Left Hand Oktoberfest

Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
Location: Longmont, CO
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: Oktoberfest/Marzen
ABV: 6%

One of my favorite seasons has arrived and along with it comes a favorite style. Oktoberfest.
Before heading over the the UL game we figured a few good pints would be best. Although
this isn't my first time having this brew it does suprise me every year with how good it is. The beer comes out with very little head and a dark brown color. I highly recommend this brew.

Rating: A

Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company
Location: Calinfornia
Serving: 22oz Bomber
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 7.2%

Lauren works on Thursday nights so I had a bachelor's dinner. Bratwurst and beer. Man was it delicious. My sister gave me a bottle of Arrogant Bastard as a going away gift so I decided to pop it open. It was a nice dark rust colour with a small tan head. Lots of aromas going on here. There was a nice toasty malt smell paired with hops aromas and alcohol. The first thing I tasted was malt, nice and toasted. I love malty beer. A strong bitterness comes in a bit later to balance things out. It paired perfectly with the sausage. Success!



Rating: A

Red's Rye

Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Serving: 12 oz Bottle
Style: Rye Beer
ABV: 6.4%

I picked up a six pack of this for our going away party. I wanted to start the day with some decent beer. Poured into a glass, it was dark orange with a medium white head. The head left some lace stuck all down the sides of the glass. Always a plus. This has one of the best aromas I've ever smelled in a beer. It was spicy with lots of fruit and herb from the hops. It starts off with a sweet malty flavor and then you get some of the citrus. The rye added a spiciness and it finishes with a bitter punch of the hops. The rye and the hops dominate but it's well balanced and very delicious.


Rating: A

Stone IPA

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company
Location: Escondido, CA
Serving: 12 oz Bottle
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.9%

I love this beer. It has easily worked it's way into my top 10. I snagged a bottle of this from Hill and proceeded to enjoy. It pours a light copper colour with a nice thick head that clings all over the glass. Hop aromas are citrus and herbs. It reminded me of grapefruit and grass. I could splash this on as a cologne. The taste is also hops. Lots of hops. A nice bitter bite that doesn't overwhelm thanks to the malt smoothing things out a bit. Top Notch.



Rating: A

HopDevil Ale

Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Location: Pennsylvania
Serving: Draft/Growler
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.7%

I have read plenty of good things about Victory beers, the only problem being they weren't available in Indiana or Kentucky. Well they are finally getting distribution in Indiana and Sportstime picked up a few kegs. I stopped by and grabbed a growler of the HopDevil to try out.
It poured a caramel colour with a beige head that clung to the sides as I drank it. Much to my surprise I could actually smell some sweet maltiness, the aroma wasn't completely dominated by the hops. That malt also comes through in the taste. Nice toasted bread compliments the dominant citrus hop flavor. It finishes up with a crisp clean bite. I'm not used to this much malt in an IPA and I was pleasantly surprised.


Rating: A

Dragon's Milk

Brewery: New Holland Brewing Company
Location: Holland, MI
Serving: Draft/Imperial Pint
Style: English Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%

I feel like a giddy school girl whenever I see this on the draft board at Sportstime. I know I'm in for a treat. I was served a glass as black as night with a light brown thin head. When held up to the sunlight coming through the window it is a not black but a deep brown colour. This Ale is aged in oak barrels and that comes through in the nose. Oak, chocolate, and vanilla all hit when I took my first whiff. The taste is sublime like a good bourbon. Vanilla with dark chocolate give this a rich creaminess. It has a nice sweet bitter twang to finish things off. This one's in my top 5.


