Living in Boston, we are surrounded by one of the best beer communities in the country. The city has the largest American-owned brewery (Samuel Adams), is the home of the founders of BeerAdvocate.com (Todd and Jason Alstrim) and has countless brewpubs and beer bars. Today, I will be reviewing Lord Hobo, one of my favorite beer bars in the city. Opened in fall 2009, Lord Hobo often has some of the best taps of beer in the city. Boasting 40 taps, from Smuttynose in Maine to Mikkeler in Norway, the lineup is constantly changing. While other places may have a larger selection, none of them can quite get the quality Hobo has. It also has a full-service restaurant serving fancier pub style cuisine. Last week, Lord Hobo hosted California's Stone Brewery and its "Total Tap Tower Takeover Tour," an event at which 40 different beers were brought to the bar. Some of these drinks were very rare and came from the earlier part of the last decade. Beers that are higher in alcohol content, like the ones at this event, can be aged just like wine; time mellows out the alcoholic burn and produces a much more flavorful drink. Given the nature of the event, it sold out quickly, and I was unable to get a ticket. Fortunately for me, some of these beers were still on tap when I went this weekend.

Upon entering and sitting down at the bar, I ordered a Vertical Epic 07, which was aged in wine barrels. Stone has been making a beer on the day when the day, month and year are all the same (such as last Sunday, 10/10/10) since 2002. Since 10/10/10 just passed, the 2010 edition has been released and will be available soon in our neck of the woods.

The 07 poured amber orange and smelled of grapes and a slight booziness. Tasting the beer revealed what could have been a good beer masked by the overpowering flavor of grapes.

It wasn't the most overpowering wine-esque beer I've ever had, but it was too unbalanced and overly sweet. The mouthfeel was also very thin and underpowering, and the carbonation was quite light. I was disappointed with this beer, as I expected a lot more from it. It was still pretty good; just not the quality I expect from Stone. I give this beer a six out of 10.

The quality improved when I had the Vertical Epic 04. This beer was a light yellow color with cloudy view. Upon sniffing, a wonderful mix of sweet malt and herbal hops shone through. Sipping this beer, I tasted some very sweet citrus flavors with a wonderful bitter finish. Despite the 8.5-percent alcohol content, I didn't taste much of the booze; it was very balanced, which is a nod to its aging. I even got a little anise flavor in the tasting, which blended beautifully with the rest of the flavor. The mouthfeel was nice and thick. This was an amazing treat, and I really enjoyed drinking this one. I give this beer a 9.5 out of 10.

Finally, I finished with Stone's 10th Anniversary Russian Imperial Stout. This is a beer with the 10 annual Russian Imperial stouts released from the past decade mixed together. This beer was pitch black with a brown, foamy head that retained through the drink. Sipping on this, I got a lot of chocolate notes and a good balance of bitterness and sweetness. It felt almost as though there was a dark fruit flavor in there as well, which balanced nicely with the roasted malt. The 10 years of stout mixed together really made this beer insanely drinkable and balanced. The mouthfeel was thick and slightly creamy. All in all, it was an awesome finish to my evening. I give this beer nine out of 10.

While I enjoyed my beers, I also dined, ordering a cheeseburger which was cooked perfectly to order (a nice and slightly bloody medium rare) and was served up with some delicious fresh-cut fries. Overall, Lord Hobo is one of the best places in the city to have a drink. Its list of beers is awesome, and the food is quite good too. Prices are a bit high, but for the selection, it cannot be beat. I highly recommend this place to anyone with a slight inkling for beer.

Lord Hobo is located in Cambridge on the corner of Hampshire and Windsor Street, a short walk from Central Square. Please note that it serves only those over the age of 21 at all times.