Boatswain H.L.V.

Ales can be intimidating at the best of times. When they come with a name like "Heavy Lift Vessel", you can be sure that you're in for a mighty pour. The good folks at Rhinelander aren't messing around with this limited edition brew, available from Trader Joe's.

Boatswain HLV
Price: $2.50 USD for 650mL

7% Alcohol/Vol.

Rhinelander Brewing Company is from Wisconsin, and has an interesting history of boom, bust, fires, and rebirth. Oddly, they no longer actually brew out of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Liars!

Drinking impression: Heavy, even by ale standards. Bitter, but appropriately so, with faint coffee tones.

Would you buy it again? No. A decent brew, and a great price, but I'm not often in the mood for something this mighty.

Would you drink two in a row? No, I lack sufficient testosterone to even attempt that.

Best time and place to drink it: Toasting yet another collapse of the Maple Leafs, and the announcement that Ron Wilson is the scape goat this time around. Perhaps I'll send him a bottle.

Out of ten: A six. If you're into big ales, give it a try, but it's not for me. Best just to leave the room and find something else before someone can take your picture.