all the same song

Beer Review 0393: Dark Horse Edacsac Dekoorc Eert (Cascade Crooked Tree) IPA

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:22:39 -0400

Recently, Dark Horse Brewing Company (Marshall, Michigan) released an IPA variety 12-pack; the pack includes three bottles of Crooked Tree IPA, which I rated 88 points. The other three beers in the pack are single-hopped variations of Crooked Tree, featuring Citra, Cascade, and Falconer’s Flight hops.

I was excited about this variety pack until I got it to the cash register of my bottle shop, where it rang up $26.99. I was expecting maybe $20-22, but not that price! This steep price proportionally increased my expectations of the beers contained within the slick packaging…

I should also let you know that I’m writing this preamble AFTER I’ve had all the beers. There is one thing I must point out, especially with the three single-hopped beers contained in the pack — Dark Horse doesn’t filter their beer, which is fine, but the difference between pouring a bit of the bottle into a glass versus the full bottle is quite substantial. My tulip glasses I use for reviews only hold 13 oz. of beer, so I tend to pour about 8 ounces into my glass to start with — each of these single-hopped beers (the regular Crooked Tree didn’t do this) poured fairly clear to start with, but became choked with sediment by the end of the bottle. While it didn’t really affect flavor, it did presentation; pouring the whole bottle made for a much larger head. Here’s a picture of how chunky these beers are:

So…if you don’t like chunks in your beer, you have been warned.

Cascade Crooked Tree comes in at 6.5% ABV (alcohol by volume) Cascade hops were created in the United States and are an open-pollinated cross between Fuggle and Serebrianker. Cascades are notoriously easy hops to grow, and provide classic grapefruit aromas and flavor.

Once again, the pour delivered a tale of two beers. Pouring about eight ounces of the bottle yielded a beer that had a small, soapy head that was fast diminishing. The color was golden-amber, the body was hazy but had no particles or sediment. When pouring the remainder of the bottle in, the head kicks up to a large size, and has some staying power; the color of the beer changes to golden-orange, and the sediment becomes thick and chunky, leaving highly visible floating particles in the drink. Lacing is good, leaving behind nice sheeting.

On the nose, we’ve got nice amounts of grapefruit and pine, with a touch of juicy orange and tart lemon. This is backed by a malt body that is generally sweet, with a grainy caramel. Simple scents, but nice in a classic, balanced IPA way.

The taste presents some watery grapefruit and dark pine notes up front; these flavors deepen a bit when the beer is swirled in the mouth, breaking off orange peel and lemon, along with a nice caramel sweetness. This beer is sneaky in the fact that the finish packs some really nice, strong flavors; grapefruit and pine are the stars, with a crisp bitterness that tugs at your palate but is still clean. I found Cascade Crooked Tree to be light-bodied, with a thin, gritty mouthfeel.

Perhaps this is starting to sound like a broken record, but the Dark Horse IPA variety pack once again cooks up a nice IPA that is highly drinkable but is not remarkable. A solid beer I wouldn’t turn down, and an excellent way to study hops on an individual basis.

Dark Horse Edacsac Dekoorc Eert (Cascade Crooked Tree) IPA, 88 points. Price: $26.99 US as part of the Dark Horse IPA Variety pack, which contains three bottles of this beer.

Beer Review 0392: Dark Horse Artic Dekoorc Eert (Citra Crooked Tree) IPA

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:56:00 -0400

So…if you don’t like chunks in your beer, you have been warned.

Citra Crooked Tree comes in at 6.5% ABV (alcohol by volume). The Citra hop was cultivated in 2008 by Sierra Nevada and Widmer Brothers Brewing companies. Citra is typically used as an aroma hop and in dry-hopping; it gives off citrus and tropical fruit flavors.

On the appearance, (as previously mentioned) this is a tale of two beers. The initial pour gave way to an average size, soapy head that lasted atop a golden-orange beer. The liquid was cloudy, but featured no particles or sediment. When I poured the remainder of the bottle into my glass after having a few sips, the sediment was knocked loose and thick chunks were floating in and sunk to the bottom of my glass. Also, when I poured the remainder in, the head became much thicker and larger. Lacing was excellent, leaving behind very thick pods of foam.

The nose featured lots of citrus, as promised. Tons of orange, fresh squeezed and rind delight, coupled with a floral component similar to fresh carnations. There’s just a touch of some malt body in the form of a light grain, but this is all citrus hops. It’s almost one-sided with the orange at first, but allowed to warm, some notes of lemon and peaches come out, too.

The flavors very much follow the nose with an ample presence of orange, but balanced on the bitter end with some grapefruit and an herbal tea-like taste. The orange is complex, rewarding the tongue with freshly squeezed juice, the peel, and even verges on tangerine and nectarine. The middle of the mouth continues much of the same but introduces a crispy, refreshing component, leading to a lightly bitter finish that darkens up a ton with bready malt and pine. But the orange still kicks, giving off a candy-like sweetness. This beer is medium-bodied, with a thin, foamy mouthfeel.

I know I’ve got a pretty good brew when I review it and it’s almost gone before I finish jotting down my thoughts. Crooked Tree Citra is very refreshing and I think this is a nice entry-level IPA that has a good base of flavors that everyone can identify with. This is a beer that will make those unaware of hops curious about what they have to offer. The only qualm here: all that sediment might turn some folks off. Don’t be scared: those floaty bits are good for you!

Dark Horse Artic Dekoorc Eert (Citra Crooked Tree) IPA, 91 points. Price: $26.99 US as part of the Dark Horse IPA Variety pack, which contains three bottles of this beer.

Beer Review 0391: Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:00:59 -0400

Dark Horse Brewing Company (Marshall, Michigan) opened in 1997 as a restaurant owned by Bill Morse. Bill’s son, Aaron, suggested after opening that they should redesign the restaurant into a brewpub — after having success, Aaron turned the brewpub license into a microbrewery license just a year later.

Information about the history of Dark Horse is a little hard to find on the Internet; it appears to me that all their beers are unfiltered. They have a brewery and attached taproom, which houses over 3,200 mugs of patrons who have joined their “mug club,” which entitles members to a special mug and larger pour of beer when visiting the establishment. Earlier this year, the website RateBeer ranked Dark Horse 29th on the Best Brewers in the World list.

Crooked Tree IPA is inspired by west coast India Pale Ales, being heavily dry-hopped with a combination of Cascade, Columbus, and Centennial. Available year-round, the beer is 6.5% ABV (alcohol by volume).

Crooked Tree poured an average size, soapy, bright white head that had quickly faded into just a small cover. The beer was a nice burnt orange in color, along with a very cloudy body that made the liquid opaque. Although clouded, there were no particles or sediment, and lacing was beautiful, leaving behind lots of sticky suds.

On the nose, this seemed pretty balanced; some nice grapefruit and pine hops up front, mixed with a bready, cracker-like malt backing. There were notes of lemon peel and flowers, but overall, the aroma was subdued and you had to really put your nose in the glass to pick up on everything.

Initial flavors of grapefruit and pine come out of the gate first, followed by a touch of dark, bready malt that almost seemed like rye — it even had a little spiciness — which led to a finish that starts floral but finishes moderately bitter with a second chorus of grapefruit and pine. The tail end is dry and becomes a bit soapy, but it’s still crisp and refreshing. Medium-bodied, the mouthfeel is thin and foamy.

Crooked Tree is a solid, no-frills IPA that is easy drinking and would make an excellent addition to a lineup of regulars. Nothing spectacular here, but if you like an IPA with great pine and grapefruit flavors without the need for a high ABV monster, this is a good choice.

Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA, 88 points. Price: $26.99 US as part of the Dark Horse IPA Variety pack, which contains three bottles of this beer.

