Hardwood - Farmhouse Pumpkin

Hardywood Brewing Co.

Reserve Series - Farmhouse Pumpkin Ale

The color of this brew is very dirty looking orange/brown.  This beer looks very similar to a cider.  It is thick and cloudy.  The head foamed up a light tan, fizzed and went away fairly quickly.  The muddy dull copper color is very Fall in look and is exactly what I wanted it to look like.  

The aroma of this brew is sweet, with a little bit of malt and mild spice.  The sweetness I feel is the prominent aroma.  The sugary smell, mixes in with the malt and the spice just kind of hides out in the background.  It isn't as Fall as I thought it would be, but it is still a pleasant smell.  

On the palate the light, fizzy carbonation is pleasant and distinctive to a farmhouse style brew.  The beer, is still fairly smooth.  The sugary sense isn't as strong as the smell lends you to believe.  The maltiness of this beer mixes in with a little bit of sourness that balances the beer.  The pumpkin spices are subtle but there especially if you wait between sips.  The beer is of decent strength, so sipping it is recommended.  

This is a petty good beer.  Pretty much every Hardywood brew has been either good or great that I have had.  The overall appearance of this beer is wonderful and screams fall.  The smell is sweet, and different, but in this case, different is good.  The flavor is a little sweeter than I thought, but the mix of sourness, and spice really does a good job of working together to create a unique taste.  It's a quality beer and worth the a try.  I give this beer a 3.75 out of 5.

Fall beer!!! Woohoo!!!

Fall is my favorite time of year for beer.  I love the spices and flavor a of fall beers.  I am so excited for the beers I bought! 

What's your favorite fall beer?

Hardywood - Peach Tripel

It's good!!!

Cloudy light orange, that fades to a nice golden.  The sent is nice and balanced with a mild peach scent with a nice kick of sweetness.  The flavor is sweet and tart and wonderful!  Sorry for the short review... this beer is quality and from a great VA brewery!  4 out of 5!

Deschutes - Zarabanda

Deschutes Brewery

Zarabanda - A Saison done in collaboration with Chef José Andrés

The color of this brew is a nice bright orange.  It is a little foggy, but that is due to the style of beer.  The head poured a bright white, with tightly packed bubbles, and came and went quickly.  The fizzing of the beer almost sounded like a soda being poured into a glass, crisp, and refreshing.

The aroma of this beer is fairly subtle.  The scents do not come off strong, but they are balance well and pleasant.  I got a citrus and mild hint of spice, but it was masked by a blanket of yeast/breadiness.  The here was also a slight hint of sugary sweetness in the smell.  

On the palate refreshing, almost champagne like carbonation leads the way to a citrus-sweet brew that has a nice spice that warms the back of the throat after you swallow.  The bottle claims that the beer has lemon verbena, pink peppercorn, sumac, and dried lime.  You will definitely notice the citrus. And the peppercorn as you drink.  I am not sure what sumac tastes like so I can't tell you about that.  

Overall this is a very enjoyable beer, especially on a warm day.  It goes down easy, it's refreshing, has a nice amount of flavor and is not heavy.  The color is enjoyable, and the smell, while it is mild, does have some nice notes to it.  Overall I give this beer a 3.75 out of 5.  It's available year round, so go get some. 

Block House Brewing - Double Chocolate Bock

Block House Brewing (Affiliate of Pittsburgh Brewing Co.)

Double Choclate Bock 

The color of this beer is deep translucent brown.  The light tan head is fizzy and comes and goes very quickly.  It's very deep in color for a bock, but I am guessing that is due to the chocolate aspect.

Speaking of chocolate, wow, you can really smell it.  It's almost like opening up a candy bar.  There is also a milky sweetness, mix in with a subtle maltiness.  If you are a lover of all things chocolate, this beer's smell is for you.  It is so good, I kind of want a chocolate bar right now!  

