Review: Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

Appearance: I would say black almost, and it came with this nice mocha brown lacing. Forgot to pay attention to head of the beer, but I can tell you the lacing wasn't all to sticky against the glass.

Aroma: No intense smells worth pointing out. I'll leave it at this...it had very malty smells.

Taste: The beginning is not so carbonated as the end. Like the label says this is a malt beverage, don't expect hops. You are going to get that sweet, and sugar feel with this beer. Since I am rewriting this, I'll tell you the flavors of dry figs popped up in this. It wasn't till recently I had a few dry figs, and I was reminded of beer. I always knew people used dry figs as a flavor profile phrase, but since I didn't know how dry figs tasted like I never used it until now. Enough rambling. So anyways you will also pick up wood and vanilla notes.

Mouthfeel: Very ale like, I was expecting something slightly slightly thicker. This is a little denser than water. Towards the end I felt the carbonation kick in.

Overall: Dogfish Head is a pretty big name nowadays, and they come correct every time even with their odd flavors (Sah Tea?). The structure from beginning to the end was flawless, because the 10% abv didn't show itself. Definitely recommended, but don't limit yourself.

Review: Stone/Still Waters/Evil Twin: The Perfect Crime

Appearance: Straight black (well almost). After the pour there was an inch worth of  95% white head, but it lasted for only so long.

Aroma: First thing I picked up is the smell of carbonation (is that possible?) and mild spices. In this beer particular I felt the aroma was kind of weak, and I spent too much time trying to figure this aspect out.

Mouthfeel: The first touch to my lips I felt a slight froth. After that the mouthfeel turned into a silky soda.

Taste: Very nice subtle carbonation. The taste is there, but nothing bold stands out. There is some dark chocolate, very minimum hops, and slight grapefruit blends itself in towards the finish.

Overall: When the word "collaboration" comes to mind you would think of something epically great. That wasn't the case, but nonetheless this was more than well crafted. This bottle is perfect for somebody who doesn't want a beer that is overly rich, and/or hoppy (then again I would just recommend a saison in general for that preference). I disliked the weak aromas, and that is something I want in a good beer. I really thought this beer had more to offer. In my opinion this bottle would be awesome in a 6 pack that would be perfect for those get togethers where you just eat drink, and wait till somebody sober drives you home. Forget the 30pk Budlight just buy 30 of these if you are that kind of drinker.

Review: Stone Cali- Belgique IPA

Haven't had IPA's in a bit, because I feel that they are overrated, but nonetheless I'll have one every now an then.

ABV: 6.9%

Appearance: I'm a sucker for lacing, and this brew left a sloppy white wall of this white (not really dense, and thick) foam over the glass, which dispersed into somewhat round specs. The overall color resembled a foggy apple juice.

Aroma: As far as smells you would get this grassy (some would like to use the word "floral") type smell right away. Sometimes I can give you a specific fruit, etc. but all I can really say is that some citrus notes pop up. I guess I should be eating more fruits, and be drinking less beer in order to be more specific more often. I was reminded off apples as well after digging around. 

Mouthfeel: Mouthfeel was perfect. I don't like to associate an IPA with thickness like stouts or porters. Having plenty of plain ole Sierra Nevadas the density was a bit lower than a Sierra Nevada.

Taste: I smelled apples somewhere in the aroma, but that aroma isn't picked up in the taste IMO. First sip I got a bitter orange zest, and later this sweet, grassy/floral flavor blended right it in. In the beginning you will experience the hops, which later collides with the  sugary sweetness of the malts. This beer got a very good rating, but I felt like the maltiness slightly overpowered the hops, but that could be just a bias from my own pallet. I really wanted to feel the hops bitterness a little more, but not to the point where it would be considered a double IPA. A lot of other reviews felt like this had a dominant floral taste to it. IMO I feel like the Green Flash West Coast IPA had that quality a lot more.

Overall: As usual Stone puts out solid brews. I will say this didn't stand out to me as well as a I thought, but that is a bias opinion of course. Everything from the balance of the hops, and malts was executed pretty good. The hops produced a good head, and left a very nice lacing throughout the drinking. The beer had a 6.9% ABV so the alcohol won't show up in the beginning, middle, or end. This beer is definitely more interesting than a Sierra Nevada. There are plenty of good beers out there, and this one of them

Review: Troubadour Blond Ale by Brouwerij de Musketiers

ABV: 6.5%

Appearance: The color resembles apple cider. Being a blonde ale it is opaque with some fog. The lacing is beautiful, because it reminds of the ash forming on a cigar. Head didn't last for all too long.

Aroma: I get a slight aroma of slightly spoiled peaches, and apricots as well. To me apricot is a dominant aroma in this.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel reminds me of sprite,  and I have no specific reason why that comes to mind. This beer has a very refreshing mouthfeel.

Taste: Like the aroma apricot is a dominant flavor. Right after the fruitiness, and apricots you can feel the hops kick in very nicely.

Overall: This beer is very refreshing. The combination of the malts and hops collided well. Something about experiencing hops, and apricot flavors is an amazing feeling. The finish is slightly long. The lacing of this beer is downright awesome (reminds me of the ashes of a cigar). I am always picky about aroma, which like most other beers that I've had is hard to pick up or my nose is terrible. I would definitely recommend this beer to anyone who thinks negatively about beer thinking they are always bitter an disgusting. This is definitely a great beer, and will give you a decent experience.

I'm not a fan of giving number ratings to beers, because everybody has their preference so I feel it is only fair to express non biased views. I will tell you if a beer is horrible, and to stay away from it.