Review: Chocolate Stout

Chocolate Stout from Rogue Ales Brewery / Brewer's on the Bay
Rating: A

Split four ways, a big bottle of this disappeared pretty quickly.

Appearance: One of the darkest beers I've seen, absolutely opaque. Off-white head, good lacing.

Smell: Smells like the cocoa powder used in baking. Lots and lots of chocolate aroma, from beginning to end. Hard to pick out anything else, though.

Taste: Chocolatey and malty. As if Ovaltine had been stirred into the glass. The label cites "natural chocolate flavoring," I'm curious exactly what they used. Bitterness shows up at the swallow, where it finishes dry. Surprisingly not a "sweet" beer, despite all the chocolate flavor.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is tame, as it should be for the style. Creamy mouthfeel, with medium body.

Drinkability: This would be a great dessert, but it worked well as a mid-afternoon snack too. Dry finish helps drinkability a lot.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 08-22-2006 20:27:41

Rogue Chocolate Stout

Review: Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison)

Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison) from Brewery Ommegang
Rating: A

What a great beer, this is definitely going to be a regular purchase.

Appearance: Gold in color, not particularly clear. Good head and lace.

Smell: Earthy aroma, with some citrus and spicy hops.

Taste: So good, so balanced. Complex without being busy. I was expecting to find the "farmhouse" flavors to be a little more assertive, and that it would make this style more of an acquired taste, but I didn't find that to be true at all. It's not too sweet, like many Belgians tend to be. My new favorite Belgian-style ale, for sure.

Mouthfeel: Light body, not at all syrupy. Good carbonation. Finishes dry.

Drinkability: Paired with a meal of chicken, sauteed mushrooms, homemade creamed spinach, and gnocchi in a gorgonzola cream sauce, this was delightful. More please.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 08-22-2006 20:16:51

Review: Mojo IPA

Mojo IPA from Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub
Rating: A-

Appearance: Typical IPA kind of color, orangey amber, slightly hazy. Good head and lacing.

Smell: Lots of aromatic hoppiness in the nose, lots of citrus.

Taste: Big blast of hop flavor and bitterness. Lots of citrus and resiny hop character in the taste. Hops are obviously the star of the show, butseems pretty well balanced on the whole. The bitterness isn't harsh.

Mouthfeel: Fairly light body, good carbonation. Finishes dry.

Drinkability: High! Session IPA? Definitely.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 08-22-2006 20:05:06

Boulder Beer Mojo IPA

Review: Duchesse De Bourgogne

Duchesse De Bourgogne from Brouwerij Verhaeghe
Rating: B+

"Interesting" is the word that seems to fit this beer best. It's the first really sour beer I've had, so comparison is tough, but I'll do my best. Pours an interesting garnet brown color, little head, fairly clear. Aroma is interesting: dark fruit and vinegar. Not particularly sweet in the nose, which is promising. Taste upholds that conclusion - not overly sweet. Every sip is puckering, but not to the point where it's not enjoyable. Lots of character: tart, fruit and wood, but nothing is too dominant. Mouthfeel is good, not syrupy at all. Carbonation seemed right. Drinkability is the tough part. I enjoyed it, but I'm glad I was splitting a bottle because I probably wouldn't have wanted to drink the rest of it on my own. Maybe it'll grow on me.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 08-22-2006 19:54:41

Review: Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale

Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale from Flying Dog Brewery
Rating: B+

Appearance: Pours an attractive orange/amber color with a decent head with good retention.

Smell: Lots of citrus hops aroma, hard to pick up much else.

Taste: A well balanced APA, in my opinion. Hops are dominant, quite resiny and citrusy. Definitely dry-hopped. Finishes nice and dry, something I always appreciate.

Mouthfeel: Light-medium body, with good carbonation. No complaints at all.

Drinkability: Definitely sessionable, quite a good APA.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 08-19-2006 22:35:44

Flying Dog Doggie Style

Review: Warsteiner Premium Verum

Warsteiner Premium Verum from Warsteiner Brauerei

Rating: B-

Pale gold color, with good head and some lacing. Not much in the way of smell, just some random hints of malt and hops. Taste is pretty nondescript. Nothing at all objecitonable. Slightly grassy and citrusy hops on a malt base. Mouthfeel is fairly light, with pretty good carbonation. Drinkability is moderate. I'd take it over an AML any day, but probably not something I would pick up in the store.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 08-19-2006 22:23:14

Review: Young's Old Nick Barley Wine Ale

Young's Old Nick Barley Wine Ale from Young & Co's Brewery PLC
Rating: B

Appearance: garnet in color, small head with little retention and little lacing.Not much in the way of head is expected for the style, though, so good marks.

Smell: Raisin and caramel aroma, with a hint of alcohol in the background.

Taste: semi-sweet, raisins, caramel malts, licorice and bitter hops with a fig finish. Some alcohol present, as well. Finishes dry, which I like.

Mouthfeel: medium body. good carbonation for the style.

Drinkability: not my favorite barleywine, but not bad. it took me longer than I'd anticipated to get through the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 08-19-2006 03:36:07

Review: Old Milwaukee Beer

Old Milwaukee Beer from Pabst Brewing Company / G. Heileman Brewing Co.

Rating: D+


Appearance: Pours a very very pale gold color, with a big dense head that shows good retention and surprisingly good lacing.

Smell: not appealing at all, macro-y in the worst sense. Adjuncts, a hint of hops.

Taste: Watery at the front of the palate. Harsh bitterness in the middle. Cloyingly sweet at the finish. Bad aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Watery, but with less than typical carbonation for the style that doesn't make up for it.

Drinkability: Do I have to finish the glass? Tastes better when chugged - that says something.

Serving type: can

Reviewed on: 08-18-2006 00:14:21

Review: Corsendonk Agnus / Abbey Pale Ale

Corsendonk Agnus / Abbey Pale Ale from Brouwerij Corsendonk
Rating: B+

One of the few interesting things available at the store I stopped by... Paired it with a fresh salad and shrimp scampi over orzo.

Appearance: pours a pale gold color, mostly clear with some haze (probably hadn't had enough time to settle after traveling). Nice big head, good lace. Pretty much what you expect from a Belgian golden ale.

Smell: It's amazing how distinctive Belgian yeast smells. Lots of that Belgian character, sweet citrus, some spicy hops in the background.

Taste: not as complex as a tripel should be, but not bad.Sweet at the front, but finishes nicely on a dry note. Some fruit and yeast flavors, and a bit of spice. Some alcohol, as well.

Mouthfeel: On the high side of the carbonation scale, light-medium body.

Drinkability: Above average for sure, but (at least at the price I paid for it) too expensive to want to buy again.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 08-17-2006 15:03:27

Review: 60 Minute IPA

60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Rating: A-

Appearance: Pretty light in color, more gold than amber or orange. Moderate head, which leaves nice lace. Fairly clear.

Smell: Fresh hops aroma, of course. Pine and citrus. Some sweetness in the background.

Taste: Bready, bitter - a little sweeter than I remember it being the first time I had it. Hop notes are citrus, spice and grass.

Mouthfeel: A little thicker in the mouthfeel than I'd expected. Carbonation is perfect.

Drinkability: Very drinkable, sessionable, but expensive.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 08-14-2006 22:06:06

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA