MY COMPLETE BEER RATINGS

937 beers on the wall, 937 bottles of beer...

Beer, Score (1-10)
21st Amendment IPA, 7

Abita Christmas Ale, 7
Abita Jockamo IPA, 4
Abita Purple Haze, 6
Abita Restoration Pale Ale, 2
Affligem Blond, 8
Alameda Bavarian Hefe, 8
Alameda East Village Amber, 6
Alameda Klickitat Pale Ale, 7
Alameda Irvington Juniper Porter, 7
Alameda El Torero Organic IPA, 8
Alameda Black Bear XX Stout C02, 7
Alameda Black Bear XX Stout Nitro, 8
Alameda Wolf Imperial IPA, 7
Alameda Siskiyou Golden, 3
Alaskan Amber, 7
Alaskan Smoked Porter 2008, 9
Albany Pump Station Evans Extra Stout, 9
Alesmith IPA, 10
Alesmith Old Numbskull, 7
Alexander Keith's IPA, 2
Allagash Black, 7
Allagash Confluence Ale, 7
Allagash Curieux, 9
Allagash Dubbel Reserve, 8
Allagash Fluxus, 9
Allagash FOUR, 6
Allagash Grand Cru, 10
Allagash Hugh Malone, 8
Allagash Interlude, 7
Allagash Tripel Reserve, 10
Allagash Victoria Ale, 9
Allagash White, 10
Amnesia Blonde Beech, 6
Amnesia Copacetic IPA, 9
Amnesia Desolation IPA, 7
Amnesia Double Dry Hopped Desolation, 8
Amnesia Dusty Trail Pale, 7
Amnesia Slow Train Porter, 7
Amnesia The ESB, 7
Anchor Christmas Ale, 4
Anchor Liberty Ale, 6
Anchor Old Foghorn Ale, 5
Anchor Porter, 8
Anchor Steam Beer, 8
Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, 9
Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale, 9
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin' IPA, 9
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema, 6
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice, 8
Andrew's English Pale Ale, 6
Andrew's St. Nick Porter, 8
Arcadia IPA, 5
Arcadia Scotch Ale, 4
Asahi Super Dry, 3
Atlantic Bar Harbor Summer Ale, 4
Atlantic Brother Adam's Bragget Ale, 5
Atlantic Coal Porter, 7
Atlantic Mount Desert Isle Ginger, 7
Atwater Vanilla Java Porter, 7
Atwater Voodoovator, 6
Avery 14er ESB, 6
Avery Ale to the Chief , 9
Avery Anniversary Ale - Fifteen, 5
Avery Collaboration Not Litigation, 7
Avery Karma Ale, 5
Avery Out of Bounds Stout, 9
Avery The Czar, 5
Avery The Maharaja Imperial IPA, 9
Avery The Reverend, 9
Avery White Rascal, 5

Ballast Point Big Eye IPA, 8
Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter, 8
Bar Harbor Acadia Pale Ale, 9
Bar Harbor Cadillac Mountain Stout, 10
Bar Harbor Harbor Lighthouse Ale, 8
Bar Harbor Thunder Hole Ale, 9
Bass Pale Ale, 6
Beamish Irish Stout, 5
Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout, 10
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye, 10
Bear Republic Racer 5 India Pale Ale, 8
Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale, 9
Beer Belly Ball and Chain IPA, 8
Beer Valley Pigskin Pale Ale, 6
Beer Works Back Bay IPA, 7
Beer Works Bay State ESB, 8
Beer Works Black Bat Stout, 5
Beer Works Bunker Hill Blueberry, 7
Beer Works North Shore Light, 3
Beer Works Pumpkinhead Ale, 5
Beer Works Saison Nouveau, 8
Beer Works Salem American Pale Ale, 8
Beer Works Smoked Porter, 6
Beer Works Splendid Splinter, 6
Beer Works Tell Tale Lager, 7
Beer Works Terrier Scottish Ale, 5
Beer Works The Grinch, 6
Beer Works Triple A Amber, 7
Beer Works Winter Works, 7
Beer Works Witch City Red, 5
Belfast Bay Lobster Ale, 4
Belfast Bay McGovern's Oatmeal Stout, 5
Belhaven Scottish Ale / Export / 80 Shilling, 7
Bell Lager, 2
Bell's Java Stout, 5
Bell's Pale Ale, 5
Bell's Porter, 7
Bell's Two Hearted Ale, 10
Berkshire Cabin Fever Ale, 6
Berkshire Coffeehouse Porter, 9
Berkshire Draymens Porter, 8
Berkshire Imperial Stout, 9
Berkshire Lost Sailor India Pale Ale, 8
Berkshire River Ale, 5
Berkshire "Shabadoo" Black & Tan Ale, 8
Berkshire Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale, 4
Berkshire Traditional Pale Ale, 7
Berkshire Springs Stock Ale, 4
Big Horse Russian Redneck, 8
Bison Organic Chocolate Stout, 5
Black Bear Pail Ale, 5
Blue & Gray Stonewall Stout, 7
Blue Hills Extra Pale Ale, 6
Blue Hills India Pale Ale, 8
Blue Moon Belgian White Ale, 5
Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale, 6
Blue Point Honey Moon Summer Ale, 6
Blue Point Rastafar Rye Ale, 7
Blue Point Toasted Lager, 3
Blue Point Winter Ale, 3
Boddington Pub Ale, 5
Boulder Beer Hazed and Infused, 7
Boulder Beer Mojo IPA, 8
Boulder Beer Pass Time Pale Ale, 3
Boulder Beer Planet Porter, 6
Boulder Sundance Amber Ale, 4
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Peche Mortel, 8
Bridgeport Black Strap Stout, 4
BridgePort Blue Heron Ale, 7
Bridgeport ESB, 6
Bridgeport Haymaker Extra Pale Ale, 7
Bridgeport Hop Czar, 6
BridgePort IPA, 6
Bridgeport Porter, 7
BridgePort Ropewalk Amber Ale, 6
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, 10
Brooklyn Brown Ale, 8
Brooklyn Cuvee de Cardoz, 8
Brooklyn East India Pale Ale, 5
Brooklyn Lager, 7
Brooklyn Local 1, 10
Brooklyn Winter Ale, 6
Brooklynator Doppelbock, 5
Budweiser American Ale, 3
Budweiser Shock Top Belgian White, 3
Butternuts Heinnieweisse Weissebier, 6
Buzzards Bay Alt, 4
Buzzards Bay Black Lager, 5
Buzzards Bay Hefeweizen, 2
Buzzards Bay Pilsner, 6

Caldera IPA, 10
Cambridge Amber, 8
Cambridge Arquebus, 3
Cambridge Benevolence, 4
Cambridge Big Man Ale, 9
Cambridge Bitchin' Bitter, 8
Cambridge Blunderbuss Barley Wine, 7
Cambridge CaCow! Chocolate Milk Stout, 10
Cambridge Charles River Porter, 8
Cambridge Espresso Stout, 9
Cambridge Half Wit Belgian Style Wheat, 7
Cambridge Hefe-weizen, 9
Cambridge Imperial Skibsol Danish Smoked Dark Lager Beer, 7
Cambridge Never Mind the Bollekes!, 5
Cambridge Regatta Golden, 7
Cambridge Spring IPA, 8
Cambridge Tall Tale Pale Ale, 7
Cambridge Tripel, 6
Cambridge Tripel Threat, 7
Cambridge You Enjoy My Stout, 7
Cape Ann Fisherman’s Brew, 8
Cape Ann Fisherman's Brew IPA, 7
Cape Ann Fisherman’s Pumpkin Stout, 9
Cape Cod IPA, 6
Capital Blonde Doppelbock, 6
Captain Lawrence Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA, 10
Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold, 7
Carling Black Label, 3
Carlsberg Brown (Malawi), 4
Casco Bay Brown Ale, 4
Casco Bay Carrabassett Pale Ale, 5
Casco Bay Carrabassett Winter Ale, 4
Casco Bay Pale Ale, 7
Casco Bay Riptide Red Ale, 9
Casco Bay Summer Ale, 8
Castle Lager, 1
Castle Milk Stout, 6
Cerveja Super Bock, 2
Chelsea Checker Cab Blonde Ale, 8
Chelsea Hand Pumped Cask Ale, 6
Chibuku Shake Shake, 0
Chili Head Lager, 5
Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue), 7
Chimay Premiere (Red), 10
Chimay Triple, 9
Cisco Captain Swain's Extra Stout, 7
Cisco Gray Lady Hefeweizen, 6
Cisco Moor Porter, 6
Cisco Whales Tale Pale Ale, 3
Clipper City Heavy Seas Loose Cannon Hop3, 8
Clipper City Heavy Seas Red Sky at Night, 7
Clipper City Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning, 9
Colt 45 Malt Liquor, 2
Concord Junction Porter, 10
Concord North Woods Ale, 7
Concord Rapscallion Creation, 4
Coney Island Sword Swallower, 6
Coniston Bluebird Bitter, 8
Cooperstown Back Yard IPA, 5
Cooperstown Benchwarmer, 8
Cooperstown Nine Man Ale, 4
Cooperstown Old Slugger, 3
Cooperstown Pride of Milford Special Ale, 7
Cooperstown Strike Out Stout, 5
Corona Extra, 3
Cottrell Old Yankee Ale, 8
Craigmill Fraoch Heather Ale, 9

