Monthly Archives: May 2013

Darkest Hour (Batch#1) by Anchorage brewing

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295671_10101200101124690_1541296746_n 379702_10101200102262410_51995720_nRating: 5.5/5

Darkest Hour (Batch#1) by Anchorage brewing is a 13%ABV Belgian Imperial Stout aged in French oak Pinot Noir and Rye Whisky Barrels fermented as a Imperial Stout/ Tripel Hybrid

Label: 
Triple Fermented.

Ale brewed with Summit hops. First with a Belgian yeast second in Pinot Noir and rye whisky barrels. And Finally in the bottle with a wine yeast for natural carbonation.

The hour of darkness is one of slumber for most. There are those, however, that do their best diabolical work when left to their own devices in the dark underworld. These creatures toil silently and mysteriously, transforming their subjects into an alluring liquid that, by the light of day is as dark as the night, but with truly enlightening qualities when beholden by those in search of good things.

Such is the case with the mighty Saccharomyces as it converts the complex sugars of Anchorage Brewing Company’s The Darkest Hour, into brooding, almost dangerous Belgian Style Imperial Stout, borne of complex malts, subtle, but distinctive hops and a stern command from the master’s hand that all things that come to life must be good. From the dark depths of the oak awakes this mighty brew that at 13 percent alcohol gives pause to the mortals of lesser fortitude.

Sip deeply, but imbibe slowly, lest you succumb to the dark powers of this melancholy brew with deep, rich flavors. Drink in the darkness if you must, but edge closer to the fire if one’s kindled nearby. The Darkest Hour will fill your palate and your mind with things you may not have considered before. At Anchorage Brewing Company, we bid you good thoughts with the help of our newest creation.
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Been waiting a while for this release. It is not often that a rich Belgian chocolate desert such as the Belgian Imperial Stout is brewed. Being one of my favorite hidden styles is something I sure as hell do not pass up. Some examples of the style is the Buffalo Stout, Allagash Black, Stillwater Artisanal Folklore, Great Divide Belgian Yeti, Stone Belgo Anise RIS, Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, Maui Aloha B’ak’tun, Elysian Omen, Ommegang Art of Darkness, The Lost Abbey Deliverance, Samuel Adams Thirteenth Hour Stout and to some extent, Trois Pistoles and Black Tuesday/Grey Monday/Chocolate Rain/Melange 3.

Aromas star off very similar to Black Tuesday but dwell in the in the Trois Pistoles zone. There is whiff of a lot of chocolate followed by grape wine, Bourbon, vanilla, Dulce de leche chocolate, raisins, flan, toffee, dark cherries, plums, oak, molasses, anise, coconut, black currants, raisin bread pudding, hazelnut, pecan pie, musty grapes and dates. The flavors are a lot like a wine. In fact, the beer seems closer to a wine to some degree. Like a sweet chocolate wine booziness. However, it also reminds me a lot of The Lost Abbey Deliverance. This is really cool as Deliverance only comes in a 330ml bottle. Quite the difference :D. You can still tell this is a Belgian Stout though. It has flavors of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, wine grapes, raisins, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, walnuts and pecan pie, flan, whisky, vanilla, currants, cherries, coconut, oak, slight smokiness, raisin bread pudding, light mocha, molasses and slight anise. The after taste leaves with like a dry walnut and grape chocolate taste. Pretty fancy stuff but not to the flavors of Black Tuesday. It smells awesome but if you don’t like wine, it may not be for you. I don’t mind this at all. It really is a different type of style. It is almost as if Trois Pistoles added more chocolate and leaned more toward the Pinot Noir than the Port Wine instead. Definitely worth the pickup. I enjoyed this one a lot.

Palmero by Hangar 24

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971536_10101182706383890_2022236916_n 734187_10101182710485670_1241422919_n 205518_10101182708165320_399920245_nRating: 5/5

Palmero by Hangar 24 is 7% ABV Local Fields Series Dubbel brewed with Dates

Label: 
Named after the skilled laborers who tend the date palms from the Coachella Valley. The delicate sweetness of dates brings out the fruity esters of the Belgian yeast, producing flavors of caramel, raisin, rum, and spice. This rich, dark beer can be enjoyed now or reserved to deepen its wonderful flavors and aromas.
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Here is another release from the Hangar 24 Local Fields series. This one was released in April and it is their Belgian Dubbel inspiration ale. First time trying it and pretty exited about it too.

