#171: Shmaltz Brewing Company » He'Brew St. Lenny's (Belgian Rye DIPA)

The immaculate collaboration...

The Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Co. (Clifton Park) &  Cathedral Square Brewery (St. Louis)
The Brew: He'Brew / Cathedral Square - St. Lenny's (Belgian-style Rye DIPA)
Availability: Bottles (Limited)
ABV:  10%
Rating:  9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? This one was an anniversary gift from my partner while we were out camping earlier this winter. I decided to save it for a few weeks for the right occasion. Repairs at the house were finally complete and having spent the day painting, relaxing after she returned from work as the house was slowly returning to normal seemed as good a time as any.

St. Lenny's is a collaboration, giving He'Brew's lauded Bittersweet Lenny's Rye Double IPA a Belgian spin from Cathedral Square Brewery out of St. Louis, MO. He'Brew's Jeremy Cowan and CSB's brewmaster are longtime friends and what better way to continue celebrating He'Brew's new brewery after 17 years than an immaculate collaboration?

The Beer? A thick, creamy cream-color head starts this one off atop a hazy, deep copper body. The nose is quite complex, full of rye, yeast, and raisin aromas. Dark and alluring.

The flavor kicks in with firm, hot hops. A beautiful blend of dark fruit slammed with smooth grapefruit. St. Lenny's reigns in the intensity of the original, still packed with hops, but in a bit more distinguished manor, with soft notes of pepper, caramel, and apple. A wonderful balance and synchronization of earth, spice, sweet fruit and bitterness. There's a nice booziness throughout with a wonderful mouthfeel of soft carbonation. Big, robust, and beautiful and never heavy.

Overall, a solid addition to the "Lenny's" line and worth going back to.

#170: Victory Brewing Co. » Helios (Belgian-style Farmhouse Ale)

Victory's funky farmhouse...

The Brewery: Victory Brewing Co. (Downington, PA)
The Brew: Helios (Belgian-style Farmhouse Ale)
Availability: Bottles & Draft
ABV: 7.5%%
Rating: 9.0/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? I must have passed by this beer several dozen times. Why? I haven't the slightest. Maybe the old green/yellow/brown label just didn't strike me the right way. Victory has my trust with long-standing staples such as Golden Monkey and Storm King, plus their impeccable draft-only offerings, so again, I have no idea why this never made it to my beer basket.

Last week, I was having a few close friends over, whom I hadn't seen in months, for movies. While shopping for some session brews to share and on my way out, I saw Helios staring back at me from the cold case, rebranded and for just $4.99. I figured if nothing else, it'd be a nice way to ease into the session beers, unknowing the pleasant surprise I was in for.

The Beer? Nice and funky right out of the gate! Golden, pale yellow color with fluffy white head presentation with a complex, Belgian-style nose, prominent in wheat and yeast.

Helios is brewed up with Brettanomyces and a blend of specialty yeasts from the Victory vault, yielding a bustling, wide flavor palate of mild barnyard, basement must, soft red apple, wet hay, grass, smooth citrus, peppercorn, and lemon peel. Way too drinkable at surprising 7.5%, this year-round bomber may have just be come one of my new go-tos.

For a beer I wasn't even planning on blogging, this peaked my interest with it's lovely, smooth, and drinkable funkiness on first sip. Kudos to Victory on the new, eye-catching label too.

#169: The Bronx Brewery » Bronx Black PA

Bronx Pale joins the dark side...

The Brewery: The Bronx Brewery (Bronx, NY)
The Brew: Bronx Black PA
Availability: Draft Only (Winter Specialty)
ABV: 5.7% | IBUs: 57
Rating: 8.9/10
Location: Felicia's Atomic Lounge

The Story? I'm still stoked that Bronx Pale has been in regular rotation down at Felicia's. On my last stop, Pale moved from draft to cans to make room for this deep, dark seasonal, Bronx Black PA.

