Southern Tier Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale

Beer Name: Southern Tier Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale (#76)

Style: American Pale Ale

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 5.6

What better beer to drink for number 50 than a beer with 'Extraordinary' in the title? While it doesn't live up to the title in full, it was still an easy to drink, good tasting beer. Not a bad way to close out the first half of the journey (granted this took place back on April 30th) and get our wheeled cooler as our midpoint gift.

6/10

Stone IPA

Beer Name: Stone IPA (#218)

Style: India Pale Ale

Country: USA

Size: 22 oz draft

ABV: 6.9

My good fortune continued on to this beer where the bartender poured a 22oz draft instead of a 16oz one. Extra beer for free is never a bad thing! Unfortunately, the beer wasn't that great so I had to deal with an extra 6 ounces of lackluster beer...

3/10

De Dolle Extra Export Stout

Beer Name: De Dolle Extra Export Stout (#24)

Style: Foreign Stout

Country: Belgium

Size: 11.2 oz bottle

ABV: 9

We were conversing with our server about different types of beer (and learned the difference between India Pale Ales and regular Pale Ales), and she mentioned that the restaurant had gotten a handful of these bottles in, and they weren't on the menu yet. Of course I took the opportunity to enjoy the "secret" beer. I'm glad I did because this beer has a great mix of flavors. Licorice and coffee are the stand outs in this brew.

9/10

Troegs Hopback Amber Ale

Beer Name: Troegs Hopback Amber Ale (#87)

Style: Amber Ale

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 6

A little bit heavy on the hops, this beer did have a good, crisp flavor that I enjoyed.

5/10

Goose Island IPA

Beer Name: Goose Island IPA (#174)

Style: India Pale Ale

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 5.9

IPAs are among my least favorite styles of beer. They are too hoppy for my liking.

3/10

21st Amendment Hell Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Ale

Beer Name: 21st Amendment Hell Hell Or High Watermelon Wheat Ale (#88)

Style: Fruit Beer

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz can

ABV: 5.5

I didn't really know what to think going into this beer. Where the Sam Smith fruit beer tasted like a fruit roll-up, this beer tastes more like fresh watermelon. Perfect for picnics or camping on a hot summer day, the only thing missing here is some seeds to spit.

7/10

Tetley's English Ale

Beer Name: Tetley's English Ale (#80)

Style: English Pale Ale

Country: England

Size: 15 oz nitro can

ABV: 4.4

Since this came in a nitro can, it has the same waterfall effect of pouring a Guinness nitro can, but Guinness this is not. Not a bad beer in the spectrum of things, but it doesn't offer anything memorable while drinking. The definition of average perhaps?

5/10

Left Hand Sawtooth Ale

Beer Name: Left Hand Sawtooth Ale (#187)

Style: Extra Special Bitter

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 5.3

This beer wasn't anything special, a bit too heavy on the hops for me.

4/10

Breckenridge Avalanche

Beer Name: Breckenridge Avalanche (#12)

Style: Amber Ale

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz can

ABV: 5.4

This is a solid beer. Easy to drink and has a great flavor. If it were a bit cheaper I would call it a great tailgating beer, but it is a tad on the pricey side for that...

8/10

Unibroue La Fin Du Monde

Beer Name: Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (#91)

Style: Tripel

Country: Canada

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 9

"The End Of The World"? I hope this isn't the only beer left when the world ends, it isn't very good. Tastes like a bitter, fruity champagne.

2/10

Samuel Smith Yorkshire Stingo

Beer Name: Samuel Smith Yorkshire Stingo (#70)

Style: Strong Ale

Country: England

Size: 18.7 oz bottle

ABV: 8

One thing I really like about Samuel Smith's beers is the bottle. Classy, foil-topped and big. The beer is also delicious. The beer has a hint of toffee flavor, and is a smooth drink from start to finish.

