If you had purchased $1,000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00.

With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1,000.00.

With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left.

If you had purchased $1,000 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, You would have had $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.

It's called the 401-Keg

02:19 PM Comments (0)

Name: Mendocino: Talon Barley wine
Brewed In: Saratoga Springs, NY
Type / ABV: Barley wine / 10.5%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $4.49
Dennis: There are so many good things about this beer, but I'm just not convinced they all fall under the category of Barley wine. The malts are just so sweet on this brew, it comes across as more of a strong doppelbock. Of course with the high alcohol you have to hide it somewhere, but a stronger hop presence would have really have helped I think. There's bitterness in the swallow, but I think it's more of the alcohol than anything. Of course, if you like malty sweet beer than this is going to be your kind of barley wine, either way really it's a good beer.
Jen: First off, let me say that this an easy to drink barley wine. However, I find this to be too sweet to be completely representative of this style. It is quite malty with lots of dark, dried fruit flavors like raisins, prunes and a little bit of dates. The high alcohol content is hidden well by the sugars, but I find this completely lacking in the hops department, almost non-exsistent. For the price though, I find it hard to not like it a little bit!
Rating: 3.75 out of 5

05:02 PM Comments (0)

Name: New Holland: Blue Goat
Brewed In: Holland, MI
Type / ABV: Doppelbock / 7.5%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $6.99
Dennis: Very smooth malts on this one, but with a very light body...which I wasn't expecting after the first whiff. Sure the alcohol is low, and there are no hops, but his is one easy to drink beer. I don't know if it's really worthy of the "high gravity" title per say, but it's a safe bet for lovers of English brown ales (ie newcastle) if they want something a little more...well manly. They should put this in a six pack.
Jen: High gravity, not IMO. Though I find this to actually be good. At first glance, I thought this was going to be overly sweet, but it isn't. It starts with a nice malt flavor that is somewhat nutty and a little sweet. I don't really taste the hops, although I think they mute the malts slightly without giving you that hop bite. As the beer goes on, it gets slightly mundane. I agree (believe or not) with Dennis that this should be sold in 6-packs instead of bombers.
Rating: x out of 5

05:24 PM Comments (0)

Name: Boulder Beer: Mojo Risin'
Brewed In: Boulder, CO
Type / ABV: Double IPA / 10%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $5.99
Dennis: If I hadn't read the label on the side of the beer you would have never convinced me that this brew was 10%. Despite the Double IPA label, this beer comes across so balanced and tasty I just can't imagine where they hid it. Certainly not the hoppiest brew I've ever had, the malts usually come across as overly sweet, but not in this glass they don't. Thin, good malt balance, surprisingly not too many hops. A very very good way to pop some one's cherry to the Double IPA style.
Jen: I love me some DIPA, and I had high hopes for this one, only to be slightly let down. Yeah, it is a good brew, but it isn't wowing me. For a double IPA, the hops are extremely masked by the malts, which leave a slightly sour after taste in my mouth. The one thing about this brew that does wow me, is the absence of any alcohol bite, and that is a lot to say about a 10% brew. Easy to drink, and pretty decent, but not that spectacular that I was hoping for!
Rating: 3.75 out of 5

05:59 PM Comments (0)

Name: New Holland Pilgrim's Dole
Brewed In: Holland, Michigan
Type / ABV: Wheat Wine / 10.0%
Bought at/Price: Binny's /
Dennis: This beer pours very viscously, if I had to compare it I'd say it looked more like 5w-30 oil than beer. The taste however is quite unique...I can appreciate what they are going for here with the liquid bread theme. It comes across very very malty and sweet though, with no hops to add anything to it. I think most people believe that a larger dose of hops would have helped level out the over sweetness. A good beer and worth trying, this is certainly only for the lovers of big brews.
Jen: I WAS excited about this beer, until first taste. It starts off with a smell of sweet malts with a mild yeast backbone. The first sip is so sweet, it is like eating caramel candies. It is followed by a bready, yeasty taste with a weird sour aftertaste and then you are reminded that it is 10%, not like a kick in the pants, but a gentle reminder that it isn't a sissy beer. Not a great beer, but I guess it is exactly what they were going for, which isn't my cup of tea, I mean glass of beer!
Rating: 3.25 out of 5

