November 30, 2005 - #144 of 365

Brewer: Clipper City Brewing Company
Beer: Heavy Seas Loose Cannon
Style: Double IPA
abv: 7.5%

Background: Bottle from Vintage Wines.

Appearance: Pours orangish-amber with a one-finger white head.

Aroma: Very balanced--some big American hops, but a very present malt background. A hint of diacetyl.

Flavor: Nice and resinous, with a hint of honey and some soapiness. The malt is still there, but not as noticeable; it lets the hops do their job.

Notes: Reminds me of an Alpha King, which can only be good.

Rating: 4 out of 5

November 29, 2005 - #143 of 365

Brewer: Brouwerij Het Anker (Mechelen, Belgium)
Beer: Gouden Carolus Grand Cru of the Emperor
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
abv: 11%

Background: Bottle from Vintage Wines. Also known as Gouden Carolus Cuvee van de Keizer.

Appearance: Pours reddish-brown with a thick, mid-sized white head.

Aroma: Very sweet and fruity--mostly plum and raisin--with a lot of yeast and bread.

Flavor: Sweet and leathery, with plum and anise. The middle is thickly alcoholic, and it finishes dry and slightly funky, with some nice warming.

Notes: Will be excellent in a year or two.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

November 28, 2005 - #142 of 365

Brewer: Lancaster Brewing Company (Pennsylvania, USA)
Beer: Winter Warmer
Style: Old Ale
abv: 9%

Background: Bottle from Vintage Wines. My first Old Ale from an American brewery.

Appearance: Pours deep red with a small but thick off-white head and a lot of effervesence.

Aroma: Very wintry nose of thick toffee, smoke, maple, and chocolate. Some dark fruit.

Flavor: The flavor emphasizes the chocolate, especially in the finish, where it's joined by a pleasant alcohol warming. Other than that the taste is disappointingly thin after the rich aroma.

Notes: Respectable.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

November 27, 2005 - #141 of 365

Brewer: Saint Bernardus Brouwerij (Watou, Belgium)
Beer: St. Bernardus Tripel
Style: Abbey Tripel
abv: 8%

Background: Bottle from the store.

Appearance: Pours honey-gold with a huge head that keeps growing long after you stop pouring.

Aroma: Hay, grass, bread, and yeast. Some alcohol and pepper.

Flavor: Very mellow for a Tripel. Yeasty and phenolic, with a light hop aftertaste and a little alcohol warming.

Notes: Good, but there's better.

Rating: 3.7 out of 5

November 26, 2005 - #140 of 365

Brewer: Edenton Brewing Company (North Carolina, USA)
Beer: Horniblow's Tavern American Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
abv: 5.9%

No notes. Drunk as soon as I walked in the door at Two Minutes to Midnight. (I didn't go to an Iron Maiden-themed club; it was actually 11:58. Close call.)

November 25, 2005 - #139 of 365

Brewer: Clipper City Brewing Company (Maryland, USA)
Beer: Heavy Seas Winter Storm Category 5 Ale
Style: Double IPA
abv: 7.5%

Background: Bottle from the store. Hopefully it's easier to drink than it is to ask for.

Appearance: Pours copper with a one-finger white head.

Aroma: Very malty and hoppy, with some roasted notes; it smells almost like a hoppy Porter.

Flavor: Caramel and toffee malt flavors, with a hefty dose of earthy hops.

Notes: I like it. Interesting take on the style.

Rating: 3.6 out of 5

November 24, 2005 - #138 of 365

Brewer: Shipyard Brewing Company (Maine, USA)
Beer: Export Ale
Style: Golden Ale
abv: 5.1%

Background: Bottle from the store.

Appearance: Pours light amber with a one-finger white head.

Aroma: Interesting. Malty, which is expected, but also spicy, like a Belgian Ale. Light hops.

Flavor: Biscuity malts and light, floral hops. A lot like an English IPA. It would be good except for a slight flavor of bad hops.

Notes: Quaffable, which is surprising, considering the style.

Rating: 3.2 out of 5

November 23, 2005 - #137 of 365

Brewer: Budweiser Budvar Ceske Budejovice (Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic)
Beer: Czechvar
Style: Bohemian Pilsener
abv: 5%

No notes.

November 22, 2005 - #136 of 365

Brewer: Privatbrauerei Hoss der Hirschbrau (Sonthofen, Germany)
Beer: Doppel-Hirsch
Style: Doppelbock
abv: 7.2%

Background: Swing-top bottle from the store.

Appearance: Pours deep ruby with a one-finger white head.

Aroma: Standard malty doppelbock aroma--toffee, caramel, nuts, slight dark fruit, and some smokiness.

Flavor: Very sweet, with almonds coming through in the finish.

