Had this a few times, including last month at the Brewery, but this review is from a 12 oz bottle that I bought at the Brewery about a month ago. Pour is fantastic; a rocky head that produces great lace with plenty of retention. The color of the body is perhaps one of the best! Reminds me of a classic ESB from England, even though the beer is a LONG way away from such a brew! A classic example of the American Red style with potent hops, but bitterness that is tempered by a dry, rich malty...
Notes on beers served in the format
bottle
Crack’d Wheat
12 oz single, courtesy of Kevin - many thanks. Absolutely delighted to get a chance to try this beer. It promises much. The pour is a lovely, butterscotch hazed affair with a nice, rocky head. Good looking beer without doubt. The nose and tastes have plenty of clove and banana notes, but the emphasis seems to be on the clove and spice elements. Some alcohol, but also a few medicinal phenols. The phenols are where this beer starts to deviate a little from authenticity. They don't grate, but the...
Lips Of Faith Belgo IPA
22 oz bottle in the usual Lips of Faith series presentation. Beer pours out a pretty dark, copper color with a medium head. The lace is surprisingly good and forms a nice pattern. This is one of the better parts of the beer. Nose is largely American IPA without much Belgian influence. The tastes do better, with a healthy dose of Belgian candy sugar and some yeast notes. Some metallic notes appear in the back end with a little coinage. The beer seems very dry to me, and the combination offers a...
Spotless IPA (Brewmaster Reserve 2010)
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Always interested to try a new Full Sail brew because I think that they brew some really good quality, simple beers. The nose offers a bright citrus and a touch of alcohol. The pour is a very slightly hazed, pale orange with a frothy head with mid level density. Some lace. The tastes are very fruity upfront. Some nice, sweetish orange and other citrus notes at the front end which turn into more bitter citrus notes (grapefruit) on the back end with...
Anchor Humming Ale
Usual Anchor presentation. Bottle says 5.9% alcohol. Dot-matrixed freshness says OLU. Always interested by a new Anchor brew, so here we go. Bottle produces a beer that looks a little macro in its appearance except for a much better head that is solid and is retained well. Neutral nose and some simple, balanced malt and hops make up this easily drinkable and simple brew. In true Anchor style, this beer sits in the well-made category without setting the world on fire. A light fruit note is...
Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin (Pugsley’s Signature Series)
22 oz bottle, classy presentation with high quality on the paper label that wraps around virtually the whole bottle. Gold foil on the neck. Pumpkin Ales are not my favorite, so I feel a little wary, but this turned out to be a magnificent beer. Pour gives me exactly what i was looking for in terms of color and clarity. A perfectly clear, copper/orange body with a decent head that is a little short lived. Given the ABV I can deal with that, so all in all a great looker. A very light touch of...
Bière De L’Amitié (Green Flash & Brasserie St. Feuillien)
750 mL, corked and "banded". An interesting collaboration, and on top of that an unlikely one. Green Flash are not exactly a subtle brewer (their existence in San Diego is unlikely to produce much of that), so I was concerned about their influence on a beer that would NOT benefit from a typical West Coast battering. The beer is very highly carbonated to the point of being a little annoying. The corked pops with alarming ferocity and the beer pours all the way to the bottom of the bottle with a...
Struise Tsjeeses
11.2 oz bottle, $6.99 from CBX, Charleston, SC, USA. Lot B 9 09. Deweer's ABB describes the name being derived from the brewer exclaiming, Tsjeese wat een lekker biertje, or "Gee, what a nice little beer"! I'm not about to disagree. Pour offers up a clouded, well hazed orange body with some sticky lace and froth. Burnt marmalade in color. Nose offers some fruit peel and perhaps a touch of spice but it's not strong. The tastes deliver some more, biter citrus notes including a lingering...
Harpoon Pott’s Landbier (100 Barrel Series #32)
22 oz bottle, gold foil with the usual 100 Barrel series presentation. Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Strange one this. I think if you had given me this in a blind taste taste I would have sworn it was Yeungling! Now, you can take that any way that you like. I don't dislike Yeungling, but as we all know it's hardly a bastion of high quality beer so... Pour is a pretty clear, mid-brown affair with a disappointingly poorly retained head and not much If any ) lace. Nose and tastes produce a slightly...
Chatoe Rogue First Growth OREgasmic Ale
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour here offers a good, high head (deep and rich with a nice off-white color) that lingers. The color however, is a different matter - a turbid, murky, dirty brown that I don't care for. The color undoes the good work of the head IMO. This is a VERY strange beer to me. Firstly it does not look (or feel) like an APA at all. It seems to dark to me, and the tastes are odd. This beer just seems overdone. At first the beer seems too malty. Then, in the...
Night Stalker
22 oz bottle purchased on a recent trip to NY. Pour is a very standard, jet black with a little ring of mocha lace that settles around the edges of beer, plus a thin film over most of the surface of the beer. Some decent alcohol legs on the side of the glass. Definitely menacing and viscous. Nose and tastes reflect one another with all of the usual dark, roasted malt and chocolate notes that one would associate with this kind of beer, but with the added hop element that one usually does NOT...
Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout
Another example of how strangely one can get to taste these beers that are highly sought after without even trying. I got to get a decent taste of this at a recent BA gathering in Charleston, but given the size of the pour, and the number of other beers being consumed, I decided to pass on taking formal notes or writing a review. I did make some mental notes. Then, a few days later, I unexpectedly got another chance to try the beer in a better light and make these observations. Not much to...
Vapeur En Folie
750 mL bottle, capped & corked from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA. Cork comes out pretty easily with on a dull pop. Champagne style with large dimpled bottom. Green. Pour is a golden orange with a fine, light froth for the head. Some good haze and the fine carbonation leads to some nice smoothness in the mouth. Nose has some floral notes and a does of medicinal, estery, phenol. Not strong but noticeable. There is a fairly large hop profile for a beer of this type. Of course, that's not to say...
Sweetwater Dank Tank Magnum IP
22 oz bottle in the usual Dank Tank presentation. I've had this a few times before now, this is the bottled review. Poured into the DFH glass, the beer is truly a deep golden color with (considering the ABV) a decent head and some retention. The nose gives plenty of fusel alcohol notes but it's not overpowering. A little spice in the aroma too. The tastes give up the usual (and expected) malty, alcoholic bitterness. There is some white pepper (especially in the finish), and a little dryness in...
Fifteen
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA. Had this one on the fridge for a few weeks. Jet black body with a few brown colors at the extremities. The body sets itself up with a very thin, wispy mocha film. A few legs and a little lace drips down the glass. There really is very little smoke in the nose at all, and what little there might be is overwhelmed with booze anyway. The beer also lacks much smoke element in the taste, too. The first wave of taste is a large sweetness, but this quickly...
Fish Paralyzer Pale
22 oz bottle from CBX, Charleston, SC, $5.49. Well, it needs to be said that this beer does not look like, or drink like, a Belgian Pale Ale. This is one thing that REALLY pisses me off. When a brewery puts the words "Belgian Pale Ale" on the label, it seems reasonable to assume that there is a Belgian Pale in the bottle - in this case there isn't, there's a beer that is much closer to a Dubbel, or at very least a Brune. It beer looks good as a "beer", but it looks awful as a "Belgian Pale"....
Hefe Weiss
16 oz, usual Sprecher, "stubbie" presentation. Thanks to Kevin for the chance to try this one. The beer pours a hazed orange with a tea-like appearance. No head, retention or lace to peak of. Looks a little "dead". A lot of tropical fruit in the nose with an especially large emphasis on the pineapple for me. The beer drinks and tastes a little drier than the nose would suggest, but it still has a strong fruit note as opposed to any kind of wheat. The pineapple keeps coming and there is a touch...
Trade Winds Tripel
The usual Bruery presentation in the 750 mL bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. The latest Bruery offering to arrive in GA. Beautiful pour with plenty of fluffy white head that comes with good lace and retention. The color is interesting because it changes with the light more than most beers. In strong light there is a lovely, bright orange hue and in lower light it takes on a deeper, darker honey color. I like to see it in full light, but either way it looks great. It also exhibits a wide...
Bison Organic Imperial Brown Ale
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA. Deep brown pour with a nice head. Not very good retention and no lace. Body has a few orange and rust colored highlights. A barrage of sweet, bready malts in the nose and not hint of bitterness of alcohol. The tastes still keep the malt based at the forefront, but add some alcohol and a little bit of bitterness to back up the idea that this is in the American end of the Brown Ale spectrum. Malts hold up well, and the alcohol never gets out of control....
Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA
22 oz bottle, usual Stone presentation. Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. OK, off the top I think the name is tacky. There, got that out of the way, now back to the beer. Very light haze on the mid-orange pour. The body looks a bit like a cask pour. Not much lace as the beer forms a light, thin film on the surface which has some good retention. The nose is very odd - it literally smells like cheese to me. Like a slightly overripe soft cheese - perhaps French. The tastes are a...
Saison Du BUFF
12 oz single from a recent trip to NY. The pour is a very bright orange color with a fizzy head that fades quickly to leave no lace but some thin film on the surface of the beer. The nose is very strong. It's a sweet, citrusy, herbal mix with the emphasis on the herbs. This is something that I usually enjoy, but this seems unusually aggressive and wears a little. The tastes reflect that nose, but here the orange-like citric notes come much more into play. There is also a soapy bitterness that...
Black Orchard
Happy to come across this on my recent trip to NY. This never made it to GA (The Bruery got here after this was done), so happy to hook myself up! Also glad to to see a more sensible ABV from The Bruery on this one for a change. Popped the cap on the 750 mL, usual style Bruery bottle (I do like their labels) and the pour is an impressive JET black! A few gold highlights at the extremities, but otherwise pretty solid. Carbonation is annoyingly fizzy. It detracts from the smoothness, leaves...
Big Barrel Double IPA
22 oz bomber, courtesy of BitterBill - thanks, Bill! My first beer from Karl Strauss - excited to try it. Pour is very standard for the style, with a high, fluffy and rocky head atop a slightly murky, mid-orange/brown body. Nose and tastes reflect a very distinct fruitiness that seems like a combination of a number of things; grapefruit dominates, but you also get several other soft, tropical notes. Well hidden alcohol. One criticism for me is that the beer is a little muddled in the tastes....
White Gold
750 mL bottle purchased at the brewery (or maybe Finger Lakes Beverage in Ithaca), either way, close to the source! Batch: E!022 opening the cap gives me a gusher, and quite a profound one. It takes several minutes before the cascading, fine foam relents by which time maybe a quarter of the contents of the bottle are on the counter. Poured in two separate portions into a 16 oz glass. The first pour gives a murky, yellow or butterscotch color with some good head. The head does fade rather fast...
Heavy Seas Cabernet Barrel Aged Below Decks
22 oz bottle form Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. I've become really wary of this series from Clipper City because frankly, the beers have been pretty poor. I'm a little more optimistic about this one though, since I liked the original Below Decks so there would appear to be some solid ground to build upon. The pour is NOT attractive. A watery light brown with no head retention, lace or indeed much of a film. Underneath this beer is a decent ENGLISH styled BW. Obviously if you are looking for a...
