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

Hefeweissbier

Beer: Hefeweissbier

Brewer: Weihenstephaner

Style: Hefeweizen

Tasting notes: (1104) A solid 5, maybe 6 glasses. (1104) 3 from a 4.5 mn old 6-pack. Heavier than I remembered w/ some orange zest . Downgraded from 6 glasses and thought about going lower. An old/bad batch? (0909) Cloves and a tiche of bitter/sour. Not quite as good as I remembered. Downgraded to 6 after tasing Third Coast Old Ale and remembering Aventius from previous night. Click here for previous review.

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, 8 February 2009, 2 August 2009, and 14 October 2009.

Previous ratings: 7, then 6 glasses

Rating: 6 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