212. Aviator Hogwild IPA

Okay, so I mentioned that the last beer I had was the last I had before I got sick.  That's technically correct, but I forgot to add one in.  Went with my buddy to a hockey game and grabbed a beer while I was there.  Ended up going with the Aviator Hogwild IPA.  The brew was poured into a plastic 24 oz cup.  Little to no head and lacing based on the pour.  Smells heavy of grass and pine notes.  Seems to be a one trick pony.

The taste is all resin and pine and not much else.  Incredibly bitter.  Too bitter.  For me, this is an absolute palate wrecker.  I had to leave and get something extra to eat just to get through this one.  Moderate body with moderate carbonation.  I wish I knew the IBUs behind this because this was a chore to get through.  I've had many an IPA and I've had some dry hopped IPAs before, but this one was absolutely not for me.  I can't recommend unless you just love bitter, bitter, and more bitter.

Grade: D-

Price Paid: $10.00 (24 oz draught)

211. Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

"You pair wheat, hops and belgian yeast and suddenly Bingo, a wheat like nobody else's.  With real depth, coriander and sweet orange peel, it's citrus-packed and silky smooth going down."

This is the last beer that I got to enjoy before a rather nasty cold put me down for the count for almost the entire week.  I'm still going through the effects now, haven't had anything more solid than mashed potatoes and mac & cheese in three days.  Still feel like crap but hopefully I'm turning the corner.  Hate when it happens over weekends.  Anyway, less about me, more about the beer.

This is my first beer from Deschutes, (http://www.deschutesbrewery.com) which seems to be one of those Oregon breweries that gets some solid attention across the states.  I had this with dinner, if I can remember right, it was with some baked chicken breasts, brussel sprouts, and California vegetable mix.  The cloudy, golden yellow colored beer was poured into a pilsner glass, kicking up almost three fingers of soapy white head that doesn't have much retention.  Webs of lacing still remain on the side of the glass.  I detect aromas of dough, wheat, lemon, grass, coriander and black pepper.  All the smells are subtle aside from the dough and the wheat, it doesn't give me the impression that this is an IPA.

The taste also doesn't give an impression of an IPA.  All the tastes are there, the dough, wheat, lemon, grass, spice.  Added is a slightly sweeter citrus note, like orange peel.  I also can taste bubblegum.  The finish is dry, but only slightly bitter.  For an IPA, this is very nuanced and controlled.  I would think this is a pale ale based on the finish.  With a moderate body with moderate carbonation, this beer is very easy to drink, has a lot of sessionable qualities to it.  Maybe that is appropriate for the style, being classified as a Belgian IPA instead of an American IPA.  

This was easy to drink, easy to enjoy.  Very solid beer, which I would heartily recommend.  If anyone can provide some other very good White IPA alternatives, I'm all ears.

Grade: B+

Price Paid: $2.50

210. Ass Kisser Porter Pounder Smoked Porter

"Ass Kisser Ale is a state of mind!  Just as you contemplate the flavors of this fine ale you can contemplate sharing a bottle with a friend or your boss...maybe they are one in the same and then again maybe not!  We are just sayin'!  The Ass Kisser Porter Pounder is a dark, rich, balanced ale that is smooth and yet structured with light coffee and mocha aromas.  The subtle smoky aroma lures your palate to sip through the dark tan head.  Enjoy with grilled and spiced foods.  Enjoy!"

I had this to go with dinner, which consisted of some homemade beef vegetable soup and some toasted french bread.  The beer was poured into a white wine glass since I was too lazy to go upstairs and get some more appropriate stemware.  It had a dark mahogany color with about two fingers of khaki colored head.  The head is dense, leading some spotty amounts of lacing along the glass.  I detect aromas of smoke, milk chocolate, and coffee grounds.  The smoke is strong with this one, it's clearly evident that it is there.

