Weekly Beer Reviews

North Coast Blue Star Wheat Ale

The Blue Star Wheat was a last addition when I couldn't acquire a keg of the Old Rasputin in time for the Pint Night. It certainly doesn't fill that hole in your beer lineup like the ever popular Russian Imperial Stout would. This American Pale Wheat Ale is very typical and unexciting, and it shows that right off the bat with the nose. Bits of corn and wheat were detected with lighter hints of citrus and hay. It isn't creamy like most Pale Wheat Ales or spicy like a Hefeweizen. Instead, it was crisp with hints of corn, grapefruit, and ever so light floral notes. You get a bit of that cream on the finish before hints of cornpops and hay take over. This beer has more in common with a Budweiser than great examples of a Pale Wheat Ale like Oberon.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 4.75/10


North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsener

Funny enough, I have mentioned this Pilsner over the last few weeks as we have tapped a few very tasty Pilsners. I clung to the memory of this being my favorite. This years version was good, but certainly not as great as I remember. Ah, but each year is different. This years has very faint hints of motor oil and mop water with what Tyler describes as "cafeteria smell". Hints of hay round out a very bizarre nose that I hope has changed since we tapped it. The initial taste is crisp and bubbly and promises that the flavor will at least be an improvement. Flavors of green tea, fried onion, and citrus mix beautifully together. The finish is bitter and almost seems to have a flat-like quality to it. However, light flavors of popcorn, grass, and cornflakes seems to liven the finish up a bit. It is definitely worth a try for all of you Pilsner fans.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.25/10


North Coast Acme IPA

The Acme graced our walls for the first time a little over a month ago. The reception went over well despite the bit of age on it. It returns to our wall today and it is exceptionally fresh this time. No longer as tame, this brew exhibits a strong citrus aroma right off the bat with softer hints of strawberry, bubblegum medicine, orange zest, dish soap, and ashes. After the delightful nose we dove into it and detected hints of dish soap, lemon zest, and bubblegum medicine on the front. The finished took the beer in quite a different direction with bitter flavors of zucchini and pine resin. The bitterness doesn't last long though, dissipating after a couple of seconds. It will definitely appeal to all of you soapy and citrusy hop lovers out there.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.75/10


North Coast Brother Thelonious Belgian-Style Abbey Ale

People always tend to get excited when I tap the Brother Thelonious. While I am not the biggest fan, even I can recognize the quality that went into this beer. The nose is intense and sweet with hints of caramel, brown sugar, and marshmellow cream. Oddly enough soft hints of ketchup and worcestershire sauce were also picked up. The taste is sweet as well with a lot of carbonation to it. Dark brown sugar and toffee are the first two flavors to jump off, with softer hints of smoked BBQ and vinegar. The finish is, unsurprisingly, sweet with hints of wood, lime, bran, and mustard seed. The sweet flavors throughout blended well with the more bitter flavors.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 9/10


Southern Tier Hop Sun

Now THIS is a better example of an American Pale Wheat Ale. Southern Tier takes their Pale Wheat Ale and hops it with a couple varieties of hop and, let me tell you, it shows. The nose is light, though thick aromas of apples and oranges jump right off at the start. Softer hints of banana nut bread and unflaked flaky pie crust were present as well. The flavor was decently bitter off the bat with strong flavors of grass, lemon zest, and lime juice. The finish is lighter and has the bitterness fade. Flavors of pecans and lemon juice round out a not-so-diverse yet tasty beer.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8/10


Southern Tier Crème Brûlée

The return of the ever popular Imperial Milk Stout brewed with vanilla beans from Southern Tier! Many people have questioned me as to when it would return over the long months in its absence. Well, here you go folks. The nose is just as aromatic as ever. Thick, sweet aromas of vanilla, maple syrup, glazed doughtnuts, brown sugar, and espresso hit the nose immediately. Heck, I could smell it just by pouring it. The taste is deliciously sweet and bitter at the same time with flavors of crème brûlée, vanilla, and butter cream icing making up the front. The finish is more bitter and you get flavors of roasted coffee, coffee cake, cough syrup, and ash. The flavor, however, is too much with all of the sweet additives added, and it makes it difficult to make it through more than a sample of this.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.75/10

North Coast Pint Night

G'day!

