Bell's: Oberon Ale (American Pale Wheat Ale) 5.8%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours yellow orange with one finger of head and a lot of sediment. I smelled yeast and malt. This is a high quality wheat beer that has some spice to it. Oberon is a wheat beer/pale ale hybrid that is a refreshing take on the wheat beer, a style that do not usually prefer. I tasted very subtle spice...perhaps clove, but certainly not any gross coriander or banana Blue Moon nonsense. The medium body makes it drinkable, but its a little sweet and malty, I would stick with one or two of these. 

My Rating: B+/3.9

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/1094

Bell's: Two Hearted Ale (American IPA) 7%

Drank From: bottle, poured into pint glass

Two Hearted Ale does not disappoint. I heard a lot about this beer before I tried it. I understand why it carries such a likable reputation. To be widely accepted, I think you have to have a fairly non-offensive taste. This leaves out any wacky nuance that you might find in other beers. I think this is a crowd pleasing staple. I liked the golden orange pour and two fingers of head. The flavor was hops and citrus, but not overpowering. This could almost be described as an aggressive pale ale. All of the quality that you expect is in this beer, and I will be coming back to this one. 


My Rating: A/4.28
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/1093

SweetWater: Happy Ending Imperial Stout (American Double/Imperial Stout) 9%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a tulip glass

This pours black with dark tan head. It doesn’t smell over chocolaty or coffee-y. I think I faintly smell hops, but definitely dark malts and sugar. The taste is pretty mild for being a 9%. The aftertaste is where most of the flavor hits you with a lot of bitterness, burnt coffee, and woody toastiness. I don’t consider myself to be overly versed in imperial stouts, but I like this much better than the sweeter versions, i.e., Samuel Adams Imperial Stout. The body is pretty heavy, but there is a surprising amount of carbonation and bite; I was expecting this to be more syrupy. One or two of these would be my limit. 

My Rating: A/4.28

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/273/19488

Terrapin: Hopsecutioner IPA (American IPA) 7.3%

Drank From:  bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours golden orange with a nice 1 1/2 fingers of head. The smell is rich with malt and citrus hops. The taste is malty, crisp and hoppy at first. There is a little bit of bitter booziness that follows. The alcohol taste in this is a negative for me since it is only a 7.3%...i’ve had many other beers with ABVs in that range that aren’t as obvious. It also has some cereal flavors that I don’t love. I would call this a medium body, and not my favorite IPA. 

My Rating: B/3.53

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2372/53886

Saint Jame's Gate: Guinness Extra Stout (Irish Dry Stout) 6%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This pours black with chunky, light tan head. It isn't as creamy as it is on tap, but still good. I’ve always liked Guinness. The taste is toasty and sweet with a little bite, you can almost taste the creaminess. The low carbonation makes it one of the easiest beers to drink, in my opinion. Medium body and good for a few. 

My Rating: B/3.58%

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/209/650

Terrapin Takeover: Charlotte Craft Brew Week @ The Flying Saucer

I was able to sample a few side projects/rare beers that Terrapin offers at The Flying saucer in Charlotte, NC as part of a week long craft brewery event. I jotted down some notes on my cell phone, so they are rudimentary at best. 



Substance Abuse (American Double/Imperial Stout) ?%
This was very heavy and boozy. It poured black with tan head. Actually, this is simply Wake-n-Bake aged in whiskey barrels. To no surprise, the whiskey came right out to bite your face. It was almost overpowering on the nose, but more tolerable on the tongue. In addition to the strong alcohol presence, there was a surprising amount of carbonation. Other flavors included chocolate, Irish Car Bomb, and coffee. This is a one-and-done for sure. 


My Rating B/3.75
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2372/41883


Hoptaneous Combustion (American Double/Imperial IPA) 9.3%
This poured orange with a little head. It had a strong sweetness, I tasted fabric and band-aid glue. It also had dark cereal flavors with heavy maltiness. Let's be honest, you order a beer like this knowing that it is a rarity. This isn't something that you keep on hand. I've tried it once, and that's good enough for me. It was a tolerable double IPA. 


My Rating: B/3.75
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2372/60685




Big Daddy Vlady's Russian Imperial Stout (Russian Imperial Stout) 10.25%


This poured black with tan head. The smell and taste was chocolaty and sweet. There was Strong alcohol flavor that didn't try to hide, but it's presence was pleasant ant expected from a Russian Imperial. I am really starting to like this genre of beer, and I'm blaming this for that new found interest. It was a solid imperial stout that had surprising carbonation and a body that was drinkable. 


