Whole foods brewlist, 1\6\14

Whole foods: Bringing beer into focus

I hope that no-one takes that the wrong way......its merely a mater of fact. Whole foods is expensive. Their food, groceries, and home supplies all cost more than their competitors (Trader Joes, Costco, Publix, Wallmart, etc). Can't fault me for saying that, and its pretty obvious that no-one goes to Whole Foods to save money.....besides me I suppose (I obviously like to bargain hunt). However, if your a beer fans, you should give them a shot, because against all conventional wisdom, whole foods often undercuts their competitors by quite a bit on beer prices.

No lie. I first thought that was a fluke when I found the two leading Ballast point stouts marked down so much, but when I started working on this list, I was surprised to continue seeing the trend for lower priced beer. I cant find every point where they have a better price than competitors, but I will point out when I notice that they beat the rest on certain items.

However, their surprisingly lower-prices is not why I find this place to be fantastic for beer. Its also not because of their occasional stocks of rare white whale level beers, and its certainly not the free samples (but Ill admit, those help a lot)............no its because you can drink in the store! And not just at the bar, you can drink the RETAIL single bottles (after you pay for them that is). That's just crazy to me. You can pick up a bottle, open it, and drink it. Anywhere in the store.

Finally, the concept of buying a single bottle makes sense to me!

Its just amazing. Its pretty much makes them the cheapest pesudo bar in town, and can make for a great stroll around the store, a good chill-spot at the cafe, or a good place to take friends out to have a few nice cold ones. And common, who doesn't want a beer when they are shopping for organic goodness? With free samples? That's just a match made in heaven.

And to add to that, the place is expanding the beer selection. The expansion will allow for more single beer purchases, a greater variety of beers, and a larger percentage of the refrigerated shelf space. Currently they are planned to take effect by next week (as of today, 1\5\14).

As a final point of interest, I personalty know that at least 2 of the staff are experienced homebrewers, and are more than happy to talk home-brew with you if they have the time and if you bring it up! This is a serious plus for me. 

If you haven't already gone and enjoyed what their offering, your missing out. I highly recommended it.

The Brew List:

Bombers\singles

• Avery brewery
  • the beast grand cru, 9.99, 12 oz
    • style: Belgian dark strong ale 16.83%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (86\100)
    • personal rating: 83\100. This is a remarkably furious beer.....but that's just the problem. Its too furious. Its flavor too strong, its body too thick. Its a beer that ozzes out 'too much”. But that's just the way we like it, isn't it? A good example of extreme beer, and well worth trying one just to say that you did, but really, in may ways it just goes too far.
• Ballast point
  • Victory at sea coffee vanilla porter, 7.49
    • style: Imperial porter, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (98\100)
    • personal rating: n\a, yet............
  • Sea monster, 7.49
    • style: Imperial stout, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (90\100)
    • personal rating: n\a.....yet
• Samuel Smith
  • Organic chocolate stout, 4.99
    • style: sweet stout, 5%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Eel river brewing
  • Trippel exultation, 5.99
    • style: old ale, 9.7%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Stone
  • Old Guardian, 7.99
    • style: American barleywine, 12%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Sierra Nevada
  • Brux domesticated wild ale, 14.99
    • style: American wild ale, 8.3%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (86\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Legacy brewing
  • Hoptimus prime, 6.99
    • style: Imperial ipa, 9%
    • rating: ratebeer (93\100), beer advocate (90\100)
    • personal rating: n\a

