74. Triangle Brewing Company Belgian Style White Ale

Here's another blast from the past.  Triangle Brewing's belgian style white ale.  I picked up this particular beverage from Whole Foods in Cary and decided to enjoy it during a fantasy football draft.  The beer came in a can, just like the picture.

Since I drank directly out of the can, I couldn't determine the color or anything else related to appearance.  I did take a whiff of the beer, and was able to discern some peppery spice, yeast, and citrus.  

As far as the taste goes, I remember getting more the same.  I tend to find witbiers easy to drink, and this was no different.  Some fruity flavors, with a little bit of complexity on the back end.  Light bodied, easy to drink.  Very sessionable.  Nevertheless, I found the beer to be average, nothing much about it that stood out, made me go "wow".  I would like to try Triangle's other offerings the next time I get a chance.

Grade: C+

Price Paid: $1.99 (12 oz can)

73. Highland Oatmeal Porter

Today, I'm reviewing a Highland Oatmeal Porter that I have sitting right in front of me, so I'm conducting this review live!  The brew was poured into a snifter glass.  Color was a very dark brown, not a lot of light penetration.  Has a reddish hue to it.  Two fingers of off white head that left sheets of lacing down the sides and a film on top.  Aromas of coffee, cocoa, and roasted malts are picked up.  I'm a little disappointed that I had to try really hard just to get any type of aroma out of it.

Initial tastes of coffee dominate, then the grapefruit pith flavor kicks in and lingers right at the end.  A hoppy porter..that's a new one for me.  I smelled roasted malts, but didn't get a lot of sweetness out of the porter.  The beer was light bodied, with a slight creamy texture, which I attribute to the oatmeal.  Medium carbonation, which made the hop presence pop even more.  The more I drink it, the more I don't like it.  I think the hop presence, combined with chocolate and coffee flavors, just don't work very well, in my opinion.  The bitter finish did a good job of leaving a bad taste in my mouth.  I'm sure hopheads and other folks may really enjoy this beer, but it's just not for me.

Grade: D+

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz bottle)

72. Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Here's another purchase from back in the day.  I actually picked this up the same time I picked up the Hen's Tooth Ale (See #71).  Of the two, this was the one I was most excited about.  I had noticed the bottle before, and the purple colors and labeling made me think of Willy Wonka.  I didn't realize that this beer was an international offering (http://www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk) until I started to write this review..props to the UK!

The beer poured a near black color with a one finger tan head.  Had an impressive look from the get-go.  There was some light lacing and a thin head that remained.  The aroma..wow.  Sweetness from the lactose, aromas of milk and dark chocolate.  I detected some roasted malt as well.

The taste was just as good.  Bitter chocolate flavors, with maybe some light coffee notes.  Refreshing for a beer that seems to be best enjoyed for dessert.  Sweetness didn't really come through taste-wise, but I'm not complaining.  Good mouthfeel, medium-light body.  I could imagine that this would be much better with a heavier body.  This was one of the first chocolate stouts that I've had and it doesn't disappoint.  Coffee & chocolate stouts are some of my favorite types, so I might be a little biased, but I think that for this particular beer, it's well deserved.

Grade: A-

Price Paid: $3.99

71. Morland Hen's Tooth Ale

Alright, I'm finally going back in time to review some of the beers that I haven't put on my blog yet.  I'm still catching up from back in late August, and probably have a solid 20 to go, but I'll ultimately get there!  Morland Hen's Tooth was purchased at my local Lowes Foods.  It stood out as a single and I decided to snag it.  The beer advertises itself as bottle conditioned, so it's not filtered.  I have some tasting notes, so here goes..!

The beer poured a cloudy amber color, with the cloudiness probably there because of the lack of filtration.  I was able to get a two finger head, with moderate retention, that settled into some beer film at the top.  Aromas were pretty neutral.  Some sweet aromas from the malt, maybe some caramel, but very aroma neutral.  

The taste was similar to the aroma.  Sweet and bready, some caramel notes.  Had a slightly bitter finish that didn't sit all that well with me.  Moderate carbonation helped the beer finish better.  Overall, I found the beer to be okay to drink, but nothing that gets me excited.  The unfiltered beer took a little bit of getting used to, but I'm glad that I had the chance to try a beer this way.

