There was a time I wouldn’t have been all that offended by a beer that didn’t just taste like … beer. Y’know, the blueberry pale ales; the cranberry lambics. And, among these were the spiced beers for fall, usually with nutmeg and/or cinnamon, during the fall and winter months. These days I can only take these beers on rare occasion, and I make special exception for the Halloween-time favorite: pumpkin beer. This year, though, I may have found something I might be able to stomach more than once: Shipyard Brewery’s Pugsley’s Signature Series Smashed Pumpkin.

Shipyard makes another pumpkin ale, called Pumpkinhead Ale, with an admirable ABV of 5.1%. Smashed Pumpkin trumps the Pumpkinhead with a staggering 9% ABV, and that’s where this pumpkin beer stands out. No longer do you need to endure the ridicule of fellow beer drinkers with your nutmeg-y, fruity beer — you’re holding a bottle of rocket fuel, baby! What’s more, it doesn’t taste like it’s rocking that amount of alcohol. Many times, with heavy stouts or Belgian-style ales, you can tell you’re going to be in trouble if you down more than a couple pints. With Smashed Pumpkin, it’s pretty well hidden … which, I guess, can be dangerous.

Apparently, judging by the label above, the beer comes in one-pint bottles, but my local specialty liquor store seemed to only be carrying the 22 oz. size. The page at Shipyard’s website indicates it’s only available in 22 oz. or kegs, though, so I’m not sure what’s going on there. This is the sort of beer that I feel belongs in the larger bottle alone, further letting you on that it’s not your typical pumpkin beer — if you drink that full bottle, you could indeed be “smashed” pretty quickly.

Smashed Pumpkin still has that very cinnamon-y and nutmeg-y flavor that you either love or hate, so there’s nothing new there. But that boost in alcohol content gives this seasonal beer a step above the rest.

With summer comes parties, and with parties comes beer. Normally I just drink my usual stuff in the cooler, but seeing as I needed to have something to write about, I took one for the team and reached for something I’d never have considered sipping before: Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus.

First thing of note: the beer is green, and I don’t mean that it’s good for the environment. It’s not quite green enough to carry around on St. Patrick’s Day, though you’d really not want to be doing that with this beer if you weren’t interested in getting the crap beat out of you.

Essentially, this is a wine cooler with a beer label. It’s way too sweet for any true beer drinker’s liking — there’s just nothing beery about it. It’s akin to Sprite and citronella in a bottle. In fact, quoth my sister-in-law: “it tastes like bug spray.”

This is one of those “beers” that someone who doesn’t usually like beer can drink and say, “hey, look everyone! I drink beer!” Luckily the clear bottle with the Slurm-like substance inside is a dead giveaway, and you can commence pointing and laughing while you blow the head off an Imperial Stout.

At least it was free.

I promised the review of Land Shark Lager and According to Jim and I finally have time to set  down and do it. I don’t normally drink fancy beer like Land Shark because I can get a half rack of Old Milwaukee cheaper than a six-pack of this beer. So with the final episode of According to Jim on the DVR, a Tomb Stone Supreme pizza ready to go in the oven, and the six-pack cold in the fridge … here we go.

To start with, I had to search for a bottle opener to even open the beer. At least the cap does say to pry it off so I didn’t waste time trying to unscrew the top. Land Shark is bottled by the Margaritaville Brewing Co. It is a lighter beer than I normally drink. I tried Corona once and thought it tasted worse than fermented Buffalo piss. The Land Shark Lager has a very good flavor. It is light and not too filling. After the first one I am ready for number two.

This is really smooth beer. I have had Kool-aid that had more of a bite to it. The last time I had anything this good was when I was drinking Moose Head Beer in the Mangy Moose Saloon in Jackson Wyoming many years ago. I hope this project goes better than that night did. Two down and four to go. I am starting to feel the beer already. I have a good buzz starting and am feeling good. I am ready to move onto number three.

