He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny Rye I.P.A.

Named in honor of trailblazing comedian Lenny Bruce, this spectacular beverage is an Indian Pale Ale made with rye malts and aged in rye whiskey barrels. Poured the color of a slightly worn copper penny, with the head taking up the whole glass and retreating gradually like a slow-motion reverse waterfall. Super-sweet caramel juxtaposed with the heat of the 10% ABV assaults the nostrils and taste buds right off the bat.  Balancing a toastiness from the rye malts is an assertive citrussy-pine from the hops. Apricots, prunes and black cherries make an appearance later on. Like so many special edition crafts, this isn't your everyday-Husker-tailgate-party beer, but a brew to be savored and sipped to take in every nuance. Truly "The Chosen Beer".

Summit Oktoberfest

Medium-dark amber color, two-finger head. Sweet taste in the first few sips, some toasty maltiness as it went down. Maybe a little pumpernickel. Nothing out of the ordinary, but representative of the style, easily a 7.5 out of ten.

That was last year's review. I believe that they've tweaked the recipe since then. When I first tasted it tonight I thought: "Wow, that's the best Oktoberfest that I've had this season!" It seems to be more hoppy than last year, with some caramel as well. Good stuff; Summit is definitely inching onto the Can't-go-wrong-with list

Weyerbacher Seventeen

Every year Weyerbacher releases a special brew to celebrate their anniversary...and obviously this is the seventeenth! Every year it's different and it's a surprise that I look forward to. This year we get a Saison brewed with spices. It poured a deep ripe apricot color with all manner of tastes and aromas swirling around: apples, peaches, pears, orange peel, and even a little pepper. 10.5% ABV, but not overwhelming, sweetly smooth. Looking for more on the backside, I'm getting a little over-ripe banana soaked in whiskey. Heavy, thick mouthfeel, nice end-of-the-day beverage.

Sága IPA

Another gift from one of my favorite craft beer reps, Sága is named after the Norse Goddess Sága who was (Summit says) the drinking companion of Odin. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A1ga_and_S%C3%B6kkvabekkr ) Okey-Dokey; whatever the reason for the name (and what better name for an ale than that of a goddess?) this is a fine IPA. It pours a peach color with a white head that you could walk across without sinking. Grapefruit and pine tickle the tongue right off the bat...but wait - there's more~! Tropical fruits, including pineapple and mango cavort across the taste buds and excite the senses as the hop bitterness gives Sága a kick and a half. Recommended for newly minted IPA fans like John Joyce.

Velvet Rooster from Tallgrass

Another goofy-looking can with a tasty beer inside! Billed as a Belgian Trippel - you can detect the smooth taste of the Belgian yeast, but it's almost like a cross between a Belgian and a pale ale. I mean, you can feel the extra alcohol (8.5%) - but there's not the extra taste that one might expect from a Trippel. Okay, despite all my caveats, this is a pretty good beer. Even if it does come in a foo-foo can.

8-Bit Pale Ale

According to the Tallgrass website, 8-Bit is "hop rocketed" - extra hops are infused at the end of the brewing cycle. You definitely get smacked in the mouth by the hops - Australian Galaxy hops according to their press release - but there is some more going on than just hops. 8-Bit's appearance is middle-of-the-road average, and orange-to-golden hue with a medium white head that recedes quickly to leave lacing all over the glass. Kind of heavy, despite the light coloring. There are some notes of citrus fruits and mangoes. The malt side is kind of biscuity, with a dryness that you might expect from a pale ale. Overall a pretty solid offering. Make sure it's ice cold - I found the taste more appealing in the lower temps.

Empyrean Ales' Aries Märzen Oktoberfest

Replacing the Fallfest Ale of previous years, this year's fall seasonal from Empyrean is a true Oktoberfest; in other words it's a lager, cold fermented and stored cold from March until now. In fact, that's what Märzen means: "March". Traditionally brewed and stored in March and sprung upon an unsuspecting world from August to October. Pouring a beautiful deep copper color, with a frothy caramel hued head, there's some complexity happenin' here. Definitely some hoppiness at the back of the tongue, with some breadiness and a toasted malt aftertaste. Spicier than the Sam Adams, but a fine example of the style. Who who wouldn't want a beer that has a flaming ram's skull on the label.