David Harris

Well now that Doug has had a few I have to have two, too!

Thanks again to Eric Hirsch for a taste of this one. I have to say that, given the fact that my encounter with Grand 9.5 involved the surprise of its being bottled in plastic, it was pretty good. Not compared with actually great beers, but compared to most cheap beer, this was surprisingly tasty - a bit more malty than your typical barley and corn mix; stronger, without being acrid, as well. And, if you drop it after one too many, no harm no foul! LOL Why not, if it's cheap enough! CHEERS!

Thanks to Eric Hirsch for a taste of this one; I'm sold! This was really delicious and interesting, though it had an odd background cutting taste hinting at a defect of chlorine, the overall taste had two major flavors, both of which I love - sweet malt and oak barrel whiskey. I was going to just skip this newcomer and all of its offerings but now Orlio will definitely get better looks from me. I am going to return to this one. CHEERS!

I just had this at Sam's Waterfront tavern in Kip's Bay, NYC. I don't know why it is billed as a farmhouse ale, or even why it is billed as a Saison, really. It seems like a typical ubiquitous spicy Belgian hinting along the lines of Duvel or Orval or Chimay, without the fun of Delirium or the depth of the "West"s, I don't really see a reason to send money down to FL right before they cheat on another election anyway.

"Ryeteous" is on cask at Sam's Waterfront, so I had to have it, despite not really liking hoppy pales with or without rye malts.

YOU FOOLS! If Satan dresses himself up as a silly sultry slut, you don't pick him up on the corner, let him have his way with you, steal your car out from under you and then thank him for the not-so-bad party and pay your thirty pieces of silver with a smile on your face! "Oh, it hurt worse than a kick in the balls, I've got an unknown disease that is rotting my scrotum, and I can't look my mother in the face, but it wasn't so bad." Why, why, why oh people, why do you shame yourselves by buying and, JHC be shamed, drinking this crap?! Why don't you just get ready to buy yourself an American made SUV and pay $4 a gallon straight to the Islamic Fundamentalists in Saudi Arabia?! Better yet, why don't you write in "George W. Bush" on your ballot November 4th? FOR SHAME! In the words of our esteemed President, "Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, well, I won't be a fool twice without some shame somewhere . . . heh heh."

10.00% ABV for this one, sharing the new series with the Triticus Wheat Wine; an extremely clear orange gold whiskey colored pour under a thin head lifting a very faint aroma of walnuts over a ridiculously strong flavor of pine bitterness with just the barest hint of nutty notes underneath followed by a biting aftertaste most akin to eating an orange rind with all the bitterness and oily acidity that implies. Those who profess to find many grapefruit and orange hints in this tongue blaster are lying to themselves and others. It is simply BITTER! It has left me with an angry head, as well. Daddy like even though Daddy not really an IPA fan! Anything that makes me want to smash things as much as this makes me want to smash things is good. CHEERS!

As with moth malt beverages, this has about as much alcohol as a near-beer, but is much more satisfying, of course, since it actually tastes like something other than tepid water. The aroma is hard to withstand due to the usual molasses punch, but the flavor is much more in the German style without the usual date and fig sweetness on top of syrup, but rather this had a pure and still reserved malt flavor. Better than most of its ilk.

Just stopped at Waterfront Ale House (NYC) for a decompressor and saw this; I used to be a huge stout fan but only favor Choc/Imperials from that class nowadays, and this did not re-visit better times for me. It was ok, for a stout, but absolutely nothing to write home about. What is there to tell - you know the color, you know the body (actually was a bit thin, more like a porter for me) and had too much roast and too much hop for me to be a fan. As with many popular microbrews, Victory is leaving me disappointed on most turns. By the way, "Stout" isn't spelled with a "d." "Dumbass," however, is.

Just saw this last night and remembered it from some other time - not the taste, just the beer's existence. Must have made no impression.