Three Floyds War Mullet Double India Pale Ale

The Three Floyds Brewing Company is in Munster, Indiana. This is an 8.1% ABV and 103 IBU double IPA. 

The beer pours a very lightly hazed orange tinted honey golden. There is over an inch of thick, foamy white to off-white head.  The aroma is citrus, oranges, pith, big, with some sweetness, like orange marmalade. The taste follows the aromas, oranges, orange marmalade, citrus peels, tea with lemon, over solid maltiness, with a touch of sweetness. The finish is dry with a moderate citrus rind bitterness. The beer drinks smooth, with tingling carbonation. 

Three Floyds Cimmerian Sabertooth Berzerker Pale Ale

The Three Floyds Brewing Company is in Munster, Indiana. If you ever get the chance, visit their brewpub for great beer and food. This is a 9.0% ABV and 100 IBU pale ale.

The beer pours a dark amber, copper and apricot in color. There is a tall half inch of thick, foamy, off-white head. The aroma is hugely musky and dank, with mango skin, passion fruit skin, earthy, with light green onion and a touch of pine. The taste follows the aromas, very musky, with the peels of tropical fruit, with apricot in the aftertaste. The beer drinks smooth and round, with a soft tingle of carbonation. This is like an imperial Zeelander by Toppling Goliath. If you have had that and liked it, then definitely try this.

Rhinegeist Truth IPA

This is a 7.2% ABV India Pale Ale with 75 IBU's. It is from the Rhinegeist Brewery of Cincinnati, Ohio. 

The beer pours apricot and copper in color. There is a tall, thick, foamy head of off-white. The aroma is citrus, pith and peel, lots of orange, with some muskiness and mango skin. The taste follows the aromas, lots of tangy citrus, over toasted cracker and biscuit malt, along with a touch of pine. The finish is dry, with a bitterness that seems moderate, but then ramps up rather intensely. The beer drinks smooth with a soft carbonation.

Three Floyds Amber Smashed Face

The Three Floyds Brewing Company is in Munster, Indiana. This is one of their newest releases a hopped up amber ale brewed in collaboration with the metal band Cannibal Corpse. The beer's name is a take on the name of a Cannibal Corpse song.

The beer pours a dark amber and copper in color. There is a tall, thick, foamy, off-white head. The aroma is dank and musky, mango skin and passion fruit skin. The taste is dank and musky, and then big, fruity, and juicy, guava, mango, mango skin, passion fruit. The beer finishes with a light bitterness. The beer drinks smooth, big, and round. Oh, this is so incredibly good!

Rhinegeist Zen

This is a 4.8% ABV session India Pale Ale with 45 IBU's. It is from the Rhinegeist Brewery of Cincinnati, Ohio. 

The beer pours a hazy apricot golden in color. There is a very tall, thick, billowing head of white foam. The aroma is bright and tangy citrus, apricot, and light tropical fruit. It is a bit yeasty. The taste follows the aromas, very fruity, citrus, tropical, with a light dank muskiness. The beer drinks easy and smooth, with a light tingle of carbonation. There is a light to moderate bitterness on the dry finish. This is one very tasty session IPA.

Shipyard Pumpkinhead

This is a 4.5% ABV wheat ale, brewed with spices, from the Shipyard Brewing Company of Portland, Maine.

The beer pours a very clear dark golden, to very light amber in color. There is a half-inch of white, foamy, bubbly, head. The aroma is malty, light sweet potato, and fall spices, nutmeg and clove. The taste follows the aromas, a lightly malty lager, followed by fall spices, with some cooked sweet potato or pumpkin flesh in the aftertaste. This would be a nice one to drink while you cooked a fall or Thanksgiving feast, nibbling in between sips.

Three Floyds Space Station Middle Finger

The Three Floyds Brewing Company is in Munster, Indiana. This is their American Pale Ale with 6.0% ABV and 50 IBU's. 

The beer pours orange amber in color. There is over an inch of thick, off-white, foamy head. The aroma is citrusy, juicy, tropical fruit, mango skin, with a light muskiness. The taste follows the aromas, very juicy, loads of fruit, citrus and tropical, with lighter dank muskiness. The beer drinks easy and smooth with a light bitterness. Man, is this ever good.