Bells Kalamazoo Stout

Beer Name: Bells Kalamazoo Stout (#9)

Style: Stout

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 6

A nice, dark stout with a great aroma. I wish it tasted as good as it smells, probably my least favorite stout so far, but by no means a bad beer.

6/10

Victory Golden Monkey

Beer Name: Victory Golden Monkey (#93)

Style: Tripel

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 9.5

Very strong clove taste, with a hint of banana. Not as banana-y as the Aventinus, but still a good beer.

9/10

Samuel Smith Organic Strawberry Ale

Beer Name: Samuel Smith Organic Strawberry Ale (#69)

Style: Fruit Beer

Country: England

Size: 18 oz bottle

ABV: 5.1

Tastes like an alcoholic strawberry fruit roll-up, WAY better than the raspberry lambic...

6/10

Sierra Nevada Summerfest

Beer Name: Sierra Nevada Summerfest (#207)

Style: Pilsner

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 5

From the book: This refreshing pilsner-style lager gets its smoothness from an extended lagering period during brewing. Very crisp and refreshing with a hint of lemon in its spicy hop character.

The name paints a perfect picture. This is definitely a summer beer, easy to drink and the lemon is not overpowering.

5/10

Left Hand Milk Stout

Beer Name: Left Hand Milk Stout (#49)

Style: Sweet Stout

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 5.2

From the book: In the late 19th century, sweet stouts were touted as being "healthy" for you. Besides being high in calories, there was no real "health" benefit to the beer. Left Hand Milk Stout is very dark and is 5.2% alcohol by volume. Milk sugar is added to smooth it out and give it a rich, chocolaty flavor.

Sweet, smooth and chocolaty. This beer was very good and extremely smooth.

7/10

Thirsty Dog Maibark

Beer Name: Thirsty Dog Maibark (#228)

Style: Maibock

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 6.5

From the book: Maibocks are the lightest of the Bock style of beers. Generally served in the spring around or during the month of may. Maibark is made using only German grains, yeast and hops to give it an authentic, traditionally brewed Maibock. Golden colored with grassy, citrus hops notes and big toasted grain flavors.

So you know how when a hairy dog gets wet it has an awful smell that never seems to go away? That is EXACTLY what this beer tasted like. So painful to drink, I had to chug it so I could get to the next one to purge the flavor from my mouth. AWFUL!

1/10

Goose Island Pepe Nero

Beer Name: Goose Island Pepe Nero (#177)

Style: Belgian Farmhouse Ale

Country: USA

Size: 10 oz draft

ABV: 6

From the internet: Black Belgian style farmhouse ale, brewed with black peppercorns.

I should have known going in that I wouldn't care for this beer. I am not a fan of pepper, and I am not really a fan of this limited availability beer.

3/10

Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning

Beer Name: Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning (#41)

Style: Imperial Pilsner

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 7.5

From the book: Or as they call it, an Uber-Pils, Heavy Seas Small Craft Warning is bottle conditioned, malty for the pilsner style and weighs in at a hefty 7.5% alcohol by volume. The overall malt sweetness is tempered by the use of four types of hops: Amarillo, Saaz, Hersbrucker and Tettnang.

After having such a variety of beer styles, pilsners have become kind of ho-hum. This one is a good beer, but other than the excessive use of malt, there is nothing special about it.

5/10

Aventinus

Beer Name: Aventinus (#3)

Style: Weizenbock

Country: Germany

Size: 16.9 oz bottle

ABV: 8

From the book: Aventinus was first brewed in 1907. The picture on the bottle is of Johannes Aventinus, the famous historian who first described Bavaria and its people. This beer is a Michael Jackson four star beer and 1996 platinum medal winner at the World Beer Championships. It has a deep, tawny color and, when poured, produces a big head. It is a very flavorful beer with hints of chocolate, fruit and spices. It finishes with a sense of cloves.

This beer was quite unique in the flavor department. To me it tasted like a mix of banana and clove, and while that sounds unappealing it was quite delicious!