The Beer? Bronx Black serves up with a tuft of mocha head and is, as it's name implies, jet black with a smooth, roasted and hoppy nose. Sharp, dark bitter coffee flavors quickly follow suit and dominate the first gulp. Medium body and soft carbonation are consistent throughout this black pale.

The dark, dry finish is quick at first, but quickly builds to linger relentlessly. Slight black licorice flavor begins to emerge with a mild earthiness and pine notes while deep espresso takes hold.

Overall, my best analogy is a Russian Imperial Stout getting aggressively intimate with a hop cone. Complex, bitter, and damn dark. One to go back for seconds.

#168: Hopshire Farm & Brewery » Amber Glass (American Amber Ale)

Malty harvest ale from Hopshire... 

The Brewery: Hopshire Farm & Brewery (Freeville, NY)
The Brew:  Amber Glass ((Amber Ale)
Availability: Draft
ABV: 5.0% | IBUs: 35
Rating: 8.9/10
Location: Ithaca Coffee Company (Triphammer)

The Story? After a long day of last minute holiday and paint shopping, my partner and I headed over to Ithaca Coffee Company for a pick-me-up. We planned on two rounds to rejuvenate with, so I eyed Triphammer's typically hefty offerings for a starter that would still allow me to accomplish our remaining errands. 

Earlier in the season, Hopshire issued two new offerings, 'Round Yon Virgil (spiced Brown Ale) and Amber Glass - an American style Amber brewed with whole, local Willamette and Cascade hops and New York barley malt and British amber. Granted, Amber Ale's aren't my favorite, but getting a disappointing brew from Hopshire seemed unlikely. 

The Beer? Bringing my beer to the table, I'm met with a firm malt nose that is roasted with a distinct coolness. 

Right off the bat, this is a very tasty beer. It's creaming, warming and quenching with just a hint of spice. Far more complex than most 5.0% Ambers I've run across. Notes of rosehips, pepper, orange zest, rosemary abound amidst smooth malts and toasty caramel finish. 

Overall, this is undoubtedly in the Top 5 Ambers I've ever enjoyed, if not one of the best singles. Kudos to Hopshire for taking an unassuming style to new heights. 

#167: Galaxy Brewing Company » Andromeda IPA

New, awesome local brewery alert...

The Brewery: Galaxy Brewing Company (Binghamton, NY)
The Brew: Andromeda IPA
Availability: Draft Only (rotating)
ABV: 6.2%
Rating: 9.2/10
Location: The Westy

The Story? Galaxy Brewing opened their doors this summer just downstate in Binghamton, having founded in 2011. They're a father-son gastropub, dedicated to bringing quality beer and food and being a part of revitalizing the downtown area. From the looks of it, they're well on their way, already offering adventurous brews like Mint Chocolate Stout, Galaxy NY Harvest Ale, Solar Flare (Belgian-style w/ Citra hops), Honey Lemon Mate Ale, and more, Galaxy have future plans for spontaneous fermentation and barrel aging. Needless to say, I am elated.

After finishing up T"The Desolation of Smaug", my partner headed down to draft night at The Westy. Making my way through a round of Hop Sun (coming next) and one of my new go-to's, Pantius Dropus from Ellicottville, Galaxy Brewing's Andromeda IPA came on tap. Tim, my partner, the gang and I all took a sample taste. I immediately ordered a pint and started feverishly taking notes.

The Beer? Incredibly fragrant. The nose is aggressively pungent, like huffing hop cones - grapefruit, dry pine, and lemon aromas all fight for attention.

Surprisingly, Andromeda light bodied, dispute it's fearsome aroma. It goes down smooth, but it's bite is just as big as it's bark. Huge plumes of bitter hop heavy bursts through each sip. Grapefruit rind and pith, blood orange, lemon, pine flavors are all mightily present... while still walking the line of powerful, but well-balanced and any-time enjoyable. I pretty much need a growler of this. West-coast, your move.

An incredible offering for such a new brewery. Way to knock it out of the park.

