Fuller's Vintage Ale

I gave this one the highest drinkablilty since I couldn't even detect the alcohol until after I had finished and I couldn't walk straight. Very smooth the only thing I could say negitive is it is a bit too sweet.

Poured out of a 16.9 oz bottle in a nice box. It was serial numbered. It was a rich amber color very clear with an off white head, not very much head though.

The aroma of raisins and sweet honey dominate the nose. The taste is almost identical with sweet honey and raisins.

Inside the mouth it is VERY smooth with a syrupy feel and a slight bitterness at the finish.

I shared this with my brother and the dude behind the bar (I'm nice that way) and even at about $14 a pop I think I'll be looking for this at a store somewhere.

This one was a real treat!

Week 18, Ridgeway Brewing - Santa's Butt

Poured into a goblet brown to black in color with a small to non-existant head although there were large bubbles collecting on the bottom and sides of the glass.

There was very little in the way of aroma, maybe some smokey wood smell. The taste was mainly smoke with some dark fruits like prune or date.

This felt like a high carbonation beer, light and watery on tongue with a slight non pine bitterness at the finish. Good but I was expecting more than just a simple porter more spices that would convied Santa and Christmas.

Week 17, Dogfish Head - Chateau Jiahu

Appearance was a dirty yellow, very little head, some carbonation initially but it died quickly.

The nose started with citrus, and a sweet honey smell was very heavy. The initial taste was very sour citrus, then the sweetness of the honey slammed into your tongue.

The mouth was really light with low carbonation, no bitterness but the sourness really does it's work. It's a lot like a lambic, too sour for my taste but good overall, very interesting.

Week 16, Coney Island Sword Swallower

Poured a Yellow/Wheat color, two fingers white head and fine lacing.

The smell of Pine and Hops takes over when you begin to sip, the taste of Wheat and pine continues as you sip.

Mouthfeel is light with hoppy bitterness at the end, high carbonation. A nice IPA, I like Pale Ales and this one is hoppy like an American IPA, not quite enough to make it overpowering. I'll get this one again.

Just gotta love the cleavage shot on the label, ha!

Week 15, Samuel Adams - Imperial Stout

Week 14, Kennebunkport IPA

Kennebunkport IPA bought at the Trader Joes in Nocross, GA

Poured light amber orange and hazy with a tan head of about two fingers.

The aroma of pine hops and nothing else
a pine bite as far as taste.

Really light and crisp with the hoppy bite and high carbonation. Drinkability is ok for an IPA but not as hoppy as I expected.

Week 13, Blackbeard Ale - Virgin Islands Brewing

Since I was on vacation in the Caribbean.

Appearance, a light tan with a good off white head. Aromas of malty sweetness.

Taste is a lot of malt with slight bitterness along with some sweetness, a really nice mixture.

With a medium high carbonation, a really light feel on tongue, tingly. A good light ale with some malty flavour and slight bitterness, I could drink a few of these and enjoy each one.

Week 12, Samuel Adams Imperial White

Filled a tulip glass with one smooth slow pour. Off white head about two fingers that died quite quickly. It had a hazy copper/brown or amber color with some lace on the sides.

Smelll of light soap and biscuit aromas, yeasty.
It had a sweet malty taste that finished with a nice alcohol bite.

The mouthfeel was all about the alcohol, some bitter bite at the end. Sense this is a high gravity it's a once an evening brew, good carbonation and a light feel on the tongue.

Week 11, Dogfish Head Midas Touch

Dogfish Head Midas Touch, another Ancient Ale

Poured a yellow/wheat color straight down the center of a 16oz pint glass. Not all that carbonated with on finger of white head after one smooth pour.

Sents of phenol and honey start out and after a taste the spices (saffron) becomes aparent. The harsh alcohol comes on strong and the sweetness of honey as well.

Mouthfeel slight bitter with a harshness that hopefully will receed with a bit of cellaring. Drinkability is low due to the harshness of the flavours.

Week 10, Jolly Pumpkin - Noel De Calabaza

This bottle was from batch 331

Poured a dark redish brown with lots of off-white head. I had to pour four times in order to fill an 11oz tulip glass, heavy lacing the whole time.

Aroma of spiced raisins and sour cherries. I tasted some of the same spices and some oak along with prunes & raisins.

This had a very complex flavors but a thin mouthfeel, carbonation was very high.

This was a pleasure to drink and the alcohol didn't show itself in the taste but it sure did show itself in other ways.

MadHappy Pale Ale

At Twain's Billards and Tap, they brew thier own beer now@!

Twain's Brew Pub

Decatur Winefest

Not really a beer related thing but close enough.