Alaskan Baltic Porter
22 oz bottle thanks to BitterBill for the opportunity. 2009 Vintage. Pour is a standard black, with some brownish highlights at the extremities. Head appears quickly but it is very "fizzy" and then it dies immediately. Coupled with the color, the beer looks EXACTLY like a freshly poured Coke - exactly. The head (or rather the lack of it) is rather disappointing and although the color is good but the overall appearance is not all that thrilling. The nose gives a heap of sweet molasses and...
Nelson
22 oz bottle courtesy of BitterBill. Thanks Bill! Pour produces a beautiful color. A really rich orange and an excellent head with some sticky lace. Very nice to look at. The nose and the tastes are one and the same and exhibit and extraordinary deep, clean and sharp hop note. The hop is, without question, a unique one and the cleanliness of it is what stands out for me. Overall the beer does exhibit a large, West Coat hop feel, but at the same time it seems incredibly light. Plenty of sweet...
Ommegang Zuur
750 mL corked and caged, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Damaged cork pops out ALARMINGLY quickly ( http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/2851950 ). Pour is a resplendent dark brown with a pretty decent amount of carbonation when considering the style. No lace to speak of, but a thin film on the surface of the beer and a nice collar of foam at the extreme edges. Mild, fruity acidity in the nose but nothing too ethanoic acid based. Tastes are very gentle with the beer not really living up to its name....
Halcyon
500 mL bottle, gold foil on the neck. Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2009 hop harvest, beer bottled in April 2010. OK, pretty interested to find my first Thornbridge beer in the US, There's been plenty of talk about this brewery and I'm keen to make up my own mind and to experience some of their beers for myself. Very unusual appearance. In a nutshell the beer resembles a Hefe in terms of the color. A hazy, orange, butterscotch affair with some fizzy carbonation. Head is small and not very well...
Heavy Seas – Smoke On The Water
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. This is now a serious pattern rather than a few blips in the Big Beer series from Heavy Seas/Clipper. This is just not a very good beer - ANOTHER poor effort in the series. Pour is fine with the standard black body and a decent amount of early carbonation. Head fades quickly; no lace or retention to speak of. Nose gives virtually no smoke element which in itself is not an encouraging thing, but when the beer warms and there is only a tiny change...
Brooklyn Sorachi Ace
750 mL corked & aged beer from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Always very excited to try a new beer from Brooklyn, especially one in one of my favorite styles. The pour has a beautifully rich, butterscotch, lemon yellow hue, but to be honest the head, lace and retention are not all that great. The nose delivers the lemongrass aroma as advertised. Quite attractive. The taste is where things start going a little awry for me. There is no doubt that the Sorachi Ace delivers an absolutely unique...
Primátor Double Bock Beer
500 mL bottle, different to the current presentation in the BA db and a $2.99 purchase at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Let me preface this sentence by saying that I am a fan of malty, sweet, non-hop forward brews, and I am VERY experienced in the Doppelbock style so I know what to expect, BUT...WOW, this SUPER, SUPER Sweet! I mean in a way that I don't remember encountering for a long, long time! Pour is the standard, deep brown almost black color with a small, coffee-like head that fades...
Terrapin Boom Shakalager
22 oz bottle as part of the Side Project Series, this one is #11. The usual gold-foiled presentation. Pour is a surprisingly dark amber in color. The head is largely absent and the retention and lace are close to zero. Disappointing. Nose gives some phenols and a little fusel alcohol in the back end of the finish. It's a pretty viscous and heavy beer, but to be honest, given the style that's in line and OK, but it certainly does not add to the drinkability. There's a little marzipan in the...
Lips Of Faith Eric’s Ale
22oz bottle from Green's on Ponce. Lips Of Faith #3. Got lucky with this one. Brickstoredave gave a few of us a blind sample and I (like most others) loved it. I then proceeded to miss the very few bottles that came to GA. A week or so later, apparently a small second wave made it back to the state and I stumbled on to one - lucky me, this is a SUPER beer! Pour gives lovely clarity from the bottle with plenty lively carbonation out of the bottle that subsides quickly to leave a thin film on...
Trashy Blonde
12 oz single courtesy of James all the way from Scotland. many thanks. Beer pours with an impressive rocky, white head which gives some super lace. Body is a slightly hazed, golden pour with mid to low carbonation - a smashing looking beer. Nose gives some typical sweet malts abut also a little white peppery bitterness. The beer drinks very dry with a lack of malt presence for a beer in the English pale Ale category. There is a very stout, Saaz-like, crisp bitterness which gives a little...
30th Anniversary- Charlie, Fred And Ken’s Bock
Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Blah, ultimately very disappointed consider the supposed gravity of this series. The biggest problem here was the carbonation and general life associated with the beer - in the end nothing but flat and dull. Pour was a surprisingly dark, mid-copper body with some large bubbles and a decent head. The problems started as the head faded, both quickly and badly. It left a brown; literally "dead" liquid in the glass which was flat and unappealing. All of this after a...
Exile ESB
12 oz bottle from lackenhauser as part of Veterans BIF. Pour is a touch on the light side of amber and also gives quite a lot of murkiness. Head is average, dissipates quickly and leaves a little watery lace. The head is not too much of a problem, but the color and lack of clarity give me a little cause for concern. Nose has plenty of sweet malts and a little fruit. The tastes reflect some of the nose but also have a touch of acid and some prickly carbonation. The light acidity seems to...
He’Brew Rejewvenator (Year Of The Grape) 2010
22oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. 2010 version, "The Year of the Grape". Very typical of the Rejewvenator series. Described on the label as half Doppelbock, half Dubbel! A difficult to beer to classify but delicious and rich in malt just like the rest of the Rejewvenator series. The Shmaltz beers all seem to have a deep, richness about them both in terms of the color and the depth of flavor and this beer is absolutely no exception. A nice, noisy pour with a very rich, reddish brown...
Midnight Sun
500 mL bottle thanks to lackenhauser as part of Veterans BIF. Pour is a very solid, jet black body with any initially large, light coffee colored head. Some lace is left along with a thin film on the surface of the beer. The first few sips seem a touch on the bitter side, BUT after a few minutes of warmth and a few more sips the beer starts to take on the flavor profile that a beer of this style demands. Some light licorice amongst the slightly sour cream like notes. Some more sweetness comes...
Lips Of Faith Belgian Style Blond Ale
Golden pour with some delightful looking, full, frothy head that leaves some great lace. Good clarity on the pour. Attractive looking beer. Smells and tastes replicate a light yeast note with a touch of sweetness. The beer is pretty well balanced and as such it *could* be a potential stepping stone for a non-craft drinker. However, the problem is really the ABV. Even though the alcohol is very well hidden, the beer still creeps up on you a little, and even though the alcohol does not...
Brewer’s Art Green Peppercorn Tripel
750 mL corked and caged bottle. Thanks to lackenhauser as part of Veterans BIF. Clouded orange body with plenty of thick, yeast sediment coming from the depths of the bottle. Head is initially a high, white affair but it fades quickly to leave a thin film and a white ring at the edges of the beer. There is a lot of fruit (pineapple especially) and alcohol up front as one would expect, and then there's a traditional white pepper note as well, but the finish brings that much greener, fuller,...
Exit 16
750 mL capped bottle, thanks go out to lackenhauser for the chance to try this. Pour is a cloudy, orange color with a nice head. Some decent retention and some sticky lace. Very good, and solid for the style. Nose offers a typical, west coast, hop-resin astringency. Not something that I care for necessarily, but definitely true to the style. The beer does not stray much from the style with massive, astringent hops, slightly dry in the finish and plenty of grapefruit and oily, resin notes. In...
Williams Gold
Big thanks go out to lackenhauser. Received as part of The BA Veterans BIF. Marketed in the USA as "Scottish Session Golden Ale" which seems VERY odd since the word "session" is so abused here. I don't get it at all. 500 mL bottle, nice label. Best Before Jul 2011 which seems odd given the probable, relative fragility of this beer. Mixed feelings about this beer. Firstly I am absolutely delighted that we get a TRUE session beer (<4%), and that it's called "Session" too. Label says 3.9%. On...
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
12 oz single from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a standard black body with some initially good head but the retention is not great. Lace is minimal, but we do get a ring on the surface of the beer. Light roast greets the nose and taste, and to be honest this beer never gets too demanding. In that respect I like it, and the drinkability of the beer remains good throughout the bottle. Light lactose and licorice combine nicely to give a smooth mouthfeel which is no doubt enhanced...
Wild Dog Double Pale Ale
Massive thanks go out to BEERchitect for the chance to finally try this beer! 750 mL, corked & caged bottle, from September 2004, this was bottle #1466. Thick, heavy green glass with dimpled bottom. Substantial bottle. Pretty much exactly as I anticipated to be honest. The beer pours with a large amount of cloudiness and a significant amount of yeasty, floaties. Some carbonation seems to have dropped off (only a small pop on opening and it drinks with little life), but the head and retention...
Tröegs Java Head Stout
12oz single. Nice deep brown/black body with plenty of high, mocha head. Head color is particularly pleasing. Roasty and dry in the nose and the roast continues in the initial tastes. Some light, teeth coating tannins come forth quickly with some alcohol in there too. SA little organic tree bark and a green, fresh hop note also present. Perhaps a touch of smoke in th aftertaste. A bright beer that gives the impression of being dry-hopped. The oatmeal doesn't make its presence felt in the one...
Chocolate Stout
12 oz bottle as a single from Total Wine, Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour gives a still looking, dark brown body with some spotty lace on top of the mill pond body. Nose and tastes reveal some gentle, dry, bakers chocolate (cocoa) like notes. Light acidity falls in the back end. The beer seems to round out with an odd, solvent like feel and another blast of acid. Not much to like here. Mouthfeel is a bit weak and this doesn't help the apparent acidity much at all. Beer with not a lot of...
Schlafly Coffee Stout
12 oz single. Amazed at how light the pout on this is. No hint of any kind of blackness from a typical stout, rather the body is akin to a red or amber ale and lacks depth in the look. Head is minimal. Actually looks like cold tea. Nose has a strong coffee aroma and the tastes reflect that. However, not much depth at all, and definitely quite light - even watery. Mouthfeel is correspondingly weak and disappointing especially considering this is supposed to be (apparently) an oatmeal version...
Atwater Cherry Stout
12 oz single. Really not sure what's going on with this. A dark brown body with a decent enough head, but it fades pretty quickly to leave very little lace. Poor retention. Nose gives a little malty chocolate. The tastes are odd. The cherry obviously manifests itself, but to be honest it is simply a sour, "beer gone off" type taste. It's odd. I can't really work out if the beer is rancid, or if the cherry notes are indeed supposed to taste that way! Difficult to distinguish between the...
Sweetwater Sch’Wheat
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. After a few seconds of settling down, the pour gives a very suspiciously clear, macro-esque body and a head that fades badly. Despite the description on the label, the beer looks as though it has been filtered and in that respect it's horribly disappointing. It's difficult to see how this beer creates much of a "wheat" effect at ALL. From the clarity of the look, to the lack of head and the largely watery body, the beer looks and drinks much more...
