Dragon’s Milk Reserve with Raspberries by New Holland Brewing

January 22, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, black raspberry jam, Bourbon Barrel Aged, canine, chocolate milkshake, Dragon's Milk, Dragoon, Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels, Legend of Mana, Milk, new holland, New Holland Brewing, Raspberries, Raspberry preserves, Sierra, Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Dragon’s Milk Reserve with Raspberries by New Holland Brewing is an 11% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Raspberries and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
This beer is from our collection of special variations that live in our Dragon’s Milk cellar. Local raspberries were added to the barrels in the final stages of conditioning. Raspberries lend depth, brightness and unique fruit character that harmonizes beautifully with Dragon’s Milk dark, roasty tones of malt, bourbon and oak.

==Introduction==

The original Dragon’s Milk was a beer I enjoyed back in 2011 when I was able to beer trade. This brew is a variant of the original Dragon’s Milk and was pretty hard to get upon released. I was able to get this one from www.mybeercellar.com. Since this beer was an in-store released, you literally had to be from Michigan and get it at the local stores in the Midwest to find this one. I don’t know if they will ever brew this one again but the opportunity to bring this to the site was something I could not pass up. So let’s prepare the swords and take on the dragon to get the milk shall we? Cheers!

Aromas:
Very Rich Raspberries, Very Rich Dark chocolate, oak, bourbon notes, marshmallows, milk sugar, raspberry chocolate milkshake, fudge chocolate cake, dark fruit raisins, plums, currants, dark cherry yogurt, vanilla, caramel, pecan pie, Irish cream, mocha notes, rocky road ice cream, hazelnut nectar and flan.

Flavors:
Very Rich Dark Chocolate, Very Rich Raspberries, tart cherry yogurt, dark fruit raisins, figs, currants, black berries, milk chocolate, fudge chocolate cake, milk sugar, raspberry chocolate milkshake, brown sugar, oak, bourbon notes, marshmallows, pecan pie, cocoa, caramel, toffee, vanilla, toasted rye bread, raspberry preserves, molasses, flan notes, sweetened condensed milk, raspberry cheesecake, mocha, raspberry cordials, rocky road ice cream, pecan truffles, anise, Danish cookies, Irish cream, steamed milk, espresso notes and earthy notes.

Aftertaste:
Ending with very nice tart raspberry notes, oak, bourbon notes, caramel, chocolate, earthy notes, vanilla, marshmallows and mocha. No alcohol in the taste, crimson dark full body, creamy and velvety mouthfeel, ridiculously easy to drink despite the ABV.

Overall:
The original Dragon’s milk was something that was unforgettable. Bringing this one back after several years and with raspberries brings a nostalgic time from 2011 when I first started trying different brews all the time. Now with the raspberries in there, the dynamic of the beer has taken a more sweeter frutier approach with milky chocolate notes of the original and bourbon. After trying this one, while it is not super strong on the bourbon category, the complexity it uses to still carry sweet flavors is what makes this one exceptional and exceeding my expectations. This one is definitely on par with the sweetest raspberry beers out there, yes I am looking at you Big Lushious. I highly recommend this if you love dragons. The original was great magic potion, the Dragon’s Milk beer barrel bourbon was delicious.. nor surprise why the raspberries just take it to another level.

Anime Corner:
Sierra from the Legend of Mana has returned from the original pairing I did on Dragon’s Milk back in the day. Sierra is a dragoon who’s animal origin is unknown but mainly resembles the furry dragons of the Never Ending Story with the canine like appearance. It would not surprise me if she is a dragon in reality which honestly I wouldn’t doubt or a dragon hybrid. The reason I also chose her in return has to do with her raspberry color hair blooming in the wind. This pairs extremely well with the raspberry aspects of the beer. Since Sierra is like a ninja in the wind when it comes to fighting, it may be of no surprise why her appearance as as cute yet extremely deadly ninja goes extremely well with how well the beer drinks despite the ABV. Trust me, she gets you good as you try to take her on further and further. She will always bee the Dragon that gives the Dragon’s milk. Yes the original Dragon’s milk kinda depicts where the milk part comes from 😉 .

