What I've Been Drinking -- September

Double IPA's, porters, a stout, a bitter, a wee heavy, a red -- we've got it all this week!

Arcadia IPA
Bottle -- Supreme Liquors, Quincy
an english ipa. ridiculous head, overly carbonated. mild malt aroma. malty, with a little closing bitterness. honestly, i haven't had too many english ipa's, but the hops seemed to fall kind of flat. i doubt that is what the style is all about.
Score: 5

Arcadia Scotch Ale
Bottle -- Supreme Liquors, Quincy
unusually dark. sweet malts capture nose and a little spice. not a bad taste, but a little muddled: bready, spiced, molasses. medium bodied, very lively in mouth. but a pretty dull wee heavy.

Score: 4

Avery Ale to the Chief
750 ml -- Luke's Liquors, Rockland
an imperial ipa. dan and i ordered this at a new british beer company bar in natick, only to be served a different avery beer without being told they were out of ale to the chief! a mortal sin. but anyways, i am glad i finally did get to try this one. lots of fruit and malty sweetness. quite bitter, but manageable for a double ipa. the best imperial ipa i can remember.
Score: 9

Cisco Moor Porter
750 ml -- Cork's Fine Wine & Liquors, Mansfield

very dark and frothy -- no light escapes here at all. smell of molasses and alcohol. harsh, spicy taste at first... think bugspray. it mellows though, to a slightly sour, chocolatey brew. mouthfeel is very lively/fizzy, kind of acidic, yet creamy and smooth. interesting, but i don't know that i would search it out.

Score: 6

Left Hand Black Jack Porter

Bottle -- Kappy's, Malden

odd aroma of cola, molasses, and cocoa powder. sharp java flavor. a little watery. this makes me think i may have overestimated left hand brewing...

Score: 4

Legacy Hedonism Ale
Tap -- British Beer Company, Framingham

reddish-amber hue... aroma of piney hops and fruit... malt taste is quickly overtaken by lingering, almost spicy, hops. not bad at all. points for a unique name too.

Score: 7

Rogue Brutal Bitter

750 ml -- Luke's Liquors, Rockland

a very dry bitterness... hops are mostly grassy in nature... quite light. not bad, but another overrated rogue beer in my opinion.
Score: 5

Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

750 ml -- Cork's Fine Wine & Liquors, Mansfield

first off, what an awesome sounding beer: bitter... chocolate... oatmeal! i love all of those things! at 9.2% abv, this almost drinks like an imperial stout. chocolate in aroma is overwhelmed by alcohol. it is bitter (more from bitter chocolate than bitter hops i think), but again alcohol defines flavor. beer definitely changes as it warms; you can really drink it at room temp.

Score: 8

Stoudts Double IPA

Bottle -- Supreme Liquors, Quincy

glowing amber-orange in color with nice, thick head... pungent hop aroma, but appealing, don't get me wrong... hops emerge as fruity in taste: grapefruit and citrus mainly... 10% abv blends in nicely... sticky mouthfeel, and surpringly heavy... very good.

Score: 8

Victory Baltic Thunder

750 ml -- Gordon's, Waltham

thick aroma: molasses, fruity overtones, and a general sourness. contrastingly, the taste is sweet, roasty, with dark fruit flavors. my first baltic porter and i liked it very much.

Score: 9

Barleywine v. Barleywine

Atlantic Brewing Brother Adam's Bragget Ale
750 ml -- McKean & Charles, Waldoboro
i held onto this good looking maine beer for a couple of months since i was so excited for it and waiting for a special occassion to drink it. unfortunately, it fell a little short. ruby, translucent in appearance... aroma of sweet honey, grape juice, caramel malts... taste of alcohol, sour liquorice, and a lingering burntness... mouthfeel is quite dry and acidic... overall, a lackluster taste and quite strong. a lot of wine-qualities here.
Score: 5

Rock Art Vermonster
750 ml -- Cork's Fine Wine & Liquors, Mansfield
my first beer from vermont's rock art brewery. deep mahogany color, with big head that lasts until end... complex aroma of floral hops, dark fruit (dates and black cherries), alcohol, sweetness... taste is marked by bitterness you would expect with 100 IBU's (international bitterness units)... rich malts and dark fruit balance hops though... creamy and smooth mouthfeel, with dryness you would again expect. very complex and flavorful, but i would call this a pretty extreme beer with so much bitterness.
Score: 8

My Pick: Rock Art Vermonster

Vacation

For my vacation I headed up to my family's cabin in northern Maine, with a trunk full of beer. As you can see, it was a great weekend. What an amazing group of beers!

Allagash Victoria Ale
Bottle -- Gordon's, Waltham
i made a mistake in buying this bottle; i had intended to purchase allagash's scottish ale. it was a happy mistake though. light gold and cloudy, with a lot of carbonation and a thick head... smell is yeasty and fruity... taste of sweet apple, white grapes, and yeast... very pleasant taste, that reminded me a lot of a champagne... if you see this one on the shelves, buy it! it has been retired so time is ticking.
Score: 9

Berkshire Imperial Stout
750 ml -- Kappy's, Peabody
i was surprised/excited to see this on the shelves. black pour with neat ringed head... aroma is sweet, slight java, soy sauce... surpring amount of coffee, molasses, and some alcohol... very drinkable for style, alcohol is without edge.
Score: 9

Green Flash Hop Head Red
Bottle -- Gordon's, Waltham
my first beer from green flash. pungent, floral hops in aroma give away how hoppy this one is. bitter from start to finish, with lots of delicious, flavorful hops. an ipa really... and i liked it.
Score: 8

Green Flash West Coast IPA
Bottle -- Gordon's, Waltham
a foggy, golden-orange that leaves a spiderweb from top to bottom... sweet citrus hops in aroma, bitterness in taste... that said, this is much more balanced than the red. well crafted.
Score: 9

Kennebec River Magic Hole IPA
Bottle -- Hannaford, Augusta, ME
cloudy, copper-amber... sweet malts, fresh/earthy, piney hops... some citrus hops flavor, but missing its bite... smell is best part here, flavor falls flat.
Score: 5

Oaked Arrogant Bastard
Bottle -- Kappy's, Peabody
a dark mahogany with good lacing... aroma of floral hops and fresh fruit... bitter hops, grapefruit, mint... smooth and drying. honestly, i didn't find the wood chips to be a huge factor here. but i would give it the edge over the standard arrogant bastard.
Score: 9

Shipyard Tremont Ale
Bottle -- Hannaford, Augusta, ME
an english pale ale. i had seen this one a few times, but was skeptical. good start though: an amazingly long-lasting white head. this had one of the biggest bready smells i had ever found... and even a few fresh hops. malty taste, slightly sour, and again a few hops. sticky mouthfeel. a great session beer that belongs in a big mug.
Score: 8

Personal highlight:
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
Bottle -- Kappy's, Peabody
i love dogfish head and leapt at the chance to buy this as a single for $4. pours thick and dark... the darkest brown i have ever seen. a very rich, complex aroma: you can smell the 12% alcohol a foot away. heavy, smooth, coats mouth. vanilla, burnt malt, coffee and alcohol in taste. alcohol is surprisingly well hidden though, a very flavorful brown. awesome.
Score: 10