4\6 packs

• Brasserie d'Achouffe
  • La Chouffe, 11.99\4
    • style: Belgian strong ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
  • Houblon Chouffee
    • style: Belgian IPA, 11.99\4
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Wells and Young
  • Banana bread beer, 9.44\4
    • style: fruit beer, 5.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (42\100), beer advocate (79\100)
    • personal rating: 94\100. This stuff tastes like banana bread. Its mission is accomplished. And it tastes delicious. Give it a shot. You wont be disappointed. Unless you don't like banana bread, then you will be disappointed
• Coronado brewing co.
  • Islander IPA, 12.99\6
    • style: American ipa, 7%
    • rating: ratebeer (95\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Holy Mackerel
  • Panic attack, 9.99\4
    • style: Belgian strong ale, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (61\100), beer advocate (77\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Lagunitas
  • Brown sugga, 10.99\6
    • style: American strong ale, 9.99%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (90\100)
    • personal rating: 95\100
  • Ipa,
    • style: American IPA
    • rating: ratebeer (94\100), beer advocate (87\100)
    • personal rating: 85\100
• Founders
  • dirty bastard, 11.49\6
    • style: Scotch ale, 8.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • personal rating: 93\100. One of the best scotch ales on the market.
  • Centenial, 11.49\6
    • style: IPA, 7.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • personal rating: 87\100
• World brews
  • 4 in hand IPA, 4.99\4 pints
    • style: American ipa, 6.3%
    • rating: ratebeer (24\100), beer advocate (73\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
  • St cloud, 4.99\4 pints
    • style: Witbier, 5.4%
    • rating: ratebeer (22\100), beer advocate (66\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Narragansett brewery
  • Narragansett lager, 6.99\6 pints
    • style: American adjunct lager, 5%
    • rating: ratebeer (12\100), beer advocate (77\100)
    • personal rating: 83\100. In terms of the American adjunct lager style, this is simply the best there is. It is my go too choice when friends want to drink something that their familiar with (and I don't feel like drinking bud). A high recommendation for anyone who says that you cant make a good American adjunct lager.
• Joseph James brewery
  • Red fox Russian Imperial stout, 10.99\6
    • style: Russian imperial stout, 9%
    • rating: ratebeer (80\100), beer advocate (79\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Fat head
  • Holly Jolly, 12.99\6
    • style: herb\spice beer, 7.4%
    • rating: ratebeer (76\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Hinderland
  • pale ale, 10.99\6
    • style: English pale ale, 5.3%
    • rating: ratebeer (63\100), beer advocate (76\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Victory
  • headwaters pale ale, 10.99\6
    • style: American pale ale, 5.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (94\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Red Brick
  • Hoplanta, 9.99\6
    • style: American ipa, 6.7%
    • rating: ratebeer (64\100), beer advocate (84\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• La Rossa
  • Birra Moretti, 8.99\6
    • style: Doppelbock, 7.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (74\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• left hand brewery
  • Nitro milk stout, ?\6
    • style: milk stout, 6%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Siera Nevada brewery
  • Narwhal, 9.99\4
    • style: Russian Imperial stout, 10.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • personal rating: 98\100. I flat out love this beer. Its easily one of the best stouts on the market, easily the best in the store right now (unless a surprise bomber comes around)
• Southern Tier
  • 2xmas, 9.99\6
    • style: herb\spice beer, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (93\100), beer advocate (84\100)
    • personal rating: 97\100. I thought that it was a perfect spiced beer, at the time anyway. Are-review might be necessary, but yea. I liked it a lot.
  • 2xIpa, 10.99\6
    • style: Double ipa, 8.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • personal rating: 98\100. Its my go-to big ipa. Enough said. I love this stuff.
• 6 point
  • crisp, 9.99\4 pints
    • style: German pilsener, 5.4%
    • rating: ratebeer (59\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
  • Bengali tiger, 9.99\4 pints
    • style: American ipa, 6.4%
    • rating: ratebeer (94\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • personal rating: 90\100. This beer is my prime choice for a nice, crisp, hoppy American IPA. Its large container also adds a lot to what makes this beer great. Highly recommended beer for starting your night, before you really break out the big guns. I also recommend it as a picknick or sport event beer. Not exactly sessionable, but highly portable and large can size make it useful for such events. Highly recommended.
  • Sweet action, 9.99\4 pints
    • style: cream ale, 5.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (79\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • personal rating: 85\100
• Fullers
  • London porter, 11.99\6
    • style: English porter, 5.4%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • personal rating: I had this one at the store. A great, highly malt forward brew, and a hard one to resist when I'm shopping at whole foods. A good go-to porter, and a proven classic. 95\100
• Lexington brewery
  • Bourbon barrel ale, 12.99\4
    • style: English strong ale, 8.19%
    • rating: ratebeer (61\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
  • Bourbon stout, 13.99\4
    • style: Imperial stout, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (88\100), beer advocate (81\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Julius Echter
  • Heff-weiss hell, 11.99\6
    • style: Hefewisen, 4.9%
    • rating: ratebeer (85\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
  Bulk, 12 packs
• Oscar Blues
  • multipack, 18.99
    • dales pale ale, 6.5%
      • style: American pale ale
      • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (88\100)
      • personal rating: I hate this one. I think that it tastes like cheesy socks. But its a classic to many, soo ehh. 2.5\5
    • Old Chub
      • style: Scotch ale, 8%
      • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (90\100)
      • personal rating: I love this beer, and its my former go-to scotch ale (right now its after Dirty bastard), but I still love this ale. 87\100
    • Mama'a little yella Pills,
      • style: Czech pilsener, 5.3%
      • rating: ratebeer (52\100), beer advocate (81\100)
      • personal rating: 73\100
        • Average pack score: ratebeer(82\100), beer advocate(86\100)
        • Overall impression: The only place in town to get this one. It looks like a GREAT bulk purchase of craft if you and some friends are curious about the original canning craft brewers, Oscar blues. And for what you get, the price is quite nice. If its ever on sale it should be an immediate purchase!
          • P.S. For the money, this one also has a high concentration of alcohol! Just saying :p
• Magic hat
  • Winterland variety pack, 14.99
    • Number 9 not quite pale ale
      • style: Fruit Beer, 5.1%
      • rating: ratebeer (45\100), beer advocate (77\100)
      • personal rating: I'm not a terrible fan of this beer, But I think that my old review of it is a bit off. I find that I can finish the beer and enjoy it for what it is. Its nothing special, but I find this beers apricot flavor to work in the short run. I cant drink more than one of them, but I think that it can work for a single severing durring the winter. 70\100
    • Heart of darkness
      • style: English stout, 5.7%
      • rating: ratebeer (91\100), beer advocate (88\100)
      • personal rating: n\a
    • Encore ipa
      • style: American IPA, 6.4%
      • rating: ratebeer (n\a), beer advocate (82\100)
      • personal rating: n\a
    • G-thing ginger spice ale
      • style: herb\spice beer, 5.7%
      • rating: ratebeer (46\100), beer advocate (77\100)
      • personal rating: n\a
        • Average pack score: ratebeer(60\100), beer advocate (81\100)
        • Overall Impression: I honestly did not know that this was a variety pack until I did the list. I think that its diversity of style can make it a good choice to spice things up, but I still really don't have much of an opinion of the box set. A good one for magic hat fans is what I would say, or for a good purchase for the money, its a solid buy. Not sure if it would be so those two factors are not important to you.
• Boston Brewery
  • Winter lagger, 14.99
    • style: spiced bock, 5.6%
    • rating: ratebeer (64\100), beer advocate (82\100)
    • personal rating: I found this beer to be highly refreshing, crisp, and lively winter offering. Perfect in quality for price, this bulk order is a must try for anyone interested in seeing Sam Adams when they get things right. 84\100
• New Belgium
  • Sunshine wheat, 17.99
    • style: American pale wheat ale, 4.8%
    • rating: ratebeer (48\100), beer advocate (79\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Siera Nevada
  • Torpedo extra, 15.99
    • style: American ipa, 7.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
      • P.S. For the money, this is the best craft beer ABV (booz) return per dollar. Just saying.......
  • Pale ale, 15.99
    • style: American pale ale, 5.6%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
  • Celebration, 15.99
    • style: American IPA, 6.8%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • personal rating: I found this to be a great hop forward brew, but not nearly as hoppy as the torpedo. A good choice for less hop-forward friends looking to get a buzz going and enjoy a decent brew at a great price. 90\100
• Innis\gunn
  • box set, 9.99, 3 pack + glass:
    • Original
      • style: Scottish ale, 6.6%
      • Stats: ratebeer (64\100), beer advocate (84\100)
      • personal rating:70\100
    • Bourbon Stout
      • style: Scottish stout, 7.4%
      • Stats: ratebeer (63\100), beer advocate (85\100)
      • personal rating:Anyone looking at this one, be advised: its quite sweet. A lot of this sweetness comes from its bourbon aging (giving it a hot and estery\fruity character), and the rest from its Scottish-style yeast. Their is not nearly enough chocolate\roast to back it and balance out the bourbon sweetness. I think that this beer would had tasted better if it had a stronger hop bitterness or a dose of smoked\roasted malt barley to curve its sweetness. However, as you drink it, it grows on you a lot, and because of that I give it a 75\100. Easily worth trying once.
    • Treacle Porter,
      • style: Scottish porter 7.4%
      • Stats: rate beer (n\a), beer advocate (78\100)
      • personal rating: 80\100
        • box average rating: ratebeer (64\100), beer advocate(82\100)
        • Box overall impression: Now this one is quite interesting. Besides having a box that, in my opinion, is worth getting just for the art (Innis and Gunn have always had a sense of style), its a great chance to try a good chunk of the brewery’s main offerings. I also love the glass that it comes with (which is perfect, obviously, for Scottish style beer), and the glass was one of the primary reasons why I picked it up in the first place. Overall I give the box set a score of 85\100, with an extra 5 points added because of the glass.

