ABV: 8.1%

Style: Smoked Beer

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “On October 15, beer enthusiasts will have a new reason to celebrate. Victory Otto Ale, a new Belgian-style, bottle conditioned dubbel ale from Victory Brewing Company, will be available in 750 ml corked bottles. Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet, Victory co-founders, developed the recipe for the new smoked malt dubbel based on their experience with the style during a trip they took to Bamberg, Germany in 1987. In order to create a deliciously palatable smoked beer, Bill and Ron decided to combine the sometimes-overpowering qualities of the smoky rauch style with Belgian caramel malt, which yields a perfectly harmonized final flavor. ‘The complimentary flavors of smoked malt and Belgian yeast seemed like an obvious combination,’ said Bill. ‘As far as we know, no one has bothered to put them together until now.’ Victory Otto Ale is made up of smoked, Munich and Belgian caramel malt, German hops and Trappist yeast. Alcohol by volume is 8.1%.”

Random: I’m getting incredibly low on tasting beer. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten this low. That means a beer run this weekend!

This brew poured with a decently thick, cream colored head that dissipated quickly and only left traces of lacing on the glass. The body was a mahogany brown with lots of visible active carbonation on it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smoked beer look like this. On the nose, there was definite smoke and bacon, but not as intense as I thought there would be. After a few sniffs, some Belgian yeast also came out, but it definitely was not the dominant scent. On first sip, holy smoke and bacon Batman! Any bit of Belgian yeast that I got in the nose was dominated by the smoke and bacon in the taste, although as it warmed, I did get some limited Belgian yeast. The body was towards the thinner side with lots of prickly carbonation. The finish, despite the bold flavors was relatively quick with smoke. Even though I got more of the Belgian characteristics of the beer as it warmed, they were totally dominated by the pork and smoke that I got in it. I wouldn’t rush back to have it again.

ABV: 6.6%

Style: American Porter

Trivia: This bad boy is aged in Speyside whisky barrels…sounds like it’s up my alley.

Random: The new Ingrid Michaelson album came out today. I can’t wait to listen to it.

This brew poured with a two finger tan head that dissipated quickly and left limited lacing on my pint glass. The body was a dark brown with no visible carbonation due to the color. On the nose, the first thing that I got was overwhelming whisky barrels with a little bit of chipotle. Even the roasted malts were a bit hidden. The taste was a little more balanced. It started with the whisky at the beginning and then went into the chipotle, which had a hint of warming, but was pretty subtle given the other flavors. The body was pretty silky and more towards the thick side for a porter with low carbonation. Given the flavors on this bad boy, one would think it had a higher ABV, and I actually think that the brew would have benefitted from that. The finish lingered with the whisky flavors for awhile. I was really disappointed with this brew. I wouldn’t rush back to have it again.

ABV: 10.9%

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Trivia: According to wikipedia, “Santa’s Little Helper is a recurring character in the American animated television series The Simpsons. He is the pet greyhound of the Simpson family. The dog was introduced in the first episode of the show, the 1989 Christmas special ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,’ in which his owner abandons him for finishing last in a greyhound race. Homer Simpson and his son Bart, who are at the race track in hope of earning some money for Christmas presents, see this and decide to adopt the dog.”

Random: I was watching Hoarders today and they had someone on it from New Brunswick.

This brew poured with a thick two-finger tan head that dissipated slowly and left a lot of lacing on the glass. The body was a deep brown with a small bit of carbonation visible through the dark body. The nose presented with some chocolate, caramel malt, spices and candied sugar. On the first sip, I get a lot of chocolate up front. Then, I get some caramel malts with a bit of spice. After a few more sips, I got a little bit of figs. Despite the high ABV, there really wasn’t a lot of warming on the brew. The finish was pretty quick with a hint of spice. The beer is a little towards the syrupy side with moderate carbonation. Although it’s a decent beer, I expected a bit more of it. Worth a shot, but not the best Christmas beer that I’ve ever had.

ABV: 10.5%

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

Trivia: This is an extreme version of Mojo IPA, which I’ve never had…

Random: I don’t know why the Giants look so pathetic. I thought that they would run away with this game. Apparently not.

This brew poured with a thick, two finger white head that dissipated slowly and left extensive lacing on the glass. The body was a cloudy amber color with moderate visible carbonation. The nose had a lot of grapefruit, followed up by a bit of sweet and bready malt. On the first sip, I got a lot of sweet and bready malt with some grapefruit hops. Um, this is a double IPA. I shouldn’t get malt as the first or the most prevalent flavor. The body was more towards the thicker side with low carbonation. The finish lasted forever on this brew. Although the ABV on this monster is really well hidden, I can honestly say that I really didn’t enjoy much about this brew. I would not have this beer again. I would avoid this one. A borderline drainpour.