Davidson Brother's Dacker Authentic Adirondack Ale, 8
Davidson Brother's IPA, 5
Delirium Tremens, 8
Deschutes Armory Extra Pale Ale, 6
Deschutes Bachelor ESB, 8
Deschutes Bachelor ESB (Cask conditioned), 9
Deschutes Big Mountain Bock, 5
Deschutes Black Butte Porter, 10
Deschutes Cascade Ale, 8
Deschutes Cinder Cone Red Ale, 9
Deschutes Green Lake Organic Ale, 9
Deschutes Inversion IPA, 9
Deschutes Mirror Mirror, 8
Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale, 10
Deschutes Miss Spelt, 7
Deschutes Obsidian Stout, 9
Deschutes Pilsner 005, 5
Deschutes Red Chair IPA, 10
Deschutes Streaking the Quad, 3
Deschutes Twilight Ale, 7
De Struise Black Albert, 9
Dick's Best Bitter, 6
Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager, 5
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, 9
Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA, 10
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, 5
Dogfish Head ApriHop, 9
Dogfish Head Black & Blue, 4
Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu, 6
Dogfish Head Chicory Stout, 7
Dogfish Head Festina Peche, 4
Dogfish Head Fort, 8
Dogfish Head Immort Ale, 9
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale, 8
Dogfish Head Midas Touch Golden Elixir, 8
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, 10
Dogfish Head Pangaea, 7
Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale, 9
Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre, 8
Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra, 5
Dogfish Head Red and White, 8
Dogfish Head Sah'tea, 9
Dogfish Head Theobroma, 9
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout, 6
Dos Equis XX Amber, 5
Double Mountain The I.R.A., 9
Duck-Rabbit Porter, 8
Dundee Original Honey Brown Lager, 5
Duvel, 10

Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale, 6
Eel River Certified Organic Porter, 6
Endurance Glacier Gold, 6
Eugene City Tracktown IPA, 7

Federal Jack's Taint Town Pale Ale, 2
Fish Tale Organic India Pale Ale, 6
Flying Dog Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale, 6
Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter, 5
Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat, 2
Flying Dog Road Dog Scottish Porter, 7
Flying Horse Royal Lager, 5
Fort Collins Kidd Lager, 8
Fort Collins Major Tom's Pomegranate Wheat, 4
Fort Collins Rocky Mountain IPA, 7
Fort Collins Z Lager, 5
Fosters Lager, 2
Founders Breakfast Stout, 10
Founders Centennial IPA, 6
Founders Cerise, 6
Founders Curmudgeon, 9
Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA, 6
Founders Dirty Bastard, 9
Founders Double Trouble, 8
Founders Reds Rye, 9
Franziskaner Hefe-weisse, 4
Fresh Catch Amber Ale, 2
Full Sail Amber Ale (USA), 9
Full Sail Chris's Summer D-Lite: Red, 6
Full Sail Chris's Summer D-Lite: Green, 7
Full Sail Grandsun of Spot, 6
Full Sail IPA, 7
Full Sail Keelhauler Brewmasters Reserve 2009, 5
Full Sail LTD Series - Bottling 03, 5
Full Sail Pale Ale, 10
Full Sail Rip Curl, 8
Full Sail Session Lager, 9
Fuller's London Porter, 8

Geary’s Autumn Ale, 9
Geary’s Hampshire Special Ale, 9
Geary's Imperial IPA, 6
Geary’s London Porter, 9
Geary’s Pale Ale, 9
Geary’s Summer Ale, 8
Geary’s Winter Ale, 6
George Killians Irish Red, 6
Goose Island Honker's Ale, 7
Grado Plato Chocarrubica, 1
Great Divide Denver Pale Ale, 7
Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, 8
Great Divide Hercules Double IPA, 9
Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, 9
Great Divide St. Bridgets Porter (St. Brigids), 7
Green Flash Hop Head Red, 8
Green Flash West Coast IPA, 9
Gritty McDuffs 21 IPA, 5
Gritty McDuffs Best Bitter, 7
Gritty McDuffs Black Fly Stout, 6
Gritty McDuffs Christmas Ale, 8
Gritty McDuffs Halloween Ale, 9
Gritty McDuffs India Pale Ale, 9
Gritty McDuffs Lions Pride Brown Ale, 5
Gritty McDuffs Original Pub Style, 4
Gritty McDuffs Raspberry Wheat, 5
Gritty McDuffs Scottish Ale, 7
Gritty McDuff's Sebago Light Ale, 2
Gritty McDuffs Vacationland Summer Ale, 8
Guinness Draught, 4
Guinness Extra Stout (North America), 3

Haffenreffer Private Stock, 4
Hair of the Dog Blue Dot Double IPA, 8
Hair of the Dog Fred, 9
Hair of the Dog Ruth, 6
Hale's Ale Kolsch, 6
Hansa Pilsener, 3
Harp Lager, 2
Harpoon Ale, 5
Harpoon Brown, 6
Harpoon Celtic, 5
Harpoon Hibernian Ale, 5
Harpoon Imperial IPA (Leviathan Series), 3
Harpoon IPA, 6
Harpoon Leviathan Saison Royale, 9
Harpoon Old Rusty's Red Rye Ale, 7
Harpoon Smoked Porter, 6
Harpoon Summer Beer, 3
Harpoon UFO Hefeweizen, 7
Harpoon UFO White, 3
Harpoon Winter Warmer, 3
Heartland Big Belgian Blonde Ale, 6
Heartland Buffalo Bock, 5
Heartland Cornhusker Lager, 2
Heartland Farmer Jons Oatmeal Stout, 7
Heartland Harvest Wheat, 3
Heartland Indian River Light, 3
Heartland Indiana Pale Ale, 5
Heartland Red Rooster Ale, 5
Heater Allen Pils, 8
HeBrew Messiah Bold, 7
Heineken, 3
Henry Weinhards Blue Boar Pale Ale, 6
Henry Weinhards Private Reserve, 7
Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale, 7
Hoegaarden Original White Ale, 6
Hook and Ladder Golden Ale, 3
Hook Norton Hooky Gold, 7
Hoppin Frog BORIS The Crusher, 9
Hoppin Frog Mean Manalishi, 10
Hopworks Anniversary Cream Ale, 8
Hopworks Crosstown Pale Ale, 9
Hopworks Deluxe Organic Ale, 10
Hopworks HUB Lager, 8
Hopworks IPA, 10
Hopworks Rise Up Red, 9
Hopworks Secret Alt, 8
Hopworks Survival "Seven Grain" Stout, 9
Hopworks Terry Porter, 7
Hopworks Totally Raddler, 3
Hopworks Velvet ESB, 10
Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel, 7

Ipswich Dark Ale, 9
Ipswich India Pale Ale, 7
Ipswich Oatmeal Stout, 10
Ipswich Original Ale, 10
Ipswich Summer Ale, 4
Ipswich Winter Ale, 3

Jacks Pumpkin Spice Ale, 6
Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere, 6
Jolly Pumpkin La Roja, 8
Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza, 7
Joseph James Red Fox, 6
Josh’s Homebrews Bia Kahawa Afrika, 8
Josh's Homebrews Crimes Against Humanity Bitter, 7
Josh’s Homebrews Hold-The-Lemon American Wheat, 6
Josh's Homebrews Hoppy Holidays! / Obama Beer!, 5
Josh's Homebrews It Must Be Wedding Saison, 8
Josh’s Homebrews Mr. Jack Ale'Lantern, 6
Josh's Homebrews Promised Land Porter, 7
Josh's Homebrews The-Waiting-Is-The-Hardest-Part Pale Ale, 5
Josh's Homebrews You're So Vain... You Probably Think This Stout is About You!, 1

Kelso Nut Brown Lager, 7
Kennebec River Magic Hole IPA, 5
Kennebec River Penobscot Porter, 6
Kennebec River Summer Ale, 7
Kilimanjaro Premium Lager, 1
King Cobra Premium Malt Liquor, 1
Kingfisher Premium Lager, 2
Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, 6
Kona Wailua Wheat, 1
Kronenbourg 1664, 7
Kuche Kuche, 1

La Chouffe, 9
Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale, 8
Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout, 9
Lagunitas Censored, 5
Lagunitas Dogtown Pale Ale, 6
Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale, 4
Lagunitas Pils, 8
Lagunitas Sirius Ale, 9
Lake Placid 46'er Pale Ale, 7
Lake Placid IPA (Frostbite Ale), 9
Lake Placid Ubu, 6
Lakefront Cream City Pale Ale, 7
Lakefront Fuel Cafe, 3
Laughing Dog Alpha Dog Imperial IPA, 8
Laurelwood Bottled Blonde, 4
Laurelwood Free Range Red (Organic), 8
Laurelwood Hooligan, 6
Laurelwood Hop Monkey IPA, 7
Laurelwood Mother Lode Golden Ale, 5
Laurelwood Organic Tree Hugger Porter, 7
Laurelwood Space Stout, 6
Laurelwood Workhorse IPA, 10
Leffe Blonde, 4
Left Hand Black Jack Porter, 4
Left Hand Milk Stout, 9
Legacy Hedonism Ale, 7
Legacy Midnight Wit, 7
Legacy Nor'easter, 7
Legend Brown Ale, 6
Legend Pale Ale, 6
Leinenkugels Oktoberfest, 4
Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, 1
Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat, 3
Liberal Cup Alewife Ale, 8
Liberal Cup Backhouse Bitter, 7
Liberal Cup Bug Lager, 6
Liberal Cup Tarbox Cream Stout, 8
Lindeman's Framboise Lambic, 7
Loco Pilsner, 6
Lompoc Centennial IPA, 8
Lompoc C-Note Imperial Pale Ale, 7
Lompoc Condor Pale Ale, 4
Lompoc Fool’s Golden Ale, 4
Lompoc LSD (Lompoc Strong Draft), 7
Lompoc Proletariat Red, 4
Lompoc Sockeye Cream Stout, 6
Long Trail Ale, 7
Long Trail Belgian White, 4
Long Trail Blackbeary Wheat, 7
Long Trail Brewmaster Series Coffee Stout, 8
Long Trail Double Bag, 8
Long Trail Hefeweizen, 5
Long Trail Hibernator, 5
Long Trail Hit the Trail Ale, 6
Long Trail India Pale Ale, 5
Lost Abbey Lost & Found Abbey Ale, 7
Lost Abbey Carnevale, 5
Lucky Labrador Dog Day IPA, 8
Lucky Labrador Hawthornes Best Bitter, 7

