Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale

Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale, Central Waters Brewing Company, Amherst, WI
(Scotch Ale, Rated 97)

This amazing offering, from one of the nation's leading barrel-aging breweries, pours a nice dark brown with a thin offwhite head. Aroma is sweet, caramel, malty, and bourbon. Tastes of sweet dark fruit and malts. The bourbon flavor lingers throughout the taste and warms the throat. My love for scotch ales is a little new and this bourbon barrel-aged scotch is outstanding!

Redband Stout

Redband Stout, Great River Brewery, Davenport, IA
(Stout, Rated 96)

A worker at the liquor store recommended this one. Pours a very dark brown. Aroma is dominant with coffee. Taste is mostly coffee with a hint of vanilla sweetness and malts. Very smooth and light for a coffee stout, but the coffee flavor lingers. Commercial description says this one is made with Indonesian and Ethiopian coffee beans. Probably a great introductory beer for coffee lovers.

Top 10 Reasons to Drink Craft Beer

Top 10 Reasons to Drink Craft Beer

Silver & Gold IPL

Silver & Gold IPL, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Cleveland, OH
(Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils, Rated 90)

A fantastic beer celebrating Great Lakes Brewing Company's 25th Anniversary, this india-style pale lager pours a nice golden, copper color. Aroma is hoppy, resin, pine, and spicy. Taste is light at the start but then a nice hop-malt balance. Lots of citrus hop and resin. A slight booziness (7.5%) to it. Dry finish. I've had only a few strong pale lagers and this one rates near the top. Excellent beer!

Black Hatter

Black Hatter, New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI

Really dark black pour with an extremely large, fizzy, head. Can smell the coffee and dark malts in the aroma. Light hop start with a roasted finish. I felt the flavor got a little lost in the carbonation. Too much fizz for my liking. Finish was a bit bland. I don't like it when my expectations exceed my reality. I've had better black IPA.

20th Anniversary Strong Ale

20th Anniversary Strong Ale, New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI
(Abbey Dubbel, Rated 97)

It was a pleasure to pour this into my glass! Pours a nice dark brown with a thick, foamy head. Aromas are rich and sweet with dark fruit, toffee, roasted malts, and a little spice. Flavor has the same dark fruit sweetness with a boozy overtone. Nice and spicy. Delicious!

Happy 20th Anniversary New Glarus!  I am both very grateful to live in the only state that you distribute and saddened that my friends from outside Wisconsin cannot enjoy your beer! Guess they'll just have to visit! Cheers to 20 more!

Horn Dog Barley Wine

Horn Dog Barley Wine, Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD
(Barley Wine, Rated 93)

Definitely one of my most favorite styles of beer. Ruby-brown pour. Aroma has raisin, dark fruits, sweet licorice and malts. Taste is sweet with big malt flavors and light bitterness. The 10.2% abv leaves a nice alcohol burn at the finish. Really great beer!