Beer Review 0390: Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:10:16 -0400

The story of Ballast Point (San Diego, California) begins with home brew. While in college, Jack White started to like beer, and wanted more from the drink than you can find in the grocery store. So he brewed his own, and he got good at it; but he also found that getting his hands on equipment and ingredients were hard.

Mr. White decided to open his own home brew shop, the Home Brew Mart, in San Diego in 1992. Not only did the store provide a one-stop for making beer, it also opened up communication between other home brewers — and Jack made a friend in Yuseff Cherney. These two men would start a brewery at the back of the shop, later destined to become Ballast Point Brewing.

Ballast Point officially began operations in 1996, but got big enough to move out of the Home Brew Mart and into a dedicated facility in 2004. Combining the love of beer and fishing, White and Cherney decided to name all of their creations after fish. Today’s brew, Dorado, is named after Mahi-Mahi (Dorado is the Spanish name).

Dorado Double IPA employs three doses of hops in the beer — mash hopping, kettle hopping, and dry hopping. Ballast Point don’t list the hop bill; hell, there isn’t even any information about Dorado on their website. This beer has only been released twice, and is a limited offering. The ABV (alcohol by volume) is 10%.

The beer poured an average size, soapy and dense head, which quickly faded atop a golden-orange beer. The body was slightly hazy, but there were no particles or sediment floating about. Dorado’s color was extremely nice when held to the light and outside in normal lighting. Lacing was good, leaving patchy places of thin sheeting.

The nose presented a classic and typical west coast IPA; grapefruit and pine are the major players, along with undertones of citrus, especially lemon and lime. There is appropriate malt backing in the form of some sweet caramel. That sweetness really takes over the aromatic, providing candied hops. The pine notes give this IPA it’s astringency and the alcohol is completely hidden.

Tasting, there is mild grapefruit and orange peel before opening up to some pine, slightly dank and resinous. The sweetness kicks in here, with the caramel outdoing the pine for a brief time, along with some herbal tea lemon. On the finish, we’ve got soapy pine that is heavily bitter, drying out the mouth and making another sip extremely palatable. Dorado is medium-bodied, with a medium, foamy mouthfeel.

What we have here is a solid, very drinkable IPA from Ballast Point that has a simple but well done flavor profile. I found the dryness on the finish to be a bit much when approaching the bottom of the bottle, but that’s up to personal preference. The alcohol can creep up, too, but it is generally well masked and more of a feeling than a taste. Ballast Point should look into doing this year-round in 12 ounce bottles — I think they’d have a winner.

Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA, 90 points. Price: $12.99 US for one 22 oz. bomber size bottle.

Beer Review 0389: The Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:51:25 -0400

The Bruery opened in 2008, the home brew product of Patrick, Chris, and Rachel Rue. Patrick and Chris are brothers; Rachel is the wife of Chris. The first home brew batch the three made was an amber ale with Cascade hops; as the years went by, Patrick, who was going to law school, saw his beer passion become bigger than his law studies. He decided the rest of his life should be dedicated to making beer, so he got loans and started The Bruery, which is a fusion of his last name, and well… Brewery.

Located in Placentia, California, most of The Bruery’s beers are considered to be experimentations brewed in the Belgian tradition. None of their beers are filtered or pasteurized; all are bottle conditioned and use a proprietary Belgian yeast strain.

Hottenroth, a Berliner Weisse, has to be a special beer for The Bruery, as it is made in memory of Patrick’s grandparents, Fred and Sarah Hottenroth. The beer fits the Berliner Weisse style to a tee, coming in at just 3.1% ABV (alcohol by volume) and using lactobacillus and brettanomyces yeasts to sour the base wheat ale. Traditionally, Berliner Weisse beers are served with raspberry or woodruff syrup as a way to sweeten the beer. The bottle even mentions this serving suggestion, but we’ll just sample the beer sans any kind of syrup for this review.

The pour issued up a large collar of bright white foam, frothy in texture, fast diminishing. The beer was pale straw yellow in color, even paler than industrial macro-lager. The body was cloudy but contained no particles or sediment; it should be noted that the back of the bottle asks you to not disturb sediment at the bottom of the container. Lacing never existed.

On the nose, there’s some initial Granny Smith apple, tart and unripened, coupled with apple cider vinegar. There’s a solid wheat backing, which plays off well with the doughy, earthen yeast that is just a touch funky. I also pulled out a little pear and lemongrass.

The taste has a lot of tart apple up front, a gentle sourness, and then it all shuts off, only leaving a wheat flavor — it’s like the beer goes dead until the swallow, when the finish comes on moderately sour. The beer finally gives up all its flavors; unripened apple, pears, and a dash of lemon meet straw, and the finish leaves quickly. After a few seconds following the sip, the only thing left is some cereal grain. Light-bodied, Hottenroth has a light mouthfeel, foamy when swirled, and an average carbonation.

This beer is quite refreshing as Berliner Weisse tend to be, but it’s really light on flavor. Yeah, that’s the point, to a certain extent…but toward the end of my glass, this became like drinking tart water with a little apple flavoring. You can tell this is a well-made offering, but the value doesn’t match what’s here, in my opinion. It does work great on a hot, sunny day.

The Bruery Hottenroth Berliner Weisse, 81 points. Price: $8.99 US for one 750 ml bottle.

Beer Review 0388: Goose Island 2012 Bourbon County Brand Imperial Stout

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:10:26 -0400

While barrel aged beer was around long before 1994, Goose Island (Chicago, Illinois) made it popular in the United States when they placed Imperial Stout in bourbon barrels to celebrate their 1,000th batch of beer made at the original Clybourn brewpub. After tasting the results, it seemed like every brewery either had or wanted a barrel aging program. Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Stout achieved legendary status.

As such, I thought it appropriate to review Bourbon County, affectionately known as BCBS, for my 500th unique checkin to Untappd. If you’re unfamiliar with Untappd, it is a beer tracking service where you ‘checkin’ to beers you’ve had; you can rate them, follow your friends and interact with other beer drinkers. You can even checkin by location — for beer drinkers, it’s an awesome app, and you should download it. Then add me as a friend so we can drink together!

Goose Island opened in 1988. John Hall was the visionary, and he was inspired by the beers he had tasted in travels across the country. He started the brewery with the notion that drinkers wanted to see their beer being made, so Goose Island actually started as a brewpub. In 1995, a dedicated facility was built with a bottling plant to keep up with demand.

In 2011, 58% of the company was sold to the world’s largest brewer, ABInbev. As result of the sale, many of Goose Island’s everyday brews are now made in New York. However, Goose continue to produce the more connoisseur-friendly bottles in Chicago, of which Bourbon County is part of.

Released once each year, BCBS comes in at a striking 15% ABV (alcohol by volume) and 60 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). The malt bill is impressive (2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, Debittered Black) while there is just one hop used: Willamette. I couldn’t find any information about how long this beer spends inside bourbon barrels, but the bottle suggests it will “develop in the bottle for up to five years.” While Goose Island distributes to North Carolina, this beer isn’t in the portfolio. Thanks to Dave (Untappd user OnWisconsin) for sending me BCBS as part of a trade.

This beer poured a small, dark tan head, which was soapy and fizzy in texture. It quickly subsided, which was expected for such a high alcohol beer. The color of the liquid was pitch black; when held to light, there was just a touch of lighter brown edges. I noticed as I poured that the body appeared clear and free of any particles or sediment. There was no lacing, again, typical for a high ABV brew.

