Grand Teton Lost Continent Double IPA

Grand Teton Brewing Company
Victor, Idaho

APPEARANCE: 1.5/3
Copper/light brown color. Cloudy, lots of yeast—big chunks. Fine bubbles, persistent head that rings the glass. Not an especially pretty beer.

AROMA: 3/4
Hoppy, very malty. Citrus, pine, pineapple, honey notes. Some alcohol—smells big.

TASTE: 6.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Very malty. Sweet-bready. Needs more bittering hop.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Honey, prunes, licorice. Piney-resinous. Sweet up front, fades to lasting, subtle bitterness. Warming alcohol feel.
Mouth-Feel: 1.75/3: Big–alcohol throughout. Almost thick enough to chew.

OVERALL: 1.75/3: A big, big beer—a sipping beer, without question. Sweet, almost cloyingly so. Could use more aroma and flavor hop, could be lighter. We know it's a double IPA, but come on.

TOTAL: 13/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Tastes like a liquid fruitcake—a lot of work to get through, just too darned big.
Ben: Reminds me of some Lagunitas big, sweet beers (e.g. Brown Sugga)—one was enough. Bring me a Sweetgrass instead.

Goose Island Honker's Ale

Goose Island Beer Company
Chicago, Illinois

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Copper/light brown color. White, lasting head. Crisp, clean-looking. Nice.

AROMA: 3/4
Sweet. Nutty—almond, brown sugar, grainy. Sweet corn. No hop aroma.

TASTE: 6.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Malty, fades to bitter. Minimal hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 1.75/3: Grainy—grape nut, sweet raisin. Really nutty. Slight weird chemical aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 1.75/3: Dry, clean. Sour at front, ends grassy, woody. A bit watery at the close.

OVERALL: 2/3: Could use more aroma and bittering hop. Slightly watery. Goose Island's beer for the masses.

TOTAL: 14/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I don't love it, but I appreciate the attempt. A nutty take on a standard pale–if I have to drink a pale ale, this isn't a bad one.
Ben: Unique enough to be craft, safe enough to entice newbies to try more ambitious Goose Island products. I don't love it, don't hate it—it's better than Sam Adams.

Shiner Marzen-Style Oktoberfest

Spoetzl Brewing Company
Shiner, Texas

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Nice white, creamy head. Light copper color. Very crisp and pretty.

AROMA: 3/4
Clean nose. Caramel notes. Little hop aroma.

TASTE: 7.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Very malty with very little flavor hop. Cream corn - sweet. Caramel notes, brown sugar. Appropriate to style.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Crisp and clean. Fades to a subtle, bitter finish. Very dry.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Some tang at front. Effervescent. Dry.

OVERALL: 2/3: Very crisp, clean, and dry. Good showing for the style.

TOTAL: 15.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Nice and clean. Malty and dry. A very nice Fall beer.
Ben: A true Oktoberfest done well. Could use a bit more bittering hop.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Boston Brewing Company
Boston, Massachusetts

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Orange-copper color. Crisp and clean. Decent white head with fine bubbles. Pretty.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Clean, crisp, fruity nose. Slight citrus and pineapple. Apple juice notes. Sweet and malty. No hop aroma.

TASTE: 6.75/10

Hop/Malt Balance: 2.5/4: No hop, very malty. Sweet. Did they go with only one hop pellet?
Aftertaste: 2/3: Citrus sour, slightly nutty/woody. Slight bubble gum at close. Maybe pineapple.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Slightly bitter notes at end-very bright. Malty. A clean lager.

OVERALL: 2/3: A clean, bright, malty, crisp Fall beer. Like a bright Fall day.

TOTAL: 14.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: The best thing on tap at Houlihan's for what it's worth. Lacks the signature "Sam Adams spice" I hate so much. Not bad, but not great.
Ben: A "craft" beer for the masses. But for a Sam Adam's product, one of their better offerings.

Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale

Blue Moon Brewing Company
Golden, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
White, foamy head that fades fast. Crisp orange-brown color.

AROMA: 3/4
Sweet–all malt. No hop aroma. Caramel apple character, some nuttiness.

TASTE: 6.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.5/4: Malty, fades to a slight bitter finish. No hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Very little of the promised spice. SLIGHT pumpkin sourness, very subtle clove/spice at the front.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Full mouth-feel, effervescent, fairly dry.

OVERALL: 2/3: It's an amber–if they didn't say pumpkin on the label, we wouldn't have thought of it. A bit overcarbonated, but a good, crisp fall beer.

