Allagash White

Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Style: Witbier
ABV: 5.2
Country: USA, Maine

Bright straw yellow, hazy with visible yeast and sediments. Fluffy white head dissipated rather quickly but left some bubbly lacing. Lemongrass, dry wheat, yeast, and malt grains were the most prevalent flavors in the aroma. Dry and smooth moutfeel was the first thing noticed. Wheat flavor was most noticeable but didn't dominate the other sweet malt flavors. Lemon zest and earthy notes from the yeast are present throughout which led to a light bitterness in the finish. Carbonation is on the lighter side of things but still has a nice crispness to it. This was a fantastic beer and a perfect one to drink on a hot day. I'll be looking forward to having more of this. A

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Brewery: Brasserie de Rochefort
Style: Quadrupel
ABV: 11.30%
Counrty: Belgium

Finally got around to having the last of the Rochefort trappist ales. Number 10 is the big bad wolf of the trio clocking in at 11.30% ABV. I remembered the other Rocheforts were too carbonated for my liking so I made sure to do an aggressive pour in order to force a massive head and work some of the CO2 out of the beer. Most of the glass was head after the pour, but it dissipated rather quickly considering the amount. Color was dark, brown, and cloudy just like the others, couldn't see pieces of yeast floating in it like the others. The aroma was the most muted of the three. Some raisins were there along with grains. Alcohol was certainly present along with plenty of yeast. The first sip was revealed a thick and smooth body. Lots of bready malts with a hint of butter flavor. Plenty of subtle flavors were swimming around. Pepper and spice linger nicely. Malts are sweet, sticky, and creamy. Light bitterness and a lingering bread flavor round out the finish. For an 11% ABV beer, the alcohol is concealed nicely. It certainly imparts its strength through a nice warming This beer is a slow sipper and would pair nicely with a fine cigar and some strong cheeses. This one was by far my favorite of the Rocheforts, I'll be having this one again for sure. A

Southern Tier Choklat Imperial Stout

Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.0%
Country: USA, New York

This was another find from the State Line Liquor Store, the first beer on this blog from Southern Tier, and the second imperial stout that I've personally reviewed. This came in a big 22oz bomber that will leave me weak in the knees by the end of the night. Poured nearly pitch black with only a small hint of caramel near the edges. Nice thin and tan head that settled into a nice and lingering lace. Aroma is full of plenty of types of different types of chocolate. Cocoa powder is the most prevalent along with some dark chocolate. Absolutely fantastic aroma, one of the best. The first sip was nice and smooth with plenty of chocolate. Chocolate flavor was not as pronounced as the aroma but still quite noticeable and plenty rich. Plenty of sweetness along with dark and roasted malts are quite potent. Mouthfeel is smooth and a bit syrupy. Finish was more roasted malts and a nice a lingering bitterness that wasn't overpowering. The most surprising aspect of this brew is that the 11% ABV is completely hidden. There are no astringent flavors at any point. Wonderfully chocolaty and absolutely delicious, I'd have this again in a heartbeat. A

Curator Dunkler Doppelbock

Brewery: Ettaler Klosterbrauerei
Style: Doppelbock
ABV: 9.0%
Country: Germany

Another fine looking German beer here. The bottle claims that the recipe dates back to 1609 and the monastery where it was brewed dates back to 1330, so a bit of history here. Poured a dark-brown color with a thin and tan head. Cola like in appearance. Aroma was dark and sweet with molasses, raisins, and cherries along with a spicy kick. Taste is quite complex. Raisins and cherries are both present upfront along with a molasses sweetness and a hint of caramel. Floral and earthy hop flavors are present as well throughout. The finish is dry with a hint of bitterness that lingers slightly. The mouth-feel is syrupy and has plenty of carbonation to give it a kick. Leaves behind some oily residues. A hint of alcohol reminds you that this is 9% ABV but the astringency is covered up for the most part. This went down remarkably easy and would be dangerous in large quantities, great to drink though and I thoroughly enjoyed this. A

Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA

Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Company
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9.0%
Country: USA, Pennsylvania

This was another beer that I found while at State Line Liquors. The "SIMCOE" in big bold letters on the bottle caught my eye immediately. The Simcoe hop is the main aroma hop of the wonderful Hopslam ale. Since my first attempt at finding a beer to tide me over until next year was a total failure, I was eager to have another go.

