32oz growler from my favorite guys at Big Z Beverage. Pours a crystal clear orange, amber with a thin, eggshell head. Nose of wet malts, crackers, biscuit dough, some light citrus, some earthy leaf notes. Flavor is sweet, crackers, malty, light honey, some very light orange, some light pine. Medium bodied, slightly watery finish. This was fine, sessionable, but far from memorable.

Growler - pours a dark amber/brown, cloudy, smallish lace - aroma of toffee, cocoa, earthy/leafy bitterness, a bit of raisin and dark fruit skins - moderately creamy mouthfeel - semi-dry up front, with a bit of cocoa and nuttiness - really opens up through the middle - a rich maltiness brings toffee flavors, fig, raisin - dries up a bit near the end, adding a touch more bitterness, spicy/warming alcohol, a bit of earthiness/oxidation - bittersweet finish - opens up even more as it reaches room temp - a bit of smokiness and a light leathery quality - brown sugar and warming spices - a smooth, complex and nicely balanced old ale - flies in the face of what most american breweries pass off as old ales, so it might not be well-received by everyone - very nice flavor profile.

Draught at Fette Sau. Good roasted and vinous aroma. Black colour. Small brown head. Nicely roasted flavour, some roast barley bitterness. Good coffee aftertaste, a little grassy hop burn.

Location: Sampled at the NY Brewfest on Governor's Island, 6/19/10

Aroma: The nose on this one has some fruity notes, bready malts, and floral hops
Appearance: Pours a clear orange-golden color with a small head
Flavor: The taste has some sweetness, and is quite well balanced, by a nice amount of hops
Palate: The body is medium, relatively easy drinking and smooth
Overall Impression: Overall, this was a pretty good Pale Ale. I liked it. Nothing super out there or inventive, but enjoyable none-the-less. This brewery seems to be putting out a quality product. I hope to see more of them in the future.

World Cup beer tasting at Lazy Boy Saloon Beer #10. Taste is smokey and malty. very easy drinking and seems almost light compared to the stout its sitting next to on my tasting sheet. Really enjoyable porter i really like it.

Location: Sampled at the NY Brewfest on Governor's Island, 6/19/10

Aroma: Fairly solid pine front hop nose, some citrus notes, and some earth
Appearance: The pour is an amber color with an off-white head
Flavor: This beer's flavor leans toward the bitter side with just a bit of sweetness for balance
Palate: The body is medium, with a long, lingering sticky-resin finish
Overall Impression: I liked this beer a lot. A very solid IPA from another small brewery that I got to try for the first time at Brewfest. The state of NY seems to be pretty well represented with these solid little breweries that can brew a pretty solid beer.

Tap at Bobbique, Patchogue, NY - more like a stout, considering how robust it is - very full and creamy - sweet notes of chocolate and strongly sweetened coffee make way for a much more dry character through the middle and finish - cocoa - an intense bitterness from black malt and hops arrives late, as does strong roastiness, both of which become a little too strong on the tail end, but otherwise this is really solid.

Tap at Barcade. Pours a transparent, deep ruby. No head. Light malt aroma, some plum and fig. Flavor is light as well, more dark fruit, some mild syrup and toffee. Pretty sweet. Medium in body, light carbonation, alcohol presence is minimal. Overall it’s perfectly drinkable but I would say a little light for the style. Perhaps the most sessionable barleywine I’ve ever had.

Growler courtesy of Andy, kick-off beer at the DC local tasting - thank you sir! Dark brown, edge head. Aroma of chocolate with a bit of smoke. Taste is chocolate and burnt coffee. Decent stuff.