Saint Arnold Brown Ale ....

I am wrapping up my third month of beer sampling with a Brown Ale from Saint Arnold Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The web site lists 5.3% ABV and 24 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small to medium, almost tan head.  The beer's color is a darker amber.  It looks like it has a lot of carbonation.  The aroma has hops and some sweetness, maybe a little coffee.  Medium bodied.  Some nice malts.  Very light hints of coffee and chocolate.  This isn't an overly complicated beer, but it is smooth, tasty and very drinkable.  Almost no aftertaste.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Houston, Texas

www.saintarnold.com

Breckenridge Avalanche ....

Tonight's beer is Avalanche Ale, an Amber Ale, from Breckenridge Brewery.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 4.4% ABV.  Their web site lists IBUs at 19.

Avalanche poured with a medium, slightly brown (not quite tan) head.  The beer color is a brownish amber.  The aroma has some sweetness of caramel and a little hops.  Mild bodied.  The taste has some malt, some caramel and is a little grassy.  A very slight bitterness at the end of the sip.  I am not a big fan of a lot of Amber Ales because they are a little light on taste, and this one falls into that category for me.  Not a bad beer, but a little "thin".

Breckenridge Brewery

Denver, Colorado

www.breckbrew.com

Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale ....

Tonight's sampling will be A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle lists 7.5% ABV and 64.2 IBUs.

This beer poured with a medium, bone colored head.  The beer is a bright golden shade of yellow.  Aroma is heavy on grapefruit and orange, with maybe a little pine.  The same citrus is also very prominent in the taste, but not shockingly so.  There is some very smooth malt that balances out the strong hops.  Some sweetness, and very little bitterness through the taste.  Somewhat dry finish and a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Lagunitas Brewing Company

Petaluma, California

www.lagunitas.com

Left Hand Polestar Pilsner ....

My beer for tonight is a Polestar Pilsner from Left Hand Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site lists 5.5% ABV and IBUs at 33.

Polestar poured with a medium, white colored head.  The beer color is a pale yellow.  The aroma is slightly yeasty/bready and there is a little spice.  Mild to medium bodied.  Fairly simple - some bready malt and a dry, slightly bitter finish.  The aftertaste is also slightly bitter.

    

Left Hand Brewing Company

Longmont, Colorado

www.lefthandbrewing.com

Rogue Dead Guy Ale ....

Hard to believe that after almost 3 months of sampling beers, tonight will only be my first from Rogue Ales - a Dead Guy Ale.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The Rogue web site lists 40 IBUs, and the style of a German Maibock.  I can't find ABV on the bottle or their web site, but other sites list it at 6.5% or 6.6%.

This beer poured with a very thick, not quite tan colored head.  The beer color is a mostly clear amber.  Aroma is fairly mild, with some citrus and a sweetness that seems floral or fruit.  Medium bodied.  Nice malts, with a little caramel-like sweetness.  Some bread.  I don't get as much hops in the taste as there was in the aroma.  A little warming at the end.  Very little aftertaste - just a slight bitter.

Rogue Ales

Newport, Oregon

www.rogue.com

Lagunitas IPA Maximus ....

Tonight I will have an IPA Maximus from Lagunitas Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 8.2% ABV and 72.41 IBUs.

Maximus poured with a very thick, fluffy, bone colored head.  The beer's color is bright and golden.  The aroma is hoppy, with a lot of citrus - mostly grapefruit but maybe a little orange as well.  The taste has some nice hops, grapefruit and orange, almost a little pine.  Some malt balances it out before the hops become too pungent.  There is an underlying sweetness and smoothness that is caramel-like.  You don't get that much bitter in the taste, but it leaves a little bitter aftertaste.

 

Lagunitas Brewing Company

Petaluma, California

www.lagunitas.com

Kona Koko Brown ....

A friend posted about this beer today on Facebook.  I had actually picked one up earlier in the day, so I thought I would go ahead and sample it tonight.  It is a Koko Brown - Nut Brown Ale, from Kona Brewing Company.  This beer is brewed with toasted coconut.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The Kona web site shows 5.5% ABV and 28 IBUs.  It also says this beer is a Winter/Spring release.