Spot update: Quite a lot of new things at Beer stop!

Beer stop really loaded up on some good brew very recently, because last I went I realized that i did not bring nearly enough cash with me!

In addition to STILL having cases and cases of bourbon county stout, they also have quite a few new treats......lets start off with the best first!

Hummmmmn, I wonder what this could be.....

Yup. Its the god damn World Wide Stout

Anyone want to to hafsies? or Quarters?

• dogfish head
• World wide stout, 
• Style: American imperial stout, 17%
• rating: ratebeer(100\100), beer advocate (93\100)
• personal rating: n\a

This is one uncommon beer, and i would say its the rarest Ive seen since 120 minute IPA in the store, or when they had a bottle of Utopias. An expsneive, but must have brew. Who knows how long it will still be available!

lets move on to another stout, but one that.s scaled back a bit....Founders Imperial stout!

• Founders
• Imperial stout, 13.29\4
• Style: American imperial stout, 10.5%
• rating: ratebeer(100\100), beer advocate (97\100)
• personal rating: 96\100. An extremely dark, roasty, and rick imperial stout. A must try.

Lets move on to something a bit smokier, Stones vanilla bean smoked porter!

• stone
• Smoked vanilla bean porter, 7.49
• Style: American porter, 5.9%
• Rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (88\100)
• personal rating: n\a

And now, here is a beer that I haven't seen in some time, The one and only sculpin.

• Ballast point
• Sculpin ipa, 14.69
• Style: American IPA, 7%
• rating: ratebeer(100\100), beer advocate (98\100)
• Personal rating: I would have to say that this is one of the finest ipa's I had in 2013. not quite as good as dirt wolf, but it is damn close. A must have. Pay the extra 3 bucks and enjoy this 6 pack immensely. 95\100

And now just for fun, these fellows looked pretty nice as well............even if they are not as rare or in short supply as the above brews.

• Terrapin 
• Wake-N-Bake coffee oatmeal imperial stout, 12.99
• Style: Imperial stout, 8.1%
• rating: ratebeer(99\100), beer advocate(96\100)
• personal rating: n\a

Not exactly super rare at all, but yea, they have plenty of this stuff. i just thought that the case box looked cool!

• Dogfish head
• Burton Baton, 14.49\4 ( I think)
• Style: Imperial ipa, 10%
• rateing: ratebeer(99\100), beer advocate(94\100)
• personal rating: n\a

As you can see, their are a lot of nice choices at the store right now. more good ones than usual! I hope that I can decide what it is I'm going to do. I hope that you can do the same!

Cheers!

Sam Adams Odyssey part 4 Nobel Pills

Sam Adams Odyssey part 4

Nobel Pills

• Sam Adams
  • Nobel Pills, 1.99 12 oz
    • style: Czech Pilsener, 4.9%
    • rating: ratebeer (84\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • personal rating: BA style
      • appearance: straw colored yellow. Very clear. 4\5
      • aroma: the soft refreshing aroma of noble hops. It is quite nice, 4.25\5
      • taste: I have to say, one of the better Pilseners I've had before. Hop forward with a stable sweet backbone. Light and easy to drink. Its hops can get a bit aggressive at times, but that is to style and I doubt anyone would have any problems with it. 4.25\5.
      • mouthfeel: Relatively thin, with a good boost of carbonation. Once again,very easy and nice to drink. 4.25\5
      • overall: I'm going to give this one a 4.25\5. I really cant fault it with much at all. I suppose its hopping could be done better, but that's a serious nitpick. Any ber could use a better hopping, and the hop flavor in this beer is its greatest strength, A great Pilsener to give a shot when you can.
        • BA average: (4.24\5)
        • personal score: 88\100
          • Super short review:Buy this beer! Its well worth it.

Style in focus:

Czech Pilsener

Love them or hate them, you cannot deny the importance the lagger has had on the face of beer. It changed the direction of brewing in the world, opened up new and larger market for brewers to target, and became (for better or worse) the brew of choice of the entire world and by the worlds largest brewers. And lager was “invented” in the Czech Republic. I use italics because it is absurd to say that anyone invented the style. Ultimately it was started by the unintentional bonus of storing beer in the cold seasons, which resulted in the selective breeding of yeast to act in a different way. This selective breeding is what really narrowed down what is today known as Lager yeast. To attribute that invention to any brewer is like giving credit to the farmer for inventing the egg. However, the Pilsner was most defiantly invented. And it was invented in the Czech Republic.

The territory that is now the Czech Republic has seen many hardships over time (such as being taken over by many waring nations) they have always maintained a strong history of brewing. Its this territory that saw the birth of the Pilsener. Much of the brewing was done by citizen breweries (Měšt'anský pivovary “burgher’s”), and one of these breweries did what many great breweries today do: they got a excellent brew master from another source to get their beers up to par. That is where Josef Groll enters the equation. The Bavarian brewer was brought in and used his knowledge of bottom fermenting yeast (first used in records in Bavaria) and the new lightly kilned malt (golden malt) to brew the worlds first Pilsener. It is because of this that the brewery was renamed Plzensky Prazdroj, or Pilsener Urquell (or Pilsener Original Source). It is from this that all forms of Pilsener originates from, including the main product from brewing behemoths such as Miller-Coors and AB-InBev (even if their products are quite far off from what was originally brewed by Josef Groll).

Exert from Beer Advocate:

The Czech Pilsner, or sometimes known as the Bohemian Pilsner, is light straw to golden color and crystal clear. Hops are very prevalent usually with a spicy bitterness and or a spicy floral flavor and aroma, notably one of the defining characteristics of the Saaz hop. Smooth and crisp with a clean malty palate, many are grassy. Some of the originals will show some archaic yeast characteristics similar to very mild buttery or fusel (rose like alcohol) flavors and aromas.

