Sucré (6th Anniversary Ale) by The Bruery

April 30, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 6th Anniversary Ale, aged in Bourbon Barrels, anniversary ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged, burnt sugar, Dark Cherries, Iron, Mari Illustrious Makinami, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Old Ale, scotch whiskey, Sucre, Sugar, The Bruery | 1 Comment

Rating: 6/5

Sucré (6th Anniversary Ale) by The Bruery is a 16.9% ABV Old Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
This sturdy beer marks our sixth year, and we are grateful for the outpouring of community. Together may our supporters, our brewery and this beer grow in complexity and refinement over the years.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (ratebeer.com)
Sucré is our sixth anniversary ale, loosely brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition using our house Belgian yeast strain and then blended using the solera method.

A portion of each of our anniversary ales is saved in our barrels and blended in with the next year’s production, providing more complexity and depth of character that comes with aged. Layered with complex flavors of dark fruit, vanilla, oak, and burnt sugar, Sucré is a robust ale, surely the perfect beer to mark this major milestone.
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Sucré or Sugar in French, in the traditional sense of the wedding anniversary gifts, refers to the 6th year in which Iron or sugar are given. The beer will be released in May and will be available to the public and many places where the Bruery beers are sold. Every year’s addition of the first ale to the new batch gives it another great layer complexity as you the the original ale that is 6 years old and the new young batch all together using the Solera method as explained in the description. Every year since Fruet, their 4rd Anniversary when I first tried their beers, I have anticipated each release anxiously. It is with great pleasure that I show you, the newest batch and the newest review of the Bruery’s Anniversary beer. Cheers!!

Aromas:
Exquisite dulce de leche caramel on bananas, flan, rich dark cherries, pecan pie, dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, dates, wine grapes, apples, sweetened condenced milk, pilloncillo, crème brulee, toffee, roasted coconut, bourbon, oak, dark and milk chocolate, burnt sugar, candy sugar, brown sugar, marshmallow, graham crackers, rum notes, raspberry chambord, molasses, mousse, scotch whiskey, maple syrup, waffle cone and chocolate truffle ice cream.

Flavors:
Lots of rich Dulce de leche caramel, bananas, clove spice, dark cherries, rum notes, bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar, plantains, pilloncillo sugar cone, apples, peaches, apricot, pecan pie, whipped cream, marshmallow, toasted coconut, oak, milk chocolate, raspberry chambord, wine grapes, waffle cone, chocolate mousse, molasses, scotch whiskey, maple syrup, graham crackers, toffee, candy sugar, chocolate truffle ice cream, raisin bread pudding, rye, burnt sugar, butterscotch and fruit cake.

Aftertaste:
Caramel, dark fruit raisins, cherries, lingering scotch bourbon, vanilla, marshmallows,
A bit of alcohol in the taste but nothing detracting, sipping drinkability with a bit of a medium silky mouth feel.

Overall:
Something about this year’s version has stronger hints of cherry, flan, bananas, caramel and sugars. It is hard to tell but the beer is phenomenal and exceeds my expectations even more than Bois did. I wish I could compare the vertical so far and see maybe where this one lies in comparison to the rest. Makes me wonder what will happen maybe 10 years from now and how amazing that will taste. Either way, as I have said it before with these annual releases, there is not much I don’t have to say, just go get the beer and see for yourself how this one goes. You are in for a treat!

Anime Corner:
Mari Illustrious Mikinami from Neon Genesis Evangelion was chosen for this release like Asuka and Rei were chosen for the previous 2. I wanted to show case not just the next release as following them but also how she relates to the beer. Mari has the colors or pink and gray which represent the Sugar and Iron. This is by pink relating to the delicious cherry which is pretty much sweet like sugar. The caramel aspect is the velvety brown locks of hair. Her glasses represent the maturity of the beer which has evolved from 15% from last years to a now 16.7% ABV. She is very very suductive, like this beer is so sweet that you may want to keep on drinking it, but don’t finish her off or you not only will regret it, she will knock you out, literally. Her strength and complexity can be shown in her skills as a pilot of the Evangelion mechs in the show. You would probably have to see the show for it to make sense, but just like you can’t see how good this beer just by looking at it, you will have to experience the beer for yourself and decide!

Floyd D’ Rue Collaboration by The Bruery and Three Floyds

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged beer collaboration, Black Tuesday, Bleach, Dark Lord, Dark Tuesday, Floyd D'Rue, Holiday Ale, Imperial Porter, pumpkin spice, Rue D'Floyd, Rum Barrels, Spiced rum, Spices, sweet potato, The Bruery, Three Floyds, Tia Harribel, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, vanilla | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5* Rating given at the time of tasting (4/28/2014)

Floyd D’ Rue Collaboration by The Bruery and Three Floyds is a 14.7% ABV Imperial Porter brewed with spices and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
DARK TUESDAY

This collaboration brew was made in the spirit of experimentation…. and then condemned to barrels for one year. We hope you enjoy!

Floyd D’Rue is the complement to Rue D’ Floyd and was brewed with our good friends from 3 Floyds in Indiana. This invigoration ale will age gracefully if cellared properly, but the spice flavors will be the most prominent when consumed fresh.
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Obtained as part of the Bruery’s reserve society, this beer was made with high expectations as it was collaborated with 3 Floyds. The label on the beer advises “Drink by 6/30/14” and “May contain Lactobacillus”. The Bruery does advise this was not on purpose but the odds of such a great beer to be a ticking time bomb, basically consume it before it sours, is such a damn shame. If you can get this before the time runs out, definitely get it. This one is the Floyd’s attempt at the recipe with the Rum barrels with spices. So basically drinking both at the same time would probably be over kill. This one is called “Dark Tuesday” just like the other one was called “Black Lord”. A poke at both their awesome super beers, Black Tuesday and Dark Lord… in my previous review, this would be the offspring’s twin sis…oh!!?? wait…

Aromas:
Rich Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cake Rum, lots of cinnamon, dark fruit raisins, capirotada raisin bread pudding, hazelnut, dark, milk, bakers and chocolate, ginger bread, nutmeg, cookies and cream, holiday spices, fruit cake, rye bread, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak, marshmallow, cookie dough ice cream, citrus, earthy notes, hazelnut, pecan pie, peach cobbler, flan, crème brulee, Danish cream, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin flesh, pillocillo sugar cone, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, molasses, brown sugar, anise, mint notes and candy sugars.

Flavors:
Taste exactly like rich Rum pumpkin spiced coffee cake! Vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, capirotada raisin bread pudding, fruit cake, pumpkin flesh, honey, maple syrup, ginger bread, nutmeg, dark fruit raisins, Kahlua liqueur, coffee, molasses, pecan pie, hazelnut, peach cobbler, marshmallows, flan, waffle cone, Danish Cream, cheese cake, all spice, cinnamon, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, cookie dough ice cream, oak, holiday spices, earthy notes, citrus, apples, apricot hints, brown sugar, candy sugar, mint, anise, crème brulee, pilloncillo sugar cone, chai tea ice cream, sweet potato pie, sweet potato pudding, old mango, banana clove spice, banana bread, walnuts and nutella.

Aftertaste:
Rum, cinnamon, fruit cake, sweet potato, flan, chocolate, pumpkin and coffee cake linger. No alcohol in the taste and just like the other beer, dangerous and smooth. While moderate sipability, it goes down nice and warm with a syrupy consistency.

Overall:
What can I say about this one that I haven’t said about the other one. They are definitely exceeding great. One taste like chocolate coffee cherry cake and the other like rum pumpkin coffee cake to say the least. There is no denying it, they are both exquisite collaborations and both worth the merit. The Ultimate sadness is not being able to see the potential that this beer has as it’s existence is only as brief as the candle in the wind. If you can some how get this one or both or the other one, I suggest you get to it before they are gone. I really hope they brew this one again as it was really good. Combining both would probably be a insane!! Maybe I will save that type of fusion for another review.

Anime Corner:
Tia Harribel and Tōshirō Hitsugaya from Bleach were used in this pairing to represent another aspect of the Bruery’s and 3 Floyds collaboration, in terms of the label, flavors and greatness of the two. These 2 are in the highest caliber of awesomeness and the battle they had in the series was awesome. Reflecting on 3 Floyds and the Bruery’s reputation in terms of awesome shows the insanity of the two to have come together, hopefully not once in a life time, but to show case their insane abilities that both share. Tia Harribel, obviously with the 3 on her breast which was used in a previous review to show case the Zombie Dust. She was the perfect candidate for this pairing as she came forth like a beast and like death in the night show casing the awesomeness of the 3 Floyds. Hitsugaya was used in as the Floyds adding the aspect of Cold. Why cold you ask? Well, Cold in relation to his ice ability which relates to Winter in relation to the holiday spices that this beer is abundant with. Without these 2 in the game, such a beer would not come into fruition. The irony of 2 such great breweries is that the release of this beer in the spring is like the opposite which is the fall. Like if Rue D’Floyd and Floyd D’Rue were like the sun and the moon or the spring and fall, or summer (Tia) and the winter (Hitsugaya). Hence forth, just like the Summer approaches, so will the Sun (Lactobacillus/Tia Harribel) consume the beer, forever lost in the pits of hell where once the shining light of hope of pandora’s box once stood. Sour Sour, everything returns to Sour (NOTHING)!!……

Rue D’Floyd Collaboration by The Bruery and Three Floyds

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, beer collaboration, Black Lord, Black Tuesday, Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter, cherries, Coffee Beans, Dark Lord, FLCL, Floyd D'Rue, Haruko Haruhara, Imperial Porter, Naota Nandaba, Rue D'Floyd, The Bruery, Three Floyds, vanilla beans | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5* Rating given at the time of tasting (4/28/2014)

Rue D’Floyd Collaboration by The Bruery and Three Floyds is a 14.4% ABV Imperial Porter brewed with Coffee and Vanilla beans and aged in Bourbon Barrels with Cherries

Label:
Black Lord

This collaboration brew was made in the spirit of experimentation…. and then condemned to barrels for one year. We hope you enjoy!

Rue D’Floyd is the complement Floyd D’ Rue and was brewed with our good friends from 3 Floyds in Indiana. This invigoration ale will age gracefully if cellared properly, but the spice flavors will be the most prominent when consumed fresh.
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Aromas:
Chocolate covered cherries in mocha coffee, bourbon, oak, vanilla, coconut, flan, dark, milk, German, Belgian, sweet, bitter, bakers, and fudge chocolate, Kahlua liqueur, flan, dulce de leche caramel, marshmallows, rocky road ice cream, dark fruits like raisins, figs, Irish cream, kopi luwak, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, cherry cobbler, cookies and cream, almond joy, molasses, anise and brown sugar, crème brulee, waffle cone and coffee cake.

Flavors:
Dark Cherry yogurt, dark chocolate, milk, Belgian, German, sweet, fudge, bakers and bitter chocolate, dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, currants, mocha coffee, espresso, flan, cinnamon, oak, bourbon, vanilla, apples, marshmallows, coconut, coffee cake, cherry cobbler, crème brulee, brown sugar, molasses almond joys, cherry cordial, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, Bailey’s Irish cream, rocky road ice cream, cookies and cream, kopi luwak coffee, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal, Chambord raspberry liqueur, fudge cherries with chocolate mousse and frappuccino.

Aftertaste:
Cherry Cordial, coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Kahlua liqueur, earthy, mild tart and spicy notes linger. This is dangerous as the ABV alcohol can be detected in the taste, it has a smoothness and drinkability is moderate with a syrupy mouthfeel.

Overall:
Exceeding my expectations even when trying to find some of the flaws. This is damn delicious and way too easy to drink that is very dangerous as you can be done for the night if you even try to drink the whole bottle. Definitely and highly recommended if you can trade or find this one online as it will go bad with time unfortunately. It is really sad indeed since it almost feels like attaining the most awesome-st thing in the world then watch it disappear forever. We cannot see how the future will taste for this beer unless they make it again. So yeah, while this still exist, get this as soon as possible! This beer almost reminds of “Life is Like…” but with coffee.

Anime Corner:
Haruko Haruhara and Naota Nandaba from FLCL (Fooley Cooley) were used in this pairing to show case the colors of the label, the flavors, the collaboration, the ticking time bomb aspect and just the insane aspect that this collaboration brings. Aside from the colors of the label. Haruko represent the cherries and the coffee as well as the very dangerous aspect of the beer. The smoothness of the beer can be seen in the cuteness of her demeanor but don’t ever let that fool you. This woman is demented and insane. Cute on the outside, monster on the inside. Naota Nandaba, is the admirer which you can think of him providing the extra flavors as being the main character of the series. Now the ticking time bomb has to do with the short temper that Haruko has and the short time that these 2 have together. I won’t spoil the story, but c’mon, it is such a great series…. for only being 6 episodes long!! There, you have no excuse not to watch FLCL… now just like I said before… Go get this beer, find the show and watch it! You will be in for a ride!

Topless Wytch by Three Floyds

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged bakers chocolate, Baltic Porter, dark chocolate, Fairy Tail, Masane Amaha, Sayla, Three Floyds, Topless Wytch, Witchblade | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.15/5

Topless Wytch by Three Floyds is a 9% ABV Baltic Porter.

