Southern Tier - Imperial Cherry Saison

What: Southern Tier Imperial Cherry Saison
Style: Saison
Vessel: Tulip Glass
Price: Don't remember
Where: Home
When: November 20, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: This is another purchase from Chi-town. Not sure what made me pick this one up, other than not being able to get it around here (I think). It's not a bad beer, but not a great beer. As it warms, it improves (quite a bit). It has a traditional saison flavor (earthy, fruity), but it's also has quite a touch of alcohol in the finish. I'm not a huge fruit or saison fan, so I'm not really sure why I picked it up, but if you like either type of beer you're probably going to like this one.
Ratebeer Link: http://ratebeer.com/beer/southern-tier-cherry-saison/88358/

Jolly Pumkin Artisan Ales - ES Bam Hoppy Farmhouse Ale

What: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales - ES Bam Hoppy Farmhouse Ale
Style: Saison
Vessel: Tulip Glass
Price: $9.99 (750 ml)
Where: Home
When: October 21, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: Yet another pick up in Chi-town. I poured this beer a little aggressively and man did it foam up. There is a lot of head to this beer and a lot of lacing on the glass. It's a very aromatic beer - musty, a little funky and yeasty. The flavor seems to start very leathery and then ends with quite a bit of sour apple. It is a little thin tasting. I'm finding that I'm not the biggest fan of Saison style beers. It's a well crafted beer, but not one of my favorites. Having said that, I'd happily try other Jolly Pumpkin beers.
Ratebeer Link: http://ratebeer.com/beer/jolly-pumpkin-es-bam/84761/

Southern Tier Brewing Company - Tripel

What: Southern Tier Brewing Company - Tripel
Style: Tripel
Vessel: Tulip Glass
Price: $6.99 (22 0z.)
Where: Home
When: October 20, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: Another beer picked up on the Chicago trip. For a 9% beer, this was amazingly alcohol free in the taste department. It has a strong malt flavor at the beginning, smoothed out by a little crispy hoppiness at the end. Not a bad beer, but not anywhere near my favorite tripel. Seems like a pretty basic beer.
Ratebeer Link: http://ratebeer.com/beer/southern-tier-tripel/40410/

Goose Island Beer Company - Weber Grill Backyard Brew

What: Goose Island Beer Company - Weber Grill Backyard Brew
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale (?)
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: $5.50
Where: Weber Grill
When: April 18, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: Our annoying server was a little helpful (but I'm not sure if I believe him) when I asked about the Backyard Brew. He told us it was basically Goose Island's 312 Urban Wheat Ale. I'm not sure I believe him. It's been a LONG time since I've had the 312, but when this beer arrived it didn't seem to have the body of a wheat ale. Who am I to quibble with crazy (aka our server), though. If I were ever forced to go back to Weber, I'd get this beer. Otherwise I wouldn't seek it out.

Upland Brewing Company - Dragonfly IPA

What: Upland Brewing Company - Dragonfly IPA
Style: American IPA
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: $5.50
Where: Weber Grill Restaurant
When: April 18, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: We went to dinner with some friends we haven't seen in a while. They suggested Weber. We had only been there once and didn't think too highly of it, but thought we would give it another try. We won't be back. Mediocre, overpriced food. I was impressed that they had the Dragonfly on tap (and some other fairly unique beers for a chain), but that's not enough to go back. Our server was annoying and slow and a bit of a pest every time he visited the table.

Regardless, how was the beer? Well, I have had Dragonfly in a bottle before, but never from a tap. My impression of it hasn't changed. It was nice and smooth, but not nearly hoppy enough for an IPA. I have a special place in my heart for Upland (being an IU grad and wishing they were there when I was in school), but I just can't get behind this beer.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/upland-dragonfly-ipa/7942/

Stone Brewing Co. - 05.05.05 Vertical Epic Ale

What: Stone Brewing Co. - 05.05.05 Vertical Epic Ale
Type: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: $8.49 (23 oz.)
Where: Home
When: April 14, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: I stumbled upon this beer at Crown Liquors up in Fishers (great store, by the way). I wasn't paying very close attention and just assumed this was the most current version of the Anniversary brew. Well, after I opened it I realized, nope - its from 2005. I decided to crack it open while doing some work (ya know, for the real job). Once it warmed up a bit, the flavors really developed. Unfortunately what also developed was a pretty strong alcohol flavor. It has the flavor of something that's been in a bourbon barrel. I'm normally not a fan of this type of beer, but this one is pretty decent.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/stone-050505-vertical-epic-ale/46629/

