Brooklyn Brown Ale

Reviewed By: Rick S.
Style: American Brown Ale
State/Country: New York
ABV: 5.6%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle

Look: 8.5
Reddish brown color, light brown head with decent lacing.

Smell: 8.5
Chocolate, caramel, and mild citrus hops

Taste: 8.5
Hops up front, giving way to caramel and chocolate in the middle, with warm nutty in  finish

Mouthfeel: 8.5
Light body with medium carbonation, and dry finish

Drinkability: 9
Highly Quaffable!

Overall Score: 8.6
Value: 9.5
Cost/12 oz serving: $1.78

Overall Impression:
Brooklyn Brown Ale is the original American Brown Ale.  The recipe has been modified over time to create greater depth of flavor, but it is still true to form.  Although there are many ABA's out there with more intense flavors, like Cigar City Maduro, there is still something to be said for a mellow, smooth, and balanced version like this one.

Food Pairing:
This beer is awesome with steak, pork, grilled meats & veggies, and BBQ...just go easy on the sauce.

Brooklyn Lager

Reviewed By: Rick S.
Style: Vienna Lager
State/Country: New York
ABV: 5.2%
Serving Type: 12oz. Bottle

Look: 8.5
Light amber color, very clear, with a fluffy white head and nice lacing

Smell: 8.5
Piney and floral hops, biscuit malt

Taste: 8.5
Lots of hops up front, giving way to sweet malt, and finishing with biscuit malt, caramel and a touch of hops

Mouthfeel: 8.5
Medium body with medium-high carbonation and a dry finish

Drinkability: 9
Lagers tend to have high drinkability and this one is not exception! 

Overall Score: 8.6
Value: 9
Cost/12 oz serving: $1.78

Overall Impression:
An outstanding example of Vienna Lager. There are not really a lot of good commercial examples of this style, which was all but extinct except in Mexico prior to the Craft Beer revolution. Sam Adams Boston Lager would be one good example, and I as much as I like it on tap, I prefer this version. Brooklyn Lager is the benchmark for the style.

Southampton Imperial Porter

Reviewed By: Herr Mike

Style: American Porter
State/Country: New York
ABV: 7.2%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle

Look: 9
Coffee color, tan head, nice lacing

Smell: 9
Coffee color, tan head, nice lacing

Taste: 8.5

Up Front: coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, burnt toast. Finish: chocolate, dark bread

Mouthfeel: 8.5
Dry, slight carbonation

Drinkability: 8.5

The 7.2% ABV is well hidden. About 2 and out for me

Overall Score: 8.7

Value: 10

Cost/12 oz serving: $1.55

Overall Impression:
This is a solid porter. If you like the style, you won’t be disappointed!

Heartland Brewery Indiana Pale Ale

Reviewed By: Herr Rick

Style: American IPA
State/Country: New York
ABV: 5.9%
Serving Type: On Tap @ Heartland Brewery

Look: 8.5
Golden orange color, clear, medium head with decent retention & lacing

Smell: 8.5
Floral hops, sweet & bready malts

Taste: 8.5

Up Front: Grainy & bready. Finish: Citrus, caramel, sweet malt

Mouthfeel: 8
Medium body and carbonation, slightly cloying finish

Drinkability: 8.5

I could have 2-3 of these

Overall Score: 8.4

Value: 7.5

Cost/12 oz serving: $5.50 - Hey, it was NYC

Overall Impression:
It's a pretty good IPA. If you are ever in NYC, check it out in any of their locations

Southampton Biere De Mars

Reviewed By: Herr Rick
Style: Bière de Garde
State/Country: New York
ABV: 6.5%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle

Look: 8.5
Bright golden color, clear, thin head with little retention and decent lacing

Smell: 8
A mish mosh of spices, bready malt. After it warms up, it get some buttery tones

Taste: 8.5
Up Front: Spices, sweet malt. Finish: Hops, bready malt

Mouthfeel: 9
Medium/light body with a medium carbonation

Drinkability: 8.5
Refreshing & thirst quenching, finishes dry and fast

Overall Score: 8.5

Value: 9.5
Cost/12 oz serving: $1.60

Overall Impression:
This is a French style Farmhouse ale with some spices added. It is not aggressively spiced, and they do work with this style rather well. It is an interesting, inexpensive brew, so it's definitely work checking out!

Defiant Paraum Pango

Reviewed By: Herr Rick
Style: American Strong Ale
State/Country: New York
ABV: ??? %
Serving Type: Growler - courtesy of Growler Dude

Look: 8.5
Deep copper color, small head with little retention & lacing

Smell: 8.5
Sweet malt, maple, caramel

Taste: 9
it was like drinking pancakes with maple syrup. Interesting, surprisingly tasty, and not overly sweet

Mouthfeel: 9
Rich & creamy

Drinkability: 9
Very quaffable

Overall Score: 9.1

Value: 8
Cost/12 oz serving: $4.25

Overall Impression:
A very interesting, slightly sweet beer that was surprisingly easy to drink - even as it got warmer. Hopefully they will brew it again, and Growler Dude will be able to pick some up for me if they do!

I'm not sure what the abv was, but my guess is that it was in the 7-8% range. Parum Pango- The "little hammer" is made from the residual sugar of Magnus Pango - the "Big Hammer" (Barleywine).

Ommegang Ommegeddon

Reviewed By: Herr Rick
Style: American Brett Ale
State/Country: New York
ABV: 8%
Serving Type: 750ml Bottle

Look: 9.5
Straw yellow color, cloudy, creamy head with great retention & lacing

Smell: 8.5
Lemon, sweet malt, brett funk, earthiness

Taste: 8.5
Up Front: Sweet and tart, citrus. Finish: Mild brett funk, bready malt

Mouthfeel: 8.5
Medium body and carbonation

Drinkability: 8.5
Very quaffable!

