Cigar City: Jai Alai IPA (American IPA) 7.5%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours very cloudy dark orange and has nice fluffy head with good retention and lacing. The smell is citrusy and slightly malty…you can almost smell the tartness. The taste has a unique fruitiness that I have not quite had before. There seems to be a robust tea-like presence in the flavor, and I can detect some peppery hops as well. There is quite a bit of flavor going on here, and the body is medium-heavy. There is a pleasant crispness that allows this beer to finish pretty smooth, just as you expect it to linger and be overly syrupy. I’m drawn back to this beer's unique complexity again and again. One drink begat another, and so on…

My Rating: A-/4.22

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17981/46363

Orlando Brewing: Olde Pelican (English Pale Ale) 6.82%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours glassy copper and has a nice fluffy off-white head. There is also a nice amount of lacing and retention to this beer. There is a lot of malt on the nose. My first impression of the taste is big bitterness. I really like how the toasty malts are preempted by this massive amount of bitterness. The malt flavor does come through, and this beer almost reminds me of a red ale, however, the malt is slightly more mild and bready. This medium bodied beer finishes off crisp and refreshing. This is a great English Pale Ale that could pass as an English Bitter. 

My Rating: A-/4.08

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4614/34802

Orlando Brewing: European Pilz (Czech Pilsener) 6.15%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours hazy light yellow and has a big foamy head. The lacing and retention are awesome for a pilsner. The smell is grainy and beery. The taste of this brew is fantastic. I love the complex cereal/bread flavor of this beer. There is a pleasant bitterness as well. For a “lighter” style beer, this is a great example of an easy drinker with a great flavor. The feel of this beer is just a little more tart/crisp than say…a German lager. I got this beer in a sample pack straight from Orlando Brewing, I’m glad I took a chance on this one. 

My Rating: B+/3.9

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4614/43031

Lagunitas: Cappuccino Stout (American Double/Imperial Stout) 8.8%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This pours very dark brown with a nice tan head. There is some lacing and retention, but not a lot. The smell is strong caramel and sweet coffee. The taste is very dark and toasty. I would even call it woodsy and smoky.  There is a heavy body here that limits your intake, and the syrupy sweetness also doesn’t help the drinkability. This is a solid stout, but not my usual style. 

My Rating: B+/3.85

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/20445

Bison: Organic IPA (American IPA) 6.0%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This pours cloudy orange with decent head and some lacing. The smell is a little on the malty-sweet side, I usually like a little more citrus in IPA. There is a mild grassy almost metallic taste that is unusual. Maybe that has something to do with the organic nature. This is a decent beer that doesn’t really jump out at you. It’s a little sweet. I would prefer more bitterness.   


My Rating: B-/3.28
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/609/24093

Three Floyds: Alpha King Pale Ale (APA) 6.5%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pit glass

This pours cloudy amber and has nice fluffy head and good lacing. There are a lot of notable hops on the nose, surprising for a pale ale. The amount of malt is also outstanding, but not surprising once you've seen the dark color. This pale ale is delicious and crisp. There isn’t quite the hop presence that would be in an IPA, but the balance of strong bitterness and heavy malty sweetness packs a powerful yet sessionable flavor combo. The body is fairly heavy for a pale ale, but again, easy to drink. 

My Rating: A/4.5

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26/39 

Dark Horse: Crooked Tree IPA (American IPA) 6.0%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours cloudy orange/brown with some sediment. There is moderate head and lacing and the beer is pretty active. The nose is citrus and malt. Flavor is pretty fresh and mild, very minimal yeast detectable...but it does leave a little of that mucky aftertaste. Overall, its fairly sweet. The body is medium and drinkable.

My Rating: B/3.68

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1471/5385 

Sierra Nevada: Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale (American IPA) 6.7%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a tulip glass

This pours a really nice dark copper color and has a fluffy head with some larger bubble on top. The lacing is pretty nice, but this beer really isn’t all that thick and sticky…which adds to its appeal in my opinion. The nose definitely does not come on strong, but the taste isn’t a crazy hop bomb either. This is really more of a perfect balance of tart/bitter hops, crispness, and smooth malt rather than a crazy kick in the tongue. Don’t get this expecting some flav-o-ninja to captivate your senses. This is just a solid medium bodied IPA that isn’t all weird and spitty. Drink this beer and you will say, “This is good…the taste is a good taste.”

My Rating: A+/4.6

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/42533 

Bear Republic: Racer 5 IPA (American IPA) 7.0%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This pours a nice light brown/orange. The head is moderate with larger pebbles and acceptable retention; the lacing is good as well. The nose isn’t super strong, but the usual smells are there. I wouldn’t call this a hop bomb, but it has a fairly large hop presence, but then a smooth malt finish. This is a solid beer that has a great well-rounded taste and feel. My only criticism is that it seems a little heavy and slimy and I wish there was a little more distinction. Then again, not all beers need to taste like a grapefruit I suppose. 

