Olde Mecklenburg: Fruehbock (Maibock/Helles Bock) 6.1%

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

Fruehbock pours golden clear and has nice foamy head. There is a very heavy malt flavor. I taste a little more sweetness than I prefer, but there is a nice bitter bite...maybe some herbal and dirty aspects. I taste a little more booze than in other OMB offerings. This is a solid spring seasonal.


My Rating: B/3.68
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FIRST FLIGHT WITH THE BEER DOWN PADDLE!

Mother Earth: Old Neighborhood Oatmeal Porter (American Porter) 5.5%

This pours almost black with nice head and good lacing. The smell is chocolate, smokey and dark fruity. The taste very chocolaty, a little smoky. There is a medium body that almost has some sweet fruitiness. This is a great porter that doesn’t leave that sour gross taste in your mouth. Good local variety. 

My Rating: B+/4

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/21193/61736

Victory: St. Victorious (Dopplebock) 8.5%

This pours crystal clear brown, very slight lacing, the smell is brown sugar, but a lot of malt in the smell and flavor as well. It is a nice German style flavor, great malt flavor, really good. There is a lot of sweetness, but for the ABV, there is a decent balance to this. It is maybe a little syrupy, but the medium-heavy body is actually pretty tolerable.

My Rating: B/3.68

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345/1012

Ska: Buster Nut Brown Ale (English Brown Ale) 5.15%

There isn't a strong smell, but light sweetness and malt is detectable.  pours brown and has very little head and lacing. I taste brown sugar and there is a nice crispness. It is pretty sweet, there is some bitterness, but it finishes nicely. This is a well rounded brown ale with a medium body.

My Rating: B-/3.43

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/923/3315

Stone: Levitation (American Amber/Red Ale) 4.4%

This is really tasty, light brown-slightly amber, nice head, a little lacing, there is a sour hop smell that comes through slightly in the taste…but pleasant. I really love the smooth graininess that this beer has. It has a distinct malt taste but it isn't overly toasty or sweet. The light body would make having a few very easy. 

My Rating: B+/3.9
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/6301

Dogfish: Aprihop (IPA) 7%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This seasonal from Dogfish pours a really nice dark brown with two fingers of head, nice retention, and sticky lacing. I was expecting something overly peachy and fruity, but this beer is so much better. There is some mild apricot on the nose, mixed with hops. The taste is a very smooth IPA, with a great balance of bitterness, citrus hops, and a mild apricot aftertaste. I am picking up a little more apricot flavor as it warms, but the bitter bite and good carbonation are keeping this from being a sweet, syrupy beer. I had no problem blowing through this beer and could have another. It is medium bodied and fairly refreshing. 

My Rating: A/4.5

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/3951

Left Hand: Chainsaw Ale (American Strong Ale) 9%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This pours murky brown and has nice fluffy off-white head. The smell is malty and sweet with some citrus. The flavor has a unique dark raison flavor, but unlike other beers similar to this one, it isn’t dominated by an overly sweet, syrupy aftertaste. There is a nice bitter balance that keeps you coming back for another drink. I will say this is one of the more complex and mysterious tasting beers that I have had, there is a spicy brown sugar taste that is interesting. I cannot get over the drinkability. I really thought that this 9% ABV would overtake this beer. Instead, it is a well balanced bitter beer that is a welcome change from the usual overly hoppy and sweet beers that I tend to choose.  

My Rating: A/4.45

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/418/28814

Victory: Helios (Saison/Farmhouse Ale)

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

Pours pale, hazy yellow with active foamy head and some sediment…virtually no lacing. The appearance reminds me a wheat beer. The smell is yeasty and has that bottle aged Belgium smell that stings your nose. The flavor is similar to wheat beer, but this is super crisp and fruity. The down side is that it has the mucky aftertaste that I don’t love about wheat beer. Previously I haven’t noticed beer tasting like lemongrass, but this beer really does have that lemon/herbal grassiness. The body is really light, even at a 7.5% ABV. This is something that I could have a few of easily. When super cold, this is refreshing goodness. For being pretty similar in style (vaguely), I prefer Oberon from Bell’s Brewery. 

My Rating: B/3.68

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345/47776

Victory: Yakima Glory (American Black Ale) 8.7%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a tulip glass

This pours very dark purple with medium tan head. There is moderate retention and decent lacing. The smell is pungent dark fruits and hops. The flavor is robust raison and citrus hops. I like this because the complexity relies on fruit rather than spice. I’m most impressed with the amount of detectable hops and bitterness in the taste, and the lack over over-sweet syrup qualities that sometimes come with ABVs over 8%. The body is heavy, but well balance, so 1-2 of these would be pretty painless. 

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345/46385

Lagunitas: Hop Stoopid (American Double/Imperial IPA) 8%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

Hop Stoopid pours hazy light orange with 1 ½ fingers of chunky head and some moderate lacing. The smell is heavy hops, sugar and malt. The taste is really tolerable and citrusy, but as it warms its gains thickness and tastes a lot like honey. For being an 8% ABV, it does have a nice balance and a crisp bite. However, this is pretty heavy and leaves that sour/cereal aftertaste that is often indicative of the high percentage IPAs. 

My Rating: B+/3.78

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/35738

New Belgium: Pale Ale (APA) 6%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

Mighty Arrow pours a hazy light copper with active bubbles and two fingers of head. There is some moderate lacing, and the head sticks around like on an IPA…so the appearance is great. The nose is slightly hoppy and malty. The taste is very smooth and well rounded with a warming/bitter flavor that reminds me of a winter warmer;  there is a nice crisp bite to this as well. I was expecting something more fresh and hoppy, but was surprised to find a more dirty and malty taste with some herbal spiciness. This is a late winter/earlier spring seasonal (for me) because it lacks the refreshing qualities of a typical spring or summer seasonal. This is a solid beer though, I’d love to try it on tap. 

My Rating: B+/3.8

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/40418

Samuel Smith: India Ale (English IPA) 5%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours dark orange with nice chunky head. I hate to sound non-specific, but it has that European nuttiness in the smell, possibly yeast. The taste is fairly hollow on the first impression. It isn’t sweet or particularly malty. I don’t pick up on an abundance of hops. I think it smells like a Guinness, and it has the same cereal maltiness in the taste. I will say that this has decent drinkability and a good, medium mouthfeel. It is nice and bitter and has a pleasant bite. “Old world beer” is what I keep thinking in my mind. There is a metallic flavor that I don’t care for. This just does not have to fruitiness or hoppiness that I crave in an IPA. For me, this is more like a brown ale or an ESB…or an English Bitter for that matter. This beer makes me want to eat cheese. 

My Rating: B-/3.35

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/113/573