Beer Review:Reissdorf Kolsch

Price: $2.49 for 16.9 oz (plus bottle deposit)

Brewery: Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Resissdorf, Koln, Germany

Style: Kolsch

ABV: NA

Color: Clear, gold.

Aroma: little hops, some spice (maybe clove), slight grain aroma.

Body: light.

Stomach Aspect: not much. Drank a pint and I could probably down another pint.

Head:poured nicely, vanished to thin coating within a minute. Residual left on side of glass after drink.

Head Retention: poured nicely,

Taste: little to no taste on the front of the tongue, but when the brew moves to the middle of the tongue you get some grain flavor, but not much. Swallow the brew and you get more grain flavor, a quick introduction to some mild hops, and some spiciness. There is a little prickliness from carbonation, but not so much that it's like drinking a soda.

Conclusion: I have brewed Kolsch's before. I have had Kolsch's before. But to be honest when I bought this I bought it for the label. However, opening the brew and drinking it completely blew my mind. The beer poured nicely, and was instantly tempting for a drink. The color is a nice, bright gold, and very very clear (you can see you're hand on the other side of the glass). The aroma was kinda lacking, but it was present. Taking a drink was very smooth. The light body made it easy to continue to drink more. The mild hop flavor was nice, but the spiciness at the end (when you swallow) is what touches off the brew. The yeast gives this style of brew it's trademark clove spiciness, and this brew doesn't let you down in this aspect.

Public Aspect: Buying and drinking this beer in public people will notice it for it's label. Pass the pint around and people are gonna take a drink a say wow. It's kinda pricey, but it is completely worth it. Not sure this is a brew you would want to bring and pass around, but if you want to show some complexity when it comes to beer this is a good choice.

Beer Review: Westmalle Trappist Ale

Price: $1.49 (for 11.2oz) plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Trappist Monastery of Westmalle, Malle, Belgium

Style: Dubbel

ABV: 7%

Color: Caramel, Amber, maybe even dark brown, very clear. 

Aroma:  Fruity, slight hop aroma, 

Body:  light-medium,

Stomach Aspect: light to medium. Halfway through the bottle and there's a little "push" in the stomach.  

Head:  Excellent when poured. Head went to almost 1/2-3/4".

Head Retention: Good, nice rings on the side of the glass after each pull.

Taste: Upon first hitting your tongue, the taste of the  beer is sweet, good grain flavor around mid-rear tongue. Move the brew to the back of your tongue and the sweetness turns to a mild (but quick) bitterness. There is even a little Caramel, or Toffee aspect to the brew, which nicely enters and leaves the palate.  Upon swallowing the brew there is a little presence of hop flavor.  One can definitely smell the fruit undertones, but there is even a slight hint of Pear (to my palate) in the flavor around mid tongue. 

Conclusion:  I have had Dubbel's before, but this is the best one I have tasted. The fruity aroma and slight Pear undertones go nicely with the grains, and mild hops.  The color is very pretty, it can almost be mistaken for a Brown Ale, or even an American Amber.  But once you taste and smell the brew you definitely know you're drinking a Dubbel.  The head retention is very nice, some of the best I've seen since I've started my beer blog.  The brew has a wonderful malty finish (almost like a Southern English Brown Ale), but not so malty that it ruins or distracts from the flavor.

Public Aspect:  Well, at a 1.49 per 11.2 oz I'm not sure this is a brew you want to take to a mass drinking environment. However, if you do I think you will be asked a lot of "what type of beer is that?"  I don't think many people know what a Dubbel is, or the history behind the style of beer.  I can easily see a beginner beer drinker shying away from this style. However, if you can muster through the fear of something new, you have to try this brew.   There is absolutely nothing wrong with this brew.  I'm not a big fan of Dubbel's because they are usually too sweet and malty, however, this is a nice balance of sweet, malty, hops, grains.  The 7% ABV means it won't take much to finish your night of drinking if you know what I mean. 

Beer Review: Hillbilly Blonde

Price: $3.49 (for 22oz) plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Pale Horse, Salem, Oregon

Style: Blonde Ale

ABV: not listed

Color: Gold, clear.

Aroma: sweet aroma from grains, no hop aroma.

