Boston Lager

Brewer: Samuel Adams

Style: Vienna Lager

Tasting notes: (1012) A few bottles @ parties. Upgraded from 2 glasses. (0701) Decent

Previous rating: 2 glasses

Rating: 3 glasses

Kentucky Breakfast Stout

Brewer: Founders

Style: Imperial Stout

Tasting notes: (1012) 2nd of the 4-pack. Big sweet bourbony malt w/ touch of vanilla. Not my cup of tea and disjointed. Downgraded from 4 glasses. (1006) 1st of a 4-pack. Release was delayed in VA for label approval. A ton going on. An odd effervesent tanginess up front, chocolate, coffee, and sweet vanilla w/ a hint of bourbon. Almost quaffable. I can see why it is rated so high but am not sure if this is my cup of tea or if everything comes together well. I was also put off by the odd tanginess - it reminded me of the sensation generated by eating fruit that has started to "turn" from a salad bar. It may also need time to "stew". I'll try another bottle in the winter.

Top 100: 01 March 2007 and 13 June 2010. (But not 29 December 2005. I don't think it existed then.)

Previous ratings: 4 glasses

Rating: 3 glasses

Vinyl

Brewer: Magic Hat

Style: Red Lager

Tasting notes: (1006) A bottle @ ML's. Pleasant and easy drinking with accent on malt.

Rating: 3 glasses

Raging Bitch

Brewer: Flying Dog

Style: Belgian IPA

Tasting notes: (1006) A bottle @ ML's. Nice, hopped-up Belgian Pale Ale. May rate 4 glasses but I liked it better than Founder KBS.

Rating: 5 glasses

Golden Cap

Brewer: New Holland

Style: Saison

Tasting notes: (1005) Sweet, spicy, and effervesent.

Rating: 4 glasses

Undercover Investigator Shut-Down Ale

Brewer: Lagunitas

Style: Strong Ale

Tasting notes: (1005) A bottle @ Avalon.Sweet malt dominates with loads of hops in the background. Lagunitas calls is an Imperial Mild. I thought is was close to a good English Barleywine.

Rating: 5 glasses

Saison Rue

Brewer: Bruery

Style: Saison

Tasting notes: (1005) A bottle @ Acacia. A saison with a kick of rye and a hint of brett. May rate 5 glasses.

Rating: 4 glasses

Framboise

Brewer: Lindemans

Style: Fruit Lambic

Tasting notes: (1005) A perfect pairing w/ Mother's Day brunch. Raspberry Sweet Tart. Good w/ dessert. Upgraded from 2 glasses. (0706) Moved to 2 in new rating. Sweet and fruity but still beer. A little is nice but a good portion of 750 ml was too much. I was glad, not sad, to see the empty.

Rating: 4 glasses

Arrogant Bastard

Brewer: Stone

Style: Strong Ale

Tasting notes: (1005) On draft @ Joe's Inn. Still rough but much more mellow than I remember. Sort of like drinking cracked barley. Upgraded from 2. 0706: Moved to 2 in new rating. 602: Loads of flavor. Sort of a Barleywine with a rough taste with more hops and a bitter end taste. I much prefer SNBFBW.

Top 100: 29 December 2005. (Neither March 2007, 2009 or June 09, 2010.)

Rating: 4 glasses

Maerfant Damse

Brewer: Steenberge

Style: Tripel

Tasting notes: (1004) On draft @ Mekong. Candy sugar, apples, and a spciy finish with a tiche of hops. Pleasant, a tiche sweet, and easy drinking.

Comment: An called it "Naked Draak", I think I have the correct brew but may have the wrong name.

Rating: 5 glasses

Gulden Draak

Brewer: Steenberge

Style: Strong Belgian Dark Ale

Tasting notes: (1102) A yeasty, spicy, dubbel w/ a clove kick. Downgraded from 6 glasses. (1008) A bottle @ Joe's Inn. A clove fizzy? Thought about a downgrade. (1004) On draft @ Mekong. Yummy, complex, flavorful, and easy drinking.. Tiches of candy sugar, malt, yeast, caramel, and spicy hops. I think it tastes like a Dubbel. The brewery calls it a dark tripel. I call it good.

Previous ratings: 6 glasses

Rating: 5 glasses

Stockyard Oatmeal Stout

Brewer: Goose Island

Style: Oatmeal Stout

Tasting notes: (1005) A tiche bland. Downgraded from 4 glasses. (1004) A nice stout with pleasant light smokey chocolate touches. Great value @ $5.99/6 pack. (0904) Pleasant stout and a great value. (0711) Needs more kick. @ $5 it may be worth another try. (0701) Last of a 6 pack. Chocolate and coffee smell. (0612) Pleasant and a good value. Charcoal and sweet malt. Needs a bit more kick and a little thin.

Comments: This is a contract brew for Trader Joe's by Goose Island. I don't know if the recipe is the same as the Goose Island Oatmeal Stout.

Rating: 3 glasses

Pure Brewed Lager

Brewer: Samuel Smith

Style: Lager

Tasting notes: (1004) A bottle @ Edo Squids. Grainy.

Rating: 2 glasses

Red's Rye PA

Brewer: Founders

Style: Rye Beer

Tasting notes: (1005) Ditto w/ some sweetness @ first. (1005) Very nice. Hoppy red ale w/ a tiche of rye. Might rate 5 glasses. (1004) Nice hoppy, rye bite.

Rating: 4 glasses

Witbier

Brewer: St. Bernardus Style: Witbier Tasting notes: (1004) On draft @ Mekong. Ditto. (0703) The perfect wit - light, refreshing, yeasty, fruity, and extremely quaffable. Rating: 6 glasses

Hop-It

Brewer: Urthel

Style: Belgian IPA

Tasting notes: (1004) A bottle ordered by mistake @ Water Grill. A hopped-up Belgian Pale Ale.

Rating: 4 glasses

Saison

Brewer: Dupont

Style: Saison

Tasting notes: (1105) Complex w/ a slight perfume sourness. Dry and refreshing. Upgraded from 5 glasses. (1004) Complex and funky. Fruity @ first and dry @ end. Upgraded to 5. (0709) Complex and funky. I did not like the sour taste at end but the flavor became more appealing as I sipped. Very refreshing. Upgraded from a 1. (0606) A funky saison. I did not like the bitter, sour, ??, aftertaste.


Previous ratings: 1, 4, and 5 glasses
Rating: 6 glasses

Sparkling Ale

Brewer: Bell's

Style: Tripel

Tasting notes: (1003) On draft @ Mekong. OK. A tiche of sweet.

Rating: 3 glasses

Batch 9000

Brewer: Bell's

Style: Strong Ale

Tasting notes: (1003) On draft @ Mekong. An massive, over-the-top, and sticky sweet mixture of chocolate, molasses, and hops.

Rating: 4 glasses

Oarsman

Brewer: Bell's

Style: Berliner Weissbier

Tasting notes: (1304) A bottle @ Avalon. Ditto as before. An easy-gonig sour. Solid 4. (1003) On draft @ Mekong. Light, lemony, and flavorful. May rate 3 glasses.

Rating: 4 glasses