Grade: A
Harpoon Brewing Co.

Sometimes limited edition beers are so layered, complex, and stuffed with strange ingredients that they are just too much. It's refreshing to find a beer that does include a strange ingredient, but simply decides to showcase it. The decision to pair the ginger with a light, relatively neutral wheat beer was a good one. I think the slight wheat tang works very well with the spicy, bright flavors of the ginger.

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Grade: B+
Unibroue

Appearance is light golden, fairly clear with some particulate in suspension. The head dissipates quickly, although this might be due to my careful pour. There is a layer of sediment in the bottom of the bottle that is the result of bottle conditioning, which I tried to leave behind. When I opened the bottle to begin with, it gushed slightly, which wasn't an encouraging sign. Some banana and slight spice in the nose, a little bit of bready yeast feel as well, though not overt at all. Almost no hop character to speak of, and the malt aroma is clean but present. Fruit notes stayed mostly subdued, though the banana and spice blended nicely.

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Grade: C+
Stone Brewing Co.

Immediately as this beer is poured from the bottle, you know you're in for something aggressive. It is inky black, pours like motor oil. It has a downright brown head that, when poured vigorously is thick and long lasting. The aroma is of stone fruit, dark roast, coffee, burnt sugars, chocolate, and wood. This is definitely on my list of beers that I would be happy just smelling. Mouthfeel is thick, but it seems to be from minimal carbonation and not viscous liquid. There might be some wood aging going on here. There is a tannin structure that is nice and chewy, giving the beer a very particular body, like that of a very big Cabernet. While the beer is big in the front of the palate, the finish and aftertaste are nicely dry. While not unusual to find in wines, the drop off of body and sweetness in the back palate and aftertaste leave the beer feeling a little “thin” at the end.

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Grade: C
Willimantic Brewing Co.

Reviewed live from the Willimantic Brewing Co. free wifi service! Beer and free wifi? What more could you ask for?

Arrives cloudy with no head, but that's typical of a brewpub. Color is a golden straw, with tinges of orange. Aroma is almost nil, some slight spice and sweet malt notes coming through. The mouthfeel is medium, just enough to hold the carbonation in place. Spice, pepper, and pine are the hop characters in the flavor. A slight off-flavor of detergent and plastic lingers in the background (could simply be a soapy glass). There is a slight sweetness to the malt, those who have brewed beer before would characterize it as unfermented sweet wort (what beer is called before the fermentation process). There are bread elements along with some toast to

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McSorley's Alehouse

If ever you find yourself in New York City with a hankering for bad service, disgusting surroundings, and surprisingly decent beer, go to McSorley’s Ale House in Greenwich Village. The outside is made up to look like an old-world pub from the darker days of the city, which is appropriate because it is an old-world pub from the darker days of the city. It was an all male establishment until the mid seventies, when my mother and the women’s rights movement busted in and messed up their chauvinist ideals. With the exception of the addition of a second bathroom, this by no means changed the ambiance of the place.

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