Body:  Very light

Stomach Aspect: Little. Halfway through my pint and it doesn't feel like I've drank 8 oz of brew. 

Head: . 1/4" when first poured. After 45 seconds head escapes to the edges of the glass. 

Head Retention: none. 

Taste: When first tasted the brew has a nice sweet flavor. All of the flavor comes from the back of the tongue, just before you swallow.  The hop presence is very minimal, almost no hop presence.  The brew has decent carbonation, but the flavor is very subtle.  

Conclusion:  Overall this isn't a bad beer, but it's not a great beer either. It's very light body, clear, golden color and minimal head remind me of a Coors light (but with more flavor).  The color and clarity are very nice. The carbonation of the brew is quite nice.  I really think the brew skips or lacks in the flavor aspect, especially from a local craft brew.  It really doesn't have much flavor at all.  After drinking quite a bit of the brew (12oz) there is a slight fruity flavor. But, it took 12oz to get that flavor from the beer. 

Public Aspect:  Bringing this to the BBQ won't offend anyone (especially if they like Coors light), but then it won't surprise anyone either.  I mean, if you like Coors light, drink it.  If you don't like Coors light, don't drink this brew, as it resembles that brew (Coors Light) too much.  But if you do happen to bring that to a BBQ, people will probably think you're into the local brew scene, or that you like Craft beer.  I'm not sure I'll be drinking this brew again (because it lacks flavor), but you never know. I will say that this brew would probably be really good after a hard day of mowing the lawn, or working in general (just like a Coors Light).  If you're a Hop Head, or love the Pale Ale's this brew won't satisfy your palate, and you will probably be let down. 

Beer Review: Ninkasi Oatis Oatmeal Stout

Price: $4.49 (for 22oz) plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Ninkasi, Eugene, Oregon

Style: Oatmeal Stout

Color: Black, opaque. Very dark

Aroma:  mixture of Roasted grains and Oatmeal. 

Body: Medium. 

Stomach Aspect: Not bad. Halfway through my pint and I can feel a little fullness aspect.  This is a two to three pint only type of brew. 

Head: When poured it maxed at 1/4".  A minute after being poured it has almost vanished. 

Head Retention: not much.  No traces on the glass from the previous drink. 

Taste: Very little taste on the front of the tongue, but move the brew to the middle of your tongue and you're quickly introduced with a nice grain bitterness.  Roasted flavors present themselves, as do the aroma of Roasted grains.  You don't get any hop flavor until you move the brew to the back of your tongue and when you swallow, your given the hop bitterness, with a slight hint of Oatmeal. If you give yourself two to three minutes of time between drinks you start to get an interesting aspect or flavor. The bitterness from the Hops and roasted grains increases, taking the flavor aspect of the beer in an interesting direction.  

Conclusion:  While I have had Ninkasi brews before, this is the first time I have had one of their dark brews.  You can almost tell that the brewers at Ninkasi had to refrain from using their usual  amount of hops. You're waiting for the onslaught of hops bitterness, but it never arrives.  After getting around that aspect, the brew is very pretty, nicely colored, pretty good head, good flavor.  The one thing I can't noticed right away is the Oatmeal.  This is an Oatmeal Stout, and it seems the Oatmeal is shy and won't come out.  The Roasted grains are very present (as they should be in a Stout), with a nice balance of Hops.  The one thing that is interesting is the medium body in this brew. With an ABV of 7.1% I would think (almost expect) the body to be heavy, and give you that "chewy" aspect that  Stouts are known for (and why most people shy away from them).  There's nothing wrong with this brew, except maybe the Oatmeal is a bit weak.  Now I've had Oatmeal Stouts where all you taste is the Oatmeal (imagine drinking a bowl Quaker Oats) and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth and you tend to stay away from this type of brew.  While I think this brew could improve, overall it's not bad at all. I do think that the head in this brew is a bit weak, maybe with some American Dextrin grains this area could improve.

Public Aspect: If you bring this to an event, or introduce people to this brew you won't be ashamed, and you might be amazed at how a person might respond to this brew. However, if you're trying to introduce someone to a traditional Ninkasi brew, you may want to skip this one and hand them a Ninkasi Total Domination IPA.  

