#147 Bell's - Hop Slam

Only 60 case of this beer were shipped to St. Louis or Missouri (unclear which). I first read about this beer on StlHops and went looking for some bottles yesterday at Clayton Wine and Cheese. They were sold out within a few days but I found 4 6-packs for sale at Starrs. I am really excited to find this beer, I didn't think I would get any this year.

This beer has a strong hop aroma with a dominate tangerine smell, this beer could almost be mistaken for juice by smell alone. The smell also has some grassy notes, but mainly orange. The color is light brown or honey. The head is a full covering of the beer, but not very thick for which is surprising for such a hop heavy beer.

The taste starts sweet with some citrus orange taste. Quickly the hops come over strong with sharp bitterness and grassy flavors. As strong as the hop are they are balanced against the sweet malt flavor start. Then the finish is nice and mellow with a hop flavor and a slight bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium, not too thick for a hoppy beer.

This is a great beer. Lots of strong hop flavors, but still balanced. This beer is great for any craft beer fan, and it would be acceptable for a commercial beer fan. I am glad I got a six pack of this beer, I am excited to have another.

#146 brasserie d'Ecaussinnes - Ultra Amber

Another beer brasserie d'Ecaussinnes brewery.

The aroma of this beer has some malty caramel notes along with fruity esters. The color is gold with red hues, and very cloudy. The head started thick but quicky fizzed to a light covering.

The malty aroma does not translates to any malt flavors in the taste. The beer is lightly sour with hint of fruit and spices. As with the brasserie d'Ecaussinnes Ultrablond this beer has a harsh alcohol taste. The beer has a very smooth mouthfeel that works with the light fruit and spice flavors.

This beer is also hurt by the harsh flavors, but not as much as the Blond. I like the light balance of fruit and spice with the smooth mouthfeel. I might try this beer again is hopes that my bottle might has a problem.

#145 brasserie d'Ecaussinnes - Ultrablond

This is another Belgian beer from a brewery started in 1897. I have a few more beers from this Brewery for laters.

This beer has a very fruity aroma, like apples or melons. The color is a cloudy yellow with some sediment suspended in the beer. The head is white and very thick with good retention, covering the top of the glass even after a few sips.

The taste start sweet but becomes harsh. This is an 8% beer but the alcohol taste is almost over whelming. There are some fruity esters in the taste and some spice notes. The mouthfeel is very smooth and full. The finish is a little bitter and dry.

Overall the the harsh alcohol flavors really hurt this beer. There are nice fruit flavors, and spice, but the harshness is just over powering.

#144 Breckenridge - Double IPA

471 Small Batch is Breckenridge's line of special small batch beers. The 471's are sold in larger 22oz bomber bottles. I'm always excited to get a small batch beer since they are normally unique beers. This small batch was recommend by Dave from Wine Merchant and he has yet to give me a bad recommendation.

This beer has a very hoppy aroma, with strong pine and orange aromas. The head is very thick and white with good retention like an IPA should. The color is amber and very clear.

The beer starts with a sweet taste, but is quickly over come with hop flavors. This beer has a ton of hop flavor, strong grassy and pine flavors that fill the mouth. With all the hops there is still a strong malt backbone to the beer. The beer is hop heavy, but there is some balance to the taste. The mouthfeel is medium to heavy which adds to the "Big Beer" feeling of the beer. The finish isn't too bitter for a beer with so much hops, a lot of the hop flavor lingers.

This is a great beer for a hop fan and an ok beer for craft beer fan, but don't bother giving this to someone who drinks a lot of Budweiser. I was thinking about a hoppy beer at work today, and this beer fit the bill.

#143 Diamond Bear - Pale Ale

Diamond Bear brewery was recommended months ago by a commenter. My friend Joe from Arkansas pick this up for me over Christmas after the mix up around Thanksgiving when he went to Mexico and not Arizona. Diamond Bear brewery has won some awards for their IPA which is what I was hoping to get.

This beer has a nice caramel malt and honey smell that is balanced with a nice hop aroma. The hop aroma is a little citrus a little pine. The color is a reddish amber that is clear on this glass. I had a glass earlier that was cloudy, the difference between the two is that the cloudy one was colder. The head pours well, but doesn't have much retention.