Exert from the BJCP

Aroma: Rich with complex malt and a spicy, floral Saaz hop bouquet. Some pleasant, restrained diacetyl is acceptable, but need not be present. Otherwise clean, with no fruity esters.
Appearance: Very pale gold to deep burnished gold, brilliant to very clear, with a dense, long-lasting, creamy white head.
Flavor: Rich, complex maltiness combined with a pronounced yet soft and rounded bitterness and spicy flavor from Saaz hops. Some diacetyl is acceptable, but need not be present. Bitterness is prominent but never harsh, and does not linger. The aftertaste is balanced between malt and hops. Clean, no fruity esters.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied (although diacetyl, if present, may make it seem medium-full), medium carbonation.
Overall Impression: Crisp, complex and well-rounded yet refreshing.
Comments: Uses Moravian malted barley and a decoction mash for rich, malt character. Saaz hops and low sulfate, low carbonate water provide a distinctively soft, rounded hop profile. Traditional yeast sometimes can provide a background diacetyl note. Dextrins provide additional body, and diacetyl enhances the perception of a fuller palate.
History: First brewed in 1842, this style was the original clear, light-colored beer.
Ingredients: Soft water with low mineral content, Saaz hops, Moravian malted barley, Czech lager yeast.






Well, their you go. Now you have all the information you will need to know about the Czech Pilsener. I hope that you manage to pick yourself up a Nobel Pills and judge for yourself. I am confident that you should enjoy it, assuming that its flavors are to your liking!



Prost!

Sam dams Odyssey part 3: Whitewater IPA

Sam dams Odyssey part 3:

Whitewater IPA

Once again, I'm worried about this one. Not because I think its going to suck...ohh no, its because I really want to try it! I love the idea of a white IPA, and if Sam Adams can do something proper, its an IPA. I also like the rest of the beers in this collection (hopology), so yea, I do have expectations about this one..........very different from the first two I reviewed.

But who cares. Lets just jump into this one! Afterwords Ill write a bit on white IPA (the inspiration for this beer), with my information being taken from the book “IPA”, by Mitch Steele.

• Sam Adams
  • whitewater IPA
    • Style: American IPA, 5.8%
    • rating: ratebeer (89\100), beer advocate (80\100)
    • personal review: BA style
      • appearance: You can clearly see the inspiration for this beer: it has a very present cloudiness to it that at a first glance would make you believe that it is a wit. When poured it had a very small head, but that rapidly disappeared. Despite that, it still looks great in my Scottish glass. 4.25\5
      • aroma: This is where the beer really shines. It has a lot of apricot and floral\fruity hop aroma. Not much spice that I can tell, but it really smells amazing. Full points. 5\5
      • taste: wow, this one really shoots for the hops. It flavors can be described as being very hoppy neutral bitterness. Very resinous and piney, with some bitter orange flavors thought the entire beer. It does start off as being somewhat sweet, but the hops really make you forget that. That's the main problem I had with the beer. Its hops covers up a lot of the witbier character that the beer might had had. I like it, but its not what I wanted. 3.5\5
      • mouthfeel: This beer has a nice smooth mouthfeel, with just the right amount of carbonation. I like it a lot. 4.5\5
      • overall: In some ways, this is a great beer......but it really missed the point. The point of a white ipa is to blend the flavors of a wit with that of an IPA. This one pushed the hops too hard, and it just came off as an American IPA instead of a white one. Still, its great American ipa! A good choice that will really surprise people who have no respect for SA. I give this one a 3.75\5 overall. If your looking for a beer with a unexpectedly large amount of hops, look no further.
        • Final review: BA(3.99\5), personal (84\100)
        • Its no White IPA, but it is a cool American one. Good from start to finish. Will have again.

Style in Focus: white IPA

This beer may not be a so called “White IPA” (even if it did get the appearance and aroma correct), but what exactly is a white IPA? It's a style so new that its not even in the Encyclopedia of beer, and I had to find it in a new beer “IPA”, by Mitch Steele (which is a great read for anyone who wants to learn more about all IPA's). A very new style, in fact the newest style in the book, it has its origin with a collaboration brew. In 2011 Deschutes and Boulevard brewing companies worked together to form this style in two separate attempts. The stye is made by fusing the IPA style with that of the Belgian Witbier. The beer was made like a traditional wit except it was made stronger (7.4% abv) and aggressively hopped like an American IPA. Since then many breweries have made their own versions, some vouching for traditional wit ingredients and others going for more exotic ingredients like peppercorns, kumquats, and Brettanomyces fermentation (among other things).

The main things that most people can agree on the type of hops that they use. They favor citrusy and fruity hop varieties to play off the Belgian yeast character and spices. That is primarily why whitewater IPA is not a white IPA. Its hopping is too harsh and forward: it covers up too much of its Belgian character and spice (which mostly defines the beers aroma vs its taste). Hops used for white IPA's include Cascade, Centenial, Citra, and Galaxy.

I wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
A pocket full of money
And a cellar full of beer!

     — Irish toast

Brew in focus: Victory Dirt Wolf

Brew in focus: Victory Dirt Wolf

ohhhhhhhhh Dirt Wolf, how is it that I can describe this beer. So much has been said about it, but I suppose I can take a crack at it.

To begin, this image comes to mind:

yea, Id say that that covers it. I know that people tend to throw “best ever” around a lot, but this really is the best IPA I've had this year. Most likely the best I've ever had. If you say that you like IPAs, especially big American double IPA's, you have no excuse. You have to pick this beer up when you see it. Hell pick up TWO. Its worth it. Trust me. And now, lets take a look at this gem:

• Style: Imperial IPA, 8.7%
• rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (95\100)
• Full Personal Review:
  • Appearance: it comes off looking like a very hazy peach colored liquid. Not red, not clear, just very, very hazy...yet, to me, it makes the beer look even better. No head on this one, but considering how much hop everything is in it, I'm not surprised. Hop oils do tend to kill off head retention. 4\5
  • Aroma: wow.....I mean,just wow. This one just leaps right out of the glass and punches you in the face with awesome. It smells of a bonanza of fruit: apricot, pineapple, pears, mixed in with a background of hop resins and a sweet malty goodness. 5\5
  • Taste: Not only does this beer smell amazing, it also has an abundance of flavoring hops as well, and it all works out perfectly. The beer starts off with a subtle sweetness that helps you work into its long, rolling bitterness that never feels too sharp or grading. Big American resinous, citrus, and floral hop flavorings that all take front seat in the flavor department, but keep the malty sweetness around to create a fantastic experience. Also a bit of peach flavor comes out of the stuff. 5\5
  • Mouth-feel: It has a bit too much carbonation that can add a bit too much of a bite to the beer, but it also allows for more aroma to leap forward, so I cant fault it too much in this department. I suppose I give it a 3.5\5.
  • Overall: Id say that overall, this beer has perfect aroma and flavor. The smell is just perfect. The taste is just perfect. It shows how a double IPA can have a huge amount of hops, and yet, not have the grading heavy hop character to drown out all the other flavors. This beer is not balanced, but its not overpowering. Its a brew that has all its characteristics working together to deliver the best possible outcome. 5\5.
    • BA average (4.8\5), or a 98\100

Best IPA of 2013. Will buy again.

