Vintage Ale

Brewer: Fullers

Style: Old Ale

Tasting notes: (0912) A 5-yr old bottle dated 2004. A luscious and subdued blend of spice, malt, and lactic acid. May rate 7 glasses.

Top 100: 29 December 2005 but not 10 March 2007.

Rating: 6 glasses

2009 Vintage Ale

Brewer: Trader Joe's
Style: Strong Belgian Dark Ale
Tasting notes: (1101) Eh? Too much licorice. Downgraded from 4. (1101) Nice beer. Good value. (0912) Interesting, complex and smooth. Some clove, some chocolate, and (??) nutmeg, cinnamon, hazelnut, and licorice. May rate 5 glasses. A terrific value @ $4.99.
Comment: A contract brew w/ Unibrue.
Previous rating: 4 glasses.
Rating: 3 glasses

Peche Mortel

Brewer: Brasserie Dieu du Ciel

Style: Imperial Stout

Tasting notes: (0912) Sweet coffee w/ a dash of vanilla. Easy drinking.

Comments: Brewed w/ coffee. Peche Mortel = mortal sin.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 26 December 2009.

Rating: 5 glasses

Pride and Joy

Brewer: Three Floyds

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: See previous review.

Rating: 5 glasses

Calva Reserva

Brewer: Smisje

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Tasting notes: (0912) Baked apples and very easy drinking. Purchased after tasting @ Mekong a few days earlier.

Rating: 4 glasses

N'Ice Chouffe

Brewer: d'Achouffe

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Tasting notes: (0912) A year-old bottle. First sips were wonderful - complex, malty, and slightly sweet and malty. As I drank, the spices emerged. They were neither bad nor my cup of tea.

Rating: 3 glasses

Winter Solstice

Brewer: Anderson Valley

Style: Winter Warmer

Tasting notes: (0912) A brown ale w/ spices? Upgraded from 1 glass. (0912) A big malt bomb w/ spices. Well crafted but missed my mark.

Rating: 2 glasses

Rose de Gambrinus

Brewer: Cantillon

Style: Fruit lambic

Tasting notes: (0912) An interesting brew. A little too sweet and fruity, not enough tart. May rate 4 glasses.

Comment: Great artwork on the label.

Rating: 3 glasses

Aventinus Wheat Doppelbock

Brewer: Schneider

Style: Weizenbock

Tasting notes: (0911) A bottle @ Can Can. Cloves and bananas. Nice, but seemed thinner than I remembered. Downgraded from 7 glasses, especially when followed by Orval. Previous review.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 14 October 2009.

Rating: 6 glasses

The Gift (WinterBock Lager)

Brewer: Starr Hill

Style: Maibock

Tasting notes: (0910) A well made bock, some toasty malt w/ a tiche of sweet, spices, and hops. Simply another malty brew (bocks ad Scottish ales) that does not fit my taste buds. May rate one glass.

Rating: 0 glasses

Ten FIDY

Brewer: Oskar Blues

Style: Imperial Stout

Tasting notes: (1102) A fresh bottle shiiped from the brewer. A great example of th style. Viscous, dark, chocolate and cofffee flavors, a battle between sweekt, bitter, and astringent, w/ hops lurking in background. Thoufht about a downgrade to 5 glasses. MAY be better w/ age. (0911) A 1.5-yr. old can. Delightful. Viscous pour. Dark chocolate w/ a perfect amount of bitterness. No sourness. Upgraded from 5 glasses. Previous review.

Top 100: 15 December 2009 and 03 May 2009 but neither 29 December 2005 nor 10 March 2007.

Rating: 6 glasses

Baltic Thunder

Brewer: Victory

Style: Baltic Porter

Tasting notes: (0911) A bottle purchased one year ago. Lager flavor w/ figs and prunes and a tiche of smoke. Very nice on a cool Fall afternoon tailgate party w/ smoke ribs and chili. Previous review.

Rating: 5 glasses

Anniversary Ale - Sixteen

Brewer: Avery

Style: Saison

Tasting notes: (0910) A nice, easy drinking Saison. A tiche sweet and more amber color. Some funk. May rate a 5.

