From Rogue Farms of Newport Oregon, 6 Hop IPA is a citrus forward west coast style IPA all the way. The nose is citrus and floral. Orange, lemon and grapefruit are in the middle. The finish has pine and lemon. Really lovely beer.
I give it 4.5 out of 5.
Extrovert is an American IPA from the Left Hand Brewing Company. It pours with a voluminous head that disappears quickly. The nose is grassy, with a lot of lemon. The middle is pleasantly tropical with lemon, some mango and a hint of peach. The finish is dry and slightly buttery. The body is medium and the alcohol is 7.1% ABV. A really nice middle of the road American IPA.
I give it a 4.2 out of 5.
From one of my favorite breweries, St. Klippenstein is an Imperial Stout aged in oak bourbon barrels. I love oak aged beers, and this is no exception. The nose has coffee and cocoa and toast. The middle is dry with roasted grain and bitter dark chocolate. The finish is milky and smooth, with signature oaky vanilla notes. The body is medium and the alcohol is a big 11% ABV, and while you can’t really taste it, you can certainly feel it. A fantastically good beer.
I give it a 4.8 out of 5.
It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and that means a pumpkin ale review. I have a couple of different pumpkin ales in the fridge right now, but the only one I haven’t reviewed before is Pumpkin Ale with Spices from Foothills Brewing of Winston-Salem North Carolina. Tee nose has pumpkin, caramel and a hint of nutmeg. The middle is rich and fairly dry with pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. A bit of sweetness comes out in the finish to really round out this pie style pumpkin ale. The body is medium and the alcohol is a moderate 5.7% ABV. This is a great beer choice to complement any autumn occasion.
I give it a 4.0 out of 5.
A tropical IPA from Founders, Azacca has notes of lemon and mango and a buttery finish.
I give it a 3.8 out of 5.
Cosmic Ristretto is a Baltic Porter brewed with espresso and Belgian candy sugar. The head is foamy rather than creamy. There’s coffee and licorice on the nose. Tons of coffee and molasses in the middle, brown sugar and star anise in the finish. The body is medium and the alcohol is a relatively high 8.2% ABV. This is an exceptional beer.
I give it a 4.9 out of 5.
A Belgian style pale ale brewed with Maine ingredients to showcase and support sustainable family farming in Maine’s sixteen counties, this latest style from Allagash reminds me of a saison. The head is massive and long lasting. The nose is grainy and grassy. The middle has zesty lemon, honeysuckle and other floral notes and there’s a quite a bit of grapefruit in the finish. The body is medium and the alcohol is a robust 7.3% ABV. An exceptionally delicious beer.
I give it a 4.8 out of 5.
Kirkland Signature is the name of Costco’s store brand, and this American IPA is brewed for them by the Bricks and Barley Brewing Company in Wisconsin. The nose has lemon and some sweet malt notes. The middle is bitter with some pine, a bit more lemon and breadiness. The lemon and sweet bread continue into the finish but the pine fades away. It’s a simple IPA, not complex, light to medium body and 6.9% ABV. It’s not bad, but also unremarkable.
I give it a 3.6 out of 5.
A sour brown ale of the Flanders Red style from New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series, the 2016 edition was aged in French oak for 1-3 years. The nose is light and musty. The middle is bright, very tart, and strongly apple flavored. There’s a bit of vanilla in the finish, presumably from the oak, but the sour apple still dominates. The body is medium to heavy and the alcohol is a pleasant 7.0% ABV. It isn’t terribly complex, but it is beautiful in its simplicity. A sour brown ale of the Flanders Red style from New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series, the 2016 edition was aged in French oak for 1-3 years. The nose is light and musty. The middle is bright, very tart, and strongly apple flavored. There’s a bit of vanilla in the finish, presumably from the oak, but the sour apple still dominates. The body is medium to heavy and the alcohol is a pleasant 7.0% ABV. It isn’t terribly complex, but it is beautiful in its simplicity.
I give it a 4.4 out of 5.
The nose is sweet with brown sugar, banana and prunes. The middle is malty and fruity with peach, a bit of apricot and some heavy bread that sticks with you through the finish. The finish also has a hint of pepper. An OK dubbel. Light to medium body. 7% ABV.
4.0 out of 5
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