The prickly, but light carbonation leads way to a beer that is like drinking a cold hot chocolate, but in a good way.  Upfront there is a milky sweetness that then leads you to the main body of the beer CHOCOLATE!  There is a slight dryness on the backend that helps balance out the sweet, chocolate goodness of this beer. It's smooth, refreshing, dessert in a glass.  Mix this with vanilla ice cream and you have the makings of an amazing beer float.  

All and all, I love this beer.  If you look online, you will see some pretty nasty things written about it.  Let me make it simple for you... if you want to taste a beer that has chocolate for miles, you want something different that is straight forward, and not complex, this is the beer for you.  I found it delicious, and I wish I had more than one!  I give it a 4.25 out of 5!!!

Founders - Backwoods Bastard

Founders Brewing Company

Backwoods Bastard (2014) - Bourbon Barrel Wee Heavy Ale

The color of this brew is a lovely chestnut with hints of red lurking in the background.  The barely transparent beer pours with a tiny head that goes away quickly to leave just a light tan ring around the edge of the glass.  It's a wonderful color, this beer has an alluring look to it that is simple and pleasant.  

The aroma of this beer is just what you hoped it would be.  There is a sweetness to it that is similar to candied sugar.  There is also a rich maltiness, and of course alcohol.  The alcohol scent is pronounced but not in your face, it is what you would hope an ale aged in bourbon barrels would be.

On the palate this wee heavy has a smooth carbonation that gives way to a heavier, almost chewy beer.  The brew has notes of caramel, roasted malt, and vanilla.  The vanilla is nicely done and compliments the beer very well, which of course makes sense, vanilla and bourbon go very well together. The beer finishes with a nice little bite to help balance out the sweetness of this beer.  This beer also leaves a fantastic, gentle warming sensation on the back of your throat.  

Overall this beer delivers what you would hope for from a barrel aged wee heavy.  The look is very nice with the hints of red, the aroma delivers an alcohol, sweet and roasted scent, and on the palate this beer is plainly put solid.  I give this beer a 4 out of 5.  Nice beer to store in the fridge and have every once in a while.

Troegs - Jovial

Troegs Craft Brewery

Jovial - Belgian Stlye Dubbel Ale

The beer needs to be poured very carefully or else it will take a long time to pour it all or enjoy it.  The has a large pillowy head that is beige in color and fluffy like the top of a root beer float.  The head takes a long long time to go down.  Beer is a reddish copper, but looks extremely red in direct light.  The beer is very deep and is only translucent.  

The aroma is masked by the high foamy head, but when it does go down you get hints of caramel, rot malt, raisin and fig.  There is a hidden spice to the aroma as well.  It's a pleasant and balanced aroma Leading to you want to drink the beer, also making to get in close to really take in all the beer has to offer.  

On the palate this carbonation is pleasant and complimentary to the beer.  It's a beer that is thick on the tongue but doesn't feel very heavy.  The caramel, fig and raisin flavors are nicely done, mixing together well on the tongue and not fighting with each.  The finish has a slight bitterness that helps balance out the moderate sweetness.  There is no alcohol flavors this beer even though it is 7% abv.  I have had a few of these beers, and I will say this, I actually prefer this beer out of a bottle more than being poured into the glass.

Overall this is a pretty good beer.  The aroma is nice, the color is nice looking, and the flavor is pretty good too.  Nothing about this beer is amazing, it is just a quality beer.  Like I said, try it in a bottle and a glass and see how you like it better.  I don't know why, but this beer tastes better from a bottle.  I give this beer a 4 out of 5.  It is just so balanced it can't get a lower score.

Allagash - Odyssey (January 2014)

Allagash Brewing Company

Odyssey (January 2014) - Oak-aged Dark Wheat Beer

This beer pours with a high, pillowy head that exceeds an inch in height.  The beige head sits on a dark chestnut colored beer that is barely translucent.  The head fizzles down slowly, leaving a pillowed lace on the side.  The beer is almost mysterious looking.  You can see tints of red around the edges of the glass, but you really have to look for it. 

The aroma is muted at first due to the head, but it soon comes into its own.  A sweet candied sugar scent is paired with that of raisins and a hint of alcohol.  The beer also gives you a little bit of toffee and a mild amount of roasted malt.  Overall it is a pleasant aroma that is subtle but well balanced.

