Dogfish Head - Pearl Jam Faithfull Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was fairly disappointing, as it didn't really taste like Pearl Jam. Tasted like a particularly fruity belgian pale ale. Nothing special for the inflated price.

21st Amendment - Fireside Chat

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

The spice mix does not work in this. The aftertaste lingers and isn't pleasant. Like bad, bitter medicine?

Appalachian Brewing Co - Batch No 666 Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I had no idea what was going to be in this bottle. It has no description on it at all and there was nothing on the shelf (except the price of $5).

And... its fine. Nothing spectacular or terrible. According to their website, its a "devilish halloween brew" whatever that means. Slight roasted and caramel malt taste. No real hop bitterness. I'd pass.

Stone - Vertical Epic 11.11.11

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Another year, another weird beer.

This one is brewed with chilies and cinnamon. The chilies certainly stand out in the beer, but its not spicy. Its more... I'm not good with describing chilies, but its not one that I'd like in a beer. Smokey? Pass.

Sam Adams - Tasman Red

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was actually really good. The musty hop flavor came through nicely (tasted like the same hops as in Devil Dancer but without a shit ton of them) and it was balanced by a nice caramely maltness. I'd recommend it, and if it came in 6 packs I'd probably actually buy it on occasion.

Schlafly - Christmas Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Hmm. Really sweet, not very carbonated. The spice mix is... I don't know. I don't think it works. It's okay, but I wouldn't get it again.

Troegs - The Mad Elf

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Reminds me of a dubbel, but less effervescent and a lot sweeter.

Diamond Knot - Industrial IPA

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Not bad. Nice malt backbone to go along with the slightly piney & grapefruit hopiness to it. Reasonable price too ($5).

21st Amendment/Ninkasi - Allies Win the War!

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Yet more cool artwork/labeling from 21st Amendment.

The beer contained in the box (and cans) is enjoyable enough. Mildly sweet, maybe a hint of the dates. Decent enough bitterness. Not really memorable or anything to go out of your way to get.

New Belgium - Snow Day

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Ew. This has a weird soapy/metallic aftertaste. Would not recommend.

North Coast - 2011 Old Stock Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I thought I had reviewed this previously, but I guess not. This is pretty darn enjoyable. Lots of malty caramely goodness.

Samuel Adams - The Vixen (Chocolate Chili Bock)

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

It's certainly chocolatey. I was hoping for at least a hint of heat (sort of like the Great Divide Chocolate Yeti). It improved a lot as it warmed up.


Bonus Mandy Thoughts:
[In the middle of a losing streak from card games]
This beer tastes like "loss" to me. It probably tastes like victory to you. But the tides may be turning!!!

Epic Big Bad Baptist

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

The new blogger interface the orignal post. Fuck you google for ruining blogger (not that it was great before, but I never lost posts) and Reader.

I think my comments were that it reminded me of burnt coffee that had sat in a carafe for entirely too long, and then had half a shot of whiskey dumped in it. Somehow it was still enjoyable.

DuClaw - 2010 Oak Aged Black Jack Stout

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Yet another beer on my DuClaw adventure. The bottle clarifies in a few places that it was whiskey barrel aged and not just on oak planks or something like that.

A little thinner than I'd like. Nice bourbon & vanilla notes in the finish. A prickly carbonation to it. Standard roasted malt and slight coffee bitterness. Not bad (or badly priced), but the barrel aged double black lightning was a lot better than this.

Bayerischer Banhoff Brettanomyces Lambicus

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Definitely sour. Occassionally has an aftertaste of sour buttered popcorn. Definitely unique.

Geary's Hampshire Special Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

A lot more bitter than I expected.

Slight chocolate flavor. Enjoyable enough.

Oliver's - Freddie's Revenge (Cask)

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Slightly tart? Maybe it was the combination of the coffee. Molasses and a slight spice flavor. Just okay.

Duck Rabbit - Russian Imperial Stout

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

It got better as it warmed up. It had a strong ash tray bitterness to it. I'd probably pass.

Magic Hat - Ravell, Encore & Howl

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Porter brewed with vanilla

Pretty tasty.




Not Picture - Encore

A wheat ipa

This was actually pretty good. Slightly lemony with a nice bitterness. I'd drink it again.

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Victory - St Otto

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Mandy's tasting progression:
"It tastes like wine! Oh now I get the smoke. Its like grilled wine."
[10 seconds pass]
"It just tastes like an ashtray now."
[Takes another sip]
"Now it just tastes smoked."

Flying Fish - Winter Reserve

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Not terrible. Almost like a light tripel.

Epic/DC Brau - Fermentation Without Representation

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Fairly enjoyable. Slight pumpkin/squash taste (this may be imagined). Pretty sweet. Touch of vanilla.

Baying Hound - Long Snout Stout

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

 This was not enjoyable. There was a severe off taste to it that reminded me of rubbing alcohol. It only got worse as it warmed up. Sad.