#166: Victory Brewing Co. » Old Horizontal (American Barleywine)

Old Horizontal returns...

The Brewery: Victory Brewing Co. (Downington, PA)
The Brew: Old Horizontal (American Barleywine)
Availability: Bottles & Draft
ABV: 11.0%
Rating: 9.3/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? After a couple years off, Victory's Old Horizontal has returned to much acclaim. This was one of my gateway barleywines towards the end of my overzealousness with IPAs. Last year, I was lucky enough to get a half-growler of their 2009 batch from our friends at Fingerlakes Beverage Center, which was literally one of the best beers I'd ever enjoyed up to that point. Let's see how this fresh new batch measures up.

The Beer? Old Horizontal pours out with a plentiful, lively manila head over a deep, reddish-amber body. Surprisingly lively for an 11%. Firm hop aromas follow up.

Burly, powerful, and hardy, this sipper is packed full of boozy goodness, but goes down silky smooth. Creamy flavors of dark fruit, caramel, and toffee are immediately apparent, with subtler notes of bitter hops, chocolate, and a touch of spice heat arrive on the follow through. A bit chewy further through. Tougher than the elegance I remember from the aged version, but still very delectable.

Overall, a solid, mediu-body barleywine with extra points for how well this one ages.

#165: Southern Tier Brewing Co. » Krampus (Imperial Helles Lager)

A lil seasonal evil for the naughty ones...

The Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co. (Lakewood, NY)
The Brew: Krampus (Imperial Helles Lager)
Availability: Bottles, Draft (limited)
ABV: 9.0%
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? After hauling out the last of the furniture from half our first floor for some refinishing, I pulled out this bottle of Krampus to join me a few hours of serenity in our big empty room. Of course, this was after I found my car battery completely dead and jogged to go pick this up. But for now, serenity, while I wait for the Autoworks guy to show up. It's been an interesting year.

The Beer? The off-white head that kicks this one off is thick and lacy with plenty of staying power atop the crystal-clear amber body. The nose is full of sweet grapefruit and other citrus notes and sugary malts.

Two of the characteristics I love the most is how utterly smooth and impeccably well-balanced Krampus is. Roasted malts, caramel, and smooth citrus flavors all working in harmony backed by a slight earthiness and touch of hop heat and spice. All wrapped up with that refreshing lager drinkability. I often forget this one kicks at 9%.

Overall, a regional seasonal I always look forward to. Accessible and original, which is a feat in itself.

Quicky!: Otter Creek Brewing / Wolaver's » Kind Ryed IPA

I picked up a mix 12-pack from Otter Creek Brewing over the weekend to clear our our living room for some renovations. They're one of my favorite hangout mix packs, I always like everything in the box and this time was no different.

The seasonal included is their new Kind Ryed IPA - big, bold spicy rye flavor packed with plenty of citrus and bitterness all wrapped up with a touch of roasted earthiness. My favorite in the box. Cheers!

#164: Matt Brewing Company » Saranac: Legacy IPA

New beer from a classic recipe....

Brewery: Matt Brewing Company (Utica)
The Brew: Saranac: Legacy IPA
Availability: 4-Pack Cans
ABV: 6.5%
Rating: 7/10
Location: Home

The Story? Originally available only on draft or in limited edition packs of Pale, White IPA, or Trail Mix, Legacy is now in four-pack tall boys. This classic IPA was born out of a recently rediscovered recipe by founder, F.X. Matt and issued as part of their 125th celebration.

The Beer? This IPA pours out a dark brass color with mildly lacy, off-white head - reasonable carbonation for a can. Not overly foamy. The nose follows up with soft, bright citrus aromas.

The taste is full of mild hops with some mineral characteristics. There's an earthy bitterness to it, somewhat reminiscent to an English IPA. Light bodied and unfortunately not too much depth or complexity to this one. It's crisp and refreshing, but a bit too mild and straightforward for my tastes.

Overall, a mild, just above session, easy drinking, tallboy IPA.