Poured a reddish coppery color with a nice and fluffy off-white head. Somewhat hazy with visible yeast. Big hoppy aroma is full of pine resin and citrus, this was what I remembered and loved from Hopslam. The first sip carried with it plenty of the hoppy flavors from the aroma. Sticky pine was the most prevalent with the citrus flavors playing second fiddle. Plenty of sweet, caramel malts managed to hold their own though and lent the body a thick and creamy mouthfeel that was quite pleasant. Speaking of the body, it coated the mouth well and left a lingering residue that was quite tasty. The finish crept up slowly with a pleasing bitterness that stuck around with the stickiness. This was quite a delicious and well balanced brew that I'll have to remember the next time I'm in the mood for some Hopslam and it isn't January. A

Troegs Nugget Nectar

Brewery: Troegs Brewing Company
Style: American Amber Ale
ABV: 7.5%
Country: USA, Pennsylvania

Another big seasonal release that gets purchased rapidly as soon as it is released. Came in a giant 22oz bomber and given the alcohol content, makes this equal to nearly four regular beers. Poured a bright amber color with hints of red. Big and fluffy head left plenty of lace and lots of ringing going down the sides. Aroma had plenty of pine up front with some citrus and hints of sweetness. Sweet flavor up front with a huge taste of hops. Both pine and citrus flavors present. Flavor turned to bready malts and a bracingly dry and bitter finish. Nice medium body with plenty of spicy carbonation. Bitterness lingers a long time after drinking. This beer is in the same class as Hopslam but a bit scaled down. Essentially a Hopslam lite. Incredibly delicious and quite drinkable. This made its presence felt and was fabulous. I'll be picking this up again when it comes out again next year. A

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

Brewer: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 18%
Country: USA, Delaware

"A very dark beer brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley" proclaims this bottle. At 18% ABV, this is by far the most potent beer I've ever had. At 10$ for a 12 oz bottle, I wont be having this too often either.

Poured a dark black with some hints of caramel around the edges. No foam whatsoever with only a few bubbles around the edge of the glass. Smell had some chocolate to it along with some sweetness and plenty of alcohol.

The first sip was a kick in the mouth. Some chocolate and coffee present but those are quickly overpowered by a wave of alcohol. The first few sips were similar, but as I went on, the alcohol flavors subsided and more of the drinks character came out. This drank more like a port or a brandy than a beer; Small sips over a long period of time. There is a syrupy slickness to the mouth-feel. Great warming feeling going down. More roasted flavors as it reached room temperature. Typical stouts are servers at around 50 - 55 degrees. This one was better as it became warmer than that. This sort of beer is the kind that can be cellared for a number of years to improve the flavor. As it ages, some of the harsh notes from the alcohol mellow out and the drink becomes more smooth. Overall, as is, I thought it was a great sipper. Quite relaxing and perfect for a cold and dreary day. Still, at 18% ABV, one of these is about the same as 4-5 American light beers and enough to leave me feeling half in the bag. A

Rogue Chocolate Stout

Brewery: Rogue Ales
Style: Stout
ABV: 6%
Country: USA, Oregon

Poured a pitch black, no hint of brown anywhere around the edges. Nice and thick head. The foam was a light chocolate color appropriately enough. Quite foamy and bubbly, it left a lingering lace.

Rich chocolate aroma with a touch of oatmeal. Quite a pleasing aroma, this is up there with the Founder's Breakfast Stout in the smell department.

Initial taste was sweeter than I initially expected but certainly not in a bad way. Earthy hop flavors mix with the sweetness initially. Smooth, dark chocolate flavors are present throughout. Finish is bracingly bitter. The aftertaste presents the toasted flavors that I was expecting. Best way to describe it would be roasted toffee. Bitterness lingers a long time.