Long Trail - Hibernator

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Eh. Nothing exciting here. Not sweet or heavy. Slight bitterness. The malt profile isn't very interesting. I'd pass.

Flying Dog - The Fear

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I really like the label art. I'm susceptible to marketing.  A little bitter. Lots of all-spice.

This is pretty enjoyable. I'd get it again.

Widmer Bros. - Barrel Aged Brrrrbon

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I think that's the name of it.

It's okay. Definitely barrel aged. I think I like it better than the Backwoods Bastard, but that's not saying much. The primary flavor is vanilla vanilla vanilla bourbon. Eh.

Marshmallow Pebbles

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Due to my irrational love of fruity pebbles, I had high expectations when I bought this last week. The cereal flavor is a generic vanilla that's mildly sweet. The marshmallows are pretty standard. It would have been better had they just dumped the marshmallows into a box of fruity pebbles.

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

New Belgium - Trippel

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Hmm. Interesting. The coriander makes this taste like a white ale, but there's definitely the standard tripel flavors (cherry, super sweet, etc.). Enjoyable enough.

Green Flash - Barleywine

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was pretty enjoyable. The hops weren't completely ridiculously over the top in it.

Weyerbacher - Merry Monks

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Mandy bought me a six pack of this for my birthday :-)

Actually a rather enjoyable & affordable tripel. Its not super sweet

Lagunitas - Our Own Bavarian Styled Doppel Weizen

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Hmm. It has a really strange finish for the style. Its mainly just really sweet, without a lot of banana or dark fruity flavors. Almost more citrusy. Its an okay brew, but Aventinus is the same exact price. Pass.

Lost Rhino - Rhin'Ofest

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Ehm. A mildly flavor marzen. Not bad, not great.

Bear Republic - Racer 5

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

A slightly less flavorful Two Hearted Ale. Its fairly sweet, not very bitter, more floral, citrusy, etc.

It also (allegedly) caused Mandy to have stomach pains the next day.

DuClaw - Oak Aged Double Black Lightning

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I ran across two barrel aged offerings from DuClaw and decided to pick them up in an effort to drink local.

This is actually really good. I think its based off of their normal black IPA, but it tastes more like a subtlety piney stout than a super piney/citrusy/whatever IPA. There are notes of vanilla from the barrel aging. I'd recommend it.

Sixpoint - Righteous Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This is pretty enjoyable. Subtle lemony taste from the hops. Not overly spicy/strong rye flavor. No where near as bitter as Red's Rye PA from Founders. The rye isn't as prominent either.

Best brew by Sixpoint I've had so far (out of Autumnation and Sweet Action).

Sixpoint - Autumnation

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This is not a "traditional" pumpkin ale. It is heavily hopped and would probably be mistaken for some sort of pale ale if not for the labeling.

Its decent enough.

Founders - KBS 2011

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

As a treat for my birthday, I pulled one of the two KBS that I kept from earlier in the year.

Still delicious. Still slightly bitter. Coffee is more prevalent now than chocolate was last time (at least per what I said last time). Hints of vanilla and oak from the barrel aging are in the background.

He'brew Genesis 15:15 Barrel Aged Harvest Barleywine

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was pretty good. Strong raisin flavor. There's a lingering warmness from the alcohol. A vast improvement on whatever the other barrel aged offering I had from them.

Schlafly Reserve - Imperial Stout 2008

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was really good. Probably one of the better purchases recently.

The barrel aging didn't completely overwhelm the beer, or the three years this aged helped mellow it out. Its not super sweet or bitter. Really smooth. It was deceptively drinkable. Mandy even said she almost enjoyed it (this is high praise from her for a stout).

I'd highly recommend it.

Sierra Nevada - 2011 Estate Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was pretty enjoyable. Not worth it at the price point though ($10).

Founders - Backwoods Bastard

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I didn't think this was very good. Very boozy. Almost like a watery whiskey.

Stillwater Artisan Ales - Barrel Aged Cellar Door

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

A slight tartness from the wine barrels. The sage is pretty prevalent (Mandy didn't like this). Sort of reminds me of Sofie (which I haven't had in a while), except with some sage in it. It's interesting and tasty, but definitely not worth the price I paid for it.

De Proef & Terrapin - Monstre Rouge

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Well, this isn't what I was expecting.

To start, its not really sour. Second, its a little bitter (for the style). Almost no aftertaste.

Not comparing it to a flemish red ale, I guess its okay. Its pretty malty a fruity, but has a fairly dry finish at the same time. I guess its okay.

Would not recommend, mainly due to the price.

Great Divide - Rumble

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was alright. Nothing special. I think I'd rather have a Two Hearted Ale.

Weihenstephaner - Hefeweissbier Dark

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was okay. Relatively light, some banana and clove taste. Fairly cloudy from the yeast. I'd get it again.

Black Diamon - Peak XV Imperial Porter

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was just alright. A little thin. Slight chocolate taste. Doesn't really improve as it warms up.

Southern Tier - Harvest Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Unoffensive. Slightly hoppy & malty.