Sources:
http://i4.pixiv.net/img06/img/tomoteru/33708327.jpg

Drink It Down Brown by El Borracho Home Brewing

January 21, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged American Brown ale, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Asuka Shikinami Soryu, Brown ale, brown sugar, Drink It Down Brown, El Borracho Home Brewing, Evangelion, Home brewing, Neon Genesis Evangelion | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.75/5

Drink It Down Brown by El Borracho Home Brewing is a 4.4% ABV American Brown Ale.

==Introduction==

My friend William Carranza’s attempt at another home brew recipe for one of his favorite beer styles, the American Brown Ale. This ale was brewed using a slight modification to the original recipe using other ingredients. As a result, he realized this was not what he had expected as the last beer was way better. The beer, at the same time, was also more drinkable as well and there for the name, Drink it down Brown was given. I got a chance to try this beer before the review and I liked it despite the fact that he did not so much. Let us take a look at this one, cheers!

Aromas:
Chocolate hints, caramel notes, mild earthy notes, brown sugar, hints of mild coffee, mild raisins, and pecan notes.

Flavors:
Caramel notes, dark chocolate hints, earthy grains, rye, mild coffee, toffee, mild raisin notes, biscuit brad, pecan notes, hazelnut and brow sugar.

Aftertaste:
Nice dry finish with mild chocolate, earthy grains, toffee, caramel and mild dark fruit. No alcohol in the taste, easy to drink and medium body.

Overall:
A pretty good Brown Ale. Will described this one as more of a New Castle like brew. For me, it is still leagues above New Castle and more flavorful at that. While it may not have been a total success for my friend, there were others like myself that really enjoyed this one. The best thing about homebrewing is experimenting sometimes and sometimes batches of beer come out exceptional and sometimes not so much. Regardless, it is still helpful to learn greater methods of brewing along the way. For that, I would recommend it.

Anime Corner:
Asuka Langley Shikinami/Sohryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion was chosen in this pairing once again as it was the best one that suited the pairing based on my friend Will’s pick from the list. Honestly, I agree as this fits well with the whole drink because you are thirsty. The colors represent the brown and the potential the beer has to grow into something more.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/KHZ7F0j.jpg

The Peace That Money Can’t Buy Anniversary Ale by Clown Shoes

January 21, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged 'Merica, 5th anniversary ale, American Flag, anniversary ale, Belgian Quad, bourbon, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Quad, Candi Sugar, clown shoes, Clown Shoes Brewing, Dulce de leche, The Peace That Money Can't Buy | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.45/5

The Peace That Money Can’t Buy Anniversary Ale by Clown Shoes is an 11.5% ABV Belgian Quadrupel aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
We’ve been making beer for five years. There have been a few challenges, but here we are. This bourbon barrel aged Belgian Style Quadrupel Ale commemorates our anniversary, even as we look to the future and know that we cannot rest. Please join us as we work for and search for the kind of peace in life that money can’t buy.

==Introduction==

Clown Shoes has been one of those breweries that have been slowly taking over the world of craft beer, but for the good! They celebrate their 5th anniversary with the release of a bourbon barrel aged quad. The Belgian Quadrupels are one of my favorite styles of beer. Each time clown shoes releases a beer, it comes paired with some of the best artwork out there. Many breweries stand on the great beers they make but when making great beers and great artwork with it, it makes such a win-win combination that it boggles the mind. With this released, I am happy to have found, I bring you the review in hopes you may want to give this one a shot. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruits like cherries, plums, raisins, prunes, dates, currants, vanilla, slight oak, bourbon hints, chocolate hints, dulce de leche caramel, flan hints, brown sugar, dark candi sugar, banana notes, clove spice, cinnamon, ginger spice, stone fruits like apricot, flan, sweetened condensed sugar,anise, port wine hints, rock candy, leather notes, rye bread, tobacco and earthy grains.

