Beer Ratings: Recent

1/4” bubbly white head, lingers to some nice swirly geometric lacing. Orangey-amber color.

“Diesel dankness” sounds ridiculous but I kinda get it.

Taste is nice and clear with some peachy fruitiness, but the gift is the long-lingering bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel matches the taste. Slightly oily to linger on the tongue with the bitterness.

Pitched as a summer / beach IPA by our trustworthy friends at Stone. That works for me. It’s crisp and bright, boldly flavorful and bitter.

Imagine dragging your tongue across Brooklyn thoroughfare. These hops taste like they were grown on a median. Smells like a parking garage elevator. I’ve had 13% beers that were smoother. “The best thing to happen to burgers since fries.” More like the worst thing since lettuce wraps.

A: crystal clear; medium gold in color; a 1 finger finely pored white head that receded to a wispy cap with a thick collar; no lacing;

S: dull lemony hops; a hint of lime as well;

T: lemon lime from start to finish; flavor gets brighter through the finish; mild bitterness at the end;

M: light to medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: refreshing;

Dark rusty color with plenty of off-white foam in the Kasteel chalice. Quite interesting taste composed of fruit, yeast, and something dark and earthy. It’s not at all sour, just mildly tangy, with something like raspberry and a hint of charred grain. Some seeds and stems for a mild astringency but not bitter. This is simply unique and quite drinkable. From the 12 oz can in the Belgian Beers 12-pack purchased at the supermarket. Dated 08 FEB 2026.

12 oz can

Pours a murky medium brown color, with a whispy white colored head. Aroma of sugary brown sugar and pecans. Taste is too sweet, with syrupy. Medium bodied, with a slick mouthfeel.

L-Pours a clean heavily carbonated bodied beer that is golden in color. Nice soapy fine white head.
S- Fresh pine up front, followed by mango, papaya, an strawberry on the nose. Subtle citrus is there. Grainy earthiness follows.
T- Piney and citrusy pith up front. Subtle notes of tropical mango and papaya are there. Grassy earthiness at the backend with a nice bitter bite caps off a refreshing, and solidly complex beer.
F- Medium bodied with solid carbonation.
O- This beer is really good, on all levels. It looks solid, smells great, and tastes great. I would certainly have this one again, and would love to try it on draft from the brewery one day!

Bright gold with canary yellow highlights and a minimal glow of haze. The etched bottom of the glass feeds a thin but long-lasting disk of ghost white foam. Lacing coats the glass.

The nose is muted, but offers mango, grapefruit, and a woody note.

The flavor is also rather muted, but refreshingly dry. Grapefruit pith and light black pepper ride on top of a malt base that's crisp and subdued. Notes of apricot and pineapple. Mango is there, but less than the nose suggests.

Nice lingering bitterness. Light-medium body, prickly carbonation.

Overall, this beer leaves impressions, but really doesn't have much flavor. At least it isn't sweet. I like the dry character and the bitterness, but it's not good trying to remember each sip. Surprisingly unremarkable for a year-round beer.

12oz can purchased from the fridge as part of a mix-a-six pack for approximately $13.99. There is a date code but I cannot figure out what it says.

Look: It's moderately hazy and yellowish goldish. I was not expecting the haze. I guess that I should have known better when the name of the beer is "Juicy Pale Ale." There was a short off-white head that dissipated to a thin rim around the glass.

Smell: Very ripe fruit - pineapple, mango, canned mandarin oranges packed in syrup. Some faint hop notes in the background.

Taste: Flavors on the palate very much mimic the nose. It has very strong tropical fruit / fruit cocktail flavors playing off a mildly hoppy/bitter/piney finish. I think that this beer may be oxidized.

Feel: Carbonation is the appropriate level. Perhaps a bit too prickly, but it works. The beer is a bit thin though; it has a kind of hollow core so it would have been nice if the body was a bit fuller.

Overall: This wasn't my cup of tea. It's just too sweet and the hop characteristics have been lost. They did a great job of marketing though - got me to buy it! I think that I would have liked this more if it was a more West Coast style Pale Ale.

Clear bright yellow brew with long-lasting foam in the Faust Weizen glass. Aromatic with toast and the nicest beery zing. Lush and sizzly mouthfeel. Actually quite fruity and even a little sweet. Some grainy flavor with a hint of walnuts.It all comes together with the loving kiss of hops. This is quite a delicious Pilsner that is thoroughly drinkable while having plenty of flavor to savor. From the 16 oz can purchased at Bine & Vine. Not dated.