Overall Score: 8.7

Value: 6
Cost/12 oz serving: $7.07

Overall Impression:
I had this right after Ommegang Hennepin, and I very much prefer this over that. It is more complex, more interesting and more flavorful. It is also a lot more expensive, and there are other American Btrett Ales / Brett Saison's out there that I like better. If you have the coin, go for it!

Ommegang Hennepin

Reviewed By: Herr Rick
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale
State/Country: New York
ABV: 7.7%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle

Look: 9
Bright golden color, slightly cloudy, dense head with nice lacing

Smell: 8
Lemon, spices, sweet malt

Taste: 8
Up Front: Sweet malt. Finish: Fruit, spices

Mouthfeel: 8
Light body, highly carbonated, with a dry finish

Drinkability: 8.5
Crisp & refreshing

Overall Score: 8.3

Value: 8
Cost/12 oz serving: $2.14

Overall Impression:
This is a beer I've had several times, but I have never been overly impressed with it. It's a good beer to drink on a hot summer day, but I can think of many others I'd rather drink in its place. That's just my opinion. If you look elsewhere, you'll see that this beer is very highly rated. Judge for yourself.

Ithaca Cold Front

Reviewed By: Herr Mike
Style: Belgian Dark Ale
State/Country: New York
ABV: 7.5%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle

Look: 8.5
Deep chocolate color, fizzy head that dissipates quick, good lacing

Smell: 8.5
Brown sugar, alcohol, wood, slight banana

Taste: 8
Up Front: Cola, spice, burnt toast, clove. Finish: Toffee, chocolate, bread, slight banana

Mouthfeel: 8
Slightly sticky, carbonated, dry

Drinkability: 8
I probably wouldn’t drink more than 2 of these in a sitting

Overall Score: 8.1

Value: 9
Cost/12 oz serving: $1.43

Overall Impression:
This is an OK beer. I’m not running around naked singing “Halleluiah” while I’m drinking it! It didn’t hit my “Belgium G Spot”, but it wasn’t the worst beer I ever drank. Try it, you might like it.

Blue Point Rastafa Rye Ale

Reviewed By: Herr Mike
Style: Rye Beer
State/Country: New York
ABV: 7.5%
Serving Type: 22 oz Bottle

Look: 8.5
Nice golden orange color, big fluffy head, good sticky lacing

Smell: 8
Bread, citrus, hops, malt

Taste: 8.5
Up Front: Sweet, hoppy, very little rye flavor going on
Finish: Dry with a slight kick at the end

Mouthfeel: 7.5
Thin and very clean

Drinkability: 8.5
This is quaffable. It’s more like an IPA with decent ABV

Overall Score: 8.2

Value: 8
Cost/12 oz serving: $2.14

Overall Impression:
Bwai, ya done know seh mi deya gwaan easy, and this was easy to drink! Not the “Rye Monster” I thought it would be, but it was tasty! It was like a sweet IPA, but that wasn’t bad! This brew was “Irie”!

Ommegang Bière De Mars

Reviewed By: Herr Rick and Herr Mike
Style: American Brett Ale (Bière de Garde)
State/Country: New York
ABV: 6.5%
Serving Type: 750ml Bottle

Look: 9
Bright golden color, cloudy, big fluffy head with great lacing

Smell: 8.5
Brett funk, apples, malt

Taste: 8.5
Up Front: Apple, brett funk, white grape. Finish: Malt

Mouthfeel: 8.5
Medium/light body with a medium/high carbonation

Drinkability: 9.5
Thirst quenching, slightly dry finish

Overall Score: 8.7

Value: 6
Cost/12 oz serving: $6.06

Overall Impression:
The brett funk was definitely noticeable, but not over-the-the-top. It's a very clean, crisp, refreshing ale that you enjoy year round, but I think it would work even better in the Summer. Although it's on the pricey side, it's still definitely worth a try if you have the coin.

Southern Tier Porter

Reviewed By: Herr Rick
Style: American Porter
State/Country: New York
ABV: 5.2%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle

Look: 8.5
Dark brown/almost black, thick head that thins out quickly, with little lacing!

Smell: 8
Roasted malt

Taste: 8
Up Front: Strong roasted flavors, smoke. Finish: Smoke, trace amount of malt

Mouthfeel: 7.5
Thin body with medium carbonation

Drinkability: 7
Coffee lovers will find this quite drinkable

Overall Score: 7.8

Value: 7
Cost/12 oz serving: $1.78

Overall Impression:
A little too much roasted flavor that is not balanced out by the malt. Also too thin for my liking. It's a decent Porter, and decent value. Give it a shot.

Brooklyn Monster Ale

Reviewed By: Herr Mike
Style: American Barleywine
State/Country: New York
ABV: 10.8%
Serving Type: 12 oz Bottle

Look: 9
Copper color, head fades quickly, light sticky lacing

Smell: 8.5
Bread, candied fruit, malty, raisins

Taste: 8.5
Up Front: brandy, toffee, vanilla
Finish: malty and sweet with a little hopiness

Mouthfeel: 9
Sticky with some light carbonation

Drinkability: 8.5
As it warms, the alcohol comes through, one is enough

Overall Score: 8.75

Value: 9
Cost/12 oz serving: $1.88

Overall Impression:
This is a good barleywine, but not at the top of my list. This beer will warm your ass on a cold winter night!