The 100 beers of 2010 project

I've decided to make 2010 a year of goals, and one of my goals is to review at least 100 beers in 2010. Right now I have at least 65 unique beers in my collection, and have access to many more brews I haven't tried before - it's time to get drinking instead of collecting, and sharing my thoughts. So follow along with me as I complete this project!

I'll be honest with you and say that I do have my preferences and dislikes, but know that in the past year or more my palate has expanded quite a bit. However, I'm still going to value things like clarity and controlled alkaline flavors more than many would. I like beer with a lot of residual sweetness, and I like big, intense ales more frequently than I do a more mild style, no matter how well it's crafted. But I don't think that taste can truly be objective, and if it were, where's the fun in reading that?

I'll be referencing two glasses routinely that I use for drinking 99% of the beer I have at home, so I'll show you what those look like:



This is a picture I took of the Sam Adams sensory glass holding a bottle of Burton Baton from Dogfish Head. I use it for most beers under 8% ABV nowadays. The shape is superior to the standard shaker pint, as the tulip shape helps capture aromas better, and it's nice to hold in the hand. The glass also has nucleation points on the bottom, which is a laser-cut ring that knocks carbonation out of the beer solution. Finally, the glass is thinner, which is nicer for appreciating the appearance of the beer.



I didn't take this image, but it's the Dogfish Head signature glass. I use it for most high-alcohol beers for no great reason other than tradition. Like the sensory glass, it has nucleation points (in the shape of the DFH logo, which makes for some funny shapes in bubbles sometimes), but isn't as nice to hold in the hand. The slug stem base is pretty cool, I guess.

OK, so you've seen the glasses and know more about my tastes, so here goes.