Day 144: Old World India Pale Ale

Name: Old World India Pale Ale

Brewer: BrewDog (Fraserburgh, Scotland)

Classification: English India Pale Ale

Alcohol: 7.5%

Thoughts: It wasn't until I read the back of the bottle that I realized that this beer is from the crazy guys at BrewDog. These Scottish beer rebels make insane beers and do insane things. Well, this isn't really an insane idea for once. The decided to make some beers in the style of the Old World. This is one of those. This Old World India Pale Ale pours a dark brown-auburn color that lays beneath a perfectly even and balanced head. The smell is vibrant with notes of biscuit, toffee and cinnamon. Then I took a few sips and something didn't seem right. It was bitter and harsh with notes of malts, coffee and a subtle sweetness that didn't do a whole to enhance this beer. This is a very traditional beer with very traditional ingredients. It is a good beer, but I must admit that beer is like wine, it gets better with age. 

Rating: 83/100

Day 143: Red Oak

Name: Red Oak

Brewer: Red Oak Brewery (Whitsett, NC) 

Classification: Amber Ale

Alcohol: 5%

Thoughts: Red Oak is pretty big in North Carolina from my observations. They have this awesome brewery along I-40 in Whitsett which is midway between The Triangle and Greensboro. I pass it every time I head to the western part of the state. So I thought it was time to saddle up this pony and see what the big fuss was about. This brew does pour an angelic amber color that tended to point more towards red than brown. The head was highly carbonated and a pure white. But that is about where my notion of this being a great beer ended. The aroma is completely malty and musty with little to no hops present. I expect and want a little bit of sweetness in the nose, but got none. The flavor is a nutty, not my type of nutty, with another blast of malt to follow it. This time there is a bit of sweetness in the malt, but still not enough. The finish is dry and smooth which allows the aftertaste to be slightly pleasant. For the most part, I am confused by this beer. It has potential and is well-liked, but for me it is nothing special. 

Rating: 79/100

Day 142: CBC Pale Ale

Name: CBC Pale Ale

Brewer: Carolina Brewing Co. (Holly Springs, NC)

Classification: American Pale Ale

Alcohol: 5.6%

Thoughts: The last time I had CBC's Pale Ale was about two years ago and I wound up in the hospital with Gastroenteritis. I don't think it actually had anything to do with the beer, but nevertheless it brought up memories of puking my guts out every time I thought about ordering it. Well, it came time to select it and review it for the sake of The Beer Year. This APA pours a dark gold with a thinning head that completely disappears by the time you are halfway done with it. The hops are piney which pinch at the nostrils and the malts are bready and slightly pale. There is also a bit of fruitiness mixed in the aroma. The taste of this beer is pretty simple. It taste just like it smells. It is not overly suggestive, but it maintains a solidarity that is enjoyable on the palate. I do enjoy this brew even though I do not think it is the greatest in the world. It seems to keep my attention just top enough to want more of it.  

Rating: 80/100

Day 141: Pinstripe Red Ale

Name: Pinstripe Red Ale

Brewer: Ska Brewing Co. (Durango, CO)

Classification: Red Ale

Alcohol: 5.15%

Thoughts: I have been holding off on this one. I don't know why but a lot of the beers that stand out to me are Amber/Red Ales. So I held back on selecting Pinstripe because there were so many others out there. I really expected this to be a great beer because it was highly rated by both Draft and BeerAdvocate. However I had issues with it. First off this "Red Ale" poured an orangey-gold color with an abbreviated head. It looks good, but it doesn't look like a amber/red ale to me. It doesn't smell like one either. The aroma is missing the caramel and floral intensity I usually get with these types of beers. These things aren't absent, just dull. The flavor was also slightly dull with an unwanted skunkiness to boot. This beer actually got better as it warmed and I was able to get some sweet malts and florally hops. I would recommend this for a try, but you won't se me buying a 6-pack of this anytime soon. 