Flavors:
Rich dark fruits like prunes, plums, dates, raisins, tart raspberries, cherries, currants, oak, bourbon, pecan pie, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate notes, candi sugar, rock candy, leather, tobacco, earthy grain notes, clove spice, ginger spice, banana notes, flan, sweetened condensed milk, rye bread, molasses, anise, whiskey notes, butterscotch, port wine notes, concorde grapes, apples, peaches and slight tart apricots.

Aftertaste:
Dark fruit, vanilla, dulce de leche, oak, boarbon notes, stone fruits, flan notes, port wine, leather and dark candi sugar lingers for a bit. No alcohol in the taste, creamy mouthfeel, dark gold and crimson medium body and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Exceeding my expectations for a Belgian Quadrupel by a good amount. The Belgian Quad is one of my favorite styles of beer out there and rarely is it barrel aged. For the ones I have tried barrel aged, there are many of the best. This one falls in somewhere definitely as it is more than a regular quad for sure. So even while it is not the best Barrel Aged Quad it is a high rating one with the Barrel aging processes exceeding the regular quad flavors. This is the first I have had a quad from Clown shows and needless to say, it is very awesome! As the beer warms up, more of the hints of tart and dark fruit evolve into a more sugary dessert. I would highly recommend this one and hope Clown Shows the best as the future holds more great and exciting beers!

Anime Corner:
While looking for a good anime pairing that had something in relation to the American Flag or American tradition in general, I could only find these 2 original characters. The name is the peace that money cannot buy. It took a very long time before people started to agree with one another in history and while there may still be conflicts amongst nations, one thing is for certain, people try to get along for the most part here in the USA. The Cowgirl and the Native girl represent 2 sides that had conflict in the nation’s early history but today for many people, these differences are now absolved. While the world could be a better place if everyone got along, it is not the case yet. One day, that true peace where people get along like these 2 in the pairing will come true and we are slowly getting there. That, will be the true peace that money cannot buy. For now, let us rejoice in the love for beer and for others, the love for anime! As for the samurai sword, well, it just looks awesome!

Sources:
http://konachan.com/image/baf459ce72eb1324085ab6238edefd19/Konachan.com%20-%2041079%20animal%20blue_eyes%20gemini_sunrise%20gloves%20hat%20horse%20red_hair%20sakura_taisen_5%20sword%20weapon.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/37/11/e3/3711e34ef7ed6742884fe52973b5f7ca.jpg

Big Lushious by Founders Brewing

January 21, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged American Imperial Stout, Big Lushious, black raspberry jam, chocolate cake, Code Geass, dark chocolate, Founders Brewing, Imperial Stout, Kallen Stadtfeldt, milk Chocolate, natural raspberry flavor, Raspberries, rich dark chocolate, sinful pleasure | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5* If you love sugar sweet dessert beers, you will love this one.

Big Lushious by Founders Brewing is a 7.8% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Dark Chocolate and Raspberries.

Description:
Big Lushious is a deep, rich stout that’s packed with flavor: roasted malts, all-natural dark chocolate, a subtle suggestion of burnt coffee grounds and a kiss of tart raspberries. At 7.8% ABV, it’s big, sumptuous and extravagant, but also balanced.

==Introduction==

Founders released this in small quantities to select places. While looking for other beers, I stumbled upon this little diamond in the rough. Founders is typically something we don’t often see around California. While looking for another beer, I included this one just to see how it was. Based on information I gather, this one is supposed to be a guilty pleasure type of beer hence the name and the label may allude to. So let us see if this is the case with the Big Luscious, Cheers!

Aromas:
Extremely Rich Raspberries, Extremely Rich Dark Chocolate, milk chocolate, brown sugar, milk sugar, mild coffee espresso, flan hints, vanilla, fudge chocolate cake, dark fruit raisins, plums, chocolate cherry cordials, dark cherries, roasted malts, Irish cream, Danish cookie notes, caramel chocolate pecan pie and raspberry truffles.

