1. Left Hand Barrel-Aged Wake Up Dead Imperial StoutLeft Hand Brewing is one of the many breweries that I like to the point that I'll try anything they distribute. As a big stout fan, I was especially excited about this one. I bypassed the Wake Up Dead Imperial Stout and dove right into the barrel-aged version. I was even more interested in trying this beer after reading unusually subpar reviews on websites - how can you give a barrel-aged imperial stout from a great Colorado brewery a C+? Boggled my mind. I don't think this one deserves an A+ but it was definitely better than that. However, I'd be interested in trying the regular version of this beer because I didn't really pick up on the influence of this being aged in barrels. It has that dark, sugary taste with a noticeable presence of alcohol. Thinner than most imperial stouts but still heavy. I had no problem finishing a 22 oz. bomber though. I have to praise the label art too - great stuff.
Overall Rating: B
2. Dogfish Head Squall IPAI've seen this beer listed for years but it wasn't until recently that I was actually able to try it. It was well worth the wait. This beer might be my new favorite Dogfish Head beer. This IPA is made similarly to the 90 min. IPA, however, it gets way more hops of different varieties in a dry-hopping process. The other perk of this beer is that it's unfiltered and bottle-conditioned so it's FULL of flavor. Exceptionally smooth for a 9% ABV beer. Great body, great carbonation, great aroma, great taste. Tony the tiger should advertise for this beer. Not as cloudy as expected for an unfiltered beer, but that's a good thing. People need to calm down a little about Bell's Hopslam (myself included) and try this beer out.
Overall Rating: A+
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