Beer Tasting

So I finally had time to sit down and taste all of the beers brought to me by friends and family. I shared them with friends over a bit of pizza.

1- August Schell's Pale Ale= a nice safe drinkable beer. a light color beer. suited more drinkability, rather any skill of making a beer. i have low expectations for pale. it had no aroma. i would drink it if no other of my favorites were around. not something i would buy regularly, but wouldn't look down on it either.

2- August Schell's Stout - a good beer, although as discussed with friends, it supports the theory that east coast breweries have a lot to learn about beer. It was well made and beat most of the east coast stouts I have tasted. But still not strong, still no roast/dark flavor, which west coast breweries have spoiled me with. the black ale was better flavored beer.

3- Grand Teton Brewing Black Cauldron Imperial Stout- This beer starts off sharp and bitter and then slides off into a great after taste. It's alcohol is at a perfect level 8%. The problem is the first taste and the second taste don't fit each other. Almost like they hadn't "tuned" the recipe enough.

4-Mactarnahan's Goose Bump- Imperial Stout w/coffee= this is a beer that punches you in the face with flavor and alcohol. it is strong. i found myself put off by it after opening, but was engaged with something else and kept drinking. finding out that i enjoyed it after it overwhelmed my tongue and i had finished the 22.

5-Laughing Dog's Alpha Dog Imperial IPA- a good made beer. overpowering with it's hoppyness. i am barely an IPA fan and to drink an Imperial (it is close having a
Coors Light fan and drink an Old Rasputin). I loved the cloudiness and aroma of the hops, but just not the assault of hop flavor.

6-10 Barrel Brewing - Sinister Black Ale- The surprise of the tasting. A black ale with tons of mellow rich flavor, not overpowered by "beery" flavor, not bitter, not sour and very drinkable. a good solid aroma.

honorable mention
chris's homebrew. a stout made with coffee instead of water. it a was a great beer. it had little of a sugary problem, but better than i have ever done for stouts