TOTAL: 14/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I was hoping for more spice, but it was not to be. A decent amber, that's about it.
Ben: A good amber, good for a Coors product. Not overwhelming pumpkin, but that's as it should be.

Free State Copperhead Pale Ale

Free State Brewing Company
Lawrence, Kansas

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Thin, white head that fades quickly. Copper color, slight haze.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Citrus hop. Grapefruit, pine, caramel, pineapple, subtle bubblegum. Hoppy.

TASTE: 8.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.5/4: Lots of hop–citrus/pine, fades to lasting bitterness. Nicely balanced, if a bit thin. Well-hopped.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Lasting bitterness, moves front to back. Nutty sweetness throughout.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Full, effervescent, hopped throughout. Could use a bit more body.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Free State is now bottling their standards and distributing in the metro. Better on tap, but a fine product nonetheless.

TOTAL: 16.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Enjoyable, a. because it's local, and b. because it's a good APA, in the spirit of Sierra Nevada. Fun to enjoy Free State beer without driving to Lawrence and back.
Ben: A great beer–a good, classic IPA. If you can get to Lawrence, give it (and any of their great beers) a try.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout

Goose Island Beer Company
Chicago, Illinois

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Black. Espresso-colored head that rings the glass.

AROMA: 2.25/4
Strong bourbon aroma. Oaky. Prune aroma. Mocha notes.

TASTE: 3.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 1.5/4: Really bitter hop up front–or is that alcohol? Malty.
Aftertaste: 1/3: Bourbon! Warming bitter. Tongue is tingling. Sourness. Coffee, chocolate, vanilla.
Mouth-Feel: 1/3: Alcohol. Weird mouth-taste, like your mouth has been laminated. Way, way too boozy.

OVERALL: 1/3: If I want bourbon, I'll buy bourbon. This is like a shot of bourbon dumped into a pint of stout. Entirely lacking in subtlety.

TOTAL: 9.5/20–Anything Else On Tap?

NOTES:
Matt: HUGE booze flavor–a lot more bourbon than I expected. When they said it was aged in bourbon barrels, I didn't realize there was still bourbon in it.
Ben: It's like adding bourbon to a mocha. 13% alcohol, and you can taste it, from start to finish. I can still feel the warming to my toes. This isn't beer, it's a mixed drink.

Mikkeller Cascade Single Hop IPA

De Proef Brouwerij
Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Hazy copper color. Effervescent. Lasting, creamy head.

AROMA: 3/4
Strong alcohol. Grapefruit, some piney notes. Overwhelming citrus, huge hop aroma.

TASTE: 5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2/4: Really malty. Huge hop flavor. Pine. Way too much alcohol.
Aftertaste: 1.5/3: Alcohol finish, lasting bitterness. Fades quickly at the front, astringent at end. Prune, grassy, nutty, woody.
Mouth-Feel: 1.5/3: Lots of alcohol–huge beer. Very bitter, lingering bitterness.

OVERALL: 1.5/3: Alcohol needs to be offset with malt. This fails–bitter, alcohol-y, disappointing.

TOTAL: 11.75/20–Anything Else On Tap?

NOTES:
Matt: I bought this at 50% off, and I can't imagine paying full price for it. The astringent, bitter end overwhelms all else.
Ben: 1st sip: wow, maybe too much. 2nd sip: Maybe okay. 3rd sip: yeah, I was right the first time. Too big, too boozy.

New Belgium Lips of Faith Series - Biere de Mars

New Belgium Brewing Company
Fort Collins, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Hazy. White rocky head. Light brown/orange/yellow color.

AROMA: 3/4
Very floral nose. Fruity notes - grapefruit, pineapple, subtle pruny notes. Spicy - cinnamon, nutmeg. Minimal aroma hop.

TASTE: 7/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Some hop flavor but malt is dominant. Earthy with spice - cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, clove. Brett flavors dominant. Some sourness. Could use more body and hop flavors. Good bittering hop.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Lasting bitterness. Earthy notes last. Some sour-white wine taste. Licorice flavor. Brett flavors a tad overwhelming.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Bready. Lots of complex flavors. Spicy, citrus flavors. Some lemon notes. Brett is dominant throughout.

OVERALL: 2/3: This is what Brett tastes like. An unusual beer, not without its positive qualities but hard to put a finger on.

TOTAL: 14/20–I'll Try a Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I don't love it—complex, but just weird. The high notes combined with the earthiness is jarring.
Ben: Unique. Lots going on in the beer. Reminds me of Boulevard's Saison Brett. Earthy and spicy. An okay beer, just too much Brett for my tastes.