Grade: C

Price Paid: $3.50 (16.9 oz bottle)

70. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Back to back Sierra Nevada? Yessir, that's what we have here!  Last night, after a disappointing Carolina Hurricanes loss, I wallowed in my sadness and thought I could use a pick-me-up.  For those of you keeping up with my blog (which at this point is probably 0!), then you'd realize that I just bought this thing and I'm getting around to drinking it.  It was shocking the first time with the Kona.  But twice?  You saw it here first, folks!

Okay, onto the beer.  I figured that this beer would be something good.  There aren't a lot of beers that are sold as singles in the grocery stores I fervent, so for it to have a special place there..must be a special beer.  I was a little excited.  It poured a nice burnt orange color with three fingers of white head.  Light retention that left remnants of lacing all over the glass.  Very attractive looking.  The aroma wasn't as pronounced as expected.  I thought I'd get a citrus bomb.  Instead, I could pick out some of the malt aromas, with a light citrus aroma, followed by some woodsy aromas as well.  Taking a look in the bottle, I was expected to come to this conclusion, so my nose must be working.

The taste of the beer was surprisingly sweet.  It shouldn't have been a surprise, as I didn't get an overly hoppy aroma, but based on the fact that this is an American IPA, I thought that maybe it was a genius concept in the fact that it didn't smell like an IPA, but still tasted like one.  The malt sweetness with a little bit of caramel would come through first, then would come this bitter aftertaste that tasted like pine and grapefruit put together.  It wasn't a mild type of bitter either..it had some pop and could linger!  It lingered to the point that I had to take another drink.  Dry finish.  Medium to high carbonation, which was pleasant from a mouthfeel perspective.  Overall, I liked this IPA, but I think I like Sweetwater's offering more.  Still, if this was offered at a local bar, I'd hit it up for another try.  A good, solid, keeper.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz bottle)  

69. Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Is this really the first time I've gotten to review a beer from Sierra Nevada (http://www.sierranevada.com)?  This can't be right!  I've had Narwhal..twice!  Must be some sort of things where I've forgotten to add the review, since I'm still in the process of catch-up mode.  Based on this summer release, you might think that I'm in catch-up mode now.  I assure you, that's not the case.  I had my brother buy me a six pack of this stuff back in July.  I still had one beer remaining at my parent's house and decided to crack it open.  

Now based on the fact that I'm finally getting around to opening a summer beer, I know that my opinion and thoughts could be addressed upon a skunked beer, and any bad reviews would come from that.  Normally I pour the contents of my bottle into the glass..I didn't do that with this one.  Right out of the bottle.  Couldn't get much aroma out of it either.  Note to self, always pour in a glass if you want to critique the brew.

The first few sips were kind of funky, but I began to realize that it's probably part of the beer's characteristics.  The more I drank, the more acceptable it tasted.  I'm sure it's not just me.  There were some biscuity malts with some hop kick added in there.  I'm betting that the funky tastes are part of the style..if that's the case, it's a style that I'll need to embrace, because it doesn't leave a good first impression.  I know that I've been giving Sierra Nevada a lot of props lately..they get a pass on this one.

Grade: D+

Price Paid: $1.50 (12 oz bottle)

68. Kona Brewing Big Wave Golden Ale

Make that two in a row!  I'm on some kind of roll here, but it may stop in the near future...mainly because I'll be in for a fix of something nice and dark.  Kona Brewing (http://www.konabrewingco.com) is based out of -- you guessed it -- Hawaii, and it's nice to get their offerings sent to the mainland.  My friends have said good things about Kona Brewing, but I can only take their recommendations with a grain of salt.  Either way, I decided to man up and give this one a go.

The beer poured a nice golden straw like color with two fingers of head.  Spotty lacing on the sides of the glass, a little film on the top of the beer.  The cirtus aromas stand out instantly.  I could pick out some pineapple and mango.  The citrus aromas give me the impression that there's going to be some hops here..whether it's pronounced or not is anyone's guess.  

The taste is a little watered down, in my opinion.  The beer is slightly dry and bitter, the hop presence shining through.  I expected a little bit of malt to better balance the beer, but it wasn't there.  I could detect more notes of pineapple, maybe some lemon peel.  It's light bodied and could be very drinkable.  Decent carbonation, the only thing that's missing is the malt.  Based on the taste, I'm of the opinion that it leans closer to a type of pale ale.  This one just wasn't for me, but I can see how others might enjoy it better.  