#163: Uinta Brewing Company » Anniversary Barley Wine Ale

One of my favorite styles from the always delicious, Uinta...

The Brewery: Uinta Brewing Co. (Salt Lake City, UT)
The Brew:  Anniversary Barley Wine Ale
Availability:  Bottles, draft
ABV: 10.4% // IBUs: 72
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Originally released in small batches each year to commemorate their anniversary, Uinta's Anniversary Barley Wine Ale is now a year-round offering. I picked these up for post Big Day In celebration last weekend and found myself with a couple left.

The Beer? Anniversary kicks off with a far more plentiful head than your typical barleywine. The body is a deep, dark brown and nearly opaque. A few deep whiffs reveal big malt and citrus characteristics.

The flavors is quite sweet, with an earthy finish and a slight tartness woven in. Big flavors of fig, raisin, and caramel dominate while subtler notes of espresso and nuts seal the deal. This brew has definite heft to it - full bodied, dark and respectfully bitter. A great, strong hop backbone balances the sweet malt goodness that never overpowers.

Overall, a firm, strong, year-round barley wine. I'm going to age on of these for a while and see how things develop.

#162: Hill Farmstead » Grassroots Brewing Sankt Hans (Amber Saison)

Denmark / Vermont mild sour lovechild...

The Brewery: Hill Farmstead (Greensboro Bend, VT)
The Brew: Grassroots Brewing Sankt Hans (Amber Saison)
Availability: Bottles (limited)
ABV: 5.4%
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: Home
Found: Hill Farmstead Brewery

The Story? Sankt Hans is a collaboration between former Ølfabrikken brewer, Christian Skovdal Andersen, now of Beer Here and Peter Sonne of Flying Couch Brewing, both from Denmark, and Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead, for their Grassroots Brewing line in celebration of the summer solstice. I picked this up during the Vermont haul this fall.

The Beer? Sankt Hans pours out a deep, rich amber-caramel color with a fizzy, quickly fading bright white head. The notes quickly presents firm funk and sour aromas and subtle spice notes.

This collaboration has yielded an enjoyable sour. Pleasant earthy and fruit flavors swirl around the palate. Notes of lemon, yeast, slight herbal spice, rose hips, and tea are all apparent and close with a slight funk on the finish. There's a smooth nuttiness in there as well.

Delicate, but not breakable, this saison is well-balanced, going down smooth with only mild astringency.

This Grassroots offering continues to grown in complexity with each sip and each glass, drying out into stronger influence of green apple, champagne, and black cherry flavors. Rich, tart, and funky, this unique saison continues to evolve until the final drop.

Over all, a distinguished brew that only leaves me craving more.

#161: Ellicottville Brewing Co. » Pantius Droppus (Imperial IPA)

The panty dropper...

The Brewery: Ellicottville Brewing Co. (Ellicottville, NY)
The Brew: Pantius Droppus (Imperial IPA)
Availability: Bottles / Draft (Year-Round)
ABV: 10.0%
Rating: 8.9/10
Location: The Westy

The Story? Big Day In is past and after a lazy afternoon, I figured I should at least venture out of the house once. After a 13 hour day on Saturday, it was going to take some motivation to stop watching old episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

It dawned on me that it was Sunday, draft night down at The Westy. I recalled earlier in the week hearing that Ellicottville's Pantius Droppus would be on tap. Wasn't sure if it was still up, but I knew New England's Sea Hag was, which would be a fine consolation prize. Happily enough, Pantius Droppus was on and was ample recompense for leaving the house.

The Beer? Pantius Droppus serves up deep, transparent amber topped with fluffy, ivory head followed by an unassuming nose of sweet, soft hops, malt, and fruit.

Despite it's humble appearance and aroma, this IIPA is bursting with sweet, dank hops. Creamy and full bodied, it's boozy, but not so much estery. It's almost barleywine smooth with plenty of sweet honey and caramel swimming among soft lemon, pepper, and grapefruit notes. Delicious and distractedly easy to drink, I put back three of these easily while caught up in conversation. Impressive.

