January 22nd 2010: Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat & Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat

Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4 | Taste: 4 | Feel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 4.5

This one pours a very cloudy orange with a fluffy 3/4" white head. Their are tiny bubbles all up the sides of the glass, this one is very effervescent. The smell is wheat and grass with a hint of lemon and some light fruit notes. There is a little spice as well. The taste is very flavorful and a lot better than other Pale Wheat Ales I have had. There is mostly wheat with the tartness of the lemon and another hint of spice and a little sweet finish. The mouthfeel was a little thin but held up when compared with others of the style. The drinkability was high on this one but would be a lot better in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/52633/?ba=CrazyMacHarris99

Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

Appearance: 4.5 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Feel: 4.5 | Drink: 5

Had this one on tap at The Library in Pittsburgh, yes Pittsburgh!!

Served in a pint glass with a 3/4" fluffy white head and an orange hued, slightly hazy body. The smell is amazing! There was a ton of citrus and pine from the hops as well as a slight hint of other fruits such as pineapple. The taste is very clean and well-balanced which is perfect for an IPA. The citrus and pine hop notes were incredible and the malt and sweetness balanced out the bitterness. There is a lot going on with all the different tastes but it all works together beautifully. The mouthfeel was creamy and silky with a slight tang from the hops. Not too much bitterness. The drinkability is high on this one for all the right reasons. I found myself not wanting to finish it but had a hard time putting the glass down. I am glad this one is here in Pittsburgh and will be looking for it more often.

Serving type: on-tap

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January 18th 2010: Ithaca LeBleu

Appearance: 4 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 3.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5

A big thanks to huey782 for trading me this one. This one pours a very hazy reddish orange with a fizzy two finger head that stuck around with a lot of tight bubbles clinging to the glass. The smell is all sour! Its all horse blanket with a hint of sweetness but no blueberries at all. The taste starts out sour with some funk that is what I want in an American Wild. The blueberries are an afterthought that linger in the aftertaste. There is hardly any sweetness at all. There is an unpleasant overripe fruit in the finish as well. The mouthfeel is pleasant with the champagne yeast but a little thin. If it wasn't for the bad taste in the finish this one would be very drinkable. Not too bad though and always great when its a sour!

Serving type: bottle

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/651/55139/?ba=CrazyMacHarris99

January 15th 2010: Abita Abbey Ale

Appearance: 3.5 | Smell: 3.5 | Taste: 3 | Feel: 3 | Drinkability: 3.5

I haven't had a beer in over a week thanks to a case of Pneumonia. The smell of this one has re-awakened my love for good beer. I want to savor this moment for as long as possible.

Poured this from a $4 bomber which is extremely cheap and almost unheard of here in Western PA. It pours a somewhat hazy reddish brown with a vigorous and frothy cream colored head that left a thick film and thicker ring. The smell is everything I would expect from a Dubbel which is one of the styles I have loved for awhile now. There are dark fruits, belgian sugar with hints of strawberries coming out in the end. Not much spice and definitely sweet smelling. The taste is a little harsh with some spice and alcohol burn but finishes nicely with the sweet dark fruits and the strawberry is there again. Its a little bland for a dubbel and the sweetness almost seems forced. The spiciness almost fights with the sweetness instead of playing off of it. The mouthfeel is a little thin but still somewhat creamy. A little bit of a dry finish but it attacks the tongue too much for me. The drinkability is a little low because of the mouthfeel and harshness but for the price I couldn't pass this up if I saw it again.

Serving type: bottle

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3/45583/?ba=CrazyMacHarris99

No More 365 Beers in 365 Days

I was unable to continue my 365 Days of Beer due to a bad case of Pneumonia but I am still going to post beer reviews and other beer related stories here.

January 3rd 2010: The People's Pint Imperial Stout

Appearance: 4 | Smell: 4 | Taste: 3.5 | Feel: 3.5 | Drinkability: 3.5

This bottle was a 2008 vintage.

Poured very black with dark cola brown edges with a thin creamy mocha head. The smell is roasted and slightly burnt malts and is somewhat bitter in the nose. The taste is more roasted and burnt malts with a very good balance between sweet chocolate and the bitter burnt malts. There is a slight booziness as well. The mouthfeel was a little thin and overcarbonated with a thin cola body. I was hoping for more creaminess and body but overall an okay RIS.

Serving type: bottle

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/231/20964/?ba=CrazyMacHarris99

January 2nd 2010: Terrapin Oak Aged Wake 'N Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Appearance: 4 | Smell: 4.5 | Taste: 4.5 | Feel: 4 | Drinkability: 4

Hit up Fathead's for this one. Noticed the tap list update on Twitter and headed down ASAP.

This one poured an almost pure black with some hints of dark brown around the edges. There was a nice mocha head that left a thin ring with some oily legs clinging to the glass. The smell started out with a dominant oak and vanilla but the coffee pushed through along with some chocolate and roasted malts. The taste is amazing with a heavy sweet vanilla and oak with the bitter coffee balancing everything out. The mouthfeel is less creamy than the regular version and is a little more syrupy as well. Overall very impressive and a great oak aged version!

Serving type: on-tap

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2372/55176/?ba=CrazyMacHarris99

January 1st 2010: Three Floyds Moloko Plus Milk Stout

I will be starting today with trying to drink a new beer everyday for a whole year.

We had a tasting today so I will use the first beer we sampled.

Three Floyds Moloko Plus Milk Stout

Here is the review I posted on BeerAdvocate.com:

Appearnce: 3.5 | Smell: 4 | Taste: 4 | Feel: 4 | Drinkability: 3.5

This is the first beer in my "365 Beers in 365 Days" and it was a good one to start with.

This one poured a dark black with a very unappealing head that really left nothing after a quick coating and then a thin ring. The smell was heavy roasted malts with a sweet milk chocolate dominating everything. The taste was the same with the lactose and chocolate sweetness making this one helluva great milk stout. The mouthfeel was creamy but also slightly oily but not too thin and not too chewy. There was a small amount of heat and the sweetness got to be a bit unbearable towards the end but it was a great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26/25435/?ba=CrazyMacHarris99

I'll be posting the title, review and the BeerAdvocate review link for every beer. Enjoy!