This beer is very well balanced the malt sweetness start the taste and is followed by a nice dose of hops. The hops are stronger than expected for a pale ale, but not over the top. The finish is clean with just a bit of bitterness.

This is a really nice drinkable beer. This is a beer I would happily drink everyday. It's nice a balanced with good flavors, and stronger than average hops.

#142 Unibroue - Trois Pistoles

Another Unibroue beer.

This beer's aroma has fruity esters of raisin and apples, there is also some spice notes to the beer. The color is a very dark brown with some red highlights. The head starts thick but fizzes down to a light ring.

The taste is of the beer is pretty dry, and a bit harsh. There is some caramel malt flavors coming through, but not much sweetness. There is some characteristic Belgian spice flavor and some yeast taste. The finish is bitter and very dry.

This is a drinkable beer, but not wonderful. It is a little too harsh, it needs more sweetness.

#141 (Anheuser-Busch) Bare knuckle stout

This is Anheuser Busch's Guinness competitor. I recently read an article about how this beer is taking taps at bars from Guinness, and I expect it's cheaper for the bars since its domestically manufactured. I first saw this beer 2 or 3 years ago on an Anheuser Busch brewery tour, and have only seen at a bar once before. I had this one served at a bar from draft.

There is a strong peppermint aroma from this beer. The peppermint might be cause by the hops, and not an artificial peppermint additive. The color is a medium brown, like mud. The head pours pretty thick for a beer poured at a bar, and the head stays around for a while.

The taste also has a hint of peppermint. There is also plenty of malt biscuit flavors. The mouthfeel is very smooth, and thin. The finish is slightly bitter.

I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. There was a definite taste to the beer, even if it was an odd taste of peppermint. I would have liked some more body to the beer, but I would imagine the target audience for this beer wants a light beer. Compared to Guinness I think this is much tastier.

#140 New Belgium - Mothership Wit

This wit beer is made from organically grown hop, malt and orange peel. There are only a few beers on the market that are organic because most hops are non-organic, either pesticides or fertilizers. I had this beer a the Newstead Public House, they have a nice selection of beers and pairings in the menu.

This wit has a very citrus orange smell, with a hint of yeast aroma. The color was the normal pale cloudy yellow that is normal for a wit. There was no head on this beer, but it was served on draft at a bar, they might not have poured any head. The beer was also server very cold, I would have preferred the beer a few degrees warmer.

The taste is has good orange notes with plenty of citrus taste. There was also a hint of hop flavor to the beer which balanced well with the orange flavor. This is a very smooth a refreshing beer, a wit is a good choice for a summer beer.

I usually enjoy a Wit beer, but they are always so similar. Standard pale yellow color, citrus taste, and smooth. This beer stood out because of the added hop flavor to go along side the orange.

#139 Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde

Unibroue is made in Canada not Belgium, I have more Belgian's for later. Unibroue leaves yeast in the bottles of their beer to allow for a natural carbonation. This can result in a cloudy beer is poured roughly, but it also allows for a beer than can age well.

The aroma of this beer is strong enough to be smelled when the glass is still at a distance to the nose. This beer has a very fruity aroma, with apple and melon flavors. The color is a light yellow that is very clear. The foam starts thick, but settles down to a light right, with bubbles coming from the sides.

The fruity esters from the aroma come through to the taste. Again with the apple and melon flavors, now there is also a hint of banana flavor. There is also some clove spice flavors to the beer that are well balanced against the fruitiness. The beer has a medium mouthfeel that is very foamy. The finish is very mellow and maintains all the flavors from the beer and a touch of bitterness. There is a slight alcohol taste present that blends in with the spice flavor.

This is a wonderful beer, lots of good flavors, and a nice finish. It might not be from Belgium, but it is a Belgian style beer. La Fin Du Monde might look like Bud Light when poured but the taste is anything but.

#138 Oud Beersel - Oude Kriek Vielle

Oud Beersel is a tradition lambic brewer in Belgium. Lambic beers are fermented in open containers letting the wild yeast in the air ferment the beer. As opposed to normal brewing where yeast is added to a close fermenter and great care is taken to keep the wild yeast out of the beer.