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz bottle)

67. Blowing Rock IPA Ale

Is it true?  Could I be reviewing a beer that I bought only a day ago?  Yes, miracles can happen!  To be honest, they were already cold at Lowes Foods and I felt compelled to keep them in the fridge.  I'm not in the mood to go after some of my harder-to-find beers, so this one was going to do it for me.  I picked this up thinking that I was supporting my local breweries (http://www.boonebrewing.com), until I noticed that the beer is brewed in Pennsylvania.  What?  I don't quite get it, but it seems that Boone Brewing = Blowing Rock or is some sort of offshoot, so I'll go with it.

Onto the beer.  It poured an almost copper color, accompanied with two fingers of head after a rather vigorous pour.  Rings of lacing along the side, medium retention.  Looks good, upon first impression.  I could pick up piney hop aromas, maybe a little bit of citrus, but more woodsy vibes out of this one.  First time I could notice it.  Aside from maybe a little bit of caramel, nothing else I could distinguish.  

The taste of the beer was nothing groundbreaking.  I could pick up the earthy tones and the IPA had a bitter kick at the end, as expected.  It came off a little sweet, which was unexpected.  The beer itself was light bodied, with light to medium carbonation.  Consider me a little unimpressed with this beer.  It lacked the wow factor, the taste was a little unbalanced..just a little too much going on here.  I'll pass on this one.

Grade: D+

Price Paid: $1.66 (12 oz bottle)

Haul for 1/26

Alrighty, so I went ahead and spent the majority of February's budget a little early as there were a couple of beers that I wanted to pick up and I was concerned they wouldn't make it to the end of the week.  Okay, there was really only one beer that I was concerned about, and felt compelled to make a decent shopping day out of it.  Ended up going by Lowes Foods and The Beer Dispensary to get my loot.  So here's my haul:

• Ommegang Hennepin - I'm a fan of Ommegang's stuff, and this was one I hadn't tried before.  Price Paid: $3.00
• Founders Imperial Stout - I've been after this for a while but couldn't find it in a single.  There was only two left in the store at the time.  Score one for me!  Price Paid: $3.00
• Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA - Sierra Nevada has been on my "like" list a lot lately.  They've been on a roll and I'm going to keep going their way until they disappoint.  Price Paid: $1.90
• Terrapin Moo-Hoo Stout - I'm pretty sure I haven't picked this one up yet, so I made sure that I grabbed it.  Still a little disappointed that I missed out on So Fresh and So Green Green.  Didn't think that one would be so hard to find.  Price Paid: $2.60
• Sierra Nevada Bigfoot - Another Sierra Nevada offering, another purchase for me!  Price Paid: $2.90
• Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale - The seasonal offering from Great Lakes, just wanted to give it a try.  Price Paid: $1.90
• Fullsteam First Frost - Still trying to support the local breweries with this one.  Price made me almost stop with the commitment, but I sucked it up and got it anyway.  Price Paid: $15.00
• Blowing Rock IPA - I'm guessing this is a local beer I haven't tried yet, so may as well give it a go.  Price Paid: $1.66
• Kona Brewing Big Wave - Never had a Kona Brewing anything before, but my friends talked well of them.  Price Paid: $1.66
• Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA - Based on reputation alone, I decided to snag this one.  Price Paid: $1.66
• Highland Brewing Oatmeal Porter - I thought the Cold Mountain Ale was good, so I thought I'd try another of their offerings.  Price Paid: $1.66
• Lagunitas IPA - Another highly reputable beer, decided to snag it.  Price Paid: $1.66
• Carolina Brewing Company Winter Porter - Seasonal offered by Carolina Brewing, chalk this one up to supporting my local breweries.  Price Paid: $1.66

Haul for 1/19

Okay, so this isn't much of a haul as it was the fact that I was looking through the selection at Total Wine and couldn't pick up a beer without leaving.  In this case, I eyed a bomber, so I was more than comfortable with buying it and it alone and leaving everything else alone.  Here's the lone haul:

• Sweetwater Dank Tank The Gimp - Okay, so I noticed that it was released at Bottle Revolution and sold out before I had a chance to check it out.  I had the Dank Tank Danktoberfest and wanted to try the next in the series.  When I saw it on the shelves, I just had to have it.  And now it's mine!  Price paid: $6.99

66. Unibroue Ephemere

I've heard a lot of good things about Unibroue.  I didn't know any of those things until after I had picked up a bottle from the store in Nashville a while back.  Its been sitting for a while and I finally got around to cracking this baby open.  

