Weekly Beer Reviews

We brought in a special guest taster to help us this week. Tyler's friend Allen gladly helped us taste and rate this weeks brews.

Upland Dragonfly IPA

The first of 3 IPA's from Upland, this one had a very subtle nose. Applesauce with soft hints of citrus and lime made for a pleasant aroma that isn't overpowering. The taste is very bitter up front, though with a soft mouthfeel. Very floral, it had light flavors of fruit punch. The finish ramps up the bitterness, though not enough to hide the toasty finish. This IPA definitely will appeal to those bitter bomb lovers out there.

Mike, Tyler, and Allen's Rating - 7.75/10


Great Lakes Christmas Ale

This beer is always insanely popular at this time of year. It is one of the few beers we have to limit the amount of 6 packs we sell. As such, I saved it for the week and weekend leading up to Christmas. The nose is definitely spiced with aroma's of pine, apple spice, cinnamon sticks, holly, and peppermint. The taste is lighter than expected with hints of earth, oranges, cranberries, and spice. The finish is lightly bitter and offers a lovely malt profile that includes flavors of toasted crust, pine, whipped cream, and graham crackers. This is perfect for a lighter beer that fits the season.

Mike, Tyler, and Allen's Rating - 8.25/10


Upland Double Dragonfly Double IPA

The second of Uplands IPA's that we have on tap, this one definitely ramps up the hops. The nose is absolutely beautiful with hints of orange juice, pineapple, cherries, and parsley. The taste is bitter up front, which quickly seems to sweeten. Flavors of lemon, alcohol, and cilantro are prevalent up front. The finish is a completely different story. The lemon remains, but with it are wonderful flavors of mango and pineapple. While not the most intense IPA, it certainly has a lot of flavor.

Mike, Tyler, and Allen's Rating - 8.5/10


Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

For a second week in a row we bust out a keg of this intense Imperial IPA from Three Floyds Brewing. The nose, Tyler proclaims, is heaven. Strong aroma's of lemon, lemon zest, onions, garlic, and pine create a truly impressive nose on this beer. The taste is a little more one-dimensional. Rich with bitter pine flavors. The pine continues into the finish with strong tastes of lemon and perfume coming through.

Mike, Tyler, and Allen's Rating - 9/10


Upland Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA

 We have had quite a few Black IPA's on tap this past month. Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous and Falls City's Black IPA have come before, and now we present Upland's Komodo Dragonfly. The nose was all malt with strong hints of bacon and smoke and lighter hints of pepper and salt. The taste was bitter up front with very little hop presence. A strong flavor of bacon came on strong, with the finish being all cream, coffee grounds, and baking chocolate. Not my favorite Black IPA, but definitely worth a try if you are a Stout fan.

Mike, Tyler, and Allen's Rating - 7/10