Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale (1998)

Appearance: Thick and darkish deep coffee brown. Specks of black flakes floating around. No head (~0.01 finger).

Smell: Intense chocolaty cassis smell with rich vibes of unknown scents; perhaps aged hops?

Taste: Chocolaty, smooth and bold blend of hops with not sense of malts. This one slaps you in the face and wakes you right up.

Mouthfeel: Even more inviting than anything I have ever had before. I just want to keep it in my mouth as it cuddles with my tastebuds. Chocolatey hopiness TKOs me in the face.

Drinkability: Awesome....Wish I could compare it with a 1998 one back at that time. Typical Bigfoot abv of 9.6%. Can't drink numerous quantities of this brew (unless you have an iron stomach), but definitely fits the night right just before bed.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale (2007)

Appearance: Brilliant copper color that gets deeper as you reach the 1.25 fingers of head. (Can we come up with a different measure then fingers...sounds so freaking random).

Smell: Hops hit my senses first; piney and leafy in nature.

Taste: Ahhhh, refreshing. Well built like a Ferrari. Hops are well balanced with all other ingredients.

Mouthfeel: Hop resin sticks to my tongue and just melts. Aftertaste is beautiful; somebody kiss me.

Drinkability: Great all around beer. Winter Seasonal 6.8% abv. Would buy a case and drink it year round...not just in the winter

Stone Brewing Co. OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale

Appearance: Thick & cloudy. Deep colorful brown with some redish tints when held up to the sun. Little bits of yeast? or wood chips? somethings mysterious floating around at the bottom of the glass.

Smell: Hard to derive. Woody maltish aromas hit my nostril. No hops.

Taste: Vanilly and woody and sweet. Missing something though?

Mouthfeel: Carbonation doesn't go away and more thin from what the taste showed. Vanilly oak lingers in my mouth afterwards.

Drinkability: Easy to consume and comes with a kick of 7.2% abv. Good flavors of vanilla and oak but missing something like i said in the taste. Aritficial vanilla aftertaste.

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

Great Divide Titan IPA

Appearance: Sunlight orange brown and had 2 fingers of head.

Smell: Nice hop nose; citrus/piney come out when you take a deep intake of the beer.

Taste: Quite a dry finish. Malts come out from hiding; dry and roasty with hoppy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Not as much carbonation feel, but the malts attack my tongue with the dry hops bite.

Drinkability: A very unique India Pale Ale by a great brewery. 6.8% abv. Would have it again.

Great Divide Oak-Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Appearance: Dark as hell, thick, pours like motor oil, full finger of head, can't see a bit of light through it

Smell: Oak and nutty malt smell, very little hops present if any

Taste: Very deep chocolate, oak, and nutty taste, thick, no hop taste presence, leaves a good finish, but a little tough going down

Mouthfeel: Deep, pretty carbonated, can slightly taste the alcohol on the aftertaste, thick feel

Drinkability: Great combination of being a very thick stout and being able to drink a lot of it, would drink it all night, amazing taste, well balanced between the oak flavor and the natural nutty/chocolate flavors of the beer, 9.5% ABV, 75 IBUs (where's it coming from?), strange because the hops are basically not a direct factor in the taste and smell, but overall it's a great beer

-Mike and Jimmy

North Coast Old Stock Ale (2007)

Appearance: Reddish/mahogany look, pretty dark, very little head, not too cloudy

Smell: Caramel malts with citrusy hops, smells similar to apple cider, neither malts nor hops overpowers the other

Taste: Stronger tasting than expected from the smell, both malts and hops present but hops more so, definitely taste the presence of alcohol, gives a little punch, almost tastes like black cherries, fruity

Mouthfeel: Let it settle in the mouth and you will feel the bite, where's the beer to hide the alcohol? Provides the punch like a hard cider and liquer

Drinkability: Probably wouldn't drink more than one in a night, but its a great unique taste, good variety of flavors, 11.7% ABV, definitely can tell it's that high, worth a try, interesting style, but not our favorite

-Mike and Jimmy

Boulder Obovoid Empirical Stout

Appearance: Dark as expected, poured lighter that most stouts, comparable amount of head (1/2 finger), head lasts for quite some time

Smell: Toasty and nutty malt smell, almost caramel, hops are extremely hard to distinguish from the malts

Taste: Chocolatey with the toasty and nutty, slight bitter aftertaste, but not overpowering, even though oak-aged, not overly present

Mouthfeel: Smoother than expected, downs easily, still heavy despite smoothness, low carbonation

Drinkability: Definitely have it again, almost like eating a chocolate cake for dessert, 7.5% ABV, could be a higher ABV

-Mike and Jimmy

Bell's Hopslam Ale

Appearance: Light golden, hazy, very little head, color of autumn leaves, color is inviting, haze seems like its dull