Popped the top on number three. Normally I am getting full after three beers, but this stuff is really good and I am not feeling full at all. I can easily chug half the bottle. I am half way into the six-pack and Enemy of the State is starting to look funny. This bodes well for Jim.

OK, I’m half way through bottle four and I am feeling very good. I was really worried about doing this post when I agreed to do it, but I am really getting into it now. I am starting to make comments I probably shouldn’t on Twitter. Perhaps Internet access is not a good idea while doing this post. Four down, onto number five. I am starting to get a little full. I am glad I did not put that pizza in the oven. I don’t think I could get through all six if I did.

Number five is open. I am feeling really good now, so I apologize if my typing gets worse. Not that it is ever all that good. Five bottles down and I am ready for the last one.

I am now on the last bottle of the six-pack. I am having some trouble with the keys on my keyboard so my typing is slowing down. I hope that my rambling makes sense to the readers. Just popped the top on number six and after I finish it I will give it some time to kick in before I begin watching According to Jim. I want to have the full effect of the beer before watching the show. I have finished the last bottle of the six-pack and actually wish I had a couple more. This is really good beer. I will have to get some more for my next BBQ to share with my in-laws.

So I am now watching the series finale of According to Jim. This episode is called “Heaven Opposed to Hell.”

The scene where Jim pretends to be excited over Dan and Andy’s news was still not funny. He still looked like a complete jerk that did not care at all about anyone but himself.

I still like seeing Dan Aykroyd, but the scene with him was not funny. He explains to Jim that they are both dead and that he has to check in with the guy at the gate. When Jim gets to the gate to check in and is red flagged he says, “Oh hell.” The gate keeper saying “potentially” was the first funny line so far.

The appearances of Lee Majors as God and Eric Estrada as The Devil was not funny. The attempts at jokes were not well written and the jokes did not make me laugh at all. The special effects when Jim opened The Devil’s gift bag were good, but his reaction did not make me believe there was really fire coming out of the gift bag. The choice of Andy to represent Jim and Dana to represent The Devil were still very predictable and not all that funny. The Devil asking how his baby was doing and rubbing Dana’s belly was really funny to me. I have always told my kids that I hope they have kids just like them and somehow I think a devil would be what Dana was like as a child. When Dana’s husband Ryan took the stand to testify and asked about the baby, Dana said “he was a little devil” and Estrada said, “Oh you are terrible” — that scene really cracked me up this time. Quick pause and break while I get rid of some of the beer. Please talk amongst yourselves until I return. Thanks.

When Andy called himself to the stand as a witness it was very disturbing to me. This guy has some serious issues with his mother fixation. I think he is the next Norman Bates if he does not get help. Jim taking over as his own defense seems like a good idea. I have to wonder why it is that early on in the show, whenever you saw Sheryl her nipples were showing through her top, which made the show much more worth watching, but now she is always wearing sweaters and other tops that do not show them. This episode would be much better with nipples showing.

On a side note, the Ashton Kutcher Nikon commercial annoyed me even more than normal while watching this. Can we please let him fade into obscurity and not have to see him unless we watch reruns of That ’70s Show?

The final scene of the trial when Sheryl and the rest of the family said they would go to hell to be with Jim was nice, but not really funny. And after Andy saved Jim by getting the shrimp puff he was choking on out and Jim spitting it on Dana was funny, but Jim deciding he would live forever because God didn’t want him and the Devil wouldn’t have him showed just how stupid Jim really is.

My assessment of the show? Overall, According to Jim is a better show when you have drunk a six-pack of Land Shark Lager, but it is still not all that funny. The jokes are still old retreads from much better acted shows and it still makes me wonder just how has this show been on the air for this long?

Now that the show is over, Bo is asking for dinner so I had better get something fixed for him. Wait — when did he learn to  talk?

Keith, thanks for the challenge of writing this project. I have really enjoyed it.