Overall, this sits high in the ranks of dangerously drinkable Imperial IPAs.

#160: Surly Brewing Company » Furious (American IPA)

Hops & malts get Furious...

The Brewery: Surly Brewing (Brooklyn Center, MN)
The Brew:  Furious (American IPA)
Availability: Cans & draft (Year-Round)
ABV: 6.2% | IBUs: 66
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home

The Story? Twas the night before Big Day In and all through the house, not a creature was stirring. But seriously, this is by far the earliest the evening before that I've had everything together for Ithaca Underground's pending festival. Time to sit back with a meal and a brew.

Furious is the last of the batch of Surly's that made it my way earlier in the fall and is packed with American hops and Scottish malt.

The Beer? Furious kicks off with voluminous off-white head atop dark, amber-red bubble body. The nose is full of fresh hops, tangerine, and a hint of green apple. Down the hatch it's bittersweet hop bliss. Lots of citrus, balanced by sweet toffee and caramel flavors.

Deft balance is what I find I enjoy most about all of Surly's beers. Complex, robust, but throw-back easy drinking thanks in part to Furious' soft carbonation. Further through, roasted notes build with mild hints of tea and herb.

Overall, another slammin' hoppy ale from Surly. Cheers!

#159: Founders Brewing Co. Sweet Repute (Barrel-Aged Wheatwine)

Sweet bliss...

The Brewery: Founders Brewing Co.(Grand Rapids, MI)
The Brew: Sweet Repute (Barrel-Aged Wheatwine)
Availability: Draft and bottles (limited)
ABV: 12.6%
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: Tug Hill (Cabin)
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? I stopped down to Fingerlakes Beverage Center to pick up something special for our anniversary trek up to the Tug Hill Plateau. I didn't have anything particular in mind, but figured this time of year there's always something limited, outrageous, and boozy to be found. And boy, did I find it.

I always try to grab a bottle of Founders Backstage series whenever it arrives. I missed the Mango Magnifico release, so when I saw their latest, Sweet Repute, staring back, their was no hesitation. This sweet beast is one-hundred percent barrel aged in maple syrup bourbon barrels and bourbon barrels over the course of sixteen months, then blended using carefully calculated ratios for the delivered brew. Wowzah.

The Beer? Sweet Repute opens with a big nose of honey and bourbon. Subtler notes of maple and oak are present as well after a more focus whiff. There's a touch of white head atop it's hazy gold body. Enough talk... time to drink.

This is booze-candy. Straight up. This isn't even beer - angel-tears nectar maybe? Strong flavors of caramel, candy sugar, vanilla, cream soda, toffee and a hefty dose of butterscotch make for a delicious start right out of the gate. It's boozy, as the 12.6% would infer, but with a medium body and gradual mouthcoat. Excellent.

Further through, roasted toffee notes emerge in the finish and the maple and bourbon flavors build, giving it more of a bite. This is no shy beer and more full bodied than more wheatwines I've encountered. There's even a bit of spruce and herbal notes on the front end of the second glass.

Overall, a truly expert crafted beer. It won't be for everyone, but for those it's for, it's luscious euphoria. A sweet/strong benchmark.

#158: B. Nektar Meadery » Necromangocon

Defend your soul...

The Brewery: B. Nektar Meadery (Ferndale, MI)
The Brew: Necromangocon
Availability: Bottles / Draft
ABV: 6.0%
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Ithaca Coffee Co.

The Story?  B. Nektar Meadery has been on my radar for a while now and was stoked to receive their Evil Genius IPA-style mead as a gift earlier this year. While it wasn't be best thing I've ever had, B. Nektar hadn't made it to Ithaca yet and it was still quite enjoyable. Oddly enough, literally days after posting about Evil Genius, B. Nektar started popping up all over Ithaca, including their Necromangocon which put them on my map. This adventurous mead is crafted with mango juice and pepper.

