2016 PB & Thursday by The Bruery

December 31, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged best beers in the world, Black Tuesday, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, dark fruits, delicious, dessert, Emeralda, Emeralda Kasim, Grey Monday, Imperial Stout, Kos-MOS, kosmos, Mocha Wednesday, PB & Thursday, Peanut Flour, rich flavors, The Bruery, White Chocolate, Wineification, world class beers, Xenogears, Xenosaga | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7* Final Review of 2016

2016 PB & Thursday by The Bruery is a 19.8% ABV Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with Peanut Flour.

Label:
SAMMICH

We claim the days of the week Sparingly With this release , we spread it on thick. This is our kind of Thursday.

Check The Forecast, down a cup of coffee, grab your backpack and pack something special to enjoy later on. Might we suggest this bottle? It is Thursday, after all. PB & Thursday – a peanuty variant of Black Tuesday. It won’t stick to the roof of your mouth, but it will impart layers of peanut butter character and bourbon-laced fudge notes to our storied imperial stout.
==Introduction==

Released to the Hoarders Society only, I had to reach out to my sources and definitely pull some beer leverage for this one. There was no way I could not pass up on this one and well, things paid off and now I have the next edition to the Weekday Series from The Bruery here to the site. For this being the last beer of 2016, it is only fitting. I did Grey Monday as the last beer of 2012 when I first started posting to my website. 4 years later and a new Weekday addition has come. This time, the Bruery has decided to add a Peanut butter beer as their Weekday. Peanut butter has really been exploding in the craft beer industry and I can’t blame them. Ever since Karl Strauss Peanut Butter Cup and Terrapin Liquid Bliss, it has been a damn staple in some of the best beers. Heck, even my first Experimental Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout was made with peanut butter. Granted, some breweries add peanut butter flavoring and other manage to add real peanut butter or powdered peanut butter, the Bruery went with Peanut flour. I actually added something similar called PB2 to my brew, a ton of it! Also, the Bruery has made a peanut butter beer before called Elvis Tuesday which was Peanut Butter and Bananas. They also made one called PB & J which was peanut butter powder and boysenberry puree. I think with this however, the emphasis on more of a peanut and chunky peanut butter beer, they decided to go with peanut flour. This is definitely quite the honor and specially a great way to end this year. For many it has been decent but over all its been up and down. Let’s have a beer and celebrate for a better tomorrow! Cheers for another year of Anime and Beer reviews!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian chocolates, Peanut brittle, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, oak, vanilla, marshmallow, bourbon, Reese’s pieces peanut butter cups, Nutter Butter Cookies, Capn’ Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch cereal, roasted peanuts, Cocoa Krispies, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, raspberries, currants, pomegranates, crème brulee, flan, sweetened condensed milk hints, Rocky Road Ice cream, chocolate mousse, peanut butter and chocolate chip ice cream, Bananas, and clove spice.

Flavors:
Rich Reese’s pieces peanut butter cups, Nutter Butter Cookies, peanut brittle, roasted peanuts, peanut butter fudge, Capn’ Crunch Peanut butter crunch, oak, bourbon, marshmallows, peanut butter and chocolate smores, Cocoa Krispies, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Baker’s Chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian chocolates, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, raspberries, currants, pomegranates, flan, dulce de leche caramel, cotton candy, Irish Cream, Danish Cream, molasses, anise, maple syrup, rocky road ice cream, graham crackers, peanut butter cereal, port wine, crème brulee, tobacco, leather, mocha, Bananas, clove spice, oreo cookies, coffee cake, hazelnut nectar, toffee, piloncillo sugar cone, waffle cone, peanut butter chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, butterscotch, almond joy coconut,peanut butter chocolate mousse, 3 leches/ 3 Milks cake, sweetened condensed milk and pecan pie.

Aftertaste:
Finishing Rich in dark fruit, peanut butter, dark chocolate, marshmallows, oak, bourbon, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter fudge and Reese’s peanut butter chocolate and rocky road ice cream. Slight booziness but mainly sweetness in the aftertaste and not even detracting from the flavors. Crimson Dark full body, velvety, smooth, creamy, syrupy and chewey mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability. Although there was times I wanted to just drink it all in one sitting.

Overall:
An Exceptional, Grandiose and supremely delicious addition the series of great beers. A bucket lister simply because I am a nut for peanut butter. This beer, just like Grey Monday did for Hazelut, Chocolate Rain for Chocolate, Wineification for Wine, Mocha Wednesday for Coffee, White Chocolate for Vanilla and Chocolate, this brand new day takes everything I loved about peanut butter and brings it full force. This is not peanut butter flavoring in any way. This is as close to real peanuts, roasted peanuts and real peanut butter as it gets. It definitely is closer to my peanut butter home brew but also the Sweep The Leg Peanut Butter Stout I got from my friend Aaron Mendiola in Texas. However, it is like take that peanut butter and the Gods of the universe named Black Tuesday rose you up to the heavens and said from this day forth, you are now, PB & Thursday. I’m sure it was damn magical when they finally decided to promote the Black Tuesday to become a new day of the week. They chose damn right. This special beer is definitely righteous to hold its place as such. I am hoping we see a release of this next year for us Reserve members as well as Preservation members, this one is definitely one for the book and one I recommend you try it especially if you are Black Tuesday.

End of The Year Statement:
I want to thank each and every one of you who have made this year special. Not just for keeping up with these wacky reviews, sometimes mistyped words and overall defender of many beers where people rate beers too harshly. I thank you for getting this far if you are new to the site or even been a fan for years. To all my readers, lovers, haters, Facebook, Untappd, SomethingAwful.com linkers and Twitter followers, regardless, thank you so much. I really appreciate the love and support from everyone and all the breweries that have contributed to my site growth, to my friend Aaron Mendiola from BeerMetalDude.com, to my fellow homebrew brothers, to the BeerBumz and to you, the reader, lover of beer and anime, KANPAI!

Anime Corner:
Emeralda Kasim from Xenogears was chosen in this review as I wanted to a make favorite character part of the awesome Bruery series. You see, KOS-MOS is the original Black Tuesday for Xenosaga/Xenogears. Rukia Kutchiki who I chose for Grey Monday was from Bleach, same as Yoruichi Shihouin who I chose for Chocolate Rain. Temari is my favorite top from Naruto and I chose White Chocolate. So for Mocha Wednesday, my next favorite who fit perfectly with the colors was Konan from Naruto as well. So that being said, I had not chosen another favorite character from the Xeno series aside from my top which was KOS-MOS. So that is when I decided to go with Emeralda. She is a hidden character and one of the most powerful in the game. Some might argue, she is the KOS-MOS of that series subsection as she is an experiment. KOS-MOS is an advanced cybernetic android, Emeralda is a shape shifting biological weapon that grows up later in the series. So, it was definitely a fit for this beer. You can easily tell I was going for colors of the label as well as colors of the flavors with crimson and and peanut butter colors representing Emeralda. The green of her hair is like that of the origin of peanuts, green. Essentially, this beer is like remembering one’s roots. Like Peanuts remember their green origin, one remembers the Black Tuesday origin and this special beer here will forever be that… very special, like Emeralda!

Sources:
http://img1.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/full/Anime-xenogears-emeralda-kasim-583773.jpeg
http://static.zerochan.net/Emeralda.Kasim.full.872819.jpg
http://static.zerochan.net/Emeralda.Kasim.full.334009.jpg
http://charaud.com/wp-content/uploads/xenogears/emeralda_kasim01_03.jpg
http://i4.pixiv.net/c/1200×1200/img-master/img/2016/06/12/17/47/01/57362703_p0_master1200.jpg
http://orig15.deviantart.net/80c6/f/2015/201/6/3/emeralda_by_pechan-d91veif.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/X6dbA2V.jpg

2009 Fort (aged 7 years) by Dogfish Head

December 31, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 2009 Fort, American Strong Ale, Dogfish Head, Fort, Fruit Beer, Naruto, Raspberries, Raspberry, Raspberry preserves, sakura Haruno | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2009 Fort (aged 7 years) by Dogfish Head is an 18% ABV American Strong Fruit Ale brewed with Raspberry Puree.

Label:
Flavored ale fermented with over a ton of fresh, pureed raspberries. This flavored ale was made to age with the best of ’em.

==Introduction==

I purchased 2 of these beauty back in 2011. I had set one aside and drank that one back then. In accordance with the recommended aging for this one or 7 years, I had finally decided to drink it but drink it as close to the end of the year as possible. We are approaching 2017 and I had set the bottle date for 2016. It is now time to unleash what nature has done best for this amazing epitome of raspberries. Since 2009, I do not think they have released a 750ml 18% brew. Heck even the 120 minute IPAs and World Stouts were all in 12 ounce bottle. Of all the beers that Dogfish has ever made, this was one that was very damn close to my heart. So damn close that even to this day, I could not believe that they would release an 18% ABV of this size. No brewery at the time and aside from the Bruery, would ever release such a size for huge high gravity beer. Today I pay tribute to all the raspberry beers I have ever tried starting from this one, The Lost Coast Raspberry brown, The Dragon’s Milk Raspberry from New Holland, The Imperial Biscotti Break Umami from Evil Twin, Hoarders Cuvee from the Bruery and even my very own Raging Passio Lactus Raspear Dragons brew which was one of my top tier homebrew due to my love of this fruit. To many more Raspberry brews I have tried over the years and loved and even raspberry ciders. This goes to all, cheers and a happy 2017!

Aromas:
Supreme Raspberries, dark fruit raisins, caramel, honey, White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, dark chocolate, Raspberry Cadbury Chocolate and Caramel cream eggs, bananas, clove spice, stone fruit apricot hints, peaches, apples, honey, Chambord Raspberry liqueur, Red Velvet cake, Mexican Jericalla Custard, rum soaked raspberries, dark candi sugar, rock candy, Raspberry chocolate cordials, Raspberry Cheesecake, Sakura cake, sweetened condensed milk, tropical fruits like, lychee, guava, kiwi, dragon fruit, passion fruit, pomegranates, fruit cake, cane sugar and raspberry yogurt.

Flavors:
Rich Raspberries bliss, dulce de leche caramel, rich honey, dark fruit currants, blackberries, blueberries, slight cranberries, pomegranates, tropical passion fruit, dragon fruit, kiwi, strawberries, guava nectar, lychee fruit, tangerine hints, stone fruit, peaches, apricots, apples, Mexican Jericalla Custard, Raspberry Cadbury Chocolate and Caramel cream eggs, bananas, clove spice, Raspberry yogurt, raspberry preserves on rye bread, leather hints, Chambord Raspberry liqueur on Red Velvet cake, Raspberry cheesecake, Raspberries and Danish cream, berries and cream, rum soaked raspberries, dark candi sugar, rock candy, bubblegum, raspberry cream pie, wine grapes, Sakura cake, raspberry maple syrup, raspberry membrillo, flan, milk chocolate, Raspberry chocolate cordials, coffee cake, raspberry mocha ice cream, White Chocolate Raspberry and Raspberry sweetened condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with everlasting Raspberry creamy bliss, honey, Chambord Raspberry liqueur, raspberry cobbler, leather note, rye bread, dark fruits, stone fruits, vanilla, caramel, biscuit bread, and hazelnut nectar. No alcohol in the taste. Years has mellowed the alcohol strength. Crimson Honey full body, silky creamy, smooth, velvety and chewy mouthfeel and easy drinkability which is extremely dangerous. The process of aging has made this one so damn easy to drink, I could finish the whole bottle in one sitting. That will not be done thought. Maybe….

Overall:
Heaven knows what cellar aging has done for this beer. This beer was in no shape or form offensive. It doesn’t even feel like an 18% ABV beer anymore. It drinks like pure heaven. Hell, I’ll be damned if I drink the whole thing. Who knows, it has probably gone up to 20% ABV over the years. All I know, is that if there ever was a true treasure in the books of taste and experience for the very concept of raspberries, this here is that very treasure. It is killer, like the forbidden fruit or Pandora’s box unleashed, this hits with a ton a bricks. Seductive and Sensual but if you finish the whole bottle in one sitting, as they say in Death Battle… K.O.!!!!!!!!!!!! This beer is definitely one of my top ten beers regardless and I would suggest when you buy the 12 ounce (and the 750ml if they ever sell those again) do yourself a favor and age it for the 7 years.

Anime Corner:
Sakura Haruno from Naruto was used in this pairing as I used her for the original Fort and the 2015 Fort. Her hair and over all colors match that of the colors, flavors and the label itself with the green colors representing the eyes of the girl in the label. Sakura is not weak by any means. She has ridiculous super human strength and her punches represent that pure raspberry punch I was mentioning earlier. The alcohol is her strength and the sweetness is her desires. Since this is the 7 year, which according to Dogfish Head is the peak of aging for this one, a laid back and Sexy Sakura was in damn order. She finally woke up after her 7-year slumber as is ready to kick some ass again, just gently first.

Sources:
https://skategb.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/595882.jpg
http://www.chuing.net/zboard/revol_getimg.php?id=mfa&no=48179&num=0&fc=d920683bfdb39f570ee673b6580a4334
http://i43.tinypic.com/25d2r.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/80/c3/59/80c3596181ba95dd57c5cfee856de93f.jpg
http://aws-cf.ados.fr/prod/photos/6/6/1/7855661/2691782/big-26917823d5.jpg?v=5

2016 Vindictive collaboration by Sans Liege Wines and The Bruery

December 31, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged black berries, Black Tuesday, bourbon barrels, chocolate mousse, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, Fess Parker, Fess Parker winery, french oak barrels, Grenache Grapes, Grey Monday, Harvest Syrah, Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels, Kill-LA-Kill, Mardi Rouge, Mocha Wednesday, Mourvèdre grapes, New American Oak Barrel, Oak Puncheons, Petite Syrah, Ryuko Matoi, Ryuoko Matoi, Sans Liege Wines, syrah grapes, The Bruery, Vindictive, White Chocolate, Wineification, Wineification III | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Vindictive collaboration by Sans Liege Wines and The Bruery is a 14.9% ABV Black Tuesday (Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels) with Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes aged in New American Oak Puncheons

Label:
A NEW ERA

If some of the best wines are blends of several grape varieties, imagine what could be achieved when applied to beer. This Black Tuesday varietal is a blended and fermented with must from 75% destemmed and 25% whole cluster Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes from Sans Liege. After nearly a year in oak, this release vanquishes the boundaries between wine and beer.

==Introduction==

Released to Hoarders and Reserve society as a single bottle, this version of their Wineification/Mardi Rouge, in the Bruery’s attempt to wineify beer, is the latest in the series. After trying Wineification I, II and III, this was essentially IV. However, it looks like they amped up their wine game by using different species of grapes and instead of French Oak Barrels they are using New American Oak Puncheons. This is definitely going to be something else I am sure. The previous iteration have tought me that it is possible to blend and create a wine/beer hybrid and based on what I had heard about this one it looks like they might have actually successfully made it. Heck, even their mini commercial for it shows all the other beers praise this one as the new god among beers. Let us see if the hype is real and see just how much closer they truly are to the wine beer hybrid. Cheers!

Vindictive Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIyIR324QNM

Aromas:
Rich oak, Dark fruit figs, raisins, plums, prunes, currants, blackberries, dark cherries, raspberries, wine grapes, Concorde grapes, white grapes, port wine, chocolate, vanilla, sangria, green apples, stone fruit apricots, dulce de leche caramel hints, brown sugar and fruit cake.

Flavors:
Very rich oak, wine grapes, red grapes, Concorde grapes, peppercorns, flowers, hibiscus, dark fruit figs, raisins, plums, prunes, currants, blackberries, dark cherries, raspberries, strawberries, port wine, red wine, sangria, bourbon, vanilla, rocky road ice cream, dark chocolate, chocolate mousse, mocha, Kahlua Coffee Liqueur, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, Chambord Raspberry, white grapes, sauvignon blanc, stone fruit peach, green apples, gamey meat notes, blood hints, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, sweetened condensed milk, flan, piloncillo sugar cone, brown sugar, fruit cake, graham crackers, bananas, cherry cola, almonds, rye bread and leathery notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishing super dry, rich oak for days, dark fruit, gamey meat hints, stone fruit and fruit cake. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV. Dark Crimson and Deep Blood Red clear body under certain lighting. Smooth, rich, creamy and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
The only reason this beer is not a bucket lister but is still up there with the best ones like Black Tuesday, Winefication I,II and III, White Chocolate, Chocolate Rain and the other Melangè brews and days of the week series is because it is still exceptionally supreme. The gripe is mainly that it really is super super dry. The other Winefications were not as dry and the flavors linger. I also totally understand that in order to finally meld the borders between beer and wine (which this achieves it phenomenally) is that you have to make a beverage that pleases both sides. This is the key! Now I understand why people love their wine and can differentiate themselves from beer drinking. I appreciate the love there is for wine because there are many I love especially meads and heavy ciders. For me though, super dry is something I am not used to. I can actually start to appreciate why sommeliers and wine connoisseurs have the jobs they do. Its hard to review wine the drier it becomes. Granted I can still review this one well, but with lots of dryness involved to not be able to discern flavors as fast as you can with beer, it truly is a challenge. That’s why I highly recommend this one to beer and wine lovers alike. This one is even more unique than the one’s in the past. It kicks ass!

Anime Corner:
Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill makes a return once again to pair with many of the different aspects of the beer. This time, in the fourth installment, I am using her third and most powerful form, the Golden Hair/Super Saiyan-esque Senketsu Kisaragi form just like I did with Wineification III. While the alcohol is lower, the brew is definitely hit the marks on wine. Ryuko is one of my favorite characters in Anime right next to my other top 3 (Kos-mos, Yoruichi and Temari). The reason I did not use her second “Junketsu” form was due to the fact that I never got around to putting the beer to the site, although I did have Winefication II at the Bruery’s Black Tuesday party. Like the original installment of Winefication, 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. This time around, I found an awesome picture of Ryuko with a cloak. A cloak to represent the extra oak and grapes to get the beer to that wine level even more. 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. 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. Heck, even the gamey meat like flavor is proof of blood in this beer. 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. Her Kisaragi form is what is new from Wineification III and being that it is her ultimate form, there was no doubt why I wouldn’t use that form once again here. Take it easy with her though, you won’t find one like her again, maybe. Especially since people only got 1 bottle. Either way, it will be a very memorable experience.

Sources:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-P8xlGMmI-Q8/VhgpvCfIIMI/AAAAAAAEYfo/sMWS8Rq02ow/w1156-h1700/heels%2Bkill_la_kill%2Bmatoi_ryuuko%2Bsakimichan.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Rvm3bFP.jpg
http://img15.deviantart.net/47fd/i/2016/224/c/7/ryuko_matoi___final_form__by_phasechan-dadmlef.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eRF7kiu.jpg
https://www.filepicker.io/api/file/jCgJq2a5SK65v4QQGPda

Gordon’s Finest Gold by John Martin SA in Belgium

December 31, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Blonde, Belgium, Euro Strong Lager, Gordon's Finest Gold, Imperial Pilsner, John Martin, Mercy, Overwatch | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Gordon’s Finest Gold by John Martin SA in Belgium is a 10% ABV Euro Strong Lager/Imperial Pils

Label:
Strong blond and mellow beer. Best served chilled.