Rating: 4 glasses

Abbey Ale

Brewer: Ommegang

Style: Dubbel

Tasting notes: (1105) Fruity, spicy, complex and interesting but not my cup of tea. Downgraded from 5. May be better w/ age or on draft. (1103) A 12 oz. bottle recently purchased from TWB. Fruity, yeasty, clove, cinnamon?, burgundy?. Downgraded from 6 glasses and thought about 4. (1012) On draft @ CAH. Fruity, yeasty, a tiche of clove, and a dose of hops. Very nice. (1005) A bottle @ Belga Cafe. Good but not as great as I remembered. Downgraded from 7 glasses. (0910) A 1-year old bottle. Deliciously complex: malt and dry and a tiche of sour and bitter and burgundy wine and yeasty. Upgraded from 6. Ages wonderfully. Click here for a previous review.

Previous ratings: 4, 6, 7, 6 and 5 glasses

Rating: 5 glasses

Dale's Pale Ale

Brewer: Oskar Blues Style: Pale Ale Tasting notes: (1103) A 6-pack from Best Value. A bit musty. Thought about a downgrade to 3 glasses. (1004) On Draft @ Water Grill. Hoppy with a little funny sour taste. I wondered if the line was clean. (0910) On draft @ Joe's Inn. A nice, hoppy, pale ale. It blurs the line between pale ale and IPA. Thought about upgrading to 5 glasses. (0806) 3rd of the 6. Downgraded from 5. Tastes "tinny". (0806) 2 from a 6er. Some piney hops. Good but not great. Downgraded to 5 and thought about a 4. (0805) A can from CK. Very pleasant. A little tiche of sweet malt, a nice dose of hops. Very drinkable. May rate a 5 based on taste but gave it a 6 for the style and drinkability. Would be a wonderful session beer. Rating: 4 glasses

Mekong Beer Night

Here is a picture of me enjoying a special beer at Mekong Restaurant in December 2009.

Beer Alley

Here is a picture of one of my daughters and a male friend in front of the Beer Alley at the home store for Whole Foods.

Octoberfest

Brewer: Samuel Adams

Style: Octoberfest

Tasting notes: (0910) A freebie @ a reception. Some interesting flavor. A tiche metalic. I moved to water after one bottle but would have been happy to have another freebie if not driving and "saving room" for better beers later that night. (0810) A glass @ Home Team Sports. Nice but a tiche watery. May rate 3 glasses.

Rating: 2 glasses

Budweiser

Brewer: Anheuser-Busch

Style: Macro Lager

Tasting notes: (0910) A freebie @ a party. OK when cold. Better than Heineken.

Rating: 1 glass. May rate 2.

Dark Starr Stout

Brewer: Starr Hill

Style: Irish Stout

Tasting notes: (0910) On draft @ Joe's Inn. Some chocolate. Some smoke. Easy drinking. Maybe a tiche thin. Went great w/ a burger.

Rating: 3 glasses

Imperial Russian Stout

Brewer: Stone

Style: Imperial Stout

Tasting notes: (1011) A 4.5 yr old bottle from Spring 2006. Chocolate and big and nice. Upgraded to 5 glasses. (1004) A 4-yr old bottle. Big,massive,and balanced. I don't know why I don't rate it 5 glasses. (0910) A 3.5-yr. old bottle. Big and complex and balanced. Age seems to smooth the beer. (0812) Massive and malty w/ lots of chocolate and coffee flavors, followed by a bitter finish. It is good and complex and flavorful but somehow does not WOW me as much as many drinkers. Downgraded from 5 glasses. Complex beer that others like more than I. (0712) A spring 2006 bottle. Massive malt followed by coffee and more coffee. Went gr8 w/ chocolate lava cake. May rate 6 glasses. (0701) Massive fudgy, milk chocolate malt. I think that 8 months aging has helped. Next bottle in 0710 or so. (0605) Milk chocolate with a touch of coffee at first. Ends with bitter chocolate. Bitter and alcohol become more noticable as the beer warms. Best just below room temp. I'm aging 6 bottles.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, March 2007, and 15 November 2009.

Previous ratings: 5, 4 glasses.

Rating: 5 glasses

Millennium

Brewer: Old Dominion
Style: English Barleywine

Tasting notes: (1003) A 2 yr 11 mn old bottle. Touches of honey, pollen, and sour. Better fresher than really old. (1002) A 5 yr 0 mn old bottle. Musty honey and pollen. Some perfume @ end. (0910) Musty honey and pollen. Easy drinking, a tiche thin, a (too) simple.
Rating: 4 glasses. (Downgraded from 5. Click here for previous review.)

