To me, this doesn’t have as much body and sweetness as I’d expect from a winter warmer, but it’s hoppy and lemony and delicious, with a bit of a bitter finish.

I give it a 3.9 out of 5.

Tonight I’m drinking an Imperial IPA, Harpoon’s Leviathan for the second time, (the first was last night when I picked up a four-pack at Central Market) and it’s outstanding.  It’s loaded with fruit in both scent and taste, and it has a stronger overtone of a tart citrus note than any other beer I recall drinking.  It’s has a medium to medium-full body, and is definitely a big beer at 10% ABV.  This is definitely high on my list of favorite beers.

I give it a 4.7 out of 5.

I love IPAs, and Brooklyn’s East India Pale Ale is a quite good, but not great one.  It has a lot of citrus, specifically orange, in the nose, a smooth drinkable middle and plenty of bitter hops in the finish.  A solid example of an IPA, but nothing really memorable about it.

I give it a 3.7 out of 5.

This is a really, really good winter beer to sip and savor.   It’s a big beer at 9.5% ABV, and it’s got a heavy body with sweet caramel and roasty notes in both the nose and middle, with a sweet lingering finish.   This could be my favorite from Sam Adams.

I give it a 4.4 out of 5.

Finishing my “Texas Beers” series is probably the most famous of Texas beers, Shiner Bock.  As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a huge fan of this beer, and it’s generally right above Bud Light on my list of choices.  It’s got a bready nose and middle, and really not much of a finish at all.  I guess I’d call it a watery finish.  It’s a light bodied beer, and light on taste as well.  Not light in any derisive sense of the word, just in that it doesn’t have a lot.

I give it a 2.4 out of 5

Smells of strong sweet hopiness.

I don’t like most hoppy beers because to me they have a nasty bitter aftertaste…but not this IPA!

The 9.2% abv is nicely hidden in this great tasting Imperial India Pale Ale.

Will have to pick another bottle up and taste test this against @DogFishHead 90 Minute IPA
(ScottW will you join me?)

This is my second Beer from @BrewDog and so far this Scottish Brewery is batting 2 for 2!
(the other was the insane 18% Tokio)

RichP

Review Submitted By: Rich Plakas

Continuing my “Texas Beers” series…Another beer from St. Arnold.   I love brown ales, and this is a good one.   Roasty and nutty, this beer is well balanced and has nice body.

I’d give this a 4.3 out of 5.

Continuing my “Texas Beers” series…To be completely clear, ZiegenBock is not a craft beer.  It is in fact from the antithesis of a craft brewery, Anheuser-Busch.  It’s designed, as far as I can tell, to compete with another Texas beer, Shiner Bock.  It’s a amber lager, and I have to be honest, I don’t hate it.   I’m not a huge lager fan, and not particularly a Shiner fan, so maybe my bar is low but when I compare this to some of the other absolutely horrendous “craft beers” that AB has produced, this isn’t terrible.  There isn’t much here (it is a lager, after all) but it’s light and malty and decently balanced.

I’d give it a 2.5 out of 5.

Continuing my “Texas Beers” series…Rahr is a craft brewery from Fort Worth, and Stormcloud is their take on an IPA.   It’s a good, if unremarkable take on the IPA.  A bit on the bitter side (which I like) with a light sweetness in the middle.  This is a good, average IPA.

I’d give it a 3.3 out of 5.

This is a winter warmer from the Saint Arnold Brewing Company in Houston.  The nose has light caramel notes, but there’s less body and sweetness than I expect from a winter warmer.  It’s a good beer, but not my favorite in the style.

I’d give it a 3.6 out of 5.