==Introduction==

I was given this special gift by my friend Brian and his wife who were able to get this beer for me from Belgium about a year ago. I have tried many Belgian beers over the years and would someday love to go. This one, however, I have never heard of. Also, a 10% ABV at that and a lager. So I decided to save it for a special occasion. It is almost reached is best before date of 1/3/2017 so I decided I would give this a shot for one of my final new year beers. Here’s to you Brian, I appreciate the humble gift and thanks for supporting my work, cheers!

Aromas:
Malty sweet, cane sugar, biscuit bread, honey, waffle cone, blonde candi sugar, marshmallows, stone fruits and citrus notes.

Flavors:
Rich malty notes, biscuit bread, pilsner grain, cane sugar, rich honey, banana hints, phenolic hints, piloncillo sugar cone, stone fruit peaches, apricots, plums, waffle cone, citrus, tangerine gummies, brown sugar, agave hints, Cadbury caramel cream eggs, Danish cream, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee hints, flan and marshmallows.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry with bitter flavors and slightly malty sugar notes, pilsner grain and earthy hop notes. Slight alcohol in the taste. Clear Golden light body, crisp, smooth, clean, velvety and refreshing mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A very delicious beer. Reminding me of the Leffe Blond, if it was imperialized. This is definitely a strong version of a lager and is essentially, in my opinion, what some lagers should be. At least in terms of being more complex. It does remind me a lot of the awesome sweet strong beers like Belzebuth and Samichlaus. I really loved this one except for the finish which is dry and bitter. Not bad it is just that for a 10% ABV beer I would want this to linger. I wish they would sell this here in the states at higher volumes. I would drink this over basic lagers. Definitely worth searching for.

Anime Corner:
Mercy from Overwatch was chosen in this beer pairing as I wanted to convey the fact that even though this is a lager, it is also a blond. The golden color, the name of the beer and even angelic as it is from Belgium. These are items that I figured would fit great with this beer. Angels are strong creatures as well so that definitely represents the ABV of the beer as well.

Sources:
https://ws2.sinaimg.cn/large/00641CkYjw1f5fhxp2h3gj31z41407wj.jpg
https://images2.alphacoders.com/666/thumb-1920-666091.png

Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break collaboration by Evil Twin Brewing and WestBrook brewing

December 31, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Cinnamon, cocoa nibs, coffee, Collaboration Beer, Evil Twin Brewing, Habanero Peppers, Hatsune Miku, Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break, Miku, Moembelu, Street Fighter, vanilla, vocaloid, Westbrook Brewing, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break collaboration by Evil Twin Brewing and WestBrook brewing is a 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout with Coffee, Cinnamon, Almonds, Cocoa Nibs, Vanilla and Habanero peppers added.

Label:
None

==Introduction==

Now this is something I never knew would ever happen. You take 2 of some of the best beers out there and make a blend recipe. Now, I have seen the Cuvee that has done something similar to this like when Boulevard and Firestone did their Collaboration beer which used Velvet Merkin, Stickee Monkee, Imperial Stout Tart Cherry X and Bourbon Barrel Quad to create a very special Cuvee. This is a similar idea although while many of those beers are awesome, Mexican Cake has been one of those aftermarket second hand beers that sells for a damn markup and is hard to get. Essentially, taking an awesome coveted brew like that one and using one of Evil Twin’s finest, the Imperial Biscotti Break and making something special that many people can actually get. Although I would not be surprised if this one goes the way of the “hard to find” brews as it is Mexican Cake after all. I had tried their Tequila Barrel Aged Mexican Cake in the past which was awesome in it’s own rights. Now as we get a chance to see what this one is all about, I cannot wait and am excited for the anticipation. Vamonos! A provar esta Cerveza, Let’s go try this beer! Cheers!

Aromas:
Mexican Chocolate, Chocolate Abuelita, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, mild habanero peppers, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, chocolate smores, cinnamon, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, dark fruit raisins, currants, cherries, bananas, Danish cream almond joy, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, champurrado, tobacco and molasses.

Flavors:
Champurrado, Maize Atole, Mole spices, Habanero, Mexican Chocolate, Chocolate Abuelita, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, coffee cake, roasted coffee, Kahlua liqueur, bananas, molasses, fruit cake, marzipan, mazapan, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, almond joy, macadamia nuts, oreo cookies, Danish cream, Irish cream coffee, mocha, jamocha, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, chocolate smores, dark fruit raisins, currants, cherries, sweetened condensed milk, flan, cinnamon, piloncillo sugar cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, toffee, dulce de leche caramel and oak notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishing rich in toffee, caramel, dark chocolate, dark fruits, dark cherries, earthy notes, molasses, bananas, spicy pepper notes, champurrado, almond joy and marzipan. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark full body, smooth, creamy, chewy, velvety and syrupy mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Unbelievable! The blending of the Imperial Biscotti with Mexican cake is definitely something completely different. I have had the Mexican Cake in Tequila form which was amazing as well as the Imperial Biscotti break in many variants. The fact that this one is a special blend is seriously amazing especially for the fact that both beers are in a league of their own. It’s like if The Bruery and Three Floyds blended Dark Lord and Black Tuesday. Anyways, the beer itself is a complex drink of both worlds blending some spicy heat from the habanero peppers and Mexican chocolate with the Marzipan like flavors of the Biscotti imparted by the coffee, vanilla and almonds. The outcome is something that works in a directions that is unfathomable. For the original Mexican Cake being so pricey, now you can enjoy something that is bigger than than into a Super Saiyan Fusion of beer. A huge recommendation for a bucket lister like this one.

Anime Corner:
Noembelu from Street Fighter, Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach and Vocaloid Hatsune Miku were used in this pairing as I wanted to mainly do the Mexican characteristics of the beer. Noembelu is essentially from the indigenous tribe where T. Hawk is from in Mexico so she was a perfect pairing for this beer. Yoruichi I have used in a previous Mexican brew and Miku I used in in the Tequila barrel Mexican Cake. Funny thing about Miku is that she has sung concerts in Mexico in Spanish sporting Mexican attire. So definitely had to bring her for this pairing as well.

Sources:
https://k61.kn3.net/taringa/2/7/6/5/2/6/94/panthyhero-/83B.jpg
http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/b580/qinchao1204/chuyin%2012/wwwafterschoolsyscom-938.jpg~original

6th Anniversary Hazelnut Chocolate Imperial Stout by WestBrook brewing

December 31, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 6th Anniversary, cocoa nibs, Hazelnut Chocolate Imperial Stout, Hazelnuts, Imperial Stout, The Testament of Sister New Devil, vanilla beans, Westbrook Brewing, Zest | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/6

6th Anniversary Hazelnut Chocolate Imperial Stout by WestBrook brewing is a 10% ABV Imperial Stout with cocoa nibs, hazelnuts and vanilla beans added

Label:
Our 6th Anniversary beer is rich and chocolatey imperial stout matured on cocoa nibs, roasted hazelnuts and vanilla beans.

==Introduction==

This is the second time I try a Westbrook beer and for it being their 6th anniversary at that, it was definitely a damn fine pleasure to bring this one to the site. I was able to find this one when I was looking for the Mexican Biscotti Cake. I love hazelnuts and I definitely had to bring this one to the site. The last time I tried a hazelnut beer aside from Rogue’s Hazelnut Nectar was the Bruery’s Melange 12 which had the same ingredients like chocolate, vanilla and hazelnut like this one. This was a great opportunity to bring another awesome beer to the site especially for the end of 2016, their 6th Anniversary, and a chance to try more Westbrook. I hear great things from them. Let’s have a look at this one, cheers!

Aromas:
Roasted coffee, mocha, marshmallows, hazelnut nectar, Baker’s milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, tobacco, molasses, brown sugar, dark fruits, cookie dough, mint, bananas, vanilla, almond joy chocolate, pecan pie, flan and Irish cream.

Flavors:
Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Chocolate brownies, vanilla, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, bananas, clove spice, dark fruit raisins, currants, cherries, raspberries, plums, mint, anise, molasses, almond joy chocolate, flan, Irish cream, Danish cream, coffee cake, brown sugar, tobacco, Triple chocolate cake, marshmallow smores, mocha, fruit cake, mild plum sauce, rye bread with raspberry preserves, pillow mints, macadamia nuts, maple syrup hints, dulce de leche caramel, chocolate mousse, cookie dough ice cream, chocolate cherry cordials and piloncillo sugar cone.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with a mint chocolate flavors, dark chocoalte, hazelnut, earthy hop notes, dark fruits, banana notes, clove spice and tobacco. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV. Dark full body, smooth, creamy and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional brew that was very delicious and chocolatey. There was a lot of complexity going on but I think the flavors that stood out the most was the some what mint flavors. The beer itself is still worthy of praise as I still got many of the flavors from the ingredients used and the vast complexity. The only thing was that the beer definitely seemed to have a roast mint chocolate flavor through and through. For the beer overall I highly recommend you try and get this one, it is damn amazing!

Anime Corner:
Zest from The Testament of Sister New Devil was chosen in this pairing as I mainly wanted to go with the colors of the label but also the ingredients of the beer which actually fit well with Zest as she has the colors of the label and the colors of the ingredients such as the browns for chocolate and hazelnut and the light colors for vanilla. Overall, she is technically a devil which works for the dark aspects of this beer.

Sources:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CzGQPUCVIAENa40.jpg
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/shinmai-maou-no-keiyakusha/images/0/00/Volume_V.png/revision/latest?cb=20140820104756
https://k60.kn3.net/BDC4DF9BD.jpg
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/anime-characters-fight/images/4/46/Zest.png/revision/latest?cb=20150512165550&path-prefix=ru
https://k30.kn3.net/taringa/1/6/3/6/9/3/90/juampinie/0EB.jpg
http://2static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Random_b89889_6045838.jpg

2016 Big Hugs by Half Acre brewing

December 31, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Ark Angel Mithra, Ark Angel MR, Big Hugs, Chocolate, chocolate hazelnut, christmas beer, coffee, coffee company, collaboration, Collaboration Beer, dark chocolate, dark fruits, Dark Matter Coffee, fancy coffee, Final Fantasy XI, half acre, half acre brewing, Imperial Stout, Kisha, mecha hugs, Mithra, Spices, spicy aroma | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/6

2016 Big Hugs by Half Acre brewing is a 10% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Dark Matter Coffee

Description:
This beer is a thug. Big and chock full of tender embrace.

A specialty brew. Grab it when you see it. 10% ABV.

…Big Hugs has grappled with natural order and twisted the pillars of existence. While you hang in the balance, steal time to sit steady and spill this black rumble into your center. Big Hugs Imperial Stout is liquid char scraped from the bowels of eternity, soaked with the free spirit of an adolescent feline. Heed him and rejoice.

The time has come to release our annual homage to the accidentally violent, disastrous fly swatter we call Big Hugs. In its 8th year, Hugs has managed to break through the worm hole and find itself up against the real monsters – human kind.

==Introduction==
As a huge fan of this crazy Kaiju Cat, I feel it is my duty every year to bring forth news of the return of a monster. A giant cat that can only suit its feels with hugging and massively destroying to the human race. Of course, he is loved by many. Who wouldn’t? Which makes me wonder how he would fare against Godzilla. To be honest, they would just be the best of friends. Who knows, maybe Big Hugs is Godzilla’s cat and no one knew it. Regardless, this one is one that you have to embrace. Take it on like a quest of dragons…err… cats. Like previous years, I hope to bring the beer to the site. Even if it is just the basic one. I think they do something different every year. Also, since I bought this years Dark Matter Coffee with Pink Himalayan Salt, I wonder if it will actually have that. Although, there is a version like that already. Anyways, let’s take on this Catastrophe!, Cheers!

Aromas:
Chocolate milk shake, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, fudge chocolate, roasted coffee, mocha, fancy coffee, espresso, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, currants, dark cherries, blueberries, coconut hints, tobacco, molasses, anise, leather, toffee, pecan pie, mild peanut butter and banana hints.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Baker’s Chocolate, German Chocolate, salted dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, toasted coconut hints, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, currants, dark cherries, blueberries, roasted coffee, mocha, fancy coffee, espresso, vinous grape notes, Kahlua Liqueur, brownies, pecan pie, bananas, malted chocolate, chocolate mousse, oatmeal cookies, smokey notes, anise, port wine, earthy notes, cookie dough ice cream, pecan pie, toffee, rock candy, salted chocolate, tobacco, leather, brown sugar, fudge chocolate, hazelnut nectar and pralines.

Aftertaste:
Finishing rich with caramel, sea salt, vanilla, dark chocolate, peanut butter, Fancy Coffee roast, spicy coffee complexity earthy notes and dark fruits. No alcohol in the taste, Dark like the abyss of nothingness dark body, Smooth, velvety and creamy mouthfeel and almost easy to drink despite the ABV.

Overall:
I find it very interesting that this version of Big Hugs, while very exceptional and delicious as always, it had some salty notes like that of the Salted Chocolate version of the beer. It is interesting because the actual coffee does have Pink Himalayan salt, yes, the little baggie in the pictures. Makes wonder if they did use the same coffee as they did in the past years or if this is a new blend. Needless to say, still one of my favorite beers and the salty notes surely does add some complexity to the beer. Now while I did love this one, I am sure the variants are even better ofcourse. This one should still be seeked though as it is the original. Here watch this Cat Video from them to find out why you need this beer in your life. LOL Cheers!

Big Hugs from Meredith Anderson on Vimeo.

Anime Corner:
Ark Angel MR or evil Mythra from Final Fantasy XI was used in this pairing as I used her in the last pairing. The original idea had to do with the whole Big Hugs. Since she is a gray cat lady with crimson eyes, it would have fit with the Mecha Hugs Label from back in the day. The fact that she is an Ark Angel, she fits even more perfect with the evil Big Hugs and the whole Big Hugs as she squeezes the orange Mythra representing the colors of the original Big Hugs cat.

I also included original character Kisha the furry cat (character created by Kisharra of DeviantArt.com) as her color represent Christmas. This beer is released for Christmas so I figure this would work out since I found a picture of her hugging another furry cat on Christmas. Also, with that sensual stare, who wouldn’t want to hug up against a warm cat. Ofcourse, just like Big Hugs, big cats in real life are dangerous, just like the ABV on this one.

Sources:
https://brewerianimelogs.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/564b9-chp6jf56bks039cj.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OqDjeY-4Tco/VkYAtgys6-I/AAAAAAAAdq4/8PD6QB9JRlM/w1602-h895/furry-%2525D1%252584%2525D1%25258D%2525D0%2525BD%2525D0%2525B4%2525D0%2525BE%2525D0%2525BC%2525D1%25258B-furry-art-furry-feline-1828652.png
http://tbib.org/images/3267/1b28a1e0f2f2b5d828c92ed0744d0309599c850f.png
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_E5x9oEAUbI/WAyX6gKIN6I/AAAAAAAACyQ/KpGw1qUkCCg3qGdScYywQgg-VgZ2YTSWACJoC/w1044-h1980/AYvf2nGehqw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2qwyCtD.jpg

Bourbon Barrel Aged Drago by Onion Pub & Brewery / Wild Onion Brewing Co.

December 29, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Aged Drago, Drago, Onion Pub & Brewery, RIS, Russian Imperial Stout, Tailenders, Tomoe Mikagura, Wild Onion Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Bourbon Barrel Aged Drago by Onion Pub & Brewery / Wild Onion Brewing Co. is a 10% ABV Russian Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Dark than a cold Siberian winter night and a bigger than Ivan Drago’s uppercut, this formidable beer took a long time to reach your discerning palate. Brewed with vast amounts of roasted barley and aged in oak bourbon barrels for 8 months. This Russian Imperial stout is a contender!

==Introduction==

I had obtained this one as an extra when I obtained 2016 Big Hugs. This is the first time I try a beer from Wild Onion brewing. I have seen this one in many different online places but I had never bothered to get it. There is always a first and for being the first time I bring one of their beers to the site, especially one like this, I am thankful I got it. Now, let us have a look at the breakdown on this one, cheers!

Aromas:
Vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak bourbon, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, smokey notes, roasted malt, coffee roast, dark fruit currants, raisins, blackberries, raspberries, dark cherries, almond joy, anise, tobacco, coffee cake, crème brulee, bananas, flan, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers chocolate, fudge chocolate, brown sugar and Irish cream.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Fudge Chocolate, Dark fruit raisins, currants, raspberries, dark cherries, blackberries, crème brulee, vanilla, oak bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, chocolate mousse, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, Khalua Coffee liqueur, bananas, clove spice hints, molasses, tobacco, almond joy chocolate, leather notes, anise, brownie batter, chocolate cherry cake, mocha chocolate, Irish cream, sweetened condensed milk, coffee cake and Cadbury chocolate caramel cream eggs.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with a lot of lingering flavors of oak, vanilla, caramel, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, dark chocolate, dark fruit, crème brulee, flan, tobacco and bourbon notes. No alcohol in the taste despite ABV, Dark supreme full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and syrupy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A very exceptional Russian imperial stout with flavors ranging from many of the awesome Bourbon Barrel aged stouts I have had in the past like Bourbon County, Parabola, Dragon’s Milk and many many more. I am not sure how often this comes out or hard it is to get but I definitely would love to get several more of these little bottles. It is pretty damn amazing and definitely worthy of a world class status. Highly recommended if you can find it!

Anime Corner:
Tomoe Mikagura from Tailenders was chosen as I wanted to go with a character that reminded me of the crazy Haruko Haruhara but since this character had similar features, I said fuck it. Besides, She fits the bill in terms of the rose to match the reds of the label, winter gear for that winters of Siberia in reference to the description of this beer and spiky hair to remind me of dragons. Although Drago was based on the name but it sure was damn close.

Sources:
http://www.animeclick.it/images/Anime_big/Tailenders/Tailenders20.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZuIDbLe11yE/maxresdefault.jpg
https://muusi.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/tailenders_3.jpg
http://www.animedimenzija.com/site/images/topic_images/tailenders08.jpg

Second Anniversary Special Edition by Four Sons

December 28, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 2nd anniversary, Belgian Blonde, Four Sons Brewing, Guava, Hibiscus, Imperial Sour Blonde, membrillo, passion fruit, Second Anniversary, Special Edition, Wild ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Second Anniversary Special Edition by Four Sons is a 13.9% ABV Imperial Sour Blonde brewed with Passion Fruit and Hibiscus.

Label:
QTY Bottled: 1,222

What? Second Anniversary? Wow that’s amazing! It shows how fast time can fly when you’re doing something you love with the people that you love! Our family is thankful for all the support we’ve received in our first two years, and we’re proud to share a unique beer to commemorate this occacion. We started out with an invitation to “Join Our Family” and we’re happy that so many of you have! Thanks and cheers from the Dufresne family.