Label:
This full bodied baltic porter loaded with roasted, chocolate and coffee notes and a crisp finish is just the beer if you want to get the better of any unsuspecting barbarian from cimmeria.
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Since its release in 2012, I spent a long time looking for this beer and now I have finally found it! Topless Wytch is a coveted Baltic Porter from the Coveted Indiana brewery of Three Floyds. Some of their beers are pretty much not only impossible to find in California, they are very are online as well. Unless you know somebody, then you may be able to trade. That is, until recently, when wlvliquors started to carry some of their beers and mainly since my friend Aaron found this one there, I figured I had to get this one as well. So let us dive into this deep dark brew and see what it is all about.

Aromas:
Very robust coffee, molasses, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate shake, frappuccino, cherry notes, currants, raisins, espresso, Kahlua, roasted barley, coconut, anise, soy sauce, molasses, tobacco, pecans, hazelnut, brown sugar and oatmeal.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, caramel, mocha, caramel, coconut, milk chocolate, chocolate shake, molasses, vanilla beans, cocoa nibs, cherries, coconut, dark fruit, raisins, dark cherries, currants, bakers chocolate, coffee mocha, toffee, fudge cake, roasted barley, Kahlua notes,oatmeal, brown sugar, pecans, tobacco, soy sauce, hazelnut, pecans, molasses, anise, leather, apples and mild yogurt notes.

Aftertaste:
Dark chocolate, coffee roasted grains, Khalua, caramel, vanilla, and earthy hop notes. No alcohol in the taste, moderate drinkability despite the ABV, Syrupy with a velvet texture.

Overall:
I have no idea why, but the 3 floyds beers I have so far, I hate to say this, but some of the hype of is true as maybe the batches that they make are so carefully crafted and hard to find that maybe, just maybe, they are as delicious as they say. This is way to delicious for it’s own good. A Devil’s water per say as some of the drawings show. Either way, if you like Baltic Porters, this one is very delicious and highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Masane Amaha from Witchblade, Sayla from Fairy Tail and Succubus original artwork by Jessica Elwood were used in this pairing to pair with the dark aspects of this beer, the label and the powerful aspects of the character relating to the complexity of the flavors. All of which are pretty much top less, but that is just the extra . A very powerful beer deserves a very powerful pairing such as this. Yes, evn if demonic at seems, they are sweet, but I am sure that the aspects of seduction since you can’t taste the alcohol are enough to get you wondering. Holy crap!

Ninja VS. Unicorn by Pipeworks Brewing

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Bleach, Double India Pale Ale, IPA, MLP, Ninja Vs. Unicorn, passion fruit, Pipeworks Brewing, rainbow dash, Unicorn, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.3/5

Ninja VS. Unicorn by Pipeworks Brewing is a 9% ABV Double India Pale Ale.

Label:
Ninja vs. Unicorn celebrates the epic battle between two of the biggest hop-heads of lore. Brewed with over five pounds of hops per barrel, this unfiltered double IPA is sure to please the most discerning hop lover. Whether you’re rooting for the mythical horned horse or the deadly assassin of the east, we hope you’ll enjoy Ninja vs. Unicorn. Bottle Art by Jason Burke ink & lead Designs.
Batch# 328/39/40
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Obtained this little gem at wlvliquors.com. This is nowhere in California but is a common in Chicago. I have heard great things about this beer and the artwork as well as the beer intrigued me to get this one and do a review on it.

Aromas:
An immense amount of tropical fruits! Peaches, Lychees, Grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, dragon fruit, kiwis, prickly pear, strawberry, mango, passion fruit, apples, papaya, apricot, orange gummy bears, coconut, piney, grassy, floral and herbal hops, caramel, biscuit bread, mild garlic notes, toffee, lemon peel, pine resin and mild rye.

Flavors:
The tropics continue with Lychee, peaches, apricot, oranges, tangerines, dragon fruit, passion fruit, prickly pear, strawberries, mango, passion fruit, papaya, coconut, apples, orange marmalade on biscuit bread, toffee, caramel, herbal, floral, grapefruit and piney hops, lemon peel, garlic dankness, lemon peels, rye, guava jelly, honey and hints of flan.

Aftertaste:
Lots of tropical fruits linger, caramel, dank garlicky, oniony flavors and grapefruit. No alcohol in the taste. While being an IPA, something is very smooth about this beer even while it seems like it has moderate to sipping drinkability. Moderately clear but has a crisp and refreshing medium mouth feel.

Overall:
Holy shit!, this is incredible! Almost everything about this beer is insane! It reminds me of the Power Plant Triple IPA from El Segundo Brewing but this one is just super duper tropic centrifuge. This beer is pretty damn insane. I love tropical sweet IPAs and this one has a shit ton of tropics that makes it hard to pinpoint all the flavors.

Anime Corner:
Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach and Rainbow Dash from MLP were used in this pairing mainly because I wanted to do something that related to the whole Ninja Vs. Unicorn aspect. Being as the colors of the label best represent Rainbow Dash, it was quite fitting since many of the bronies make her seem like a bad ass. So here is a tribute to you bronies and pegasisters. I am mainly an Anime Otaku dude, but can appreciate a great pairing despite where it comes from. Yoruichi is the of the baddest Flash step ninjas ever and Dash can hit Mach speeds, so I figured even more rightfully so this pairing would work. Also the, rainbow in the aspect of flavor best pairs because of the variety of fruit tropics that this beer seems to unleash making it, well, damn epic. I am surprised this beer is not world class and not at the level of the Pliny the Younger or the Heady Topper.

Black Robusto by Drake’s Brewing

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged American Porter, Aya Shameimaru, bittersweet chocolate, Black Robusto, Black Robusto Porter, dark chocolate, Drake’s Brewing, milk Chocolate, Touhou | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Black Robusto by Drake’s Brewing is a 6.3% ABV American Porter.

Label:
Drake’s Black Robusto Porter is a deep, dark “Robust Porter,” a beer style known for being darker, fuller-bodied, and higher in alcohol by volume than a standard Brown Porter. Our Black Robusto goes down smoothly with flavors of bittersweet chocolate an slight roast from Crystal and Chocolate malt. A touch of spicy, herbal hop character from Willamette hops balance out the finish. Enjoy a pint with dark, lingering satisfaction.
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A new beer from Drake’s Brewing in San Leandro California. Picked this one up at Ramirez Liquor Warehouse in Los Angeles. Some of the beers I have tried from Drake’s are very good. This is the third one I have tried from the. The Robust aspect of this beer intrigued me as I wanted to see how robust at 6.3% ABV this would be. We’ll, let us find out.

Aromas:
Deep coffee roast, espresso, dark chocolate, caramel, Irish cream, mocha, fudge, milk chocolate, earthy hops, mild campfire smoke, coffee cake, hints of cinnamon, brown sugar and marshmallows.

Flavors:
Rich Coffee, earthy hop notes, dark chocolate, caramel, Irish cream, lactose sugar notes, milk chocolate, mild campfire smoke, coffee cake, espresso, mocha, brown sugar, molasses, frappuccino, marshmallows, graham crackers, coconuts notes, hazelnuts, vanilla and mild BBQ notes.

Aftertaste:
Earthy hops, coffee grains, Irish cream hints, caramel and mild dark chocolate. No alcohol in the taste, moderate drinkability with some smoothness and medium mouthfeel.

Overall:
Very good and very impressed despite the low ABV. This is pretty on point in terms of a robust and smokey, sweet coffee roast. You would expect some extended flavors from a beer with higher ABV like the other complex sweets I mentioned, but this one hits some really good notes. You would be surprised how well this drinks and hence the reason I recommend it as you can most likely find this one wherever they sell Drake beers.

Anime Corner:
Aya Shameimaru from Touhou was used in this pairing to show case not only the colors of the label but the robust flavor of the beer. Aya is the type of character who tries to do her job very well and is also way to strong for her own good. I guess you can say, she is very Robust and it is this Roboust aspect that pairs with the deliciousness of this beer also the fact that she unexpectedly tends to win all her fights accidentally. Not to say that the beer is an accident but how often do you see a beer with low ABV be so full of flavors? And that is why she was chosen as the pairing!

(Double Review) Rodeo Clown & 009 Clown Lounge by Karbach Brewing

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 009 Clown Lounge, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Chrono Cross, Double India Pale Ale, F.U.N. Series 009, Harle, Hatsune Miku, Karbach Brewing, Rodeo Clown | Leave a comment

It is time for another dual review! Thanks to my friend Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com for hooking me up one again with 2 beers to do a double review. This is the second double review on this site and depending on how many beers I can find doubles of, expect more of these types. Today I bring thorough review of both these beer and also bring you forth, the finale of the story of these two beers. Yes, they have a story to tell and if you pay close attention, you will know what this is all about. This is a double IPA and a Bourbon Barrel Aged IPA. BBA IPAs are not very common so it is definitely special when one comes along. I definitely cannot wait to try these. Cheers to my loyal readers, Aaron, and the good people at Karbach brewing company for making this a possibility once again and… on with the SHOW!

RODEO CLOWN REVIEW
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Rodeo Clown by Karbach Brewing is a 9.5% ABV Double India Pale Ale.

Label:
It’s a job. And a hazardous one at that. Benefits, you ask? I hardly think so. But the show must go on. So, it’s with bravado that the Rodeo Clown takes his place in the arena lights. Whether or not he’s insane is not important right now. It’s with grit and intensity that the Clown steps in the path of almost certain destruction.
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Aromas:
Tropical fruits, mango pineapple, kiwi, citrus, tangerine marmalade, caramel, toffee, biscuit bread, vanilla, brown sugar, rye, herbal, grapefruit, piney and notes of earthy hops and honey.

Flavors:
Lots of tropical notes, caramel, toffee, tangerine marmalade, grapefruit hops, notes of earthy and grassy hops, honey, orange peels, biscuit bread, rye, hop oils, maple, orange jolly ranchers candy, brown sugar, and molasses.

Aftertaste:
Honey, caramel, tangerine marmalade, piney and grapefruit residual hops. No alcohol in the taste but a sipping beer none the less with some syrupy aspects to it. Very delightful!

Overall:
A very good DIPA which aligns itself with the more malty caramel and tropical types of double IPAs with the hops still there lending a hand to remind you it is an IPA but more on the sweeter side. Drinks more on the Barleywine side, but that is not bad in any way. Although, if you like more hop bite in your IPA than sweet, you will need to decide if this one is right for you. I almost feel like this reminds me of Dogfish Head 120, except not as complex but the hop oils and syrupy mouthfeel make it so.

009 CLOWN LOUNGE REVIEW
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F.U.N. Series 009 Clown Lounge by Karbach Brewing is a 9.5% Double India Pale Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
While Rodeo Clown might have funny names like Scooter of Flint, this job is serious stuff. In fact, in this line of work it’s not if you ‘re going to get hurt, but how bad! When face with almost certain doom, there is one place where the Rodeo Clown can find safe harbor. The barrel, AKA the Clown Lounge, allows out hero to dodge destruction and regain composure strength.

This double IPA has been aged for six months in bourbon barrels, safely waiting and gaining power until it’s time to step back into action. Full-bodied with a lingering bitterness and rounded malt complexity, sip slowly on this bull of a beer and allow the flavors to take you into the bright arena lights. It’s time to answer the call.
F.U.N Series 009 2014
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Aromas:
Tropical fruits, like coconut, pineapple, mango, kiwi, dragon fruit, orange and tangerine marmalade, oak, bourbon, caramel, fancy wine and cheese, vanilla, toffee, biscuit bread, rye, flan, cinnamon, brown sugar, leather notes, grapefruit, pine needles, dark fruit plum hints and figs.

Flavors:
Lots of Coconut, grapefruit, marshmallows, graham crackers, bourbon, rye bread, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, fancy wine and cheese hints, orange and tangerine marmalade, maple syrup, honey on toast, biscuit bread, flan cinnamon, mango, pineapple, dragon fruits, kiwi, toffee, brown sugar, leather notes, mild earthy hops, dark fruit plums, figs, mild hazelnut and molasses.

Aftertaste:
Caramel, vanilla, maple, grapefruit marmalade, rye bread, whiskey, earthy hops, marshmallows and maple syrup. No alcohol in the taste yet a very sipping style of beer. While the body is kind of clear, the mouthfeel is full and syrupy.

Overall:
Damn!! This one is definitely evolved from the original Rodeo Clown. This reminds me a lot of the Double Bastard aged in Bourbon or the Ruination in bourbon barrels, this is freaking delicious There is only the subtle hop presence to remind you of what this once was. Certainly a must find if you live in Texas and one I really wish I could find here in California. There aren’t many Bourbon Barrel IPA but of the many I have had they are all awesome and this one is just as exceedingly great!

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Overall (Both Beers):
Like night and day, Good and Evil, Stable and Twisted, Order and Chaos. The difference is insane and it is not a difference between the expected bitterness vs. sweet, NO! We are referring to the sweet caramel DIPA that becomes a complex sweeter yet mysterious monster after sitting and aging in the dark. Overall, I loved them both but it was obvious that the 009 was gonna be the better and stronger of the 2 due to the bourbon aging prospect.