Mouthfeel was nice and creamy from oatmeal malts. Carbonation gives this a nice spiciness that mixes well with the flavors. Certainly not a typical stout. Coffee flavors are much more understated than in a typical stout. By far, my favorite part of this is the aroma. So smooth and chocolaty, I could smell this all day. Everything else about this beer is incredibly pleasing to sip on. Fantastic. A

Racer 5 India Pale Ale

Brewery: Bear Republic Brewing Company
Style: IPA
ABV: 7%
Country: USA, California

Bright amber color and clear. Bottle conditioned so yeast and other particulate is visible. Nice head, about a finger thick which left plenty of lace and rings going down.

Aroma is sticky sweet with a lush wave of grapefruit and pineapple with a little bit of earthiness to it. Tons of dry-hopping going on here, very pleasant to smell.

Sweet malty taste. Plenty of citrus notes from the aroma are present while sipping. Body is nice and velvety. Some creamy banana-like flavors show up in the middle. Light carbonation keeps this pleasant to swirl around. Finish is a pleasing dry bitterness. Goes down nice and easy. This is on the stronger end of the IPA spectrum and is close to becoming an Imperial IPA. Flavors are nice and balanced that is a bit more sweet than bitter. This is a fantastic beer that I'll certainly need to drink more of. A

Duvel Triplel Hop Special Ale

Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 9.5%
Country: Belgium

Here is the bottle that my wife gave me for Christmas. A fantastic pick as Duvel is a world renowned brewery and the Duvel classic beer is a fantastic beer that needs to be reviewed on this site. The Tripel Hop version of Duvel is the same basic recipe as the classic Duvel with extra hop addition. The original contains both the Saaz-Saaz and Styrian Golding hops. This version adds the Amarillo hop and is dry-hopped with a second serving Styrian Golding. This dry-hopping imparts more hop aromas to the final product.

Poured a bright golden yellow, hazy and bubbly. Huge amount of bright white fluffy foam that never goes away.

This had a light aroma that was fruity, sweet, and floral.

Several fruit flavors present, some apricots and bananas. Nice alcohol spiciness is warming and pleasant. Creamy body and light carbonation levels makes this delightful to taste. Finished with a nice bitterness, warming lingering alcohol taste, and slight biscuit flavors. Well balanced and delicious. A

Fat Head's Head Hunter

Brewery: Fat Head's Brewery
Style: IPA
ABV: 7.9%
Country: USA, Pennsylvania

Mar and I were in Pittsburgh for the Winter Classic on New Years day and had gotten a recommendation to check out Fathead's Saloon located down on Carson St. This place was absolutely fantastic. Fathead's boasts 42 different beers on tap from places such as Stone, Dogfish Head, Founders, and Bell's. They also include about half a dozen house brews on tap from a wide array of styles. Food here was fantastic as well. Lots of different burgers and sandwiches including sandwiches picked by Maxim as the best in the country.

The first beer I had here was the Head Hunter IPA which was a silver medal winner at the 2010 Great American Beer Fest. It poured a bright amber color with a hint of orange. The head was thin and wispy that didn't linger long.

This had the most unique aroma of all the beers I've had so far. A big wave of sharp pine with basil, thyme, and other herbs in the background. I'd always heard of pine hop aromas before, but this was the most pronounced by a mile. A wonderful smell for sure.

