Day 49, August 31

The Offering: Hopping' Frog, Barrel Aged Outta Kilter, Scotch style red ale.

ABV: 8.2%

Very unique beer. The nose is malty and sweet with some significant nuttiness. The mouth is sweet, fruity and nutty with the same light roasted malts from the nose. I get a lot of cranberry and macadamian nut. The mouthfeel is very creamy. The finish is more of the same but flat. Fun brew but I wouldn't go looking for it.

Points:87

Thanks to Doug

Cheers

Day 48, August 30

The Offering: Don de dieu, Unibroue, Belgian style triple wheat ale.

ABV: 9%

Funky fruity nose like apricot. Smells like fresh baked apricot bread. The mouth is sweet wheat with some significant spice. Also some yeast and malt. It's quite delicious. I've always been a fan of Unibroue's La Fin Du Monde, but this may be even better. The aftertaste is sweet with some fruit and more yeasty bread. Very chewy all the way through. Quite good!

Points: 94

Thanks to Kimbo

Cheers!

Day 47, August 29

The Offering: Weihenstephaner Original Premium, German Lager.

ABV: 5.1%

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is the best lager I have ever had. This brew has the bitterness and slight sweetness expected without the typical stankiness of American lagers. Very clean and pleasant all the way through. It's so clean it tastes good a minute after you've finished drinking it. Great brew!

Points: 93

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 46, August 28

The Offering: Erdinger Hefe-Weizen. German Hefe-Weizen.

ABV: 5.6%

This Hefe is just boring, not much going on. It's not bad by any stretch but is simply not memorable.

It pours nicely and has a thick creamy head. It's not as cloudy as most hefeweizens and there is no sediment. The nose is a little sour but not citrusy. After that the flavor is just weak. There is definite wheat and some sweetness like banana but it's all bland. The finish is chewy and doughy with a little more sweet wheat flavor. If this happens to be in my hand I will drink it but this is not a go to Hefe.

Points: 79

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 45, August 27

The Offering: Dortmunder Actian-Brauerei (DAB), German lager

ABV: 5.0%

This being "The beer of world fame" according to the bottle, it had to be consumed from a fancy glass. Also from the bottle, the DAB is the "full bodied taste of excellence". Living up to the world famous embodiment of excellence is a tall task for any beer, and unfortunately this one falls well short (even in the fancy glass).

The nose is typical of any basic lager with heavy sweet malts coming through very strongly. The mouth is bitter hops from start to finish. In the end the bitterness is combined with a mineral water taste and it fades to more malts.

This is not a smooth beer, it bites at every turn. Nor is it really refreshing. I can't find many redeeming qualities about this beer besides that is not repulsive. I wouldn't turn one down but it doesn't rise to the top of any list of mine.

Points: 69

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 44, August 26

The Offering: Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, German Hefe-Weizen.

ABV: 5.5%

Awesome hefe. Very simple beer but it hits every element of the Hefe-Weizen on the head. Crisp lemon wheat nose. The mouth follows up with delicious lemon and wheat notes. A little spicy, slightly bitter and truly refreshing. The finish is clean and dry. Really top notch weisbier.

Points: 92

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 43, August 25

The Offering: Konig Pilsener, Germany.

ABV: 4.9%

Back to the German brews. This one is similar to a Beck's but much better. Not as smooth as the other German pilseners I've had. This one is spicy and bitter and definitely has some bite. The bitterness lingers all the way through the finish. At the very end is a little sweetness. Drinking this I am reminded of evergreens or juniper. Overall a pleasant beer.

Points: 86

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 42, August 24

The Offering: Blue Moon, witbier

ABV: 5.4%

Another Giants win! Any beer tastes good. I tried to get a little more exotic than last Giants game's Bud Light. I managed it only slightly. Blue Moon is really the Coors light of wheat beer, in fact I believe Coors owns the brand. Anyway, it's not bad.

Nice orange citrus and wheat on the nose and tongue. Not much bitterness and a little sweet. I get a little corn too. Really my only disappointment is the finish. It finishes a pretty alkaline and flat. All around, I would choose it over any others in its price range/availability but would not seek it out.

Points: 84 (weighted 92 at the Giants game)

Thanks to Steve

Cheers

By the way, that is Buster Posey blasting an RBI double into left in the background.

Day 41, August 23

The Offering: Heretic Worry, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Pittsburg CA

ABV: 9.8%

Fruit fruit fruit, nose, mouth and finish. Good beer but not the best. It's in the Belgian style but not up to par with the other Belgians and definitely not close to the Trappists.

