Sam Adams - Rebel IPA

Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams

Rebel IPA - West Coast style IPA brew with 5 different hops

The color of this brew is crystal clear gold.  The head is white with light, with tightly packed bubbles that do not lace down the glass.  It is a pristine looking beer that gives off nice carbonation.

The aroma of this brew gives off nice hints of pine and some floral scents.  The beer also has a slight sweetness to the aroma.  The lemon, grapefruit, and floral scents play well together.  It is a balanced aroma, not over powering and just enough aroma to be welcoming.

The flavor of this beer is simple and playful, but could use a little more punch.  The west coast style is true to form, but it has some subtle additions.  I notice a maltiness first that quickly gives way to the citrus flavors.  Next the beer finishes with an adequate amount of bitterness, and a slight warming sensation on the roof of my mouth.  It's a decently done brew.

Overall this is a nice beer.  It is not amazing, it's not bad.  The beer is very drinkable, a nice amount of flavor, and a good aroma.  It's a good beer to kick back with a drink on a relaxing afternoon.  It's a nice beer, and definitely worth a try. 

Unibroue - Grand Reserve 17

Unibroue Brewery

Grand Reserve 17 - Strong Dark Ale

The color of this beer is a nice deep amber.  There is a cloudiness to this beer that makes it opaque in the center of the beer and translucent on the edges.  The cream colored head is nice and light.  

The aroma of this beer is pretty awesome.  The beer gives off a nice hint of alcohol that is blended in with a smooth caramel, toffee, and hints of vanilla.  I also notice a little bit of flavor that reminds me of raisins. It is a well balanced smell, that as is warms gives off a little bit of spice as well.

On the palate there is a mild prickly carbonation that massages the tongue.  The flavors of this beer are nicely balanced and presented very well.  Up front the beer is very malty.  The flavors of toffee, caramel come at you then give way to the fruity sweetness.  The beer then finishes with a lovely mix of spices, alcohol, and a slight hop bite.  The feeling the beer leaves in the mouth is a little dry and tart.  It leaves you wanting to sip more and more, which could be dangerous since this is a strong brew.  

Overall I love this beer.  The flavor is very well done and the aroma is enticing, inviting and pleasant.  With an Abv of 10% and the ability to age this beer! it can only get better.  I kept this one for about 9 months before I drank it, and a killed the 750 ml bottle all by myself.  Go get a bottle. 

Evil Twin - Disco Beer

Evil Twin Brewing Co.

Disco Beer - IPA aged in Chardonnay barrels

The color of this brew is a rich caramel.  There is a cloudiness to it, that makes it nearly impossible for any light to get through.  The head is a light brown color that takes a while to go down.  

The aroma of this beer is sweet and a little musty.  There are lots of layers to this beer, the smell has hints of pine, caramel, fig, and dark fruits.  There is a slight sense of alcohol.  The aroma mellows out as the beer warms up.  The wine smell is balanced and faint, but it adds a nice accent to the overall scent of the beer.

On the palate this beer has a whole mess of flavor.  It is a little bit tart and bitter on the back end.  I get more of a malty taste with caramel and some darker fruits.  The beer gives off a slight smooth/creaminess as it coats the tongue and travels down the throat.  There is a little bit of spice hidden in this beer as well.  The after taste is where you notice the IPA. With the bitter bite, but besides that, there is not much IPA in this brew.  The fruitiness of I the beer sneaks in on the initial taste of the beer, if you drink it to fast you will miss it.

Overall this is an ok beer.  The after taste is not great an it lingers a little to long for me.  The front side of this beer is pretty good, I just am not a fan of the finish.  It is definitely an interesting beer and worth a try.  It was a little over priced... that seems to be a theme with Evil Twin beers.  An ok brew overall.  

Weyerbacher - Insanity

Weyerbacher Brewing Co.

Insanity - A barleywine beer aged in oak bourbon barrels

The color of this beer is a deep copper with a fine head that is made up of tiny bubbles that disappear quickly.  The beer is translucent, letting only light through it.  It's a very nice color that is suggestive, making you feel like this beer will have a full body and some backbone to it.

The aroma of this beer gives off the smell of bourbon, vanilla, candied sugar, figs, and raisin.  That is a whole lot of smells coming out of one beer.  The darker fruits and alcohol are the promo at scents, with the others being secondary.  It is an enticing aroma that backs up the impression the color of the beer gives off.