Aromas of this beer start off with strong scents of dates, caramel, raisins, cherries, capirotada raisin bread pudding, cinnamon, spices, rum hints, some bananas, toffee, bubble gum, candi sugars and a slight coca cola fragrance. The flavors are rich like a lot of the Belgian beers I enjoy. It actually has some nice quad flavors even if it is a dubbel. You get dulce de leche caramel, bananas, raisins, toffee, dates, bubblegum, slight coriander citrus, apricots, cherries, molasses, slight rum and coke flavor, raisin bread pudding and pecans. The local fields series has had a very nice array of beers. This is no different and is very delicious. Although somewhat clear, the mouth feel is not too heavy making this one nice and well drinkable. I would like to say that this one is a lot like the Doppel Dubbel from He’brew but more smooth. I really like Doppel Dubbel, but this one is smooth and drinkable and still has some great flavors.

Mrs. Stoutfire collaboration by The Bruery and Beachwood Brewing

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935571_10101180938242260_1523414653_n 417883_10101180943626470_1852547728_n 936985_10101180943292140_1913459696_nRating: 5/5

Mrs. Stoutfire collaboration by The Bruery and Beachwood Brewing is a 9.5% ABV Imperial Smoked Stout Aged on Wood Chips

Label: 
Smoked with three types of wood. Aged on three types of wood. Taste just how It should taste. Smoke Meets Oak.
—
Commercial Description (Ratebeer.com)
9.5% abv, best enjoyed within 2 years – This beer will see extremely limited distribution in Southern California. 

From The Bruery: 

“For our first local collaboration beer of 2013, we teamed up with our good friends at Beachwood Brewing in Long Beach, CA. We’ve worked with these folks on a number of small batch brews, beer dinners and general shenanigans for many years and it was really exciting to sit down and work on a full scale project with them for the first time. What we ended up with is an imperial smoked stout, but of course it wasn’t that simple. We smoked our own malt on the same smoker and with the same blend of three different woods that Beachwood uses for their award winning BBQ – apple, white oak and pecan. We then aged the beer on those same three types of wood. The resulting stout is hearty and wonderful, balancing the rich, meaty smokiness with the sweetness of the malt.”
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I’ve been to Beachwood brewing in Long Beach and they have some amazing upcoming beers. Even my friend Alex who is mainly a Heinekken lager drinker loved one of their lighter selections so much he was going to get a growler of it. I still need to go to the Bruery though. I have been lagging it thought. Coming soon, coming soon . Also, if you are member of Untappd, looking me up  [https://untappd.com/user/cloudx30]

Smoking Wood was to me one of the best Smoked beers I have ever had from the Bruery and possibly in general. This beer is made with different types of wood so it actually goes into different types of flavors and aromas all from the smokiness. Now this is different. Aromas start off with milk, bakers and dark chocolate, smoked oak, campfire wood, maple syrup, molasses, marshmallows, coffee notes, raisins, currants, hazelnut, pecans, dates, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, earthy hops and a lot of different type of burnt wood. The flavors are of smoked wood, camp fire oak, bakers chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, coffee, mocha, maple, beechwood, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, figs, currants, raisins, rich dark cherries, dark fruits, minor wine notes, molasses, roasted nuts like pecans, hazelnut, earthy hop notes, honey glazed ham, chocolate campfire smores with graham crackers and marshmallows and caramelized popcorn.This is a wickedly awesome smoked imperial stout. While it is not like Smoking wood in terms of the bourbon sweeter mix, the dark fruit and chocolate with different roasted notes makes up for it. It is still very good in its own way. People that do not like smoked beers, this one is one to try for sure. It is a great beer.

