Day 140, November 30

The Offering: Drakes 1500 Pale Ale, Drakes Brewing Co. California, USA

ABV: 5.5%

Overall pretty uneventful. The basics are there but no pizazz. Not much nose. The mouth is dry, hoppy and bitter but lacks character. Not a bad brew per se, just not much going on.

Points:75

Thanks to T and congrats on the new house!

Cheers

Day 139, November 29

The Offering: River Horse Special Ale, ESB. River Horse Brewing. New Jersey, USA

ABV: 4.5%

Malty apple nose. The mouth continues the apple notes without the sweetness. There is also a significant maltiness to the mouth along with bitter hops. The bitterness is quite biting but fades quickly. Pretty nice but won't knock your socks off.

Points: 79

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 138, November 28

The Offering: 2XMas, spiced beer, Southern Tier Brewing Co. New York, USA.

ABV: 8%

Citrus and spice (and everything nice). Cinnamon and nutmeg are prominent on the nose. Orange and spice come through on the mouth. It's not sweet but the spices make it seem sweet, like a gingersnap cookie. It's actually pretty bitter and dry. A little too kitsch but not bad.

Points: 79

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 137, November 27

The Offering: Mongo, India Pale Ale, Port Brewing Co. California, USA.

ABV: 8.5%

Mongo needs to take a bath. The nose is primarily hops and a little juniper but with an underlying note of dirty gym socks. There are some styles that can afford a little gym sock funk, but this is not one of them. The mouth is big and very bitter as expected. It's a little woody, and a little spicy throughout. The finish is crisp and astringent.

Points: 79

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 136, November 26

The Offering: Harpoon Winter Warmer. Harpoon Brewery, Massachusetts, USA.

ABV: 5.9%

This is Harpoon's winter offering. I wound definitely expect better from them. Harpoon has a pretty large production but it mainly sticks to the East Coast making it a little more crafty than say Sam Adams. Anyway, this was disappointing non the less. The nose is pretty unpleasant. Malts come through primarily, but the rest of the nose is just no good. Banana is pretty big on the mouth along with clove and some spiciness. The finish is cool and slightly crisp. Not great overall.

Points: 60

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 135, November 25

The Offering: Winter 12, Brouwerj Hof Ten Dormaal. Saison. Belgium

ABV: 8%

Fruity funky brew. The nose has strong sour raspberry notes with funk. The nose doesn't carry over and the mouth surprisingly has no sourness. It is still funky a bitter but the sour raspberry goes away. Wheat and caramel come to the front. The brew is clearly unfiltered and has quite a bit of sediment. Also noteworthy, the brew is relatively flat. Most of the Saisons I've had are quite gassy. Good but not great.

Points: 84

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 134, November 24

The Offering: Singha, Boon Rawd Brewery Co. Thailand

ABV: 5.0%

Pretty ok bitter Pilsener. This is much better than the cheap American equivalent. I have to admit I was going in with low expectations, and there were some definite corn notes, but overall pleasantly surprising. If you are in Thailand this is not a bad option.

Points: 79

Thanks to Doug

Cheers

Day 133, November 23

The Offering: Stoudts Pils, Stoudts Brewing Co. German Pilsener. Pennsylvania, USA.

ABV: 5.4%

Bitter pils. Nice and crisp with some solid hops representation. The only downside is some slight oxidation. The bitterness is almost rusty at times. This could be a manufacturing error and honestly doesn't take much away. Still a good brew.

Points: 80

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 132, November 22

The Offering: Zee Zuiper, Belgian Ale, Schelde Brouwerij. Belgium

ABV: 8%

Delicious funky yeasty wheaty sour brew. This is a fun brew with a lot going on. Oranges come through on the nose and mouth along with yeasty notes. The mouth is bitter but balanced giving a pleasant mouthfeel. The funkiness comes through with the yeast along with grass and wheat. You'll like this one. Happy Thanksgiving.

Points: 91

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 131, November 21

The Offering: Duck Goose Gose, Marin Brewing, California USA

ABV: 4.4%

Solid Cali brew. It is not a Geuze like I thought looking at the name, but it is a sour funky brew. The brew is sour on the nose and mouth but not quite as tart as the sour beers. There is some definite northern California forest in this one, pine is pretty apparent. It drinks very very smoothly, especially for a sour beer. Pleasant brew.

Points: 84

Thanks to Nick Niedospial

Cheers

Day 130, November 20

The Offering: Humming Ale, Anchor Brewing, California USA

ABV: 5.9%

Super floral hops, Cascade and maybe Northern Brewer hops. Anchor uses Northern Brewer in their steam beer so it wouldn't be surprising to see it here too. Overall it's a bitter ale, but pleasant. It's a much better offering than their steam beer. Reasonable.

