Hi.P.A. - Magic Hat Brewing Company - South Burlington, VT

Hi.P.A. Stats

ABV: 6.8%

fl. oz.: 12

Recommendations by me: 1

The Hi.P.A. is a seasonal offering from Magic Hat, a brewer who I've certainly grown a fondness for over the past few months. Luckily for me, the magic streak continues, because the Hi.P.A. is an exceptional brew.

It's basically an India Pale Ale with a little more kick to it in the form of hoppiness and an extra dry finish. Admittedly, reviewing good beers is not as fun or as interesting as reviewing bad beers, so with the Hi.P.A., I don't really have much to add beyond "Go out and buy this beer and drink it, because you will like it."

So, I'll apologize for the less than enthralling write-up on this beer, but again encourage you to try this, because I give it an A. You can even drink it at a baby shower. Well I can (and did) anyway.

Magic Hat Brewing Company

Dead Guy Ale - Rogue Ales Brewery - Newport, OR

Dead Guy Ale Stats
ABV: 6.5%

fl. oz.: 12

Cost of six-pack: $12

Here's the most expensive beer I've had since this little blogging experiment began a few months ago. Does it live up to its price? Read on, dear friend... (or stop here, the answer is no.)

By no means is this a bad beer, and I don't want you to think this is a negative review, but I just expected more based on some things I'd heard about Rogue. Maybe more dead guy/less ale is the equation, but that's not for me to figure out. For me, it's finish up the sixer and move on to the next brew, pausing briefly to make a fool of myself by writing some trite commentary.

So about the beer itself: It's a Maibock, which is a German style. But to me it tastes kinda like an bitter amber ale with a hint of fruit. It certainly looks like an amber ale, and its got the malty flavor of an amber ale, but then again, what do I know? I'm just an average Joe who gives beers like this ratings of B-, because I wouldn't turn it away, but I wouldn't kill to drink one.

Rogue Ales Brewery

ESB Amber Ale - Flying Fish Brewing Co. - Cherry Hill, NJ

ESB Amber Ale Stats
ABV: 5.5%
fl. oz.: 12
Original gravity: 14.3 Plato (I don't know what this means, but it sure sounds impressive)

Now here is a pleasant surprise. Sure, this beer has a pedigree to die for: uh, it's brewed in the, er, beer capital of, um, New Jersey? Okay, so maybe that doesn't impress you. When you hear Cherry Hill, NJ, your first thought is probably not "yum, tasty brew", but this beer delivers, folks.

It's aesthetically pleasing, with a nice golden amber color, and a simple yet effective label design. It does lose points for labels that seem to be falling off of every bottle in the six-pack, though.

As far as taste, well, this is a beer that tastes like a beer, which is all anyone can ask for. I had several of these after working all day outdoors (yes, I do partake in manual labor on the weekends), so maybe I sweated in it a little bit, but regardless, it was a nice way to cool down. This gets an A- for flying in the face of low expectations.

Flying Fish Brewing Co.

Prima Pils - Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown, PA

Prima Pils Stats
ABV: 5.3%
fl. oz.: 12
Snarky stat to be filled in later: 1

Hops, hops, hops! If you like hops, you will like Prima Pils. It goes down smooth with a nice dry finish that leaves you wanting more.

The other thing this beer has going for it is that I got it for free, courtesy of my brother-in-law Mike Puerto Rico, who foolishly left a few of these bottles at the house of our mutual parents-in-law. Yoink! Mine now.

I give this an A. I can't really think of any reason any type of beer drinker wouldn't like this brew.

Victory Brewing Company

Circus Boy - Magic Hat Brewing Company - South Burlington, VT

Circus Boy Stats
ABV: 5.2%
Pints: 3/4
Creepy pseudo-ninjas: 1

Ah, Hefeweizen. Yes, at one time, it was my one true love when it came to beers. Whether it was Paulaner or Weihenstephener or Franziskaner, this style had me at "hello". But then Hefeweizen's buxom cousin, the Belgian Tripel, came along, and me and Hefeweizen grew apart somewhat over the years.

And yet, here comes Circus Boy, sauntering up to me like an old friend, as if we're just going to have a nice platonic conversation, and all of a sudden, my heart is swooning again. It's smooth, with that light taste that makes you think you can drink 15 of them without blinking. A great session beer, if you're into that sort of thing.

So yes, it tastes nice, but at the end of the day, I'm not ready to go back. It's still good enough for an A-, because no well-made Hefeweizen deserves worse than that, and don't get me wrong, this is a well-made Hefeweizen, well worth your purchase at the local drinkery.

Magic Hat Brewing Company

60 Minute IPA - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Milton, DE

60 Minute IPA Stats

ABV: 6.0%
IBUs: 60
fl. oz.: 12

Now here is a nice tasting IPA from Dogfish Head. My previous sampling of Dogfish left me unimpressed, but this one is quality.

