Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

What a monster of a beer this is. For how super-hoppy it tastes, I would think more would come across in the aroma. This is wonderful, rich and somewhat spicy (was that a hint of black pepper?) beer and a pretty sweet first barleywine. ReRate: My score doesn't change, however I feel after sampling a few more vinages I should weigh in again. In 5/06 the 2003 was getting very interesting sherry/port character with still a bit of hop power. The 2001 is quite far down that line, but too oxidized at this point, yet still delicious. Most interesting was a 50/50 mix of '01 and '06...it was powerful with rich hops and also the melded flavors of the older b-wine. I may have to try this with some HB barleywine and see what the judges think.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Hell yea! Way to go, Bells! A great example of an AIPA here, loaded with hops, but could use a bit more in the nose. All centennials here, all the time, use of another for aroma would have been nice, but its still a hopheads' dream. Thick lace and a creamy head all the way down on this golden ale, excellent!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Among the best beers I've ever had. When mixed with my wheat based AIPA this beer became just insane. While other beers are complicated, Three Philosophers is the epitome of complex. Cherry and sour notes of all kinds play behind the special B goodiness of chocolate covered figs and raisins with just touches of horsehair and bits of toffee totally masking the near ten percent alchol. A sheer masterpiece and nothing less. I would be honored to drink this beer again and again.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

Wow! What a surprise! I went down to Square One to see about the flank steak nachos, which let me down, but I was shocked and amazed by the glorious beer in my sampler flight. This Cali Common is amazing. Firm hop bitterness, woody hop flavor, herbal and fruity/malty aroma. Sheer brilliance in a glass. I'm honored to have this beer in my hometown. I hope this builds the reputation it deserves. I bought a growler immediately, and will be back for many more. Holy crap this is good beer!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Wow. This was fantastic. I had this instead of champagne for new year's 2005, and I could not have made a better decision. The corked bottle unleashed a rich fruity aroma of everything from raisens to orange and even clove. What stood out was the persistant carbonation and how well the aromas transferred to taste, not to mention how smooth and still bubbly it came across the tongue with a hint of alcohol.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

I got this from the Sam's Club in Cancun for practicaly nothing and drank it with my friends as the sun came up the following evening...er...morning...whatever... Anyway, I was very impressed, thick lacing, great, complex aroma of yeast, fruit (raisins?) and all sorts of goodies. Despite the slightly high and slightly apparent alcohol and complexity of this beer, I could drink more than enough in one sitting without complaining!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

I loved it, some of y'all seem to see it differently, but I thought it kicked some ass. The only downside, was the lack of malt profile, however, I'm a hophead and this really did it for me.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Holy Crap! Holy, holy, holy, holy crap! This was amazing, and it totally lived up the hype, nice caramel with some spice, citrus and other kinds of wonderfulness (is that a word?) I didn't expect in a belgain. Get this if you can. Acidic and pleasant across the tongue...can't wait to culture that yeast, baby.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Amazing! Damn near a perfect beer by St. Bernardus. A thick aroma and tongue of grapes, raisins, grapes. grapefruit and several spices. I am likely not worthy of this beer as it is amazingly complex and a pinnacle of the brewing art.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Stunning, absolutely stunning. A gorgeous pour of pitch black fluid with a nicly rising brown head that faded into a small cap. Excellent balance shown in this beer and it truly shows the veratility of both the Pacman strain the Cascade Hop variety. A great roasty and toasty malt shines through and balanced by residual sweetness and citrusy/resiny hop character. A true feat of brewing excellence.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

2000 vintage drank anxiously on 8/8/05. So this is what a great cellared barleywine tastes like? Fantastic! This beer single bottled-ly turned one of the worst days in memory for me into a satisfying one. I've quicly become a fan of the fresh American Barleywines, and now I see the point of cellaring! I drank this hours ago and the aroma is still spilling out of the glass. Excessive molasses, figs, raisins, malt, chocolate, toffee, caramel, cinnimon and tons of spicy goodies radiated from this beer. Finely aged hops and a deep, rich sweetness permated this exquisite beer. Am I now a fan East Kent G's not quite sure yet, but this a damn good argument, even aged. Bravo...on deck two more these plus three 2001s :) 2001 vintage sampled 8/22/05 Holy crap, this is even better. I enjoyed this immediately after a 2000 and everything was more prounounced. The figs, the floral aroma, the mellow malt character all jumped out more aggressively. More chocolate and rasin notes abound with layers of caramel. I don't think the vinages were much different, just the aging effects. Wow this just catapulted to the top of my list. Outstanding!

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Ahh, the Stone beer that lived up the hype! What a roasted assault on the tongue this one was, like burnt coffee with a generous helping of hops. I can see room from improvement in the style, but still this beer is just so good. Viscous and darker than space with a deep brown head...I want this beer again.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Wow! This beer is something special, very special. Loads of hop aroma, but far more rich american hop flavor. Still malty enough to backup the massive hops. I would say its a hop assault, but they do not attack the palate, but rather coat and invite another sip. For being a massive beer, this is quite deceptive. It is very balaced, very delcious and quite an accomplishment. Bravo.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

What a great beer! Bells is quickly becoming my favorite brewery in the US and the world, and beers like Expedition Stout are the reason. Poured an intimidating and exciting black like I've never seen, with a great fluffy and sticky deep brown head. Flavors of espresso, cocoa, alcohol and roasy malts with malty sweetness and a wonderfully subtle and balancing bitterness on a very big beer. Smooth and somewhat slick mouthfeel, and coating everywhere with more carbonation than expected. A masterpiece.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