My Rating: A-/4.1
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2372/63164

Great Lakes: Conway's Irish Ale (Irish Red Ale) 6.5%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours copper with one finger of light head and active bubbles. The nose is sweet barley malts and fresh hops. The taste is light and grassy, but the sweet malty flavors come on strong. There is a nice bite from the bitterness. There is a graininess that sticks around on the aftertaste longer than I prefer. I would classify this as a crowd pleasing easy drinker, for those who like craft brews anyway. Great pick for a spring cookout. 

My Rating: B/3.68

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/73/5096

Terrapin: Rye Pale Ale (APA) 5.3%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours orange and has some sediment. The head is one finger with champagne-like bubbles, it goes away rather quickly and leaves a little lacing. The smell is really unique because of the rye. The whole feel of this beer is different than any other pale ale that I’ve had, which makes it interesting. The toasted barely flavor is replaced by a bitter sweet rye flavor. It still has hop presence and a nice mild bite that makes it an easy drinker, which isn’t so unlike other pale ales that I’ve tasted. It has a lighter body and is something that I could have a few of. 

My Rating: B/3.75

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2372/5948

Oskar Blue's: Dale's Pale Ale (APA) 6.5%

Drank From: on-tap, poured into a pint glass

Dale's poured light copper with a finger of head. I had this after a beer tasting, so the intricacies of my taste buds were dulled. I remember it being very hoppy and crisp with a solid bite to it. It could have been an IPA, even though it's classified as a pale ale. The smell was the usual hoppy goodness. I would like to have this out of the famous can that its known for, and hopefully i can have a more detailed breakdown at that time.

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2681/6518

Sprecher: IPA2 (American Double/Imperial IPA) 8.4%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

IPA2 pours cloudy orange. There isn’t a lot of smell, just typical citrus and hops, but nothing outstanding. The taste was surprisingly better than I thought it might be. It definitely has a very quality, rounded out taste. There is a dark/nutty aspect to this beer that I am really enjoying. The aftertaste is a little boozy, but there is a nice balance between the sweetness and bitterness. There is a little bit of apricot in the aftertaste as well. There is a bad mucky aftertaste. Medium body...drinkability is lowered because of the aftertaste that builds as you work your way through this one. 

My Rating: B/3.58

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/144/37308

Left Hand: 400 Pound Monkey (English IPA) 6.7%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours hazy light orange with 1 1/2 fingers of foamy head and some lacing. The nose is light hops with a stronger sweet malty smell to follow. The taste is very bitter with a hint of honey up front.This reminds me of an English bitter. 400 Pound Monkey is tasty, but pretty bitter. I would like a little more malt balance. The body is medium but overall easy to drink. This is a good beer for a change, I usually like American IPA. This is similar to Goose Island Honker's Ale, only more bold. The box says "earth and herbal". I would agree with that...maybe aged, wet hops...very earthy.


My Rating: B+/4.0
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/418/44706

Victory: Hop Wallop (American Double/Imperial IPA) 8.5%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This beer is fantastic. Pours yellow/light orange and has a lot of active bubbles…two fingers of chunky head and good lacing. Smell is fresh and hoppy. The taste is a great balance of cereal malt flavors and a big bite, the bitterness is also large in the aftertaste. There isn’t too much sweetness, and I can’t believe this an 8.5%. I’ve had 6-7 ABVs that were much thicker and harsh. Half way through, I started to notice the body to be medium-heavy, It gains some weight as it warms up. Pouring this from a bomber, could probably put down two. 

My Rating: A+/4.58

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345/14916

Rust Belt: Old Man Hopper's IPA (American IPA) 6.0%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This pours cloudy brown with a little head, but some lacing. The smell is sweet and malty. The flavor is not complex or bold, but not bad either. It has a craft brew quality to it that makes it more tolerable than piss. The dominance is malt rather than hops. I like the bitternes, but It has some trashy fermented tastes. I like the rust belt and I like craft beer; I like that this is different than the rest, and I’m not hating. However, this just isn’t an A beer. Medium body, I will be tired of it by the end of this bomber. 