Hoof Hearted Konkey Dong

This 8.0% ABV Double India Pale Ale is from Hoof Hearted Brewing of Marengo, Ohio. According to the can, they dabble in the dark and dank arts. According to the brewery, this is aged in Donkey Kong barrels!

The beer pours cloudy, turbid, and dirty orange in color. There is a tall, thick, foamy head of off-white. The aroma is citrus, full of oranges and citrus zest. There is also a touch of muskiness. The taste follows the aromas, lots of orange and citrus, the touch of musk, but also a blast of pine. The finish is tongue blisteringly bitter. The beer drinks very, very smooth and soft. There is a light tingle of carbonation. Interesting and tasty DIPA, great can, and crazy name.

Kalona Dubbel Night Vision

This is a 7.8% ABV Belgian style dubbel ale. It is from the Kalona Brewing Company of Kalona, Iowa. Their motto: "Heavenly Beers Brewed by Mere Mortals." 

The beer pours very dark brown and dark ruby, nearing black. There is a very short lived head of tan foam. The aroma is dark caramel and dark fruits. The taste follows the aromas, dark fruits, dried fruits, dried cherries, and rich, dark caramel. It is sweet, but never cloying, with a bit of dryness and light bitterness on the finish. The beer drinks smooth, medium bodied, with a tingle of carbonation. Well done take on a Belgian style! (Plus I got to use my Belgian chalice that I got at a thrift store for 35 cents!)

Samuel Adams Pumpkin Batch

This 5.6% ABV ale brewed with pumpkin and spices is from the Boston Brewing Company, makers of Samuel Adams beers. The bottle says this is a saison.

The beer pours light amber in color. There is a short head of white foam. The aroma is fall spices (nutmeg and clove type) with light pumpkin, and pumpkin bread. The taste is quite heavy on the spices, and everything is overwhelmed. The beer drinks easy and smooth, but it is like drinking church incense.

Jack-O Traveler Pumpkin Shandy

This is a 4.4% ABV wheat ale brewed with lemon peel, with natural flavors and pumpkin added. It is from the Traveler Beer Company in collaboration with the Boston Beer Company. Traveler Beer used to be House of Shandy.

The beer pours a slightly hazed amber in color. There is a short-lived head of off-white foam. The aroma is highly spiced, I mean this is like church incense. There is a lesser amount of pumpkin behind there. The taste moderates the spice, amps up the pumpkin, and lets the lemon peel through. The toasted wheat is behind it. The taste is much more balanced than the aroma. The beer drinks easy, moderately carbonated. 

Bent River Raspberry Shandy

This is a 4.0% ABV wheat beer with lemon and raspberry. It is from the Bent River Brewing Company of Rock Island, Illinois (original brewpub in Moline, Illinois). Their motto: Get Bent!

The beer pours dark golden and light amber in color. It has a very big, foamy, bubbly head of white. The aroma is tangy lemonade, tempered by raspberry, with a bit of toasted malt beneath. It is nicely balanced in the aroma, not a raspberry bomb. The taste is toasted malt, curdled by sharp, bitter lemon, the raspberry mild to invisible. The beer is so carbonated it is hard to drink. This is disappointing.

Shiner Strawberry Blonde

Shiner beers come from the Spoetzel Brewery in Shiner, Texas (pop. 2,070). This 4.3% ABV beer is a limited edition Brewer's Pride selection (No. 7) available in their "Family Reunion" sampler six pack. It is brewed with strawberries from Poteet, Texas.

The beer pours dark golden in color. There is a tall head of tight, white foam. The aroma is heavy on the strawberry, over toasted malt. The taste follows the aromas exactly, strawberry over toasted malt. There is a bit of a fruity tang from the strawberries. The beer drinks crisply carbonated. Straightforward, the name says it all.

Shiner Prickly Pear

Shiner beers come from the Spoetzel Brewery in Shiner, Texas (pop. 2,070). This beer is a summer seasonal, a 4.9% ABV beer brewed with the fruit of the prickly pear.

