BACK AT IT!  As if 14 IPA's over 6% weren't enough last night.  We have a cooler full of stout (and one pale ale) to rate tonight.  And then we are not drinking until next February to let our livers recover.

Same dream team of tasters; just a new lineup of fantastic beers to rate.

Brewer:  Dogfish Head
Beer Name:  American Beauty Pale Ale
Beer Style:  Pale Ale
Price:  ?

Aroma:  Not much here.  Slight metallic odor maybe.

Appearance:  Clear, amber, not much head or lacing on the glass.

Mouthfeel:  Very tame really.  Not much here either.  Light, slightly tingly.

Taste:  Tastes like a pale ale.  It says it has graham crackers and honey but none of us are tasting it.  It's pretty cold so that may be why.

Overall Rating:  Justin says 3.0, John says 2.5.  I agree.  2.5 it is.  AND NOW THE STOUTFEST BEGINS!!!!!!

Brewer:  Ballast Point
Beer Name: Red Velvet Nitro
Beer Style:  Oatmeal Stout
Price:  ?

Aroma:  Justin says berry cheescake.  John says it smells like a red velvet cake.  I am not getting anything on this one.

Appearance:  Relatively clear, orangish, reddish.  It is listed as a golden oatmeal stout.  I'm not sure this is really a stout.

Mouthfeel:  Nothing.  Waterish.

Taste:  Metallic cherrys.  Light, bitter, basically no stout flavors at all.  None of the three of us get anything stouty at all.

Overall Rating:  John says a 2.0, Justin 2.5.  I'm goint 2.0 also.  I'm not even sure this even fits into the category it claims to be in.  Maybe the non-nitro is better.  This one is not really good.

Brewer:  Martin City
Beer Name:  Brooo
Beer Style:  Milk Chocolate Stout
Price?

Aroma:  Coffee, Chocolate, Licorice, smells like a stout.  We have mentioned sweetness, roast, smoke, creme brulee, vanilla, and more.  This beer is not lacking aroma.

Appearance:  Dark, caramel lacing, very stoutish.  Looks like a serious stout here.  Thanks goodness.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, a little heavier.

Taste:  Very coffeeish, some chocolate.  Roasted, smoky black licorice as well.

Overall Rating:  Justin says 3.7; John goes 2.75, I go a 3.5.  This isn't bad.

Brewer:  Martin City
Beer Name:  Donut Stout
Beer Style:  Stout
Price: ?

Aroma:  Justin says it smells like Saturday morning breakfast at his parents house.  This is advertsied as having maple and that it not accurate.  This smells like you took a bath in Aunt Jemima.

Appearance:  Very clear; dark but not motor oily at all.  More like a grape kool aid but black instead of purple.

Mouthfeel:  Very light and smooth for a stout.

Taste:  This is like drinking a pancake smoothie with extra syrup.  It has a coofeeish backround as well.  Justin says pancakes doused on syrup.  John adds that it has brown sugar as well.  Pretty much think of the best non-egg related breakfasts you have ever had and then can it.

Overall Rating:  Justin says 4.5, John says 4.5.  What the hell?  I'll stick with the 4.5 as well.  This one is a definite keeper.

Brewer:  Boulevard:
Beer Name:  Dark Truth
Beer Style:  Stout
Price:  ?

Aroma:  VANILLA, chocloate as well.  Some sweet brown sugar, maybe prunes or dates.

Appearance:  Looks like used oil from a Boeing 747.

Mouthfeel:  Smooth for a 10% stout.  Makes your mouth a little puckery from the tartness.

Taste:  Justin says vanilla and roasted chocolate with a hint of dates at the end.  John is getting a date/ raisin/ fig taste as well.  I say it is really pruney.  Chocolate covered prunes.  Not so stoutish as you would think with a big 9.7%er.

Overall Rating:  Justin says 3.8.  I think a 3.25.  John says 4.0.

Brewer:  Rockbridge
Beer Name:  Option #2
Beer Style:  Imperial Milk Stout
Price:  ?

Aroma:  COFFEE...  Hints of vanilla.  Cinnamon as well.

Appearance:  Obviously, dark.  Clear though.

Mouthfeel:  Tingly.  Light, Jumps off the tongue.

Taste:  This is delicious.  Coffee, vanilla, well-balanced, not over coffeeish, not overroasted.  In short, a very fine beverage.

Overall rating:  Justin says a 4.3, John says a 4; I say a 4.25.  I would buy this one by the case.

Brewer:  New Holland
Beer Name:  Dragon's Milk Orange
Beer Style:  Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout
Price:  ?

Aroma:  An orange starburst.  For real.  Supertangy orange.  Delicious.

Appearance:  Dark.  Very light lacing.  Looks like a stout.

Mouthfeel:  Very heavy.  Delightfully complex.

Taste:  This is delicious.  The bourbon is only a hint.  Chocolate and orange are the overwhelming tastes here.  Holy cow, if you like orange stouts, this is fantastic.  I could have this for breakfast-Donut stout for the main course and this as a drink.  John says the orange is too much as does Justin.

