The Maharaja (bottle) - 4.1

The Maharaja
Imperial India Pale Ale
Avery Brewing
Boulder, CO
ABV: 10.54%

Jon:
Smells of burnt orange and... intensity. Tastes a tad sweet, like molasses, plus a burny taste similar to the aroma. Interesting approach, good complex brew.

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

Mark:
This is intense! It starts out with a huge hop burst with lemony and floral flavors coming through. There's almost a sweet raisin-type thing going on, trying to balance out those hops. Of course, at 10.54% ABV, there's a warm mellow alcohol taste and fairly warm finish with a nice bitter aftertaste.

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

Jere:
Raisins, you say? Here?! I must warn the others--oh no, I've been shot!! By a 10.54% beer, that is. I've heard of 3.2 beers, but this is ridiculous. Not a good idea for a productive night of band practice.

4.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 4/5 8/10 2/5 5/5 8/10

Mirror Pond (bottle) - 3.2

Mirror Pond
American Pale Ale
Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR
ABV: 5.0%

Jon:
This beer is responsible for our amazing musical abilities. We drink it at almost every gig. We know it so well, we can even tell when the keg is brand new or nearly spent. That said, there's really nothing too special about it, besides the fact that it's not so hoppy that it tightens our throats. It may be the perfect gigging beer.

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

Mark:
I think that the most sensitive part of your mouth is that little spot right behind your front teeth, which I burned with a hot piece of pizza (gluten free!) right before I tried this beer. I can tell you that this ale smells mildly of bananas and tastes especially hopped for a pale ale, with a nice alcohol aftertaste. Cheers!

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

Jere:
Having become accustomed to the draft version of this P.A., the bottled one did taste a little off... No banana flavor was detected though.

3.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 7/10 4/5 5/10 2/5 3/5 7/10

Jackman's Pale Ale (bottle) - 3.8

Jackman's Pale Ale
American Pale Ale
Left Hand Brewing Co.
Longmont, CO
ABV: 5.2%

Jon:
Hazy. Tastes mildly of bananas. Clean finish, very agreeable.

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

Mark:
Very crisp, smooth pale ale with a surprising body that doesn't weigh it down. Tart, bright and hoppy with a balanced finish.

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

Jere:
Jackman--as in Hugh? That's what comes to mind first when sampling this robust brew, although the resemblance to Wolverine is purely coincidental. Perhaps there are other similarities to the professional Aussie, but at the moment they escape me. The palate certainly gets a workout, which may or may not be a result of the Chinese food leftovers consumed 20 minutes earlier.

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

Third Eye P.A. (bottle) - 2.9

Third Eye
India Pale Ale
Steamworks Brewing Co.
Durango, CO
ABV: 6.6%

Jon:
Fizzy and mild, a hint of sweetness prevails. Enough hops, but not shining through. Still decent.

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

Mark:
Not very strong-flavored for an IPA. The hops are there and the alcohol content but it almost tastes watered down. There's definitely an odd aftertaste--almost metallic. Maybe it has something to do with the naked, floating green lady on the label...

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

Jere:
Not terribly impressed, in case the rating weren't obvious enough... The naked lady on the box didn't really help bring up the rating either, sadly enough. A very zinc-y, mineral-y aftertaste.

2.1	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 5/10 2/5 3/10 2/5 2/5 4/10

Vertical Epic 08.08.08 (bottle) - 4.5

Vertical Epic 08.08.08
Belgian Strong Ale
Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, CA
Alcohol Content: 4.5%

Jon:
Amazingly fragrant--citrus, berries, yeast, spice, something almost floral. Golden pale, fizzy, and a bit cloudy. It tastes much as it smells with a big alcohol warmth, and leaves the tongue a tad dry and tingly. A hint of sourness and honey really brings out the complexity. Perfect hops. Impressive beer.

4.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 10/10 4/5 10/10 4/5 5/5 10/10

Mark:
So I read the bottle (lots of print) and it says you're supposed to age this stuff, but I don't know if I could stand it for very long. Very crisp, dry light honey-colored ale. It's got some great hops and really interesting aftertaste. I think sour and honey describes it well.

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

Jere:
Quite the aftertaste, which (for a change) I like. Not exactly the cheapest bomber on the shelf, but it'll do. I like the name, too!

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

Blog-iversary

One year ago today, we set out on a mission to drink good beer and write about it. While we haven't always had the time or sober cognizance for the writing part, we did drink a lot of damn good beer. We'll be celebrating our blog-iversary this Saturday evening at the St. Julien Hotel by, um... playing music and drinking beer. May the beer and tunes keep flowing for many years to come!
Mestizo's Good Times Blog, Year One - The Rundown:

• Posts: 43
• Beers reviewed: 25
• Best beer: Mojo IPA (4.8)
• Worst beer: Pabst Blue Ribbon (1.7)
• Favorite brewery: Stone Brewing Company
• Favorite style: India Pale Ale
• Mestizo gigs: 35
• Bootleg tracks posted: 5
• Albums recorded: 1
• Most important lesson learned: If you must drink PBR, don't pour it in a glass.

Jon's new super-cool beer timeline:

Guinness Draught (can) - 4.1

Guinness Draught
Dry Stout
St. James's Gate Brewery
Dublin, Ireland
ABV: 4.1%

Jon:
Classic and distinctive, doesn't get better than this. This beer pretty much defines it's own category (at least in the ol' US of A), and is marketed as heavily as Nike. You know it's good. Give in to the pressure.

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

Mark:
Cool bubbles and a pretty head, but it's too sweet for me. Also, I "accidentally" got really loaded in an Irish pub a couple of days after my daughter was born. Oops--Guinness has never been quite the same. I still like Irish whiskey though...

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

Jere:
I miss the Baileys, or the Bass/Harp/<insert additive here>, but by itself, 'tis a fine, fine beer. Sweet as a <insert sweet thing here>.

4.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 10/10 5/5 9/10 2/5 4/5 9/10