Mackeson XXX Stout, 7
Mad River Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, 7
Magic Hat #9, 7
Magic Hat Fat Angel, 6
Magic Hat Hi.P.A., 7
Magic Hat Hocus Pocus, 6
Magic Hat Irish Red Ale, 7
Magic Hat Jinx, 6
Magic Hat Roxy Rolles, 8
Magic Hat Single Chair Ale, 7
Magic Hat Y33, 3
Maine Beer Spring Peeper Ale, 9
Marshall Wharf Tug Pale Ale, 3
Mash Tun Alberta Pale Ale, 2
Mayflower IPA, 4
Mayflower Pale Ale, 7
Mayflower Porter, 7
Mayflower Summer Rye, 9
Mayflower Thanksgiving Ale, 3
McMenamins Concordia Pale Ale, 5
McMenamins Hammerhead Ale, 5
McMenamins India Pale Ale, 5
McMenamins Nebraska Bitter, 7
McMenamins Ruby, 2
McMenamins Terminator Stout, 8
McNeill's Extra Special Bitter, 6
Meantime IPA, 8
Mendocino Black Hawk Stout, 4
Mendocino Blue Heron Pale Ale, 3
Mendocino Red Tail Ale, 5
Mendocino Saratoga Lager, 8
Michelob Pale Ale, 3
Mickey's, 1
Middle Ages Beast Bitter, 7
Middle Ages Kilt Tilter, 4
Middle Ages Wailing Wench, 8
Millstream Colony Oatmeal Stout, 6
Millstream John's Generations White Ale, 8
Moat Mountain Hoffman Weiss, 8
Modelo Especial, 3
Molson XXX, 2
Montana Brewing Whitetail Wheat, 8
Mosi Lager, 1
Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial IPA, 6
Murphy’s Irish Stout, 5

Narragansett Cranberry, 2
Nashoba Valley Bolt 117 Lager, 4
Nashoba Valley Heron Ale, 5
Nashoba Valley Oaktoberfest, 4
Nashoba Valley Wattaquadoc Wheat, 6
Negra Modelo, 6
New Belgium Fat Tire, 8
New Century MoonShot Beer, 1
New Holland Mad Hatter IPA, 7
Newcastle Brown Ale, 7
Newport Storm Chocolate Porter, 6
Newport Storm Gloria, 6
Newport Storm Henry, 6
Newport Storm Hurricane Amber Ale, 4
Newport Storm's Irish Red, 3
Newport Storm Regenschauer Oktoberfest, 6
Newport Storm Rhode Island Blueberry, 7
Ndovu, 1
Nile Special Lager, 1
Ninkasi Total Domination IPA, 7
Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA, 10
North Coast ACME California IPA, 8
North Coast Blue Star, 8
North Coast Le Merle, 5
North Coast Old No. 38 Stout, 8
North Coast Old Plowshare Stout, 8
North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, 10
North Coast Old Stock Ale, 9
North Coast Pranqster, 7
North Coast Red Seal, 9
Northampton Black Cat Stout, 6
Northampton Maggies Wee Heavy, 8
Northampton Old Brown Dog, 6
Northampton Pale Ale, 8
Northampton Redheaded Stepchild, 6
Northampton Steamer, 7

Oak Pond Dooryard Ale, 5
Oak Pond Nut Brown Ale, 8
Oak Pond Oktoberfest, 6
Oak Pond Pale Ale, 4
Oak Pond Pilsner, 6
Oak Pond Somerset Lager, 7
Oak Pond White Fox Ale, 7
Offshore India Pale Ale, 7
Old Dominion Dominion Ale, 8
Olde Burnside Dirty Penny, 9
Olde Burnside Ten Penny Ale, 6
Olde English 800, 1
Ommegang, 8
Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout, 9
Ommegang Hennepin, 10
Ommegang Rare Vos, 7
Ommegang Three Philosophers, 8
Opa-Opa IPA, 6
Opa-Opa Steakhouse Red Rock, 7
Orlio Organic Black Lager, 5
Orlio Organic Common Ale, 6
Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale, 10
Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils, 6
Oskar Blues Old Chub, 9
Oskar Blues Ten FIDY, 8
Otter Creek Copper Ale, 4
Otter Creek Helles Bock, 3
Otter Creek Otter San, 3
Otter Creek Pale Ale, 5
Otter Creek Raspberry Brown Winter Ale, 3
Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, 5
Otter Creek White Sail, 4
Owen O'Leary's Black & Tan, 4
Owen O'Leary's Dave's Blueberry Ale, 4
Owen O'Leary's Golden Eagle Ale, 5
Owen O'Leary's I.P.A., 4
Owen O'Leary's Irish Sunsetter Red, 6
Owen O'Leary's Summertime Wheat, 3
Oxford Hefeweizen, 4

Pabst Blue Ribbon, 4
Pacifico, 3
Paper City Batch 108, 8
Paper City Blonde Hop Monster, 8
Paper City One Eared Monkey, 2
Paper City PC Blue, 2
Paper City Riley's Mother's Milk Stout, 9
Peak Organic Espresso Amber Ale, 8
Peak Organic IPA, 7
Peak Organic Nut Brown Ale, 3
Pearl Street Canal Street Stout, 9
Pearl Street Lake Effect Pale Ale, 7
Pearl Street Trainwreck, 4
Pennichuck Bagpipers Scottish Ale, 5
Pennichuck Black Lager, 8
Pennichuck Engine No. 5 Firehouse Red Ale, 6
Pennichuck Halligan RyePA, 7
Pennichuck The Big O Octoberfest Lager, 6
Penobscot Bay Whig Street Blonde Ale, 8
Petes Wicked Strawberry Blonde, 5
Picaroon's Best Bitter, 6
Picaroon's Man's Best Friend, 4
Port Brewing High Tide Fresh Hop IPA, 7
Port Brewing Shark Attack Double Red Ale, 6
Port Brewing Wipeout IPA, 8
Portsmouth ALTernator, 9
Portsmouth Bottle Rocket IPA, 8
Portsmouth Dirty Blonde Ale, 7
Portsmouth Oatmeal Stout, 8
Portsmouth Smoky Dunkelweizen, 5
Pretty Things American Darling, 7
Pretty Things Baby Tree, 8
Pretty Things Jack D'or, 9
Pretty Things Saint Botolph's Town, 6
Primus, 1
Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen, 5

RedBones Chester Street Amber, 7
Redhook Blonde Ale, 4
Redhook CopperHook Spring Ale, 4
Redhook Double Black Stout (with Coffee), 9
Redhook ESB, 7
Redhook Long Hammer IPA, 3
Redhook Sunrye, 5
Ringwood Old Thumper (USA), 6
Riverhorse Tripel Horse, 6
RJ Rocker Patriot Ale, 3
Rock Art Magnumus Ete Tomahawkus ESB^2, 8
Rock Art Vermonster, 8
Rock Bottom American Dream IPA, 7
Rock Bottom Improper Hopper IPA, 5
Rock Bottom Lumpy Dog Light Lager, 1
Rock Bottom Mad Cow Milk Stout, 6
Rock Bottom Munich Gold, 4
Rock Bottom North Star Amber Ale, 2
Rock Bottom Off-Kilter Scotch Ale, 5
Rock Bottom Pumpkin Ale, 6
Rodenbach Classic, 8
Rogue American Amber, 6
Rogue Brutal Bitter, 5
Rogue Captain Sig's Deadliest Ale, 6
Rogue Chipotle Ale, 2
Rogue Chocolate Stout, 8
Rogue Dead Guy Ale, 9
Rogue Mocha Porter, 7
Rogue Morimoto Soba, 7
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale, 9
Rogue Shakespeare Stout, 7
Roots Burghead Heather Ale, 6
Roots EXXXcalibur Imperial Stout, 9
Roots Island Red, 7
Roots Pale Ale, 7
Roots Pond Turtle Pale Ale, 8
Roots Woody Organic IPA, 8
Run of the Mill Bug Zapper Super Lager, 7
Russian River Blind Pig IPA, 9
Russian River Pliny the Elder, 10