9/10

Brooklyn East IPA

Beer Name: Brooklyn East IPA (#135)

Style: IPA

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 7

From the book: The Brooklyn East India Pale Ale is absolutely true to the British India Pale Ale style. It is brewed with two-row English Pale Ale malt and East Kent Golding, Cascade and Williamette hops. It has a very strong alcohol content of 6.9%. This beer is extremely dry with lemongrass flavors. It is one of the Brooklyn Brewery's most requested varities.

I am not a fan of IPAs at all, and this one is not high on my list. The lemony flavor does stand out, which made it slightly refreshing as it was a blistering hot day and we were on the patio, but that is not enough to make me enjoy it that much.

3/10

Troegenator Doublebock

Beer Name: Troegenator Doublebock (#233)

Style: Doppelbock

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 8.2

From the book: This hearty beer from Troegs is a great representation of the doppelbock style of beer. Mahogany colored with a rich nutty and bready aroma, it starts sweet with likely malty flavors of light caramel and roasted nuts. In the end it brings a nice warming alcohol presence with a mild spiciness.

I am a pretty big fan of doppelbock beers, my all time favorite is one, and this is another solid version. I didn't get too much of the caramel flavor, but the nutty flavor did stand out more to me. This was April's glass of the month beer.

7/10

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Stout

Beer Name: Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Stout (#248)

Style: Stout

Country: USA

Size: 10 oz draft

ABV: 9

From the internet: Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Stout pours a thick dark brown color with a firm tan head. The beer has a very nice roasted malt flavor base and a subtle sweetness emerges as the beer opens. It is full and rich, with the 9 percent alcohol by volume content not easily detectable.

Definitely right up my alley, this dark delight has strong flavors of chocolate and a bit of coffee and I enjoyed every drop.

8/10

Murphy Brown(ish red)

Beer Name: Murphy's Irish Red Beer (#194)

Style: Irish Red Ale

Country: Ireland

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 5

From the book:

This red ale from Ireland has a classic coppery color. It has a gentle maltiness to it with light flavors of caramel and toffee. A restrained earthy hop character can be slightly noticed. It finishes crisp and dry.

So, I decided to head back to the red ale for my last beer of the evening, this time direct from Ireland! Pretty much the same feelings about this one as I had two beers ago. This one happened to be a bit smoother of a drink, so it rates a bit higher in the end.

6/10

Commodore 64?

Beer Name: Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA (#163)

Style: India Pale Ale

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 7.5

From the book:

Named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry from the War Of 1812, this 2008 World Beer Championship Gold Medal winner has citrus and nutty aromas, a full body and citrus, pine, some earthy and herbal flavors. It has a long, dry finish and is a fairly well balanced beer.

Another Great Lakes beer, definitely earthy in flavor. Not an awful beer, but I think this is a low point in the Great Lakes offering (but not as bad as Grassroots or Independence Ales!)

5/10

A Red From Akron...

Beer Name: Thirsty Dog Irish Setter Red (#85)

Style: Red Ale

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 5

From the book:

Irish Setter Red is a medium to light bodied with freshly ground caramel malt flavor that has no bitterness. The combination of American caramel malt and the finest Kent Goldings hops from England add an inviting "noble" flavor and aroma to this beer.

When I first started drinking beer, one of my favorite brews to keep in the fridge was Killian's Irish Red. I thought it was a fantastic beer. Nothing against Killian's, but I am sure I would find it lacking these days. The first time I ever sampled a Thirsty Dog beer was at the Thirsty Dog brewing Company restaurant in Fairlawn/Montrose, up on the hill near the Fridays and Wasabi. We went there for lunch one weekend and I got a sample glass of this very beer. I liked it a lot back then, but I think it has lost a little bit of the appeal since that time (about 5+ years ago I believe). I guess red ales aren't my thing these days...

5/10

Nut Brown Ale Sounds Like A Paint Color...