The beer poured a hazy straw color with about a finger and a half of head into a snifter glass.  Light retention, no lacing aside from some film at the bottom.  Fizzled out like a soda.  The major aroma out of this beer is green apple.  There's some lingering sourness that I can't quite pin, but it smells like a hard cider, with some subtle changes.

Now does it taste like a hard cider?  No.  The green apple taste shines through, but provides a wheat-like, bitter, and peppery finish at the end.  Sounds like a pretty good combination, right..?  I guess the theory sounds better than the execution.  There was a dry finish to this and I was looking to get a little more malt balance.  I also think that I'd rather not have the wheat taste in the beer.  Overall, I had a hard time getting myself to finish this, primarily because it didn't do a good job of wowing me.  Oh well, I'll keep trying some of Unibroue's offerings and chalk this one up as an aberration.

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $2.99 (12 oz bottle)

65. Foothills Brewing Hoppyum IPA

Alright, I had the Hoppyum Cask offering back in Asheville, and now I finally got around to trying Foothills Brewing's regular offering.  I was at Woody's Tavern in Cary to watch the Carolina Hurricanes in their season debut against the Florida Panthers.  Long story short..they lost, it was a terrible game, I can't believe I wasted my time at the bar to watch that game.  They've won two straight as of this post though, so whoo-hoo!  Local pints were $3.00, which was also a bonus.

This is the first time I've been able to do a taste comparison between beers.  Unfortunately, the great cask offering brought some raised expectations to the table, and I found myself disappointed.  First off, the look.  Poured a hazy yellow-orange color, less than one finger of head.  Light retention, little wisps of lacing, but that was about it.  Aromas of grapefruit and maybe some malt..?  There was some sweetness there.  Not much else I could discern about the aroma.  Unlike the cask, it didn't smack me in the face.

The taste?  Average.  More tastes of grapefruit.  Bitter finish that lingers on the tongue.  Flavor doesn't pop.  Light to medium carbonation.  Whatever sweetness that was in the aroma didn't really come through in the taste.  Felt a little dry.  Light bodied.  I can't believe this beer was used to make the cask I had a couple months back.  Without the "improvements", this is just an average IPA.

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $3.00 (16 oz draught)

64. Mystery Brewing Six Impossible Things

I wanted to save the best for last.  Six impossible things is it, folks.  It's Mystery's bestseller, and for good reason.  I really wish they'd bottle this one, because I'd be all over it.  So, am I overhyping it?  Probably, but let me go ahead and get through the spiel.  The beer pours a near black with a tan head.  Little retention, no lacing.  You can tell that it's a lighter alcohol brew.  The aromas will punch you in the mouth.  Coffee, chocolate dominate and there's a lingering sweet aroma that makes you think this beer could qualify as a dessert beer.  

It tastes like it smells, and that's a good thing.  I think the coffee flavors dominate more than the chocolate.  It doesn't have a bitter finish like some other stouts I've enjoyed.  The oatmeal makes the beer incredibly smooth.  It's light bodied, and the low alcohol content (5.5% ABV) means you can drink plenty of it.  Is it perfect?  No.  I kind of wish that there was more alcohol content in it.  I wish it had more body to it.  Some may complain that it tastes too much like cold coffee, less like beer.  I can see the argument for that, but I don't find that as a detraction.  If beer tasted like liquid candy and everyone loved it, who's to complain?  Aside from that, it's a great beer and one that I'd splurge a growler for.

Grade: A-

Price Paid: Free (7 oz draught)  

63. Mystery Brewing Hornigold

The next on our list of beers sampled during the brew tour was the Hornigold, an English IPA.  My buddy found this IPA to be agreeable to him, which gave me some pause.  I consider myself IPA averse, and I've been slowly getting used to it, but he was worse.  Once I took a sip, I'd realize what was going on, but I'm not about to get ahead of myself.  Onto the pour!  The folks behind the bar was pouring smoothly, minimizing  head in the process.  This brew poured a reddish brown, with a finger of off-white head.  Light retention, light lacing.  Malt aromas are evident, not a lot of hop character that's expected from an IPA.  

And then I tasted the beer, and realized the difference between an English IPA and an American IPA.  The hop character and taste was subtle instead of overpowering.  I didn't get that bitter bite at the end.  It seemed a lot more balanced and put together.  Leave it to the Americans to go overboard in one direction or the other.  Not that I'm complaining, but we're not known for our moderation here.  It made the beer very sessionable, one I'd have again.  