Safari Lager, 2
Sagres, 6
Saint Somewhere Lectio Divina, 6
Samuel Adams Black Lager, 9
Samuel Adams Blackberry Wit, 3
Samuel Adams Boston Ale, 7
Samuel Adams Boston Lager, 9
Samuel Adams Brick Red, 5
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat, 4
Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock, 3
Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic, 1
Samuel Adams Cream Stout, 8
Samuel Adams Double Bock, 8
Samuel Adams Dunkel Weiss, 7
Samuel Adams Hefeweizen, 5
Samuel Adams Holiday Porter, 8
Samuel Adams Honey Porter, 2
Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner, 6
Samuel Adams Imperial Stout, 2
Samuel Adams Irish Red Ale, 6
Samuel Adams Light, 5
Samuel Adams LongShot Grape Pale Ale, 3
Samuel Adams LongShot Weizenbock, 9
Samuel Adams Octoberfest, 4
Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale, 5
Samuel Adams Pale Ale, 4
Samuel Adams Scotch Ale, 7
Samuel Adams Summer Ale, 7
Samuel Adams Triple Bock, 1
Samuel Adams White Ale, 4
Samuel Adams Winter Lager, 6
Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout, 5
Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout, 10
Samuel Smiths Old Brewery Pale Ale, 4
Samuel Smiths Taddy Porter, 8
San Miguel Dark Lager, 4
Sapporo Premium Draft, 3
Saranac Adirondack Amber, 4
Saranac Black and Tan, 5
Saranac IPA, 4
Saranac Pale Ale, 5
Saranac Pumpkin Ale, 4
Schlitz, 5
Sea Dog Blue Paw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale, 3
Sea Dog Riverdriver Hazelnut Porter, 3
Sebago Barrel-aged Lake Trout Stout, 8
Sebago Fryes Leap IPA, 7
Sebago Full Throttle Double IPA, 9
Sebago Hefeweizen, 3
Sebago Lake Trout Stout, 9
Sebago Local Harvest Ale, 6
Sebago Runabout Red Ale, 5
Sebago Slick Nick Winter Ale, 5
Serengeti Premium Lager, 1
Sheepscot Valley Bold Coast Pemaquid Ale, 6
Sheepscot Valley Boothbay Special Bitter, 2
Sheepscot Valley Sheepscot River Pale Ale, 8
Sherwood Forest Archers Ale, 5
Sherwood Forest Sheriffs IPA, 8
Shipyard Light, 3
Shipyard Brewer's Choice Special Ale 2008 (Brown Ale), 7
Shipyard Brewer's Choice Special Ale 2009 (Royal IPA), 8
Shipyard Blue Fin Stout, 7
Shipyard Brown Ale, 3
Shipyard Chamberlain Pale Ale, 6
Shipyard Export Ale, 9
Shipyard Longfellow Winter Ale, 8
Shipyard Prelude Ale, 9
Shipyard Pugsley's Signature Series Barley Wine Style Ale, 7
Shipyard Pugsley's Signature Series Imperial Porter, 8
Shipyard Pugsley's Signature Series XXXX IPA, 8
Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale, 8
Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin, 8
Shipyard Summer Ale, 3
Shipyard Tremont Ale, 8
Shipyard Tremont IPA, 4
Sierra Nevada 12th Release Harvest, 6
Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale, 7
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, 9
Sierra Nevada Brown Ale, 8
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, 8
Sierra Nevada Early Spring Beer, 7
Sierra Nevada India Pale Ale, 8
Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss Hefeweizen, 7
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, 8
Sierra Nevada Porter, 9
Sierra Nevada Stout, 8
Sierra Nevada Summerfest, 7
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA, 8
Singha, 4
Sixpoint Brownstone Ale, 7
Sixpoint Righteous Ale, 8
Sixpoint Sweet Action, 10
Smithwicks Ale, 4
Smuttynose Big A IPA, 10
Smuttynose IPA “Finest Kind”, 6
Smuttynose Old Brown Dog, 6
Smuttynose Portsmouth Lager, 6
Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale, 6
Smuttynose Robust Porter, 10
Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale, 9
Smuttynose Summer Weizen Ale, 6
Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale, 6
Smuttynose Winter Ale, 7
Snapperfish IPA, 4
Southampton Double White Ale, 9
Southampton ESB, 10
Southampton IPA, 7
Southern Tier Back Burner, 7
Southern Tier Big Red, 7
Southern Tier Harvest Ale, 7
Southern Tier IPA, 8
Southern Tier Jahva, 6
Southern Tier Phin & Matts Extraordinary Ale, 6
Southern Tier Porter, 8
Southern Tier Raspberry Porter, 5
Southern Tier Raspberry Wheat Beer, 3
Spanish Peaks Black Dog Ale, 5
Spanish Peaks Crystal Weiss, 4
Speakeasy Prohibition Ale, 9
Sprecher Black Bavarian, 8
St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, 9
St. Ides High Gravity Malt Liquor, 3
St. John Brewers Virgin Islands Pale Ale, 2
St. Pauli Girl Lager, 3
St. Pauli Girl Special Dark, 3
Steel Reserve 211, 5
Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, 8
Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale, 9
Stone India Pale Ale, 9
Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard, 9
Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale 2008, 7
Stone Pale Ale, 9
Stone Ruination IPA, 8
Stone Russian Imperial Stout, 5
Stone Vertical Epic 08-08-08, 6
Stone Coast 840 IPA, 8
Stone Coast Knuckleball Bock, 6
Stone Coast Sunsplash Golden Ale, 2
Stoudts American Pale Ale, 9
Stoudts Double IPA, 8
Stoudts Fat Dog, 8
Stoudts Gold Lager, 8
Stoudts Scarlet Lady ESB, 6
Sunday River Alt, 3
Sunday River Black Bear Porter, 6
Sunday River IPA, 5

Taj Mahal Premium Lager, 3
Tecate, 1
Terminal Gravity IPA, 7
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale, 7
The Bruery Orchard White, 7
The Bruery Saison Rue, 9
The Tap American Pale Ale, 7
The Tap Ascension, 8
The Tap Bock, 7
The Tap Chocolate Porter, 8
The Tap Dopplebock, 4
The Tap Haverale Cream Ale, 6
The Tap Hewitt Brown, 6
The Tap Irish Stout, 7
The Tap Leatherlips IPA, 9
The Tap Nut Brown, 7
The Tap Whittier White, 7
Thirsty Dog Old Leghumper, 6
Thirsty Dog Siberian Night, 10
Thomas Hooker Blonde Ale, 7
Thomas Hooker Hop Meadow IPA, 9
Thomas Hooker Liberator Doppelbock, 10
Tiger Beer, 2
Tommyknocker Alpine Glacier Lager, 3
Trade Route Ginger Pale Ale, 4
Trinity Belgian Gold, 6
Trinity Brown Ale, 6
Trinity Hefe Weizen, 5
Trinity Larkens Irish Stout, 7
Trinity Rhode Island IPA, 8
Trinity Russian Imperial Stout, 9
Trinity Special Kolsch, 8
Troegs Hopback Amber Ale, 8
Troegs Java Head Stout, 8
Troegs Pale Ale, 6
Troubadour Obscura, 6
Trout River Rainbow Red Ale, 5
Trumer Pils, 6
Tsingtao, 2
Tuckerman 6288 Stout, 7
Tuckerman Pale Ale, 8
Tusker Lager, 2
Two Brothers Domaine DuPage French Style Country Ale, 7
Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA, 6
Two Brothers The Bitter End, 7

Uganda Breweries Pilsner Lager, 1
Uinta Angler's Pale Ale, 8
Uncle Jim's Homebrews Amber Ale, 4
Uncle Jim's Homebrews Cream Ale, 6
Uncle Jim's Homebrews Oatmeal Stout, 6
Uncle Jim's Homebrews Red, 8
Uncle Jim's Homebrews "SB", 6
Unibroue Chambly Noire, 5
Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, 9
Union Station Belgian Tripel, 4

Van Steenberge Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Red Ale, 5
Victory 12, 4
Victory Bags Packed Porter, 7
Victory Baltic Thunder, 9
Victory Braumeister Harvest Pils, 6
Victory Festbier, 6
Victory Golden Monkey, 9
Victory HopDevil, 9
Victory Moonglow Weizenbock, 4
Victory Prima Pils, 8
Victory Storm King Imperial Stout, 10
Victory V Lager, 6
Victory Whirlwind Witbier, 4

Wachusett Blueberry, 5
Wachusett Green Monsta, 7
Wachusett IPA, 5
Wachusett Octoberfest Ale, 3
Wachusett Summer Breeze, 4
Wachusett Winter Ale, 7
Watch City 38 Schilling Scottish Ale, 6
Watch City Biking Bob's Bohemian Pilsner, 4
Watch City Bombed Blondeshelle Belgian Strong Ale, 5
Watch City Dubbel Belgian Ale, 6
Watch City Hops Explosion IPA, 9
Watch City Kingpin Imperial Stout, 7
Watch City Moody Street Stout, 7
Watch City Pie Eyed Pumpkin Ale, 6
Watch City Shillelagh Irish Red Ale, 5
Watch City Titan Brown Ale, 9
Watch City Totem Pale Ale, 8
Watch City Uber-Okto-Lager, 6
Watch City Wheat IPA, 7
Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier, 8
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, 8
Weyerbacher Hops Infusion, 7
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumkin Ale, 7
Weyerbacher Merry Monks' Ale, 7
Weyerbacher Winter Ale, 4
Widmer Brothers Drop Top Amber Ale, 8
Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen, 9
Widmer Brothers Snow Plow, 7
Widmer Brothers W06 NW Red Ale, 8
Windhoek Lager, 3
Wolaver's Farmhouse Ale, 8
Wolavers India Pale Ale, 7
Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout, 4
Wolaver’s Will Stevens' Pumpkin Ale, 5
Woodstock Inn Pemi Pale Ale, 6
Woodstock Inn Pigs Ear Brown Ale, 5
Wynchwood Fiddler's Elbow, 5

Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale, 7
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, 7
Young's Oatmeal Stout, 9
Yuengling Traditional Lager, 8

Z Street Mocha Java Stout, 8

Beer and Cheese

I once said my tombstone would read: He liked cheese. I could live off cheese and crackers. I think I would rather lose an apendage than be lactose intolerance. So my promised research into beer and cheese pairings was not much of a chore. Beer Advocate divides cheeses into seven different categories, with their corresponding beer styles.

