Brewing Company: Tampa Bay Brewing Company; Tampa, Florida
Name: Black Velvet
Style: Bourbon cask aged vanilla stout
ABV: ~7.0%
Serving type: draught - cask
Price: $5
4.5 months old, tapped (and drank) on Feb 2. 

Aroma: Smell is faint, hints of smokiness. Vanilla and cocoa are prominent. Wonderful smell. Smells like than it tastes. 

Appearance: Gorgeous head, thumb-sized, light tan color, great retention. Beer is dark brown, almost black, very opaque - when it was just poured I could see the sediment falling to the bottom, so it was slightly cloudy. There was just a little light shining through the bottom. Very nice lace - doesn’t even drip, just sits beautifully on the glass. The head stays with the beer - went down a little, but stayed pinky-finger thick through the rest of the glass. Sediment at the bottom of glass at finish. :)

Taste: Very creamy - goes down really smooth. Sweet, but not super sweet. Has a dark, warm taste. Full body, light carbonation. Bubbles on side of glass, looks like cola. Feel holds true to the velvet name. The first sips tasted a little hoppy, but hoppiness dimishes with each sip. Feels like drinking milk. Very filling. Feeling tipsy half way through the glass. 
Seriously, I’m in love with this beer. I’ve said that before but this time I mean it.

Finish: Incredibly smooth finish. Wonderful aftertaste - can’t quite place it… chocolate? coffee? not exactly. Leaves a warm, happy feeling in my mouth. By the end, I’m full and drunk. Solid drunk, bro (I actually wrote that in my notes). 

Rating: 5/5

Highly Recommended.

May I also add that the bartender was sexy as hell. And he guess the ABV just by tasting it. No joke. 

<3, c.

Brewing Company: Harpoon Brewery; Boston, MA
Name: Harpoon Chocolate Stout
Style: American Stout
ABV: 5.9%
Serving type: draught
Price: Not exactly sure because a friend bought this for me, but I’d guess ~$6.50 at WOB

Aroma: Smells phenomenal!! Like deep chocolate. So good. Smells like eating a bar of chocolate. I can’t get over how good this beer smells.

Appearance: Beautiful dark tan head. Not great retention. Nice lacing. Very dark color. Practically black. Very opaque.

Taste: Oh. My. God. This is so delicious. Like out of control delicious. Deep chocolate flavor. Like a deep chocolate milk. Tastes as good as it smells. So smooth! Good medium carbonation. Goes down so smooth. Easy to drink. Light to medium body.

Finish: Small after taste. Nice and light bubbles down the throat. So chocolaty!

I could drink all of the beers. Seriously. This beer is wonderful. Much better chocolate milk.

Rating: 5/5

Highly Recommended.

Wrote this review on my phone at the bar (as I do most of my reviews…) and I’d already had a shot and a beer before this, so I was a wee bit tipsy. I still think it’s accurate, albeit a bit scattered.

<3, c.

Our stout is bottled! Now we just have to wait two weeks for it to bottle condition…

Last year, my forestry professor invited me and a bunch of the forestry students out to the Brewz Crewz in Lakeland, Florida.  Despite its unfortunate name (and despite that fact that it took place in Lakeland of all places; Christ!), I forked out the $35 with the promise that I’d get unlimited beer samples from a wide range of beer vendors, many of them Florida brewers.  I was not disappointed!  Besides all that, I got a bunch of free food, too.  Oh, and I even got a free cigar, but that was simply due to my wily charms when it comes to older rich men.

Anyway, when the Brewz Crewz rolled around this year, I was of course set on going.  The event was two weekends ago (February 19th), and I bought tickets for myself and two of my girl friends from Gainesville.  Due to a pregnant horse giving birth, they were unable to make the drive down from the ‘ville and I found myself with three tickets to the festival about four hours before it started.  However!  I was fortunately able to finagle my friends Clay and Sarah into coming with me (but really — with the promise of free beer and free food… it wasn’t that difficult).

Now.  I brought a notebook with me to make note of which beers I enjoyed and which ones sucked.  What I should have done was sit down at my computer the next morning and immediately translated my progressively incoherent babble into blog format.  However, I obviously didn’t do that, and now my then-clear notes look like a bunch of drunken scribbles.  Oh wait — that’s exactly what they are.