Beer Name: Ithaca nut Brown Ale (#45)

Style: Brown Ale

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 4.9

From the book:

Ithaca Nut Brown has a rich mahogany color with a medium body and nice carbonation. This brown ale has lightly roasted, nutty flavors with chocolate and coffee notes from the start. A slightly citrus bitterness can be noticed and it has a dry chocolate finish.

Another victim of following a true winner, this beer probably would have been more enjoyable had it followed something less slamjammin'...Nevertheless, I enjoyed the flavors it provided, but my mind was elsewhere.

6/10

My Wife Can Pick A Beer Like Nobody's Business!

Beer Name: Traquair Lairds Legacy (#85)

Style: Scottish Ale

Country: Scotland

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 6

From the book:

Lairds Legacy is brewed at the tiny Traquair House Brewery, located on the banks of the Tweed River in Scotland. The primary fermentation of this beer takes place in oak barrels. Rich and dark, typical of Traquair beers, the malt takes precedence. Toffee and fig flavors can be tasted at first with a bit of caramel and some slight licorice in the finish.

This was my wife's first time out with us on beer tour Friday, so she go to pick a beer for me to drink. She is definitely better at the beer picking game than some of the other people. This is one of the best beers I have ever consumed in my life. The Toffee and licorice complete a fantastic taste relay that made this beer great to drink from top to bottom. I definitely need to track this down and keep some in my fridge next to the Jefferson's reserve that I drank a month or so previously.

10/10

Rye Of The Tiger...

Beer Name: Founder's Red Rye P.A. (#159)

Style: Rye Beer

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 6.8

From the book:

Red's Rye P.A. is an almost startling crimson color brewed with four types of Belgian caramel malts which impart a rich sweetness to this beer. The smell of grapefruit comes from a vigorous dry-hopping with Amarillo hops. You'll find the generous amount of malted rye used in Red's Rye P.A. leads to a spicy, crisp finish.

This beer is March's Glass Of The Month beer. It also marks my first foray into the rye beer category. Not an awful beer, crisp and clean with the above mentioned grapefruit smell and taste throughout. Nothing special here, move along folks.

5/10

Old Heathen is as good as Bowie's "Heathen"...

Beer Name: Weyerbacher Old Heathen (#98)

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 8.2

From the book:

Weyerbacher Brewery uses seven different malts and two varieties of hops to produce Old Heathen. Oil Black in the glass this is a very rich, robust and complex Russian Imperial Stout with a number of noticeable flavors: chocolate, plum, raisin, coffee, roasted malt and espresso.

I decided to conclude the evening (this part of it at least) with another stout. One thing I have come to find is that stouts are a great canvas for a wide range of flavors. Coffees, chocolates, fruits and (supposedly) floral notes all play nice in the glass. I wasn't surprised that I would continue to love the darker brews and avoid wheat-style beers like the plague, but I was surprised the wide range of flavors I would find on the dark side...This was a fantastic beer to end the night with.

8/10

The Bold and The Beeriful (shut up, I'm tired)

Beer Name: Samuel Smith Imperial Stout (#67)

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

Country: England

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 7

From the book:

The Russian Imperial Stout style was originally brewed in Great Britain for the Czarist courts in Russia. Since it had to travel across the freezing Baltic it was brewed with a high level of alcohol to help preserve its freshness. Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout is robust, with solid coffee, caramel, black currant and bitter chocolate flavors from the malt with a bit of floral hops flavors hidden in the background.

I never really thought about a beer with black currant flavors in it, let alone one with that and coffee flavorings. This beer was a very good drink from start to finish, all of the bold flavors play well together. I didn't notice the floral flavors at all, and I think I am alright with that. Definitely one of the top beers on the tour so far!

9/10

A long time ago, at a Lizard kinda far away...

Beer Name: Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron (#151)

Style: American Brown Ale

Country: USA

Size: 10 oz draft

ABV: 11.9

From the book:

A bold brown ale aged in Dogfish Head's 10,000 gallon Palo Santo wood brewing vessels. The Palo Santo wood comes from Paraguay and means "holy tree". It is used in South American wine production. The Palo Santo wood lends a caramel and vanilla complexity to this beer while it is aging. The 10,000 gallon brewing vessels are the largest wooden brewing vessels built in America since before Prohibition.