Buttery: Brie, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss
Pair with- Doppelbock, Dubbel, ESB, Porter, Scotch Ale, Stout

Earthy: Camembert, Fontina
Pair with- Brown, Pale Ale, Porter, Saison, Stout, Strong Ale, Wheat

Nutty: Asiago, Colby, Parmesan
Pair with- Brown, ESB, IPA, Pale Ale, Saison, Strong Ale

Peppery: Monterey/Pepper Jack
Pair with- Blonde, IPA, Mild, Pale Ale, Rye, Witbier

Pungent: Gorgonzola, Limburger
Pair with- Barleywine, Dubbel, IPA, Lambic, Saison, Tripel

Sharp: Cheddar, Blue Cheese
Pair with- Amber, Barleywine, Pilsner, IPA, Lambic, Pale Ale, Tripel

Tangy: Brick, Edam, Feta
Pair with- Bitter, Hefeweizen, Pale Ale, Strong Ale, Witbier

With this in mind, Kelly and I tried pairings with four of the categories that we eat most often.

Pairing 1: Buzzards Bay Pilsner & Extra Sharp Cheddar (Sharp)
the sharpness of the cheddar stands up well to the assertive / brash bitterness of this hoppy czech pilsner. this was the one cheese i always have available in the house and i think it accompanies most any beer perfectly fine.

Pairing 2: Terrapin Rye Pale Ale & Asiago (Nutty)
the asiago cheese is very aromatic and dry... which makes you quite thirsty. nuttiness of cheese does go nicely with breadiness of this rye pale ale. much more complementing than first pairing.

Pairing 3: Capital Blonde Doppelbock & Dill Havarti (Buttery)

the havarti is buttery but the dill in cheese kind of dominates. upstages this malty beer as well. still tasty though. next time i would try a buttery cheese with a classic english pub-style bitter.

Pairing 4: Avery White Rascal & Monterey Pepper Jack (Peppery)

the yeastiness of this witbier cuts spice of pepper jack well. i guess i wouldn't reccommend using too special of a beer with a peppery cheese like this for much the same reason that really spicy food kills your taste buds for sampling beer. enoyable nevertheless.

Verdict: i definitely liked the cheeses with characteristics that complemented the beers over the ones that had contrasting flavors. again though, i think this is more about personal taste. really, there is no going wrong with beer and cheese.

Some more Pretty Things

Pretty Things American Darling
22 oz -- Cork's, Mansfield
no question about what kind of beer they are trying to produce here... there is a lawnmover on the label. so light that it is completely see-through. very tasty sweet grain. and 7% alcohol... not sure i have seen that before. i really enjoyed this beer. but honestly, it reminds me a lot of pbr at probably four times the price...
Score: 7

Pretty Things Saint Botolph's Town
22 oz -- Luke's, Rockland
after some interesting style choices for their first few beers i was a little surprised to see a brown ale next off the line. apparently this year-round offering is a "yorkshire-inspired beer." solid chocolate flavor redeems this beer, however. as good of a brown as i have had in some time.
Score: 6

Solid 8's

Here are three new beers that I think are excellent candidates for breakfast stouts...

Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter
22 oz -- Luke's, Rockland
its an imperial porter, but i'm gonna count it as a breakie stout. drank pretty warm while moving a friend. vanilla flavor really did stand out. much recommended.
Score: 8

Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
22 oz -- Cork's, Mansfield
had the oak aged yeti before, but not infused with espresso. has a totally different label than the first beer, not as flashy but pretty classy. strong coffee flavor is needed to even out nearly 10% abv. enjoyable though.
Score: 8

Troegs Java Head Stout
22 oz -- Cork's
pour you would expect with slightly more sizeable head. fresh coffee nose. rising bitterness amidst charred java. easy drinking but a little chalky. very nice beer but never blows you away. if you are looking for some sort of tie-breaker, this was probably the most expensive of the three...
Score: 8

Washington D.C.

As promised, my trip to Washington D.C. gave me some new states to check off the list. These are going to be hard to find up in New England, but asking your local liquor store is always an option...

Blue & Gray Stonewall Stout
22 oz -- Rick's Wine and Gourmet, Alexandria, VA
a virginia beer. drank it as a breakfast stout on halloween. all good things in flavor: chocolate, coffee, roasted malts. worked better as a breakfast stout than anticipated.
Score: 7

Legend Brown Ale
22 oz -- Rick's Wine and Gourmet
from richmond, virginia. attractive to the eye... very malty with robitussin/liquorice/dark fruit in taste... little thin, which means its not too heavy. not a bad brown.
Score: 6

Legend Pale Ale
22 oz -- Rick's Wine and Gourmet
another nice amber pour with very fresh nose. earthy bitterness with sweet finish. i would give it the edge over the brown.
Score: 6

Old Dominion Dominion Ale
Bottle -- Brickskeller, Washington D.C.
recommended by one of hil's friends as their favorite beer. i'll be honest, the low-budget label made me skeptical but this really was great. solid malt presence but very balanced and drinkable. i would definitely get a six-pack of this next time.
Score: 8

RJ Rocker Patriot Ale
Bottle -- Brickskeller
from the other carolina. aroma is mostly wet dog. flavor is like chewing on raw hops, but the bitterness is still mild. a loss.
Score: 3

Terrapin Rye Pale Ale
Bottle -- Rick's Wine and Gourmet
wow, a beer from georgia! i was excited to bring a six-pack of this back with me from dc. only 10% rye, so more of a pale ale than anything. breadiness cuts crispness of hops. not bad at all.
Score: 7

My favorite:

Duck-Rabbit Porter
Bottle -- Brickskeller
hil ordered this so that i could try a beer from north carolina -- what a sis! mahogany pour with big head... mostly chocolate flavor... creamy texture. this was surprisingly good. suppose i shouldn't have been that shocked since north carolina has a very robust craft beer scene. something to explore further, i guess.
Score: 8

Homebrewing through the seasons

It has been a while since I posted about my homebrews, so let's catch up. My last few homebrews have been heavily tied to the seasons, unlike my early homebrews which just focused on some of the major styles. A wheat beer for the steamy end of the summer, a pumpkin ale for the fall, and a darker beer planned for the holidays.

Hold-The-Lemon American Wheat
Bottle -- Brockton
designed as a clone to widmer's hefeweizen -- my first attempt at a true clone. not a hef though, just like widmer's isn't a hef. american wheat is a much more appropriate designation in my book, much like harpoon's ufo hefeweizen or sam adam's summer. (but hopefully mine will be a little better than the latter though...) the idea was a flavorful, yet easy drinking beer. nice enough looking beer with some fresh hops on nose. love the flavor too -- citrus from the hops and caramel from the malts. solid balance. yeast is especially tasty (wyeast 1007), again more fruity than a german hef strain. smooth going down, perhaps slightly watery. i thought this accompanied meals especially well and was pleased with how close this was to what i was going for. i should point out the flavor turned slightly after 6 weeks, but nothing compared to this next beer...
Score: 6

Mr. Jack Ale'Lantern
Giant pumpkin -- Brockton
pours clear orange with neat head... spice does come through in aroma, along with malts, a hint of alcohol, and apples? that was unexpected. nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves all present themselves in taste to lend a real pumpkin flavor to it (i discovered in the brewing process that pumpkin really doesn't have much a flavor to it at all, and what we consider to be the taste of pumpkin is actually fall spices... seriously, taste it sometime.) there is a moment of bitterness up front and i was surprised to taste the yeast as well. very lively mouthfeel throughout and very light bodied. as mentioned in the last post, this rating is for the beer when first brewed. the spices did start to sour fairly quickly, so this is a beer that needs to be consumed relatively quickly. still, i would consider this a success.
Score: 6

On deck:
Chocolate. Chipotle. Milk. Stout. Returning to the scene of my greatest failure: homebrew #3, You're So Vain... You Probably Think This Stout is About You! I thought I could play it safe on this one and produce a Guiness or something... or I could brew the greatest beer ever made. Results to come at Christmas.

Fun with pumpkins

This was probably the most excited I have been about Halloween since the age of 5. Yes, 5 -- by the age of 6 I had already developed my current disinterest in candy. But enough about my sad, puritanical life.

This Halloween was exciting since I was going to build a keg out of a pumpkin. And then put my homebrewed pumpkin ale in it. And then drink it! This was going to be big.

Step 1: Now listen carefully because this is the most important step: Find some suckers to allow you to create a keg out of a giant pumpkin inside their house! Ladies and gentlemen, Leanne and Ryan! (Note the lack of alcoholic beverages in front of everyone but myself -- this becomes increasingly relevant as our story goes on...)