On the palate this beer is introduced to your tongue by subtle carbonation.  Odyssey is uber smooth with a wonder blend of flavor.  Raisin and dates coat your tongue then give way to toffee and roast malt.  The beer finishes with a hint of vanilla.  Warmth spreads all around the back of your throat and tongue then slowly is dissipates leaving the slightest bit of hop.

Overall I feel this beer is pretty fantastic.  The color is rare.  The depth and the way the light goes through is pretty wonderful.  The aroma is extremely subtle, but it has a lot going on, a nice balance of sweet and alcohol.  Finally the taste... it is smooth and balanced, even with the apparent lack of bitterness.  I think this beer is very well done.  I let it age for 15 months before drinking it so it was just passed the middle of the 2 year window of aging.  This 10.4 % abv beer will cause you to take pause while drinking! so if you intend to drink the entire bomber, give yourself sometime.  I give this beer a 4 out of 5. 

Lagunitas - Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

The Lagunitas Brewing Company

Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale - American Pale Wheat Ale

The beer poured a crystal clear straw color with about a third of an inch of thick foamy head.  The head went down at a decent pace and left a little ring around the glass.  The straw color color is rich and full.  It looks like a beer that should be drank, but there is nothing pretty about it.

The aromas given off by this brew are a mix of bitter and fruity sweetness.  The hops come right to your nose and then introduce you to the rest of the scents.  I get a mix of lemon, grapefruit, pine and orange.  It's a little bit of a wild combination, but it smells really good.  It's the kind of aroma that leads to take a nice first sip.

On the palate the beer has mild carbonation that gives way to an extremely tasty beer.  The tongue gets hit with a cascade of flavors; pine, grapefruit, orange, lemon, a bready malt, and then finishes as you would expect, with a slight bitter bite.  The really interesting thing is that the fruit flavors then come back as the after taste, leaving s sweetness in the mouth.  This beer also leaves a fruitiness on the lips.  Finally, it warms the back of the throat with just a hint of alcohol.  It's a hard glass to put down to be honest.

This beer is pretty freaking awesome.  The color is clean, the aroma is plentiful coming at you with a wide variety of scents without being overbearing, and it's full of flavor hinting ona wide variety of citrus and levels of hop and malt.  I really enjoyed this brew and wish I bought more than just one.  I give this a 4.5 out of 5.  Go get a Little Sumpin' Sumpin'.

Shawnee Craft - Saison Cuvée 2014

Shawnee Craft Brewing Co.

Saison Cuvée 2014 - Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale

This beer has a light fluffy head that sticks around for a long time.  The head is like a decorative pillow on top of the beer, and looks awesome.  The color of this beer is a crystal clear gold that is alluring and enticing.  It's a beautifully clear beer that looks cleans and well made.

The aroma is sweet, and wine-like.  There is a mild spice, some yeastiness, and fruity notes.  The aroma is well balanced and subtle.  The notes tickle the nose and have you take notice in a good way. It's a wonderful smelling beer that makes you want to savor every sip.

On the palate the barely there carbonation leads way for a beer the is sweet and tart.  The mild spice blends in well with the mild fruitiness.  The beer has a white wine like essence that leaves the mouth feeling clean and crisp.  There is a hidden bitterness that helps balance the sweetness.  The beer is light and easy to drink which is while it goes down so easily.  

Overall this beer is pretty damn good.  It has a great look, and the fluffy head stay with the beer for a long, long time.  The aroma is wonderful, sweet, and subtle enough to entice you.  The flavor of this beer was fruity and tart, the wine like aspects mixed with the clean mildly bitter finish.  This is a wonderfully done saison, I give it a 4 out of 5.

Weyerbacher - Verboten

This Belgian-Style pale ale has mild carbonation that leads you to a beer that starts off with a sweeter piney citrus and finishes crisp and clean with a hint of bitterness.  The aroma is mild and fresh giving off a mild citrus notes.  It's a solid beer and made year round which is nice. I give it a 3.5 out of 5.  A good staple to have in the fridge.

