV (yes, that says eighteen), this is nothing like your typical Guinness/Murphy's style stout. This is a big beer that is not for the faint of heart.

The World Wide Stout is opaque black in color. The head pours fairly short. The tan head fades fast as is expected of a beer with such a high alcohol content. The nose is aromatic with notes of raisins, soy sauce, oatmeal, wood and smoke. The aroma is reminiscent of a port or a cream sherry.

On the palate, the World Wide Stout continues its resemblance to sherry/port with sweet malt giving rise to a familiar burnt raisin character similar to those fortified wines. There is a bitter espresso flavor, as well as nuts, earthiness, leather, oak and plums. The finish has a bitter roasted flavor and some black coffee. There is just a touch of acidity, as well as a warming, lip-tingling alcohol component. The mouthfeel is heavy with some juiciness and some syrupiness as well.

The Dogfish Head World Wide Stout is rather reminiscent of the Thomas Hardy's Ale in it's resemblance more to a fine port or sherry than a typical beer. Keep that in mind if you're new to this style of beer. This isn't up everyone's alley, but it's well worth the try if you're into extreme beer (or ports and sherries for that matter), as this beer is one of a kind. Keep in mind that the World Wide Stout is a whopping 18% alcohol, and plan your consumption accordingly. The first time I tried this beer I was unaware of its potency. When I got up off the couch I nearly fell over!

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Location: Milton, DE
Style: Brown Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: A+

Dogfish Head is one of my all-time favorite breweries. Today's tasting is their Indian Brown Ale, which is one of my all-time favorite beers. The Indian Brown Ale is deep brown with some red. It is nearly opaque in the glass. The head pours rather short and is a light golden-brown in color. The head quickly fades to something reminiscent of cappucino froth. On the nose there is a sweet coffee aroma, with supporting notes of nuts and wine.

On the palate, the Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale has a distinctive flavor akin to coffee with cream and sugar. There is a nice bitter kick and a sweet maltiness that are well-balanced. There is a fantastic complexity in the flavor, with notes of peanut butter, tobacco, nuts, leather, cherries and pepper-spice all being detectable along with a hint of smokiness. The finish is more of that coffee and cream flavor with some earthiness and a touch of hops. The Indian Brown Ale is medium bodied with some mouth-coating creaminess.

Dogfish Head is well known for producing big beers with big flavor, and the Indian Brown Ale is no exception. The Indian Brown Ale has plenty of that big maltiness that brown ales are known for, but there is also some great complimentary hops to round it out. This one has it all.

Wolaver's Brown Ale

Brewery: Otter Creek Brewing
Location: Middlebury, VT
Style: Brown Ale
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Wolaver's is a line of organic beers produced by Otter Creek Brewing. The brown ale is one of four beers available year-round from Wolaver's. The Wolaver's Brown Ale pours a deep reddish amber with a hefewiezen-like haziness. There are lots of fine bubbles rising as well. The head is a foamy, golden tan, and is fairly short. The head has citrus and yeast. There are faint aromas of sweet cereal, wine and rye bread as well.

Initially on the palate there is a sweetish maltiness, which is followed immediately by bitter hops. Mineral notes as well as a faint buttery diacetyl flavor are detectable in the background. The dominant flavor character I note is a piney hops bite. The finish has notes of cereal, grapefruit and resinous hops. The Wolaver's Brown Ale has a medium body. There is some slight astringency and a touch of fine fizziness.

I do appreciate the hoppy bite of the Wolaver's Brown Ale. It is a bit out of character, hovever. Brown ales tend to be very malt-forward, but I found the malt being a bit overpowered by the hops here. Despite the hop inbalance, this is quite a tasty beer.

Xingu Black Beer

Brewery: Cervejaria Sul Brasileira
Location: Brazil
Style: Schwarzbier
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Xingu is a black lager from Brazil that is very similar in style to European schwarzbiers. It is dark mahogany in color (nearly black), with just the faintest hint of red. It pours with a short, dark tan head. The nose has red wine, cocoa and a lagery malt as notable aromas.

On the palate, Xingu has wheat bread and wine as distinctive flavors. There is a hint of lager malt, berry fruit and some sweetness. There is a touch of acidity as well as some mild roasted notes. There is a hint of a steely, metallic taste as well. The Xingu has a juicy mouthfeel, with a fairly light body for such a dark beer. The finish has roasted notes, wheat toast and berry preserves.

I admit that the first time I tried Xingu it was mainly out of curiosity to try a Brazilian beer. I keep coming back because it turns out that Xingu is a pretty good dark lager. It can definitely hold its own with most of the European schwarzbiers out there.

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

Brewery: Samuel Smith's Old Brewery
Location: Tadcaster, England
Style: Oatmeal Stout
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Today we have Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout up for review. This oatmeal stout is deep brown in color with a ruby hue. The head is foamy with the appearance of cappuccino froth. The nose has coffee, chocolate and roasted notes. There is also a bread/cereal aroma and a faint whiff of wininess.

