Hoptimum!

This is an imperial IPA from Sierra Nevada. They advertise it as a whole cone hopped ale. It is hoppy, but slightly overpowered by the abv. It pours a nice full reddish brown with little head and no lace. The appearance is almost thick. I think it has a sweet nectar taste at the finish, but I may be mis-describing it. Overall, I'd have one in a night, but not sure I'd have two. And, if I did, I wouldn't remember it!

Blanche de chambly

This is a Unibroue white, brewed with coriander and orange peel. It has a nice golden, unfiltered, appearance with a thin head and little lace. The nose is citrusy, but not overly so. I'm kind of a fan of Unibroue, so it's not a surprise that I liked this white. I can easily imagine sitting on the stoop in the summer enjoying a few of these ales as the sun sets.

Allagash Tripel

When I first defected from macrobrews, I tried stouts and tripels. I stuck with tripels. For about six months. Then I tried a quad, a Trappist Rochfort 10. I was hooked. Suddenly, the tripel seemed too sweet. So I left the tripel behind for quads, saisons, lambics, porters, pale ales, wheats, whites, pilsners, kolsches, IPAs and imperials of many varieties. It was with some trepidation that I tried this tripel. But I've had good luck with Allagash and recommended the white to some friends new to the craft (read: real) beer scene, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was pleasantly rewarded. This is a smooth tripel with not too sweet a finish. I could definitely have more than one a night, which is not something I usually say about a triple.

Shift

This is a New Belgium Shift - pale lager. I was expecting a pale ale so I was quite surprised when it had the finish of a lager. It poured with a nice head and left abundant lace. But it had a skunky nose and a shallow miller lite'ish taste. I was really excited about trying the Shift, but, like many New Belgiums, I'm left a little disappointed.

I double dog dare you

At 11% abv, this definitely gets your attention. It pours a nice coppery color with a creamy head. The nose is a strong hoppy bitterness. This is bitter like the New Glarus IIPA, but more balanced with a malty finish rather than the sweetness of the IIPA. I like it, but it's definitely strong. I double dog dare you to try one.

New Glarus Double IPA

I tried the regular IPA last night (and liked it). So now I'm trying the double IPA. It reminds me a lot of Bells Hop Slam. The color is a bit more golden than I expected, but the nose is spot on - bitter hops! I think this is about 85 ibus and super hoppy. Like Hopslam, it has a sort of sweet finish. I like this double IPA a lot.

Road Slush!

This is an oatmeal stout from New Glarus. It is brown in color, but when held up to the light, it is actually reddish brown. It doesn't pour with a thick head or leave a lot of lace on the glass, but it has a nice full-bodied taste with a hint of chocolate. I wish it had a little more oatmeal taste, but the hint of chocolate makes up for it.

New Glarus IPA

I've had a lot of New Glarus beer in the last three years, but I don't think I've ever had an IPA. On a trip to Wisconsin today, I bought two IPAs, this Hop Hearty and a double IPA. I really enjoyed the Hop Hearty. It has a copper color and and hoppy nose with a nice hoppy bitterness that is not overdone. I'm glad I got the last six pack!

New Holland

On the left is an el mole Ocho - described as malty with a rich cocoa laden body laced with dried chillies and coffee. It is a deep copper brown with a slightly hot finish. I keep looking for something like the Founders spite pepper ale but this isn't close. I wish it were a little bit hotter.
On the right is a New Holland Poet - oatmeal stout. It's a little thin for me without a deeper malt or oatmeal taste. I prefer a Sam Smiths.