Beer Review 81 - Allagash Black

A Belgian Strong Dark Ale, this one pours black with a creamy tan head and good lacing. It has a unique flavor, resembling a dark-fruity stout. There is a slightly off-putting anise flavor. This one was not bad but I’ll probably not pick it up again.

Beer review 80 - Allagash Tripel Reserve

Golden color and thick white puffy head with great lacing. Not much nose, but intense flavor! Sweet fruit taste, light-to-medium mouthfeel. Nice bite in aftertaste, and light hopfeel at back of mouth. A tasty tripel, indeed.

Beer Review 79 - New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

After a bit of a rocky start, I’ve come to expect good things from this Colorado brewery, and this one did not disappoint. A beautiful deep red color with sudsy off-white head and fantastic lacing. Great dark fruit aroma. Chocolate-stout-like, but with a slighter mouthfeel and a sour ale taste. Nice finish and no bitterness. Outstanding! This is a real winner from NB and has immediately become a go-to brew at the supermarket.

Beer Review 78 - Fischer Tradition Amber

This Euro Dark Lager is imported from Alsace, France and has a nice amber/copper color, and a thick white head with great lacing. Unfortunately it has an odd smell. Taste is not bad, hard to pin down. It’s a bit muted and watery, but there is a mild sour fruit flavor with a slight copper undertone. Easy-drinking and crisp but not much in the flavor department.

Beer Review 77 - Bridgeport Stumptown Tart

This is a Framboise with Oregon raspberries. It pours reddish-copper, almost like a rose wine, with a thin white head and good lacing. Pleasant fruity aroma. EASY drinking – maybe the easiest-drinking brew I’ve had yet (Silvie agreed). Thin for a beer, but with a definite wine feel. The alcohol does not show. Not a great beer, but not bad at all. Quite refreshing.

Beer Review 76 - Dogfish Head Bitches Brew

Well, I had to pick this one up! One of my favorite jazz albums honored with a brew, and the artwork on the label? Yeah, I’ll take two, please. The beer is a Russian Imperial Stout and pours thick and syrupy, dark brown to black in color with a thin dark red head and lacing. The taste of this stout is dark coffee and bittersweet dark chocolate. This brew has some pop too, though, in the form of fizz. It’s complex, and strong. It got better as I drank. The alcohol hid well, too. Nice.

Beer Review 75 - Red Hook 841 Expedition

An American Strong Ale from local Red Hook, this one is a nice ruby red color, with a slight brownish-white head. Nice nutty aroma. Whoa, bitter! Bourbon and malt flavors are present, but the bitterness overpowers. Too bad.

Beer Review 74 - Bohemia Clasica

A German Pilsner from south of the border, it pours a golden yellow, with minimal head and lacing. The taste is hoppy, but not overly so. There is nice bite and a slight spice taste – not too flavorful. Slight bitter-copper taste, too. This one didn’t do to much for me.

Beer Review 73 - Pyramid Curveball Blonde Ale

A Kolsch-style light-bodied ale from Seattle’s Pyramid Brewery, this pours a copper color and has a thin, white head and minimal lacing. The taste is refreshing, crisp, and slightly bitter. A good summertime quaff but not very memorable.

Beer Review 72 - Alaskan White

Pours slightly coppery yellow. Fizzy, with little or no head but good lacing. Nice spiced nose. Appearance and smell, although nice, do not indicate a white beer. Thin, slightly coppery-bitter, yet sweet, spicy taste – not a white beer, but not bad. Interesting taste has enough spice to keep it interesting.

Beer Review 71 - Cuvee Mystique

A Belgian Strong Dark Ale from De Proefbrouwerj in Belgium. Very dark brown - almost black. Thin, tan head and very little lacing. Strong, sour, dark-fruit aroma. This really tastes to me like a stout. A medium mouthfeel, and molassesy (I'm sure that is not a word). Mild alcohol presence for being an 8.5%. tasty, but misnamed. This is like a darkly fruity stout.

Beer Review 70 - Mothership Wit

Okay, I've really been into witbiers lately, and so I thought why not try New Belgium's effort? They pleasantly surprised me with their tasty tripel and, well, they've done it again. Classic cloudy yellow appearance; soapy white head and yummy spiced aroma. Nice! A real winner from these guys. Drinkable and tasty. I'll be picking up many a sixer of these in the future.