Lucky for me, I’m an adventurous type when it comes to beers. So when I saw this weirdly labeled beer called “Shock Top” in my brother’s fridge, I thought “screw it” and gave it a shot.

First of all, let’s talk about the label. Look closely and you’ll see that the mohawked head is actually an orange wedge, as in the fruit. They give him shades and a mohawk so you feel cooler drinking it. What you don’t see in that image, though, is some small print on how you’re supposed to drink this beer:

The beer is best enjoyed in a tall, wide-mouthed glass. To serve the brew perfectly, follow these pouring guidelines. Pour the brew down the side of the glass until about one-half inch of brew is left in the bottle. Lay the bottle on its side and roll it gently back and forth, mixing the remaining yeast that has settled at the bottom. Pour the rest of the brew, producing a nice, thick collar of foam.

Who am I to argue? If I was going to give this beer a fair review, I had to follow the directions, right?

So, I’m carefully pouring this beer into a glass — a beer that has yet to prove it deserves such particular care, mind you — and making sure I don’t pour that last 1/2 inch of it out. And as I take the next step, rolling the bottle to and fro, everyone at the party is looking at me, thinking a) what an asshole, and b) how many more of these beers is he going to bother with this routine (spoiler alert: the answer is zero).

I poured the last 1/2 inch into the glass, and sure enough, it develops a “collar of foam” on the top of the beer … which dissipated within about ten seconds. For those who avoided my spoiler alert earlier, here’s the outcome: I will never do this ridiculous ritual again.

Now, the taste. The label is a good indication of what you get — a Belgian wheat ale, with a pretty strong orange flavor and scent in there. Again, as the label hints at, this is definitely a summer beer, one you can easily put down when you’re out in the heat of the day. I enjoyed drinking one of these, but when I was finished I knew I wasn’t interested in another; I really can’t put my finger on why.

So, Eric, if you’re reading this: stock back up on some Sammys or even those LandSharks we talked about you getting. Thanks for the Shock Top, but they’re all yours, buddy.

I’d heard of Land Shark beer before, but for some reason it didn’t dawn on me until this past weekend, when I tried a bottle, that it donned the Margaritaville™ Brewing Co. label — Jimmy Buffett’s company. What’s more, it’s clearly a direct competitor to Corona. Looks like someone had a bad breakup.

The real question: how do the two beers stack up to one another? Seeing as there was a supply of Corona, nearby, chilled and ready to go, I was determined to find out.

First of all, let me say that I believe there’s always a time for a Corona … or at least a Corona-like beer. Sure, it’s on the light side, which is something I usually don’t care for, but I guess you could say Corona is a state of mind thing. You’ve got to drink it right from the bottle. Squeeze a wedge of lime in there, and you could be in the New Hampshire mountains in February and still imagine you’re on a tropical island. Other people I know would just call it skunk piss.

Land Shark fits the Corona-like beer bill perfectly. Actually, it fits it better than perfectly, because it is much better. Let’s not get into how they look or smell, or what size head they give when you pour them; they’re the same, and who really cares? It’s the taste that matters, and Land Shark has something to it that gives it several notches above Corona.

For one thing, Land Shark has a sweetness to it that’s not found in Corona, though it’s not at all overpowering — just enough to make it stand out; the flavor is akin to artificial lemon (I know, “how … appetizing,” but it works.) Both beers seem to use the same kind of hops, so there’s definitely that familiar flavor there. There’s also something about a Corona that, after a couple, seems to dry out my mouth, so of course that leads to needing something to quench my thirst … another Corona! Not so with Land Shark, though I wanted another just because it was much tastier.

My Parrothead membership may have expired, but I’ll still reach for a Land Shark Lager if I’m in the mood for wasting away in Margaritaville for a little while.

