Maredsous 10 Triple: 24

Taste: 8 Finish: 8 Visual: 4 Aroma: 5
Total: 24

It has a huge head that settles down. A bit creamy and leaves some lacing. The color is a pale amber, with some orange. The aroma is huge with roasted malt and nuts, with a hint of oranges and ripe red fruit.

First and foremost, let it warm up a bit. The first few cold sips left if tasting overly carbonated. After sitting for a few minutes to release it carbonation, the warming released the flavor. A nice roasted malt sweetness upfront. Then the ripened fruit followed. The alcohol kicks in the back (10%) to warm it on the tongue. The finish is very dry from the alcohol but also akin to walnuts.

A very nice triple. A bit over carbonated. And the alcohol steals the flavor a bit too much. But definitely worth a try.

Hofbrau Oktoberfest: 13

Taste: 4 Finish: 5 Visual: 1 Aroma: 3
Total: 13

The color is totally wrong for an Oktoberfest. This is as light as a pilsner or helles. It should be amber. The aroma is again like a German helles. Sweet malt. A bit of hops. Some grassy notes. If I put a blindfold on, it certainly tastes like a helles. Has all the normal qualities of a German beer. Sweet up front, almost of honey. A bit of grass. A mild hops finish. Oh, and ever so slightly skunked. When will the Germans move to brown bottles?! A decent helles lager. Unfortunately it's sold as an Oktoberfest. It would be 4 points higher as a helles.

Otter Creek Oktoberbest: 20

Taste: 6 Finish: 7 Visual: 5 Aroma: 2
Total: 20

Visually it's perfect. Nice copper color with a fully creamy head. But it has little to no aroma. A very faint burnt wood smell. It has a decent smokiness throughout from start to finish. You can definitely taste the roasting of the malt. A touch of sweetness but not much. The back to finish has a good bit of hops. It like drinking a pile of slighted roasted autumn leaves. And I mean that in a good way. So, a pretty tasty brew but to me not really an Oktoberfest. It's missing that certain flavor. As an amber lager it's pretty good. But not a good Oktoberfest.

Magic Hat Circus Boy: 13

Taste: 4 Finish: 4 Visual: 3 Aroma: 2
Total: 13

Circus Boy is Magic Hat's Hefeweizen. It has a deep golden color with a hint of amber. The head is fizzy and subsides quickly. The aroma is very plain. Mostly just boiled hops. No straw, hay, or bread. It's definitely a sweet brew. It starts sweet and the honey-ish flavor stays on the edges of the tongue. From the mid to the back there is a bit of coriander and spice. But the flavor stops about there. Just like the aroma, this hefe is missing the core components. No earthiness. No breadiness. No citrus. And too sweet for what it's trying to be. The positive is that it is very easy to drink. But that's about all I can say about it. Magic Hat has much much better stuff. This is disappointing.

Magic Hat Odd Notion: 28

Taste: 9 Finish: 9 Visual: 5 Aroma: 5
Total: 28

I guess it's fall. Magic Hat rolls out their Autumn 09 stout. It has a great deep dark creamy head. The color is near black with maybe a hint of mahogany color. The aroma is big with sweet malt, chocolate, and black coffee. It's got a great flavor. Lots of creamy malt upfront, a hint of ripe fruit, which quickly moves to bitter hops, dark chocolate, and black coffee. The exhale definitely has some plums and apricots. The flavor clings to the tongue for a while. Under it is a good bite of alcohol. Kind of reminds me of an Irish coffee but without the tons of cream.

Really, an excellent stout. A+.

Victory Helios Ale: 26

Taste: 8 Finish: 8 Visual: 5 Aroma: 5
Total: 26

It has a huge head that clings to the sides of the glass. The color is a cloudy golden. The aroma is of grapefruit, hay, and bread. The flavors really meld and taste "farmy". They don't call this a farmhouse-style Belgian for nothing. Lots of earthy flavors with hay, grass, pine, and autumn spices. Black pepper kicks in mid tongue. Under it and through the finish is grapefruit. It's really a unique combination. I don't think I've had a brew that tasted like this. It could be off putting or delicious depending on your tastes. I like it but I would definitely limit it to an occasional purchase.

Saranac Helles: 21

Taste: 7 Finish: 7 Visual: 4 Aroma: 3
Total: 21

The color is a good medium golden. The aroma has some malt and honey. It's got a good carbonation level to it giving it a crisp mouth feel. There's a bit of malt sweetness upfront. Under it is some good earth flavors of straw. The hops in the end have a bit of a copper flavor to it. Some lemon left on the tongue. For a Helles, I'd say it's not sweet enough. It's more bitter than sweet. But forgetting that, a pretty good brew.

Saranac Rye Pilsner: 19

Taste: 7 Finish: 7 Visual: 2 Aroma: 3
Total: 19

Visually it's pretty blah. It's a crystal clear, very light amber. The head is full but dissipates quickly. The flavor is much better. Some sweet malt up front. But some spiciness kicks in the middle. Definitely some fall flavors of the rye, hay, and nutmeg. It finishes with a little hop bitterness and lemon. And then it's clean. It's definitely a bolder version of a Pilsner. I kind of like it.

Saranac Amber Wheat: 19

Taste: 5 Finish: 6 Visual: 5 Aroma: 3
Total: 19

It's got a great creamy head. The color is equally great. A deep and cloudy amber. The aroma is a bit light but smells of wheat and hay. The flavor is a bit lacking. There's a bit of caramel undertone to it. Definitely can taste the wheat. It's got a medium body. And the finish has a little bit of hops to it. It's a beer you could easily drink a lot of, but not one to really enjoy. It's kind of a jacked up Yuengling. More flavor, more color. But certainly less than special.

Saranac Pale Pale Ale: 16

Taste: 5 Finish: 5 Visual: 4 Aroma: 2
Total: 16

It has a fizzy head. The color is a good pale amber. The aroma is light, but of hops and malt. I don't get any citrus. Up front it is a bit sweet. Honey and malt. A bit of lemon hits in the middle. In the finish a bit of bitter hops. Nothing notable. And that's kind of how I see this brew. Not bad. But nothing really good either. Kind of like spicing up a macrobrew a bit. For a brew that wants to be the best pale ale you ever had (on the label), it totally misses that mark.

Saranac Summer Ale: 19

Taste: 6 Finish: 7 Aroma: 3 Visual: 3
Total: 19

It has a good copper color. Unfortunately it's got coloring added to it. Odd. The aroma is nice of sweet malt and honey. Wow, it's a sweet brew. Honey. Malt. Sugar. Mid tongue the bitterness starts to kick in. A good punch of lemon and orange. And some hop bite. It really helps clean the palate. A good brew for a hot day and a barbecue. I find it to be a bit too sweet up front. But certainly a good choice.