The fruit is mostly apple and noticeably sour. The flavor is quite similar to a Gewürztraminer wine. The front is sweet has some sweet malts mixed with the sour fruit but the finish is all bitter. Fine beer but not up to the products actually from Belgium.

Points:86

Thanks to me @ The Ale Arsenal, San Carlos

Cheers

Day 40, August 22

The Offering: Augustinerbrau Munchen, Maximator. German dark doppelbach

ABV: 7.5%

Good brew and a good representation of a German doppelbock but I left a little unimpressed. The nose is deep roasted malts and molasses. The mouth is bitter, toast, plum, cherry and more molasses. Definitely a lot of whiskey barrel throughout. The finish is more sweet and roasted malts. Again, I was underwhelmed but still a good beer if you are itching for a doppelbock.

Points: 84

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 39, August 21

The Offering: Wolters Pilsener, German Pilsener.

ABV: 4.9%

The first German failure. I guess when you get the German mix pack a couple have to be bad. This one is basically bitter honey water. Big honey on the nose and on the mouth but the rest is watered down, bitter and stale. It only gets better from here. I gave some grace saving points for the unique honey flavor.

Points:66

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 38, August 20

The Offering: Konig Ludwig Weissbier, German hefeweizen

ABV:5.5%

Rock solid hefeweizen. Great sweet wheat and citrus on the palette. No bitterness, but a little spice in the front. Again a very pleasant drinking German beer. My only complaint is that the finish is a little watered down. I have experienced this with other hefs but this one is more noticeable. If you get beyond the watered down finish, the post-finish is very warm, a spiciness that warms the back of the tongue. Quite interesting. I'd drink it again for sure.

Points:89

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 37, August 19

The Offering: Eku Pils, German pilsner

ABV: 5.0%

Day two of German beers and I'm starting to notice a trend. These are easy drinking beers designed to be consumed by the barrel. They are tasty but not sophisticated or gimmicky. Good simple beer.

Not to sound like a commercial, but this is smooth, clear an refreshing. The front is bitter followed by light grassiness and a little lemon. The finish is slightly bitter again with some more grain and some floral hops. Definitely not as good as the Dunkel last night but still solid.

Points:84

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 36, August 18

The Offering: Hofbrau Munchen, Hofbrau Dunkel. German.

ABV:5.5%

The first shipment of German beers is in! Ein mass bitte. We'll start with the Hofbrau.

This is an easy drinking beer. I can imagine putting back a couple of measures with little effort. For those heading to Octoberfest, a measure (German: mass) is a liter and is the proper quantity by which to order your brews.

I taste oak and roasted grains straight away. The nose is slightly sweet but not the taste. There is some unsweetened plum, and fig. Overall it is slightly bitter and dry and has some mineral tones like pelligrino. I would order this if available but wouldn't seek it out.

Points:88

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 35, August 17

The Offering: Bear Republic, Red Rocket Ale. American strong ale.

ABV: 6.8%

Strong and bitter from start to finish. Not very balanced, but beers like this have their place. I taste a bit of cascade mixed with some less floral and more bitter hops. Sweet caramel malts come through from middle to end. The end finishes bitter and sweet. I can't say I loved it but if your in the right mood this is perfect.

Points: 87

Thanks to Mike and Libby

Cheers

Day 34, August 16

The Offering: Weihenstephaner Vitus, weizenbock. German.

ABV: 7.7%

Had this at Gourmet Haus, a German beer garden in Redwood city. This is a great spot for an after work brew for anyone in the area. For the selection, I have to admit i picked completely randomly off the tap array (2nd from the left actually). I'm feeling slightly well versed in the Belgians but I'm still green on German beers

This one is pretty solid. It's a weizenbock. A bit stronger than a hef, kind of like an imperial hefeweizen. I get citrus, mainly orange, accompanied by wheat and banana. I strangely taste a bit of licorice in this one. This was a tap beer so the head was nice and it was smooth drinking all the way through. Not sure I would seek this one out but it's not disappointing in the slightest. I should give high rankings for the atmosphere alone but I'm trying to be as impartial to the beer as possible.

Points: 88

Thanks to Kevin

Cheers

Day 33, August 15

The Offering: Schneider Weisse Hopfen Weisse. Hefeweissen and IPA

ABV: 8.2%

Love it! This has a little something for everyone. Citrusy, wheaty hef with some mild IPA hoppy bitterness. I dare to say this won't turn anyone off.