Hammer 30 Revolutionary Ale by Rhinelander Brewing

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375002_10101180934380000_388553501_nRating: 3/5

Hammer 30 Revolutionary Ale by Rhinelander Brewing is a 5%ABV Cream Pale Ale 

Label: 
Nail your thirst. Beer for the People.
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Fresh and Easy in Southern California has a 30 pack of this. Hung out with my friend Hugo when we found this. It was actually well worth the try. It wasn’t a typical lager for sure. Different sites have different ideas about what this beer is. Some say a Pale ale while others say a Cream Ale. I think it is a mix. 

The beer has aromas of like a apple cider, floral hops, grains, pilsner, corn, cereal, some minor bready notes and grass. The flavors are of red apples, pilsner grains, cereal, floral hop bitterness, honey, a little bit of sugar, some biscuit and corn bread.

Hugo and I agreed that this was good stuff and was very drinkable and nice. You can definitely take several of these and each one just as good as the next. There are no metallic bitter taste like in lagers which is appealing in some cases. I would rather drink this than bud light and it will get the job done if your looking to get buzzed. It also will make a good summer beer. So all and all, it is worth the try.

Raspberry Wheat by Alaskan Brewing

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!944672_10101174685113580_800659945_nRating: 5/5

Raspberry Wheat by Alaskan Brewing is a 6.5%ABV Fruit beer brewed with raspberries and raspberries added.

Description: 
With nearly one pound of real fruit per gallon, Alaskan Raspberry Wheat has the inviting aroma of fresh-picked raspberries and an enticing red hue. The flavor of the raspberries lends a tartness that balances the full-bodied wheat profile and malt sweetness. Bigger than most traditional fruit beers, Alaskan Raspberry Wheat adds an extra kick to its dry and effervescent finish
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Been hearing good things about this beer. I was able to luckily find a bottle. Many times when I go to the store I have seen but I haven’t picked it up. When I opened the bottle I was pleasantly surprised.

The fragrances that came from this beer are of thick raspberry preserves and strawberry Jelly. They weren’t kidding at all. This beer smells so good. The other aromas I picked up were of citrus, biscuit bread, honey, caramel and brown sugar. The flavors were of citrus, raspberries, coriander, orange peel, lemon, framboise, brown sugar, biscuit bread, tart cranberry, sweet raspberry and strawberry preserves on toast, toffee and caramel notes. This beer was very nice despite it not being too complex. The bitterness definitely comes from the citrus side but this beer has enough raspberry flavor to make it very exquisite. It is not to the level of Dogfish Fort, but its still has enough natural raspberries to make it fruity and delicious. I like sweet beers and this one leaves with a nice sweet raspberry aftertaste. The bitterness is only an initial part of the taste. Definitely an awesome beer.

Threes Anniversary Ale by Eagle Rock Brewing

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!294866_10101174691181420_2069728603_nRating: 5/5

Threes Anniversary Ale by Eagle Rock Brewing is a 9.5% ABV Rye American Strong Ale.

Label:
“Threes was brewed to commemorate our 3-year anniversary and, as good things come in threes, it embodies all the great things that have happened to us in the past 3 years. Comforting aromas of toasted bread and jasmine complement the peachy esters, toasted marshmallows and alcohol warmth on the palate. A substantial hop presence and dry finish balance out this delicious full-bodied strong rye ale. Cheers to an amazing 3 years, and many more to come!
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Eagle Rock is one of the local breweries in my town of Los Angeles California. I have only had a couple of their beers, but when I saw they had an anniversary ale out, I had to see what was up.

The aromas of this beer are of caramel, rye toast bread toffee, biscuit, marshmallow, brown sugar, and a faint fruitiness. The flavors of this beer are of lots of toffee, caramel, rye toasted bread, slight roasty bitterness, barley wine notes, citrus, grapefruit, floral and piney hop notes, chocolate and coffee notes, brown sugar, hints crème brulee, butter scotch, honey and biscuits, rye whiskey notes and maple. This beer is nicely balanced having some sweet hop flavors along with more sweeter caramel and rye flavors. It goes down nice and smooth too. The level of booziness is minimal to moderate but nothing detracting from the the overall beer. This beer really hits a lot of nice sweet notes. Definitely a lot of rye and toffee in this beer. Eagle Rock is one of my local breweries here in LA so I think I will be trying even more of their stuff soon. Their Jubilee was an amazing beer and this one is just as awesome as this beer.

