The Beer Guy

[bierguy]

Cisco Brewing - Nantucket, MA

Lady of the Woods

I finished my finals today for what was one of the most stressful semesters of my life. I knew I needed a special beer for this occasion. I went to my beer shop and wanted to try something new. Sour beers are not something that I've really explored before, and I wanted to change that. I got a newsletter about this beer a few weeks ago and I thought it sounded interesting, but ultimately the price tag through me off. I decided to hell with it today and bought this. Lady of the woods is Cisco's Grey Lady aged in Chardonnay barrels for two years with wild yeast. The end result is a deliciously sour beer that makes you realize you got your money's worth.

Overall: 4.75/5  

[bierguy]

Victory Brewing - Downington, PA

DirtWolf

This is a great double ipa. As you can see, i'm on the hunt for the greatest big, hoppy, IPAs I can get my hands on. I grabbed this while home in Connecticut. I've been looking for it for a while, and though Victory is readily available in Maine, I've yet to find DirtWolf here, so I jumped at the opportunity when I saw it in the store. This is seriously excellent. Is it hoppy? you bet. Big and boozy? You bet. This is everything you want out of a DIPA. I hope that eventually they get this up in Maine so I can get my hands on some more of this.

Overall: 4.95/5

[bierguy]

Ithaca Brewing - Ithaca, New York

Flower Power

Maine is home to many great breweries, and many great ones in neighboring states. I have a plethora of delicious beer at my fingertips, but it's a huge shame that I can't get Flower Power. This is easily the best IPA i've ever had. Super citrusy hops, perfectly balanced, ugh I can't say enough good things. If I could drink this everyday I would. Ithaca really needs to distribute up in Maine.

Overall: 5/5

[bierguy]

Smuttynose Brewery - Portsmouth, NH

Big A IPA 

Okay, now this is an excellent double IPA. Northern New England is home to many outstanding breweries creating outstanding beers. Smuttynose's Big A IPA is one of those beers. Big A clocks in at 9.7% ABV and 120 IBUs. This beer hides its alcohol very well, you can easily knock back two or three and hardly realize. Very easy drinkability, but still packs a serious punch with its hops. If I recall correctly, I found their Finest Kind IPA to be more on the dry/bitter side and this one more balanced out. While I tend to favor the more hoppier beers, this is absolutely perfect.

Overall: 4.75/5

[bierguy]

Southern Tier - Lakewood, New York

2X IPA

Southern tier really is an excellent brewery, they're great at nailing any style they make, and this is a great example of that. Their 2X IPA is a stunning example of what a base model double IPA should taste like. A generous amount of hops with equal amounts of malt to create that smooth, nicely balanced beer. My only complaint about this is that it's easily forgettable. There isn't much about this that will make you think "wow, I have to have this again." It's definitely a great beer, don't get me wrong. But with the amazing quality of IPAs out there right now, this one gets left behind.

Overall: 4/5

[bierguy]

He'Brew - New York

Bittersweet Lenny's Rye Double IPA

Double IPAs are always a gamble. For me, I prefer a double ipa to be explosively hoppy with a good amount of malt to create that perfect balance that still leaves you with that dry, bitter taste in your mouth. This wasn't one of those beers. This is definitely an enjoyable beer, but too much of a malt bomb for what I normally would expect out of a double IPA. I probably would try this again, and i'm sure other fans of this style enjoyed this one a lot, but this was not one of my favorites.

Overall: 3.5/5

[bierguy]

Maine Beer Company - Freeport, ME

Lunch

I have been on the hunt for Lunch for a while now, and finally last week they released a large shipment of incredibly fresh IPAs. This is easily the best beer from Maine Beer that I've gotten my hands on. Huge citrusy aroma right off the bat, it pours a nice golden color with a big head. This is a beautifully balanced beer, bitter all the way through with a nice malt backbone to even it out. A dry, bitter taste lingers on the tongue after you're done drinking. I wish I could find this more regularly because this is amazing.

