Now that I’m in North Carolina, I’ve been seeking out new local brews to try, and Highland Brewing from Asheville has several that will be the subject of my next few reviews.  Tonight it’s their Oatmeal Porter.   I’m a big fan of Oatmeal beers, and this is no exception.   There are chocolately notes in the nose, but it’s surprisingly savory, with very little sweetness in the smooth semi-bitter chocolate middle and a refined, fading hint of bitter hops in the finish.  Not as heavy a body as a typical porter, but still a medium-heavy body.

I give it a 4.4 out of 5.

Avery Brewing Company’s Ellie’s Brown Ale is a nice dark brown ale with lots of smoky, roasty malty flavors plus a bit of nuttiness and a hint of chocolate.  This is  a really nice, pleasant brown ale.

I give it 4.2 out of 5.

Sam Adams Chocolate Bock is an interesting beer.   It’s very sweet, and style-wise it makes me think of a light-bodied milk stout.  It’s definitely different and I want to like it, but it’s just too sweet for me, and it doesn’t measure up to a chocolate stout like Young’s.

I give it a 2.75 out of 5.

Samuel Adams – Noble Pils goes into the bucket of, “I remember it being much better the first time around”.

I enjoyed this beer quite a bit last year and distinctly remember making multiple purchases. However, this year something seems off. The taste is not as full and it feels like it is missing something.

I am still a big fan Sam Adams (I am drinking a traditional lager as a I write this), but for me sun has set on Noble Pils.

3 out of 5.

Review Submitted By: Scott Watermasysk

Q. Is it a beer or is a delicious desert in a bottle?

A. Both

World Wide Stout is definitely a unique sweet dark stout. I think DogFish has it right to compare this more to a glass of port than your average beer.

At 18% ABV you won’t be pounding a six pack of it any time soon, but I do recommend you pick up a bottle and give it a try.

4.5 out of 5.

Updated – removed blurry picture

Review Submitted By: Scott Watermasysk

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.