Hazed & Infused Dry Hopped Ale

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 4.85%
Brewery: Boulder Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Pale Ale (APA)
2011 Rating: C
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a hazy (duh) golden color, a nice cream head, no lacing.  Great citrus hop aroma.  Citrus dominates the flavor, followed by a unique (weird) flavor - not your normal bitter hop finish.

Southern Tier IPA

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 7.3%
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: IPA
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Clear golden color, nice 2 finger cream head, little lacing.   Citrus hop aroma. Nice citrus hop taste - not overpowering. 

Warsteiner Premium Dunkel

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 4.9%
Brewery: Warsteiner Brauerei
Country: Germany
Beer Type: Dunkel (Dark) Lager
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: B
2009 Rating: B

Comments:  Dark brown with creamy head.  Sweet roasted malt & caramel aroma.  Roasted malt, caramel & chocolate flavor.  If your really not a dark beer person…try a Warsteiner Dunkel, it is light, smooth & easy to drink! 

Mt Carmel Nut Brown Ale

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 6.0%
Brewery: Mt. Carmel Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Brown Ale
2011 Rating: A
2010 Rating: B+

Comments:  My opinion of this Mt. Carmel beer continues to improve.    Pours a mahogany  color, 1/2 finger head, minimal lacing. Sweet malt, caramel & roasted nut aroma.  A slight maple taste, followed by a roasted hazelnut body with a clean malt finish.    The nut flavor is not quite as pronounced as the "Southern Pecan" beer I reviewed earlier in April, but this brew has more maple and sweet roasted malt flavor.  Smooth & Excellent.

Samuel Adams Rustic Saison

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 4.35%
Brewery: Boston Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type:
Belgium Farmhouse Ale
2011 Rating: B+
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a clear golden color with a 1 finger white head, nice lacing.  Spicy, fruity aroma.  Tastes spice - clove, citrus-lemon, crisp finish  - a great spring summer beer.  Easy to drink!

Anchor Steam Beer

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 4.9%
Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Steam
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A
2009 Rating: A

Comments:  Pours a clear copper color, 1 finger white head, some lacing.  The aroma is sweet malt & fruit.  The taste is sweet malt, fruit, slight citrus hop with a unique aftertaste- I guess it's "spice".

Arrogant Bastard Ale

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 7.2%
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Strong Ale
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments: Pours a Mahogany color, 1 finger tan head, nice lacing.  Citrus hop, roasted malt & chocolate aroma and taste.  A bold beer…but I have to switch gears.  This is like the 10th beer I've had this month that tastes the same - another IPA.

Great Lakes The Doppelrock

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV:  7.8%
Brewery:  Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Country:  USA
Beer Type:  Doppelbock
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:   Rock & Roll! 
I was all set to rate this beer a "C", but  I changed my rating after reading the  following Great Lakes sell sheet -  you have to love the Monks- 46 days of nothing but beer!     

"Style Origin: Our Doppelbock (German for“double bock”) celebrates the style originally developed by medieval monks. Living by the strict rules of their order, monks were regularly required to castigate themselves by periodic bouts of fasting, when next-to-no solid food was allowed to pass their lips. The longest and most taxing of these periods of culinary abstinence was, of course, Lent—the 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Because the monks believed that liquids not only cleansed the body but also the soul, they would make plenty of “liquid bread” instead of solid bread from their grain and then drink it in copious quantities...the more, the holier."

I  do prefer the Paulaner Salvator Doppel Bock to Doppelrock.

Heavy Seas - Loose Cannon (Hop3 Ale)

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 7.25%
Brewery: Clipper City Brewing
Country: USA
Beer Type: American IPA
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Of the four beers I had at The Winking Lizard, this one was the "weak sister".  Light Amber color, 2 finger head, great lacing.  Aroma: hops & citrus.  Taste: hops, citrus, grapefruit - balanced by a slight malt sweetness.  A "Solid  Citizen"

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 7.2%
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: IPA
2011 Rating: A
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Clear copper color, 2 finger white head, great lacing.  Pine, citrus and hop aroma.  Taste starts sweet malt, followed  up with a taste of pine & citrus, ends with a hop bite.  A lot going on in this beer.  In my opinion a perfect IPA!

Piraat Ale

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 10.5%  Dangerous
Brewery: Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.
Country: Belgium
Beer Style: Belgium Ale
2011 Rating: A
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Piraat (Pirate) Ale.  Dark golden color, 2 finger head, some lacing - served in a tulip glass.  Aroma: fruit (banana?) & spice.  Taste - like the aroma: fruit-banana, spice, sweet with a nice hop finish.  COMPLEX.  Surprisingly for a 10.5% ABV, no overwhelming alcohol taste.  EASY TO DRINK

Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 6.7%
Brewery:  Privatbrauerei Franz Inselkammer KG / Brauerei Aying
Country:  Germany
Beer Type: Doppelbock
2011 Rating: A+
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Deep red-brown color.  I know this photo has a large head, but my beer just had a 1 finger head.  Sweet malt, caramel, coffee aroma & taste.  Rich, smooth & complex.  EXCELLENT!