Grade: B

Price Paid: Free (7 oz draught)

62. Mystery Brewing Annabel

Onto the next review!  Next in our series of beers that were consumed during the beer tour was Annabel, a black saison.  This is the first time I tried a saison, so I wasn't sure what to expect here.  It had a dark, near black color, with a very think, light tan head.  Looked a lot like a porter or stout based on my first impression.  The only difference was that I could smell some dark fruits, which I guess would provide the difference between the saison and the stout.  

Onto the taste!  I could pick out some coffee and chocolate notes, much like a porter or stout, followed by this tangy, sour-like finish.  To be honest, it was a little off-putting, primarily because of the fact that I had porter and stout thoughts in my head and got something different.  That didn't make it a bad beer, just a sizeable difference that I had to get adjusted to.  That said, it took a good while to get used to it, and I probably should have helped myself to seconds.  It is a complex beer, and I feel like I can have more respect for it with a little more experience in beer drinking.

Grade: C

Price Paid: Free (7 oz draught)

61. Mystery Brewing Ballantrae

Well, this review is coming out better late than never!  Anyway, to make a long story short, after I watched the NC State Wolfpack get the better of the Duke Blue Devils, I had an appointment to keep for a brewery tour at Mystery Brewing in Hillsborough, NC (http://www.mysterybrewing.com).  Mystery doesn't exactly offer brew tours, but this was a special offer through LivingSocial, and I thought it would be nice to check it out.  The brew tour itself wasn't much of a tour..got some souvenir glasses, some tokens to turn in for some beer samples, and a quick "tour" followed by some Q&A.  Not that I'm complaining or anything; everyone there was in it for the beer, all the other stuff was just filler.

I tend to drink beers either through what's on draught, or what's in a bottle.  Mystery's primary means of distribution are growlers, which is one of those things I don't buy.  Since I'm the only drinker in the household and I don't drink that often, I'm afraid of getting something so big, only to have to waste the majority of it.  I'll need a party and some of my helpful buddies to take care of one.

So onto my first review of the 4 beers that were being offered during my tour.  We'll start with Ballantrae, a Scottish Ale offered by the brewery.  The ale had a nice reddish bronze color (forgive my poor color descriptions, it was a little dark in there).  Light head, decent retention, no noticeable lacing.  Not a lot of hop aromas coming out of it, more of a malt base coming out of this.  Sweet aromas, toffee, caramel, that sort of thing.  

The taste was solid, had a slightly bitter note that lingered at the end for some balance.  A smooth, light bodied, easy to drink beer.  Nothing that stood out or wowed me, however.  I'd find a lot of Mystery's line to be pretty good, and you'll see those reviews coming up in just a bit.

Grade: C+

Price Paid: Free (7 oz draught)

60. Sweetwater IPA

Alright folks, I know I've been on hiatus for a while, but I'm going to get around to making some updates.  I had this particular brew at the Wild Wing Cafe in Brier Creek while I watched the NC State Wolfpack take out the Duke Blue Devils.  Go Pack!  Alright, now that I got that out of my system, I should tell you about the beer, right?

The beer was served in your standard pint glass.  The draught was on special, and I prefer draught over bottle.  It came with about a finger of head, had a straw color with a pink hue to it..not sure how to explain that, but that's what it looked like!  It came with a finger of head with solid retention, sheets of lacing.  Good looking beer.  Smelled great too with aromas of citrus (grapefruit, tangerine, orange peel).  Again, I'm not big on IPAs, but when they smell really, really good, I'm hopeful for some good things.

The beer was pretty good.  More tastes of citrus, but didn't pack a ton of bitterness on the back end.  The hops were still evident.  There's some sweetness to it that balances it out.  Average carbonation, thin body, pleasant mouthfeel.  If I wasn't about to go to the Mystery Brew Tour (you'll hear more on that in my next few blog posts), I would have helped myself to another.  Probably the best IPA I've ever had, which isn't saying much, but a guy has gotta start somewhere, right?  

Grade: B

Price Paid: $4.00 (16 oz pint)

59. Yazoo Fall Lager

I decided to crack this one open tonight, thought it might pair well with some teriyaki chicken and rice.  I probably could've found a better pairing, but I'm not experienced in that realm yet..give me some time.  The beer poured a burnt orange color with a finger and a half of off-white head.  Light retention, little to no lacing.  I tried to get the aroma from this one and couldn't pick up anything.  Maybe the sweetness of the malt and some caramel?  That's about it.