Notes: Closer to Troegenator than Celebrator.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

November 21, 2005 - #135 of 365

Brewer: Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn (Kelheim, Germany)
Beer: Aventinus Weizen Eisbock
Style: Eisbock
abv: 12%

Background: Bottle from the store.

Appearance: Pours dark red with a small, large-bubbled head and a lot of floaties.

Aroma: Wheat, fig, molasses, and plenty of alcohol.

Flavor: Very alcoholic, with a decent caramel and chocolate taste. There’s some wheat in the finish.

Notes: Thick and creamy enough to coat the mouth.

Rating: 3.7

November 20, 2005 - #134 of 365

Brewer: Schmaltz Brewing Company via Mendocino Brewing Company (New York, USA)
Beer: He'brew Messiah Bold
Style: Brown Ale
abv:

Background: Bottle from the store. The self-proclaimed "Chosen Beer."

Appearance: Pours very dark brown with a two-finger, quickly dissipating head.

Aroma: Very nutty, with a rich chocolate and caramel sweetness.

Flavor: Begins like the aroma, only weaker, but finishes strong and with a hint of smoke.

Notes: Pretty boring, but above-average--I don't know about chosen.

Rating: 3.2 out of 5

November 19, 2005 - #133 of 365

Brewer: Victory Brewing Company (Pennsylvania, USA)
Beer: Hop Wallop
Style: Double IPA
abv: 8.5%

Background: Bottle from the store. Interestingly, brewed with German hops.

Appearance: Pours gold with a small white head.

Aroma: Surprisingly malty; it smells like Victory’s All-Malt Lager, but hopped-up. Literally. The hop aroma is very sweet; there is some citrus, but honey is more noticeable.

Flavor: Interesting. Dominated by sweet fruit, with a huge dose of those German hops. It's a strange choice of hops for the style, but the sweet earthiness works. The finish is this one's main weakness--it's slightly skunky.

Notes: Noble attempt (that's brewing humor).

Rating: 3.6 out of 5

November 18, 2005 - #132 of 365

Brewer: Saint Bernardus Brouwerij (Watou, Belgium)
Beer: Pater 6
Style: Belgian Ale
abv: 6.7%

Background: Bottle from the store. Matt threw a bottlecap (from a Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale) in the glass when I was halfway through. It didn't really affect the taste.

Appearance: Pours dark red with a large eggshell head that leaves decent lacing.

Aroma: Dark fruits, Belgian yeast, and spices.

Flavor: Fairly sweet at the beginning, with toffee, caramel, and raisins. The sweetness really comes through on the finish, which is excellently malty.

Note to self: Keep beer out of range.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

November 17, 2005 - #131 of 365

Brewer: Brasserie Rochefort (Rochefort, Belgium)
Beer: 8
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
abv: 9.2%

Background: Bottle from the store.

Appearance: Pours dark brown with a large, rocky head that leaves lots of lacing.

Aroma: All the dark fruit, spices, and Belgian yeast notes of the Rochefort 10, without the big whiff of alcohol. I’m also getting a hop presence, which was absent in the 10.

Flavor: Excellent. More light fruit (banana, citrus) than the 10, with a noticeably hoppy finish. As it warms, the raisin flavor comes out more. There seems to be, interestingly, more of an alcohol flavor here than I found in its bigger brother; the 10 finished dry, with a pleasant warming, while this one finishes bitter and a bit overly alcoholic.

Notes: Good, but I much prefer the 10.

Rating: 3.9 out of 5

November 16, 2005 - #130 of 365

Brewer: Harviestoun (Alva, Scotland)
Beer: Old Engine Oil Special Reserve
Style: Old Ale
abv: 6%

Background: Bottle from the store. The Special Reserve is aged in whisky casks and is only sold in the United States.

Appearance: Pours jet black with as much head as one would expect from actual motor oil.

Aroma: Big nose of oak, whisky, licorice, and hot alcohol. Some diacetyl and a strange backing sweetness that almost smells artificial (it’s very faint, at least).

Flavor: The whisky is overpowering up front, but then mellows out into excellence. The middle is smooth and chocolaty, and the finish is dry and oaky.

Notes: If it weren’t for that bad beginning, it’d rival the Olde Suffolk.

Rating: 3.7 out of 5

November 15, 2005 - #129 of 365

Brewer: Brooklyn Brewery (New York, USA)
Beer: Pilsner
Style: Pilsener
abv: 5%

Background: Bottle from the store.

Appearance: Pours straw gold with a one-finger white head.

Aroma: Light malts and clean hops.

Flavor: The hops are a bit astringent.

Notes: Surprisingly full-bodied. What else can I say about a Pilsener?

Rating: 3.2 out of 5

November 14, 2005 - #128 of 365

Brewer: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (Freising, Germany)
Beer: Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier
Style: Hefeweizen
abv: 5.4%

Background: Bottle from the store. The brewery’s been around since 1040.

