Wow – This Strong, Barrel Aged Sour beer is nearly perfect – It pours dark amber in color and is rich, strong, sour, sweet all rolled together. It is extremely well balanced and is sour but not overly acetic, full bodied with hints of vanilla, oak and cherry, and makes you want to just keep... Read More
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Susan Ruud
Beer Judge
Susan Ruud is a Grand Master IV BJCP judge and holds a mead certification. She has been judging and making beer, mead and cider since 1996 and assisted in creating the Mead judge exam for the BJCP and was the assistant exam director from 2006 to 2013. Susan was on the American Homebrewers Association Governing Committee from 2000 to 2017 and has held the office of secretary for this organization for many years. She has been a judge for the Great American Beer Festival since 2000.
Susan is married with two children and three grandchildren and works at North Dakota State University doing agricultural research in potatoes and canola. She has been there since 1990 and hopes to retire in the next year or so to work full time at the Meadery her husband and her have opened, Prairie Rose Meadery.
My reviews
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
20 / 20
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Eight Pounds Per BBL by Seven Stills Brewery & Distillery was pleasant, easy drinking beer judged as a BJCP category 21B - Specialty IPA: New England IPA. Initial aroma was of a light citrus hop followed by bready, crackery malt and green leafy notes and orange, citrus esters. This beer was... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
This is a delightful amber lager with a huge fresh hop aroma – as though the hops came straight from the vine – with a soft toasty malt aroma behind, enticing you to take a sip. It has a crisp, clean, toasty malt backbone blended with an earthy hop flavor. The aggressive and lingering yet... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Peace Tree Brewing Company's Blonde Fatale is a wonderful Belgian Blonde Ale and is being evaluated as 2015 BJCP Category 25A. The upfront aroma has light fermentation phenolics and pear-like esters. There is a light sweet malt behind with a low pleasant alcohol to tie it all together. On first... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Devil's Advocate by Church Street Brewing Co. is a wonderful Belgian Golden Strong Ale that was judged under BJCP Category 25C. This beer presented with a lovely golden color, just a slight haze and a huge white head with lacing. The aroma gave off light peppery notes, light phenolics and... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
This beer features a pleasant, grainy aroma that jumps out at you, followed by hints of roastiness, chocolate and minor hints of hops. A pleasantly dry roasted malt flavor finishes out the flavor with just a touch of light hopping. With a lighter body than American brown beer syles, typical of... Read More