Allagash Brewing Company - Tripel

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a goblet

On recommendation from a friend and reader, Julie Markus, I picked up a four-pack of Allagash's Tripel. Being a fan of Allagash White, it didn't take much convincing to buy some of this beer. The beer pours a hazy, light orange with a fine yeast suspension. The head is thin, but creamy with light retention. The lacing is broad and chunky. The nose is sweet and citrusy with spicy notes. Prominent coriander with a slight hint of lavender adds pleasant depth to the aroma.

The beer is sweet up front and clearly strong. This is an excellent tripel that manages its 9% ABV quite well. Three's a fruity tone to the beer and the spiciness develops an herbal balance to the powerful malts and alcohol. It's smooth with a clean mouthfeel that makes it refreshing and highly drinkable. There's a barely perceptible hint of leafy green vegetables on the finish with lasting spiciness and hints of alcohol.

Final Verdict: A

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company - Pitch Black IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

The Oregonian brewer Widmer Brothers' Pitch Black IPA pours a very deep brown, but clear, with a ruby glow and a large frothy tan head. The retention on the head is excellent and the lacing is moderate and appealing. Coffee notes and a dark sweetness from the roasted malts define the nose. A fragrant hopping pierces the smokey coffee, providing an interesting meshing of aromas.

The smokey roasted malts seem gritty in texture, but are balanced by crisp and fresh hops. The hops almost seem citrusy, in distinct contrast from the malts. However, the play with the smokiness modifies the character of the hops giving the beer a unique edge. The biting hops combine nicely with the powerful charred character and create a lasting finish.

Final Verdict: B+

D.L. Geary Brewing Company - Geary's IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. twist-off bottle with a crooked label, poured into a pint glass

Geary's IPA pours a mildly attenuated amber with a slight chilled haze. The thick head is creamy in consistency with an off-white complexion. Vanilla sweetness is present off the start on the nose with a bouquet of fresh hops with a citrusy tone. The toasted malts provide a mild caramel sweetness.

The mouthfeel is velvety with a balance of carbonation and body. The grapefruit hops are pungent, but far from overpowering. The biscuity malts work in harmony with the hops to provide a tightness or flavor, that keeps a commendable depth. The grains are lightly grassy and make for a crisp and flavorful finish.

Final Verdict: B+

Harpoon Brewery - Harpoon Leviathan - Quad

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a snifter

Harpoon's 11.75% ABV quadrupel comes from their Leviathan series of beers. It pours a deep mahogany with a radiating ruby gleam. The tan head is moderate in size with a short-lived retention. It sticks around for a while as a thin layer of foam clinging to the top of the beer. As with most strong ales, the lacing here is nearly nonexistent. There's a potent sweetness on the nose with a yeasty Belgian must. A moderate spiciness adds a hint of depth.

There's only modest alcohol on the foretaste with heaps of very sweet dark fruits. The overt sugariness is tempered slightly by a peppery and complex spiciness. The beer is extremely sweet, but not cloying. The commanding nature of the beer's toothsome nature comes in part from the addition of Belgian Dark Candi Syrup. The finish is clean but carries a significant warming alcohol that heats the chest.

Final Verdict: A-

Samuel Adams - Imperial White (Imperial Series)

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a mug

Samuel Adams' Imperial White pours a diffuse amber body with lots of free floating yeast. The beer is significantly darker than I was expecting. The thick foam head is lightly creamy with a yeast-speckled complexion on a yellowy tan base. The head retention is moderate, as is the lacing. Massive orange notes dominate the nose. There's a mild astringency to the citrus, which seems like it could be artificial. The wheat malts are sweet and there's a slight spiciness underpinning the aroma.

Sweet up front, the beer has a clear and dominating alcohol character. At 10.5% ABV it's not surprising, but it isn't tempered as one might hope. The orange comes through with an oily extract edge. Moderate coriander spice attempts to round the beer, but seems to call a bit short. Full-bodied wheat malts add some depth and define the sweetness of the beer. The finish is very warm and quite boozy. For the strength of the beer, the alcoholic edge isn't unwarranted, but there's a lack of balance.

Final Verdict: C+

Beerisms 15 - Charles Dickens

Dick Swiveller:

"Did you ever taste beer?"

Servant:

"I had a sip of it once."

Dick Swiveller:

"Here's a state of things! She never tasted it--it can't be tasted in a sip!"

- Charles Dickens, 
"The Old Curiosity Shop"