Choklat Oranj Stout

Wonderful chocolate aroma and flavor. Smooth silky stout crosses the lips and bathes the tongue. But where is the orange flavor I wonder, as a swallow. Then like the foam of a crashing wave this wonderful, subtle little orange flavor fizzes up all around the edges of my tongue. Wow, that is pretty cool! And each sip goes the same way: rich chocolate stout followed by that sparking orange goodbye. This brewer just found a perfect, unexpected way to improve on their already ridiculously good chocolate stout. MB

22oz bottle, 10% ABV
Southern Tier Brewing Company
Lakewood, NY
purchased at Kenwood

Greatful Dead American Beauty Imperial Pale Ale

I'm excited that I now have a mug that can hold all but the last swill of the champagne-size bottle! And new Dogfish varieties are also very exciting! Great smoothness with a (believe this!) very pleasant (desirable, even) sweet finish. Most sweet finishes are bad, but the combination of honey and granola, I guess, give this an amazingly unique flavor. Time and time again, I have to cheer, DFH pulls of weird, making it taste amazing. Hands down, there is just not a better brewery out there. Consistently amazing, this truly deserves the designation MB.

25.4 oz bottle, 9% ABV
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Inc
Milton, DE
purchased at Kenwood

19th Anniversary Thunderstruck IPA

A straight up solidly boring but just damn good IPA. Hides well that it's a double. Nothing needs to be said, just good and easy to drink. ID

22oz bottle, 8.7% ABV
Stone Brewing Company
Escondido, San Diego County, CA
purchased at Kenwood

Strawgator Strawberry Doppelbock

I expected the "doppelbock" to be darker. This is very thin and light with a very soft light strawberry flavor. The strawberries don't overwhelm, the are subtle but obviously there. This is pretty neat for a fruit beer. MB

22oz bottle, 8% ABV
Abita Brewing Company, LLC
Anita Springs, LA
purchased at Kenwood

Equinox Pale Oat Ale

This has an unpleasant aroma. But it is big on bitterness, smooth, and launches a little firework of sweetness on the swallow. Fine enough, but the smell just bothers me, so I definitely served it in the wrong glass. I've gotta call this a rare miss for this brewer, cause they just always seem to it my strike zone. But this is a ball. ID

22oz bottle, 50 IBU, 8% ABV
The Lagunitas Brewing Company
Petaluma, CA and Chicago, IL
purchased at Kenwood