Brasserie d'Achouffe - Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Triple

What: Brasserie d'Achouffe - Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Triple
Style: Belgian IPA
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: $8.99 (1 Pint, 9.4 ozs)
Where: Friend's house
When: April 11, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: Now that's a damn mouth full. Not the beer, the name of the beer. The picture doesn't exactly match the beer. From what I could gather on their website, it's all about the gnome. Anyway, the beer was interesting. As my friend said "It's an acquired taste - one I haven't yet acquired." I think I might have liked it a bit more than he did (he gave it a 5), but I didn't love it. It goes back to the American IPA vs. English IPA (as frequent readers were kind enough to open my eyes to). Although this was a "Belgian IPA", it seemed very much like an English IPA. It had a very earthy/grassy hop flavor (which was quite a change from the two previous beers we had). My intel on this says pass based on the price and taste, unless you really like English IPAs.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=56757

Pennsylvania Brewing Company - Penn Weizen

What: Pennsylvania Brewing Company - Penn Weizen
Style: Hefeweizen
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: Gift
Where: Home
When: April 10, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: It's from the BOM! It has a nice taste to it. It's a bit more carbonated than I would prefer, but it's pretty decent. I'd say it's similar to the other offering from Pennsylvania Brewing Company - good, and a nice change of pace, but I'm not positive I would seek it out. If you happen to see one and the price is right, I'd say go for it.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/penn-weizen/3200/

Pennsylvania Brewing Company - Penn Dark

What: Pennsylvania Brewing Company - Penn Dark
Style: Munich Dunkel Lager
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: Gift
Where: Home
When: April 9, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: Another BOM club selection. If you're a fan of lagers, and dark lagers, in particular, I think you'll like this beer. It's pretty well done, but I'm not really loving this style of beer right now. I thought I'd give it a try since I hadn't yet written about either of the offerings from Pennsylvania Brewing Company. I recommend it if you like lagers. If you're more into hops, I'd say it's not worth seeking out.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/penn-dark-lager-beer/3202/

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Early Spring Beer (ESB)

What: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Early Spring Beer (ESB)
Style: ESB
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: $9.49 (6 pack)
Where: Home
When: April 8, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: Alright, I know I've been saying I've wanted a good, hop drenched IPA. I thought I was looking for something bitter. Boy did I find it. This ESB is a good, bitter beer. After a few sips it mellowed out a bit and really was quite enjoyable. A great beer to have with some grilled (finally the weather has gotten better) jerk chicken. A good beer for a great day.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/sierra-nevada-early-spring-beer-esb/82791/

Great Divide Brewing Company - Hercules Double IPA

What: Great Divide Brewing Company - Hercules Double IPA
Style: Imperial IPA
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: $7.99 (22 fl. oz.)
Where: Home
When: April 8, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: After a disappointing DIPA, I thought it was time to try another new one. The Hercules DIPA hung in pretty well. It was much less sweet (which, in my book, is a good thing) than Hop Juice, but it still didn't have the strong hop profile I'm looking for. Maybe I'm misguided here, but I really haven't had a DIPA that knocked my socks off. I'd say it's worth trying, and that I enjoyed it. Just go in with proper expectations.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/great-divide-hercules-double-ipa/32751/

Anheuser-Busch, Inc. - Budweiser

What: Anheuser-Busch, Inc. - Budweiser
Style: American Macro Lager
Vessel: Bottle (no glass offered)
Price: Free
Where: Omni Championsgate - Orlando
When: April 3, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: So a lot of folks buy this beer. It is the King of Beers, and all. For a long time I didn't have much of an appreciation for Bud. I've tried to be more objective, and not dismiss it, just because it's a macro. I bet if macro haters (myself included) tried this blind, they'd think it was pretty good. This was the perfect setting to give it a whirl - it was free, there weren't many selections offered at the cocktail hour, and I hadn't "reviewed" it. It's a pretty decent beer. I can understand why so many folks buy it - an almost unlimited marketing budget, it's cheap, and it's pretty good.
Ratebeer Link: http://ratebeer.com/beer/budweiser/473/