Wild Frog Wheat Ale
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. A surprisingly dark pour that takes on a honey-orange color. Head is really disappointing considering the style, in fact one of the worst I ever recall seeing for a Hefe. Virtually zero head or retention. The darker than usual color I can cope with, the lack of head is a no-no for the style. Pretty good pineapple, banana and clove in the nose and tastes with for me, the emphasis on a candied pineapple sweetness. It tends to build and get a bit...
Avery Anniversary Ale – Seventeen (Dry Hopped Black Lager)
The usual Avery presentation with gold foil on the neck. Glad to see the Avery Anniversary series come back to Atlanta after the very strange omission of sixteen after we've had the others. Pour is at first glance a solid black, but closer inspection reveals a browner appearance that first thought. Head is good, but fades quickly and little or no lace is left. Lots of licorice notes and quite a bitter twang in the finish. This comes after a more gentle start that showcases some simple, sweet...
John John Juniper
Picked up the latest of the John John series to make it to Atlanta at Green's on Ponce. 22 oz bottle. Not really excited by the first one in the series, but this one seems to offer more potential for me. Color is an attractive, slightly hazed, golden body with a fine, wispy head. Not much retention or lace but a good color. Nose offers little other than some sweet malts and perhaps a touch of alcohol. Tastes are what I would call refined. A very tasty, noticeable light, citrus and herbal twang...
Terrapin The Iron Tankard
Impressive presentation, but also an impressive price (between $13 and $16), but when you consider the beer is being sold as a vehicle to make money for what they consider a good cause, it makes it slightly more palatable. Slightly. Hand numbered bottle 4480/4884. 22 oz bottle, boxed with a gold foiled neck. Cloudy, hazed mid-amber pour that creates little or no head with poor retention. Just about zero lace. OK, I guess when you consider the ABV and the style. Nose gives a sugary, malty,...
Pipe Organ Pale Ale
12 oz bottle as part of my Secret Bunny package from PittBeerGirl - thanks Sara. Pour gives are very surprisingly dark, copper pour with a really poor head and no lace or retention. Nose seems somewhat neutral but certainly no offensive. Light sweetness. This is a bit of an odd beer. The beer is a very neutral, frankly fairly tasteless affair and very bland. However, the finish and aftertaste is EXTRAORDINARILY bitter and metallic, in a nasty lingering way too. Very unpleasant. Not good and...
Southampton Keller Pils
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a slightly clouded, lemon colored body with a rocky, if not dense head, sitting on top. Not much retention or lace. Nose gives a nice grassy, hoppy note. Tastes are really quite bitter up front (and in the finish), but in between there is a lovely balance and beautiful, creamy mouthfeel. Rounded with some sweet notes in the middle. Lingering bite at the end. Slightly metallic ending as well. VERY tasty and highly drinkable with a good,...
Baltic Thunder
22 oz bottle that I bought way back when it came to GA for the first time. The bottle has a white, dot-matrixed date that says, Best Before Dec 31 08. Deliberately held on to this for aging purposes. Pour is a classic, dark brown, black, ruby red combo. The head is good to start, but fades badly to leave little retention and no lace. The nose is AMAZING. An extraordinary, beautiful, slightly oxidized Madeira fruit, alcohol and boozy, liquor note. Lots of sherry notes. Taste replicate the...
Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #8
12 oz bottle into the Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Body is a ugly, clouded, Dubbel-like affair with very little discernible head, retention or lace. Nose has quite a lot of sweet peat, and then this is followed-up a LOT in the taste. Unfortunately the combination of light smoke (good), peat (also good) with an overwhelming sweetness gives a syrupy, difficult to drink cough medicine effect. The alcohol is also prominent and the combination gets way too much very quickly. Even with this level...
Beerlao Dark
Single from Camp Creek Beverage, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour gives a mid-brown body with a good degree of clarity and an impressive, high, white head. Not a great deal of lace but decent to look at. Nose and tastes give that typical, sweet, malty slightly watery feel that also has a note of cocoa powder about it. Alcohol is well-hidden. Maybe some light apples amongst the malts and light flavors? Some acid like bitterness in the finish. Aftertaste lingers a touch and is a wee bit astringent to...
Tiny
750mL corked & caged affair from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a jet black pour with a khaki colored, fine-bubbled head that forms with a pretty good definition. Nose and tastes definitely have some decent dark fruits, a touch of alcohol and plenty of Belgian yeast notes which are pleasing to me. It IS true that the beer treads a fine line between a traditional Belgian Dark and a Stout (with the stout winning more often than not), but there is sufficient Belgian character to...
Bush Blonde
750 mL corked & caged bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Opens with an alarming, large pop with lots of gun smoke. The pour into the Duvel tulip yields a darker than expected, orange colored body with a pretty good head and some really nice lace. This is a confusing beer since it also has the word "Tripel" on the label (along with Blonde). It's really quite a sweet beer than lacks any kind of white pepper notes or spice. The beer is really quite bland in many respects and lacks even...
Big Red Ale
12 oz single, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Very good color on the pour with a lovely, dark red/mahogany color and a nice head that has a toffee colored hue. Not much retention or lace. Carbonation produces some streaming bubbles. Nose has a bunch of quite seriously sweet malts. The tastes highlight and showcase the malts even more than the nose would suggest. The beer is really quite sweet and lacks much of a typical dry finish that is often associated with the style. As the beer warms and as I...
India Pale Ale
12 oz single, from PittBeerGirl as part of my secret bunny 2010. Nice, authentic orange body with a good head initially but it fades pretty quickly. Not much lace either. Light hops in the nose that are replicated with more force in the tastes. Quite sweet, so lots of malts must back up the hop profile. The alcohol is very well hidden and would not have guessed this was 7.00%. The finish also has some residual sugar. The malt base, the relatively low alcohol taste and the sweetness, certainly...
Red Brick Brown Ale
12 oz single. What? I've never reviewed this? Seems unlikely, but here we go. Pour is quite a light, orange color that one would perhaps associate more with an IPA rather than a brown. Head is decent, but retention is not great. Lace is present, but fairly wispy and not especially sticky. Large caramel malts with also a (apparently odd) bourbon note! WTF? Anyway, in the taste the beer gets back to being "normal" with extra malt caramel and some rounded sweetness. A little touch of smoke for me...
Skinny Dip
12 oz single, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Clear, honey golden pour with a decent frothy head. Nose has some acidic malts, but not much else. Tastes are very neutral to me. High level of carbonation gives a mineral like, sodium hydrogencarbonate taste as if I was drinking an antacid. The mineral base and large carbonation does give a lively mouthfeel which I like. Finish leaves a touch of bitterness and more of the lingering dissolved salts. Very odd beer for me and I can't get past the odd,...
LongShot Lemon Pepper Saison
12 oz single as part of the Longshot sixer. Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Crystal clear, lemon-yellow color. Head is good initially but fades quickly with poor retention but conversely leaves some nice, sticky lace. Mild, earthy funk in the nose but it's pretty light, simple and not big at all. Tastes are where there is a touch more lemon citrus than the nose would suggest. Nice creamy balance is in the mouth and the beer comes together well. Some nice round malts. There is an...
Tripel Perfection
The usual, 750 mL presentation with cork & cage from Ommegang. Purchased from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Decent pop on opening with some gunsmoke. Body is quite a dark orange considering the style. Head is decent, but fades to a collar and some spotty surface note with no lace on standing. A high level of Belgian yest in the nose. More yeast are the initial tastes. Plenty of alcohol and it warms slightly. Also the requisite white pepper but the alcohol comes back (along with the...
Elevator Bleeding Buckeye Red Ale
12oz bottle from my recent Columbus, OH trip. Nice color on the pour, but the beer lacks life. The red highlights and general bright body and clarity are encouraging, but then the lack of carbonation, head, lace and retention let the beer down. Some light malts in the nose and not much else. The beer delivers a decent malt punch and a little too much dry character that I really don't want in the style. The beer fades quite quickly and is easily forgotten. Decent malt tastes for the style with...
Shiner 101 Czech Style Pilsner
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a golden color with a frothy, light head that although not especially well-retained it does produce some significant lace. Nose and tastes create a feel of a Pils without the true Saaz-like kick in the back end. Some light, white pepper that for a second seems like we have a Belgian Pale note, but it fades and the bitterness does not figure. Relatively light and easy drinking, but a beer that ultimately seems fairly pedestrian. Grassy notes...
Golden Fleece Maibock
I love a good bock and was delighted to get this as part of my Easter Bunny package from PittBeerGirl - thanks! 12oz single. Pretty much a quintessential American example of the style for me. Nice golden color with a decent head and some good retention and lace. In addition we get a nice golden color (important for the style), and a decent alcohol warmth that does not get in the way of drinkability. Now of course, the beer does creep up on you come the end of the bottle so the alcohol is still...
Harpoon Single Hop ESB (100 Barrel Series #31)
OK, it's not brewed in England and it's NOT a cask offering, and I could still be happy if it was taken down another 0.5% on the ABV, BUT, on the face of it this at least has the potential to help me out in my desperate and generally futile search for high quality ESB's in the USA. Let's see. Nice authentic color in the body with a deep, orange/amber hue. Head size is especially disappointing to me and the retention and lace should also be better for a beer of this ABV. Nose reveals little,...
Raging Bitch Belgian-Style IPA
12 oz bottle. Not quite sure why this did not/has not made it to GA, perhaps it HAS but I've not been looking for it. Was it in the Canis Major mixed pack? Anyway... Hazy, orange body with low to mid-carbonation and a little head and some retention. Not much lace at all. Nose offers some light hop character, a bit of sweetness and perhaps a touch of Belgian yeast. Tastes are reminiscent of the nose, but crank some of the aspects up quite a lot. The sweetness comes first, followed by the yeast...
Wheat Wine Ale
22 oz bottle from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. I've been pretty pleased with a number of the recent Fort Collins offerings, and it is my suspicion that they don't quite get the respect that they deserve. Beautiful, bright copper colored body with some wispy head that fades quickly. Not surprising given the ABV. Little or no lace. Color is attractive. Malty alcohol in the nose, not much else. Medium carbonation greets the mouth. The tastes are alcohol based with malty intentions but...
February 27th, 1832 Mild Ale
22 oz presentation. Massive thanks go out to Gregg for the opportunity to try this one. The pour into the Terrapin snifter and gives quite a still body with a light, copper color with obviously no head or lace. Ultimately it looks like a brandy in the glass. The nose has some alcohol but there is a feeling that the light solvent effect is mainly in the nostrils rather than the taste. A little acidic apple in the nose as it warms. The taste is extraordinary in as much as the alcohol is...
1000 IBU
375 mL bottle, corked (synthetic) & caged. Green glass, thick dimpled champagne-style bottom. Green's on Buford, around $10 for the bottle (I think). Pour gives a murky brown color with a LOT of yeast floaties. Drab and dull in the mid-brown color. Quite unattractive, especially with the cascading floaties and the dirty dishwater appearance. Looks like a nasty, home-brewed, unfiltered Dubbel. Smell is surprisingly non-hop based. Quite neutral without much hint of the tastes to come. Some...