Anime Corner (Both Beers):
Harle from Chrono Cross and Hatsune Miku were used in these 2 pairing because I wanted to express something that relates to the colors, the clown aspect and the difference of the over beers (Good vs. Evil). We start with Sweet Harle who matched the colors perfectly of the Rodeo Clown but is also sweet yet hides something mysterious (The underlying hops). After Harle sits for 6 months she emerges as Hatsune Miku with a demented, yet evil, yet sweet looking , still mysterious aspect of flavors and showing the night and day aspect I was referring to before. We finish the Show Of Life with Hatsune in the White Dress, demented yet balanced reminding herself of what she used to be, yes she is and will always be the Rodeo Clown, whether the sun or the moon ever come, and yet her dreams will come true as she is, the star of the Show of Life! ………. FIN!

Rating: 4.75/5* Rodeo Clown Double IPA
Rating: 5.35/5* F.U.N. Series 009 Clown Lounge

Agave Maria by The Lost Abbey

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Agave Maria, Agave Nectar, agave syrup, American Strong Ale, Ave Maria, Jalisco, Madonna and Child, Margarita Mary, Maria, Tequila Barrel, Tequila Barrel Aged, The Lost Abbey | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Agave Maria by The Lost Abbey is a 13.5% ABV American Strong Ale brewed with Agave syrup and aged in Tequila barrels.

Label:
It was an oppressively hellish day in dusty Jalisco when I first encountered Margarita Mary. The locals preferred a more sacred name and simply called her Agave Maria. Painted on a courtyard mural over a century ago. Maria stood like a mother watching over her children protecting them as their divine inspiration.

She blessed every child birth in the village and acted as the refuge during feverish outbreak that threatened the workers. But most importantly each and every day employees dropped to their knees in prayer asking her to provide safety to the jimadors in the fields and the distilleries in the factory. Maria was simply everything to everyone.

All of the agave piñas harvested from the fields passed beneath her outstretched arms as if she was bearing witness to the liquid they would weep while the candles at her feet flickered, never being allowed to extinguish. Because we love the spirit she blesses so very much, we have released this beer in her honor. We hope that you too will find some room in your life for Agave Maria.
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A seasonal by the Lost Abbey and I am sure I would gladly pick up more as I go. I was pretty surprised that the Lost Abbey decided to use the virgin Mary for their label. While none of it seems to be pocking fun at religion, I am sure there maybe the conservatives that may see this as blasphemous. I am a Catholic and I for one like what they have to say about this beer as it is made to honor her name, even if the name is a little different but her not is not said in vain and that is what is important. Aside from that, this beer as Tequila Barrel aged so just the thought of trying a Tequila barrel aged beer made by the Lost Abbey especially, there was no way I wouldn’t try this.

Aromas:
Wow! It smells like Mezcal, tequila, agave nectar and rich dark fruit raisins, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel and more. It also has oak notes, pepper, plums, bananas, candi sugar, pan dulce, capirotada, walnuts, pecans, plantains, dark chocolate, flan, crème brulee, coconut, sangria, prunes, marshmallows and toffee. Lot’s going on here.

Flavors:
Very rich agave nectar, mezcal, sangria, dark fruits like raisins, plums, bananas, dulce de leche caramel, capirotada raisins bread pudding, pepper, oak, tequila, flan, cinnamon, chocolate covered plantains, leche nestle condenced sweetend milk, coconut, rich vanilla, molasses, grape jelly on rye toast, currrants, cherries, chocolate cake, marshmallow, rocky road ice cream notes,wine notes, toffee, leather notes, molasses, anise, prunes and honey.

Aftertaste:
Lingering Tequila, mezcal sangria, raisins, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, bananas, . While the may seem slightly present, it does not detract from the taste nor is it harsh. A sipping yet very smooth beer. Full mouth feel but syrupy in a way as well.

Overall:
No denying it, the best Tequila barrel aged beer I have ever had and that’s a lot since there is hardly many Tequila barrel aged beers out there and of the few I have had this one, is damn amazing. Right next to the Barley wine they made (Sede Vacante), this is the next best one. So much going on here. It is almost like a Belgian quad meets Mexican tequila barrels and creates a truly heavenly beer. I am glad they are releasing this more often as many will want to try it and I am sure many will definitely be intrigued. Go get this bottle of holy!

Anime Corner:
What goes good with Agave Maria? Well, I wanted to keep this pairing very special but also wanted to be awe inspiring and artistic so I paired with it with Mary/Madonna and Child by ninebreaker of deviantart.com. Sure it may note be all the way anime, but some artistic aspects of this piece are both honoring and anime. It pairs very well with the colors of the label but also the story in the label advising about how Maria took care of her children. This is one pairing I definitely loved. Let me know what you think.

Proprietor’s Reserve Series Wookey Jack by Firestone Walker

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Balthier, Black Rye IPA, Chewbacca, dark chocolate, Final Fantasy XII, Firestone Walker, Fran, han solo, IPA, proprietor's reserve, rye bread, rye ipa, Star Wars, Star Wars beer, Wookey Jack, Wookie Jack, World class, World Class Black Rye India Pale Ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Proprietor’s Reserve Series Wookey Jack by Firestone Walker is an 8.3% ABV World Class Black Rye India Pale Ale.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION:
Wookey Jack is our first foray into the dark outer world of black IPAs. Rich dark malts and spicy rye careen into bold citrus laden hops creating a new dimension in IPA flavor. This brew has been left unfiltered and unfined to retain all of its texture and character. At 60 IBUs, Wookey Jack is gnarly on the outside yet complex and refined on the inside.
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Considered to the 4th Best American Black Ale in the world by Beeradvocate.com. I have tried the majority of the common Firestone Walker beers but I have always skipped this one for one reason or another. Well, I finally decided to go with it and give it a shot. My friend Aaron recommended I should try it. He’s over there in Texas and I’m in California. Yeah I know, I’ve been living under a rock right? HA! Any ways, here is the review. The cool thing about this one, is that it has that star wars reference too.

Aromas:
Piney, earthy, grapefruit and grassy hops, dark chocolate, rye bread, roasted barley, caramel, slight smoke, tropical fruits like mango, kiwi and papaya, brown sugar, molasses, notes of dark fruits, anise and biscuit bread.

Flavors:
Herbal, piney, earthy grapefruit and grassy hops, anise, caramel, dark chocolate, rye bread, tropical fruits, pineapple, apricot, old mango, papaya, kiwi, molasses, campfire smoke, roasted barley, toffee, biscuit bread, notes of dark fruit plums and oranges.

Aftertaste:
Piney and earthy hop bitterness with surprisingly lingering tropical flavor, caramel, smoke and chocolate. No alcohol in the taste, moderate to sipping drinkability with medium to full mouth feel.

Overall:
One of the best Black Rye IPAs for sure. It really reminds you about the fact that it is an IPA first and foremost before it gives you the dark sweet aspects. While the hops aren’t super dank, they definitely help the beer so it doesn’t feel, too bitter, too sweet or too smokey. Well made beer and definitely one that is underrated. This beer is phenomenal and I hope this review convinces you to try this one. It is a great example of the style.

Anime Corner:
Fran and Balthier from Final Fantasy XII were used in this pairing since I wanted to get the whole Chewbacca and Han Solo aspect of star wars but I wanted to related to anime and video games. Which lead me to Fran and Balthier. It is pretty crazy how good partners they are in the game that you can tell they took the them right out of star wars. Yes, I was going with the whole, Fran is a wookie but not yet she is like Chewbacca partnering with Han Solo. Either way, flavors and label of the beer also compliment their colors as she is a smoking hot chocolate bunny. There I said it lol.

Dairy Tank Collaboration by Eagle Rock Brewery and Ale Smith

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Ale Smith, Alesmith, Dairy Tank, Eagle Rock, Eagle Rock Brewery, Imperial Milk Stout, milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Sweet Stout, Milk Stout, nitroplus, Satan, The Seven Deadly Sins | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/5

Dairy Tank Collaboration by Eagle Rock Brewery and Ale Smith is a 10% ABV Imperial Milk/Sweet Stout

Label:
ALESMITH BREWING CO
Alesmith Brewing Co. opened in 1995 with the purpose of making great beer – in dairy tanks! Sever budget constraints and the homebrewers mentality of making due with the equipment at hand put us to the test. We made it work and will forever be indebted to the original dairy tanks that were used for out hot & col liquor, mash & lauter, fermenting and conditioning tanks.

Alesmith expanded in 2008 and bid farewell to the dairy tanks sending them to their new home at Eagle Rock Brewery. In deciding on our collaboration beer, we thought it would be fitting to utilize these tanks in brewing a stykle that employs lactose sugar derived from milk. The name of our collaboration Milk Stout. We Hope that you enjoy this tribute to our beloved dairy tanks!

Peter Zen, Owner Alesmith

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EAGLE ROCK BREWERY BEER FOR THE PEOPLE.
In May 2008, as were planning the opening of Eagle Rock Brewery, Alesmith Brewing was upgrading their brewhouse and selling their old equipment. We had been a huge admirer of Alesmith long before this, so being able to star our brewery with equipment from one of our all-time favorite breweries, felt like a miracle.

Hailing from a family of dairy farmers it felt fitting that the brewing equipment we had just acquired was converted from old Dairy Tanks . As homebrewers, we’ve always had a sense of “do it yourself”engineering and having equipment that felt like a large-scale homebrewsetup made the transition from brewing 5 gallon batches to 500 gallon batches a LOT less daunting.

Jeremy Raub Co-Founder Eagle Rock Brewery

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Beer made in Milk tanks for a milk stout. This beer was so coveted it sold out quicky. You can probably get this one online now since it is hard to come by. It has an enjoy by date of 7-16-2014, so definitely the fresher the better. Milk stouts are genius especially if done right. Let’s see how big this one is.

Aromas:
Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, sweet bakers chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bananas, mint chocolate, caramel, vanilla, lactose sugars, molasses, brown sugar, toffee, roasted barley, coffee notes, mocha, notes of hazelnut, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, marshmallows smores and mild coconut.

Flavors:
Milk, Sweet, dark and mink chocolate with bananas, caramel, vanilla, earthy hop notes, molasses, mocha, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, marshmallows, chocolate mousse, waffle cone, rocky road icecream, fudge brownies, mint chocolate chip ice cream notes, anise, mild coconut, pecan pie, dark fruits like cherries and raisins and lots of milk sugar.

Aftertaste:
Milk chocolate, bananas, dark fruit, earthy notes, lactose sugar and mocha linger for a bit. No alcohol in the taste, a damn big smoothness and easy to drink despite the ABV with a buttery, creamy and a bit syrupy mouth feel. This is damn well made.

Overall:
Damn, over the top! I definitely loved this one just as much as I did smog lifter. A crazy guilty pleasure driven beer. There is a reason this bottle of great potion sold out and it has to do with the fact that it was way too damn good. You still have until July to enjoy it as fresh as possible so whether you live in California and cannot find it or live elsewhere, definitely seek this one before it goes offline too. A great beer and makes me wish I had gotten more bottles.

Anime Corner:
Coffee Mascot Girl from Yukizirushi Coffee Milk and Satan from Nitroplus’ 7 deadly sins were used in this pairing to pair with the colors of the label, the aspect of milk in dairy tanks relating to cows and well, the overall flavors of the beer including the chocolate, milk sugars and coffee earthy notes. Satan loves Kittys so giving them their guilty pleasure is like me having this guilty pleasure for drinking this awesome beer. This beer can be dangerous since it is so damn delicious and smooth. Just like the sweet personality of Satan in the 7 deadly sins story. Drinking this beer is like drinking coffee and chocolate milk. It is damn perfect!

Westmalle Trappist Dubbel by Brouwerij Westmalle

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged attack on titan, Belgian Dubbel, Brouwerij Westmalle, Dubbel, Mikasa Ackerman, Trappist beer, Trappist Dubbel, Westmalle Trappist, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Westmalle Trappist Dubbel by Brouwerij Westmalle is a 7% ABV World Class Belgian Dubbel.

Commercial Description:
Westmalle Dubbel is a dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The creamy head has the fragrance of special malt and leaves an attractive lace pattern in the glass. The flavour is rich and complex, herby and fruity with a fresh-bitter finish. It is a balanced quality beer with a soft feel in the mouth and a long, dry aftertaste. The Dubbel contains 7% alcohol.

Since 1856 the monks have also been brewing a dark Trappist beer along with their table beer. Since the recipe was modified in 1926, they have been brewing slightly heavier beer. This is the foundation of today’s Dubbel.

The 33 cl bottles are distributed individually, in baskets of six or in 24 bottle crates. The Westmalle Dubbel is also the only dark Trappist beer available on draught in some 300 selected hotels, restaurants and cafes, from kegs of 30 and 50 litres. Dubbel Trappist continues to ferment, making the draught version slightly sweeter than the bottled version.

Dubbel Trappist is also available in 75 cl bottles, in which the beer matures differently than the smaller bottles. You will particularly notice a more subtle aftertaste.
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The need to try some of the Trappist ales of the 10 Trappist Monasteries of the world got me to finally pick up a bottle and do a review. I have tried this one long ago at a restaurant but I had yet to do a review on it. What a better time than now. Many of the craft beer shops will sell this one as it is easy to find like Trappist Rochefort or even Chimay. I have done reviews for about 6 (including this just now) of the monasteries and some of their beers but I still got 4 more to go. All world class so far, you really can’t go wrong. So let’s check this one out.