Beer Review: Lagunitas Imperial Stout

Price: $3.49 (for 22oz) plus bottle deposit

Style: Imperial Stout

Color: Black, with a slight deep brown color on the edges.

Aroma: Roasted grains (might be Barley), with some hop aroma, even a touch of Chocolate grain aroma. 

Body: full. Not a heavy body, but definitely full.  

Stomach Aspect: Full. Half way through my pint my stomach is telling me it's getting full. 

Head: about 1/4" once poured, but leaves quickly.    

Head Retention: I would give it a three second on head retention.

Taste: The first initial taste you think you're drinking a very heavy beer, but the body doesn't fill the mouth as a traditional Stout, or Imperial Stout should.  There is no real flavor on the sweet part of the tongue, as well as the salty part of the tongue.  Move the beer over your Sour part of your tongue and you get a slight hint of bitterness from the Roasted Barley grains.  When the beer hits your mid-tongue you get a definite Alcohol presence (which an Imperial beer should give with an ABV rating of 10.14). As the beer moves over the back of your tongue you get a definite bitterness from the hops, which is a Lagunitas trademark in all their beers. But the hop bitterness is quickly removed by the presence of the high alcohol content.  The hop bitterness lingers on the back of the tongue for about 1-2 minutes, almost like an IPA trademark. 

Conclusion:    The beer has a pretty nice feel on the tongue, and the aromas are very welcoming.  When the beer is making its way across your tongue you are presented with several aspects of the beer.  You get a hint of Barley, with a great introduction to the alcohol followed by a hop bitterness and finally the alcohol taste makes a comeback and finishes off the beer as you swallow. 

I am not a big fan of the Lagunitas beers, but this one is very tolerable. I can see myself drinking this and not thinking twice about what I just put down my gullet. However, I do see this beer as a forgettable once the bottle has been removed, or you have emptied the bottle.

Beer Review: MacTarnahan's Amber Ale

Price: $6.99 for a six pack,  plus bottle deposit

Style: Amber Ale

Color: Copper, light red. very transparent

Aroma: Citrus, which is a direct aroma of the hops used in this beer. The hop aroma mask any grain aroma the beer might have. 

Body: Light body. 

Stomach Aspect: Little. Halfway through my pint and I'm not having any "full affect" from the beer.

Head: light. When freshly poured the head arrived (maybe a 1/16" thick) but quickly left to just a few head bubbles on the surface of the beer.    

Head Retention: I would give it a two to three second head retention. However, some of the head does stay on the sides of the glass throughout the whole pint.

Taste: When the glass touches your lips your nose gets the hop aroma then you get a little caramel flavor from the grains but it quickly dissipates and then you get the hop bitterness.  The beer has a "prickly" feel once it hits your tongue, it has a slight hint of sweetness but not enough that it takes your mind from the feel of the beer.  When you swallow the beer your tongue is presented with some definite hop bitterness, with a crisp clean finish.  

Conclusion:    This beer has been around Portland's beer scene for a while. It doesn't leave an impression of wow, I just had a great beer.   The balance of grains to hops is a little off, the beer favors the hops (probably because of the dry hopping that happens with this brew), but the Cascade hops is a great all around hop for brewing so your tongue is not assaulted with hops.  The beer has a wonderful clear copper body.  Overall it is not a bad beer, but it closely resembles a big three (Coors, Anheuser, Miller) product.  The beer doesn't present any distinguishing trademarks, nor attitude. It is a beer that you can take to any event and nobody will get offended by what you brought, plus it will say that you're not a big three zombie. 

Beer Review: Moylan's Dragoons Dry Irish Stout

Price: $4.05  for a 22oz,  plus bottle deposit

Style: Dry Irish Stout

Color: Black, very opaque. Midnight looking. 

Aroma: Roasted Barley, maybe a little chocolate grain. 

Body: Full. Heavy. 

Stomach Aspect: As with almost any stout the stomach effect is heavy.  This could be a meal in a bottle I'm 4 pulls (gulps) into the pint and already getting full.  I've come to notice this aspect is more prominent with Dry Irish Stouts than other stouts. 

