DOGFISH HEAD PUNKIN ALE

TASTING NOTES:
Sweet and sour notes from the neck. Pours ultra clear orange/amber with a nice white head. Initially tastes a bit "hot" and definitely leans toward a sour brown flavor. It's subtle, but there. Spices of course like nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin. The head dissipates fairly quickly but the mouthfeel is very nice medium bodied, with decent legs. It really is a cool color. And it's more on the sweet malty side than hoppy. As it warms up, I get more brown sugar and pumpkin pie flavors. The hops are still fairly subdued, and this works well for a pumpkin beer IMO. I am genrally not a fan of pumpkin beers, but i can easily see why this one is so popular. tasted from the bottle @ 58F.

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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, organic brown sugar and spices. This is the perfect beer to warm-up with, as the season cools.

Punkin Ale is named after a locally-famous and seriously off-centered event here in southern Delaware - Punkin Chunkin (check out some of these Discovery Channel videos of Punkin Chunkin, you gotta see it to believe it!). In fact, Punkin Ale made it's debut as it claimed First Prize in the 1994 Punkin Chunkin Recipe Contest - yes, that was a full 6 months before we even opened our doors for business. Punkin Chunkin has grown in size and scale with pumpkins now being hurled more than 4,000 feet through the air! If you come down to see if for yourself - come by and visit us.

Since then, we've brewed Punkin Ale each and every fall. It is released right around September first each year. When you find it, grab some extra because it's usually gone by Thanksgiving.

AVERY THE BEAST GRAND CRU

TASTING NOTES:

Batch 9 - Unbelievable. Pours ruby brown with thick legs. Head dissipates fairly quickly but comes back with a negence when swirled. Thick legs is an understatement. Almost like seeing an Yquem stick to a glass. And no one else gets pineapple from this beer? Huge pineapple nose from the bottle and the glass. Lots of pineapple/tropical fruit, dark fruit, dark malts, hops, and rummy. Absolutely stunning beer. I will have another just to check my work. Tasted from the bottle @ 60F.

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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

The Beast is a seducer - accommodating, complicated, powerful, dark and created to last the ages. With a deep burgundy color and aromas of honey, nutmeg, mandarin orange and pineapple, this massive and challenging brew has flavors akin to a beautiful Caribbean rum. Dates, plums, raisins and molasses are dominant in a rich vinous texture. Cellarable for 10+ years.

Elysian Dark O' The Moon

TASTING NOTES:
Pours very dark with nice fluffy tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, spices. Nice pumkin flavor, like pumkin bread with the yeasty notes and cinnamon. Some chocolate notes as well. Seems a little thin in body in relation to the aroma & flavor, but perhaps it's just that I am more acclimated to higher ABV beers with more residual sugar. Love the bottle and name too! Tasted from the bottle @ 56F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
Brewed at the Elysian on Capitol Hill. a perennial favorite, brewed with Great Western pale, Crisp 77deg Crystal, Munich, Cara-Vienne, roasted, chocolate and Special B malts with roasted pumpkin seeds in the mash. Pumpkin in the mash, kettle and fermenter. Bittered with Magnum and finished with Saaz and crushed cinnamon.

Big Sale @ Marina Market!

Marina Market Beer Bucks Days!

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STONE BELGO ANISE IMPERIAL RUSSIAN STOUT

TASTING NOTES:
Aroma from the neck is black licorice, molasses, and smoke. I am intrigued! Pours black and with a little coaxing manages a nice thick tan head. Aroma is about the same but a little more subtle and complex. I get faint notes of wood, vanilla, and can I say is smells salty? Very nice sticky laces and a slowly receding head. Very nice flavor, if not a bit "ODD". Strong flavor of salt licorice, and some subtle hints of wood, hops, bittering on the finish. It really sticks around for a bit too. Mouthfeel is medium bodied (for this style) and I get some citrus notes as well. Also important to note that the 10.5% ABV is well masked. While it's a strong flavored brew, it does not have the alcohol notes I would expect of a higher gravity beer. Very interesting version of the Stone IRS. Anyone who likes salt licorice would love this beer. Tasted from the bottle @ 53F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
This 2011 Odd Year release pours pitch black with a deep tan head, with aromatic notes of anise, coffee, and cocoa jumping from the glass. Coffee and dark roasted malt flavors dominate, with a robust complement of anise and oak, which leave a lingering blend of vanilla, licorice, and dark malt on the palate. This one will age nicely for several years.

LIPS OF FAITH CLUTCH DARK SOUR ALE

TASTING NOTES:
Aroma of smoke, malt, and fermented fruit from the neck. Pours very dark brown, does not allow any light through the glass, and is topped with a THICK brown head. The head is clinging to the glass and slowly dissipating. Aromas of grain, hay, and alcohol notes. For a sour ale, I have to say the head is impressive. 2 minutes and it's still @ 1/4" and laced all the way to the rim. Strong wood flavor in first sip. Second sip has more of a sour brown ale flavor. Definitely has some heat to it, but perhaps a little thin on overall flavor. It's hard to place. Good body, some saltiness, sourness, grain, malt, and virtually no hop character. As it warms up I get a little more sour, but still not much in the middle and end. Thankfully it is not so sour as some others in the series that made my toenails want to eject! Very drinkable, balanced, with no harsh edges. I just can't reconcile "bold & audacious". Tasted from the bottle @ 55F.

RATINGS: ratebeer.com BeerAdvocate.com

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
It started as chance, a sandwich shop encounter between a band and a fan. It ended as the Clutch Collaboration. This pleasing, two-part potion was brewed with chocolate and black malts for a rich and roasty overtone, then fused with a dry, substratum of sour for a bold and audacious flavor. Black as night, this beer is blended at 80% stout, 20% dark sour wood beer for a collaboration that begins with a sour edge and finishes with a big, dark malt character, lingering, sweet on your palate.The two flavors come as raucous and riotous as the Maryland band and their Fort Collins fans, getting loud and making beer, together.

Lips Of Faith Grand Cru Abbey Ale

TASTING NOTES:

From the neck, notes of caramel, malts, wood, somewhat like a sour brown ale. Pours clear amber with thick off-white head, dissipating to a nice clingy ring. This brew has legs and a definite Grand Cru mouthfeel. Finely carbonated, mildly bitter finish, with flavors of sour apple, wood, malt, spices, and sugars. I was expecting more sour from my initial sniff test, but it really is very subtle with the sweetness and alcohol. A well balanced beer and those beer geeks that have had their toenails jettison from other Lips of Faith beers, should not shy away from this nicely done brew. This one is not over-the-top, and is quite delicious. Tasted from the bottle @ 54F.

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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:

Brewing, there was Abbey Ale. It was the first beer of home brewer and New Belgium co-founder, Jeff Lebesch. So the love brews deep for Abbey Grand Cru.To date, Abbey Ale has garnered no less than 16 medals at the Great American Beer Festival 7 of those being Gold. Take that award-winning recipe, precisely increase the hops, malt and fermentation time, and the result is a Grand Cru worth collecting. And that s exactly what many of us at New Belgium, as well asa growing number of fans, have done.By saving it for a few years, Abbey Grand Cru will continue to improve and age deliciously. Optimal storage is a cool (40-55F), dark place where the bottles can remain undisturbed. But lest we forget, it is a great beer and great beers deserve to be enjoyed. Best served at cellar temperature in a wide-mouthed glass. Toast to the monk s virtue and have a heavenly experience.