==Introduction==

Holy shit, after reading the ABV and the amount of beers bottled for this I couldn’t believe it. How amazing that my friend Will Carranza was able to get his hands on this special brew. Nevertheless, gift me this special Christmas present. I am still in awe. Even so, 13.9% for a sour? That is like, Bruery status there. Regardless, this is the second time I am able to bring a 4 sons brew to the site. I am still looking to bring “The Coco” one day to the site so I can advise how awesome that beer was. However, this unique beer I really have to thank my homebrew brother Will for. For as many a sessions we had tasting beers, I could not have had the opportunity to share great brew and homebrew knowledge with a great friend. Cheers brother and Cheers to Four Sons! I hope to bring more of your brews to the site in the future.

Aromas:
Rich Guayabate Membrillo/ Guava Quince cheese, Tangerines Gummies, bananas, flowers, hibiscus, peppercorns, tropical fruit passion fruit, dragon fruit, kiwi, mango, strawberries, raspberries, lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, stone fruit peaches, apricots, apples, biscuit bread, vanilla, caramel and wild flower honey.

Flavors:
Hibiscus, lavender, wild flower honey, rich guavas, Guayabate Membrillo/ Guava Quince Cheese/ Guava preserves, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerines, oranges, kumquats, lychees, tropical fruit passion fruit, dragon fruit, honey dew melon, pineapple, mango, kiwi, strawberries, pomegranates, raspberries, grapes, dark fruit currants, stone fruit peaches, apricots, apples, biscuit bread, vanilla, caramel, peppercorns, Danish cream, herbal tea, tangy dark cherry skins, blueberries and blackberries.

Aftertaste:
Finishes semi dry with rich guava, passion fruit, floral hibiscus, dark fruits, stone fruit, gummies and tropical fruit. No alcohol in the taste despite the 14% ABV. Huge points for that. Crimson light haze body, smooth, crisp, effervescent, refreshing and creamy mouthfeel along with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Liquid Guava preserves. Ridiculously tangy and sweet awesomeness. Super fruits loaded into this beer and the craziest part was I had to stop myself from drinking this entire beer in one sitting. It drinks way too easy, it’s unique and complex profile makes it closer to the Guava marmalade/preserves which I have not seen how the correlation of hibiscus and passion fruit at this ABV can do. It really is unique and a special brew. I am not sure what the likely hood of getting another one of these as only 1,222 bottles of this stuff was released. I highly damn recommend you can find this one or at least hope they can release it once again. Amazing!!

Anime Corner:
Original character by Bai Yemeng was used in this pairing as I needed a character that would make a great fit to the label, the ingredients of the beer, beer color, flavors and overall celebration of bad assery. This could only was in the form of a hibiscus blood red head with a sword and a yellow passion fruit stare that can kill with a high ABV. Sexy smooth but you will never know what hit!

Sources:
https://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/504877-1000×1118-original-bai+yemeng-single-tall+image-looking+at+viewer-red+hair.jpg

Up On The Rooftop by Four Sons Brewing

December 28, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged All Spice, Allspice, Christmas, christmas beer, Cinnamon, Four Sons Brewing, German Doppelbock, Holiday Ale, holiday beers, holiday doppelbock, Neopolitan, nutmeg, Rwby, Up On The Rooftop | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Up On The Rooftop by Four Sons Brewing is a 10.1% German Doppelbock brewed with Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Allspice.

Label:
Dark, Rich and Malty German Lager brewed with Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Allspice.

Four Sons Brewing is Family Owned & Operated in Huntington Beach, CA. We invite you “Join Our Family” And Share Our Passion for excellent craft beer.

==Introduction==

A special thanks to my friend and fellow Homebrew brother, William Carranza for giving me a special present for Christmas, a Holiday DoppelBock. Now the style already being a rich a malty brew would make sense to fit with Christmas and the additional holiday ingredients of the winter season. I cannot recall if I have ever had a holiday inspired doppelbock other than the time I had the peaches and pecan Shiner Holiday Bock. However, that would be a regular bock. The first brew I had tried from Four Sons was “The Coco” which to me was a coconut Fat Tire. Probably the best Coconut Amber or the only coconut Amber I have ever tried. Amazing. This is the first time I bring a brew from 4 Sons brewing here on the website, thanks to Will, and a good way to finish up the 2016 holiday season. I look forward to trying this one. I have heard great things about them but I have not had a chance to see many of their brews around. With this one, it would be a great way to gauge them for the site and for my audience. So here is to you and your loved ones in these fine holidays, cheers!

Aromas:
Cinnaon, Nutmeg, clove spice, allspice, pumpkin spice, piloncillo sugar cone, figgy pudding, fruit cake, pecan pie, bananas, Danish cream, Ginger bread, dark fruit raisins, plums, apple pie, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel and toffee.

Flavors:
Ginger Bread, Candy Cane, Christmas cookies, All spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, dark fruit raisins, sugar plums, figs, dates, candi sugar, pumpkin spice, piloncillo sugar cone, figgy pudding, fruit cake, pecan pie, apple pie, Danish Cream cookies, earthy hop bittermess, toasted rye bread with tangerine preserves hints, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, bananas, clove spice, anise, dark chocolate and strawberry hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich fruit cake flavors, dark fruit, lingering spices of cinnamon, ginger bread, clove spice, pumpkin and piloncillo sugar cone finish. No alcohol in the taste, honey amber clear body, smooth, rich, creamy and velvety mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A very delicious and perfect holiday ale. A Ginger bread Apple pie and fruit cake in liquid form. Definitely Holiday spice forward and holiday spice driven. While the dark fruit aspects that make great doppelbocks is present, the style does work giving this one a malty dark fruit and spicy fruit cake feel. Very aligned with the holidays and a 10.1% ABV to keep people warm. For being the first beer from them, I can say I am very intrigued to try their next beers. A definite recommendation.

Anime Corner:
Neopolitan from the RWBY series in Christmas attire was used in this pairing as I wanted to represent the holiday aspects of this beer. The Doppelbock aspect is represented in Neo’s Strawberry and Chocolate appearance. Essentially, she is duality. She is nice and sweet on the outside but she is definitely a dangerous trickster and part of the antagonists group in the series. Regardless, it was nice to see her in the Holiday spirit to help with this beer pairing.

Sources:
http://68.media.tumblr.com/6c60ec305285a5819e430624aefa1fc4/tumblr_oi1t1dTjfc1s5wms6o1_1280.jpg

Home Brewing Project #27 Enchanter De L’ambroisie Du Crépuscule by Nubis Sanctum Ales

December 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged anise, Belgian Dark Candi Sugar, Belgian Dark Strong Ale, bitter orange peel, Dark Candi Sugar, Enchanter De L'ambroisie Du Crépuscule, Golden Syrup, Legend of Zelda, LOZ, Midna, Nubis Sanctum Ales, The Bewitching of Twilight's Ambrosia, Trois Pistoles, Twili Midna, Twilight Princess, Unibroue, Willow | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Home Brewing Project #27 Enchanter De L’ambroisie Du Crépuscule by Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 9% ABV Belgian Dark Strong Ale brewed with Golden Syrup, Dark Candi Sugar, Anise and Bitter
Orange Peel.

Label:
Enchanter De L’ambroisie Du Crépuscule
The Bewitching of Twilight’s Ambrosia

Belgian Dark Strong Ale brewed with Golden Syrup, Dark Candi Sugar, Anise and Bitter
Orange Peel.

Magic is the bloodstream of the universe. Forget all you know, or think you know. All that you require is your intuition. ~High Aldwin. Willow The Movie

Across time, people have sought for many gifts such as the Philosopher’s Stone, the Holy Grail, Pandora’s Box, Excalibur or even the Necronomicon. Yet, mankind as curious and as ignorant as they may be, have never laid eyes on such things.

Myth, Legends and Folklore seem to have a way of providing wonder to those who seek the power of knowledge from the unknown. Yet many do not know of the Twilight Princess’ potion. Definitely something that came not from such tales but from other dimensions. For you don’t need to search over the ages and realize you have something special in hand.
Cheers!

Ingredients: Water, Hops, Malt, Dark Candi Sugar, Golden Syrup, Anise, Bitter Orange Peel & Belgian Abbey Yeast.

==Introduction==

Project #27 was inspired by the need to create my second mos favorite beer in the World, the Trois Pistoles. Yes, it is a somewhat common Belgian Style from Canada, but when I first started my craft beer journey, this was one of the brews that had quickly became the best beer I have ever had. Later on, I would try many more Belgians like that of St. Bernardus 12abt and Three Philosopher’s and even Judgment Day from Lost Abbey. Yes, this beer has been an important staple in my journey through craft beer that the day I finally decided was versed in the brewing arts, I could make a delicious clone of the fabled Trois Pistoles. In tribute to the original, I had given it a French name which means, The Bewitching of Twilight’s Ambrosia. The reason for the name I will describe in detail in my anime section but just know, this was for a very magical brew. Now that I have it ready for the site, let me tell you a story about it. Also, to commemorate the occasion, I will also give my thoughts on the side to side comparison of the Trois Pistoles to my version of the brew. Join me in the art of darkness, cheers to all!

Aromas:
Anise, dark candi sugar, rye bread, mild port wine, mild cola hints, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, prunes, plums, figs, dates, dark cherries, peppercorn hints, Belgian chocolate, vanilla, piloncillo sugar cone, clove spice and banana hints.

Flavors:
Rich dark fruit raisins, prunes, plums, figs, dates, dark cherries, anise, rich dark candi sugar, sugar cane, piloncillo sugar cone, rock candy, bananas, clove spice, molasses, orange notes, coriander hints, port wine hints, raspberry, cola, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, grapes, brown sugar, pecan pie, Belgian chocolate, mild coffee hints, coffee cake, raisin bread pudding, stone fruit peaches, ripe apricots, peppercorn spice, maple hints, apples, butterscotch, tangerine preserves, rye bread, sweetened condensed milk, honey and waffle cone.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich dark fruits, dulce de leche caramel, stone fruit, vanilla, earthy notes, anise, mild citrus, chocolate and port wine hints. No alcohol in the taste. Dark Amber brown full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and chewy mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Enchanter De L’ambroisie Du Crépuscule (Left) Vs. the Original Trois Pistoles (Right):
The aromas between them is definitely different. It has more of the cola and port wine forward along with what I believe is their specialty house yeast. Mines breaths more of the anise, citrus and dark candy sugar and mild port wine. The flavors are nearly identical except for the Trois Pistoles which leans more toward that port wine, chocolate, and cola flavor and mines leans more toward citrus, anise, dark candy sugar, mild cola, chocolate and dulce de leche caramel. The colors are nearly identical even under the light but Trois Pistoles is slightly darker. Carbonation is more on mine but head retention is greater on the Trois Pistoles. The aftertaste is more of that specialty chocolate, cola and port wine house yeast flavor but both end on strong Dark candi sugar.

Overall:
While I do believe my beer is on its own a perfect example of a Belgian Dark, I still agree Trois Pistoles is much better. It is definitely their in house yeast and specialty spices as well as the “on lees” process which definitely gives them only a slight edge over mine. I really, really loved how close this was to Trois Pistoles. It was definitely a better brew just on its own that when I took it out of the fermentor to bottle, it was practically ready to drink. Everything about this beer from the specialty yeast and rich dark fruit flavors matched to that of Trois Pistoles. Specialty house yeast they use of course is hard to find but it is definitely that which I consider that beer to be one of my top in the world right next to St. Bernardus 12 ABT. Am really happy with how this turned out that it is definitely up there with my best brews I have ever made, right next to my Belgian Quad, Sangri Leche, Diablita Del Leche, Raging Passion Lactus Raspear Dragons and others. A recipe worth brewing several times over. Now if I can only get a hold of their house yeast.

Anime Corner:
Midna from The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess was the chosen character for this pairing as I wanted to use a character that was both dark and mysterious but also magical and in essence. A dark sorceress but also into the whole nun/monk aspect which would fit with the Belgian abbey style of beers. The story of Trois Pistoles reflects the use of the Lucifer to do God’s biding in the creation of the creation of Our Lady of Snow’s church. Lucifer, in the form of a horse which was bridled and made to carry stones for the construction. This was carried out by a priest who summoned it to do the work. Unfortunately, a worker released it feeling sorry for it and the beast horse disappeared and the church was never finished. In my pairing, Midna wears the chains like that which the horse wore but her appearance similar to that of the dark version of the Virgin Mary also represented the church and its ties to the Vatican. Essentially, in Zelda, Midna is not an evil character, she just looks that way. She helps pay that tribute to the Trois Pistoles brew in the dark magical potion which is still as holy as the ambrosia of gods, hence the name, The Bewitching of Twilight’s Ambrosia.
Sources:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CskbYxBWIAA0Sg4.jpg
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/LtIYhP7FvNFFJmYSrV1JyyKN5mRHlegqU8LXSFrgz3PC5IgfYHRWIlLiEUJWzZcV.jpeg?w=1600&v=He_jk21e3WjlLrtL2pS3ga-vFLrqcKOjJg8NBtoyk34%3D
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/13276149709785426563.JPG?w=1600&v=9J0FQMJeEqwM7xulHoNYFEdGzyaKatPppRtXB2r2ehQ%3D
https://brewerianimelogs.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/ecadd-midnahoneymoonb2.jpg

Mango Sombrero Habanero by El Borracho brewing

December 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Adelita Sánchez, amarillo, Cascade, Centennial, columbus hops, El Borracho brewing, El Borracho Home Brewing, El Libro De La Vida, Habanero chillies, india pale ale, IPA, mango, Mango Sombrero Habanero, Scardelita, The Book of Life | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Mango Sombrero Habanero by El Borracho brewing is a 6.5% ABV India Pale Ale brewing with Mangos and Habanero peppers with Columbus, Cascade, Centennial hops and dry hopped with Amarillo hops.

==Introduction==

A special thanks to my friend Will Carranza who has allowed me to review the next beer in his home brewing adventures. The next homebrew release comes in the form of a Mango IPA. Mango IPAs are always awesome. With this one, he wanted to add a kick to it. So he added habanero. As many know, habaneros are the hottest commonly available peppers. There are hotter ones for sure but this one is definitely hot. This brew was made in an attempt to make his own version of an IPA like Sculpin Habanero. With the Mango however, it would add that spicy mangoneada like flavors. I am hoping that is the case, let’s have a sip, cheers!

Aromas:
Citrus, piney, floral, grassy and garlicky hops, stone fruit peach, biscuit bread, honey, Tropical fruit Mango, honey dew melon, kiwi hints, mild peppery hints, tangerine gummies and guava.

Flavors:
Tropical fruit Mango, pineapple, honey dew melon, passion fruit, dragon fruit, guava hints, honey notes
Citrus, piney, floral, oniony and grassy hops, biscuit bread, caramel, habanero spice hints, peppercorn hints, coriander hints, tangerine gummies, stone fruit peach, vanilla hints, cherries and mild rye hints

Aftertaste:
Finishes with slight habanero pepper spice on the back end, tropical fruit mango, citrus and floral dank hops. No alcohol in the taste, Golden Medium body, crisp, refreshing, and smooth mouthfeel along with easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very delicious brew. Heat wise, not too spicy although the peppery aspects are there. I mainly enjoyed this one as the tropical fruit flavors and mango shined as the beer warmed up. The mangoneada flavors are super subtle but the mango does shine. While I did bring this up to my friend about getting more mango in the flavors than he did, I think this was true as I do have a tolerance for heat. I did get a bit of spice on the last pour. I think some of the heat settled to the bottom. Overall, this was definitely awesome. My friend said that he would definitely make it spicier next time!

Anime Corner:
Scardelita and Adelita Sánchez from El Libro De La Vida/The Book of Life were chosen to go with the name of the beer and since the ingredients are used in Mexican cuisine. It was easy to see why this pairing would work as the colors in the art of those of the mango oranges, reds and yellows and also the habaneros. The reference to dia de los muertos was also something that worked well too and the sombreros they wear.

Sources:
http://oddmachine.deviantart.com/art/Revolution-492118534
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Adelita-Sanchez-El-Libro-de-la-Vida-490237776
http://www.deviantart.com/art/adelitas-sanchez-528352659

Frucht: Cherry by The Bruery Terreux

December 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in oak barrels, Berliner Weisse, cherries, Dark Lady, Frucht, Jinx, league of legends, Lux, Rini Moon, Sailor moon, Star Guardians, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux | 2 Comments

Rating: 4.8/5

Frucht: Cherry by The Bruery Terreux is 5.4% ABV Berliner Weisse aged in an oak foeder with Cherries.

Label:
Fruity – Funky – Racy

DESCRIPTION
Welcome to Frucht, our land of fruited Berliner Weisse-style beers. Known for a tart flavor profile and traditionally low ABV, our German-style wheat beer gains even more funky notes and natural earthy-woodiness from fermentation in one of our twin oak foeder vessels – the largest known to be fabricated in this country.

Each installment in the series features a new fruit, or Frucht, if we’re Sprechen sie Deutsch. This installment has cherries added, which impart a bright, fruity tartness and elegant hue to the beer.

==Introduction==

Released to all societies and the public, this is the next released in their fruit sour series. There have been many cherry sour ales I have tried. Some better than others but this one is closest to the Cherry Berxarliner from Freet Tail. Or atleast I think since it is the same style with cherries. Although that beer was definitely very balanced in terms of sweet and tartness. This year there have been several releases from the Bruery Terreux and it is Cherry as the next fruit. Let’s see how this one turns out, cheers!

Aromas:
Biscuit bread, vanilla, oak, wine grapes, dark fruit cherries, lemon peel, peppercorn, floral notes, hibiscus, tropical fruit notes, honey, tangerines, strawberries, passion fruit, dragon fruit, guava hints, and kumquat hints.

Flavors:
Sweet Tart cherries, biscuit bread, pomegranates, mild raspberries, lemon peel, floral notes, hibiscus, dark cherry yogurt, tangerines, apples, wine grapes, sangria, Concorde grapes, pink salt hints, tropical notes of passion fruit, dragon fruit, pineapple, honey dew melon, banana hints, wheat bread, sourdough bread, oak, vanilla, sour apples, kumquats, tomato hints, farmhouse hay, cherry skins, grapefruit peel and strawberries.

Aftertaste:
Finishes very dry with notes of dark cherries, yogurt, stone fruit, flowers, oak, vanilla and lemon peel. No alcohol in the taste, clear rosy golden light body, crisp, refreshing and effervescent mouthfeel with a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Very cherry tart delicious brew. A true Berlinerweisse with a lot of things going for it. Sweet and Sour but definitely more sour than sweet. Although the complexity is there, its dry finish makes you wanting more. I feel I have had better cherry sours but this one is definitely for the light sour drinkers. People that loveSai sours will enjoy this one.