04:49 PM Comments (0)

Name: Southern Tier: Unearthly
Brewed In: Lakewood, New York
Type / ABV: Imperial India Pale Ale / 11.0%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $5.99
Dennis: A quote from their website "to underestimate Unearthly is to trifle with the mysteries of the universe" sheds some light on the brewers of this beer. They certainly deserve praise for not only using six hops in different ways, but also making them blend together so smoothly. This is one serious double IPA and the warning holds true, despite the 11% alcohol and the hint of it in the nose, you can barely taste it. In fact if I didn't know better I'd say it was much much lower and chug the whole bottle. Some people like hops to smack them in the face, others appreciate a subtle blend. For the latter, this is one of the best I've had.
Jen: Yes, another beer from Southern Tier. This one is quite exceptional. It smells of hops with an alcohol twist to the nose. For 11%, the flavors and alcohol aren't overwhelming. You can definitely taste the hops and really nothing else except for the alcohol finish. They use quite a variety of hops in this brew and use them in multiple ways. This enhances this brew and gives it depth. Southern Tier ROCKS!
Rating: 4.25 out of 5

05:31 PM Comments (0)

Name: Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
Brewed In: Belgium
Type / ABV: Belgian IPA-Tripel / 9%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $8.99 750ml
Dennis: One of my favorite style of beers has to be the tripel, it's a wonderful, strong, flavorful, spicy brew normally. So when we saw an IPA style Tripel I immediately started begging her to let us buy it :) There's a lot to underestimate with this brew. The pour is classic Belgian, small fizzy bubbles that give a huge head. Lot's of sediment from the brewing, and an abv that sneaks up on you. At first you might think the hops are understated, but as it breathes a bit the hop flavors really develop without any cheap tricks like over dry hopping. The only real issue I had was the high sediment content, but that was probably because of my poor pouring skills. As other's have said, it truly is mouthwatering.
Jen: I am not usually a fan of Belgian anythings, however this one definitely is superior to most. It has a nice body that is fizzy and smooth. It has a nice mild malty backbone, followed by a nicely balanced hop flavor. I find this to be quite easy to drink and goes down fast. I can't wait until we buy another bottle. Nough said!
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

07:32 AM Comments (0)

Name: Southern Tier: Pumking
Brewed In: Lakewood, NY
Type / ABV: Pumpkin Ale / 9%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $5.99 22oz bomber
Dennis: The aroma on this beer is pretty astounding, I've read where people say it smells like liquid pumpkin pie, but I think it smells a lot like a gingersnap cookie. Either way it's impressive as all heck, and so is the taste. The first sip is very strong, and reminded me so much of the chai that Border's used to serve. Very spicy and very good. I'd have to say probably the best pumpkin beer so far and the 9% does not hurt at all.
Jen: I am one of "those" people that thinks it smells liquid pumpkin pie. It is tasty liquid pumpkin pie at that! It has a very strong taste to it, that is of the fall/Thanksgiving spices: nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, clove... It ends with an alcohol punch in the face, but nothing bad. It actually picks up where a lot of pumpkin flavored beers leave off. It has that exclamation point that makes you remember it. Go buy this now, as it is an experience you will not forget!
Rating: 4.25 out of 5

05:05 PM Comments (0)

Name: Uniborue: Quelque Chose
Brewed In: Quebec, Canada
Type / ABV: Fruit Ale / 8%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $7.99 750 mL
Dennis: I really love the deep heavy aspects of this beer, it does seem to come across at times much more like a cider than an ale...perhaps they should have called it a cherry cider? It will poor flat, but somehow the carbonation will make a meager appearance throughout, which only adds to the heavy characteristic. Aside from that really all your going to get is a taste of very very ripe cherries. Know how some people say that things sometimes taste best right before they go bad? This reminds me of that.
Jen: I tend to be skeptical about fruit ales, but Unibroue's tend to take unusual flavors and just make them work. This brew pours with a nice cherry red, almost like juice, and with the very limited carbonation (almost none), you might think it was juice. The flavors are exactly what you would expect...cherries, cherries and more cherries. The first two sips are fabulous. The carbonation is more noticeable with the mouthfeel, but this bottle seems to be a little more flat than our first. You get a slight alcohol twinge at the end, but nothing that really makes your tastebuds stand up. Unfortunately, this brew turns into cough medicine after a few swigs, so drink this fast and while it is still very cold, or serve it on ice like the bottle says to do!
Rating: Earlobe

