Port Brewing Midnight Sessions Lager

Shout out goes to fellow hophead Master Ryan Splinter for providing me with this bomber bottle of lager. He bought a quatro mix case of bombers from Port Brewing at The Beer Yard in Wayne, PA (legit store). I traded a Moylan's Hopsickle for this bottle. Lets get this review going!

Appearance: Barely any head as I pour. It is dark as the Black Hole as I try look through the glass as if it was a telescope. However, when I was pouring it, it appeared watery and not as thick as a stout.

Smell: Wow! Powerful and heart warming burnt chocolate aromas serenade my nostrils. Malts galore (chocolate, smokey, caramelly) and I am liking it a lot, despite my passion for sleeping with hops everyday. Interesting wafts of cardamond, nutty flavored coffee and burnt fig. Can't get my nose to pick out one smell!

Taste: It is as if I am biting into a roasty espresso bean. I wonder if the coffee flavor is from some dank earthy hops, or if this beer is strictly malts?

Mouthfeel: Watery. If this was warmer, I would mistake it for a medium bodied coffee straight black, without leaving you with that nasty coffee breath (instead lovely beer breath :) ).

Drinkability: This was the second beer of my cycle for tonight (had IPA first). Despite the darkness, I would drink it early on in the cycle since it only hits your at 5.0% abv. And I would really like to drink another bomber in all honestly. This was extremely good. It is my first beer of this style so I will give it a 9/10. I need to learn more about the style of Schwarzbier's (style taken from the wonderful Beeradvocate). Cheers!!

Anchor Bock Beer

I like the label on this beer so I got it (When I say "I got it," I just took it from my dads stash). It is some farm animal, perhaps a goat eating a branch with hops on both ends (kind of like a dumbell...lets call it a hopumbell). I also wanted to try a different style beer from my typical hop blasters that I love, so I got this. It may be from San Fransicko, but that is not stopping me from trying bottom fermenting lager.

Appearance: 1 fat finger of head after a bittersweet pour into my snifter. Dense and thick as it pours out like a stout, but the color is a mahogany farmhouse brown.

Smell: Very little hop aromas. Sweet malts that remind me of a red wine.

Taste: Sweet flavor with some fresh brewed coffee roast-y-ness going on. I even taste some kind of fruit (raspberry or red grape).

Mouthfeel: Thick and definitely creamy like a stout, but not overwhelming. Slight bitter but sweet after bite. It makes me want to drink more.

Drinkability: Raging at 5.5%, this beer exceeded my expectations. I am glad I gave this a try, I am sure the beer gods would approve my open taste to all kinds of beer (except Bud Light lime). Wouldn't mind having another for a day, but not more than two. I would keep this towards the beginning to middle of a beer cycle. 7/10 on the Jimbo scale.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

Appearance: Deep brick red tone with some brown clouds of fermentation floating around. 1 finger of head after pour. I want to taste it before I smell!

Smell: Light& pale smell. Nothing stands out to me except some sweet malts.

Taste: Refreshing and sweet.

Mouthfeel: Same as the taste, but just more refreshing.

Drinkability: I have no idea what kind of style but it is good. I have had it twice before, didn't like, but it stands out as a great brew today. Want to try this fresh off the tap. 6.5% abv