Rogue Brewery Double Dead Guy Ale

Double Dead Guy Ale is a limited edition brew from Rogue Brewery based on the Dead Guy Ale. This is really good stuff. It's pretty thick and heavy, with a nice hoppy finish. Not IPA hoppy, just a nice bitterness that sticks around for a few minutes. It also comes in a really cool 750mL bottle that is painted red.

Left Hand Brewing Company Jackman's American Pale Ale

Jackman's American Pale Ale is a nice change of pace from my usual heavy, dark beers. It's light and crisp, like a light lager. It's fairly malty with just a hint of bitterness, rather than the over the top bitterness that is popular these days with IPAs and similar styled beers.

Williamsburg Alewerks Washington's Porter

Washington's Porter from Williamsburg Alewerks is yet another hit. It's fairly light compared to a lot of porters I've had, so I can easily drink several of them. The tasty is malty and somewhat sweet at first with a reasonably bitter finish which rounds it out nicely.

Terrapin Beer Co. Depth Charge

Terrapin Depth Charge is the second beer in a series where Terrapin Beer Co. and Left Hand Brewing have teamed up to create limited release beers. This one is a delicious espresso milk stout. I expected something closer to their coffee oatmeal stout, but this is a little bit lighter, less boldly flavored beer. It's almost like an iced coffee with alcohol, with a smooth coffee flavor which is evened out by the sweetness of the milk stout.

Cave Creek Chili Beer

Cave Creek Chili Beer is both disappointing and a pleasant surprise. I was afraid that I was buying a really expensive Miller Lite with a flavorless chili in the bottom. The good news is that it doesn't just taste like a Miller Lite. Unfortunately, it's a bit gimmicky and I was kind of tired of it before the end of the bottle. I'm definitely glad I didn't buy a six pack of these. Chili Beer is a standard lager which has a Serrano pepper in the bottom to add some flavor. Unfortunately, the pepper is basically all you taste. It's pretty cool for the first few sips, assuming you like hot peppers, but quickly grows old.

Stone Brewery Smoked Porter

Stone Brewery's Smoked Porter is a bit different than other Stone beers. Most Stone beers have a very big, strong flavor. The smoked porter still has a big flavor, but not as big as most of their other beers. Much like with The Poet, this only adds to the drinkability. Stone beers are all very good, but they're strong and can be hard to drink a lot of. The slightly more subtle flavor just means that more of this can be enjoyed at once.

New Holland Brewing Company The Poet

The Poet is a delicious oatmeal porter. It has a bit lighter flavor than many beers of this style, but that just adds to the drinkability, making this a beer that I can easily drink several bottles of. The flavor is pretty much what you'd expect, coffee and chocolate, primarily. There are no real surprises, it's just very well done.

Orkney Brewery Skullsplitter

Fortunately, Skullsplitter is not referring to the morning after you drink it. Skullsplitter is named after a viking who was the 7th Earle or Orkney. Anything named after a viking has got to be awesome. I really liked this beer. It was very smooth and malty, with a flavor very similar to a quality double bock. Skullsplitter is on my list of beers to add to my regular selection.