On the nose, we’ve got a massive load of bourbon and all the scents that accompany it: vanilla, toasted marshmallow, oak, and hot alcohol. Team this up with the malts, which provide a ton of dark fruits like raisin, dates, and prunes; dark chocolate, thick and chewy caramel, and a touch of burnt black coffee. The aroma is intense and awe-inspiring — dessert in a glass, indeed.

Bourbon County hits the palate with a bevy of dark fruits — raisins, cherries, and prunes, mixed with a solid and creamy note of dark chocolate. But it doesn’t take long for the bourbon to come out, and it does in the middle; hot, almost spicy bourbon delights the tastebuds, transitioning into a finish of vanilla, charred barrel, dark fudge, s’mores, caramel, and a VERY warming alcohol. After a few sips, I started to sweat. This one will put hair on your chest, but the heavy alcohol works well with all the flavors. Full-bodied for sure, the beer has a thick, creamy mouthfeel, and it is cloyingly sweet. There’s massive, unforgiving sweetness.

Bottom line on this legendary brew: it’s awesome times a thousand. Two things to critique: this beer is so sweet, it is cloying; as I sipped, I could feel my lips getting sticky. And the alcohol, while it plays well with all the flavors, is a bit much. With the drinkability being so, so, so, so, SO dangerously high, you better be careful or you’ll wind up in the floor in a hurry.

One other thing of note: I don’t recommend letting this beer warm up too much, as the alcohol becomes too dominant. So don’t pull this out of the fridge thirty minutes before you have it… just sip on it starting at fridge temp and see how it develops as it warms.

Not a perfect score, but damn close! Cheers to 500 more beers on Untappd.

Goose Island 2012 Bourbon County Brand Imperial Stout, 98 points. Price: $5.99 US for one twelve ounce bottle.

Beer Review 0387: Aviator Black Mamba Bourbon Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:02:02 -0400

Aviator Brewing Company are located in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina (near the state capital of Raleigh) and are appropriately named — the brewery began producing beer in an airplane hangar, using retrofitted dairy equipment.

In 2010, just two short years after opening, Aviator moved to a larger location just a few miles away, where they continue to grow. Recently, they installed a canning line and began canning some of their beers. They also have a tap house and a smokehouse, where they smoke meat and cook barbecue.

Aviator distributes to North Carolina, South Carolina, and parts of Kentucky and Florida. Today’s beer is their Black Mamba Oatmeal Stout, which is aged in American oak bourbon barrels for several weeks. Aviator makes a non-barrel aged version of this brew, but strangely enough, it’s not bottled. The barrel-aged Black Mamba is brewed with molasses, comes in at 6.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), and a very bitter 87 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). I’m wondering if that IBU number isn’t a mistake; after all, this is an Oatmeal Stout…

Release from bottle produced a small, creamy, tan colored head that lasted. The beer was very dark brown, almost black, and had a clear body that featured only a dusting of light sediment. The lacing was very nice, leaving behind creamy spider web sheets all along my glass.

The nose reminded me of a classic bourbon barrel aged stout; there’s plenty of nice bourbon up front, not too hot, coupled with vanilla and chocolate. There’s coffee and caramel, which contribute to the sweetness, and just a touch of pine hops on the back end. Lingering in the mix are woodsy oak, and the whole aroma really reminded me of a nice cake batter. Sweet!

But things began to change a little on the taste. Those 87 IBUs I thought might have been a mistake? Oh, they’re here, alright: lots of pine bitterness from the get-go, which mixes with bourbon and dark chocolate. I can’t say that the pine and bourbon mix well together; it’s fairly astringent but subsides to a nice middle of the mouth, which smooths out into more of an Oatmeal Stout with chocolate, coffee, and oaked bourbon. There’s even a creamy texture for a fleeting moment, until the finish, where the hops kick back up and deliver a massive wall of grapefruit/pine bitterness and hot bourbon. Black Mamba is full-bodied, with a thin, foamy mouthfeel.

This beer is more like a Black IPA than an Oatmeal Stout. And honestly, the bourbon doesn’t exactly play well with the hops but for half of the taste. Decent flavors are here, but this beer is odd. Worthy of a try, but go in thinking barrel aged Black IPA, not Oatmeal Stout.

Aviator Black Mamba Bourbon Barrel Aged Oatmeal Stout, 85 points. Price: $9.99 US for one 22 oz. bomber size bottle.

Beer Review 0386: 21st Amendment Marooned On Hog Island Oyster Stout

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:56:42 -0400

21st Amendment began operations in the year 2000 and are located just two blocks from where the San Francisco Giants play baseball. Both principal founders — Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan — took a brewing science course at UC Davis, trading their successful careers to follow the passion of brewing beer.

As you might suspect, 21st Amendment is named after the actual 21st Amendment of the United States, which repealed the evil Prohibition.

This is my first Oyster Stout; yes, actual oysters are used in the brewing process. The first known use of the mollusks in beer was documented in 1929 in New Zealand; since then, you could classify it as more of a gimmick than an actual meat-and-potatoes ingredient. Often, only a handful of oysters are tossed into the kettle, and sometimes “Oyster Stout” is just a name given to the brew to suggest it could be paired with oysters.

However, Marooned On Hog Island does indeed use the real deal (specifically oyster shells), and it is a collaboration between 21st Amendment and Hog Island Oyster Company. Coming in at 7.9% ABV (alcohol by volume), the oysters are used to add a salty, silky finish to this highly malted brew.

The pour produced an average size, light brown head, soapy and fast diminishing. The color of the beer was dark brown, and when held to light, presented some ruby highlights. Body was clear, free of particles and sediment, and the lacing was pretty good, leaving thin trails of suds.

On the nose, Marooned On Hog Island smells like a typical stout — roasty, with notes of chocolate, coffee, and some sweet caramel. The sweetness reminded me of a Milk Stout. There’s a light hint of smoke in there, too.

Chocolate and caramel open the taste, and the saltiness of this beer quickly comes out. Salty chocolate and caramel can be good, but when you introduce coffee to the picture, things start to get a bit weird. The initial saltiness wears off, leaving a nice middle taste of caramel, coffee, and chocolate, very sweet; then, the finish comes on, bringing back the salt and a moderate bitterness. The more this brew warms, the more bitter it seems to get, and I didn’t think the bitterness and salt played nice. Marooned is medium-bodied, with a medium, foamy mouthfeel.

For my first Oyster Stout, I found this to be really unremarkable. The flavors are typical stout, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but the saltiness the oyster shells add didn’t contribute in a positive way, at least to my palate. Sometimes hoppy beers can be so hoppy that it registers salty on my taste buds — this was just plain stout salty, no hop presence and not worthy of a repeat performance.

21st Amendment Marooned On Hog Island Oyster Stout, 77 points. Price: $1.99 US for one twelve ounce can.

Beer Review 0385: Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:03:25 -0400

With great pride I can now call Oskar Blues a local brewery — cans from their new facility in Brevard, North Carolina, have just started hitting shelves and this can of Gubna is a fresh example.

Oskar Blues began life in 1999 in Lyons, Colorado; Dale Katechis turned his restaurant into a brewpub, and while the beer was merely a side project at first, it quickly turned into big business. With customers really liking the beer they could get at the pub, Katechis wanted to start packaging the beer for sale outside of his restaurant.

In 2002, Oskar Blues began packaging beer… in cans. That’s right, all cans. Imperial Stout (Ten Fidy, 98 points) in cans. Everything. Today, canning craft beer is a hot trend, especially since the advantages of the can really outweigh bottles.

In late 2012, Oskar Blues opened an east coast facility in Brevard, NC. The brewery sells 35% of its beer on the east coast, so the new brewery helps with distribution. Over the last few weeks, we here in North Carolina have been enjoying super-fresh cans of all Oskar Blues beers, which has been a tasty experience!

