Smuttynose’s Barleywine Style Ale is one of their “Big Beer” series. At 11.7% ABV it definitely belongs there.

It’s a nice big malty sweet sipping beer that has a little bit of spicy notes to it as well. I had one from fall of 2010 and it was fine, but I think it ought to sit an mellow for a while. If you do find yourself with a bottle of this stuff then hide it away in your beer cellar until next winter. And if you find one from 2009 then drink it!

My favorite of the style and one of my top 3 favorite beers across all styles is Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Ale. This beer is very different, but it’s still very good – good enough that I’d definitely buy another.

My Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Beer Advocate rating: B+

Review Submitted By: Dan Hounshell

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.