Biere de Menage Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Buellton, CA Style: Farmhouse Ale ABV: 7.5% There is an old saying that it takes a lot of great beer to make a fine wine. The idea being that workers in the vineyards would sustain themselves during long hot afternoons of work by quaffing ales. This combines the... View Article
Aroma Coma Drake’s Brewing Co. San Leandro, CA Style: IPA ABV: 6.7% Clever name. I like rhymes. I also like this beer. Because it showcases the very best of hop aroma without being too dank, or punchy, or over-the-top lupulin crazy. It’s not a knock out, but it’s a sneaky shot to the nose, with... View Article
Unapologetic IPA Stone Brewing Co., Beachwood Brewing & BBQ and Heretic Brewing Co. Style: India Pale Ale ABV: 8.8% Unlike the dank IPAs that have been coming out of Southern California of late, this one strikes a markedly different tone. Sure it has the resin and citrus flavors associated with a well-hopped ale, but the addition of... View Article
Heavy Seas Winter Storm Category 5 Ale Clipper City Brewing Co. Baltimore Style: Winter Warmer ABV: 7.5% The color of toasted chestnuts with a mousse-like head atop that quickly faded, there are subtle aromas and flavors of toffee, caramel, clove and orange vanilla that come and go on the palate. The brewery calls this an... View Article
Samuel Adams Double Pilsner Boston Beer Co. Boston Style: Pilsner ABV: 8.6% At first whiff you’re forgiven if “INDIA PALE ALE!” immediately flashes in your mind’s eye. Because it’s not just the aroma, but the hazy burnt orange color and thick lacing along the glass that is characteristic of hop-forward beers. But, there is a... View Article
Spiced Harvest Ale Fordham Brewing Company Dover, DE ABV: 6.6% This beer pours very cloudy, with an amber color and no head. It smells of cinnamon, pumpkin, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. It is malt forward with spice in the finish and smells much stronger of pumpkin than it tastes. It would pair well with pumpkin... View Article
Walker Dock Street Brewing Co. Philadelphia Type of beer: Pale stout brewed with roasted goat brains and organic cranberries ABV: 7.2% To honor AMC’s The Walking Dead, Dock Street brewed a commemorative beer to appeal to the zombie in all of us. Brewed with cranberries and roasted goat brains, Walker challenges non-zombies to expand their... View Article
Against The Grain Brewery London Balling Louisville, KY Type of Beer: Barley wine ABV: 12.5% Big, ballsy, boozy. Those are the first words that came to mind when I just sniffed this beer. Bourbon notes predominate, with vanilla and a caramel sweetness tagging along for the ride. The flavors mimic the aromas with a very... View Article
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers Untouchable San Francisco TYPE OF BEER: India Pale Ale ABV: 6.8% APPEARANCE: Clear and burnt orange, almost amber with a rocky just off-white head that wonderfully laced the glass as it emptied. AROMA: From the moment the bottle opened a cornucopia of fruits burst forth, including pineapple, passion fruit and nectarine.... View Article