ABV: 8.5%

Style: Bock

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Dark, rich and enticing with a spicy kick. The Vixen is smooth and rich with an enticing touch of sweetness that ends with a spicy heat. For this unique brew we used carefully roasted malts and dark cocoa nibs for a full bodied and slightly sweet flavor. To this roasty and chocolaty base we added an element of warmth and spice with cinnamon and chilies. Dark and alluring, this brew will keep you captivated.”

Random: This would be the second chili brew that I’ve had tonight.

First of all, the head on this beer was just insane. It was a thick, three finger tan head. It dissipated a lot quicker than I thought it would and really didn’t leave a lot of lacing on the glass. The body was a deep brown that I couldn’t see through. As a result, I couldn’t see what type of carbonation was on the brew. The nose had a bit of chili and cinnamon and some roastiness. The taste started with a bit of chocolate, then some caramel sweetness, a touch of cinnamon and then the chili comes through. But, the chili wasn’t all that prevalent and there really wasn’t a lot of heat to it. The body was smooth with lower carbonation. The finish was pretty quick with some chocolate. Honestly, I thought that there would be more to this beer. There definitely wasn’t enough chili presence for me. I understand what Sam Adams was trying to do with this beer, but it just missed the mark for me. I wouldn’t have this again.

ABV: 7.6%

Style: American Brown Ale

Trivia: According to reunionbeer.com, “A Beer for Hope is kicking off its 2011 fundraising campaign on April 30 with our fourth annual REUNION – A Day for Hope. April 30 is Reunion Co-Creator Virginia MacLean’s birthday. It was Virginia’s wish that we continue supporting The Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research and we know of no better way to commemorate her birthday. Can you make a donation to help get our 2011 campaign started? Even $5 or $10 can make a difference, as every dollar will go to IMBCR to support research. This year’s beer is a complex dark ale brewed with cocoa nibs, vanilla and chili peppers. It was inspired by a dessert that Virginia, Alan & Pete would often share at their favorite deli.”

Random: This brew is a collaboration between Terrapin and Shmaltz.

This brew poured with a half a finger of tan head that dissipated quickly and left very little lacing on the glass. The body was a dark brown with some visible carbonation on the brew. On the nose, I got roasted malts first and a hint of chili. The cocoa nibs really didn’t make an appearance on the nose, nor did the vanilla. The taste was a bit different than the nose. The roasted malts are more subdued on the taste, but the chocolate definitely came through as the first flavor. Then, a bit of vanilla came through and quickly transitioned to the chili, which warmed all the way to the finish, which lasted for about 30 seconds, although the warming lasted longer than that. The body of the brew was medium thickness and the carbonation really complimented the flavors. I’m a huge fan of any pairing of chili and chocolate, and this brew is no exception. A very easy drinker with some kick to it. I would definitely have this one again.

ABV: 5.5%

Style: Munich Helles Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “We set out to create a beer that was perfect for spring, hearty enough for the colder days early in the season and refreshing enough for the warm days of late spring. Our brewers have always admired the excellence of a small group of German lagers, with their soft underlying maltiness, clear notes of Noble aroma hops, and clean bitterness. As a Kellerbier, Alpine Spring grants access to the privilege that all brew masters share: the taste of great beer straight from the tank. Our drinkers will not be too far behind, as Alpine Spring goes to keg and bottle as a young beer, only a few weeks old, resulting in an unfiltered haziness and soft fruity esters of a beer fresh out of the fermentation tank.”

Random: When I was asking what beers they had on tap, the waiter said Blue Point. I asked which one, and he said that he didn’t know they had more than one beer, but he would check and it tasted just like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It was Blue Point Toasted Lager…really tastes nothing like Sierra Nevada.

This brew poured with a half a finger of pure white head that dissipated slowly and left some lacing on the glass. The brew poured a cloudy orange with moderate visible carbonation (which was still visible due to the cloudiness). As you read above, this is due to this being a young and unfiltered beer. The nose was a bit muted, but had some citrus apparent and not much else. The taste was citrus hops (mostly lemon) that then had some honey and a bit of bready malt. But, the citrus was the main flavor that I got. The finish was pretty quick with citrus. The body was medium, but more towards the thin side with moderate carbonation, making for a very crisp and easily drinkable beer. Is this beer going to wow you with flavor? No. But is it a solid and easy drinking brew that you could down a few of? Definitely. I would (and probably will) have this one again.

