The Year in Beer

609.365. Wake Up Dead by Left Hand Brewing Company. 1:5. 10.2%. Has some weird off flavors that I'm not a huge fan of. There's a good strength but the overall anise taste isn't good. 

608.365. Crème Brûlée by Southern Tier Brewing Company. 2.5:5. 9.6%. This has an amazing smell and just a great caramel flavor. This is just a great beer experience filled with exactly what you'd expect from a crème brûlée. 

607.365. Monster Ale Barleywine (2012) by Brooklyn Brewery. 1:5. 10.1%. Has a weird off flavor that I can't quite place. Just needs more richness to pull if together. 

606.365. Miles Davis' Bitches Brew by Dogfish Head Brewery. 1.5:5. 9%. This thing was almost impossible to drink at first. Once it warmed up, the flavors came to life for me. Not really like anything I've had before. The alternate bittering without using hops is unlike anything I've had before and takes a lot to get used to. 

605.365. Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale by Spoetzl. 1:5. 5.5%. Like most of the time, I don't like this pale ale. Just way too light. Nothing is really going on here. Needs more hops and malts and flavor. 

604.365. The Reverend by Avery Brewing Co. 1:5. 10%. Way to sugary for me. I'm not a fan. I like a solid quad but this doesn't have the proper mouth feel or strength. 

603.365. Hard Chocolate Cherry by Mike's Hard Lemonade Company. .5:5. 5%. It's like an overly sugary choc Cherry cordial. I am not a fan. Leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. I had to give it away to a friend who likes this type of nastiness. 

602.365. Oktoberfest by Schlafly Beer. 2:5. 5.5%. Pretty decent but a little light in the spices for me. I like something with a more solid body for a really solid Oktoberfest beer. 

601.365. Tasmanian IPA by Schlafly Beer. 1.5:5. 7.2%. Not too bad of an IPA but the not a lot of overall flavor. Feels a bit flat but decently hoppy. 

600:365. 120 Minute IPA by Dogfish Head Brewery. 4:5. 18%. This is a great example of the Double IPA range but really it’s almost more like a triple or quad based on the smoothness of the hops and the sweetness of the flavor. This beast is hopped continually for 2 hours, and then dry hopped for a couple months. Very hard to get and the bottle I picked up was up on a shelf in a local liquor store. If you loves IPAs then this will bring it home for you. Just a wonderful melding of aromas and tastes. Can’t speak more highly of this beer. 

599:365. Chapeau Banana by Browerij De Troch. .5:5. 3.5%. Definitely has a banana smell, a good deal more so than taste. The flavor is too sugary for my likings. Has a decent tartness though. 

598:365. Mine is Bigger Than Yours by To Øl. 3:5. 12.5%. Really strong burst of flavor with an alcohol flavoring. The sweetness rounds it out nicely. Really powerful. 

597:365. Nectar IPA by Humboldt Brewing Company. 2:5. 6.8%. Overall a nice IPA. Good flavors and a solid hop profile. 

595:365. Vanilla Porter by Breckenridge Brewery. 2:5. 4.7%. Nice bitter notes that aren't overpowering. Very smooth mouth feel. Little light, but that's to be expected for a porter. The vanilla makes a decent appearance. 

594:365. Dieselpunk Stout by World Brews. 2:5. 5.8%. A little light bodied but there's a nice sweetness and a hint of bitterness that pulls it together for me. 

593:365. Wintertime Ale by North Coast Brewing Co. 2:5. 5.3%. Pretty nice brown ale with a good deal of spice backing. Definitely good for a cold winter night. Hehe.