Rating: 77/100

Day 140: Jamaica Sunset IPA

Name: Jamaica Sunset IPA

Brewer: Mad River Brewing Company (Blue Lake, CA)

Classification: American IPA

Alcohol: 7%

Thoughts: I am behind on my blogging but not behind on my drinking. I had this a couple days ago, but it is still in my mind. Here's why. This unfiltered American IPA poured a dirty blonde with a bursting white head that rises out of the top of the glass. The barrage of grapefruit, must, yeast and floral hops manages to incense the nostrils and excite the mind. The feel of this beer is smooth, clean and refreshing. There is a surge of sweet, fruity flavors followed by a spicy alcohol dosage and a hint of pale malts. There is also an obvious bitterness to this beer. I really enjoyed this IPA and think that it might be a little under rated because I found little evidence that people agreed with me. I know if I enjoy an IPA this much it must be good, because I am still finding my inner-IPA lover. 

Rating: 87/100

Day 139: Saison Voisin

Name: Saison Voisin

Brewer: Brasserie Des Geants (Ath, Belgium)

Classification: Saison

Alcohol: 5%

Thoughts: Some of my cousins brought this along to our day after Thanksgiving get together. It poured a hazy dark brown with tons of carbonation and a sticky beige head. The nose is earthy, dank, fairly malty and a touch of caramel can be sensed. As for the taste, a harsh bitterness is noted initially. This is followed by strong caramel malts. Not something I would expect to find in my saisons. The hops provide some spiciness and a little skunky flavor. The beer really lacks the typical saison yeast character. Minimal phenols and esters are noted. Really not very exciting mixed with some harsh bitterness and too much caramel for the style. Really not a great beer. I wouldn't call it undrinkable or bad, but average to below average. 

Rating: 76/100

Day 138: Maple Wheat (Homebrew)

Name: Maple Wheat

Brewer: Chris & Meghan

Classification: Witbier, Maybe?

Alcohol: ?

Thoughts: This was the second offering from Chris and Meghan's homebrew offerings. I am not really sure what classification of beer it was, but it looked like a witbier. It had the cloudiness of a wheat beer, but with a darker tint to it. The aroma was very smokey for some reason. Matter of fact, it was so smokey that it was the only thing I could recognize in the smell. I wasn't sure what to expect out of the taste as this was a smokey wheat beer that I know was brewed with maple. Well, this didn't work out. There was amazingly no smoke in the flavor. There was plenty of syrup, alcohol and sweetness to go around. It wasn't all that good. Luckily Meghan agreed and had admitted it wasn't there best. Better luck next time. 

Rating: 68/100

Day 137: Serrano Nevada (Homebrew)

Name: Serrano Nevada

Brewer: Chris & Meghan

Classification: American Pale Ale

Alcohol: ?

Thoughts: My cousin Meghan and her fiance, Chris, are beer enthusiasts like myself and have been doing some homebrewing. I got a chance to try a couple samples of what they have brewed lately when we were together for Thanksgiving festivities. The first one is a pale ale recipe similar to that of Sierra Nevada, but brewed with some serrano pepper. They cleverly named it Serrano Nevada. I didn't really pour enough to get a good look at the body of this beer, but as you can tell from the picture there was a large tan head with plenty of carbonation. The aroma had a deep citrus scent, some biscuity malts and of course some earthiness from the serrano pepper. I was expecting the pepper to be overbearing or at least the most prevalent note in the arrangement. It was actually quite reserved and more of an added bonus than a feature. The flavor has a great hoppy bite with a little bit of sweetness from both the malts and the pepper. The thing the pepper added the most of was the lingering spicy heat. It was simply great. This was such a brilliant idea and even the name is awesome.  I am not just saying this because they are my cousins, I could really see this being perfected and bottled for sale. When I eventually start my brewery I will be calling for this recipe.  