On the palate, the Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout has bread and coffee as leading flavors. There is some acidity up front reminiscent of cherries and citrus. There is also a touch of bitterness as well. On the finish the acid notes fade leaving some roasted and bitter notes. The Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout has a creamy mouthfeel and a medium body that makes this beer very drinkable without seeming too thin.This is the beer that introduced me to oatmeal stouts and it's still one of my favorites. Flavor and drinkability, what more can you ask for?

Heavy Seas Below Decks Barleywine

Brewery: Clipper City Brewing Co.
Location: Baltimore, MD
Style: Barleywine
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

Todays tasting is the Below Decks, which is a limited release barleywine from Clipper City's Heavy Seas line. The Below Decks is a deep reddish-amber in color. It it rather hazy and has a fair amount of sediment. Be sure to take proper pouring precautions if you don't want sediment in your glass. The head is golden tan in color and fairly short. The nose has citrus notes of grapefruit with some pineapple. There is also some yeast and an overall aroma profile similar to an off-dry white wine.

The Below Decks Barley Wine has hard cider and sweet malt flavors. Honey, apple, pear and yeast are all present on the palate. There is also a pleasant bitter kick, with some pine and floral hops flavors noticable. There is a strong alcohol component present. The Below Decks has a medium body with a bit of a drying mouthfeel. The finish has notes of sweet bread, lambic and honey.

Some barleywines are pretty drinkable right away upon their release. Many more do their best after some time to age in the bottle, much like a big red wine. The Below Decks seems to be tending toward the latter. There are some nice flavors here, but some additional time in the bottle should bring soften up the edges a bit as the sweetness starts to fade and the flavors start to marry. The label does suggest that the Heavy Seas Below Decks will age well (as many bottle-conditioned barleywines do), so I will be cellaring the rest of this 4-pack. I'll check back in a year with an update.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Style: Pale Ale
Location: Chico, CA
Brewery Website
Rating: B+

The Sierra Nevada Pale ale is the flagship beer from Sierra Nevada Brewing. In recent years, I have found this beer becoming very widely available. Behind Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Sam's seasonal beers, the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is probably one of the top 2 or 3 craft beers a bar or restaurant is most likely to carry. It is quite a success story for a microbrew.

The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is golden amber in color with a slight haziness. A firm pour leaves a two-finger thick off-white head that fades slowly leaving behind a clingy lace. The nose has a bright citrus aroma along with some bready malt. There is a touch of piney hops as well.

The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has a bready malt flavor up front with some sweetness. There is a big malt flavor in the middle of the tongue. Bitter hops starts to build as the malt rounds out. There is a wide profile of hops flavors present, but they are not as powerful as the nose would have you believe. A grapefruit-like citrus is most noticible, but there are floral hops and pine present as well. There is nice fizzy carbonation and a touch of astringency. The Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is medium bodied, which is full enough to hold up to its big flavors without being too heavy. The finish is balanced between bitter and fruity hops, with some residual sweet malt notes still hanging on.

This is a good time to mention glassware for tasting beer. While I'm not a stickler for matching various types of beer to different types of glasses, I do think if you want to seriously taste a beer then you will have a better experience if you are using a glass suited to tasting beer. The key is that the glass should be big enough to hold as much beer as you're planning to pour with plentry of room left over for a good sized head and also with extra room to spare for your nose. I recently picked up a couple of slightly-oversized pilsner glasses at Pier 1 Imports for $4 apiece and they have been well worth the investment. Oversized pint glasses (the type with the bulbous top) and goblets work equally as well.

The reason I mention glassware here is because the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is one of the best smelling beers out there. It smells like walking through a Cascade hops yard. If given the opportunity, do youself a favor and pour this one in a glass instead of drinking it straight from the bottle. Also, if this has been stored in a cold fridge, let it come up a few degrees before you crack into it. The aroma will be worth the extra effort, I promise. My only qualm with the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is that for all the big hoppiness on the nose, once the beer hits the palate the hoppiness takes a big step down. I'd love to taste a version of this beer where the hops get ratcheted up a notch or two.

Pilsner Urquell

Brewery: Plzensky Prazdroj
Location: Pilsen, Czech Republic
Style: Pilsner
Brewery Website
Rating: B

Since I've been in a big pilsner mood lately, I decided to head to the source for this review. The name Pilsner Urquell translates to "the pilsner from the original source". While the recipe has no doubt changed since the beer's inception in 1842, Pilsner Urquell continues to be one of Europe's best-known pilsners.

Pilsner Urquell is clear, light amber in color. There is a white, foamy head that clings to the glass. There is a stream of fine bubbles that rise similar to champagne. The nose has bread, yeast and sweet aromas. There are some floral notes on the nose as well. A faint hint of skunky sulphur aroma is present initially, but fades quickly (as opposed to many of its European green-bottle brethren).

On the palate, there is a lot of sweet cereal up front. There is a mild hoppy bitterness present as well. Mineral notes, molasses and floral hops flavors play a complimentary role. The Pilsner Urquell is light-to-medium bodied with some light fizz on the tongue. The finish has more of the sweet cereal, with bitter notes to compliment it.

While Pilsner Urquell can't compete with the big flavors of craft-brewed pilsners, it certainly rises to the top of the class when it comes to mass-market European lagers. If you're a fan of Heineken, Becks, Molsen, etc., then give Pilsner Urquell a try. It might be time for a beer upgrade.