05:43 PM Comments (0)

Name: Avery: Collaboration Not Litigation Ale
Brewed In: Boulder, Colorado
Type / ABV: Blended Belgian-style Strong Ale / 8.99%
Bought at/Price: Binny's /
Dennis: In a lot of ways this reminds me of a belgian triple, the aroma is light and sweet, and the body comes across as thinner than I'd think with some spice hints. I think the other elements come from the mixing of brew styles between the two beers, but really what your gonna have is a strong, american style belgian brew with a gentle hop finish that is very very good.
Jen: Again, Avery is successful. This dark Belgian ale starts with an aroma of nice dried dark fruits, like prunes and raisins, mixed in with the nice smell of candied malts. The taste is more of the same. A nice blend of dark fruits mixed with Belgian candies, a little spiciness, maybe coriander, ending with a "Hi, I'm hops, just wanted to let you know that we are in here too!" This is such a easy to drink beer, but the alcohol is also present, even at only 8.99%. Another Avery happy ending!
Rating: E

05:36 PM Comments (0)

Name: Lagunitas: Undercover Shut Down Ale
Brewed In: Petaluma, CA
Type / ABV: Double IPA / 9.28%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $4.99 22oz bomber
Dennis: Say what you will about the situations that spurred this beers creation, at least something positive has come out of it. As a double IPA this beer manages to dodge a common trap that some others fall into of simply just increasing the hops and alcohol. The smell will fool you into thinking there isn't much here, but one sip of this and you'll know that you probably should take your time. One of the best things about this isn't the hops, but rather the malts that really keep them in check and let them shine on the exhale. Together they make a balanced beer that can be enjoyed, as opposed to a showy flashy one that has not substance.
Jen: The reasoning behind making this beer is quite hilarious, I just wished it was a little bit better. It has an aroma of nice floral hops with a mild malt sweetness. The first swig mostly consists of hops with an alcohol punch to it. After sitting for a while, it warmed up and the flavors balanced out. It starts with bursting hop flavors, followed by a mild sweet malt backbone, ending with a twinge of alcohol. It seems quit balanced, but almost humdrum. Easy to drink, and you will finish before you know it!
Rating: F

05:07 PM Comments (0)

Name: He'Brew: Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.
Brewed In: New York
Type / ABV: Double IPA / 10%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $4.99
Dennis: I suggest that anyone who purchases this fine brew should immediatly open it up and chug it simply as fast as possible. Once done, if you've managed not to vomit you'll probably be able to light your belch on fire or at the very least impress your date. If you choose not to take my advice you are probably a wise man, and will fine a generous helping of hops, and a very distinct malty rye backbone that leaves a lingering taste in your mouth. Honestly about 1/2 way through the first glass you almost loose any ability to taste beyond that. When I die someday, I hope somebody makes a beer half as good as this in my honor.
Jen: I tend to be a sucker for IPA's, and this one falls into that category nicely. Right off the bat, the aroma is thick with hops, trying to prepare you for what is to come. The first to the last sip is filled with strong citrus hops, mostly of the grapefruit nature. The alcohol makes itself known on the exhale right away, almost burning into mouth. The rye malts are more than plentiful, but they are unable to tame the wild hops that are like a bully on the playground. And last but not least, the carbonation seems to play nicely with hops, like the bully's butt monkey.
Rating: I wanted to give it an F, Jen wanted an U, so we comprimised. FU

05:06 PM Comments (0)

Name: He'Brew: Monumental 10
Brewed In: New York
Type / ABV: American Brown Ale / 10%
Bought at/Price: Binny's
Dennis: I had a really hard time writing this review because of the complexity behind this beer. I mean 10 different malts and hops....that's just crazy. In some ways this brew reminds me of a stout, but in other's more like an imperial brown ale. The aroma screams stout, but the taste and body say brown ale with an alcohol kick. Either way you'll get the typical coffee, dark chocolate hints out of this...even if you don't quite know where it all comes from.
Jen: This is such an odd beer: 10 hops, 10 malts and 10% ABV. It is almost like they took all of the leftover crap in their brewery, dropped in a cauldron, and this is what they came up with. The aroma is a mixture of hops and malts, hard to put my finger on it. The taste is of roasted malts with a finish of mild hops and a twinge of alcohol. It definitely has a nutty, coffee flavor with a bittersweet dark chocolate hint. I can taste the malts better than the hops, but with 10 different kinds, it is hard to identify all of them. It is almost like too much is going on. It is really good, but too busy.
Rating: G