This is one of reasons Imperial/Double Stouts are becoming one of my favorite styles. What a rich brew...where to start. Pours a nice deep khaki head over a tar body which poured not much more easily. Smelled of roasted grain, cocoa, coffee, alcohol, (woody?) oak, piney hops and figs, simply divine, and the flavor follows through on the promise with a very nice lingering bitterness that isn't obnoxious in any way. Some lace, small cap of head after a minute. Well carbed and silky mouthfeel that coats magnificently. A bomber to myself was quite a Christmas treat.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Whoa! Gonzo, my man! What a trip! This beer reminds me of my Imperial Oatmeal Stout, but much easier to drink. Not to say this beer is thin, it is anything but for the meek, even after several pints this beer had a huge punch. Citric hops loaded with bite and tons of tofee and coffee abound in thie huge American Imperial Porter. Excellent brew, and the best from Flying Dog to date. RERATE 11/06 After sampling this a few times of the 2005 vintage this year is has changed quite a bit in character. While the aromatic hops have faded, the flavor and bitterness have hung one, while the chocolate malt flavors have really come through so far. Quite a nice development.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Simply spectacular. Our gift from Dave, Glen and Brian at O'Fallon Brewery. So named because this beer sits on dry hops for five days, and let me tell you, it gets better with every damn day in that bright beer tank. Hoppy, spicy, piney, resinous and citric nose with an upfront sweetness and mouthy fullness that follows then finshed with a huge, but not obnoxiously massive hop bitterness at the finish. I really want another...

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Another taste courtesy of Nick at the TapRoom. Aroma starts with coffee/chocolate, vanilla, wood, bourbon, alcohol, malt sugar, brown sugar, dark dried fruits, very nice. A bit lightly colored for an Imperial Stout, but still thick and viscous with very little head kicked up. The mouthfeel is a bit on the thin and hot side, but silky smooth. I think some age may round out this edge. The flavors mimicked the aromatics to a T, very nice, I hope they can hold up over the long haul. A very nice beer that I can't wait to get some more of and see how it ages. RERATE: After having this from the bottle today, I must say, the mouthfeel and texture in general are much improved, its far creamier than I recall and the flavors are in much better balance than I recall. However, I don't know if the base beer has enough cajones to survive the really long haul that some others are built for. However, time will tell. In the mean time, this is one helluva mean beer!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Acidic, fruity aroma, apricot, peach, pineapple and some funk. Bright gold, some haze and a stable, big foam. Very crisp and refreshing mouthfeel, ample but not sharp carbonation. The flavor is unbeatable. I get apricot, peach, pineapple, chardonnay, a bit of oak, lots of bretty funk, tannins and lots of tartness. This is one helluva sour Belgian ale, way to live up to the hype, Vinnie.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

11.6% ABV, 2006 Vintage, sampled 1/9/07. A big, potent brew. Fruity aromatics once it warms, like raisins and dried apricots. A huge head and khaki foam in my Maudite glass for an 11.6% English style brew with nice lacing. Rich and full, just like and EBW or OSA should be, while on the drier side, this is rather an accomplishment, as it is still sweet, but the balance is exception, especially for featuring Fuggles. What a way to showcase flavor complexity as compared to temperature. Cold, its merely alcohol and malt, like a bad eisbock. However as it warms, varied fruits and a complex (Fuggles...seriously?) hop flavor come through. I've love to see this a few years down the road...as I'm sure this one will survive with grace.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Well, to put it bluntly, if this is a true Sticke Altbier, then an Altbier is a German Barleywine, which I doubt many would argue with. Richly malty aroma with some Bavarian hop spiciness. Deep copper/brown and some tightly bubbled head. A fine, exceptionally smooth mouthfeel, strong and coating yet clean in the finish...this could make for one great, but far too easily forgettable Oktoberfest. Phenomenally complex and clean malt flavors and spicy hop bitterness, really, words fail me, just drink this beer! Seriously, drink this beer...do it now!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

I had this at the Trinity House, Dallas, TX. A great bar and one helluva great beer! Pours with a malty and coffee oriented aroma, chocolate and figs/raisins. Deep, dark brown body, slightly opaque, tan head, very nice lacing for a coffee beer. Velvety body, coating, but not too thick, very nice, and even a bit refreshing. Coffee, chocolate, mild spice and vanilla, dark fruits, clean yet complex, very interesting...a winner, especially in the cold. Its always nice to have a great winter warmer that won't knock you on your ass, and this one is phenomenal.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

All hail the champion of our cause! If you want to expose your friends to craft beer, this is the one way to do it. This is light, but complex, a beautifully balanced, colored and rewarding brew. Still one of my all-time favorites. A fresher, more complex and grassy/citrusy flavor than Schlafly, Sierra Nevada or Sunshine. Cloudy and golden this is refreshing and very, very drinkable. On tap or in a well-carbonated batch of bottles this is outstanding! Possibly eclipsed by the masterfully crafted Cow Town Wheat by 75th Street Brewery. No lemon!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

Schafly's best? Doesn't matter, really, but it is a fantastic bitter ale. The rye adds a distinctive flavor and seems to come across in the aftertaste. Pours a orange amber color and laces the glass persistantly. Great on tap and in bottles. I wish it were made all year 'round. Get this if you can, and get it right now.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

Pretty dang good beer enjoyed by my whole family (Dad, especially). I witnessed nice lacing and a pleasant hop aroma which is very piney and rather citrusy. Its as Christmas-y as a beer can be without spicing and I would venture to say that the 2006 Release is far superior to SN Celebration.