Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Notes from May 2009 My first tastes of Rahr, you know who you are. :) Smoke rising off the lip, a ruby highlighted, black bourbon sort of brew. Sloshy inch of light tan head, leaving behind just speckles of lace. Good bit of sediment caked at the bottom of the glass, with just enough chewiness falling into the glass. Smell is of crystal malt, minerals, sticky beer residue & metal. Taste is predominately mild coffee grounds, bigger cola, & bark. Lightly sharp roast in the front, followed by a quick dash of citric acid, & then some biscuity sweetness. Finish is somewhat dusty, but with just a twinge of residual sweetness. Frothy, excited mouthfeel. Thin & light, like I think it should be. Easy enough to quaff, but just not as satisfying a flavor as I would like. Sam Adams(black lager) seems to have the six pack a day schwarz down pat. But hey, I drank two as a capper. It can't be too bad. :)

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Notes from July 2009 The ice maker died yesterday. I guess the beer gods were tired of seeing me sip on nothing but iced tea all week. Bottle part of a birthday gift package sent to me by BigTex. :) Poured into my DFH off-centered tumbler. 254 8 A1P 09:21 Straight down the middle, the immediate feel of condensation reminds me that I haven't been drinking nearly enough fluids. I can't help but compare the body's color to that of a chill-hazed, cold brewed iced tea. As the half glass of cream-colored head begins to settle, I start planning my next beer. Sticky ridges of lace from across the room look like a still full glass, delaying it's consumption further. Back on track with a suitable candidate in the wings, I dive in. Smells of caramelized malt & toffee front & center, with crusty brown bread behind that. There's butter here, but it's pierced ever so slightly by a scent of oxidized apples & a fresh leaf herbal quality. Taste is a mix of quite herbal bitters, & dry grain. Sweetness, if any, is underneath dried out saltines. A quick hit of sharp lemon rind almost near the end, with just a peak at some toastiness. Long lingering dry & bittergreen(almost metallic) finish. Carbonation is strong. Feel is a bit grainy, again dry, but still quite free-flowing. Quite thirst quenching, but drinkability suffers only because English hops are so stuffy & boring. :P I can't wait till it snows.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Notes from August 2009 7.5%ABV bottle into my slender & top heavy Rare Vos glass. Might as well get some use out of it before it falls over itself & shatters. Big powdery head, though quite faint & not big on sticking around. Body is a glittery caramel amber with lots of floaties. Nose is big on juicy melon & bitter orange. Spicy/sweet pungent hop notes, with a little bit of honey & straw. Really inviting. Taste is sweet with lemon, orange, & honey upfront. Light leafy bitterness down the middle, with an easy, dry cookie finish. Feel is thin & plenty carbonated. The malt is just barely a touch filling. Maybe just a bit lighter then it should be. Endgame is dry & just barely lingering with alcohol & hops. Really eager to see if BigTex sent me two of these. Though it has been in the fridge most of the time, sitting on this one far too long apparently worked out for me. :)

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Can. Pours gold. Straw, grain, lemon, floral. Medium body. Pretty average. Mostly inoffensive.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Slightly cloudy golden with a large foamy white head. Sweet and grainy with mango, lime and a hint of hot pepper. Long finish. Medium body.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Clear, honey gold pour, extra foamy. Earthy, veggy, thin malt, sweet pine nose. Taste is sharp orange, bitey acid & wintergreen minty hops. Frothy, slight apple, menthol finish. Strong & thin. Didn't hate this.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5

Generous flight pour at the source. Dark cola, russet highlights with a thin cookie head. Weak char & weaker coffee, burnt brown sugar nose. Malty, cola notes, cola acidity, brown sugar, semi-sweet leaning sweeter, a little boring. Pass. Notes from October 2009 3.4 Bottle from BigTex early in the year. I forgot about this one. It's almost in season again. :D Screw cap, the Captain's pint glass, the Minnesota Twins embarrassing themselves on primetime. A couple inches of bubbly, sandy-colored head. Filtered, ebony wood body. Smells of skim chocolate milk & crystal malt. Faint herbal bitterness & clay. Gentle roast, a light & slight red grape skin thing, mild anise, barely woody. Watered down cola sweetness. Earthy, slightly lingering bitterness. A bit muted overall, but no noticeable oxidation. At room temperature the beer throws out a little pleasant stream of light grade maple syrup. Frothy, thinner then expected, with a drying finish. Alcohol was very quiet. I could of done with something a little heavier. Middle of the road, but still pretty soft & soothing. :)

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 5.5

Strong 6oz pour at Rahr. Clear, pale lager expectations, still lacy. Sulfur, lime, corn nose. Not too inviting. Husky corn, black pepper, with a little citrus acid on the back end. Crispy. Basic. Meh.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Strong 6oz pour at Rahr. Clear, pale gold, lacy. Lime & steel nose with a touch of bittergreen. Obvious lime flavor & lemon acidity over a clean-ish base blonde. Weak but lingering pepper & veg bite. Tis okay.

From backlog. Can, from Joe’s Liquor, Memphis. Straight from The Can. Malts, pumpkin, cinnamon, rum, barrel, Fruity, sweetness.