The beer up for review today is Gubna, an Imperial IPA brewed with a blend of Cascade and Summit hops. The malt bill features rye malt; after fermentation, Gubna is massively dry-hopped, and comes in at 10% ABV (alcohol by volume) and over 100 IBUs (International Bitterness Units).

Out of the can, this beer creates a large, off-white head that is frothy and loves to hang around. The liquid itself is tangerine orange colored, clear in body, and featured no particles or sediment. Lacing started to form just as soon as the head began to settle, and continued impressively down the glass as I sipped, leaving thick, puffy suds.

The nose is a little deceiving, as the rye malt comes to the forefront and gives the nose a bready, spicy scent. But eventually those Cascade and Summit hops shine through, issuing up grapefruit and general citrus, especially orange juice. Dig deeper and there’s a significant amount of pine, too; unfortunately, this is a little underplayed because the rye is so strong. And for a high ABV beer, the alcohol isn’t present.

On the palate, there’s a different story: the hops are front and center; big notes of orange and lemon. Just a smidgen of bitterness starts to develop when the rye sweeps in, offering a spiciness and turning the hops quite sweet. Flavors of grapefruit and caramel develop until the swallow, when the rye kicks up again, this time gentle, and brings about a ton of heavily bitter pine and grapefruit rind. There is a touch of an alcohol kick, but if you ask me, it plays well with the heavy bitter finish. Gubna is full-bodied, with a medium, foamy and gritty mouthfeel; the final conclusion leaves the tongue dry and ready for more.

Honestly, I was very surprised by this brew — while I tend to really enjoy IPAs brewed with rye malt, I do find that the rye coupled with the bitterness tends to give off a soapy flavor that tires my palate quickly. Gubna isn’t like that, and the rye is a welcome addition. Excellent flavors and a nice story this beer tells. Pick it up if you see it.

Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA, 94 points. Price: $4.79 US for one twelve ounce can.

Beer Review 0384: Allagash FV13 American Wild Ale

Sat, 11 May 2013 17:25:48 -0400

Allagash Brewing Company are based in Portland, Maine, and specialize in Belgian-style beers. Inspired by his travels and recognizing a void in Belgian-style selections here in the United States, Rob Tod founded Allagash in 1995, and hasn’t looked back since. Allagash are well-respected in the beer industry and are New England’s original Belgian-style brewery, using authentic ingredients and brewing methods.

I haven’t reviewed many Allagash beers, and that certainly needs to be remedied. (Hey, I can only get to so many at a time!) We have a special beer to look at today; FV13 is a beer I knew nothing about, and stumbled upon this rare offering in the right place at the right time — my bottle shop received only SIX bottles of this beer.

So what makes it so rare? Well, first, FV13 is a Wild Ale aged in oak barrels. The barrels used are actually called foudres, which is a French word for a high capacity barrel. FV13 — named after foudre 13, Allagash’s first high capacity oak tank, formerly used to make wine — sits in its oak container for four years where wild yeasts (Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus) are added for souring. The beer finishes at 8.9% ABV (alcohol by volume) and then goes to the bottling line, which is another installment of our story…

So how do you get beer stored inside a 2700 gallon foudre into bottles? The answer is 300 gallons at a time — segments of the beer were offloaded into smaller vessels, then each 375 ml bottle was HAND FILLED. After finishing with a cork and cage, Allagash used a 1940’s printing press to make labels.

Nothing seems easy about this beer, which might be why it is so rare. Without further ado, let’s give it a review!

FV13 pours with a large, dense, tightly compacted head that is especially creamy and long lasting. It never completely disappears, and is always hanging out over the beer in a thin cover. The color of the brew is amber with orange highlights, and the body is very cloudy. There are heavy particles and sediment, but nothing I’d classify as being chunky. I did swirl the bottle before the last of the pour to get all the goodies out. Lacing is good, leaving behind a few thick patches. This is an awesome looking beer.

On the initial sniff, there’s plenty of sharp and tart cherry, some vinegar, and oxidation. As the beer warms, the aroma gets better, bringing on a note of grape and accentuating the malt backbone, which is quite hefty — plenty of deeply sweet caramel and a touch of roast. There are definite wine-like qualities here, and a nice presence of funky, dank yeast.

Tasting, and the initial notes are tart dark cherries mixed with grapes, which stays steady until the swallow, when the malts kick in. The tartness is eased for a bit with bready caramel, giving off a savory sweetness. The final lingering notes mix sweet with sour, as candy-apple caramel collide with tart dark cherries, grapes, and Granny Smith apples. There’s a dash of the oak barrel, perhaps some vanilla, present too. As the beer warms, it gets much better, with the sour being scaled down in favor of the obvious base beer. FV13 is medium-bodied, with a medium mouthfeel that dries out the palate significantly.

Speaking as someone who doesn’t normally prefer sour beers, this is pretty good. I like that the sour doesn’t dominate, and the range of flavors really show themselves as this drink warms. However, with four years committed to this beer, I’m not sure the end result is worth it. Lots of time went into this brew, and it commands a large price tag — but I’m left feeling a bit unsatisfied. With four years investment, I was expecting something incredible, but was left with something just really good.

Allagash FV13 American Wild Ale, 86 points. Price: $12.99 for one 375 ml (12.7 oz.) corked & caged bottle.

Beer Review 0383: Logsdon Seizoen Bretta Farmhouse Ale

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:58:27 -0400

Logsdon Farmhouse Ales is located in Hood River, Oregon. They are a small brewery, producing only farmhouse (Saison) style beers, and they’re made from organic ingredients. And when I say they only produce farmhouse ales, the brewery is located inside a red barn, surrounded by Schaerbeekse cherry trees imported from Belgium.

You might say it’s something Belgian beer lovers wouldn’t expect to see on Oregon’s Columbian River.

David Logsdon, the brewmaster, was also a founding partner of Full Sail Brewery; additionally, he started up Wyeast Laboratories, one of the United States’ main brewing yeast companies.

Typically, I’ve had bad luck with organic beers in the past; while the concept is nice, organic beers seem to be lacking in something very important: flavor.

Seizoen Bretta is brewed in small batches and comes unfiltered in the bottle. It is conditioned with pear juice, and is fermented with Brettanomyces, which is a wild yeast that can impart sour and funky flavors, and dryness in mouthfeel. The bottle crown is sealed with beeswax (again, from the farm), and the beer weighs in at 8% ABV (alcohol by volume).

The pour kicked up a large amount of creamy, bright white head, which rested atop a very beautiful golden-orange beer. The body was cloudy, but there weren’t any particles or sediment in suspension, at least not in the initial pour. Lacing was very nice and started just as the stubborn head began to subside; it left solid trails all the way down my glass.

The aromatics are quite engaging and complex — the yeast is the obvious star here, funky and very doughy/bready, with a basement mustiness that verges on barnyard. There’s also a peppery spice that mixes with some orange peel; the pear juice used for bottle conditioning is present, along with just a general fruity scent. As the beer warmed, a big note of pink bubblegum showed up, playing well with the yeast and spiciness.

On the palate, the initial flavors are tart pear, orange peel, and a hint of the doughy yeast yet to come; a wave of peppery spice brings on a changing of flavors, issuing out funky horse blanket and continued tart pear. The finish introduces some of the bubblegum found on the nose, along with a heated orange peel (no heat from the alcohol, just spiciness) and general dry fruitiness. Medium-bodied, the mouthfeel is thin and gritty thanks to the above average carbonation, and the ultimate conclusion leaves the tongue dried and ready for another sip.

Logsdon have made an impressive brew, especially for an organic beer. My thought process about those beers has now changed; as flavorful and complex as this is, I’ll scoff at the ‘organic’ logo no more. A delight to drink, this is probably the best Saison I’ve had to date. And now I’m sad that I only had one bottle and this isn’t distributed in my area — imagine this puppy with age!

