The ones that got away.

In this post I will highlight some commercial beers I have had in the past few months but forgot to review. Some of my flavor memories are gone now, so I will write up what I remember.
New Belgium- Mighty Arrow.
This is a good American Pale ale. Nice bitterness and great floral hoppiness, though right on the edge of being too much for my tastes. This is a seasonal release available only in the spring. The story on the label is heartbreaking. It'll probably run around 8 dollars for a six pack, and it is worth a try if you see it.
New Belgium- Blue Paddle.
This is New Belgium's Pilsner and it is great. Very refreshing, great malt flavor with the accents of noble hops tasted and felt through out the glass. I would say if you are looking for an authentic Pilsner, this would be something to buy over imports. It'll probably be fresher and didn't journey halfway around the world to get to you. A six pack will run you around 8 and it is a must try.
Avery Brewing- Karma.
The label states this to be a Belgian farmhouse style ale. I totally disagree with that, as it doesn't taste like it at all. Not a bad beer, but also not very remarkable. Very light. You'll probably find this for 7-9 dollars in a six pack. Maybe worth a try, but not if you are looking for something Belgian style.
Boulevard Brewing- Lunar Ale.
This is an interesting take on a red/brown ale. It is not sweet like Newcastle, not hoppy like some others. It was brewed with wheat, so I can say it tastes like a tart version of a wheat beer, but with more body from the barley. I didn't like the first bottle all that much, but it grew on me and I finished the six pack wishing there were a few more. This would be a great summer beer. Expect to see it for around 8 dollars. If you are a fan of wheat beers, definitely give this a try for something a bit different.
New Belgium/Boon- Transatlantic Kriek.
This beer is a dark ruby red. It is made of Kriek brewed in Belgium by Boon and a pale ale brewed in Colorado by New Belgium. They are blended together and bottled here. The Boon lambic is definitely sweetened in some manner and this beer does not have that tart edge you would expect from a traditional lambic. Very candy like and somewhat one dimensional. I think a better thing to do would be to age la Folie with some cherries at New Belgium and release that. It was somewhere around 13 dollars for this bottle. I think it would be worth spending a dollar or two more and getting a true lambic from Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen, or spending a few dollars less and buying Liefmans Kriek.
Newcastle- Brown Ale.
After a big marketing push, you can find this beer all over the place. A coworker recently told me he felt that this beer has gotten sweeter in recent times. That could be, but I really can't say for sure. This is one of my all time favorites. Nice malt character with a crisp minerality from the water using in brewing. Light hop accentuation and a bit of sweetness. Very drinkable. Expect to pay 7 for a six pack, 13 for a 12. Worth every penny.
Coniston Brewing- Bluebird Bitter.
WOW! I was so psyched when I saw this at a local liquor store. I have had it once before and found it to be one of the best beers I have ever had at that time. I was very disappointed. The malt flavors and great floral hoppiness that I remembered were not there at all. That could have something to do with the freshness of this bottle. It had dust on it and who knows how long it had been sitting there? I found my home brewed bitter (which is a clone of this) to be much better, though not as good as the first time I had this. I think I got it for around 5 bucks. That would be a steal if you saw it somewhere that has a high turnover. I knew what I was getting into by buying a dust covered bottle, but had to anyway. It was ok, but I would recommend something like Fullers over it at most places. I imagine drinking this in the UK out of a hand pump would be a sublime experience.
De Dolle Brouwers- Dulle Teve 10.
The name of this beer means 'mad bitch' in English. HA! This is a tripel made with candy sugar added in. I got this at the same place as the Bluebird, and again found myself wondering how long it had been sitting there for. There was a large amount of floating sediment in the bottle and in my glass. Not my favorite beer. Maybe again the freshness issue came into play. I believe it was around 5 bucks for a bottle. The other De Dolle beers I have had have been fantastic. This one kind of meh.
Bear Republic- Racer 5.
I never would have tried this on my own, but a friend of a friend said my bitter reminded her of this beer. I don't really care for IPA's but this one wasn't bad at all. Of course massive hoppiness, but also had a nice malt flavor there to compliment it. Still a bomber of it was a bit much for me. I think it was around 7 dollars, and definitely worth a try.
Bavik- Petrus Oud Bruin.
I had this so long ago I don't really remember much of what it tasted like. This is a mix of Petrus aged pale and a sweeter brown beer. If it were up to me, I would rather have the aged pale any day. I am finding I don't really care for this style of beer all that much. But if I were to buy it, I would look for either this or Liefmans Goudenband. I think this was 4 and change for a bottle.
Bavik- Petrus Gouden Tripel.
I don't really remember much of the flavor profile of this beer, but I do remember liking it. I think it was between 4-5 for a bottle.
Boddington's pub ale.
This is another bitter from the UK. It is very creamy and has a nice velvety mouth feel, but is unspectacular otherwise. Little hop perception, little malt perception. For a much better bitter look for Fullers, Bluebird Bitter (as long as it is fresh), or maybe Old Speckled Hen.
Unibroue- 10.
The somewhat hilariously named Unibroue (guess it means something else there!) released this beer for their tenth anniversary. I believe they were possibly the first Belgian style brewery operating in North America, but New Belgium may have beat them to it.
Anyway, this bottle has some history. I remember when it was released in 2002, I read on Unibroue's website that it could potentially age for up to ten years or more. I bought two bottles and drank one then, and told myself I would keep the other bottle for as long as I could up to ten years. It has travelled with me from Philadelphia to St. Louis back to Philly and finally to Colorado. I decided to open it up for the fifth year anniversary of the end of my cancer treatment. It made it a little more than eight years after it had been brewed. The cork came out with a pop, and there was plenty of carbonation in this beer. It tasted like a slice of heaven. Too bad, because I will never have another one. It was probably around 10 bucks then. Now I doubt you could find it anywhere.