Name: Struis
Brewed In/Type: Netherlands / Belgian Strong Ale
Bought at/Price Binny's / $1.99 bottle (clearance)
Dennis: The aroma of this is mostly impressive, nice dark yeasty smells, not quite as heavy as what you'd expect from a Belgian Dark Ale. I almost thought it was a maibock. The body of this is pretty much what you'd expect from a Belgian ale, but not to heavy, and with plenty of caronation. The taste offers strong but balanced malts, with a tartness at the end that balances the 9% alcohol. Very nice indeed.
Jen: Since we bought this on clearance, I was not expecting too much, just a typical Belgian. What a nice surprise. The scent is of dark fruits and malts with a twinge of alcohol. The body is just delicious. I get a nice blend of caramel malts and figs, quickly followed by a nice spiciness, like white pepper. The ending is nicely hopped. Overall, a diverse beer with lots of different flavors to take in, but no presence of the 9% ABV in the taste.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Posted by Dennis Judd at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Lost Coast: 8 Ball Stout
Brewed In/Type: Eureka, CA / Stout
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $8.99 6pack
Dennis: This is the best of the average to me. It has all the things you are looking for in a stout. Rich roasted aromas, nice balance of carbonation, and just enough hops to make the whole package come together. The only thing that leaves me wanting is the low alcohol content (5.9%) and the fact that there isn't one aspect that shines through. It just kind of underwhelms me a bit.
Jen: This seems to be a fairly standard stout. There is a nice toasted barley and malts taste to it with a definite oatmeal flavor. I also get the usual roasted coffee flavor, which goes hand in hand with stouts. The body and mouth feel is quite safe for a stout, not too full, but robust enough to coat your mouth, with a nice level of carbonation. I think that it is overpriced, but a good drink.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Posted by Jen at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Sam Adam's: Imperial Pilsner
Brewed In/Type: Boston, MA / Imperial Pilsner
Bought at/Price Binny's / $4.99
Dennis: To me, this is not what you would expect from Sam Adams. The smell is slightly hopped, but nothing too amazing. The taste however is just great, high in bitters with a nice tang of hops on the exhale, this is hands down the best Sam Adam's brew I've ever had. Clocking in at 8.8% it's certainly the most potent also. Reminiscent of the type of brews I'd expect from a smaller brewery, this beer is definitely a shining example that you can be a large company and still make a damn impressive brew.
Jen: This is probably one of the most surprised I have been about a beer recently. This brew starts with a mild scent of dry hops, which makes my mouth water. The first sip consists of a nice malt base, but then leads you to a nice grapefruit citrus hop bitterness and ends with a smack. The mouth-feel is quite nice and is almost creamy. I think that everyone should give this one a try before it is no longer in stock at your local liquor store! Definitely worth the $$.
Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Posted by Dennis Judd at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Blond Troubadour
Brewed In/Type: Belgium / Belgian Pale Ale
Bought at/Price Binny's / $1.99 bottle (clearance)
Dennis: Snatched this one up on clearance at a local liquor store on a whim. Aroma wise it smells like a watered down Belgian pale with a slight metallic twinge to it. Taste wise it's not much better, super mellow and easy to drink, it finishes with a weak spice and that pesky metallic taste again that makes me look to see if somebody slipped a penny in my glass. Sort of reminds me of golden raisins, but even with a 6.5% alcohol, time has not been kind to this beer. Perhaps a fresher bottle would be better.
Jen: Since that this is an older bottle (2003), I will give it some leeway. I really don't get a lot from it. There is some slight spices to it with a tart dry finish. Some nice fine bubbles in it, but nothing to really boast about. Drinkable, yes, great not necessarily. If we decide to buy this again, we may have to look at a fresher bottle so the flavors haven't dissipated.
Rating: 2.75 out of 5

Posted by Jen at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Poperings: Hommel Ale
Brewed In/Type: Belgium / Belgian Ale
Bought at/Price Binny's / $1.99 a bottle (clearance)
Dennis: Grabbed this one based on the recommendation of somebody at our local Binny's. At a $1.99 down from $3.99 I figured I had nothing to loose, plus 7.5% alcohol doesn't sound to shabby. The only real issue I had with this brew was the high level of sediment in the bottle due probably to the fact that it's a belgium ale. The aroma is slight weak, reminding me of a tripel ale with some hop hints to it. The taste is pretty much what you'd expect, sort of a smoother belgium ale with a hop distinction. Quite good, but for the price can't really be a daily drinker.
Jen: This is not a typical Belgian ale. They use three types of hops in this brew which gives it a tangy bitter ending. It is also extremely carbonated, almost Alka Seltzer fizzy. I do get a slight tartness to it like a granny smith apple. This is a pretty decent beer, however, I can't imagine paying the full price for it!
Rating: 3.25 out of 5

