Bottled 9/21/11

A: Clear yellow pour with an absolutely huge white head. The head has great structure and is able to hold itself together above the rim of my Lost Abbey glass. A lot of sticky lacing coats the outside beautifully. The body is a bit hazy and has a lot of bubbles rising from the bottom. 4.5

S: The aroma is full of grassy and citrus hops. Floral without much of a malt backbone. The hops are phenomenal, not overbearing but certainly at the forefront. 4.5

T: The taste is full of delicious, dry hops. A bit more of a maltiness comes through here than on the smell. The hops start the beer, turn into a big hit of fresh citrus, and finish dry. Not one ounce of this is without hops. 4.5

MF: Carbonated very well, light and crisp. Very dry beer. 4.5

O: Phenomenally drinkable, hoppy, bitter, delicious. Very glad I picked this up! 4.5

4.5 / 5 A

A: Cloudy yellow-brown pour with some floaties. Small head leaves nice lacing down the side of my St. Bernardus Goblet. 4

S: The smell is yeasty with a huge hit of fruit and booze. Apples, pear, and enough dark fruits to make me think this was a quad. 4

T: The taste really continues the quad characteristics I’m getting here. A bit of a watered down yeastiness gives way to booze and dark fruits. The beer culminates with a dry light fruit back-end. 4

MF: Light, boozy, a bit low on carbonation, and creamy at times, but overall I found the body to be a bit thin. 3.5

O: I thought this was only OK. Not what I was expecting, a bit too light and not typical of the style. I found myself a bit confused drinking it. I picked it up when I bought the gift pack with the glass, this is probably my least favorite of all the St. Bernardus offerings. 3.5

3.63 / 5 B

The Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head breweries really helped me pave my way into craft beer with readily available, relatively cheap, and undeniably tasty beers that even a complete beer n00b could appreciate. When I read about the two breweries revisiting a collaboration that occurred before I really knew anything about craft beer called Life and Limb, I was quite excited. Dogfish Head describes the beer on their website:

Life & Limb is a 10% ABV strong, dark beer that defies style characteristics – brewed with pure maple syrup from the Calagione family farm in Massachusetts and estate barley grown on the Grossman “farm” at the brewery in Chico, CA. The beer is alive with yeast-a blend of both breweries’ house strains-bottle conditioned for added complexity and shelf life, and naturally carbonated with birch syrup fresh from Alaska.

Life & Limb is dedicated to the family of beer drinkers and enthusiasts worldwide who continue to support the little guys, iconoclasts, entrepreneurs, and pioneers who risk life and limb to shape the vibrant craft-brewing community.

The first batch was brewed in 2009, batch 2 in 2011. A friend of mine held on to her Batch 1, and decided to open it up once Batch 2 finally hit the shelves so that we could compare. Here are the results:

First off, Batch 1 is a capped 22oz bottle, Batch 2 is a corked and caged 750ml bottle. A brown pour escapes the bottles, and leaves a small white head. Hazy, but some light makes its way through. Batch 1 is a bit darker and muddier than Batch 2. The aroma of Batch 1 has a lot more raisins than Batch 2. Although, I believe that of Batch 2 is a bit more balanced. Booze, malts, and raisins predominately. The nose of 2 is the only factor that is better than the 1. The taste of 1 is FAR more balanced than 2. 2 has a ton of booze. The mix with malts and raisins just doesn’t seem to work as well for Batch 2. Batch 1 is a much superior taste. The years have allowed the beer to mellow and become balanced and delicious. The 2011 version just seems to be not meant to be opened fresh. Medium body, Batch 1 has a good amount of carbonation, Batch 2 is a bit higher. Alcohol is certainly noted. Overall, Batch 1 was delicious and Batch 2 just doesn’t do it for me. Definitely needs some age on it. Hope they do a Batch 3!

Overall I gave it a 4.33 / 5 A

Bottle: 0497

A: Straight black pour, like motor oil, with a small very brown head. No lacing or retention. If it had better lacing or retention it would be a 5. 4

T: The smell is all booze and whiskey, some chocolate underneath. 3.5

T: The taste on this is the best part. Great blend of chocolate, roastiness, booze, whiskey, oak and vanilla from the barrel. Alcohol and roastiness on the back. Balance is perfect as it warms. 4.5

MF: Thick and heavy, a little under carbonated, but not as much as BA Old Ruffian. Dry finish and boozy. 4

O: I Really enjoyed this. I was worried after having BA Old Ruffian earlier and it was way passed it’s prime. This was tasty, full of stout and whiskey. Very much enjoyed. 4.5

4.22 / 5 A-

Tripel aged in Absinthe barrels. Bottle 80/84.