This beer is still available in beer stop for about 10$\4, and I'm pretty sure that its the last store in town to have any. Enjoy.

Here is looking forward to Hop Ranch!

L'chaim!

Sam Adams odyssey part two: Sam Aadms Light

Sam dams Odyssey part 2

Sam Adams Light

beer is sitting over my kegerator, and next to be beer flag

On my last review I tried the blueberry wit, and I expected that I would not care for the brew. I was wrong, and found it to be a decent brew. Now this is the one beer from Sam Adams that I have some of the least expectation for (Cherry wheat is the one that I have the most Dredd to try, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it). For this beer, I will be treating it like a light beer, aka comparing it to the other light beers I've had in the past. As a result it may have a high rateing, but just remember, this merely reflects its rating in its weight class.

Because of that, it might get a decent review. I have no idea. I really have never had it before. But yea, enough talk! Lets get started

• Sam Adams
  • Sam Adams light, 1.69, bottle
    • beer style: light lager, 4.3%
    • rateings: ratebeer(16\100), beer advocate (75\100)
    • personal rating: BA style, followed by a overall x\100
      • appearance: This beer actually has some color to it. A very light amber coloration distinguishes itself from its other light brethen, with no real head forming in my glass. Might had been my extra careful pour. Overall not bad. 4\5
      • aroma: Their really isn't anything here that I like. It really just smells like your typical light lagger, with maybe some kind of odd hoping, but I cant place it. Even so, I really don't care for it. I was kinda hoping for a nice load of hop aroma. 1.5\5
      • taste: moment of truth.............and...............you know what, its really not that bad at all! Extremely neutral, light, with few flavors backing it up. Very grainy malt body dominates the flavor. The Trader Joes pilsner had far more hop characters to it, but then again, this is a light beer. Its not suppose to have a lot of hop character. Compared to Bud light, or platinum, seriously, I give this one a 4\5
      • mouthfeel: light with a heavy dose of carbonation, making it very spritzy and covering its very light body. 4\5
      • overall: This beer really was not made for me, but I'll be honest, I don't hate it. Id be happy drinking it for free at a friends house or at a party. Its easy to consume, and is not offensive at the least, and does count as a light lagger. That's impressive, as to make a light lagger inoffensive is damn hard. After drinking the entire glass, my final rating is............. a 3.75\5. Its not bad at all. I cant say that I like its aftertaste very much at all, but overall, the beer really is ok..........especially for anyone who wants to indulge the fantasy of a “diet beer”.

Overall, Id be happy to play a game of beer pong with this beer!

BA rating (3.45\5), overall(82\100)

Remember the rating is scaled against the light lager category!

Beer style in focus

Now that the review is over, lets look at some of the history of light beer (information gleaned from the Oxford encyclopedia of beer, section "light lagers"). Light beer is defined as any beer that has less caloric content than your standard variety of beer. As a result most of these beers are brewed to have lower levels of alcohol and malt sugars (less alcohol and final remaining sugars mean less calories). The FDA classifies any beer that contains 33% less calories than a standard offering as being light. In a time of health contentious individuals (and cost sensitive consumers), combined with some clever marketing, light beer has taken the largest market share of any variety of beer on the planet.

Their are four ways of making “light beer”. The first is simply to reduce the grain bill of an original recipe. The second is to sell the beer in smaller bottles so it contains fewer calories. The third way is to employ a longer mash time, which will result in a greater amount of fermentable sugars and a lower body. The beer is then diluted with water. The fourth way is to use exogenous brewing enzymes in the mash to break up a great quantity of starches into fermentable sugars. The final product is then diluted with water, and light beer is the final result.

Because light beer by definition has a very low amount of malt sugars and hop character, brewing defects and off flavors will be very noticeable in the final product. This means that near-perfect brewing is required to produce such beers, often requiring a detailed understanding of brewing science and a high-tech brewery to manufacture. As a result, it is actually quite difficult to produce such beers properly.

The third and fourth methods listed above are used primarily to produce most of the beer in this category, and has its origins in Coors light which was first introduced in the 1940's. It was discontinues before WW2, but it was not the end of light beer. The beer saw new life in 1967 with the release of Gablinger's diet beer. The beer was created by chemist Joesph Owades (and was produced by the Rheingold brewery). The beer was not a success, but the brewery Meister Brau responded by making their own line of light beer. Miller took over the brewery and re-branded it as miller light in 1973. Soon Coors relaunched their Coors light brand in 1978, and Bud Light was soon to follow in 1982. 8 years later Bud Light was the best selling beer in the world, and it has largely stayed that way since. Each one of these big three are very similar, but insist that they have some house uniqueness that distinguishes themselves from the other. The lightest beer to be made in this category was low carb beer that used a generous portion of exogenous brewing enzymes to leave very, very little final sugars in the beer. Marketed as low-carb beer, it had a strong early response, but sales slumped back heavily due to its weaker taste and a overall return to standard light lagers. Today it holds a very small portion of the style's market share.

Despite the difficulty of their production and distribution, light beers have dominated the market. I would say this is due to the offering of large bulk beer purchases at lower prices, effective marketing, low caloric content, and its 'un-beer like” flavoring. Time will tell if Light beer will continue to dominate the market as it has since the early 90's

now you know!

Anyho, I think that just about covers this posting. I was very surprised to find a light style that I could enjoy (for what it was) and doubt that Ill find another one that really fits the bill. I think that Id still prefer a Trader Joes Pilsener or a Narragansett to this (for the price). But hey, for a beer with few calories, it does the job better than any other.

A glass in the hand’s worth two on the shelf—
Tipple it down and refresh yourself!

     — Anonymous

Proof, the Tallahassee behemoth of beer

Proof, the Tallahassee behemoth of beer

The proof bottle shop............Do I really even have to elaborate on this store?

I mean, who doesn’t already go to this store when they are looking for the best stuff in town?

Very few beer stores have the kind of reputation. For many (myself included) it was the first place I really had good beer and as a result, it was the beginning of my love for beer. Hell, if it wasn’t for this place I probably would not had gotten into home-brewing.

I owe a lot to this place, in terms of how its helped me with beer and what not.

Packing the largest collection of beer in town, the most refrigerators dedicated to beer, and (easily) the most knowledgeable staff in town. There are a lot of reasons for people to check this store out.

Hell, even their custom made brews are pretty damn good.

As I said before, its goes without saying. Go to this place if you haven’t already. It will really get you started on enjoying better beer.

Now then...........