Tastes of smoke, ash, roasted malt, milk chocolate is still there, along with some boozy afternotes.  I don't mind having smoked beers, but this one just didn't sit well with me.  I think it has to do with the ash and char that I'm tasting in the beer.  The brew is medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.  I think it is a good effort, but I've had better smoked beers and better porters.  Agree?  Disagree?  Let me know!

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $3.99 (12 oz bottle)

209. Devil's Backbone Kilt Flasher Scottish Ale

I decided to enjoy this beer after dinner, getting a glass of this with my popcorn while the wife and I caught up on some tv shows we had on the DVR.  Good times.  I have to admit, the picture on the bottle is humorous.  I've never heard of Devil's Backbone Brewing Company (http://www.dbbrewingcompany.com) until I had picked up the beer, so I'm hoping for some good things.

The beer was poured into a stemless brandy snifter.  It has a nice dark brown color, very reminiscent of sweet tea (or just regular tea for you folks that don't live in the South).  It had about a finger of tan head that had low retention.  No signs of lacing on the glass.  Aromas of caramel, toffee, toasted malt, some dark fruit, and some alcohol esters.  

The taste was similar, more caramel, toffee, and malt than anything.  The dark fruit barely comes through, just enough to make you think something is there.  A little bit of the alcohol comes through as well.  There's a little more depth to this beer, maybe some earthy notes.  It's sweet, but not overly sweet.  Medium bodied but with low carbonation, it's easy to drink but the sweetness might get cloying after a while.  I haven't had a Scottish Ale in a while and I was pleasantly surprised by this and enjoyed it.  I'm not sure how it compares with other beers of the same style, but it will get some pretty good marks from me in the meantime.  For a beer that might be available in a six pack, I would definitely recommend.

Grade: B+

Price Paid: $2.29 (12 oz bottle) 

208. Bold Rock Virginia Draft Hard Cider

"From the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Wintergreen, VA comes Virginia Draft.  This smooth and distinctive Hard Cider combines its apple heritage with superb drinkability.  Crafted with care and tasted (at least) daily by our thirsty band of Bold Rockers, Virginia Draft is perfect anytime anywhere.  Bold and refreshing, it is best served stone cold or over ice.  Gluten free.  We invite you to come by and drink in the scenery or visit us online at www.boldrock.com."

I decided to have this cider after dinner and not during dinner.  I figured it would be something good to drink while playing video games with the wife (Borderlands 2, for those of you wondering).  This is my first beer from the folks at Bold Rock (http://www.boldrock.com) and I'm interested to see their take on hard cider.

The beer was poured into a pilsner glass and it's what you would expect from a cider.  Apple juice colored, no head, no lacing, no nothing.  Aromas of sweet apples and that's about it.

The taste is..something.  It has a nice sweet apple taste, but then the apple goes away.  The lingering sweetness in the cider that simply seems bland.  Imagine tasting a canned pear.  While it is carbonated, it is not as highly carbonated as a Woodchuck cider.  After a while, it simply tastes like apple juice with maybe some earthy kick.  It wasn't a drain pour, but it simply wasn't good either.  I may pass on trying the other offerings from Bold Rock.  

Grade: D+
Price Paid: $2.29 (12 oz bottle)

207. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde

Before Christmas, I had to clear the beer out of the fridge to make space and because I have family members that don't drink and don't approve of drinking and I essentially had to hide my goods.  No big deal, these particular family members only come over once or twice a year anyway, and since I keep no more than 4 beers in the fridge, it doesn't pain me to make it happen.  Nothing like a little extra motivation to drink beer!

La Fin Du Monde is a belgian tripel and it's been a while since I've had one.  I know the reputation behind this beer.  It was poured into a stemless brandy class.  It didn't pour as light as the picture that I have shown, it was a darker, copper like color to it.  Two fingers of off-white head, average retention that leaves rings of lacing.  I detect aromas of fresh baked bread, banana, clove, allspice, steel, and bubble gum.  Interesting combination here.