HefeWeissbier by Weihenstephaner

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!946563_10101174683696420_1040178155_nRating: 5/5

HefeWeissbier by Weihenstephaner is a 5.4%ABV World Class German Hefeweizen. Considered the best German Hefeweizen in the world

RATE BEER DESCRIPTION:
Nothing refreshes you more than this naturally cloudy wheat beer with its wonderful yeasty fragrance and taste. Goes well with dishes that do not have too intensive a flavour, especially that Bavarian speciality ‘Weisswurst’ or white sausage.
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What a perfect way to rate that the best Hefeweizen in the world is made none other than the World’s Oldest Brewery (Since 1040) in Germany. A very common beer in many of the most common craft beers stores and can you believe, this is the first time I am trying it and to put the cherry on top, Hefeweizen style was my first favorite style around the time I started beer reviews. Crazy huh? Anyways, on to the review.

Aromas are dead on rich Banana cloves, with this one seems to have honey, vanilla, bubble gum, toffee, caramel, citrus, lemon, wheat, banana bread, peppery notes, caramel apple and butterscotch. The flavors are of Bananas, draped in honey, caramel, lemon, orange, peppercorns, bubble gum, wheat, banana bread, banana cream and biscuit bread. Simply amazing. No chance for comparison, even people who fathom the idea of what an awesome hefeweizen is supposed to be like have no idea what a REAL GERMAN HEFF is supposed to taste like. This is the best Hefeweizen I have ever had, but my love still goes out to the Hefeweizen Dunkel. The one made by Weihenstephaner and Franziskaner are the best. I’m a nut for more sweeter beers.

Adam (Batch 87) by Hair of the Dog

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!944350_10101174682289240_2136234286_nRating: 5/5

Adam (Batch 87) by Hair of the Dog is a 10% ABV World Class Old Ale

Label: 
Adam is made with North­west hops, Organic Pil­sner malt and a vari­ety of spe­cialty grains. The fla­vors in this beer have been com­pared to choco­late, smoke, leather and figs. Brewed in lov­ing mem­ory of Adam Ker­chival (11−30−69 | 01−26−05); Brewer and friend.
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This is my first hair of the dog beer review. I heard a lot of great things about this one so when I finally had the chance to try this one, I was pleasantly surprised.

Aromas were very prominent in this beer. Aromas of Cherry, oak, raisins, smoke, chocolate, leather, molasses, licorice,caramel, grapes, figs, tobacco, spiced rum, 

The flavors are of rich dark and bakers choco­late, smoked and roasted malts, campfire marshmallows, raisins, caramel, licorice, soy sauce, molasses, cherries, figs, tobacco, plums, oak, slight rum notes, blueberries, grapes, blackberries and honey glazed ham

Definitely one of a kind beer. Something of a mix smokey sweet but not too sweet while still leaving room for bitterness cannot note the alcohol. Highly recommended. It turned out to be pretty awesome and definitely high class.

A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ by Lagunitas

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!970556_10101174680817190_954908160_nRating: 4.8/5

A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ by Lagunitas is a 7.5% ABV American Pale Wheat Ale

Label: 
So, we’re all on collective disability. That’s cool. Let’s put some ice on it and keep ourselves elevated for a while. So, what’s on the tube..? Honey..? Get me a beer from the fridge… Will ya..? Sweetie..? Pleeease..?”
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I had this beer a couple of times in the past. Haven’t had a chance to review it until as I was able to snag some left over bottles from my friend’s house, he wanted me to keep them. 

First aromas you get right off the bat are piney, grassy, herbal and grapefruit hops, honey, pineapple, biscuit bread, apricot, wheat, citrus and a touch of mango.

The flavors are of honey, grassy, herbal, floral, piney and grapefruit hops, caramel, pineapple, wheat, biscuit bread, orange juice, coriander spice, lemon, apricot, mango, candi sugars and some papaya notes.