Step 2: Find a large knife with which to stab the pumpkin. Remove a lot of pumpkin guts.

Step 3: Secure access to some serious powertools. (Note concerned look on the face of all onlookers...) Now, very carefully drill a hole that is just big enough for... @#$% %^&*! Okay, take a deep breath, we can fix this. RYAN, WHERE IS THE DUCT TAPE?! WHAT?! WHO DOESN'T OWN DUCT TAPE?!?!

Step 4: With the tap "secured" we are ready. It is at this point the relevance of completing Step 1 becomes very evident. Man, Kelly would kill me if I ever did this in our house. Nevermind that, everyone, fill that pumpkin!

Step 5: Wow, that is a lot of beer. Let's seal this up and get started!

Step 6: "You are going to have some, right, Kelly? Where is your cup? Oh, you are full. Okay, how about you, Ryan? What, you are making hot apple cider? Well, that was forseeable... George! My trusty old buddy, George! Here have some delicious pumpkin beer! What? It is too sweet?! BUT THEN WHY ARE YOU DRINKING HOT APPLE CIDER INSTEAD?!?!" Obviously, I proceeded to drink a lot of pumpkin beer. Here is some of the aftermath. Note massive flooding below pumpkin.

To be fair, this beer was much better when I first brewed it. I had heard that spiced beers tend to sour over time, but I never thought it would happen in the span of a couple of weeks. In an effort to fix the problem, I added a brown sugar solution to sweeten the beer, which was definitely an over-correction. So it goes. I thought the beer was still delicious, although the last quarter of a pumpkin was a little heavy. I wouldn't say the pumpkin infused much flavor, but that wasn't really the point, is it? Next time I would better time the brewing, put the pumpkin on ice, and probably get a smaller pumpkin. But again, where is the fun in that? Regardless, I highly recommend trying this yourself next Halloween. Just remember, Step 1 is the most important step.

Maine Beer Festival

Maine. Beer. Festival. Maine Beer Festival! Yup, that is where I was last weekend. 15 Maine brewers, 12 tickets of 4 oz samples, 3 1/2 hours. So it was pretty much the greatest day of my life.

Couple of thoughts. Believe it or not, but this was only my second beer festival, and it was quite a bit different than the first. 12 drinks (or 4 beers) may not seem like a lot in 3 1/2 hours, but it really was plenty. I much prefered this to unlimited samples in 1 oz glasses since you get a much better sense for the beer you are drinking. Also, these Maine brewers did a much better job of bringing some interesting beers. Belgians, porters, double IPA's, world-class stouts -- pretty much everything was here. Especially impressive was what some of the bigger brewers brought: imperials, cask-conditioned, nitro pours, bourbon barrel-aged, you name it. Nevertheless, it was the smaller brewers that really stole the show. The lines for each of these brewers ran across the expo center.

Anyways, here are twelve new beers I tried at the festival. I think it is worth noting that I also had some more familiar, and yet still enjoyable, beers from Bar Harbor Brewing, Gritty's, Peak Organic, Sea Dog, and Shipyard. Perhaps I'll see you there next year?

Allagash Hugh Malone
Sample -- MBF, Portland
i usually like to wait on the stronger beers at festivals but i couldn't help but make a beeline to this 8.5% belgian ipa that i hadn't tried yet. white grapes factor prominently in flavor. heavy aroma. sweet and strong, with a bitter finish. nice.
Score: 8

Atlantic Brewing Mount Desert Isle Ginger
Sample -- MBF, Portland
hadn't had many ginger beers but still went in with low expectations. surprisingly good. you could taste the ginger but it was very well placed. nice balance too. not sure i would drink a whole six-pack of these, but i would definitely reccomend it.
Score: 7

Federal Jack's Taint Town Pale Ale
Sample -- MBF, Portland
my first beer from this kennebunk brewpub. they are affiliated with shipyard and even had a 2008 cask-conditioned prelude available. i made the wrong choice, because this was not good. breadiness and grassy hops clashed in flavor.
Score: 2

Geary's Imperial IPA
Sample -- MBF, Portland
i was surprised to see geary's jump into imperial wave overtaking maine. i think brewers are going a little overboard with these high alcohol monsters, but it is exciting to see a new beer from geary's. kind of a letdown though. alcohol and heavy maltiness come through more than expected bitterness.
Score: 6

Kennebec River Penobscot Porter
Sample -- MBF, Portland
my dad is a big fan of this beer -- but then again he loves most any dark maine beer. this is a dark one, with a healthy dose of charred malt and... spanish olives? yup, that is a new one. not bad though.
Score: 6

Run of the Mill Bug Zapper Super Lager
Sample -- MBF, Portland
from the producers of my beloved liberal cup in hallowell maine. this was a new one to me, a "double brewed" lager. not quite sure what that means. generous grassy hops for a lager, for sure. a lot more flavor than their bug lager. i liked it, my dad did not.
Score: 7

Sebago Local Harvest Ale
Sample -- MBF, Portland
apparently they can grow hops all the way up in monroe, maine! gives me hope for my future hop farm. the hops are quite sweet, as is the malt profile. little too one-dimensional for my liking, but not bad at all. like the idea.
Score: 6

Sebago Barrel-aged Lake Trout Stout
Sample -- MBF, Portland
i was really hoping they would bring this beer. i mean, they aged one of my favorite beers in a bourbon barrell! predictable level of alcohol knocked me off my feet. tastes a lot like bourbon. i would only drink this in certain situations but it would be perfect to share with dan when smoking a cigar!
Score: 8

Sheepscot Valley Sheepscot River Pale Ale
Sample -- MBF, Portland
good balance between caramel malts and fruity hops. best sheepscot i have had yet.
Score: 8

Sunday River Alt
Sample -- MBF, Portland
overly malty and bland. unenjoyable.
Score: 3

Sunday River IPA
Sample -- MBF, Portland
given to me as sunday river's ipa. does that mean the 420 ipa they absorbed from stone coast? probably. piney/citric hops, although a little watery.
Score: 5

Best in show:
Maine Beer Spring Peeper Ale
Sample -- MBF, Portland
i made a beeline to this new maine brewer, which was deserved. founded by the kleban brothers (with a little help from allagash, i believe), maine beer company started with a "west coast pale." citrus hops on nose, and a solid bitterness, although it doesn't build out of control. balanced enough that i could drink this regularly. can't wait to see what is next from these guys!
Score: 9

Randomness

You'll see these beers came to me from all over the map. And the march to 1,000 beers continues...

Avery White Rascal
Bottle -- Julio's, Northborough
kelly purchased this after realizing that she liked most witbier's, not just allagash white. powerful yeast, but i have had tastier. fruitiness makes up for it in flavor. certainly goes down easy.
Score: 5

Capital Blonde Doppelbock
Bottle -- Julio's, Northborough
medium brown color... lighter malt profile, albeit with a slight skunkiness. better than your average doppelbock, i thought.
Score: 6

Coney Island Sword Swallower
Tap -- Prezo Grille and Bar, Milford
solid citric bitterness on nose and flavor. not bad. have to say though, george ordered one of these later in the evening and it was awful. dregs of the keg? i'm not sure.
Score: 6

Flying Dog Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale
Tap -- Prezo Grille and Bar, Milford
first off, classy name. i just don't like these guys. beer itself has rather rawish hops with maltiness in center of taste. meh.
Score: 6

Founders Double Trouble
Bottle -- Prezo Grille and Bar, Milford
i actually had to send back an incorrectly delivered founders breakfast stout in order to get this beer -- seems like a crime. this was very good at least. pungent nose... sweet peach flavor... excellent.
Score: 8

Kona Wailua Wheat
Bottle -- Brickskeller, Washington D.C.
off-putting aroma... formaldehyde? not sure. flavor is equally bad. don't order this beer.
Score: 1

New Holland Mad Hatter IPA
Bottle -- Brickskeller, Washington D.C.
not the hoppiest ipa you'll ever find with a solid malt profile. my really complaint was that it was a little watery. pretty good overall though. i'd still like to try another one from this much respected brewer.
Score: 7

Otter Creek Helles Bock
Bottle -- Peabody
malty, blah.
Score: 3

Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen
Bottle -- Brickskeller, Washington D.C.
little cloudy. apricot and wheat flavor. easy enough to drink but not especially well-constructed.
Score: 5

Saint Somewhere Lectio Divina
750 ml -- Shoreline Beverage, Huntington, NY
the bottle calls this an amber ale. beer advocate lumps it in with belgian strong pale ales. all i know is i have never had anything like it. big pop once the cork comes off. raisins and a candied sugar sweetness dominates. alcohol was kind of strong too. not my favorite.
Score: 6

Two Brothers Domaine DuPage French Style Country Ale
Bottle -- Luke's
don't think i have had a biere de garde before. sustained head... subdued aroma with slight twinge of yeast... slight sourness and fruity. interesting.
Score: 7

One to seek out:
Caldera IPA
Can -- Brickskeller, Washington D.C.
never found this beer while out in oregon. comes in very bright can. hops are closest to grapefruit and quite nice. this may have been my favorite beer of the weekend.
Score: 10

Massachusetts News Roundup

Buzzards Bay to Close

Some sad (if not unexpected) news from Yankee Brew News:

"The South Coast of Massachusetts has lost its local beer brand. Buzzards Bay Brewing of Westport has stopped production on its Buzzards Bay line of ales and lagers. Owner Bill Russell made the decision due to declining sales and difficulties with distribution. The growing competition from national beer brands in the marketplace had become too much for the small brewery...