Overall Rating:  Justin says 3.5, John says 3.75, I say 4.5.

Switching to an ale!!!

Brewer:  Founder's
Beer Name:  Curmudgeon's Better Half
Beer Style:  Barrel Aged Old Ale
Price:  ?

Aroma:  Justin says bread, raisins, cinnamon toast, maple, bourbon.  I think he covered it.

Appearance:  Cloudy amberish red.  Light lacing.

Mouthfeel:  Very boozy.  Heavy on the tongue but a smooth finish.

Taste:  13% so you can taste the bourbon.  This is a complex beer.  We have mentioned maple, bourbon, vanilla, bread, dates, figs, prunes, raisins, orange, citrus at the front.  Maybe founders could smash a few more flavors in their beer.

Overall rating:  Justin says 4.3, john says 3.75; I say 4.0.  It's very complex.

Brewer:  Samuel Adams
Beer Name:  Chocolate Bock (2017)
Beer Style:  Bock
Price:  ?

Aroma:  Slight hint of cocoa.

Appearance:  Medium brown, clear as a bell.

Mouthfeel:  Light.  Almost like a bud light.  For a dark beer, this is paperweight territory.

Taste:  Tastes like cocoa puffs.  This is a chocolate lovers chocolate dream. This is well balanced, cocoa heaven.

Overall Rating:  I say a 4.5.  Next winter, I'm buying chocolate bock and letting it sit on my shelves for 2 years.  Justin says 3.5, John says 4.

Brewer:  Friendship
Beer Name:  Barrell Aged Series:  Belgiun Dark Strong Aged in Seagram's Rye Barrels
Beer Style:  Belgiun Strong
Price:  $12 for a 375ML bottle

Aroma:  Justin says smell it and get crunked.  John says whiskey tango whiskey.  I saw raisins.

Appearance:  Hazy mediumish dark brown; rhino poop (that was Justin)

Mouthfeel:   Nothing here.  NOTHING.

Taste:  Not a typical Belgiun; the yeast either is drowned out by the booze or the yeast is not the typical weird Belgiun yeast.  This is a VERYSTRONGBEER.   Holy crap.  It's like drinking traight rye whiskey.

Overall rating:  Justin says 2.5; John says a 3.75; I say a 3.0.  I'm going to let my bottle age for a couple of years before drinking it.

Brewer:  Perennial
Beer Name:  Prodigal
Beer Style:  Imperial Stout
Price:  $5.49 for a 16 oz can

Aroma:  Cinnamon. Vanilla, sweet.

Appearance:  Looks like motor oil from a 68 John Deere tractor that hasn't had an oil change since WW2.

Mouthfeel:  Tingly.  That's a super stouty stout mouthfeel.

Taste:  Vanilla, dark roated chocolate, boozy at the end.  This is ridiculously good.  Buy this one.  NOW

Overall Rating:  Justin says 4.5. I say 4.5; John goes 4.25.

Brewer:  4Hands
Beer Name: Madagascar
Beer Style:  Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout (GOD THIS SHIT IS DELICIOUS)
Price:  $20 a pint 6 bottle- not cheap but totally worth it

Aroma:  Bourbony bourbon bourbonesque bourbonstasia bourbon.  Justin gets banana with chocolate.

Appearance:  This is exactly how a beer should look.  My God, I love this beer.  The best bourbon barrel aged stout out there.

Mouthfeel:  Velvety smoothness on top of silky smooth freshness.

Taste:  Toffee, sweet, stout, deliciousness, vanilla, bourbon-barrel aged heaven.  Best beer ever.

Overall rating:  I'm upping mine to a straight 5.  I want to marry this beer and give it many beer babies.  I want to buy it a lakehouse and take it to the ocean for vacation.  Maybe Aruba.  Whatever she wants.  Justin says 4.7.  John says a 4.5.  Did I mention this is fantastic.

Brewer:  4Hands
Beer Name:  Madagascar (Maple)
Beer Style:  Bourbon Barell Aged Stout
Price:  $25ish at 4hands on release day

Aroma:  Maply maple syrup suurounded by maple syrupy maple with a dash if maple.  With a hint of bourbon.  God, I'm excited.

Appearance:  Stoutish with a brown lacing on the glass.

Mouthfeel:  Perfection.

Taste:  Perfection.  Jesus Christ, this is beer nirvana.  May I die and go to heaven.  Justin says this is the donut stout's big brother.

Overall Rating:  Justin says a regular 5.  I say this a 5 with a gigantic hard on of titanium steel doused in maple stoutish goodness.  This is extraterrestrial.  Not of this earth.  I wanted to marry the regular Madagascar; this one is my mistress.  Like my one in a million Vegas hooker quality mistress.  This is the one you sell the family's house to buy her a diamond studded bra for.  Justin says if you almost die, have an out of body experience, and come back, this is the beer you would drink while in heaven.  John says 4.75.  He's crazy.