Flavors:
Extremely Rich dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, chocolate cake, fudge chocolate, chocolate cherry cordials, chocolate covered raspberries, chocolate raspberry,extremely rich dark fruit raspberries, dark cherries, currants, raisins, plums, blackberries, mild tart raspberry skins, vanilla caramel, caramel and pecan turtle truffles, anise hints, molasses, flan, cinnamon, brown sugar, earthy notes, cocoa powder, roasted malts, espresso notes, Irish cream, Danish cookie notes and toffee.

Aftertaste:
Rich Dark chocolate, Very rich raspberries, milk sugar, mocha hints, earthy hints, vanilla and caramel linger for a bit. No alcohol in the taste, Ridiculously easy to drink, Creamy and velvety mouthfeel, pitch black full body with like a crimson and brown head signifying more colors.

Overall:
This beer is exceedingly delicious. Like an actual raspberry chocolate cake. No joke, this beer is a legitimate chocolate and raspberry sugar coma. It is so ridiculously easy to drink that I was tempted to just drink the whole thing. It is very addicting. I give this one a super high rating due to how damn close it taste to liquid raspberries and chocolate syrup. A mild complexity. This beer could be stronger but it is not without its merits. I think however, because of it’s strong and lingering sweetness, it will definitely may not be enjoyed by those that do not have a sweet tooth for a beer like this. It is pretty damn sweet and fruity. So if you love very sweet and easy to drink dessert beers, then go for it. Just be careful not to finish the bottle right away. One of the best Raspberry Chocolate beers ever!

Anime Corner:
Kallen Stadtfeldt from Code Geass was used in this pairing since I wanted to use a character who’s colors correlate with the colors and the flavors of raspberries. While I have used Sakura Haruno from Naruto to do raspberry beers or mainly other girls with pink hair, Kallen seem to fit the bill here. The name of Big Luscious goes with how seductive this beer is to the palate. This beer is pure raspberry bliss so having Kallen be seductive in this instance was pretty much the way to go.

Sources:
http://wallpoper.com/images/00/28/24/36/code-geass_00282436.jpg
http://i.neoseeker.com/mgv/407272/272/32/konachancom_32646_code_geass_gun_kallen_stadtfeld.jpg

Marionberry Braggot by Rogue brewing

January 16, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Ancient Ale, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Asuka Shikinami Soryu, Braggot, Braggot style, Evangelion, honey, Mari Illustrious, Mari Illustrious Makinami, Marionberries, Marionberry Braggot, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rogue Ales, rogue brewing, Rogue Farms | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5* As far as Braggots go.

Marionberry Braggot by Rogue brewing is an 11.42% ABV Braggot brewed with marionberries and honey.

Label:
We made this braggot with our own marionberries, hops, barley, and honey. Situated across from 40 acres of Rogue hops, 119 Colonies of bees were carefully kept, fed, and smoked and the honey was uncapped, extracted, filtered and finally infused into a refreshing Marionberry Braggot.

17 INGREDIENTS: Rogue Farms Honey & Wildflower Honey; Rogue Farms Dare™, Risk™, Dare™ R-1, Dare™ R-3, Risk™ R-1, Risk™ R-3, Risk™ R-7, Maier Munich & C120 Malts; Rogue Farms Flaked Rye; Rogue Farms Rebel Hops; Rogue Farms Marionberries & Marionberry Juice; Free Range Coastal Water & Pacman Yeast.

==Introduction==

A Braggot is a style of fermented drink brewed in the 12th century. Blending spices, herbs, mead (honey wine) and beer. This is the first time I try a Braggot and frankly I don’t know what to expect. It is much closer to a mead and a beer so I will take it as I can. I have never had marionberry either but they do look a lot like dark raspberries or a blackberry. I can only apply so much of my beer expertise to this one and since it is a hybrid of a mead and beer, I can only do as best I can. Lets dig into this one shall we? Cheers!