Sour cherry aroma and some earthiness are the smells of this beer. The color is a very dark red or mahogany, it has to be held to the light to really see the color. The foam is pink and starts very thick, it fizzes down to only a light covering.

This is an incredible sour beer. It tastes like cherries and lemon juice. The sour taste is so strong it is making me wince with every sip. There is some earth notes to the finish, but thats the only thing I can taste other than sour.

I've mentioned before I don't like sour beers and this is an incredibly sour beer. I know lambic can be on the sour side, but this is over the top. I dread ever sip because I know there is more sour flavor coming.

#137 Kasteel - Triple

A triple from Kasteel

This beer starts with a citrus sour aroma like a lemon. The beer has a very thick head of foam and tons of bubbles pouring up from the glass. The color is straw and clouded by all the bubbles from inside the glass.

The taste starts sour, but mellows quickly. The beer has some Belgian clove and some candy flavors, but they are muted. There is also an alcohol warming to the taste of this beer. The mouthfeel is light. The beer finished rather mellow for having such hard tastes of sour and alcohol.
I don't care much for the sour taste to the beer. After a few sips the sour taste becomes a little less noticeable and the beer is more drinkable. This bottle of beer could be infected, it would explain the sour flavor and the high carbonation. This could also just be a sour beer.

#136 Chouffe - Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Brasserie d'Achouffe is a new brewery for Belgian standards, started in 1982 by two brothers in-law. I got this beer from a recent trip to Wine Merchant. I ask from some Belgian beer and Dave recommended this one if I like a hoppy beer.

The aroma is very grassy and green, like unripe fruit. There is a faint Belgian spice aroma mixed with the green hop smell. The foam is very thick on this beer and is have a good retention, reminds me of the hops on an IPA. The color is a very pale yellow, or straw. Towards the bottom of the bottle there is some sediment making the beer very cloudy.

This beer has a lot going on in the flavor. First the hop flavors are very present grass, pineapple, unripe oranges. One the beer fills the mouth the hop flavors are accent by some Belgium spices, and a bit of fruity esters and banana. The finish is bitter and a little dry, but not surprising from the hop flavors. The mouthfeel is medium which is uncommon for a hoppy beer and a Belgium, I think the mouthfeel is a result of light malt being used to make the beer.

This beer doesn't really fit in any office BJCP style, but it is a tasty beer. This is a double hoppy Tripel made to compete with the American Mirco breweries hoppy beers. I really like this beer and I am glad it came in a 750ml bottle so there is plenty left.

#135 Schlafly - Belgian Tripel

The Schlafly taproom held their 5th annual Cabin Fever on Saturday. The event is features Schlafly's stronger beer choices three beers over 10% and no beer under 5.7% alcohol. This Saturday in St. Louis the warming beer as needed because the temperature was around 18 degrees. The beer was server outside on the patio of the Bottleworks, all the kegs were too cold and over carbonated because of it. I continued my trend of Belgian beers with a Tripel.

This tripel has some fruit esters to the aroma and a pronounced bubblegum aroma. The color is a clear golden honey. The foam was very thick, but the whole event was having trouble with the below freezing foamy kegs.

The beer has a lot of fruity esters in the taste and some Belgian clove spice flavors. The mouthfeel was full and highly carbonated, quickly washing away some of the flavor. The finish was a little dry and there as an odd after taste and I can't identify.

Over all this was a very tasty beer, and much closer to what I think a Belgian beer should taste like. If the beer was warmer it would have some different tastes and aromas, but I guess the cold is part of the fun of the event. Mike from StlHops live blogged the event.

#134 Kasteel - Donker

I had a Kasteel Rogue when I was in Louisville over Christmas. I was excited to find more Kasteel available locally. Kasteel is brewed by Van Honsebrouck brewery which brews a number of beers under different labels.


This beer has a alcohol aroma, with some Belgian spice notes. The color is dark brown and when held to the light it can barely be seen through. The head starts nice and quickly dissipates to just a light covering of the beer.

