Trader Joe's 2011 Vintage Ale

Trader Joe's Brewing Company
San Jose, California

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Deep, dark brown; porterlike. Thick, rocky tan head, big bubbles.

AROMA: 3/4
Sweet, pruny nose. Sweetbread, molasses, some sour from the Belgian yeast. Minimal hop aroma.

TASTE: 7.25/10

Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Sugary, spicy. Dark Belgian candy. Syrupy alcohol tucked in there. Slight roast, caramel, very sweet.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Bitter finish, but could use more bittering hop. Some metallic aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Falls out in the middle. Mildly carbonated (appropriately), very smooth.

OVERALL: 2/3: Very sweet—Belgian sugar. Too sweet, maybe? At 9%, this winter ale is a warmer; more of a Trappist ale, really. It's okay (our expectations were pretty high).

TOTAL: 14.75/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: For what it is (a Trappist-style dubbel, as near as we can tell), it's not bad. Would be nice to age it for a year and see what develops.
Ben: At first glance, I was ready to pass it up, then I saw it's contract-brewed by Unibroue*, and I had to buy it. Good Belgian Dubbel—a bit dark and maybe too sweet, but at $4.99 on clearance, this was a no-brainer.

*Oh, right—we forgot to mention this was contract-brewed by Unibroue. I know, right? Unibroue!

Anchor Humming Ale

Anchor Brewing Company
San Francisco, CA

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Pale gold, slight haze. White head that fades to lace nicely. Foamy.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Honey, lemon rind, orange blossom, bubblegum. Very floral, pretty aroma.

TASTE: 8/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Very citrusy—lemon, pineapple, bubblegum. Bright, high and sweet notes, bouncy up front. Bitter hop apparent.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Candy sugar aftertaste, bitter finish that lingers. Sweet and sour.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Effervescent. Body is nice, appropriately balanced.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: A different beer than you might expect from Anchor, but good, definitely worth a try. A unique take on a pale.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: I bought this because it was on sale. I'm glad I did! Bouncy, bright, refreshing—a light, sweet, tasty ale, definitely worth a try. I'd buy it again!
Ben: Interesting—DIFFERENT. Lemon, citrus, a bright pale. You need to try this unexpected and satisfying beer.

Avery Anniversary 18 Dry-Hopped Rye Saison

Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Copper. Rocky, creamy head, fine bubbles. Hazy. Pretty!

AROMA: 3.25/4
Citrusy. Pineapple, grapefruit, coriander, white pepper. Tropical.

TASTE: 7.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Very malty. Lots of pineapple, passion fruit, peppery notes. A lot of bittering hop.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Bitter up front. Sits on tongue, subtle bitter lasts. Middle drops out.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Light and bouncy, lots of high notes up front.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Tasty, almost a tropical drink. Not too big, very refreshing, rye adds a nice peppery dimension.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Typical Avery: unexpected, well-crafted, tasty. Another nice anniversary from Avery, and a nice twist on a Saison.
Ben: Lots of pineapple and tropical flavors—almost a tropical mixed drink. Good in any case, I'd buy it again.

Gnomegang Belgian Strong Ale (Collaboration)

Brewery Ommegang

Cooperstown, New York
and
Brasserie d'Achouffe, Belgium

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Thick white head. Deep gold, hazy. Floculent, suspended yeast. Rocky head lasts and laces nicely.

AROMA: 3/4
Sweet, lemony, sugary. Lemon peel. Clean and crisp, subtle grassy hop.

TASTE: 7.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Sweet, sugary. All malt. No bitterness, alcohol noticeable. Belgian candy, citrus, no hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Lingering sugar sweetness. No bitterness, falls out quickly.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Fizzy, full mouth-feel, smooth. Sweet on the tongue.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: A treat. Very sweet, sugary/golden/bright. Needs to be a bit drier and a touch more bitter.

TOTAL: 15.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Dessert–like liquid candy. I'm glad I got to try it (it was part of a Christmas set, packaged with Three Philosophers, Hennepin and a sweet gold-rimmed chalice). A nice collaboration; I enjoyed it rather more than Ommegang's standard lineup.
Ben: Split three ways, it is a nice beer—a full 750ml is a bit much. Good, unique, and worth a try if you run across it.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, Delaware

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Deep gold color, clear. White head that rings the glass.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Some grassy-woody-earthy hop aroma. Dark hop. Expected more aroma.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Woody, bitter hop flavors. Earthy with some high malty notes. Caramel, nutty/pine nut.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Bitter finish that lingers on the back of the tongue. Sweet finish, earthy and woody.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Full mouth, appropriately carbonated.

OVERALL: 2/3: A must-have on tap (we can't get it here, so if you can, kudos). Anticipated more hop flavor and more bounce. Earthy and woody, a decent IPA.

TOTAL: 14.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: You have to respect Dogfish Head, and it's a solid IPA. Not the first beer I'd reach for—I'd grab a 90 Minute first—but good. More hop flavor and aroma, please!
Ben: When we were but young craft beer novices, this was the gold standard. Still good, we'd love the opportunity to enjoy it locally, but there are beers out there we'd reach for first.

Nimbus Pale Ale

Nimbus Brewing Company
Tuscon, AZ

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Gold, hazy. Thin head, laces.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Subdued aroma. Malty, sweet. Some grapefruit, some earthy woodiness. Not a lot of aroma.

TASTE: 5.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.25/4:
Woody, grassy. No real citrus or piney flavors.
Aftertaste: 1.5/3: Weird metallic tang. Strong bitter, increases with time—almost overwhelming.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Nice and malty, but it can't compete with the bitterness.

OVERALL: 1.75/3: This is a really bitter IPA. Needs to be much bigger and maltier to be a good pale.

TOTAL: 12.75/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I'm not knocked out by this pale—I appreciate the bitterness, but it's really lacking in the flavor department.
Ben: If you're really into bitter beers, you might like this. There is a weird aftertaste I'm having trouble getting past.

New Holland Hopivore Wet-Hopped Harvest Ale

New Holland Brewing Company
Holland, MI

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Nice, deep copper-brown color. Off-white head that fades.

AROMA: 3/4
Woody/nutty/citrus, some grapefruit. Nuttiness is dominant, some brown sugar notes.

TASTE: 7/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Very woody. Nutty. Honey-roasted nuts, hop bitterness.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Roasted bitter up front, hop bitterness lasts.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Dark, roasted honey-nut flavors. Effervescent. Bitter on back of the tongue.

OVERALL: 2/3: Roasted nuttiness—we would classify it as a hoppy brown. Lots of malt, could use more hop bitterness

TOTAL: 14.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: It grows on you—nutty, malty, needs more hop bitterness. Not bad.
Ben: A nutty, dark, bitter beer (dark in flavor, not appearance). Lots of bitter, honey, roasted nut flavors. Different, though best in small doses.