The taste was very ordinary.  Again, the malt comes through on the taste, but not much else.  Maybe a little bit of roastiness there, and I'll admit some hop kick at the end.  One thing that did stand out was the high carbonation.  Felt soda-like with the type of kick it brought.  Wasn't a bad thing either.  Light bodied, easy to drink.  I think my biggest complaint with this beer is that it lacked character.  It was an average beer, nothing to get excited about.

Grade: C

Price Paid: $1.79 (12 oz bottle)

58. Blackstone Chaser Pale Ale

I realized that I need to go through some of my lower alcohol beers since they wouldn't hold up to the test of time like some of the others.  In this case, I decided to try the Blackstone Chaser Pale Ale.  The beer poured a nice golden yellow color, with a slightly off-white head.  I usually go with a vigorous pour and was able to get a finger and a half.  Light retention, not much lacing except for some leftover film.  Aroma of the brew was very light.  Some malts, maybe some straw or bread?

The taste is very similar to the aroma.  I can taste the malts, a little bit of hop finish, some bread and straw.  Slightly sweet, very subtle.  Light bodied, medium carbonation.  I think this type of beer would do well in the spring or summer time.  July 4th parties, that sort of thing.  I liked it, but I didn't find it too impressive.  I'll continue to sample others in the meantime.

Grade: C+

Price Paid: $1.79 (12 oz bottle)

Haul for 1/3/13 and 1/5/13

Yeah, it's 1/9 and I'm finally getting around to this.  Real life has caught up and I haven't been able to swing the time to post like I want to.  Nothing like being off from work for a while, then having to turn it on and go back to full throttle on 1/2.  Anyway, enough of the complaining.  I made two runs, which cleaned me out for the month.  First trip was to Bottle Revolution, as I noticed what they had in their new releases for the week and needed to go.  Second trip was to Total Wine location at Brier Creek.  I had never been to this one, I was curious if the selection was better or worse, and I was hard pressed to leave empty handed..not by anyone there of course, just by myself.  Anyway, here's the haul!

• Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron - I had glanced at some reviews on this one and heard good things, so I had to pick up.  Price paid: $3.79
• Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA - Can you believe that I really haven't picked up anything from Dogfish Head until now?  I'm going through my memory banks, and I'm pretty sure this is the first for me.  I'm definitely compensating for the lost time.  Again, based on reputation, I had to try it.  Price paid: $2.59
• Dogfish Head Midas Touch - I didn't realize this was from Dogfish Head until I saw the cap.  I've seen this sold in a 4 pack at stores and was always interested in trying one.  Price paid: $2.29
• Founders Breakfast Stout - I like this beer so much that I had to have it again.  I'm expecting the second time to be just as good as the first.  Price paid: $2.69
• Lonerider Beer With No Name - I missed out on Pistols at Dawn but wasn't going to let this one go.  With the less expensive price point to boot, this one was easy to corral. Price paid: $9.99
• Mother Earth Silent Night - This beer is hyped like you wouldn't believe.  Not easy to find and a new shipment had come in.  I told myself that I needed to try this at least once and since I was going to try and support special releases from local breweries over others, I should man up and eat the cost.  Price paid: $18.99
• Allagash Black - Allagash tends to have a higher price point and I'm under the assumption that it's because they have quality offerings.  I wasn't so high on their dubbel ale, so this one will make or break my perception of the brewery.  Price paid: $3.49
• Samuel Adams Imperial White - Like the Midas Touch, I'd see this offered in the four packs and wanted to try one of them.  Crossing my fingers! Price paid: $2.99
• Weyerbacher Old Heathen Imperial Stout - I think this is the Weyerbacher I got..I'll double check.  For whatever reason, I was bent on filling out a six pack (I only really wanted 1 beer!) so I was looking for interesting labels to mix it up.  Price paid: $2.99
• Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale - I'm guessing on this one too..another Dogfish head.  Like I said, I'm compensating for lost time.  Price paid: $3.49
• The Perfect Crime - A compilation brew from 3 breweries, this was the one I wanted..everything else was just filler because I couldn't justify buying only 1 12 oz bottle.  Shame on me!  Price paid: $3.29
• Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale - I knew I was paying a lot for a six pack, so I was looking for something cheap and well recommended.  Price paid: $1.49
• Magic Hat Humdinger Series: Burn Pile - I bought it, drank it, liked it, then noticed that it was on sale for $1.99.  Really?  I had just paid $5.99 a little while back.  Thought about buying more than one, but I have too much here..I'll let some other lucky folks enjoy.  Price paid: Read my comments!

