Shipyard Brewing Co. : Double Old Thumper Ale

Mendocino Brewing Co. - Imperial IPA

Mammoth Brewing Co. - Double Nut Brown Porter

Shipyard - Blue Fin Stout

Port Brewing Co. - Santa's little Helper, Imperial Stout

Boulder Beer Company - Mojo IPA

Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. - Centennial IPA

Lagunitas SUCKS - Holiday Ale

The Brasserie des Géants: Noël des Géants

SeraFijn Shristmas Angel

Saint-Germain Page 24 Bière de Noël

Smuttynose Summer Weizen Ale

I am a big fan of the German weizen style with its banana and clove flavors, but this ale was more of an Americanized version. The yeast strain used in this ale left much less of an imprint on the final product, and instead, I found myself focussing on the spices- namely chamomile, evident in the flavor. This wasn't my favorite beer of this blog by far, but I probably wouldn't have tried it or about 20 other beers if I hadn't been encouraged by the opportunity to write about beer. It's been a delicious journey, and for that I say thank you to Smuttynose and all the other breweries.

Southern Tier Pumpking

I enjoyed this pumpkin ale while visiting good friends near Boston. I haven't sampled too many pumpkin ales and have nothing to compare this one to, but if you're looking for something that tastes like pumpkin pie, this is your beer. It definitely put me in the Halloween mood. It was also a very filling beer, so don't try to drink a bunch of bottles of these. Instead, enjoy them as you marvel at the changing color of the leaves, the chill in the air, and your faint desire to hibernate. Delicious.
-Taster Be

Founder's Dry Hopped Pale Ale

I really liked the label on this one. If it's not Mucha, it's very reminiscent of his work. Unfortunately, this ale didn't quite live up to the label. When I read "dry hopped" in a pale ale, I'm expecting a lot of hop aroma and flavor. Founder's didn't deliver with this one. However, I know that hop aroma is one of the first things to disappear with age, and since I have no idea how old the bottle was, I'll have to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.
-Taster Be

Brasserie Caracole Saxo

Kent recommended this fine belgian ale and it was definitely a hit with me. Effervescent like most belgian ales with a high dose of spicy phenolics and esters, this was an excellent beer for pairing with fine foods and enjoying the company of good friends. If you are a fan of belgian blonde, golden strong, or tripel styles, this libation would appeal to you. If you've never tried one, this is a good starting point. Plus it has a cool label. Delicious.
-Taster Be

Russian Imperial Stouts

I shared these three beers with Kent during the Thanksgiving holiday. Ode to Mercy is actually an imperial brown from Wild Heaven in Georgia. Avery supplies the Out of Bounds Stout, and Weyerbacher makes Heresy. The brown obviously was the most different of the three, with flavors of brown sugar and molasses dominating. Heresy is aged in oak and it definitely influenced the flavor, giving it soft vanilla notes. Out of Bounds was probably my favorite though, because its flavor profile was more focussed on the roasty coffee and chocolate flavors of the malts. Not my favorite RIS, but still great beers. Delicious.
-Taster Be

Mad River Brewing Co.- John Barleycorn

I think this may be the first barley wine reviewed on this blog, but it's about time we all explore some examples of this fabulous style. My only other experience with a barley wine was Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot, and it was excellent, so I was equally excited to try this beer. It pours a nice reddish color. The flavor highlights the malt with some sweet caramel flavors. Hops are definitely present, but not in the quantities that would dominate the beer. Overall, this was a very pleasant, full ale that I'd love to enjoy again on another winter's night. Delicious.
-Taster Be