In the shadow of the famed San Francisco Bay Bridge, 21st Amendment Brewery is known for producing solid and occasionally eccentric beers for a rapidly growing market. Since 2000, Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan have been bringing characterful beer to the Bay Area and are now sharing the... Read More
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BC Review
The Expert Panel
The Beer Connoisseur® review was conducted as a round table single blind review by our panel of expert judges. Four to six judges reviewed 8-14 beers per session and submitted their individual scores and notes. The scores were averaged into a single score and notes compiled and summarized for publishing in magazine issues 1-14. These reviews have been republished here in this online format.
The names and biographies of the contributing judges were publsihed with each magazine issue and are listed below.
Charlie Gow - Founding Beer Review Coordinator (1960 - 2014)
Tim Artz
Tom Cannon
Phil Farrell
Pete Garofalo
Rick Garvin
Lee Anthony Hitchins
Owen Ogletree
My reviews
Appearance:
4 / 6
Aroma:
18 / 24
Flavor:
33 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
15 / 20
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Kansas City doesn’t usually evoke thoughts of world class Belgian-style beers, yet that is exactly what Boulevard Brewing has been producing for the last 25 years. Long Strange Tripel falls in the classic Belgian Tripel style, evincing notes of pear, peach, and warm bread throughout the nose.... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
34 / 40
Mouthfeel:
7 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
When they decided to start packaging beer, 21st Amendment Brewery founders Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan opted for cans over bottles. If ever there was a beer to make believers out of those who turn up noses at canned beer, Hop Crisis is it. The aroma of this imperial IPA, is dominated by... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
21 / 24
Flavor:
35 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
15 / 20
Set on the shores of Lake Erie and situated just across the street from the famed Westside Market, Cleveland’s own Great Lakes Brewing Company has been bringing the beer since 1988. These days they produce over 100,000 barrels annually and continue to deliver the goods with a star-studded lineup... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
39 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Philadelphia’s Monk’s Café is one of America’s iconic pubs, considered one of the great Belgian beer destinations on this side of the Atlantic. Proprietor Tom Peters has contracted with Brouwerij Van Steenberge to produce Monk’s Café Sour Flemish Ale, a sweet/sour Flanders-style brown ale. Rife... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
39 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
The venerated Hofbräuhaus invariably comes up in any discussion concerning “classic” or “epic” breweries, and their sublime Münchner Dunkel most certainly contributes to the reverence in which beer aficionados hold the brewery. This beer bursts with lush aromas of sweet caramel and light toffee... Read More