This is a very sweet beer, and a very alcoholic beer, it reminds me of drinking a fortified wine. The beer has strong Belgian spice flavors, and some malt caramel. There is a bitter bite to the beer when my mouth is full, but the finished isn't bitter. The mouthfeel is smooth and full. The finish lingers with a nice malty spicy flavor.

This is a little closer to what I was expecting from Belgium beers. Lots of Belgian candy sugars are used and there is some spicy clove flavors. The 11% alcohol is a little surprising with the first sip. I think my favorite part is the lingering finish to the beer. A great beer to enjoy on a cold night. One glass should be plenty.

#133 Watou(St. Bernardus) - Tripel

This beer is also made by the St. Bernardus brewery, but doesn't carry the name directly on the bottle. Watou is a town in Belgium, famous for having a statue of a brewer in one of the cities main squares.

The beer has strong fruity esters to the aroma, nice apple smells. The beer is a honey color, and a little cloudy. The foam is thick and white, with lots of small bubbles, and good head retention.

The beer has a honey flavor and sweetness. There is also some fruit flavors and hints of clove, but the honey taste is the most pronounced. There is a dry bitter finish to the beer, but not overly bitter just a hint of bitterness. The mouthfeel is really smooth and foamy, it is a little like drinking all foams.

I like this beer a lot more than the last few beer I have drank. This is smooth without any harsh malt flavors. The honey taste is a welcome surprise, and the mouth feel is so nice and smooth.

#132 St. Bernardus - Abt 12

The last St. Bernardus labeled beer. I have one more that came in the six pack that isn't labeled St. Bernardus.

This beer has sweet caramel aroma with some spice notes. The color is a dark brown with some red highlights. The foam starts thick but again fizzes away.

The beer has a bunch of dark malts flavors, starting with some dark malt sweetness. There is some earthy taste to this beer and some alcohol flavors that are not blending well with the other tastes. The traditional Belgium spice flavors are missing from this beer. The finish is very bitter.

This is not a very good beer. I can finish drinking it but this is by no means a good beer. Lots of conflicting flavors, making the beer not enjoyably. I sure hope other Belgium beers turn out better than these St. Bernardus and I don't have a skewed view of Belgian beers.

#131 St. Bernardus - Prior 8

More St. Bernardus.

The smell has some clove spice aromas, and a strong aroma of malt caramel sweetness. The color is a very dark brown that only a little light can pass through. The head starts thick and quickly fizzes away. So far the only St. Bernardus not to overflow with foam when opened is the Wit.

The taste is belgium spicy with clove and cinnamon flavors. There is some caramel sweetness to the beer coming from the dark malt. The mouthfeel is very fizzy, when mixed with the caramel flavor the beer starts to taste like a soda and not a beer. The finish is a little dry and a little bitter.

I like this beer more than the Pater 6 but I am not crazy about this beer. The cola taste, and the lack of fruit esters are what I miss in this beer.

#130 St. Bernardus - Pater 6

Over the next 3 days I will be drinking the St. Bernardus 6, 8, and 12 Belgium Dark Strong Ales. The number corresponds to the alcohol content of each beer. Most Belgian beer's are higher proof so I think I will be more familiar with beers like the 8 and 12 than today's 6.

This beer has a dark malt caramel aroma with a notes of spice and fruit. The color is very dark brown with some red highlights. The foam is thick but quickly fizzes away.

There is a strong malt backbone to the flavor of this beer with strong roast and coffee flavors. The beer has the trademark Belgium spice, but it is not as pronounced as the malt. The beer is very dry and not as sweet as other Belgium beers. The mouthfeel is carbonated and fizzy.

Much like yesterday's trippel this is an ok beer, but there are so many better Belgians I would rather drink. I am excited to compare this to the St. Bernardus 8 and 12.

#129 St. Bernardus - Trippel

I have gathered a large number of Belgium beers to drink for the next week or two. I got a pack of St. Bernardus that I started last night with the Wit. I've always really enjoyed the Belgium beers and I am looking forward to a bunch back to back.

The aroma for this beer is very fruity, with distinguishable ripe banana smell. The foam on this beer poured out of the top when I opened the bottle, I know this can be cause by an infection, but I think is just such a highly carbonated beer. When poured the foam is very thick and active fizzing away unlike an IPA's foam which is thick with a large retention. The color is a hazy amber, that can be seen through, but is cloudy.