Rating: A+

Scotty Karate Scotch Ale

Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Location: Marshall, MI
Serving: Draft/Imperial Pint
Style: Scottish Ale
ABV: 9.75%

Hill was working at Prost on Friday so we decided to visit and enjoy a pint or two. I settled into the comfy leather couch and ordered up a Scotty Karate. I had tried this during Gravity Head and loved it so I was excited for the second go-round. It was a dark brown colour and when held up to the light I could not see through it. A sweet bread/fruit aroma initially hit my nose but as I drank the alcohol smell became more prominent. The taste is heavenly. This ale has a very good mouthfeel. Malt flavor is strong but balanced with a very lovely sweet nutty finish and just a dash of the alcohol to warm you up. Dark Horse succeeds yet again.


Rating: A

Dortmunder Gold

Brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company
Location: Ohio
Serving: Bottle
Style: Dortmunder
ABV: 5.8%

I tend to pick out new beers to try based on their packaging. Shallow maybe, but I'll reach for attractive design 9 times out of 10. This is the reason I've never had any Great Lakes beers. The packaging just looks cheap to me. After reading nothing but positive things about the brewery I decided to put aside my bias and give them a shot. The Dortmunder poured a deep golden yellow that was crystal clear with a nice medium white head that stuck around for quite a while. It had a very sweet smell with a touch of citrus. The taste was malt malt malt. A nice sweet bread flavor with some hop bitterness made it smooth and balanced. Worked perfect to wash down my Chinese food. Overall a great beer, which I guess goes to show that looks aren't everything. I'm definitely going to check out some of their other offerings soon.


Rating: A

Fat Tire Amber Ale

Brewery: New Belgium Brewing Inc.
Location: Colorado
Serving: Pint & (6) Bottles
Style: American Amber
ABV: 5.2%

I love this beer. I am going to get that out of the way to begin with. Fat Tire cannot be sold in Kentucky or Indiana, the two places I predominantly find myself drinking. It is torture knowing it's out there but just out of reach. I took full advantage of the availability of it on my trip southwest. A midday break, I think I'll have a Fat Tire. Time to call it a night, I think I'll watch some TV and enjoy a Fat Tire. This pbj is making me thirsty, I think I'll pour a Fat Tire into one of these custom plastic Super 8 cups and wash it down. You get the idea.

One night, Lauren and I managed to wander into a bar called the Blind Pig on 6th St., boy was that a mistake. Mr. Joe Vega was playing music. Joe is a Latin American fellow with an acoustic guitar and a large set list that he takes requests from for $1. Some of the tunes we were fortunate enough to enjoy were, Wanted Dead or Alive, Black Magic Woman, Creep, and 867-5309 Jenny. An eclectic mix. The old woman playing air guitar seemed to really love it. The only thing that kept me sane was my pint of Fat Tire. The light amber pint was like a lighthouse beacon on the stormy sea. The smell of baking bread and some sweet flowers drifted up my nose taking me to a happier place. That first sip flooded my mouth with sweet malty goodness accompanied by some bitter hops and a hint of fruit. I hate to use the term drinkable but this beer is most certainly that. Very easy to quaff and quite refreshing.

* fun fact - New Belgium was the 1st wind powered brewery in the US.

Rating: A

Pabst Blue Ribbon "trifecta"

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
Location: Mailwaukee, WI
Serving: can (1), bottle (4), "tallboy" (2)
Style: American Lagar
ABV: 5%

Had I been at the track and hit this trifectia I'd be a rich man, but since I was working in the yard (ie: mowing, weeding, seeding, and tree removing) I figured I'd take the bet.....I won. Given I cannot describe appearance other than "Red, White, & Blue" but regardless I know a superior beer when I taste one. Now I've heard certain people complain of these American lagers and their "no taste drinkability" but truth is I don't always want a beer so heavy and filling. In those instantances I go for the Pabst and have yet to be let down (10 years and counting).

Rating: A+

"The Czar"

Brewery: Avery Brewing Company
Location: Colorado
Serving: 1/2 pint
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.73%

Another out of season brew that I've enjoyed recently during Gravity Head, this heavily roasted imperial stout goes down with smooth harshness of a good stout. The aroma of a roasted cocoa bean creates a thick frothy head which was begging to become that temporary stache we all know and love.