Aromas:
Very rich dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, figs, dates, cherries, currants, dulce de leche caramel, candy sugars, raisin bread pudding, pecans, hazelnut, chocolate notes, vanilla, pears, blackberry marmalade, rum, oak, brown sugar, toffee, cinnamon, bananas, phenolic notes, clove spice and molasses.

Flavors:
Once again, rich dark fruits, raisins, plums, dates, toffee, candy sugars. Rich raisin bread pudding notes, pecans, walnuts, hazelnut, vanilla, blackberry marmalade, pears, blackberry marmalade, chocolate notes, bananas and clove spice, molasses, peaches and cherries.

Aftertaste:
Raisins, blackberry marmalade, vanilla, rum hints, dulce de leche caramel and brown sugar lingers. No alcohol in the taste, sipping drinkability with almost syrupy mouthfeel.

Overall:
Perfect Belgian Dubbel with some exceeding great qualities. Seems like the hidden secrets of the Holy monasteries can brew up something that cannot be copied but may be similar. This is the second best dubbel in the world and rightfully so. When drinking this, it really is raisin bread pudding in a bottle. No joke at all, this stuff is sweet and bready. This really comes close to the Partridge in a Pear Tree except not as strong and its not using pears. It seems like a base for that beer though.

Anime Corner:
Mikasa Ackerman from Attack on Titan was used in this pairing to pair with the colors of the label but mainly the abbey aspect. While it is not shown in readily in the the background, but if you know the Attack on Titan Story, she fights for unveiling the truth outside of the walls which protect from these giants called Titans who destroy and eat humans, which you find later on are tied to the religious sects. While Westmalle is a holy trappist monastery, and it seems to share a special flavor of the Dubbel Belgian style which even the best, Westvleteren will not share since you actually have to visit. Nevermind the complexity of getting the Westvleteren 8 but either way, Westmalle is knows of making the second best and even then, is responsible for sharing the best strengths to the world of its style. Mikasa is all about being the best but at at the same time humble and only doing for her only family member left, Eren Jaeger of the series. The Red scarf she wears represents the hard work of the monks in getting this special style together for everyone to try. Mikasa always wears this scarf which was given by Eren, like Westmalle wears the proud logo of the Trappist.

The Remix Project Babylonian Style Ale collaboration between Stillwater Artisanal and Omnipollo

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Aldra, Belgian Pale Ale, Brettanomyces, Farmhouse Ale, Omnipollo, Queen's Blade, Saison, Stillwater Artisanal, The Remix Project | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

The Remix Project Babylonian Style Ale collaboration between Stillwater Artisanal and Omnipollo is a 6% ABV Farmhouse/ Saison.

Label:
Inspired by the artistry and assertiveness of Omnipollo’s Nebuchadnezzar, I decided on a demure approach. Expressing the lovely hop profile of the original & tying it together with farmhouse yeast and Brettanomyces for a fruity, funky fiesta ;7
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Nebuchadnezzar is already Omnipollo’s double IPA but when introduced to these new things such as brettanomyces & farmhouse yeast, well, looks like some evil stuff a la Belgian Pale Ale starts to happen. Not sure how the ABV was lowered if it was a DIPA but oh well. I got this bottle at the wineandcheesplace.com for those that would like to get this one. Usually where I get my evil and yet elusive Stillwater beers.

Aromas:
Rich herbal hops, peppercorns, barnyard hay, honey, basil, mint, yerba buena, biscuit bread, lavender, hibiscus flowers, citrus, lemon, buttery popcorn, mango, garlic, coriander, old papaya, peach, apricot and grape.

Flavors:
Lots of herbs, yerba buena, garlic, peppercorns, grassy and grapefruit hops, biscuit bread, funky brettanomyces, musty grapes, biscuit bread, honey, mild caramel, peaches, apricots, papaya, buttery notes, citrus, lemon, hibiscus, oranges, pinapple, barnyard funk, hay, coriander spice and vanilla.

Aftertaste:
Herbal, citrus and dank garlic notes with honey in the finish. No alcohol in the taste yet a moderate to sipping beer. Despite the 6%, it has a medium mouth feel but still very crisp and refreshing.

Overall:
A very good DIPA/ Saison/ Belgian Pale Ale that is really very herbal. If you like really dank hopped and herbal IPAs and also love saisons, this may be a dream come true. For me, while I really enjoyed the variety that this delicious beer had to offer, Eschatological is my go to from Stillwater in terms of Strong BPAs since I like more citrus, tropical and orangey like characters. Nevertheless, this is an awesome beer and worth a try for sure.

Anime Corner:
Original Demon Girl and Aldra from Queen’s Blade were used in this pairing to signify the essence of the aggressive evil brettanomyces that indulge the very essence of the hops. The reason why Belgian Pale Ales are made, they are beers tainted either by hops or in this case, by brettanomyces since it is a DIPA being attacked. I wanted to find a pairing that fits the label and well something that Stillwater wanted to showcase with what happens when you add brettanomyces and farmhouse yeast to a Double IPA, Liquid Chaos!

Small batch Series No. 7 Ranger Creek

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged American Imperial Stout, attack on titan, Cavalier of the abyss, Imperial Sweet Potato Stout, Ranger Creek, Sasha Braus, Small batch series No. 7, sweet potato, Yuan | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Small batch Series No. 7 Ranger Creek is an 8% ABV Imperial Sweet Potato Stout.

Commercial Description:
While everyone loves a great fall seasonal, there are more than enough pumpkin beers in the world. Our Small Batch Series is all about trying new things, and Small Batch Series No. 7 is our take on a fall seasonal that uses sweet potatoes as an alternative to the norm. This Imperial Sweet Potato Stout comes in at 8% ABV and pours a dark, rich black. The subtle holiday spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice are showcased in the nose. The warming flavor of sweet roasted chocolate is complemented by a faint earthy backend that reveals the sweet potatoes. Enjoy this unique seasonal on its own to warm you during the cold weather or paired with smoked ham, aged cheeses, or dark chocolate truffles.
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Thanks to my friend Aaron at www.beermetaldude.comfor another awesome hookup. Thanks to Ranger Creek as well for making this batch. I have never had a sweet potato stout, but I have had a yam beer but not a stout. This is quite the treat since you can only get this in Texas. Sweet gifts like these are what makes this site going and the beer treasures is what makes me keep trying new and different types of beers. Let’s take a look at this one, Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark Chocolate, earthy hop notes, roasted barley, dark fruit notes like cherries, raisins, oak, butterscotch, rye, molasses, sweet potato, cinnamon, nut meg, oats and honey.

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, dark fruits like raisins, plums, cherry, caramel, sweet potatoes, earthy hops, roasted barley, campfire smokey notes, bacon notes, pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses, coffee hints, mild clove spice, oatmeal cookie, chocolate smores, pilloncillo sugar cone and mild hints of bananas.

Aftertaste:
Earthy and roasted barley note linger with a bit of campfire hints, sweet potato, caramel and rye toast. No alcohol in the taste, a sipping beer with medium to full body mouth feel.

Overall:
Very nice and delicious beer. Definitely something I haven’t had before. The sweet potato becomes more apparent as you let the beer warm up. It is very different from the pumpkin and adds its own special taste to the beer. Only a few beers like this exist where they are made with special uncommon ingredients. It is very well made and definitely a recommended little bottle if you live out in Texas. Go find this one, it is worth the try.

Anime Corner:
Yuan from Cavalier of the Abyss and Sasha Braus from Attack on Titan were used in this pairing for several reasons. Yuan was used in this pairing to pair with the dark dress and the label but also linking her magic arts to sweet potatoes and pumpkins. She is not a witch by any means but definitely stronger on the magic side. Sasha is a glutton for potatoes. She loves to eat and she loves potatoes very much so sweet potatoes aren’t any different for her. Since this is a sweet potato stout, I just figured it was the perfect pairing.

Embargo by Black Market Brewing

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged american whiskey, Barrel Aged, Black Market, Black Market Brewing, cocoa nibs, Embargo, Ghost in the Shell, Imperial Brown Ale, Motoko Kusinagi, vanilla beans, whiskey bourbon | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.8/5

Embargo by Black Market Brewing is a 9.8% ABV Imperial Brown Ale brewed with Vanilla & Cocoa Nibs aged in whiskey barrels.

Label:
Embargo is an elegant, barrel-aged Imperial Brown Ale, based on a high gravity version of our popular Shakedown Brown. Embargo is aged in used whiskey barrels with cocoa nibs and vanilla beans to create and amazingly well layered taste sensation. Enjoy Embargo on special occasions with special friends.
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Picked up a bottle at Ramirez Liquor store. I was going to pass this up but the colors got to me and just the fact that I never had an Imperial Barrel aged brown ale, I had no choice but to break the Bavarian law, lol, and try to ship this to my experience of flavors as well as show may why it is called Embargo. It could be that this beer has something to hide, something dark that the government doesn’t want you to try or even know about. However, we here at brewerianimelogs would like to show you otherwise.

Aromas:
Lot’s of rich berries and dark fruits, black berries, blue berries, boysenberries, currants, raisins, strawberry jam, rich plantain bananas, dark chocolate, vanilla, oak, bourbon, coconut, coffee notes, marshmallows, clove spice, old bananas, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel, flan, chocolate abuelita, whiskey, rye bread, sugar cone, cinnamon, molasses, mint and anise.

Flavors:
Rich Plantain bananas (Platano Macho), chocolate abuelita, oak, bourbon, coconut, dark chocolate, earthy hop notes, vanilla, milk chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, rich dark fruits like blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, currants, raisins, plum notes, strawberries, grape marmalade of rye toast bread,clove spice, molasses, mint, anise, brown sugar, pillocillo sugar cone, cinnamon, marshmallows smores, mocha, coffee, flan, coconut and crème brulee hints.

Aftertaste:
Lingering berry flavors, whiskey, bourbon notes, caramel,flan, plantain, earthy hop bitterness, vanilla and oak. No alcohol in the taste, a sipping beer, full bodied mouth feel but very delicious that you may want to finish the bottle trying to find more of what makes this one good.

Overall:
I have no fucking idea what it is about barrel aging a brown ale but this took flavors to a whole other profile of complexity that I haven’t tried from a barrel aged beer in the past. That is also attributed to the vanilla beans and cocoa nibs for that matter. This is damn good, Black Market must have pulled a page from the Bruery book and decided to take it into a direction that I am sure not many have traversed. Imperial Brown ales aged in bourbon are very uncommon and one made with vanilla and cocoa nibs, its over!

Anime Corner:
Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell was used in this pairing to pair with different aspect. We start with the label which pairs with Motoko’s hair color, and apparel. Next we look at the the aspect of the label that involved Embargo, the government’s intervention of stopping imports at the heart of the ports. Ghost in the Shell has nothing to do with ports really, but Motoko does work for an organization of Public Safety which connects to the government which connects to the public’s safety in terms of the access to international goods. This beer represents the hidden goodness, maybe not by the government, but something that has yet been discovered that maybe the public is not ready for. I feel that this is way to knew and the good folks at Black Market brewery know a little bit too much. Motoko, while maybe being a public safety agent, she still exposes the source for good. Meaning she can be a double agent nd bring some of those really good berry, oak, plaintain, bourbon and more complexities over to us that the Black Market has. Hey, even in the show, even though she was a mission to do, she does show her caring side even if she does the right thing when it comes to going against the system. Then again, who knows, and that is where the beer’s mystery lies in.

2014 Tripel Tonnellerie by the Bruery

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Abbey Tripel, american oak barrels, Belgian Abbey Tripel, Kill-LA-Kill, oak barrels, Preservation Society, Satsuki Kyurin, sour flavors, The Bruery, Tripel, Tripel Tonnellerie | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.6/5

2014 Tripel Tonnellerie by the Bruery is a 9.5% ABV Belgian Abbey Tripel aged in oak barrels.

Label:
Tripel Tonnellerie is a Belgian-stykle Tripel ale that has been fermented in oak barrels, adding a layer of complexity and traditional farmhouse character. Best enjoyed fresh but may pleasently evolve over time if cellared properly.
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As part of the 2014 Preservation society, this beer was released for the first quarter of 2014.

Aromas:
Smells almost like a Berliner Weisse fuzed with a Tripel. Brettanomyces funk, oak, Farmhouse hay funk like notes, Rich Stone fruits like apricots, peaches and lychee, lots of lemon zest, peppercorns, coriander spice, sour apples, apricots, biscuit bread, honey, musty old grapes, flowers, vanilla, caramel, floral notes and mild banana notes.

Flavors:
Lots of Honey, peppercorns, oak, biscuit bread, chardonay, apples, sour white grapes, white wine, stone fruits like apricots, peaches, lychees, banana notes, musty sour funky notes, farmhouse hay, tart lemons, coriander spices, funky brettanomyces, citrus, hibiscus flowers, honey and butterscotch.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with honey, flowers, white wine, sour grapes, bicuit bread and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste. Moderate drinking yet smooth, crisp and refreshing.