Let’s begin:

Beer 1:  Amber Beer from Palm Brewing (I don’t know where this was brewed; they have like a bazillion breweries). 
Not-yet-drunken notes:  ”Meh, I’d drink this at a summer bbq but it wasn’t something amazing.  Not exactly complex.  Nice and light.”  
Translation: This tasted like bud light.

Beer 2:  Red Ale from Orlando Brewing Company (Orlando, FL)
Not-yet-drunken notes:  None.  I was too busy talking to the owner.
Translation:  THIS BEER IS AWESOME.  Okay, well — the beer itself wasn’t exactly mindblowing, but it was really good.  The cool thing about this brewery is that it’s totally organic.  It is, in fact, Florida’s only certified organic brewery.  Kudos.

Beer 3: Milk Stout from Left Hand Brewing Company (Longmont, CO)
Not-yet-drunken notes:  None.  I’ve had this beer several times and apparently didn’t see a need to write about it.
Translation:  YUM. Come on, it’s called a Milk Stout.  It has to be good.

Beer 4: Longfellow Winter Ale from Shipyard Brewing Company (Portland, ME)
Getting-a-buzz notes:  ”CJ - black IPA.”
Translation:  Clay, who attended the festival with me, mentioned that he thought this tasted like a black IPA.  I think that’s what that my note means anyway.  I just remember talking about black IPAs when we tried this beer.  I don’t even know what a black IPA is.

Beer 5: Prelude Special Ale from Shipyard Brewing Company (Portland, ME)
Getting-a-buzz notes:  ”A little metallic in its aftertaste.  Dark and floral.”
Translation:  *rolls eyes*  That is so vague.  I have no idea what this tasted like.

Beer 6: Jai Alai IPA from Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)
Getting-a-buzz notes: “Now for an IPA it’s good, but don’t we all know that I don’t like IPAs!  It’s not too overwhelming.  But I mean everything from CCB is so good anyway.”
Translation:  None needed.  The beer’s good, ya’ll.

Beer 7:  Porter from Red Brick Brewing (Atlanta, GA)
I-shouldn’t-be-driving notes:  “Possibly the lightest porter I’ve ever had.  Good!  Not my fave but hey I like southeastern breweries.”
Translation:  Uuhhh, possibly the lightest porter I’ve ever had.  Red Brick is a good brewery but they aren’t superb.  However, as my drunken notes stated, I dig southeastern breweries.  And I usually have a Red Brick when I visit home in Birmingham.

Beer 8: Brown Ale (?) from Terrapin Beer Company (Athens, GA)
Okay-I’m-drunk notes:  ”Yes well it tastes like a brown IPA.  Actually it’s better toward the end.”
Translation:  It tastes better toward the end?  The end of what?  The end of the sip?  The end of the beer itself?  None of that makes any sense.  I don’t even know if it’s a brown ale or an IPA.  I can’t find either on Terrapin’s website.

Beer 9: Turbodog Dark Brown Ale from Abita Beer (Abita Springs, LA)
Drunken notes:  ”Sweet chocolate toffee flavor.  Oh my god this is phenomenal.  It tastes like dessert!”
Translation:  All of that is true.  It’s amazing.

Beer 10: Strawberry Harvest Lager from Abita Beer (Abita Springs, LA)
Drunken notes:  ”Okay this tastes like a strawberry cookie.  I want this everyday.”
Translation:  This beer tastes like a light lager with strawberry flavoring. I don’t actually want it everyday.

Beer 11:  French Saison from Southern Brewing (Tampa, FL)
Drunken notes:  ”I am sad this isn’t in stores it’s my fave so far!  Sour and beautiful.”
Translation:  Okay, Southern Brewing is not actually a brewery.  It a beer and wine brewing supply store in Tampa, and it’s actually about 10 minutes from my house.  Anyway, they made about four brews and brought them to the festival.  The French Saison, though I took atrociously vague notes on it, was excellent.  It was a wheat beer and it was perfectly sour.  I loved it.

