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

I was really taken by this Scotch ale up in Madison during Great Taste '06. Excellent maltiness without cloying sweetness, the illusion of smoke and scottish yeast really bring this beer together and keep it from being rich, yet still warming and very pleasant. Earthy, balanced, excellent.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 7

A very promising American Style Double Stout, and one that I drank plenty of. (Even the bad ones are still pretty good, right? Right.) Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, wood, roast, sweet malt and rounded hoppiness (just enough to balance, really, but still present) take precedent over an unexpected sour/tart note which was extremely distracting from the body which should have had a richness akin to Yeti or others. A nice, big stout, but not up to the level of others.

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

I enjoyed this after the St. Louis Brews meeting last night, thanks to Kevin for sharing. Smelled of tropical fruits and American hops, like pineapples and mangoes, what a start. Poured bright yellow with a touch of haze and had the some the thickest lace, and creamiest, longest lasting head I've seen in the long time from a commercial brew. Tasted of bright citrus hops, with some spicy Saaz, belgian spice, light pils malt and all tied together with soft carbontion and a nice bitter finish. Unique and fascinating, I bet this would be better with a little bit of time behind it, too.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A nice reddish ale from O'Fallon. Its pretty tame, but, of course that's the idea. Nice cascade hop presence, bready, biscuity malt which is rather forward, subdued sweetness and well balanced. Nice.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Unknown vintage...that's what I get for throwing the cap away so fast...oh well, this had to have had at least three years behind it. Poured a deep, ruddy brown with a tiny cap of fading foam. Aromas of dried fruits, raisins and figs with sugary malt, vanilla crept in there, too. Silky smooth across the tongue, coating and lightly carbonated, very comforting. Malty without excessive sweetness, no alcohol burn, raisins, toast. An elegant beer, somewhere between an Old Ale and an English Barleywine, but very enjoyable.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

2002 Vintage: I could've sworn the bottle listed this as 6%abv. Oh well, a very tasty scottish/stoutish brew. Chocolate and vanilla maltiness, earthiness, wood, whisk(e)y and a bit of oxidation. Quite interesting and I can't help but ponder about this beer with less time in the bottle. Murky and dark, fleeting head and aromas of wood and dessert. Quite nice.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Well, here we go, finally. Although the other two brews from RABC I tried were nice, this one really scratched my itch. Pours medium copper with a nice, distinctly rye, dense but soft head and laces all the way down. Slightly slick, well carbonated but easy drinking mouthfeel. Minty and herbal rye mingle nicely with the subdued spiciness of the hops with kind citrus kick. Well blanced and quite enjoyable. Rye rules.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

Well, they get a point or two for originallity, but the creative juices just don't quench my need for lupilin in my pale ales. A nice slightly herbal and very spicy spin on the classic pale ale...but I have to admit...I really wanted my citrus from this brew. Nice toasty and nutty malt, some citrus, and plenty 'o' saaz.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

More of a brown porter in my estimation, than a brown ale, but whatever, it was still a nice brew. Coffee and toffee malt flavors with earthy and mildly spicy hops. Mild-esque mouthfeel with lower carbonation, but still too thin for style. Deep dark brown (darker than the bottom of the page) and eggshell head that gave out about halfway through the glass. Nice.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

A quite nice American offering. Tripel like, with a more pronounced and lingering bitterness. Dangerously drinkable and nicely carbonated without excess. Honey, flower and coriander like spicing, with a bit of vanilla and clove. Quite tasty.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A nice sour brew, but it stands in the shadow of some of the greats. Excellent funky aroma and eggshell head over copper red body. Smooth and acidic mouthfeel. Funky, sour aroma, nice pilsner malty backing. Nice, but I would really like more cherry in this. The flavor is there, but not as aggressive as it needs to be to be really great.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Opened with a comforting "POP!" and poured with a persistant, structured head over a ruby brown body. While spicy and mildly fruit throughout the bottle it was interrupted by its own dryness. For a Dubbel it sure did finish dry, and as such the spiciness lingered on and the bitterness played more of a role than I would prefer in a Dubbel. Still enjoyable, but not nearly as good as that oak aged Trippel I had from Allagash...

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

Quite the hype, quite the hype...and a damn fine beer to follow it all. I got a deep red pour with a touch of head and plenty of haze. Sweet and sour to really oversimplify things. Rich fruit, black raspberries, wood and of course loads of cherry. Its easy to forget that this is even beer...but the touch of funk and malt reels reality back in. Very nice and quite offbeat.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 3 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Not the worst Malt Likka of the bunch, but still pretty awful. Vegetal celery corn and water in the nose and mouth. Just plain disgraceful stuff, here.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A nice pils from North Coast. Brilliantly clear, nice, tight eggshell head. Well carbonated and lively on the tongue. Clean maltiness and a punch of bitterness. Spicy hops finish it off. Well made.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

2001 Vintage, 9% ABV. Pours very dark brown, no head, vinous aroma, with some spice and sourness, seems like the cork added some woodiness. Oxidized and fruity, as well. The roast and chocolate have faded, and the hopping sure seems to have slipped over time. It really seems as if there is a bit of Belgian influence in this one, but not overly so. Not bad, but not interesting.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 4

Well, it all started innocently enough. Smells floral and pours golden. Small white cap of a head and fair carbonation. Then the trainwreck begins on the first swallow. Unbalanced, lingering and astringent bitterness, thin maltiness and a weird spiciness, like black pepper and coriander, totally out of place.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

A weaker offering from Anchor. Low carbonation for a wheat ale, rather dry and very lacking in hops (even for a wheat). A grittier mouthfeel, rathe than the soft wheat feel from most in this category. Slight head and lace, but more is expected.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A nice Amber from Michigan. Sweet maltiness, biscuit and toasty flavors. Ample golding-citrus hop flavor, and slight hop aroma. Dangerously drinkable, but over carbonated and quite prickly early on. Enjoyable.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Not exactly an English PA, not quite an American PA. Maybe this is best thought of as an American ESB, or something along those lines. A nice beer, but not exciting. Well balanced, but muted flavors.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Really, more of an American Amber Ale, as told by its deeper copper color and sweet malty flavor. Juicy hop flavor, less in the nose than the tongue. Decent head retention and some Belgian lace.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Smells of wheat, wintergreen and smoke. Light brown with a small head and lighter lace. Soft and medium-light mouthfeel. Comes across the tongue with mint, woody smoke, wheat tang and moderate maltiness, lacking bitterness, almost enough to balance, but low. A nice historical representation. Probably not a dunkel weizen, more of a smoked ale (although not agressively so).

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

A nice and offbeat old style porter from good Ole Sammy. Rich flavor, licorice, smoky-rum like molasses character, almost BBQ like, vanilla and prumes. I'd like some more bitterness, though. Rich brown hue with red tints. Lasting lace and a small off-white cap of head.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 5

Spice and vanilla dominates the flavor and aroma, so much that the base beer is nearly undetectable. Weak head and hazy amber-brown body beneath. Sweet, without sufficient bitterness.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

Wow, nitro beers just plain piss me off. This is no exception, its a nice brew, but the insistance to serve it in the absence of CO2 is a terrible decision. Weak malty aroma, looks nice, but artificial, clear with a white head and some lace. Smooth but uninspiring mouthfeel, no carbonic bite (duh). Tastes of lightly sweet malt and just a hint of bitterness. Lose the nitro and we'll talk.