Rating: 85/100

Day 136: Erdinger Weissbier

Name: Erdinger Weissbier 

Brewer: Erdinger Weissbrau (Erding, Germany)

Classification: Hefeweizen

Alcohol: 5.6%

Thoughts: I had my first beer when I was 18, but I was in Ireland so I was of legal drinking age. I really had no clue what to order at the pub, but what I did order was a beer called Erdinger. This is that same beer. It has been my favorite beer ever since that night in Ireland and I every time I have had it since. This hefeweizen pours a radiant golden wheat color, full of sediment and with a big, soft white head. The smell is a perfect amount of sweetness with undertones of banana and clove with fresh yeast notes. The aroma is a bit musty, but in a way that is intriguing rather than off-putting. On first taste there is an initial burst of sweet malts and spicy yeast. The follow up of fruitiness and bitterness creates a sense of excitement on the palate. There is a lot of stuff happening in this beer, especially for a hefeweizen. I was able to drink this beer in a German restaurant surrounded by my family while visiting in New York. Honestly, I couldn't have picked out a better beer for the moment myself. 

Rating: 88/100

Day 135: Black Orchard

Name: Black Orchard

Brewer: The Bruery (Placentia, CA)

Classification: Belgian Dark Ale

Alcohol: 5.7%

Thoughts: Here we have a Belgian Dark Ale from in the infamous The Breuery. Black Orchard is an unfiltered, bottle conditioned Belgian-style black wheat beer, or “black wit”, if you will. It is a very elusive style of beer and I was not going to miss up the only opportunity I have had to try it. This monster of a brew poured out an almost pitch black with a thick foamy beige head. The aroma was even bigger than the head. Is was filled with peppercorn, sweet malts, plums and maybe some citrus. The taste was even bigger than the smell which was already bigger than the look of this black beast. The dry malty flavor mixed with the citrus, plum fruitiness, and a touch of oatmeal. The finish was moist, alcoholic and slightly bitter. It was an extremely grand taste that I know there is more in there some where. It is a lot to handle, but I really do recommend this beer to experienced drinkers. 

Rating: 86/100

Day 134: Tripel 7 Belgian Style Ale

Name: Tripel 7 Belgian Style Ale

Brewer: Scuttlebutt Brewing Co. (Everett, WA)

Classification: Tripel

Alcohol: 9%

Thoughts: Again, no good story hear other than the fact that Scuttlebutt is an awesome name for a brewery. It pours a hazy orange amber, white fluffy head and decent retention. This brew has a yeasty and very lightly sweet aroma. It  is pleasant but subtle and not to complex. The taste is filled with sweet fruit, light cherry and has a light bready finish. A nice easy flavor but very one-dimensional and very light. This really isn't a very easy-drinking beer. There’s no real flavor just high ABV and a bready sweet beer. This beer doesn't really serve a purpose in my mind. It is hindered by too many issues and has a lot of work to do before it can be considered otherwise. 

Rating: 73/100

Day 133: Avery India Pale Ale

Name: India Pale Ale

Brewer: Avery Brewing Co. (Boulder, CO)

Classification: IPA

Alcohol: 6.5%

Thoughts: Avery Brewing is back on the blog but if you don't remember them they are one of the best breweries in the country and they are located in none other than the Craft Beer Capital of the US, Colorado. This in there IPA offering named simply India Pale Ale. It pours a hazy light golden body with a bright white head with excellent retention that leaves one of the most thorough lacing patterns I've ever seen. The nose has a grassy, floral, green-tea like hoppy smell to it. Taste-wise, orange and lemon peel come through loud and clear on the front palate. Sweeter malt flavors like caramel apple hold the middle before piny flavors define the finish. For me personally, this beer manages to be simultaneously assertive yet easy and pleasurable to drink all on its own.