Overall:
A very good beer that kinda makes you wonder where exactly is going. It is not a sour by any means but has enough tart flavors that reminds you of it being close. There is also like farmhouse quality to it that makes you think that this one was like a fusion of a Tripel with a saison with oak sour flavors. Not too bad if you join the preservation society, but hey on the plus side, it comes with Chocolate Rain.

Anime Corner:
Satsuki Kyurin from Kill La Kill was used in this pairing to pair with the flavors of the beer and the label. Her colors of the blue green almost pair with Juunketsu, her power armor. The beer flavors best describe her character. She is very cold and harsh in the beginning of the series, always en pointe, and always arrogant and ruling (ABV + Sour Flavors). As the series goes by SPOILER ALERT………………..She becomes a more loving and tender person especially after finding out the Ryuko Matoi (My favorite character) is actually her long lost baby sister and realizing the error of her ways toward her sister. She finds out that the bit of family that she does have in her sister makes up for the bitter way their mother is. She teams up with Ryuko and finds out how powerful they can be. The sweet flowery tripel flavory aspect of the beer represents this change because Satsuki found her way (Show’s theme “Don’t Lose Your way!), she found her baby sister (even though she treated her like shit without knowing at first) and was able to make amends. So this beer definitely tells the store about a Tripel who was involved in some sour notes but still maintained the sweet bread deliciousness about it. How’s that for a pairing . Cheers fans!!

Hellshire III (2 years aged) by Oakshire brewing

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, bourbon barrels, dark chocolate, Export Stout, Foreign Stout, HELLSHIRE, Hellshire III, milk Chocolate, oakshire brewing, roasted coffee | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.66/5

Hellshire III (2 years aged) by Oakshire brewing is a Foreign/Export Stout aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
Deep within the recesses of the alcoves and antechambers of Oakshire Brewing lies another realm. It’s a place where beers are carefully laid to rest in oaken sarcophagi. They slumber for aeons and emerge as wholly new and unique entities, fueling the malformed creatures that populate those blasted and eldritch wastes. That place is HELLSHIRE. HELLSHIRE III is a Foreign Style stout aged for nearly 10 months in a freshly emptied bourbon barrels. Notes of vanilla, chocolate, roasted coffee, oak & bourbon intertwine with the beer’s complex malt flavors. It’s ready to enjoy now or can be cellared cool & dry for several years. Cheers! Matt Van Wyk. Brewmaster.
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This crazy beer has been something I have been looking for since its release in 2013. Very elusive for sure! I have done reviews for the first two in 2011 and 2012 and with the release of the Hellshire IV, it is already hard to find. Regardless, it has been aged for a whole year and if we include the 2 months since the February release, that makes 2 years altogether aging. I have waited a long time to try this beer and well, even kept the right artwork that pairs with it waiting a long time. So be it! Here we go, on to the review!

Aromas:
Currants, dark fruits, coffee, vanilla, oak, bourbon, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, lavender, currants, wine grapes, currant, anise, molasses, marshmallow, roasted barley, wine grapes, port wine, leathery notes, brown sugar, mild smokey notes and cherries.

Flavors:
Delicious berry yogurt, fancy coffee, mocha, milk chocolate, rich dark chocolate, vanilla, coconut, oak, bourbon, dark fruits, rich currants, caramel, toffee, marshmallow, roasted barley, berry jam on toast, anise, molasses, leather notes, smoke, wine grapes, lavender, fudge, brown sugar, cherries, smoked oysters hints and maple.

Aftertaste:
A dry stout finish but it definitely has a very good lingering complexity. Roasted coffee, lots of berry notes, yogurt like notes, anise, dark chocolate, coconut and bourbon notes. No alcohol in the taste. Very smooth yet sipping drinkability. At 8.5% ABV, there seems to be a great complex feel even in the aftertaste.

Overall:
Not sure how the early version of the beer tasted but this is definitely very complex and delicious making it exceed my expectations. Lower ABV, smooth to drink and still retaining complexity its very crazy. Hellshire, I mean, Oak shire redeemed themselves with this one as they advised that the Hellshire II was infected. It may not be the same beer but it is close to what I remember the second being except with way more added complexity and well similar yet, different style, more of the dryer type but yet maintaining its greatness overall. Hell if you can find this one.

Anime Corner:
Succubus by Felsus of Deviantart.com was used in this pairing as it was the coolest pairing that fit the colors of the label since 2013. I waited a very long time to do a pairing with this beer and this artwork and I finally got the chance. It also fits the artwork and the whole aspect of hell too this is a devil succubus sheep and as the dry stout goes, she will drain you dry. That is why this beer is this so smooth and sweet as Hellshire will absorb you in to a pit of darkness!!

2014 Old Numbskull by Alesmith brewing

April 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Alesmith, American Barleywine, Darkstalkers, Jedah Dohma, Numbskull, Old Numbskull, World Class Barleywine | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.2/5

2014 Old Numbskull by Alesmith brewing is an 11% ABV World Class Barleywine.

Label:
Caramel and toffee notes abound in this deep copper-colored American Barleywine Style Ale alongside toasted mail and a hint of ripe dark fruits. Old Numbskull showcases malt sweetness, intense American hops, and an aggressive bitterness. Extremely well-balanced, the full-bodied mouthfeel and assertive hop profile leads into a deceptively smooth finish. Old Numbskull can be laid down for years to come.

This barleywine ale absolutely loves food. Its Rich sweetness pairs particularly well with roasted meats, braises, and stews or a bold, decadent such as sausages, pate, and a variety of pungent cheeses.
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Another Alemisth I had yet to review. I was able to get this one as it is in the season for the offering at Ramirez Liquor in Los Angeles California. You can also find this one wherever they sell Alesmith beers. It is a common beer around here and yet, this is the first time I have it.

Aromas:
Toffee, caramel, piney, earthy, herbal and grapefruit hops, raisins, figs, brown sugar, butterscotch, old mangoes, apples, stone fruit, biscuit bread, cinnamon, hints of oak, old oranges.

Flavors:
Earthy, piney and grapefruit hops, rich caramel, pecan pie, rich toffee, biscuit bread, apples, dried apricot, tangerine marmalade on rye bread, cherries, cinnamon, mango, oak hints, papaya, coriander spice and honey.

Aftertaste:
Close to dry but some caramel, toffee, rye, earthy and piney hopes with a bit of grapefruit. No alcohol in the taste, smooth yet a sipping beer. That is the dangerous part because at 11% ABV, you just wanna keep going. Take it easy though.

Overall:
Definitely exceed expectations quite a bit. A mix of an English Barleywine clashing with the American styles to create, well, a Numbskull. That’s what happens when you class these 2 beers together. There this aspect about this beer that invites you to feel the hops but nothing that overwhelms as it slowly eases you into the zone of sweet caramel dessert beer goodness. A good amount of hops but nothing overwhelming and just sits right. It is not as awesome as the Grand Cru or the Old Ale but this is one of those Barleywines that just sits very well. Highly recommended for sure.

Anime Corner:
Original fly girl artwork and Jedah from Darkstalkers was used in this pairing mainly for the numbskull name and the label colors. The numbskull aspect as you may tell, has to do with the little skull on he fly girl’s head as well as the Jedah looking like she forgot something or something is not quite right. Also the fact that the fly girl is drinking a wine and well as the description says, old numbskull loves food, then it very well fits as all flies love food and love sugar and well, this beer is so good that even some of the flies want some too. Evil flies though >.>. So watch out

Rogue Creamery 80th Anniversary Ale by Rogue Brewing

April 16, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 80th anniversary, American Strong Ale, anniversary ale, chocolate nibs, cocoa nibs, Imperial Brown Ale, milk Chocolate, Rogue Ales, rogue brewing, Rogue Creamery | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Rogue Creamery 80th Anniversary Ale by Rogue Brewing is an 8.5% ABV Strong Imperial Brown Ale brewed with 13 ingredients including Chocolate nibs.

Label:
1933 to 2013
It’s Rogue Creamery’s year for a Pearls and Diamond celebration, and Rogue Ales has handcrafted ale to honor their commitment to sustainability and creating award winning cheese.

Brewed and Bottled by Rogue Ales Newport, OR 97365

13 ingredients: 2-Row, Munich, C75, Soba, Carafa Special II, Brown & Rogue Farms Dare and Risk Malts; Rogue Farms Revolution & Rebel Hops; Chocolate Nibs, Free Range Coastal Water & Pacman Yeast.

20 Degrees Plato
36 IBU
81 AA
87degrees Lovibond
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What can I say, I have never tried this beer but just the idea of trying a Rogue Anniversary beer, well, Rogue Creamery’s anniversary beer, I was like, fuck yeah. By the way, while Rogue Ales and Rogue creamery share the same name, they are indeed unique entities and to pay tribute to one another, this awesome beer was born in collaboration.

Aromas:
Toffee, dulce de leche caramel, German dopplebock aromas of sugary dark fruit raisins, figs, clove spice, molasses, cherries, maple, vanilla, hazelnuts, pecan pie, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, almond milk, biscuit bread, rye bread and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, dark fruits like raisins, figs, cherries, cinnamon, raisin bread pudding, molasses, lactose, hazelnut nectar, almond milk, pecan pie, flan, dulce de leche, crème brulee, maple, vanilla, rye bread, cinnamon, brown sugar and banana clove spice.

Aftertaste:
Pecans, chocolate, cinnamon, lactose, raisins, clove spice and earthy hop notes linger. No alcohol in the taste. Moderate drinkability with full body mouthfeel.

Overall:
Freaking perfect! I tried this with a piece of Munster cheese and it was damn good it really solidified the caramel aspects of the beer. You don’t need to try it with a cheese but just by itself it is very delicious. Taste more along the lines of a German Doppelbock or a winter warmer. It is very delicious regardless and I definitely think fits the Rogue creamery’s honor. Now, I should go online and buy some of their cheeses as they seem very delicious! Definitely give this one a try, I was rather intrigued by the sweet flavors this brown ale had to offer.

Anime Corner:
Original artwork by Kuromiya was chosen in this pairing to represent the delicous lactic flavors of the beer and to pair with the colors of the bottle and label. The character’s blue hair (maybe blue cheese) and flan pair with the colors. The flavors are obvious in this as it is a beer about a creamery and creameries sell puddings and sweet vanilla desserts. The pudding she is eating and her dress colors represent some of the prime flavors of the beer such as the vanilla, cherry, flan, chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon and so forth. I can go on and say she the ribbon is like a cows horns and her breast combined with the pink dress represent the cow’s utt…oh… well sure why not 😉 . Whatever you say man. Anyways, I am sure there are other sweet things that can be said about this pairing. Oh yeah and the purple things, dark fruits!

2014 Kentucky Breakfast Stout by Founders Brewing

April 16, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged chocolate mousse, chocolate nibs, coffee, Dulce de leche, Founders, Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels, KBS, Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Metroid, mocha coffee, Nintendo, rocky road ice cream, Samus | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

2014 Kentucky Breakfast Stout by Founders Brewing is an 11.2% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with chocolate and coffee and aged in oak Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
The Amazing Kosmicki’s
Highly Acclaimed KBS
A Flavored Stout is good for everything a flavored stout ought to be Good For.
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Considered by Beeradvocate.com as the 5th best beer in the world (April 2014). An extremely special thanks to my great friend Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com for hooking me up with a limited and highly sought after beer that pretty damn near impossible to get around California. Highly rated and one that I’ve had in my list of most wanted to try. Story goes that this beer is actually aged in a cave in whiskey barrels. Something about this makes it, I guess adventurous for the most part. Let us see how glamorous the hype is.

Aromas:
Damn, the difference in complexity of the Bourbon is very complex. Not just the typical bourbon here. This in fact blends so well with the chocolate rainbow I get of the milk, dark, sweet, bakers, fudge, and chocolate shake along with aromas rocky road ice cream, prailine, chocolate mousse, marshmallows, smores, waffle cone, brown sugar, flan, sweetened condensed milk, oak, dark fruits like plums, cherries, raisins, dulce de leche caramel, mocha coffee, espresso, vanilla, toffee, cocoa, maple, molasses, honey and lots of other great sweet aromas.

Flavors:
Milk, dark, sweet, bakers, fudge chocolate, chocolate milk shake, coconut, vanilla, oak, maple syrup, honey, rye whiskey, bourbon, almond joy, flan, toffee, mocha, cherries, choco flan, dark fruits like raisins, plums, black currants, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, waffle cone, marshmallows, rocky road ice cream, pecan pie, prailine, hazelnut, dulce de leche carame, molasses, cocoa pebbles cereal, chocolate mousse, crème brulee, frappuccino, pancho pantera milk shake, rye toast, chocolate funnel cake and more. I have to stop there as trying to keep up with the complexity was quite the task and well, just like some of the best beers I have reviewed on this site, this is very damn well made.

Aftertaste:
Lingering complexities of the chocolate mocha coffee, waffle cone, bourbon vanilla, oak and roasted notes. No alcohol in the flavors, sipping yet damn smooth with a full body making this one of those beers that is dangerous since you want to keep drinking a lot of this, but just take your time with this one.

