This is another oatmeal stout beer. It has a lot of the same characteristics that the others had: A sweet smell from the malts and nice darker head. The taste just says “I’m another good oatmeal stout, drink me!” I proceed to do so. With the bitterness of coffee and the hops, this is a keeper. Keep an eye open on this brewery; good things come from Michigan’s New Holland Brewing Co. Perhaps a field trip to the source is needed. I do step back and ask this: Why call it Poet with a raven on the bottle, yes that is Poe, but what is the connection?

Specs: 12oz bottle
5.5% Alcohol

This is a native Ohio brew from Cleveland. It has a hoppy aroma and a wonderful golden color. The pour was not very impressive with lower head. This is a true pale ale with the bitter taste. This pale is not as hoppy as most and again a starter pale ale for those trying to get into the bitters. The bitter taste does seem to stay longer on the tounge after each taste. I can’t wait to go to Cleveland this weekend and see if I can find some of this on tap, or even better: visit the brewery!

Specs: 12oz bottle
6% Alcohol

Once again a brew that challenges the status quo. This extremely dark porter is heavy on the hops, and not on the roasted malts so typical of the style. King’s Peak Porter poured with a 1/4″ light head on its dark full body. It’s an interesting aroma that combines the dark style with the freshness and almost flowery aroma of hops. Tastes amazing! Never filling and the hops allow the full bodied porter to hit first before they take over and lighten up the overall taste. Nice work Uinta Brewing from Utah!

Specs: 12oz bottle
4.2% Alcohol

L’chaim! I’ve always seen these brews and been curious, finally a chance to try and talk about “the chosen beer”. It is even labeled as kosher! The aroma was of strong hops and I was quite surprised by this light brown ale. The color was more golden than brown and the hops truly stand out. Bitters hit fast but quickly back off and let some more mellow tones finish off the taste. “More More!” my pallet demanded, but I have evening classes I must attend and delay the consumption of the rest of these. If there is anything I’ve learned from this site, it’s that as ridiculous as some of these brews may sound, they survive on quality products. Try some Hebrew, the Chosen Beer!


Specs: 12oz bottle
5.4% Alcohol

This is a Russian Imperial Stout. What does all that mean? Put simply, it is a dark Russian beer! The pour of this is what made my eyes open wide. It was very dark, with a nice mocha head that took some time to go down. The smell was full roasted malts. They were so appealing that I had to dive in. The taste is what set me back. Yes it was coffee and chocolate flavored with a good amount of bitters. I could not tell if that was all the hops, or something else. The bitterness lingered in the mouth for quite some time. This is a beer that I could only have one, maybe two of in a sitting.

Specs: 12oz bottle
9% Alcohol

This barley-wine style ale is extremely dark! I had to take this as Jon is not a big fan of this style, so here goes. As I poured, I noticed the cloudiness and somewhat red/gold colors on the edges. A full aroma of aged barrels is followed in suit by a strong taste that is creamy and thick. There is a tart ending that is quite unusual for most beers, but this is not a normal beer, its barley-wine. I’m not entirely impressed with this style in general and Horn Dog has been an enjoyable review. But this site isn’t about just drinking one beer, it’s about experiencing and embracing all brews and sharing with others. I will suggest this to the select connoisseurs of this complex style of brew.

Specs: 12oz bottle
10.2% Alcohol
Thanks again to Stephanie for the excellent brew to review.

Imagine my surprise when I was offered this handcrafted beer from Oregon by a friend who had moved out west in the past year! First off, let me tell you about this pour and aroma: smooth pour, little head (likely due to the many miles from Oregon), and a smell like walking into a chocolate shop. This porter is sweet and delectable! Chocolates dominate without weighing down this brew – it’s smooth the whole way and leaving a lingering mild sweetness on the pallet which only got better as I continued my glass. A very crisp flavor is somehow achieved without strong hops to finish off the drink. Tim, I’m sure everyone you gave one of these beers will be most appreciative. I will have to persuade some local establishment to try and get Deschutes in regular stock in this area.

Specs: 12 oz bottle
5.2% Alcohol

Odd, not so much. Tasty, kind of. I am still not 100% sure on this one. It is a nice dark brown with a bit of a head on the pour. It is their winter seasonal beer. Some great art work on the bottle, and I will have to say that about all their bottles. Not as fun as Flying Dog, but still looks more creative than some. The taste of this one was just a bite of hops at the start, then you taste that it is very almost watery. It just doesn’t have that full taste to it. The other flavors taste like the those winter spices everyone uses. As disgusting as it is, I had another taste of this when I burped, and it was not good. Make sure to let this one sit so you experience the burp, or just hold it in on this one! Watch for the alcohol content on this one if you drink it, it can put you down quick!

Specs: 12oz bottle
7.5% Alcohol

Yes I did buy another one of their beers. This one was worse than the first. The color of it was a yellow to brown in color. I cannot smell again right now, so I had to skip that part. Right on to the taste then! This ale was so very sweet it hurt me. It did not have any real hops taste to it, and it reminded me of the sweet taste from Budweiser’s Bourbon Cask Ale, but with just too much of the sweet taste infused or added to it. My wife tried it and actually liked it. I was surprised that she did, but then again she does not like the bitter of hoppy beers. 2 of 3 of their beers reviewed, and it isn’t looking like I will be a repeat customer of theirs.

Specs: 12oz bottle
5.7% Alcohol

Boston Ale? Wait, I thought it was the Boston Lager? Well they do have a Boston Ale, and it is one of the 10 beers in of their Brewmaster’s Collection. The color is just beautiful as it reminds me of the bottle of real honey I have from a local guy. It poured with a nice white head. The hops shows again in this one, as it seems to do with any of their beers. It bites as you drink it and it is predominate in the taste of the beer. This is a year round beer, so no excuses, go out and get one now!

Specs: 12oz bottle
5.1% Alcohol