Rating: 86/100

Day 132: Hell's Belle

Name: Hell's Belle

Brewer: Big Boss Brewing Co. (Raleigh, NC)

Classification: Belgian Pale Ale

Alcohol: 7%

Thoughts: The Beer Year is getting a double dose of Big Boss this month with Hell's Belle getting a taste test this time. If you missed it Bad Penny was up earlier in November. The reason I have another Big Boss brew on tap was because a co-worker bought me a 6-pack of it for my birthday this past Monday, and I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to use a free beer for a blog post. This version of a Belgian Pale Ale pours a gorgeous hazy orangey-gold color with a crisp white head that settled nicely upon pouring it into my awesome Big Boss pint glass. The aroma is mediocre and should be stronger because that's Belgian beer is about, strong smell and bold flavors. You can smell the banana esters and faint spice if you stick your nose in the glass. In the taste of Hell's Belle you get a little more of what you expect with a Belgian brew. There is a decent amount of spice from the Belgian yeast, a subtle sweetness from the malts, and a nice finishing dryness from the hops. This is a wonderful beer to introduce to somebody who may have a little trouble handling the boldness of stronger Belgian beers. Again, Big Boss with a good attempt at a tough style of brewing. 

Rating: 84/100

Day 131: Monk In The Trunk

Name: Monk In The Trunk

Brewer: Inlet Brewing Co. (Jupiter, FL)

Classification: Amber Ale

Alcohol: 5.5%

Thoughts: I will go ahead and say I bought this beer on the simple fact that the name is awesome! I think that is a good enough reason to by anything. Probably not good logic, but we are going to move past that and do a review. This Amber Ale pours a sufficient copper color with a small soft head resting on top. The nose was mellow with hints of the standard caramel, toasted malts and barley. It was pretty fresh and so was the flavor. This is probably due to it being an organic beer. The taste had more hints of caramel, a little toffee and some fruity sweetness. This was different to me as the sweetness in an Amber Ale usually comes from the caramel, but this sweetness was flowery and clearly from some added fruit. Which fruit? I couldn't really put my finger on it. This was the first organic beer that I have had where I see the advantage of it. Other organic brews I have had have been slightly dull in flavor, but this was more full and obviously very clean. Overall this is a good beer. Not great, but solid enough to get my recommendation.

Rating: 83/100

Day 130: Uinta HooDoo

Name: HooDoo

Brewer: Uinta Brewing Co. (Salt Lake City, UT)

Classification: Kolsch

Alcohol: 4%

Thoughts: You know when you have never heard of something and then all of a sudden you see it everywhere? Well, that is what happened with Uinta Brewing Company. I don't know if they went through a re-branding or started a new advertising campaign, but I have seen their beer everywhere. I have finally decided I was going to smell a little bit of what they got cooking. I chose to start off with their Kolsch, HooDoo. It poured a decent shade of yellowish-gold and was as clear as day, which is what Kolschs are supposed to look like.The aroma is light and fun with flowery notes and sweet malts floating out of the glass. The taste is pretty easy to read. it has the usual sweetness and biscuity malts that you expect in a Kolsch. I also noticed this beer had a silky smooth feel combined with a great carbonation level that accentuates the drinkability of HooDoo. This was a good first experience with Uinta, so don't be surprised if you see a few other Uinta brews on The Beer Year.

Rating: 82/100

Day 129: Movember Mustache Ale

Name: Movember Mustache Ale

Brewer: Bull City Burger & Brewery (Durham, NC)

Classification: Amber Ale

Alcohol: ?

Thoughts: For those of you who do not know Movember is a foundation that raises awareness for Prostate Cancer through the growing of epically manly mustaches during the month of November. This works out well for people like myself who partake in NoShavember.  A portion of every sale of Movember Mustache ale goes to the Durham Movember Team. A couldn't help but get this one. As you can see in the picture my wife is trying to make a mustache out of the thinning beige head that floats atop this reddish-auburn colored ale. The smell was hop heavy with slight hints of caramel and some earthy barley was mixed in as well. It was extremely fresh, which can make all the difference. The look and smell culminated into an almost divine Amber Ale taste with the balance of a gymnast. It was so clean and drinkable I had another one right after I finished the first. This is the second time I have been to Bull City and the second time I have had an unbelievably great beer. Again if you are ever in the Durham area check this place out!