Country Ale is one of my favorite go-to beers. It’s a medium-bodied pale ale, maybe a tad on the lighter side, and has a taste that subtly stands out on its own. I’d describe the taste as buttery with some caramel, maybe a hint of some fruit but nothing I’d say that makes this a fruity beer. It’s really easy to put down a few of these on or after a hot summer day, which is why this is a perfect beer to bring up now, before those months fully are upon us. There’s just something about an ice cold Country Ale that makes me yearn for it when there’s none of it occupying the beer fridge.

Personally, I don’t care for “summer ales” that a lot of breweries put out. They’re a bit too fruity and are usually wheat beers, which I don’t care for at all. Wachusett is a great alternative that can be enjoyed year-round. It goes down well with just about any food too.

A few times a year, the greatest beer/wine/liquor/cigar/hot sauce shop in Central Massachusetts, Julio’s Liquors, holds a beer festival. For two dollars, which is donated to a local cause, you get a glass and a tabbed bracelet which allows you to sample about ten different beers from 40-50 different national and local breweries. Two dollars!

Some of the beers on-hand aren’t even available to the general public, and when you live in the state that headquarters the Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams), Harpoon and a few other notables, you’re going to be trying some special stuff.

Here are a few of the beers I sampled last weekend, along with a few thoughts on each:

Dogfish Head Brewery: 90-Minute IPA
This IPA tsted different than what I’m used to. It was on the light side as far as the hoppiness goes, but that’s not to say it wasn’t tasty.

Shipyard Brewery: India Pale Ale
This was more what I’m used to and what I dig when I drink an IPA. Extra hoppy and gives that IPA-like bite. If you don’t like IPAs that are hoppy, stay away.

Harpoon Brewery: Leviathan Quad
How did I know know about the Leviathan line of Harpoon beers? Holy awesome! Remember when I talked about Michelob’s attempt at making “good” beers with their Porter and the like? Well, Harpoon is taking that move up a notch, offering a line of beers that kicks ass over what they already offer. The Quad is an incredible Belgian-style beer that carries a womping 12% APV! This is not your grampa’s Harpoon. And who’d have thought Harpoon would do a Belgian?

High & Mighty Brewing Co.: Two-Headed Beast; Sono Distrutto
From one great beer to the next. I’d never heard of this brewery nor its uniquely named beers. The description on the Beast had me at “raw cacao.” An incredibly flavorful, chocolately stout that impressed me right away. So much so that I had to have another of this brewery’s beers, the Sono, which must be quite new, as it’s not on the website yet. The Sono Distrutto is like drinking an iced espresso, so I was in beer heaven. I wasn’t sure if this beer was going to put me to sleep or slap me awake; it was that espresso-y.

So, those are the stand-out beers from this season’s Julio’s adventure. I would have added a special Sam Adams beer to the list if I could read my illegible notes at that table visit, but I do remember it was a beer that hadn’t yet made it to distribution yet. And that is why it’s so great to have Boston Beer Company in your backyard.

I’ve already mentioned before that I love porters, and up there with them I’d add brown ales. Ellie’s is what I’d call the perfect brown ale. It has that roasty, nutty, chocolaty taste that I love so much, with a (shocker!) deep brown color. The head isn’t quite as large as the one pictured, but it was decent … if you care about that sort of thing.

Sometimes, with these darker ales, you’ll get a nasty, bitter aftertaste with a mouthful of grassy hops. It tastes like you were downing a brew at an outdoor beer festival, then tripped and did a face-plant in a pile of grass clippings; believe me, I know — long story. Ellie’s has none of that aftertaste and is a complete pleasure to drink.

The only downside to Ellie’s is that it doesn’t go down very well with food. It’s a bit on the heavy side, and the flavors are so strong that it sort of cancels out the flavors of what you’re eating. If you’re going to have this with a meal, it’d be best with something on the spicy side, in my opinion.

Now, getting to why this beer was fitting for me this week. Ellie’s is named in honor of the Avery Brewery owner’s dog, who passed away in 2002. We lost our dog of 12 years just last week, so I admire that Avery was able to honor his faithful companion in naming a great beer after her. Though I won’t be able to name my own beer after our dog, he’ll always be remembered here in the McDuffee household, whether or not I’m hoisting up a pint of Guinness in remembrance … for Guinness was his name.