There is some sweetness to the flavor, but less than the Rochefort 8. There is also a lot more bitterness to the beer than expected. This beer has a nice nutty spice characteristic from the malt, along with some fruit flavors. The mouthfeel is smooth, and with some carbonation.

I think this beer is too bitter, I prefer less bitterness in a Belgium beer. This is fine enjoyable beer, and after checking the BJCP style guide I see trippel's are supposed to have a bitter after taste. I guess I am getting too used to the Belgium Dark Strong Ales.

#128 St. Bernardus - Wit

This beer has a citrus grapefruit smell, with some yeast aroma. This wit beer has a pale yellow gray color with just a light cover of foam. This beer looks like a wit beer should.

The taste is citrusy and fresh. There is a slight yeast flavor to the beer, and some Belgium spice flavors, but much weaker spice than other Belgium's. The mouthfeel fizzy, and light.

This is very refreshing beer that is easy to drink. There is not a whole lot of flavors to write about but over all an enjoyable beer.

#127 Trappistes Rochefort - 8

This Trappist Monastery is in the outskirts of Rochefort France but is considered a Belgium Abbey style beer in the outskirts of Rochefort Belgium was started in 1230 as a convent and converted to a monastery in 1464. This monastery is known for being very protective of their beer recipe. They make 3 different beers a 6, 8, and 10 all with the same recipe only adjusting the alcohol by changing the amount of candy sugar.

The aroma of this beer is full of spice with a pronounced clove smell and a light fruit smell like banana or apple. The color is a deep brown with some crimson highlights. The foam started thick but quickly passed to just a light covering.

The taste is very rich and sweet like a spice cake, with cloves and allspice. There is also some fruit tastes like raisin, but the banana smell is not present in the taste. Some malt caramel flavors are also present in the taste, but only very slight flavor. The mouthfeel is full and smooth, with some carbonated tingling in the mouth. The finish is fruity. Like most Belgium's this is a high proof beer, but there is no alcohol taste present in the taste.

This is a great example of Belgium beer. Lots of good spice and fruit taste, and the great mouthfeel.

#126 Schlafly - Smoked Porter

Tonight I went to Schlafly's Taproom to pick up some brewing supplies and have dinner. Schlafly recently added the smoked porter to their line up at the Taproom. I have never seem the smoked porter offered by Schlafly so this is a completely new beer to me, and maybe to Schlafly.

The smell of the beer was very light, just a bit of smoke aroma. The color was a very dark brown almost back, with almost no head, just a light ring around the top of the glass.

The taste has a medium smoke to it giving the beer a camp fire taste and leather taste, but not so strong that is tastes bad. Along with the smoke I am getting a slight hint of hop flavor and dark malt toasty flavor. The beer has some bitterness in the finish.

For a smoked beer the smoke taste is well balanced against other flavors. When I think of smoke beers the first thing I think of is a beer O'Fallon brewery made was loaded with so much smoke I couldn't drink it. I wouldn't order this beer again, but over all this is not a bad beer.

#125 Flying Dog - Classic Pale Ale

This is the last Flying Dog beer I currently have to drink. I've really enjoyed their beers. The brewer might be a little more of a hop head than I am. I tried some Flying Dog beers many years ago before I knew much about beer and thought Killians Irish Red was a unique beer. At the time I didn't care much for Flying Dog and drinking them today I can see that I might have been scared off by the aggressive hops.

The smell is very hop dominate, but I am getting some sweet light malt flavors. The beer looks really good with a copper color and a thick head of off white foam and plenty of bubbles pouring up from the bottom of the glass.

A strong hop flavor for a pale ale, but there is still a light malt sweetness to the taste. There are some fruity esters to the beer, more than the normal malt citrus fruit taste. The beer is light and easy to drink like a pale ale. There is some bitterness in the finish which isn't surprising with when a strong hop profile.

This is a crazy hoppy pale ale, Flying Dog must be worried about the hop shortage with the amount of hops the use in each beer. I would like a lot less hops in this beer, I feel like a pale ale should be a lighter beer that can be offered to a craft beer novice.