05:45 PM Comments (0)

Name: Avery: The Maharaja
Brewed In: Boulder, Colorado
Type / ABV: Imperial IPA / 9.7%
Bought at/Price: Binny's /
Dennis: This is indeed a regal IPA style beer, before you even taste it the smell of hops proclaims that this beer will be intense. For me though, the best feature of this beer is that it's very strong but balanced. The malts really don't get overwhelmed by the hops, which to me says there was craftsmenship behind it, although they do come across as a little sweet. Certainly this beer isn't for casual drinkers or non hop heads, but for those that can appreciate a strong beer this is the good stuff.
Jen: This is quite the intense brew. It starts of with an aroma of mild hops and a little maltiness also. It doesn't prepare you for what is about to happen. It is almost like fresh hops exploded in my mouth (and I have eaten fresh hops so I know what it tastes like). It really makes my taste buds stand at attention. The exhale tastes of malts and barley, a nice balance to the explosion of hops. The mouth-feel is a nice medium body with plenty of carbonation! This will be a mainstay in our basement! In the words of Rachel Ray "Yum-O!"
Rating: C

05:08 PM Comments (0)

Name: Great Divide: Yeti Imperial Stout
Brewed In: Denver, CO
Type / ABV: Imperial Stout / 9.5%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $6.99 22oz
Dennis: Normally I don't judge a beer by the color of it that much, but this beer has one heck of a deep black body, it's actually pretty impressive. The smells are pretty much the standard fare, sweet with some toasty dark chocolate hints. Taste wise this is an impressive, if not standard, imperial stout. Strong malts, deep dark chocolates, but over all a little light honestly. The real shine to this is the hop bitterness that comes through, imho. A good stout, but with a little bit of a low alcohol for my book.
Jen: If I judged this by the color, it would be a 5, but that is not the only thing I judged a beer on. The nose is of roasted malts and mild hops. The taste is not quite what I would expect in a stout. It starts off with the normal roasted malts followed by a nice smooth dark chocolate and toasty coffee flavors. The ending of this stout is what gets me, it is strongly hopped. I would have expected a nice mouth coating of a stout from the way it poured, but the flavors don't seem to stick, except for the hops. Not too bad, and it has it's good points, but for me I will stick to Avery's The Czar or Bell's Expedition Stout (if we could still get it here in Illinois!)
Rating: G

05:10 PM Comments (0)

Name: Lagunita's Cappuccino Stout Ale
Brewed In: Petaluma, CA
Type / ABV: Stout / 7.99%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $4.49 22oz bomber
Dennis: I haven't had to many Lagunitas brews, but the few I have made me feel like I was getting beat over the head with hops. Happy to say that isn't the case here, and so far this is probably one of my favorite coffee themed beers ever. You really get a sense that real coffee was used in the beer, and not just flavoring or distillations. Also the dark bitterness of that coffee really goes a long way towards elevating the beer to a level beyond stout. It's good to see that they knew it could deliver enough to not try to hide it behind hops. This is a strong, flavorful, semi-bitter brew that pretty much shows what a coffee beer should be.
Jen: I feel that this brew brings together two of my favorite things: beer and coffee. However, it isn't a "great" brew, but it is very tasty. It smells of roasted malts and has a nice deep, dark color to it. The first sip is a little pecular, but upon further consumption, I definitely get the full flavor. It starts with toastiness from the malts, followed by the smoothness of a strongly brewed coffee, and ends with a slight bam of really dark chocolate, like my 85% cocoa bar from Trader Joes. The bubbles are quite small, but are abundant. This seems to be a well made brew and is quite easy to drink.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5

05:34 PM Comments (0)