Anime Corner:
Sailor Rini Moon/Chibi Usa/ Dark Lady from Sailor Moon and the Rini/Dark Lady inspired characters Star Guardians Lux and Jinx from League of Legends were used in this pairing as I wanted to bring Rini to a Bruery beer. Since the artists that released some special art of the inspired Lux character, I wanted to bring her into the pairing as well. She looks just like Rini. Jinx looks just like Dark Lady, which is essentially Rini grown up. The pairing for this beer was mainly for the color but also her character which is mainly sweet but sour at times.

Sources:
http://orig00.deviantart.net/b554/f/2016/073/d/e/black_lady_by_songjikyo-d9v35q8.png
http://att.bbs.duowan.com/forum/201606/20/150846igezcimidngfftf1.jpg
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/16108897656374679361.jpg?w=1600&v=u8DRCJW4ntfWCsr13Q2RVb9SpCtWgNJdJgKqA3sBDl8%3D
http://img11.deviantart.net/c3d2/i/2016/281/c/2/star_guardians_by_annacchii-dajr11h.png
http://img.mutimutigazou.com/wp-content/uploads/boots42.jpg

Botanicals & Barrels Series: Tangerine Quad by Avery Brewing

December 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Alucard, Avery Brewing, Belgian Quad, Belgian Quadrupel, Botanicals & Barrels Series, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Quad, Citrus Tangerina, Hellsing, Seras Victoria, Tangerine Peel, Tangerine Quad, Tangerines | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.35/6

Botanicals & Barrels Series: Tangerine Quad by Avery Brewing is an 10.1% ABV Belgian Quadruple with Tangerine Peel aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
Citrus Tangerina

Patiently aged in the finest of Bourbon barrels, this bold Belgian-style Quadrupel layers notes of rich, dark fruit, vanilla, and caramel with a burst of tangerine peel culminating in the vibrancy of this full-bodied creation.

Brewed with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, imported Belgian Specialty malted barley, dark Belgian candy sugar, tangerine peel, hops, and Belgian yeast.

==Introduction==

When I first saw this I thought it was an awesome idea. I am always open to try one of my favorite styles of beer done by different breweries. Especially barrel aged versions of them. This one was a recent release to the Botanicals & Barrels Series by Avery. The only other brew from this series I have tried was the Vanilla Stout aged in Bourbon. That was one was very awesome. I can only hope this one does the same for me. Let’s take a look, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark candy sugar, caramel, dark fruit raisins, figs, plum, dates, oranges, tangerines, hazelnut, toffee, rye bread, butterscotch, marshmallows, graham crackers, bananas, clove spice, fruit cake, vanilla, oak hints, bourbon, lemon hints, stone fruits and mild coconut.

Flavors:
Rich Tangerines, tangerine gummies, Dark candy sugar, caramel, oak, toasted coconut, bourbon, vanilla, marshmallow smores, pecan, pie, dark fruit raisins, figs, plum, dates, fruit cake, cinnamon, raw sun oranges, old orange notes, lemon peel, kumquats, stone fruit peach, apricot, banana hints, clove spice hints, rye bread, toasted bread, toffee, butterscotch and hazelnut hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich with citrus, caramel, dark fruit hints, hints of oak, bourbon, rye bread, banana hints and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, crimson amber clear body, smooth, creamy, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel along with a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A bit exceptional quad simply due to the transformation given off of the tangerines and the bourbon barrel aging process. While I think the brew is damn awesome and very complex, essentially the brew does have some downsides from being a perfect exceptional brew. For starters, the tangerine, while very delicious, overwhelms the rest of the flavors. The others do come up but not in a balanced way the way other quads do. It is still very ridiculously awesome. I still highly recommend it if you love quads so you can give it a try.

Anime Corner:
Seras Victoria from Hellsing was chosen in this pairing because I wanted some dark fruit colors and religious influences to pair with the style of the brew. The Orange hair was for the Tangerines. Essentially, the show is about using the powers of Alucard under the control of the Vatican to vanquish monsters and demons from the world of the living. Seras essentially was turned immortal by Alucard so she wouldn’t die but it also changed her as well. So in this pairing, I tried to get the colors to fit with the amber and crimson colors of this quad and the flavors amplified with dark fruits and tangerines. Also, bourbon barrel aging would denote their power.

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/HELLSING.full.756830.jpg
http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2014-11-13-686293.jpeg
http://www.animextremist.com/imagenes/hellsing/hellsing30.jpg
http://randomarchive.com/data/b/image/1456/955/1456955587313.jpg

Altar of Sacrifice by El Borracho Brewing

December 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Altar of Sacrifice, cacao nibs, El Borracho brewing, El Borracho Home Brewing, Evangelion, Imperial Red Ale, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Oak Aged Ale, Rei Ayanami, Reposado Tequila Barrels, Tequila Oak Aged | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Altar of Sacrifice by El Borracho is a 9% ABV Imperial Red Ale brewed with Cacao Nibs and Oak aged in Reposado Tequila.

==Introduction==

Obtained this brew from my friend Will Carranza of El Borracho brewing. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to try his brews as many of the brews he has made thus far are amazing. When he told me of his idea to make an Imperial Red I thought it was awesome. When he said he will add cacao nibs and aged in in Oak tequila, I was sold! Today I bring his new brew to the website, Altar of Sacrifice. An Imperial Red that is as viscous as actual hemoglobin and plasma. The name was inspired by the Aztecs and the ritual sacrifices they did in the Pre-Hispanic times in order to appease the Gods. Such an awesome tribute and Metal as Fuck! So without further ado, let’s sacrifice this one. Cheers!

Aromas:
Citrucy, grapefruit, floral, piney and grassy hops, mild oak, dark fruit, rye bread, caramel, honey, chocolate, cherries, tropical fruit notes, oranges, vanilla, graham crackers and toffee.

Flavors:
Piney, Grassy, floral and earthy hops, Caramel, Toffee, mild vanilla, butterscotch, tequila notes, agave hints, Honey, Dark Chocolate, mild milk chocolate, tootsie rolls, Dark fruit raisin hints, rye bread, oranges, grapefruit, citrus, oak, sangria hints, dark cherries, tropical fruit pineapple, passion fruit hints, dragon fruit, honey dew melon hints, papaya, tangerine gummies, lemon peel, and graham crackers.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with tropical fruit, piney, citrucy and earthy hops, mild dark chocolate, fruit cake, toffee, honey, rye bread, oak, and mild Tequila on the back end. No alcohol in the taste, Deep Bloody Crimson full body, refreshing, smooth, crisp and chewy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A perfect brew and this is due to the oak aging in Tequila and the cacao nibs. I love how the extra measures my friend took to make this beer better actually gave it the extra points to make it perfect. I do think the chocolate flavors do help to balance out the bitter hops and oak found in this one. The name was definitely fitting for the beer. This one is a definite sipper and an awesome red like the best ones I have had in the past. This one should definitely be rebrewed!

Anime Corner:
Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion was chosen in this pairing as I can only think of sacrifice to the sceneries that comes out in the series. Especially at the end of the series and during the annihilation of all the characters and all the Rei clones. So definitely with what my friend Will was going for in terms of sacrifice I do believe this fits very well.

Sources:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CxsG7cOUAAEKv0v.jpg
http://img11.deviantart.net/4260/i/2012/340/b/7/cross_of_lorraine_by_hasumi-d5n7v40.jpg

2016 Chronology:18 Wee Heavy by the Bruery

December 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chronology:18, Extreme Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters, Kylie Griffin, Scotch Ale, SCOTCHOLOGY, The Bruery, Wee Heavy | 1 Comment

Rating: 6.5/7

2016 Chronology:18 Wee Heavy by the Bruery is a 14.2% ABV Wee Heavy/Scotch Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels for 18 months.

Label:
SCOTCHOLOGY
This wee heavy ale aged in bourbon barrels is the third in a chronologically aged series released at six-month intervals to chart the evolution of barrel-aged character over time.

In this installment of our Chronology Series We brewed a wee heavy – known for rich, malt-forward flavors – and set it to age in bourbon barrels. Every six months, we’ll take a quarter of the barrels, blend them and bottle them. This third bottling represents the nuances imparted to the base beer after eighteen months of barrel aging.

==Introduction==

It has been another 6 months since the last release of the Chronology Series: Wee Heavy. I am not sure if they are leaving this one to be the last one in the Wee Heavy series but regardless, I hope it is better than the last installment. For the second run of this series, so far, barrel aging has done wonders. I think for many styles this would definitely work out. So as we set forth to trying the next brew, I hope they complete it at 24 like they did the last one. Next year, we will be seeing an Imperial Porter aged for several months. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian chocolate, smoked peat, Cadbury cream caramel and chocolate eggs, oak, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, molasses, tobacco, leather, dark fruit prunes, raisins, currants, raspberries, plums, figs, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, marshmallows, chocolate smores, scotch whisky, chocolate turtle truffles, almond joy chocolate and rocky road ice cream.

Flavors:
Super Cadbury cream caramel and chocolate eggs, oak, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee, Jericalla Mexican custard, flan, fruit cake, chocolate turtle truffles, almond joy chocolate, rocky road ice cream, rich pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, smoked peat, marshmallows, chocolate smores, scotch whisky, rum notes, toffee, port wine, capirotada raisin bread pudding, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian chocolate, chocolate mousse, dark fruit prunes, raisins, currants, raspberries, plums, figs, nutmeg, maple syrup, bananas, clove spice, anise, licorice, molasses, tobacco, leather, cherry marzipan and rich prailine Danish bread cookies.

Aftertaste:
Ongoing delights of Danish cream, Cadbury eggs, dark fruits, oak, anise, Scotch whiskey, smoked peat hints, marshmallow smores, crème brulee, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar and toasted coconuts. No alcohol in the taste, Dark brown full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and chewy mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Damn, Damn damn damn! Probably the best wee heavy I have ever had!! The flavors or sweet murky Cadbury eggs and extreme complexity are never ending. I would almost give it the bucket lister treatment if it wasn’t for the fact that there is one final installment in the series. This is utter proof that beers that are aged specialties will age ridiculously to the point where they are supreme. Long after sipping, you will spend several minutes still feeling the flavors in your mouth. This thing coats big time like spirit possession. Which is funny as I do have to say something about that in the picture pairing. Anyways, this beer is a must get as it is aging very well.

Anime Corner:
Kylie Griffin from Extreme Ghostbusters was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair the colors of the label mainly. Her hair and other colors fit but also fit the other aspects of the beer like the dark fruit flavors. As I tried the beer, I noticed how the flavors just linger for a long time. So long that it was almost like a possession of a ghost or spirit. Which actually fits the theme I was going for as Kylie is a Ghostbuster and the beer needs capturing. It is damn good!

Sources:
http://pre09.deviantart.net/a7aa/th/pre/f/2014/330/9/3/kylie_by_adgrafiteepixel-d87rscf.jpg
http://orig02.deviantart.net/2935/f/2016/226/b/5/kylie_griffin__extreme_ghostbuster__by_luke_kage-dadveja.png
http://img04.deviantart.net/c3a3/i/2012/333/9/9/kylie_by_nessasan-d5mkfck.png

Stone Give Me Stout or Give Me Death collaboration by Stone Brewing in Virginia

December 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Ardent Craft Ales, blackberries, collaboration, Collaboration Beer, Commonwealth of Virginia, Hardywood Park Brewery, Imperial Stout, Kancolle/Kantai Collection, Kantai Collection, Raspberries, Richmond Virginia, Stone Brewing, Stone Give Me Stout or Give Me Death, Tenryuu, Terry McAuliffe, Virginia | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Stone Give Me Stout or Give Me Death collaboration by Stone Brewing in Virginia is a 9.5% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Raspberries & Blackberries from the commonwealth of Virginia

Label:
Virginia Commemorative Collaboration

An Imperial Tribute to Richmond & the rise of craft beer independence.

Just as Patrick Henry once stood addressing the city of Richmond in 1775 to spur resistance against the tyrannical British Empire, 20 years ago we were stirred to join the cry for resistance against the tyrannical oppression of industrial beer. And now, the opening of our Richmond brewery is yet another shot in the salvo that has been fired on behalf of American brewing independence. If we wish to brew free, if we mean to retain our identity and preserve the privilege of access to independent craft beer, we must recognize it is a group effort. We do not stand alone. And so, on our new brewing grounds, we gathered with fellow craft breweries and “His Excellency,” Governor McAuliffe, to join together in force. A group cry of freedom & independence! Consider this aggressively hopped imperial stout, jam-packed with Virginia raspberries and blackberries, a testament to our passion and unwillingness to settle or sell out! We think Patrick Henry would be proud, and hope you will be too.

Our Collaborators
Ardent Craft Ales
Hardywood Park Brewery
His Excellency Terry McAuliffe, Virginia Governor.

==Introduction==

The first brew I get to try from Stone in Richmond Virginia. To commemorate their opening, they brewed this stout using local blackberries and raspberries. The fact that it was a fruit stout was we really got me to go find this and bring it to the site. Many stone outlets sold this one early and will be hitting national distribution. So expect to see this one near you. Stone stouts tend to be somewhat aggressive but very delicious. Which makes me wonder how this one will go since it is using fruit. Let’s have a sip, cheers!

Aromas:
Roasted Barley notes, coffee, earthy hop notes, tobacco hints, anise, dark fruit cherries, raspberries, blackberries, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, marshmallow smores, smokey notes, fruit cake, brown sugar and hazelnut hints.

Flavors:
Deep Dark Chocolate mixed berry cordials, dark fruit raisins, blackberries, plums, raspberries, cherries, marshmallow smores, smokey notes, grassy, piney and earthy hop notes, tobacco, anise, molasses, roasted barley, roasted coffee, mocha, pecan pie, crème brulee, flan, stone fruit peach hints, brown sugar, fruit cake, mild soy sauce, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, chocolate brownies, chocolate raspberry cake, hazelnut nectar, rye bread with boysenberry preserves, raspberry and blackberry yogurt hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with dark chocolate, earthy hop notes, dark fruit hints, mixed berries, vanilla, caramel, molasses, roasted barley and coffee notes. No alcohol in the taste. Dark full body. Smooth, creamy, velvety and chewy mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A perfect stout. This one was definitely more in terms of bring out the rich full stout flavors. While I did not increase the rating anymore as the berries are mainly there for support and balance out the flavors, on its own it is super damn amazing. Yes I do believe with more fruit forward and chocolate forward flavors I would have been moved to give it the higher grade but this is just enough to really say it is perfect enough. It is also very hoppy too but will probably release more chocolate and fruit with age. I will definitely need to try and get more of these bottles to cellar. I think they have an awesome winner here that I highly recommend!

Anime Corner:
Tenryuu from Kantai Collection (KanColle) was chosen for this pairing was chosen for this pairing as I wanted to match some of her colors with that of the label and the ingredients. Her attitude to perceiver I think works well with the name. Give Me Stout or Give Me Death is a strong statement that seems very demanding. Just like Tenryuu’s character. She doesn’t look like she gives a damn and will mess up anyone that gets in her way.

Sources:
https://k60.kn3.net/taringa/3/6/D/0/4/C/zDystopia/64C.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cp88CcAW8AECMas.jpg:large
http://img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/full/tenryuu-(kantai-collection)-Kantai-Collection-Anime-Опасные-Няшки-1985236.jpeg
http://img0.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/Anime-Kantai-Collection-Tenryuu-920580.jpeg

Bourbon Barrel Aged 8 Maids A Milking by The Bruery

December 13, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 12 Beers of Christmas, 8 Maids A Milking, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Ayeka Masaki Jurai, Belgian Stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Aged 8 Maids A Milking, Imperial Milk Stout, Kiyone Makibi, Mihoshi, Nagi, Ryo-Ohki, Ryoko Hakubi, sasami, Sweet Stout, Tenchi, Tenchi Muyo, The Bruery, Twelve Beers of Christmas, Washu Hakubi | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.25/7

Bourbon Barrel Aged 8 Maids A Milking by The Bruery is an 13.7% ABV Belgian Imperial Milk Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
WÆS HÆIL!

This is what happens when eight maids lay down in bourbon barrels for a year: a rare display of darker, velvety chocolate notes to 8 Maids-a-Milking, the eighth beer in our 12 Days of Christmas series.

This is 8 Maids-A-Milking, the eighth beer in our 12 Days of Christmas series, aged in bourbon barrels for about a year. The Belgian-style imperial milk stout emerges this holiday season with deeper, richer, darker milk chocolate notes, along with amplified roastiness and ripples of caramel, coconut and vanilla character. Drink alongside the 2015 release to revel in the udderances achieved through barrel-aging.

==Introduction==

Released to the Reserve and Hoarders society. This beer is based on the original 8 Maids A Milking which was released in 2015. The original was very damn delicious. The Belgian Imperial Milk Stout isn’t something that is always brewed. The last time I had one was when I made the Trappist Milk Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels which was the Oblivixen’s Maelstrom. I had recalled there were some flavors of the Bruery’s 8 Maids a Milking in that beer but ofcourse mines was amped up several degrees with barrel aging and different ingredients. Now that we have the barrel aged version of what I think is one of the Bruery’s best Christmas beers, let’s have a look and see if this is worth finding, cheers!

Aromas:
Rich oak, bourbon, vanilla, marshmallows, toasted coconut, dulce de leche caramel, dark candi sugar, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, chocolate cherry cordials, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, crème brulee, brown sugar, molasses and bananas.

Flavors:
Dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, chocolate cherry cordials, vanilla, oak, bourbon, toasted coconut, dulce de leche caramel, dark candi sugar, Stone fruit peach hints, peach preserves, apricots, mango, lychee fruit, rocky road ice cream, bananas, clove spice, milk sugar, rock candy, pistachio ice cream, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate, peanut butter notes, cocoa krispies, hazelnut nectar, mocha, roasted coffee notes, marshmallow smores, cookie dough ice cream, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, crème brulee, brown sugar, molasses, mints, anise and toasted rye bread.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with oak, bourbon, milk sugar, chocolate, dark fruit, stone fruit, mocha, marshmallow smores, vanilla, caramel, earthy notes and coffee cake. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, super smooth, creamy, frothy, very rich and creamy mouthfeel, with a drinkability that does not equate to its ABV.

Overall:
Holy shit, this is a real mind blow! The original was one of my favorite Belgian Milk Stouts aside from my own creation. This barrel aged version is even more insane. You get the great barrel aging flavors that the Bruery’s process gives and still get a lot of the original but definitely enhanced into a new level of oblivion. The chocolate milk, toasted coconut, dark fruit and caramel goodness is really over the top. If you do decide to get this one, definitely get several of these, you won’t regret it!

Anime Corner:
Ryoko Hakubi, Ayeka Masaki, Washu Hakubi, Ryo-Ohki, Mihoshi, Sasami, Kiyone Makibi and Nagi of the Tenchi Muyo in Tokyo series were included in this pairing to represent the 8 maids-a-milking. Tenshi Masaki and the other characters are not one of them as I included Ryo-Ohki who is a girl and is Ryoko’s spaceship but also is in love with Tenchi and well, all of them are Tenchi’s harem so Tenchi is in the picture by default just like the previous beer review. They are his 8 maids-a-milking. Not literally I hope but they all work the farm in the Tenchi Muyo series while there are no Space havocs about ofcourse.