Here is a current list of some of the cooler bottles\cans on the shelf right now at proof:

WARNING: proof has a huge list of beer, and has more of some than others. sections that are in italics indicate that they may be out of that beer at the moment, and overall indicates beers in small supply. Some might be restocked later, some may not. Eventually, some of these will be struck off the list. Right now, in-between semesters, some beers may also be harder to find than others.

bombers\single bottles
(all of these are either 22 bombers or 750 bottles unless specified)
• stone
  • punishment, 18.99, 500ml
    • Style: American strong ale, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (38\100), beer advocate (72\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • southern char, 18.99 500ml
    • Style: American strong ale, 12.6%
    • rating: ratebeer (n\a), beer advocate (96\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • self righteous, 7.99
    • Style: Black IPA, 8.7%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: 87\100
  • old guardian, 8.99
    • Style:
    • rating:
    • person rating:
• Yeastie Boys
  • Rex attitude, 5.49, 12oz
    • Style: Smoked beer, 7%
    • rating: ratebeer (59\100), beer advocate (81\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• williams brothers
  • black ball stout, 5.49, 12oz
    • Style: English stout, 4.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (67\100), beer advocate (n\a)
    • person rating: n\a
• de ranke
  • XX bitter, 11.25
    • Style: Belgian IPA, 6.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • XXX bitter, 11.25
    • Style: Belgian IPA, 6%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• B nectar
  • vanilla cinnamon mead, 17.99
    • Style: mead
    • rating: ratebeer (90\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Panil
  • panil divina, 14.99
    • Style: unblended Lambic, 5.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (86\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Nøgne Ø
  • dark horizon 4^th edition, 10.99 12oz
    • Style: Russian Imperial stout, 16%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • person rating: will arrive in 2-3 years when I drink mine ;)
• founders
  • sweet repute, 17.99
    • Style: wheatwine, 12.6%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• southern tier
  • compass, 7.99
    • Style: American Pale ale, 9%
    • rating: ratebeer (95\100), beer advocate (87\100)
    • person rating: 87.2\100. A great beer for people who say that they don't like beer, and a good beer substitute for campaign. Hoppy, floral, and spritzy.
  • pumping, 7.99
    • Style: Pumpkin ale, 8.6%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • person rating: 98\100. Simply the best pumpkin ale there is. Period.
  • oat, 8.99
    • Style: Imperial stout, 11%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • iniquity, 6.99
    • Style: black IPA, 9%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • person rating: 93\100
  • back burner, 7.99
    • Style: Barleywine, 10%,
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (90\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • chokolat, 8.99
    • Style: American imperial stout, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (95\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Coronado
  • Stoopid stout, 6.99
    • Style: American imperial stout, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (86\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Great Divide
  • Wolfgang dopplebock,
    • Style:
    • rating:
    • person rating:
  • Belgian style Yeti, 9.99
    • Style: Belgian stout, 9.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • person rating: n\a, but this beer is retired. If your curious pick it up. You never know when youl get another chance!
• heavy seas
  • The big DIPA, 8.99
    • Style: Double ipa, 10.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (88\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Below Decks, 6.99
    • Style: barleywine, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (75\100), beer advocate (82\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Schneider
  • aventinus weizen eisbock, 4.99, 11.2 oz
    • Style: Eisbock, 12%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• heller bock saphir, 4.99 16.9 oz
  • Style: helles bock, 7.4%
  • rating: ratebeer (92\100), beer advocate (88\100)
  • person rating: n\a
• zolo vintage roden batch, 18.99
  • Style:
  • rating:
  • person rating:
• samichlaus, 15.99
  • Style: doppelbock, 14%
  • rating: ratebeer (94\100), beer advocate (89\100)
  • person rating: n\a
• Brasserie de Rocks
  • tripple Impériale, 8.99
    • Style: Belgian strong dark ale, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • grand crue, 7.99
    • Style: Belgian strong ale, 9%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: Their are many who claim to be the best Belgian brewery, but I feel that for the money, these guys beat out all the rest. A must try for anyone who loves Belgian style beers, or is looking to celebrate something special. 94\100
• buffalo Belgian stout, 8.99
  • Style: Belgian imperial stout, 9%
  • rating: ratebeer (79\100), beer advocate (82\100)
  • person rating: n\a
• St Sebastiaan , 8.99, 16oz flip-top bottle (A souvenir!)
  • Dark
    • Style: Dubbel, 6.9%
    • rating: ratebeer (85\100), beer advocate (87\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Gold ale
    • Style: Tripel, 7.7%
    • rating: ratebeer (74\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Grand reserve
    • Style: Belgian strong ale, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (85\100), beer advocate (86\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Samuel Smith
  • yorkshire stingo, 11.99
    • Style: English strong ale, 9%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Harviestoun Brewery, (the old engine oil people!)
  • Ola Dubh 16 year scotch aged, 8.25, 12 oz
    • Style: old ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Ola Dubh 12 year scotch aged, 7.99, 12 oz
    • Style: old ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Ola Dubh 18 year scotch aged, 9.99, 12 oz
    • Style: old ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Schmaltz\hebrew
  • Origin, 5.99
    • style: fruit beer, 8%
    • Stats: ratebeer (61\100), beer advocate (80\100)
    • personal rating:
  • Reunion ale, 7.99
    • style: American brown ale, 7.5%
    • Stats: ratebeer (93\100), beer advocate (86\100)
    • personal rating: n\a
• Swamp-head
  • hoe-hoe-hoe, 13.49
    • Style: Witbier, 5.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (40\100), beer advocate (84\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Ballast point
  • sea monster, 9.49
    • Style: American imperial stout, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (90\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • victory at sea coffee Vanilla porter, 9.49
    • Style: American porter, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (98\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• bear republic
  • Peter Brown tribute, 4.99
    • Style: American brown ale, 6.3%
    • rating: ratebeer (92\100), beer advocate (87\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • black bear stout, 6.99
    • Style: American double Stout, 8.1%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • cafe racer, 8.49
    • Style: Imperial IPA, 9.75%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• North Coast Brewery
  • Grand Cru, 13.99
    • Style: Belgian strong ale, 12.9%
    • rating: ratebeer (n\a), beer advocate (82\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Rogue
  • double dead guy, 13.49
    • Style: American strong ale, 9.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (95\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• terrapin
  • All American Imperial pills, 8.49
    • Style: Imperial Pils, 8.9%
    • rating: ratebeer (89\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Hopping Frog Brewery
  • silk porter, 9.99
    • Style: American porter, 6.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (87\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Gangster Frog, 8.99