Overall: 5/5

[bierguy]

Goose Island - Chicago, IL

Matilda

I was a bit weary about buying this. I am a fan of a good pale ale, but there is something about belgian style ale's that throw me off. I think it's that sweetness that you get as an after taste, I usually don't enjoy it. However, this was a great beer. Super smooth, hoppy, and perhaps a little too drinkable. I went through this whole bottle without even realizing. I've been wanting to get my hands on these special release beers from Goose Island, but the price tag often makes me opt not to. This wasn't a bad deal though, $10 for this bottle was a great value. I definitely would buy this again, and maybe one of these days I'll suck it up and get the Lolita.

[bierguy]

Hale's Ales - Seattle, WA

O'Brien's Harvest Ale

This is a delicious harvest ale coming from Seattle, WA. Citrusy, Piney west coast hops are the dominating force for this beer, followed by a nice tasty malt backbone. This is probably my favorite beer from the first box of my beer of the month club subscription box. Would buy again if only I could get it in Maine.

Overall 4/5

Pale Ale

I've mentioned before  that IPAs are my preferred style of beer, and though a simple pale ale is usually very good and quite satisfying, I prefer a beer with more character. Hale's Pale Ale, though having catchy name, doesn't really have much else going for it. It's hoppy, sure, but not as much as I would like. I must say, though, that is a very drinkable beer, clocking in at only 4.8% you can easily go through a few of these and not even feel it.

Overall: 3.75/5

[bierguy]

Newport Storm - Newport Rhode Island

Hurricane Amber Ale

This is one of the first beer's that I got in the Beer of the Month Club. It's an amber ale, which usually I'm not the biggest fan of. Amber ale's are usually a little bit on the tame side compared to the usual beers that I enjoy. This isn't bad, though. The malts and hops in this beer balance out nicely, creating a very smooth and very drinkable ale. It's a very sessionable beer coming in at only 5.2%. Would I seek this out if I'm shopping for beer? No. But it's still a good, and I'm glad I was able to try it.

Overall: 3/5

India Point Ale

I was very pleased to see an IPA in my first shipment. IPA's are by far my favorite style of beer. I am a sucker for big, boozy, hoppy beers and since I've developed a taste for them, very few other styles of beers have pleased me. Newport Storm's IPA is a pretty good beer. This is definitely an east coast IPA, though. The malt is very abundant in this beer, yet there is a nice bitterness that stays in your mouth after your done. I'd be willing to try this beer again, but I don't think that I would go out of my way for it. 

Overall: 3.75/5

[bierguy]

Beer of the Month Club

My wonderful girlfriend recently signed me up with www.craftbeerclub.com for my birthday. Craft Beer Club sends you 4 different beers from two different breweries each month. You get 3 of each beer, totaling 12 beers each month. What is awesome about this is a) it introduces you to beers you may otherwise have not tried and b) allows you to get beers you cannot get in your area. I recently got my first shipment this week and I am so excited to try all these beers. In your first shipment you're given your 12 beers, as well as 4-4oz sampling glasses, a very nice bottle opener, and 4 packages of peanuts (which sadly did not last long enough to take the picture). 

The beers I received for my first package include:

Newport Storm brewery's IPA and Amber Ale and Hale's Ale's Pale Ale and Harvest Ale. I am so excited to try these beers and the ones to arrive in the future.

If you're wondering what to give your craft beer lover for the holidays, this will make the perfect gift.

[bierguy]

Wild Beer Company - United Kingdom

Bliss

Bliss is a Saison brewed with apricots, wild yeast, and spices. I was not familiar with this brewery, and one day I found myself at my local beer shop studying this simple, yet attractive logo. I am not too familiar with wild beers, and wanted to give this one a shot.

Bliss pours a dark amber with almost no head to speak of. There was hardly any carbonation there at all, which wasn't the only thing that was lacking. This is a very bland beer, the first thing you taste is water - which for a beer is not something you'd want or expect. Following that you get a hint of flat spices and maybe, just maybe a touch of apricot. Essentially, this was earthy water with slight hints of alcohol. I struggled to get through this drink, and even opted not to take the final sip. 

I was incredibly let down with this beer. I went into it hoping for the best, yet left wanting so much more than what I got. I'm willing to give this brewery another shop and try one of their bigger beers, perhaps their imperial stout. Yet this one was just a total letdown. 

