Distorter Porter

Described as a stout-ish porter with a touch of porter-ish stout. I'd agree. It has a light quality but with some spicy burnt flavors. Easy drinking, just a tiny bit sweet. ID

12oz bottle, 50 IBU, 7.2% ABV
Greenbush Brewing Company
Sawyer, MI
purchased at Jimmie Garant's Party Store

Hoppy Bock Lager

Generally bocks are dark beers, aren't they? Except Maibock which is orange in my experience. This has the sort of unique floral character I enjoy. Otherwise it is sort of dryish (though I just at some spicy chicken jerky which is messing up my palate) and very light and enjoyable to drink. Gonna go MB on this and would make it a home-bar staple if I hadn't purchased a single 22, 420 miles away! Look for it.

22oz bottle, 6.9% ABV
New Belgium Brewing
Fort Collins, CO
purchased at Jimmie Garant's Party Store

Brother Benjamin Imperial IPA with Honey

Bitter and kinda heavy. Some sweetness buried in there. I thought this was too sweet yesterday, but today it seems completely appropriate for the alcohol it is packing. ID

12oz bottle, 114 IBU, 10.1% ABV
Greenbush Brewing Company
Sawyer, MI
purchased at Jimmie Garant's Party Store

Citra Hops IPA

Nice bitter hop aroma. And very sharp, refreshing, bitter flavor. Not much for floral hop flavor, but this is just so perfectly refreshing, no thick lingering residue on the tongue, yet so bitter. MB for giving me "bitter beer face" which is : )

22oz bottle, 7% ABV
Hermitage Brewing Company
San Jose, CA
purchased at Kenwood

Un*Earthly Oak-Aged Imperial IPA

Love this brewer, and think I must have tried this (or a variant) while at their place last summer, but that was during Blogger/phone issues, so I wouldn't have rated it. Definitely wood smelling and a buttery wood flavor, with a slight wine quality. Some IPA flavor behind those flavors, but honestly this is not my bag. Oak aging may compliment some ales, but this has me feeling sorry for the British sailors who must have had their IPA aged this way on their travels. Give me a fresh IPA with dominating hops any day! ID

22oz bottle, 9.5% ABV
Southern Tier Brewing Company
Lakewood, NY
purchased at Kenwood

Hoptopia Double IPA

All bitterness, deliciously so. Bit of a grainy aroma, but this is simply a sharply bitter double IPA. ID

22oz bottle, 8% ABV
Hermitage Brewing Company
San Jose, CA
purchased at Kenwood

Tongue Buckler Imperial Red Ale

A big head again, is my fridge rockin'?! Anyway, big malt sweetness is the flavor. Yes, big hop bitterness to, and maybe a bit of hop flavor, but again a slightly alcoholic malt sweetness dominates for me. The bitterness is pronounced, so maybe I overstated the sweetness. On 4th sip, pretty well balanced and bitter for a red. Me likey! A pleasantly bitter brew. Let it breathe a bit to get that effect, I guess. MB cause I like bitter reds!

22oz bottle, 10% ABV, IBUs "off the scale" says the label
Ballast Point Brewing Company
San Diego, CA
purchased at Kenwood

Big Daddy IPA

Pretty good head on this one. Tastes grainy, a bit of bitterness that blossoms at the back of the throat, but grain wins out on the flavor profile, and it is a pleasant grain flavor. Bottle claims "huge hop flavor", but that just isn't true, compared to the kinda hop flavor I've found around! Anyway, it is more refreshing than many IPAs so it is deliciously easy drinking. Not bad at all, just maybe not what it was advertised to be. ID

22oz bottle, 6.5% ABV
Speakeasy Ales & Lagers
San Francisco, CA
purchased at Kenwood