The Beer of the Month for October is Mother’s Milk Stout, brewed by Keegan Ales out of Kingston, New York. This beer is a dark beer drinker’s dream – I first tried it at Brinkley’s on Broome Street in Manhattan – a lovely place. It tastes just like it sounds – milky, a touch sweet, and delicious. It’s very dark but not particularly thick for a darker beer, and those who love Lefthand Milk Stout, Guiness, or any of the coffee-influenced darker beers will love this one. At 6.0% ABV, it’s got some alcohol in it as well. Check it out.

The Beer of the Month for September is Port Brewing’s Mongo India Pale Ale. A blue moon colored IPA of 8.5% ABV, IPA drinkers who like hops will like this beer. It’s got a little fruitiness to it as well, and there’s plenty of residue at the bottom of the bottle. Brewed in San Marcos, CA, the beer commemorates a cat who lived in the brewery and died to young. That’s all I got. Check it out.

The Beer of the Month for August is Pioneer’s Double Vienna Style Lager. Brewed by the Pioneer Brewing Company is Sturbridge, MA, I’m doubly excited about this beer because it’s so tough to find – it’s only been reviewed a single time on Beer Advocate, and Beer Advocate reviews everything. According to Pioneer’s website, they currently have about 30 tap lines in the Boston area.

Moving on to the beer, it’s a copper-colored, extremely flavorful (malty) lager. What’s truly unique about this beer though is that it’s 9.0% ABV, yet you taste little alcohol and it’s absolutely delicious. Of all the high alcohol content beers I’ve head, this one is easily the most well done. If you find it, jump on it.

The Beer of the Month for May is Pretty Things Baby Tree. Brewed right here in Cambridge, MA, this beer is a big win for the Pretty Things Brewery. Despite the overly masculine name, this beer does pack a punch at 9.0% ABV. It’s a darker beer, but one that will appeal to those who don’t tend to like darker beers. It’s a little sweet, and little bready, and a little fruity – kind of like if you threw some brown sugar, raisin bread, and some cherries in a blender along with your hops. That sounds like it could be big and bold in flavor, which could be easily overdone. It’s not – it’s understated in a way that’s just right. Check it out.

The Beer of the Month for April is The Alchemist‘s Heady Topper, a double American IPA brewed in Vermont. This stuff is one of the highest rated beers on Beer Advocate, which these days is a pretty strong testimonial in and of itself. This beer weighs in a 8.0% ABV and is meant to be drank out of the can… it keeps the aromatic goodness in, so they say.

The best testimonial that I can provide for this beer is this – although I like IPAs, I tend not to like super hoppy beers. This beer is absolutely as hoppy as it gets, but it also has a deliciousness that creeps up and slaps you in the face. It’s silky smooth with the exception of a little sediment, and has a sweet, citrusy flavor that does not get crushed entirely by the hops. You can just feel (and taste) that it’s a good beer when you’re drinking it, and it really is outstanding.

If you like hoppy beers or IPAs in particular, do not miss this one.

The Beer of the Month for March is Cigar City Jai Alai IPA. Brewed at the Cigar City Brewery in Tampa, Florida, this is an American Style IPA that even non-IPA fans will enjoy; while being the color of a traditional IPA, this beer is a bit fruity and sweet as well. It’s a kind of IPA/Blue Moon fusion, although it’s certainly more on the IPA side.

Weighing in a 7.5% ABV, this beer is also very strong. In my 2+ years of featuring a Beer of the Month, this one is certainly one of my favorites thus far. If you can get your hands on it do so, and if you can’t make sure to check in out the next time you find yourself in Tampa.

The Beer of the Month for February is Harpoon’s Spruce Tip Ale. Part of Harpoon’s 100 barrel series, this brew will only be available for a limited time. Yes, it does have a distinctly “spruce” flavor, coupled with a otherwise medium heavy, caramel colored beer. It’s very Christmasy for sure, but certainly fits the dismal February weather here in Boston.

Weighing in at 7% ABV, this beer is also strong. It’s certainly a unique beer and another solid step for Harpoon in proving that they are Boston’s best brewer (sorry Sam Adams).

The Beer of the Month for January is Virgin Islands Island Summer Ale. Brewed in St. John, this beer is also brewed in the contiguous 48 states by Shipyard Brewing Co. It’s the only beer native to St. John that I could find – Carib, which was previously featured in this column, is also very popular. Island Summer Ale is basically a blonde ale, although it weighs in at 6.2% ABV. This beer is good, although I’ll be the first to admit that I’m sure the surrounding scenery influences the taste. Regardless, it’s a lovely vacation beer.

The Virgin Islands’ line of beers also includes an Island Hoppin’ IPA and a Mango beer, both of which are actually worth a look as well. I promise something much more in tune with the season come February.

The Beer of the Month for December, just in time for the holidays, is Harpoon’s Munich Dark. Brewed right here in Bahston, this is one of those dark beers you sip and immediately go “Woah, that’s good.” This beer is also a great dark beer for those who typically don’t like darker beers – it’s on the thinner side for a dark beer, and is generally sweet and malty with just a touch of bittnerness. The Munich Dark weighs in at 5.6% abv. Give it a whirl.

The Beer of the Month for November is Clown Shoes Clementine, a Belgian white ale. Brewed by Clown Shoes in Ipswich, MA, this beer also gets to local beer nod. Better yet, this beer is uniquely linked to howiGit’s blog, as our music writer works part-time for the company. Don’t worry folks, I wouldn’t be hyping this stuff if it wasn’t good.

So what does it taste like? It’s essentially a less sweet Blue Moon. It’s a bit murky, with a bit of the coriander spice that shines through in Hoegarden, and weighs in at 5.9% ABV. Unless you find this stuff on tap, it will likely come in a nice gigantic bottle for your consuming pleasure.

This beer fits the season perfectly, so go pick some up before you settle into Thanksgiving day football. And be sure to check out the rest of Clown Shoes’ beers as well.