Points: 80

Thanks to Nicholas Leone

Cheers

Day 129, November 19

The Offering: Wreck Alley Imperial Stout, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. California USA

ABV: 9.5%

Very similar to the Heretic I had yesterday. Again an almost salty roasted malty nose, kind of like soy sauce. The mouth is molasses and chocolate shake, really quite thick and chewy. Almost has the aftertaste of a bitter root beer float. Nice imperial stout.

Points:85

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 128, November 18

The Offering: Shallow Grave Porter, Heretic Brewing Co. California USA

ABV: 7%

The nose is malty molasses goodness. It almost smells like a bullion, a little salty. The mouth has smooth roasted coffee and chocolate and has a bit of sweetness. Not really bitter but enough to balance the beer. Solid approach to a porter.

Points: 86

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 127, November 17

The Offering: Rampage Imperial IPA, Black Diamond Brewing, California USA

ABV: 9.0%

Super skunky cascade hops. It should probably only be legal in Washington and Colorado. If you hold back the urge to try and smoke it you'll find that the skunky notes develop quite nicely into pine forest and grapefruit. The hoppy bitterness really takes over in the mouth with huge grapefruit notes. The aftertaste continues more bitter hoppy grapefruit. Solid IPA.

Points: 89

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 126, November 16

The Offering: Ommegang BPA, Belgian style Pale Ale, New York USA

ABV: 6.2%

Nice funky brew. The nose is sweet with pretty strong wheat notes. Citrus comes through a little on the nose but primarily in the mouth. The mouth is a great combination of citrus, sweet wheat and barnyard yeast. Funky delicious brew. Great Belgian style American brew.

Points: 91

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 125, November 15

The Offering: Saison Dupont, Belgian Farmhouse Ale. Belgium

ABV: 6.5%

I've had number of Saisons so far and every one seems to be very different. So I was curious, what makes a Saison a Saison? Turns out, not a whole lot. Every one is different and there is no "supposed to" really associated with the style. However, reading the Wikipedia page for Saison, apparently many of them are modeled after Saison Dupont. In fact Saison Dupont was voted Best Beer in the World by The Men's Journal in 2005. It's an unexpected pleasure to be halfway through a brew and read that it was the best beer in the world to someone. I had a similar but not satisfying event happen to me in a restaurant once. I accidentally ordered the wrong bottle of wine and we didn't realize we drank an incredible bottle until it was finished and we got the check. BTW if you ever order a bottle of BV Napa, make sure it is not the George de Lateur. Or, on second thought, make sure that it is and enjoy it. I digress...

This brew is excellent! Best beer in the world? Not quite, but damn good. Nice funky citrus nose, with wheat and a little skunky cannabis. Great mouth with wheat citrus and yeasty goodness. The mouthfeel is a little thick which really makes the flavors stick with you. The finish is a little astringent almost like you just bit into a grapefruit, a very chewy grapefruit. This is a beer for all beer drinkers.

Points: 95

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Oh yeah, these are my turtles Mortisimus and Malabar

Day 124, November 14

The Offering: New Belgium Brewing, Snow Day Winter Ale, Colorado CA.

ABV: 6.2%

Not bad overall but the nose is really not that pleasant, just too funky for the style.
Chocolate coffee, bitter hops, sweet malt. Really bitter and dark. No real winter spice to warm but not bad.

Points: 80

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 123, November 13

The Offering: Stella Artois, European Pale Lager

ABV: 5%

It's not as bad as I remember it. That's about all I can say that's positive. Bitter lager with minimal pleasantries. If you're in a pinch it's not terrible.

Points: 68

Thanks to Libby and Mike

Cheers

Day 122, November 12

The Offering: Eel River Brewing Co. Earth Thirst Double IPA. California USA

ABV: 8.2%

This is a well titled brew. It smells at tastes like it was born on the forest floor. The nose is strong of sweet malty pine. The malts are medium roast and combine with the hops to make the nose thick. The mouth slightly sweet with strong pine notes mixed with the earthy malts. The mouth is thick sat well, especially for an IPA which is typically thin and crisp. This is definitely more of a meal of an IPA. The finish is more typical of the style, it's bitter and slightly astringent, but the earthy malty base stays with you. Good brew with a great name.

Points: 89

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 121, November 11

The Offering: Boundary Bay Cabin Fever Winter Ale. Washington USA

ABV: 7.0%

Quite enjoyable malty chocolately brew. The nose is full of big chocolate malt with a little dark fruit and hops. The mouth is thick with more chocolate, coffee and a hint of yeast. The dark malts are balanced well with dark fruit sweetness and some bitter hops. Quite enjoyable, if your ever up in Bellingham the brewery is worth a visit.

