The Beer Enthusiasts of Blacksburg

Style: Stout Purchased at: Vintage Cellar What makes this beer different: Blueberries! Will I be drinking this again: Yes. Grade: B Comments: Yes, another blueberry beer. But this one is more aligned to my tastes! The moment the aroma hits your nose, you smell the blueberries. But the smell can be deceiving, as the delicate blend of hops and barley in this beer contrast the blueberries in a wonderful way so they are not too strong. This is a full and heavy stout so be prepared. If you are looking to shake things up with something a little different than the norm, give this one a shot. If you don't like stouts or porters, this one is no different and I would stay away if I were you. Recommendations: Try this brew out with some hot wings and fried mozzarella while watching Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and watch Violet Beauregarde turn into a plump blueberry!

Style: Fruit Beer Purchased at: Somewhere in Maryland What makes this beer different: The strong floral and citrus overtones. Will I be drinking this again: Possibly. Grade: C Comments: I have to say, this is a pretty good looking beer in a glass! The aroma is citrus-y feeling, which is a nice change of pace. The feel in the mouth lacks quite a bit of oomph which was disappointing. People kept telling me this beer was great, but it was a just a lot of hype in my humble opinion. I would like this beer more if it was (1) Heavier taste by adding more hops, (2) Orange peel taste didn't have a medicine like taste, (3) Less tea like aroma/taste and more spice through careful selection of fine English hops. That's just my take on this beer. Many of you will love it; but it's not for me. If you like light, fruity like beers that are pretty smooth you will LOVE this brew. Recommendations: Have this beer with some grilled pepper shrimp for a delicious combo!

Style: Dubbel Purchased at: Vintage Cellar What makes this beer different: Underlying tones of dates & -bananas aroma. Will I be drinking this again: Yes. Grade: A Preliminary Ranking: 2 Comments: Coming soon .... Recommendations:

Style: Fruit Beer Purchased at: Vintage Cellar What makes this beer different: Blueberries. Will I be drinking this again: Possibly; if in the mood. Grade: B- Preliminary Ranking: 6 Comments: Light in color and very light, fluffy head. I love blueberries in everything, and this beer is packed with 'em. Pretty smooth & sweet taste, not bitter. Sweet malt mixed with the blueberries make tis beer quite unique. Plenty of carbonation, no lacing. In Dabney's words, "It's interesting". This beer is more of a dessert to me, but it is an excellent fruit beer. Recommendations: Pair this brew with a slice of New York Cheesecake topped with blueberry sauce and it's a perfect combo. Magnifico!

Style: Tripel Purchased at: Vintage Cellar What makes this beer different: Strong aroma, smooth taste. Will I be drinking this again: Yes. Grade: A Preliminary Ranking: 1 Comments: Quite a scrumptious Trappist Ale, the first I have reviewed in fact. Needless to say, I am very impressed. Probably the best tripel I have ever had the privilege of tasting. This is a very complex beer exhibiting smoothness of a lighter beer but taste of a darker brew. It has an ever so slight bitter aroma, but a ridiculously smooth taste. Very slight carbonation, and beautiful lacing. ABY is about 9.5% in this ale. It is a rare trappist ale, so it may be a little difficult to locate without a specialty store (I can help find it if you anyone needs assistance. Great aftertaste, & wonderful down to the last sip! Recommendations: A nice selection of cheeses and bread would blend perfectly with this trappist ale!

Style: Irish Red Ale Purchased at: Whole Foods What makes this beer different: Slight detection of brown sugar and Perle hops. Will I be drinking this again: Yes. Grade: B Preliminary Ranking: 3 Comments: This is a nice amber ale co ntains Perle & Goldings sweet & spicy hops, which compliments the chocolate and caramel malted barley perfectly. I would like to see what this brew would taste like if Galena hops were substituted .... hmm, maybe I should give it a shot!? This is a traditional English ale, with small overtones of spice & fruit with a deep, rich honey color. Starr Hill Amber Ale has a low bitterness and a slightly sweet aftertaste to me, which makes it very drinkable. That means it is a pleasure to drink, but if you are like me, you will down a more than fair amount in one sitting! Recommendations: This beer will pair well with a lot of foods, but try it with some sweet & tangy barbecue ribs ... Delicious!