    • Style: American IPA, 7.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (95\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Karminator, 11.49
    • Style: Doppelbock, 9.3%
    • rating: ratebeer (92\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Hopped up Goose Juice Rye, 8.99
    • Style: American IPA, 7%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (86\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Mean Manalishi IPA, 11.99
    • Style: Double IPA, 8.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Hop Dam tripple IPA, 15.99
    • Style: imperial IPA, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Belgian IPA, 10.99
    • Style: Belgian IPA, 8.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (86\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Dogfish head
  • Rhizing Bines, 12.49
    • Style: imperial ipa, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (91\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• lagunitas
  • lucky 13, 4.99
    • Style: American Strong Ale, 8.56%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • person rating: 88\100
• Brasserie De La Pleine Lune
  • Aubeloun, 11.49
    • Style: Belgian IPA, 7%
    • rating: ratebeer (79\100), beer advocate (n\a)
    • person rating:
  • Super Nova, 11.49
    • Style: American style IPA, 6.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (80\100), beer advocate (n\a)
    • person rating: n\a
• Avery brewery
  • mephistopheles, 9.49 12 oz
    • Style: Imperial stout, 16.43%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Samael, 8.99, 12 oz
    • Style: English barleywine, 15.53%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (87\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • hog heaven, 6.99
    • Style: American barleywine, 9.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• humboldt
  • 500 bc, 8.49
    • Style: imperial IPA, 8.3%
    • rating: ratebeer (91\100), beer advocate (90\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• New Albanian
  • Black and Blue grass, 8.49
    • Style: Saison, 6.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (69\100), beer advocate (79\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Highland brewing company
  • Imperial Kashmir, 8.99
    • Style: Imperial IPA, 10.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Evil Twin
  • Justin Blabaer, 12.49
    • Style: Berliner Weisse, 4.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (93\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal
  • Barrel aged project 1 Sherry, 19.49
    • Style: Belgian strong dark ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (49\100), beer advocate (n\a)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Barrel aged project 11 Armagnac, 19.49
    • Style: Belgian strong dark ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (86\100), beer advocate (n\a)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Barrel aged project 10 Madeira, 19.49
    • Style: Belgian strong dark ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (n\a), beer advocate (n\a)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Barrel aged project 13 Cognac, 19.49
    • Style: Belgian strong dark ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (94\100), beer advocate (n\a)
    • person rating: n\a
• Shipyard
  • Bourbon Barrel aged Monkey Fist, 13.49
    • Style: American IPA, 7.6%
    • rating: ratebeer (n\a), beer advocate (84\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• victory
  • Red Thunder, 8.49
    • Style: Baltic porter, 8.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (94), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Unibrue
  • 17 grand reserve, 12.49
    • Style: Belgian strong dark ale, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • La Terrible, 8.99
    • Style: Belgian strong dark ale, 10.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Green Flash
  • Saison Diego, 7.49
    • Style: Saison, 4.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (89\100), beer advocate (82\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Trippel, 7.49
    • Style: tripel, 9.7%
    • rating: ratebeer (91\100), beer advocate (84\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Anchor Brewery
  • Number 4 Fort Ross Farmhouse Ale, 10.99
    • Style: Saison\Farmhouse ale, 7.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (86\100), beer advocate (80\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  4\6 packs
• breckenridge
  • regal double pills, 11.49\4
    • Style: Double Pilsner, 7%
    • rating: ratebeer (68\100), beer advocate (81\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Sierea Nevada
  • Kellerweis, 8.99\6
    • Style: Hefeweizen, 4.8%
    • rating: ratebeer (95\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • person rating: If there is any style that some people feel American brewers cannot touch, it is German styles. How could Americans beat breweries that have been brewing their German styles for HUNDREDS of years, when we have only come back as a brewing nation in the last 2 decades. Well this brew gives them a run for their money. Easily the best American made hefewisen, period (and better than most German hefewisensas well). A high recommendation. 92\100
  • Narwal, 9.99\4
    • Style: Russian Imperial Stout, 10.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • person rating: in a old review of this beer, I stated that it tasted like “liquified black chocolate”, and only had criticism for its subtle aroma. For the money, you can not do any better for a high quality stout like this one. Pick it up if you haven’t already. Rating: 96\100
• U-rthel
  • hop-it, 14.99\4
    • Style: Belgian IPA, 9.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (95\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Brasserie de Silly
  • scotch de silly, 14.99\4
    • Style: scotch ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (90\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Samuel Smith
  • Imperial stout, 10.49\4
    • Style: imperial stout, 7%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Nut Brown Ale, 10.49\4
    • Style: English brown ale, 5%
    • rating: ratebeer (92\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • person rating: 90\100
  • India Ale, 10.49\4
    • Style: English IPA, 5%
    • rating: ratebeer (86\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Fullers
  • ESB, 10.99\4
    • Style: Premium ESB, 5.9%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • person rating: 88\100)
  • London Pride, 10.99\4
    • Style: Premium ESB, 4.7%
    • rating: ratebeer (87\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: 87\100
  • porter, 10.99\4
    • Style: English Porter, 5.4%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Coronado
  • Islander IPA, 12.49\6
    • Style: American IPA, 7%
    • rating: ratebeer (95\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Idiot IPA, 12.49\4
    • Style: Imperial IPA, 8.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Mad river
  • humboldt haze, 11.99\4
    • Style: India pale ale, 7.95%
    • rating: ratebeer (80\100), beer advocate (82\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• New planet, gluten free
  • Pale, 8.99\4
    • Style: gluten free pale ale, 5%
    • rating: ratebeer (8\100), beer advocate (63\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Raspberry, 8.99\4
    • Style: gluten free fruit beer, 5%
    • rating: ratebeer (10\100), beer advocate (66\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• mission
  • shipwreck double IPA, 13.49\4
    • Style: Imperial IPA, 9.25%
    • rating: ratebeer (92\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• unibroue
  • don de dieu, 10.49\4
    • Style: Belgian strong pale ale, 9%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • trois pistoles, 10.49\4
    • Style: Belgian strong dark ale, 9%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: 91\100, very very good.
  • maudite, 10.49\4
    • Style: Belgian strong dark ale, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • ephemere apple, 10.49\4