Review: 2631
Name: Moon Sliver
Brewery: Sacred Waters Brewing Co
Location: Kalispell, MT
Style: BBA Irish Stout
ABV: 6.8%
Canned: May 2026
Date: 06 June 2026
Initial Impression:
I already tried the non-barrel-aged version of this Irish stout, and it was a wonderful showing. This one immediately piqued my interest because of the orange and cocoa nib additions, as well as the barrel treatment. I cannot recall ever having a barrel-aged Irish stout before, so I was curious to see how those elements would interact with a style that traditionally relies on restraint rather than excess.
Appearance:
Served at 52°F in a tulip. The pour created a frothy, airy light-tan head about half a finger thick with below-average retention, fading quickly and leaving thin patches of foam across the surface.
The beer pours nearly black with deep mahogany-red highlights around the edges of the glass. Fully opaque and charting around SRM 32, it presents well overall, though I was hoping for a creamier, longer-lasting head more reminiscent of a classic Irish stout.
Aroma:
Roast-forward with subtle adjunct character. The orange and cocoa nib additions are present but restrained, contributing faint notes of citrus zest and dark chocolate rather than dominating the profile.
Dark roasted malt leads with char, medium-roast coffee, dark chocolate, toasted bread crust, and light toast. Supporting aromas include earthiness, molasses, faint anise, light yeast character, and a touch of pine resin. The barrel influence is understated, showing only a gentle woody note rather than an overt spirit character.
Flavor:
The beer opens with classic stout flavors of roasted grain, bread crust, medium-dark chocolate, coffee, char, and a touch of leather. As it warms, subtle hop notes emerge, bringing hints of pine, jasmine-like florals, light grassiness, and faint fruity esters.
The adjuncts remain complementary rather than assertive. A touch of orange zest and cocoa nib adds depth and complexity without pushing the beer toward confectionery territory—earthy notes and a light woody character further round out the profile. Throughout, the roast remains the focal point while the hops, barrel, and adjuncts provide additional layers.
Mouthfeel:
Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. Lightly tannic with a touch of astringency. The finish is dry, rich, and pleasantly lingering.
Overall Impression:
The base Howling Moon was already a wonderful example of an Irish stout, and this version elevates it without losing sight of what made the original enjoyable. The barrel treatment and adjuncts are used with restraint, adding nuance rather than overwhelming the beer.
What I appreciate most is that the orange never becomes cloying or artificial. I generally dislike chocolate-orange combinations because they often taste manufactured and overly sweet. Here, the orange and cocoa nibs contribute subtle complexity while allowing the stout to remain stout.
Overall, this is a thoughtful and unique interpretation of an Irish stout/export stout hybrid. It retains the drinkability and balance of the style while offering enough barrel and adjunct character to make it distinct. I would happily sit down with another pint of this.

Poured into a narrow glass: color is is straw and not clear but not 'hazy'; head is offwhite and presents at least one finger thick, head lingers very well with at least half finger depth and plenty of lacing on glass sides.

Smell is clean with pilsner malt forward, notes of biscuit, light earth and touch of citrus.

Taste is more clean pilsner malt, touch of biscuit and earth, hint of citrus pith.

Mouthfeel is lower carbonation, moderate sweetness, low/moderate bitterness.

Overall a good beer but more blonde lager like than true 'pilsner'.

Im sampling this waxed 500 ml bottle and poured into my trusty snifter. The beer is purchased at the brewery a few months ago and has been in my cellar since.
The beer pours a black coffee color and no light passes through my glass. A dense, yet small foamy head develops about 1 cm and fades to a sturdy edge layer with some small islands floating on surface.
Aroma is dark chocolate fudge, toffee notes, some bourbon richness, a little fusol booze and maybe the faintest hint of vanilla. Pretty robust nose on this one. From the nose, I dont believe any hops were harmed in the making of this beer.
First sip reveals a much lighter body than expected with only medium thickness at best. Smooth texture and a little very fine, spacious carbonation. Beer drinks very easy (except for boozy heat!!)
Flavor is dominated by dark chocolate fudge and bourbon carries through the event. I get some decent vanilla hits here and then peppery boozy bite and heat on the swallow. If I swirl the beer in my mouth the burn is evident on my palate. Big beer is not hidden!!
Glad to have tried this one and add it to BA DB. Kinda wish I had bought a second bottle!

Ver, or worm translated was a good job, the higher malt took you there to more hops territory and a very good drinker. Thanks Phil for tossing me a can.

Poured into a weizen glass. Pours a hazy, golden orange with a fizzy, two finger white head that dissipates to nothing with only a few bubbles around the edges. Aroma of wheat, mild orange and coriander; lightly mineral. Flavor is sour wheat malt, tired orange and coriander; flavor tapers off into the acidic tart finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. This is a miss of a witbier for me. It has a subdued malt and orange flavor that does not support the acidic sourness. Most wits have some tartness, but it is balanced with the other flavors. The orange here also is like an old orange that has lost its fresh esters, so it also fails to help the balance. Coriander seems fine, if a bit stark. The fizzy disappearing head was the last strike although the color was nice..I was expecting a Blue Moon style experience, but that was a better beer even though I will probably never have one again. Yikes.

Decent IPA, despite all the powder accelerators to deliver more bitterness in a powdery way. Lunchtime accompaniment, booze seemed a stronger component than what was labelled.

OK beer, the style is very malty and even an honour of hops would help. OK for a couple of gulps. Yellow and fresh from the source, so lots of disappearing foam.

Having this beer on-tap at the brewery, this beer draws a clear, medium copper/brown color with a white head that’s about 1/4 inch thick when first drawn and served. Settles eventually to a medium sized ring lighting the inside of the glass with some small cluster swirls of foam here and there on the beer’s surface. Aromas of some toasted, bready, caramel malts along with some fruity esters of dates and a bit of plum along with a slight earthy hop presence. A very similar flavor profile, with toasted, bready, caramel malt sweetness, and some fruit notes of date and plum, that’s all rounded out with just a slight touch of earthy hops. A slightly crisp, also smooth, slightly chewy, medium body mouth feel with moderate carbonation. All of the flavors linger nicely on my palate in the aftertaste.

Look: Midnight black with a soft copper head, quick dissipation.

Smell: Chocolate, toasted marshmallows, roasted coffee beans. Not getting much of the maple syrup although there is a sweetness to the aroma.

Taste: Very complex, a bit overwhelming if I’m being honest. I get, in this (very quick) order: coffee, chocolate, raspberry, maple, booze. It does tie together at the end but it is a very complex flavor profile, almost overly so.


Feel: Packs a huge point at 14%, I dipped mine for a while. Heavy, almost creamy finish. Does get better as it warms.


Overall: It’s not my favorite offering by BB but it’s still a good and different take on a breakfast stout, and I appreciated the effort.