Back in my early days of beer drinking, like many other poor college students, I tried to keep it cheap. There were the usual ultra-cheap beers like Milwaukee’s Best and Natural Light. Then there were what we considered, at the time, “premium” beers, like Michelob and Miller Genuine Draft. Hey, I was a beer newbie — give me a break. In any case, I’m no stranger to the tastes of these beers.

Michelob has been trying to squeeze their name into the microbrew-like arena with a relatively new line of beers with varying styles. Unlike other breweries, Michelob has decided to tack their name firmly onto each bottle because, really, who are these breweries trying to fool?

This new line of beers includes types such as Porter, Pale Ale, Honey Lager, Irish Red, AmberBock and Dunkel Weisse. As I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of porters, so I decided this is what I had to try first from these offerings.

Right off the bat, I was surprised that this beer didn’t simply outright suck at first or even second sip. It really did carry the characteristics of most typical porters, with a rich dark color and coffee aroma. About halfway through a bottle, I was thinking that Michelob really did it — they were able to proudly attach their name to a beer that I could reach for and not think, “aw man, what am I, still in college?”

However, by the time I finished the glass, I figured out what was wrong; well, wrong for me, at least. Although the beer carried the traditional elements of a porter, it was somehow also able to retain the characteristics of an age-old Michelob. At first I thought this was all in my head, but I really don’t think so. Underneath those yummy porter flavors there was that cheapy Michelob taste, lurking. It wasn’t until you thought, “hey, this beer is good,” that the Michelob flavor came out and tapped your taste buds on their shoulders, whispering, “remember me? Those late Thursday nights burping in sorority girls’ faces? It’s me, ol’ buddy. I’m back.”

Now, this isn’t all to say that this beer is bad. I stand behind the fact that Michelob has done a decent job of making what many consider a low-brow beer into something tolerable by some snobs. However, I would not put it above any other porters I’ve ever had, except maybe that it’s more affordable. Your mileage may vary.

At least in Massachusetts, Jumping Cow can be found in most Trader Joes’ stores that have a beer license. It’s a great bargain at under $6 for a six-pack. Trader Joe’s has a bad rap when it comes to beer, but they usually have a very decent, yet small collection of brews that are extremely affordable without making you reach for beer-flavored water in a can.

You might have heard of some of Steinhaus‘s other beers, like Fat Weasel, which Trader Joe’s often sells as well (though I don’t think I’ve tried yet).

I love amber ales, right above the good pale ales, and Jumping Cow definitely doesn’t disappoint. It’s lighter than something that you’d get from Sam Adams, but not as light as any pale ale I’ve ever had. Pours with a decent head and goes down with a smooth finish. The taste is on the caramel side, with a lot of flavor and hops for an amber ale, which I really dig. The beer goes well with food as well.

This one happens to be one of Deb’s favorite beers of all time, and I can’t really blame her. While I wouldn’t call it one of my all-time faves, as often as we take trips to TJ’s, we’ll likely have at least a sixer of this in the fridge at some point every month.

… so reads the saying on each bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale. OK, Brew Review over — they’ve said all that needs to be said. Well, almost.

I picked up a 22-ounce bomber of the Arrogant Bastard, since a) it has a damned cool name with a motto on it I can salute, and b) it’s hard to avoid the bottle with the horned, winged demon staring at you with eyes that are saying to your soul: “you don’t deserve me, you foolish ball of worthless flesh and bones, but you will buy me, whether it’s with the coin in your pockets or your pitiful soul!” After calling for cleanup in aisle three of my puddle of fear-induced pee, I bought a bottle (with money!) and took it home.