Went with my friend BeckyT, lots of cute couples there some of them even hetero. Some of the food was really good what we had of it and the wine was good as well. About even on white and red as far as the samples I got, mostly just mimiced Becky since she knows her wines.

Sierra Nevada

The Pale Ale is the BOTM (Beer of the Month) at the Atlanta Taco Mac stores this November. My Brother and I stopped in for a pint (+4) and some dinner.

Thinking of beer trips past

I remember just after moving to St. Joseph, MI the new family and I used to take day trips over to Chicago, IL where I was born so long ago in order to just take in a museum or just drive around the city in search of who-knows-what. It was sometime in the early 1990's and I think I stumbled onto the Goose Island Brewpub. We had some lunch and I had a beer, that's about all I remember. I vaguely do recall that maybe it was in a large warehouse looking place with just brick buildings all around up and down the street. Also maybe a large rolling on a track railroad car kind of doors.

Now I wish I had wrote more stuff down back then.

Week 9, Abita Abbey Ale Dubbel

Poured this from a 22oz bomber into a tulip glass, it has a copper hazy color and lots of off white head.

Smells of citrus and some malt evident, raisin and other similar fruits in the background. The taste is mostly malt and caramel. Very sweet with a sourness at finish.

The mouth is light but also somewhat syrupy at beginning, with a drier finish. This is a nice sipping beer but about average IMHO.

Week 8, Terrapin Side Project - 90 Shelling Scotch Ale

I poured this into a 16oz pint glass from a 22oz bottle. It was a dark redish brown with a tan or beige head about one finger tall that died quickly.

The aromas were of malt and caramel, very sweet. The main taste was also of caramel and malts with a sharp sourness at the finish.

The mouthfeel was thin but sharp with the sourness mentioned before. It's a bit heavy on the stomach and with the high gravity not a session beer, a typically normal scotch ale.

Guinness Boken

I love Guinness.

Week 7, Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Poured into a Goblet from a 22oz bottle. Solid black with a one half inch tan head, almost brown.

Aromas were of caramel and molassas. The main flavours were malt, burnt oak or grains and caramel.

The beer texture is silky and creamy as it crosses your tongue, with a slight bitterness at the end. I enjoyed drinking this one and the flavours became more pronounced as it warmed up.

Week 6, Bells Cherry Stout

Bought a six of this from the local grocery store one evening of shopping. I had visited this brewery in MI while living there back int he early 90's, at the time it was the Kalamazoo Brewing Company I believe.

Poured very dark out of a 12oz bottle some dark tan head a little less than a fingers worth. IT died quickly as you can see.

Aroma of some roasted malts.

I didn't think this beer had enough cherry flavor, it was very sour like a sour cherry

Didn't have the mouth feel of a Guinness, a lot thinner but a nice flavour all the same. Got more complex as it warmed up.

Weyerbacker Fireside Ale

Went to Taco Mac with the daughter and had dinner and a Weyerbacker Fireside Ale.

Came to the table in a wine glass, a murky amber brown with a light tan head, very sparse.

Carbonation was good since through the entire glass bubbles continued to rise from the bottom and sides of the glass.

The aroma was mostly of malt and lightly smoked oak. It had somewhat of a whiskey barrel taste with malty overtones along with some bitterness.

Mouthfeel was lightly bitter and was light on the tongue not syrupy at all. A good drinkable high gravity ale, but not really special or remarkable to me.

Another excellent beer, Terrapin Midnight Project Depth Charge Espresso Milk Stout

Had both of these at the Taco Mac, Mall of Georgia. The Dogfish Head is the beer of the month and the Brother and I even got a free glass. I was blown away with the Terrapin/Left Hand collaboration Milk Stout.


Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale

Came to me in a large mug, copper / amber color very clear with an off white head. Bubbles continued to rise from the sides and bottom of the beer. There was very little aroma at the start and it didn't change from that as the beer warmed up. The taste was about as impressive as the smell some spice, some pumpkin but very little. The mouthfeel from the carbonation made the drink very refreshing there was some slight bitterness at the finish. All in all a very good very mild ale.

Terrapin Midnight Project Depth Charge Espresso Milk Stout

I was told this beer is good if you like espresso . I liked it anyway. Very dark actually black, with a small tan head. The aroma consisted of mainly coffee, espresso and some hints of cocoa. The taste is along the exact same lines, coffee & cocoa. Mouthfeel was very silky with the coffee bitterness getting in there at the finish. This is a smooth drink, I could do a few of these while sitting by a fire on a cool evening.

Smuttynose, Robust Porter

From awhile back.

Just a nice photographic depiction of filling up a nice tulip glass with Porter.

