Touch of Brett Mandarina by Alesong Brewing and Blending is a Brettanomyces-fermented farmhouse-style beer and is being judged as a Brett Beer (category 28A from the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Brett beers are noted for their distinctive wild yeast characters from a Brettanomyces... Read More
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Michael Heniff
Beer Judge
Mike brewed his first few homebrew batches in college in 1994 and began regularly brewing in 1997. Since then, he has brewed over 150 batches of beer, mead, and cider. He has won over 200 medals and numerous major awards in competitions across the country. His highest accomplishments include winning the Templeton Award (most points) of the Dixie Cup (one of the largest single-site homebrew competitions in the world) a record four times, Gulf Coast Homebrewer of the Year, and Lone Star Circuit Homebrewer of the Year. He has had his recipes brewed at commercial breweries seven times.
Mike particularly enjoys traveling to find new beers. He has made numerous travels abroad to find great beer, most frequently to Belgium and Germany. He has logged over 6800 beers in his tasting journal, including over 620 beers from Belgium alone. Mike has had brewing and beer travel articles published by Brew Your Own and Zymurgy magazines.
Mike is a current member of the Houston Foam Rangers Homebrew Club where he has held numerous officer positions. He was also the founding President of the Lone Star Circuit and a former long time officer. He currently ranks as a Grand Master III BJCP judge. He has judged in over 70 competitions across the United States, frequently serving on Best of Show panels.
My reviews
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Pouring a beautiful, crystal-clear golden, this ale firmly holds a tall white stand of foam. The aroma highlights traditional spicy and herbal noble hops but with a slight hint of a citrus character. Light bready malt complements the hop aroma with an extremely clean fermentation that avoids... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Christmas Island by Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is a spiced and barrel-aged Imperial Stout and is being evaluated as a Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (category 33B from the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Specialty Wood-Aged Beers are aged in spirit barrels and should... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
19 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Five Week Sail by Arches Brewing is a Baltic Porter and is being judged as a Baltic Porter (category 9C from the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Baltic Porter is a style that originated in countries along the North Sea with historical ties back to the porters and stouts that were being made in... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
6 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
Two common issues with session IPAs are a lack of hop intensity or expressing a thin, watery body. I'm happy to report those two problems are not evident here! The aroma is prominently hoppy with qualities of tangerine, lychee and flowers. In the flavor, the malt provides just a hint of flavor... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Heavenly Helles by Church Street Brewing Co. is a Munich Helles and is being evaluated as a Munich Helles (category 4A in the 2015 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Munich Helles are golden lagers with a moderate pils malt character with a slight hop presence throughout.... Read More