Morning Glory is an espresso stout that hits the perfect balance between coffee and chocolate, sweetness and bitterness that makes for an eminently drinkable beer that goes down dangerously easy. The beer pours with a dark brown color and a good amount of tannish head which is slow to dissipate. The initial nose of Morning Glory is reminiscent of dark chocolate. The inclusion of Mt. Hood and Cascade Hops…
The night that we visited the Burntwood Tavern in Cuyahoga Falls we were worried about getting to the restaurant; the sheer amount of rain that was falling made it a challenge to pull in. Rather than get drenched on the short walk from the car to the entrance, the Burntwood Tavern offers valet parking to keep one out of the crazy northeast Ohio climate.
Farm Dog pours with a dirty brown to copper coloration and a small amount of rapidly-disappearing off-white head. There is little in the way of barnhouse and yeast notes that issue forth on the initial nose, while the first sip provides imbibers with a good amount of sweetness before a warming, slightly boozy rush makes its presence known. A good bit of spice adds further variety to this ale, while…
Kentucky Pumpkin Barrel Ale is a beer that pours with a dark brown to orange color and a small amount of slightly off-white head. The KPBA is slightly thicker than many ales in the same unctuous fashion. The nose provides hints of toasted malt, sugar, spices (cinnamon, clove) and a little bit of spice. Where there is a tendency for pumpkin beers to go overboard in regards to the outright…
In Memory Of… is a pilsner that Baltimore, Maryland’s Full Tilt Brewing has crafted to help out The Military Relief Fund of Maryland. With this beer, Full Tilt has created an eminently drinkable pilsner that is able to refresh and quench one’s thirst while having enough nuance to the beer to keep individuals interested over an entirety of a session with In Memory Of…. The beer pours with a light…
Oktoberfest, the latest from Milwaukee’s Sprecher Brewery, pours with a dark brown to mahogany coloration. The beer has a small amount of off-white to tan head that is fairly persistent. Oktoberfest’s nose yields hints of sugar and toffee while the first sip of the beer has good amounts of grain and malt present themselves to imbibers. Dark fruits (figs, prunes) are prevalent while the toasted character of the beer provides…
Cape May Brewing Company’s Devil’s Reach pours with a hazy, goldenrod to yellow color and a small amount of wispy head that dissipates quickly. There is a small amount of carbonation and a tart nose that issues forth from the beer. A good amount of grain and a sharp alcohol note make for a complex array of flavors; the crispness of the resulting brew is one that will keep individuals…
Exit 4 American Trippel is a complex effort that pours with a clear golden color and a good amount of white head that laces itself down the glass. The beer has a small amount of sweet and malt that can be discerned from its nose, while the first sip links together grain, malt, bananas, and figs before a stronger alcohol burn sneaks its way in. The Exit 4 is well-balanced…
There are not a large number of breweries that actively put out beers in the Wee Heavy style, but San Clemente’s Left Coast Brewing has crafted a massive effort in their Get in My Belly. The beer pours with a mahogany coloration and a small amount of off-white to tan head. There is little in the way of carbonation to this effort, while the mouthfeel is thick and luxurious. There…
Saint Archer’s Mosaic IPA is a masterful blend of strong Mosaic hops with enough malt and alcohol burn, creating an eminently drinkable beer that bursts forth with additional flavors at every turn. The beer pours with a golden-yellow coloration and a good amount of creamy white head. This head laces its way down a glass, showcasing the progress that one has made on the beer. Citrus fruit and tart elements…
Blue Moon is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a brewery and has created a congratulatory beer in their Tripel White that is boozy, fruity, and will keep the party going into deep into the night. The Tripel White pours with a hazy gold coloration and a fair amount of whitish head; the initial nose of the 20th Anniversary Ale ties together hints of yeast with a tart fruity ending. Lacing…
Citrus and grapefruit elements can oftentimes be experience in an India Pale Ale (IPA). However, Magic Hat has created in Electric Peel a beer that is unmistakably grapefruit-heavy. The beer pours with a dark yellow to gold coloration and a hazy white head that laces its way down a glass. The nose of Electric Peel is equal parts wheat and grapefruit, while the first sip an imbiber takes comes forth…
Rahr & Sons Brewing’s Bucking Bock pours with a golden-yellow coloration and a small amount of off-white head that sits on top. There is a good amount of wheat flavor that pokes through on the initial sip, while having a decent amount of malt that concludes the initial pull. As Bucking Bock continues to reach room temperature, the more sweet tastes become prevalent. A smaller amount of hops have been…
Heavy Seas have created a new iteration of their Red Sky at Morning and have made an intense effort that will impress imbibers with a depth of flavors. The initial nose of the beer links together wheat and sweet elements, inviting one in with an alluring nose. Red Sky at Morning’s first sip crashes upon individuals, with spicy (black pepper), candi sugar, grain, and hints of malt all discernable. After…
The Barrel Aged Epeteios from Left Coast Brewing Company pours with a dark-brown to black coloration and a small amount of tannish head that laces its way down a glass. The initial nose of this imperial stout ties together hints of toasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. The beer balances the alcohol burn of the 10% ABV nicely with a sweetness that links together equal amounts sugar, cream, and butterscotch. The…
Pygmy Owl is a session IPA by Big Sky Brewing that pours with a light yellow to gold coloration and a small amount of white head; no lacing exists when poured from a can. The nose possesses large hints of wheat and dank, oily hop elements, while the initial sip is needed to gain a full appreciation of what the beer brings to the table. This first quaff provides imbibers…
Make It So is the latest contribution to the Unchained Series by St. Paul’s Summit Brewing, linking together the British Extra Special Bitter (ESB) style with Captain Picard’s favorite beverage, Earl Grey tea. The beer pours with a medium brown to a copper coloration and has a fairly straightforward malt nose. When one takes their initial sip of Make It So, the presence of the tea becomes evident. There is…
The 2015 2XONE ties together Superior Pale malt with Equinox hops to make for an intensely bitter beer that possesses just enough in the way of sweet to create a solid balance. The beer pours with a yellowish-tan color and a small amount of off-white head that leaves a decent amount of lacing. The malt side of 2XONE inserts hints of nuttiness and yeast into the mix. The alcohol burn…
Smooth Sail is an eminently drinkable effort that makes the lawnmower beer format into something that can have a wide array of flavors, refreshing as well as impressing with each subsequent beer. The initial nose of Smooth Sail hides many of the twists and turns that will follow, requiring one to take an exploratory quaff for an introduction. This first sip yields wheat and citrus flavors along with just enough…
Great Raft Brewing has created a black lager in their Reasonably Corrupt that is able to provide further variety than what is typically expected from the style. The beer pours with a mahogany / dark red coloration and possesses a malty nose with slight bits of wheat. The initial sip that one will take of Reasonably Corrupt interlaces a small hop bite with grass and malt flavors, before ending with…