204. New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

This is another beer from my Wisconsin trade and the first bottle that was dipped in wax to seal the cap. Makes for a very interesting bottle. New Glarus is a very well established craft brewer in Wisconsin. They started brewing in 1993 and still distribute only in Wisconsin so if you want to try their beer you will have to take a road trip or find a trading partner. 
The Wisconsin Belgian Red is one of 6 year round beers made by New Glarus. The beer pours a very deep red with nice white head. Aroma is amazing, full on cherry, no beer or alcohol smell, just a sweet tart cherry smell. Taste follows the nose, very sweet cherry flavors almost candy like at the beginning and turning slightly tart at the end. Nothing but cherry and with the low alcohol content, higher than normal carbonation you could almost pass this off as a cherry soda. Generally I am not a big fruit beer drinker but if you like cherries you would like this beer.

199. Lakefront IPA

Another quality IPA but this one comes from a brewery in Wisconsin - Lakefront Brewery. This brewery has been around since 1987 so it was certainly one of the early craft brewers. They are known for one of the best brewery tours and actually have their tour posted on Youtube. Kind of a neat thing for a brewery to do. This one has a great color to it very bright orange with a huge white head. Tons of aroma with lots of fruity and floral hops, probably one of the best smelling beers I have had. Taste has every with lots of flavorful hops including citrus, floral and pine. The malts are there too to balance things out and the dry finish leaving you wanting more. I only bought a single at Bangor Wine & Cheese but wish I had more. 
Pros: Aroma, Well balance hoppy taste

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 6.9% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating:  
Brewers Website: Lakefront Brewery

Brewers Description: Pours a hazy orange with a rocky white head that lasts, and leaves soft lace on your glass as you sip this refreshing beer. American Cascade and Chinook hops dominate the aroma, yielding a citrusy, floral bouquet. The hops give a nice bitter bite to the flavor, but this beer is surprisingly well balanced with a full body and smooth malty flavor to back up the hops. It finishes smooth and crisp with a lingering hop flavor reminiscent of fresh ruby red grapefruit.
Goes well with any spicy food, historically Indian food as well as Thai, Cajun, or Mexican. Try our IPA with Buffalo wings, blackened chicken or pepperoni pizza. Beef dishes or fried seafood can stand up to the hops as well. Ideal Serving Temp: 54-56° F

173. Capital Brewing Autumnal Fire

This is another from my beer trade and not something you can find in the North East. Capital Brewery is located in Wisconsin and brews German style beers with lots of lagers and in this case a doppelbock. Autumnal Fire is a limited release beer brewed in the fall. Beer has a great fall color to it very similar yo most Octoberfest beers, clear not cloudy and a solid light tan head. Aroma is of dark fruit, raisin and maybe a bit of caramel from the malts. Taste has lots of malt, maybe a little vanilla and just a touch of hops. A good beer and different than most others I have been drinking in the past couple of months.
Pros: 

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 7.8% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Capital Brewing

Brewers Description: A blazing rich beer, this is a doppelbock based on an Octoberfest personality. Warm and intriguing, the perfect "Brandy Snifter" beer.

171. Ale Asylum Bedlam

This is the fifth of 12 beers from the Wisconsin beer trade I received last week and I am really excited to try the rest of them. This one probably should get a higher rating but it was not quite as good as the Double Trouble reviewed earlier this week so 3.5 stars is what it gets. I really should change up my rating system but having already reviewed 170 beers it may be too late for that. Appearance is a nice deep orange (not as bright as Double Trouble) but has a similar aroma. Strong grapefruit and fresh hops. Taste is sweet but well balanced with plenty of fruits and hops which is what I would expect from a Belgian IPA. High ABV but that is masked well with all the flavor of the beer. 
Pros: Aroma, taste

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 7.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Ale Asylum

Brewers Description: An amalgamation of styles, Bedlam! was made on the condition that if our brewmaster (a style purist) didn’t like the first batch, it would go down the drain, never to see the light of day. Since that day, it has gone on to become our most popular seasonal. One beeradvocate.com member by the name of “Cokes” summed up the Bedlam! experience quite nicely:

167. New Glarus Spotted Cow

So far I am really enjoying Wisconsin beer and I have not even got to the best stuff yet. This is another selection from New Glarus, 2 more to go but both are fruit beer bombers so those will wait for another day. This one is a very drinkable cream ale. Color is a deep yellow/light orange with a fair amount of carbonation. Lots of grassy aroma and I have not had enough cream ales to compare but this one seems to be a good indication of what the style should be. Sweet taste with a bit of maltiness in there, maybe some corn in there too which is unusual but flavorful. Overall this was a very drinkable beer that I enjoyed and would not have minded having a second or third. 
Pros: Original style