I did a little research and found that the beer's name refers to the process by which hops are continually added to the wort for 60 minutes during the brewing process. My research did not take me so far as to bother learning what wort is. Maybe next time.

At any rate, I give it an A- for its nice hoppiness; I guess that's the best word I can use to describe the 60 Minute IPA: it's just a really nice beer. You know, the kind of beer you bring home to meet Mom and Dad and sister Alice, and even Grandma if she's around.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Brooklyn Brand East India Pale Ale - Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn I.P.A. Stats
ABV: 6.9%
Fluid ounces: 12
Number of Burps Induced (NBI) 31 per bottle

Could I have made my first post about anything else besides a Brooklyn beer? Yes, I could have but this was the only beer in my fridge. And frankly, I wouldn't normally buy Brooklyn I.P.A. and I didn't this time. For now, I thank whoever it was that that bought this beer and left it at my house last night.

You can see by the ABV that this isn't the strongest of beers but it tastes like it. It isn't medciney, just pungent. People say that New York City water is to credit for our famous bagels, pizza and beer. They say that there is just the right amount of minerals in the water. That flavor sticks to the minerals and everything tastes great. This is what makes Brooklyn Brewery beers and their I.P.A. in particular, so full of flavor. This is a great example of New York attitude. "Our water has a bunch of shit in it, sure. But that... uh... that's how we wanted it." Anways, very flavorful.

So I said before that wouldn't normally buy Brooklyn I.P.A. The first bottle is great and the second is pretty good. Eventually the taste you enjoyed falls off and you are left with raw flavor. But for now I am going to drink the shit out of this bad boy. The perfect "only beer left over after a night of drinking" beer. With that in mind I am giving Brooklyn I.P.A. a net grade of B+. First through third beers would get a grade of A and the fourth through sixth fall off a little to a B. So if my math is correct a B+ is in order and I am nicely toasted... mmm I love math.

Merry Monks' Belgian Style Golden Ale - Weyerbacher Brewing Company - Easton, PA

Merry Monks' Ale Stats
ABV: 9.3%
Fluid ounces: 12
Hours of delight: Endless

Sometimes, when a beer tastes just like another beer, it's not such a good thing. This happens when the beer tastes like crap or garbage juice. Some beers need not be imitated.

Now, I don't know what came first, the chicken (Merry Monks' Ale) or the egg (Victory Golden Monkey), but, by God, they are both sensational, and will get you blitzed if you don't watch yourself.

This deserves no less than an A+. It's got literally everything: complex flavor (how many different fruits and grains are in that little bottle?), smooth finish, high alcohol content, drunken clergymen... need I go on?

Weyerbacher Brewing Company

Shoals Pale Ale - Smuttynose Brewing Co. - Portsmouth, NH

Shoals Pale Ale Stats
Fluid ounces: 12
ABV: 5.0%
IBUs: 30

Sure, the brewer's name is hilarious, but that doesn't sell beer. Okay, so it sold me this one (Dig that serenely boring scene on the label!). But would I buy it again?

Yes, I think I would. The Shoals Pale Ale has got a nice hoppy flavor to it, and some bitterness on the backend that doesn't overpower, unlike some other beers I've recently sampled.

Somewhere in the range of a B+ is where this one falls on my rudimentary and poorly informed scale. It's pretty good, you could drink several of them in one sitting (and I did), but probably not my first choice off the shelf.

Smuttynose Brewing Co.

Hedonism Ale - Legacy Brewing Co. - Reading, PA

Hedonism Ale Stats
ABV: 7.0%
IBU: 110
fl. oz.: 12
SBQ (Sexy Bottle Quotient): 8

From mine own hometown comes a beer that, from the looks of its bottle, is so cleverly crafted, it's got to be delicious. Well, it isn't. Hedonism Ale is a red ale based on the Killian's Irish Red template. The only problem is, Killian's is not a good template to follow.

This brew brings a whole new meaning to Bitter Beer Face, as it leaves your mouth dry, your face cringing, and your tongue aching for something else to wash away the taste.

I really wanted to like this beer, but yet, all I can muster for it is a C+. Maybe next time, Legacy should focus more on making the beer taste good, and less on the downright hilarious packaging, which, by the way, includes the tagline "An Orgy of Ingredients" (classic).

Legacy Brewing Co.