This is not a very common style, however, with the flavors similar to an IPA but with a lot of tropics and moving into the realms of wheat beer, I say this has got a lot of good tropical stuff going on. It is a very nice beer with well hidden alcohol and great tropical flavor.

Melange 3 by The Bruery

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525218_10101169746700200_609135228_n 179445_10101169749409770_663910014_n 947273_10101169750517550_1530586082_nRating: 7/5* This is quite ridiculous of a beer which exceeds expectations, maybe way too much. 

Melange 3 by The Bruery is a 15.5% ABV Barrel-Aged Blended Ale Dark & Delicious (Black & Tan). Basically, it is a fusion ale of Black Tuesday, White Oak wheat wine and Papier Old Ale.

Label: 
A unique blend of Black Tuesday, White Oak Sap, and our Anniversary ales. Extended barrel aging lends flavors of vanilla, spice, and rich caramel. 
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If you haven’t heard about this beer, go get it now before it is gone. I kid you not. I didn’t have to be part of their preserve, reserve, or even hoarders society. Either that, or the Bruery was graceful enough to share this magnificent brew. If you live in California, GO NOW!!!…. get this beer

I already specified the greatness that was Black Tuesday and even the greatness that was their Anniversary Ale Fruet and basically White Chocolate was their White Oak wheat wine with cocoa nibs so essentially what you have here is an ale that combines the best of 3 of my most hard to find beers that blew me away all in a single blend. In fact, this was one of those kick the bucket beers that is a favorite of Patrick Rue, founder of the The Bruery. I wouldn’t be this exited about a beer if I didn’t realized that I was able to get my hands on this so easy. I still couldn’t believe it when I ordered it on the site. Well anyways, enough rambling. On to the Review.

The aromas are pretty much of the charts. Ill try to sum up the complexity of this beer as best I can since the flavors of this beer are ridiculously rich. Yes another “Diabetes in a bottle” beer. Fragrances of Hazelnut, rich dulce de leche caramel, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, sweet chocolate, bananas, marshmallows, rocky road ice cream, rich toasted coconut, bourbon, vanilla, dark fruits, raisins, flan, crème brulee, wheat, leche nestle and just a lot of sugar. 

The flavors are of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, sweet chocolate, Kahlua, white chocolate, wine grapes, chocolate covered cherries, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla beans, bourbon oak, wheat, coriander, honey, wine grapes, apples, Port wine, flan, choco flan, chocolate cake, cake batter, toffee, brown sugar, raisins, licorice, marshmallows, smores, graham crakers, cherry coke, Belgian bread, biscuits and more intense sugary and heavenly bliss….over 9000. 

Talk about a ridiculously smooth beer. This is very smooth, mellow to the point where you cannot detect the alcohol. This beer is like combining Trois Pistoles, St. Bernardus 12, Three Philosophers, Black Xantus and Barrel aging all that and it comes out like a drink from the 4th dimension, maybe higher. My god, if my taste buds could bleed, they would bleed simply because the beer has taken me to the upper echelons of craft beer Nirvana. This is ridiculous. If I would drink this beer everyday I would probably never try anything else. However, because I finally tried this, I can go in peace. It is hard to believe but this is definitely a bucket list beer without a doubt. People have to try this out and the best part, you don’t have to stay and camp out for the night to get a bottle of this. Get it while it last and it is no longer offered to the public. I got this bottle without hesitation. I almost thought they would second guess my orders since I was not a preserve or reserve or craft whore society member. I got this straight from the source and I was surprised it was sent. This beer is sold or traded after market so if you are not lucky to be able to find this beer but are able to be have it shipped and bought online, I recommend this one full heartedly. Bull shit aside, This beer is worth every penny.

Chateau Jiahu by Dogfish Head

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934894_10101169744225160_939094302_nRating: 4.45/5

Chateau Jiahu by Dogfish Head is a 10%ABV Herbed Ale brewed with honey and hawthorn fruit and fermented with grape juice.