    • Style: fruit beer, 5.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (82\100), beer advocate (82\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• lagunitas
  • little sumpin, 9.49\6
    • Style: American pale wheat ale, 7.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: 81\100
  • brown shugga, 10.99\6
    • Style: American strong ale, 9.99%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (90\100)
    • person rating: 92\100
  • censored, 9.49\6
    • Style: American red ale, 6.75%
    • rating: ratebeer(88\100), beer advocate (84\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • pills, 9.49\6
    • Style: Czech Pilsener, 6.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (71\100), beer advocate (82\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • maximus IPA, 10.49\6
    • Style: Imperial IPA, 8.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • IPA, 9.49\6
    • Style: IPA, 6.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (94\100), beer advocate (87\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Lexington
  • bourbon stout, 14.49\4
    • Style: Imperial stout, 8%
    • rating: ratebeer (88\100), beer advocate (81\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Erie brewing co
  • derailed black cherry, 10.49\4
    • Style: fruit beer, 5%
    • rating: ratebeer (35\100), beer advocate (74\100)
    • person rating: 90\100. Ill be honest, this is a slanted review. I'm rating it to style. In terms of a beer tasting of black cherries and not sucking, this beer is the only ones I've ever had to deliver. Trust me, its worth it. Would work great with some vanilla icecream.
• Dogfish head
  • festina peche, 9.99\4
    • Style: Berliner Weissbier, 4.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (82\100), beer advocate (67\100)
    • person rating: 65\100
  • Burton Baton, 15.99\4
    • Style: Imperial IPA, 10%
    • rating: Ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Palo Santo, 15.49\4
    • Style: Imperial brown ale, 12%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (93\100)
    • person rating: 87\100
• Smuttynose
  • vunderbar, 9.99\6
    • Style: German Pilsener, 5.1%
    • rating: ratebeer (88\100), beer advocate (84\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• victory
  • Prima Pills, 9.99\6
    • Style: German pilsener, 5.3%
    • rating: ratebeer (95\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • person rating: 93\100. By far one of the best American made pilseners there is. A fantastic hop-flavor focused brew, light and easy on the pallet, its a perfect easy drinking beer for long days when you need to beat off the heat of summer. A must try if you have not done so already.
  • Golden Monkey, 11.99\6
    • Style: tripel, 9.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: 85\100. a good trippel, but really, I remember this beer as being the ones that I would buy for the highest craft alcohol by volume for the lowest price. If that is your goal (to get drunk) but still want craft, this is your beer.
• highlands brewing
  • Thunderstruck coffee porter, 9.99\6
    • Style: American porter, 5.9%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: 94\100, by far one of the best coffee beers on the market. Great, great beer at a good price. Highly recommended.
• hinterlands
  • white cap white IPA, 10.91\6
    • Style: Belgian IPA (aka, white ipa), 4.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (77\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• terrapin
  • Moo-hoo chocolate milk stout, 9.49\4
    • Style: sweet stout, 6%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: 91\100. Best commercial milk stout on the market.
  • Big Hoppy Monster, 14.99\4
    • Style: Imperial IPA
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (91\100)
    • person rating: 85\100
  • Pumpkinfest, 9.49\4
    • Style: Pumpkin ale, 6.1%
    • rating: ratebeer (91\100), beer advocate (84\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• fathead
  • headhunter IPA, 11.99\4
    • Style: American ipa, 7.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (97\100)
    • person rating: 94\100
  • bumbleberry honey blueberry ale, 11.99\6
    • Style: fruit beer, 5.3%
    • rating: ratebeer (61\100), beer advocate (82\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Six point
  • Bengali Tiger, 10.49\4 pints
    • Style: American IPA
    • rating: ratebeer (94\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: 90\100
  • Autumnation, 10.49\4 pints
    • Style: harvest ale, 6.7%
    • rating: ratebeer (95\100), beer advocate (87\100)
    • person rating: 90\100
  • Crisp, 10.49\4 pints
    • Style: German pilsener, 5.4%
    • rating: ratebeer (59\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Goose Island
  • 6^th day, 8.99\6
    • Style: Strong American Brown ale, 8.3%
    • rating: ratebeer (88\1000, beer advocate (80\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Bells brewery
  • Expedition, 15.99\6
    • Style: imperial stout, 10.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (100\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: 96\100. A near perfect, enormous imperial stout. Well worth the price. Should sit well and age for years. Get it while you can.
  • Double cream, 12.99\6
    • Style: American stout, 6.1%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: 89\100. Note: its not a sweet stout, and has no lactose or dairy products in it. A True malt-lovers brew.
  • Java Stout, 15.99\6
    • Style: American stout with coffee added, 7.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• fort collins brewery
  • z smoked amber lager, 12.99\6
    • Style: Rauchbier, 5.4%
    • rating: ratebeer (61\100), beer advocate (80\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Hoptitude, 11.99\4
    • Style: Double IPA, 7.5%
    • rating: ratebeer (45\100), beer advocate (77\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Rocky Mountain IPA, 12.99\4
    • Style: American IPA, 6.2%
    • rating: ratebeer (80\100), beer advocate (83\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Boulder brewing
  • Mojo Risin, 13.49\4
    • Style: Imperial IPA, 10%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Green Flash
  • green Bullet, 13.49\4
    • Style: Imperial IPA, 10.1%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (88\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Grand Cru, 13.99\4
    • Style: Belgian dark strong ale, 9.1%
    • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (85\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • West Coast IPA, 10.99\4
    • Style: American IPA, 7.4%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (94\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Double Stout, 10.99\4
    • Style: American imperial stout, 8.8%
    • rating: ratebeer (99\100), beer advocate (92\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Rayon vert, 10.99\4
    • Style: Belgian Pale ale, 7%
    • rating: ratebeer (97\100), beer advocate (86\100)
    • person rating: n\a
  • Hophead Red, 10.99\4
    • Style: American amber ale, 7%
    • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (89\100)
    • person rating: n\a
• Southern Tier
  • Harvest ale, 9.99
    • Style: Premium ESB, 6.7%
    • rating: ratebeer (95\100), beer advocate (87\100)
    • person rating: n\a

bulk\box sets
• Davy Jones lagger, 19.99
  • style: steam beer, 6%
  • rating: ratebeer (49\100), beer advocate (83\100)
  • personal rating: n\a
• 312 wheat, 16.99
  • style: American pale wheat ale, 4.2%
  • rating: ratebeer (29\100), beer advocate (78\100)
  • personal rating: n\a
• All day IPA
  • style: American ipa, 4.7%
  • rating: ratebeer (96\100), beer advocate (87\100)
  • personal rating: n\a
• Fat tire, 18.49
  • style: Amber ale, 5.2%
  • rating: ratebeer: (48\100), beer advocate (82\100)
  • personal rating: 75\100. Not a bat beer at all, but also not that amazing. For the price, its usually a OK option.
• Dales pale ale, 19.49
  • style: American pale ale, 6.5%
  • rating: ratebeer (98\100), beer advocate (88\100)
  • personal rating: 50\100. I really did not care for the cheesy hop flavor of this beer. It just tasted like feet to me. Not recommended at all, but I seem to be the minority here.