My Rating: B+/3.9

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/610/2751

Anderson Valley: Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema (Cream Ale) 5.6%

Drank From: can, poured into a pint glass

This pours cloudy dark copper and has a very small amount of head with no retention or lacing. This is a very sweet beverage that barely tastes like a beer. It’s big boy’s cream soda. Although I don’t reach for one of these every time I’m craving a beer, I thoroughly enjoy this as something different and refreshing. The quality is top notch…medium smooth body and very drinkable. Again, not my first choice, but for the style this has to be an “A-”. 

My Rating: A-/4.08

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/193/23506

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company: X-114 IPA (American IPA) 6.2%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This is beer is very crafted and good, dare I say, almost too refined. The pour is a cloudy golden color with foamy head, good lacing, and moderate retention. The smell is pleasant hop/floral. The taste is dominated by bitter hops. Rather than a sweet malty complexity, there is a cereal graininess that adds a nice non-syrupy complexity. Again, the craft of this beer disallows any harsh imperfections that you might experience with a small time brewery. The body is medium and smooth, and the aftertaste is rounds out and is devoid of that “dirty” bitterness.   

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/8/46205

Great River: Roller Dam Red (Irish Red Ale) 5.4%

Drank From: growlers, poured into a pint glass

This pours dark amber and has underwhelming head/lacing/retention. There is a nice dark toasty malt flavor that finishes off pleasant and bready, I can even taste a sweet grain/almost corn flavor. There is no sourness that is sometimes seen in red ale. I enjoyed this representation of the style. The drinkability is great, and probably the highlight. 


My Rating: B+/3.88
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23052/60384

Great River: Organic Farmer Brown Ale 6.2%

Drank From: growler, poured into a pint glass

This pours almost black and seems a little under carbonated. The taste is slightly hollow, but drinkable. It is very dark and has a caramel smoky and slightly sweet flavor. I shared a growler of this and it just wears on you. It’s smokier and less sweet than most brown ales, but lacks in refinement.


My Rating: B-/3.38
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23052/70181

Peace Tree: Blonde Fatale (Belgian Strong Pale Ale) 8.5%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours golden and has a bitter yeasty flavor that is not too sweet. It is medium bodied and reminds me of a saison. I had one in between a pale ale tasting and an IPA tasting, not exactly the ideal format for over analyzing this beer, so I won’t. I do know that the body was pretty heavy and one was enough.


My Rating: B/3.73
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/21818/60168

21st Amendment: Brew Free! Or Die IPA (American IPA) 7.0%

Drank From: can, poured into a pint glass

This beer is fantastic. It pours dark peach and has great head and retention. The nose is pungent and hoppy. The mouth feel is a crisp medium body that keeps you coming back for more. The taste, however, is surprisingly complex. There is a very heavy maltiness, yet the bitter hops also seem almost dominant. It leaves you wondering which takes precedence. This beer is a little deeper and darker than the typical citrusy or floral IPA. It almost has a black liquorice flavor. This is a solid beer with a heavy malt presence.

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/735/20781

Left Hand: Sawtooth Ale (ESB) 5.3%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours copper and has a nice head with excellent retention. The smell is malty, but not overly strong. The taste has a lot more dark fruit flavors than I was expecting, but the body is light and sessionable. The complexity is there without the sticky sweetness. This beer is fantastically smooth and delicious. I could have a few of these when I’m not craving a hop punch.  

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/418/1543

New Belgium: Somersault (American Blonde Ale) 5.2%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours dark golden and has very active bubbles and fluffy head. This beer, like some other New Belgium beers, seems pretty earthy. This one is particularly herbal and bitter, and not that amazing. This tastes like a bad salad. OK, ok, it’s decent. I don’t usually prefer summer beers for these weed-like flavors, so shoot me. This is medium bodied and drinkable, but I don’t want another. 

My Rating: B-/3.35

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/68008

Southern Tier: IPA (American IPA) 6.9%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours light orange and is transparent with active bubbles. There is a decent amount of head, but the retention isn’t the best. The smell is very fragrant floral and citrus hops. The taste is very smooth and delicious with a good sweet and bitterness balance. This is not my new favorite IPA, but I was impressed with this beer the first time I had it. I have had it since, and it seemed a little bit lacking and possibly a little too sweet. I still say it's pretty good. 

My Rating: B+/3.98

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/9088

French Broad: 13 Rebels (ESB) 5.2%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass 

This beer poured copper and was average in appearance. It had a very bitter feeling throughout. As described by a friend also drinking this brew, it has the qualities that you crave in an IPA…minus the sweetness and syrup qualities. I really like this beer as a session choice. It was an easy to drink medium bodied bitter beer that provoked continuous sipping. It is a great beer, and great for the style.          


My Rating: B+/4.0
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2455/17559