JimBrew Gingerbread Ale (bottle) - 3.9

JimBrew Gingerbread Ale
Specialty/Spiced Ale
Arvada, CO

Even more homebrew from Jimbo!

Jon:
The nose on this one is really perfumey, so I was surprised when the flavor perfectly hit my expectation of gingerbread. As it warms up, some very nice chocolate malt undertones are coming through. A tad heavy on the spice, otherwise surprisingly good flavor in a style of beer I wouldn't normally seek out.

3.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 5/10 4/5 9/10 5/5 4/5 7/10

Mark:
Like drinking a cookie! I like the sharp nutmeg with the bitterness of the hops. I'm usually a purist when it comes to beer--barley, yeast, hops, and water--but this is surprisingly good!

3.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 5/10 4/5 8/10 5/5 4/5 7/10

Jere:
The appearance does remind one of gingerbread, with whole wheat flour. At first sip, I sensed more than just that flavor, but I can't quite put my finger on it. There does seem to be some bread-like qualities to the texture, which I'm quite impressed with, all things considered.

3.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 4/5 8/10 5/5 4/5 9/10

JimBrew Amber (bottle) - 3.3

JimBrew Amber
Amber Ale
Arvada, CO

More homebrew from Jimbo!

Jon:
Cloudy and foamy, mucho carbonation. Nice and malty, but with a sharp hop counterpoint on the finish. The caramel goodness becomes more apparent the further you get through the glass.

3.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 7/10 4/5 6/10 5/5 3/5 7/10

Mark:
Crisp and malty with a slight herbal aftertaste. I taste zinc too, but that must be the Zicam I've been taking for my cold. Very refreshing and clean on the palate.

3.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 7/10 3/5 6/10 5/5 3/5 7/10

Jere:
The taste isn't quite distinguishable, but I keep thinking with every passing sip that I'll figure it out. Also lots of carbonation, although that could be operator error. The foam has its own flavor too, incidentally.

3.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 6/10 3/5 5/10 4/5 3/5 6/10

"Test Product" Pale Ale (bottle) - 3.8

"Test Product" Pale Ale
American Pale Ale
Arvada, CO
ABV: About 5%

Mark has been making his own hard cider for a while, then made a batch of that into applejack, and now he's finally ventured his way into brewing his own beer. His first batch is a pale ale using Warrior, Amarillo, and Cascade hops. Mark didn't want to rate his own brew, so his brother-in-law Chris is sitting in on this one.

Jon:
Clear, golden honey color. There's something interesting going on with the nose... I smell orange and banana but Mark says my smeller is off today. A tad sweet and a tad fizzy, otherwise a really great pale ale. I like the mix of hops, the flavor is right on.

3.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 8/10 3/5 7/10 5/5 3/5 7/10

Chris:
Great beer, almost more enjoyable than the beer is hearing about how it's made and everything that went into it. The flavor has lots of dimension and character. Two thumbs up!

3.9	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 7/10 4/5 7/10 5/5 4/5 7.5/10

Jere:
Even though it's not specifically intended to be sweet, I appreciate that unexpected quality. Considering it's a homebrew I'm definitely impressed. Can't wait for the IPA!

3.9	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 7/10 4/5 8/10 5/5 4/5 8/10

JimBrew 2.0 IPA (bottle) - 3.9

JimBrew 2.0
India Pale Ale
Arvada, CO
ABV: 5.4%

You won't find this one in stores... partly because we already drank all of it, and partly because it was never in stores to begin with. Our friend Jim has started brewing his own beer, and he sent a few bottles of his first IPA our way.

Jon:
Cloudy and dark. Citrus and caramel aroma. Smooth up front then considerable lingering bitterness on the end. Quite malty for an IPA, but that's a big part of what makes this really unique. The nose and finish are a bit contrasting for me, but I think things would've started to match up had I tried it more than twice. Extra point for home brewing!

3.9	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 8/10 3/5 8/10 5/5 3/5 9/10

Mark:
I'm very impressed with Jim's foray into home brewing. This IPA has a malty, slightly dark chocolate feel with a very bitter, dark aftertaste. Get job! I'm going to have to get the recipe!

3.9	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 8/10 3/5 7/10 5/5 3/5 9/10

Jere:
I've had this twice before, and if anything it's gotten better with age. Considering it was a homebrew, I appreciate it even more. Kudos to the brew meister!

3.8	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 7/10 3/5 6/10 5/5 4/5 9/10