I could taste many of the same elements that I could smell.  The banana and malt are dominant, the spices also come through.  It comes off a little sweet, just slightly cloying.  The alcohol is well hidden, but I suspect that it shows itself a little more as this beer warms.   It has a great mouthfeel, medium to full bodied with a creaminess to it that comes from low carbonation.  

I don't drink a lot of tripels so I know that this one is hard to gauge, especially when compared to my personal preferences and my likes and dislikes.  That said, as a beer drinking fan, I found no problem drinking this brew.  It was pretty good.  I know it gets a lot of high praise, so I came off being slightly disappointed.  Still, I would gladly have again if it's available.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $2.75 (12 oz bottle)

206. Red Hook Pumpkin Porter

I took my brother to a hockey game before Christmas and wandered around the arena trying to figure out what I wanted to drink.  For a 24 oz cup, you can pay $9.00 for Coors Light, Bud Light, or any of that other crap, or you can pay $10.00 for a craft brew.  Walking the concourse, I remembered that they have a cart that is dedicated to offering Red Hook beer (which is a little false, because Kona Brewing Longboard was at the cart too).  Still, they had a seasonal offering of a pumpkin porter and that's about as creative a beer I'd find at a hockey arena.  Time to give it a shot!

The beer was poured into a 24 oz plastic cup.  There was a half finger of tan head to go with a very dark brown body.  Aromas of pumpkin, nutmeg, clove, allspice, roasted malts, stale coffee.  Most of the aroma is pleasing, the pumpkin very evident in it.  

The roasted malts come through first, then the pumpkin and the pumpkin pie spices.  I also taste some burnt sugar and molasses.  It's sweet without being cloying.  Since it is a porter, it seems a little watery, not as full bodied, but I'm okay with that.  It makes the beer much easier to drink.  Medium bodied, it helps give the pumpkin pie spice some added kick.  

I also think it tastes better than Southern Tier's Warlock, which is the only other pumpkin porter-like beer I've had.  That is a heavier beer and a stout to boot, and it did not work for me.  This one tasted better, easier to drink, a solid brew.  If you're a Southern Tier junkie and you think I got it wrong, let me know!

Grade: B

Price Paid: $10.00 (24 oz draught)

205. McKenzie's Green Apple Cider

"McKenzie's Green Apple Hard Cider has quite the kick.  With its deliciously crisp, slightly tart bite of fresh, green apples, it's the most fun you can have with apples" 5.0% ABV

This was more of a dessert than a dinner drink.  Was in the mood to have some cider for a change.  It was poured into a stemless brandy glass.  The cider pours very clear, bubbles rising from the carbonation.  Looks like apple juice, smells like tart apples and a little bit of wheat.  There's some sediment in the glass.

As expected, the cider is tart, but it is also a touch sweet.  It's crisp, but it doesn't leave a dry finish.  It does leave a lingering finish that leaves more to be desired, as if it's missing some extra oomph.  Light bodied, easy to drink.  

It could use a bit more complexity, otherwise, it's not a bad cider.  Agree or disagree?  Let me know! 

Grade: B-
Price Paid: $2.50 (12 oz bottle)

204. Great Lakes Rye Of The Tiger IPA

"Like tigers creeping through tall grass, hopheads will stalk this majestic golden brew, rising to the challenge of its bold flavor attack.  Full-bodied and loaded with hops, our Rye of the Tiger IPA is brewed with rye malt, adding a spicy complexity to every sip.  It's an ale meant to inspire feats of strength and skill, a worthy contender in the bout against the flavorless.  If you can step into the ring with this hopped-up cat, you've earned your stripes."  7.5% ABV

I ended up having this with my dinner.  I think the best-by date had already come and gone, but I've found that IPAs still tend to be pretty good, even after the fact.  Still, I understand it will always be best when fresh.  I poured the contents into a pilsner glass.  It had a murky copper color with some brown highlights.  Two fingers of off-white head.  Average retention, little splotches of lacing on the glass.  I detected aromas of dark fruit, biscuit, rye, and alcohol.  Really impactful on the nose after it warms.