Label: 
9,000 year old Chateau Jiahu stands apart as the most ancient, chemically-attested alcoholic beverage in the world.”; “Its re-creation is based on painstaking excavation by Chinese archaeologists of Jiahu in the Yellow River basin, state-of-the-art microanalysis of pottery residues by American laboratories, and the inspired “Neolithic” brewing of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Chateau Jiahu, then as now, opens a window into the world of our ancestors
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It has been ages since I first had this beer. Back then when I bought it in 2011, I was fairly new to beer reviews and such. It has been almost exactly 2 years since my last review so I decided to get this one to give it another go.

Aromas of this beer are of honey, white grapes, biscuit bread, flowers, peach, pear, champagne, apples, very slight estery banana cloves, slight pilsner sugars and peppercorn. The flavors are white grapes, pears, apples, apple cider, champagne, lots of honey sweetness, pilsner sugars, pomegranite, slight cloves, slight coriander, slight peppercorn, flowers, vanilla and biscuit bread. To be honest, this is closer to a dessert white wine. It is fantastic and delicious, yet the pilsnery effect makes it where it is reminicent of a lager but very very nice and amped. First of all, for being 10%ABV, there is no sense of alcohol and because of it’s drinkability, it would taste awesome to anyone who is not really into craft beer. This is a magnificent beer and one I would introduce to people who are new into craft beers. Definitely a recommend for many to try. Just be careful since at 10%ABV, the beer is so good, one could easily finish it the bottle

 

2011 Review:
A rare piece of beer here. Smells of fruit and honey. The bitterness and alcohol are very masked by the honey and grape sweetness. Some what of a earthy after taste, Highly recommended if found . The beer itself has a history(Beeradvocate.com) “Inspired by a beverage found in clay posts in China around 9000 years ago. In keeping with historic evidence, Dogfish brewers used pre-gelatinized rice flakes, Wildflower honey, Muscat grapes, barley malt, hawthorn fruit, and Chrysanthemum flowers. The rice and barley malt were added together to make the mash for starch conversion and degradation. The resulting sweet wort was then run into the kettle. The honey, grapes, Hawthorn fruit, and Chrysanthemum flowers were then added. The entire mixture was boiled for 45 minutes, and then cooled. The resulting sweet liquid was pitched with a fresh culture of Sake yeast and allowed to ferment a month before the transfer into a chilled secondary tank.”

Koko Brown by Kona Brewing

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390634_10101169743162290_1540138818_nRating: 4.25/5

Koko Brown by Kona Brewing is a 5.5%ABV Brown Ale brewed with Toasted coconut and natural flavors added

Description: 
Is there anything more iconic of the lush tropics than the coconut? The delicious heart of this island treasure has a nutty, toffee flavor and aroma that sends you straight to the beaches of Paradise. Kick back with a Koko Brown, brewed with real toasted coconut, and savor the mahogany color and smooth, roasty malt taste. Available Winter/Spring Koko Brown pairs well with coconut and caramel flavors, such as Thai curries, BBQ meats and carne asada. Its refreshing nutty aroma makes for the perfect beer after a day on the water.
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The first time I had this beer was at my friend Chino’s house. We were trying different beers and our friend Johan brought a 12 pack of Kona Brewing beers. I had to get this one again as this one made the most impression on me. As I remember the beer, there was a lot of coconut and coffee flavors but also vanilla and caramel which are essentials in some of the notes found in some of my favorite Barrel Aged beers. So I am doing an actual review now to break it down.

The aromas of this beer are of toasted coconut, caramel, hints of vanilla, slight hazelnut, brown sugar and coffee. The flavors are of toasted coconut, roasted coffee, slight caramel, vanilla cream, brown sugar, hazelnut notes, maple syrup notes and buttered toast. The drinkability is good. It goes down smooth with not any one flavor too overwhelming. It is a lighter beer yet the flavors are very reminiscent of a nice barrel aged beer although it is only flavors and not intensity. Meaning if you are looking into seeing some of the types of flavors you may find in bourbon barrel aged beers but are relatively new to craft beer, this is a good gateway intro. Like I said, before I was pretty surprised by this one and enjoyed it more than I thought I would have 🙂

Beer Barrel Bourbon by New Holland

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603551_10101165152242530_1362109904_nBeer Barrel Bourbon by New Holland is a 40% ABV Bourbon whiskey finished in oak beer barrels.

