Smashed Pumpkin Ale

A solidly decent tasting pumpkin ale with a big smash of booze! There's your stereotypical "pumpkin spice" flavor, a hint of warming sweetness, and substantial bitterness to make it all work. Also got this at the unbelievable price of $1.99 / 4pk, so I bought all they had. This is the second time I've found this brewer in the bargain bin, and it was better than average both times. Here's to getting smashed! ID+

12oz bottle, 9% ABV
Shipyard Brewing Company LLC
Portland, ME
purchased at Kenwood

Hardcore Chimera Imperial IPA

As you can see from the picture, it is WAY over carbonated. Not old either, as the "Best By" date is 3/2017. Fairly light for the ABV, but it has a funk to it. Quality control must have messed up on this. I think this is a batch that they should have poured out. Regardless, I push through, and I've already had two cans prior to rating, and I'll finish the last one, but I won't buy this again. SK+

16oz can, 9% ABV
Finch Beer Company
Chicago, IL
purchased at Kenwood

NetherWorld Cascadian Dark Ale

Nice and bitter, and of course, dark! A hint of burnt grain adds to the bitterness. Easy to drink, and really cool label art. A fine choice for something a little different. ID

12oz bottle, 6% ABV
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Barrie, Canada
purchased at Kenwood

Sagefight Imperial IPA

An IPA with sage and juniper berries. How can I not try that? Definitely hop and spice is the flavor. Interesting, and it masks a slight malt sweetness well, blending seamlessly. Impossible to separate the hop flavor from the spices, but it adds up to the kind of out there flavor that I strive to find. ID+

12oz bottle, 75 IBU, 8% ABV
Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR
purchased at Kenwood

Shotgun Double IPA

Pretty straight forward. Smooth and amply bitter. A tiny sweetness at the finish. More malty than hoppy. Not bad at all. ID+

22oz bottle, 8.5% ABV
Abita Brewing Company LLC
Abita Springs, LA
purchased at Homewood Liquors

Villainous IPA

A pretty standard IPA. Heavy on the bitterness, so good. ID

12oz bottle, 70 IBU, 8.3% ABV
Around The Bend Beer Company
Breese, IL
purchased at Homewood Liquors

Temporal Purgatory Pale Ale

Really hoppy nose, and really hoppy flavor as well! Very similar to Luponic Distortion, one of my current favorites. Light body let's the focus be on the delicious citrusy hops. MB

12oz can, no deets
18th Street Brewery
Hammond, IN
purchased at Homewood Liquors

Stone 20th Anniversary Citracado IPA

A little funky, in a good way! Hop flavor! So silky in the mouth. And the flavor of Citra, my favorite. Big booze but you scarcely notice. A celebration in your mouth. Cheers to Stone and their constant success! MB

22oz bottle, 9% ABV
Stone Brewing Company
Escondido, San Diego County, CA
purchased at Homewood Liquors

Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown Ale

What's better than craft beer around a campfire?! This has a soft mouth-feel and and bit of sourness on the swallow. Dark but tart. Heavy but not. A nice solid ale for drinking around a simple Fall fire! ID

12oz can, 5.5% ABV
4 Hands Brewing Company
St. Louis, MO
purchased at Homewood Liquors

Tasmanian Hatter Galaxy IPA

A nice smooth ale with a soft toasty malt forward character. Just the right bitterness, but no overt hop flavor, which of course is almost always the only thing that I'm looking for, unfair as that may be. A solid, easy to drink brew, so no fears in picking up this "hatter". ID

12oz bottle, 65 IBU, 7% ABV
New Holland Brewing Company, LLC
Holland, MI
purchased at Homewood Liquors

Psychops Intense Pale Ale

How can you resist a name like this?! But, oh no, it's just an ok, pretty standard offering. Much more malty than I'd like with roasty flavors I'd associate with a darker ale like a "red" not pale. Bitterness is there, heftily, but nothing to speak of for hop flavor. "Intense" in a hop sense, to me, would be crazy hop flavor with or without high bitterness. I think they're referring to the alcohol content, but this just leaves me disappointed, not because it's bad, just because I expected something unique, and this is not that. ID

12oz bottle, 80 IBU, 8% ABV
Wisconsin Brewing Company
Verona, WI
purchased at Homewood Liquors

Two Evil Geyser Gose

"Ale Brewed with Icelandic Moss, Herbs, Kelp, and Sea Salt". Everybody's doing such crazy stuff now! So this is sour, but not overwhelmingly so. Kind of dry on the finish. Really bubbly like champagne. Can't claim I taste all those ingredients nor that I'd know what they taste like anyway. I guess these sour beers are growing on me, but I can't think they'll ever replace my other favs. ID

16 oz can, 5.5% ABV
Two Roads & Evil Twin collaboration brewed at
Two Roads Brewing Company
Stratford, CT
purchased at Homewood Liquors

Pipeworks with Emporium The Collaboration Imperial IPA

Brewed with Spruce Tips and Honey, you can taste a bit of some unique flavor. Otherwise very light for an imperial. Not overly bitter. Kind of plain, so just a refreshing drink. ID

22oz bottle, 8% ABV
Pipeworks Brewing Company
Chicago, IL
purchased at Binnys

G'Knight. Imperial Red IPA

Bitter and nice with just a hint of sweet malt backbone. I guess that's the "red" part of red IPA. Makes for a nice drink. I approve of this beer! ID

12oz can, 8.7% ABV
Oscar Blues Brewery, LLC
Longmont, CO
purchased at Binnys

Smashbomb Atomic IPA

A straight up IPA. Bitterness dominates. It's has a malty scent, but the malt doesn't present in the taste except to give a smooth texture. ID

12oz bottle, 6% ABV
Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Barrie, Canada
purchased at Binnys