Beer Review 69 - Blanche de Chambly

A Unibroue wit (no, not Adam Carolla) this beer pours cloudy yellow with a dense, thick, white head and mucho fizz. Sharp citrus nose. Light mouthfeel. Hmm. Not the best wit I've had, but dangerously drinkable, like flavored water. Alcohol does not show; no lingering aftertaste. The beer that wasn't there....

Beer Review 68 - Dick's Silk Lady

This Belgian-style golden ale (hey, I like those!) comes from Dick's Brewing Co. in Centralia, WA. Pours a nice cloudy gold color. Quite thin head and minimal lacing. Hmm. Clean aroma. Citrus taste. Fizzy. Not bad at all. Thin mouthfeel, but crisp and fruity. Low alcohol and very drinkable. A sixer, please. A good brew, Centralia.

Beer Review 67 - Skinny Dip

This is an American Blonde Ale from New Belgium in Colorado. Copper color with slight off-white, fading head - nice lacing, though. This beer has a dank aroma and, for me, it tastes too close to the brewery's flagship Fat Tire. A bit too hoppy - no likey.

Beer Review 66 - Brother Thelonious

A Belgian Style Abbey Ale from North Coast Brewing in CA. It was only a matter of time before I picked up this one, as I've been eyeing this one since I started this blog. The bottle has a great drawing of Thelonious Sphere Monk holding a frothy glassful, his head surrounded by a keyboard halo. This is a beautiful ruby red colored ale, with dense off-white head and fine lacing. Fruity smell and quite fruity flavor. Alcohol is up front at 9.4. this is a tasty butt-kicking brew.

Beer Review 65 - Matilda

Strong dark pale ale from Goose Island Brewery in Chicago. Iced-tea color and slightly off-white, thin head. Strong ale with dark fruit flavor. Not as strong as a dubbel, but bold enough. Mild alcohol presence intensifies near bottom of glass, assuming a whiskey-like character. Nice.

Beer Review 64 - Allagash White

Another witbier, this one from Maine. Dense, cloudy, lemony yellow. Thin, white head with decent lacing. Nice, fresh, spicy smell. Great spicy fruit flavor, with just a slight bitterness to balance. Fizzy. Cool, crisp and refreshing! This is top-notch!

Beer Review 63 - Pulaner Salvator

A doppelbock from germany, this is an amber beer with a slightly off-white thinnish head and nice dark aroma. Thin mouthfeel, but spicy caramel sweet flavor. High ABV, and it shows! Not bad, but probably won't jump at it in the future.

Beer Review 62 - Hoegaarden

This is a Belgian Witbier. Cloudy yellow with white, tight-bubbled lacy head. Not much nose. Refreshing fizzy flavor, although not as bold as one would like. Subtle. Quite drinkable.

Beer Review 61 - Pranqster

A Belgian Golden Ale from the fine folks at North coast Brewing in Ft. Bragg, CA. Prerequisite cloudy gold color with a light, small-bubbled lacy white head. Good carbo and nice clean aroma. Slight soapy taste but proves to be quite tasty. Clean finish.

Beer Review 60 - Don de Dieu

The last of the 4 from Quebec's Unibroue is a tripel wheat ale. And naturally it is a cloudy gold. Thick, white, lacy head. A light, fruity taste, the acohol hides well. There is a slight bitterness, but overall pretty tasty.

Beer Review 59 - Trois Pistoles

A strong dark ale from Unibroue, this brew is nearly solid black. It has a thin, off-white head and a sweet fruit aroma. Great dark fruit taste - the best Unibroue brew yet. Nice carbonation and a strong acohol presence make this a complex beer.

Beer Review 58 - La Fin du Monde

The second offering from Unibroue, this tripel is a cloudy apricot color with a thick soapy white head and fresh, fruity smell. Malty and hoppy, nicely balanced. High ABV is not noticeable. A good tripel indeed.