Overall:
Damn Damn Damn!! It’s like Firestone Parabola with coffee and well a more complex Black Xantus but you somehow got all the uniqueness of the barrel and sweet flavors of the chocolate and the fancy coffee all are exceptional and exceed my expectations greatly. This is definitely on par with the best beers in the world and rightfully so along with the beers I have tried that blew me away. Not one thing takes form the other and it is balanced out very well. This is damn delicious and well I can’t thank Aaron enough for this great beer. Highly highly HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Anime Corner:
The one and only, powerful bounty hunter, Samus Aran from Metroid was used in this pairing for several reasons. First, the cave aging brings me back to the days of Metroid and the subterrania that she had to explore killing aliens and obtaining powers. This beer is quite the cavernous adventure and just as such deserves an unleashing at the complexities of not just the cave aging but the what Samus has to offer. Yes, under that bad ass Varia sweet is a warm hearted yet very mind strong and and powerful lady (alcohol, complexity, ABV%). I had no other choice but to choose such a bad ass character. She partially pairs with the label colors as some of her Varia suit compliment. She is definitely hard to get as she is always lost in space claiming the next bounty. She has visited the site as she has with some of my other beers, but specifically pointing out such great characteristics of her very damn well compliment this world class beer. See You Next Mission!

By the way Nintendo Fans, I approve of her bad ass new look and high heel speed boosters!

Red Velvet Stout by Buffalo Bayou brewing

April 16, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Buffalo Bayou, cherries, dark chocolate, milk Chocolate, Milk Stout, Red Velvet, Red Velvet Cake, Red Velvet Stout, Sweet Stout, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Yoko Littner | 2 Comments

Rating: 5.5/5

Red Velvet Stout by Buffalo Bayou brewing is a 6.3% ABV Sweet Milk Stout.

Label:
Richly decadent, this voluptuous dessert will seduce and ravage your taste buds, then cuddle with them in the afterglow.

Hints of cherries intermingle with a malt-forward, dark chocolate mouthfeel, finishing dry & savory.

Best enjoyed slightly chilled, in a Belgian tulip or snifter.
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Red Velvet beer?! Yes it exist!! Where can you find it? In the heart of Texas that’s where. I have never tried a beer like this and frankly I was very excited when my friend Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com hooked up another great Texas goodie for us at the site so I definitely had to really analyze this is I am sucker for dessert beers. If you don’t like dessert beers, well, try reading some of my other reviews and Aaron’s too. We got plenty of beers you may want to know about. So, on with the Red Velvet!

Aromas:
Dark cherry, Dark chocolate milk chocolate, red velvet cake, dark fruit raisins, hazelnut, pecans, hints of flan, almond joy, coconut, dulce de leche caramel, brown sugar, vanilla and molasses.

Flavors:
Generous Red Velvet notes, Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cherry hints, fudge cake, cheese cake sugar frosting, earthy hop and roasted barley, coconut hints, dulce de leche, vanilla hints, roasted coffee, lactose, cinnamon, hints of flan, brown sugar, molasses, dark fruit raisins and pecan pie.

Aftertaste:
Coffee roast, earthy hop notes, dark chocolate, cherry and lactose hints. No alcohol in the taste. A sipping beer despite the ABV. It has close to a full mouth feel.

Overall:
This is a great beer and definitely meets a great standard in terms of dessert beers. It is almost like the time I had a white chocolate or the chocolate rain. If this beer was barrel aged, some very new heights this beer would take. Regardless, it was damn delicious and I don’t agree with the small score it has been give on the beer sites. The thing is probably because it is so new, but this little gem is just getting started. I hope this comes to California one day as I would pick up a couple for sure.

Anime Corner:
Yoko Littner from Tengen Toppa Gurren Laggan was used in this pairing to display the deliciousness of the Red Velvet. She is one of my favorite characters from the show and I wanted to show the awesomeness in label and the flavors too. The colors like the Red pair with the Red Velvet and cherry aspect. They always say put the cherry on top of the whipped cream but in this case, the reverse can be said as she has a white skull on her head. What’s the big gun for? It is for hunting Buffalo, well not literally but I would assume in the Bayou, it would come in handy.

I Think She Hung The Moon by Naughty Brewing

April 16, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Aldebert's Brewery, Farmhouse Ale, I think She hung the moon, James Vaello, Mexican Candy, Naughty Brewing, piloncillo, Sailor moon, Saison, Serina Usagi Tsukino, stone fruits, sugar cone | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

I Think She Hung The Moon by Naughty Brewing is an 8.5% ABV Saison/Farmhouse ale.

Label:
The very nature of this beer is to be a bit provocative. Belgian candy sugar and Mexican piloncillo sugar cones dry the body, sweet pecan smoke adds a bold stroke, followed by the tart note of hibiscus. We had a vision of a dark, dry and smoky beer that we know you will enjoy!
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A great thanks to Aaron at beermetaldude.com for an awesome donation. This beer’s mix of interesting ingredients made it very appealing, aside from the label which pairs great in my opinion. This is something special as I never imagined the use of pilloncillo can pair with Belgian candy sugar. I have had beers that have that pillocillo like flavors to it but seeing one using the actual cones, that is awesome! The story behind this collaboration starts with James Vaello who created this homebrew, founder of Naughty Brewing, and who was able to launch his recipe with the guidance of Aldebert’s Brewery to be able to mass produce this unique beer. James’s brewery is picking up and I hope this review helps out the Texas community but also bring the attention of the California and even the worldly readers of my site about this beer. Thank you and Cheers guys!!

Aromas:
Dulce de leche Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, pilloncillo sugar cone, pecan pie, stone fruits like plums and apricots, dark fruits, mild smokey notes, biscuit bread, peppercorns, coriander spice, brown sugar, berries and floral notes.

Flavors:
Dark fruits, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, flan, mild smoke, pecans, tart berries, lots of pilloncillo sugar cone, cinnamon, peppercorn, coriander spice, herbs spices, stone fruits like apricot, pineapples, hibiscus flowers, chocolate, mesquite, waffle cone and cherries.

Aftertaste:
Maple, earthy hops, pilloncillo, peppercorns, caramel, toffee and mild smoke. No alcohol in the taste, moderate drinkability with a medium mouthfeel.

Overall:
A very good beer that drinks more like a Belgian brown or amber ale than a Saison. Some saison characteristics are there but they are subdued by the other sweetness. Not bad at all and is actually very good as I like some of these flavors from a beer. Balance is decent but tends to lean more toward the sweet Belgian and Mexican candy. So even if the style is more toward a Belgian brown or amber, it is still a very delicious beer. Definitely give this a try if you can find it and I hope maybe we can see this beer in California some day, Cheers!!

Anime Corner:
Serina Usagi Tsukino or the protagonist of Sailor Moon was used in this pairing for the very obvious reasons. I have never used Serina in the past an this opportunity to use her was the best to showcase the high popularity of anime in the 90’s. Not all anime girls are sailor moon as anime goes but anyways, this was perfect since I wanted to pair with the label of the girl on the moon and well, her similar hair style was well. This anime was very popular here in the US and in Mexico. Not sure about in Belgium, but the fact that Mexican pilloncillo was used in this beer definitely reminded me of when I used to watch the series back in the day along with Dragon Ball Z. The beer is as sweet as Serina’s character but also showcases a bit of smokiness. They say that moon rocks smell smokey, like gun powder. So it fits the beer flavors even more. While the style may confuse people since they say it is a saison but leans toward other styles just showcases people’s expectations. Not many will like Sailor Moon but those that grew up with it will remember a lot about it. The ironic part is that this beer may not meet up to many’s expectations as to what a saison is but I definitely embraced the difference and enjoyed it.

Blakkr collaboration by 3 Floyds, Surly and Real Ale Brewing

April 16, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 3 Floyds, black ipa, Blakkr, collaboration, Imperial Black IPA, india pale ale, IPA, Real Ale Brewing, surly, Three Floyds | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Blakkr collaboration by 3 Floyds, Surly and Real Ale Brewing is a 9.99% ABV Imperial Black India Pale Ale.

Label:
This double black as night IPA is too massive for just one brewery’s efforts. Blakkr took the trinity of Real Ale Brewing Co., Surly Brewing Co. & Three Floyds Brewing Co. to actualize this crushing ale. Cheers.
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A special gift from my friend Aaron at beermetaldude.com. I was looking forward to trying this one for a long time and wondered how I would get it as the breweries that were involved in this project are very popular to the point where their beer is hard to find. I have yet to find the 22 oz. bomber of this beer but I am very thankful that the cans were readily available near where my friend Aaron lives. This beer was something I didn’t expect as a gift but because my friend was thoughtful, we now can have a review for the site. Thank you once again brother, many cheers!! I look forward to finding the 22 oz. bombers of this for our sites. This version is the Real Ale version of the beer that comes in cans. There is another canned version by Surly and the 22oz. By 3 Floyds. So hopefully we can find it.

Aromas:
Earthy hops, citrus, tropical fruit like melon and pineapples, toffee, roasted barley, campfire smoke, dark chocolate, dark fruits, herbs, spices, rye, brown sugar hints, molasses and anise.

Flavors:
Earthy, grassy, piney and herbal hops, dark roasted barley, caramel, dark chocolate, smokey campfire, marshmallows, old raisins, tropical fruits like melon and mango, citrus, pineapple, rye bread, molasses, anise, coffee and tangerine marmalade on toast.

Aftertaste:
Earthy and piney hops linger with the smokey and roasted barley as well as citrus and caramel. No alcohol in the taste and very smooth despite having a medium to full mouth feel. A sipping yet very drinkable beer.

Overall:
Well played fellas, Very Well played. The Trio of beers strikes with this black gold drink. A very damn good Black IPA full of balanced flavors sneaking in the tropical and hoppy aspects of the IPA and the smokey malty and sweetness that does not over power the IPA character but guides it. Definitely worth trying if you can find this Real Ale or any of the other versions for sure.

Anime Corner:
Dark Warrior Girl and Angel and Demons original artwork pieces were used to pair with Blakkr since I wanted show the similarities in the art as it pairs with the three headed demon that was created by by the collaboration. I also wanted to pair with the 3 collaborators themselves as their breweries and beer always has a hint of darkness and evil. Excellent stuff guys!

Morning Wood by Local Option Bierwerker

April 10, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Amber Ale, american oak barrels, Coffee Beans, Dark Matter Coffee, local option bierwerker, morning wood | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.66/5
Morning Wood by Local Option Bierwerker is a 7.3% ABV Amber Ale brewed with Dark Matter Coffee beans and aged in oak barrels.

Commercial Description:

Local Option Morning Wood: Local Option Morning Wood is an oak-aged coffee ale developed and brewed by Local Option Bierwerker. Fresh American oak used during the aging process and Dark Matter’s El Salvador San Jose pulp-natural coffee aromatically drive the beer; while remaining subtle components of the beers’ complete flavor profile. The amber colored, medium-bodied, and extraordinarily well-balanced ale was first unveiled at the Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers in November 2011. Morning Wood’s taste is delicate and should be appreciated by beer drinkers of all palates.

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A special find with my friend Alex. I really don’t think this beer is sold in California yet but it was definitely found in downtown somewhere along the streets of the Buzz Beer Jewelry district. This label has intrigued me for a while. I just always kept passing it up, but this time when I saw it, I had to review it. I never had a Coffee Amber beer so let’s check this one out and see what it is like :P.

Aromas:
Big coffee espresso fragrances, toffee, rye, caramel, oak, dark fruit raisins, biscuit bread, chocolate notes, earthy hops notes, roasted barley, vanilla, hazelnut, honey, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Flavors:
Fancy coffee grounds, espresso, earthy hop notes, vanilla, oak, caramel, roasted barley, toffee, hazelnut, mocha, chocolate notes,honey, brown sugar, orange marmalade on toast and biscuit bread, dark fruit raisins, rye, toffee, floral notes, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans.

Aftertaste:

Coffee, earthy notes, rye, barley, vanilla oak, tart berry and honey linger. No alcohol in the taste, moderate drinkability with medium to full mouth feel.

Overall:

A very good beer reminiscent of drinking a coffee stout but not a coffee stout, an amber/red ale. Definitely has that special coffee mix from the Dark Matter Coffee like the Big Hugs beer I had a while back. The oak and amber aspect complement the coffee flavors giving it a whole new light. It is a very good beer and definitely worth trying out. Although at times, the coffee might be too much but for some that might be the best part!

Anime Corner:
This original artwork by Iga Tomoreru was used in this beer paring to show the colors of the label, the skeleton, the gun and well the aspect of “morning wood” which is mainly giving someone a “boner” or in this case a skull-er. The beer flavors are represented in the in the name as well since this does seem like a rise and shine type of beer or breakfast beer for sure. Can you find any other beer pairing ideas here?

Los Vivos y Los Muertos (The Quick & The Dead) by Jolly Pumpkin

April 8, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Dia de los Muertos, Farmhouse Ale, jolly pumpkin, Kill-LA-Kill, lime, Los Vivos y Los Muertos, Nonon Jakuzure, Pumpkin, Rare Beer Club, Saison, The Quick & The Dead, The Quick and The Dead, The Quick and The Dead Sour ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Los Vivos y Los Muertos (The Quick & The Dead) by Jolly Pumpkin is a 4.2% ABV Saison/ Farmhouse Ale brewed with Pumpkin and Lime.