Robert The Bruce Scottish Ale
12 oz single. Had this a couple of times before, just getting around to reviewing it now. Color is a beautiful garnet pour with a real, red appearance and plenty of mahogany highlights. Body is great, BUT unfortunately the head is poor and consequently there is little retention or lace. That's a shame. Malt based is an understatement of course, but the beer also imparts a little hop bite in the finish and some alcohol presence. Finish has a touch more alcohol mixed in with the warm malts and...
Gemini (Imperial IPA)
22 oz bottle with a stick on label rather than the usual ST, screen printed presentation. Thanks to the wife for bringing this back from SC just a few days before ST hit GA - typical. Pour is an obvious orange color, but the two things that strike me as particularly prevalent are the light cloudiness and the fact that the beer seems quite thin in appearance. Nose and tastes are typical for the style with a combination of grapefruit, syrupy alcohol and sweet sugary notes. This is not any easy...
Chatoe Rogue First Growth Single Malt Ale
Simplicity on the pour with a nice, orange body hat sits underneath the white head. Some lace, but not much to speak of and the head fades rather quickly. Nose has plenty of grain character but the threat of extra hop presence also wafts into the nostrils. The tastes confirm that exact combo with the hops taking too forward a role for me (at least in terms of the style). Finis is interesting since it imparts a fairly significant dry, cracker like ending that I wasn't expecting and again seems...
Brown Angel
Massive thanks go out to Gregg for the opportunity to try this. Delighted to have the chance, and also humbled by his generosity. 22 oz bottle - silly label that does no favors for craft beer. (I agree with the Bros. comments in the mag about this). Pour is an attractive, deep chestnut brown with some red highlights. Head is a mocha color with some decent retention and a little wispy lace. Nose has the expected (but unwanted), fresh green hop note. Not much to say other than I don't want it,...
Hoppe (Imperial Extra Pale Ale)
The wife was kind enough to cart this back from Hilton Head, SC for me, just a few days before ST hit GA - typical! 22 oz bottle in the usual screen printed ST style. Pour is a beautiful, golden clear body with a smashing white head that gives some nice sticky lace - decent retention considering the ABV of the beer. Looks nice, especially the depth of color. Nose is plenty of sweet alcohol (and not much else) and this is exactly how the taste manifests itself. This is not a subtle beer, but...
Gordon Biersch Blonde Bock
Very happy to see GB bottle their beers now, as I have always felt that they are generally under-rated and get a bad rap when in fact they make some half decent beer. Not stellar, but decent, especially in one or two, specific, German style areas. Blonde Bock six pack from my local Publix supermarket, $8.99. Pour is a golden body with a nice head that forms quickly. Sadly the head is poorly retained and there is a little lace. Sweet malt nose with some alcohol and some pale malts. The tastes...
Karnival Kolsch
12 oz single, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Lovely, beautifully carbonated, golden yellow pour with a pillow-like, fluffy head that gives some nice lace. The beer is very lively and adds a certain anticipation of the taste. Looks great. Light citrus nose but this all but disappears when the true nature of the style cuts in quickly with some severe bitterness. Clean though, so the marriage is a good one. Finishes crisp and somewhat dry but has a lingering malt "effect" at the far back end....
Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #6
12 oz single. Well, if nothing else, true to style. The beer gives a rather unattractive, murky brown body similar to a Dubbel in appearance with little or no head, retention or lace. The head situation is to be expected given the ABV, but the body is somewhat drab and uninspiring. The brew exhibits all of the classic American Barleywine characteristics along with the way that one normally expects them to change over time. Plenty of slightly faded, hop forward aggression with little malt...
Funky E Star
Green's, Ponce de Leon, Atlanta, GA, USA. 750 mL, plastic (don't like that) corked, caged and foiled. VERY difficult to get the cork out - annoying. Getting the cork out produces a weak pop - disappointing. Disappointingly dark pour, with an amber hue. Head is also weak and leaves watery lace. No retention. Nose yields a little funk but a confusing, and unexpected sweet caramel note. The sweetness increases dramatically over time and the tiny funk recedes as the beer warms. The tastes are also...
Devotion Ale
750 mL corked & caged bottle courtesy of ClownShoesDreams - thanks Gregg. Small pop on opening, not huge, but nevertheless there is some carbonation - always a slight concern with Lost Abbey. Pour is as expected with a dense, slightly off-white head that has pillow-like character and a hazy, orange/golden body. Solid looking. Nose and tastes combine in a rather unusual way to bring the best of Belgium with that typical, slightly over-hopped American influence. Tangy orange, light yeasty...
Steenbrugge Wit
750 mL, corked, caged and foil affair. Hop City, GA, USA. Nice pop on opening, a little gun smoke. Pour yields a standard, yellowish body with a wispy, light head. The head lacks some depth and the body seems a little on the thin side. I anticipated this a bit, and though that the second pour and/or agitation of some sediment might change things but alas, nothing. Very disappointing in terms of depth of body in the look, taste and mouthfeel. All of the classic ingredients for a good Wit are...
Quadzilla (Cherry Quad)
Many thanks to PittBeerGirl for the chance to try this one as part of Secret Bunny 2010 - thanks Sara. 750 mL capped bottle with white foil on the neck, not gold as in the BA db picture. Pour is a surprisingly light, cloudy, orange color that is reminiscent of tea. I was expecting a dark, black cheery color which would fit with the advertised fruit and the quad categorization. Not much head and little or no retention. Nose gives some fruity notes, but they are not strong and definitely not...
Wooden Nickel 5th Anniversary Saison
1.0 L swing-top bottle. Thanks to PittBeerGirl for the chance to try this one. Impressive presentation. Pour yields a hazed orange body with wispy head. Darker than expected. Retention and lace are not huge, but are sufficient. Nose has an acidic, citrus twang with a touch of mild funk and an organic feel. Light carbonation dances on the tongue to give a lively presence. Acidity is quite large but in keeping with the style. A bright, lemon and soap taste combines to give a heavier feel than...
Hoppy Feet (Black I.P.A.)
OK, big props to Gregg for taking the time and the trouble to hook me up. I truly appreciate the gesture. Firstly, the style or name "Black IPA" is ludicrous and I am glad that American Brewers Association agrees with me and calls this type of beer, "American-Style India Black Ale"! Anyway, back to this particular ASIBA! Pour is a dark, dark chestnut (bordering on black) brown body with a lovely, creamy, thick mocha head. A few orange/red highlights at the extremities which are enhanced by the...
Ommegang BPA (Belgian-style Pale Ale)
VERY excited to try any new Ommegang beer and the fact that this is pitched in the way it is (as a somewhat potential "single" or "simple" Belgian Ale) makes me even more interested. 750 mL, corked & caged, packaged on 01/19/10, Best By 01/2011. Color on the pour into the Duvel tulip is a little darker and more orange than I was expecting. Head is not well retained and fades to a thin film on the beer and some scant lace. A little disappointed in the color, I wanted something lighter. Nose...
Primátor Maibock
$2.99 for the 500 mL bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. The pour is a truly gorgeous golden color with good clarity and nice carbonation. Head is OK with some lace and a little retention. Color is really great. Nose reveals very little other than lots of rich, deep malt. Tastes reflect the nose but bring some dry character and a little alcohol. The dry character is quite a surprise by it merges well with the malts and produces quit a bit of depth. There seems to be some fruity notes...
Saison – Brett
750 mL corked & caged bottle courtesy of PittBeerGirl as part of Secret Bunny 2010. Batch number 2009-1, bottle 00220 out of 11925. I loosened the cage on the bottle, turned around to get a glass of water and 30 seconds later the cork flew out and hit the kitchen ceiling. Good level of carbonation! Beer gives a light orange, mid-butterscotch pour. HUGE head that sat there like an ice-cream. Super looking. Nose is true to the description of a Saison with Brett, but quite mild. Tastes reflect...
30th Anniversary – Fritz And Ken’s Ale
$9.99 Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Impressive pop from the unusually shaped bottle that is corked & caged. Some gunsmoke. Presentation is classy, including the label. Pour is definitely intense-black with a large head at first but it fades away. Not much lace and a thin film is left on the surface. A little disappointing in the head department, but given the ABV not all that surprising. Having said that, I've seen similar strength stouts with much better retention and lace. A...
Wilco Tango Foxtrot
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. (Potentially) excellent value for money as usual from Lagunitas, the usual presentation. Pour is a very nice red-brown with nice clarity in the body. Off-white head that produces some sticky lace; retention not great. The nose has a surprising level of green hop presence. Really quite strong. Tastes are a little mixed where the hops fade from their aroma level but still hang around, and then the malt bill kicks in. It still remains quite "organic"...
Porterhouse Red
11.2 oz (330 mL) single from Hop City at $3.99. Pull tab cap - not very often you see those. Great color and clarity on the pour, but let down by a disappointing head with poor retention and lace. The color is VERY red, and my guess is that this really is an Irish Red rather than an English Pale (as currently categorized in the BA database)...anyway... Nose has some simple malts and the tastes are also very malt based with a dry finish. Hop profile is unsurprisingly low and the beer drink...
Moa Original
It's been in Georgia for a few weeks now so I decided to take the plunge with one of the three Moa beers available here. All in 750's, all corked and caged and all $7.99. Reliably informed that these beers are bottle conditioned with champagne yeast. Opening the bottle backs that up with a BIG, impressive pop. Pour also suggests massive carbonation with an ice-cream, fine bubbled head on top of a murky, orange body. Looks good. The head IS impressive but fades surprisingly quickly to give a...
Terrapin Capt’n Krunkles Black IPA
22 oz from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Gold foil on the neck as the remainder of the Side Project series, but reflects Depth Charge rather than the 1-9 side project label. Pour is great looking, Inky black with a resplendent head that is thick and big with great retention and lace. The look is by far the best part of this beer - by a mile! Nose is a hop based one but is light and reminds me of an anesthetic - think a visit to the dentist. The tastes are nasty bitterness upon nasty bitterness....
Baby Tree
22 oz bottle thanks to Penney who brought this one back from The Foodery in Philly, PA, USA. Mid brown body that sits nicely in the Brasserie de Abbaye des Rocs chalice with a lovely, frothy light tan head. Some lace. Nose is surprisingly neutral to me (even with warming) and gives only the slightest hints of sweet malt, a touch of alcohol and some sharp carbonation (yes, carbonation in the nose!) Taste start to reveal more of the dark fruit, BUT the taste remains quite distinctly "unsweet". A...
Michelob DunkelWeisse
12 oz single, $1.19 from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. Glad to finally catch up with this beer. Oddly I have quite high expectations for it! Pour is a murky, unattractive iced-tea like affair with a very poor head and as a resut little retention or lace. Body is an ugly, rust color that does not invite one in. Carbonation is a little on the high side which gives the beer an off, fizzy sensation - again, not good. Initially the tastes seem OK with some yeasty malts up front and some...
400 Pound Monkey
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. My worry with all beers that start life in the USA and claim to be "English" style, is that we will get over-hopped products with alcohol that is too high and malt profiles that are insufficiently developed. This beer confirmed my reservations on two of those but did better on one. Decent copper body with good clarity and a nice white head that is well retained and leaves good lace. The appearance was the strongest suit in this beer for me. It's...