Karmeliet

Brewer: Bostells

Style: Tripel

Tasting notes: (1101) On draft @ Mekong. Sweet orange, spicy fizz, and a tiche of funk. (1004) Ditto. (0910) "Blond, robust, smooth and fruity, withh a delicious spicy flavor."

Top 100: 29 December 2005. (Not 10 March 2007 or 03 April 2009.)

Rating: 6 glasses

Les Deux Brasseurs

Brewer: De Proef

Style: Strong Belgiam Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (0910) Pineapple and sweet funk.

Comments: This beer is a collaboration between De Proef and Jason Perkins, brewmaster at Allagash.

Rating: 5 glasses

Old Horizontal

Brewer: Victory

Style: Barleywine

Tasting notes: (0910) A 5-yr old bottle. Sweet pollen, some honey, and a little spicy hops. A long finish. Easy drinking and old aleish. A great beer to age. Click here for previous review.

Top 100: 29 December 2005. (Not 10 March 2007 or 03 April 2009.)

Rating: 4 glasses

Expedition Stout

Brewer: Bell's

Style: Imperial Stout

Tasting notes: (0910) A 2-yr old bottle. Massive. Dark bitter/sour chocolate. A tiche of salt/soy. Upgraded from 3 glasses and thought about 5. May be over the top. Click here for previous review.

Top 100: 29 December 2005 and 10 March 2007. (Not on 30 January 2009 or 9 August 2009.)

Rating: 4 glasses

Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge

Brewer: Bockor

Style: Flanders Red Ale

Tasting notes: (0910) On draft @ Mekong. Tart cherry, vineous, and refreshing.

Rating: 6 glasses

Tripel

Brewer: St. Bernardus Style: Tripel Tasting notes: (0910) On draft @ Mekong. Sweet apple and pear, w/ a little alcohol and a tiche of spice @ finish. (0801) Not what I remembered. Nice but nothing great. Downgraded from 6. Thought about a 4. (0711) Very nice. Sweet apple at first. Late I noticed pear and sour funk and alcohol. At the bottom of the glass the alcohol started to take away my breath and I detected banana. (0709) Pear, apple, pepper, spices, and a little sour funk. Some alcohol comes forward as the beer warms. Better (fruitier, darker, sweeter) w/ yeast. Wonderfully balanced and very drinkable. Top 100: 29 December 2005 and 10 March 2007. (Not 4 November 2009.) Rating: 5 glasses

Levitation Ale

Brewer: Stone

Style: Red Ale

Tasting notes: (0910) A hoppy dark red ale w/ conifer flavor in the hops. May rate 4 glasses.

Rating: 3 glasses

Rockfish Wheat

Brewer: Blue Mountain

Style: Kristalweizen

Tasting notes: (1010: Nice but downgraded from 5. Lacked "punch". (0910) A bottle in Harrisonburg. Ditto. Click here for previous review.

Previous rating: 5 glasses

Rating: 4 glasses

Porter

Brewer: Duck-Rabbit

Style: Porter

Tasting notes: (0910) Coffee porter?

Rating: 5 glasses

Dulle Teve

Brewer: de Dolle

Style: Tripel

Tasting notes: (0910) Dry, apples, raisins, and lemon rind bite at finish. Thought about 6 glasses.

Rating: 5 glasses

Dubbel

Brewer: Allagash

Style: Dubbel

Tasting notes: (0909) Reminded me of a good lager. Clean and quaffable mix of malt w/ hop bite. Went great w/ flank steak w/ brandy and shallot reduction. Click here for a previous review.

Rating: 4 glasses

Aventinus

Beer: Aventinus Wheat Doppelbock

Brewer: Schneider

Style: Weizenbock

Tasting notes: (0909) Cloves, bananas, dark (slightly rotted?) fruits, and cinnamony spiciness. Wonderful thick mouthfeel. Upgraded from 6 glasses. (0803) A bottle @ home w/ grilled steak. Nice. Mixture of cloves, banana, and sweet. 0707: A bottle @ Bavon. Darker, milder version of a good Hefe. Might rate 5/8. (0703) A bottle @ Grafiti Grill. (Too much?) cloves and licorice.Downgraded from 7/8. (0606) Mysteriously complex. Cloves, banana, licorice? (0603) Sweet dark fruits, cinnamon ?, with an alcohol bitter-sour bite at end. Reminded me of dark fruit version of Allaghash Tripel Reserve up front and Samuel Adams Imperial Stout at end. Ability to accompany food remined me of Hennepin. Went great with manchino cheese, apples, steak, and roasted plums.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 14 October 2009.

Rating: 7 glasses.

Shakespeare Stout

Beer: Shakespeare Stout

Brewer: Rogue

Style: Stout

Tasting notes: (0909) Coffee, chocolate, and hops. A little thin. Downgraded from 7 glasses w/ misgivings but was comparing it with Old Ruffian and Hanssens Oude Gueuze that I had also had that weekend. Click here for a previous review.

Top 100: 29 December 2005 and 10 March 2007. (Not on 3 August 2009.)

Rating: 6 glasses.

Black and Tan

Beer: Black and Tan

Brewer: Yuengling

Style: Black and Tan

Tasting notes: (0909) A nice beer and a good value. Simple. Downgraded from 4 glasses. Click here for a previous review.

Rating: 3 glasses

Old Ruffian

Beer: Old Ruffian

Brewer: Great Divide

Style: Barley Wine

Tasting notes: (1001) On draft @ Mekong. Smooth and strong. (1001) A 2+-year old bottle. Ditto as what follows. (0909) A 2-year old bottle. Sweet brown sugary malt with bitter hops. Easy to drink. Alcohol is totally hidden. A loooong, bitter finish comes after swallow. (0802) A bottle purchased 0707. Sweet malt with bitter hops poking out its head. Bitter aftertaste emerges. Too easy to drink. Alcohol is totally hidden. Downgraded to a 6. (0708) Sweet barley malt coats the tongue and mouth. A loooong, bitter finish comes after swallow. Almost quaffable but then you would miss the finish after each sip. Too smooth? The alcohol is totally hidden - watch out. Plan to share or spend 3 hours on a bottle. Would like a side-by-side with Old Crustacean. May rate 6.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 14 October 2009.

Rating: 6 glasses

Pale Ale

Beer: Pale Ale

Brewer: Sierra Nevada

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: Ditto as previous review.

Rating: 4 glasses

Widmer Hefeweizen

Beer: Hefeweizen

Brewer: Widmer

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale

Tasting notes: (0909) A bottle w/ chicken, slaw, and tomatoes. Pleasant. May rate 2 glasses.

Rating: 3 glasses

Racer 5

Beer: Racer 5 IPA

Brewer: Bear Republic

Style: IPA

Tasting notes: (0909) A bomber @ Acacia. A wonderful IPA. Floral nose and nice bitter bite at finish. (0608) A pint at CAH. Hops is king here. Pine and grapefruit.

Top 100: 29 December 2005 but not 10 March 2007 or 26 September 2009.

Rating: 5 glasses

Bigfoot

Beer: Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

Brewer: Sierra Nevada

Style: Barleywine

Tasting notes: (0908) 1.5 year-old bottle. Delightful. Malty and mellow at first sips. Then piney bitter hop bite which was almost over the top emerged. Ages wonderfully. Click here to read an earlier review.

Top 100: 29 December 2005 but not 10 March 2007 or 26 September 2009.

Rating: 7 glasses

Red Seal Ale

Beer: Red Seal Ale

Brewer: North Coast

Style: Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (0908) A bottle as a Bday gift. Nicely balanced red ale. Close call but downgraded to 4 glasses. (0803) Another bottle @ Avalon. Nice, malty, easy drinking pale ale. Upgraded from 4. (0612) As bottle warms pine begins to dominate. (0608) A bottle at Avalon. A nice balance of malt and hops.

Note: BeerAdvocate now classifies the beer as a Red Ale.

Rating: 4 glasses

Pinhead

Beer: Flemish Primative Wild Ale (Pinhead)

Brewer: De Proef

Style: Belgian Stong Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (0908) Sweet mangos followed by sour brett bite and dry end. Complex but didn't quite come together for me.

Rating: 4 glasses

Chocolate Stout

Beer: Chocolate Stout

Brewer: Rogue

Style: Stout

Tasting notes: (1010) On draft @ World Market. Chocolate milkshake. Sweeter than I remembered. Went great w/ chocolate gananche pie. (0908) Shared bottle w/ GS. CHOCOLATE! Dark bitter chocolate taste predominates (0706) Downgraded to 5 glasses in new rating based on Shakespeare. (0601) Yummy. Chocolate taste with rich smokey flavor. Enough edge to sip but smooth enough to gulp.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 25 September 2009.

