Finally having a Duo beer with Ryan. This one is from Straight to Ale a really good Huntsville Alabama brewery. A wheat ale with blueberries, interesting. My beer had an average head but Ryan's was coming out of the top of the glass. Could smell blueberries and a natural sweetness. It has a slightly hazy dark orange color. First sip brings an overabundance of effervescence. Flavor is much more like a farmhouse ale with wild berries. The wheat ale malt definitely stands out. Only late in the finish do I get a touch of blueberry. Has a natural sweetness that reminded me of tasting honeysuckle in my youth. A plant-based sweetness rather than natural honey. I love the brewery but I'm not fond of this beer. Too much effervescence and not enough blueberry.

Took this beer to Texas for Ryan to try on a Duo. It's from a brewery in Huntsville Alabama that we have been to so this will be special for him. Monkeynaut is there flagship beer so this is an imperial version. Of course it's super hazy, strong citrus aroma of grapefruit, lemon peel, and some sweetness. Mouthfeel is definitely heavy, almost syrupy. Coats the inside of the mouth. Grapefruit, yes lemon peel, and raw honey, unrefined. Flavor is strong in intensity and the bitterness level is on the high side. But the malt.... It's so heavy. This is like new clean citrus motor oil. I know there are people that like a lot of punch in their IPAs like I do with my imperial stouts. This beer is definitely made for them. But not for me. Can't give it a bad rating because I think they did what they set out to do. This is probably the highest rating I've ever given for a beer that I simply cannot finish.

This is a Huntsville Alabama beer that I brought for Ryan and I to Duo. Started out with a very high frothy head. Very hazy but no particulates. Strong citrus aroma this indistinguished. Soft texture while staying crisp. Citrus flavor, of course, it is tangerine and tangerine peel. Very low in bitterness, which suits me just fine. I guess this is a New England IPA. By the middle and certainly by the finish the citrus flavor disappears. Only a small remainder of lemon pith along with a very strong malt background. This mild IPA is something I could kick back and drink plenty of. Really like it.

My daughter is having her weekend birthday and picked out this beer that I had brought from Huntsville, Alabama. Deep orange hazy color. Aroma of oranges and pine. Light and soft texture. Powerful flavor that continues the orange and a resinous pine. The pine bitterness is by far dominant and continues through the finish. During the finish, the citrus turns a bit more grapefruit. The initial flavor was good, but the overpowering pine was a bit off.

Ryan and my family made it from Texas just in time for us to lose our power during these thunderstorms. Not going to stop us from rating this Huntsville beer that I found for us. Another beer with a super high head, four times the height of the beer itself. Flavor is tart with a small degree of sour added. Overall it's watery on flavor. I don't get the pink guava at all. Red berries of unidentifiable varieties. Still has too much effervescence to be enjoyable. I love this Huntsville Brewery but I do not like this beer. The flavors are weak, can't find the guava, the sour flavor is not smooth or enjoyable for me.

I brought this Huntsville beer for Ryan and I to Duo. He really enjoyed the Straight to Ale Brewery. Pumpkin ale that has only the slightest bit of pumpkin aroma and a little bit of allspice. Fairly high head but it doesn't continue. Crystal clear deep copper color. The texture is soft and creamy, excellent. Immediately get the allspice flavor with traces of pumpkin behind it. Pretty good so far. And then comes the finish. Apparently they used a style of hops that has a citrus bitterness to it. It comes on strong and overwhelms the previous flavors. Ryan and I both agree it does not belong there and throws the beer totally out of balance. Such a promising beginning but fails in the finish for us.

Finally I Duo beer with Ryan that I supplied, this one is from Huntsville Straight to Ale Brewery. A German doppelbach. Modest head with a beautiful deep reddish brown color. Totally clear. Even the aroma gives a bready malt. Flavor brings and Amber malt, honey bread, and down below the surface a black pepper. The beginning in the middle are excellent but as it travels into the finish, the flavors drop off and leave only the black pepper. The result is you want to take another mouthful. This isn't a sipping beer. Very drinkable and at 8% very dangerous. I will definitely try to find more of this and I recommend it highly.

Sharing a Straight to Ale stout. Brings back memories of our trip to the brewery. Starts with what appears to be a very heavy texture, almost no head. Aroma of dark chocolate and alcohol. Texture is full-bodied but not as heavy as expected. Very creamy and smooth. Flavor is outstanding. Swiss dark milk chocolate with strong overtones of amaretto followed by a rich sweet coffee. Faint traces of vanilla in the background. All this is followed by a modest coffee bitterness in the finish. Excellent beer.

Good Duo beer. Son-in-law and I visited Straight to Ale and loved it. Interesting pastry stout that I took to Texas. Deep brown head, disappeared too fast. Super sweet aroma of maple and raw vanilla. Very soft and smooth texture. Powerful flavor. Huge blast of roasted malt, dark Swiss chocolate, sweet vanilla and maple syrup, followed by a rich slightly bitter French roast coffee. Each flavor complimented the other, incredibly well balanced. During the finish, the chocolate turns a little more bitter as it begins to dominate the palate. Not until the third sip does the 10.9% reveal itself in a big way, filling the nasal cavity with a pleasant burn. The taste just keeps going, lasts much longer than normal. This is a great beer. Hope I have a chance to find some more. Didn't quite max out my scale but came very close.

Enjoyed watching the Super Bowl with my son. Congratulations to Los Angeles for a great game. Very dark brown color, not completely opaque. Roasted coffee aroma. Smooth, gentle texture, not thick at all. Not as creamy as I would think a milk stout might be. Flavor is strong roasted coffee with a roasted coffee bitter kick. Finish continues this bitter deep roasted coffee quality.