I totally perfer beers lacking “multi-millon dollar ad campaigns,” so I don’t think the Arrogant Bastard saying applies to me. However, this ale (which is considered an American strong ale) is definitely something special. The taste that hit me right away was “fruity,” sweet and definitely hoppy with a citrus taste (probably why I considered it fruity). Don’t let the label’s wording or the image of Satan on the bottle throw you too much — this beer has a taste of its own, but it’s not likely to smack you in the mouth if you’re not too experienced in different beers, much like how I consider Belgian beers hit me the first time I tried them.

If you’re into the bold taste of hops in a beer and like something on the moderate-to-strong side, you’ll do yourself a disservice in not giving this beer a try. RateBeer gives Arrogant Bastard a worthy 98/100 rating. Come on, you know you want to tell someone you bought/tried an “Arrogant Bastard!” Share it with someone more worthy of the rest of the 22-ounce bottle if you need to — I’m free most Friday nights.

A Scottish beer with an Irish last name. Like I said, it was calling out to me. And I’m glad it did.

There’s nothing bad to be said about the Gritty’s Scottish Ale. It’s a near-perfect beer. You can easily drink it with anything or on its own, the taste being the perfect balance that doesn’t overwhelm nor underwhelm your palate.

I’ve had Scottish ales before, and I didn’t care for them. The taste had a kind of bitter that I wasn’t all that hot about, and usually I’d loathe the thought of having to finish the rest of the six-pack some day (you know, because pouring it down the drain would be a sin against all humanity). This particular brand had just the right amount of what makes a Scottish ale what it is, with a subtle smokey caramel flavor, a great reddish color and a decent head.

If it matters to you, my wife Deb considers this to be one of the best beers she’s ever had; “perfect” even. Thankfully, this time she didn’t put the hint of another flavor in my head, like cheese whiz or carrots, to convince me it tasted awful.

I highly recommend this brew, even though RateBeer avereages this one out at a 55/100. Hopefully by next week I’ll have a page here dedicated to the beers I review here that earn my top honors. The Gritty McDuff’s Scottish Ale will definitely be in there and in good company.

This week I’ve moved on to Belgian ale with the Ommegang Abbey Ale. Like most Belgian ales, I’ve noticed, this one comes in a large, 750ml bottle and isn’t necessarily meant to be consumed without at least one other person. Alas, Deb took one sip and hated this beer, and as you can see in the image to the right, the bottle … ’tis empty. You do the math.

First of all, let’s get this out of the way: this beer has a name that sounds like a slurring drunkard with a dental retainer saying “OMG!” At first sip, I wasn’t sure I was drinking a Belgian ale, as it didn’t instantly remind me of other Belgian ales I’ve had in the past. With those other ales, you could taste that the beer was going to kick your ass. The OMG, on the other hand, sneaks out of the bottle, grabs the rest of the 750ml bottle by the neck and clobbers you in the noggin before you can read that it has 8.5% ABV.

The taste was quite unique, though Deb ruined the whole experience by saying the taste reminded her of Amaretto, a flavor she absolutely hates. Maybe that played with my head for a bit, but I saw where she was coming from. She does like Belgian brews, like the ever-awesome Chimay beers, so her not liking this one at first or second sip isn’t anything to brush off.

I, however, liked this beer the more I drank it. Was it because of the ABV? Possibly — it could explain the egg-sized lump on my head. Up against other Belgian ales, I’d likely put this one aside, but I would consider picking this up again. Just don’t tell me it tastes like Amaretto or dog testicles.

Incidentally, RateBeer gives the OMG an impressive 97 rating.

Last week on a grocery run to Trader Joe’s, I picked up a pint-sized (actually it’s a little more) bottle of Caledonian Great Scot Organic Pale Ale, from Scotland-based Caledonian Brewery. A little-more-than-a-pint bottle for $3 seemed like a decent deal, and I had to have something fresh to try for this week’s review.

