[warubozu]

 
Ballast Point Victory At Sea, pours pitch black with a deep brown head. Thin head retention and nice lacing on the glass, has the aroma of fresh roasted coffee, dark chocolate and roasted malts. Taste of bitter espresso but no so overpowering to make it unpleasant, hints of dark chocolate and vanilla round out this enjoyable beer. Great beer and would definitely pick up a few more bottles.
 

 
Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale, pours a hazy amber color with a one inch off white head and nice even lacing on the glass. Has aromas of fresh pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and spices. Taste of fresh pumpkin, cinnamon, with a light spicy sweet finish that's all well balanced throughout the zip. Of all the pumpkin ales I've tried, this ale by far comes closest to tasting like real pumpkin.

 

[santacore]

Just cracked my first Grand Teton Brewing Co. "Sweetgrass" American Pale Ale
 
I've never tried anything from this brewery and am happily surprised. Nice thick creamy head, cloudy amber color(bottle conditioned), and balanced taste. Good hoppiness on the nose and first taste, later balanced with a great bitter/malty finish. Most pale ales underwhelm me, but I'm really digging this and will definitely buy it again.
 

 

[Joshatdot]

Hopworks - Abominable Winter Ale (7.3% ABV, 70 IBU, 17 Plato)
- Wonderful herbal, malty, semi-sweet hoppy/flowery aromatics
- Nice thick/dense head, off white, small-medium sized
- Deep dark amber/caramel color, lightly cloudy
- Medium-light bodied feel, almost silky smooth, light CO2 feeling
- Medium-light hop bitterness, a little zesty citrus bitter too
- Aftertaste is similar, the hops lingers around
- This is a decent winter amber IPA .. 7.5/10

 

[Joshatdot]

Stone - 16th Anniversary IPA (10% ABV,
- Wonderful aromas of the Amarillo and Calypso hops
- Little CO2 head, creamy, small, tight bubbles
- Deep golden amber in color, slightly cloudy
- Very close to their regular IPA, but a bit lighter in hops, slightly sweeter & a hint of lemon .. maybe slightly spicy
- Medium bodied feel, creamy/silky texture, not much CO2
- Aftertaste has a lingering light hoppy bitterness/sourness, and lemon/citrus bitter/sour
- I wasn't sure to expect from this, I like it, it's different .. 7/10

 

[daigo]

 
2012 Dark Horse Brewing Co. Bourbon Barrel Aged Plead the 5th
 
Huge bourbon notes in the aroma, vanilla, toasted coconut, charred oak, dark chocolate, espresso, roasted malt.
 
Tastes just like the aroma, very smooth and rich, chocolate and roasted malt, with the bourbon flavors accenting the finish.  
 
Definitely worth the effort to acquire.  

 

[sharkz]

That looks like a good one!
 
I need to put some effort into some formal reviews, especially because I have gotten some good stuff lately. Had a Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA the other night (very meh), got a 120 Minute bottle last night, got a bottle of Bourbon Barrel BORIS The Crusher last week, and picked up a bottle of Firestone Walker 16th Anniversary the other day. It's also getting to the point where I do my annual waste of time to try to get a bottle of Founders KBS (which I still have never even tried after 3 years of trying).

 

[daigo]

I've been trying to cut back on my beer purchasing because I've become more of a collector than anything, and working through some of the beers I've acquired.  KBS is good, and worth trying once, but I would enjoy BCBS more than or even this BBA Plead the 5th more.  FBS and KBS have good flavor, but is a bit thinner than I like imperial stouts.  

 

[sharkz]

I would say I am less collector and more hoarder at this point. I would say Bourbon County is my favorite beer at this point and I have 8 left. I sadly didn't get to try the Coffee or Cherry varieties. I missed the boat on those this year so far.

 

[daigo]

Quote:

I would say I am less collector and more hoarder at this point. I would say Bourbon County is my favorite beer at this point and I have 8 left. I sadly didn't get to try the Coffee or Cherry varieties. I missed the boat on those this year so far.

 
Maybe hoarder is a good way to describe myself as well.  Running out of allotted space for all beers I've acquired.  
 
I was considering trading for a Cherry, but people want more than I'm willing to offer for it in terms of beer.  Not a huge fan of the Coffee, have a bottle from last year's release and I've sampled it a couple of times but I think the coffee they use to be mediocre and really dulls the flavor.

 

[Tinola]

Hello

 

[daigo]

Quote:

Hello

 
The beer-fi thread lives!  Nice start to a cellar, other than the Pliny that needs some drinking.  

 

[Tinola]

The beer-fi thread lives!  Nice start to a cellar, other than the Pliny that needs some drinking.  

I know. But one of them I'm purposefully aging

 

[sharkz]

That's a nice collection there. I'll have to line my nice beers up sometime for a group shot.
 
I am currently desperately trying to get my hands on some Founder's KBS, which is hitting stores this week in the Northeast. My girlfriend is off and will be waiting in line at the local liquor store when the distributors truck rolls in.
 
I am also planning a trip to 3 Floyds when I visit Chicago next month. I had no idea how close to (less than an hour) it was to the city. I can't wait for that trip either!

 

[disastermouse]

Quote:

 
The beer-fi thread lives!  Nice start to a cellar, other than the Pliny that needs some drinking.  

I envy you NorCal'ers - I first got into beer when I was working in SF as a travel RN and I had no idea how great Russian River beers really were until I left.  
 
If you're in Wisconsin, New Glarus beers come mighty close, though (Just not Fat Squirrel or Spotted Cow).

 

[sharkz]

I had some Pliny the Elder on tap a few years ago and while it was good, I think I've had better IPA's. Then again, I'm not a die hard IPA fan. I've heard good things about New Glarus, too bad they aren't distributed in this area.
 
I finally got my hands on a bottle of KBS yesterday after several years of trying. I really owe it to my girlfriend, who waited for three hours at the local liquor store for the truck to come in. I think I owe her a nice dinner!