Style: Foreign/Export Stout Purchased at: Vintage Cellar | Whole Foods What makes this beer different: Aroma of chocolate! Will I be drinking this again: Definitely. Grade: A- Comments: Just pouring this brew was a delight, so I knew I was going to like this stout right away. Very nice lacing and head on this beer (very impressive). This is a thick & bitter, yet subtly sweet stout which is more than I could ask for! The taste is not as complex as the aroma would suggest, but I think you will still be pleasantly surprised. Not the greatest aftertaste from this beer, which is something I value in a beer.  This beer is worth a try for all of you stout lovers out there. If you like a nice dark stout, I would whole heartedly suggest this beer for you! Recommendations: Lion Stout is a pleasant complement to a nice slice of chocolate cake or a rich brownie!

Style: Dortmunder/Export Lager Purchased at: Vintage Cellar What makes this beer different: A quick punch in the face; and BTW it's from Russia! Will I be drinking this again: Probably, but not often. Grade: C+ Comments: This beer is just OK to me. I would usually consider it an average Eastern European pilsner, but there are two things that set it apart; (1) it is from Russia, which I find neat & (2) the bottle including presentation is subtle but eye catching. Baltika 7 is a classic eastern european pilsner with honey and sugar overtones. The taste and waft are not very strong, but I must admit that the aftertaste lingers (which is a good thing for this beer). Bottom line is that this beer has a hint of complexity in it that should not be ignored. The lager has a clean, smooth taste and exhibits excellent lacing. Recommendations: Pours well with potato skins, pizza bites and mozzarella sticks! Also, beer mug will not suffice for this beer; complexity demands

Style: Pumpkin Ale Purchased at: Vintage Cellar What makes this beer different: Cool crisp fall taste of pumpkin! Will I be drinking this again: Yes Grade: B- Comments: Let me say first that I truly appreciate a good quality pumpkin ale; and this beer is one of the better ones I have had. Most brews in this category are just so-so, but this one caught my attention. Mouthfeel is thin body, crisp high carbonation. It is a much lighter brew than others, but the aroma it gives off is quite wonderful. That being said, the spices are a little too strong and could possibly muddle the taste for some. This beer is good, but not what the smell would suggest nor what I had hoped for. Bottom line is if you like pumpkin beers, this is one of the better ones ... but it isn't perfect. If you don't like pumpkin beers ... well then you are silly for reading this analysis and need to look for another beer to fit your style! Recommendations: Combine this beer with a good spinach or crab dip,

Style: Quadruple Purchased at: Vintage Cellar What makes this beer different: Lindeman's Kriek (Cherry Lambic Flavor) Will I be drinking this again: Yes Grade: A Comments: A “Quad” is a belgian style ale with high alcohol content, and uses up to four times the usual malt one would use to brew beer. Usually they end up pretty sweet and hide the alcohol well. This Belgian is brewed by Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY and let me tell you, it’s good. Period. It is not the best Belgian I have ever had, but it has a wonderful taste and is quite unique. From the first sip, the dominant taste in this one is tart cherry. Three Philosophers is a blend of Belgian dark strong ale and Lindeman's Kriek (a classic cherry lambic directly from Belgium).The one note I would make is that it lacks the liveliness usually associated with quads. Recommendations: Wonderful accompaniment for roasted meats, cheeses, desserts, and for after dinner sipping as with a fine port.

Style: Fruit/Vegetable Beer Purchased at: - What makes this beer different: Has a distinct watermelon aroma and taste. Will I be drinking this again: Probably not. Grade: D- Comments: Let me tell you, this is an interesting beer. It isn’t complex, but the taste is a little confusing and quite honestly it is a taste I have never experienced from a beer before. One of my associates, Jbarb, and I tried this beer out and discussed it briefly. The head of this beer is monstrous, so take care to poor it slow and steady. It doesn’t have a lot of bite, nor is it bitter. Honestly it has a slight candy-ish type of taste. But if you’re looking for a beer a little out of the norm, give this one a shot and see what you think! For me, it is a no go beer. But I am glad to have sampled it with Jbarb! Recommendations: Mixes well with slices of watermelon and virtually all types of potato chips on a cool breezy summer night!

Hello everyone! I just want to start by thanking everyone for coming to our blog. Essentially, we like drinking and rating beers. There are many names associated with drinking beer, but we prefer to call ourselves enthusiasts. Our goal is to sample beer from all over the world and post our thoughts about it here. If you are looking for something in particular, or just want a good suggestion feel free to post on the blog. We will hopefully be bringing you the first anticipated beer later this evening, so check back for updates!