This Imperial Stout is deep, dark and almost black in the glass. Its brown head leaves no lacing but sticks to the glass, belying its strength. The slightly vegetal nose has aromas of coffee, warm toffee, alcohol and hints of caramel. Did I mention alcohol? The flavor hits you with molasses,... Read More
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S J Klein
Beer Judge
Picking up homebrewing on a bicycle trip across Australia in the 80's, S J. became the official brewer of his dorm in college. Turning an obsession into a profession, he attended the Siebel Institute long program, and started and ran the Borealis Brewery for 7 years, after which he became serious about judging. S J doesn't have a favorite style of beer, so much as he appreciates a beer that is well made. He's looking for balance, character, and "something to knock my socks off". He lives in Anchorage, Alaska, which from time to time has more breweries per capita than any other city in the world.
My reviews
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
31 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
18 / 24
Flavor:
33 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
On first blush, the nose was grassy. Just grassy? Yes, but… on second sniff maybe it's lemongrass? If I were to parse it, I get lemon peel and straw. The beer is crystal clear, with big bubbles. It's medium-gold with a pure white head that thins out fairly quickly.
It is indeed sour.... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
This is a balanced, nuanced yet still HUGE beer. Pale amber in color with big bubbles, this beer's head dies fast, but it has nice lacing and big legs. The nose wafts beautiful grapefruit and evergreen aromas out of the glass, reminiscent of northern California's Sequoias, with undertones of... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
32 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
Holy Hophead! This beer is very hop-forward. American IPAs are typically more aggressively hopped than their British counterparts, and this beer is on the far end of the spectrum. In the nose I found orange peel and hopleaf, a little paper, and subtle hints of caramel and baked pineapple. The... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
19 / 24
Flavor:
29 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
This Pale Ale has a very interesting hop nose of sagebrush and wintergreen with subtle notes of straw and husk underneath. It pours a hazy, deep, golden hue and a rich white head with lots of bubbles, which leave nice lacing behind on the glass. In the mouth, it has cornhusk and pale malts up... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
32 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
This beer pours a brilliantly clear dark blonde. It's very effervescent, and the bubbles go on and on and on. I get light bread in the nose up front, which is quickly overwhelmed by a grapefruit rind hop with notes of sawgrass and sage behind it. It's a really interesting aroma. The beer starts... Read More