Koko Brown poured with a medium, tan colored head.  The beer color is a medium brown, with a little copper.  The toasted coconut comes through very clear in the aroma.  I also get hints of chocolate.  Medium bodied.  There are some malts in the taste, as you would expect from a brown ale, but the coconut hits quickly and runs pretty strongly through the entire sip.  Just a little bitterness.  Somewhat dry finish, with a slight coconut aftertaste.
       

Kona Brewing Company

Kailu a Kona, Hawaii

www.konabrewingco.com

Dogfish Head Namaste ....

Saturday night beer will be Namaste from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales.  The DFH web site describes this as a witbier (Belgian-style white beer), made with dried organic orange slices, lemongrass and coriander.  The 1 pint, 9.4 ounce bottle shows 5% ABV.  Their web site lists IBUs at 20.

Namaste poured with a white, medium to thick head.  The beer color is a paler, but bright, yellow.  Very clear. I get some light fruit in the aroma, but then it is overwhelmed by spice and orange.  The beer is fairly mild bodied, and perhaps a bit thin.  However, there is quite a bit of flavor - some yeasty/wheat, a good amount of spice and a grassy finish.  The aftertaste is mild, leaving you with a little spice and maybe just a hint of the orange.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

Milton, Delaware

www.dogfish.com

Great Divide Nomad ....

Tonight I will try the Nomad Pilsner from Great Divide Brewing Company.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5.4% ABV.

This beer poured with a VERY thick, white head.  The beer color is a pale yellow and very clear.  I get some malt and floral/fruity hops in the aroma.  Somewhat of a "light" beer, but there is some definite malt which is then followed by a sour bitterness from the hops.  It leaves a little bitterness on the aftertaste.

Great Divide Brewing Company

Denver, Colorado

www.greatdivide.com

Redhook ESB ....

The beer for tonight is ESB from Redhook Ale Brewery.  The "ESB" is Extra Special Bitter, a traditional British brew style.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5.8% ABV.  Their web site shows 28 IBUs.

ESB poured with a thin, off-white colored head.  The beer color is a golden shade that I wouldn't quite call amber.  The aroma has some sweet caramel, fruit and hops.  The taste has some nice malts, followed by some sweetness and hops towards the finish.  Mild to medium bodied.  For some reason, I keep hoping for a little more hops hit at the tail end of the sip.  Even though bitter is in the name, you get very little bitter, even on the aftertaste.    

Redhook Ale Brewery

Woodinville, Washington
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
www.redhook.com

Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale ....

Tonight I will try a beer from a fourth Texas brewery: Wild Hare Pale Ale from Shiner Beers.  Twelve ounce bottle.  The Shiner web site shows 5.5% ABV and 32 IBUs.

Wild Hare poured with a thick, fluffy, bone-colored head.  The beer color is golden and not quite amber.  There is a nice aroma, with some sweetness, mildly citrusy hops and a little spice.  The first sip or two seemed a little mild, but as I had a few more sips the malt came out.  There was also some spice, as well as a little hoppy citrus and bitterness at the end.  Almost no aftertaste.  I am not usually a big fan of Shiner, but I like this beer.  It is still fairly mild, but there is more flavor here than some other Shiner offerings.

Shiner Beers / Spoetzl Brewery

Shiner, Texas

www.shiner.com

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis ....

Tonight I will have another Hefeweizen, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company's Kellerweis.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 4.8% ABV.  Their web site lists IBUs at 15.

The beer poured with a small to medium, almost white head.  The beer's color was a pale to medium, cloudy yellow.  The aroma is yeasty and wheaty, like you expect from this type of beer.  There is some sweet fruit there as well.  The taste has quite a bit of sweetness, but is not cloying.  There is some yeast/wheat, although not overpowering.  You also get some spice.  Dry finish and little aftertaste.  

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Chico, California

www.sierranevada.com

Pyramid Hefeweizen ....

Tonight I will have a Hefeweizen Unfiltered Wheat Ale from Pyramid Breweries.  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5.2% ABV.  The Pyramid web site lists 18 IBUs.

This beer poured with a small to medium head, off-white in color, that dissipated quickly.  The beer color is a cloudy yellow gold; a little darker than lemonade.  The aroma is mild, with some sweetness that hints at fruit and honey.  There is a little wheat to the aroma, but it is not pronounced.  The beer is mild bodied.  I get some mild wheat in the taste, some malts and a little floral/fruit.  Smooth and pretty mild compared to most wheats on the flavor scale.  Very little aftertaste.      