Head: typical head for this style of beer. When freshly poured it formed a nice 1/4" head. However, after 5 minutes of being poured the head moves to the edge of the glass. 

Head Retention: I would give it a 10-15 second retention. There is definite "head ledge" from the last sip.  

Taste: Get the brew any where near your nose and you immediately smell Roasted Barley. Great bitterness from grains, a hint of chocolate grains, and upon swallowing a nice quick hit of hops! There is no sweet flavor on the tongue, but you get just the right amount of bitterness from the grains. Upon swallowing the hops quickly hit the palate and then leave.  

Conclusion:   Overall this is a very nice beer.  If I didn't brew my own Goat Racer Dry Irish Stout I could drink this beer till the cows came home, and left again, and then came back.  The Roasted Barley presence is great. If you can't tell you're drinking a Stout by looking in the glass, the aroma of the Barley will definitely plum you up.  The beer is smooth in a nice Stout way.  Not sure you can buy this in a 6 pack, but if you're a Stout drinker you need to experience this delicate, heavy, wonderful brew!  I would recommend this brew to anybody who is looking to bring a Stout to a shin-dig, or just sip with a nice warm pizza. 

Just a side note, I thought I would see how this compares to my Goat Racer Irish Stout.  While the beers are in the same category, have the same color.  The similiarities stop there. This beer is more aromatic with the Roasted Barley (mine is more Chocolate Grain aromatic), it is a little smoother at the finish (something I need to improve with mine), but mine carries the head longer, and has a fuller body. 

Beer Review: Coors Light

Price: $1.99  for a 22oz,  plus bottle deposit

Style: American Light Lager

Color: Light Gold/Yellow, Transparent. 

Aroma: The brew has a very faint, but nice aroma of grains. I didn't smell any hop aroma. 

Body: Light, weak. 

Stomach Aspect: None. I've drank a pint, and there is no aspect of this brew. 

Head: The head looked nice immediately after the pour, but within a few seconds it was gone. 

Head Retention: Zero. The brew does not leave any head trace on the sides of the glass, and the brew does not have a head.  There is plenty of carbonation though. 

Taste: Bring the pint up to your nose and you get a smell of grains, but your nose kinda goes "oh, no" when you smell it.  Taking a sip, the beer has a very light/weak body.  The carbonation is present, but there isn't much flavor to hit the taste parts of the tongue.  The only flavor you get from the beer is from the grains (maybe American 2-Row) when the beer moves over the back part of your tongue.  There is a definite "crisp" finish when you swallow, but this style of brew should have a crisp finish.  There is absolutely no flavor left on the tongue to let you know your drinking a beer. 

Conclusion:   This is not a good beer in my opinion.  It has a weak body, and very little flavor.  The strong points of the beer are that is does have a nice clarity to it, it's cheap, and it was cold when I reviewed it. Bring this brew to a BBQ or a gathering and you might as well wear a sign that states "I'll have a glass of water please, and put some yellow food color in it for me." I'm not knocking this beer because I don't like it, I'm simply stating what the beer does to me when I taste it.  If you were looking for a light body beer you could try Full Sail Pale Ale, Rogue Juniper Pale Ale, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, or American Ale from your local store.  The beer simply didn't perform. Also, the whole "Frost Brewed" marketing aspect simply states that it's a Lager and it is fermented in cold temperatures.  Basically speaking, every Lager is frost brewed.  I think if Coors put less money into marketing this brew and more money into making it better sales would triple.  This beer would work (as a last resort) for a thirst quencher in hot deserts, or tropical islands...but then again, I think I would take something else or go without.  

Just a side note, I did this review with an unbiased opinion and more knowledge of beer than I have since I started brewing 2 years ago.  

Beer Review: Downtown Brown Light Brown Ale

Price: $3.99  for a 22oz,  plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Lost Cost Brewery & Cafe

Style: Light Brown Ale

Color: Brown to a deep Copper, almost a dark wood stain color 

Aroma: some Caramel hints, slight hop aroma, maybe even a little biscuit aroma.

Body: Light-Medium feel. 

Stomach Aspect:Very little. I mean, I'm a full pint into this brew and my stomach knows I've drank some beer, but my stomach isn't full like it is when I drink a Stout.  

