Okay things have been a little heady around these parts lately (other than my awesome Weird Al playlist) so I think I’ll be reviewing a little bit of the strong drink.

I had the pleasure of tasting all of these over the last week or so.

Rogue’s Chipotle Ale – I have a deep and abiding love for the smoked jalapeno. For those not in the know, that’s what a chipotle pepper is. The combination of heat and smoke is a beautiful thing. So when I saw this I thought, “Why not?” Surely it would be two great tastes etc, etc. Sadly, no. While it was certainly a passable ale and at 35 IBU had a good bitterness to it, the flavor was lacking. There was a little bit of actual heat to the finish, but zero smoke. Smoke is central to the chipotle. It was also a little medicinal. Not really worth the seven buck bottle and I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it.

Rogue’s Hazlenut Brown Nectar – I was really looking forward to this one I read a review of it at the Accidental Hedonist’s site. Kate knows her stuff and the review is aces. This struck me as more of a Belgian Dubble than a straight up brown ale, due to the sweetness. It wasn’t too sweet though and the nuttiness was distinct. Would I have been able to tell it was hazlenut? Maybe not, but the combination of flavors was perfect. I’m not so sure that a non-beer drinker would like it, but perhaps if they were sitting on the fence.

Southern Tier’s Pumking – Those of you that know me and my affinity may be surprised by the following statement. This is better than Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale. Now that’s not to say that Punkin isn’t truly awesome. It’s just that it dropped a notch. If you want a beer that’s got a wallop of flavor including not just the traditional spices, but actual pumpkin here it is. At 9% ABV it’s got a good punch, so you might want to share this with a friend as it’s a big bottle.

Southern Tier’s Creme Brulee Imperial Stout – Apparently the folks at Southern Tier Brewing like them some potent flavor and potent beer. Cause this and Pumking certainly are. At 10% ABV this is another sipping beer, though there’s no burn. Open the bottle and you get a nose FULL of vanilla. It’s got a slightly oily mouthfeel and as Imperial Stouts go it’s no Sammy Smith’s. It’s very drinkable. The only odd thing is, as good as the aroma is, there’s not much of a vanilla flavor. I definitely recommend giving it a try though.