Pyramid Breweries

Seattle, Washington

Berkeley, California

Portland, Oregon

www.pyramidbrew.com

Mendocino Red Tail Ale ....

Trying a beer tonight from a brewer I am not familiar with: Mendocino Brewing Company.  It is their Red Tail Ale, which they describe as an American-style amber ale.  The twelve ounce bottle lists 6.1% ABV.

This beer poured with small head that was slightly brown, definitely darker than a cream or off-white.  The beer color is darker amber.  There is some sweetness in the aroma, like honey and fruit.  The fruitiness carries over to the taste and is somewhat sweet.  Then you pick up some malt, and a little bitterness in the background.  Although I don't get a lot of hops, there is definitely underlying bitterness and it leaves a little on the aftertaste.  

Mendocino Brewing Company

Ukiah, California

Saratoga Springs, New York

www.mendobrew.com

Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre ....

And ANOTHER from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales: Raison D'Etre.  DFH describes it as a Belgian-style brown ale brewed with beet sugar and raisins.  Twelve ounce bottle shows 8% ABV.  The web site lists 25 IBUs.

This DFH poured with a thick, tan colored head.  The beer color is a dark amber/brown.  There is some definite fruitiness to the aroma, with hints of spice and brown sugar.  Taste starts off a little spicy, then leads into a somewhat fruity sweetness.  Malty.  Has some high-alcohol warmth.  Clean finish.  Very little aftertaste, maybe just a tiny amount of a wine-like quality.  Very drinkable for a higher-alcohol beer.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

Milton, Delaware

www.dogfish.com

Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA ....

Tonight I will try a second beer from Flying Dog Brewery, a Snake Dog IPA.  7.1% ABV is listed on the twelve ounce bottle.  The Flying Dog web site shows 60 IBUs.

This beer poured with a medium to large, cream colored head.  The beer color is a lighter golden honey.  For aroma, I get some citrus (orange) and spice.  The citrus in the taste leans more towards grapefruit, as it has that kind of sour bitterness.  There is some malt that cuts into the hops, but the hoppy bitterness dominates.  There is also a little sweetness towards the finish, but it ends dry and with a lingering bitterness on the aftertaste.

Flying Dog Brewery

Frederick, Maryland

www.flyingdogales.com

Dogfish Head Aprihop ....

And another beer from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales - Aprihop.  It is an India Pale Ale brewed with apricots.  The twelve ounce bottle lists 7% ABV.  The DFH web site shows 50 IBUs.

Aprihop poured with a small head that wasn't quite tan, but was more brown than off-white.  The beer color is a darker copper.  The aroma has some citrusy hops, more of a grapefruit/orange.  The taste is very hops-centered, with some real flavor of grapefruit.  Maybe just a touch of pine.  The hops don't get really bitter which I think can be attributed to some sweetness from the apricots.  I don't get any real "apricot" flavor - just some fruity hints to the aroma and taste.  Slightly dry finish and leaves a little bit of smooth bitterness as an aftertaste.  Very tasty!  

Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales

Milton, Delaware

www.dogfish.com

Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale ....

Tonight's beer is Fire Rock Pale Ale from Kona Brewing Company - the first from Kona for the year.  The twelve ounce bottle lists 6% ABV.  The web site shows IBUs at 35.

Fire Rock poured with a small to medium, off-white head.  The beer's color is an amber/copper.  Aroma is fairly mild, with some light floral and citrusy hops.  Medium bodied.  On the front part of the taste, I am getting some nice roasted malts.  At first, the taste seemed to tail off at the end of the sip and leave you a little thin.  As I had a few more drinks, this seemed to fade.  But I would still like a little more of a hops hit on the tail end to balance out the malt.  Dry finish with a tiny amount of bitterness for aftertaste.

Kona Brewing Company

Kailu a Kona, Hawaii

www.konabrewingco.com

Harpoon IPA ....

Another IPA!  Tonight I will have the IPA from Harpoon Brewery.  Twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site lists 5.9% ABV and 42 IBUs.

This IPA poured with a very thick, just off-white, puffy head.  The beer is crystal clear and a beautiful shade of gold, leaning towards copper.  The aroma is mild to medium, with some hops and citrus.  Some floral notes.  There is some nice malt to the taste, but on the latter part of the sip you get some hops coming in with a little bitterness.  Not overly hoppy.  Medium bodied.  A little dry on the finish, then you are left with a little bitter on the aftertaste.