The brewers and staff at Buzzards Bay will still brew, however, for both Cisco Brewers of Nantucket and Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project of Cambridge, as well as partner with Irish brewer Strangford Lough. The major development in the works in a new line of beers named Just Beer, which will be self-distributed.

The beers in the Just Beer line are American-style ales brewed with a negative carbon footprint... They are currently only available on draft in the South Coast market. 'Twenty-two ounce bombers of these carbon-negative brews will be released sometime in the upcoming months,' [brewer Bill] Russell said."

Nano Breweries Opening in Western Mass

Western Mass has lucked into not one, but two micro-micro-breweries in the process of opening. The first is Element Brewery in Miners Falls, MA. They bill themselves as "the fusion of art, science, and beer." Interesting. They should have opened by now (as long as the final few papers are signed in time...)

Another town called Bernardston already has a nano brewery of its own: Lefty's Brewing. The list of beers seemed pretty conventional, and skewed to the darker side of the spectrum... not a bad thing. It is on tap and bombers are already on sale at sereral locations in the area. Wonder how long it will take these brewers to make it to the Boston area?

Sam Adams Obtains License to Sell Beers from Brewery

From The Globe:

"Until now they could not buy beer there [at the brewery], even though about half the visitors wanted to, Sullivan said. Instead, they were given a card with walking directions to nearby liquor stores.

That will change next week, when Boston Beer begins selling limited- edition Samuel Adams brews in its gift shop. The company received a license from the state in August, but it delayed the start of sales to coincide with the release of its new Barrel-Aged Collection.

“Our goal is to sell beers that are harder to find - the limited-edition beers and the beers we’re experimenting with - at the brewery,’’ Sullivan said. “We’re not going to be selling Octoberfest at the brewery.’’

The three beers that make up the Barrel-Aged Collection - New World Tripel, American Kriek, and Stony Brook Red - are certainly going to qualify as hard to find. Boston Beer will only distribute them in 750-milliliter bottles, the size of a wine bottle, in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Denver, where Koch first won the Great American Beer Festival in 1985. The bottles, priced at $9.95, won’t be sold in six-packs.

Unlike the traditional brewing process, which involves metal tanks, barrel-aging includes an additional fermenting period in wooden barrels that each hold about 4,000 gallons. The barrel-aged beers are then blended with other beers. The company hopes the resulting hybrid brews will help it win over drinkers of wine and hard liquor."

Beer 101: Food Pairings

This seems long overdue, but the truth is that I still have a lot to figure out about food and beer pairings. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that, as is often the case in the world of beer, pairings are more of an art form than a science.

In general, lighter beers go with lighter foods, darker beers with heavier foods. But sometimes a beer with opposing characteristics can highlight the differing flavors in each. Other guidelines include the fact that lighter beers tend do a better job of washing down spicy food, although hoppy beers can sometimes do a better job of cutting the heat. An even easier rule is the idea of keeping ethnicities together; German beer and brats, rice lager and Asian food, etc.

The important part, of course, is that you enjoy both the food and the beer together. Below are a few of my favorite styles with some common types of beer; Beer Advocate has an even more comprehensive list. So with that in mind, try cracking open one of these styles over your next meal.

Salad: most Belgians, Fruit Beer, Hefeweizen, Rye
Cheese: depends on type of cheese. Beer Advocate divides cheeses into styles: buttery, earthy, nutty, peppery, pungent, sharp, and tangy. I think I will do a tasting soon and make a seperate post of this. I'd like to try a beer dinner too.

Beef: Amber, Brown, Porter, Stout
Grilled meat: English Bitter, Porter, Smoked Beer, Stout
Poultry: Amber, Hefeweizen, Pale Ale
Seafood: IPA, Pilsner, Saison, Witbier

Chinese: American Lager, Pilsner, Rice Lager
Indian: American Lager, Czech Pilsner, Pale Ale
Italian: American Lager, Blonde, Pale Ale
Mexican: Amber, American Lager, Chile Beer, Wheat
Thai: Czech Pilsner, IPA, Rice Lager, Saison

Chocolate: Lambic, Porter, Stout

Dessert: Barleywine, Fruit Beer, Lambic, Stout

Bell's

Earlier I mentioned my recent successful trip to Brasserie Beck in Washington, D.C. This was Franklin's idea, but my real ambition was the legendary Brickskeller near Dupont Circle. They boast over 1,000 different bottles of beer (but to be fair, they are inevitably out of a sizeable number of these, and even more surprising, had no taps!) The upstairs was definitely more spacious than the basement, and throughout there was lots of classic beer memorabilia up on the walls.

The list of beers was not as varied as I might have hoped, but there were definitely some gems and interesting regional beers. My favorite find was Bell's, that much respected and elusive brewer from Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Bell's Java Stout
Bottle -- Rick's Wine and Gourmet, Alexandria, VA
lots of burnt coffee with note of vanilla. not very drinkable.
Score: 5

Bell's Pale Ale
Bottle -- Brickskeller, Washington, D.C.
very clear with minor head. grassy / hay hops and quite grainy. was not impressed.
Score: 5

Bell's Porter
Bottle -- Brickskeller, Washington, D.C.
cola mouthfeel, primarily chocolate flavor, and very smooth. not bad.
Score: 7

Bell's Two Hearted Ale
Bottle -- Rick's Wine and Gourmet
good smell, but didn't blow me away. but the flavor -- oh, wow! piney, fruity, and balanced with caramel malts. leagues ahead of the other beers i tried from bell's. looking forward to the rest of this six-pack!
Score: 10

Thoughts on seasons

Those of you who have had the honor of getting a beer with me lately know that I always carry around a list of my complete beer ratings. (Some 900 beers long, the font is getting pretty small on that sheet of paper at this point!) As you can imagine, the guys would rip on me pretty good about that... until I got them a list of their own! They admit it is pretty handy.

So it is in that spirit that I am going to take George up on one of his suggestions: previewing seasonal offerings. Often when you walk into a liquor store there is a bewildering display of different seasonal offerings (about two months early, mind you, but that is a post for another day...) Now, it is pretty annoying when, looking for a decent winter warmer, you spend $9 on a six-pack of Harpoon only to find out that it is like chewing on a pine cone. With that in mind, here are a few winter beers with Josh's seal of approval.

Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale -- a lot happening in this full-flavored beer

Gritty McDuff's Christmas Ale -- brought a mini-keg of this to Christmas a couple of years ago... a great choice.

Rogue Santa's Private Reserve -- my favorite Rogue beer

Sam Adams Holiday Porter -- possibly the last Sam beer I really look forward to drinking

Shipyard Prelude Special Ale -- this might be its only year on the list since Shipyard is streaching the length of prelude's season every year...

Shipyard Longfellow Winter Ale -- leave it to Maine to keep the Porter as a seasonal alive

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale -- an IPA as a winter seasonal? i love it!

It is worth noting that I limited this list strictly to seasonal offerings; strong ales (Geary's Hampshire Special Ale), barleywine's (Sierra Nevada Bigfoot), and just about any Russian Imperial Stout, also work well on a cold winter night. Now I am going to wait a couple more weeks before breaking out any winter beers, so let's wrap up with the last of the new fall seasonals.

Pennichuck The Big O Octoberfest Lager
22 oz -- Kappy's, Falmouth
kind of amateurish label but apparently this won a couple of medals at the great international beer festival. first impression upon sniffing this beer is: what is the abv on this one? still not sure, but i have to think it is on the high end for marzens... 6%? lots of malts but being a lager it doesn't bog you down. flavor didn't totally mesh for me, but i thought this was a solid beer.
Score: 6

Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin
22 oz -- Cork's, Mansfield
the great name and sharp label will probably be enough for this to be a runaway success for shipyard. (definitely a step in the right direction after their hokey summer ale with a lobster on the label...) freakishly clear pour with clean aroma of malt and spice. you actually taste some pumpkin, which may not seem like a big deal but most pumpkin beers are just heavily spiced. (cinnammon and nutmeg are still present though.) definitely taste the alcohol, but not off-putting. nice balance from what is typically a malty style. really good, i thought.
Score: 8

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumkin Ale
Bottle -- Gordon's, Waltham
dark pour with overpowering aroma of nutmeg. spice upstages pumpkin flavor in taste as well. alcohol is a little too strong for my liking at 8% even. good warming beer for a cold fall day though. relatively light and easy to drink.
Score: 7

Wolaver Will Stevens' Pumpkin Ale
Bottle -- Julio's, Westborough
named for the organic farmer who grew the pumpkins for the brew. so you have to like that. very powerfully spiced though and a little thin.
Score: 5

European beers

Most of this latest round of foreign beers came from two very different beer drinking experiences. The first was the closing of The Jury Room in Quincy, which I posted about earlier. I got some pretty amazing beers for $3 each, but let's just say the quality was a little lacking. Whereas, when visiting my sister in Washington D.C. we went to an excellent Belgian beer bar / restaurant called Brasserie Beck. Proper glassware, serving temperature, you name it. So it goes.

Anyways, some pretty amazing beers on this list once again. Can you believe I hadn't tried La Chouffe yet? Unibroue La Fin Du Monde? Chimay Blue? Crazy. One of the joys of waiting to get into foreign beers, I suppose. Let's do this.