Another high alcohol mini-beast, this time at the Macedonia location for a change of venue. Pretty solid beer, loved the caramel flavors that were apparent throughout the drink. Unlike the last high alcohol brew, this one was good from start to finish.

7/10

Hops from Hell...

Beer Name: Victory Hopdevil Ale (#94)

Style: India Pale Ale

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 6.7

From the book:

This beer is for hop heads! A full-bodied beer that begins with the aromatic smells of whole flower hops, grapefruit, spices and bread. The hops take charge at the first sip with citrus, grapefruit and peppery spiciness. It settles into a toasted bread malt flavor and ends with a lingering spicy finish.

For hop-heads indeed. If this is what the devil drinks, I guess I need to do my best to get into paradise when my time is up. Not a fan of this beer at all, hopefully not all IPAs are this bad as I have a long way to go still...

2/10

A Rogue That Doesn't Backstab!

Beer Name: Rogue Mocha Porter (#66)

Style: Porter

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 6.5

From the book:

This very chocolatey brew was once named New Porter, in honor of the town of Newport, Oregon (home of Rogue Ales). Ruddy, brown in color, Rogue Mocha Porter is a bittersweet balance of malt and hops with a light cream finish.

Rogue is one of my favorite breweries, so I am disappointed that this very delicious porter is their only entry on the tour. Like a dark and creamy mocha, this brew stays semi-sweet and wholly drinkable from start to finish. I think The Winking Lizard needs a monthly Rogue handle on the tour next year.

8/10

A Monster From Brooklyn

Beer Name: Brooklyn Brewery Monster Ale (#242)

Style: Barley Wine

Country: USA

Size: 10 oz draft

ABV: 10.8

From the Brooklyn website:

Brooklyn Monster Ale is a classic barley wine, a style of ale originally brewed by the butlers to the English and American aristocracy. It is brewed from three mashes of heirloom British malt and spiced with aromatic American Willamette, Cascade and Fuggle hops. After four months of aging, it has a magnificent burnished copper color, and aroma redolent of sherry, citrusy hops and fruit, a soft, warming, complex palate, a spirituous finish and a strength of 10.8%. It is vivacious when young, but will age gracefully for many years, becoming more complex over time.

So here it is, the first of the barley wines that will pop up from time to time. More than 10% ABV (WOO HOO!), but only comes 10 ounces at a time (BOO!). Not really knowing what to expect, I found the flavor to be alright in the beginning of the drink, but by the end it had become boring and overpowered by the citrus, so I guess being only 10 ounces was an ok thing in this case.

5/10

Now, Where Were We?

Beer Name: Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale (#164)

Style: Red Ale

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 6.5

From the book:

This beer from Great Lakes Brewing Company is named after Patrick Conway, the grandfather of co-owners Patrick and Daniel Conway, and a Cleveland policeman who directed traffic for 25 years near the brewery. It has a deep copper color and is filled with Caramel and Munich malt aromas. A very sweet, malty Red Ale with very little hop presence.

So yeah, I have been slacking for too long...

Anyways, yet another awesome Great Lakes seasonal draft. This one is very similar to the more well-known Killian's Irish Red, but a lot smoother to drink. No overpowering flavors to speak of, enjoyable from start to finish.

7/10

How do you drink a Polish beer?

Beer Name: Okocim Porter (#58)

Style: Porter

Country: Poland

Size: 16.9 oz bottle

ABV: 8.1

From the book:

Okocim Porter is a Baltic porter. These porters are generally stronger in alcohol and more robust to handle being shipped across the North Sea in the late 1700s. Okocim Porter is robust with a solid 8.1% ABV and full of molasses and chocolate aromas. Its flavor is much the same as the aroma, with a medium body and light carbonation making this an easy drinking porter.