On the palate the mild, prickly carbonation gives way to a smooth nicely flavored beer.  The bourbon flavor is balanced very well with the tanginess of the fruits, a nice maltiness and alcohol sweetness.  There is a hint of vanilla that blends in nicely with fruitiness and bourbon in the beer.  On the back end you get a nice hint of bitterness that really helps to take the edge off the sweetness of this beer.  The beer gives way to a warming of the back-upper throat area.  This is a strong beer, but it doesn't come across as in your face as it could.

Overall this is a fantastic beer and should be tried by all beer lovers.  It's a nice mix of flavors, smells and looks.  It's perfect for a cold day, and to be enjoyed and not guzzled, especially since it is 11% abv.  A great job by Weyerbacher.

21st Amendment - Lower Da Boom

21st Amendment Brewery

Lower Da Boom - American Barleywine Ale

The color of the brew is a wonderful chestnut brown.  With a nice mix of brown, red and orange, that play in the light.  The beer is translucent, more than transparent.  You can see through it slightly, but it's all fuzzy.

The aroma of this brewis sweet and fruity!  When my wife took a whiff of this beer, she said it smelled like a juice.  You will notice raisins, caramel, alcohol and some piney hops.  The sugary notes from this beer make you think of hard candy.  It's a well balanced aroma that makes you want to drink this brew right away. 

On the palate the mild carbonation gently tickles the tongue as you drink this flavorful brew.  The beers flavors come at you all at once, and then the last thing you notice is the piney hop finish that is mildly bitter and lingers just the right amount of time.  The alcohol in this beer warms the throat, and reminds you this is a beer to sip.  The caramel and dark fruits blend together on the front end of this brew and then give way to the hoppy finish.

Overall this is a pretty good brew.  It a solid Barleywine with a nice hoppy finish.  The sweetness is balanced very well by the bitterness.  Even though the smell of this beer screams sweet, this beer is not just sweet , and should please those who don't mind a beer with stones.  If you like barleywine beers me give this one a try.

Innis and Gunn - Scottish Porter

Innis and Gunn Brewery

Scottish Porter - Porter with Molasses

The color of the brew is a rich deep mahogany, that gives a wonderful red hue off the edges.  The beer is dark, but not a solid looking beer like most porters.  This beer you can see through a little bit.

The aroma of this brew is not very much porter though.  There is a wonderful maltiness, that has a nice roastedness to it.  You also get a sweetness from the molasses and there is also an alcohol scent that comes out when taking a whiff.  It is a sweet smelling beer with a slight bit of porter maltiness.

On the palate this brew has a nice balance to it.  There is a lot of flavor and then a clean finish that leaves a nice mild aftertaste.  The first thing you get is a sweetness like syrup or burnt sugar.  As the beer goes down you notice the molasses that is followed by a cocoa and banana flavor, that ends with a little bit of bitterness.  I never would have thought this beer would have this kind of flavor considering the smell.  It's a nice light porter that has a really interesting flavor.

Overall I really like this beer, it has a unique flavor that I have never had before.  It's a nice a smooth beer, that's easy to drink and has a nice alcohol flavor tht doesn't overpower the beer.  This is a beer worth trying if you are looking for something different in the porter world.

Ommegang - Art of Darkness

Ommegang Brewery

Art of Darkness - Belgian style dark ale

The color of this beer is coffee dark, no creamor sugar, black.  The head is a fluffy beige that stays around for a while.  No light gets through this brew, and no light can be seen at the edge of the glass.  This is dark, solid brew.

The aroma of this beer is sweet and fruity.  I get a candied sugar smell from this beer that is followed by a fruity / citrus notes that are sweet, and enticing.  The aroma is mild and not overpowering.  There is a mild hint of alcohol, but nothing that would make you think this beer is too strong.

On the palate there is a light, fluffiness with mild carbonation and a smooth texture.  The beer slowly coats the tongue as you drink it and lingers after the swallow.  The flavors are blended together well, but you can still pick them out.  I notice a hint of orange, with a more dominate sugary raisin.  There is a note of roast malt and molasses that is mild, and hidden until the back side of this taste.  There is also a mild bitterness that helps to mask the alcohol notes of this moderately strong brew.

Overall I like this beer.  The funky bitterness on the backside is not my favorite, but it doesn't kill the flavor or experience of this beer for me.  I wish there was a little more to the beer, it seems a little light for a beer this dark, it's smooth and goes down very easily.  It's a sneaky string beer at 8.9% abv.  Overall a quality brew by Ommegang, and a beer to at least try once.