Aromas:
Marrionberries?, Dark fruits like raisins, plums, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, earthy notes, rye bread, vanilla, caramel, honey, ginger spice, herbal notes, flowers, lavender, pomegranates, brown sugar and pecan pie, and milk chocolate.

Flavors:
Rich dark fruits like raisins, figs, marionberries?, dark cherry, raspberries, blackberries, currants, pomegranate, spices, rye bread, earthy notes, green tea, honey, herbs, toffee, biscuit bread, vanilla caramel, slight hint of flan, ginger spice, cinnamon hints, flowers, lavender, wild flower nectar, pecan pie and almond joy chocolate.

Aftertaste:
Leaving with some herbal yet sweet honey and rich berry sweetness behind with caramel, vanilla and earthy notes. No alcohol in the taste regardless of the ABV, dark brown body, easy to moderate drinkability despite the ABV and creamy, smooth and mildly syrupy mouthfeel.

Overall:
Since I can’t judge a Braggot since since this type of drink is so rare, I can only say for being my first kind I really like it and I think it is perfect. The rich flavors are sweet but there are is a sense of herbs and some hidden spices that balances everything out so it is not like an ale in that sense. This reminds me of Dogfish Head Forte in a way. Also, the alcohol is not even present which is concerning since it is easy to drink. Not that I would have a problem with it but trying to drink the whole thing would be like a night capper. For being the first Braggot I try, I definitely recommend it if you like fruit like ales or meads. I would gladly get this again.

Anime Corner:
Asuka Langley Shikinami/Sohryu and Mari Illustrious from Evangelion were used in this pairing to pair with the colors of the bottle, the color of the ingredients of the beer such as the variety of berries and the honey ofcourse. With the mix of Mari’s Brown hair (Body color), pink plug suit(Marionberries) and Asuka’s caramel colored hair(caramel and honey), Red plugsuit (Cherries and other dark fruits), Green plugs, (hops) and the birds (like the beers around the honey) this was the greatest pairing I could find for this beer. I really enjoyed the colors overall and the 12% ABV is mainly due to the fact that these 2 ladies are very very deadly and complete badasses. They are smooth as they are sexy but once they get you, your are done for!

Sources:
http://konachan.com/post/show?md5=9b816627b61bd4f0be82ec6d148452d5

Japanese Green Tea IPA collaboration by Baird, Stone and Ishii brewing

January 16, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Baird Beer, Baird brewing, collaboration, Collaboration beers, DIPA, Double India Pale Ale, Fuu Kasami, Green Tea, green tea beer, green tea ice cream, india pale ale, IPA, Ishii brewing, Japan Relief, Japanese Green Tea IPA, Samurai Champloo, Stone Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.2/5

Japanese Green Tea IPA collaboration by Baird, Stone and Ishii brewing is a 10.1% Double India Pale Ale brewed with Green Tea.

Label:
Our style of brewing has always been about taking chances. It’s an extension of our “what-if” mentality, wherein we ask ourselves what would happen if we did things di¬fferently in the brewhouse, such as fermenting with a di¬fferent strain of yeast or, in the case of this beer, incorporating whole-leaf green tea imported from Japan. The answer, embodied in this IPA when we first released it in 2011, was something truly magnificent, delicious and as proven by the reissued edition you hold in your hand in 2015, well worth brewing again. But what if we changed it up a bit? Yes, it’s riskier to change something most people thought to be liquid perfection, including out two-time collaborators Bryan Baird of Japan’s Baird Brewing Company and Toshi Ishiii, a former Stone brewer and the founder of Guam’s Ishii Brewing Co., but we’ve found that, when approached with cautious curiosity and logic-driven creativity, reward often follows such risk. So, in bringing this IPA back to life, we followed the same recipe developed four years ago, but exchanged Pacifica hops from New Zealand,a hop-growing region that was becoming quite popular in 2011, for Helga hops from Australia, an area with burgeoning botanical scene right now. The result is an IPA that’s as bright, herbaceous and bitingly hoppy as the one that’s had our fans requesting its return ever since its depletion from store shelves, but with a modern, hop-driven twist that makes this second draft unique and tasty in its own right.