57. Atwater Bloktoberfest

No, I'm not reviewing more entries that I consumed in the past.  This is one that I consumed today.  Just goes to show that I have a lot of beer sitting in my reserves right now if I can go back and grab an Oktoberfest beer.  Atwater (http://www.atwaterbeer.com) is a company based out of Michigan.  I had never heard of them before, so I'm guessing that it doesn't have the notoriety like some of its peers.  Still, I was in the mood to give it a shot, see how well this would taste.  I had picked this one up from The Beer Dispensary in Apex.

I worried that I may be waiting too long to drink this one, but I wouldn't really know any better unless the beer is outright awful.  The beer poured a nice honey brown color with about half a finger of head.  There's light retention, leaving a small cap of head, some light lacing as well.  For the aroma, I could pick out some bread and malt, maybe some fruit.  That's about it.  

The taste was remarkably blah.  It wasn't bad, but it also didn't have much flavor.  I could pick up the malt and some hops, but you could have fooled me if you said this was an Oktoberfest beer.  Well, I take that back, since those type of beers in the traditional sense should be easy to consume.  I felt like I was drinking a macro beer.  Remarkably average, very little character and identity.  It's easy enough to drink, but I think I prefer a beer with a little more pop.

Grade: D+

Price Paid: $2.19 (12 oz bottle)

56. Red Brick Laughing Skull Amber

Ok, I'm dipping back into my beer archives to catch up on my backlog.  I was supposed to do this over the span of two weeks.  Fail.  I wait until the holiday is over to do this stuff.  For the life of me, I'm trying to remember in my exploits how I can across the Laughing Skull from Red Brick.  And now it's dawning on me..picked it up from Total Wine.

From my recollection and my notes, the beer didn't come across as an amber ale.  Some slight reddish hues, but that was about it.  Nothing memorable from the aroma.  I thought that this amber ale was just okay.  Again, measuring it up to Red Oak, I found it lacking.  Just an average beer.  Not bad, but not good either.

Grade: C-

Price Paid: $1.79 (12 oz bottle)

55. Sam Adams Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout

The last offering for the Music City Bowl game (since there was no way this was going to OT), was Sam Adams' Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout.  My buddy was specifically interested in trying this one, so I made sure that it would be part of the offerings for the game.  If you couldn't tell, I started with the lightest beers and then went darker throughout the game.  I figured that porters/stouts can be a wash, but stouts were known to be strong porters, so I went with this one last.  And if you can't read the label above, it comes in at 9.0% ABV, so it packs some punch.

The beer poured a near black with a nice tan head.  I was able to get a finger and a half worth of head.  Moderate retention with some decent lacing.  I could pick up the aromas of gingerbread, which was very pleasant.  There's nothing worse than to be told to expect a certain aroma, then not be able to pick it up.  I could definitely pick up the gingerbread.

Fortunately, I could also taste the gingerbread.  The lactose from this beer gave it a sweeter taste than expected.  I slowly began to realize that I had picked a lot of sweet beers over the course of the game.  Not on accident, but I certainly had my fair share.  The common realization was that I liked the beers, but I can't find any of them to be sessionable.  I only need to drink a glass or two and I'm done, kaput, finito.  The lactose also gave the beer a medium body and a bit of chewiness to it.  Another enjoyable beer, one I'd have again.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $6.99 (22 oz bomber)

54. Magic Hat Humdinger Series: Burn Pile

Our 3rd quarter brew for the Music City Bowl game was Magic Hat's Humdinger Series: Burnpile.  I didn't even know that Magic Hat (http://www.magichat.net) indulged in limited release beers of the > 12 oz variety.  Shows what I know (which is very little).  The bottle came with a cage and cork (ooo, fancy), and I had never dealt with either in a beer before.  My buddy had to show me how to open it up.  Now I know, and knowing is half the battle..GIJOE!  

The beer had a near black pour.  Lighter traces at the edges.  It had a thin tan head with little retention, although there was a layer of skim that was left in the glass.  I've never had a smoked anything before, so I was curious to see if the smoke aroma was subtle or overpowering.  On first whiff, the smokiness is very evident.  I could also make out some coffee and chocolate smells, but just barely.  I could have been imagining things.  The first aroma is smoke and everything comes second.