Harpoon Crystal Wheat
Filtered wheat beer in the 12 oz bottle as a single from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. $1.19. The appearance is as expected with a decent head but little or no retention. Filtering means good clarity but somewhat lacking in character for me in its look. Lemon is very strong for me. the label suggests a "hint" but to me it somewhat overwhelms the beer and it certainly does a number on the wheat aspect of the brew. For this reason i found the beer difficult to drink and wondered why they...
Odd Notion (Summer 09)
$1.35 as a 12 oz single from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour gives a lightly hazed, well carbonated golden yellow. Small head. Nose has a really nice yeasty presence - good for the style. Tastes reflect the nose and are sweet and yeast based as one would expect. A decent amount of Belgian character for me, and this could easily pass for a Belgian "single or "simple" in a cafe around Grand Place. Nice to get a simple beer that plays a role that fits the style and re-creates an...
Big Easy Imperial Maibock
12oz, $1.35 single from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Honey colored body with a nice white head but it lacks much retention or lace. Nose is surprisingly sharp with a sweet and sour elements and seems quite alcoholic - a bit odd. The tastes break-in with typical-for-the-style, musty yeast notes and some light funk which is the way that the sour bitterness sometimes manifests itself. Pretty straightforward with alcohol below the advertised 7.1%.
De Ranke H.O.P. Flower Power
750 mL bottle that came from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. In the $14-15 range. As expected, a very interesting beer. The beer pours a very nice, deep orange color with a decent head that is well formed and leaves some nice lace. Nose has a very distinct aroma that to me, is not especially hoppy. It's more of a sinus clearing white pepper effect. Tastes are very dry with a distinct pepper note and a definite soapy presence that reminds me (strangely) of a Courage Best Bitter from years...
Pere Jacques
12 oz single from Jungle Jim's, Cincinnati, OH, USA. 2009 vintage. Bottled on 10/05/09. Also has 2019 printed next to it which I first thought might be a BB date, but that would contradict the text on the label that says it will develop in the bottle for up to 5 years. Maybe a batch #. Poured into the Terrapin snifter the beer ultimately settles to take on the appearance of a cognac. Still, light copper colored body with zero hint of head or lace. Strange since it suggests a MUCH higher ABV. A...
Moloko
22 oz bottle, thanks to Micah (DogBrick) for the chance to try this beer. Jet black body with a lovely looking mocha colored head. Small, fine bubbles with nice density. Very compact and tight with a degree of orange color that seems to match the label. (Perhaps my imagination!) A super beer that captures a lovely combination of the lactose sugar and mild sweetness that come together in the way that a sweet stout should, i.e. as a welcome, refreshing antidote to the incessant onslaught of a...
Rye 75
Big thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this BBC beer. Impressive, champagne style presentation with a THICK, gold foil on the neck of the capped, 750 mL behemoth! Pour gives a standard, mid brown IPA-like body but some excellent, thick, frothy head and lace that lingers. Solid looking. Nose gives a very distinct rye whiff right off the bat, and this builds even more with increasing temperature. The tastes do the same, with the spiced rye building over the course of the beer as the...
Bison Organic Honey Basil
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a fairly dark orange body with a fast receding head and little retention. The nose and tastes do not benefit much from the honey, but there is a distinct herbal quality to the beer which reminds me a little of a a Cinzano Bianco or other herbed/spiced vermouth. This is not really recognizable (at least to me) as specifically being basil, but the herbal nature is unmistakable. The herb nature adds an organic, green feel to the beer and a...
Pays Du Soleil
750 ml, corked and caged, usual St. Somewhere presentation. Pretty interesting beer to say the least that pushes the boundaries of what I'm comfortable with. Pour is an usually dark color for a Saison and takes on an orangy, peach hue with significant cloudiness. Looks like sweet tea. Head is good initially but becomes spotty quite quickly and lacks much retention or lace. The nose is aggressively floral and estery with massive pear, peach and pineapple notes thrusting through the nasal...
Imperial DunkelWit
So what's going on here? More craziness from Scandinavia? We'll see. Picked this one up at Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. 500 mL bottle approx. $8-9 for the chance to try this one. Poured into the Tucher, 0.5 L Weizen glass the beer is truly exceptional. An amazing color of reddish brown which is deep and garnet in its' color, but in certain light almost looks purple - VERY distinct! Surprisingly good head, lace and retention for a beer with this ABV. The nose gives up some alcohol and a...
Firestone 10 – Anniversary Ale
Huge thanks go out to Grant for sharing this at the Brick Store. Dark mahogany pour that produced a pretty good head considering the age of the beer, the style and the ABV. One of the most distinct parts of this beer (at least visually) were the legs. The aroma is quite complex with a fairly large dose of vanilla. As Gregg pointed out, you could certainly detect a sort of old, musty hop note in the aroma too. Smooth and warming in the mouth and a mild burn on the way down. Definitely manifests...
Lindemans Faro Lambic
Thanks go out to Kevin for hooking me up here. Pour is a rich looking, brown with a decent amount of head considering the style. This is not a highly carbonated style and it has the tendency to feel a bit flat. Nose and tastes are crushingly sweet. Very pronounced sugars and candy notes dominate just about everything else that might be competing for your attention. The mouthfeel and some of the tastes (and indeed the look) remind me quite a lot of Duchesse but obviously significantly sweeter....
San Miguel Dark Lager
Single from Total Wine @ Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I "like" this beer, but what I will say is that it pretty much nails the style. Now, whether or not you consider that to be a good thing is a different question, but I suppose we should offer some credit! Black pour with some significant orangy/red highlights. The color is fine bu the beer is quite badly let down by the lack of persistent head - it dies in the glass very quickly. Obviously a sweetish,...
Saison De Lente
750 mL capped bottle. Recent addition to The Bruery line-up in GA. Pour is a resplendent, butterscotch yellow with a creamy looking white head that looks dense. The nose has some light Brett that does not really manifest itself in the tastes which suits me just fine! In fact, I'm happy that it does not come into the picture too much in terms of the palate. the nose is further enhanced with some serious Belgian yest character. VERY nice. The mouthfeel is a VERY strong part of this beer. Deep...
Hop Master’s Abbey Belgian-Style Double IPA
22 oz bottle courtesy of DogBrick - thanks Micah. Surprisingly golden/orange pour with good clarity - like a little like a Tripel in terms of color. Head is minimal and limited to sticky film on the surface of the beer and some creamy bubbles at the edges. Nose gives quite a lot of sweetness and a hint of medicinal hop character but not much. Tastes have some chest warming alcohol and more sweet candy notes but a lack of any great hop presence. To me this drinks more like a Tripel than...
Hippie I.P.A.
Thanks go out to Seth for the chance to try this one. Poured from the 22 oz bomber the body is a lightly hazed, light copper color. The head is light and fluffy but impressive in terms of retention and lace. Bone white. If the truth be told this is a very simple beer, but well constructed and the kind of thing that could easily be overlooked. Careful attention will find an easy drinking, well built American IPA that should garner respect. Malty and bready nose and upfront tastes are followed...
Schlafly Pale Ale
Ha, Ha - very nearly a true session beer made by an American brewer - NEARLY! Thanks go out to DogBrick for the chance to sample this 12 oz offering. Pour has a somewhat uninspired color (a hazed, light brown/orange) but better than expected head, retention and lace. Quite sticky and more in line with a higher ABV IPA. Nose and tastes are in the English style, but both are less fruity and drier than one would expect. There isn't really the depth of biscuit malt that would would normally...
Bell’s Batch 9000
Mass hysteria broke out in Atlanta on the release of this beer with single bottle limits are general geek, pant-wetting. I was given a couple on a recent trip to Kentucky without the general, associated madness - thanks Kevin. 12 oz single. Pour is a dark brown/black Porter like affair. Little lace other than a touch of spotty character on the surface. Obviously the ABV impairs any significant head or retention. It ultimately dies to just about zero carbonation which is OK. Nose is an...
Maibock
Fresh brewed beer, 22 oz bottles now reaching GA. Purchased this one at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Request to have the beer un-retired in db made 03-07-10. Pour is an exquisite looking, beautiful red garnet color with a tan colored, rich head. Looks excellent with maximum red/copper highlights catching the sun. Nose and tastes combine in the way that they should for the style with a significant yeast not amongst the deep, repeating, rich malts. Very good depth of flavor. Tastes are caramel...
R Lager
22 oz bottle from Kenny Road Market, Columbus, OH, USA. $5.49. The label on the bottle is obviously amateurish which is probably a combination of deliberate style and cost consideration. Either way it looks like it was done by a freshman art class. Pour is a little odd with a clouded butterscotch appearance that was mildly reminiscent of a Hefe or other wheat beer. Strange. Head was poorly retained though and the lace was watery. Nose was a nice combination of sweet malts and some citrus based...
Sofie
Delighted to pick this 22 oz bottle up from Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati. Presentation is great with the green gold and white label adding a classy touch to the beer. The paper is a little higher quality too, with that slightly textured, cotton effect. Bottled on Oct 23, this is a 2009 vintage. Pour is a beautiful, rich, yellow golden body with a nice, bright white head. Lace and retention are very good. Smashing looking beer. Nose has light straw amongst the mild funk and barnyard notes. Some...
Founders Nemesis 2009
12 oz single in the usual Founders bottle presentation. From Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. $4.99 for the single. Murky, honey orange pour with a thin film of wispy foam on the surface of the beer. No head and no retention. Some viscous legs greet the eye too. Nose has some extremely large vanilla sugar notes - very big. Tastes have some bourbon character that builds. It's not an especially aggressive beer in terms of the depth, and to be honest it melds better than I was expecting. This is not a...
Stoudt’s Heifer-in-Wheat
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately this had best before 11/27/09 dot-matrixed on the neck, this is one that slipped through the cracks. Murky yellow pour with not much head, lace or retention. Nose has a really fruity, very lemony clove and banana note. Tastes very bright despite being a little past the Best By date and the fruit does not manifest itself quite as strongly as it did in the aroma. We get some more light acidity and some more banana...
Imperial Russian Stout
750 mL bottle, #396 out of 400; 2009 vintage. Shared with BEERchitect on a visit to Lexington, KY. Standard, balck pour with a less than impressive mocha-like head (ABV obviously curtails this a little)) but still surprisingly poor given the fizzy nature of the beer. The carbonation seems really high at first and this leads to an annoyingly, prickly mouthfeel that subsides a bit but seems present throughout the brew for me. Nose and tastes release a LOT of burned character, and it all gets a...
Samuel Adams Noble Pils
An impressive number of reviews for a beer that's only been out for a couple of months. I suppose that reflects both the distribution of Sam Adams and the relative power of BBC's advertising reach - they really are a macro, micro! I actually bought this 22 oz bomber on the road in OH. It's been here in GA for a few months now but I've only seen it here as a 12 pack, then again I've not really been looking for it. Pour is pretty much as expected with good clarity but the color is really VERY...