Logsdon Seizoen Bretta Farmhouse Ale, 98 points. Price: This beer was a gift to me, received through a beer club membership I got at Christmas 2012.

Beer Review 0382: The Alchemist Heady Topper Imperial IPA

Thu, 09 May 2013 17:54:28 -0400

This review might get a little long, because I want to tell you the story of this beer, and how I got it. Not to mention there’s a ton of hype that comes along with Heady Topper; according to Beer Advocate, it’s the #1 rated beer in the world; RateBeer has it at #31. (That is, if you put any stock into those lists.)

About The Beer

Heady Topper is an Imperial IPA brewed by The Alchemist, a family run brewery located in Waterbury, Vermont. As of now, they only brew Heady Topper, an unfiltered 8% ABV (alcohol by volume) IPA, brewed with a proprietary blend of six hops, at the pace of 120 barrels per week. The beer is distributed to a few locations in northern Vermont, and it is also sold at the brewery. And sale, it does: each week, The Alchemist sells through all 120 barrels of canned Heady Topper. The math: with one barrel of beer equaling 31 US gallons, that’s 3720 gallons; one US gallon = 128 ounces; multiply that out and you get 29,760 sixteen-ounce cans, sold every week of the year.

It used to be worse: The Alchemist only recently expanded production — the expansion allowed them to double capacity. Now, instead of running out of beer on Friday, it lasts until Saturday. And getting it at a retail location isn’t any easier. According to Montpelier’s Hunger Mountain Coop, they get 24 cases of Heady each week, and it typically sells out within a day, even with a two 4-pack per customer limit.

This isn’t a rare beer by quantity definition; with close to 30,000 cans being made each week, you can hardly call this limited quantity. But with such a small distribution and with heavy local demand, Heady Topper is extremely hard to get unless you happen to live or know folks in northern Vermont.

How I Got Heady

This past weekend, I decided to visit a local shop that sells beer that I’ve never been to. I’ve known about the place for a long time, but had just never paid a visit. While I’d love to tell you the shop, I don’t want to, simply because I don’t want anyone to expect to go there and get Heady Topper. If you’ve read my site for any length of time, you know I’m based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Clearly, Heady Topper is not sold here or within a 500-mile radius. (If you find yourself in the Piedmont Triad area, and would like some bottle shop recommendations, contact me and I will be glad to provide them.)

I picked up a couple of bottles at this (new to me) shop, some beers I had been looking for but couldn’t find anywhere else. As I checked out, one of the best things about craft beer happened: The Beer Talk. What styles you like, specific beers, recommendations. Saying the name of a beer and seeing eyes light up. I mentioned this site and the fact I review beer. The gentleman behind the counter started talking IPAs and went to the back and retrieved a can of Heady Topper, giving it to me. Being as into beer as I am, I immediately recognized what the can was and was very grateful to be getting a can I know I would probably never get any other way!

That’s the beauty of beer. I have given away my fair share of rare or hard to find beers and it has always been paid forward in return. I will definitely return to this particular shop, not because they had a hard to find beer or that I got a free beer, but because you can tell the folks there are passionate and knowledgeable about beer and believe in furthering beer’s good cause.

Never would I have expected getting a can of Heady Topper one random Saturday in May!

Why This Review Will Be Slightly Different

A significant portion of my review score (15 points) is dependent upon the appearance of a beer. Proudly written on the can of Heady Topper is “DRINK FROM THE CAN!” As The Alchemist owner, John Kimmich, explains in this video, the reasons for drinking it from the can:

-It prevents oxidation, meaning the last sips of the beer will smell just as the first sips did
-After each sip, a layer of carbon dioxide sits atop the liquid, protecting aromas and flavors

Mr. Kimmich also cites some environmental concerns, like being able to drink this beer in the outdoors without risking broken glass, and easier recycling.

Traditionally, I review beer based on how the brewer recommends it be served. 99% of the time, it’s in a glass. Sometimes, the brewer will have you leave the final sip in the can or bottle so as not to distribute particles or sediment; occasionally directions will be provided to swirl the remainder of the beer as to distribute that sediment. Since Heady Topper is recommended from the can, I will be reviewing it straight from the can… BUT, I will pour some of the beer into a glass to describe and rate the appearance. I will also note if there are any differences between the poured and canned beer.

Finally…The Review!

Pouring Heady Topper produced an average size, bright white head, which would have probably been much larger had I poured more of the can into the glass. The head was soapy and lasting, and was easily able to regenerate when swirled. Color of the beer was golden-orange; the body was hazy but there weren’t any particles or sediment present, indicating this is a fresh can (and it is — about three weeks old, although The Alchemist doesn’t date cans as of yet). Lacing was minimal but it was hard to really issue a judgment with such a small sample poured.

If you wanted big hops, well, you got ‘em! Huge waves of resinous pine, grapefruit and lime open this up, and it only gets more complex from there. It seemed like each sniff presented something undiscovered — there’s mango, Hawaiian Punch, pineapple, touches of grass, lemons, and a very soft cattiness. The malt body was very minor, giving off some sweet notes, perhaps a bit bready and caramel. And yes, although you aren’t supposed to put this in a glass, I say do at least once so you can get everything this wonderful aroma has to offer, because sniffing the can doesn’t give you even a quarter of the story.

The taste is pretty much a rush of everything on the nose — lots of grapefruit, orange, lime, and passionfruit, followed up by a strong blast of pine that nearly completely takes over the palate, kind of like a menthol throat lozenge. But that Christmas tree blast clears the way for even more delicate hoppy flavors; enter pineapple, hemp, and peaches. Yes, peaches, fresh cut and maybe even with a bit of sugar tossed on them. The finish is a sneaky bugger, too — while you think Heady Topper will be an Imperial IPA that will conclude on a sweet note, that sweetness slowly fades into a sizable note of bitterness that dries out the mouth and makes your taste buds cry for another sip. This beer is full-bodied just because of the intense hoppiness, but the mouthfeel is medium and is foamy when moved about with the tongue.

All those folks screaming good things about Heady Topper aren’t lying: it’s an incredible beer, super drinkable, absurdly complex, and delicious. And yes, I can taste a big difference drinking it from the can versus the glass, albeit sipping from the glass is nothing to scoff at, either. You’ll just have to try it and see. I have never tasted an IPA that contained this much hop flavor, complexity, or one that delivered such a story of sweetness and bitterness.

My eyes lit up at the sight of the can, and nothing disappointed. One of the best!

The Alchemist Heady Topper Imperial IPA, 100 points. Price: A gift to me from a very kind gentleman and fellow beer lover. Again, thank you very much! I hear this goes for $3.00 US per 16 oz. can at the brewery.

Beer Review 0381: Bell’s Consecrator Doppelbock

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:10:21 -0400

Looking over my reviews, it appears that I have never reviewed a Doppelbock. Time to change that.

A Bock is a strong lager of German origin — several different styles exist in the Bock category, with Doppelbock being a malty, higher alcohol version. The style was first brewed in the 14th century by beer makers in the town of Einbeck. In the 17th century, Munich brewers adopted the style and adapted it to lager-style brewing. The beer became known as “Bock” because the Bavarian accent pronounced Einbeck as “ein Bock,” or “a billy goat.” That’s why you’ll often see goats on the labels of Bock beers.

Doppelbocks are a prime representation of beer being “liquid bread,” as Friars drank these brews when fasting.

Bell’s Brewery (Kalamazoo, Michiagn) produces a Doppelbock as a seasonal release. Their take, Consecrator, is lagered for three full months, and comes in at 8% ABV (alcohol by volume). They recommend you keep the beer refrigerated.

