Name: Great Lakes: Commodore Perry IPA
Brewed In: Cleveland, Ohio
Type / ABV: IPA / 7.5%
Bought at/Price:
Dennis: The bottle of this beer says enjoy by 9/06, so take this review with a grain of salt. For an IPA lover this is not a bad choice, there seems to be a descent malt backbone to this, and a very pronounced hop twinge to the swallow. The only issue I really had with this was the hops seem to be a little overpowering, and I think that a bit more of a base to it might have helped make it a little fuller. Of course IPA's traditionally are very hoppy, so I have a hard time complaining. I didn't get any citrus or anything out of it personally, but that could just have been me.
Jen: I usually love IPA's, but this one seems to just fall short of the love category. It has nice hoppy flavors that are very citrusy and a little bit piney. The texture is almost creamy and thick, and there seems to be a very weak presence of malts. This brew also seems to be off the charts with bitterness. It is fairly easy to drink considering the ABV and bitterness, but I don't find it to be one of my favorite IPA's.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Posted by Dennis Judd at 05:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Reaper Ale: Mortality Stout
Brewed In: Vista, CA
Type / ABV: Stout / 7.5%
Bought at/Price: Gift from Heather, Jen's sister
Dennis: This beer was a gift, and as such I'll have no complaints about price or anything like that. From the get go this bottle had me sold, I wanted to love it simply because of the ballsy wording and label art, but all that happened was that I ended up feeling let down sorta. This is a good solid stout, good coloring, hints of coffee and chocolate, with just a little bit of a funky bitterness at the end (kind of reminded me of a milk stout, but was probably the 7.5% alcohol), but beyond that there's nothing much to it. I had hoped for a lot more malt backbone, and some bold hops to really crank the intensity up to 11, but in the end I was left slightly unfulfilled, and wishing I had just had a Czar or Storm King.
Jen: I was expecting a lot more out of this stout, but I don't hate it either. It starts off with a light aroma of chocolate and coffee. The taste is of mocha, roasted malts and a slight burntness to it. The chalkiness, IMO, is almost overwhelming anything great this beer could have been, so instead it is just good. For 7.5% it is fairly easy to drink, but leaves a sourness in your mouth afterwards. I wish with a name like this, it would have been better!
Rating: 3.25 out of 5

Posted by Dennis Judd at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Name: Avery: Fourteen
Brewed In/Type: Boulder, CO / Dark, Dry hopped Ale
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $5.99 22oz (bomber)
Dennis: I think this beer will certainly appeal to a certain type of beer drinker. While anyone with good taste can enjoy it, hop head will certainly enjoy the strong flavors present. I'm thinking the molasses really helps blend the flavors between sweet and flowery/hoppy....they almost act like a ramp up to the hop, but they don't overpower trying to hide the tastes behind a cloying veil. Strong, dark malty ale, with plenty of hop accent, this definitely could be called a double dubbel ipa.
Jen: I have started looking forward to Avery's anniversary ales and I/we search high and low for anything Avery. This one definitely lives up to the Avery reputation. This pours a nice dark color and smells of hops, something you typically find in a darker ale. I was pleasantly surprised right from the start. It has a nice roasted molasses malt beginning, with a huge hop kick. Wow, I love this brew. I may be biased towards Avery, but this is definitely another distinct, unique brew unlike anything else I have which makes it outstanding!
Rating: 4.75 out of 5

Posted by Dennis Judd at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)