Left Hand - Stranger Pale Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Smelled better than it tasted. Mildly sweet & moderate bitterness. I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again.

Port City - Optimal Wit

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I've had this on a few occasions now, but this was the first six pack that I've purchased. Its a really fantastic white ale that hits all the right notes. Strong lemony/orange flavor. Perfect for the summer.

Anchorage Brewing - Whiteout Wit

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

The description for this beer was intriguing. A white ale aged in chardonnay barrels with brett.

The brett is more prevalent in the smell than the taste. I don't get any real spiciness or bite from peppercorns. Standard lemony/citrusy white ale flavor, with some earthiness from the brett. Really good. I'd recommend it.

Bear Republic - Red Rocket Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This is a lot darker than I was expecting. Its also a lot hoppier than I was expecting. Its good though.

Shipyard - Smashed Pumpkin

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

A vast improvement over the Pumpkinhead. The nutmeg is a little strong, but I like it.

Bonus Mandy Thoughts:
Its nice for a pumpkin beer because you can tell its a pumpkin beer, but its not as spice laden as Pumpkinhead, but i don't know if i'll want the whole thing because i don't like pumpkin that much. Doo Doo Doo Doo.

New Holland - Ichabod

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

My first pumpkin beer of the season. Pretty decent. The spices aren't overpowering or artificially sweet.

Smuttynose - Big A IPA

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

A nice amount of caramely maltiness. A lingering grapefruit bitterness.

New Belgium - Ranger IPA

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was pretty enjoyable. I bought it for $2.79. Would buy again at that price. Fairly bitter & floral. Not really sweet.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Super Cru

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

[Per somewhere else on the bottle, this is a take on the Fat Tire recipe, but with belgian yeast and pear juice]

Hmm. Not sure that I get the pear juice. Sort of smells and tastes like a hefeweizen. But a lot sweeter. Eh. I wouldn't recommend it.

Chatoe Rogue First Growth Creek Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Eh. A slightly weird cherry taste at the end. No tartness. Not that great. Would not buy again.

Ommegang Aphrodite

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Hmm. This has a slight taste of raspberries. The bottle says it was fermented with brett, but I don't think it really has much funkiness to it. Its much more drinkable than the Blushing Monk was. I wouldn't go out of my way for it though.

Bonus Mandy Thoughts
It looks pink! Is it a raspberry lemonade? Ugh. Ugh. My taste buds are offended. [Immediately takes a palate cleansing sip of Two Hearted Ale] Pomegranate?

Sierra Nevada - Life & Limb

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

I'm very glad that I didn't buy a bottle of this from the last batch when I saw it for sale (twice) for $25. I picked this up for $10.

Smells slightly sweet and there's a hint of birch in the smell.

Its not as sweet as I thought it would be. Slightly malty, fairly smooth. A slight bitterness to the finish. Its honestly fairly nondescript.

I wouldn't recommend it.

Flying Dog - Backyard Ale

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Hmm. Slightly smokey. Not over powering. Its tasty and enjoyable, but not worth the steep price tag ($18).

Maui Brewing - Coconut Porter

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Smells really sweet. If the name didn't say "coconut" I'm not sure I'd be able to place the taste. You can definitely pick out some toasted coconut flavor though. Definitely sweet.

Not sure I'm in love.

Starr Hill - Double Platinum

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Not as bitter as the Big A IPA last night. Enjoyable enough.

Great Divide - Belgian Style Yeti

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Hmm. This is pretty good. I think I like the 25 to 1 better though. The belgian yeast is slightly subtle, not as prominent as the 25 to 1 (or Fluxus 2010). I'd buy it again.

Stone Collaboration - Cherry Chocolate Stout

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

You can sort of smell the cherries.

Ooo. I think I like it. Its not tart. Medium sweetness. The chocolate & cherries are detectable, but don't completely dominate the taste. I thought it was enjoyable.

Duck Rabbit - Duck Rabbator

Oooo. This is tasty. More of a roasted malt taste than just over poweringly sweet & bready. I would definitely buy again.

Sixpoint - Sweet Action

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Brewer's Art Dinner at Meridian Pint

I didn't really set out to document the entire dinner and my will power/focus was slightly gone by the end of the meal, so the last course is not pictured (Raspberry creme brule with Resurrection). We also received a late pour of the Flying Dog/Brewer's Art collaboration, Table for Two that is not pictured. It was supposed to accompany the amuse bouche which was a deviled egg. Blech.

First Up: Tomato Consomme with Tomatoes, Summer Squash, Naturtiums and Herbs (Not Pictured) -- Saison des Mystéres

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This was pretty enjoyable. A little more malty or sweet than a typical saison. The consomme was pretty tasty. The herbs and such in it were great.

2nd course:
Lobster and Cantaloupe Salad with Baby Mache and Lemon Verbena -- Ozzy

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Presented without commentary because I forgot to write anything down.

3rd Course:
Barbecued Duck Breast with Maryland Corn Pudding and Grilled Peaches -- Canard

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

The meal was awesome. The corn pudding was particularly delicious. If they had it on the menu all the time I would order it frequently. The Canard was highly malty and sweet. It reminded me of a Maudite. It paired really well with the duck.

4th Course:
Crispy Proscuitto with Marscapone and a Warm Fig -- Green Peppercorn Tripel

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

This beer was great. The peppercorns really came through in addition to a traditional triple profile. I thought it was the best beer of the night. The dish was a little disappointing. The prosciutto lost much of its flavor (i.e., salt) in the frying. It was crispy though. I just didn't think it worked.

5th Course:
Raspberry Creme Brulee with Almond Biscotti -- Resurrection [Not Pictured]

Overall the dinner was really enjoyable. The beers were definitely good and I'd recommend buying bottles if you ever stumble across them or visit Baltimore.

New Holland Farmhouse Hatter

I'm not sure why I bought this. Probably because I'm a sucker for any beer that combines the words "belgian" and "IPA" on a label.

This drinks like a bitter saison. Fairly dry. Prickly from a lot of carbonation. Eh. I wouldn't recommend it.

Avery - IPA

From Joe Drinks Dinner and Stuff

Apparently I've been on an Avery kick recently.

I've had their IPA on a few occasions, probably mostly at bars since I haven't reviewed it here yet.

Drum roll...

A perfectly acceptable IPA. I wouldn't be surprised if Mandy picked this up instead of Loose Cannon when Two Hearted Ale isn't at the store.