Name: Founders: Blushing Monk
Brewed In: Grand Rapids, MI
Type / ABV: Belgian style lambic / 12.3%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $14.99
Dennis: After having Devil Dancer, both of our opinions of Founders have been pretty high. That's part of why we were willing to pay so much for this beer, and I'm happy to say that it's pretty darn impressive. The beer itself pours a deep red that almost makes it look like a dye, with a quickly dissipating head...the beer almost appears flat to the eye. Taste however, shows that the carbonation was just hiding as tiny bubbles really make their presence known. Of course the real star here is Raspberry....strong, tart, alcohol hiding raspberries. You'd never know this has 12.3% at all, you'd just think it's a pretty tangy wine cooler. Before you know it, you'll be done and wishing there was more.
Jen: Do we usually pay this much for a beer? No! Would I buy this again...without even blinking!. It pours out a nice deep magenta color with little foam. All I can smell is raspberries. First taste is quite amazing. It has a nice medium body with small bubbles. The ending is of tart raspberries that makes the alcohol virtually disappear. I wouldn't even think there was alcohol in it, except that equivalent to a wine cooler. I both want to savour this and drink it in one big gulp...can't wait to have it again. I would recommend this to anyone, even non-beer drinkers!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

05:22 PM Comments (0)

Name: Avery: The Kaiser 2006
Brewed In: Boulder, CO
Type / ABV: Imperial Oktoberfest / 9.3%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $5.99 22oz bomber
Dennis: This beer is an example of why I like Avery so much as a brewery, they take something that is boring and mundane, and amplify it into something stronger. Every October you get besieged by a glut of Oktoberfests from just about every brewery out there, even Miller and Coors. Instead of just regurgitating another version of that though, they take and put the Avery spin on it, strong malts, and stronger hops designed to hide the increased alcohol behind it. The noble hops elevate this "lager" to a whole new level, very strong but not overpowering. The malt sweetness can be a bit overpowering, especially if you let the glass breathe a bit and warm up. Still for those of us that love large beers this is the beer of choice this fall.
Jen: I generally love Oktoberfests, and this one seems to top the list. It is unique and will stand out in a overcrowded shelf of fall brews. I get a nice malty beginning, followed by hops and ending with an alcohol pow, something you might not expect, but not overwhelmed with either. The mouth feel is a combination of tiny bubbles and a medium body. I look forward to the 2007 and planning on buying extra to cellar.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

05:42 PM Comments (0)

Name: Ska Brewing: Nut Brown Ale
Brewed In: Durango, CO
Type / ABV: Brown Ale / unknown
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $5.99 6pack
Dennis: This is one easy drinking brown ale, comes across with a sweet malty aroma, pretty solid carbonation on your tongue and then leaves like nothing ever happened. To be honest, it's a little to one sided for me with my love of big strong beers. I was left feeling like I wanted a little something more.
Jen: Wow, I was almost done this bottle before I even started the review. It obviously goes down easy. It is smooth with a sweet and malty tongue with a nutty background. Being an English Brown ale, it fits right in. Light, smooth and well carbonated. Not too bad in my book, but for an English Brown, I will stick to Newcastle.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5

05:10 PM Comments (0)

Name: Mendocino: Black Eye Ale
Brewed In: Saratoga Springs, NY
Type / ABV: Light Ale / Dark Ale mix / 6.5%
Bought at/Price: Binny's / $5.99 22oz bomber
Dennis: Eye of the hawk is such a favorite beer of mine, that when I say this beer I was very excited. Combining Black Hawk Stout and it should have been a home run. Obviously since I've made that statement you can guess how I feel, not really disappointed, but rather let down. The aroma is sweet strong malts, with a very strong taste in you mouth with a woody under taste. I suspect that if I made a black and tan with eye of the hawk and another amber beer it would taste like this exactly, but somehow I had hoped it would be just something more than a blend. Not bad at all, but really what do you gain from taking two great brews and making one mediocre out of them?
Jen: So I was expecting a lot more from this beer, being that the "bird" series is usually pretty decent. This one just seems to fall short. The aroma, which seems to consist mostly of roasted malts, is very light and barely there. It tastes of more roasted malts with a slight coffee and bitter chocolate backbone to it. It seems to have a very mild hop ending, that I almost didn't catch. To me, this feels thrown together. I wouldn't say this is terrible, but I won't be hunting it down.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5

05:18 PM Comments (0)