Label: 
Many craft brewer’s will attest that whiskey barrels make great beer, and our Dragon’s Milk, a stout aged in bourbon barrels, is a delicious example. Beer Barrel Bourbon goes to show that the opposite is also true; beer barrels make remarkable whiskey.

Beer Barrel Bourbon is first aged in new American oak barrels for several years, before a three month beer-y slumber. The beer-barrel aging lends biscuity notes and a smooth malt character to the robust whiskey tones of toffee and caramel.
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I am usually not very good at hard liquor reviews. In fact this on is my first. The reason I wanted to do a review on this hard liquor is because it is something that is not seen in many occasions. It is the opposite of bourbon barrel aging a beer. What they do is actually take the Dragon’s Milk Stout beer barrel and add whiskey to it. So the end result is a whiskey that has notes and flavors of the stout.

The aromas of the whiskey are or maple, caramel, honey, oak, grains and very faint what seems to be malt, not sure if that’s chocolate. 

The flavors are or whiskey for sure but of course it is hard liquor so you will get the alcohol rush. After the alcohol goes away it is followed by oak,caramel, biscuit, malt sweetness, maple syrup, faint chocolate notes and coconut.

Not sure how to rate this whiskey. I think the idea was awesome, hence the reason I wanted to try this. It is definitely a sipper instead of one shotter. Either way, I would only recommend it if you really want to try it. I am sure there are other awesome bourbons out there but the concept is awesome for sure.

Dragon’s Milk Review (2011):https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/dragons-milk-by-new-holland/

Mephistopheles’ Stout 2012 by Avery Brewing

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600797_10101163689533810_1969873893_n 181400_10101163688875130_1511798770_nRating: 5/5

Mephistopheles’ Stout 2012 by Avery Brewing is a 16.2%ABV World Class Imperial Stout

Label: 
Mephistopheles is the crafty shape shifter, the second fallen angel; he who does not love light. Herein he patiently lies, waiting and willing to do your bidding, but for a price. Enter into his darkness, a tangled and intricate labyrinth of bittersweet rapture.

Brewed with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, turbinado sugar, hops, and a hellion of a Belgian yeast strain.
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Been meaning to try this one for a while. I kept passing it by the store but one of my friends recommended I give this one a shot. So here we go.

Aromas are of very rich dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, coffee, cherries, raisins, prunes, soy sauce, caramel, vanilla, tobacco, brown sugar, coffee cake, smoked malts and molasses

The flavors are very good. Despite the fact that it is at a very high ABV, it is really good. Reminds me of Old Rasputin and Chocolate oak aged Yeti with flavors or dark, milk, bakers chocolate, cherries, raisins, prunes, figs, coffee, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla,molasses, brownie batter, chocolate cake, chocolate syrup, anise, licorice, minor soy sauce, smoked campfire oak, chocolate cake, Belgian bread, hazelnut and earthy hop bitterness. I can pin this beer to many others I have had and this definitely is a great example of a great world class imperial stout, non barrel aged of course. This beer reminds me of a Dark Lord imperial stout if it was more smoked and had Belgian characteristics. I definitely recommend this one for sure. If you are able to find this, get this for sure. While it is is seasonal, it is actually easier to find than many other beers of this caliber which are harder to find. This is my third Avery beer I have tried and it definitely makes me want to try their other awesome beers.