The Beer? Necromangocon starts with an enticing, fragrant nose of mango and white pepper, complimented by notes of lychee, grape, and honey. This offering is touch darker than Evil Genius, but still a pale, clear yellow as expected from a mead.

The taste is pure bliss and incredibly smooth. It's pleasantly sweet, never syrupy or sugary, showcasing the skilled subtlety of B. Nektar Meadery. Mango and white fruit flavors are abound. The wonderful pepper spice is like the best spice tones of red or white wines, with a much lighter body.

This mead is impressively tasty, with all that flavor packed in, it's still moderately clean, with great legs, and finishes up with a mellow, lingering spice. Recommended for those seeking something different.

#157: Upstate Brewing Company » I.P.W. (India-Style Pale Wheat)

Local blend of popular American styles...

The Brewery: Upstate Brewing Company (Elmira, NY)
The Brew: I.P.W. (India-Style Pale Wheat)
Availability: 4-packs cans (year-round)
ABV: 6.5%
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Tug Hill Plateau (Camping)
Found: GreenStar Co-Op

The Story? Last week, my partner and I headed up to the Tun Hill region of the Adirondacks as a getaway for our anniversary. The house was still under renovation and my biggest event of the year, Big Day In, just around the corner. A cabin in the middle of no-cell-reception sounded like just the relaxer I needed.

We brought some of the good stuff for our one full day at the cabin and picked up a four pack of Upstate I.P.W. and Common Sense for when we rolled in late Monday night. As you can likely deduce, their I.P.W. is a merger of IPA and American Wheat beer.

The Beer? I.P.W. looks great out of the can - deep amber with a ring white head. The nose is bright, hoppy, and fully of citrus. It's light bodied, with full, soft hop flavor. Mild hop bitterness and citrus notes throughout and complimented by the smooth wheat finish. A great tall-boy for hanging out.

Recommended for anyone just getting into hoppier or those looking for a meal beer with solid character.

#156: Matt Brewing Company » Saranac: Rudy's Spiced Christmas Ale

Xmas from Saranac...

The Brewery: Matt Brewing Company (Utica)
The Brew: Saranac: Rudy's Spiced Christmas Ale
Availability: 6-packs (seasonal)
ABV: 6.0%
Rating: 7.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? It's been a while since I cracked into a pack of anything from Saranac. I remember many-a 12 packs to share of their upstate brews to parties and hangouts, but most of us moved on to other habits. I remember their Rye, Big Moose, and White IPA were pretty tasty. This Xmas Ale came my way and I figured it was worth a chat.

The Beer? Rudy's starts with a mild, bready nose, translucent, pale copper body with a bit of fluffy white head. There's a touch of mineral water and soft hops on the nose after a few sniffs as well.

On first sip, it's a very mild holiday beer. Crisp, sweet malt notes are the primary flavors, but then the winter spices begin to slowly build. Mild fruit cake, cinnamon, allspice, slight esters on the finish, plus residual caramel notes on the breath out. Better than expected!

#155: The Bronx Brewery » Rye Pale Ale

Bronx experience #2 for this blogger...

The Brewery: The Bronx Brewery (Bronx, NY)
The Brew: Rye Pale Ale
Availability: Draft Only (Fall Specialty)
ABV: 6.3% | IBUs: 58
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? There have been a handful of taps at Fingerlake Beverage that have caught my eye of late, one of which being Bronx's Rye seasonal. Their Pale Ale quickly became one of my new regular brews earlier this year, but this was the first I'd run across their rye.

Malted and flaked rye make up nearly a quarter of the grain bill for this Rye, coupled with Chinook and Crystal hops. Easy choice for the empty half-growler eagerly waiting in the car.

The Beer? Transparent amber and thin white head meet the eyes while firm aromas of rye, banana, and bread grace the nose. As expected, there's a deep, enjoyable rye bitter flavor to this Bronx. It's still wet up front, followed by esters and some sweet caramel characteristics as well. Mild white fruit, nectarine appear way in the back along with a herbal coolness. The body is fairly light with plenty of effervescence.