Label:
The Quick and The Dead
Sour ale brewed with pumpkin and lime.
Brewed Exclusively for the Rare Beer Club
We bring delight to our dance of a decaying mortal tune. The beauty of contrasts, of oposites and the shores on which they clash is the inspiration behind Los Vivos y Los Muertos. When The Rare Beer Club asked us to brew up something form (sic) the fringe of our imagination, we thought what better and more appropirate for this autumnal season than this? Cheers and Mahalo Plenty!
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A beer that was supposed to be released back in October 2013 for the upcoming celebration of Dia de Los Muertos in November. Unfortunately, the government shut down had prevented many breweries from releasing beers due to the approval of labels. Regardless, this was March 2014 release for The Rare Beer Club which you may still find it there.

Aromas:
Floral hop notes, wet hay, peppercorn, vegetable notes, biscuit bread, citrus, apricot, white grapes, lemon grass, lime, pumpkin flesh, honey dew melon, cinnamon spice, coriander, brettanomyces, apples, herbs, mild vanilla and caramel.

Flavors:
Flowers, citrus, biscuit bread, pumpkin flesh notes, sourdough, honey, wet hay, white peppercorns, sage, coriander spice, sour apples, peach, plum, apricot, sour white grapes, oak, hints of vanilla and caramel, honey dew melon, lemon grass, lime, raw pumpkin flesh, cinnamon notes, musty funk, rustic grain, rye, cereal and berry hints.

Aftertaste:
mild pumpkin, citrus, sour grape, peppercorn, lime, wet hay and honey. Very drinkable despite the medium mouthfeel. No alcohol in the taste and also, not overpoweringly sour.

Overall:
Very well made beer and very delicious. Hence the reason why Jolly Pumpkin makes great sours and in this case, a great Saison. Just like breweries like Jester King, when you have a primary focus, the amount of creativity can really shine from the masses of the craft beers. This beer is very good, but even if you cannot find it, there are surely other great ones you can. While the pumpkin and lime are noted in the beer, the saison style is what carries it. Give it a shot if you can get it.

Anime Corner:
Nonon Jakuzure from Kill La Kill, Original Artwork by Takagi Kyousuke and Reisen Udongein Inaba from Touhou were used in this pairing to represent the aspect of Death and the Rabbit. Some Rabbits are cute like Nonon, but even the cutest, and the quickest rabbit can never escape the bounds of Death. Nonon combines both that, Death and Cute. The Takagi piece relates to the label in La Vie C’est Drole (Life is Funny) since we live life as puppets never knowing when the end will come with death pulling the string one inch closer every day tugging away, just like the rabbit tangled by the ribbon dancing at the Deaths melody. The final piece represents the grasp of death reaching out grab the rabbit of darkness. The funny part about this beer, is irony of its time of release, in the spring time, where usually the flowers start to bloom and life blooms with it. Hence, a Spring Saison with ingredients of the fall (Pumpkin). La vie, c’est drole, mais cette bière est délicieuse, Sante!!

Fire and Blood by Game of Thrones and Ommegang

April 8, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged ancho chiles, Belgian Amber Ale, Belgian beer, Belgian Red Ale, Belgian Style, Bloody Red Ale, Fire and Blood, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones and Ommegang, Ommegang, Peppercorns | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.4/5

Fire and Blood by Game of Thrones and Ommegang is a 6.8% ABV Belgian Red Ale brewed with Ancho Chilies

Label:
Born of fire, like Daenerys’ dragons, this ale’s deep, dark-red hue evokes their every blazing breath. Sweet Malts succumbs wispy dryness, tinged with nutty spelt, spicy hops, and rye as ancho chilies portend piquant dark fruit.
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The third installment to the Game of Throne series of beers. While I don’t necessarily watch the show, I do love Ommegang beers and usually, they don’t disappoint. So when I heard of this red ale, I definitely wanted to try it to see what it is about. It may give some incites into some similar beers I may have had before. The one thing too about this ale though is that it is a Belgian style red and with chilies. The last time I had a Belgian beer with chilies was the Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11. Now that was very good. I will have to see how this one relates.

Aromas:
Honey, banana, cloves, peppercorns, floral hops, subtle hints of pepper spice, musty farmhouse hay, dark fruit, figs, peach, rye, apricot, apples, honey, caramel, toffee and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Caramel, dark fruit raisins, banana cloves, cherry, peppercorns, subtle chile pepper spice, stone fruit, peach, apricot, rye, toffee, apples, honey, pecans, figs, floral hop notes, waffle cone, farmhouse hay, musty notes and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Caramel, toffee, honey and peppercorns linger. No alcohol in the taste. Moderate drinkability with medium mouthfeel.

Overall:
A very good Belgian Red with very good flavors. It is not too strong in the chile department and seems more of a supportive role for some of the sweet flavors which are also balanced by the hops and spices. Gimmick or not, this is a good beer but is not as close to the vertical epic. As a Belgian beer, it is great and I am a sucker for good decent Belgians. However, Ommegang offers some other great beers and you can definitely find a more appealing Belgian beer if you enjoy the different styles. This beer is worth a try at least once. This beer won’t age though as it is a 6% ABV but then again, who knows. I think this beer would pair well with a spicy plate as some of the chiles might actually start to come out more.

Anime Corner:
Original art from Dragon’s Crown, Original art from Crooz and original artwork by coffee cat were used in this pairing to represent the awesome dragon labels used in each of the Game of throne beers. Show casing these especially since this is a beer art website, I felt it was important to bring some of those dragon characters into focus but as well as display the fire and blood aspect of the beer in terms of the colors. There is a lot that can be said about these pieces of art which I am sure maybe obvious but you are more than welcome to let me know what you like seeing in these.

Solitude by El Borracho Home Brewing

April 8, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged American Pale Ale, Cowboy Bebop, El Borracho Home Brewing, Julia, Session beer, Solitude, Spike, William Carranza | Leave a comment

Rating: 3/5

Solitude by El Borracho Home Brewing is 3% ABV Session Pale Ale.

Thanks to my friend William Carranza once again for another sweet beer donation. This beer’s name comes from need to just drink a couple of beers by yourself but still want to chill and not get wasted. Solitude is the kind of beer for the lonely drinker. So this beer will keep you company. Solitude is not necessarily a bad thing as one can use the time to be alone to reflect on a lot of things in life. Especially the good ones and to take action on those positive ideas. Solitude should never be considered as a means to dwell on the negative as it is part of like. This beer is something that can enjoyed while just relaxing in general I’m sure.

Aromas:
Citrus, floral and grassy hops, biscuit bread, maize, mild caramel and apples.

Flavors:
Apples, cereal grains, citrus, mild grassy hops, corn, lager and pilsner notes, caramel and crackers.

Aftertaste:
Finish dry with very little hop and citrus presence. No alcohol in the taste, absolutely refreshing, crisp and mildly clean and is pleasantly easy to drink.

Overall:
An Average to decent beer. Something that is definitely worthy of a beer that you can drink a lot of. It is better than the macros average lagers and has enough flavor to keep it interesting. Session beers are a great thing as they maintain a good amount flavor even if the alcohol is sacrificed allowing more to be enjoyed. While this beer is expected to be mild, it doesn’t disappoint and some of those really nice flavors do stand out.

Anime Corner:
Spike and Julia from Cowboy Bebop were the perfect pairing for this beer. The representation of Solitude is greatly represented by the need to have company but also it is a moment of reflection to make you take action for the next step. Solitude should never be represented with depression but more of making peace with one’s self and keep pushing forward to the next best thing. Spike and Julia’s love story in the series is a sad one which I won’t spoil here. As with drinking this beer, it give yous enough feel good experience without calling it a night. Relax and take in the moment

Wineification (Mardi Rouge?) collaboration with The Bruery, Fess Parker winery and vineyard and Saarloosons of Los Olivos California

April 3, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, black berries, Black Tuesday, chocolate mousse, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, Fess Parker, Fess Parker winery, Grey Monday, Harvest Syrah, Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels, Kill-LA-Kill, Mardi Rouge, Mocha Wednesday, Petite Syrah, Ryuko Matoi, Ryuoko Matoi, saasloosons, syrah grapes, The Bruery, White Chocolate, Wineification | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Wineification (Mardi Rouge?) collaboration with The Bruery, Fess Parker winery and vineyard and Saarloosons of Los Olivos California is a 15.7% ABV Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout brewed with Syrah Grapes and aged again in French Oak Barrels

Label:
QUE SYRAH!
There is more and more talk these days about the”winefication” of beer. We decided to plunge straight into the deep end, working with two of our great wine making friends from the central coast to create this stunning blend of late harvest Syrah grapes and our imperial stout. The combination is unlike anything that you’ve likely had before and represents a glinmpse into the future of craft beer. Best stored and cellared around 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius) in a cool dark place,
___

Best place to explain this beer is similar to that of the rarity of Mocha Wednesday. Wineification, or what I believe is Mardi Rogue or close to it (Harvest Syrah vs. Petite Syrah grapes) is a beer that may have been released instead of Mardi Rouge to the expensive Hoarders Society. This beer literally costs an arm and a leg, or atleast to trade it does. Let’s just say, that we have to be thankful for having fans of the site as well as those who are willing to trade for several beers. You people rock!!

I have been looking to try this beer as I have tried many of the Black Tuesday variants and close to it that have focused on many levels of well, different and even if they are rare, they have become my top favorites exceeding my expectations. I can only assume that this will do the same.

Aromas:
Sweet milk and dark chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, flan, crème brulee, Chambord raspberries, port wine, red wine, grapes, dark cherries, raisins, figs, dates prunes, blue and black berries, currants, bananas, bourbon, oak, leather, toasted coconut, mocha, pecan pie, hazelnut, rocky road ice cream, candi sugars, agave, rich chocolate mousse and fudge cake in wine.

Flavors:
Bourbon, toasted coconut, red wine, port wine, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, flan, crème brulee, toffee, butterscotch, rum notes, caramel bananas, plantain, dark fruits like figs, raisins, prunes, plums, blue berries, rich grape flavors, dark cherries, black berries, Chambord raspberries, currants, oak, leather notes, rye bread with jelly spread, pecan pie, agave, candi sugars, brown sugar, rocky road icecream, chocolate mousse, cherry cola, mocha, hazelnut, chocolate fudge cake, marshmallows.

Aftertaste:
Interesting enough, while it is very complex and rich, the aftertaste comes up dry leaving you wanting to drink more. Some of the chocolate, wine, berries and fudge cake of linger for a bit. There is hardly any sense of harsh alcohol in the taste. Despite having a syrupy mouthfeel and being a sipping beer, there is a smoothness about it that makes it very dangerous as you will want to keep drinking it. Take your time with it, this beer is meant to be savored, enjoyed and well, loved!

Overall:
Taking this to the Wine side gives Black Tuesday something that is incredibly different. Exceeding my expectations without any doubt. This beer reminds me of a what if scenario where Black Tueday mixes with one of those rich berry Avery beers like the Mephistopheles or The Beast or Samael beers but ofcourse, with the wine aging. There is nothing sour about this beer, everything is as complex as maybe some of those fancy wines should be, but the best part is that this is not wine, it is a beer and one that even the best wine connoiseur may actually appreciate. I don’t like the idea of thinking of beer as wine, but in the sense beer outclassing wine, you better damn believe it. Like the Black Tueday, Chocolate, White Chocolate, Cacaonut, Grey Monday, Mocha Wednesday, Melange 3 and so forth, I highly highly recommend this one if you can get it!!

Anime Corner:
No doubt, Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill was chosen for this pairing to pair with many of the different aspects of the beer. The label, the flavors, the ingredients the alcohol and especially since she is one of my favorite characters in Anime right next to my other top 3 (Kos-mos, Yoruichi and Temari). I have yet to pair a Bruery beer with her and what a way to seize the opportunity but to use a beer that is super rare and delicious indeed. The colors pair perfect with Ryuko’s hair, the background, her eyes and her outfit as well. If this was a candidate for Mardi Rouge (Red Tuesday) then even more the reason to use her for this pairing. The alcohol content represents her will power and strength, The complexity of the flavors showcases her unpredictable characteristics. She always has a plan up her sleeve. She is deadly and sexy which best describes how smooth the beer goes down but deadly since it has the really high ABV. The beer is dark but it is a blood red dark as you get closer to finishing the glass. Her suit Senketsu (Fresh Blood) describes this as she needs to let senketsu take some of her blood in order to unleash a higher power. Perfect for that red wine aspect and the color as I mentioned earlier. Ryuko is strong and tough minded, but she does have her sweet,warm hearted and loving side which she shows to the people she cares about. The sweet chocolate and berries is what best places this category. Take it easy with her, you won’t find one like her again, maybe. Either way, it will be a very memorable experience :3

Matrimonium by Monkish Brewing

April 3, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged bakers chocolate, Belgian imperial Stout, chocolate abuelita, Coffee Beans, Dulce de leche, fancy coffee, Imperial Stout, Lavender, Matrimonium, monkish brewing, Portola Coffee Lab | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Matrimonium by Monkish Brewing is an 11.1% ABV Belgian Imperial Stout brewed with Portola Coffee beans and Lavender.