Smithwicks

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 4.5%
Brewery: Guinness & Co
Country: Ireland
Beer Type: Irish Red Ale
2011 Rating: C+
2010 Rating: C
2009 Rating: C

Comments:  Pronounced: "Smitiks".  Smooth / malt flavor, no hops to speak of - easy to drink, but not much happening.  I'm just not a big fan of Irish Red Ale's.  Better than Killians.

Hofbräu Kunzel Schwarzbier

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 5.5%
Brewery: Hofbräuhaus
Country: Newport, KY
Beer Type: Dark Lager
2011 Rating: B+
2010 Rating: A

Comments:  I don't know want influenced me last year, this beer is good...but it's not an A.  Black color, creamy off white head, strong aroma of roasted malts, caramel & chocolate.  Tastes just like it smells  - sweet, roasted malt- chocolate, and a hint of hops.  Better than Warsteiner Dunkel - very drinkable.

Belhaven Scottish Ale

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 5.2
Brewery: Belhaven Brewery
Country: Scotland
Beer Type: Scottish Ale
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A
2009 Rating: B

Comments:  Clear copper color, creamy  2 finger white head, sweet MALT -MALT -MALT  taste.

Samuel Adams Revolutionary Rye Ale

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 5.5%
Brewery: Boston Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Rye Ale
2011 Rating: B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a clear dark copper color, nice 2 finger white head. Malt, caramel & rye aroma.  Starts off sweet and malty - ends with a slight citrus & rye??? taste.  Good - but not remarkable.

Hofbräu Dunkel

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 5.5
Brewery: Hofbräuhaus
Country: Germany & Newport, KY
Beer Type: Munich Dunkel Lager
2011 Rating: B+
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  If your not a big fan of dark beers... try this one. Clear amber brown color…a little lighter than what you would expect for a Dunkel.  Roasted malt  with a slight caramel taste.    Very SMOOTH & drinkable!

Bells Hopslam Ale

Reviewed: April, 2011
ABV: 10.0%
Brewery: Bells Brewery INC.
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Double Imperial IPA
2011 Rating: A+
2010 Rating: A+

Comments: DANGEROUS - very easy to drink - BUT @ 10% ABV -just like a Martini drinker, a Hopslam drinker will never close the bar!  Copper/caramel color, two finger off white head - Great lacing, grapefruit hops-citrus aroma,  Taste - starts bitter hops-sweet taste mid swallow ends  Kick Ass BITTER !!!

Southern Pecan

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 4.25%
Brewery: Lazy Magnolia Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: English Brown Ale
2011 Rating: I & B
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  This beer courtesy of  Bev & Jim -  THANK YOU!  Brown color, 1/2" tan head that fades quickly, no lacing.   Sweet malt and pecan nut aroma.  Similar taste - sweet malt up front followed by a roasted pecan nutty taste -that lingers at the end.  Just like the label states.  Interesting!  Pecans are predominant in this beer. so much so, that their web site states:  "We also use Pecans in some of our beers,  so if you are especially sensitive you might want to be careful.    Please don't die on us."  

Stone Levitation Ale

Reviewed: April 2011
ABV: 4.4%
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Amber Ale
2011 Rating: A
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Dark red amber color with a 2 finger tan head, great lacing.   Nice citrus / grapefruit hop aroma.   Starts off sweet then mid-taste it transitions to a  great citrus, grapefruit hop finish.  For a beer with just a 4.4% ABV, Stone Levitation has a lot of flavor!  As the label states, this beer "defies the laws of gravity and nature".  Excellent

Paulaner Salvator Doppel Bock

Reviewed: April, 2011
ABV: 7.9%
Brewery: Paulaner Brauerei GmbH & Co. KG
Country: Germany
Beer Type: Doppelbock
2011 Rating: C+
2010 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Dark copper color with a 2 finger tan head, minimal lacing. Sweet fruit aroma.  Sweet roasted malt & fruit taste, with a noticable alcohol finish - DUH... it's a Doppelbock, but the alcohol finish ruins it for me.  Similar to a strong Belgium beer.

Sam Adams Boston Lager

Reviewed: April, 2011

ABV: 4.8%
Brewery: Boston Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Lager
2011 Rating: A
2010 Rating: A
2009 Rating B

Comments:   Golden color with a nice white head.  A nice spicy hop taste.  J.C. Loveland's go to beer was Budweiser - "Always safe with a Bud."   My go to -  all night beer is  Sam Adams Boston Lager.  Nothing better than a night of "Sammy's".