Small Stash Reserve - Horner Beer by Seedstock Brewery is a Horner bier and is being evaluated as a Historical Beer (category 27 in the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). The historical beer category is a catch-all category for styles that have all but died out in... Read More
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Michael Heniff
Beer Judge
Mike brewed his first few homebrew batches in college in 1994 and began regularly brewing in 1997. Since then, he has brewed over 150 batches of beer, mead, and cider. He has won over 200 medals and numerous major awards in competitions across the country. His highest accomplishments include winning the Templeton Award (most points) of the Dixie Cup (one of the largest single-site homebrew competitions in the world) a record four times, Gulf Coast Homebrewer of the Year, and Lone Star Circuit Homebrewer of the Year. He has had his recipes brewed at commercial breweries seven times.
Mike particularly enjoys traveling to find new beers. He has made numerous travels abroad to find great beer, most frequently to Belgium and Germany. He has logged over 6800 beers in his tasting journal, including over 620 beers from Belgium alone. Mike has had brewing and beer travel articles published by Brew Your Own and Zymurgy magazines.
Mike is a current member of the Houston Foam Rangers Homebrew Club where he has held numerous officer positions. He was also the founding President of the Lone Star Circuit and a former long time officer. He currently ranks as a Grand Master III BJCP judge. He has judged in over 70 competitions across the United States, frequently serving on Best of Show panels.
My reviews
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
19 / 24
Flavor:
34 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
15 / 20
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Drift Racer by Bear Republic Brewing Co. is a Double IPA and is being evaluated as a Double IPA (category 22A in the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). The focus of the Double IPA style is hops, hops and more hops. Additionally, despite being a high-alcohol content style, Double IPAs are fairly... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
This beer pours pitch black in color, almost opaque, with a finely beaded tan head. The first impression reveals a potent roasted barley character more reminiscent of a stout with complementing dark chocolate and espresso. The body is thick, rich and slightly sweet; again showcasing a prominent... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Night Warden by Avery Brewing Co. is a whiskey barrel-aged Stout and is being evaluated as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (category 33B from the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Specialty Wood-Aged Beers are aged in spirit barrels and should have a harmonious blend... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
21 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
pFriem Pêche by pFriem Family Brewers is a fruited “lambic inspired ale” and is being evaluated as a Fruit Lambic (category 23F from the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Lambics are known for their sourness and wild characters that are naturally (or “spontaneously”) imparted by airborne yeast... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
35 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
15 / 20
This delicately balanced style is well known for being crisp and refreshing with a fine balance of malt, hops and esters. This Kolsch hits on all three of those balanced elements. The aroma highlights bready, grainy malt, light herbal hops and a hint of pear esters. The malt and hops balance the... Read More