Devil Dancer Triple IPA

Devil Dancer Triple IPA, Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, MI

(Imperial/Double IPA, Rated 99)

What's better than a double IPA?  How about a triple IPA! Though it's still an imperial/double IPA, this amazing beer boasts an amazing 112 IBUs (International Bitterness Unit - measures the bitterness of beer). Pours clean with a reddish-amber color. Strong malty, citrus, piney aroma. Great balance of malts and rich hops in the taste that highlights the citrus/grapefruit bitterness followed by the malts. No lingering aftertaste. Very smooth for a beer that is 12% abv! As the commercial description says..."Dangerously drinkable and deliciously evil."  Amazing beer!!

Imperial IPA

Imperial IPA, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Boonville, CA

(Imperial/Double IPA, Rated 94)

Nice frothy white head on this pour. Aromas of strong herbal hops and citrus. Nice strong citrus hop taste with some fruit and malt. Very nice double IPA!

Thumbprint Series IIPA

Thumbprint Series IIPA, New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI

(Imperial/Double IPA, Rated 99)

Oh what an amazing double IPA! Piney citrus aromas. Amazing tropical fruit and citrus flavor. Delicious complex hoppiness. So smooth, you can't even tell it's 9% abv. Love it!

Home Town Blonde

Home Town Blonde, New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI

Pilseners are probably one of my least favorite styles of beer. Most are too reminiscent of that internationally distributed, tasteless, yellow, fizzy stuff that you see everywhere. Though I would definitely drink this one over the aforementioned stuff. At least this pilsener has aroma and flavor. Golden color with a herbal, slightly hoppy aroma. Taste is clean. More hop bitterness in the beginning with a crisp malty finish. Definitely more bitter than your average pilsener.

Black Tulip Tripel Ale

Black Tulip Tripel Ale, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI

Tripels are great beers and high in abv. Fruity, bread aroma. Taste is spicy with fruity banana with lingering floral hop finish. Very tasty.

Four Witches Black Saison

Four Witches Black Saison, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI

This black saison has a mild molasses aroma with a little banana and licorice-like flavor. Doesn't pack a lot of flavor or leave me wanting more.

Conniption Fit Double IPA

Conniption Fit Double IPA, Atwater Brewery, Detroit, MI

Pours a hazy golden color. Average citrus hop aroma. Malty taste with a medium citrus hop bitterness. Nothing special here. I was expecting more from a double IPA.

Vanilla Java Porter

Vanilla Java Porter, Atwater Brewery, Detroit, MI

On the pour, this beer has no head. On the taste, the beer tasted like flat coke. It does have a nice sweet vanilla, coffee aroma, but that's about it. Not very good.

BRUX Domesticated Wild Ale

BRUX Domesticated Wile Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, CA

(Sour Ale/Wild Ale, Rated 97)

This wild ale is a collaboration brew from Sierra Nevada and Russian River. Slightly tart notes of lemon and malts. Taste is sweet and a bit sour with tangy fruits. Has a dry finish. Almost cider-like.

Moo Joos Oatmeal Milk Stout

Moo Joos Oatmeal Milk Stout, Brau Brothers Brewing Company, Lucan, MN

(Sweet Stout, Rated 95)

Sometimes its the subtle difference in beers that make them great. This one combines the fullness of a milk stout with the creamy, smoothness of an oatmeal stout. Coffee aroma. Milky and creamy with nice coffee and chocolate flavors. Very easy drinker. Great beer!

The Poet

The Poet, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI

(Sweet Stout, Rated 94)

I can remember a time when I didn't care for stouts much, but that didn't stop me from trying them. Hell, I didn't like asparagus on the first go around either. But now I love me a good stout. These beers can be so rich and flavorful. The Poet is just that...rich, creamy, flavorful, oatmeal stout with hints of coffee and chocolate. Excellent beer!

Storm King Imperial Stout

Storm King Imperial Stout, Victory Brewing Company, Downington, PA

(Imperial Stout, Rated 100)

Rich, dark, and warming is how I'd describe this imperial stout. I definitely wasn't expecting such a big hop aroma and character. Coffee, chocolate, and hops in the aroma. Taste is chocolaty smooth up front, with strong roasted coffee notes, and then the hoppy bitterness kicks in. Sweet up front and bitter on the back end. Excellent!

Thumbprint Saison

Thumbprint Series Saison, New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI

(Saison, Rated 94)

When New Glarus brews a beer, they do it right! This saison is part of their Thumbprint Series, which they intended to be limited release, small batch beers. Some of them, however, became so popular that they had to keep bringing them back. Back to this saison... excellent citrus aromas with both sweet and sour through the nose. The taste is exactly how I expect a farmhouse ale to be, fruity, a little bit of pepper, some sweetness, spices, and a little bit of hops. This beer is no surprise coming from a brewery that was recently ranked in the Top 10 Most Influential Craft Breweries in America. The coolest thing about this ranking is that they still only distribute in Wisconsin. My apologies to my friends who don't live here.

Nice Saison

Nice Saison, Tommyknocker Brewery, Idaho Springs, CO

Aroma is of sweet malts and floral spices. Taste is somewhat bland, sour fruitiness. An average saison...ok, a Nice Saison.

Outboard Cream Ale

Outboard Cream Ale, Milwaukee Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI

I haven't had very many cream ales. This one is very light and creamy. Clear and filtered. Nice creamy, malt aroma. Smooth and sweet flavor. A great Summer beer.

Hop Cream

Hop Cream, Capital Brewery, Middleton, WI

An interesting take on a cream ale. It has the light, smooth taste of a cream ale and adds in some of the bitterness of hops.  A creamy pale ale perhaps?  Very light and drinkable.

Hoppy IPA Day!

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