Posted by Dennis Judd at 02:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Avery: Mephistopheles' Stout
Brewed In/Type: Boulder, CO / Stout
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $7.99 12oz bottle
Dennis: There are some who would day that the name mephistopheles means "He who shuns the light", and certainly no better name exists for this brew. Aroma wise this beer won't wow you, but once you actually decide to take a sip watch out. Of course with 15.1% alcohol you can expect a powerful punch, but there isn't much that can prepare you for the wonderful power of this beer. Extremly, deeply sweet, it's hard to place the hops that supposedly add bitterness to this brew (107 IBU), but the expected tastes of rum, dark chocolate, and espresso beans are there. The price kills the value, but the quality comes only second to the beast...which is oh so appropriate.
Jen: You better tuck your skirt in if you want to try this one on for size. It pours like molasses that has been slightly heated, and has the color of a long pull of espresso. The smell is very deceptive and does not prepare you for what you about to endeavor upon. At first sip, all I could do was smack my lips...they were covered in a sugary taste, like eating maple-sugar candy. I then realized that the sweetness reminded me of chocolate covered espresso beans. That bit of sweetness followed by a roasty, nutty coffee flavor. There is also a mild resemblance to dark chocolate rum cordials. I think that I will be sipping on this for a while. This is a must have, especially if you have been following the demon series. Sip, don't swallow and enjoy the ride!
Rating: 4 out of 5

Posted by Jen at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Samuel Adams: Pale Ale
Brewed In/Type: Boston, MA / Pale Ale
Bought at/Price:
Dennis: The problem I always have with pale ales is that more often than not they taste just like IPA's. Much like an English brown compared to an American brown, this beer at least doesn't try to rise above it's own destiny. The hop blend is definitely something you don't come across very often. No cascade or columbia here, but rather fuggles and east kent goldings. Either way, it's easy to drink, reasonably high in alcohol (5.25%) and probably very cheap.
Jen: Samuel Adams seems to always be a good, keep in your fridge, kind of beer. This one just adds to the decent brews they put out. There is a nice blend of "not the usual" hops here which gives it a different taste than other pale ales. It has a lighter body with a fair amount of carbonation, making this an easy to drink, and easy to like beer. This light, refreshing brew is a great addition to any summer BBQ.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Posted by Dennis Judd at 12:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Samuel Adams: Hefeweizen
Brewed In/Type: Boston, Massachusetts/Weiss
Dennis: I'm not a big Hefeweizen fan, mostly because of the fact that I can't spell it properly without looking it up. This beer is cloudy, but only because they haven't bothered to strain out the yeast. if you like wheat based beer's then by all means indulge. I liked this beer but wouldn't buy a 12 pack of it. It does make for a nice change of pace though.
Jen: Being a fan of hefeweizen beer for a long time, I had high expectations for this one, and they were upheld. Definitely one of the better weizen that I have had. Easy to drink and good flavor. This is a great beer. It isn't overwhelming and doesn't leave a grainy taste in your mouth. If your into hefeweizen beers, pick this up and try it. It is totally worth it!
Rating: 4 out of 5

Posted by Jen at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Unibroue: Don de Dieu
Brewed In/Type: Chambly, Quebec / Dark Belgian Ale
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $18.99 variety pack (8 12oz bottles)
Dennis: It's not very often that I comment on a beer carbonation, but pouring this out of the bottle resulted in what I can only describe as a "mini hot tub" effect in the glass. Once that show was over and I took a sip I was very shocked to find how well the alcohol (9%) is hidden in this brew. There's a little tartness to it from it, but really it's blended so well you can't tell, and it's hidden with carbonation and a slight sweetness. Basically this tastes to me like what I imagine a triple light would. It's not overly complex, but it is easy to drink.
Jen: I find this to be a decent Unibroue, as is most of their brews. This is quite a smooth beer with an almost creamy mouthfeel. The taste is of mild citrus fruits with a caramel sweetness to it (without the overwhelming maltiness lingering). None of the flavors are too overwhelming, but are mild and well balanced.For a 9% ABV, this beer is quite easy to drink without the alcohol taste.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Posted by Dennis Judd at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)