Sources:
http://todoanimes.com/img/animes/fondos/382.jpg

Mélange 10 (Mélange X) by The Bruery

December 13, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Backstreet Billiards, Barleywine, Beer Hybrid, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chiles, Cinnamon, May, Mélange 10, Mélange X, Mexican Chocolate, mole, Old Ale, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Mélange 10 (Mélange X) by The Bruery is a 15% ABV Old Ale and Barleywine Hybrid brewed with Chiles, Mexican Chocolate & Cinnamon and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
60% Bourbon barrel aged Anniversary ale and
40% Bourbon barrel aged barleywine with chilies, chocolate, and cinnamon.

A Hoarders Society competition yielded this south of the border blend of Bourbon barrel aged Anniversary and Barrel Aged Old Richland with Ancho chiles and Mexican-style chocolate.

Mélange #10 was designed by Hoarders Society members for Hoarders Society members. This barrel aged specialty is best enjoyed fresh, but may develop pleasantly if cellared properly.
==Introduction==

Released originally for the Hoarders society and then in 2016, released to Reserve society members. I had actually missed out on this one due to that reason. It does seem that a good amount of Hoarder exclusive beers have started to become available to the lower tiers as the years go in. In fact, it is getting to the point where some of the old releases will see public releases in the future. This release is definitely different as they are not using part of a stout but an old ale and barleywine. So the use of the Mexican chocolate, chilies and cinnamon will definitely make for one very unique brew. Let’s just see if it is worthy of the praise, cheers!

Aromas:
Ginger bread, nutmeg, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, figs, cherries, currants, stone fruit peaches, apricots, chocolate abuelita, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cinnamon, Cadbury caramel and chocolate cream eggs, flan, bananas, clove spice, marshmallows, Molé spices, coconut hints, coffee cake, tobacco hints, vanilla, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, and molasses.

Flavors:
Rich chocolate abuelita, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cinnamon, Cadbury caramel and chocolate cream eggs, flan, pecan pie, stone fruit peach cobbler, brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger bread, pan dulce, capirotada raisin bread pudding, ancho chile, guajillo chile, all spice, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, figs, cherries, currants, stone fruit peaches, apricots, sweet yams, pecan pie, anise, molasses, bananas, clove spice, marshmallows, Molé spices, coconut hints, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, toffee, chai spice, tobacco hints, coffee cake, biscuit bread, nougat caramel, Mexican fudge cake and coconut.

Aftertaste:
Finishing rich with chocolate abuelita flavors, cinnamon, ginger spice, vanilla, caramel, chile hints and coffee hints. Slight alcohol in the taste but not detracting from the flavors. Dark full body, smooth, creamy, chewy and velvety mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptionally decadent brew. Not too heat wise spicy, but spicy none the less. Semi Sweet with the chocolate but because it is an old ale and barleywine blend, the complex flavors are different than any other Mexican Chocolate or Molé beer. The fact is, the different level of spices really comes out more but at the same time, it is still balanced. Definitely find this one if you can, cheers!

Anime Corner:
May from Backstreet Billiards was chosen for this pairing to go with the colors, the flavors, the ingredients and the theme of the beer. Essentially, a Molé and Mexican hot chocolate beer. Since she is a favorite character of mines for many years, I tend to bring her back with beers that correlate with Mexican heritage as she complements these beers well. Especially for a Mélange series brew, Ahuevo!

Sources:
http://s27.postimg.org/ht9xex4cj/bsb_copy.jpg

Rueminator by The Bruery

December 13, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in oak barrels, Chip, Chip n' Dale, Dale, Doppelbock, Gadget Hackwrench, German Doppelbock, Monty Jack, Rescue Rangers, Rueminator, The Bruery, wheat, Zipper | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/6

Rueminator by The Bruery is a 10% ABV German Doppelbock aged in oak barrels.

Label:
In the 1600s, Franciscan monks created the world’s first doppelbock. In 2008, Patrick Rue established The Bruery. The best of both worlds come together in this rich, malty lager,

It’s quite common for breweries to have “-ator” in the suffix of their doppelbock names. But ours has something theirs does not: A Rue in the prefix (and in the name of our brewery). Rueminator builds on the liquid bread legacy of the doppelbock style and gives it extra fortitude in the traditional fashion of The Bruery. This rich, hearty, smooth lager gains even more depth and character from extensive aging in charred new American oak barrels.

==Introduction==

Released back in September to Reserve and Hoarders Society, it was only recently that I was able to get this one due to me forgetting that I had purchased one of these back then. For a 10% malty German lager, you know it would still stand the test of time. Even for a couple of months. Not to mention, the majority of the Bruery beers age well. So this awesome one would be no different. Now they had made an awesome Weizen bock but not necessarily a doppelbock. These are some of my favorite German beer styles along with the Dunkelweizens, Eisbocks and triple bocks. Regardless, since they are starting to do more German styles, I wish I should have attended their Oktoberfest, maybe next year. Anyways, let’s see if this is a beer worth getting, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit prunes, plums, raisins, figs, bananas, clove spice, rye bread, honey, mild coconut, apples, dark candy sugar, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, butterscotch, vanilla, crème brulee, flan, piloncillo sugar cone, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, brown sugar and trail mix hints.

Flavors:
Rich Dulce de leche caramel, toffee, butterscotch, vanilla, crème brulee, flan, piloncillo sugar cone, dark fruit prunes, plums, raisins, figs, bananas, clove spice, rye bread, oak, marshmallow smores, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, brown sugar, hazelnut, pecan pie, molasses, trail mix, candied yams, biscuit bread, dark cherries, blackberry preserves, malty wheat bread, stone fruit peaches, honey, mild coconut, apples, dark candy sugar, raisin bread pudding, maple syrup and mild coffee notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich caramels, dark fruits, earthy notes, oak, marshmallow smores, molasses, bread pudding and flan hints. No alcohol in the taste. Dark crimson medium body, smooth, chewy and velvety mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A very exceptional doppelbock. I find it very interesting that the Bruery beers are always like “in your face” type of beers. This is awesome since some styles do get amped up to another level. Especially when oak barrel aging. What that process did for this beer is simply amazing. So much complex flavors for a basic German Dark Lager. An Imperial lager at that. With that being said, it was definitely awesome and as close to the deliciousness of some of the best doppelbocks I have ever had. I highly recommend this one.

Anime Corner:
Gadget Hackwrench and the Rescue Rangers were used in this pairing mainly for the label colors but I wanted a reason to use her and the team for a Bruery beer. Especially since I have not used her or the others in much of any beers. Also, using the suffix –nator that goes with doppelbocks, I decided to go with a pic that represents her as being similar to the Terminator. Since, well, you know, if she ever went mad and tried to take over the world with robots. I don’t know, I just thought it was creative. I think the use of the specific pairings might be a stretch, but they do look bad ass regardless.

Sources:
http://orig02.deviantart.net/ef66/f/2009/082/9/3/imperial_gadget_hackwrench_by_skimen.jpg
http://orig10.deviantart.net/814d/f/2016/253/2/f/gadget_hackwrench_by_bbmbbf-dah6p53.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/pq8Bd.jpg
http://www.tikihumor.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2014/12/modern-chip-n-dale.jpg

Saturday Morning Cartoons Brew Berry Scary Cereal Milk Stout by Brew Rebellion

December 12, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Blueberries, Boo Berry Cereal, Brew Berry Scary Cereal Milk Stout, Brew Rebellion, Hex Maniac, Milk Stout, Pokemon, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Saturday Morning Cartoons Breakfast Cereal Milk Stout, Sweet Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Saturday Morning Cartoons Brew Berry Scary Cereal Milk Stout by Brew Rebellion is a 7.7% ABV Sweet/Milk Stout brewed with Spooky Blueberry Cereal.

==Introduction==

As part of this delicious Saturday Morning Cartoons series breakfast, this brew is based on the Spooky Boo Berry cereal. This is the second time I try a beer in their Saturday Morning Cartoon breakfast cereal series. The first one being the damn awesome Fruity Pebbles inspired one. They make many others but this one is one I had to find for the season. Yes it is Christmas time but it is never too late to celebrate Halloween. Especially since it was also done with The Nightmare Before Christmas. Blueberries are awesome and just the fact that this one brought me back to the times when they release the special Halloween cereals once a year, I had to get it. Just like the young be buying a box of Boo Berries, well, my parents did. There is a Count Chocula cereal beer made by another brewery but I have yet to find it. I wonder if they make Franken Berries too. Anyways, let’s take a dive into this one, cheers!

Aromas:
Roasted coffee, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark fruit blueberries, raisins, prunes, currants, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, fruit cake, crème brulee, Irish cream, Oreo cookies and cream, brown sugar, caramel and vanilla.

Flavors:
Rich blueberries, dark fruit raisins, currants, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, rye bread, butterscotch, caramel, vanilla, dark candi sugar, molasses, anise hints, blueberry yogurt, blueberry coffee cake, chocolate blueberry cordials, Irish cream, Oreo cookies and cream, brown sugar, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate, cookie dough icecream, Danish cream, blueberries and flan, blueberry muffins, chocolate mousse, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, fruit cake, crème brulee and blueberry sweetened condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich chocolate blueberries, blueberry yogurt, dark fruits, marshmallows, vanilla, caramel, almond joy and rocky road ice cream. No alcohol in the taste, dark abyss full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and chewy mouthfeel and Very Easy to drink.

Overall:
An exceptional brew. Not because of its special aging but because it got it damn right. This is literally going back to the your waking up during Halloween Saturday mornings and eating some Boo Berries while watching the Halloween cartoon specials on TV. I have had many delicious blueberry stouts and I can say that those are similar to this one or even better but in this case, the appreciation to the blueberry cereal taste is what really drives this one home for sure. I highly recommend you get this one for nostalgia purposes.

Anime Corner:
Hex Maniac from the Pokemon series is a trainer that is mainly into the occult. I chose her be cause she pairs very well with the colors, flavors, ingredients and the theme of the beer. The Scary Boo Berries. Also the fact that Pokemon is a Saturday morning cartoon from my youth and into today, it counts with the Saturday morning cartoon series. Also, the little ghost cereal pieces that look like the Pacman ghosts go well with the ghosties in the pictures too!

Sources:
http://orig01.deviantart.net/e21e/f/2015/172/9/c/hex_maniac_vector_by_therollfan-d8oggsf.png
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a4/7e/ab/a47eab4bff2e9791a1f1f0412eebc871.jpg
http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/896/658/ca9.jpg
http://68.media.tumblr.com/984a35df252c13b485277cc4932ea384/tumblr_ohld10YSYm1sy077to1_1280.jpg

Lizard of Koz by Founders brewing

December 12, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Blueberries, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Chocolate, Founders Brewing, Imperial Stout, King of Fighters, KOF, Leona Heidern, Lizard of Koz, Metal Slug, SNK, vanilla | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Lizard of Koz by Founders brewing is a 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Blueberries, Chocolate and Vanilla aged in Bourbon Barrels.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
This one is near and dear to our hearts. Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki wanted to make the birthday of his little sister, Liz, a special one. So he did what he does best and brewed a stout using a few of her favorite ingredients: fresh Michigan blueberries, rich chocolate and vanilla aged in bourbon barrels to round out those beautiful flavors. Liz was floored and we think you will be too.

==Introduction==

Founders does not release many barrel aged brews but the ones they do release are bad ass! KBS and Backwoods Bastards are no exceptions to these rules as both are world class beers. This one comes towards us like bat out of hell or a Godzilla rising out of the water ready to start a fight with some bitch ass monsters. Oh wait, it is a lizard on the label. The name Lizard of Koz can have many meanings. Koz as in the 7th division head priest or according to the urban dictionary, a word you can use any way you want and it will still make sense. The only thing that makes sense right now is this brew review so let’s show the world what this blue berry radiation from Godzilla’s spines is all about, cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Blueberries, vanilla, bourbon, oak, caramel, anise, molasses, dulce de leche caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, coffee cake, Kahlua liqueur, dark fruit raisins, blueberries, currants, pomegranates, raspberries, blueberries cheese cake, blueberry marshmallow smores, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate and toasted coconut hints.

Flavors:
Rich dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, dark fruit raisins,blueberries, currants, pomegranates, raspberries, blueberries cheese cake, blueberry marshmallow smores, blueberry mint ice cream, anise, molasses, tobacco hints, bourbon, oak, pecan pie, bananas, coffee cake, Kahlua liqueur, fruit cake, licorice hints, maple syrup, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, cookie dough ice cream, Danish cream, steamed blueberry milk, blueberry yogurt, blueberry preserves on toasted rye bread, mocha, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee and toasted coconut.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich dark fruits, blueberry yogurt, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, bourbon, banana hints, marshmallows, Danish cream and brown sugar. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, smooth, creamy and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Another Barrel aged bucket lister hitting the list right next to BBA Smashed Blueberry by Shipyard and Birra Artigianale Draco by Birrificio Montegioco. This one definitely lets the blueberries, chocolate and vanilla drive the point forward long with a rich complexity provided by the base beer and the bourbon oak. They were for going for a damn decadent rich blueberry dessert and damn, the achieved gold! This literally hits you flat on your face with rich flavors. I highly recommend you get this one!

Anime Corner:
Leona Heidern from SNK’s King of Fighters/Metal Slug series was chosen not only because they relased a bad ass brew, but because sometimes you just need a bad ass character to make a bad ass representation. Leona gives the manliest of men blue balls not just by her looks but by kicking the shit out of her opponents and them saying thank you and coming back for more. Leona don’t take shit from no one and just like this beer is ridiculous, so is she. Can you really dominate this brew? Good fucking luck!!

Sources:
https://k61.kn3.net/taringa/2/7/8/2/1/0/95/zangetsuariel/8DB.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/bc/5f/59/bc5f59ab5c12b200f5caba427e38a594.jpg
https://cdnb3.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/003/013/155/large/mu-hyeon-seong-.jpg?1468492529
https://yt3.ggpht.com/-o9yX4hZJKRY/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAAA/Pimj5zsj1fg/s900-c-k-no-mo-rj-c0xffffff/photo.jpg
http://img0.reactor.cc/pics/post/king-of-fighters-Игры-leona-heidern-taroimo-(00120014)-3340752.png

HA! HA! by El Segundo brewing

December 12, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Bart Simpson, dry hopped, El Segundo Brewing, HA! HA!, india pale ale, IPA, Marge Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Nelson Sauvin, The Simpsons | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

HA! HA! by El Segundo brewing is a 7.4% ABV India Pale Ale brewed and dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin Hops.

Label:
Nelson is quite the “bully” of a hop, always taking center stage. This India Pale Ale showcases the best he has to offer. Now… Stop depriving yourself, and drink up!

==Introduction==

Sometimes breweries make specialty IPAs that are single hopped or single malted. For El Segundo, a pure Nelson Sauvin hopped brew would make sense that they name it after the Simpson’s character, Nelson Muntz and his iconic laugh, HA! HA! It is very catchy and for a beer tribute to the Simpsons, it would only be a matter of time before I would do a review with Simpsons characters on it. Aside from that, Nelson Sauvin hops are a favorite of many hop heads for their aroma and flavors close to Sauvignon Blanc which are the wild green skinned grapes that are grown in many regions for wine, specifically Bordeaux, France. How they got such a cop is amazing. I am a more tropical hop person myself (Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic and Amarillo) but it is always nice to see hops be appreciated for their uniqueness to beers. In fact, I think technically, this would be my first time having a pure Nelson hopped brew. Let’s check it out, cheers!

Aromas:
Stone fruit peaches, apricot, sweetened condensed milk hints, vanilla hints, white wine grapes, Sauvignon Blanc, graham crackers, honey, lemon candy, orange peel, tropical fruit honey dew melon, berries, mango, passion fruit, earthy, floral and grassy hops.

Flavors:
Tropical fruit honey dew melon, pineapple, mango, passion fruit, dragon fruit, gooseberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, piney, grassy, earthy, herbal and floral hops, stone fruit peaches, apricot, sweetened condensed milk hints, white wine grapes, Sauvignon Blanc, graham crackers, honey, lemon candy, orange peel, vanilla, caramel hints, guavas and lychees.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry with tropical fruit, herbal, floral and grassy hops, white grape hints, stone fruits and vanilla hints. No alcohol in the taste, honey colored clear body, smooth, crisp, clean and refreshing mouthfeel and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Another perfect IPA from El Segundo Brewing. These guys have never stopped amazing me ever since my first visit and the Power Plant Triple IPA that always blows my mind. That beer to this day is still one of my top favorites and in my mind still continues even through the juice haze craze with East Coast beers. However, this beer really shines with tropical fruits as well and the wild green grapes the hops are named for definitely bleed through in this beer. Very delicious and refreshing. If you are a fan of the Simpsons and IPAs, get this one!

Anime Corner:
Nelson Muntz, Bart Simpson, Michael D’Amico and Marge Simpson from the Simpsons were used in this pairing as the beer is tribute to the Simpsons. I always wanted to use Marge in a beer pairing but never found the opportunity. She definitely pairs well with the label colors. Ofcourse, I also wanted to bring Nelson himself as he is the star this beer is named for even for a Simpsons inspired brew.

Sources:
http://art.ngfiles.com/images/317000/317129_blisschild1_marge.png
http://orig12.deviantart.net/380c/f/2012/299/d/2/adult_michael_nelson_bart_by_matsuri1128-d5j1hsl.jpg
http://spi3uk.itvnet.lv/upload/articles/23/232315/images/Blue-hair-27.png
http://img10.deviantart.net/dbf7/i/2013/300/3/d/nelson_muntz__the_simpsons__pixel_art_by_matbox99-d6s1oku.png

Seven Sharks A-Circling by Karl Strauss

December 10, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 12 Beers of Christmas, Cinder Fall, Coco Adel, Emerald Sustrai, Holiday Ale, Imperial Porter, Karl Strauss, Neopolitan, Penny Polendina, Raven Branwen, Rwby, Seven Sharks A-Circling, Smoked Porter, Twelve Beers of Christmas, Twelve Beers of San Diego Christmas, Twelve Days of Christmas series, Velvet Scarlatina | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Seven Sharks A-Circling by Karl Strauss is a 9% ABV Holiday Imperial Smoked Porter

Label:
Each year, leopard sharks flock to the warm waters of San Diego. But these little guys aren’t out for blood; they much prefer the taste of the newest local brew. (Yep, leopard sharks love craft beer. It’s science.) Introducing Seven Sharks A-Circling, the 7th installment in our “Twelve Days” holiday series. This Imperial Smoked Porter is brewed with a blend of caramel and smoked malts for bold flavors of chocolate, coffee, and a subtle beach-bonfire-like smokiness. It finishes sweet and smooth. You’re gonna need a bigger glass.