Head: The head looked nice immediately after the pour, but within about a minute it was scaled down to just a trace.  

Head Retention: The brew leaves a  trace on the side of the glass for about a minute after you have had a pull. Good head retention. 

Taste: Bring the pint up to your nose and you get a smell of Caramel, with just a hint of hop aroma/pungent. Take a sip and you immediately go "oh." The "oh" is not a bad oh either.  You introduce the brew to your tongue and you get immediate confirmation of the caramel your nose smelt.  Move the brew to the middle of your tongue an the beer flavor quickly removes itself.  Which is good because of the bitter zones reside there.  Move the brew to back of your tongue and you get the nice taste of hops.  Swallow the brew, then take a breath and you get a second taste of hops on your breath.   

Conclusion:   Overall this is probably the best Brown Ale I have had. This is even better than my Don't Poke It Brown Ale. The original aroma of the Caramel, hops, and biscuits present a nice welcome to you nose.  Take a pull from this brew and your mouth thanks you.  The body of the beer is a cross between a Porter and Blonde Ale. Light (like a Blonde Ale) yet fulfilling (like a Porter) and completely satisfying. This is a great beer for those that love dark heavy beer (Stouts & Porters), yet if a Blonde or IPA drinker is looking for something a littler darker than the norm this can fit the bill.   Pull after pull your nose can not get enough of the Caramel aroma. If someone is looking to bring a unique beer to an event, I say this beer will fit the bill.  Bring this brew to a BBQ, family gathering, or simply buy a 22 oz, and taker her home to enjoy by yourself.  If you can get your paws a bottle or pint of this brew I suggest you do just so you can enjoy the beauty (aesthetically), and taste.  Great brew.   

Just a side note:The bottle says a "Light Brown Ale." Do not mistake this a traditional Light Beer.  A light Brown Ale is a style of Brown Ale. There are three different types of Brown Ales. You can also understand this to be a Mild style Brown Ale, not an Southern or Northern English Brown Ale.  

Beer Review: Klickitat Pale Ale

Price: $3.65  for a 22oz bottle,  plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Alameda (located in Portland)

Style: Pale Ale

Color: Dark gold, almost an amber, sap looking color. 

Aroma: Hoppy. Poured right from the bottle and I can smell hops almost a foot away. Get the brew closer to your nose and you get a slight hint of grains. 

Body:Light

Stomach Aspect:Very little stomach aspect.  It's a Pale Ale, and you should not be getting "full" by drinking  a pint of this. 

Head:The head is a 1/4" when poured. After sitting for about 3 minutes it has gone down to about an 1/8". The color is a nice white.  

Head Retention: The brew leaves a  trace on the side of the glass for about thirty seconds after you have had a pull. Good head retention. 

Taste: Take a pull of this beer and the first thing you notice is the amount of carbonation. Feels prickly on the tip of the tongue.  The beer has very little flavor on the tip to mid of the tongue. Which indicates low grain flavor to me. Move the beer to the back of the tongue and you immediately get the presence of hops. Swallow the brew and you get a nice aroma of hops on the palate, but wait fifteen to twenty seconds between drinks and you get even more hop presence. Your mouth starts to dry out, almost obtaining cotton mouth.  There is a hint of caramel flavor from grains just before you swallow. 

Conclusion:   This is a brew from a local brewery. If you're in the Portland area, swing by Alameda Brew House and pick up a pint. I wasn't really taken back by this brew, maybe I was expecting more from Alameda.  The color is great, the head is pretty, the body is light, but I think I was expecting more flavor. This is a good beer, don't get me wrong.  But I think a Full Sail Pale Ale might have more flavor. You can show up to events or BBQ's with this brew and people are going to think you're a beer snob, or it was on sale because it's not a major known brew. Either way, if you like Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Full Sail Pale Ale, you might like this Pale Ale from Alameda. 

Just a side note: I think this beer might be better on tap versus a bottle.

Beer Review: Tecate

Price: $1.89  for a 24oz can,  plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma Brewery

Style: Pale Lager

Color: Light gold to Yellow. 

