Diesel

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Diesel

• Brewery: Sixpoints Brewing (New York)
  

• Style: Stout

• ABV: 6.3%

• IBU: 69

• Pour Color: Black no light travels through

     The scent of the beer was caramel and roasted. The head was big and fluffy on the top and lasted a while. Tasting it you get a nice hop presence for being a stout. Nice and earthy however quite sweet in the mouth. A slight toasted biscuit taste on the swallow. The hoppyness leaves a bitter grassy essence long after. This is a nice little dip for a mustache or the tongue. 
      Another can and another nice experience. Although a little late for the pick up of a winter ale this one tasted great. A nice mix of sweet and bitter that you find in black IPAs. Sixpoint has been one of my favorite beers to be soaked in, and I can't wait to stop by the booth at the Boston craft beer fest.

Rating: *****

Humboldt Brown Hemp Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Humboldt Brown

• Brewery: Nectar Ales (California)
  

• Style: Brown Ale

• ABV: 5.7%

• IBU: 30

• Pour Color: Dark brown but lets a little light through.

     It had a sweet toffee scent off the glass. The head came up quickly and was fluffy. The taste has a slightly nutty taste. The over whelming taste though is a sweet caramel malt. On the swallow you get a nice bitter grassy taste. Maybe that's the kick of the hemp. The flavors on this one is really good but the body is actually lighter then most brown ales I've had. Light passed through this one easy and gave it almost a red ale look. 
      This one was labeled hemp ale on the side of the six of this.  The hemp factor didn't really give me much of a difference on taste then most brown ales. The did give this one a sweeter flavor then most browns I've tasted. However this is the first brown ale I've had that claimed to be all natural. Can't complain about that, and it won't be the last time I have a Nectar Ales product. Hope the face grabs another soon.

Rating: ****1/2

Ithaca Nut Brown

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Ithaca Nut Brown

• Brewery: Ithaca Brewing Company (New York)
  

• Style: English Brown Ale

• ABV: 5.4%

• IBU: 

• Pour Color: Dark brown but lets a little light through.

      A brown ale always goes well with a brown mustache. The Face poured this one and you couldn't quite see through it. A nice fluffy head came up quick and left just as quickly. The scent off the top is a nice roasted caramel or toffee. The flavor is a nice raisin at first. Then you notice a nice roasted walnut taste. Finally a nice roasted flavor at the finish. All and all a really good beer that drinks much darker then most brown ales. 
      This is a sweet bitter beer that rounds out your average meals. Pair it with grilled meats, or a nice pizza, and it don't get better. Got a day planned round the grill? Bring some nut brown and everyone will thank you.

Rating: ****

Stovepipe porter

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: StovePipe Porter

• Brewery: Otter Creek (Vermont)
  

• Style: Porter

• ABV: 4.4%

• IBU: 28

• Pour Color:  A black pour letting little light through the bottle.
  

     On pour this one had a nice fluffy head that you would expect. Chocolate, roast, and a slight sweet smell comes off the glass when smelled. On first splash you realize this one has a nice thick body. Like a porter should. The taste is a nice smokey, roasted, chocolate taste. Almost a hint of coffee in there too. Really a great porter that no one could complain about. 
     This one is a nice full bodied porter. I find this to be a good beer to use for chili or stew. A nice dark roasted flavor to this one helps add to most recipes. This one also ain't to bad just out the bottle either. Here's a recipe using this one in chili. Enjoy!

     

Rating: ****

Phoenix

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Phoenix

• Brewery: SlyFox Brewing (Pennsylvania)
  

• Style: Pale Ale

• ABV: 5.1%

• IBU: 40

• Pour Color: Nearly a golden color that easily lets light through

      Another pale ale and another beautiful color. Not quite a gold but very bright and light passes through real easy. The head came up fluffy at first and disappeared quick.  You get nice citrus and pine tones in the scent of the beer. A nice balance between hops and malts in this one. Both add to the bitterness of this one. A nice pine taste to the hops, and a citrus kick of almost a grapefruit, make this a nice pale ale. I'll be soaked in this one again for sure!
      The Sly Fox cans are always full of color and catch the Face's attention. Like a moth to a light your sure if it's in a shiny can he's gonna try it. Lucky for me really. This one, like all of the cans I've tried, pour like there off tap. Some of the bottles over the last few months didn't. Sly Fox is quality served in a can, don't pass it by!

Rating: ****1/2

Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout

• Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company (California)
  

• Style: Stout

• ABV: 5.7%

• IBU: 13

• Pour Color:  A black pour letting little light the glass.
  

      The Face and I have a fascination with cans for sure. The Stout poured out the can quite black. Little light travels through the beer. The head was huge and fluffy. The scent off the glass was a nice sweet caramel and toffee. The taste out the glass gives you a nice range. You get a nice toasted biscuit taste while also getting a nice roasted barley/coffee taste to the beer. The body of the beer really adds to the experience too. Thick and rich, bitter but sweet, it's got the full spectrum. This really is an amazing stout that brings you to all the best places a dark beer can. 
      Wow. An oatmeal stout that delivers. Both thick and smooth this one hit the spot. This one was another example of exemplary beer being served out the can. If you're a dark beer lover or a coffee lover this beer would be great for ya. If you're not I'm wondering whats wrong with you...

Rating: *****

Southern Tier IPA

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: IPA

• Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing (New York)
  

• Style: IPA

• ABV: 7.3%

• IBU: 65 maybe?

• Pour Color: A copper color on the pour. Not quite gold and light traveled through.

      The Face opened it and poured it. The head was ready to contend right away. Being freshly waxed I was up to the challenge. Golden and fluffy headed I dove in smelling sweet malts and pine hops. As it soaked me I could taste grapefruit, pine, and grass. Bitter but with a real strong slightly sweet malt taste. Well ballenced and actually quite good. I would have this one again anytime. 
      A hop head would enjoy this one a lot. A nice blend of a lot of flavors in those hops. The sweet malts help yank it out of total bitterness. Which I actually could have went for. Although not everything I want in my IPA, it's still a great IPA.

Rating: ****