Joshua Norton Imperial Stout
22 oz bomber from the October 2009 bottling, drunk in Feb 2010. Pour gives a standard black affair with medium head, retention and a little lace. Nose and tastes are quite restrained with all of the usual roast, light bitter and mild-chocolate notes but it is ALL very restrained and tempered. This is also true of the alcohol which gives a tiny bit of heat to the finish, but to describe it any other way than subtle would be wrong. If you are looking for an aggressive, hop-forward high alcohol...
Santa’s Little Helper 2009
750 mL, corked, caged and red-foiled affair. $12.99 from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Rich looking dark brown pour with a creamy, tan head. Some nice, creamy lace and a thin film forms on the surface and around the rim. A few cocoa notes and some Belgian yeast in the nose, along with a bit of hop presence. The beer doesn't deliver many (if any) typical Dark Belgian character. Outside of the look, it gives a slightly odd cocoa note (that I don't much care for) and is low on the advertised...
Old Knucklehead No.12 (Bourbon Barrel-Aged)
I've been waiting to try this one for a LONG time, and thanks to Tom (DrDogBeer) my 2009 Secret Santa I finally get the chance. Pour gives a lovely, deep garnet body and some head and lace that were better than I was expecting. It had some real depth in the visuals. A very surprising beer. I was waiting to be overrun with the Bourbon experience but the rush of alcohol and warming vanilla notes simply did not come. Some age on this beer may have altered it dramatically, and the beer was very...
Hop Czar
On tap at the newly re-named place that used to be The Grange and The Angel and is now called The Marlay House. Pour is a solid looking, strong orange body with a small amount of head but excellent, sticky lace. Nose and tastes reveal plenty of fresh, citrus hop character and not much else. Decent sweetness accompanies the hop-fix and malts hold it together nicely. A good example of how the hops can be amped up without causing a palate meltdown. As balanced as a DIPA can ever hope to beer, the...
John John Dead Guy Ale
22 oz bottle from Smyrna World of Beverage. Around $8-9 for the privilege. Probably should have taken a closer look at the label here rather than just grabbing it, as I'm not a huge fan of either Dead Guy or barrel aging in general - ho hum. At first glance I wondered if this was another of those annoying Rogue habits where the beer get re-packaged and re-named. Apparently I'm in the clear. Beer seems slightly over-carbonated as I open the bottle. Creamy head sits a top of a light copper body...
Mighty Arrow Pale Ale
12oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA. Very simple, but well constructed brew. Orange, slightly chill-hazed body underneath the firm, white egg-shell head; average lace and retention. Looks solid. Very light citrus aroma with a decent malt base that comes through with some English style biscuit flavors in the flavor. Tangy, orange based hop finish, but nothing of any real consequence. Mouthfeel and drinkability seem fairly standard. Tasty and simple fare that one could drink a couple of and...
Papier
A very, very interesting beer to say the least, but in the final analysis a bit too much all the way around. Nicely presented, black waxed 750 mL bottle. Seemed to be doble-dipped on the wax which made it a pain to get into. Capped underneath. Pour is a very dark brown affair with one of the most interesting head colors that i have ever seen. It was almost a fluorescent yellow/gold/orange color, and was made up of large bubbles at the edge of the beer. Very odd looking. The nose and tastes are...
Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #7
12 oz stubbie as per usual from SA in the DR series. Pour is a dark, dark brown essentially black with a fizzy, coffee colored head. Retention and lace not great. Nice dark estery malts and fruit in the nose. Tastes reflect some of those traits but some oxidation plus somewhat surprising mild licorice notes that one might find in a Belgian style stout. Sweetness and alcohol both present but really quite reserved. The stout notes are really quite prominent and they build. Smooth and silky in...
Shiner Fröst
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a very attractive, deep, orange gold body with a pretty good, dense well-formed head. Even some lace and pretty nice retention. Surprisingly good looking. Carbonation is constant and the nose gives some slight sweetness. The tastes are quite sweet with a nice malt base and light hop finish. More sweetness and some grains come through and the finish is satisfying. The aftertaste lingers with a touch of bitterness. Deeper and more complex...
Founders Double Trouble
12 oz, stubbie single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA. One of the few Founder's beers currently in GA that I have not had before their recent arrival. Pour is a very surprising golden hue which s extremely attractive. Much lighter than I was expecting with a very good-looking, white, rocky head and lace. The head and retention are especially pleasing when you consider the ABV. Talking of the alcohol it's nowhere to be seen. Extraordinarily well hidden and I would have NEVER guessed this is as high...
Restoration Pale Ale
Restoration. 12 oz bottle, Taco Mac, Douglasville, GA, USA. Macro color but carbonation is strong. Head and lace decent too. Surprinsingly impressive pour especially in the bottle. Light hops in the nose with some simple malt/grain. After that all balanced malts. Smooth & simple. Some low level bittering and dryness. Mouthfeel is quite good and better than the look would suggest. Pale malts dominate in terms of tastes with a light sprinkling of hops on top. Tasty if somewhat unspectacular....
Chatoe Rogue First Growth Dirtoir Black Lager
Silly name. 22 oz bottle in the usual Rogue presentation from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Jet black pour but without asignificant head or lace. The hop nose and hop tastes are suprisingly reserved for Rogue, but at the same time too large for the style IMO. This is essentially an "Americanized" version of a Schwarzbier which, unsurprisingly, takes the hop profile way too far for me. Lingering bitterness replaces a sweet edge, and the hops also provide a biting note that detracts from the...
Josephs Brau Winterfest
In a word, impressed. You never quite know what you are going to get with these cheap, 12oz singles from TJ's but to be honest more often than not I have been really pleased with what I've found. This was no exception. Really deep, garnet copper body with some lovely light coffee-colored head. Lace and retention are not the best, but the clarity and the depth of color are both very nice. Lovely sweetness in the taste - I suspect it will be too much fro some, but if you like a sweet, malt based...
Gouyasse Triple
Fantastic ice-cream-like head over the clouded yellow body with some haze. Lace, retention and general appearance of the head are second to none. Light tangerine color. Nose has some light floral notes with a touch of white pepper and a little yeast character. The tastes reflect some of the nose but refuse to deliver the sweetness or indeed the alcohol blast, that one would expect from a beer in this style. Spices are generally missing. Finish is dry and the bitterness builds to a degree. More...
Z Lager
12 oz single from Total Wine, Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. Nice copper clarity in the body and some decent head and lace form in the pint glass. Looks nice. Carbonation is constant if not huge, but at the same time it is adequate. Nose has a tiny bit of smoke but this is not a large presence. The main component seems to be a solid malt base. The smoke is slightly more pronounced in the taste but it still remains fairly mild. The depth of smoke does not require food in the way that some other...
Mischief
$9.99 for the 750 mL bottle from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Pour is is slightly darker than expected color with some nice looking head and lace. The beer lacks much clarity and is a darkish, honey-orange hue. (The final pour from the bottle into the Duvel tulip gets quite soup-like from the bottle conditioned sediment). Nose has a significant hop aroma, and the tastes also have quite a hop forward presence. In that respect this beer is horribly mis-categorized as a Belgian...
Home For The Holidays
22 oz offering from a brewery that I had a chance to try when I was in Boston and was impressed with. The hope here is that they will be coming to GA but this looks like a one-off special release with a larger distribution than normal. Pour is a disappointing, drab looking brown with a serious lack of carbonation or life. The nose and tastes give a slightly acidic, sweet and sour like affair which has me wondering if this beer has turned a bit. It's only a few weeks old and I do not see any...
Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Usual SN presentation. Delighted to find a new SN beer that does NOT fit squarely into the "large hopped IPA" category! Hooray. Classic pour with a high, if somewhat poorly retained head and little lace, on top of a great looking, golden body with tremendous clarity. Carbonation is perfect. Malts hold the hop bitterness together nicely. A beer that perfectly showcases the crisp, sharp, bitter metallic notes of the hops in the style. Bitterness...
Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus
Six pack brought by a guest for dinner. Well, it is what it is. Slightly disconcerting, neon-like, fluorescent yellowish/green appearance. Urine comes to mind with an absolute clarity. I was expecting a bigger nose and taste of lime but really it was quite muted. Flavors are not really offensive and with baking hot sun and circumstances that did not call for flavor, I suppose it would be possible to drink this, however I think a larger lime element might make it more palatable. As it is it's...
Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse Natürtrub
500 mL bottle, $1.99 from Tower on Piedmont, Atlanta,, GA, USA. hard to believe that I have never reviewed this. Poured into the Tucher Weizen glass the beer gives the requisite cloudiness but a darker-than-usual deep golden/orange butterscotch color. Head is OK, but lacks real density, retention and much lace. Disappointing would be harsh, but not the best looking Hefe by some distance. Light banana greets the nose. Carbonation seems about right, but the beer itself lacks a bit of depth. Not...
De Proef Signature Les Deux Brasseurs Ale (w/Jason Perkins)
I've been eyeing this for months and finally pulled the trigger on the $13.99 corked and caged bottle from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pours offers a cloudy, slightly watery looking light orange body and a decent rocky head. Some lacing but not the best I've seen. Appearance no the very best and I suspect that the beer will taste much better than it looks. Nose has light acidity but seems quite sweet. The tastes reflect this. There's a lot of fruity sweetness that comes with the mild...
Founders Centennial IPA
12 oz stubbie in the usual Founders presentation. Founders came to Georgia this week and I've had plenty before, but I've never reviewed this. Seemed like a good idea to crack on with this beer this evening. Mid orange pour with a touch of cloudiness. Head is not huge, nor is the retention great but the lace is very good with a real sticky nature. Pretty green, grassy hop aroma is the simple nose. Not massive, but clear and clean in its presence and without pretense. It is what it is. The...
DeuS (Brut Des Flandres)
2002 vintage from Cheers, Carrollton, GA, USA. $21.99 for the bottle, an excellent price considering the vintage and the general price for this beer. Just about the best bargain that one could hope for on Deus. Heavy, heavy foil over the corked & caged bottle. Lots of gun smoke on opening, but not quite the pop or the gush that I was half-expecting. poured into champagne flutes the pour resembles a typical champagne with great cascading bubbles and that typical huge bubbly head that can get a...
Bacchus
12.7 oz, mini-champagne bottle, complete with green glass and dimpled bottom. Very different to the current picture in the BA db. Thick glass with black foiled neck and neck label. Bottle has a confusing date. It literally says "Bottled On", 090414 which would suggest the 9th of April 2014, i.e about four years FROM now! I guess it must mean "Best Before" unless this beer WAS actually bottled 96 years ago!! Mid-brown pour with some good clarity and plenty of persistent, fine carbonation. A...
Nils Oscar Rökporter
500 mL bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. I enjoy a smoked porter, especially in the winter months and if smoke s going to work in a beer at all, a porter is a great style to match up with the ashes. Lovely black body with plenty of brown/red highlights. Mocha head is high early, retention and lace are good. Solid. Nose and and tastes give some noticeable, lactose like milkiness. Smoke pushes the milk sugar away and the sweetness drops off to give a nice, authentic porter flavor. Smoke...
