Full Sail Brewery's Elevation IIPA

 
     It pours a very cloudy, dark orange color.  Really hazy throughout; color lightens around the edges.  Not much for head or retention, but appears to be decently carbonated.  Decent lacing.  Smell is pretty evenly blended with hops and malt.  The hops are grassy with a mellow citrus quality.  Rich caramel malt shines through with a splash of toast. 
    First impression upon taste is that the malt is very subtle and basic.  Not quite what you would expect from the color or aroma.  It is quickly dominated but a very sharp bitterness.  Some lemony, earthy hop flavor is there, but it does get lost in the bitterness.  A bit of spice and bitterness really linger in the mouth for a bit.  Alcohol is noticeable (7.5%) but pleasant.  Pretty thin body.
     Can't say I'm crazy about this one.  I like my IPAs super bitter, but without any real flavor, it's just not working for me. 

Dick's Brewing Company's Cream Stout

     It pours a dark black with a fizzy, tan head.  Doesn't look to be holding too well.  You definitely would expect a frothier head on a cream stout.  Aroma is nothing too out of the ordinary for a typical stout.  Pretty chocolatey.  Some roast character and esters shine through as well.  It's very easy on the nose, clean, and lager-like.
     Upfront it is very dry and hits with some strong roastiness.  Very subtle, pale malt flavor.  A chocolate character sneaks up and is washed away with some herbal hops.  Very light body and not too silky or creamy, which is something you expect from this style.  Goes down smooth and is very sessionable. Nothing strong or distinctive lingers.
     This really isn't a bad session beer, but I can't imagine many people would consider it a cream stout unless it was printed on the label.  Not a bad beer but definitely far from being on style.

Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA

    I've addressed this issue before, and it is getting a bit lame amongst the craft beer community, but I feel I have to talk about the name of this style again.  I wouldn't feel the need to do this if Stone hadn't publicly made a big deal out of the fact that they are calling it a Black IPA (and not a Cascadian Dark Ale) when this was first unveiled a few weeks back.  They argue that Cascadian Dark Ale masks the history of the style and that Black IPA just makes sense (since it is a black beer that is hoppy).  Like I've said before, this is a style to me that is unique enough to not be labeled as IPA in any way.  India-Style Black Ale is fine by me; it's just the association with the IPA that rubs me the wrong way.  I also like Cascadian Dark Ale because of my Pacific Northwest pride.  It may have started out as Black IPA, but I feel with how popular it is becoming, it's time to break off and be recognized as the individual that it is. Ultimately, it's a "who cares" sort of thing.
     It pours a very opaque, no-hue black with a solid finger of brown head.  Seems to be draining a bit but definitely holding it up.  Doesn't have a huge nose on it;  quite subtle all around.  Some citrus hops, but not as much pine as you expect from this style.  A sweetness shines through blended with hints of roast.  Quite yeasty.  Burnt malt.
     Hits the tongue with some sharp, roasty, chocolate malt and is completely washed away with alcohol and heavy, herbal bitterness.  Can't emphasize the alcohol enough on this.  It's 10.8% ABV, and it definitely shows.  It's very harsh.  Leaves the back of the mouth with a warming alcohol sensation and a tingle. Once the bitterness and alcohol mellow out a bit, it does have some very pleasant spice hops and toastiness.
     I'm not feeling this one.  One of my key components of making a big alcohol IPA is the ability to mask it.  That's not to say it shouldn't be there, as it is part of the style, but it shouldn't be the defining characteristic. 
 

Sprecher Brewing Company's Black Bavarian Schwarzbier

    
     First off, I have to say thanks to my brother for not liking "dark beer" and giving me this.  This review is taken from notes and won't be too detailed.  It is a super dark black; no hue.  Hardly any head was produced and what did surface drained just as fast.  Aroma is a very overpowering richness.  A very full, chocolatey hit to the nose.  Very sharp malt, almost to the hint of licorice.  Not too roasty.  Sweet caramel. 
     Hits the mouth a tad on the dry side and super roasty.  Malt is primarily dominated with rich caramel and smooth chocolate.  Hints of burnt malt.  Definitely a noticeable bitterness with some subtle herbal, spice hop flavors.  Very clean aftertaste; nothing lingers.  Strong carbonation helps to lift and carry the light body.
     Pretty spot on for the style.  Can't say I've had a lot of Schwarzbier, but this seems pretty impressive from what I do know.  Would drink again (and again and again).