St Feuillien Tripel

Poured into a tulip glass this hazy wheat yellow belgian created lots of white head so much that I had to stop pouring to allow it to subside. It even began to overflow just after I opened the bottle.

The smell is standard for Belgian wheats, grain and some lemon.

I felt like the main flavours were the alcohol with some light oak. Also grain and a malt taste chimed in as well.

The high carbonation dominated the mouth and tongue with the alcohol comming in a close second.

Gator game and Brewniversity

Gators beat Kentucky 41-7, Tebow got hit hard in the third and was carted off the field.

Had the Sweetwater BOBB - Big Ol' Blue Balls, the He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA and then lastly a Uinta Wyld Organic Pale Ale which really sucked ass.

It was poured a Copper color and a bit hazy. The head was only around the rim but there was lots of lacing. This is the first beer that I've really noticed the yeast aroma and the very heavy bread or biscuit smell. The first thing I noticed was the hop, then the sweetness of malt & caramel. The bitter finish really made this a delight. The mouthfeel is dominated by bitterness and then the bite of the alcohol, at 10% I expected this. Couldn't drink it all the time but I would enjoy this occasionally.

Week 5, Holy Mackerel Special Golden Ale

Cellared three and poured one staight into tulip in a single pour.

Appearance was Orange-Yellow or Golden, slightly hazy with about a finger and half of white head that died quickly with a little lacing forming on the glass as I drank.

The nose is grain, bready and lemon.

A very Belgiany beer, you can clearly taste the alcohol, grain as well. All the flavours are very sharp, this will be much better in six months or a year.

Very heavy carbonation, alcohol feel in the mouth. Somewhat sharp hop at end.

Enjoyed this beer but I know it will be better after a bit of cellaring.

Flying Dog, Horn Dog Barley Wine, 2004

I've had two of these for quite some time in the beer fridge, they are a 2004 vintage but I think I may have purchased the 4-pack only about 2-3 years ago?? I wasn't keeping track the way I am now.

Poured this into a tulip glass, a brown murky color, some floating setemant got into the glass.

The tan-brown head was very thin and almost didn't cover the top. Slight lacing as I drank.

Whiskey was my first impression then the smell of caramel and sweet malt as well as a bit of oak.

The taste was all caramel and sweet malt with an alcohol bite.

Very thick, heavy and syrupy on tongue.

A very good sipping beer, almost a bit too sweet.

Redhook Double Black Stout with Coffee

Poured this into a 16oz Pint glass at home from a 22oz bottle

Appearance: dark, black with a tan head about two fingers tall, died to only surface lacing in less than 2-3 minutes.

Sweet chocolate and vanilla scents are noticed just before you drink and notice the slight bitterness and coffee flavours. It has a warm silky feel in the mouth and I knew right away that I could drink this often. It's not too over powering but really mild and mellow. A great one for sipping on a cold night.

Week 4, Sweetwater Dank Tank Big Ol' Belgium Blue Balls

Had this bad boy at home from a 22oz bottle.

It poured a hazy orange-copper color with some white head, about a finger that died in 5 minutes or so.

Aroma was mostly of wheat and citrus.

The bottle says it has blueberries and maybe it does but all I got was a sweet malty flavor with an alcohol bite and maybe some raisins as well.

The mouthfeel is heavy and syrupy. All in all a nice sipping beer. I'll need to cellar a few of these if I can get back to the liquour store and get more.

Gator Game and Brewniversity

Went over to Taco Mac for the Gator Game against Tennessee, we won 23-13 and I had some great beers.

Left Hand Chocolate Starfish
Boulder Mojo IPA
Highland Clawhammer Oktoverfest
Victory Festbier
Allagash Dubbel
Fordham Close Encounter

Added them to the list of beers for my Brewniversity and have 538 beers. Only 37 to go to make Brewniversity Professor at 575 beers.!

Yes, I didn't drive home.

Week 3 Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence

Drank this at Home from a 22oz bottle poured into a goblet.

Poured very dark with minimal tan to light brown head very persistant but minutes later had died to just patches. Lacing occured mainly at the top.

The first inkling of aroma was vinegar to me like olives then some cocoa,

The taste was mainly malty cocoa with slight bitterness at the end.

Mouthfeel was warm and thick

Week 2 Harviestoun Ola Dubh special 12

Poured in a tulip glass black with a tan head but very minimal, not much lacing either.

Smell of mostly coffee and smoke. A very strong taste of roasted grains and coffee. It was very heavy on the tongue.

It's the kind of beer a lager lover would HATE. Therefore, I love it!

Week 1 Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

Poured Dark as you can see, the head was tan and filled the rest of the glass but died quickly. Not very complex, mostly roasted malt and a small bit of cocoa after it warmed a bit. Lighter mouthfeel and good drinkability not bitter at all but just didn't do anything for me.

