Steve's Pumpkin Ale

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: n/a
Brewery: Steve's Homebrew
Country: USA
Beer Type: Pumkin Ale
2012 Rating: B+
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a cloudy copper color with a 1 finger white head, some lacing.  Cinnamon & nutmeg aroma.  Cinnamon, nutmeg & pumpkin taste.  Smooth & easy to drink.  Excellent!

Rat Tale Ale

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 6%
Brewery: Cellar Rats Brewery
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Pale Ale
2012 Rating: TDTR
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  at this point in the evening…just another beer.

Looking Glass Hoopla Pale Ale

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 5.7%
Brewery: Boulder Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type:  American Pale Ale
2012 Rating: C+
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a beautiful  light copper color with a 1 finger head.  Slight caramel malt aroma.  Smooth & balanced caramel malt & hop taste.

Mt Carmel Harvest Ale

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 8%
Brewery: Mt. Carmel Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: ESB (Extra Special Bitter)
2012 Rating: B
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a nice copper color with a thin white head, no lacing.  Caramel malt aroma.  Taste starts with toasted  caramel malt and ends with a nice hop bitterness.  A good ESB.

Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 5%
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Country: USA
Beer Type: Pumpkin Ale
2012 Rating: C+
2011 Rating: C+

Comments:  Orange amber color, with a 2 finger head, no lacing. The aroma is malt, spice & pumpkin  Malt, spice / cinnamon taste with pumpkin in the background.  Smooth - easy to drink, the pumpkin taste is not overpowering. 

Pumpkinhead Ale

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 5.1%
Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Pumpkin Ale
2012 Rating: C+
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a clear straw yellow color with a 1 finger white head that disappears quickly; no lacing.  Cinnamon & nutmeg  aroma.  Nutmeg, cinnamon & a slight pumpkin taste. 

Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 5.8%
Brewery: Tröegs Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Porter
2012 Rating: B+
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a dark brown - almost black color with no head (at least, that's how my beer was poured).  Nice lacing.  Roasted malt & chocolate aroma.  Taste; there is a nice hoppiness upfront, followed with a smooth malt & chocolate flavor.  Very nice.

Horny Blonde

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 5%
Brewery: Horny Goat Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Lager
2012 Rating: C+
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a clear yellow color with a two finger white head, nice lacing.  Slight malt & grain aroma.  Taste is primarily sweet malt, but I did taste some hop bitterness at the end (after the beer warmed slightly).  Average.

Punkin Ale

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 7%
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Country: USA
Beer Type: Pumpkin Ale
2012 Rating: B & I
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a copper color with a nice 2 finger head that disappears quickly,  I think you predominantly smell & taste cinnamon & nutmeg spice. The pumpkin taste is subtle compared to the Schlafly.  If you want a beer that tastes like Pumpkin, buy the Schlafly, but if you want a beer you can drink all nite - order a Punkin Ale.

Franziskaner Weissbier

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 5%
Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
Country: Germany
Beer Type: Hefeweizen
2012 Rating: A
2011 Rating: A

Comments:  Pours a cloudy yellow / orange color with a foamy 2+ finger white head.  The aroma is wheat, banana, clove & spice. The taste is sweet wheat ,malt, fruit (banana & clove) and spice. EXCELLENT! 

Bitburger Premium Pils

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 4.8%
Brewery: Bitburger Brauerei
Country: Germany
Beer Type: German Pilsener
2012 Rating: B
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a clear golden color with a 1 finger fluffy white head.  Crisp hop, grain and malt taste.  Well balanced.  A good German Pilsener.

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 8%
Brewery: The St. Louis Brewery
Country: USA
Beer Type: Pumpkin Ale
2012 Rating: A & I
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a dark amber color with a 2 finger head.  Smells like a pumpkin pie!  Tastes just like the label states: nutmeg, cinnamon & clove. - just like a pumpkin pie! EXCELLENT, but you could not drink this beer all night unless you are a pumpkin fanatic.

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale

Reviewed:  October 2012
ABV: 5.7%
Brewery: Boston Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type:  Pumpkin Ale
2012 Rating: C
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a dark reddish brown color with a two finger tan head.  Cinnamon & pumpkin aroma.  Malt, cinnamon, nutmeg spice taste with some pumpkin in the background.  There are better pumpkin ales out there.