==Introduction==

The 7th release of the 12 Christmas beers of San Diego was released this year now available in time for the Holidays. As the 7th installment in the series, each year, Karl Strauss has been releasing awesome hit after awesome hit. Ever since I tried the Fruit cake forward Mouette à Trois, I was hooked on this series. After completing the review with Two Tortugas, it was about time I finally got to the next one in the series. This is themed with sharks. Instead of Swans swimming, it’s sharks swimming but circling around their prey. I am not sure how a smoked Imperial porter would work as a Christmas beer other than sitting toasty by the fire around Christmas time which would make sense. Either way, let’s have a look at another amazing installment in the series. Cheers!

Aromas:
Smokey notes, campfire oak, vanilla, caramel, mocha, fruit cake, ginger bread, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, whiskey oak hints, marshmallows, hazelnut nectar, molasses, licorice, anise, tobacco and dark fruits.

Flavors:
Rich caramel, rye bread, smoked malts, coffee, espresso, burnt candy sugar, dark fruit prunes, currants, cinnamon, toasted fruit cake, dark chocolate, BBQ sauce hints, brown sugar, campfire oak, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, mocha, fig pudding, molasses, licorice, anise, tobacco, soy sauce hints, maple syrup, whiskey notes, pecans, hazelnut nectar and marshmallow smores.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich dark fruits, smoked oak, rye bread, tobacco, earthy notes, licorice, anise, fruit cake, marshmallow smores and dark chocolate. No alcohol in the taste. Dark crimson full body, smooth, creamy and velvety mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A perfect smoked brew. I haven’t a smoked porter in a very long time and the way this was made definitely brings in some subtle notes of Christmas. I really would love to know what part of it has the subtle holiday spices since they do seem to be there but the smokiness tends to balance things out for this one. So you still get the Christmas aspect of the beer along with some smoky goodness. If you love smokey brews, give this one a shot!

Anime Corner:
7 Girls from the RWBY series, 3 are antagonist (Cinder Fall [center], Emerald Sustrai [left standing] and Neopolitan [left sitting]) 1 questionable (Raven Branwen on the most left) and 3 supporting protagonist characters (Penny Polendina [Right side next to Cinder], Velvet Scarlatina [laying down on the right] and Coco Adel [Right]) They were all used in this pairing to go with the 7 sharks a circling. Now, the fact that they are on the beach also goes with the theme. Some of these sharks are evil and some are good. So the fact that there is a balance in the characters, the shark species and the balance in this brew was the perfect harmonious pairing.

Sources:
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/rwby/images/0/04/Commission_rwby_bikini_2_by_jadenkaiba-d9aicw6.png/revision/latest?cb=20150922193310

Unicorn Juice by Artifex brewing

December 10, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Wheat, Artifex brewing, Celestia, MLP, passion fruit, Twilight Sparkle, Unicorn, Unicorn Juice | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Unicorn Juice by Artifex brewing is a 5% ABV American Wheat brewed with Passion Fruit.

Label:
American Wheat with Passion Fruit. No unicorns were harmed while making this beer.

==Introduction==

I first saw this one while browsing for beers at Mr. K’s liquor near the Bruery. I didn’t think much of it until I saw the name of the beer and what it was made with. After I had left the store I realized, damn, I should have checked it out. Soon after that, I saw it again and here we are. After looking about some past posts on Untappd, I had found that I did get to try this one at the Bruery’s anniversary party. That’s when I realized oh my god, how could I forget. This is the first beer I have tried from Artifex aside from their Hibisc-This which was an event offering. They were both really good but there was definitely something special about this one. Now that I have it here, let’s have a look, cheers!

Aromas:
Citrus, wheat, biscuit bread, waffle cone, passion fruit, dragon fruit, tropical fruit pineapple, strawberry, lemon candy, floral hops and stone fruit peaches.

Flavors:
Rich Passion fruit, Dragon fruit, sweetened condensed milk, flan, vanilla, biscuit bread, banana hints, tropical fruit pineapple, strawberries, raspberry hints, oranges, lemon candy, honey, coriander hints, honey dew melon, mango, lychees, tangerine gummies, floral hops, stone fruit apricot hints, agave nectar, cane sugar, crème brulee hints and wafflecones.

Aftertaste:
Finishing rich in tropical fruits of passion fruits, stone fruits, biscuit bread, oranges and honey. No alcohol in the taste. Golden Pale hazy light to medium body, crisp, clean, refreshing and smooth mouthfeel with a very easy drinkability.

Overall:
Perfect American Wheat! Like biting into a pure passion fruit pulp. This was definitely worth the grab. I can see why the name would fit so damn well. It is an exotic fruit, like the exotic passion fruit. Regardless, this beer is very delicious. So much so, that I would definitely want to brew something like this. The only thing that comes close was when I brewed the Passion Mango Cider which was a major hit among my peers. So making an American Wheat or similar would definitely be something awesome. Highly recommend on this one.

Anime Corner:
Twilight Sparkle and Celestia from MLP was chosen was chosen as the Unicorn in the pairing. The purpose of this was obvious from the colors of the label being bright purple and well, Twilight, while being a Pegasus, does have a horn like a Unicorn, so I figured it would work out fine. It also applies to Celestia as the label is holographic and has many colors. It isn’t often I do pairings with MLP characters but it is always good to give tribute to other fandoms out there.

Sources:
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/MnzlRlIuC08UU5BB3BbJj0xk2hyYEE1JlwV3stVOWZlmn5XOYaefl40jEw2QaLiY.jpeg?w=1600&v=Q-KZFTdbOxvFu1FiLUDAop2RBYLbctR4sa2rW9eX_1A%3D
http://img0.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/mlp-art-my-little-pony-фэндомы-Twilight-Sparkle-2441236.jpeg
http://i.imgur.com/m6zxN.jpg

Peanut Butter Dark Seas by Mission Brewery

December 10, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Al-Azif, chocolate peanut butter, Dark Seas, Demonbane, Donne Anonime, Franco il Nero, Ignis, Jingai Makyō, Mission brewing, nitroplus, Outlaw Django, peanut butter, Peanut Butter Dark Seas, Russian Imperial Stout, Tre Donne Crudeli | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Peanut Butter Dark Seas by Mission Brewery is 9.8% ABV Russian Imperial Stout brewed with Peanut Butter.

Label:
Since the very first batch, the recipe for Mission Dark Seas has remained unchanged. The classic, award winning Imperial Stout is rich in toasted coffee, chocolate and all those bold roasted flavors. WE have added peanut butter for a rich, creamy taste sensation. Peanut Butter Dark Seas; Just as amazing as the original, but with a nostalgic twist.

==Introduction==

A limited release from Mission Brewery. It has been a long time since I tried the Missions Dark Seas and the Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Seas. Both are world class beers and definitely some of the best. When I first saw they had released a peanut butter version I nearly flipped. While I haven’t had too many of the Missions brews, they are always amazing! I am not sure if this is the same as their Captain Crunch Peanut butter version they had on tap but it would make sense as the Captain is a captain of a ship. Pirates or not, it would sure fit. Let’s have a look at this one, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, peanut butter, nutter butter cookies, roasted peanuts, Reece’s peanut butter cup, vanilla, roasted coffee, mocha, pralines, hazelnut nectar, dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, rye bread, molasses, anise, tobacco notes, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, graham cracker smores, toasted coconuts and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Rich peanut brittle, roasted peanuts, real peanut butter, nutter butter cookies, Reece’s peanut butter cup, captain crunch peanut butter cereal, vanilla, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, graham cracker smores, toasted coconuts, coffee cake, flan, dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, rye bread, molasses, anise, tobacco notes, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, caramel, roasted coffee, mocha, pralines, hazelnut nectar, walnuts, macadamia nuts, almond milk, roasted barley, bananas, dark cherry hints, chocolate mousse, fudge and peanut butter cake and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with lots of nutty unsweetened peanut butter flavor, roasted coffee, dark fruit, dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel and roasted barley bitterness. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, smooth, creamy, chewy and velvety mouthfeel and a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Damn insane. Very exceptional brew. Yes, it is not barrel aged but the peanut butter flavors and chocolate are ridiculous. Overall, the beer is very complex and it does appear that they are using real peanut butter and not peanut butter flavoring. Either that or peanut flour. I am not sure, but regardless, the semi-sweet peanut butter and chocolate flavors from this one are definitely unique from other peanut butter beers. Not to detract from other peanut butter beers as they are all amazing, but this one definitely stands on its own. Also, the Russian Imperial style and flavors complements the peanut butter and chocolate flavors so well! Highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Franco il Nero (Cyan hair) and Donne Annonime (Blonde hair) from Outlaw Django Tre Donne Crudeli as well as Nitro+ Cross over of Ignis from Jingai Makyo and Al-Azif from Demonbane were used in this pairing mainly since I used Franco and Donne in the original and Bourbon Barrel aged version of Dark seas. Like finding the treasure. This beer is a treasure in itself. The addition of the other characters was mainly for the sake of using new art work to pair with the beer. I must say that they pair really well with the flavors and the colors of the ingredients this feels like it has. Especially the complexity. Overall though, they all come from the same company, Nitro+ so I like how this turned out.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/21oMSKa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/p0iaGxU.png
http://static.zerochan.net/Franco.Il.Nero.full.138803.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mretZWu.jpg
http://img1.reactor.cc/pics/comment/full/Anime-tre-donne-crudeli-под-катом-еще-574309.jpeg

Coconut Victory At Sea by Ballast Point

December 10, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Porter, Ballast Point, coconut, Coconut Victory At Sea, coffee, nami, one piece, Victory At Sea, Victory at Sea Imperial Porter | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/6

Coconut Victory At Sea by Ballast Point is a 10 % ABV American Porter brewed with Coffee and Coconut.

Label:
Our favorite porter with just a touch of the tropics.

This Coconut Victory at Sea takes our popular Imperial Porter to another place. We added sweet roasted coconut to our robust porter brewed with Caffe Calabria coffee and vanilla, the perfect complement to this beer’s subtle roasty intensity. A favorite at our annual Victory at Sea Day, but it’s worth enjoying anytime you need to be transported.

==Introduction==

It has been years since I had Victory at Sea. It was such an awesome brew when I was looking for it so long ago that it was a rarity. Before the times that it became more readily available, it was one of the best beers for Ballast Point right next to Sea Monster in my opinion. Today, you can find these more readily available and recently, they have been experimenting with ingredients. I know there is a peppermint version of this one which I should bring forth in a future review but I could definitely not pass up on this one especially since it was a coconut beer. With that being said, let’s see if this one out does it’s original. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, coconut milk, toasted coconut, macaroons, roasted coffee, steamed milk, coffee cake, vanilla, mocha, caramel, maple syrup, cotton candy, Cocada Mexican Coconut candies, flan hints, earthy hop notes, roasted barley, Dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, marshmallows and rocky road ice cream.

Flavors:
Rich toasted coconut, macaroons, roasted coffee, steamed milk, coffee cake, vanilla, mocha, caramel, maple syrup, Dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, marshmallows, rocky road ice cream, smores, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, coconut milk, almond milk, Danish cream, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, marzipan, rye bread, anise, molasses, lactose, Cocada Mexican Coconut candies, flan hints, earthy hop notes, roasted barley, macadamia nuts and cotton candy hints.

Aftertaste:
Finish with roasted coffee bitterness, earthy hops, coffee cake, dark chocolate, toasted coconut, hazelnut and mocha hints. Slight hints of alcohol at the end but not detracting from the overall flavors of the beer. Deep dark body, creamy, smooth, velvety and chewy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Definitely an exceptional brew! I love how is smells and taste. There is so much awesome coconut and chocolate and coffee cake that it is crazy. I think I liked this one more than the original but then again I really like coconut beer. While it is not in par with some of the best coconut beers I have ever had, it definitely surpasses even the most perfect ones that usually stop at the 5/5 rating for me. Even with no barrel aging, taking the base beer and amping it up to the next level really did for me. I highly recommend this one especially if you are a coconut beer lover!

Anime Corner:
Nami from One Piece was the right choice for this pairing as she is literally a pirate. I wanted to go with the theme and something tropical. Since Coconut is in the mix with a beer about pirates, why not make it tropical. Speaking of tropical, Nami does have some of the colors on her of nice toasted coconut and coffee cake and to some extent, the colors of the label. I really enjoyed bringing her into this pairing.

Sources:
http://wallpaperflix.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/nami-wallpaper-1.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pL6WXuH61WY/VxX_0R_dL2I/AAAAAAABy2U/aPk24HEQw0g/s0/018.jpg?imgmax=2000
http://kizaru89.deviantart.com/art/One-Piece-Burning-Blood-Nami-609367201
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/kCrNQc4w9qaoqzjM7ySELbgXXW6DIw3l522KVifM07op9VLLqZwhGi3tO3KdToHk.jpeg?w=1600&v=wSURMzV9B94QzBdy_P5zSk1uPOHDuxsd8fkK8zymiFg%3D

Voodoo Doughnut Grape Guerrilla by Rogue brewing

December 10, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Fruit Beer, Grape Guerrilla, grapes, Overwatch, rogue brewing, Voodoo Doughnut, widow maker | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.75/5

Voodoo Doughnut Grape Guerrilla by Rogue brewing is a 7.2% ABV Fruit beer brewed with grapes

Label:
Dedicated to Tres & Cat Daddy, The Rogues of Voodoo Doughnut

16° Plato
16 IBU
78AA
10°L
Alc. 7.2% By Vol.

Description
A Collision of Crazies.

Food Pairing: Doughnuts, Desert

This ale was inspired by the Voodoo Doughnut Grape Ape doughnut, a creation that features vanilla frosting, grape dust and purple sprinkles.

==Introduction==

Another pink bottle release by Rogue brewing. Now I know many beer snobs and elitists have given this series a bad rap ever since the release of the original maple bacon doughnut beer. Even the consecutive releases have been criticized harshly. I do agree, I find them to be in the range of good to very good and while I don’t condone the criticism, I think some of these can be very good. I just happen to have a pretty open palate for these kinds of beers regardless if they use “natural flavorings” or not. The point is, there are some very delicious ones like the raspberry and also the banana peanut butter one. Those I loved a lot. The lemon one was nice too and the mango was okay. So with that in mind, let’s be open minded about this one and see how it is, criticism aside. Cheers!

Aromas:
Lots of grape preserves, jolly ranchers, biscuit bread, butterscotch, caramel, vanilla hints, dark fruit berries, Danish cream and mild hop notes.

Flavors:
Rich grape jolly ranchers, grape kool aid, grape soda, grape syrup, biscuit bread, caramel notes, vanilla, herbal, floral and earthy hops, licorice, cane sugar, almond milk, dark fruit prunes, mild Danish cream and hints of boysenberry cobbler.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with lot of jolly rancher grape candies, biscuit bread and caramel. No alcohol in the taste. Amber honey colored clear body, crisp, refreshing and smooth mouthfeel along with an easy drinkability.

Overall:
A pretty good brew but definitely on the artificial side of things. While I do not think it’s bad, their intention of getting as close to grape flavors as possible was a definite success. Although not so naturally. While I did try to find its complexity, I ended up short as the overall flavor is definitely grapes. This is worth a try at least especially if you are nostalgic of grape soda like the one they made in Mexico for me. Definitely nice!

Anime Corner:
Widow Maker from Overwatch was chosen for this review as I wanted to pair the colors of the grape ape with her purple colors. She is supposed to be a tough character in the game and by her name, it does seem like she can be deadly. This beer is not deadly and is actually sweet, like her appearance but the toughness is definitely part of the Gorilla.

Sources:
http://pic.chinaz.com/2016/0614/1465870307917.png
http://img1.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/Overwatch-Blizzard-фэндомы-Widowmaker-3380513.jpeg
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/T86la2TKGpUFGQRoFQ0o6iNCJGCg6fvICSMNn6yvldejFNaUulwB1lyzznMUkTPX.jpeg?w=1600&v=ggy-1zIoSNHGb0-HvlDCxquvHuTZBwMQW699UqwzHVc%3D

Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy by Oskar Blues

December 10, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Imperial Stout, Ayeka Masaki Jurai, Ayeka Misaki Jurai, Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy, Oskar Blues, Russian Imperial Stout, Ten Fidy, Tenchi, Tenchi Muyo | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Barrel-Aged Ten Fidy by Oskar Blues is a 12. 9% ABV World Class Russian Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Stone Pipe Can
Half-Baked Fully Toasted
This Dog’ll Hunt
==Introduction==

Originally released in October 2015 to the brewery exclusively. This year, Oskar Blues was able to release this to the public although in limited quantities. Seeing as how big this beer was when it was first released, trying to get it on the public release may have been just a hard if it wasn’t for the online retail sites like craftshack.com that sells the beers. The unfortunate part is that they only limit one beer per 48 hours and by the time you want to buy another, they are all gone. I made so sacrifices but thankfully, I was able to bring this one to the site. Since the release of the original TenFidy, I have longed to try this one. Let’s go! Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate drink, Mocha, Java, Espresso, roasted coffee, Irish Cream, Khalua liquer hints, tobacco notes, almond joy chocolate, rocky road ice cream, Dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, currants, black berries, prunes, cherry cordials, marshmallows, toasted coconut, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak, bourbon, flan, sweetened condensed milk, pecan pie and hazelnut nectar.

Flavors:
Rich rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, toasted coconut, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak, bourbon, flan, sweetened condensed milk, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, walnuts, double chocolate cherry cake, Jericalla Mexican custard, Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Yoohoo chocolate drink, Mocha, Java, Espresso, roasted coffee, Irish Cream, Khalua liquer hints, molasses, clove spice, bananas, plantains, chocolate graham cracker smores, chocolate mint ice cream hints, chocolate oatmeal cookies, roasted barley, Dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, currants, black berries, prunes, cherry cordials, pancho pantera chocolate milk shake, port wine hints, almond joys and tobacco notes.

Aftertaste:
Rich chocolate, marshmallows, toasted coconut, almond joy, oak, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruits, smores, bourbon, pecan pie and tobacco notes. Slight alcohol hints in the aftertaste but not detracting from the overall flavors. Pitch black delicious full body, smooth, creamy, silky, velvety and syrupy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Ridiculously awesome! Top tier supreme, Oskar Blues best beer next to the Death by Coconut. I still have not tried their Rum Coconut one but this has been a long time coming. A single can is definitely a night capper as trying to finish this in one sitting might be difficult for some people. It is definitely best shared for sure but I definitely have to agree that this one is all it is cracked out to be. Supreme chocolate complex goodness and it is one that should be highly sought after.