Beer Review 57 - Maudite

Whilst at Trader Joe's I picked up a 4-pack of brews from Unibroue in Quebec. I'd seen these beers before in larger servings, but jumped at the chance to get 12 oz bottles of these brews. The first one is Maudite, a Belgioan strong dark ale. It is yellow/copper in color, with a white lacy head and good carbonation. It has a strong and complex taste, with a malty flavor and slight hop bitterness, which keeps this beer earthbound.

Beer Review 56 - Three Philosophers

I bought this one with the Ommegang Abbey, and this is from the same Cooperstown brewer. This one is a quadrupel, so it's a tad more intense than the Ommy Abbey. This one is a cloudy dark red with an off-white, dense, lacy head. The nose is fruity and the taste is intense. Dark fruit dominates; great mouthfeel. The alcohol presence is strong, but the finish is smooth. This is definitely a grow-up beer. Superb.

Beer Review 55 - Ommegang Abbey Ale

This is a nice Dubbel from the Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY. Pours ruby red with an off-white, thick froth. There is a subtle fruit aroma and a sweet dark fruit taste. The 8.5% ABV hides surprisingly well. Nice carbonation, too. A good pickup.

Beer Review 54 - Moose Drool Brown Ale

A brownie from Montana, this pours a very dark reddish brown with a thin, off-white, wispy head. It has a dark flavor, almost stout-like. In fact, it reminds me of an oatmeal stout. It’s tasty and very drinkable, although not terribly remarkable.

Beer review 53 - Supplication

This was another hard-to-get offering from Russian River Brewing. But I really liked this one. It’s an American Wild Ale, aged in wine barrels. A beautiful orange and red color; a full head that dissipates to a thin, but very lacy foam and a nice sour aroma. There is a strong cherry flavor, nice carbonation, low ABV and a smooth finish. Absolutely delicious. Top notch.

Beer Review 52 - Gulden Draak

This is a strong dark ale from Belgium that is a striking deep ruby red and brown color. It sports an off-white-to-tan dense, clingy head. The taste is of dark fruit (black cherry?). It’s sweet with a definite alcohol presence underneath. Delicious.

Beer Review 51 - Pliny The Elder

This is the hard to find double IPA from Russian River Brewing in California. Silvie picked me up a bottle just because I wanted to try this one, seeing as I’ve come to really dislike IPAs but was still willing to try this holy grail brew. A cloudy gold color and white, milky, bubbly head and an off-putting detergent smell. Strong hoppy bitterness. Indistinguishable, to me, from other IPAs I’ve tried. Next time, I’ll leave this one to the hopheads.

Beer review 50 - Longhammer IPA

An IPA from Seattle’s own Redhook. Pale amber color; soft, white, milky head; not much for the nose. Bitter, and not very good.

Beer Review 49 - Chimay Trippel

This is the white label from Chimay. It is cloudy orange in color with a nice pillowy white head. There is a great fruit and spice aroma. There is a hint of bitterness, but this is balanced by the bold spicy/sweet flavor. A tasty trippel to be sure.

Beer Review 48 - Leffe Blonde

This is a pale ale from Belgium that pours blonde, as the name would suggest. It has a dense, pillowy head with thick, sudsy lacing. There is a yeasty aroma, and the taste is smooth and sweet. Delicious! It reminds me of La Chouffe with a lower ABV.

Beer Review 47 - Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

Another black, black stout with a pillowy brown foam. This one, from the venerable UK brewer, is sweet and smooth. There is hardly any bitterness in this refreshing stout. Love it.

Beer Review 46 - Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

A great stout from North Coast Brewing in California. It pours a syrupy black with a brown, puffy, billowy head and good aroma. It’s full-bodied with a slightly bitter and quite intense flavor. Aside from that bitterness, its very tasty.

Beer Review 45 - Black Butte Porter

This is a dark, dark porter from Deschutes in Oregon. A thick off-white head adorns this stout-like brew. The taste is roasted coffee and chocolate, and very good.

Beer Review 44 - New Belgium Trippel

This Trippel from Colorado’s New Belgium is a beautiful golden color. It has a thin head and a spicy fruit smell. There is a nice crispness to it, and a pretty authentic Trippel taste. Very good.

