Vantucky Pale Ale by Heathen Brewing was judged as an American IPA (BJCP Cat. 21A) and had a wonderful earthy upfront hop aroma blended with a low crackery malt with a hint of toast and caramel behind. Light esters of pear and cherry are blended throughout. It was a beautiful golden color with a... 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:
20 / 24
Flavor:
35 / 40
Mouthfeel:
7 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
21 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
This beer starts off with a huge chocolate aroma with a pleasant level of coconut blended in with the aroma and flavor. This is smoothly balanced with a hint of rye malt in the background giving a graham cracker perception that is quite wonderful. With all of the coconut and cracker flavors... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
This beer was judged as an American Pale Ale – BJCP category 18B from the 2015 guidelines and is a beautiful light copper color with a huge, thick white head and fine bubbles. It initially showed a huge citrus, lemon and pine hop and grainy pale malt aroma. With the first sip you get a pleasant... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Transcend IPA by Heathen Brewing was judged as an American IPA (BJCP Cat. 21A). The beer had a huge citrus hop aroma, hints of crackery malt and no noticeable esters. There was also a pleasant alcohol aroma and low hints of diacetyl. It presented itself as a light-golden copper color, had a huge... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
This beer has a wonderful aroma of spicy Belgian phenolics with light toasty malt blended in along with some pleasant raisin-like esters. There is no discernible hop aroma. The flavor matches the aroma well, although the alcohol jumps out and is quite warming. There are no hop flavors and the... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Judged as a 2015 BJCP 6C Dunkles Bock. This is a wonderful beer with a lively toasty malt aroma and flavor. There was no hop aroma or flavor and just enough hop bitterness to keep the malt from being too sweet. A clean beer with great body and a smooth, pleasant finish. This is the perfect beer... Read More