This weeks Pint Night will feature the implacable North Coast Brewery, with a host of their fine beers:

• North Coast Blue Star American Pale Wheat Ale
• North Coast Scrimshaw German-Style Pilsner
• North Coast Acme IPA
• North Coast Brother Thelonious Belgian-Style Abbey Ale

The Acme IPA is a delicious, citrusy IPA, while the Blue Star Wheat and Scrimshaw Pilsner are wonderfully quaffable -- perfect for Summertime!  The Brother Thelonious is a dark, rich, sweet, and intense burst of Belgian flavor, and those of you who are fans of Belgians will find it irresistible.

We will also have North Coast pint glasses and exquisite tulip snifters available for purchase, to the delight of all of us glassware enthusiasts.  So make sure to drop in for a delcious, thirst-quenching beer on a splendid Summer day!

A G'day!

More Cans For Your Camping Needs!

As Camping Season gets into full swing we welcome another pair of canned craft beers. Flying Dog Brewery has brought out their ever popular Snake Dog IPA in cans. This citrusy and floral IPA is sure to be quite the companion as more and more breweries release cans. If that wasn't enough, they also brought out their UnderDog Atlantic Lager in cans. This American Pale Lager is quite quaffable while displaying light floral and toasty flavors. Come and pick up a 6 pack today for only $8.99!

Widmer/Goose Island Bring Your Own Pint Night Bonanza!

Greetings folks! Tyler and I had a minor miscommunication and so the Pint Night post never made it up. I felt better late than never, right? This week will be all about Widmer Brothers Brewing Company and Goose Island Brewing Company. We will feature the Rum Barrel-Aged Brown Ale brewed with molasses known merely as Widmer Kill Devil '13. We will also have Widmer Brothers Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout. These two heavy and flavor-filled beers are sure to entice. If that wasn't enough, we also threw on Goose Island's 25th Anniversary Ale, which is essentially an Imperial version of Honker's Ale. No glassware was available, so bring your favorite or buy one you missed and come out and enjoy these wonderful brews. On a side note, Souther Tier Creme Brulee has just been tapped. Come and try it with us!

Edit: Check below for this weeks ratings and the last part of last weeks ratings.

Weekly Beer Reviews

Victor joined us this week to become a special guest taster. He happened to be passing through and we couldn't help but offer him a chance to sample these fine brews.

Goose Island 25th Anniversary Ale

Goose Island released their 25th Anniversary Ale, and no one was sure what to expect. After a talk with an Anheuser-Busch represenative, I have been informed that it is an Imperial version of Goose Island's best selling beer, their Honker's Ale. The nose was incredibly diverse for a lighter style with hints of orange zest, cracked pepper, shampoo, oak, caramel, and acorns with soft floral hints. It certainly made for a beautiful nose. The flavor was just as diverse with flavors of citrus, minerlas, nutmeg, lavender, lemon peel, and a touch of lime. The finish was slightly bitter and display flavors of wood, pine, oatmeal, and grass. This beer drinks exceptionally well and provides a solid flavor profile.

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


Widmer Bros. Kill Devil '13

I was excited to try this Brown Ale aged in Rum Barrels and brewed with molasses. I was reminded of Dogfish Head's Barrel Aged Brown Ale, Palo Santo. Yet this one is nothing like that spectacular brew. The nose is interesting with hints of bourbon sweetness, rum, egg nog, caramel, and brown sugar. The taste has an overpowering flavor of rum with strong flavors of brown sugar, butterscotch, port wine, cream, and vinegar. These flavors threw each other off and made for an almost painful entry into this beer. The finish was creamy and had flavors of pine sap, and ashes, and more of that vinegar flavor. It couldn't save this brew. Tyler and Victor enjoyed it more than I did.

