Lucky Hand Black Lager

Smells roasty, stout-like. Tastes like one, too. Light lager character, really toasty, roasty. Not bad, sure, but I've already had a few tonight (I was at a party earlier), so who really knows? I'd try it again, yeah.

Nøgne Ø Tiger Tripel

I should go to different beer stores more often - there's all kinds of beers I don't see usually out there. Here's a pretty new bottle from Nøgne Ø.

A citrusy fruit nose, with a little tartness - almost like a funky kind of tart. Full and yeasty flavor, with a different, more traditional fruitiness. Mild sweetness, maybe a ginger note?

This is clearly not Belgian, but it's much better than a lot of American tripels I've had. I'd have this again.

Magnolia Brewing 4 Winds Quadrupel

Light nose, without the Belgian yeast quality I expect. Thick, sweet, but also a little crisp and bitter. Fruity, but still, where's that yeast? Maybe this could use bottle conditioning? Good, but can't touch a real Belgian quad. I'd have another, sure, but I doubt I'll miss it when it's gone.

San Francisco Brewers Guild 2010 Collaborative Imperial Common

Light hoppy nose, not too much else. Thick, but quite bracing and crisp - a little of that lager character. More herbal hops in the flavor, but they fit pretty well. Pretty balanced, and while it feels heavy, the alcohol is well hidden. Probably won't have another, but I'm very glad to have tried it.

Magnolia Brewing Delilah Jones Rye

Light caramel malt aroma. Sweet, lightly spicy, thick but not syrupy. This is really, really enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Mikkeller Not Just Another Wit

Another interesting recent acquisition - I've loved some Mikkeller beers, and some really missed the mark with me. I don't think there's anything about this that suggests it won't be one of the former...

Big wit aroma, with hops - lemon/grapefruit with a little yeast. Surprisingly brief flavor: a little citrusy malt, tasty, but it doesn't really hang on the palate. Totally doesn't taste like 8% - much more easy drinking than that suggests.

I don't love the hoppy nose, but this is certainly not bad. I'd have it again, but I likely won't seek it out. You might feel differently, though, and should probably try it.

La Trappe Isid'or

As it's the only trappist brewery I've had occasion to visit, I have a soft spot for Koningshoeven (and honestly, I tend to think well of any brewery I've had occasion to visit, particularly when they're nice). I had heard they had a new beer coming out some time ago - this one - and I was pretty intrigued. But it was a long time before I saw it for sale. I found a bottle recently and grabbed it, since I couldn't remember if I've had it before or not. (A quick search of the archives suggests no, but I wonder if I drank it without taking notes. Who knows?) Long story short, this is a beer made to celebrate their 125th anniversary of brewing, and regardless of the current commercial status of the brewery, that's not to be scoffed at.

Smells like good Belgian yeast, a little peachy-plum type fruit. Lovely fruit taste - maybe a little white grape? - with sweetness up front that dries out pretty quickly. Lots of lovely little bubbles; very satisfying texture. The flavor fades a little fast, which sort of works well here - being less sweet makes this really drinkable. At 7.5% I hesitate to call this a session beer, but if your tolerance is a little higher, it could be one. Good flavor, with enough to interest but not so much complexity as to make you need to sip it. Definitely recommended.

The Lost Abbey 10 Commandments (2009)

Grabbed this recently on account of it being made with "honey, raisins and rosemary". Intriguing enough for me.

Big raisiny aroma (sort of reminds me of Dogfish Head's Raison D'etre, but it's been a while since I've had one of those), with a little dark bready malt and a hint of alcohol. Big, sweet Belgiany taste: sugar and fruit up front, dark portery malt in the middle, and a little hint of rosemary in the finish. The rosemary is definitely not overplayed, and its subtlety is appreciated. There's just enough there to really play off the other flavors well.

I am totally about this. It might be a little sweet for some, but I doubt it's that bad. It's a little like a Belgianized sweet stout with a few twists. I would absolutely love to see how this ages. Very recommended.

Haandbryggeriet Norse Porter

I'm glad I'm drinking this at home - I would certainly butcher the name if I was ordering this at a bar.

Lots of raisin in the nose, and a definite burnt note. A hint of alcohol, too. Dry and roasty in the mouth, with a vinuous character, maybe a bit of wood, and some rye.

Kind of more savory than expected; this is a real bready kind of beer. Enjoyable for that.

BrewDog Chaos Theory

A random purchase - no idea if I'm about this or not.

Big hoppy nose, but not all west coast and citrusy - green, mainly, and a little caramel underneath. More bitter than I want, without sweetness to balance it out. It's got a real herbal, dry, tea kind of thing going for it.

You know, I don't hate this. It's not really my thing, but I can see the appeal here, and I'll drink the rest of this, sure.