#123 Flying Dog - Gonzo Imperial Porter

The art work on the Flying Dog bottles is done by Ralph Steadman who is famous for his work with the author Hunter S. Thompson. This bottle of Gonzo Imperial Porter has the quote "Good people drink good beer" by Hunter S. Thompson. This beer was originally created in 2005 to honor Hunter S. Thompson and sold only in 750 ml bottles for a limited release.

This beer has a hoppy smell with just a touch of dark malt and caramel aroma. The strong hop smell is odd for a porter, but from the last 2 Flying Dog beers I am not surprised by the hop forward approach. The color of this beer is dark brown or black, with a light brown head. The foam is very thick and very long lasting.

This beer has a chocolate flavor from the dark malt. The hops are not as strong in the taste as they are in the smell, but they are well balanced against the dark malt resulting in a very good taste. This beer is very smooth to drink, with a medium light mouthfeel that is normal for a porter. There is a little earthyness to the beer in the mix of the malt and hops, but it's not a bad thing. The finish is hoppy but not bitter, there is a back of the mouth hop taste, it's different than the normal bitter finish.

This is a great beer, very easy to drink and very good tasting. I wouldn't know this was a 9.2% beer if it wasn't printed on the side of the bottle. This doesn't have the "Big Beer" taste of yesterday's Double Dog Double Pale Ale, and I guess I like a big beer to taste like a big beer. This beer instead is very easy drinking and seems like a beer that could be drank everyday.

#122 Flying Dog - Double Dog Double Pale Ale

I've beer looking forward all day to this beer after I got a comment from Steph at Flying Dog Brewery recommending the beer to me. This is part of the Canis Major series fro Flying Dog a selection of big beers. I have one more Canis Major for tomorrow and I am excited for it.

This beer's aroma is very hoppy with strong tangerine and grass smells. Compared to yesterday's Flying Dog this hop aroma is much more pronounced and aggressive. The color is a nice copper that is very clear. The head is thick, with good retention and a pale white color.

The taste of this beer starts with a light caramel sweetness, much lighter sweetness than the Snake Dog. The beer continues with with a big hop taste that over takes all other possible tastes. The hops are very grassy to the point of almost onion flavor. There is some malt flavor to this Double Pale Ale that backs up the large amount of hops, but the hops are still the main taste. This beer has some bitterness, but less than expected for such a strong hop taste.

This is truly a "Big Beer" with lots of hops and lots of malt. This is a 10.5% beer and I can't taste any alcohol over the hops. This is a great beer, not a beer for drinking everyday of but a beer for drinking occationally and being surprised by the big flavor with every sip.

#121 Flying Dog - Snake Dog IPA

Today I was listening to Craft Beer Radio episode 57 on American IPA and I got a desire of a hoppy IPA. I am also starting a selection of Flying Dog beers that I got on my last trip to Louisville.

This beer has a strong hop aroma with pine and orange notes. The hop aroma makes my mouth water it is so strong. The color is a darker yellow, and very transparent. The foam is very thick and lasts a long time, with only a small pour the foam fills the glass.

The beer starts sweet, but turns hoppy once it's past the tip of the tongue. The hops are pronounced with grassy pine flavor, and finishes with a tangerine taste. There is some bitterness in the beer, but it is balanced against the hop flavors. This beer is very hoppy, even with the sweet start the hops are the main component of this IPA.

I like a hoppy beer, and this fit the requirement for a hoppy beer. I was worried at first with the sweet taste that the sweet might be over powering, but the hops dominate the beer. This beer is not recommended for someone who doesn't like hops.

#120 Trader Joe's (Unibroue) - Vintage Ale 2007

This is Trader Joe's yearly Vintage Ale. I had one last year and it was one of the beers that introduced me to vintage beers. In an age of born on dating being a selling point for some commercial beers it often forgotten that beer can be aged and can get better with age. This year I got two bottles one for today and one for next year.

This beer has a malt sweet smell, even a little brown sugar smell. There is also some nut aroma to the beer. The appearance is a medium brown, with lots of white foam.