The nose is lime right off the bat, I could smell it as I poured. The first sip is wheaty grapefruit. The lime is all in the nose. The hops really form the typical hef citrus flavor to bitter, from lemon to grapefruit. As it calms down in the mouth there is some sweeter malt and a little spice. It really smooths out as you drink it. It finishes again like grapefruit, but very mild and smooth. Enjoy this one.

Points: 94

Thanks to Kevin

Cheers

Day 32, August 14

The Offering: Flying Dog, Gonzo Imperial Porter

ABV: 9.2%

"It never got weird enough for me"
- Hunter S. Thompson

Based on label alone this beer is a clear winner. I typically don't like to base my opinion on aesthetics of the bottle, but what can I say, I'm a sucker for the Gonzo and Hunter S. Thompson.

Moving to the contents of the party bottle... A thick chocolately, malty, coffee brew with a bit of sweet midway through. The finish is roasted bitter coffee and slightly sweet. This is a meal in a bottle, and a very satisfying one at that. If you plan on drinking only one beer tonight and possibly want to skip dinner, make it this one. A great Imperial porter! I will be buying more.

Points: 93

Thanks to Kevin

Cheers

Day 31, August 13

The Offering: 't Gaverhopke Zingende (Singing Blonde), Belgian strong ale

ABV: 9.8%

Good beer here. This Belgian sour ale has a big sour nose but calms dramatically on the palette and quickly turns a little sweet like a slightly sweet lemonade. I also get tastes of cider and a little spice. There is a small amount of bitterness but only on the front. The end finishes very smooth almost creamy, the 9.8% ABV is hardly noticed. This one went down quickly. I recommend it.

Points:91

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 30, August 12

The Offering: Shmaltz Brewing Co. Coney Island Albino Python, Lager

ABV: 6%

There is no such thing as a free piano. This is the lesson of the day. If you do happen to move a "free" piano, however, I would recommend relaxing afterword with one of these. The Albino Python is an interesting lager, with an array of spices and a little citrus and sweetness. I get a lot of oregano and cinnamon with a doughy wheaty aftertaste. All around a pleasant beer but probably not going out of my way to get it again.

Points:89

Thanks to Mike and Libby

Cheers

Day 29, August 11

The Offering: Lagunitas IPA

ABV: 6.2%

Every beer has a certain quality range depending on the situation and serving conditions. The Lagunitas IPA reached its peak tonight. Served ice cold from a keg at an awesome wedding celebration, the conditions were perfect. The IPA was West Coast wonderful. Pretty bitter with some citrus and pine. Also, there was some malty sweetness in the finish. It's not as huge as the Hop Stoopid and no cascade but definitely as delicious. A huge congratulations to Brian and Keeley tonight, thanks for the party and tasty beverages.

Points: 90

Thanks to Brian and Keeley

Cheers

Day 28, August 10

The Offering: Mavericks Sandy Beach Blonde Hefeweizen, California

ABV:4.5%

Nothing like drinking a beer in its natural habitat. A Mavericks beer on location at Mavericks beach is ideal. This was from the tap and poured like a cloudy blonde Hef should. The flavor was a little bland and watered down but it had the classic wheaty citrus notes I wanted. This beer is is one to try if your in the area and want a Hef, but I wouldn't seek it out outside of Half Moon Bay.

Points:86

Thanks to Keeley and Brian and congratulations tomorrow!

Cheers

Day 27, August 9

The Offering: Dixie, New Orleans slow brewed beer, lager.

ABV: 4.5%

Dixie pours a clear yellow color. A little darker than a standard Bud. No real head retention to speak of and actually a little flat drinking. The flavor is unremarkable and a bit tangy with some wheat and corn notes. This is a beer to be drunk ice cold by the six pack on a hot day. Beyond that only when visiting New Orleans and chumming with the locals.

Points: 74

Thanks to Brian

Cheers

Day 26, August 8

The Offering: Chimay Premiere, Belgian Trappist Dubbel ale

ABV: 7%

Very similar to the Westmalle (Day 23). A little more sweet malt notes. There is slight fig or plum taste and some caramel. Also, there is a unique banana nose with spice and yeast. The mouth has the same spice and bitterness as the Westmalle. It comes up slightly short of the Westmalle in overall enjoyment but it's close and has the same smooth finish.

Points:92

Thanks to Josh

Cheers

Day 25, August 7

The Offering: Stillwater Artisanal, of Love & Regret, Belgian Saison ale

ABV: 7.2%

Besides the explosive opening this beer is wonderful. As soon as I popped to cap this thing took off like a volcano. It was straight from the fridge with no prior agitation, so just be warned.