Rating: 88/100

Day 128: Triangle Belgian Golden Ale

Name: Triangle Belgian Golden Ale

Brewer: Triangle Brewing Company (Durham, NC)

Classification: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Alcohol: 8%

Thoughts: Went out for a nice Sunday lunch in downtown Durham and I was in the mood for something local. I chose Triangle Brewery's Golden Ale. It pours a slightly hazy golden orange color. And by slightly hazy I mean just enough to note, the beer is almost a clear orange. The head starts as 2 and half finger, fluffy, off white foamy cap and quickly settles to a half finger cap. It eventually ends up as a thin white ring around the glass. The nose is decent. There is a ton of Belgian yeast character and a good dose of spice and pepper. There is also a fruity aroma picked up along with some sweetness but neither stands out as anything spectacular. The taste is surprisingly sweet when compared to the nose. The yeast and fruity characters are present again but they aren't as strong as in the nose. There is a sugary aspect to the taste as well. A slight tangy note is picked up towards the end before a dry finish. This is a sophisticated beer, but may have a little too much going on in the taste. Nothing is able to stand above anything else and say "This is my beer, so back off and enjoy the show!" It is that close to being a great beer.

Rating: 85/100

Day 127: Claymore Scotch Ale

Name: Claymore Scotch Ale

Brewer: Great Divide Brewing (Denver, CO)

Classification: Scotch Ale

Alcohol: 7.7%

Thoughts: I read a lot about what beers are good, which ones I should try and which ones I should avoid. Great Divide seems to have a lot of popular beers in the craft brew world. One of these is Claymore Scotch Ale. It pours a dark brown hue with a 2-finger tan head that quickly dissipates leaving a small wispy lace. The porter like aroma is chalk full of toasted malts, barley and chocolaty notes. The taste is a new one to me. It hits you over the head with all the malt you could ever want. There are some decent dark fruit flavors and a dark cherry overtone, and a fantastic sweet, alcoholic chocolate finish. This is the first full bodied ale I have had in a while, and luckily I had it on a nice cold evening cause it really warms the body. I feel like a true Scotsman would drink whiskey, but if he liked beer he would be proud to drink this one.  

Rating: 87/100

Day 126: Fullsteam Southern Lager

Name: Fullsteam Southern Lager

Brewer: Fullsteam Brewery (Durham, NC)

Classification: California Common/Steam Beer

Alcohol: 5.5%

Thoughts: My Birthday is on Monday, and my friends and I went out in downtown Durham to celebrate. We eventually ended up at Fullsteam's Tavern and it was my first time being there. I even tweeted about it and quickly got a response from Fullsteam making fun of me for being a beer lover in Durham and just now making it to the brewery. I certainly agree with them. What took me so long? This place was amazing! We played ping-pong, foosball, pinball and of course drank some good beer. I chose to go with their flagship beer, the Fullsteam. This California Common poured a rich ruby color with a substantial and creamy head. If you recall I was not a huge fan of Anchor Steam's version of this and I have had Sierra Nevada's version as well, which I wasn't fond of. However, for some reason I absolutely love Fullsteam's version. I read another review of all three of these brews and it noted that Fullsteam's seems to have more fermentation character from the yeast. This yields a great banana bread smell with an addition of caramel and woody malts. In the taste the malts are definitely carrying the vocals on this beer, but the hops are darn good backup singers in the beer band. There is a hint of sweetness from the malts and a hint of zest from the yeast. The body is solid and the feel is smooth and clean. This is another brilliant beer from the guys at Fullsteam. 