Mike, Tyler, and Victor's Rating - 5.75/10


Widmer Bros. Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout

After Widmer's last beer that we tried, I was a little reluctant to give this one a go. However, this one was far better than the last. The nose is interesting with aroma's of raspberry, citrus, coffee, dark chocolate, cough syrup, and broccoli. The flavor had lots of raspberry up front with hints of citrus, crushed grapeseeds, cough syrup, and what Tyler describes as "Cod Liver Oil". The finish lightly bitter with flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, espresso, hibiscus, and cough syrup. It made for an intense but fairly smooth Russian Imperial Stout.

Mike, Tyler, and Victor's Rating - 8/10

Belated Beer Reviews Part II

My apologies for not getting these up for you all sooner. Seems my notes eluded me for a while, and I hate to taste them all again which each week brings new samples to taste and rate. So, here are the others from last week!

Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale

The weather is scorching outside, and so Tyler and I decided to throw up a plethora of lighter beers that have plenty of flavor yet remain drinkable during these Summer days. We start with Great Lakes Conway's Irish Red Ale. The pour contained a thick head that delighted our noses with aromas of raspberries, maple syrup, caramel, and hints of grass. The taste is creamy with soft flavors of corn and honeycomb. Floral notes tingled the tongue as well as the finish brought about smooth flavors of creamed honey, raisins, and minerals. A delightful ale that remains very drinkable.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8/10


Dogfish Head Festina Peche

This Peach-flavored Berliner Weiss is sure is delight everyone. Very light bodied and slightly bubbly, it combines a sour and dry style with the taste of fresh peaches. The nose exhibits that straight off. Strong aroma's of peach and fruit cocktail mingled with a hint of lemon Pine-Sol. None of it was overpowering and made for a nice entry into this beer. The taste is dry and tart with strong flavors of unripened peaches. A hint of marshmellow cream delighted after the peach flavor. The finish remains tart but also has a refreshing quality to it. The unripened peach flavor remains with hints of hay. If you are a fan of Peaches, this should be right up your alley.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.5/10


Founder's Dry-Hopped APA

I was a little reluctant to put this up, as it has about 6 months of age on it. With most APA's, that would kill all the flavor and ruin the nose. However, this one holds up exceptionally well. The nose is light with soft hints of green tea, citrus, sesame seed, and grass. It reminds me of an early Summer day in the South, but what do I know? The taste is clean and soapy with flavors of grapefruit, citrus, and a hint of chives. The wonderful flavor is ruined in the finish, where only hints of cracked pepper appear before the bitterness kicks in. However, with the age on this not hurting the flavor too much and the price so low, it has become one of the best sellers on the wall very quickly.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.25/10


Southern Tier 2X Milk Stout

Southern Tier is normally known for their hoppy IPA's and exceptionally sweet stouts. This is part of their 2X Line and definitely not as sweet as their Creme Brulee or Choklat. The nose has wonderful hints of roasted coffee, chocolate syrup, and smoked bacon along with a weird hint of cough drops. The taste didn't fit nearly as well. Most of it was very unbalanced, with flavors of white chocolate, chocolate milk, and stale tootsie rolls. The finish had hints of pepper, mint, and Smarties. The smattering of flavors made for a weird brew that we just didn't like.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 6/10


Southern Tier 2X Steam

The last keg was so good and held up so well to the couple of weeks of age that I didn't mind throwing this one on. This one didn't do so well with that age. The nose was severely diminished with only light hints of citrus, cologne, and hay. I figured a sip would reveal more, but it was just as diminished as the nose. Hints of grapefruit, minerals, and floral notes up front with a bitter finish that displayed only flavors of citrus and wheat. It's a shame, as this one had quickly become one of my favorite Southern Tier brews to drink.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 7.25/10


