Ommegang Hennepin

This is from Ommegang who I really enjoy.  I have never had a Saison but I bet it will be excellent.

Look, Pour, Smell - Frothy head, light yellow and orange, extra carbonated and extra hops, this one smells very crisp.

Taste - Crisp Belgian style, but with a wheat spice, probably all spice or maybe a little cinnamon.  This is a lighter beer which is nice, light mouth feel with a light residual hops taste.

Rating - 7
This being my first of this style is a really good step in the right direction. It tastes great, smells even better, and will probably impress your friends who don't really like "specialty" or "expensive" brews.

Chimay Ale Grande Reserve

I hadn't been to a beer store in a while, so when I got there I wanted to splurge.  This is a Trappist style ale from Belgium.

Look & Smell - Warm nutty brown, rich vanilla head.  Belgian pine hops with warm rich malt smell.

Taste - I had it chilled pretty cool so I poured and then let it sit for ~5 min.  Warm, spiciness underneath.  Warms you up, great for a cool day (or any day for that matter)

Rating - 8
This one will blow you away with its fullness.  Be prepared it's strong, but it will make your day.

St. Bernardus Abt 12

I wanted something that might be true to an earlier time, so I chose this ale to satisfy my historic needs.

Pour, Look, Smell - Dark brown, light head, carbonated well, sweet malt, will wet your pallet.

Taste - Awesome full hop and malt taste, spice like a wheat beer, easy to drink for how dark it looks.

Rating - 8

This is a beer everyone should try.  If it's truthful to it's roots, I almost wish I lived in the 12th century.

Allagash Tripel Reserve

Allagash has one of my favorite wheat beers, and so this one shouldn't disappoint.  It is special enough to Allagash to have the batch number on the bottle.                                                                                                      Look, Pour, Smell - Hazy wheat and golden, light but strong head, awesome spice and wheat smell.                                                                            Taste - Citrus, wheat, spice are all balanced, with an extra bit of citrus in the after taste.  Strong flavors.                                                                   Rating - 8                                                                                                          This one will impress you if you like wheat style beers.  This is also another great offering from the Maine based Allagash.

Dogfish Head 120 Min IPA

Preface:  This is a sipping beer, it is unique and shouldn't be taken lightly.  Very high alcohol content makes this beer potent, so be prepared.

Nose, Look, & Pour - Light sediment, super straw, full head w/ a medium strength, super hopped smell, malt smell is present in the background.

Taste - Sweet malt, hops are the big spoon in this relationship though, alcohol is present throughout, little carbonation probably because it's too heavy.

Rating - 9
This is such a unique experience you should try it just to do it, but don't underestimate this one, or it will knock your socks off.

Hebrew BITTERSWEET LENNY'S R.I.P.A

This one from a brand  I hadn't considered recently because of it's seemingly narrow advertisement got me too interested to be overly critical.

Pour, Look, Taste - Dark blonde, the beer is thick, and the bubble drift down  due to the high gravity, strong head, hops abound in the smell

Taste - The hops are first, the thickness of the beer is now lastingly apparent.  The rye is undertone, with the hops taking over.  This beer will last me all night.

Rating - 8
This beer will knock your socks off, literally.

BROTHER THELONIOUS Belgian Style Abbey Ale

This Belgian caught my eye, and it was a good catch.  Every bottle sold has $2 of the purchase going to support the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz whose mission is to offer the world's most promising young musicians college level training by America's jazz masters.  If you see it, buy it and you won't be disappointed.


Pour, Look, and Smell - Dark brown, creamy head, browned malt smell, light hops.


Taste - Browned malt & creamy, long tasting, delicious.


Rating - 8
This one will knock your socks of it's so good.

Georg Schneider's Wiesen Edel-Weisse

I was hankering for a German beer, and what better than a Wiesen from Bavaria.  Organic for those who look for it, it wasn't a buying point but it is a perk.  Bottle fermented like some of the best beers in the world, and fermented according to the Reinheitsgebot.

Look, Pour, & Smell - Light airy head, becoming homogeneous after about 30 seconds. dark straw color.  Hops are present, and that sums up the smell.  

Taste - Old school, hops and malt are balanced.  Light flavor, light carbonation.  This one will wet your whistle.

Rating - 7
For what it is it's very good.  Everyone will think your part German if you bring this over.

Terrapin Sunray Wheat Beer

I love wheat beers, and when I saw this one that was "locally" brewed I wanted to try.

Look, Pour, & Smell - Hazy, straw, light head.  Malt, citrus lemon, light hops.

Taste - Stronger citrus lemon, malt, less hops.

Rating - 7

I've noticed I'm more partial to wheat beers, but this one is very good.  This will get everyone in a good mood.

Samual Adams Nobel Pils

Wanted to have a Sam Adams beer since I hadn't in a while.

Nose, Look, & Pour - The head is frothy and light and lasted about 20 sec.  The hops are immediately apparent with citrus and pine.  Pale yellow to straw color.

Taste - Great hopped beer w/o the bitterness.  The hops almost have a lime citrus with the pine still around.  The malt only arrives in the aftertaste.

Rating - 8
This is a great beer from a semi-popular specialty brewing company.  Not everything they make is gold, but this one is.  Put it in the "I'm a great IPA" category.

SweetWater Happy Ending

I picked this one up along w/ some wine because it was a seasonal from a brand that I hadn't had in a while.  At 9% alc. it's strong and shows of its merits w/ award winnings posted on the side of the bottle.

Pour, Smell & Look - Best part about this was the surprise.  Stout type pour, with a stronger lasting head than most.  Sweet malt and hops, which is easily identifiable as a darker beer w/ it's warm roast smell.

Taste - This is definitely on the easy side of stout-ville.  It still has a lot of sugars in it's malt, which is matched equally by the sweet, pine hops.  The brown roast flavor comes as the after taste, but it is noticeable with a toffee, then slight coffee.

Rating - 6
Even though I like this stout it isn't so traditional.  It's on the easy side of the street in a grouping that is full or hard and traditional flavors.  This one will be a good one to try, but try some others too :D