I am pretty sure this is the only beer from Poland on the tour, so I would have to drink it sooner or later. This one wasn't too bad, but it wasn't anything special either. I think any beer that came right after the Bourbon Barrel Stout was destined to be mediocre at best. Sorry Poland, your offering is just a middle-of-the-road experience.

5/10

Bourbon makes everything SLAMJAMMIN'

Beer Name: Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout (#46)

Style: Stout

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 8.5

From the book:

Brewed by Bluegrass Brewing Company, this stout is aged in Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon barrels for approximately 60 days. This imparts a nice hint of bourbon flavor and aroma to the beer. Deep brown to black in color with smells and tastes of coffee, chocolate, a bit of molasses and accented with the bourbon notes but not overpowered by it. Bluegrass Brewing Company is the largest microbrewery in Kentucky and makes some special craft brews. Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout's bourbon edge is quite good and the toasty malt profile plus vanilla creaminess makes the beer a real pleasure to drink.

A real pleasure indeed! It took me a bit of time to get the entire beer poured as this is a very foamy/heady drink. The flavors in this beer are amazing. Nothing is overpowering and the drink is smooth from start to finish. I don't think I have found a new all-time favorite beer, but this one is top 5 at the very least.

10/10

And for visual on how I feel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fipQisc68dQ

A beer fit for a hell hound (from Akron...)

Beer Name:Thirsty Dog Orthus (#245)

Style: Belgian Dubbel

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 7.0

From the book: (since this is a special beer and not in the book, I took the following from Thirsty Dog's website) Orthus was the two-headed hell hound brother of Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of hell. Orthus is a Belgian Dubbel brown in color, 7 grains, 3 hops, Trappist high gravity yeast. Very drinkable.

I guess from time to time the Lizard gets some very limited beers that tend to not last through the day. This was one of those instances. To top it off, ordering one of these got you a free 10 oz Goose Island Imperial Brown (which isn't on the tour, even though the server said it was, -1 to him). Another darker beer, not too bad, very smooth drink. Not something you would imagine being named after a hell hound...

6/10

Better Than Godzilla

Beer Name: Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout (#42)

Style: Stout

Country: Japan

Size: 11.2 oz bottle

ABV: 7.2

From the book:

The combination of Black, Caramel, Roasted and Chocolate malts provides the big coffee flavor in this stout. The strong espresso character comes from the addition of espresso beans in the boil. The base recipe for this beer is that of a Russian Imperial stout which lends to the aroma and flavor of black currants and dark fruit.

Oh man, this beer is fantastic. Instead of tasting like beer that has coffee flavors, this tastes like coffee (espresso, to be precise) with beer flavors. So good. I will definitely hunt this one down for home consumption in the future.

9/10

Let me try this again...

Beer Name: Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (#215)

Style: India Pale Ale

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 6.9

From the book:

Stone Cali-Belgique IPA is a California style IPA with a Belgian influence. Stone IPA is the basis for this beer. THe difference is Stone brews it using a Belgian yeast strain. It gives this aggressive IPA a yeasty fruitiness mingling with the bitterness from the hops.

So, even after the previous week's disaster, I decided to venture back into the Belgian territory. Definitely not as bad as the last one, but I think this will be the last time that I drink one of these for a while, so I can focus on beers that I have a better chance of enjoying.

EDIT: I found out after drinking this that it is February's beer of the month. If I actually liked it, I would have ordered it again for the glass, but I decided that I would rather have the $8...

3/10

AK-Rowdy in the glizass!

Beer Name: Thirsty Dog Siberian Night (#230)

Style: Imperial Stout

Country: USA (Akron!)

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 9.0

From the book:

This great example of an Imperial Stout has an enormous flavor profile. Sweet coffee, dark fruit, licorice and walnuts are just a few of the flavors to be noticed, mingled with a slight bitterness that is notable from start to finish. Siberian Night was the 2005 Great American Beer Festival Gold medal winner in the Imperial Stout category.