Founder's Centennial IPA

This is many peoples go-to Founder's beer, but it has always rubbed me the wrong way. Which is fairly ironic, as Founder's is my favorite brewery. This exceptionally fresh batch has rubbed off onto me a bit better than it usually does. The nose is floral and full of aroma's of grapefruit, fruit medley, citrus, and marshmellows. The taste is just as floral and perfume filled as I remember, yet this time these flavors blend better together and are accentuated with flavors of citrus and grass. A bitter, floral, and toasty finish round out this IPA that gets its name from the fact that it is just overloaded with Centennial hops.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.5/10

Music To Your Beers

A big thanks to Melinda Simpson for providing the information & link to the following very interesting and cool article:

It's a coincidence that the founder of Beck's Brewery started concocting beers in the 1870s right around the time that Thomas Edison was first tinkering with recorded music technology, but the world's first playable beer bottle isn't a coincidence at all. Matt Tizard of Shine, an Auckland-based advertising agency hired by Beck's New Zealand, noticed the similarity in form between the humble glass beer bottle and the cylinders used to play music on early phonographs. Thus, the Edison bottle was born.

The production team faced no shortage of challenges in translating technology usually used to record vinyl records onto the surface of a glass cylinder, from sourcing the machinery necessary to cut the grooves to compensating for noise produced by that machinery. After multiple prototypes, the engineers at Gyro Constructivists managed to produce a structurally sound bottle that can not only contain 12 oz. of beer, but can also play three minutes' worth of music at vinyl quality : "Here She Comes," the latest single from local band Ghost Wave. Whether or not the band makes it big, being the first band to record on beer bottle is a distinct honor in itself.

Pint Night Reviews Part I

Hello Fellow Beer Enthusiasts. We have quite the lineup this week, as Tyler alluded to with his Pint Night Post. This is the first of two days of ratings that will be posted. This one poses mostly beers that have never appeared on our tap wall before, and all delightful. John Bernedo happened to stop by, and so I added a third member to our tasting team this week. Come and check these beers out on Friday!

Boulder A Honey of a Saison

This is one heck of a strong Saison. In fact, you could label it as a Belgian Strong Ale as it comes in at a whopping 11.5% ABV. The nose has subtle aromas of sour peaches, applesauce, creamed honey, and hay. It definitely smells like Spring or Summer, even though this Saison is released in February. The flavor is immediately tart with flavors of raspberries and orange juice right off the bat. The finish is just as tart as the opening, but brings in a plethora of flavors to delight your taste buds. Watermelon, applesauce, cardamom, coriander, and wheat made for a very tasty finish on this brew. However, that 11.5% ABV rears its ugly head with an alcohol burn after the finish. Other than that, this is a good Saison.

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


Founders Rübæus Raspberry Ale

Some of you all might remember Founders Cerise, a Cherry Ale from last year, that was a wonderfully crafted brew. This year we have Rübæus which trades in the cherries for raspberries. However, the quality is still there. The nose gives off strong hints of raspberries (what a surprise!), cream, cough syrup, and grape kool-aid. The taste is silky smooth with flavors of raspberry cobbler, raspberry yogurt, and hay up front. Those raspberry flavors slowly dissipate as the finish rushes forward. That finish displays silky smooth and malty flavors of oats, honeycomb, hay, and pie crust. It makes for a delectable beer that will mix well with any of our stouts or ciders.

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


Founders Double Trouble Double IPA

Double Trouble is one of the most easily recognizable Imperial IPA's on the market, and for good reason. Each keg is positively delicious, with few exceptions. This one is not that exception. The nose has pungent aromas of cinnamon, citrus, pine, grapefruit, armpit, and cologne. It makes for a very potent aroma. The taste is quite bitter up front and displays flavors of pine, lemon pith, lemon zest, and toasted rye. The finish is dry and bitter but still displays cloying flavors of perfume and resin. However, all of these flavors blend together to form one of the more intense and flavorful Double IPA's that you will find on tap this Summer.