Rating: A-

Gumballhead

Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Location: Indiana
Serving: Bottle
Style: Wheat Ale
ABV: 4.8%


After hitting a bucket at the driving range I worked up a thirst. Hill raved about this beer so I picked up a bottle to sample. It pours a nice pale yellow orange with a small head that left sticky rings of lace all down the glass. It smells orangey and almost candy like, which I guess it's why it's called gumball. This is the best wheat beer I've ever had and tastes like no other wheat beer I've ever had. It's very refreshing and fruity and sweet to start with some nice bitterness from the hops. I think I've found my summer beer for this year.

Rating: A+

Double Crooked Tree IPA

Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Location: Michigan
Serving: Draft
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 13.6%

This was the last beer released for Gravity Head and the one I had been most anticipating. I am a fan of Dark Horse and the regular Crooked Tree is great. I decided to head to Sportstime to try it out before it was all gone. They brought it out in a 10 oz Tulip glass and it was a nice clear reddish orange colour. It smells hoppy and sweet like citrus and flowers. The flavour of the hops immediatley hits you but doesn't overpower everything, there is some sweetness and alcohol that also comes through. The flavor is very balanced and unlike a lot of imperial style beers I felt like I could drink these without it overwhelming my tastes.

Rating: A

Pabst Blue Ribbon

Brewery: Pabst Brewing Company
Location: Texas
Serving: Draft/Pint
Style: American Macro Lager
ABV: 4.7%

A trip to Nashville wouldn't be complete without Pabst in some form. It seems more popular there than in any other city I've visited so far. You see billboards advertising it, you can find it in most gas stations, clubs, bars, and restaurants. It comes in all shapes and sizes: bottles, cans, tallboys, drafts. Nashville is a Pabst wonderland.

We stopped into the GoldRush bar Friday to hang out with some friends and the question of what to order presented itself as it always does. I made my way up to the bar with Ian when the gleam of a white tap handle caught my eye. A white tap with blue and red trim, it could only be Pabst on draft, a rare treat. We ordered two pints and settled down to enjoy. The pint glass had the awful Nashville Predator logo on it but I didn't let it ruin my experience. I admired the glorious pale gold of the liquid in my glass and inhaled the sweet smell of grain before heading in for a sip. My taste buds sang as the smooth, crisp lager hit my tongue. It was light and refreshing with hints of corn, a nice bitterness, and clean finish. This lager destroys the other American swill that the masses down everyday.

Rating: A

Chimay Première

Brewery: Bières de Chimay
Location: Belgium
Serving: Bottle/Snifter
Style: Dubbel
ABV: 7%

Jesi's dad bought her some quality beer for completing her thesis and she was kind enough to share this one with me. It was a deep red colour. It had a very light smell that was malty and fruity. The taste was sweet and slightly bitter. It had a finish of honey. A delicious beer.

Rating: A

Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Brewery: Rogue
Location: Oregon
Serving: Imperial Pint
Style: European Brown
ABV: 6.2%

Appearance: Clear dark brown, little to no head.

Smell: Mild, nutty

Taste: Hazelnut O' Plenty

Overall: I look forward this brew in every appearance it makes at the local brewery. A consistient flavor and finish makes this a personal favorite.

Rating: A

Bell's Hopslam

Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Location: Michigan
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9.3%


Appearance: Yellowish/red some might call it copper. Not me.

Smell: Grapefruit. Lots and lots of grapefruit. This is one of the best smelling beers I've ever had.

Taste: Hops. It has a load of different flavors going on. Fruit, flowers, pine, but they all blend into a very creamy sweet beer.

Overall: I bought a bottle of this just to have one last time before the season is over. This is better on tap, but what isn't? I will definitely return to this next year. Bell's wins again. I think there must be something in the water in Michigan.

Rating: A