Category: Beer Reviews

Posted on: November 25, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Powder Hound Review

      Powder Hound is a great blend of sweet and hoppy bitterness. The orange-red that pours from a can of Powder Hound makes the white head pop. An initial sip invites hints of toasty malts, caramel, and even touches of ginger. Piney and citrus elements are present as well, creating a nuanced and layered experience. The 7.2% ABV of Powder Hound provides a hint of a burn to…

Posted on: November 16, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Jubelale Review

  Jubelale is a beer that has enough of a body to keep individuals properly warm; the malt backbone of this beer is enough to keep imbibers interested. Jubelale touches upon an array of styles – bocks, hop-heavy beers, and is able to establish a wholly new style in the course of 12 fluid ounces. The beer pours with a reddish-brown coloration and a small bit of lacing. From there,…

Posted on: November 15, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

500 B.C. Double IPA Review

The 500 B.C. has a bouquet of citrus fruits and hops, and pours a ruddy orange into a vessel. For the pour, there is a finger’s worth of off-white head. The warmth that this DIPA provides is substantial, and provides a further indiication of the beer’s 8.3% ABV. The floral and fruit notes of the initial sip open up into a nicely-balanced blend of sweet and bite. A mild hop…

Posted on: November 8, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

DC Brau The Citizen Beer Review

The Citizen / DC Brau / 7.0% ABV / http://www.dcbrau.com The Citizen is a very unique beer, a bold-bodied tripel that is eminently drinkable. The blend of sweeter and more hoppy notes makes for a very complex effort. The beer pours with a very vibrant orange coloration, providing imbibers with a decent head. The haziness of the beer is inviting, while the initial sip yields hints of cloves, candi sugar,…

Posted on: November 5, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 1

SuperMonk Belgian IPA

  We received two cans of the SuperMonk Belgian IPA for review, and wanted to taste the beer over a length of time to see whether the same sort of flavors were present. The beer pours nicely, with a nice copper/orange body. The lacing that is present is an off-white and about a finger’s thick and remains through the entirety of the beer. A citrus meets floral nose will immediately entice…

Posted on: October 14, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 2

Coronado Brewing Company 17th Anniversary Ale

  This imperial IPA packs a strong alcohol percentage (9.5%) and a complexity that shows itself during all facets of the experience. The initial pour is an amber / honey with a lighter, more ethereal head. With an intial sip, hints of citrus (orange, tangerines), mango, and a hint of bitterness, the 17th Anniversary opens up to a moderated unity of hop and malt. The higher ABV provides the perfect…

Posted on: October 2, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Smuttynose Straw-Barb Short Weisse Beer Review

The sheer fruit nose of the beer, Smuttynose’s latest Short Batch effort, makes for something that is eminently drinkable. The effort has just enough in the way of bitterness to make for a very distinctive and complex take on a Berliner Weisse. The inclusion of the sour Rhubarb (100 pounds) alongside the Strawberries (924 pounds) spins the beer off into a bold new direction. The problem with the Weisse format…

Posted on: September 18, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

17th Anniversary Gotterdammerung IPA Review

Stone has decided to celebrate their 17th anniversary in a huge fashion, and have created their Götterdämmerung IPA to both provide a blast of hoppy goodness alongside a substantial alcohol bite. The beer pours clearly with a light copper color, providing imbibers with hints of flowers and grass. The initial sip ties together pilsner and IPA styles, allowing the immense drinkability of the pilsner style to be pushed into a…

Posted on: September 11, 2013 Posted by: Danica Comments: 0

Unity Vibration Bourbon Peach American Wild Ale Review

Unity Vibration is a different type of brewery, gathering most of its notoriety from producing premium Living Kombucha Tea. Unity Vibration’s owners Rachel and Terek Kanaan stepped out of the box and created Unity Vibration Kombucha beer. We had the pleasure of tasting their Peach Bourbon Wild American Ale. This beer was a unique experience, first you can’t just “crack” open the bottle, this stuff is very carbonated. You have…

Posted on: August 18, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Dale’s Pale Ale Review

Pale ales have been largely passed over with the popularity of India pale ales, but Oskar Blues’ Dale’s Pale Ale looks to establish a renaissance for the style. Whether in cans or on tap, the Dale’s Pale Ale has more of a backbone than competing efforts. I feel that it is the vigor and spirit that makes for an inimitable beer. The initial pour provides individuals with a fairly thick,…