Dark Meddle (Beer# 11) by Gigantic brewing

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935491_10101163687897090_269848483_nRating: 4.45/5

Dark Meddle (Beer# 11) by Gigantic brewing is a 5.9% Vienna Lager brewed with Piloncillo Cane Sugar

Label: 
“Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.” – Mark Twain

Our crafty homage to the vienna-style lager brewed by our Favorite Mexican Grupo. A malty, full flavored, dark brew, made extra-smooth with Piloncillo Cane Sugar. Unleash your inner luchador!
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What intrigued me to pick this beer up was the artistic label but also the fact that this was a beer made in the Vienna lager style which many darker Mexican beers are made from but with Pilloncillo Sugar cane. For many that have not had Mexican Pilloncillo cane, it is sugar that is closer to caramel. It comes in sugar cones and is used for cooking. Upon smelling this beer, I was able to pick up aromas that were very citrusy. Aromas of caramel, biscuit, orange, nuts, spices, herbs and cinnamon. The flavors are really good and very present. This maybe a lager but it is close to an ale in appearance and flavors. Caramel, hazelnut, cinnamon, sugar cane roots, earthy hops, citrus, orange peel, caramel apple, dulce de leche on biscuit bread notes, herbs and minor hoppy bitterness. If they were to amp up Negra Modelo, Victoria or Dos Equis amber into major depths of flavor and really bring out the true full potential of those beers, make them less metallic bitter and watery, then maybe you would have something close this. Sam Adams Boston lager is another example of this style but this beer taste amazing for it’s style.

Columbus IPA by Hangar 24

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603766_10101160624665830_1031701729_nRating: 3.9/5

Columbus IPA by Hangar 24 is a 7% American IPA brewed with Columbus Hops

Label: 
Bitter and bold. This single hop American style IPA features 100 percent Columbus Hops for an intense citrus, floral and spicy aroma and flavor. Five different malts form the rich backbone that balances the hops’ 77 IBUs. The resinous mouthfeel is followed by a clean, dry hopped finish that refreshes and satisfies.
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I’ve tried Hangar 24’s Double IPA but have never tried their regular IPA. So I got this one to give it a go. The aromas are definitely grassy, piney, floral and citrusy. Not tropical but definitely citrusy and grassy. The flavors are not as intense as they are with the double IPA but it is actually more towards the grassy, floral and herbal type of hop flavors. The citrus, orange and lemon peel are there but come later as you keep trying it. It is not as grapefruit bitter but more grassy bitter but crisp. The caramel and biscuit is there but subtle. Overall I think it is a pretty IPA. I have tried other worst ones and with this one I did not find nothing too bad, in fact I found some pretty dead on awesome stuff however, it is just that I like more tropics in my IPA is all :P. For those that love grassy, piney and more toward herbal or floral style of IPA, then this one is definitely a beer you may enjoy. West Coast awesome style here. Easy to find her in California. The place down the street has this. In fact, if it’s the only IPA I can find, then I will be getting this one most of the time now, unless I get Arrogant Bastard 😉

Orange Wheat by Hangar 24

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946221_10101160623168830_1217353415_nRating: 3.9/5

Orange Wheat by Hangar 24 is a 4.6%ABV Fruit beer brewed with locally grown oranges, wheat and barley. Seems more like Belgian white style but I guess it is a different style all together

Label: 
Crisp, Tangy, and Refreshing. The citrus aroma, light airy mouthfeel, and tangy finish are this unfiltered beer’s trademarks. This is accomplished by adding whole locally grown oranges throughout the brewing process, which perfectly coalesce with the wheat and barley base.
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I have had this beer many times that I can’t count. This is Hangar 24’s flagship beer. In fact, first time I heard about Hangar 24 was because of this beer. 3 years ago I looked for this one for a while. Back then it was not as common to find it. The first I tried it, I was probably to me one of the best orange beers out there. Better than Shocktop and Bluemoon. So it was worth the try. I haven’t really done a review since this one became common but in all fairness I wanted to give this a review. Fragrances are a lot like a Belgian white but with more orange. Aromas of wheat, coriander spice, floral hops, honey, biscuit, lemon and lemon peel. The Flavors are of orange juice, orange aid, lemon, tangy lemon peel, biscuit bread, slight wheat and coriander, orange gummy bear flavor and floral hops. The beer is very refreshing. The beer does not have an overwhelming form and most of the flavors medium to light . This beer is very drinkable, crisp and refreshing. Taking this one over a lager definitely any day. IT is more like a session Hefeweizen or a session Witbier. Good stuff for sure that even lager drinkers can appreciate.