Rating: 87/100

Day 125: Headwaters Pale Ale

Name: Headwaters Pale Ale

Brewery: Victory Brewing Co. (Downington, PA)

Classification: American Pale Ale

Alcohol: 5.1%

Thoughts: No special story here, I'm just going to get into the review. It pours a pale amber with a good foamy white head and a bit of lace. The nose has some nice grapefruit coming forward with lightly toasted malt and a touch of fruit. The taste has grainy malt and citric hops on the front end of the palate. It is balanced nicely as to not have too many malts or too few hops. There is more fruity sweetness and a little tartness in the middle of the palate. Bitterness and malts come back into play along with hops and bready malts leading the charge ton the back end. It is a pretty strong flavor and I don't mean that to be a good thing. It makes it less drinkable and it wasn't as enjoyable as other APAs. 

Rating: 79/100

Day 124: Mama's Little Yella Pils

Name: Mama's Little Yella Pils

Brewer: Oskar Blues Brewery (Lyons, Colorado)

Classification: Czech Pilsner

Alcohol: 5.3%

Thoughts: As you can see in the picture this beer is in a can. Weird, I know! Oskar Blues Brewery is known for canning their beers and I am not even sure if they sell beer in bottled form. I am used to having beer in a can if it is shitty beer being drunk at a party or tailgate, but not a craft beer. This is a new experience to me. Let's see if it CAN measure up.  I also decided to not pour this beer into a glass and instead just drink it out of the can. So I have no clue what it looks like, but being a pilsner I can assume is was probably a clear golden color. The aroma of this brew was very earthy with hints of grass and what I would say was a flowery perfume. The taste of this beer was a bit metallic at first, probably from the can but more importantly it had a good malty character. In addition I was able to get a hoppy bite, some sweetness and an enjoyable finish. It's a pretty basic pilsner, but far and away the best beer I have had from a can. I will be having more of Oskar Blue's offerings in the future based on this tasting. 

Rating: 81/100

Day 123: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

Name: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

Brewer: Brauerei Schlenkerla (Bamburg, Germany)

Classification: Rauchbier 

Alcohol: 5.4%

Thoughts: I felt like I had really been getting repetitive with some of the styles of beer I was choosing. So when I was choosing the beer for today I chose something so random and crazy I didn't understand what I was getting in to. What I picked out was this Rauchbier and I had no clue what Rauchbier was. It pours a dark molasses brown with a great big tan head that preserves itself throughout the drinking experience. The most obvious smell was smoke, a jerk-like smoke. Yes, smoke! It's honestly the only smell I could get. It so happens that a Rauchbier is a beer that has been smoked. It's all starting to make sense. The taste is dominated again by the smoke, but there is little to no alcoholic flavor. It is slightly bitter and just a bit sweet. This beer is a tough one to drink and you need to have a real sense of adventure to try it. It is unusual and not enjoyable to me. But if it is your thing to drink a smoke flavored beer, be my guest.

Rating: 70/100

Day 122: Southern Pale Ale

Name: Southern Pale Ale

Brewer: Natty Greene's Brewing Co. (Greensboro, NC)

Classification: American Pale Ale

Alcohol: 5.3%

Thoughts: Of all things Holy and Sacred to me the most important of these (other than my Wife) is my undying love for The Pixies. They are my favorite band and I joyfully worship the ground they walk on. I have been trying to see them live since they reunited about 5 or 6 years ago and they were playing in Greensboro tonight. I wasn't going to miss this for the world so of course I went. I decided to show up in Greensboro early to grab a brew and some food. And since I was in Greensboro I thought I would get some Natty Greene's brew. I settled on their Southern Pale Ale, probably because it was on special, but also because I think this is their best beer. This APA poured a hazy orange with golden highlights and a frothy off-white head. The nose on this beer was mostly caramel malts, but there was also a little bit of steeped tea and pine. After the first couple of sips I could tell the difference in quality this beer has over their other brews. It has a wonderful full feel and grittiness about it. The taste is swamped with dry biscuity malts, a pale citrus essence and a humble bitterness that makes this beer feel settling and desirable. It is a really good drink wit a certain sophistication about it. It was a great brew to start the night off right. 