The pour made a small, soapy head, which quickly faded. This beer was a deep amber in color, almost red; the body was clear, free of particles and sediment. Lacing was sparse to nearly non-existent.

On the nose, loads of sweet caramel and biscuit malt were awaiting, lightly toasted. This beer is quite fragrant; it’s very bready and has a light citrus hop body, perhaps some orange peel. There’s also an earthy yeast, and as it warms, the 8% alcohol shows up, tapping at the door loud enough to let you know it’s there.

Sipping, Consecrator kicks off with a touch of dark fruit — raisin, prune, some dark, juicy grape, before it washes into the sweet and bready caramel. That dark fruit taste continues to the middle; it was hard for me to tell whether it was dark cherries or grape. You know how sometimes Imperial Stouts give off a grape flavor? This was similar, but sweeter and bready. The finish continued the sweetness, and introduced lingering notes of brown sugar, molasses, and cinnamon to accompany the creamy caramel. This beer has some body; I’d call it full, and the mouthfeel was medium and foamy. The alcohol is present at the very end of the taste and warms the throat.

Overall, a tasty and extremely well-made beer. No surprise from Bell’s. I’m just shocked (and appalled, really) that it took me this long to pick up a bottle of Consecrator Doppelbock. I’ve passed it up before — don’t be like me, give this a try. Smooth, easy drinking, and it has a nutritious body with just the right amount of alcohol oomph for a bigger beer.

And, I need to review more of this style.

Bell’s Consecrator Doppelbock, 91 points. Price: $2.99 US for one twelve ounce bottle.

Beer Review 0380: Sixpoint Diesel Stout

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:59:54 -0400

Sixpoint Brewery, located in Brooklyn, New York, was founded in 2004, but they say the company was actually born at the dawn of civilization, when grains were first being harvested to make fermented beverages. See, Sixpoint believes that beer is culture, and how right they are — whether they be talking about human beings or yeast strains.

Sixpoint began in an 800 square foot garage at the hands of college classmates Shane Welch and Andrew Bronstein. Andrew, native to Brooklyn, provided the cash needed to start up the brewery, while Shane, an avid homebrewer, came up with the recipes. The Sixpoint logo is a combination of the brewer’s hexagram and the nautical star.

Relatively new to widespread distribution, Sixpoint once only kegged beer and filled growlers — they started canning (all their beers come in cans) in June 2011. At first canning, Sixpoint only had a core line of beers; since then, with the turn of each season, they’ve been introducing appropriate offerings. Diesel is their winter beer, which they say is part Black IPA, part Stout. Coming in at 6.3% ABV (alcohol by volume) and 69 IBUs (International Bitterness Units), Diesel advertises chocolate and roasted flavors with some pine notes thanks to the hops.

Unfortunately, Sixpoint doesn’t distribute here in North Carolina. Thanks to Dave (OnWisconsin on Untappd) for sending me this can in a trade!

Pouring from the can yielded a large, creamy head that settled a bit into pillowy layers of foam. The color of the beer is a dark brown; it’s quite ruby red when held to light. The body was clear, free of particles and sediment. Lacing was excellent, leaving fluffy tan suds down my glass as I sipped.

The nose was subdued but breathed a little more life as the drink warmed; there are initial notes of grapefruit and pine, combined with chocolate and black coffee. It’s roasted with a hint of smoke, and when warmer, the hoppy pine and coffee scents really come to the front. Overall, I thought the aroma to be lacking just because it was so subdued.

Too hoppy to be a Stout and too malty to be a Black IPA: initial flavors are some grapefruit and big pine, prickly to the tongue up front, but creamy in the middle where the malts come out. Creamy coffee and a touch of dark chocolate lead into a finish that is piney bitter with acidic black coffee notes. Diesel is medium-bodied, with a thin, foamy mouthfeel.

Diesel is a nicely balanced beer and is very drinkable with flavors that are good but not overly complex. I did find the aroma to be disappointing but overall this is a very good brew that walks the line between two styles and seems appropriate for the winter. And I love the 16 oz. can.

Sixpoint Diesel Stout, 85 points. Price: $2.59 US for one 16 oz. can.

Beer Review 0379: Mother Earth Windowpane Series Raspberry Wheat Ale

Sat, 04 May 2013 17:41:17 -0400

Mother Earth Brewing are located in Kinston, North Carolina. Started by Trent Mooring and Stephen Hill, there’s a family connection here — Trent is married to Stephen’s daughter. Stephen had been a home brewer since the mid-1980’s, and gave Trent a taste of his “Red Eye,” a beer made with tomato juice. “That was it,” said Trent. Love at first taste.

The brewery began production in 2008 in a building repurposed into a brewery. Bottling and kegging kicked off just one year later. Today, they’re still small, but employ fourteen people and are distributed in North Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, DC. Mother Earth are environmentally conscience, using solar panels for power, recycled blue jeans for insulation, and their tap handles are made from bamboo.

The Windowpane series are a group of beers that contain fruit from North Carolina farms; the beers are all barrel aged in either Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or brandy barrels. Windowpane Raspberry is the fourth release of the series, and is aged in both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay barrels for three months. The base beer is a Wheat Ale. Raspberries comes in at 8.3% ABV (alcohol by volume). Each Windowpane release is limited to a run of just 20 barrels, which is 620 gallons.

Pouring showed an average size and fast diminishing head, which quickly disappeared like fizzling soda. The color of the beer was a couple of clicks beyond golden, with a hazy body, free of particles and sediment. Lacing was good, leaving behind spiderweb trails.

On the nose, I got the raspberries but it’s not a full on blast like you might set yourself up for. Instead, you are presented with a lot of tart, slightly acidic wine character, and a decent slab of vanilla and wood from the barrel aging. It almost reminded me more of a Belgian style beer with a doughy, earthy yeast, rather than a Wheat Ale, but there is a definite grain presence, too. As it warmed, the acidity started to give off an alcohol note.

Tasting, this is like raspberry wine at first; the raspberries are prominent until a wave of tart white wine overtakes the palate, leaving the tongue puckered, punched by the mild acid and bubbly carbonation. Searching for some sweetness, it’s found with ample vanilla and charred oak barrel. The finish sweeps the mouth with a light raspberry and lots of the barrel, notably a deep vanilla and woodsy oak when clicking your tongue to the roof of your mouth. I found this brew to be medium-bodied, with a medium, creamy mouthfeel that was slightly drying but refreshing. The 8.3% ABV does give off a minor alcohol hit.

If you’re expecting the raspberries to be the star here, think again. It’s the barrel, and what it does to a Wheat Ale is not only tasty but actually kind of remarkable. The wine characteristics add a layer of sophistication, while the vanilla and oak are just damn tasty. The raspberries were an afterthought, but perhaps this gentle fruit is actually what rounded the beer out into a unique and enjoyable offering. But I’m not sure it is worth the steep price.

Mother Earth Windowpane Series Raspberry Wheat Ale, 90 points. Price: $15.99 US for one 750 ml corked & caged bottle.

Beer Review 0378: New Glarus Raspberry Tart Fruit Ale

Fri, 03 May 2013 18:10:32 -0400

After the last incredible fruit offering from New Glarus Brewing Company (New Glarus, Wisconsin), Serendipity (97 points), I’m super excited to see what they have up their sleeve this time.

New Glarus are all about keeping it local. “DRINK INDIGENOUS,” their bottle crowns say — and they mean it; New Glarus doesn’t distribute beers beyond the state of Wisconsin, saying it’s all they can do to keep up with demand just for their home state.

Founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey (the first woman in the United States to found a brewery), New Glarus started life in an abandoned warehouse with used equipment. Dan, Deborah’s husband, is a master brewer and was a production supervisor for brewing giant Anheuser-Busch. Dan unearthed copper kettles from a brewery in Germany that was to be demolished; when the retiring German brewer learned that his equipment could live on, he sold all of the goods for scrap value to Mr. Carey.

Raspberry Tart is part of New Glarus’ year-round lineup. Packaged in a 750 ml bottle with a waxed cap, this beer is brewed with Oregon raspberries, and is spontaneously fermented in large oak vats. Coming in at 4% ABV (alcohol by volume), the beer proudly advertises the fact that it uses year-old Hallertau hops. You don’t see many beers — perhaps this is the only one — that openly say they use hops which would be considered ancient by most hop fanatics.

Raspberry Tart pours a large, soapy and frothy head that diminished quite fast, but did leave a solid finger of thick foam atop the beer. The liquid is vibrant maroon red in the light, but outside in normal conditions it takes on a darker ruby color that looks like it might have a touch of brown to it. The body is clear, free of particles and sediment, and lacing is sparse to non-existent, only leaving behind a couple of specks.

The nose can be described quite simply: raspberries. Bright and deep, the raspberries used in this beer are literally all you smell; perhaps there is a faint suggestion of sweet caramel malt in there, and an earthiness, but I’m guessing that’s more from the fruit than the yeast. The nose is remarkable in the fact you’d never guess this was beer; anyone would easily peg this as fruit juice.

The taste very much follows the nose: punchy, sharp raspberry up front that starts out as much sweet as it is tart. This beer is highly, highly drinkable, but I’m not so sure it is refreshing. Although it has a thin mouthfeel, it seems thick because of the sweet and tart combination. Finishing, the fruit becomes more tart and even slightly verges into the sour category, leaving a very lightly bitter yet still fresh and true raspberry to dry out the palate. Raspberry Tart is light-bodied, with a foamy and gritty texture when swirled.

I would love to know how much raspberries New Glarus throws into this concoction, but I’m guessing that is probably a trade secret. Point is, it must be a ton because this is pure raspberry soda. An outstanding beer for the right occasion. Not as good as Serendipity, which has more complex fruit flavors.

New Glarus Raspberry Tart Fruit Ale, 91 points. Price: $9.99 US for one 750 ml bottle.

Beer Review 0377: Stone Enjoy By 05.17.13 Imperial IPA

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:03:42 -0400

Wait, you’ve reviewed this one before! You might be saying that, and indeed I have; recently, I tasted Stone Enjoy By 04.01.13 IPA, and rated it a classic 98 points. But we’re going to do a little experiment here…

Unquestionably, the Enjoy By beers from Stone (Escondido, California) are, in my opinion, the most interesting brews to come around in quite a while. If you’re new to the game, Stone brew this IPA specifically not to last, bringing attention to the importance of bottle dating, especially on the IPA style. Using social media, Stone gauge which area of the country is seeking the beer the most; they brew it, bottle it, and ship it quickly to distributors. The window to sell the beer is about thirty-five days; after the date on the bottle, shops are asked to cease selling any remaining bottles and send them back to the distributor, because they are no longer the product Stone intended it to be.

The immediate question that came to my mind after having the 04.01.13 version was, “does this vary by batch?” The answer is YES, it can — Stone say each version can vary slightly depending on the hops that are currently in season. The bad thing is they don’t tell you what hops are used on any version, so you technically don’t know if any two batches are different. Which is why I’m reviewing this again — is it different? We’re going to find out.

Now, the second reason why I’m giving this beer another look: I had several bottles of Enjoy By 04.01.13, and I didn’t get around to drinking my final bottle until a few days after the expiration date. You know what I found? It tasted even BETTER AFTER it’s enjoy by date! This isn’t a new phenomenon, either — I think Bell’s Hopslam (my rating: 100 points) tastes better after being in the bottle for a month or so.

I’m going to review Enjoy By 05.17.13 now, which as of this writing, is 20 day old beer — I noticed that this edition has the actual bottling date (April 12) stamped on it, where 04.01.13 did not feature this information. I have a second bottle of Enjoy By 05.17.13 that I’m going to store refrigerated until June 17, when I will redux review it. At that point, the beer will be 66 days old, which is nearly double the time Stone want you to have it by, but still falls in the regularly accepted 90-day shelf life of most IPAs. So, stay tuned for the redux review, and until then, enjoy this review of the current Enjoy By!

The pour gave up a small, soapy head that lasted atop a sunshine golden liquid. The body had a fair amount of haze to it, but was still translucent and free of particles and sediment. Lacing was good, leaving some patchy sheets stuck to the glass.

There’s no other way to describe the aroma other than a hop explosion! Up front, there’s tons of pine and tropical fruits. It’s sweet and reminds me of fruit juice concentrate. To further the fruity aromas, there’s plenty of lemon, lime and orange, too; and new for this version: a ton of peaches! The malt is light and simply provides some sweet grain. I could use this as cologne, but it must be consumed instead.

The taste offers those ripe, juicy tropical fruits, pineapple and mango especially, and then a touch of grass/grain. This beer is sweet initially, but the middle of the mouth brings on the bitterness that will see it to the end: pine and grapefruit take over, there’s a dankness, and the closing note dries out the palate and leaves you wanting more. The alcohol content is completely hidden; Enjoy By 05.17.13 is medium-bodied, with a medium, creamy and drying mouthfeel.

The three big differences between Enjoy By 05.17.13 and 04.01.13:

-Less head
-Less lacing
-Tons of peaches on the nose

The beer tastes pretty much the same, and it’s still delicious and highly drinkable. As far as Imperial IPAs go, this one walks a perfect balance between sweetness and bitterness, giving you punches of both without either being overwhelming or dominating.

We will see how this one turns out next month. Stay tuned!

Stone Enjoy By 05.17.13 Imperial IPA, 96 points. Price: $7.49 US for one 22 oz. bomber size bottle.

Beer Review 0376: Dogfish Head Sixty-One IPA

Wed, 01 May 2013 18:01:42 -0400

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Dogfish Head’s (Milton, Delaware) latest creation, Sixty-One, was created by Sam Calagione mixing something or other together with one of his successful year-round beers.

Yep.

We’re not saying that is a bad thing; obviously, we haven’t had the beer yet, which is the point of this review. But most Dogfish beers seem to come about this way, and some of them are hits…while some, quite frankly, are misses. See Te Henket, the 4.5% ABV (alcohol by volume) beer brewed with chamomile, Za’atar, and dom-palm fruit. Feel free to look those last two up on Wikipedia, because I had to. Stick an $11.99 price tag on that sucker and you’ve got yourself a mess of a beer, which I rated 71 points.

Moving forward…they can’t all be hits. A new year-round offering for 2013, Sixty-One is Dogfish’s 60 Minute IPA (my rating: 95 points) blended with syrah grape must from California. Midas Touch, anyone? (my Midas Touch rating: 83 points)

Perhaps just as interesting as the beer is the label, which was painted by Mr. Calagione himself. Mixing green pigment with beer and red pigment with wine, he came up with the label, and used melted chocolate for the brown colors. Sixty-One comes in at 6.5% ABV.

The pour made an average size, off-white colored head, creamy and sudsy in texture, and with a lasting quality. The beer itself was amber/red in color, with a brilliantly clear body, and no particles or sediment. Lacing was very good, leaving thin but creamy solid sheets on the non-sipping side of my glass.

