Lucky U IPA (bottle) - 3.2

Lucky U IPA
India Pale Ale
Breckenridge Brewery
Denver, CO
ABV: 6.2%

Jon:
This is a nice, easy-drinking IPA. Very subtle nose, with just a hint of citrus and tea leaf. There is a bit of sourness here - not enough to be detrimental - but it still doesn't seem to fit with the other flavors. If this were cheaper it might replace Long Hammer as my pick for best value IPA.

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

Mark:
Slightly sweet to start with a bitter, sour finish. Almost non-existent head and very little aroma. I liked the second one better than the first.

2.8	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 5/10 2/5 6/10 3/5 3/5 6/10

Jere:
It's very average to me, but in a good way. After finishing over half, I barely feel like I've had any at all. Perhaps I'll feel differently after another.

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

Carrabassett Pale (bottle) - 3.2

Carrabassett Pale Ale
American-Style Pale Ale
Casco Bay Brewing
Portland, Maine
ABV: 4.2%

Jon:
From Beer of the Month Club. Not too hoppy at all, even for an American-style pale. Very refreshing, with a crisp bite, but the flavor profile leans more toward sweet molasses rather than the brighter flavors you would usually find in an American pale. Very nice for summer.

3.1	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 7/10 4/5 6/10 3/5 2/5 6/10

Mark:
Nice, refreshing summer pale. Not a whole lot else to say.

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

Jere:
Reminds me of some kind of amber, which is a bit of a slam against its hoppiness... It's not terribly offensive though, but it's a good thing I'm only having a third of a pint.

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

Wild Goose IPA (bottle) - 3.2

Wild Goose IPA
India Pale Ale
Wild Goose Brewery
Frederick, MD
ABV: 5.9%

Jon:
From Beer of the Month Club. Copper and foamy. Doesn't smell much like an IPA, the nose is very mellow and kind of sweet. But there's some huge bitterness on first sip, not too describable, just the absence of sweet. The more I drink, the sweeter it gets. Long aftertaste, otherwise quite crisp and refreshing.

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

Mark:
This reminds of an uber-hopped amber ale. Slightly toasty and mellow with a splash of floral hops and a bittersweet, honey-mead finish.

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

Jere:
My first taste of mail-order beer; not too bad if I do say so myself. The aroma is a tad nondescript, but nothing that would negatively affect the overall experience.

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

Harp (bottle) - 2.8

Harp
Pale Lager
Guinness Brewing Company
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
ABV: 4.3%

Jon:
It's almost Saint Patty's Day, time to start drinking Irish beer brewed in Canada! That's how we roll in the States. It tastes similar to any mass-produced lager, with a little extra sweetness and considerably better balance and taste. Harp has a little place in my heart for some reason, and it's been exceedingly affordable for the past few weeks. Can't beat that.

2.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 6/10 2/5 5/10 2/5 3/5 6/10

Mark:
Good, basic beer. Reminds me of a nice Mexican lager, without the lime of course.

2.8	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 6/10 2/5 6/10 2/5 3/5 6/10

Jere:
I need some Guinness Stout with this, otherwise it's just a Tan without the Black. But, it'll do.

3.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 2/5 6/10 3/5 7/10 3/5 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

Hazed & Infused (bottle) - 3.1

Hazed & Infused
American Pale Ale
Boulder Beer Company
Boulder, CO
ABV: 4.85%

Jon:
Looks hazy. Ha! The bitterness is sharp and lemony. Very fizzy and acidic, it's got a lot of bite. Quite refreshing.

3.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 6/10 3/5 7/10 2/5 2/5 6/10

Mark:
Very bright and sparkly for an unfiltered beer. The combination of Centennial and Crystal hops gives it a sharp lemon rind, sour herbalness.

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

Jere:
Stronger than I remember, or maybe it's the glass... I'm guessing this is usually drunk out of the bottle.

3.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 6/10 4/5 6/10 3/5 2/5 7/10

JuJu Ginger (bottle) - 3.0

JuJu Ginger
Herb/Spice Ale
Left Hand Brewing
Longmont, CO
ABV: 4%

Jon:
One of my favorite ginger beers! Slightly sour nose, pretty hefty amount of ginger on the first sip. Slightly sweet and very bubbly. This is one of the priciest beers I buy on a semi-regular basis... usually the pricey beers I lean toward have a much higher ABV.

3.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 6/10 3/5 7/10 3/5 2/5 7/10

Mark:
Sweet and spicy gingerbread beer. I'm not really sure I like the sweetness of this. I feel an immediate urge to eat something salty.

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

Jere:
After trying some of Mark's latest distillery efforts, I probably should've had a palate cleanser before trying this ginger beer... Perhaps ginger would've done the trick! I could drink some more of this, which is high praise coming from me.

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