DuClaw - Devil's Milk

DuClaw Brewing Co.

Devil's Milk - American Barleywine Style Ale (2014)

The beer poured a wonderful copper color that was deep and alluring.  A nice light, white head capped of the pour and slowly subsided down the glass.  The head stayed around the edge of the glass with some stubbornness.  The opaque beer really looked brilliant in the sunlight coming through my window.  This might be one of the prettiest copper colored beers I have seen.

The aroma of this beer gives off a plethora of scents.  There is a sweetness of caramel and sugar that combines with a hint of alcohol.  Mixed in with the sweet aromas is a hint of pine that balances the smell out.  The pine to me adds a depth to the smell.  I find myself smelling the beer before each sip to see if it is changing as the beer warms.  

On the palate the moderate carbonation allows the beer to dance on the tongue as you drink.  The beer is fairly thick, the caramel notes along with the alcohol sweetness mix in with some citrus that really adds to the flavor.  The beer finishes with a nice bitter bite.  With all the sweet upfront the beer needed to mix the hops in and it does.  The hops arent shy when it's their turn to come out and play.  The hops coat the back of your tongue and mouth.  

Overall I am really happy with this beer.  I have long wanted to try Devil's Milk, but I was scared that since I built it up in my head it would fall flat... But is didn't.  This beer has amazing color, a fantastic aroma, and very good flavor.  I give this version of Devil's Milk a 4 out of 5!  Another fantastic beer by DuClaw.

Starr Hill - Snow Blind

Starr Hill Brewery

Snow Blind - Doppelbock

The color of this beer pours a deep brown in color.  This beer is slightly translucent, with a hint of red.  The head pours a light tan and puffs up a little bit.  The head quickly goes away and leaves almost no residue.

The aroma is faint.  It gives off notes of yeast, roasted malt and caramel.  All the smells are mild, and don't get any stronger as the beer warms.  There is also a slight sweetness of fig in the aroma of this beer.  It's a nice smelling brew, I just wish it had more to it.

On the palate the prickly carbonation leads to a beer that has some nice flavor.  You get a sprinkling of roasted malt, and caramel across the tongue.  You will get a sweetness from what I taste as fig.  Lastly you will get a little alcohol warming down your throat that is pleasant.  The front of the tongue is left a little dry making you want to take another sip.  

Overall this is a pretty good beer.  I have had some beers from Starr Hill that I didn't like, but this one I like.  The color is nice, the initial deep brown also has hints of red through the light.  The aroma comes up a little small, but the flavor is nice and has plenty of layers.  I gives this beer a 3.5 out of 5.  A nice winter beer.

Fish Brewing - Smaug Stout

Fish Brewing Co.

Smaug Stout - Hobbit Series

The beer pours a near black color.  There is no hope of any light getting through this beer.  The head is an ice light beige, that laces down the glass, and stays there.  It's a nice look with the lacing, adds to overall appearance of the brew.

The aroma from this brew has a mixture of bitterness, a roasted malt, along with coffee, and a little bit of cocoa.  The aroma is mild and you have to really get close to smell it.  Overall it is a decent aroma, once you get close enough to smell it.

On the palate the extremely mild carbonation leads you to a beer that has a decent mix of flavors.  You will notice a coffee essence with the roasted malts.  There is a little bit of chocolate that is then pushed aside by a hoppy bitterness.  The bitterness leads to a dry finish that lingers on all aspects of your mouth.  You actually want to drink water after taking a sip of this beer.

Overall this is a decent beer.  It isn't amazing but it is alright.  The look of the beer is pretty nice, I love the lacing, the aroma is fine but you have to get really close to notice it, and the flavor has some good elements to it, but the finish isn't my favorite and it feels like it is lacking something.  I give this beer a 3 out of 5.