This beer has a nutty or woody taste that is very different. There is only a little bitterness to the beer, but it comes across differently than other beers, it might be a tannin bitterness for the grain. As I keep drinking I think the bitterness might be coming across as harsh acetone taste, or a fruit ester that is too harsh. The mouthfeel is smooth and silky.

The harsh bitterness does not ruin this beer, this is still a good enjoyable beer. I will happily be finished the bottle tonight. I think some time in the cellar with help mellow out the taste.

#119 Rouge - Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Another beer from Rouge, I got this beer before I started the Christmas beer and have been looking forward to it for a while.

I am getting some sweet hazelnut aroma's from this beer, like nutella. The color is very dark brown, as dark as it can be without being black. The head is a light brown, and not too thick.

The start of this beer is effervescent and foamy with some malt flavors. There isn't much hops to this beer which is surprising for a Rogue beer. There is some dark malt and chocolate flavors that linger to the finish leaving a good taste in my mouth. The mouthfeel is medium, and appropriate for a beer with this much malt.

This beer isn't anything too extreme but instead a good tasting, easy drinking, enjoyable beer. This is the kid of beer I could sit around all night an enjoy and be very happy about. Too many times I am looking for big beers that would be hard to drink very many of, and I forget how nice an easy drinking beer is.

#118 La Constancia brewery - Barrilito

I am strugling to find info about this brewery. This is another beer my friends brought me from Mexico. I think it is made by the La Constancia brewery which is owned by SABMiller, but that all the info I can find quickly.

This beer smells like a lager, with the chalky aroma that I've found in many lagers. The color is a very light staw that is almost colorless, I can see through the glass as well as I can see through a glass of water. The beer starts with a head of foam, but it quickly fizzes away.

This beer is a basic lager. The taste is a little sweet, with some light hop flavors that last only seconds. There is the common lager chalky dry taste that I don't like, and it is really clear in the finish. The mouthfeel is thin and watery.

For a basic lager this beer is better than most. There is a little extra hops that helps the beer shine in a group of dull beers. If I was in Mexico I might choose this beer. But I am likly to forget the beer after this post since I can't find much info about the brewery and the beer is only better than bad beers.

#117 Rogue – Mocha Porter

This beer smells like chocolate and dark malt. The color is an opaque black, that looks like chocolate. The head is light brown and not very thick.

The taste is a malty and rich. There is some hop flavors and bitterness to this beer, which isn't surprising from Rogue a brewery known for hoppy beers. The finish is bitter but not dry like other malt rich beers leaves a coffee taste. The mouthfeel is smooth and foamy.

I would have liked some more chocolate flavors in the beer, but I know that isn't the easiest flavor to produce. This is a good beer, there is some hops to offset the large amount of malt, and a nice smooth taste. Rogue brewery usually comes though with a good beer.

#116 He'Brew – Genesis Ale

The smell of this beer is pretty basic ale smell, which is a welcome change from all the Christmas beer. There is a clear hop aroma that isn't overpowering and there is still a slight malt aroma. The color is a a dark amber almost brown that is very clear. There is a slight head of foam on at the top of the glass, giving the cup a nice look.

The taste starts with a malt grain flavor that is mixed with a tannin taste. There is also some hop spice to the beer, but it is quickly overpowered by the malt. The beer drys out quickly and finishes bitter. The mouthfeel is medium a appropriate for a beer with so much malt.

I had higher hopes for this beer when I first smelled with, but once I got a sip my hopes sliped away. I don't like all the malt flavor in this beer, I think it is to dry and bitter because of all the malt. I would like some hop flavor in the beer. This isn't a bad beer, and I will happily finish it, but I would avoid it in the future.

#115 Dogfish Head – Pangaea

Dogfish Head is well known for making unique beer, and pushing the limits of beer. With there 120 minute IPA having a huge number of hop additions, the midus touch beer is made with honey and muscat grapes, and this beer is brewed with crystallized ginger. The brewer from Dogfish head wrote a book called Extreme Brewing and I think the name fits for a Dogfish Head brewer.

The aroma of this beer is spicy, reminiscent of a Belgium beer. I can smell the ginger and some alcohol aroma, but the beer is only 7%. The color is a clear amber, with a bunch of bubbles from the bottom of the glass. The head starts thick but doesn't last too long before being just a ring of foam around the top of the glass.