Appearance: Pours hazy orange-gold with a huge eggshell head.

Aroma: Classic hefeweizen aroma, with the cloves dominant over the banana. Very yeasty, too, and there’s some wheat, of course.

Flavor: Quite yeasty, with the banana playing a larger part than it did in the aroma. The aftertaste is quick and fruity.

Notes: Very good.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

November 13, 2005 - #127 of 365

Brewer: Liefmans (Oudenaarde, Belgium)
Beer: Goudenband
Style: Flemish Sour Ale
abv: 8%

Background: Bottle from the store.

Appearance: Pours dark brown with a large tan head.

Aroma: Very fruity, like a Wild Cherry Capri Sun with added green apple and grapes. Also fresh bread and a hint of alcohol.

Flavor: Dark fruits, cherries, cola, wood, earth. The finish is light sour grapes and coppery blood (or bloody copper).

Notes: Not as good as the Duchesse de Bourgogne, but I like it.

Rating: 3.7 out of 5

November 12, 2005 - #126 of 365

Brewer: Avery Brewing Company (Colorado, USA)
Beer: Twelve
Style: Saison
abv: 7.6%

Background: Bottle from the store. Avery’s 12th Anniversary Ale.

Appearance: Pours gold with a large white head and creeping effervescence.

Aroma: Very strong citrus and coriander, with yeast and ginger in the background. There’s also some strong English muffin bread and pound cake.

Flavor: Starts off good and yeasty, but soon develops into strong bitter orange peel. There’s ginger in the middle, too, but it’s harsher than that in the aroma. The finish is dry and spicy.

Notes: Excellent aroma, overpowering flavor.

Rating: 3.3 out of 5

November 11, 2005 - #125 of 365

Brewer: Verhaeghe (West-Vlaanderen, Belgium)
Beer: Duchesse de Bourgogne
Style: Flemish Sour Ale
abv: 6.2%

Background: Bottle from the store.

Appearance: Pours dark red with a large tan head.

Aroma: Tart aroma of cherries, vinegar, sour grapes, leather, and wood. It develops some chocolaty notes as it warms.

Flavor: Sour, but not overly so. Fruity and yeasty, like a light red wine. The finish is slightly tart cherry and dry, woody oak.

Notes: Strange mouthfeel—oily but light. Great stuff.

Rating: 4.1 out of 5

November 10, 2005 - #124 of 365

Brewer: Dogfish Head Brewery (Delaware, USA)
Beer: Midas Touch
Style: Traditional Ale
abv: 9%

Background: Bottle from the store. The recipe for this one is based on residue found in casks in the tomb of King Midas.

Appearance: Pours hazy gold-orange with a small white head that disappears quickly.

Aroma: Honey, chardonnay, light bread, and I think I smell some sort of ginger-like spice.

Flavor: Starts off with a mead-like sweetness, then turns vinous and slightly sour. There’s some heat from either the alcohol or whatever it was that smelled like ginger. The overall flavor is excellent except on the back of the tongue, where it tastes a bit like a heat-affected chardonnay. The finish is very dry and very good.

Notes: Very interesting. It grows on you as the glass empties, and not just because of the alcohol.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

November 9, 2005 - #123 of 365

Brewer: Lagunitas Brewing Company (California, USA)
Beer: Censored Ale
Style: American Strong Ale
abv: 7.7%

Background: Bottle from the store. It used to be called The Kronik, apparently.

Appearance: Pours copper with a large off-white head.

Aroma: Sweet dark malts—toffee, caramel, tea leaf—and a great citrusy hoppiness.

Flavor: Malty and nutty. The finish isn’t as hoppy as the aroma suggests; it’s slightly bitter and dry, the dominant flavor being tea. There is a slight metallic taste, without which this would be a world-class beer.

Notes: Thick mouthfeel. Very good.

Rating: 3.7 out of 5

November 8, 2005 - #122 of 365

Brewer: Stone Brewing Company (California, USA)
Beer: 9th Anniversary Ale
Style: American Strong Ale
abv: 7.8%

Background: Bottle from the store. For the Anniversary line, Stone takes an old beer and messes with the recipe. This is their Heat Seeking Wheat beer with a few “adjustments.”

Appearance: Pours clear gold-amber with a large, dense white head and some slow effervescence.

Aroma: Big west coast hop nose—citrusy and piney. The wheat comes through as a tart breadiness.

Flavor: Begins as a wheat beer, especially if kept in the mouth for a few seconds—mellow wheat flavor and a subtle tartness. The finish is that of an IPA, and leaves the mouth quite dry.

Notes: Innovative, excellent beer.

Rating: 4.1 out of 5

November 7, 2005 - #121 of 365

Brewer: Cantillon (Brussels, Belgium)
Beer: Kriek Lambic
Style: Kriek Lambic
abv: 5%

Background: Bottle from the store. $15 for 750 mL.

