St. Vrain Tripel Ale (2009)

Left Hand Brewing Company
Longmont, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Gold, hazy. Nice white, rocky head that sticks around. A fair amount of suspended yeast.

AROMA: 3/4
Very sour aroma, citrusy, some spice—peppery. Pineapple, a bit meadowy.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: Earthy, sour. Pepper, coriander, but subtly spicy. Sugary. Little hop flavor or bitterness.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Alcohol present, minimal bitterness. Sugary sweet.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Big, dry, very fizzy. Flavor drops out quick.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: A decent tripel, has aged well in the past 2 years. Clean and dry, but less complex than one would expect.

TOTAL: 14.75/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Big, thick, almost like a cocktail. Lots of booze, very pineapple-y—good, but not insanely good.
Ben: Mellowed nicely. Would be nice to see more Belgian (peppery, spicy) characteristics. Not bad, decent, but not what we'd call a must-have.

The Reverend Belgian-Style Quadrupel Ale

Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Very pretty! Ruby red-brown (if there is such a color). Malty, cream-colored head. Clear.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Molasses, prune/raisin, fig newton. Alcohol, definitely. Sweet, bready, very little hop.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Strong, alcohol-y. Meadowy-woody, chewy. Tons of malt, very little hop.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Again: alcohol. Roasted nut, woody. Subtle bitterness. Prune, raisin.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Big and boozy–tingly warming.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: A huge beer, pleasantly complex. Lots of dark flavors–woody, molasses, licorice, prunes, warming alcohol. Tasty.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A nice, intriguing, meadowy quad. Pretty, aromatic, really complex—another nice Avery one-off.
Ben: Big, but good. Lots of complex flavors, a tad too much alcohol, but it's offset by the malty body pretty well. A good dessert beer, and we'd definitely buy it again.

Lagunitas Imperial Stout

Lagunitas Brewing Company
Petaluma, California

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Deep, dark brown, opaque. Espresso head fades to lace the glass. Fine bubbles. Nice.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Very little aroma, hop or otherwise. Subtle chocolate. Roast and sweet aromas emerge as it warms.

TASTE: 8.25/10

• Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Sweet, licorice, chocolate, sour notes. Whiskey. Very malty.
  
• Aftertaste: 2.75/3: Alcohol. Roast, sweet finish–really well-balanced. Bitterness is there (and welcome), but restrained.
  
• Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Big and boozy, big body—just plain big.

OVERALL: 2.5/3
Watch out! This is 9.9% ABV, and you can taste it. Big, boozy, sweet and warming. A good imperial stout.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Another sweet, tasty Lagunitas beer at a good price. This is a big, solid imperial stout, one we'd definitely buy again. Kudos to Lagunitas for delivering a great-tasting, complex, original brew.
Ben: This is something your Uncle Vladimir would enjoy during January in the heart of Siberia (though, be warned: he could probably drink you under the table with this one).

Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout

Breckenridge Brewing Company
Denver, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Black, opaque. Cream-colored head fades to ring the glass. Fine bubbles.

AROMA: 3/4
Subtle. Roast, coffee, chocolate, burnt almond. Not overwhelming.

TASTE: 6.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: It's a stout. A lot of malt, sweetness up front, moves to a roasty middle. Little hop.
Aftertaste: 1.75/3: Bitter roast, sits on the tongue, moves to the back and stays there to finish.
Mouth-Feel: 1.75/3: Finishes slightly astringent. A little watery, too. Silky, coats the tongue.

OVERALL: 1.75/3
It's a standard stout, if a bit thin. Bitter finish is a little too astringent–there are better stouts out there.

TOTAL: 13.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Another disappointment from Breckenridge. With so many great beers and brewers out there, I say look elsewhere.
Ben: Not bad, not great. Typical oatmeal stout. Feels mass-produced. For a really good stout, on the other hand, head to Liquid Bread in Hays, Kansas.

New Belgium Somersault Ale

New Belgium Brewing Company
Fort Collins, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.5/4
Clear, gold in color. Mildly foamy head that sticks around and clings to the glass.

AROMA: 3/4
Light, citrus notes–something between a lemon and an orange. Subtle hop.

TASTE: 6/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.5/4: Fairly clean. Can't decipher either a hop or malt in it–a MILD centennial-esque orangey/citrus hop, but nothing to write home about..
Aftertaste: 1.75/3: Clean, no significant aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 1.75/3: Again, clean. Doesn't linger at all. SUBTLE orange/lemon citrys. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was drinking Bud Light (and that's never a good thing).

OVERALL: 1.5/3: Fine, if you really like beer that is merely average. New Belgium's answer to Bud Light. Or the "craft beer poser's" answer to Bud Light–for those guys who really WANT to look they like craft beer, but don't really.

TOTAL: 13/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Tammy: There isn't anything WRONG with this beer, but I'm not terribly impressed by it. I LOVE so many NB beers, I was excited to try this one and was just disappointed. If you're going for New Belgium, try Ranger IPA or Hoptober. If you're just a craft beer poser, this will do just fine. On the other hand, if you're looking to take that first step into craft beerdom but are afraid of the bitter taste of the almighty hop, this might be a good one to try.

Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, California

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Gold color. Big foamy head that just implodes. Clear, steady stream of bubbles.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Very clean, minimal aroma. Slight skunkiness (for lack of a better word) when we poured it that faded quickly (we may have gotten an old bottle). Subtly sweet.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: Sweet, malty, very clean. Subtle grassy hop. Some sweet corn.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: A touch of hop bitterness at the finish, doesn't linger.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Falls out quickly. Medium-bodied, a session beer for sure.

OVERALL: 2/3: Good example of a Maibock. On par with Boulevard's Boss Tom's; well done for the style.

TOTAL: 14/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I have said many times that I'm not a huge fan of the Maibock, but if I did have a hankering for one, I'd reach for this one. Well done for what it is--it is a Sierra Nevada product, after all.

Ben: Typical Maibock--better than most, because it's Sierra Nevada, but typical for the style. A clean, light, sweet beer.

Avery Karma Belgium-Style Pale Ale

Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Golden-brown. Clear. White, foamy head that fades to ring the glass.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Pineapple, coriander, fruit-salad. Nutty, as well.

TASTE: 6.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: Sour, very nutty. Citrus-sour orange. Minimal hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Sour aftertaste, woody. Subtly woody.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Medium-bodied, weakly carbonated.

OVERALL: 2/3: It's not bad; we expected more complexity from a Belgian yeast. Not knocked out, wouldn't buy it again, but okay.

TOTAL: 13.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Not terribly complex or interesting–in many ways, like a sour amber. Just okay (and for an Avery beer, that's disappointing).
Ben: Needs more hop flavor. I expected more spiciness based on the description–Avery has made far better beers.

Odell St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale

Odell Brewing Company
Fort Collins, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Pretty gold color, white head. Clear.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Grassy-citrusy-piney. Hop-dominant, floral, subtle sweetbread. Clean nose.

TASTE: 7.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Really piney, with lots of floral flavor. Lemon peel up front.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Bitter woodiness–pleasantly bitter. Slight sourness that sits on the outsides of the tongue.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Fairly light-bodied, very nicely carbonated.

OVERALL: 2.5/3
We're impressed! A floral, very pretty beer. Light yet hoppy yet citrusy, a great summer pale.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Always an Odell fan, and now I have a new favorite seasonal. Light-bodied, hoppy enough, with delightful flavors and aromas–get it while you can.
Ben: I sometimes forget about Odell–seems like a gateway brewer to me–but I've always been impressed with their lineup, and this lives up to those expectations. Very good.