The taste of ginger is very clear in this beer. There is a slightly sweet start with the big ginger taste that reminds me of the crystallized ginger that this beer is made with. There is also some alcohol flavors that I think is fusel alcohol an off characteristic of beer. With all the ginger I would expect the beer to taste like ginger ale, but I think a strong malt profile is balancing the ginger taste.

This is a really interesting, enjoyable beer. Many people would not like this beer's strong ginger flavors, and I don't think anyone at Dogfish Head would expect everyone to be a fan of the beer. This is a great beer for someone looking for a unique beer.

#114 New Belgium – Frambozen

This beer smells like sweet cherries, and nothing else. The color is a dark red, that is almost opaque. There is a bit of foam around the top of the glass, but not much.

This sweet cherry smell disappears in the taste. The taste is like rotten sour cherries. The sourness is very strong and surprising. There is a slight malt taste that doesn't mix well with the Cherries and results in an almost rotten taste.

I think the beer is supposed to taste like this, but I am not a fan. I don't like sour beers. I know this is a Belgium tradition to have sour beer, but I would like to stay away from it.

#113 Blue Moon – Full Moon

The smell of this beer is a spicy, a little yeasty, and even some buttery diacetyl smell. As the beer sits for a minute the buttery aroma gets more pronounced. The color is light orange with a thick white head of foam.

The taste of this beer is strange. There is some citrus taste with a some sweetness on the start, followed by a big butter diacetyl taste. In the finished there is a light stale hops or stale even stale beer flavor, and the buttery taste on the roof of my mouth. The mouthfeel is smooth like a Blue Moon.

I am not a fan of this beer. When I first smelled the diacetyl I though I was mistaken and there was no way the flavor could be in a commercial beer, diacetyl is normally an off flavor. But as I got drinking it became clear there is a strong butter characteristic to this beer that I don't like. Blue Moon is an ok beer, but the spin offs have been disappointments.

#112 St. Bernardus – Christmas Ale

The smell is rich and full of Belgium spice aroma. There is also some notes of raisins and dark malt. The color is a very dark brown that light can barley pass through. The head is very thick with good retention that isn't going away.

The taste is very spicy, more spice than normal Belgium beers. There is also some nice hop flavors and bitterness to the beer. The mouthfeel is full and effervescent. I can't really taste the high gravity, but I can feel the 10% after a few sips. The finish is a little bitter and leaves my mouth watering.

I can see the Christmas characteristics of this beer with the added spice and alcohol. This is one of the best Christmas beers I've had, but it's by no means the best Belgium beer I've had. I would recommend this beer to anyone looking for a good beer.

#111 Anchor - 2007

I originally was going to compare the 2006 and 2007 Anchor Christmas side by side for a vertical but Christmas plans got in the way and I ended up with a 16 hour gap between the two beers. So this isn't the greatest vertical.

This beer smells like caramel and a touch of spice. The color is an opaque black, with only a bit of foam on the top of the glass.

The taste is malty and earthy. The soda like sweet carbonation is present just like 2006, with a lot of carbonation on the tongue. The finish is again very bitter and leaving the back of my mouth watering from the bitterness. The beer finished with a dirt and bitter taste. The mouthfeel is thin and for such a malty beer.

This beer is no better than the 2006 Anchor Celebration. I can't compare the two side by side, but I don't care for either so I don't think such a comparison is necessary.

#110 Anchor - Christmas Ale 2006

Anchor has a long history of making their Christmas beers. They even have a promotional flyer that has the labels from each year. I didn't get a picture of the Anchor Christmas Ale so instead check them out on Anchor's website http://www.anchorbrewing.com/beers/labelspast.htm

This beer smells of sweet malt and caramel. The color is dark brown with some brown foam.

The taste is very malty, sweet and bitter. There is also a lot of carbonation to the beer that mixed with the malty sweetness comes across tasting more like a soda that like beer. Even with the soda sweetness there is still lots of bitterness in the finish of the beer.

I didn't really like this beer, there is too much malt for my taste.