After it settled and I got to take a pull it was fantastic. I have never had a beer with such unique characteristics. It pours a copper kind of blood orange color. After the initial explosion the head settled down quickly, rather aggressively actually. The head started at about two inches and settled completely before I could take a picture.

The nose is a little sour with some herbal tones and maybe a little sweet. The first taste is wild like lavender, cinnamon and barley with a significant mustiness. It's not sweet or bitter really but there is some tartness and good spice. The finish is like a mouvedre (my favorite, so I may be biased) to borrow from the wine world, definite mustiness again.

Overall this one is great and I recommend it to anyone wanting something a little different.

Points:95

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 24, August 6

The Offering: Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, IPA

ABV: 8%

California hop stoopid for sure. Big floral cascade hops with IBU's to match. This one is definitely delicious. Lagunitas has always impressed, and if you get a chance head up to Petaluma and try some of their tap only brews like The Geuze.

Points: 92

Thanks to Becky

Cheers

Day 23, August 5

The Offering: Westmalle Dubbel, Trappist ale

ABV: 7%

Ever since Friday's incredible Rochefort 10, I have been craving another brilliant Trappist. This is a Dubbel so it's a bit different in style but it's the closest I had in the fridge.

Right off the bat I was let down but it's hard to match perfection. This is a very solid beer but it doesn't match the complexities of the Rochefort. There is no sweetness but i get a little unsweetened caramel and chocolate. There is a dark bitterness with some spicy notes. Also, I get some floral notes with an incredible smooth finish. Overall, this is very pleasant and the best Dubbel I've tasted, it really only comes up short when compared to the Rochefort. I definitely recommend it.

Points: 94

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 22, August 4

 
The Offering: North Coast Brewery, Scrimshaw pilsner

ABV:4.4%

This was bland, even for a pils. I think it is simply too difficult to follow last nights performance, I'm not sure any beer would get rave reviews. On the positive side, the Scrimshaw was very smooth with a slightly floral taste. It had a little bitterness, but mostly just a watered down version of any beer I would prefer.

Points: 82

Thanks to Corrie and Josh

Cheers

Day 21, August 3

The Offering: Trappistes Rochefort 10, Belgian Quadrupel. Bottled at 9:06am Jan 17, 2011

ABV: 11.3%

This is an awesome awesome beer! This is the quintessential Belgian Trappist ale. I am really glad I was able to get a few Belgians recently under my belt before tasting this so I could really appreciate what an amazing beer this is.

The Roche 10 is a dark creamy ale that coats your mouth deliciousness. Notes of slightly sweet malt, plum, and caramel along with some unsweetened bitter chocolate. This is a super smooth tasty Trappist and I can't imagine getting much better.

Points: 98

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Note: I mistakenly called this a Tripel when I originally posted. This is actually a Quadrupel. Essentially, Quadrupels are Dubbels with more umph. More sugar is added and more fermentation takes place resulting in a higher alcohol percentage.

Day 20, August 2

The Offering: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Oro de calabaza, artisan golden ale - Batch 1028, 06/05/12

ABV: 8%

This is a sour aged ale similar to the Petrus and just as delicious. It's labeled as barrel aged and bottle conditioned and you can really taste it. There are definite notes of oak barrel. The main palate is dry lemon citrus with some unsweetened cider and spice. The oak comes later with some stringent bitterness. Once again, the sours make for great beers. They are unique to most and you can tell a great deal of care went into the production. I highly recommend this one and look forward to more Jolly Pumpkin offerings.

Points: 93

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 19, August 1

The Offering: La Trappe Tripel

ABV: 8%

Interesting note about La Trappe. The beer was originally brewed by Trappist monks and therefore considered one of eight "Trappist" breweries. In the late 90's the monks licensed the operations to Bavaria and consequently lost the right to be called Trappist. To regain the Trappist name the monks reinvolved themselves in the day to day operations and in 2005 were allowed back into the order of Trappist breweries.

As for the Tripel... spicy, bitter, slightly malty sweet like others but it's missing something. Katie says it's good on the front of the palette and it finishes well but the middle is lacking. I tend to agree. It has slightly lower ABV than other Tripels and little less taste.

Maybe I'm slightly put off by the commercialization of a classic beer or it really is missing something but I'm definitely ranking it lower than the other similar Belgians.

Points: 88

Thanks to Katie

Cheers