The Tipplers' Night In ... Review by Deebag

it's been a week and a half since our epic beer-a-thon. I thought that since these various ales, wits, stouts, and porters were so good, I'd remember all the fine details and subtleties to them. unfortunately, after sampling 14 of them, my brainbox was left to rely on the progressively illegible notes that I had made that evening. the other Tipplers have weighed in, some more poetic than others (literally), but here's what I thought. (I'll do my best to get the beer names & websites correct):

3 Monts (Brasserie De Saint-Sylvestre) 8.5% alc/vol
the aroma was straight-up apple for me and was reminiscent of Strongbow cider. very light in colour with a dense, foamy head. a balanced taste that coats the whole mouth. sweet fruit and apple tastes. B+

Oro de Calabaza Artisan Golden Ale (Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales) 8%
I think that I ruined this beer for everyone. as soon as I tasted it, I yelled "PICKLES!", because that's all I could taste. loads of foam, very cloudy in colour (like real apple juice/cider). after the pickle taste, there was a bitter after taste that lasted and lasted. my notes say, "unique - not sure if I could do it again". B-

Delirium Tremens (Huyghe Brewery) 8%
a beer named after alcohol withdrawal that's packaged in a clay bottle with pink elephants and dancing sunglassed alligators on it?! Tom Cruise must've been drinking this stuff on the set of Risky Business. there was no head and loads of sediment - but, I should point out that I got the last pour from the bottle. the other Tipplers had far different pours than me. this one had the most substantial malt of the first beers sampled. with the heavier malt was a slight fish taste (in a good way). again, my profound notes just say, "yum!". A

Traquair House Ale (Traquair House) 7.2%
the aroma was of dark liquors such as rum with some maple syrup. the colour was the same as Dr. Pepper (which I believe is the same colour as Coke, Pepsi or any other cola. I'm not sure why my mind raced to the Doctor first). the comforting deep roasted malts tasted of chocolate. the hops balanced these malts off well and lingered for a bit. B+

Unibroue 17 (Unibroue) 10%
I've been holding on to this anniversary bottle since last Christmas and it was well worth the wait. it poured with just a little bit of head and had an undetermined sweet aroma. it wasn't a fruit aroma -- brown sugar, maybe? sweet at first, then some spice and then a yeasty mouth coating. loads and loads of malt, hops, and alcohol heat! the over-the-topness of the 17 reminded me of a Dogfish Head beer. this one is a true dark winter ale. A

Bourbon County Brand Stout (Goose Island Beer Co.) 13%
no head, no carbonation, and no light is getting through this - the motor oil of beer. all that I can say is malts, malts, malts - they are thick and heavy in this stout. this is where my favourite beer note was made. I wrote, "I'M PARALYZED - make sure to emphasize that in the review". B (but, I'd like to try a whole bottle to figure this one out as this was a small 355ml bottle split 5 ways)
my notes for the next 3 beers have very little info and are as follows (word for word):

Pike Tandem Double Ale (Pike Brewing Co.) 7.5% | ice tea colour; taste:fish (?)
Sara Buckwheat Ale (Brasserie De Silenrieux) 6% | aroma:weed; taste:Belgian beer for someone that likes Kokanee.
Limfjord's Porter (Thisted Bryghus) 7.9% | thick-ass head; aroma:smoke; taste:BBQ.

for some reason a bit of clarity came with the notes on the last two selections.
Blue Dot Double IPA (Hair of the Dog Brewing Co.) 7%
the aroma was HUGE on this one... ultra citrusy. the citrus continues right through the tasting. floral hops are thoughout the taste too - the start, middle, and finishing hops play very well with the citrus. a classic Westcoast IPA. A-

Kiwanda Cream Ale (Pelican Brewery) 5.1%
a treat after so many high-octane brews, this cream ale hit the spot. it has to be the strangest cream ale that I've ever seen; it's colour is golden like a lager. there wasn't much of note in the aroma. did Ben just pour a lager into this Pelican bottle and reseal it? hmm... I wonder. I liked the taste at the time, but this is as much a cream ale as Alexander Keith's is an IPA. anyway, I'd like to give this one another shot when I am less drunk, as Pelican's other beer is amazing.