Beer 12:  Cookies and Cream from Southern Brewing (Tampa, FL)
Drunken notes:  ”This was run through actual cookies and cream.  Okay.  I take it back.  The Fr Saison is not my fave THIS ONE IS!  This tastes basically like fermented cookies and cream.”
Translation:  Even though it sounds like I drunkenly made it up — it’s true:  They had this one on tap and they were actually running the beer through crushed up oreos or something.  It was ridiculous.  I loved it.  And it probably was actually my favorite beer that night.

Beer 13:  Berry Cider from Ace (Sebastopol, CA)
Drunken notes:  ”Basically it’s like Woodchuck Cider but with berries.  I approve.”
Translation:  Thaaat about sums it up, actually.  Cider’s cool; whatevs.

Beer 14:  Special Golden Ale from Holy Mackerel (Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Greenville, SC)
Drunken notes:  None.  I have no recollection of drinking this beer.
Translation:  According to the review on Holy Mackerel’s website, this seems like a beer I’d really like.  ;-)

Beer 15:  Mack N Black from Holy Mackerel (Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Greenville, SC)
Drunken notes:  ”I only want”
Translation:  Apparently, I really enjoyed this beer.


Boom!  Fifteen beers in one evening. I think I did pretty well.  (Now it may be good to note that these were all four ounce samples.  Otherwise my lightweight self would have been admitted to Tampa General for alcohol poisoning).

xo, Mary

Small Tulip or Snifter

The snifter glass is most commonly associated with digestif beverages such as bourbon and brandy. However, it can be a great craft beer glass for certain types of ale. The large, round bottom is designed to increase the heat transfer from your hand, thus warming the beer. The top tapers inward trapping aromas. Very strong beers—over 8 percent alcohol—are best-suited for this type of glassware.

English, Irish & Scottish Ales

• Russian Imperial Stout
• Strong Ale
• Old Ale
• English-Style Barleywine

American Ales

• Imperial or Double IPA
• American Barleywine

Belgian & French Ales

• Belgian Strong Dark

Classic Lagers

• Doppelbock

Stemmed Pokal

While similar to the pilsner flute, the pokal has a stemmed bottom similar to a wine glass. The pokal is often used to serve German bockstyle lager beers. These beers are traditionally very malty and the glass presents bock’s sweet aromas while maintaining a nice head of foam.

English, Irish & Scottish Ales

• Scotch Ale

Other Ales & Hybrids

• Weizenbock

Classic Lagers

• Heller Bock or Maibock
• Bock

French Jelly Glass

As its name suggests, the French jelly glass was first used to store fruit jellies or preserves in provincial France and Belgium. In between jellies, the farmers used them for beverages. These glasses feature a wide mouth tapering down to a small base with large jewel-like facets around the side.

Belgian & French Ales

• Witbier White Ale

American Shaker Pint

This glass is what most people think of as the traditional pint glass. It’s easy to stack and clean and is inexpensive to produce. The wide mouth promotes easy sipping, but aroma and flavor are diminished with this type of glass. It is commonly used to serve light American lagers.

American Ales

• Amber Ale
• Red Ale

Other Ales & Hybrids

• American Wheat Ale

Classic Lagers

• American Amber Lager

Nonick Imperial Pint

The Imperial pint was adopted as an official measure by British Parliament in 1824. Using this official system of measurement, the “nonick” version of the Imperial pint glass was produced for use in pubs in the 1960’s. The glass bulges out at the top which improves grip, prevents glasses from sticking together when stacked, adds strength and reduces chipping.

English, Irish & Scottish Ales

• English Pale Ale
• Ordinary Bitter/Best Bitter/ESB
• English-Style India Pale Ale
• English Brown Ale
• English-Style Porter

American Ales

• American Pale Ale
• American Brown Ale
• American Porter and Stout

Classic Pilsner Flute

This is a tall, slender glass that some people confuse with a champagne flute. The conical shape helps maintain the pilsner’s pillowy head while offering a wonderful view of the sparkling clarity of this-lager style beer. The narrow design brings aromas to your nose as you tip the glass back for a sip.