 

Harpoon Brewery

Boston, Massachusetts

www.harpoonbrewery.com

Great Divide Denver Pale Ale ....

Tonight will be a Denver Pale Ale from Great Divide Brewing Company.  Twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 5.4% ABV.

This poured with a medium, bone-colored head.  Beer color is a golden amber.  There are some nice hops in the aroma, with a little citrus and sweetness like honey.  This is fairly mild-bodied.  Some malt, but definitely more hops than malt.  The hops give you a little bitterness.  Not a powerhouse, but some nice flavors; very smooth and drinkable.  Very little aftertaste - just a little bitter.

Great Divide Brewing Company

Denver, Colorado

www.greatdivide.com

Victory Golden Monkey ....

Tonight I am sampling Golden Monkey from Victory Brewing Company.   The twelve ounce bottle shows 9.5% ABV.  Style is a Tripel.

This beer poured with a very, very thick bone-colored head.  Beer color is a golden yellow.  Somewhat cloudy (it is a bottle conditioned ale).  Aroma has some yeasty wheat, and some real spice like cloves.  The yeasty wheat and spice follow through to the taste from the aroma, and there is some sweetness as well.  There is a little bitterness on the tail end of the sip, and a fairly dry finish.  It leaves you with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Victory Brewing Company

Downingtown, Pennsylvania

www.victorybeer.com

Magic Hat #9 ....

Second beer for the year from Magic Hat Brewing Company - #9.  They describe it as a "Not Quite Pale Ale".  The twelve ounce bottle shows 5.1% ABV.  IBUs are listed as 20 on the web site.

#9 poured with a large, barely off-white head.  The beer is a nice golden color, much like apple juice.  I am getting some light citrus and honey from the aroma, as well as fruit.  Mild-bodied.  The mouth feel is a little thin, although there is some carbonation.  There is fruit in the taste as well, although it is not overly sweet.  Some malt, but not very hoppy.  A somewhat dry finish with very little aftertaste.
 

Magic Hat Brewing Company

South Burlington, Vermont

www.magichat.net

Samuel Adams Alpine Spring ....

I was over at someone's house tonight and was offered a beer, so I thought I would make it my sample of the day.  The beer is an Alpine Spring from Samuel Adams, which they describe as an unfiltered lager.  Twelve ounce bottle.  Their web site shows 5.5% ABV and 19 IBUs.

This beer poured with a medium, white head.  Beer color was a bright yellow.  Since this is an unfiltered beer, it was a bit cloudy.  The aroma was fairly mild, with a little citrus and wheat.  This is a mild bodied beer.  More carbonation and mouth feel than many beers.  The citrus and wheat also carry through to the taste.  Not much bitterness and very little aftertaste.

The Boston Beer Company

Boston, Massachusetts

 www.samueladams.com

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale ....

And now for some serious alcohol: Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company shows 9.6% ABV on the twelve ounce bottle.  The web site lists IBUs at 90.  Should be quite a beer!

This beer poured with a medium, tan colored head.  Beer color is a medium reddish-brown.  The aroma is fruity and high-alcohol, with a little citrus.  There is a bit of citrus to the taste as well.  Malty, and a very creamy mouth feel.  The bitterness is not excessive, but the hoppy bitter on the front of the taste stays with you all the way through to a lingering sour bitterness on the aftertaste.  There is some sweetness in the middle.  There is also some spice, and some warmth from the higher alcohol.  There is a lot going on in this beer, but if you don't enjoy some bitter then it is probably not for you.  I enjoyed it.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Chico, California

www.sierranevada.com

Ska True Blonde Ale ....

Another from Ska Brewing Company - True Blonde Ale, from a twelve ounce bottle.  The Ska web site shows 5.3% ABV and 39 ISUs (IBUs?).

True Blonde poured with a small, white head.  The color of the beer is that of a pale lemonade.  Aroma is fairly mild, with a little mild citrus and sweetness.  The taste doesn't really have any citrusy, bitter hops.  Some sweetness.  Malts are the dominant part of the taste.  Mild to medium bodied.  Very little aftertaste, just a little hint of malty beer.  A nice beer, but a little mild for my taste buds.  

Ska Brewing Company

Durango, Colorado

www.skabrewing.com