Peak Organic Pale Ale
12 oz single. Fairly non-descript in the final analysis. Nice orange colored pour with some excellent head, lace and retention. Head is a noticeable white with high pillowing and quite fluffy. A touch of hazy in the body. Nose and tastes are muted in terms of hops which pretty much matches the style, but the malt profile seems a little on the low side to me. A grassy, hay-like linger taste finishes the beer. Very non-offensive which may be a euphemism for "bland", but to be honest that would...
Demon Hunter
750 mL bottle, paper wrapped as in the BA database picture. Pretty impressive presentation. $15.99 from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Cap has an extra plastic appendage on the underside and it comes off with some force. Pour is a very attractive, orange copper color with some excellent creamy head, with persistent, spotty coverage on the surface of the beer and some nice lace. Head characteristics (in terms of retention) are especially pleasing. Somewhat musty, light sherry...
Odd Notion (Winter 09)
12 oz single. Magic Hat certainly makes some "Odd" beer and this one certainly fits into the series - literally. Pour produces a pretty nice, pillow like head that sits on top of a not particularly attractive, murky, dirty brown body. Not much retention but at least some sticky lace. Nose gives away a sort of sweet and sour whiff. The aroma is actually how I would describe the taste of this beer too - definitely a sweet and sour affair. Some fruitiness as well and then an extra dash of...
Christmas Ale 2009
12oz stubbie, the usual Abita and Christmas presentation. Single from Mac's, Atlanta, GA, USA. Best Before 05/01/2010 on the neck. Pour is an attractive copper body with some nice white head that shows decent retention and some sticky lace. Good clarity. Looks nice. Nice malty nose with a hint of hops. Quite dry in the finish despite the obvious malts up front. There is something distinct about Abita beers and I'm not sure if it's a particular yeast strain or hop profile but it seems to cut...
Terrapin The Dark Side Belgian Style Imperial Stout
22 oz bottle. Had this a few times in the last few weeks, time for some formal thoughts. Pour is a good looking black with a few brownish highlights. Head is initially nice and creamy but the retention and lace are both very poor even when considering the ABV. Marked down for that. A nice rich nose with some light roastiness, some chocolate and a touch of alcohol. Considering the word "Belgian" is used in the name of the beer and the label, the beer lacks much of a Belgian yeast element. The...
Brooklyn Local 2
=== Original review form 2/21/09 === 750 mL corked & caged affair, $7.99 from Tower on Piedmont, Atlanta, GA, USA. I must admit, when I saw the description that included the honey and the citrus peel I was expecting a beer that fell more into the Belgian Strong Pale category, so to see a Belgian Dark flow from the elaborate bottle was a slight shock. I love the green and gold color scheme. Pour is a rich looking, thick, tight-headed beer with a reddish Dubbel appaerance. Head has a delicious...
St-Ambroise 20th Anniversary Vintage Ale (2009)
11.5 oz bottle in the cardboard sleeve and plastic cap. Interesting beer. Firstly there is an appearance that is reminiscent of one of the classic, English Pale Ales with superb sticky, white lace and a dark, honey orange body. The head and lace are very good. Could be classic, cask Pale Ale from the look. The sticky nature of the lace reminds me a little of a West Coast DIPA but it is really quite, white. Nose has some very sweet, light malt notes with a very subtle, light undertone of...
Mayflower Thanksgiving Ale
22 oz bottle coutesy of DrDogBeer as part of Secret Santa '09. Thanks Tom. The label says that this is an American take on an English Old Ale - should be interesting. Pour is a very nice, chestnut body with some good clarity. Head, lace and retention are minimal, but largely as expected with the 8.00% ABV tag. Nose and tastes give the same, slightly odd mixture. The beer starts with plenty of malts, and a really quite distinct nutty character but as it drinks the hop character comes more to...
Laughing Skull Amber Ale
12 oz bottle, completely new and different beer from the old, Czech/Bohemian Pils affair. As is sometimes the case, an interesting turn of events lead me to pick this beer up for the first time; I grab one in a mixed sixer at Mac's and then head downtown to meet Wes at Cypress for a quick lunchtime pint. Low and behold, ABC's Chris is at the bar and he pulls a couple for me - thanks Chris, you're very kind. The story behind the new beer is that it was born out of a combo/blend that some guys...
Red Brick 15th Anniversary
22 oz bottle adorned with an impressive gold foil top. Unusual to see Atlanta Brewing putting it out there in a few different ways; bombers, foiled, bourbon-aged, anniversary offering, transparent label, special release etc. Nice clarity on the reddish-brown pour with a flimsy white head that breaks up quickly. Some watery lace and some legs when we swirl it. Nose is strong with alcoholic vanilla coming to the fore. Tastes are all vanilla bourbon dominated, but the power is restrained and not...
St. Peter’s Sorgham Beer
$3.99 for the 500 mL, old-style, St. Peter's bottle form Arbor Place, Douglasville, GA, USA. Right off the top, I think this should be categorized as an English Pale (at least in the way it drinks). WOW! A revelation. Obviously I went into this with some severe trepidation but came out amazed! The pour is a crystal clear, orangey/macro color with some limited head but surprising sticky lace. Nose is pretty neutral, but it gives away some simple malt-like notes. The tastes are AMAZING when you...
La Dame De Peronne
22oz bottle from DrDogBeer as part of Secret Santa 2009. Thanks Tom. Pour gives a chestnut brown color with a vivid, lively look. Good clarity and some decent head, lace and retention. The beer looks inviting. This brew is all about a complicated array of malts with some hop presence in the finish. There are a lot of competing sweet malts jostling for attention, and in the end I feel it gets a bit muddled. Too complicated in the malt department. The other dominating feature is the earthy,...
Witch’s Wit
Delighted to get to try this one, courtesy of DrDogBeer (Tom) - many thanks. 750 mL bottle, usual Lost Abbey, corked & caged presentation. The opening of the beer is disappointing. A worryingly, uninspired lack of pop - oh, oh, this is Lost Abbey after all - problems?? The beer pours with a bright orange, honey colored, murky body. Head is absent and as a result, as is lace and retention. Carbonation is the problem here. The beer is flat and this (I guess) is another Lost Abbey issue. Zero...
Foreign Export Stout
WOW! Extraordinary. I wasn't expecting this. 500 mL bottle, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. I didn't bother to check the ABV or anything about this beer before I cracked it, and as a result I got quite a shock Pour is jet black (some reddish highlights at the extremes) with a small head and not much retention or lace. There is a spotty, creamy film on the surface of the beer. The nose reveals some amazing, light sherry notes with beautiful, subtle roasted creamy bursts of depth. The flavors...
Grey Lady
22 oz bottle courtesy of Tom (DrDogBeer) as part of Secret Santa 2009. Thanks. Pour is a miserable looking, pale, insipid off-yellow cloudy (almost beige) affair that looks worryingly weak in terms of body, head, retention and lace. The nose and tastes reflect the look, and frankly remind me of old dishwater. Both aspects of the beer are horribly washed out, almost as if one (or more) ingredients had been left out! The citrus and yeast elements seem as if they have been (literally) watered...
De Dolle Extra Export Stout
11.2 oz bottle. Into the Westmalle chalice it goes. This is at least two years old, but to be honest it's impossible to tell the real age; could be even older. Quite a lot of sediment from the dregs of the bottle and a large amount of yeasty, marmite debris around the top of the bottle and underneath the cap. Body is dark, dark brown approaching opaque. Creamy mocha head with a nice spotty film on the surface of the beer. Nose gives a slightly acidic, lactose like whiff. Mouthfeel is a little...
Carnevale
Notes added 12/12/21 Fresh bottles (Vintage 2021 printed on the back label) sourced from Craftshack. Image is from that batch. Golden pour with a white head. A LOT of apple and cider notes that create a delightful, dry effect. Almost has a touch of champagne in the overall experience. The nose catches a lot of that feel too. Drying finish. Original notes, 12/25/09 750 mL corked & caged bottle from DrDogBeer as part of my Secret Santa 2009 gift - thanks Tom. Beer opened with an encouraging...
Brute
750 mL bottle, gold foiled and corked. Adorned with gold labels. Presentation is superb. Batch E! 018. Poured this one into champagne flutes. The pour gives a golden yellow body with a champagne like carbonation which is all very attractive. The nose gives that distinct, dry yeast aroma with some hint of the sour notes to come. Having read some reviews for this I was expecting a puckeringly sour, vinegar like concoction, but this was simply not my experience. Sure there was quite a lot of sour...
Riserva
750 mL corked & caged bottle that opens with a small pop. A little gun smoke and some fizzy head. Pour is an extraordinary, murky, strawberry colored body with a thin film of head and some residual lace. Massive (and I mean massive) vinegar and ethanoic acid gets straight into the nostrils with a vengeance. WOW, sinus clearing and quite violent. Tastes are slightly more reserved, but not quite as acidic nature of the beer overwhelms just about...
Witte Noire
750 mL , corked & caged bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is close to black with a nicely formed, solid looking head. Nose gives some significant fruit notes which are much deeper than a traditional Wit. Plenty of continued fruit in the nose and more than a touch of alcohol too. Nice bubble gum and spiced, sweet Belgian candy too. Esters present. Creamy mouthfeel (obviously from the wheat).
Flying Mouflan
22 oz bottle shared with a few at Cypress Pint & Plate, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pretty interesting beer this one, not really my cup of tea but a few extra things to report. Pour is an impressive, garnet one with nice clarity and a better head than one would expect from the style and the ABV. Even some retention and lace. Initially the nose gives away little other than the standard hop-forward alcohol that one would anticipate for the style...but.... ...as it warms it gets more interesting. I got...
Rugbrød
750 mL bottle from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. I approach this with some trepidation since I am not the biggest fan of rye beer in general. Pour is a very good looking, chocolate brown body with a solid, dense, well formed head with good retention and lace. Nose is medicinal, clean and semi-sweet. Not a great deal of rye in the taste, which for me is a good thing. Plenty of baker's chocolate/cocoa with some mild rye in the finish. Aftertaste gives more chocolate. Mouthfeel...
Big Shot
22 oz bottle. Nice clarity om the pour to yield a red/bronze body. Some good, ice-cream dollop type head and some impressive lace. Solid looking. Nose is a little soapy and reveals the larger than necessary hop character that follows. Dry, cocoa notes and bakers chocolate with a dose of greenish hops that seem a bit out of place in the Brown category for me. Finishes with more dry notes. The chocolate comes back in the aftertaste. A bit "green" for me, this beer gives a bit of a fresh hop...
Krampus (Imperial Helles Lager)
22 oz bottle, many thanks go out to Scott & Rich at Charleston Beer Exchange, Charleston, SC, USA for hooking me up and giving me the chance to try this one. Pour is a surprisingly dark, bronze color. Must be using some darker malts. Head is good and the lace is superb. Aggressive, Saaz based, alcoholic nose. The tastes give the same aggressive hops. The tastes are bitter with a metallic edge and a lingering finish. The malt backbone is VERY substantial and to be honest it reminds me a...