Appearance: Pours clear red with a small pink head.

Aroma: Tart and fruity, with brine, funk, and a little earthiness.

Flavor: Very tart, but not in the same way as their Framboise (the Rose de Gambrinus). This is a tartness separate from the very subtle cherry fruitiness. Lip-puckering. There is some funk in the middle, and it finishes with a funky, salt-water dryness.

Notes: Not as good as the Rose de Gambrinus, but decent.

Rating: 3.6 out of 5

November 6, 2005 - #120 of 365

Brewer: Dogfish Head Brewing Company (Delaware, USA)
Beer: Raison d’Extra
Style: American Strong Ale
abv: 18.5%

Background: On tap at Capital Ale House in Innsbrook. They had a Sunday special on draught American beer—this was $3 instead of the usual $10. It’s a stronger version of their Raison d’Etre, which is a moderate-strength beer brewed with raisins.

Appearance: Pours deep brown with a small tan head.

Aroma: Very sweet. Much like the 120 Minute IPA, but with a strong dark fruit aroma (mostly raisins, of course). Toffee, almond, and maple is also apparent.

Flavor: Again, like the 120 Minute. Sweet toffee, candy sugar, maple syrup, caramel, fig, raisin, and light hops. Some nuttiness. The alcohol is barely perceptible.

Notes: Great sipper.

Rating: 4.1 out of 5

November 5, 2005 - #119 of 365

Brewer: Wychwood (Oxfordshire, England)
Beer: Duchy Originals Organic Ale
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
abv: 5%

Background: Bottle from the store.

Appearance: Gold with a small white head.

Aroma: Diacetyl is dominant and backed by light earthy hops and faint toffee.

Flavor: Buttery and harsh, with a metallic and slightly hoppy finish. There is a hint of liqueur in the aftertaste.

Notes: Another pretty crappy organic.

Rating: 2.8 out of 5

November 4, 2005 - #118 of 365

Brewer: Mad River Brewing Company (California, USA)
Beer: Steelhead Scotch Porter
Style: Porter
abv: 6.4%

Background: Bottle from the store. It’s a porter brewed with some peated malt.

Appearance: Pours deep red with a two-finger head.

Aroma: Very strong. Toffee, maple, smoke, and roasted malts.

Flavor: Dry and smoky, with a surprisingly strong hop finish.

Notes: Very good.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

November 3, 2005 - #117 of 365

Brewer: Starr Hill Brewing Company (Virginia, USA)
Beer: Pale Ale
Style: India Pale Ale
abv: 5%

Background: Bottle from Food Lion.

Appearance: Light amber/gold with a huge white head. Good lacing.

Aroma: Great citrusy smell, but there’s something else in the hop aroma that’s harsh and unpleasant.

Flavor: Decent. Not as hoppy as most IPAs, but what’s there is pretty good, and without the harshness of the aroma.

Notes: Half-decent, but probably only because it was brewed in Ashburn.

Rating: 3.3 out of 5

November 2, 2005 - #116 of 365

Brewer: Stoudts Brewing Company (Pennsylvania, USA)
Beer: Weizen
Style: Hefeweizen
abv: 5%

Background: Another pretty old bottle from the store.

Appearance: Pours hazy gold with a large white head and good effervescence.

Aroma: Dominated by banana, with a hint of cloves. Exactly how a Hefeweizen should smell.

Flavor: Big banana flavor backed by bread and a touch of honey. There’s a slight off-flavor near the end that I can’t identify, but it doesn’t taste like old age.

Notes: Good.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

November 1, 2005 - #115 of 365

Brewer: River Horse Brewing Company (New Jersey, USA)
Beer: Summer Blonde
Style: Golden Ale
abv: 4%

Background: Bottle from the store. I got it over the summer, but it shows no signs of having gone bad.

Appearance: Pours hazy gold with a one-finger white head. You can see the individual particles suspended in there.

Aroma: Dry malts and light piney hops. There is a slight sweetness, as well, like molasses.

Flavor: Very watery, with a slight taste of hops at the end. Surprisingly creamy mouthfeel

Notes: I could drink it in the summer, I think, but not in November.

Rating: 2.9 out of 5

October 31, 2005 - #114 of 365

Brewer: Boston Beer Company (Massachusetts, USA)
Beer: Samuel Adams Boston Ale
Style: Amber Ale
abv: 5.1%

Background: Sampler.

Appearance: Pours amber with a generous head and good lacing.

Aroma: Very English-smelling—biscuity malts, diacetyl, and light spicy hops.

Flavor: Dry and bitter all the way through, with some biscuit notes at the beginning and a decent hop flavor on the finish.

Notes: Somethin about it don’t please me, but it’s drinkable.

Rating: 3 out of 5