The beer pours amber in color. There is a tall, thick, foamy head of off-white. The aroma is fruity, floral, almost perfumey. The taste is toasted malt and fruit, I guess prickly pear. The beer is well carbonated, with a dry finish. The taste is not to my liking at all, a fail for me.

Guinness Nitro IPA

This 5.8% ABV India Pale Ale with nitrogen is the latest release from Guinness of Dublin, Ireland. It uses Admiral, Celeia, Topaz, Challenger, and Cascade hops.

The beer pours a light brown and amber in color. There is just over a half-inch of the tight, thick, creamy Guinness nitro head. The aroma is citrusy, grassy, a touch floral, over caramel malt. The taste follows the aromas, citrusy hops with a grassy bitterness, over caramel malt, with the hops prevailing over the malt. The beer drinks quite smooth and creamy. Nicely drinkable. 

Backpocket Hawktoberfest

 This 5.3% ABV marzen Oktoberfest lager is from the Backpocket Brewing Company of Coralville, Iowa.  If you are ever in the Coralville/Iowa City area, or just driving by on I-80, this place is definitely worth a stop. It is not far from the University of Iowa, home of the Hawkeyes, and that is how it gets its name, as a twist on Oktoberfest.

The beer pours a hazy amber and gleaming burnt orange. There is a relatively short head of white to off-white foam. The aroma is malty, caramel, a bit nutty. The taste follows the aromas, hitting the same notes, adding in a bit of dark plum fruit, and adding in a bit of grassy bitterness on the end. The beer drinks easy, nicely carbonated, and refreshing. 

Tallgrass Bourbon Barrel Buffalo Sweat Stout

This 5.8% ABV stout is from the Tallgrass Brewing Company of Manhattan, Kansas. It takes their delicious Buffalo Sweat Oatmeal Stout and, as the name indicates, ages it in bourbon barrels.

The beer pours a very, very dark brown, appearing all but black. There is an inch of light brown head that disappears to a single ring around the edge of the glass. The aroma is big, dark roasted malt, loads of chocolate, dark chocolate, coffee, toasted almonds, bourbon, and vanilla. The taste follows the aromas, hitting the same notes, well-flavored, but not as boldly as that huge aroma. The finish is overall dry, with a moderate bitterness. The beer drinks smooth with a light tingle of carbonation. This is a nice drinker, but could stand just a touch more bourbon.

Sixpoint 4Beans

Sixpoint beers are "formulated by the mad scientists" of the Sixpoint Brewery of Brooklyn, New York. This is a 10.0% ABV ale brewed with coffee, cacao, and Madagascar vanilla.

The beer pours very dark brown, appearing black except around the edges. There is a short head of tan foam, not long-lasting. The aroma is moderate strength of coffee, vanilla, and light cacao, giving a sweet and bitter tangy effect. The taste follows the aromas, hitting all the same notes of coffee, vanilla and cacao. The finish is bitter, but the beer drinks light. It is hard to believe it is 10.0 ABV, although there is some warming effect as the beer goes on. This one doesn’t hold together well for me, I get the different flavors, but it is less than the sum of its parts, as the flavor notes don’t merge into a whole.

Kalona Classic Light Lager

This is a 4.1% ABV lager brewed to please the local residents who like a lighter beer. It has an incredibly low 9.4 IBU's. It is from the Kalona Brewing Company of Kalona, Iowa. 

The beer pours yellow golden with a short head of white foam. The aroma is mild, corn, bread dough, with a touch of sweetness. The taste follows the aromas, doughy and sweet, with just enough hops to bring it to a dry and very lightly grassy finish. The beer has an intense carbonation of very tiny bubbles. I’m not biased against lagers, I happen to love them, but this is not very inspiring. I'd take an Old Milwaukee over this.

Kalona Limber Legs

This is a 5.4% ABV Oktoberfest beer. It is from the Kalona Brewing Company of Kalona, Iowa. It has a mild 21.7 IBU's appropriate to the style.