Week 16 Dogfish Head Theobroma

Very nice heavy bottle, over 25oz and at 9% it's the only beer I needed this evening.

Poured an Orange/Amber with a small head that dissapeared very quickly.

Smelled of honey and spices. Since it is brewed with ancho chillies and annatto, a slightly peppery nutmeg kind of spice. It also gives the beer it's red/orange tinge.

The taste was mainly honey at first finishing with the nutmegy annatto, I enjoyed every drop. As it warmed the flavours became more pronounced as well as the aromas.

Light sweet mouthfeel with some syrupiness feel on the tongue when it warmed more.

A very good sipping beer that I have had before but am glad I tried again.

Week 15 Left Hand Smoke Jumper Porter

Poured into a regular 16oz pint, at home from a 22oz bottle.

Appearance was a dark, black color with tan head, about a fingers worth.

Aroma of roasted malt was very heavy and added to the taste of slightly smokey roasted grains and a lot of malt and caramel.

The mouthfeel was silky with a slightly warm feel on the tongue.

This beer is a bit on the heavy side but I could drink it again.

Week 14 Bornem Dubbel Abbey Ale

Brouwerij Van Steenberge

A: dark red silky light tan head
S: soapy?
T: sourness, grain
M: light

Week 13 Bernardus Abt 12

The second to last St Bernardus in the fridge, I may save the last Witte for later in the month.

Poured a dark cloudy brown, a tan head rises out of the bottle when you open and mounds of head gather at the top of the glass as you pour. It smells of wheat grain and alcohol.

The taste is malty sweet, with caramel with an alcohol bite as it glides by the tongue a slight bitter aftertaste at the end.

A lighter mouthfeel but still sweet with the alcohol dryness.

Week 12 Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale

A: amber heavy head
S: slight hop citrus
T: hop orange slight malt
M: high alcohol not really noticable
D: good, high alcohol

Week 11 JW Lees, Harvest Ale matured in Calvados Casks

A: Dark amber, no head, haze with floaters
S: very sweet and malty
T: Sweet, Malty, molasses maple
M: very thick, flat sweet
D: almost too sweet but very enjoyable

Week 10 Fort Collins, Barrel Licked Bock

Home 22oz bottle HighGrav
a: dark almost black head tan died quick
s: chocolate, malt
t: oak, chocolate, malt very sweet, whiskey
m: thick

Week 9 Hurricane Reef Raspberry Wheat

One of the many beers I had from this brewery this week. I also had the Southernmost Wheat and the Pomegraint Porter which by far was the best beer of the week so far.

Went for a trip to the Florida Beer Company in Melbourne, FL They were bottling beer but still was able to serve us a few tastings. Another group, a mom and daughter I believe were there as well. The tasting room was upstairs and had a small view down into some tanks inside.

Week 8 New Belgium Mothership Wit

Home 22oz bottle
light yellow white head cloudy
citrus lemon grain
tangy citrus crisp on tongue

Week 7 He'Brew Genesis Ale

At home,

I liked this Ale, I remember a malty flavor...

Week 6 Highland Brewing, Cold Mountain Winter Ale

Home bottle

Poured up with about 1/3 head a dark tan color. The beer was a dark amber or brown not quite see-through. First taste gave me a butterscotch flavour along with a slight bitterness.

Week 5 New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale,

Big 22 oz bottle, very chocolaty and a hint of liquorice and charcoal.. Very nice and not too overly dry.

Very dark with a light brown head.T: Charcol and chocolate. M:Warmed to a very smooth taste.

Week 4 Zywiec Porter

This beer may have been a little old since it had a very distinct tin flavor, maybe it was suppose to but it didn't fair well with my taste buds. The head was a light tan and the beer very dark.

Basically the only reason I picked this up was because it started with a Z, I don't have a beer starting with Z on my list.

A: The head was a light tan and the beer very dark.T: This beer may have been a little old since it had a very distinct tin flavor, maybe it was suppose to but it didn't fair well with my taste buds.

Week 3 Bells Brewery Cherry Stout

I didn't think this beer had enough cherry flavor, it was very sour like a sour cherry and didn't have the mouth feel of a Guinness.

Week 2 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, 2007

2007? Yes, I've been saving it.
OK, it's over a year and almost a half old but except for the extra head it tasted GREAT.
I've had these before but I wanted to start my 52 weeks of beer right away.

Week 1 Victory Hop Devil

Hop Devil, by Victory Brewing PA. The Beer of the Month at the local Taco Mac.

The Hop Devil is a 6.7% beer with a nice hoppy finish.