Taste was as pine filled as the aroma. If you managed to turn a Christmas tree into a beer, it would taste a heck of a lot like this beer. Fruity hops made an appearance as well with plenty if pineapple, grapefruit, and lemon present. A mouth puckering wave of bitterness finished this off and lingered around a long time. This was listed at 89 IBU but tasted almost as bitter as the Stone Ruination IPA which is listed at 100+ IBU. This goes to illustrate how important the malt sweetness and hop bitterness balance out. A bit more malt would go a long way to make this a bit more balanced. Overall though, this was a fantastic beer that I would drink again in a heartbeat. If you are ever in the Pittsburgh area, do yourself a favor and check this place out and get yourself a glass or two (or three). A

La Fin Du Monde

Brewer: Unibroue
Style: Tripel
ABV: 9%
Country: Canada

"La Fin du Monde" is French for "The End of the World." For New Years Eve, this seems like an appropriate choice. The tripel style originated in Belgium as a strong pale ale. The name is derived from the brewing process where up to three times the malt found in a standard Trappist ale is used. While not a traditional Trappist ale, La Fin du Monde is brewed in the fashion.

This beer can be found in a large 750mL bottle or a 12 oz foil wrapped bottle. Mine was poured from the latter. Pour was a bright gold straw color. A big white fluffy head hung around like a cloud. Another bottle conditioned beer so the body was hazy and contained lots of bubbles.

The smell has a lot going on. Sweet and flowery aroma up front with some honey and spiciness mixed in.

Plenty of spiciness found in the aroma leads the taste charge. Plenty of flowers, honey, and apples present as well. A warming hint of alcohol shows up at the end. The body has a syrupy mouth feel along with a champagne like effervescence. Nearly no bitterness. Finishes crisp and easy, incredibly delicious. A sneaky little bastard goes down without giving much indication that it packs a punch. I could drink a whole bunch of them in quick succession followed by an slurred, incoherent conversation with a tool shed. An outstanding beer, drink 'em if you've got 'em. A

Delirium Tremens

Brewery: Brouwerij Huyghe
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Country: Belgium

Another beer from the Belgium brewery Huyghe, which according to the bottle, has been around since 1654. Bo had the first review with the Delirium Noel. This was a big 750mL bottle that I poured into my stein. It poured a light sunny yellow with a thick and foamy head that lingered a long time. The head eventually receded to a lace that stuck around for a while. It was slightly cloudy with plenty of particles from bottle conditioning.

The aroma was fruity, with some grapes present. This smelled similar to, of all things, a pinot grigio.

The first sip revealed a sweet and bubbly taste. Plenty of fruity flavors were present. Apricot, grapes, and apples all came through on this one. There was almost no bitterness to speak of with only a bit sneaking in at the end. Medium body with lots of carbonation. Finish was crisp and dry. Reminded me of a mix between a sparkling wine and a hard cider.

This beer does a great job of hiding it alcohol content. This also goes down incredibly easy. Between the easy drinkability and high ABV, this would be an easy beer to floor yourself with before you knew what hit you. I really enjoyed this one from start to finish, very refreshing. Forget about Miller High Life, this beer is a much more worthy bearer for the champagne of beer. I'd certainly have this one again. A

Ruination IPA

Brewer: Stone Brewing Company
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 7.7%
Country: USA, California

Stone brewing company is known for their bold and powerful beers. Not for the faint of heart for sure. The Ruination IPA proudly proclaims itself to be "A liquid poem to the glory of the hop." In that sense this brew certainly does not disappoint. This beer is listed at 100+ I.B.U.s (International Bitterness Units, yes thats real) which puts it past the theoretical limit of the unit. If you don't like hops, prepare to be knocked on your ass.

It pours out a cloudy gold which leaves a thin head which vanishes rapidly. Looking in the glass, I could literally see tiny bits of bitterness floating around. A sweet aroma gave a hint of honey and grapefruit.

The first sip yielded a nice, medium body with a touch of sweet malts and grapefruit. This was nothing more but a tease before the beer bent my mouth over and had its way with me. A big wave of piny, bitter hops exploded and stuck around. The dry and bitter aftertaste lingers and lingers and lingers. Did I mention that this stuff was bitter.

My wife tried a sip and said that it was so bitter it made her dizzy. This is serious business. Don't plan on drinking any other beers after this one if you expect to taste something other than bitter hops.

This backs a punch and is a great beer: a solid A

Photos by: http://marleyphoto.oliad.com/