Released on 3/22 (My Birthday) limited only to the Brewery and in limited quantities. This beer caught my attention since it was like for the”occasion” moment. There are several good friends of mine getting married in March and April and I wanted to do a beer review for the occasion I guess. A limited, yet accessible release from one my local Belgian inspired breweries was a must.

Aromas:
Very fancy chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, chocolate mousse, lavender flower notes, vanilla, anise, hazelnut, peppercorns, herbs, spices, dark fruit raisins, plums, mocha, java, figs, dark cherry, earthy notes, tobacco, oak, marshmallow smores, molasses, toffee, dry apricots, brown sugar and other stone fruits.

Flavors:
Herbal chocolate, lavender flowers, mocha, really fancy coffee, milk and dark chocolate, espresso beans, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, plums, stone fruits like peach, dry apricots, , vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, peppercorns, hazelnut, anise, Bakers chocolate, earthy hop notes, tobacco, leather, oak, marshmallow smores, chocolate abuelita, cinnamon, capirotada bread pudding dipped in a frappuccino with vanilla coffee beans and lavender garnish.

Aftertaste:
Lingering Lavender, fancy coffee, caramel, cinnamon, chocolate abuelita, herbs, bakers chocolate and more. No alcohol in the taste. A sipping beer with a full to syrupy mouth feel.

Overall:
Exceeding expectations in the sense that this is way different from the other Monkish beers I have tried, except Apophatic. This beer takes it to the level of best coffee beers out there. Lavender is already a very enjoyable fragrance of mine but they were able to exact it on the taste with is very unique. A very different and very enjoyable beer. This is not Mocha Wednesday or even a Barrel Aged Kopi Luwak Imperial Stout but this is still in a very special category of flavor. Maybe not as super complex as the others but it falls high in a very unique aspect. This is why local breweries rule, First, the pistachio vanilla ice cream Seme de La Vita beer, and now this. Very damn good and props to Monkish for making such an outstanding beer.

Anime Corner:
Rider from Fate Stay/Night, Nun original artwork and Tokiko and Morichika from Touhou series artworks were used in this pairing to showcase the colors of the label, the flavors and the Monk, church and marriage aspects from the beer. Lavender, the color purple was the perfect choice for Rider, The Monk aspect or in this case the Nun as well as the church represent matrimonium as the woman must take a vow of celibacy like the man but in doing so, it is like saying she is marrying Jesus Christ, so to speak. The Tokiko and Morichika was obvious as it shows the bride and groomsman in holy matrimony. I definitely like how Tokiko’s hair with the blueish purple and white hair pairs very well with the flavors and colors of the label. All in all, I was very happy with choosing the right pictures for the beer as it took a very long time.

The Sinner Series Wrath by Amager Bryghus

April 3, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Amager Bryghus, Farmhouse Ale, Pinot Noir wine barrels, Saison, Sinner Series | 2 Comments

Rating: 4.85/5

The Sinner Series Wrath by Amager Bryghus is a 6.5% ABV Saison/Farmhouse Ale aged in Pinot Noir barrels.

Label:
Danish: Saisoner er in. Saisoner er hippe. Simpelthen. Endnu har ingen givet den helt gode forklaring på, at denne uhyre traditionelle belgiske ølstil pludselig nyder en voldsom opblomstring blandt toneangivede ølnørder. Bortset fra selvfølgelig, at det er en uhyre delikat drik i al sin forfinede enkelhed. Men vi har begået en synd. Vi kunne ikke lade være. Vi har nemlig hældt vores Amager-variant af en Saison på et træfad. Vi håber, at de bløde tanniner fra træet og de noble Pinot Noir-druer giver et saftspændt ekstra twist. Vi ved, at vi måske påkalder os Saison-fundamentalisterne vrede med denne gavtyvestreg. Men ærlig talt, så er vi ligeglade.
Vi er ikke stolte over at være syndere, men i det mindste er vi åbne omkring det…

English: Saisons are in. Saisons are hip. It’s as simple as that. So far, no one has come up with a good explanation as to why this very traditional Belgian farmhouse style has suddenly skyrocketed in popularity amongst the in- crowd of the beer geek nation. Except, of course, for the fact it’s simply a very delicate drink in all of its refined simplicity. But we’ve committed a sin. We couldn’t resist. We poured our Amager Saison variety into a barrel. We hope the soft tannins from the wood and the noble Pinot Noir grapes add a juicy extra twist. By doing so, we may bring the wrath of Saison fundamentalists upon ourselves. But frankly, we don’t give a damn!
We’re not proud to be sinners, but at least we’re open about it…
___

The second Amager beer I had my eyes on that may have implemented Anime, or not, but still looked awesome and one I wanted to pick up was Wrath. The funny part is that Sweden made a bigger deal about Lust than they did with Wrath even though Wrath has the boob showing with no nipple. Crazy Swedes and their morals. It really does not matter as I am sure you mainly came to read the review or mainly just stare at Wrath and her physique. Either way, hope this beer makes its mark to appeal your beer taste or anime. Whichever you prefer, we do both here and brewerianimelogs .

Aromas:
Citrus, Tomato, wheat bread, caramel, apples, funky farmhouse hay, floral notes, basil, banana notes, sour grapes, red wine, oak, herbal notes, peppercorns, cranberries, pecans, tree sap, mushrooms, honey, old yeast, smoked BBQ meats, leather, brown sugar, grapes and old oranges.

Flavors:
Citrus and tomato, raw like the sun, floral notes, caramel, green apples, funky farmhouse hay, wheat bread, old bananas, sour wine grapes, oak, pinot noit, wine and cheese party, herbs, peppercorn spices, cherries, Amber sap, brown sugar, leather, tart cranberries, pecans, mushrooms, honey and mild smokey ham notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishing mostly dry with dissipating Caramel, pinot noir wine notes, hay, vegetable flavor, fancy cheese, amber sap, honey, earthy notes, peppercorn, herbs and spices. No alcohol in the taste, medium to sipping drinkability with medium to full mouth feel.

Overall:
This beer kind of reminds me of The Bruery White Oak except without the bourbon complexity. An interesting Saison and just to add the Pinot Noir Barrels makes it very interesting for sure. The flavors of the barrel are very prominent in this one. I would recommend this one if you can find it but if if you have tried White Oak from the Bruery, it is similar in flavor except for the tart aspect of it.

Anime Corner:
Original Artwork by paparins and the other Original Artwork by unknown (Artist info needed) was used in this pairing to pair with the label artwork as well as the beer. While this is definitely not your typical saison, the Wrath aspect of the beer may not be prominent immediate upon trying the beer, it comes surely after and is what best represents it well. The artwork of a demon on a rampage best represents wrath but the sweetness of this beer is what is represented in the second pairing which shows that sometimes, a rampaging demon has to take a brake from time to time. Just like lust, do not take her so suddenly, she will make quick work out of the unsuspecting victim.

The Sinner Series Lust by Amager Bryghus of Kastrup Denmark

April 3, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Amager Bryghus, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Full Metal Alchemist, Lust, Sinner Series | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

The Sinner Series Lust by Amager Bryghus of Kastrup Denmark is a 9.2% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale.

Label:
Danish: Denne stærke belgiske ale er så sødmefuld, at vi ikke er bange for at kalde den for rendyrket begær på flaske. Under brygningen blev stemningen så løssluppen, at brygger Jacob og brygger Morten brød ud i store mængder spontane kindkys til hinanden. Hvis ikke Thomas Schön var dukket uanmeldt op, var det sikkert ikke stoppet ved kindkyssene. Denne øl er så vellystig, at vi ikke garanterer for følgerne, hvis du serverer den for kæresten i stearinlysenes skær: det kan meget vel ende i en langvarig forsørgerpligt. Vi har brygget en øl med de mest sensuelle sukre, vi kunne finde i Netto og så har vi krydret den med velrenommerede afrodisiaka som spansk flue, østers og pulveriseret hjortepenis. Eller osse er vi bare fulde af løgn…
Vi er ikke stolte over at være syndere, men i det mindste er vi åbne omkring det…

English: This strong Belgian ale is so rich, so sweet and so luscious, that we wouldn’t hesitate calling it pure lust in a bottle. During the making of this beer the general mood in the brewhouse turned somewhat sensual if not downright erotic! And everybody involved in the brewing spontaneously engaged in heavy cheek kissing. If it wasn’t for the unexpected ring of the doorbell things could have gone even further… This beer is so lustful that we cannot vouch for the consequences if you serve this to your girlfriend over a candlelight dinner. This may very well result in a lifelong payment of child support. We have brewed a beer with the most sensual of sugars we could find at our local grocery store.

We were tempted to spice it up with well-renowned aphrodisiacs like Spanish fly or oysters, but frankly we didn’t see the need for it.
We’re not proud to be sinners, but at least we’re open about it…
___

Anime meets beer, is exactly what I thought when I saw this label. This was a controversial label as some European countries like Sweden consider this too sexy too sell. Either way, it made it here to the Western Hemisphere and is one I had my eyes on for a long time. So I picked this one up and definitely wanted to bring it forward. There is something about the beer label I will also mention that I noticed later on in this review but first thing is first, the review of this decadent beers please!

Aromas:
Dark fruit, raisins, figs, prunes, cherries currants, brown sugar, espresso, dark and milk chocolate, biscuit bread, dulce de leche caramel, biscuit bread, toffee, rye, honey and butterscotch.

Flavors:
Coffee, Dark fruits like figs currants, raisins, prunes, cherries, blueberries, black berries, dates, hints of hazelnut, praline pecans, port wine, lavender flowers, oats, honey, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, rye, biscuit bread, earthy notes, dark and milk chocolate, toffee, butterscotch, honey, brown sugar, toasted bread with jelly, leathery notes, tobacco, clove and hints of banana .

Aftertaste:
A variety of dark fruits still linger for a long time like cherries, raisins, blue berries, black berries, honey, rye, caramel, candi sugars, chocolate, earthy notes, toasted rye bread and grape jelly. No alcohol in the taste, sipping beer with smooth quality which is dangerous for the ABV. Good thing it is only a small 500ml bottle. It also has a syrupy and velvet mouth feel.

Overall:
Perfect beer if you love sweet dark fruit Belgian beers. This is almost like reminds me of La Corriveau by Le Bilboquet but more fruitier and well, it is a Belgian beer so more of a Dark Belgian style. There is this New Belgium Fat Tire base that reminds me of the malty caramel beer but if you took that beer and did not filter it and make it stronger with a ton of complex flavors and syrupy. You would come close to what this beer is. It also has some English Old Ale meets Belgian dark aspects too. Hard to describe. It is damn good, and I am not just referring about the sexy label, no, this is pretty fucking good and highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Lust from Full Metal Alchemist was not only the best pairing for the beer, she was the star of the label. I am not sure if Amager got the inspiration, but this was way too perfect. I was kind of surprised that I did not catch this earlier but it make so much sense to use Lust from FMA on this. She is one seductive woman who searches to find weak-minded alchemist and turn them into victims. This beers sweet and complex flavors compliment her power and her seductive ways. The strength of the alcohol makes her very dangerous for those that try to court her too fast, trust me, if you take this beer and you don’t take your time, you will be sorry. Lust is that kind of character.

Brewerianimelogs (Anime and Beer Lore)

Monthly Archives: April 2014

Sucré (6th Anniversary Ale) by The Bruery

Floyd D’ Rue Collaboration by The Bruery and Three Floyds

Rue D’Floyd Collaboration by The Bruery and Three Floyds

Topless Wytch by Three Floyds

Ninja VS. Unicorn by Pipeworks Brewing

Black Robusto by Drake’s Brewing

(Double Review) Rodeo Clown & 009 Clown Lounge by Karbach Brewing

Agave Maria by The Lost Abbey

Proprietor’s Reserve Series Wookey Jack by Firestone Walker

Dairy Tank Collaboration by Eagle Rock Brewery and Ale Smith

Westmalle Trappist Dubbel by Brouwerij Westmalle

The Remix Project Babylonian Style Ale collaboration between Stillwater Artisanal and Omnipollo

Small batch Series No. 7 Ranger Creek

Embargo by Black Market Brewing

2014 Tripel Tonnellerie by the Bruery

Hellshire III (2 years aged) by Oakshire brewing

2014 Old Numbskull by Alesmith brewing

Rogue Creamery 80th Anniversary Ale by Rogue Brewing

2014 Kentucky Breakfast Stout by Founders Brewing

Red Velvet Stout by Buffalo Bayou brewing

I Think She Hung The Moon by Naughty Brewing

Blakkr collaboration by 3 Floyds, Surly and Real Ale Brewing

Morning Wood by Local Option Bierwerker

Los Vivos y Los Muertos (The Quick & The Dead) by Jolly Pumpkin

Fire and Blood by Game of Thrones and Ommegang

Solitude by El Borracho Home Brewing

Wineification (Mardi Rouge?) collaboration with The Bruery, Fess Parker winery and vineyard and Saarloosons of Los Olivos California

Matrimonium by Monkish Brewing

The Sinner Series Wrath by Amager Bryghus

The Sinner Series Lust by Amager Bryghus of Kastrup Denmark