Jack D’or
Bid "UP'S" go out to Dr DogBeer as part of Secret Santa 2009 - thanks Tom. 22 oz bottle. May 2009 bottling, Batch Five. Delightful, cloudy orange pour with a super head, retention and lace. Lovely. Dry in the nose with some very light white pepper, but to be honest the nose is not this beers' strength. Tastes are those of light citrus marmalade and then some increased (compared to the nose) white pepper. Plenty of gentle herb and medicinal like hop presence and a sweeter-than-one-would expect...
X-Mas Zinnebir
330 mL bottle from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. $3.99 for the chance to try this. Errr....Belgian Pale (as per current BA db designation), NO. Much more like a Brune. Head and lace a quite poor and the body is a chestnut, deep brown. Nose has a lot if peppery yeast. Lots of pear and pineapple in the taste (along with a few other esters) which give the impression that the beer is going to be very fruity, however the character changes right at the end and in the finish and aftertaste....
Organic Pinkus Jubilate
I've passed on this a few times but pulled the trigger last week at Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a hearty looking, mid-brown body with some nice frothy head. Lace is great. Lovely looking. Nose and tastes give a touch of acidity followed by lots of light malts and yeasty goodness. Flavorful and happily moderate with the ABV, there is plenty of German malt and yeast character here. Culminates with some nice, rounded aftertastes and a light, biscuity malt touch in the finish which...
Exit 1
Cracked this one at The Brick Store on a Friday lunchtime. Simple pour with standard black body and nice, mocha head. A very light drinking stout. Influence from the oysters? Maybe, but if there is an character at all it manifest in the light nature of the beer. Mouthfeel is approaching thin, but it doesn't seem to detract from the experience at all. Perhaps a mild salty, brine element amongst the water, but to be honest this may be just a function of the mind playing tricks on the palate...
St. Louis Gueuze Fond Tradition
Mini-champagne, green glass, dimpled bottom and gold foiled neck. Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Light, honey colored body with some nice dense head and some pretty good retention and even a touch of lace. Some spotty head on the surface. Nose is a standard, lightly sinus clearing acidity with green apples. Obviously a pretty acidic profile with a lively, highly carbonate mouthfeel which adds to the experience. Finish is fairly short, clean and shows some sodium hydrogen carbonate....
Samuel Adams Utopias
2007 Vintage. Pour is an oily looking, fairly light brown liquid which gives astonishing "legs" in the glass. That, and the searing alcoholic nose, give the game away in terms of the ABV. A touch viscous in the mouth, but what the hell were you expecting?? The nose is simple to place for me. It reminds me of a Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry. In fact, that, and the tastes which are almost identical, make this basically a sherry to me. It does have more alcohol presence than a normal fortified...
Yakima Glory
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Heard various descriptions of this, including "Black Pale Ale" (which I cannot abide) so I was interested (and anxious) to see what this looked like before anything else. The beer pours with a deep, granet, reddish hue with great clarity. Nice head and lace considering the ABV, it looks good in the glass. Semi-sweet nose with some sinus clearing, tea-like hops. Tastes are obviously hop-forward and quite dry, but there is a degree of balanced...
Southampton Imperial Baltic Porter
12 oz single, Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Given that Southampton is a brewer that I have great respect for, and this is one of my favorite styles, I have to say that I was ultimately really disappointed in this. Color and pour were promising. Perhaps not the depth of head formation or retention, but acceptable. Chestnut brown. The nose was an unusual bready combination which seemed a bit out of place. It almost seemed O'fest in its character. Tastes have some more odd, lager characteristics....
Belgoo Magus
750 mL, corked and "clasped" (Corsendonk style) from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Lovely honey colored, clouded pour and a very noce initial, light, frothy head. Retention and lace aren't great, but still acceptable. Nose and tastes reveal muted alcohol, muted white pepper and muted Belgian sweetness (candy). A light spice note is there too. Yeasty finsh completes the picture. Very light, easy drinking. In a nutshell, a poor man's Duvel with similar appearance but a lot less depth. Perhaps a...
Mirror Mirror
Thanks go out to Lance for securing this bottle for me. Took me an age to get hold of it, but eventually it got here. 22 oz bottle with the black wax. Shared this one with Wes at Cypress, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a simple, reddish hue with good clarity and a surprisingly healthy, frothy and large bubbled head. Nose gives light brown sugar and some alcohol. This is a VERY smooth, restrained and rounded version of the style. Usually I'm not a huge fan of the hop-based American versions of BW's,...
Exit 11
750 mL bottle, the second in the NJ turnpike series. Thanks go out to Steve for the chance to try this one. Pour is a very nice, hazed orange with great carbonation and some pretty decent head. Light and wispy on top. Nose is very interesting since it sums up the whole beer rather well. The smell gets into this strange no-man's-land between "greater than standard/subtle", but "not quite imperial/double". The tastes are the same. It threatens...
Van Twee (w/ John Mallett)
750 mL corked & caged bottle, plastic cork (I hate those), $13.99 from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. BA pghlee at The Brick Store gave me a sneak taste of this a couple of weeks ago, now I get a chance to have a proper crack at it. Pour is almost black with about 3/4 of an inch of frothy, light head. Mocha colored. On the pour at least the beer seems quite carbonated and fizzy. Things settle down to give some nice lace and a classic, spotty, creamy surface on the beer. Nose gives the lightly,...
Baltic Porter
12 oz single at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Chestnut brown pour, mocha head and looks solid and sticky. Nose is a roasted malt combo with some light vanilla and a touch of sour lactose. Tases are solid, but perhaps the weakest part of the beer. Lacks punch for me, even though it sits squarely in the style. I'm a little confused with the relatively light feel and shallow depth. I dunno, quite nice but ultimately feels somewhat lacking in some way. Can't really put my finger on it but it leaves...
Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
750 mL capped bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a close to colorless/pale lemon until the last pour which yielded some sediment that thickened the appearance and the body considerably. A lot of things in-line with the style here from the spritzy and lively carbonation, through to the apple-like tartness and the easy of drinking. Delighted to able able to drink a serious, American craft beer in a style that demands an ABV below 5%. That in itself was a great change of pace. Some...
Trader Joe’s 2009 Vintage Ale
Additional notes 01/11 About 14 months old. Nose seems stronger than ever (in a good way). The carbonation is still quite prickly, and I think this is probably the weakest part of the beer, but paradoxically it lends a pretty lively element to the beer, and I would rather be it that way than the other, Still fruity and rich, the value here is indisputable. Yeasty elements seems a little higher than originally. Super beer. Original notes 12/09 Trader Joe's have been in Atlanta for about three...
Fourteen Ale
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a deeper orange color than I was expecting. Considering the ABV and the style, the head and lace are good and in that respect this looks better than I was expecting. The nose is VERY, VERY alcoholic and banana liquer-like. Bubble-gum too. The whole feel is like a cross between an Imperial Pilsner, a large Weizenbock and a fairly hot wheat beer of some description. Slick in the mouth but NOT as oily as the ABV would suggest. More huge...
2 Turtle Doves
$11.99 (I think) from Arbor Place, Douglasville, GA, USA. 750 mL bottle, capped, dimpled bottom. Pour is a very, very dark chestnut brown approaching black. Initially the head is very high but this fades to a thin, mocha, spotty impressive film. Not much lace but that's OK considering the ABV. This is a good looking beer. To be honest the carbonation seemed a touch high for the style and there was a light prickle in the mouthfeel that although not troublesome, again seemed a touch out of line...
Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat
12 oz single from Total Wine, Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. Notched Mar 2010 on the label. I *think* that this is currently being included in the Sam Adams Winter 12 pack - GOD knows why - it doesn't belong there and it's a bloody liberty by BBC to put his beer in that mixer - out of order, STOP it! Marketing RULES in the USA! Pour gives a decent, hazed, honey colored body with a high white head and some really good lace in the Southampton Weizen glass. Good looker. Nose is largely neutral and...
Heavy Seas – Yule Tide
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. So far I've been pretty unimpressed with the recent Heavy Seas/Clipper City bomber offerings, with the DIPA being especially poor and the Pumpkin and Marzen not really setting the house on fire either, so I approach this with a bit of trepidation. I feel a little more optimistic about Yule Tide, since I love a good Tripel and this is the kind of beer that should sit well at the elevated 10% ABV level - we'll see. Pour is a golden orange which is a...
Underlig Jul
Purchased under the US/English "Perculiar Yule" label at Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour gives a solid looking, chocolate based pour with a well formed, compact off-white head. A LOT of sediment is transfered on the first pour. Settles nicely. Nose and tastes reveal what I would call a brown ale with spice. As usual the spices are difficult to pinpoint exactly, but certainly some all-spice and a touch of citrus peel/orange. Despite the obvious spice, the beer actually holds its own as a brown...
Life & Limb
$9.99 for the 24 oz bottle a la SN Harvest brews. Pour is a dark, chestnut body with some frothy lace sitting on the surface. Little lace, but as expected for the ABV. Surprisingly smooth drinking given the alcoholic content. The beer is very sweet (obviously as a function of the syrup), but also maintains a decent balance of flavors without losing the plot. Alcohol is very well hidden until the back end when it kicks in slightly. Hop profile is lowish Definitely a light, woody note and some...
Smuttynose Big A IPA (Big Beer Series)
I've been waiting to try this for many years, and after the initial influx of Smuttynose to Georgia this finally came into the seasonal rotation a few days ago. $4.99 for the bomber from Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. This beer essentially "does what it says on the can". The pour is a classic, American DIPA orange body with good clarity and plenty of thick, high, white, fluffy head. Lacing is extremely good considering the ABV. Nose and tastes give that oily, sinus clearing, hop-resin...
Witches’ Brew
750 mL corked & caged from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA $11.99. I've passed on this a few times at the store, finally took the plunge when the stock seemed to go down to the last bottle. Van Steenberge is solid, so thought I should go ahead. Pour is very impressive. Firstly the beer pops with a healthy blast and the gunsmoke is good. The color is a deep orange with just the right amount of cloudiness. Even more impressive is the head. Bone white and fantastically sticky and...
Blue Moon Grand Cru
$5.99 from Green's on Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA, USA. It appears as though people are paying a LOT more for this beer around the country. It had LITERALLY been just entered into the Green's system, so perhaps it will be adjusted upward in time. I certainly wouldn't want to pay more than I did, though. Poured into the Southampton Weizen glass, the beer gives a nice head initially but to be honest it fades rather quickly and delivers very little lace. Requisite clouded butterscotch color in...
Maredsous 6 – Blonde
11.2 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA in the same stubby bottle but with the updated label (added in the last couple of years). The kind of beer that has got lost in the American UBER-beer craze, but EXACTLY the kind of beer I would drink on a regular basis in Belgium on my umpteen trips there. Basically a "single" that drinks simply and with style. Mild gusher. Honey colored poured with a spotty head and a medium amount of head and retention. Nose and tastes give some simple yeast, a...
Helios (V Saison)
22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. This the same beer as the now retired V-Saison and is retailing around the Atlanta area for a very reasonable $2.99 in some places. Body is a golden clear one with some nice persistent carbonation. Head is high and huge. Quite a large dose of lemony funk in the nose with a touch of soap too. Tastes are milder than the nose might suggest. Sweeter notes combine with the soapy citrus flavors to even things out a bit. Finish accentuates the soap...