Points: 84

Thanks to Uncle Ron

Cheers

Day 120, November 10

The Offering: Bohemia Big Daddy, Mexico and Jalapeños Restaurant

ABV: 20% ish

A Jalapeño's specialty that is a must try. Basically, you need the largest margarita you can make and flip a beer into it. The beer will stay in the bottle until the end and it will drink like a cheep mimosa when you finish. Not really sure the beer matters as long as it's cheap and Mexican. Fun brew.

Points:85

Thanks to Uncle Ron

Cheers

Day 119, November 9

The Offering: Chuckanut Brewing Co. Schwartz bier, Washington USA

ABV: 5%

Dark and roasty all the way through. Big notes of chocolate and bitter coffee on the nose and mouth. The dark roasted malts remain the focus but the beer lacks a certain balance. There is no sweetness and no other significant flavors to keep things interesting. Pleasant but not great.

Points: 80

Thanks to Uncle Ron

Cheers

Day 118, November 8

The Offering: Pike Pub and Brewery, IPA. Washington USA

ABV: 6.5%

Floral aroma with hops and a little malt apparent. The mouth is very bitter and spicy. Definitely a bit of sweetness to start but the floral bitterness takes over almost immediately. The finish is astringent with a dryness that sucks the moisture right out of your mouth. Good IPA.

Points: 85

Thanks to Seattle

Cheers

Day 117, November 7

The Offering: Odin Brewery, Freya's Gold, Kolsch style ale. Washington USA.

ABV: 4.5%

I have discovered after a few that Kolsch style ales are not my favorite. This one is fine but again not my favorite style. The nose has a hint of citrus and a bit a bread, weird combo. The mouth is mildly bitter with a little malt but very muted overall. The finish is dry and bitter. Overall very meh.

Points: 75

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 116, November 6

The Offering: Russian River Consecration Ale,

ABV: 10.0%

This brew is aged in cabernet barrels and a secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle it's sold in. This secondary fermentation really burns through the residual sugars. This brew is super dry and sour. The nose is sour and slightly malty. The mouth has slight Bret notes but it's probably a little wild yeast that got into the fermentation. This brew is yeasty, astringent and delicious. There are some current undertones and other dark fruit without the sweetness. Very unique and enjoyable.

Points: 88

Thanks to Kevin

Cheers to Obama

Day 115, November 5

The Offering: Erdinger Hefe-weizen, weis bier, Germany

ABV: 5.3%

This hef is a bit boring and bland. The overall takeaway is very flat. It has the typical hef notes with wheat and citrus on the nose but the mouth doesn't follow through. The mouth is more sour than citrus, there is no crispness to it. It's a little spicy but I get no bitter hops. It really just isn't balanced.

Points: 60

Thanks to Katie

Prost!

Day 114, November 4

The Offering: Bockor Bellegems bruin, West Flanders Ale. Belgian sour brown ale.

ABV: 5.5%

This is quite enjoyable. Sour cranberries or cherries throughout. I pick up some sweet malt on the nose but mostly sour dark fruit. The mouth is tart and sweet again with cherries and cranberries. Not a lot of carbonation which makes the brew a little more dense feeling. I really like this sour brew. It is almost like a lambic.

Points: 88

Thanks to Katie and City Beer Store

Cheers

Day 113, November 3

The Offering: North Coast Brewing, La Merle Saison, Belgian style farmhouse ale. California USA

ABV: 7.9%

North Coast has made a great Belgian style ale. Spicy yeasty citrusy bliss. This is a well balanced brew with sweet citrus wheat and malts combining very well with the bitter hops and funky yeast. Quite refreshing and just plain nice to drink. This is not a super funky Saison but has enough to satisfy the average brew consumer.

Points: 90

Thanks to Katie

Cheers

Day 112, November 2

The Offering: Orval Trappist Ale, Belgium

ABV: 6.9%

This is the 5th Belgian Trappist brewery I've tried and this is really just more of the same good quality brew. My only complaint with the Orval is that is isn't as balanced as the others. It stays on the bitter side throughout almost like an IPA. There is a hint of sweetness on the nose but it never follows through in the mouth. The mouth is bitter, spicy and yeasty. There are some citrus notes and definitely some barn floor but mostly bitter. I really like this beer but I was slightly more impressed with its competition, hence the sub 90 rating. Enjoy.

Points:89

Thanks to Katie and City Beer Store

Cheers

Day 111, November 1

The Offering: Sint Canarus Tripel, Belgium

ABV: 7.5%

Nice pleasant brew. Nothing crazy or overpowering but an all around good brew. The nose is a little weak but it hints quite well at the bitter and wheat notes of the mouth. This brew is very mid palate oriented. The bitter and earthy flavors really present themselves as you hold the brew in your mouth. Again this is not a knock your socks off brew but very solid.

Points: 88

Thanks to Katie and City Beer Store

Cheers