Anime Corner:
Ayeka Misaki Jurai from the Tenchi Muyo! Series was used in the original review I did for Ten Fidy. The reason I wanted to bring her back is part of the tribute. I tried to bring some some pictures that may be different to pair with. The only fitting one that I can think of is Ayeka in the new dress that does complement the beer colors as well.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/Bm6KWhc.png
https://cdnb1.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/481/813/large/katarzyna-marlewska-aeka-final-small.jpg?1447183990
http://webspace.webring.com/people/bd/daniel_rivera_resto/ayeka012.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/MfZXI2i.jpg

Collaboration No. 6 Barrel-Aged Blend Collaboration by Boulevard Brewing and Firestone Walker

December 8, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Imperial Stout, Barrel Aged, Belgian Quad, Bleach, boulevard brewing, Bourbon Barrel Quad, Collaboration No. 6, cuvee, Firestone Walker, Imperial Stout “X” Tart Cherry, Kill-LA-Kill, Kos-MOS, Naruto, Oatmeal Stout, Rye American Strong Ale, Ryuko Matoi, Ryuoko Matoi, Stickee Monkee, Temari, Temari Sabakuno, Velvet Merkin, Xenosaga, Yoruichi, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Collaboration No. 6 Barrel-Aged Blend Collaboration by Boulevard Brewing and Firestone Walker is a 12.5% ABV American Strong Ale Cuvee of Barrel Aged Stouts and Belgian Quads.

Label:
Imperial Stout “X” Tart Cherry
Bourbon Barrel Quad
Stickee Monkee
and Velvet Merkin

For this sixth edition of our Collaboration Series, we invited Matt Brynildson, brew-master of our sister brewery Firestone Walker, to join Boulevard brewmaster Steven Pauwels in our barrel-aging cave. Armed only with their palates, some graduated cylinders, and a bunch of tulip glasses, they arrived at the perfect balance of two barrel aged beers from each brewery. The blend celebrates the individual characteristics of each of the four while creating something entirely new and unique.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
The Collaboration series is our way to bring shared beer ideas to life with some of our favorite brewery friends from around the world. This year, we bring you a specially blended, barrel-aged beer with the help of our sister brewery in California, Firestone Walker. With Collaboration No. 6, Brewmasters Steven Pauwels and Matt Brynildson have created a big, bold flavor combination by blending two Boulevard beers and two Firestone Walker Beers in the following percentages:

Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad – 45%
Based loosely on the Smokestack Series’ The Sixth Glass, this abbey-style quadrupel is separated into a number of oak bourbon barrels where it ages for varying lengths of time, some for up to three years. Cherries are added to make up for the “angel’s share” of beer lost during barrel aging. Selected barrels are then blended for optimum flavor. The resulting beer retains only very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore.
ABV – 11.8, IBU – 19

Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee – 35%
Brewed with Belgian candi sugar and aged in a selection of ﬁne bourbon barrels, Stickee Monkee trailblazes its own category as a “Central Coast Quad.” The name Stickee Monkee is a nod to the Central Coast’s native Sticky Monkey ﬂower, as well as a shout¬‐out to the Belgian monks who pioneered the Quad style. The Belgian candi sugar imparts a signature molasses sweetness to the beer. Meanwhile, maturation in bourbon casks brings ample barrel expression with notes of toasted oak, coconut, leather and cigar tobacco.
ABV – 13, IBU – 45

Imperial Stout X – Tart Cherry (Whiskey Barrel-aged) – 10%
Our special treat for lovers of big, complex stouts, the Imperial Stout “X” series offers a year-long roster of limited releases, each with a significant variation. This riff spotlights the addition of tart cherries to fermentation as well as a lactic souring on the brewhouse. The result is a perfect marriage of robust, smoky maltiness and bracing tartness. Unlike the release version of Imperial Stout X – Tart Cherry, this portion was briefly aged in previously used whiskey barrels.
ABV – 11, IBU – 64

Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin – 10% Velvet Merkin is the beer that almost wasn’t…Indeed, this vintage oatmeal stout’s comical (or is it scandalous?) name went oﬀ the grid for several years, but now it’s back due to popular demand. Velvet Merkin is aged for a full year in retired spirits barrels from Heaven Hill, Woodford Reserve and others, yet manages to oﬀer mind-¬boggling balance and restraint. You will wig out when you taste Velvet Merkin’s rich milk chocolate, bourbon and espresso ﬂavors, preceded by aromas of vanilla, coconut, toasted oak and mocha. ABV – 8.5, IBU – 33

==Introduction==

Just when I thought I’d never see something like this, I was really amazed. At first I saw it as a Boulevard and Firestone Walker collab but when I realized that it was a Cuvee of some of both breweries best beers, I realized that this was a must get. I have reviewed each of these beers in the past, except for the Tart Cherry Stout X but the other ones were definitely at that World Class tier beers. So being that Firestone Walker was involved, I knew this would of came up to possibly be one of the best and unique Cuvees. Now, we can only hope that this is the case, let’s have a sip, cheers!

Aromas:
Grilled Bananas, Banana Sunday, clove spice, fruit cake, wine grapes, cinnamon, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, Rich Dark Cherries, Dark fruit, prunes, plums, figs, raspberries, currants, Dark chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Ferrero Rocher Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Chocolate mousse, tobacco hints, molasses, stone fruits, Oatmeal Cookies, Oreo Cookies and Cream, graham cracker, Marshmallow smores and mocha.

Flavors:
Rich Dark Cherries, Dark fruit, prunes, plums, figs, raspberries, currants, bourbon, whiskey, brandy, oak, Belgian Candi sugar, rock candy, piloncillo sugar cone, maple syrup, waffle cones, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, Grilled Bananas, Banana Sunday, clove spice, fruit cake, wine grapes, cinnamon, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, rye bread with mixed berry preserves, Oatmeal Cookies, Oreo Cookies and Cream, graham cracker, Marshmallow smores, mocha, Flan, Sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, Dark chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Ferrero Rocher Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate cake, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Chocolate mousse, Cherry Chocolate cake, walnut pie, toasted coconut, Stone fruit peaches, leather and tobacco hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dark cherries, vanilla, dulce de leche, oatmeal cookies, dark fruits, stone fruits, dark chocolate, Belgian candi sugar, marshmallows, tobacco hints and rye. No alcohol in the taste. Dark Crimson Amber full body, smooth, creamy, velvety, chewy and syrupy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
The Quad aspect takes over more than the stout blend but even that being the case, it does not change this from being a definite bucket lister in my mind. Having Firestone Walker who are experts at barrel aging and cuvee blending, this is no surprise that this came out the way it did. The complexity of the 2 Belgian Quads and the 2 Stouts collide into a super decadent dessert that really has taken things to another level. I highly recommend this one for those that are fans of these breweries, beers and styles! This is one for the masses!

Anime Corner:
Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill, Kos-mos from Xenosaga, Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach and Temari Sabakuno from Naruto were chosen as I wanted to represent the 4 awesome beers blended in this special cuvee to 4 awesome characters. What a better way to pair than to pair with the most epic forms for my favorite 4 girls from anime. In this instance I used Ryuko as the Tart Cherry X Stout as the colors of cherry pair, KOS-MOS is the BBQuad since quads are holy ambrosia of gods and she is angelic, Yoruichi is the Velvet Merkin as she is deep, magical and mysterious and finally, Temari is the Stickee Monkee as she represents the colors of the actual flower that grows along the central coast.

Firestone XX Twentieth Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker

December 8, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged anniversary ale, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Beer Hybrid, Bravo, cuvee, Evangelion, Firestone Walker, Firestone XX, Firestone XX Twentieth Anniversary Ale, FLCL, FW, Gainax, Haruko Haruhara, HellDorado, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Panty & Stocking, Panty Anarchy, Parabola, PSG, Rei Ayanami, Stickee Monkee, Stocking, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagan, Trigger Studios, Velvet Merkin, world class beers, Yoko Ritona | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Firestone XX Twentieth Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker is a 13.80% ABV World Class Strong Multi-liquor Barrel Aged Style Hybrid Blend Ale.

Description: (Please Click On The Strategy Guide/Letter From Firestone Walker and the Box)

==Introduction==

The time has finally come for another review of some of the best World Class beers out there. Each year, I wait in anticipation for these releases. Many know Firestone Walker for being one of the best breweries when it comes to their barrel program and have maintained that status for many years. Their ability to brew barrel aged beers and create delicious Cuvees has been outstanding from release to release. They celebrate 20 years in business bringing many awesome beers like Double Barrel Ale, Double Jack, Parabola and Velvet Merlin just to name a few. Today I bring their anniversary beer to the site and it is with damn pleasure to see what this 20th year brings. Cheers to many more years!

Aromas:
Rocky road ice cream, almonds, walnuts, hazelnut nectar, rich marshmallows, chocolate smores, oatmeal cookies, oreo cookies and cream, flan, chocolate chip cookies, whiskey, brandy hints, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, currants, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, prunes, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Chocolate milk shake, bananas, clove spice, honey comb, waffle cone, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, bourbon, rich oak, toasted coconut, almond joy chocolate, Irish Cream coffee, Danish Cream cookies, capirotada raisin bread pudding and Chocolate Banana Sundae.

Flavors:
Dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, currants, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, prunes, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Chocolate milk shake, bananas, clove spice, honey comb, waffle cone, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, bourbon, rich oak, toasted coconut, almond joy chocolate, rocky road ice cream, almonds, walnuts, hazelnut nectar, rich marshmallows, chocolate smores, oatmeal cookies, oreo cookies and cream, flan, chocolate chip cookies, whiskey, brandy hints, molasses, anise, leather, tobacco, sweetened condensed milk, port wine, Irish Cream coffee, Danish Cream cookies, capirotada raisin bread pudding, Chocolate Banana Sundae, cinnamon, coriander hints, stone fruit peaches, dragon fruit, passion fruit, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar and earthy hop notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with a grand variety of complex flavors ranging from dark chocolate, dark fruits, oak, marshmallow smores, rocky road ice cream, flan, fruit cake, bourbon, banana split, maple syrup, earthy hop notes and wine notes. No alcohol in the taste, crimson pitch black body, silky smooth, creamy, velvety, chewy and slightly syrupy mouthfeel with and easy to moderate drinkability despite the ABV.

Overall:
For being in the business 20 years, they got their stuff down and hands down, this is ridiculously delicious! They have Cuvee experts for years and even getting winemakers to assist with their creations to make something that is nothing but legendary. The best part about this beer and any of their other anniversary beers is that they have sold them to the public in many quantities for many to enjoy. Now it is your turn, seek this one as it is a must experience!

Anime Corner:
Gainax and Trigger Studios Crossover characters were all used to represent all the flavors and all the beers used in this beer but in general all the years of blending awesome beers. Moreover, really for celebration in general. Some of the best characters in Anime are in this pairing.

Sources:
http://cdn30.us1.fansshare.com/image/mahoromatic/ogza-fanservice-1437649123.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ywcJbAA.jpg

Derde Golf by The Bruery Terreux

December 8, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, anniversary ale, Belgian Quadrupel, blackberries, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Coffee Beans, Darkstalkers, Derde Golf, Hsien-ko, lei-lei, Lord Raptor, Midnight Bliss, Oak aged, Old Ale, Portola Coffee Lab, Quadrupel Tonnellerie, Sour Quadrupel, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, Zabel | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Derde Golf by The Bruery Terreux is a 12.3% ABV Belgian Sour Quadrupel Oak aged with Blackberries and Bourbon Barrel aged Old Ale with Portola Coffee Lab’s coffee beans.

Label:
It’s time for the third wave – a beer that awakens the senses from first sniff to first sip. This sour, blended ale folds our sour, oak-aged Belgian style quadrupel with blackberries into our malt-forward, bourbon barrel-aged old ale, and finishes with a Flemish good morning kiss, for an awakening, robust and sweet & sour twist. It’s complimented and balanced by the gentle, roasty character imparted from freshly roasted coffee from our friend’s at Portola Coffee Lab – a blend that was specifically selected for this complex, sour coffee ale, and a concept that was nearly a year in the making.

==Introduction==

Released to Hoarders and Reserve society members. I did not think much about getting this one at first. Then I saw what it was made with. Essentially, they took their awesome Quadrupel Tonnellerie and Anniversary ale, combined it and added coffee. Ridiculousness! But I say that in an awesome epic way. Both base beers are already exceptional. Therefore, taking this to the next level is definitely what the Bruery does best. Now the question is, should one get this one? Well, that is where we come in to advise you, the reader, whether we think you should give this one a shot. Let’s do this, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit currants, dark cherries, plums, raisins, figs, raspberries, wine grapes, blackberries, concorde grapes, fruit cake, oak, bourbon, dark candi sugar, bananas, clove spice, anise, tobacco notes, molasses, dark candi sugar, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Cadbury caramel and chocolate cream eggs, hazelnut nectar, mocha, Khalua liqueur, java and sweetened condensed milk

Flavors:
Bourbon, oak, wine grapes, pan dulce, blackberry cobbler, fruit cake, concorde grapes, blueberry muffins, dark fruit currants, dark cherries, plums, raisins, figs, dark candi sugar, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Cadbury caramel and chocolate cream eggs, lemon peel, red wine, toasted coconut, marshmallows smores, bananas, clove spice, anise, tobacco notes, molasses, leather, raspberry Chambord liquer, blackberry and blueberry cheesecake, rock candy, capirotada raisin bread pudding, figgy pudding, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, mocha, Khalua liqueur, java, espresso, coffee cake, steamed milk, crème brulee, sweetened condensed milk, flan, chocolate cherry cordials and Tres Leches/Three Creams cake.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich dark fruits, of blackberries, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut, vanilla, clove space, bananas, dark candi sugar, rock candi, blackberry yogurt, toffee, dark chocolate, oak, and pecan pie. No alcohol in the taste, full dark amber body, effervescent, smooth and silky mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
This is damn insane! This is indeed the best Belgian Sour Quad ever! The Blackberries and Coffee just raise it to those OVERKILL levels. Not in a bad way but of the deep and supremely luscious bliss kind of way. Heck even the fact that the base beers are already above exceptional, this just takes it to that bucket lister level. Definitely find a way to get this one. A lot of awesome stuff in this bottle.

Anime Corner:
Hsien-Ko/Lei Lei and Zabel/Lord Raptor (Midnight Bliss) were used in this pairing to go somewhat with the label but mainly the colors of the dark fruits and flavors of the beer. I have not used Hsien-ko in a beer for the Bruery before so I definitely thought this was the perfect opportunity. Zabel was merely there as you can think of the 2 beer fusion in coffee as represented by Hsien-Ko coming to Zabel from behind.

Sources:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsL6t_gXYAQAEGW.jpg
https://jr4rt.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/hsien_ko_small.jpg
https://brewerianimelogs.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/3d435-lei_lei_by_genzoman.jpg
http://blog-imgs-27-origin.fc2.com/m/o/u/moudamepo11/24(s).png

Hammer of The Beast by Clown Shoes

December 8, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Imperial Stout, American Strong Ale, Blaecorn Unidragon, Bleach, Clown Shoes Brewing, cuvee, English Barleywine, Hammer of The Beast, Hammer of The Holy, Holy water, Jamaican Rum, Matsumoto, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Rum barrel aged, Russian Imperial Stout, Tia Harribel, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Hammer of The Beast by Clown Shoes is an 11.75% ABV American Strong Ale Cuvee consisting of a Smoked Imperial Stout brewed with Holy water, a Russian Imperial Stout and an English Style Barley Wine all aged in 40 year old Jamaican Rum Barrels. An even more ultimate, Cuvee of dreams!

Label:
How do you amplify a beast that is half unicorn and half dragon and who has already escalated from angry, to very angry, to extremely angry? Give it a hammer! The fifth installment in The Beast series blends equal part Undead Party Crasher, Billionaire, and Blaecorn Unidragon, all aged in rum barrels. We’ll respect you if you run, but respect you even more if you can tackle The Hammer Of The Beast

==Introduction==

Every year, the Blaecorn Unidragon gets armored up more and more as the variety of barrel aging spirits are added. Similar to the way one chooses variants of equipment in video games, it seems each year they just get better and better. This year they combined 3 beers and aged them in rum barrels in the style of the Hammer of the Holy. Essentially, I am not sure how much more powerful they can make the Unidragon but damn, I will sure try and cover each awesome installment in the series as I go along. Let’s take on this beast! Cheers!

Aromas:
Rocky road ice cream, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, crème brulee, honey, butterscotch, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, figgy pudding, tobacco, tres leches cake, Oak, Bananas, plantains, clove spice, rum, pecan pie, smokey oak, marshmallow smores, toasted coconut, almond joy coconut and hazelnut nectar.

Flavors:
Oak, Bananas, plantains, clove spice, dulce de leche caramel, smokey oak, marshmallow smores, toasted coconut, almond joy coconut, rocky road ice cream, crème brulee, tobacco, rums, piña colada, tropical fruit dragon fruit, passion fruit, lychees, honey, butterscotch, rum, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, figgy pudding, tobacco, tres leches cake, stone fruit mango, peach, leather, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, triple chocolate cherry cake, hazelnut nectar, macadamia, pecan pie, walnut pie, cashew milk, nutter butter peanut butter cookies, cookie dough ice cream, Raspberry jelly doughnuts, mint, anise and molasses.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich chocolate, rum, oak, bananas, dark chocolate, rocky road ice cream, molasses, earthy notes, pecan pie, tropical fruit, stone fruit, fig pudding and mixed nuts. Slight alcohol in the taste but this does not take away from the rich complexity. Dark pitch black body, smooth, velvety and creamy mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Another exceptionally awesome release from Clown Shoes and definitely a bucket lister. Each year unique and ever adding more or varying the aging of spirits and beers but this was very damn amazing. Tropical flavors and chocolate flavors work very well. Complexity is definitely through the roof as goes with many of the beers I enjoy and especially if you been a fan of the series, do yourself a favor and get this one. I highly recommend you find this one. Clown Shoes killing it every time!

Anime Corner:
Tia Harribel, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Yoruichi Shihouin and Matsumoto Rangiku from Bleach have always represented some aspect of the clown shoes beers in my past reviews. Tia is the Undead Party Crasher/Vampire Slayer. Nelliel has always been the original Unidragon and Yoruichi would be added for good measures since the Porcine Unidragon came out. This time she represents the Barleywine. The blend of each beer together and the unleash of the Extremely Angry beast can be best represented when all three together are looking like bad asses powering up to team up against great foes. The other thing though is since Tia also represented the Hammer of Holy, in this instance she unleashes pure fury so all three battle it out in this bottle. It really kicks ass. The strength and complexity has come together very epically that I could not think of any other pairing artwork that would be the best representative of this beer. Also I included Matsumoto Rangiku as an extra to be Rum.

Sources:
http://wallpapersinhq.online/images/big/bleach_battle-890883.jpg

9 Ladies Dancing by The Bruery

December 8, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 9 Ladies Dancing, Belgian Dark Strong Ale, cacao nibs, coffee, Lactose, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, Naruto, Overwatch, Temari, Temari Sabakuno, The Bruery, Twelve Beers of Christmas, Twelve days of Christmas, Twelve Days of Christmas series, vanilla | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/6

9 Ladies Dancing by The Bruery is an 11.3% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale brewed with cacao nibs, vanilla, coffee and lactose.

Label:
WÆS HÆIL!