Aroma: Little hop aroma.

Body: Very light, but it does exist.

Stomach Aspect:None. Almost done with the 24oz can and I'm not feeling any stomach aspect. 

Head:Poured right from the can it was a good 1/4" thick, with a nice bright white. Give it about a minute and the head is completely gone. 

Head Retention: Zero, none, zilch, nada. The head does not leave any rings or markers on the side of the glass. 

Taste: Interesting, but confusing. Take a drink and there is no flavor on the front of your tongue. Move the brew to the middle of your tongue and you get a slight hint of grains (very slight), move the brew to the back of your tongue and you get a little hop flavor. Swallow the brew and you get a more pronounced hop flavor, with a good hint of hop aroma.  The brew doesn't give you the cotton mouth aspect that most brews of this type do.  The finish is crisp and clean. Not bad.  

Conclusion:   When I first smelt the brew I thought it was a Coors Light. I took a drink and it reminded me of an original Bud.  Halfway through the pint, I'm still trying to wonder what the hell this is I'm drinking. Is it a Coors or a Bud?  How can a brewery take the aroma and flavor of two different beers and combine them into one?  The color of the brew is a nice gold, the clarity is great (wish some of my beers had this clarity). But that's where the positives (unless you consider the brew cost a positive) end with this beer.  The head doesn't exist at all. The body is very light it can be mistaken as water, and the flavor is non existant.  However, I would rate (if I were to rate beers) this brew higher than a Coors Light.  I mean, overall this isn't a beer that I would turn down if one was given to me, but I wouldn't recommend the brew to anyone, nor do I see myself buying another Tecate.   I find myself struggling to get the last 12oz of this beer down the gullet. I shall struggle on for the good of mankind. 

Just a side note: I have read that this is the #1 selling beer in Mexico.  I can see that maybe on a hot day it might be refreshing. I think I would rather go for a Hillbilly Blonde, or a Pale Ale.  But, I think this beer would be better suited for cooking with than with drinking. 

Beer Review: Emily's Ember

Price: $3.99  for a 22oz bottle,  plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Seven Brides (located in Silverton, Oregon)

Style: Amber Ale

Color: Dark red.

Aroma: Hoppy and caramel. Very caramel. 

Body: light-medium

Stomach Aspect: Medium.  Half-way through the pint and my stomach is letting me know I'm drinking a brew. 

Head:Pured the brew and the head was a good 1-inch thick. 

Head Retention: The brew leaves a  trace on the side of the glass for about thirty seconds after you have had a pull. The brew maintanes a nice 1/8-inch thick head ten minutes after you've poured the brew. Good head retention. 

Taste:  Getting the glass up to your lips and your nose immediately gets the aroma of hops, and caramel. Take a drink and the brew has little flavor on the tip of yor tongue.  Move the brew to the middle of your tongue and you get a little caramel, maybe even a hint of maltyness.  Get the brew at the end of your tongue (just before you swallow) and you get something interesting. Your taste buds awake and whoa, Apricot?  Yes, the brew has a very distinct Apricot flavor as you swallow.  There is a quick, slight hint of hops before the brew goes down your throat.  

Conclusion:  I have had Seven Brides Brewery beers before, and I really love their Imperial Stout.  Thought I would do a review on the Amber Ale. Poured the brew and you get a nice aroma of hops and caramel.  However, take a pull of this beer and you get good flavors from the grains. Swallow the beer and then it's there that it comes to life.  You would not expect Apricot to suddenly appear on your palate.  This gives the beer an interesting zing.  It takes the Apricot flavor about three seconds to leave your mouth after you have swallowed. The beer has great carbonation, very nice head, great color and aroma.  If you like the flavor of Apricot you might like this beer.  I am not a big fan of Apricot, but this is a beer I probably will not be purchasing again.   Overall this is a good, interesting brew.  Not really my style, but definately not something to be affraid of. 

Just a side note:  I read the description on the bottle and it mentions unique hops. Maybe this hop aspect is what gives the brew it's Apricot flavor? I did not notice that the hops or blend of hops would give such a fruity aspect to the brew. Tracie says she can taste the hops, but to me it taste like Apricot. 