A: Yellow pour in the glass that is extremely white out of the bottle. A bit yeasty and hazy, the beer has a white head without much lacing or retention. 4

S: The smell is realty oaky. Spices typical of a Tripel mixed with some booze. Bananas and clove also noted. 3.5

T: Wow the Tate is boozy and full of oak and wood. Very unique flavor that I would assume is from absinthe, but I can’t quite place it. Spicy and dry backend 2.5

MF: Light and carbonated well. 4

O: Not drinkable at all. The taste is so strange. Interesting, but strange. 2

2.83 / 5 C

Bottle 57/1188. From 2009

A: Pours like an under carbonated old ale, absolutely no head. Nothing, no pop of the bottle, no head at all. 2

S: The smell is nice. Whiskey, booze, malts, molasses, really deep and balanced. 4

T: Wow this is not great. Tastes like a watered down whiskey. A malt character, but the barleywine base is gone. Disappointing. 2

MF: Flat, stale, boozy, bad 1

O: Huge disappointment. Wish I could have had this a bit younger, hope my BA yeti doesn’t do this. 2

2.3 / 5 D+

On-tap at Al’s of Hampden

A: Clear yellow pour with hints of brown with a small white head. Sticky lacing runs down the glass and retention is good. 4

S: Lot of piney hops on this, some citrus and grapefruit certainly. Not a lot, but some malts come through. 4.5

T: The taste is really dry, piney hops with only slight fruit underneath. Malts provide a very small backbone, but this one is all about the hops. 4

MF: Light crisp and dry. Carbonated well. 4

O: Phenomenally drinkable, crisp, loved this. I can see why it’s so highly regarded. Had on tap at Al’s of Hampden, $5. 4.5

4.2 / 5 A-

Bottle, 6-pack picked up from Al’s of Hampden

A: Clear yellow-orange pour with a big white head. The retention is great as the head recedes to form a nice cap atop the brew, and laces quite nicely down the side of my Founders Goblet. A ton of bubbles race from the bottom to the top. 4.5

S: The smell has some pretty impressive depth, grapefruit, citrus, and very piney in terms of hops, the caramel malts are noted and have more of an aroma than I was expecting. The smell is extremely hop forward, don’t get me wrong, but the rest of the smell provides a balance that I like. 4.5

T: The taste follows the smell perfectly. Balanced, with enough malts to make this a balanced beer instead of a hop bomb. Grapefruit, citrus, piney hops take the beer over. Dry from start to finish, I challenge you to put this down. Easy to think about grabbing for another one. 4

MF: Crisp and light with a dry finish. 4

O: This beer deserves the hype it gets. I picked it up at Al’s of Hampden for $17 a 6pack. It was the first time I had every seen it on tap or in a bottle and decided why not have both. Definitely not disappointed. 4.5

4.22 / 5 A-

A: On the clear side of hazy brown in color, the pour was quite active out of the bottle. Lots of bubbly head rises up and billows over my tulip as perhaps I poured a bit too vigorously. The head is sticky, creamy, and leaves wonderful lacing down the side of the glass. 4

S: The amount of hops and malts on this is phenomenal. The caramel and breadiness of the malts honestly take over the hops a little bit. Not to be deterred, the hops bring out grapefruit and some slight pine that is very nice. 4.5

T: The taste follows the smell famously. Caramel malts create a delicious backbone for citrusy hops and a dry hop finish. Balanced very well and deliciously dry throughout. 4.5

MF: Light, crisp, dry finish, and no hint of alcohol. 4

O: This beer is one I like to call dangerously drinkable. The balance of the malts and hops, the dryness of the beer throughout, really just everything make this a beer you absolutely have to try. 5

4.53 / 5 A+

A: Very interesting pour. Deep brown with hints of ruby on the edges. An extremely creamy khaki colored head rises up and lasts forever. Just a ton of lacing down the side of the glass. The head is very stubborn, it won’t go away! 4.5

S: Very tart, a ton of dark fruits and cherries/raspberries. Some booze is coming through as well as a nice maltiness. 4

T: Wow the taste is all about the booze and the tartness. A lot of dark fruits create the base for this, and is complimented by a slight funkiness, and some notes from the barrel. Not getting a lot of, but surely some, Zinfandel. 4.5

MF: Medium to heavy body for an American Wild Ale, carbonated very well, and the notes of alcohol are not overbearing. 4

O: I very much enjoy the taste, so I think it’s pretty darn drinkable. Love the mix of tartness, booze, and dark fruits. Becoming a huge fan of the Avery sour series. 4.5

4.35 / 5 A

I doubt that the Boston Beer Company, Samuel Adams, needs much introduction. Much like Dogfish Head, Sam Adams really has come to the forefront of craft beer. Available basically everywhere, the brewery releases seasonal 12packs with 6 different beers, most of which are only available in the packs. This week my roommate and I split the Winter 12pack, and my favorite of the 6 was Black and Brew, a new stout brewed with coffee.

The beer pours from the bottle into my Perfect Pint glass black in color with a big light brown head. Retention and lacing are great. Tons of coffee on the smell. Roasted malts and some molasses hide underneath. The amount of coffee in the smell is really impressive, and donates any other scent trying to come forward. The taste is like the chocolate roastiness of a nice American Stout, mixed with a cup of coffee. It is, however, a bit watered down, but extremely tasty nonetheless. The mouthfeel is light with a dry finish. Great drinkable American Stout. My favorite in the winter pack, really happy to see it as a new offering this year!