The Ninth Verse of Our Twelve Beers of Christmas series dances with flavors inspired by tiramisu. Happy Holidays!

Here’s a pick me up for the latest verse in our Twelve Days of Christmas series. Inspired by flavors and ingredients found in tiramisu, including ladyfingers, 9 Ladies Dancing mimics the Italian dessert by whipping together flavor combinations and layers of its own. This includes notes of vanilla, chocolate and coffee – clearly the leading ladies in this rich, dessert-like beer.

==Introduction==

The Bruery has recently released their latest Christmas beer to the public and should be hitting many distribution areas publicly where they sell The Bruery beers. An Italian dessert inspired beer huh? I still can’t believe it has been so long and in four more years, the Christmas beer saga comes to a conclusion. Every year they release amazing beers. What I find intriguing though is that they use some of the ingredients that I used in my Sangri Leche beer. These are the Lactose, Coffee, Vanilla and Cocoa Nibs. Plus, it’s a Belgian Dark Strong so that makes me think about the flavors. But why wait, let’s see how it is, cheers!

Aromas:
Belgian candi sugar, rock candy, piloncillo sugar cone, sugar plums, capirotada raisin bread pudding, dark fruit prunes, raisins, dark cherries, coffee, vanilla, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, lactose, Bananas, clove spice, tiramisu, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, honey, maple syrup and fruit cake.

Flavors:
Rich Coffee, vanilla, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, lactose, Bananas, clove spice, Tiramisu pastry, flan, dark fruit prunes, raisins, dark cherries, Belgian candi sugar, rock candy, piloncillo sugar cone, sugar plums, capirotada raisin bread pudding, butterscotch, rye bread, toffee, Dulce de leche caramel, ginger bread man, Danish cream, Irish cream, crème brulee, Kahlua Liqueur, stone fruit peaches, peach cobbler, apricots, peanut butter, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, honey, maple syrup, biscuit bread, tobacco hints and sweetened condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with coffee, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, dark fruit, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, bananas, stone fruit, pecan pie and toffee. No alcohol in the taste, dark crimson amber full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and chewy mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Very Exceptional brew! I can honestly say this did remind me of 2 creations I made. The Bubulubu Ghost In the White Choco Shell which was a Belgian Golden stout with the same ingredients as this one as well as the partial ingredients used in Sangrileche Belgian Stout. Using Coffee, Vanilla and Cocoa nibs does come through when used well and can make many beers even more decadent and complex. Which makes me believe that it may add the necessary complexity or in some cases dominate the flavors of the rest of the beers. In this instances, it balanced out made for one awesome complexity. Definitely get this holiday brew, cheers!

Anime Corner:
Naruto Girls, Mahou Shojo girls and Overwatch girls were all chosen for this pairing to essentially be the 9 ladies dancing. Every year I try to find pairings that match the number of gifts from the Christmas song. It is does get difficult at times but other than going with the theme, there really isn’t anything else specific that matches the pairing unless you can infer some of the colors do match.

Sources:
http://65.media.tumblr.com/734581b30e3a75e6baa874e38f85afec/tumblr_njv7tlkmns1t5cwh1o5_1280.jpg
http://orig11.deviantart.net/4944/f/2016/246/5/c/ladies_of_overwatch_by_minacream-dagbj56.jpg
http://www.theanimegallery.com/gallery/image:185903/

2016 Share This: Molé by The Bruery

December 8, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged ancho chilies, cacao nibs, Chipotle Peppers, Cinnamon, Free Wheelchair Mission, Imperial Stout, LEND A HAND, mexican beer, Overwatch, Share This Molé, sharethisbeer, Sombra, The Bruery, vanilla beans | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Share This: Molé by The Bruery is an 11.1% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Ancho Chilies, Chipotle peppers, Cinnamon, Vanilla Beans and Cacao Nibs

Label:
LEND A HAND
Share This beer and be part of bringing mobility to our friends in Mexico – the Source and inspiration of select ingredients in this beer. For every bottle we produce, Free Wheelchair Mission receives one dollar. #sharethisbeer

Share This is a series of beer that spotlights unique ingredients and important causes. This rich mole-inspired imperial stout collaboration with Chef Anne Conness supports the work of Free Wheelchair Mission in Mexico.

==Introduction==

Released to the public as the second beer for charity from the “Share This” series. This time they obtained inspiration from Mexican cuisine, the awesome dish of Molé. The last time the Bruery made an awesome Molé beer was when they made the Smoking Wood variant which was a tap only release. It was definitely awesome and one I would love to review one day if it is re-released. This series is definitely awesome as it does donate a dollar for every bottle sold to the cause of the Free Wheelchair Mission. Yes, it is not much money but this is a microbrewery after all. It’s good to see breweries who do more not just for communities but for causes that really help people. Let’s see how this one is, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit raisins, prunes, cherries, raspberries, capirotada Mexican bread pudding, vanilla, flan, crème brulee, dulce de leche cajeta/caramel, Pan Dulce, chipotle, guajillo, ancho chiles, cinnamon, nutmeg, rich chocolate abuelita, Kahlua liquer notes, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Bakers chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, piloncillo sugar cone, grilled bananas, anise, coffee and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Super rich chocolate abuelita, Kahlua liquer notes, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Bakers chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, piloncillo sugar cone, grilled bananas, chipotle, guajillo, ancho chiles, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark fruit raisins, prunes, cherries, raspberries, capirotada Mexican bread pudding, vanilla, flan, crème brulee, dulce de leche cajeta/caramel, Pan Dulce, apple pie, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, Danish cream cookies, marshmallow smores, graham crackers, burnt candi sugar, waffle cone, molé spices, champurrado, molasses, anise, 3 leche/ 3 Milks cake, coffee cake, mocha, java, steamed milk and Mazapan.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich notes of chocolate abuelita, dark chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, peppery hints, dark fruits, marshmallows, flan, earthy notes and champurrado. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV, dark body, creamy, velvety, silky, syrupy, chewy and viscous mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional breaking brew. Easily, a new favorite Molé, or in this case, the best Molé beer I have ever had that was more about Molé, not Mexican chocolate, as that is another story best told in a previous review. For a Molé beer though, this is damn insane and delicious. Definitely a step above some of the other Molé beers I have tried in the past. The chocolate and spices are there but not overly spicy and sweetness is not overwhelming either. Everything just comes together very well and complex. Definitely a highly recommended brew.

Anime Corner:
Sombra from Overwatch was used in this series not necessarily for the label colors but for the use of a Mexican anime/video game character. Sombra, or Shadow is a hacker who uses her skills to manipulate the corrupted systems of power for the greater good. While her colors and ethnicity go well with the flavors of the brew (like dark fruits) and the culture of the cuisine, the “doing something for a good cause” is what I liked about this pairing as this beer is all for a good cause.

Sources:
http://img0.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/Blizzard-фэндомы-Sombra-(Overwatch)-Overwatch-art-3415270.jpeg
https://brewerianimelogs.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/fa99b-sombra.jpg
http://img1.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/full/Sombra-(Overwatch)-Blizzard-фэндомы-Overwatch-art-3471483.jpeg

Botanicals & Barrels Series: Vanilla Bean Stout by Avery Brewing

December 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Anna Marie, Avery Brewing, Botanicals & Barrels Series, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Imperial Stout, Marvel, Rogue, Vanilla Bean Stout, vanilla beans, Xmen | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Botanicals & Barrels Series: Vanilla Bean Stout by Avery Brewing is an 11% ABV Imperial Stout with vanilla beans aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
A double dose of vanilla derived from both fresh Bourbon barrels and the trio of Tongan, Ugandan, and Mexican whole vanilla beans is complemented by the essences of chocolate, caramel and molasses to round out this luxurious silky stout.

==Introduction==

I have heard great things about this brew. There have been many times that I had the opportunity to grab it but didn’t passing it up for other beers. Now that I saw it once again, I decided to bring it to the site. I have tried many vanilla stouts and barrel aged vanilla stout. Some are more awesome than others but generally, they are all definitely very good. It is not often I have vanilla stouts by themselves as sometimes you will have your vanilla bean and cacao nib beers that are very delicious but plain vanilla is definitely a great feat. Especially when trying to make beers like flan or crème brulee like. Let’s see how far this one will go, cheers!

Aromas:
Lots of vanilla, marshmallow smores, oak, bourbon, rocky road ice cream, almond joy chocolate, fruit cake, brown sugar, crème brulee, flan, sweetened condensed milk, Jericalla Jaliscan custard, burnt sugar, dark fruit figs, prunes, raisins, cinnamon, coffee, mocha, rye bread and molasses.

Flavors:
Rich vanilla, oak, bourbon, marshmallow smores, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bananas, clove spice, plantains, mint chocolate chip ice cream, crème brulee, flan, sweetened condensed milk, Jericalla Jaliscan custard, burnt sugar, dark fruit figs, prunes, raisins, hazelnut nectar, maple notes, cinnamon, capirotada raisin bread pudding, rye bread, coffee, mocha, rocky road ice cream, oatmeal cookies, almond joy chocolate, vanilla and chocolate brownies, fruit cake, brown sugar, piloncillo sugar cone hints, hazelnut nectar, macadamia nuts and chocolate cherry cordials.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with smooth vanilla, bourbon, toffee, caramel, dark fruit, oak, chocolate, mint, anise, flan, Jericalla custard and crème brulee hints. No alcohol in the taste, Dark full body, syrupy, smooth, creamy and velvety mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Exceptional vanilla decadent beer. Lots of vanilla, complex and balanced flavors and not too over powering. It can be soft at times and is not too sweet either. Almost like a semi sweet ice cream. Then again most craft beers are like liquid ice cream in general. This one is no exception to the rule. Very enjoyable brew for all BBA brew lovers. I highly recommend it.

Anime Corner:
Rogue/Anna Marie from Marvel’s X-men was chosen for this pairing mainly to go with the colors of the label with the green, white, yellow and red. Her hair colors pairs well with the vanilla plant from the picture shown on the label. I figured this would make a nice pairing by just getting the colors right. Also, Rogue is a character that absorbs people’s strength, memories and powers. Basically, this beer will own you!

Sources:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6d/c7/7d/6dc77d95fb3628ff685bb31d90548d15.jpg
http://65.media.tumblr.com/05c284d4df2a9b5a3fc6effc0028820e/tumblr_o75dpwtems1sxptq1o1_500.jpg
https://brewerianimelogs.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/7677d-16.jpg

Imperial Biscotti Break Raspberry Umami by Evil Twin Brewing

December 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in oak barrels, Coffee Beans, Evil Twin Brewing, Imperial Biscotti Break, Imperial Biscotti Break Raspberry Umami, Imperial Stout, Oak, oak barrels, Pyrrha Nikos, Raspberry, Raspberry Umami, Rwby | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Imperial Biscotti Break Raspberry Umami by Evil Twin Brewing is an 11.5% Imperial Stout aged in Oak Barrels with Coffee Beans and Raspberry

Label:
None!

==Introduction==

Obtained this one on my way to the Bruery when I visited Mr. K’s liquor. It literally is in front of the Bruery and they do have a lot of awesome stuff. When I saw this, I definitely had to pick it up. 2 reasons, one is because their Doughnut Break was one of the most awesome beers I have ever had. Even the “Imperial Biscotti Break Natale – Pretty Please With A Cherry On Top” was one of the best as well. So surely, the raspberry coffee one was definitely one I wanted to bring to the site. Now, with that in mind, let’s have a look shall we? Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit raisins, currants, plums, boysen berries, cranberries, dark cherries, Rich Raspberries, Raspberry cordials, port wine, wine grapes, butterscotch, dulce de leche caramel, fruit cake, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, roasted coffee, coffee cake, molasses, anise, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee, Irish cream, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconut hints and pomegranates.

Flavors:
Rich Raspberries, port wine, wine grapes, butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, roasted coffee, coffee cake, dragon fruit, passion fruit, dark fruit raisins, currants, plums, boysen berries, cranberries, dark cherry cheesecake, pomegranates, sea salt, oak, vanilla, toasted rye bread with raspberry preserves, molasses, anise, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, sweetened condensed milk, crème brulee, Irish cream, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconut hints, marshmallow smores, brown sugar, fruit cake, dulce de leche caramel, fudge and raspberry cake, walnuts, chocolate truffles, raspberry cordials and jelly doughnuts.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich raspberries, oak, dark fruit, vanilla, mocha, anise, caramel, dark chocolate, and wine notes. No alcohol in the tasted, Dark Crimson Full Body, very smooth, creamy, rich and velvety mouthfeel and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Ridiculously delicious. This came to me as a surprise. This beer actually reminded me so much of the beer I made, which was the Raging Passion Lactus Raspear Dragons which was aged in oak with raspberries but other fruits and lactose other than coffee. The flavors were very similar but my brew was fruitier. The fact that I was able to pick up the punch of chocolate raspberries made me realize that the brew I had made was definitely worthy to be commercial like this one. Regardless, this one is definitely worthy of praise and should sought out, I highly recommend this one.

Anime Corner:
Pyrrha Nikos from RWBY was chosen in this pairing as I wanted to bring her into the site for the longest time. Her colors represent the raspberries but also the strength and kindness goes well with the ABV and the complex flavors of the beer which are generally sweet.

Sources:
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/yakuza-mob-roleplay/images/b/bc/1YMRPBio.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150817231753
https://i.redditmedia.com/AzMrFtjvoe9rT4DCKQFUsn7LBXtZt9XPX0cumhrq0Os.jpg?w=400&s=9529acd0c6185460df4823133cd923d6
http://i.imgur.com/xooKCtJ.jpg
http://76.72.168.19/images/2016-02-24-813002.jpeg

Mint Coffee Milk Stout by Stone brewing

December 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Bleach, California, chocolate mint, coffee, Milk Stout, mint chocolate chip, Mint Coffee Milk Stout, Neliel, Nelliel, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, peppermint, Stone Brewing, Sweet Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Mint Coffee Milk Stout by Stone brewing is a 5% ABV Milk/ Sweet Stout brewed with Coffee, peppermint and chocolate mint.

Label:
A SEASONAL BLEND OF FRESH MINT & SLOW-ROASTED COFFEE
This beer is a limited -availability riff on our seasonal Stout Coffee Milk Stout. We use two varieties of mint – chocolate mint and peppermint – to get the nuanced, layered result you have before you.

Coffee remains the lead aromatic and flavor component of this smooth, mellow beer. Add in the body and roundness from a deft touch of milk sugar, back it up with overtones of mint and chocolate and the only thing that could improve upon it is you. And friends. Or a comfy with that couch. What are we suggesting? That’s for you to decide, not us. We’re just providing the tasty beer.

==Introduction==

Exclusive to California, unless you buy it online, this was being a variant of the Stone Coffee Milk stout which I had tried in the past. The last time I have tried a Mint Chocolate Stout from Stone was when they had collaborated with Iron Fist and Ken Schmidt. Since that time, I really wanted them to release it again as it was definitely one of their best beers. Today, we have a released that is not as strong as the one they did in the past but I am hoping for it to be awesome still. Let’s have a look, cheers.

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, pepper mint, Mint chocolate chip ice cream, molasses, anise, tobacco notes, caramel, Irish Mint Coffee cream, coffee cake, pecan hint, brown sugar, smokey notes, marshmallows and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Pepper Mint, Mint chocolate chip ice cream, oreo cookies and cream, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark fruit hints, caramel, hints of mocha, smokey notes, marshmallows, chocolate smores, vanilla, earthy hops, graham crackers, pillow mints, brown sugar, molasses, anise, tobacco notes, fudge cake, sweetened condensed milk hints, Irish Mint Coffee cream, coffee cake, hazelnut and pecan hints.

Aftertaste:
Rich chocolate, dark fruits, mocha, roasted coffee, mint chocolate ice cream, earthy notes, anise, vanilla, caramel, Irish cream and marshmallows. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, smooth, creamy and velvety mouthfeel along with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
This one ended up being very delicious. For being 5% ABV, it still had enough flavors that really stood. While the original stronger collaboration version was way better, this one still holds strong on its own. The mint is not overpowering and it balances out very well with the chocolate and coffee flavors. I recommend this one if you can find it.

Anime Corner:
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck from Bleach was chosen in this pairing as she goes well with the colors of mint and her overall sweet personality. Her colors pair well with the label and the sweet flavors are definitely complimentary of her caring attitude. Sometimes I like to pair with similar colors but also beers that are very flavorful.

Sources:
https://wallpapers.wallhaven.cc/wallpapers/full/wallhaven-411499.jpg
http://orig04.deviantart.net/6b29/f/2015/001/c/b/neliel_tu_oderschvank_by_lilyzou-d8b8w29.jpg
https://cdn3.patreon.com/1/patreon.posts/k1M0nUbmgakIdyIqaS0EUcCBtQImekLOsnmz0K8QqoISWi8oQY24xIn9F2UqEN0t.jpeg?w=1600&v=EYIMoa_BOv1wHvcVgBmJsJZjQqCdYXL8zflV1d5LJhU%3D

2016 Grey Monday by The Bruery

December 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Bankai, Belgian Chocolates, Black Tuesday, Bleach, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, chocolate mousse, Chocolate Nirvana, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, dark chocolate, french vanilla ice cream, Grey Monday, Hazelnut Nectar, Imperial Stout, Kutchiki Rukia, Maple Syrup, molecular gastronomy, pecan pie, Rich Hazelnut, roasted hazelnuts, Rukia, The Bruery, world beers | 1 Comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Grey Monday by The Bruery is an 19.8% ABV World Class Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with Hazelnuts.

I had done a reviewed this one in the past so this year, I am leaving it to a previous review to take care of the recommendation. Each year it is more awesome and the ABV seems to climb higher and higher. Cheers!

https://animebeers.com/2015/06/25/2015-grey-monday-by-the-bruery/

2016 So Happens It’s Tuesday by The Bruery

December 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bakuretsu Tenshi, Black Tuesday, Burst Angel, Imperial Stout, JO, Session beer, So Happens It's Tuesday, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/6

2016 So Happens It’s Tuesday by The Bruery is a 14.7% ABV Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels

I had done a review earlier this year and The Bruery released another on October 2016 so to check out the review I did click the link below. While this version is slightly stronger, they both are awesome!

https://animebeers.com/2016/02/27/2016-so-happens-its-tuesday-by-the-bruery/

2016 Black Tuesday by the Bruery

December 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 2016 Black Tuesday, best beers in the world, Black Tuesday, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, dark fruits, delicious, dessert, Grey Monday, Imperial Stout, Kos-MOS, kosmos, rich flavors, The Bruery, White Chocolate, Wineification, world class beers, Xenosaga | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Black Tuesday by the Bruery is an 20.3% ABV World Class Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels.

I have reviewed this one many times so this year, I am leaving it to a previous review to take care of the recommendation. Each year it is more awesome and the ABV seems to climb higher and higher. Cheers!

https://animebeers.com/2015/12/05/2015-black-tuesday-by-the-bruery/