Weihenstephaner Oktoberfestbier

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 5.8%
Brewery: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan
Country: Germany
Beer Type: Märzen
2012 Rating: B+
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Typical of a German Märzen, this bier pours a light golden color with a 2 finger  fluffy white head, not much lacing.  Toasted malt aroma.  Sweet biscuit malt taste with citrus hops in the background.  Smooth, crisp & balanced - easy to drink.  A nice "German style Märzen.

Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 5.1%
Brewery: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Märzen
2012 Rating:  C+
2011 Rating: C+

Comments:  Beautiful amber / orange color with a 1 finger tan head, nice lacing.  Aroma is biscuit / bread & caramel malts.  Taste is just like the aroma; biscuit / bread & caramel malts. 

Rivertown Pumpkin Ale

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 5%
Brewery: Rivertown Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type:
2012 Rating: C+
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a copper color.  Cinnamon, nutmeg & pumpkin,  aroma.  Mild pumpkin, cinnamon & nutmeg taste.  A decent pumkin ale…but others are better.

1810 Prince Ludwig

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 6%
Brewery: Hofbräuhaus
Country: Germany & USA
Beer Type: Vienna Lager
2012 Rating: B
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a amber color with a 2 finger head (My photo is off, I don't know if I picked up a reflection from the table, but trust me the beer had an amber color).   Taste is fuller with a more malty character than Hofbräu Lager, nice hop finish. According to the Hofbräuhaus, this is the recipe of the original beer that was brewed to celebrate the wedding of Prince Ludwig.

Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 6.3
Brewery: Hofbräuhaus
Country: Germany
Beer Type: Märzen Oktoberfest
2012 Rating: B+
2011 Rating: B

Comments:  This is the real stuff - imported from Munich, not brewed in Newport. Clear golden color, 2 inch white head, decent lacing.   Nice malt aroma.  Taste: similar to the HB Lager - smoother - malt, spice & a crisp hop finish.

Erdinger Oktoberfest Weissbräu

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 5.7%
Brewery: Erdinger Weissbräu
Country: Germany
Beer Type: Weissbier
2012 Rating: B & I
2011 Rating: B & I

Comments:  This is not what you would expect of an Oktoberfest beer. This is an Oktoberfest Hefeweisen.  Pours a cloudy golden yellow color with a fluffy white 2 finger head.   Aroma is spice, clove and banana.   Definitely a switch from the normal Märzen style Oktoberfest bier.

Rivertown Oktoberfest

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 6.7%
Brewery: Rivertown Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Märzen
2012 Rating: B
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours an amber color with a 1 finger white head.  Bread malt, caramel & spice taste.  Very flavorful

Brooklyn Gold Standard Export Kellerbier

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 6.2%
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Country: USA
Beer Type: Kellerbier
2012 Rating: C
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a hazy pale yellow color with a 1 finger white head.  Aroma; not much - malts & grain?  Mild malt, hop and grain taste.  Just average.  I'm probably being unfair…this is a summertime beer, supposedly only available from May thru July, but Moerlein Lager House was still serving it on September 21st.  I will try it again next summer

Terrapin Hop-Karma Brown IPA

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 6%
Brewery: Terrapin Beer Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type:  Brown India Pale Ale
2012 Rating: A
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Excellent & Unique!  Pours a dark brown color with a 2 finger tan head, nice lacing.  Roasted caramel malt aroma.  Smooth creamy toasted malt offset with bitter pine hops .  A great blend of two styles of beer.  Peace love and hoppiness.

Newcastle Werewolf

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 5%
Brewery: The Caledonian Brewery Company LTD
Country: Scotland
Beer Type: Irish Red Ale
2012 Rating:  C+
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours a reddish brown color with a 2 finger white head.  Caramel malt aroma.  Sweet roasted malt & spice taste. 

Southern Tier Harvest Ale

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: 6.7%
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co.
Country: USA
Beer Type: Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
2012 Rating: B
2011 Rating: N/A

Comments:  Pours  a clear copper color with a 1 finger white head, minimal lacing.  Nice hop aroma.  Primarily a citrus hop & spice taste, with malt sweetness in the background (malt taste becomes more pronounced as the beer warms…nice and hoppy.

Goose Island Harvest Ale

Reviewed:  September 2012
ABV: Goose Island Beer Co.
Brewery:
Country: USA
Beer Type: American Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
2012 Rating: A
2011 Rating: A

Comments:  Color of autumn leaves (copper), two finger creamy head, great lacing.  Biscuit malt and a slight citrus hop aroma. Taste: toasty malt & caramel with a slight bitter hop finish.  EXCELLENT