Tap at the brewpub - this version was highly hopped and 11% abv - a hoppy-ass American style barley wine - because of this, the Bigfoot comparisons are inevitable - this doesn’t hold up - assertive hoppiness at first that works well with some of the estery character of the beer - sticky sweet maltiness, toffee - a bit of sherry character - alcohol is warming at first, but too strong in the finish, combining with a now harsh malt character that combines to create a slightly medicinal finish - starts off okay, but ends on a low note.

Light hazy, purplish red pour - rather inviting nose of strong spicy oak and red wine tannins - the base beer must have been fairly mild, because the wine has really taken over the flavor, so much so that you can hardly taste the qualities of the beer - fairly creamy in the mouth - quite dry, with moderate, spicy oak and strong red wine character - just a hint of toasted graininess reminds you there is a beer under there - starts tasting more like watered down wine after a while - eh, this could be a lot better.

Clear burnt orange/brownish pour - fairly clean and fairly dry, with the exception of some light caramelized sugars on the back end - toasted grains and a light fruitiness - spicy on the end, with notes of nutmeg and cinnamon spiciness lingering through the finish - pretty good.

Tap at the brewpub - pretty much tastes like a blend of their No Coast IPA and Stonehenge Stout - relatively dry and roasty, with woody hops in the mix that compliment that character well - the bitterness of the hops works pretty well with the bitterness of the black malt - however, the diacetyl I have come to expect from at least 50% of the beers from this brewer shows itself here, and not even the potent hops can cover it - buttery through the finish - enjoyable up to that point.

Draft at the brewpub and now again from a growler - seems like they were going for a Schlenkerla Marzen clone with this one, which, unfortunately for this beer, forces me to make comparisons between it and what is, in my opinion, one of the greatest beers in the world - this one doesn’t exactly compare, but it is a fairly strong smoked lager none-the-less - pours a dark ruby - nice campfire smoke in the nose, along with some rich maltiness (caramel, toasted grains) - there is a faint acidity way in the back that is a slight flaw in the nose - medium body - dry leafy bitterness and toasted grain flavors up front - not as much smoke as the aroma suggests, but enough to provide an nice woody, earthiness - a little caramel and toasted marshmallow sweetness on the back end - finishes dry, moderately bitter, and a little thin - a faint acidic tang at the end, too - not sure if the flaw is with the beer or the tap lines/growler fill - still a decent attempt at a difficult to balance style.

Tap at brewpub - listed as "don’t mock maibock" - this is a heller bock, not the dunkler bock it is listed as - lightly hazy gold - a bit heavy, sweet, syrupy and boozy for a maibock - a bit of toasted grains and rather strong hop profile on the tail end try to balance this out, but the sticky honey sweetness persists regardless - this one needs to be turned down a notch.

Tap at the brewpub - starts out promising, with dry, crackery malts, some flinty character, dusty yeast character - then things get a bit honey sweet, and some medicinal and boozy character develops, along with some strong alcohol presence, and light plastic-ish phenols - make this a 6% belgian ale, and it would be much better.

This is a solid English Strong - strong sweetness is tempered by leafy bitterness and a warming spiciness - a bit of cherry flavor, roasted nuts, chocolate - a touch of starchiness on the back end is the only thing I find wrong here, but otherwise this is tasty.

This brewery typically does well with stouts, and this is no exception - a lot of sweetness up from, with some notes of vanilla and licorice - the beer starts to get dry, with a bit of mineral character, just as the coffee flavor kicks in - these qualities converge to compliment the bitterness of the coffee fairly well - my only complaint is that the coffee isn’t as pronounced as I usually like in my coffee stouts.

Fairly light for the style, but straightforward and satisfying nonetheless - quite earthy and peaty, with light hints of smoke, very reminiscent of scotch, which shouldn’t surprise me, considering the staggering array of single malts available at the brewpub - outside of this, there is not much going on in this beer, but what is going on is pretty good - would I like more complexity? - yes - but I would order this again.