B-Craft Black Double IPA

Wonderfully dark, sweet, and hoppy! Only feels like an IPA at the finish. Otherwise a dark broody, full ale. A great brew, but I can't call it an IPA. Maybe I am just not used enough to this genre to judge, don't know that I've had a double dark, but this is a nice specimen. Just not sure the IPA conquers the dark. But maybe it shouldn't! Good all around. ID

12oz bottle, 8.5% ABV
Arcadia Brewing Company
Battle Creek, MI
purchased at Kenwood

Suede Imperial Porter

Another 3-way collaboration beer from Stone. These guys never seem to get it wrong, and with some help, this should be one badass brew!  Dark and roasty, but a bit on the lighter side, so this is legitly a porter, not a stout. Not sure I taste the flowers and spices, but then again I've never heard of "calendula" so I have no idea what it would taste like. But this is just liquid smoothness to the core. Such a great mouth feel with dark flavors, masking a level of booze not to be believed. This is just heaven! Great taste and feel, with a knockout punch. Sometimes I think these brewers are brewing just to me. I feel like a weirdo most days, but apparently I'm a demographic! I need to meet the other folks drinking these beers, cause we would have some great ole times together! MB

22oz bottle, 9.6% ABV
Stone, 10 Barrel, and Bluejacket Brewing Companies
Escondido, San Diego County, CA (and other parts I need to research!)
purchased at Kenwood

DevESTATEtion Black IPA

Alright, enough with the wax sealed bottles my brewers. Yes your fancy but I cut my finger trying just to open this. But this is black, silky, bitter loveliness! Tastes very light; don't let the color fool you! So light, this must not be packing much bite. And that's because the brewer/farmer lost their barley crop. But the hop crop came in, so hail to an extra hoppy, if not so boozy, creation. Right up my alley. A touch roasty, then all out IPA. After being weirded out at this style awhile back, I am very happy that the black IPA thing has caught on! ID

25.4oz bottle, 6.7% ABV
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, CA
purchased at Kenwood

Frosted Frog Christmas Ale

Celebrating getting most of my Christmas shopping done today with a glass of good cheer! A brown sort of ale with lots of spices dominating. A lot like the last ale I rated. Like drinking a cinnamon gingerbread cookie. A nice little warm up. ID

22oz bottle, 12 IBU, 8.6% ABV
Hoppin' Frog Brewing Company
Akron, OH
purchased at Kenwood

Merry Maker Gingerbread Stout

Looking for some inspiration to decorate for Christmas tomorrow. This sounds like a nice flavored treat. Certainly smells like a gingerbread cookie. And that flavor permeates. I was hoping a little more of the burnt stout flavor would come through. Neat idea, but I'm looking for something a little more authentic. But the big booze is certainly gonna peak my evening. ID

22oz bottle, 9% ABV
The Boston Beer Company
Boston, MA, Cincinnati, OH, Breingsville, PA
purchased at Kenwood

Enjoy By 12.13.13 IPA

Whoa, almost blew it on this one: she's fixing to expire in minutes, LOL! Another freshie, and I like these. My nose is a bit stuffed after a sneezing fit, but I can still smell and taste the bouquet of hops here. A nice easy drinking, hop flavorful IPA. Ah, life's good! But it is snowing here, which makes me wonder once again, why am I living in the Midwest when I could live in California?! Stone is there. Lagunitas is there. Weed is legal there if I have insomnia or a stubbed toe! And no snow. Ah, maybe by 12-14-14 I could be living the good life. Come on girlfriend, major in marine biology and be my sugar momma so I can live in paradise, cause my career won't fly there anymore as a state employee. Well at least good beer travels to me, if I can't live by it. I'll always have my dreams. MB but it'll be stale before you read this, my friend!

22oz bottle, 9.4% ABV
The Stone Brewing Company
Escondido, San Diego County, CA
purchased at Kenwood

Swiss Style Amber

A bit sweet, as ambers are. But this is hopped well and tastes quite good. I'm not often in the mood for a beer of this style, but when it's time for a change, this beats out mass produced alternatives. ID

11.16oz bottle, 5.5% ABV
Minhas Craft Brewery
Monroe, WI
purchased at Kenwood

The Hairy Eyeball Ale

I have no idea even what kind of beer this is, but I have learned that I can always trust Lagunitas to pitch to my wheelhouse. Tastes kind of like a bock, but with a creamier ale finish. It is slightly sweet, but so, so slightly so that I dig it. The bitterness is muted, as almost all of it is needed to balance the heavy gravity of this beer. So easy to drink, even though it's packing big booze. Another hit. And I love the little story on the label! It is supposed to hit -20 tonight if you factor in the wind chill, so I'm counting on this brew to keep me warm. MB

22oz bottle, 56.66 IBU, 9.4% ABV
The Lagunitas Brewing Company
Petaluma, CA
purchased at Kenwood

Brothers' Reserve Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout '13

Not liking the smell is raspberries and stout together, but hoping it tastes better. It does. Very dark roast stout. Bitter and burnt. Ahh, just how I love it! But as for raspberries, I taste only the tiniest hint at first sip. The label says, "brewed with raspberries with raspberries added" which had me expecting raspberries to come out and slap me in the face! That experimental DFH did that, and I absolutely loved it. You could taste, simultaneously and yet separately, stout, berries, mint. It was pure fucking genius. I could never find that one again (waitress said people either loved or hated it) and I so want that experience again. I hoped this would put me near there, but this disappoints. ID

22oz wax-sealed bottle, 9.3% ABV
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
Portland, OR
purchased at Kenwood

Fighting Billy Bock

My second dip into this deal of a sampler. Slightly sweet, well a little more than slightly. Not bad at all. I hoped for a little more roast flavor to counter the sweetness, but this is alright. ID

11.16oz bottle, 5.5% ABV
Minhas Craft Brewery
Monroe, WI
purchased at Kenwood

1845 Pils

A great deal I scored on a sampler of 4 craft brews: 8 bottles for $4! This is very nice. Solid grain flavor with no adjuncts. Smooth and tasty. Not my normal beer style, but this is a great beery beer. Like an Urquel only cheaper! If the other flavors are as good as this, I might need to make an investment and clear out Kenwood's stock of these nifty little packs. ID

11.16oz bottle (WTF?!), 5.5% ABV
Minhas Craft Brewery
Monroe, WI
purchased at Kenwood

Coconut Curry Hefeweizen

Alright, this should be a weird one. Sounds like  Thai entree rather than a beer. Kind of smells bad. But this is smooth. The curry is very pronounced, but blends well. And it does remind me of the sauce on spicy Thai dishes I used to get at the Chee Peng restaurant back home. But still kinda weird for a beer. This walks a fine line. Is it good? Funky? Bad? Kind of all of that at once. Kudos for trying something this weird. I kinda like it. ID

22oz bottle, 8% ABV
New Belgium Brewing
Fort Collins, CO
purchased at Kenwood