Steam Whistle Pilsner - Steam Whistle Brewing - Toronto, ON

Steam Whistle Stats:
Ounces in a bottle: 12
Amount of ounces that taste like Rolling Rock: 12

If you ever happen to be oot and aboot in Toronto and happen to be someone who exclusively drinks Rolling Rock and all of the bars you go to happen to be out of Rolling Rock that particular week, then buddy, allow me to introduce to you, Steam Whistle Pilsner!!! It's clear how much Canada really wants to be like America when you consider a beer like this. I mean, look at the Steam Whistle website, ay?! I'll tell you though, it's not aboot the whistle, it's aboot the beer, it's aboot the 4 all-natural ingredients that go into every batch of Steam Whistle Pilsner, it's aboot the passion it is brewed with each day. A fairly light pilsner with a hint of sweetness, this is a beer you could drink 10, 12, or more of in the correct circumstances -- IF you happen to be someone who enjoys that sort of thing, guy.

I give this beer a C, but that's mostly because I'm not a huge fan of beers with this type of sweetness. The Canadian government may have apologized for Bryan Adams on numerous occasions, but I think they should start apologizing for Steam Whistle.

#9 - Magic Hat Brewing Company - South Burlington, VT

Magic Hat #9 Stats
Alcohol by volume: 4.6%
Pints: 0.75
Number of failures before it became true bliss: 8

I guess Magic Hat is a fairly prominent brewery nowadays, and I guess #9 is about their most recognizable brew. Well, here I am a ripe old twentysomething and this is the first time I've had Magic Hat #9 (that I can remember at least). To sum it up in one word: tastetastic.

With a hint of some manner of citrus-y fruit that my palette is too unsophisticated to identify, #9 is a "not quite" pale ale that flows down the throat smooth as can be. Yes, #9, you are indeed a magic number. And you get an A. Congratulations. I can't wait to drink your friends too.

Magic Hat Brewing Company

Black Lab Stout - McKenzie Brewhouse - Malvern, PA

Black Lab Stats:

O.G. = 13" Plato

ABV = 5.8%

IBUs = 20





This excellent Oatmeal Stout offers no shortness on taste. A wonderful array of dark and creamy flavors such as coffee and chocolate barrage the taste buds with each sip (or gulp if you are like me). And smooth, as a stout should be, to boot! And unlike most other dark beers that I've had, I didn't feel uncomfortable or overly full after drinking about 4 of them. If there's one complaint about this beer it's that you can't purchase it everywhere. In fact, the only place that I'm aware of where you CAN purchase this tasty beverage is inside the lovely confines of McKenzie Brewhouse outside of Malvern, PA. Even the other location of this same restaurant (in Chadd's Ford, PA) sells different beer selections created by a different brewmaster.

This beer gets an A out of me -- I'm assuming the high grade is A+, with a variable number of 'plus' signs, of course -- because it really couldn't have been much better and I didn't get sick of it by the end of the night.

Alas, I suppose I need to visit THIS McKenzie Brewhouse again soon!

Raison D'Etre - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Milton, DE

Raison D'Etre Stats
Alcohol by volume: 8%
Fluid ounces: 12
Number I could drink before becoming a social embarrassment: 3
If I were civilized, I would drink this with: T-bone steak
What I actually drank this with: Leftover cheesecake

Fact: Raison D'Etre is a French phrase which means "reason for being". While, to me, this beer is not my reason for being, it's not a bad little brew. It's a Belgian-style ale brewed by Dogfish Head, and according to the bottle, I should be tasting beet sugars and raisins. Well, my palette must not be sophisticated enough, because I tasted beer.

I'll give it an A-, because it was nice to drink, but it gave me a headache, because its fruity flavor encouraged me to drink it too fast.

Dogfish Head

Troegenator - Troegs Brewing Co. - Harrisburg, PA

Troegenator Stats
Alcohol by volume: 8.2%
Fluid ounces: 12
Two-horned wizards: 1

And now let me embarrass myself by trying to describe this beer in an intelligent way, while at the same time revealing how very little it is that I actually know about beer.

This may very well be the first doublebock (FACT: this is known as doppelbock in Germany, where the style orginated) I've ever had. I've got to say, with my first few sips, I was unimpressed. However, on further inspection, it's not half-bad. Not my favorite beer in the world, but it's got some decent flavor to it. There's a dark, rich flavor which neither overpowers you nor falls flat on the taste buds.

I'll give it a B-. Now the only question is this: Is the wizard on the bottle the Troegenator, or is he just the Troegenator's biggest fan?

Troegs Brewing Company

Bourbon - Labrot & Graham Woodford Reserve

This is a complex and oaky bourbon that goes down smooth and finishes with a pleasant "pop." I've tried it both straight up and shaken with ice and amoretto (known as a Godfather). Either way is great, although I've heard the price-tag isn't for the faint of heart. This was given to me as a gift, however, so I'm going to continue to enjoy it.

My suggestion? Find someone who likes you and poke them continually until they buy you a bottle.

Cheers!