==Introduction==

Oh My God It’s Back!! The Green Tea IPA is back! The one beer that actually managed to nail the green tea flavors. The original brew was made in support of the Japanese Tsunami from March 2011. I had received my first sample from my friend Julio who got me a bottle of this and had traded for a St. Bernardus back in 2011. This beer was very special and as I remember it was very delicious. It’s return and especially in a bigger quantity is baffling. I am hoping and praying and a return of the Chocolate Cherry Stout collab. That beer was damn out of this world and even aged well too. Well, let us take a look at the re-release, Cheers!

Aromas:
Green Tea, caramel, vanilla, grassy, piney, herbal, floral and mild grapefruit hops, stone fruit like lychee, apricot, pears, apple, guava, dragon fruit, green tea ice cream, mango, purple sweet potato ice cream, sweetened condenced milk, vanilla, oranges, tangerines, prickly pears, lemon grass and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Rich Green Tea Ice cream, vanilla, biscuit bread, grassy, piney, herbal, floral and mild grapefruit hops, garlic and oniony notes, citrus, pineapple, rich Green tea leaves, spearmint/yerba buena, sweetened condensed milk, strawberry notes, flan, dragon fruit, lychee, pears, apples, stone fruit hints, purple sweet potato ice cream, guava, tangerines, oranges, coriander spice, lemon peel, lemon grass, mango, pineapple hints and prickly pear.

Aftertaste:
Green tea, rich vanilla, caramel, sweetened condensed milk hints, rich hoppy, grassy notes, citrus and honey. No alcohol in the taste, clear golden body, creamy, crisp, refreshing and smooth mouthfeel, easy to drink. 10% really ain’t nothing for this beer.

Overall:
Damn perfect IPA. Just as good as what I can remember from when I first had it in 2011 but maybe better. It is like a fusion between an IPA and a Green Tea Ice cream. So far, it is showing me it is the best Double IPA in 2015 and very damn unique. The variety and change slightly in the recipe is showing me some stuff I have not seen before. I would highly recommend this one as it has become one of my favorite IPAs.

Anime Corner:
Fuu Kasami from Samurai Champloo was used in the original review way back in 2011. I chose her for the review in this pairing since I wanted to pair with the aspect of Japanese Culture and Green Tea. Fuu has a back up of Samurais by the names of Mugen and Jin so if she is in trouble they are there to protect. The overall aspect of Japanese influence in this beer is insane so the perfect pairing back then was just the one for this one too. Definitely even at 10%, it has Samurai Champloo all over it.

Sources:
http://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Fuu-Samurai-Champloo-165865071
http://denoro.deviantart.com/art/Fuu-78135233

The Czar from the Dictator Series by Avery Brewing

January 12, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Avery Brewing, currants, dark chocolate, dark fruit, Dictator Series, English toffee, Madou Koukaku, Russian Imperial Stout, sweet molasses, The Czar | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

The Czar from the Dictator Series by Avery Brewing is an 8.5% ABV Russian Imperial Stout.

Label:
Inhale the noble Hallertau hops, spicy and floral. Savor the flavors redolent of English toffee, rich mocha, sweet molasses, candied currants and a hint of anise. We highly recommend cellaring additional bottles, as the Czar will continue to mature and become denser and more complex with age.