My first impression of this beer was that it tasted grassy, which was most likely due to its somewhat unique barley flavors coming out. This isn’t your typical pale ale and, unlike what I’m used to for “typical” pale ales, it didn’t stand up all that well with food. I had this one with a burger, which I would have expected to be perfect pairing with a pale ale.

Getting back to the grassy taste, Deb commented that she thought it had an almost wintergreen taste to it. Maybe I let her get to my head, because after I was halfway through my glass, I could taste what she was talking about. It was quite a turn-off and it almost made me not want to finish it. Of course, not finishing it would be blasphemy and a sin against humanity, so down it went.

The color and head was pretty much as pictured to the right, which definitely gives it an appealing look. Then you take a swig and you’re in for a disappointment. I definitely won’t be going out of my way to grab this one again, but for the price, if you’re curious, it’s not so horrible to judge for yourself.

RateBeer gives Great Scot a 28 score. That sounds about right.

First of all, that picture to the right is pretty misleading. The color was a lot darker than that, in my experience, and where did they get that two-inch head? I poured quite liberally from a 12-ounce bottle into a standard beer glass, and I was only able to achieve a very light one. Right away, that was a bit of a turn-off.

The taste was very characteristic of a nut brown ale, though it also had a very distinct taste that I tend to refer to as “home brewy.” This may be due to the fact that I believe it uses Fuggles hops, which I’ve used many times in my own beers. This may be why I’m never very satisfied with the beers I make, since I don’t care for that taste. I also thought this might be due to not filtering the yeast enough when putting to containers. But what do I know?

The taste does have the advertised subtle chocolatey-ness, and definitely a part the aroma. I had one of these on its own and one with homemade pizza, which it went reasonably well with. This beer is only 4.4% ABV, so it’s quite easy to drink and works as a meal beer for sure.

All in all, I’ll go with what most reviewers of this beer seem to say: it’s unremarkable, unmemorable. I don’t see myself going out of my way to get these again, though I’ll finish off the other four to the pack without complaint.

I originally picked this beer up as a gift for a friend last year and, lucky for me, he popped it open that night so I could get a good sampling of it. Right away you can see that this is a special kind of stout. The head is very brown and the smell is a kind of smoky cedar. Honestly, at first scent, you’ll wonder what you’re about to get into drinking this.

If you’re drinking it before a meal, you’re likely going to want to finish it up first. The smoky, chocolaty flavor and the characteristic heaviness of a stout goes a lot better with (or as) a dessert than with most foods. The color is nearly completely black, and there’s no mistaking that this beer was chilling out in an oak barrel for a spell. At 9.5% ABV, your head’s going to be feeling a full, large bottle of this if you’re being greedy.

As far as stouts go, this was definitely a very good one for me, but I wouldn’t call it one of my top favorites. The unique characteristics of this beer hold a special place for me and for special occasions, but I wouldn’t stock a fridge with a bunch of these; it’s good once in a while as a treat, but not something I’d want on-hand.

So far Great Divide has a great track record for me and, as it turns out, for others as well — the Yeti is rated a perfect 100 over at RateBeer. I’d definitely put this in the 90-98 range, but perfect? I’m not so sure, but I’ll report back again if I change my mind.

Some people aren’t fans of IPAs and consider them overly hoppy. For those people, you may want to give Titan a try. The characteristic hoppiness that I believe turns off some beer drinkers isn’t as pronounced, where it’s punching you in the tongue the second you take a sip. I don’t think I’d normally call IPAs “refreshing,” but the Titan is just that.

There are times when drinking IPAs that, over the course of several hours, if I have two at a party, I can’t have a third. The hoppiness lingers too much in my mouth, and it doesn’t really go with a lot of foods. Great Divide has figured out how to make an IPA taste like an IPA and allow you to have it with a meal without compromising it.

By far I’m calling this the best IPA I’ve ever had. I’ve tried my share of IPAs both bottled and on tap, and nothing’s come close. A four pack tends to be on the pricey side, but if you make it a special treat once a month, it makes the beer taste all that much better.