Onto the taste!  The smokiness of the porter continues to show itself in the taste.  There's a sweetness there that's a little unexpected.  If there's any bitterness on the tail end, it's barely there.  I found this to be remarkably well balanced from a taste perspective.  It is light bodied and I could barely taste the alcohol.  If you were trying to measure this against other porters, I could see how this one falls short.  But on its own, I found this to be a very good beer.  I'd definitely have again.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $5.99 (750 mL bottle)

53. Epic Double Skull Dopplebock

For the Music City Bowl game, this was the 2nd quarter offering: Epic's Double Skull Dopplebock.  Epic (http://www.epicbrewing.com) has an exponential series line where they create small batches of certain styles.  Each release has subtle differences between its predecessor and successor (for the most part).  The brewers at Epic are constantly tweaking and changing the formula.  I had Epic's #4 release, which boasted a 9.0% ABV.

The glass poured a dark cherry type color with a light tan head, light lacing, medium retention.  I could easily detect the aroma of raisins, booze, and caramel/toffee notes.  With such a sweet aroma, I braced myself for what could be a sweet beer.

The sweetness (if you like that sort of thing) does not disappoint.  It's very evident throughout the beer.  Continued tastes of raisins and dark fruits were detected, along with the boozy finish.  The sweetness did a good job of masking most of the alcohol, but not all of it.  The beer felt kind of heavy.  Ultimately, I found the beer to be too sweet..it could use some more balance, and it would be good to go.

Grade: C

Price Paid: $3.99 (22 oz bomber)

52. Harpoon 100 Barrel Series #43 - White IPA

Alright, so I did a decent share of drinking on New Years Eve, but not for the sake of ringing in the new year.  No, I was hosting the in-laws, where the consuming of alcoholic beverages is frowned upon, so I did my brunt of drinking while watching the Music City Bowl game between NC State and Vanderbilt.  I had a lot of reasons to drink, that game.  Anyway, I told my buddies that I would crack a different beer each quarter and they could share in what I was drinking.  Quarter #1 was Harpoon's (http://www.harpoonbrewery.com) 100 Barrel Series #43 White IPA.  This was on my list because the beer had already surpassed the "best by" date and I needed to drink it down.

Now as the "pretentious beer snob", my friends give me a ton of crap.  So when I poured the glass and looked at the one finger of white head, with light retention and light lacing, they rolled their eyes.  When I was trying to describe the color, they suggested "dehydrated pee" color, which would be remarkably accurate, but not a good name.  It does pour a hazy siena color.  Floral and citric hops pop in this one.  Grapefruit, oranges, the like.  Very pleasant aroma.

My buddy doesn't like IPAs.  The description of this particular brew is that it crosses with a wit to give it a different flavor profile.  Upon first taste, the hoppiness was there.  Left a nice bitter finish.  The more I drank, however, the more I liked it.  There was an effervescence in this one that got better as the beer warmed.  I found the brew to be light bodied, easy to drink.  As it lost carbonation, I thought to myself that this would do really well as a cask beer, if it was ever converted that way.  This is my first "White IPA", but if this is consistent with the style, then I'd definitely get some more.

Grade: B+

Price Paid: $5.99 (22 oz bomber)

51. Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale

Christmas has come and gone, but I still have plenty of Christmas brews left (along with brews from Oktoberfest and Thanksgiving..), and finally got around to cracking it open.  I've never had a beer from Thirsty Dog (http://www.thirstydog.com) before, but I've heard good things about this beer, so I was looking forward to it.

The beer pours brown with a slightly reddish hue.  Not a lot of head, light retention.  Sheets of lace would stick to the sides of the glass.  I could smell the aromas of malt, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar.  

The taste was surprisingly sweet.  I'm not sure if I like or dislike sweet tasting beers yet, but I figure I'll get around to it eventually.  I guess I'm just used to drier or more bitter/neutral beers.  I know I can expect sweetness in some of the ciders that I consume, just not in the beer.  The honey probably had something to do with the sweet taste.  The beer packs some decent punch, but the sweetness also does a good job of masking the booze.  The spice notes and malts are evident in the taste as well.  Medium body, light carbonation.  I'd have it again, but it's not a session beer for me.  One and I'm done.

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $2.29 (12 oz bottle)