Overall, another solid offering from Bronx, this time with some darker, deeper complexities and a touch more bitterness for the cold months.

#154: Ithaca Beer Co. Cold Front (aged in wine barrels), South Hill Saison, Regionale

The Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company (Ithaca, NY)
Availability: Draft Only (5-Barrel Series)
Location: Ithaca Beer Taproom

The Story? My father was stopping through Ithaca on his way back from the Adirondacks and we scheduled to meet up for lunch. I'd missed the last several cask night offerings, but figured there would likely be at least a new 5-barrel series offering hanging around. Correct, though understated.

Cold Front (Belgian-style aged in red wine barrels) | ABV: 7.2% | Rating 8.8/10
I enjoy Cold Front. It's definitely one of Ithaca's stand-out 12 oz. offerings and the prospect of that robust beer in wine barrels warranted a trip on its own.

I order a half pint, which arrives as a deep, dark amber color with a touch of ruby, topped by a ring of lacy head and delivers a sweet, malty nose.

The flavor is quite earthy, commiserating with light red fruit notes and a mild tartness amidst a dense, chewy mouthfeel and body. The wine influence is notable in the nose and finish mostly. There's a slight roasted bitterness in there as well - bittersweet in fact. Notes of alcohol, coffee, dry coco begin to arise. All made quite drinkable with a smooth, soft carbonation. This rendition is enjoyable. Wet, Cold Front start and drying, red wine finish. Well done.

South Hill Saison (Farmhouse) | ABV: 6.4% | Rating: 8/10
This saison kicks off a hazy yellow, also with a ring of head. The nose is relatively transparent, mild with notes of yeast and mild citrus. A few sips though and South Hill is mildly dry, on the minerally side of things with soft carbonation. Smooth, with orange and yeast flavors peaking through. A relatively straight forward, mild Farmhouse style. Tasty and a good meal beer.

Regionale (Local-sourced Ale) | ABV: 5/7% | Rating: 8/10
This brew is brewed using all New York State grown ingredients, including lemon balm from their own Ithaca Beer garden. The aptly named Regionale serves up with a fluffy, fading head with no lace atop a clear, pale orange-amber body.

The taste is quite dry, with lots of orange presence, a touch of lemon. It's slightly sharp and minerally, but still quite pleasant. Nice one-off for those looking for a light body beer with bright character.

#153: Lagunitas Brewing Co » Brown Shugga' (Strong Ale)

Brown Shugga' returns...

The Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, CA)
The Brew: Brown Shugga' (Strong Ale)
Availability: 6-packs (seasonal)
ABV: 9.99%%
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Brown Shugga' started life as a failed batch of Olde GnarlyWine Ale. The innovators at Lagunitas chose to experiment and salvage the batch by adding unabashed amounts of brown sugar. The result was one of their most popular beers to date and a staple of the high ABV winter American seasonals. Brown Sugar left us in 2011 due to construction-induced capacity issues (when they issued "Sucks" as a substitute), but returned last year to critical and fan acclaim.

The Beer? I could smell this beer from where I took the picture. This sweet release pours out with a voluminous, staying head of lace atop glowing, amber-copper liquid. The nose is quite sweet with notes of caramel and hoppy orange notes.

Down the hatch, Brown Shugga' is smooth like silk. It's hoppy, but not dry or bitter. Sweet brown sugar meets hop citrus and heat. I think this is the most well-balanced beer Lagunitas offers. There's notes of sweet lemon, candy sugar, toasted malts, and caramel. Sweet, dank, easy drinking bliss.

The 9.99% is well hidden for the majority of the way through the glass, but by the end, strong esters and booze are apparent, though by far not nearly it's full potency. Calling this irresponsibly drinkable is apt.

Overall, this is a must-try for any craft beer drinker and an easy stable of winter beer drinking. It's unlike anything else out there, somewhere between a Barelywine and an Imperial IPA, but very much on it's own journey.