Overall: 1.5/5

[bierguy]

Goose Island Brewing - Chicago, IL

Bourbon County Brand Stout

Man, how I wanted to love this beer. This is my first introduction to the Bourbon County series, and all I heard was how fantastic this beer was. So excitement ran across my face as I went to my local beer shop and saw a 4-pack hiding on the shelf. That's my where excitement ended. I poured this beer into my glass and the first thing I noticed was how dark it was. There was not an ounce of light that managed to get through. Upon my first taste I was greeted with a not-so-pleasant taste on my tongue. It was a thick, syrupy taste that I didn't find desirable at all. Following that as a lingering taste that resembled cough-syrup.

I know that I am in an extreme minority with this one, but I simply did not enjoy this. I've had numerous other stouts that I have enjoyed far more, and I'll stick with those. However, I've got two bottles left. Maybe I'll age them a year or so and see how they measure up after some time has passed. 

Overall: 2/5

[bierguy]

Stone Brewing - San Diego, CA

Stone IPA

Stone has always been a favorite brewery of mine. Everything they create is so absurdly intense and in-your-face that they are hard to ignore. Stone sets out to destroy your pallet and they do a very great job. Their flagship beer, the IPA is one of the best no-frills IPA I've ever tried. This is exactly what I want out of an IPA- intense amount of hops, great mouth feel, and a perfect amount of malt.

Overall: 4.5/5

Stone Ruination IPA

Finally, a Double IPA that is a malt bomb. There's nothing more disappointing than cracking open a DIPA and expecting hops to attack your tastebuds and instead a wave of malt that takes away from the hops greet you instead. 

Now, with the Ruination, you don't have to worry about that, with 100+IBUs the hop bitterness of this beer is superb. This is what I am going to use to judge other DIPAs, and unfortunately I can't see many beers being able to do what stone does, especially when it comes to the IPA.

Overall: 5/5

[bierguy]

Smuttynose Brewing CO - Portsmouth, NH

Finest Kind IPA

Finest Kind pours a light orange color with a nice size head. The aroma is of strong citrus hops with a hint of malt. This is an excellent example of what an IPA be should like. The hoppiness is perfect, with just enough malt there to balance it out. This is a stronger beer than your average IPA; with 75 IBU and 6.9% this is almost borderline a double IPA, which I for one am not complaining about. 

If you're looking for a great IPA, and the liquor store is all out of Maine Beer's Lunch, this is an excellent substitute.  I wish I bought the whole six-pack instead of a single bottle. This will definitely be a consistent buy.

Overall: 4.75/5

[bierguy]

Founders Brewing - Michigan

Backwoods Bastard - 10.2%ABV

This is the oak bourbon barrel aged version of the scotch ale Dirty Bastard. Admittedly, I wasn't the biggest fan of Dirty Bastard. Scotch Ales may just not be my thing. But Backwoods Bastard is in a whole other league. This is one of the most delicious beers I've ever tasted. The barrel aging added so much character to this ale. This full bodied beer sits heavy on the tongue, and the rich vanilla notes added a lot to this beer.

Being such a full-bodied and high alcohol beer, I can't see myself ever drinking more than one of these in a sitting, but I can't wait till I get my hands on another one of these, and seeing how quickly they're flying off the shelves, I better hurry.

Overall: 5/5 

[bierguy]

Maine Beer Company - Freeport, Maine

Red Wheelbarrow – 7%ABV

 One of the many great things about Maine is the large amount of high quality breweries that call this state home. Maine Beer Company may just be at the top of the list, at least for me. All of the beers that I have tried from them have been excellent, and this one is no exception.

 Red Wheelbarrow is a limited release Red Ale. The beer pours dark amber with a big head. Right off the bat your nose is greeted with a perfect floral aroma. The pine/floral hops are abundant up front, followed by malt to balance it out.

 This is an absolutely delicious big hoppy red ale. I highly recommend this if you are able to come across it; as always, Maine Beer Co does not dissapoint. 

Overall: 4.5/5