Mt. Shasta Brewing Co.'s Mountain High IPA

    
     It pours a very nice honey color.  Got about a finger worth of head and it seems to be holding very well due to a very lively carbonation.  Hazy.  Decent lacing and solid retention after about 10 minutes.  Huge hop aroma.  Very floral, earthy, and piney.  A strong spice, too.  The aroma is similar to smelling fresh hops off the vine.  Some bready malt comes through carried by a strong yeast presence.   Overall the aroma is just dominated by a warming herbal quality.
      You're introduced up front to some nice caramel malt; not too sweet, not too dry.  This is quickly overtaken by an intense astringent hop bitterness.  I'm a huge hophead and bitterness is rarely something that makes a strong impression on me, but this thing will make any beer drinker pucker a bit.  Beyond the bitterness, there are some spicy herbal flavors.  Very oily; coats the mouth thickly.  The only time any citrus seems to shine through is in the aftertaste.  Strong carbonation helps carry the thin body.
     I'm not too crazy about this one, though I will say I definitely enjoy the strong bitterness.  Being a California brewery, you might expect more West Coast IPA character here, but they were definitely going for something a bit different. 

Laughing Dog Brewing's Cream Ale

    
     Another review for Laughing Dog.  I'll always have a soft spot for this brewery, though I haven't had any of their stuff in a while.  I'll be attending the 2011 Oregon Brewer's Fest and will definitely be checking out their booth.  Hear they are going to have an imperial coffee porter.  Can't wait to see their take on it.  Anyway, I've had this once before, but it was about a year ago, and it certainly wasn't my first drink of the night.  I'm not crazy on cream ales, but I remember really liking this one.  Let's see how it holds up.
     It's a very light straw color.  Pretty hazy.  Seems to be decently carbonated but can't hold a head.  Sweet malt on the nose.  Little sour and sharp citrus.  Just a bit toasty, too.  Some well-balanced herbal, grassy hops.  Has a very pilsner-like aroma. 
     If I had to describe the taste of this beer in one word it would be "subtle".  It's incredibly smooth and just goes down like water.  What does stick out are some faint notes of sweet, grainy malt and a stronger presence of earthy hops.  Dry.  Definitely tasting some of the toasted malt, but it is all so minimal.  Bitterness is low, but it definitely has a strong hop flavor, like all of their beers (regardless of style).  Body is pretty thin for a cream ale.
     This is definitely a great session beer. Far from a traditional cream ale. Not something I would run out for, but would definitely be a great BBQ beer.  I can't imagine anybody who likes beer wouldn't drink this, which you can take as either a positive or negative I guess. 

El Toro Brewing Co.'s El Toro Oro Golden Ale (English Pale Ale)

  
   It's kind of hard to go wrong with El Toro Brewing.  Their oatmeal stout is impressive and they just have some all around great stuff.  Something I find interesting about this one is that it is labeled as a golden ale, which typically means something much different than a pale ale in the States, yet it won the 1994 gold award for English pale ale at GABF (proudly displayed on the label).  Just goes to show how interpretive beer styles can be.
     The first thing I notice upon pouring is that it is extremely well-carbonated and produced nearly two fingers worth of solid head.  Looks fizzy, but the strong carbonation is holding it very well.  It's a very light orange, almost yellow color.  Hazy.  Very strong hop aroma.  Earthiness and spice really shine through.  Some sweet, honey malt blends well.  Rich bready malt, too, like a dessert cake. 
     Hits the top of the tongue a little dry and quickly blends into some faint caramel and subtle herbal hop spiciness.  Bitterness is low, and overall it is is very sessionable.  Has a really pronounced honey quality.  Body is incredibly thin and lively.  Some herbal flavors linger in the back of the throat and washes away with some breadiness.
     A fine brew.  Definitely nailed the English quality of this beer. Flavor is strong yet goes down smooth.  The only thing it truly lacks as a classic English pale is the body.  It's very thin and watery.