This year there is a monthly Thirsty Dog beer on tap. A (very) local brewery just down the road in Akron, so being a former Zip I had to represent (or something like that)! Beer that is dark as night and full of flavor, this is another one to come back to in the future. The licorice and coffee flavors were most noticeable to me, and I thought the went together well. Notice how afraid Adam's beer looks in the background...

8/10

Vanilla Ice! (I mean beer...)

Beer Name: Breckenridge Vanilla Porter (#131)

Style: Porter

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 4.7

From the book:

Breckenridge Brewery imports vanilla beans from Papua New Guinea and Madagascar to use in the brewing of its Vanilla Porter. The aroma of vanilla is apparent as soon as this beer hits the glass. Chocolate and roasted nut flavors are accentuated by the big vanilla flavor. The roasted malts help temper the sweetness of this beer.

Vanilla indeed! I didn't even need to lean over the glass to smell it. Nice and dark like a porter should be, this wasn't one of my favorites, but the addition of vanilla to the mix makes for a different experience that I would definitely recommend to anyone (except Adam).

6/10

Back to safer ground...

Beer Name: Stone Arrogant Bastard (#193)

Style: Strong Ale

Country: USA

Size: 22 oz bottle

ABV: 7.2

From the book:

Arrogant Bastard Ale is a deep amber color, medium to full-bodied with a lush, floral hop nose. Rich, sweet caramel malt and fig fruit notes are melded with dark, roasted, grainy elements to make a well-balanced and very drinkable beer.

Well, after the disastrous detour I felt it was time to head back to safer ground and wash that horrid taste out of my mouth. Right on the front of this bottle it states, "You're Not Worthy" and on the back it encourages you to stick to golden beers with huge marketing campaigns behind them. I knew I was in for a treat here. Almost night and day with my previous two entries,I found Arrogant Bastard to be a flavorful, mellow beer that I enjoyed.

7/10

Adventure 2: Electric Boogaloo

Beer Name: 3 Fonteinen Oude Gueze (#84)

Style: Gueze

Country: Belgium

Size: 12.7 oz bottle

ABV: 6.0

From the book:

Gueze is a blend of young and old lambics and then aged again for two or three more years to produce a dry, earthy, fruity and intensely sour style of lambic. 3 Fonteinen is one of the last remaining traditional gueze blenders in Belgium, using only 100% spontaneously fermented lambic beer, aged in oak casks. Its proprietor is Armand Debelder. Armand's skill and passion are displayed with each bottle of 3 Fonteinen, they are rare and are some of the best beers that Belgium has to offer.

Elsewhere in the book, where it is talking about the super limited beers on this year's tour it mentions that they received the last 2 pallets of this beer. Ever. Due to a temperature problem in the warehouse, Armand Debelder is no longer making this beer. Knowing that, how could I not try this soon to be extinct brew?

This beer comes in what looks like a champagne bottle, and is corked and foil wrapped in a similar matter. Fizzy from the pop of the cork, I knew this would be an interesting one. From my very first sip I knew I was drinking something special in my life. I was consuming the absolute worst beer I have ever had (and hopefully ever will have). As the rules state, I had to drink the entire thing, no exceptions. This beer is exceptionally sour and dry, which made it near impossibly for me to drink more than a small amount at a time. To me, this was like a very dry champagne mixed with a crappy wheat beer (like Blue Moon). Needless to say I won't be getting another one of these. It is unfortunate for others that the brewer is no longer producing this, but keep the remaining bottles away from me!

1/10 (the scale goes no lower...)