My Rating: B-/3.28

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/19190/55708

Sierra Nevada: Torpedo Extra IPA (American Pale Ale) 7.2%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours very cloudy orange with 2 fingers of chunky head with a lot of lacing. I smell some malt and hops with some booziness, but the taste doesn't reflect the alcohol.  It has pretty nice malty bitterness balance, but not near as good as Celebration. I don’t get the fresh hop impression in Torpedo. There is a dirty/earthy pine taste, which I do enjoy as a variety in an IPA. As I drink through this beer, I notice dark fruits that are represented in the smell and taste. The body is mildly heavy, I think I will stick with just one of these. 

My Rating: B+/3.8

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/30420

Redhook: Mudslinger Spring Ale (English Brown Ale) 5.8%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

Mudslinger pours medium brown and pretty clear, with about one finger of head. The smell was sweet and malty. The taste was mild but nutty. I was surprised in its bitterness; for me, it made it more drinkable. I don’t prefer overly sweet brown ales. It had a medium body, and I could have another. 

My Rating: B/3.65
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18134/55264

Great Lakes: Commodore Perry (English IPA) 7.5% SECOND REVIEW

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This is great beer. Pours light orange with one and a half fingers of head and some moderate lacing. The smell is hops and citrus, specifically some grapefruit, with a mild floral presence. This is a good balance of sweet malts up front and bitter hops to follow. This has always been one of my favorite IPAs, and one of the first for me. My only criticism is that it is pretty sweet, but at a high proof and strong amount of malt, that is expected. It is medium bodied, and im down for another…but the 7.5% will sneak up on you.

My Rating: A+/4.53

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/73/1575

Foothills: Hoppyum IPA (American IPA) 6.3%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

Hoppyum pours transparent amber with thin chunky two fingers of head. The nose is citrus and metallic. The taste has some bitter metallic too. I taste some malts right away, but the bitter bite dominates, but then malt again in the aftertaste. This isn’t as sweet, hoppy, or citrusy as some IPAs; the body is on the lighter side too. However, there is a good balance of malt and hops. Drinking this bomber wont be a problem at all, and I will defiantly come back to this brew. If I were selling it to someone, I would say that it is a great pale ale with an IPA presentation. The bottle claims that it’s a session beer, I would agree. 

My Rating: A/4.33

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/11036/27571

Victory: HopDevil Ale (American IPA) 6.7%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

Pours dark peach with one finger of foamy head that doesn’t last too long, but there is some lacing left behind. Fist thing I notice is the graininess in the nose, along with some some dark sweet smells. The taste is heavier on the malt than hops, but this beer also has a nice bitter bite to it. For the heavy malt variety of IPA (as opposed to citrusy), this is excellent. The taste is better than the smell. Medium bodied, give me another. 

My Rating: B+/3.9

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345/1005

Pyramid: Outburst IPA (American Double/Imperial IPA) 8.5%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass 

Pours deep orange with two fingers of foamy head, some lacing. The taste is big citrus and hops. It is suprisingly bitter up front with the sweetness that you should expect from 8.5. Had this beer chilled from a bottle first. It is much better right from he fridge, poured into a glass. Medium body, which is pleasant for its ABV. The bitterness last through the after taste and leaves a bit on your tongue. Good beer, I could have two.


My Rating: B/3.58
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/403/57934

Duck-Rabbit: Milk Stout (Sweet/Milk Stout) 5.7%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

Pours almost black with 1 1/2 half fingers of brown foamy head. It smells like coffee, chocolate, and toffee. Great mouth feel for a stout, no sour mucky after taste. The flavor is dark and toasty with a fair amount of sweetness, but not so complex that it’s hard to drink. This is great beer that leaves a creaminess on your tongue. 

My Rating: A-/4.18

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9790/20216

Hoegaarden Original White Ale (Witbier) 4.9%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This poured a cloudy white with nice bubbly, foamy head. The smell is mild yeast, maybe some sweet banana-like presence. The taste is sweet with mild banana, coriander, and wheat. The body is very smooth, making this very easy drinking. This is a pleasant change from the usual IPA. I could have another. 

My Rating: B/3.63

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/83/248

Flying Dog:Snake dog IPA (American IPA) 7.1%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

Snake Dog smells  malty and citrusy. The taste is on the lighter side. In style, this is what I like. It has a fruity complexity. It poured hazy amber and had one finger of foamy head. The ABV is high, but not detected up front, but a little in the after taste. There is a little bit of a bite, but I fear that the hops have mellowed. This beer has been in my closet for a few months…oops. Overall it’s good. Flying Dog puts out a good product, you cant go wrong. 

My Rating: B+/3.98

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/68/205