Beer Review: Ambacht Pie Cherry Porter

Price: $6.95  for a 22oz bottle,  plus bottle deposit

Brewery: Ambacht Brewing, Hillsboro, Oregon

Style: Porter/Fruit Ale

Color:  Mud puddle brown, with highlights of pink. 

Aroma: Hops, with hints of cherry and sourness.

Body: Light-Medium

Stomach Aspect: Light, after pint your not full (as you would be with Stout) but you've known you've drank a beer. 

Head Retention: When poured the brew had a small head, about a 1/6" high.  After a few minutes the beer does not have a head. The beer is not flat, it just doesn't have any head retenion. 

Taste: Take a pull from the beer and you get some sweetness on the tongue, move the brew to the middle of your tongue and you get the sour  "zing" from the cherries.  Move the beer to the back of your tongue and you get the hop bitterness. Just before the hop bitterness there is a slight, slight hint of grains. 

Conclusion: While the bottle has a simple and basic label, the beer is even more simple.  The color is a little weird, but the aroma is not bad at all.  The body of the beer is a bit light for a porter, I was expecting a porter to have a medium-heavy body, not a light-medium body.  You can definately taste the pie cherry's in the beer.  Which is a nice becuase the label states "Pie Cherry" (not Cherry Pie) Porter.  The hop balance is nice, almost over bearing the cherry sourness.  This is a brew that while it isn't bad, I think it's one of those that you buy once to taste, and put knotch in your beer belt.  It definately is a different style of beer which might put some people off from drinking fruit beers.  I have made fruit beers before, and if you get the fruit, grains, hops ratio correct the beer turns out awesome. I think this brew should have more grain presence while keeping the fruit and hops where they're at. 

Just a side note: If you like sour or Pie Cherry's then you'll enjoy this brew. As I stated, it's not bad, it's just not my style.  But, you have to kudos to a brewery who isn't affraid to put something out that might or will offend someone. I  say good job Ambacht brewery. 

Beer Review: Sinistor Black Ale

Price: $3.89  for a 22oz bottle,  plus bottle deposit

Brewery: 10 Barrel Brewing Co. Bend, Oregon

Style: Black Ale

Color: Black (but not as black as a Stout), maybe a dark brown. 

Aroma: Roasted grains, but most of the aroma is from hops.  

Body: Medium

Stomach Aspect:Light 

Head Retention:When fresh poured the head grew to about an 1/8", but within 30 seconds of pouring the head had dimished to almost nothing. When drinking the brew there is no head remnants left on the side of the glass. 

Taste: Take a pull and there isn't much flavor on the tip of the tongue, move the beer to the middle of your tongue and the flavor hints at appearing but doesn't.  Move the brew to the back of your tongue and there is some bitterness from hops, and chocolate grains. Swallow the brew and that's when the flavor announces it's arrival.  At the very back of the tongue you get a pronounced, but quick flavor of hops, caramel, and even chocolate grains. After swallowing the brew you get a little flavor of hops on your breath.  The more you drink the brew the more you taste caramel and chocolate, with less hops. 

  

Conclusion: I did not know what to think when tackling this Black Ale. I've had Black Ale's  in the past and they were not very good.  The aroma is a little on the light side, you really have to put your nose to the glass to get the aroma. The flavor and color are actually quite nice.  The body of the beer is a little light, but it fits the beer and it doesn't fill your stomach like a Stout, or Robust Porter.  I am not sure where to put this brew, it's got good flavor, little aroma, medium body, little head retention, but easy to drink.  The flavor really scrambles your mind because it's hard to pin down what exacly it is.  If you're looking for brew that will challenge your taste buds, and kinda screw with your mind this would be a good choice. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this beer and you can't go wrong purchasing it. 

Just a side note: I'm a Stout drinker through and through.  If I didn't have the bottle in-front of me and I saw this brew in a pint glass my first idea would be that this is a Robust or Baltic Porter.  Mabye even an English Stout. The alcohol content is 5.3%, and after 19 oz, yeah I can tell.   I'm not a big fan of the normally lighter colored beers taking on dark colors.  If a person wants a dark beer, they should drink a Stout or Porter. But, that's my opinion and take it as just that.