Like most IPAs, the initial taste has a caramel sweetness from the malt, then the hops kick in.  This particular brew seems to be more forward with the pine and resin, but I did detect some citrus notes as well.  There's a spiciness that comes from the rye that is a nice complement and gives the IPA a slightly different character.  No complaints here.  The brew is medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Even past the due date, I found this beer to be quite enjoyable.  Still, as a fan of the citrus forward IPA, I can't give this one as high a score as it simply isn't as good as those.  Still, a worthy beer to drink and I wouldn't hesitate to have another in the future.

Grade: B

Price Paid: $1.90 (12 oz bottle)

203. Railhouse KA-BAR Brown

Decided to go with the KA-BAR Brown with one of my dinners.  The beer was poured into a stemless brandy glass.  It had a solid mocha color to it with a finger of tan head that had solid retention, leaving small splotches of lacing on the glass.  Aromas of roasted malt, peanut, brown sugar, and a hint of cocoa powder. 

I could taste the roasted malt, brown sugar, peanut, and cocoa powder in the brew.  It has a light bitter finish that suggests the presence of citrus.  Not sure how I feel about that.  The brew itself is pretty sweet, could have more of a roast bite to it.  Light to medium bodied with medium to high carbonation, it's an okay brown ale, but I've had better.  Agree or disagree, let me know!

Grade: B-

Price Paid: $1.59 (12 oz bottle)

Haul for 12/31

Happy new year everyone!  We're officially into 2014 and I see that I'm 200+ beers in, with another twenty beers still pending a review, not counting the other beers I didn't review almost 18 months ago.  I'll be updating the inventory list, beer list, and grades shortly.

Anyway, I mentioned that I wasn't going to get any more beer for the rest of the year, but then I just had to drop by the beer store on New Year's Eve.  I saw the new releases and felt I needed to make a move because I didn't think the beers I wanted would last.  Nevertheless, because I mentioned that my beer budget will not exist in 2014, I don't have any intentions of buying anything else this month.  I ended up dropping by Tasty Beverage to get my goodies, and here's the haul:

• Hi-Wire Strongman Coffee Milk Stout - I liked the nifty six pack box that it came in, it certainly got my attention.  Still, I enjoy milk stouts and I enjoy coffee beers so I figured this would be worth a try.  Price paid: $13.99
• Lonerider Deadeye Jack - I do wish that Tasty Beverage had a more extensive lineup of singles beers.  I don't like the idea of getting multiples of anything unless there's a party involved.  I've had the Deadeye Jack and I really liked the porter, so now I'm going to get to enjoy it a half dozen times.  Still, when I'm on a budget, I really like to get variety and buying in 4 or 6 packs will wear it out in no time.  There are better stores that do this, unfortunately they are farther away.  Still, if I do the math, I bet it'll be worth the drive.  Price paid: $9.99
• Shmaltz Reunion 13 - This is a collaboration with Terrapin and I actually have the Terrapin '12 and the Terrapin '13.  I wanted to put the Shmaltz and the Terrapin 13 side by side to determine the differences.  Sounds like it'll be a fun experiment.  Price paid: $7.99
• Widmer Brothers Vanilla Barrel Aged Brrrbon '13 - It was the Brrrbon beers that brought me out on this trip in the first place.  I felt that if I waited any longer, they'd be gone, so that's why I had to show up to the store on New Year's Eve.  Price paid: $9.99
• Widmer Brothers Ginger Barrel Aged Brrrbon '13 - I think I'm looking more forward to the ginger version than the vanilla version but I honestly couldn't tell you why.  I'm glad I was able to get both, I look forward to letting these age for a couple of years and enjoying!  Price paid: $9.99