Boulevard Pale Ale

Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, MO

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Golden brown. Clear. White, creamy head. Pretty enough.

AROMA: 3/4
Floral, hoppy nose. Some citrus, woodiness. Sugary.

TASTE: 6/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.5/4: A bit too sweet, could use more hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Hop bitterness up front, sweetness at the middle that fades back to bitter. Woody, nutty.
Mouth-Feel: 1.5/3: Sweet residual finish, weak carbonation.

OVERALL: 1.75/3: An okay pale ale that could be a lot better.

TOTAL: 13.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Not bad but it falls far short of really stellar pales (e.g. Sierra Nevada). Refreshing enough, just not as great as some other Boulevard offerings.
Ben: Given a choice between this and a domestic, I'd choose this, but it's not a great pale.

Sierra Navada 30th Anniversary Vol. 4: Our Brewer's Reserve - Oak Aged Ale (Grand Cru)

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, California

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Nice dark copper color. Subtle haze. Big almond colored head that lasts!

AROMA: 3.75/4
Strong floral, citrus hop aroma - Cascade hop. Very aromatic. Nice.

TASTE: 8.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Hoppy aroma and hop flavor dominant. Bitter finish. Malt appropriate with nutty and woody notes. Well balanced. Hop, hop, and hop!
Aftertaste: 2.75/3: Hop bitterness lasts. Nutty. Raisin-sweet finish offset by bitterness.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Very sweet but bitter finish. Noticeable alcohol. Full.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: A sweet hoppy offering. Complex but all balance nicely. An good beer from a great brewery.

TOTAL: 17/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Complex, kind of weird, but good and powerful. An okay sipping beer. Perhaps a dessert beer.

Ben: Nutty and sweet with lots of hop. Big. Complex-lots of flavors going on. A definite sipping beer. I like it!

Liquid Bread Oatmeal Stout

Gella's and Liquid Bread Brewing Company
Hays, Kansas

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Dark brown color. Not fully opaque and slight haze present. Beautiful thick creamy head that lasts.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Chocolate, roasted malt. No hop.

TASTE: 8/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Very malty, minimally hoppy. Roasted malt dominant. Bitter hop finish.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Roasty, nutty. Subtle bitterness at the end.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Thick, very smooth. Full, silky feel. Light carbonation.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Silky smooth nice roasted flavor. A little thick but a good finish. An award winning beer and it tastes like one.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Tasty - a smooth, not too heavy stout. Very drinkable.
Ben: A thick beer, a little roasty, very silky smooth. Another good offering. Liquid Bread proves there is at least one good thing to come out of Hays.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron Imperial Brown Ale

Dogfish Head Brewing Company
Milton, DE

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Dark brown, creamy head. Rich, opaque.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Woody, roasty. Coffee, licorice, chocolate. Bourbon notes.

TASTE: 9/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: All malt, slight bitterness at end. Very little hop. Roasty malt.
Aftertaste: 3/3: Definite bourbon taste. Alcohol warmth. Prune/plum flavors, woody notes, roasty malt.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Roasted malt bitterness. Warming, full, sweet. Subtle carbonation.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Wow, this is a big beer. Smooth, probably phenomenal on cask.

TOTAL: 17.75/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Damned big, warming and rich. Probably best in 4 oz. increments.
Ben: This is definitely a winter warmer to sip–key word is SIP–by the fire.

Liquid Bread IPA

Gella's and Liquid Bread Brewing Company
Hays, Kansas

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Clear, light copper color. Creamy white head. Pretty beer.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Hoppy! Nutty, floral.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Hoppy but light–mostly bitter hops. Not too big, well-balanced.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Bitter finish, a bit watery. Nutty, woody, grassy.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Light-bodied, lasting bitterness at end.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: A good session IPA and a standard at Gellas.

TOTAL: 15.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A nice, bouncy but light, drinkable IPA.
Ben: A solid offering by a good brewery in the middle of nowhere.

Black Betty Imperial Stout

Nebraska Brewing Company
Papillion, Nebraska

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Opaque red-black. Thick. Creme-brulée head.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Strong alcohol-whiskey aroma. Some coffee notes.

TASTE: 8.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Malty. Noticeable alcohol–warming feeling. Lots of whiskey, very little hop.
Aftertaste: 2.75/3: Chocolate, cherry. Subtle wood notes. Sweet finish that fades to slight bitter cherry aftertaste. Also, whiskey!
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Silky-smooth. Alcohol warmth, whiskey dominant. Subtle carbonation.

OVERALL: 2.75/3: Unique–big and boozy, but in a good way. Very smooth, whiskey is pronounced.

TOTAL: 16.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: After-dinner sipping beer–a nice, warming cherry dessert beer.
Ben: A very good beer–lots of whiskey flavor, but very nice and mellow.

Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter

Great Divide Brewing Company
Denver, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Dark, reddish brown. Nice thin, creamy head.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Smoky, like bacon on the griddle.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Smoke dominant. Malty, minimal hop. Nicely balanced.
Aftertaste: 2.75/3: Bacony, meaty. Woody aftertaste. Starts out sweet, fades to smoky finish.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Smooth. Smoke flavor is dominant. Very little bittering hop.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: A great smoked beer–unique, rugged yet smooth.

TOTAL: 17.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Delightful–makes you think of being on the open range. Really a treat.
Ben: Lots of smoked aroma and flavor, a great fall beer. Reminds me of sitting around a campfire.