English, Irish & Scottish Ales

• Scotch Ale

Other Ales & Hybrids

• Berliner Weisse
• Kölsch
• Dusseldorfer Altbier
• Cream Ale
• California Common Beer

Classic Lagers

• Bohemian Pilsner
• German Pilsner
• Dortmunder Export

Stemmed Abbey Goblet

These glasses vary in design for each brewery that produces them. They are often beautiful pieces of glass art with brightly colored brewery logos adorning their sides. While they have different designs and shapes, they share some common features. They typically have long, thick stems and a wide mouth for easy sipping. Many have nucleation sites (etchings) on the bottom which produce bubbles and maintain an attractive, frothy head that intensifies aromas.

Belgian & French Ales

• Abbey Dubbel

Handled Glass Stein

With its distinctive dimpled sides, this glass is used to serve traditional German-style beers. The stein is made from thick glass that can withstand spirited clinking. The wide mouth promotes easy drinking and the thick handle eliminates heat transfer from your hand.

Classic Lagers

• Oktoberfest
• Märzen
• Vienna
• Munich Dunkel
• Schwarzbier

Weissbier Vase

This tall, sloping glass is a traditional German favorite for weissbiers or wheat beers. They have a wide mouth to contain a generous head of foam. When the glass is tipped back, the additional of air increases the amount of pleasant clove or banana aromas that characterize wheat beers.

Other Ales & Hybrids

• Bavarian Hefeweisse

Classic Lagers

• Munich Dunkel

Large Tulip Glass

Tulip glasses trap aromas and maintain a frothy head due to their undulating, tulip-like design. This shape aids in drinkability and elevates the overall tasting experience. This type of glassware is best for strongly flavored, malty craft beers. Like the stemmed goblet, the tulip shape can trap the sweet aromatics produced by heavy beers while maintaining a lively head.

Belgian & French Ales

• Abbey Tripel
• Saison
• Biere de Garde
• Lambic and Gueze
• Flemish Brown and Red

Specialty Beer Glasses

Since specialty beers vary greatly from style to style, glassware should vary accordingly. A rule of thumb is that the higher the alcohol content of the beer, the smaller the serving glass should be. Barrel-aged beers are often in the 8-10% range, so a snifter glass is called for. When in doubt, trust your own judgement.

Irish Imperial Stout

The Irish Imperial pint glass features a wide mouth tapering down to a small base. This glass is similar, but slightly different, to the British-style Imperial pint glass. The small surface area where it’s gripped decreases the amount of heat transferred from your hand keeping the beer cooler for longer. The wide mouth encourages a frothy head and easy sipping.

English, Irish & Scottish Ales

• Stout

American Ales

• American Stout

Brewing Company: Left Hand Brewing Company; Longmont, Colorado
Name: Milk Stout
Style: milk / sweet stout
ABV: 6.00%
Serving type: 12oz bottle
Price: A little under $2

Aroma: This beer smells heavenly. It smells of caramel and malt and molasses. It smells like dessert. It smells like I want to roll around in a bathtub full of it. It smells like what I would imagine a plantation in the deep south would’ve smelled like at a hot breakfast. It smells like just a hint of espresso. I smell absolutely no hops. It smells like heaven.

Appearance: Deep dark chocolate brown, almost black. I can’t see through it, but I would imagine that if it were lighter, it would be very clear. Beautiful color. Small head, little retention - very light in color; creamy appearance, like froth on cafe de leche. Moderate lacing.

Taste: Starts sweet, but not too sweet, then has just a tinge of bitterness and finishes a little bit dry.  Medium body, but a little bit lighter than I expected - in a pleasant way. Velvety smooth. Light carbonation, of which I am personally a fan. Creamy. It tastes like it smells.

Finish: Like I said before, a little dry. The after taste is very reminiscent of the aftertaste of coffee with milk. Pleasant taste to keep in my mouth. Toward the end of this beer I’m definitely feeling a nice little buzz.

May I also add that I love the label. :)

Rating: 4/5

Highly Recommended.

I would definitely drink this beer again. I could easily see myself out at a bar having two or three over conversation over the course of the night.

<3, c.