Rating: 86/100

Day 121: Bohemia

Name: Bohemia

Brewer: Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma (Monterrey, Mexico)

Classification: American Adjunct Lager

Alcohol: 4.8%

Thoughts: I got an email last week from Bohemia's PR firm and they were sending out samples for people to try and discuss on blogs, reviews and other sources of media. Well I jumped at the opportunity to get some samples and this is the resulting review. Bohemia poured a pale, lucid gold with a clean white head that struggled to grow as I poured it. The aroma was faint, but grassy notes and fruity hops were present in my nose. So far it smelled and looked like most Mexican beers that I have had and I thought this review would be mundane and repetitive. However, the taste of this beer, which is completely unsupported by the look and smell, turned it around. It starts with a sharp crispness from the hops and transitions nicely into a sweet graininess from the malts. The finish is florally, full and just delightful. This just may be the best pale Mexican beer I have had. There are a lot of adjunct lagers, but they seem to have made it their own. I recommend this over Corona or Landshark, and with some more tasting it could probably take over Modelo. There is a picture of what the sent me on the Beer Me page. 

Rating: 85/100

Day 120: A Little Sumpin' Wild Ale

Name: A Little Sumpin' Wild Ale

Brewer: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)

Classification: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Alcohol: 8.9%

Sidenote: It is Day 120, which means I am 4 months (roughly 1/3) through my quest. I still have 8 months to go. My liver is doing well, and my thirst for beer has grown immensely. I realize that even after the year is over I still have so much to learn. 

Thoughts: It was pint night at Tyler's last night and Lagunitas was the Brewer of the Day. This meant if you got a Lagunitas brew you got to keep the cool pint glass. You can see the one I got above. If you can't make out the picture it is the dog on all their bottles. I kind of liked the glass, but I really liked the beer. This Belgian Strong Pale Ale poured a luscious foggy gold with a bright white head that stuck in my sketchy moustache after the first sip. The nose is massive and oozes all types of fruit, spices and some dank Belgian yeast. It was delightful yet packed a punch. It reminded me of other stronger Belgian styles, like Trippels or even a Quad. But the smell is not even the best part. The taste is like punching your most ferocious enemy in the face and then he runs away crying for his "Momma". It is that satisfying. The yeast again is the standout, but it is backed up by zesty orange peel, sweet grapefuit, sharp pepper and coriander, and a smooth alcoholic finish. I found this beer to be electrifying, big in flavor, and simply enjoyable. There is a lot to discover with A Little Sumpin' Wild. 

Rating: 91/100

Day 119: El Toro Cream Ale

Name: El Toro Cream Ale

Brewer: Fullsteam Brewery (Durham, NC)

Classification: Cream Ale

Alcohol: 5.5%

Thoughts: My brother, wife and I all have birthdays around the same time so we all went out to Angus Barn for a glorious dinner and some drinks. There were some great local brews on tap, but this was the only one I had not had. Also, I forgot my camera so I don't have a picture. It was served in a big frosty mug and it looked a common gold with a similarly common white head. It reminded me of a German pilsner. This is the only beer of this style that I have ever had so I had no idea what to expect out of the aroma and taste. They were both very close to each other in how I would describe them. They both had a wheat/bread note, a small amount of spice and a fruity twist. This was a very clean beer, not too complex but different enough to get me excited. Fullsteam keeps up their excellent pedigree with another solid brew. 

Rating: 84/100

Day 118: Peroni Nastro Azzuro

Name: Peroni Nastro Azzuro

Brewer: Birra Peroni (Rome, Italy)

Classification: Euro Pale Lager

Alcohol: 5.1%

Thoughts: I was at an Italian restaurant for dinner and I was in the mood for some European beer. Sometimes the mood just strikes me to do that even though I know there are better options available to me. This my friends is a good sign. I have yet to become a "Beer Snob". I am still just a good ol' "Beer Lover". If I was only drinking craft beer that was brewed in a shed deep in the woods of Maine with ingredients so rare most beer drinkers have never heard of them, then I would say that I have lost the fun in beer. It would also make me a hipster. Anyways, the Peroni poured a glimmering pale gold with a thin, tasteless head. The aroma was very generic, but likable. It reminds me of the salt-less bread that you get at a restaurant in Italy. The taste is also Euro Pale Lager simple. It tastes like every other beer that is this style, whether it is Estrella Damm, Harp, or Stella Artois. These are enjoyable beers, but nothing complex or exciting about them. I love drinking these beers when the occasion calls for it, but on a quest for the best beer in the world they can easily be skipped. 

