Bell's Kalamazoo Stout

Brewer's Notes: Named after the city where it all began, Kalamazoo Stout is one of our most classic recipes. This smooth, full-bodied stout offers a blend of aromas and flavors of dark chocolate and freshly roasted coffee, balanced with a significant hop presence.

BeerAdvocate

March 31, 2021
The beer is growing on me. It has flavor but is not "imperial". I thought about upgrading the rating to 4 but think occasional purchases are not in the future.

Rating = 3 glasses

March 28, 2021
A second bottle splits the difference between "Eh" and "I like it!" I was not tempted to grab a bottle out of the fridge when I wanted something dark and did not want a second bottle last night. 

Rating = 3 glasses

March 16, 2021
Kalamazoo Stout is good and interesting. I can't tell if I really like it or if it is "Eh". I have 5 more bottles for research. It is thin with a big charcoal bite. Perhaps the bite is licorice and not black malt. The label reports that it is brewed with brewer's licorice. 

Rating = 4 glasses pending further research. 

Hardywood Baltic Sunrise

Brewer's Notes: Hardywood Baltic Sunrise is conditioned on locally roasted coffee beans from Black Hand Coffee Company in Richmond, VA. Our Baltic Porter is an invigorating, full-bodied lager with a bold aroma of freshly brewed coffee preceding notes of bittersweet chocolate, hints of dark cherry, and a malty, smooth finish.

BeerAdvocate

March 26, 2021
Baltic Sunrise is a nice beer. Coffee flavor is evident but not overpowering. It lacks what I look for in a Baltic Porter.

Rating = 3 glasses

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout

March 28, 2021
A recent bottle failed to impress. It had a slight sour twang. I am downgrading the rating pending further investigation

Rating = 4 glasses and that might be generous

Jan. 25, 2021
Sammy Smith's Oatmeal Stout is a delight. It has more body and a deeper flavor than his Imperial Stout. I get chocolate, and coffee and more hop bite. I want more. It might be the perfect balance of drinkability and flavor. Drinkability is becoming more important to me and to a beer's ratings. 

BeerAdvocate

Rating: At least 6 glasses.

My rating system

I have rated beers using a seven-glass rating system, with 7 glasses being the highest. I revised the system on March 27, 2021. The revision will reduce the average number of glasses in the ratings. I want to make 7-glasses a special achievement. The change pushes some 7s to 6s, some 6s to 5s, etc. Since I do NOT revise ratings automatically, reviews posted before March 27, 2021 still use the old rating system. I also began to give x.5 ratings for beers that are too good to be rated x but not quite good enough to be rated X+1. 

7 glasses

New rating = World class = A great example of the style + a favorite + something special. 

Old rating = Top 10ish list / My current favorite beers.

6 glasses 

New rating = Great examples of the style + a favorite.

Old rating = Highly Recommended / Beers I really like and think are great examples of the style

5 glasses 

New rating = Great example of the style + Something that tempts me to buy it whenever I see it

Old rating = Recommended without qualification / Something that tempts me to buy it whenever I see it.

4 glasses 

New rating = Something I am happy to include in my regular rotation

Old rating = Recommended with reservations / Something that I may seek to buy occasionally

3 glasses 

New rating = Something that I may seek to buy occasionally

Old rating = Good / A beer that I enjoy but is not good enough to seek out

2 glasses 

New rating = old rating = Average / Something that I am happy to drink again

1 glass 

New rating = old rating = Poor / I'll drink freebies if nothing else is available

0 glasses

New rating = old rating = No Thanks / I prefer water

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

Brewer's Notes: Foreign Extra Stout is brewed with generous hops and roasted barley for a bittersweet balance and full-flavored, natural bite. Developed for global export from Ireland, the addition of extra hops ensured this Stout would arrive in perfect condition. Today it is enjoyed by millions around the world.

BeerAdvocate

March 19, 2021
Foreign Extra Stout is an impressive dry Irish Stout. It has loads of charcoal and a nice bitterness. I really liked it. I see why BeerAdvocate rates it so high.

Rating = 5 glasses and I considered 6.

1011
Good dry Irish stout. 

1010
Caramel malt up front followed by odd Guinness sour/tart/bitterness. A sipper: loads of flavor. May rate 3 glasses. 

Rating = 4 glasses

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

Brewer's Notes: Hercules Double IPA is not for the faint of heart. It is, however, fit for the gods. Hercules delivers a huge amount of hops from start to finish. Its hefty backbone of nutty, malty sweetness balances its aggressive hop profile.

BeerAdvocate

March 16, 2021
Hercules is a great, old-school, West-Coast double IPA. Wonderfully bitter with enough malt to balance the flavor without being thick or sweet. A great beer for hop-heads. I forgot how good it is and am glad that Great Divide has returned to VA. 

Rating = 6 glasses because it lacks the complexity of Pliny the Elder.

Ommegang Hennepin

Brewer's Notes: Hoppy, farmhouse saison with champagne like effervescence; flavors include ginger, spice, orange and toasted grain.

BeerAdvocate.

March 16, 2021
Hennepin remains one of my favorite saisons. I have had trouble finding it in stores for a few years. Found a 4-pack recently, drank one bottle and liked it so much that I returned tot he store and bought 2 more 4-packs. I fear that it is now a seasonal release. It has great flavor and a touch of sour and je ne sais quoi. Here are previous reviews. I am keeping the rating @ 6 glasses because it lack the specialness of Fantôme.

Rating = 6 glasses.