Previous ratings: 6 glasses

Rating: 5 glasses

Oak Barrel Stout

Beer: Oak Barrel Stout
Brewer: Old Dominion
Style: Stout
Tasting notes: (0908) A bottle @ Avalon.Thin w/ an odd off sour taste. May have been a bad bottle. My recollection for a bottle years ago @ CAH as being a thin, OK, w/ a sweet vanilla oaky flavor.
Rating: 1 glass

Mothership Wit

Beer: Mothership Wit

Brewer: New Belgium

Style: Witbier

Tasting notes: (0908) Shared bottle w/ GS. Lemony flavor up front followed by sour bite come from orange rind spice. Light, flavorful, and pleasant.

Rating: 4 glasses

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale

Beer: 312 Urban Wheat Ale

Brewer: Goose Island

Style: American Pale Wheat Ale

Tasting notes: (0908) Lemony wheat ale. Easy drinking. May rate 3 glasses.

Rating: 2 glasses

Floreffe Prima Melior

Beer: Prima Melior

Brewer: Floreffe

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Tasting notes: (0908) Pleasant, interesting, but not complex. Anise gives it a nice bite. Downgraded from 5 glasses. (0711) Pleasant and interesting. Sweet malt w/ fruit when cold. As it warms (better) the anise and spices come forward, sweet up front with a licorice sour/spicy bite at end.

Rating: 4 glasses

Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA

Beer: Twisted Thistle IPA

Brewer: Belhaven

Style: IPA

Tasting notes: (0908) A b-day gift from MT. A nice subdued English IPA w/ citrus, and pine notes. A hint of thistle, smoke, and peat. May rate 5 glasses.

Rating: 4 glasses

Duvel

Beer: Duvel

Brewer: Duvel

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Tasting notes: (1308) This has become one of my favorite beers. Upgraded from 6 glasses. (0908) A complex beer and a beautiful pour. Dry, fruity, a touch of funk and spice. A great introduction to the world of Belgian beer. (0809) Wonderful. (0806) 2nd of the 4. Wonderful, sour, and funky. Great w/ lemon chicken, saltines, and brie. Upgraded from 5 glasses. (0806) 1st of a 4-pack. Light funk w/ a touch of sweet apple up front and peppery hops at finish. Massive head. May rate 6 glasses. (0710) A bottle @ Mary Lou's. Light funk. Very nice. Massive head. (0602) 12 oz. bottle at Millie's. Light and lots of funk. At first taste I wondered if the beer had soured. Good with subtle foods. A pretty pour. Lots of long lasting head and bubbles in glass. Fantastic lacing that lasted well after the glass was empty. (????) Unimpressed with first bottle. Rating = 2 glasses.

Notes: Recognized as one of the world's great beers and a classic example of Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 1 September 2009.

Rating: 7 glasses

North Coast ACME California IPA

Beer: ACME California IPA

Brewer: North Coast

Style: IPA

Tasting notes: (0908) A solid and pleasant IPA. More good stuff from North Coast.

Rating: 4 glasses

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier

Beer: Hefeweissbier

Brewer: Weihenstephaner

Style: Hefeweizen

Tasting notes: (0908) Cloves and banana. Light and flavorful. Wonderful. Click here for previous review.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, 8 February 2009 and 2 August 2009.

Rating: 7 glasses

Rogue Shakespeare Stout

Beer: Shakespeare Stout

Brewer: Rogue

Style: Stout

Tasting notes: (0908) Shared bottle w/ Knapps. Yummy, Chocolate and coffee and hops bite. Complex, balanced, tasty, sippable and gulpable. Upgraded from 6 glasses and would like to compare w/ Siberian night. (0702) A bottle at Williams. Very nice. Downgraded to 6/8 after having Bell's Expedition. (0610) Shared a bomber with Valeries. Wonderfully complex and balanced. Present but not overbearing burnt charcoal blends to dark malt with chocolate and coffee and a touch of caramel and then melts to mild hop bitterness.Good to sip and fine to drink.

Top 100: 29 December 2005 and 10 March 2007. (Not on 3 August 2009.)

Rating: 7 glasses