Mike, Tyler, and John's Rating - 9.5/10


Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA

No, that isn't a misprint. I said Triple IPA. This label is applied to very few beers, and this one is no exception. 2 months of age has taken some of the bang from it, but this beer is still the hoppiest beer we have on tap by far. It has a huge malt build to balance out the insane amount of Alpha hops that went into this behemoth. On top of that, Founders dry hops it for over 3 weeks after it is made (or so I hear). After pouring this beautiful beer, the nose displayed a plethora of hop aromas like mango, grapefruit, orange, pine, and plenty of earth notes. Hints of caramel and brown sugar showed off the high malt content. The taste smacks you in the face with bitterness up front before you get flavors of grapefruit, pine resin, unsweetened cocoa, and earthiness. The finish continues that bitter trend with flavors of toast, lemon pith, and cilantro. Come and grab a pint of this 12% ABV beer if you so dare.

Mike, Tyler, and John's Rating - 9.75/10

Founder's Pint Night Spectacular

Hello everyone!

This Friday's Pint Night will be a thrill and a pleasure, as we will be featuring some of the best beers that we have had on tap in quite some time:

• Founder's Dry-Hopped APA
• Founder's Centennial IPA
• Founder's Double Trouble Double IPA
• Founder's Devil Dancer Triple IPA
• Founder's Rübæus Raspberry Ale
• Boudler A Honey of a Saison
• Dogfish Head Festina Pêche Berliner Weissbier
• Southern Tier 2X Double Milk Stout

Berliner Weisse

Berliner Weisse

A hell of a lineup!  As some of you probably recall, to know the Founder's Double Trouble is to love it; and if news of this beer's presence makes you quiver with anticipation, than the Founder's Devil Dancer will send you right over the edge!  It is intense in flavor and alcohol content.  The Founder's Rübæus is a raspberry delight, and reminiscent of the Framboise Lambic.  Mix it with Original Sin Cider, the Rivertown Roebling Vanilla Espresso Imperial Porter, or the Founder's 2X Stout for a sweet, heavenly elixir.  The Saison & Festina Pêche are amazing and unique in their own right; stay tuned for Mike's reviews (presented in two parts) for the full flavor profiles!

To compound the pleasure of the evening, we will have Founder's pint glasses and goblets available for purchase, so come unarmed.  But whatever you do make sure you certainly come, as this Pint Night Spectacular is sure to bring forth a pure euphoria within.

Weekly Beer Reviews Part II

Hello folks! I hope you all had a great 4th of July. That lovely celebration has caused my reviews to be pushed back a day, but Tyler has given you a tantalizing view of what is to come. I have 3 Great Lakes beers and a Great Lakes/Deschutes Collaboration to review. So, let us move onward.

Great Lakes The Wright Pils

This is definitely one of my favorite Pilsners. The nose starts out with floral hints and lovely aromas of applesauce, corn, and wheat. The end has a hearty aroma of shrimp broth. The taste is lightly bitter up front with a lovely tart flavor of granny smith apples. Ash and mineral notes accompany that flavor. The finish clears the lingering bitterness and brings sweater flavors of honeycomb, orange zest, and banana with soft floral notes. While not a traditional Pilsner without those funky hop notes, I found this one to be far superior to the normal Czech and Germans Pilseners.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 9.25/10


Great Lakes Silver and Gold India Pale Lager

I am sure a few of you all have taken a glance at the name and said "India Pale...Lager? What?", I said the same thing the first time I sampled one of these elusive brews. However, when done right an IPL can be just as good or greater than your average IPA. The hop flavors aren't held back by the malt flavors as Lager have a lighter malt presence. That is immediately present after taking a whiff of this fantastic brew. Onion, armpit, garlic, and prosciutto assault the nose first with softer aromas of grapefruit, raspberries, and basil picked up after that initial burst. At the first sip, an intense bitterness erupts. Yet that quickly dissipates and you get flavors of green onion, pine, grapefruit, and lemon. The finish is quite hearty with thick flavors of garlic, roast beef, and mushrooms with earthy notes spread throughout.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 9.5/10


