This is the second free beer from the PR package I received from Flying Dog (the first I reviewed already). Heller Hound is a Maibock, a spring beer that is traditionally brewed for consumption in the month of May. Also known as a Helles Bock (literally, "Bright Bock"), the style, … Continue reading

Aventinus is one of the beers I recommended in my 50 Beers to Drink Before You Die series. This wheat Doppelbock (a Weizenbock, actually) is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and has "original bottle fermentation." Truth be told, I’m not actually sure what they mean by this, other than allowing it to naturally … Continue reading

Just before we left for San Diego a couple of weeks ago, I got a PR shipment from the good folks at Flying Dog Brewery containing two beers to sample and review: the Wild Dog series of their Gonzo Imperial Porter, and their Heller Hound spring seasonal. Strangely enough, I … Continue reading

I think Lagunitas‘ The Hairy Eyeball takes a prize for one of the best (strangest?) names for a beer. I know I picked up a six-pack based on the name. Well, that and it’s a whopping 9% alcohol by volume. Lagunitas is developing a reputation, like Dogfish Head and Stone … Continue reading

Ah, more notes from the Samuel Adams seasonal gift pack; this time it’s their Holiday Porter. With a name like that, you expect something spicy and rich and perhaps fruity, but that’s not the case here—they’ve brewed up a solid, drinkable porter without any foofah and fanfare. At 5.9% alcohol … Continue reading

John Barleycorn is a "Certified Organic Barleywine Style Ale" brewed by Mad River Brewing Company. At 9.5% alcohol, it’s not as strong as some of these X-Treme Monsters being put out these days, but it’s still plenty strong for the style. The label is cool; according to their site, it’s … Continue reading

To commemorate 21 years of brewing (seems to be going around), Full Sail is releasing a Limited Series of beers this year, their LTD Series. The first bottling is a medium-bodied, malty 6.4% alcohol Bock style of beer. Appearance: Very clear, orange-brown. Very clear. Thin head, it’s light tan. Leaves … Continue reading

Samuel Adams describes their seasonal Old Fezziwig Ale as "spicy and bold, a big Christmas cookie of a beer." It’s a brown ale style of beer sitting at a warm 5.9% alcohol, and comes in their seasonal packs during the holiday season. Appearance: Clear brown with garnet tints. Tan head, … Continue reading

One thing I’m figuring out that Lagunitas Brewing does is big beers. Really big beers. I had some of their holiday seasonal Brown Shugga and was surprised to see that it’s a 9.9% alcohol beer. That, along with a name that conjures up visions from a ’70s B-movie is almost … Continue reading