Adventure Part One

Beer Name: Ayinger Weizen-Bock (#6)

Style: Weizenbock (Wheat Bock)

Country: Germany

Size: 16.9 oz bottle

ABV: 7.1

From the book:

The weizen-bock style is relatively uncommon, even in Bavaria. This special style is a wheat beer that is purposely brewed to be as strong as a bock beer with corresponding fuller body and enhanced flavors. Ayinger Weizen-Bock is a unique pale ("helles") version of a Weizen Bock. Made from a grist of 60% wheat and 40% barley malt, Weizen-Bock gains a deep complexity from a blend of specialty malts and from decoction mashing. It is seasoned with Hallertau Tradition hops and fermented with the classic Ayinger weizen top-fermenting yeast. This bottle conditioned beer has a classic Bavarian weizen beer aroma, suggesting spice and cloves, with a smooth body that drinks fairly full with flavors turned up to balance the beer's strength. In the finish this classic beer's fruity yeast melds with warmth and suggestions of tropical fruit, cloves and banana.

So, I decided to take my first step out of my comfort zone, test the waters if you will. As the book mentions, a clove flavor is definitely present in this beer, a dominant flavor even. At first it was rather off-putting, but as I kept drinking I warmed up to it a bit more, an alright beer, definitely not the worst beer I have ever had, but I would not get it again.

4/10

Glass Of The Month, eh?

Beer Name: McAuslan Stout (#193)

Style: Oatmeal Stout

Country: Canada

Size: 16 oz draft, January Glass Of The Month

ABV: 5.0

From the book:

This oatmeal stout brewed by McAuslan Brewery in Canada is a World Beer Championship platinum medal winning beer. Black in the glass with a thick off-tan foam, coffee, espresso and chocolate are the dominant aromas. Coffee flavors are noted from start to finish with a slight hops presence that gets pushed around by the big roasted character of this beer.

This is a beer from last week still, I am lazy I guess. I didn't plan on having 3 dark beers in a row, but this was the glass of the month, and I am drinking all of those during the tour, so I didn't want to risk not getting the glass. As the book says, this has a very dominant coffee flavor that I enjoyed. This brewery must know what oatmeal stout is all aboot! (had too, sorry!)

7/10

From Russia With Love!

Beer Name: Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (#133)

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

Country: USA

Size: 10 oz draft

ABV: 10.0

From the book:

Three mashes are used to brew each batch of this Russian Imperial Stout from Brooklyn Brewery. It's because of this that they achieve the deep dark chocolate flavor found in this beer. Full bodied and slick in texture, Black Chocolate Stout smells like chocolate, espresso beans and prunes. It has a nice warming feeling due to the 10% ABV. A faint herbal hops flavor can be found around all the chocolate and roasted flavors.

This was my first time trying a Russian Imperial Stout, and it was pretty outstanding. Nice and dark and quite smooth. This would be the perfect beer to help take the Northeastern Ohio chill off at the end of a long day.

9/10

Hometown Pride

Beer Name: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (#165)

Style: Robust Porter

Country: USA

Size: 16 oz draft

ABV: 5.8

From the book:

Named after the famous sunken ship in Lake Superior, this is a fine representation of the Porter style. Complex, roasty aroma with a bitter sweet, chocolate-coffee taste and a bold hop presence. 2007 Great American Beer Festival Silver medal winner for Robust Porter category.

This is the first of twelve Great Lakes Brewery seasonal drafts. Great Lakes makes some fantastic beers that rank among my favorite (Nosferatu, Christmas Ale) and least favorite (Grassroots Ale, Independence Ale). I tend to enjoy the darker brews more than the lighter, and this one is no exception. Nice and dark, but not as thick as a Guinness, I enjoyed it very much.

8/10

Beer The First

Beer Name: Abita Restoration Pale Ale (#1)

Style: American Pale Ale

Country: USA

Size: 12 oz bottle

ABV: 5.0

From the book:

Abita brews their Restoration Pale Ale using Cara Pils, Crystal, Pale and Lager malts, hopped and dry hopped with Cascade and fermented with California ale yeast. There is just enough bitterness to make this beer balanced and very easy to drink.

Due to a lack of creativity at the time, I decided to start my tour with beer #1 on the list. I have had Abita Lager and Abita Amber (and maybe Abita Red?) in the past and I enjoyed them. I also enjoyed this variety of Abita.

6/10