Telemark

This is my first beer from the Backcountry Brewery in Frisco, Colorado, and I pronounce it a fair and tasty IPA.

Blue Paddle

A better pilsner than Joe's, IMO. At least it knows what it is.

Joe's Pilsner

This one claims it's not your old man's pilsner, which it's not--it's definitely different, but not necessarily for the better. I'm not a fan of pilsners generally, but this one didn't improve by being not quite a true pilsner.

Mile High Barley Wine Ale

My first example of the style, I didn't know quite what to think of it at first. But for as high as the alcohol content is, it drinks pretty easily, and by the end I was nicely toasted and enjoyed the last of the beer.

Black Lager

This lager is indeed very black, and it's really pretty tasty, too.

Lion Stout

Hoppy Boy

A good IPA with a nice piney flavor.

Avery IPA

Old Jubilation

A beer with a lot of complex flavor that never ends up completely coming together. An okay beer.

Salvator Double Bock

Pretty tasty German beer.

Alligator Ale

A pretty weak ale from the brewery restaurant Hops.

Hoptoberfest

A pale, not very tasty (and especially not very hoppy!) beer from the brewery restaurant Hops.

Coney Island Lager

I found this relatively flavorless lager to be a great disappointment after Coney Island's other great successes, including the Sword Swallower, Mermaid Pilsner, and, of course, Albino Python. This further establishes that Shmaltz is a very uneven brewery.

60 Minute IPA

This is my first beer from Dogfish Head. A solid IPA with a nice even flavor, probably due to the continuous-hopping process that Dogfish Head uses.

Mojo

A good IPA, especially after drinking other types of beer earlier in the evening.

Buffalo Gold

It's really hard for me to not think of "Buffalo Gold" as a euphemism for manure in the new green economy, but I decided to give this beer a try, partly because the sales rep was on hand, giving out brewery schwag and free beers if you bought a six pack. Plus, with company coming over, I thought this seemed like a mild beer that mainstream beer drinkers could enjoy. I was right, this is a light-tasting, mild beer, not too hoppy or malty, and, therefore, not my taste, exactly, but good nonetheless.

My beer-drinking friends didn't show, so I was the only one trying it, and I was happy to trade the rest of the six-pack with my sister for one of Dogfish Head 60 Min IPA, a really pretty good IPA.

The Reverend

I decided to give quadrupels a second shot with this one, but as with the first one (The Sixth Glass) I didn't want to dive in on my own, so instead waited until I had some friends to help me out. I ended up splitting the bomber three ways, so it wasn't too much to drink. Even though it began strong, and I initially disliked it, by the end it wasn't such a chore to drink, and I even felt this kind of high alcohol beer might have a place in my regular line-up. Since shortly after finishing it off, we began one of the most spirited and exciting games of Twilight Imperium I have yet played, I can definitely vouch for its power as a social lubricant. (And I won, which goes to show it never hurts to liquor up your opponents.)

Saison du Buff

When Victory, Dogfish Head, and Stone get together to brew a beer, you know it's got to be good, right? Well, not necessarily. This one was okay. Not my favorite saison.

Torpedo

According to Beer Advocate, I have tried five out of the top 8 American IPAs, and looking at the list, I would definitely say this beer deserves the company it keeps. In the past, I have not been happy with Sierra Nevada beers, but this one was really, really tasty. Another picnic beer, I really enjoyed just sipping this one slowly on the bench while talking to Tracy. If you're a fan of IPAs, this is highly recommended.

Hades

Another Belgian style ale. I was very disappointed in this one because I was looking forward to Great Divide's take on this style, since I have mostly been very impressed with their work. But in this case they just didn't create a tasty product. Maybe it's me, maybe this isn't the style for me.

Blue Moon

A beer that has long been among my least favorite of the commonly available options. I think I first tried it on a brewery tour at Coors, and I didn't like it then. Still don't like it now.

It's always one of the ones they pick up at work, and, though I know beggars can't be choosers, I think I'll take about anything over a Blue Moon. Another Belgian style ale.

Karma

Another Avery beer, a Belgian ale, which I thought was not very tasty. There are a lot of Belgian-style ales that lean heavily on their spices, and you have to try a lot of them to find the right balance of spices for you.

Fumator

This beer is pretty unique. When I ordered it at The Rackhouse, the manager on duty, who was checking up on us, said it would "blow my mind," and looking back it seems he probably had a mischievous grin on his face. I was looking forward to it--here was a beer that was a completely different style I'd never tried before, a rauchbier. I was a couple beers in, but it was supposed to have a strong flavor so I could hopefully still enjoy it. Apparently, the beer is aged in barrels that had been previously used to age Stranahan's whiskey, giving it a unique whiskeyesque flavor.

When it came, I was surprised because it came in a little snifter. And it stank. It was so smoky, I could barely drink it. Really, it was disgusting. The Lapsang Souchong of beers. I did manage to work three-quarters of the way through what must have been an 8-ounce serving (or less!). Maybe some of y'all would like it, but me . . . definitely not.

Modus Hoperandi

After the kolsch, this was a great-tasting beer. I really appreciated the extra-hoppiness. Definitely recommended for anyone who likes a nice hoppy IPA.

Keel Haul Kolsch

An okay beer. I guess I just don't get kolsch as a style--it always seems like a bland, almost flavorless beer. Maybe it's just me, but I would certainly welcome anyone who can give me some advice on this style.