The beer pours a deep amber in color, great looking. There is a relatively short head of white to off-white foam. The aroma is malt, caramel, plums and strawberries, with a light bit of nuttiness. The taste follows the aromas, caramel, fruity tang, light nut, with just a bit of grassiness on the finish. The beer drinks easy and refreshing. 

Boulevard Black Pale Ale

The 12 pack samplers from Boulevard Brewing Company of Kansas City, Missouri now routinely includes two varieties of their "Tasting Room" beers; beers that have been available in their tasting room in the past, but not bottled. This is a 5.7% ABV black pale ale (as the name well indicated).

The beer pours an extremely dark brown in color, appearing nearly black. There is a tall, thickly foamy head, khaki in color. The aroma is dark roasted malt, light char, tangy. The taste follows the aromas, dark roasted malt, amping up the char to high levels, with a bit of a grapefruit tang on the finish. The beer drinks nicely smooth, the finish is moderately bitter, with a grapefruit quench. This is mostly just an easy drinking stout, with the “pale ale” only coming out in the very finish, as that grapefruit note.

New Belgium Le Terroir 2015 Dry Hopped Sour Ale

This 7.5% ABV dry hopped sour ale is from New Belgium Brewing of Fort Collins, Colorado. It is part of their "Lips of Faith" series of limited releases. Each year the series has Le Terroir, a French term for "of the earth," allowing the local environment to influence the beer.

The beer pours a hazy orange-golden in color. There is a half-inch of white to off-white foam. The aroma is floral, some tartness, woody, and a bit earthy. The taste is tartness up front, followed by light floral and woody notes. As it warms, the fruity notes of the hops come out more in both the aroma and the taste, and the peach notes that the bottle mentions can be found. The beer has enough body for its flavor, but drinks “light” due to its tart acidity. There is a light tingle of carbonation as well. This is worth trying if you like sour beers.  

Boulevard Belgian-Style IPA

The 12 pack samplers from Boulevard Brewing Company of Kansas City, Missouri now routinely includes two varieties of their "Tasting Room" beers; beers that have been available in their tasting room in the past, but not bottled. This is a 5.7% ABV Belgian-Style India Pale Ale.

The beer pours an orange-tinted honey golden. There is over an inch of thick, foamy, white head. The aroma is floral, gardens and fields of wildflowers, honey, and ripe fruit. The taste follows the aromas, lots of flowers, a bit of honey-like sweetness, round and ripe fruits, and then a blast of floral, grassy bitterness that brings it to a dry finish. The beer drinks easy, smooth, refreshing. This is a really great-tasting take on the Belgian IPA.

Dos Equis Azul

Azul, or blue in Spanish, is a 5.7% ABV summer seasonal from Dos Equis. It is a special release and as far as I know only available in the summer sampler twelve packs from the Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma of Monterrey, Mexico. 

The beer pours a hazy dark honey in color. There is a relatively short head of tiny bubbled, white head. The aroma is toasted wheat and that light lime/tequila agave note. The taste follows the aromas, toasted wheat, toasted malt, holding up tangy agave. There is some sweetness, but never overwhelming, kept in check by the toasty notes. The beer drinks smooth and easy, with intensely tingling carbonation. So, I wouldn’t pick this, but still way better than Oculto.

New American 1789 Porter

This 6.7% ABV porter is from New American Brewing of Ankeny, Iowa. 

The beer pours mahogany, black to very dark brown. There is about an inch of tan head. The aroma is dark roasted malt, with some dark chocolate, light anise, light char. The taste follows the aromas, hitting the same notes, chocolate, char, with a bit of a tang, and some dark fruits. The beer drinks smooth, with a tingling carbonation just shy of starting to be fizzy. There is a light bitterness on the finish. This has great flavors, wish it  had just a touch more fullness to its body. 

2018: They fixed the carbonation issue, and this is now fully realized.  The beer pours black with some very dark ruby. There is a half-inch of tan head. The aroma is dark roasted, some anise, dark chocolate, coffee, with some dark fruits. The taste follows the aromas, very dark roasted, adding in char notes in the taste. The finish is quite dry and fairly bitter. The beer drinks easy, soft, and smooth. This is one delicious porter.