ABV: 6.3%

Style: Irish Dry Stout

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “This big, roasty stout takes flavor to the extreme. We aren’t afraid to use plenty of rich roasted barley and a mountain of hops to give this full-bodied stout that little extra something you’ve been looking for in a beer.”

Random: I’m really having a hard time finding something on tv to watch without baseball. I guess that UFC will have to do.

This brew poured with a barely there tan head that hung around for the duration of the drinking, but left no lacing on the glass. The body was a deep and dark brown. Due to the color, there was no visible carbonation on the brew. The nose was glorious. It had lots of coffee, roasted malts and chocolate, which is exactly what I expect from a stout. The taste was very much of the same that was apparent in the nose. I got a lot of coffee and roasted malts, not as much chocolate, with a creamy mouthfeel. The brew had very low carbonation and the finish lasted awhile with the roasted malts. It also had medium thickness. This was definitely a great brew and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to try it. I will definitely have this one again.

ABV: 10.8%

Style: American Black Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Where the industrial companies can’t dismiss or bury us, they are attempting to copy us with cheap facsimiles. Yes, chances are if you are holding this bottle, you understand these things to be true about the world of brewing. You also likely understand the importance of our fight at Stone against accepted ‘norms’ over the last 15 years. We believed that America was ready to embrace things made with artistry and passion. You have spoken. Your response has been clear. We are not merely consumers to be spoon-fed whatever commodities need to be unloaded for a profit. We have only just begun to move the needle of this revolution, & mediocrity still reigns. Consider that when you reject dumbed down, industrialized food and drink, you also support craft brewing. The line is nearly seamless; we are fighting the same battle. We will not win in our lifetime, as the powers are too entrenched, and the masses too…fooled. And shackled. However, this is a revolution of ideas and of taste, and we will win. How do you want to be viewed by your children, and your children’s children? As a hero, or as the oppressed? (Those that don’t think they have been oppressed are already lost.) Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide. We hope you’ll stand with us. Strong and unyielding. You are needed. This bottle and its glorious contents are a celebration of you, brothers and sisters, and your importance in this fight. Cheers to all we’ve accomplished together in the past fifteen years, and cheers to the adventure ahead!”

Random: I’m a little obsessed with the new Ingrid Michaelson single, Ghost. And by a little, I mean a lot. I’m also obsessed with her cover of “Somebody That I Used To Know.”

This brew poured with a one finger tan head that took awhile to dissipated and left significant lacing on the glass. The body was almost black with no visible carbonation due to the color. The nose presented first with roasted malts and then transitioned into grapefruit. This had the best nose of any black IPA I’ve ever had. The taste was spot on. It started with roasted malts, but didn’t have the coffee or chocolate that usually comes along with that. The hops follow up and last until the finish. The sticky hops lasted for awhile on my tongue. The body of the beer was a medium thickness with low carbonation. The high ABV is not at all detectable, making this a dangerous brew. Honestly, probably the best black IPA I’ve ever had. I would have this over and over again.

ABV: 9%

Style: American Double/Imperial Pilsner

Trivia: According to wikipedia.com, “rampus is a mythical creature recognized in Alpine countries. According to legend, Krampus accompanies Saint Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children, in contrast to St. Nicholas, who gives gifts to good children. When the Krampus finds a particularly naughty child, it stuffs the child in its sack and carries the frightened child away to its lair, presumably to devour for its Christmas dinner. In the Alpine regions, Krampus is represented as a beast-like creature, generally demonic in appearance. The creature has roots in Germanic folklore. Traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus in Austria, southern Bavaria, South Tyrol, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia during the first week of December, particularly on the evening of 5 December, and roam the streets frightening children with rusty chains and bells. Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called Krampuskarten. There are many names for Krampus, as well as many regional variations in portrayal and celebration.”

Random: I cannot believe the Giants won. Wow…poor Aaron Rodgers.

I poured this one into my Duvel glass. I’m not all that familiar with this style, so I’m not entirely sure what to expect. It poured with a one finger white head that dissipated slowly, but left a little bit on top of the body. There was also no lacing left on the glass. The body was a clear copper color with very little carbonation. The nose had some hops to it, followed by bread, caramel malt and a hint of spice. Despite the 9% ABV, not a lot of booze on the nose. This one starts with caramel and bread, then goes into grapefruit and hops with a bit of grass. Not really what I was expecting. On the second sip, I also got some subtle nuttiness to it. The body was medium and a bit of the creamy side. The finish lingered forever with some hops. If you didn’t tell me what style this beer was, I definitely wouldn’t have guessed it was a lager. The hoppiness really made me think of an IPA. Also of note is that the booze is pretty well hidden, making this a dangerous sipper. Pretty good. I would have this again.