Great Lakes/Deschutes Class of '88 Imperial Smoked Porter

This collaboration between two fine breweries has made a nice addition to our tap wall. Especially as the Stouts and Porters tend to dwindle down during those sweltering Summer days. The nose is quite complex with sweet aromas of espresso, milk chocolate, and bacon mixing with more bitter aromas of smoke, cracked pepper, sharp cheddar, and garlic. This complexity transfers over to the flavor. The front of this brew exhibited flavors of smoke, charred wood, and grapefruit. The finish is bitter with the smoke remaining. Additional flavors of bacon, dark chocolate, and cream rounded out this fantastic porter. Perfect for cooking and drinking, this Imperial Porter is sure to delight dark beer lovers.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 8.75/10


Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA

This is a staple on our wall during the Summer, and is certainly the first beer I think about when I think of Great Lakes. The age on this keg had us wary, but it is the best keg of Lake Erie Monster we have had this year. The nose is pungent with aromas of pineapple, mango, cracked pepper, and necco candy with soft floral and onions notes. The flavor is bitter up front with thick, mouth-watering flavors of mango, peaches, pineapple, papaya, and raspberries. The finish is a bit shocking, as the bitterness dissipates immediately and leaves flavors of lemon zest, oranges, and licorice with soft floral hints towards the end. Another stellar brew from Great Lakes.

Mike and Tyler's Rating - 9.5/10

Weekly Beer Reviews Part I

Greetings Everyone!

Mike is out living it up on this celebratory evening, while I am stuck working.  Joyous explosions and smoke surround the Liquor Barn even as I write this.  I am not without my own pleasures, however, as I was able to tap, sample, and critique the Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA myself.


Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA

The nose is aromatic and pleasant, and starts with a small hint of peaches, followed by a soapy armpit hop; delicious!  A sweet floral scent permeated lightly throughout, followed by a mineral, almost gin-like smell, accented with lime.  The nose finished pungently and malty.  When first sampled, the palate is assaulted with supremely bitter hops and the taste of lime pith.  It quickly finishes just as bitter with flavors of lime juice and zest, burnt toast, and garlic.  After a few sips, one is able to weave around the bitterness and detect a slightly sweet soap presence, along with sage and bright pineapple on the front.  Again, the bitterness is hard to overstate.

A wild, intense, yet complex bitter-bomb all the way!

Tyler's Rating - 9.0/10

Great Lakes Pint Night

Good day everyone,

Friday's Pint Night will feature a true crowd favorite -- Great Lakes Brewery, along with some of their most popular brews:

• Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA
• Great Lakes The Wright Pils Pilsner
• Great Lakes Silver & Gold India Pale Lager
• Great Lakes Class of '88 Imperial Smoked Stout
• Great Lakes Ohio City Oatmeal Stout

The Class of '88 is a collaboration between Great Lakes and Deschutes Brewery.  It should be a real treat for all you lovers of dark, intense beer.  The Lake Erie Monster is of course one of our favorite Imperial IPAs, while the Wright Pils was quite popular when we had it on tap last year.  In spectacular addition, we will have the famous Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA on tap, which should create an atmosphere of ecstacy for all to enjoy.

As a Pint Night growler special, the Great Lakes Ohio City Oatmeal Stout will be reduced from $8.99 to $6.99 a growler; this is a one night special, so take advantage while you can!

Luxurious Great Lakes chalices and goblets will be available for purchase, topping a brilliant selection off with appropriate glassware for such an exquisite occasion.  Only an uncouth vermin would dare to miss such a Pint Night!