Smell: Hops slap you in the face, golden floral hops in the forefront, barely any malts in the smell, hops are overpowering

Taste: Malts become present during tasting, presenting a honey flavor, hops take a backseat but are still noticeable

Mouthfeel: Decent amount of carbonation, medium to heavy feel, a little aclohol present, gives you a little kick

Drinkability: Definitely repeatable, becomes better when warmed to room temperature, 10% ABV, 106 IBUs!!!!, did not see that coming!, the best part of the experience is the smell

-Mike and Jimmy

SlyFox Odyssey Imperial IPA

Appearance: Golden like a pumpkin, slightly cloudy but only in certain spots, with about 3/4 finger of head

Smell: Sweet malt smell with dank to herbal hops, smells are greatly intertwined without one overpowering the other

Taste: Bitterness stands out right away, malts and hops present together, producing fine taste, leaves dank/dry aftertaste, hops are not as forceful as most imperial ipa's

Mouthfeel: Aftertaste becomes more powerful the longer the beer settles in the mouth, pretty light, not overly carbonated

Drinkability: Wouldn't go out of our way for it, not as repeatable, 8.4% ABV

-Mike and Jimmy

Ballast Point Brewing Company Big Eye India Pale Ale (IPA)

Appearance: Golden amber looks with half inch of head. Transparent in nature; can see through.

Smell: My wide nostriled nose took a big sniff and was in heaven! Citrus aromas came to me first; very refreshing liek fruit. If beer was fruit, I would be so healthy.

Taste: Quite disappointed compared to the smell, but still refreshing. No bite to it really hopwise, but I think I am being to harsh to it.

Mouthfeel: Light feel and goes down smooth with the right amount of carbonation.

Drinkability: Would love to taste this off the tap, but would still have another. Consumption is natural at 6.0% abv. The Centenial hops rock!

Southern Tier Brewing Company - India Pale Ale (IPA)

Appearance: Blood orange color with a tinge of piss yellow. 3/4 finger of head

Smell: Nutty malts flow into my nostrils along with a light leafy hop profile.

Taste: Very similar to the smell. Slight dominance in the malts compared to the hops I feel. Doesn't fit the nomal IPA style that I am used to.

Mouthfeel: The bitterness is there but not the typical hop bite you get from an IPA.

Drinkability: Below average to average IPA. Would not buy it again. Lacks depth and character; reminds me of an ESB.

Sierra Nevada ESB (Early Spring Beer) (2008)

Appearance: The color of cherry wood. Finger of head.

Smell: Smells like natty but more refreshing ;) Don’t smell any hops but slight maltiness stands out.

Taste: Reminds me of a lager. The bitterness stands out and the hops barely come out from hiding.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation tingles my tongue, but same as the taste

Drinkability: Not too impressive. I originally bought it because of a recent good experience with McNeil’s ESB, but it doesn’t match. 5.9% abv

Thirsty Dog Brewing Company – Hoppus Maximus – American-Style Amber Ale

Appearance: Dark orange hue; slight cloudiness with barely any head

Smell: Nose full of malts. Smells like a sweet potato (I know...random!)

Taste: Flavor of malts, moderate chocolate? Bitterness there as well.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation not a factor but the longer you hold it in your mouth, the more maltiness comes about

Overall: Good to try but not my favorite style. It won some awards at GABF (bronze & silver). Its not my favorite style but I would recommend for people interested in trying different style beers. I wouldn’t buy it again. 43 IBUs, 5.0% abv, 13.5 P

Troegs Nugget Nectar

Appearance - Deep vibrant orange color; almost like honey. The color reminds me of light fancy VT Maple Syrup. Carbonation faded away fast with barely any head. The viscosity isn't thick at all and I just want to drink it, not rate it.

Smell - Sweet like a sugary orange candy thats not too overpowering. A tint of pine-i-ness, like when you freshly cut pine wood type hops. Can't figure out the malty smell.

Taste - Similar to the smell. Very well balanced; nothing is overpowering and stands out. Makes me want to try other amber style ales.

Mouthfeel - Very light and very inviting to keep drinking. Love the slight tingles of carbonation bursting with little bites of hops.

Overall - I read the label at the end and it said 93ish I.B.U.'s. HOLY SHIT...I am shocked. It is not overpowering hops like a bold IPA at all. My favorite brew from Troegs that I definitely recommend. Impressed with this one. 7.5% abv as well so be careful...it may taste light but it comes with a kick.

Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale

Appearance: Nice dark red color. Nice lasting head and lacing.

Smell: Roasted malts come on strong here, along with hoppy bitterness.

Taste: Smoky malts are what I tasted most. Great all around from start to finish.

Mouthfeel: Bubbly carbonation accents the flavor very nicely.

Drinkability: 6.8% ABV so its big but won't put you under the table too fast. The whole package was enjoyable. I'll be picking this one up again. I highly recommend.

