First Beer Tasting Recap

The results of the tasting were as follows (from top avg score to low avg score)

1. Young's Double Chocolate Stout (8.5)
2. Green Flash West Coast IPA (7.9)
3. Chimay Premiere (7.5)
4. Rogue Mocha Porter (7.5)
5. Bayhawk Chocolate Porter (7.36)
6. Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye (7.15)
7. Lost Coast Pale Ale (7.0)
8. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (6.2)
9. Full Sail Pale Ale (4.9)

Granted, there were 7 of us total and really only me out of the all the participants is a beer fanatic. I have gotten two of my friends into tasting/buying different things but they don't really have an urge to LEARN about each beer, its history, or beer in general (ie, one friend thinks the stuff on the bottom of a bottle-conditioned bottle is hops). So mostly it's just drink it and taste it, and remember whether they liked it or not. But I thought this would be a great opportunity to have them all try a diverse lineup of beers so they could learn a bit about how beers can be different. What I learned, and what the ratings reflect, is that some people at the table really love rich porters/stouts and despise hoppier beers, while others really love hoppier beers and don't appreciate as much the porters/stouts. Some of the people not really accustomed to IPA's scored the two IPA's very low (and these are by most standards 2 of the very finest IPA's in the country).

As for my ratings, they went like this (with quick notations on some):

1. Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye (9.5) - I have had this on tap, and it is a truly fantastic beer. The hops are so fresh and perfect, and the malt/rye body is rich and complimenting.
2. Young's Double Chocolate Stout (9.5) - Better than what I remembered of the first time I had it. The most chocolaty beer I have had.
3. Green Flash West Coast I.P.A. (9.0) - All around great, aggressive, bitter IPA.
4. Rogue Mocha Porter (8.5) - Solid rich porter, with lots of chocolate malt.
5. Chimay Premiere (8.0) - The first time I tried this. One of the less interesting Dubbels I've had. Not sure why I scored this so high yesterday.
6. Lost Coast Pale Ale (7.0) - One of those pale ales that falls in the not too bad, not too great categories. I would welcome it if I saw it on tap at one of those places that only carries Sam Adams at best, but I wouldn't pick it out of a Yardhouse or Delirium Cafe lineup.
7. Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (7.0) - Not near as good as Damnation. Not nearly as good as Delirium Tremens, Avery Salvation, Piraat, or Duvel either.
8. Bayhawk Chocolate Porter (6.5) - Amazing aroma of powdered bittersweet cocoa. Taste doesn't match up though. Thin body and sourish/tangy taste that has a bit of chocolate trying to cover it up. 9. Full Sail Pale Ale (5.0) - a bit astringent in the hop aroma as well as taste. I could still try this fresh from a tap, but I don't believe it'd be different out of any other bottle.