#152: Sixpoint Brewery » Global Warmer (Winter Warmer)

The new seasonal from Sixpoint...

The Brewery: Sixpoint Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew: Global Warmer
Availability: 12 oz can - 4-packs & draft (seasonal)
ABV: 7.0% | 70 IBUs
Rating: 9.2/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Originally brewed during their draft-only days in 2006, Global Warmer's can release launched one year to the day since Hurricane Sandy flooded Sixpoints brewhouse. Global climate and the beer climate is changing... Sixpoint nods to both in this new seasonal offering.

The Beer? Global starts off with a slight haze to its mostly transparent amber body topped with lacy, ivory head. There's plenty of inviting, spicy and citrus hops on the nose. As with most Sixpoint brews, this isn't your average winter seasonal.

It's refreshing at first, drinking smooth, but then dries way out. Surprisingly fantastic balance between hop-centric and winter spice flavors. Pine, hop oil, mild grapefruit coupled with mace, pepper, and faint red fruit makes for a unique, enjoyable brew and a pleasant change of pace.

Highly recommended for a unique, powerful beer that never gets brutal.

#151: 21st Amendment Brewery » Fireside Chat (Winter Spiced Ale)

Winter by the Fireside...

The Brewery: 21st Amendment Brewery (San Francisco, CA)
The Brew: Fireside Chat (Winter Spiced Ale)
Availability: Cans & draft (seasonal)
ABV: 7.9% | IBUs: 45
Rating: 8/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Now that it's past Thanksgiving and we've had our first winter storm advisory, I feel I can begin posting about winter seasonals. 21st Amendment's Fireside Chat was one spiced ale that stood out last year for me, but I was only able to grab one can of it, to my dismay.

With sleet, freezing rain, and snow barring down, depending where you were in town, it sounded like a good time for a night in with beers to warm us.

The Beer? Fireside Chat pours out with a deep, dark walnut body and off-white head. A big nose of allspice, clove, and nutmeg follows.

This winter warmer isn't holding back anything. The boldness of the aroma and appearance introduction continues through unabashed velvety mouthfeel and strong flavors of cinnamon and clove, closing with an arid finish. It's a bit sticky as well with subtle notes of molasses, herbs, and faint esters on the elongated finish.

Overall, not as sublime as I remember from last year, but a recommended holiday beer for sure. A great second or third beer in that will still pack a punch.

Coming soon...

Long month. Bad weather. Next two nights the house will be filled with family staying over night. Good time for a night in... I was hoping to find a one more Ithaca Box of Hops, but this is a reasonable consolation haul. Posts coming soon!

#150: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. » DBA (English Pale Ale)

Lunch time...

The Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (Paso Robles, CA)
The Brew: DBA (English Pale Ale)
Availability: Draft and bottles (Year-Round)
ABV: 5.0% | 50 IBUs
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Ithaca Coffee Company

The Story? After a long month of house issues and traveling, I hit a goal on Wednesday that was cause for some mild, mid-day celebration. I popped down to Ithaca Coffee Company, where I haven't been in far too long. Since I have a bottle of Firestone's Double DBA in wait, their flagship DBA would be a good next post and reasonable ABV for everything else I needed to finish that day.

This brew, Double Barrel Ale in longhand, is tribute to traditional English cask fermented ales, fermented in their Firestone Union oak barrel brewing system.

The Beer? On draft, DBA is completely transparent, amber with a cap of fluffy white head that retains a moderate lace. The nose is bright and full of caramel, biscuit, and soft hops.

As with most Firestone brews, this one goes down so smooth with a slightly silky mouthfeel. All of the flavors are mild, as with most traditional English pales - slight roasted notes, hints of vanilla and oak, soft hop oil and earthy presences.

Overall, a very subdued, beautiful pale - a session sipper, if you will. With every sip, I expected the finish to bitter, but instead, right at the threshold, it slips into a mild sweetness. Well played.