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 4.8% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: New Glarus

Brewers Description: Cask conditioned ale has been the popular choice among brews since long before prohibition. We continue this pioneer spirit with our Wisconsin farmhouse ale. Brewed with flaked barley and the finest Wisconsin malts. We even give a nod to our farmers with a little hint of corn.
Naturally cloudy we allow the yeast to remain in the bottle to enhance fullness of flavors, which cannot be duplicated otherwise. Expect this ale to be fun, fruity and satisfying. You know you're in Wisconsin when you see the Spotted Cow.

166. New Glarus Black Top

This is the first of 12 beers I received as part of my first beer trade. I found someone on ratebeer.com that was looking for Maine Beer Company offerings and I shipped a mix of 12 beers from Maine, NH and Mass and he shipped me 12 beers from Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. It was great to get home from work to a package of beer from another part of the country. Included were 4 options from New Glarus. Their Black Top is a Black IPA and it is excellent.Pours an almost black color with tan head that leaves excellent lacing on the glass. Aroma has a bit of everything starting off with some roasted malts and hops and a bit of citrus, pine in the end. The hops are up front in the taste but quickly balanced out. The beer is smooth, easy to drink and I enjoyed every last drop. A great start to my beer trading. 
Pros: Color, aroma, taste

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 6.9% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: New Glarus

Brewers Description: We invite you to discover this newest beer style Black IPA. Political debate rages over the origins of this jet black beer as both coasts feel they deserve credit. Our Black Top is a pleasant road connecting Villages and Communities statewide on a ride of Black IPA discovery.
Expect this beer to pour a hop forward jet black glass brimming with aromatic bitterness. Brewmaster Dan skillfully weaves molasses and chocolate malt undertones with a soaring rush of clean citrus and pine hop notes, to deliver a drinkable Black IPA. Savor Black Top, like Wisconsin’s miles of licorice ribbons of ink that meander through armies of corn and bovine mowed fields. Enjoy the journey on a road less traveled.

153. Boatswain H.L.V. Ale

This is the third and final beer from Trader Joe's in Portland. 2 of them are exclusive to Trader Joes and unlike the Hefeweizen reviewed previously this one may not have been worth the $2.50 I paid for it. The color is a great dark brown almost black, aroma is not all that pleasant with some malt and hops. Taste is a bit bland with nothing that really stands out. Decent alcohol content so after a 22 oz bottle you certainly feel it. A cheap buzz but not much else from this one. 
Pros: High ABV

Cons: Bland

Alcohol Content: 7% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: 

Brewers Description: 

49. Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest

I had never heard of Leinenkugel's before and I guess I was not missing anything. After pouring this beer I thought I was going to get something of quality as the color is great, poured with a nice head and leaves a nice lace on the glass as you drink but the beer itself is poor at best. Almost flavorless, slight skunky smell and just generally poor. Not a fan and will not be back for more. 
Pros: Color
Cons: Taste (or lack of)
Alcohol Content: 5.1% ABV
Calories: 170
IBU (Bitterness): 20
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Leinenkugel's
Brewers Description: A true Marzen-style bier - malts: blend of pale, caramel and munich. Hops: Tettnang, Perle, Cluster and Hallertau. Serving temperature: 45 degrees. Availability: September and October

36. R.J. King Wingwalker Pale Ale

This one was a big disappointment. Not sure what I was expecting but it was certainly something better than this. I should have known when it was a twist top that the quality was not going to be good but the label made it appear to be a small brewer which apparently does not mean it is a quality beer. The smell was about the only good thing about this one as it did have a slight citrus smell after pour but the taste was mediocre at best, lots of carbonation and an aftertaste that 5 minutes after I am done is still lingering. I would not recommend this beer and am not looking forward to the Wingwalker Lager that I have in the fridge. Glad I only bought a single and not entire 6 or 12 pack. 

Pros: Aroma

Cons: Bad flavor, aftertaste, overly carbonated

Alcohol Content: 5.4% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: R.J. Wingwalker

Brewers Description: Ah...the master showmen of aviation acrobatics. Performing in an era when flight was freedom, these competitive daredevils performed breathtaking feats as they "one upped" each other with their signature tricks. Wingwalkers brought excitement to the County Fairs of the 1920's as they whet the appetites of those spectators yearning for adventure! 

"Wet" your appetite for adventure with one of the trailblazing beer styles in the R. J. King Wingwalker portfolio.