100 Beers of 2010: 11/100 - Marin Brewing White Knuckle

Beer Style: American Double IPA
ABV/IBU: 8.0%/Unknown
Serving Style: Poured from the bomber into a Sam Adams sensory glass.

Appearance: A slightly opaque, thick brew, with a thin pale head that fades quickly. The carbonation is thick and slow as it rises up from the nucleation points. The color ranges from apricot at the core, to gold at the edges. 3.5/5

Smell: Zesty, resinous, sweet bready malts, tropical fruits, and thankfully no bananas. Nice, big, appetizing. 4.5/5

Taste: Sweet, thick, candy fruit, cherries, with very little American citrus hops, focusing more on the sweet and resinous end of things. A nice tongue bite on the first sip, with a wonderful sweet honey syrup body. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Excellent, thick, great for the beer. 4/5

Drinkability: A great big sweet thick DIPA. Definitely wish I could get this here in Michigan. 4.5/5

Overall Grade: A-

100 Beers of 2010: 10/100 - Brasserie Dupont Avec Les Bons Voeux

Beer Style: Saison
ABV/IBU: 9.5%/Unknown
Serving Style: Poured from the bottle into a Gouden Carolus goblet.

Appearance: A creamy wheatish color with a dense, creamy head and good carbonation supporting it. It's hazy, as you would expect from the style. Appealing, for sure. 5/5

Smell: Saison funk, nice aromatics, fresh spicy coriander. 4.5/5

Taste: Rich, creamy, sweet and thick. Tangy with just the right amount of carbonation bite. Orange candy, honey sweetness, peppery, light breadiness, mild frutiness, strawberries. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Super velvety, almost like an oatmeal stout with high carbonation. How did they pull this off? 4.5/5

Drinkability: A great saison. I love the creamy, yet effervescent, mouthfeel and the complex array of flavors. One of my favorites that I look forward to every year. 4.5/5

Overall Grade: A

100 Beers of 2010: 9/100 - Bell's HopSlam Ale

 
Beer Style: American Imperial IPA
ABV/IBU: 10%/70(?)
Serving Style: Poured from the bottle into a Dogfish Head chalice.

Appearance: A nice 1/2" head formed from a moderately aggressive pour. A nice, clear golden orange with healthy carbonation levels. It's one of those thick, dense looking beers where the carbonation slowly creeps out. Quite nice, though. 4/5

Smell: Insanely huge aroma, with sweet fruits and honey, citrus zest, cherries, floral and resinous notes... phenomenal. 5/5

Taste: Candied maraschino cherries, resinous hops, with a bit of bite combined with an overwhelming sweetness that smooths it all out. There might be some mild tart apple in there, too. It was better on draft, but still so good in the bottle. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: Ideal - good density and carbonation, nice, mouth-filling consistency. 5/5

Drinkability: One of the most famous beers around, and for good reason. Huge aroma and taste, with a perfect mouthfeel. Even with a big ABV, you want to keep drinking. A classic. 5/5

Overall grade: A+