Affligem Blond
Bottle -- Brasserie Beck, Washington, D.C.
leaves wall of lacing on chalice... yeasty aroma with solid spiciness and pale malts in flavor. easy to drink. very good.
Score: 8

Chimay Grand Reserve (Blue)
Bottle -- Jury Room, Quincy
served in chimay chalice. malty with dull edge to it, and slightly sour flavor. taste alcohol but only in subdued way. didn't blow me away as expected... which is sure to rile dan up. so it goes.
Score: 7

Harp Lager
Tap -- Fenway Park
brewed by guinness. as watery as you would expect. not really offensive or anything, but plays a role all too similar to bud light.
Score: 2

Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Bottle -- Jury Room, Quincy
i was surprised to come home and see on beeradvocate that this beer has actually been rated more than what i thought was the better known la chouffe. anyways, it was served to me almost frozen, but after the wait i got some big piney and sweet hops on the nose. bready malts check in to taste as well, wrestling with the hoppy bitterness. taste hint of alcohol too. fantastic notching on glass too. nice.
Score: 7

La Chouffe
Bottle -- Brasserie Beck, Washington, D.C.
poured into tulip glass... billowy head... yeast is fruity with well-placed spice, medicinal. thought this was fantastic, and significantly better than their ipa.
Score: 9

Troubadour Obscura
Bottle -- Brasserie Beck, Washington, D.C.
a "mild stout." taste all of 8.2% abv, and something that is close to burnt hair... hops play on tongue more than factor in flavor... very textured. hil and franklin thought this was closer to a brown ale, something that has a degree of truth to it.
Score: 6

Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
Bottle -- Jury Room, Quincy
drank this out of a water glass... after i had to ask for a glass. i mean, come on. opaque golden-peach color... great head produced on pour with a definite liveliness to mouthfeel... fruity and spicy, with no sign of 9% abv... flavor starts sweet and finishes slightly sour... almost gave this one a 10.
Score: 9

Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier
Bottle -- Luke's
billowy head, pale color... saison yeast nose... tasty yeast and fruit. sweetness is only thing that prohibits this from being uber-sessional.
Score: 8

Jury Room Bar Closing

I got a sad email today; The Jury Room in Quincy is closing. I don't think the owner would mind if I include the email below:

After a year and a half of trying to get people to drink beer other than bud light, I'm throwing in the towel. My last day of biz will be oct. 17th (sat) between now and then i am blowing my entire beer inventory out at dirt cheap prices. Starting on weds any beer on my list (85 types) are all 3 bucks. Yes, even the Chimay Blue.

Let your readers know if you would like or just drop by yourself. The next 2 Weds. nights I'm doing a beer tasting starting at 8. My name is Clint, stop by and say Hi! Later, Clint Smith Soon to be ex owner, Jury Room Bar.....

This was, without question, one of the best beer bars on the South Shore. I must have gone here 3 or 4 times in its short existence -- the first trip was a little rocky (check the archives...) but I had much better luck on successive visits.

Overall though, I really liked how they attracted a young audience and stayed committed to offering craft beer. Great effort, Clint, and you will definitely be missed. I plan on being there tomorrow for the Chimay Blue!

New states

As of my last complete rankings I have tried 872 beers from a staggering 271 different brewers. Nevertheless, these brewers only represent 30 of the 50 states. Wow, I've only tried beers from 60% of the country? Kind of unimpressive. To be fair, these states are largely in areas not known for their craft brew scene (the south and middle America) and are not available in New England. But still.

The states I am still seeking out are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Perhaps its time for a road trip.

Having a beer from every state is definitely a goal of mine (and not an easy one to achieve since by my count neither Wyoming nor the Dakotas have an actual brewery...) Visiting the Brickskeller in Washington D.C. next weekend and its 1,000 some beers should definitely help to shrink this number... In the meantime, here are a few new states.

Joseph James Red Fox
Bottle -- Beer of the Month Club
thanks goes to devon from drinkcraftbeer.org for bringing most of these out-of-town beers to a party a little while back. he got all of them from a beer of the month club -- something i am going to have to start looking in to... this is a russian imperial stout from nevada. coffee flavor, cola mouthfeel, with alcohol just below the surface. not bad.
Score: 6

Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale
Bottle -- Shoreline Beverage, Huntington, NY
my first beer from hawaii. and it is a "Hawaiian-style pale ale." oh come on now, hawaii has three microbreweries but its own style of pale ale? seems unlikely. i found this to be a little scattered: biscuit malts, an odd touch of smoke in the middle, and quite a bit of the 6% abv. probably had more in common with a scottish ale than a pale.
Score: 6

Laughing Dog Alpha Dog Imperial IPA
22 oz -- Julio's, Westborough
a double ipa from idaho. didn't find this while in oregon but snapped it up as soon as i found it at julio's. clear organge color with latte head. hops are sweet, citrusy in smell and tangy, fresh, with a hearty bitterness in flavor. soft mouthfeel. very nice.
Score: 8

Millstream Colony Oatmeal Stout
Bottle -- Beer of the Month Club
from iowa. drinkcraftbeer inspired me to try to pair this with some chocolate. i thought it worked, but i suppose i would have liked a little more sweetness this being an oatmeal stout and all. oatmeal does impart strong smoothness though.
Score: 6

Millstream John's Generations White Ale
Bottle -- Beer of the Month Club

this was my favored of the two from millstream. a very nice witbier with lots of yeast and spice. very sessionable.
Score: 8

Schlitz
Bottle -- Chili Head BBQ, W. Bridgewater
finally tried this texas beer at chili head barbeque. real bitterness in flavor, but still crisp and smooth. i drank quite a few of these. almost on par with pbr (fitting since they are owned by pabst...) and far better than the macrobrews. try it.
Score: 5

Updated Beer Scores

One thing that I have been remiss in on this blog is not updating beer scores as time goes on. My taste in beer has continued to mature and at this point some scores in my complete rankings are downright inaccurate. Let's start to correct that with a few beers I have returned to recently.

Anchor Steam Beer
Bottle -- Canterbury Ales, Oyster Bay, NY
i remember being unimpressed the first time i had this, but have returned to it a number of times since. the style (california common) definitely grew on me. its got a real earthy bitterness. i often recommend it to friends.
Orignial Score: 5, Score: 8

Atlantic Coal Porter
Bottle -- Ellsworth, ME
heavy roast, vanilla, cola carbonation, and smooth. i didn't find it too burnt like last time though. very good.
Orignial Score: 5, Score: 7

Cape Ann Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout
Tap -- Lower Depths, Boston
this is a real stout with some nice pumpkin and spice flavors fitting in. one of the few seasonal beers that i genuinely look forward to each year.
Orignial Score: 8, Score: 9

Ipswich Original Ale
Growler -- Cork's, Mansfield
this past year ipswich original ale has become my go-to session beer. flavorful, balanced, easy-drinking. what more can you ask for?
Orignial Score: 8, Score: 10

Ommegang Hennepin
750 ml -- Julio's Liquors, Westborough
spicy and medicinal, lemon and grassy hops, and quite dry. more sophisticated than your typical farmhouse. one of my favorites.
Orignial Score: 9, Score: 10

Smuttynose IPA "Finest Kind"
Bottle -- Union Brewhouse, Weymouth
i don't know why, but i have found this to be a very inconsistent beer from an otherwise reputable brewer. flavorful, bitter, piney hops... almost to the point of puckering the mouth. not bad -- when there aren't all kinds of floaties in the beer...
Orignial Score: 3, Score: 6

Sam Adams Octoberfest
Bottle -- Weymouth
like many people, i cut my teeth with sam adams and have some fond memories. but i have grown and jim koch has not. (i could swear this used to be a bolder beer, but it is probably just me...) little too sweet and a lot too bland. i can think of a dozen better octoberfests off the top of my head... from new england. i am going to seriously downgrade this beer, something that probably should be done for most of the sam beers i rated in the early days...
Orignial Score: 8, Score: 4

Different shades of red

Reds are not my favorite style. Too malty, I suppose. But I had a couple of very hoppy reds while on the west coast that I really enjoyed (Double Mountain I.R.A. or the pictured Hopworks Organic Rise Up Red come to mind.) So much so that I am toying with the idea of trying to brew a Red IPA. With that in mind, I have been seeking inspiration in reds more often that I normally would... without success. But the hunt will continue -- please comment if you have any suggestions.

And while the Red IPA may be a couple of batches away, an American Wheat is hot off the press with a Pumpkin Ale not too far behind! And then I am thinking of tackling the stout style again -- chocolate, cherry, and chipotle! Wow, that sounds good to me. Results to come...

Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale
Bottle -- Luke's
an american strong ale. very malty and alcoholic nose, which was only partly expected (84 IBU's and 7.2% abv...) sweetness takes on unpleasant licorice-like quality that i did not like.
Score: 4

Port Brewing Shark Attack Double Red Ale
22 oz -- Luke's
dark amber pour with aroma of a barleywine. sure enough, medicinal dark fruit charaterizes flavor more than hops. closer, but still not the red ipa i was hoping for.
Score: 6

Trout River Rainbow Red Ale
Bottle -- Country Store, Jamaica, VT
i had a hankering for something local on this camping trip to vermont, and it doesn't get any more local than trout river's amber ale. very cheesy label and the brewing wasn't a whole lot more professional. i believe it said bottle conditioned on it, but it was pretty yeasty. certain raw bitterness to it, but still smooth going down. too bland to seek out. keep searching, i suppose...
Score: 5