On the nose, there’s an odd combination of grassy, herbal hops that mix with a touch of jammy grape. Couple that with an almost boozy note, and you’ve got more of a separation than a blend. By that, I mean I could distinctly pick out the wine and beer aspects of this drink moreso than the aromas blending together to make something new or unique. As it warmed, I noticed some of the more classic 60 Minute IPA aromas coming out, like a hint of grapefruit and some grain.

Tasting, and the palate is presented with some watery grape and mild grapefruit up front, with an herbal, tea-like middle that really brings out the vinous syrah grape must, leading to a finish of dry grape, earthy hops and grainy malt backbone. Like the nose, if you allow it to warm, you start to get more of the classic 60 Minute profile, especially on the finish; the solid malts and earthy, grapefruit hops. I found Sixty-One to be light-bodied, with a thin, foamy mouthfeel.

Like all Dogfish beers, this one is interesting, but it doesn’t do much for me. This isn’t really an IPA, and honestly, I expected a lot more flavor than what’s here. This surely is like mixing some wine with a 60 Minute IPA, and I’m disappointed by that. I could do that myself in my own kitchen!

Dogfish Head Sixty-One IPA, 75 points. Price: $2.49 US for one twelve ounce bottle.

Beer Review 0375: Epic Brainless On Cherries Belgian-Style Ale

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:58:52 -0400

Epic Brewing Company hails out of Salt Lake City, Utah, and they primarily focus on high alcohol content beer. Operations started in 2008, when Utah modified its state laws and higher ABV (alcohol by volume) beers could be produced — the founders are David Cole and Peter Erickson, both of whom shared a longtime dream of opening a microbrewery.

The company divides its offerings into three different series: Classic, Elevated, and Exponential. As you might expect, the offerings get more extreme and creative with each jump of series; today’s review, Brainless on Cherries, belongs squarely in the Exponential series.

It should be noted before I get into the review exactly how Epic produce some of their brews: they brew by batch, and each batch might be different than previous editions. Each batch is limited to a certain number of bottles; the batch number for this review is #5, which was bottled on September 6, 2011. That means this beer has about a year and a half of age on it already; I didn’t intend for this to happen, I simply didn’t know the current batch number when I bought the bottle. Read: your reviewer didn’t do all of his homework.

But relax, this beer comes in at a hefty 10.1% ABV, so it will keep for many years. Although I do like to review fresh bottles first to get an accurate baseline for the beer, I think the integrity stands and this review will be an accurate representation for Brainless on Cherries.

For this beer, Epic take their base Belgian-Style brew, Brainless, dose in cherry puree, then age the liquid in red wine oak casks with Champagne yeast for a secondary fermentation. Sounds tasty, right?

Brainless On Cherries poured an aggressive, large head, light pink in color and composed of large bubbles. It quickly fizzled (audibly) away, to not even a thin cover. Color of the brew was a deep golden-orange with a pink tint thanks to the cherry puree. The body was cloudy, with heavy particles and sediment floating throughout. Lacing never happened.

The nose was fairly appealing at first sniff, but as the drink warmed, it became less likable. Initially, there’s lots of clove and bubblegum — typical Belgian aromas — laced with some cherries and lots of earthen yeast. There’s a bit of orange peel and a heavy vinous white wine presence. As it warmed, the wine note became acidic and didn’t mesh well with the exceptionally earthy yeast. The large alcohol content is completely hidden, avoiding the typical cough syrup scent of some cherry beers.

On the palate, the initial flavors are mild and just composed of some fruitiness and yeast, but a tart cherry does come out and combines with some bubble gum to make a nice, pleasant opening. Middle of the mouth introduces some of the white wine noted in the aroma, which ups the acid and brings on a dry finish that leaves the tongue with lingering notes of sweet cherry, orange peel, and clove. I found this beer to be medium-bodied, with a medium to thick mouthfeel thanks to the sweetness on the finish.

The take-away: Brainless On Cherries is a very drinkable, almost refreshing beer that has a large ABV which is completely hidden. However, for as much cherries as they claim to add, and the oak aging, the flavors just aren’t complex or special enough to warrant any excitement or money spent per bottle. This is a beer that you have one glass and are done with; finishing the bottle becomes a chore. I will say this: the base Belgian beer that supports the cherries does seem to be of top quality, and I’d love to try that by its lonesome. [Hint: that review will probably be coming soon.]

Epic Brainless On Cherries Belgian-Style Ale, 81 points. Price: $12.99 US for one 22 oz. bomber size bottle.

Beer Review 0374: Founders Doom Imperial IPA

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:39:32 -0400

Here we are with another one of those hard to find beers from Founders Brewing Company (Grand Rapids, Michigan). Part of the “Backstage Series,” the latest release is Doom, an Imperial IPA aged in bourbon barrels.

The beers in the Backstage Series are generally top notch, as my previous reviews will indicate:

Frangelic Mountain Brown Ale, 92 points
Curmudgeon’s Better Half, 99 points
Bolt Cutter Barleywine, 95 points

Without question, Founders Backstage Series are the hardest beers for me to obtain. Demand and hype are through the roof. Most shops only get one case, which in terms of the 750 ml servings these beers are doled out it, equals just twelve bottles per store. To make matters worse, these beers typically see release on a Monday, during what would traditionally be considered normal working hours. I struggled to get just one bottle of Doom, and it was looking iffy about even getting that. One of those “right place at the right time” sort of things…

Along with the difficulty of finding the beer, cost comes into play. Typically, Backstage Series beers sell for a whopping $14.99 per bottle, and you’re left wrestling with the lingering question “is this really worth it?” With Doom, there’s a small price break; this bottle comes in at $12.99.

Previously known as “Hand of Doom” when brewed exclusively for the Founders taproom, the beer is a bourbon barrel aged version of Double Trouble (rating: 93 points). Time spent in the barrel is four months; as far as I know, this is the first wide release of a barrel aged beer from Founders that hasn’t been an Imperial Stout or Scotch Ale. ABV (alcohol by volume) comes in at 10%.

The pour issued an average size, soapy head, bright white in color, which hung around for a while. The beer was a hazy golden-orange color and was free of particles and sediment. I could easily see through it, even though it was hazy. Lacing was fair, only leaving behind a couple patches of stringy sudsy foam, which was to be expected for a high alcohol brew.

The nose jumps out right away with plenty of pineapple and coconut; Doom smells very sweet, especially with the juicy tropical fruit, which plays off the coconut from the barrel like a champion. At first, this reminded me of butterscotch pudding…and we know butterscotch is often an off-flavor in beer, but trust me, this isn’t off. The butterscotch went away as it warmed and more of the hoppy pineapple came out, mingling with a hint of dry pine, some caramel, subtle vanilla, bourbon, lemons, and lime. Yep, lots going on here. This is candy-like, inviting and very pleasant… and unexpected.

On the palate, Doom brings forth sweet pineapple and mango, which team up with coconut and vanilla. Ever had a Dum Dum pineapple-coconut lollipop? That flavor comes in an out of retirement from the candy company; if you can find it, that’s the exact opening flavor of this beer. Add in some pine hops — the middle opens up with a malty hit, some caramel and lots of bourbon. The vanilla amps up some, leading to a finish of drying grapefruit, pine, pineapple, and a dash of hot bourbon. The alcohol is here, but you don’t taste it; instead, you feel it, which shows me the quality of this brew. Doom is medium-bodied, with a medium, creamy texture, leaving the palate dry.

Speaking as someone who hasn’t had many barrel aged IPAs that were enjoyable …this absolutely was. Would I want to drink this all the time? Certainly not — but Doom is insanely drinkable and has a ton going on that will hold your attention all the way through the bottle. Founders have done it again — Doom is worth the hype and the price tag. Find it if you can, it’s a great drink.

Founders Doom Imperial IPA, 94 points. Price: $12.99 US for one 750 ml bottle.