Ommegang - Valar Morghulis

Ommegang Brewery

Valar Morghulis - Dubbel Ale (Game of Thrones edition)

The beer pours leaving a light and foamy head that is about a finger high.  The head goes down very slowly.  The color of this beer is beautiful rich mahogany that is barely transparent.  The color is very appealing.  The darkness of the beer along with the color is very enticing.

The aroma of this beer gives off a lot of smells.  I first noticed a wine like smell, rich with sugar and grapes.  I also get a little bit of candied sugar, yeast and cherry.  The smell is not at all overpowering at all.  

On the palate the carbonation is sharp but it hits you quickly then smooths out.  The flavor has a few different layers to it.  I get a little bit of cherry, grapes, and fig.  There is a creaminess that presents itself while drinking this beer that has some underlining notes of caramel.  There is a mild bit of bitterness and tart that appears on the very front end of the beer, and then re-appears after you have finished the sip.  

Overall I think this is a pretty good brew.  I enjoy the aroma, but I love the color.  The color of this beer is the most enticing part.  It is what really leads you into drinking the brew.  I feel the flavor is pretty good, but not the best part of the beer.  Overall I give this beer a 3.5 out of 5.

Pike Brewing - Pike Old Bawdy (2012)

The color of this beer is a nice a thick orange-copper.  It is a thick looking beer, barely even transparent.  The carbonation bubbles up the glass is thin little rows, it looks like a matrix code.  There is a tiny, thin ring of head around the top edge of the glass.  It's an alluring beer, the look draws you i

The aroma is sweet and rarely strong.  I notice notes of fig, caramel and candied sugar.  There is definitely an alcohol scent to this brew as well.  This beer isn't shy about presenting itself to you.  As soon as you top off the wax covered cap, the aroma jumps at you. The fruitiness and sweetness of this beer will make some people scared to drink it, but not me.

On the palate this beer is has the perfect amount of carbonation, it tickles the tongue and supports the flavors of the beer very well.  Just like the smell, this beer isn't shy when you taste it.  The first thing you will notice is that even though it smells super sweet, it has a bitter, hoppy body.  The caramel and dark fruits present themselves in the middle of the sip.  The hoppy bite stays with you through the sip, and lingers as the main aftertaste well after you have finished the swallow.  There is not a noticeable taste of the alcohol which I found a little surprising.  As the beer warms the bitterness settles down and blends in nicely with the other flavors, but it is still the main essence of the beer.

This beer is like a coin.  The smell says sweet, and the taste says bitter.  The look of this beer is awesome, I love the color and the way the bubbles streaming up the side.  The beer smells strong, full of sweet flavors and alcohol.  Then you taste it.  While you do get some of the sweeter flavors of the caramel and fig, the main essence of this beer is the hoppy backbone that carries through the sip.  I give this beer a 3.5 out of 5.

Finch's - Nuclear Winter

Finch's Beer Co.

Nuclear Winter - Belgain Dark Ale

This beer poured with a dirty copper color.  The head puffed up about an inch or more, and very slowly went down.  For a long time there was a thin layer of foam left of the top of the beer.  This slightly transparent beer was clouded with bubbles and yeast, that left a little sediment on the bottom of the glass.

The aroma of this beer is yeast, malt and dark fruit and some sweetness.  The a little bit of caramel and raisin.  I was expecting to get a hint of alcohol, but I didn't.  The smell gets little stronger the longer you let the beer and the sweeter aromas become more prevalent.  

Though the beer displayed a lot of bubbles, the carbonation is barely even there.  The carbonation barely tickles the tongue giving this beer a smooth creaminess.  The beer displays flavors of cracker, caramel, raisin, and finishes with a light but crisp bitterness to balance the whole thing out.  I again was waiting for there to be a warming alcohol sense, but it never came.  I hind that a little disappointing, I really enjoy that in these type of beers, but it didn't take away from the flavor.  

Overall this is a pretty good beer.  The appearance is a nice, the aroma was pretty good, and I think got better as it sat out, and it had good flavor.  I liked the barely there carbonation, and the smoothness of the brew.  The can art is awesome and made me laugh, so right there is a reason to go out and buy this beer.  I give it a 3.5 out of 5.