Rating: 75/100

Day 117: Devil's Tramping Ground

Name: Devil's Tramping Ground

Brewer: Aviator Brewing (Fuquay Varina, NC)

Classification: Tripel

Alcohol: 9.2%

Thoughts: I kind of wish that this Tripel had been served in a chalice fit for Satan himself instead of this pint glass that doesn't even match the beer that came in it. A Tripel deserves more respect than that. Despite that drawback it was a wonderful experience drinking this devilish delight. This unholy bastard of a drink poured a hazy golden yellow with a compacted white foamy head. Just the look of this got my senses aroused. The smell of this brew was clean with plenty of sweet and spicy malts to perk them up even more. I didn't expect the taste that I received. I thought it would be this balls-to-the-wall sacrilegious attempt at a Belgian specialty. Instead is was a refined, gracious attempt, just with a devious name. The sweet malts and Belgian yeast were paired nicely with the orange zest and coriander. It had a great warming effect as it went down my throat and into my belly. It also had a slight creamy texture that was very pleasant. What surprised me though was the fact that it did not taste like it was 9.2% alcohol by volume. This beer was easier to drink than a lot beers that have 4-5% alcohol. I recommend this for anybody who can: 1. Get their hands on it, and 2. Enjoys a sophisticated beer with great results. 

Rating: 85/100 

Day 116: Bad Penny

Name: Bad Penny

Brewer: Big Boss Brewing Co. (Raleigh, NC)

Classification: English Brown Ale

Alcohol: 5.5%

Thoughts: Before I start, let it be known I am not a Carolina Panthers fan. I like them, but not a fan. I am 100% and always will be a New York Giants fan. Just want that disclaimer out there before you see the picture above and think something else. However, I am a huge fan of Big Boss and this is their standard. Bad Penny is the best year-round beer they make and my top 2 or 3 favorite beer brewed in North Carolina. This English Brown Ale pours a bristling black with a light tan head. The nose is pretty classical with aromatic notes and hints of flavorful malts and toasted almonds. The taste is very manly and proud despite that fact that it is extremely easy to drink and you can easily have more than a couple at a time. There seems to be a cocoa/chocolatey thing going on and when combined with the sweetness and nuttiness from the malts it makes an overarching symbol of great craft brewing. The reason I like it so much is because I could have it the dead of winter and feel warm or in the heat of summer and feel refreshed. It is truly a year-round beer, plus it makes a lot of cents. Get it! 

Rating: 90/100

Day 115: Seeing Double DIPA

Name: Seeing Double DIPA

Brewer: Foothills Brewing Co. (Winston Salem, NC)

Classification: Imperial IPA

Alcohol: 9.5%

Thoughts: The wife and I tried a new bar tonight called City Beverage right here in Durham. When I arrived I was captivated by the great beer selection and reached for something a little different that what I would normally get at a bar. I came up with Foothills' Seeing Double DIPA (Double India Pale Ale). This Imperial IPA poured a rusty orange body with coppers and golds shining through the edges of the glass. The aroma was full of juicy citrus and caramel malts combined with pine notes and vivid hops. Up front the taste was robust, spicy and packed with notes of tea, candy, and hazelnut. The back end was full of more citrus and parsley. There was a lot happening in my mouth during the drinking experience. The alcohol was right on the cusp of being over-bearing but I could sip it pretty easily. It was an outrageous brew and I do not know if I could handle it again, but I do recommend it to anybody who likes Imperial IPAs.

Rating: 85/100