Coal Porter: 4.0 – So I’m beginning to wonder if they literally threw coal into the batch. Because going down this tastes like a nice standard porter, but that lingering aftertaste might as well be coal dust, like It’s almost eerie how akin to coal it is. It’s not exactly a bad porter overall unless you are a serious anti-charcoal fan.
Price Average: Coal Porter $10 for 6-pack
Website: http://www.atlanticbrewing.com/
Le Freak Ale: 2.0 – It’s a combo of a Belgian Tripel and an American Imperial IPA (AIIPA?). Which is actually a good description of this beer. It’s got a strong taste, and I’m sure if you liked it would find this amazing. However I can attest that in my small sample size of a few people (damn you p values!) it’s unliekly you will enjoy this beer. It’s hoppy in all the wrong places, has gravity in all the wrong places – it’s a bastardized combo that shouldn’t exist.
Price Average: Le Freak Ale $9
Website: http://www.greenflashbrew.com/
Liliko’i Kepolo Witbier: 6.0 – Ive likely not had many beers where passion fruit is the main taste, and while I’ve likely had it as part in other beers I can agree with the concept. However because this is a flavored beer I can’t get picky with the niche and have to rate this against all flavored beers in which case this isn’t super stellar. It’s certainly quite good though.
Price Average: Liliko’i Kepolo Witbier $11 for 4-pack
Website: http://averybrewing.com
Maredsous 6 Blond Ale: 7.0 – It’s definitely an incredibly complex beer, even more so for being an abbey blonde ale instead of a quad or tripel. That aspect though might be what kills it, because while it has complexity it lacks the depth and power you would hope it to have, that alone would take it from an admittedly great level into near-perfection.
Price Average: Maredsous 6 Blond Ale $12
Website: http://www.maredsousbieres.be/
Latte Stout: 4.0 – It’s a kinda tart coffee I don’t really like it and I think know it would only be good with like a raspberry dessert which would kill me (allergic). It’s certainly a distinctive beer, but I’m not sure where the latte comes in.
Price Average: Latte Stout $6 (Draft)
Wachusett New England Lager: 5.0 – That is actually a fairly solid Lager bit it misses the whole defining characteristic of their company which sucks. It’s like they did this as a checklist item of – well guess we should have a lager at this point.
Price Average: Wachusett New England Lager $8 for 6-pack
Website: http://www.wachusettbrew.com
Righteous Stave Red Ale: 4.0 – Not a huge fan as its really just a basic over hopped pale ale. It says red, but there’s a real lack of nice tartness here that is overshadowed via making it too hoppy. Likely a result of being an exclusive beer for a Boston-area bar chain.
Price Average: Righteous Stave Red Ale $9
Sgt. Pepper Farmhouse Ale: 6.5 – That is certainly a peppery beer. It balances that though by not being super light or easy to drink. While I respect the beer, at the end of the day I am unlikely to reorder.
Price Average: Sgt. Pepper Farmhouse Ale $9
Verhaeghe ‘Barbe’ Ruby Biere: 3.5 – If you had told.me this was juice I would believe you I get no beer or even alcohol or if you want that sure but no for me. I see that some places call this a fruit beer, and for me it was described as just a Red Ale – which I think is a basis for it; however that doesn’t change my score because even I get a fruit beer, I want a fruit beer.
Price Average: Verhaeghe ‘Barbe’ Ruby Biere $10
O’Hara’s Irish Stout: 6.5 – I’ve not had anything claiming to be a dry irish stout but to describe this imagine a Guinness that ends in a way that can only be described as clean. It makes it very easy to drink and throw back as you don’t get any weight to it after you put the glass back down.
Price Average: O’Hara’s Irish Stout $10 for a 4-pack
Website: http://www.carlowbrewing.com/