Aventinus Wheat Doppelbock Ale (2002)

Appearance: Some head to it, disappeared pretty quickly. Very cloudy (Beer foul: I was drinking this out of a flute glass and I didn't swirl it up between pours to release the sediments from the bottom, so my last glass was MUCH heavier than the first.) Really nice color to it (as far as I know haha).

Smell: Fruits and spices. I'm not good enough to identify them but there's a nice assortment in there.

Taste: Like it smells. Sweet and fruity with a little alcohol bite sharpening the otherwise smooth experience. I would drink this in the fall; there's a whole harvest's worth of fruit and spices in here.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, especially on my mega-unfiltered last glassful. Not a whole lot of carbonation.

Drinkablity: 8% ABV but the smoothness makes it go down easy. Complex flavor makes this a treat to experience. I recommend.

-Alex

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA (Via Randall)

Mini Review:
Well I took too long writing this to recall a lot of specifics of this beer, so let me just say a few things that I do remember.

Served to me in a tulip glass at the Blind Tiger Alehouse (I could write a review of this place in itself, that might come later). Nice head (finger and a half or two) that stayed there for a while.

The taste was sweeter than I remember from out of a bottle. I've never had 90 minute on tap before so I'm not sure if it was the magical Randall or the non-bottle vessel it was served from. Its light mouth-feel and sweet aroma and flavor belied its high %ABV.

All in all, I was blown away by the flavor of this concoction, and I wish I were Hophead enough to have gathered my thoughts while drinking it.

-Alex

Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

Appearance - Dark like a black hole, cannot see through it if you tried, very small head, texture reminds of cough syrup.

Smell - Oatmeal caramel toasty smell with the slightest hint of dank hops, blend in with the beer.

Taste - Creamy beginning taste as it enters your mouth, oatmeal/chocolate taste present throughought, aftertaste becomes bitter, leaving a lasting impression.

Mouthfeel - Heavy, smooth, and thick. Carbonation a surprise since visually it is not present but appears while tasting.

Drinkability - Can't drink more than 2 in a night, but a great way to end it.

Written by Mike and Jimmy.

Great Divide Hibernation Ale

Appearance - Amber color, slightly cloudy, 1/2" head, little carbonation.

Smell - Good balance between malts and hops. Chocolate malt smell plus a floral aroma for hops.

Taste - Great hop taste with a hint of the malt. Good balance between the two, creating a great red ale feel (Mike) to the inexperienced pallet. 10x better than the brown ale, incomparable to anything of recent memory (Jimmy).

Mouthfeel - Medium body, not overly-carbonated, smooth finish, little kick at the end as the beer warmed itself. Every aspect of the beverage exaggerated itself with the rise of temperature.

Drinkability - Easily repeatable, would love to see how aging would effect it. Can't get sick of it.

Written by Mike and Jimmy.

Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

Appearance - Dark, barely able to see through it, almost nonexistent head.

Smell - Chocolate malt smell present, almost a burnt toasty, hops smell pretty much nonexistent if any.

Taste - Initial taste made itself known it was there, had the malt taste we smelled earlier, but the finish disappeared on us, leaving us dissatisfied. Slightly hollow.

Mouthfeel - Carbonated once it hit the pallet, light/smooth/watery.

Drinkability - Overall a decent taste, but not repeatable. Wouldn't go out of my way for it. Easy to drink, but just not my style.

Written by Mike and Jimmy.

Rating System

Courtesy of the fabulous BeerAdvocate.com

"There are five categories to evaluating a beer with your review:

Appearance - Note the beer's color, carbonation, head and its retention. Is it clear or cloudy? Does it look lackluster and dull or alive and inviting?

Smell - Bring the beer to your nose. Note the beer's aromatic qualities. Malts: sweet, roasty, smoky, toasty, chocolaty, nutty, caramelly, biscuity? Hops: dank / resiny, herbal, perfumy, spicy, leafy, grassy, floral, piney, citrusy? Yeast will also create aromas. You might get fruity or flowery aromas (esters) from ales and very clean aromas from lagers, which will allow the malt and hop subtleties to pull through.

Taste - Take a deep sip of the beer. Note any flavors, or interpretations of flavors, that you might discover. The descriptions will be similar to what you smell. Is the beer built-well? Is there a balance between the ingredients? Was the beer brewed with a specific dominance of character in mind? How does it fit the style?

Mouthfeel - Take another sip and let it wander. Note how the beer feels on the palate and its body. Light, heavy, chewy, thin / watery, smooth or coarse? Was the beer flat, over-carbonated?

Drinkability - The beer's overall ease of consumption and your overall impression of the beer. Would you have another?"

Please keep in mind these few simple facts: everyone's tastebuds are different and everyone's entitled to their opinion. Keep an OPEN mind, never prejudge a beer, and keep the style of beer in mind while reviewing.