Yuengling Brewery - Yuengling Traditional Lager

What: Yuengling Brewery - Yuengling Traditional Lager
Style: American Amber
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: Not Sure (I didn't pay)
Where: Hooters Restaurant - Channelside (Tampa, FL)
When: March 31, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: After the TB Lightning game, we decided to go get some food and one of the first places we ran into was this Hooters. I'm NOT a fan of the chain (overpriced, mediocre food) or the wings, but I wasn't in charge. I was pleasantly surprised to hear they had Yuengling on tap. I was first exposed to this beer when we were in Philadelphia for a wedding, last year. It's really a pretty good beer. I don't know that we can get it in Indy, but I'd mix in a six pack every now and then.
Ratebeer Link: http://ratebeer.com/beer/yuengling-traditional-lager/884/

Florida Beer Company - Ybor Gold Amber Lager

What: Florida Beer Company - Ybor Gold Amber Lager
Style: Vienna Lager
Vessel: Bottle
Price: Free (as part of hotel loyalty program)
Where: Westin Tampa Harbour Island
When: March 31, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: I checked into to the hotel and we had a quick drink at the bar before heading to the hockey game. While they didn't have any beers on tap, they did have quite a few bottled beer. This was the only unique beer they had. It was really pretty good. Very smooth and easy to drink. Had we stuck around, I would have ordered another. It was much better than most of the other beers we had that night.
Ratebeer Link: http://ratebeer.com/beer/ybor-gold-amber-lager/2836/

Newcastle Breweries - Newcastle Brown Ale

What: Newcastle Breweries - Newcastle Brown Ale
Style: English Brown Ale
Vessel: Bottle - no glass offered
Price: $3.64
Where: Bub's Burgers and Ice Cream
When: March 29, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: We met up with some old friends for a very nice dinner in the Carmel Arts District. I'm a native north-sider, and am generally a fan of what they're doing in Carmel. Our friends knew we were fans of the area and wanted to check it out, so we met them up north. After strolling around a bit we decided to grab dinner at Bub's (btw, it looks like Bub's let their domain name purchase lapse, and now a p0rn site might be running it). This is a pretty family focused place, with a tightly focused menu. The food is great, but the beer selection is lacking. Their list is similar to a lot of restaurants - the major domestics with a few major imports. Newcastle is always a pretty solid choice. It's MUCH better on tap than in a bottle, but when you don't have many choices, it does the job.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/newcastle-brown-ale/132/

Three Floyds Brewing Co. - Pride & Joy Mild Ale

What: Three Floyds Brewing Co. - Pride & Joy Mild Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
Vessel: Bottle (no glass offered)
Price: Included in cost of cooking class
Where: Grillmaster's Garden
When: March 25, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: While at Grillmaster's Garden, I also sampled this Three Floyd's beer. I thought this was a pretty good beer. I wouldn't say that it was very distinctive. A little hoppier than I expected (which is always a good thing), so it had that going for it. By no means is this a bad beer, just nothing too out of the ordinary.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/three-floyds-pride-&-joy-mild-ale/6223/

Brouwerij Van Steenberge NV - Bruegel

What: Brouwerij Van Steenberge NV - Bruegel
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: No idea
Where: Home
When: March 23, 2008
Rating: 4
Comments: I found this beer in a drawer of our beverage fridge. Yeah, we've got a full sized fridge for beverages - jealous? It's about half full of bottled water and the other half consists of beer, G2, and sometimes diet soda. I'm working on drinking the case or so of Miller Lite we've had in there since a party last summer, in order to make more room for good beer.

I'm guessing this bottle is over a year old. I think I got it as a gift in a mixed pack. It's held up surprisingly well. Very carbonated, but also very smooth. It has a bit of a floral aftertaste. I've got no idea how much this beer costs, but if it's on par with some of the others in this style, I'd say give it a whirl.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/bruegel/3957/

Goose Island Beer Co. - Honkers Ale

What: Goose Island Beer Company - Honkers Ale
Style: English Bitter
Vessel: Pint Glass
Price: Don't remember
Where: Home
When: Over several months
Rating: 4
Comments: Another Costco impulse buy. They had a variety pack with the IPA, Nut Brown Ale, Oatmeal Stout and the Honkers Ale. It's a pretty straightforward beer. It's better than drinking Miller Lite, but not as good as drinking their IPA. I've pledged to stop buying beer by the case. It's only six packs and 12 packs for me. More variety = more reviews = more fun.
Ratebeer Link: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/goose-island-honkers-ale/811/