Beer Review 43 - Sam Adams Winter Lager

This offering from Boston Beer is a pretty amber color with a slight-but-spunky off-white head and a beaut of a smell. It has a nice body, is spicy and dark, and the bite is not too bad. Very tasty.

Beer Review 42 - Zywiec

This is a pale lager from Poland, and pours as such, with a thin, fading head. This lager is thin and watery, with no fizz. In a word: blah.

Beer Review 41 - Dogfish Head 60 Min IPA

This is one of a handful of IPAs offered by the notable Deleware brewery. A light amber color and a white clingy head are the highlights for me here. I’m just not an IPA guy. Hoppy bitterness = yikes!

Beer Review 40 - Sam Adams Boston Lager

Well, this was the beer that, years ago, turned me off to any beer not produced by Coors, Miller, etal. I think that I was scared off by that hoppy bite, which I’ve come across many times since I started this blog. I again will out myself as a bit of a hophater, in that the bitter bite is a turn-off to me. I still do not particularly like this beer, but I definitely appreciate it a lot more than I did back in the day. It has a nice body, and I wouldn’t turn one down if you’re buying, but not a fave.

Beer Review 39 - Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

My second sampling from this German brewery, this one pours dark ruby red, with a brownish, foamy head. A nice full body, rich flavor, dark and complex. Just a bit of bitterness. Quite good.

Beer Review 38 - Wells Banana Bread Beer

Well, with a name like that, how could I possibly resist? This brew comes from Wells and Young’s in England. The label touts the fact that real bananas are used in the brewing, and this shows up subtly in the aroma. There is a minimal head on this copper-colored beer. The banana bread flavor is quite nice without seeming gimmicky or cloying. A slight bitterness takes this one down a notch, as does a thin mouthfeel which makes it seem more like a liqueur than a beer. Thumbs up, but not overly enthusiastically.

Beer Review 37 - Beck's

This is a German Pilsner from Brauerei Beck & Co. and can be found in any grocery store in a comically huge bottle. I’d always passed by it before but figured I should give it a go. It poured quite yellow, with no head and a slight, skunky smell. A standard lager; drinkable, with a faint skunkiness. Not bad, but not a standout at all.

Beer Review 36 - Negra Modelo

Negra Modelo ("dark style") is a Munich-style dark lager from Grupo Modelo in Mexico. This is my new favorite Mexican beer. A beautiful reddish-brown color makes up for no head and non-existant aroma. It has a delicious dark flavor while retaining its lager character. Its a deep, rich flavor that matches its color. Balanced. Lovely. Uno mas, por favor.

Beer Review 35 - Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

This seasonal pale ale from Sierra Nevada is a great-looking beer. Pretty, festive bottle, gorgeous amber color and thick, white head. Complex flavors, altough strong bitterness in each sip. A bitter winter ale, this one.

Beer Review 34 - Stockyard Oatmeal Stout

Stockyard is from Chicago, as might be guessed. I picked up a sixer of this stout at Trader Joe's a while back and had a few before I decided to sit down and review it. It is a very dark ruby red with a thin off-white head. It has a nice, creamy medium-to-full body. The flavor is of dark chocolate, roasted oats and malt. There is a slight bitterness, but great flavor. A winner.

Beer Review 33 - La Chouffe

La Chouffe is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale from Brasserie d'Achouffe. Much like Duvel and Lucifer, this beer poured cloudy gold with a pillowy head and had a lovely, fresh yeasty aroma and continuous fizz. It is quite tasty, but canot join the company of it's satanic brethren because of a slight bitterness and/or skunkiness which is a bit off-putting. Also the alcohol is a little too up front. (Note: this little gnome snuck up on me and gave me my first hangover in many years. You little bastard, La Chouffe!)

Beer Review 32 - Trappistes Rochefort 10

Trappistes Rochefort 10 is a Quadrupel from Brasserie de Rochefort. This is one of a set of famous triplets from Rochefort (the 6 and 8 are Strong Dark Ales). This one is also quite dark, pouring dark brown with slight red on the sides of the glass. A thick, lacy, off-white head. There is a slightly sweet smell and a matching warm, spicy sweet taste. This is a high ABV brew that tastes similar to port. As such it really is not up my alley. I would like to try the 6 and 8, but I'm definitely a bit disappointed with the 10.