==Introduction==

Available during the winter time, this is the first time I try this beer. I believe this is the last of the dictator series as I have tried the Kaiser, the Maharaja and now the Czar. I heard many great things about this beer so I am glad I was able to bring it here to the site. Come share with me the experience of this one as we explore another Russian Imperial Stout with the Czar himself. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, dark fruits raisins, currants, raspberry, blackberry, raisin bread pudding, molasses, smokey notes, anise, licorice, Belgian yeast bread notes, marzipan, brown sugar, pecan pie and candi sugar hints.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, Roasted coffee, vanilla, caramel, earthy hop notes, smokey notes, dark fruit raisins, currants, blackberries, raspberry, plums, raisin bread pudding, molasses, brown sugar, marzipan, pecan notes, toffee, marzipan, licorice, anise, Belgian candi sugar and grapes.

Aftertaste:
Mild roastiness, dark fruit still peeking through, caramel, molasses, earthy notes and dark chocolate. No alcohol in the taste, creamy mouthfeel, moderate to sipping drinkability and pitch black body.

Overall:
A very good stout with some prominent and complex amount of flavors. Since it is complex, the roasty and slightly smokey flavors do not dominate the the palate and are instead given way to some dark fruits. This reminds me a little bit like the Stillwater Artisanal Folklore in a sense as it somewhat drinks like a Belgian Stout but still has some roasty bitterness to balance everything out. I highly recommend this one.

Anime Corner:
Original Character from Madou Koukaku was used in this pairing since I wanted something to fit the whole aspect of the Soviet colors of Red. The Czar wore some very fancy military and country leader attire so I figure a character that would best fit the description would best fit the bill. Even if it seems a bit old, it is similar in the attire.

Sources:
http://armarium.org/u/2014/02/21/Ts5pG.jpg

2014 Big Hugs by Half Acre brewing

January 10, 2015 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, mecha hugs, Mithra, Spices, spicy aroma | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/5

2014 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.

==Introduction==

This is the second time I try this beer and this time it is at its freshest. Thanks to www.mybeercollectibles.com for helping me obtain this one as this one is nowhere to be found here in California. Although, from what I remember in the last time I reviewed this beer, it was awesome aged. This beer is still hard to find unless you live near Chicago or can trade for it. Either way, let us see how well the fresher one does here.

Label: https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/c74e2-bighugs2014_over-final.jpg

Aromas:
Fancy roasted coffee, espresso, Mocha, Java Kahlua, vinous grapes, dark fruits like raisins, prunes, plum hints, dark cherry, blackberry, currants, deep dark chocolate, hazelnut nectar, rock candy, Danish Cookies, oatmeal cookies, spices like ginger, herbal notes, brownies, peppercorns and tobacco.

Flavors:
Mocha, Fancy roasted coffee, espresso, vinous grape notes, java, Kahlua, caramel, vanilla, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, hazelnut nectar, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, molasses, walnuts, pecan pie, toffee, brownies, rock candy, peanut butter, Danish cookies, oatmeal cookies, peppercorn, tobacco, leather, smokey hints, brownies, spicy notes, herbal hints, complex coffee notes, earthy notes, dark cherry, black berries, and prailines.

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

Overall:
Damn, every time I try a different roasty variant from different companies such as Dark Matter or Portola Labs, they always have some really complex stuff. Like the fact that the coffee world is on its own level, just mixing it with some of these beers makes them that much more complex. Also the fact that this makes this one is just that much of an exceeding expectations kind of beer is just phenomenal. I really think the fresher the beer is better as you get more of the coffee complexity than what I did with the 2 year aged one. It is rather strange but I really feel like this was the case with this one.

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. The fact that she is an Ark Angel, she fits even more perfect with the Cat Angel of Death and the whole Big Hugs as she squeezes the orange Mythra representing the colors of the original Big Hugs cat. This beer is evil, Feline Evil.

****Update****:
Just like the surprise toy in the cereal boxes or the special prizes they have on those McDonalds cups, Peel the original label to get so much Win in this awesome label behind the Original. Yeah I really didn’t catch this until later. YAY BigHugs!! See, Ark Angel MR and regular Mithra are great friends!

Sources:
https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/564b9-chp6jf56bks039cj.jpg
http://oi62.tinypic.com/29zu35v.jpg

Voodoo Doughnut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale by Rogue Brewing

January 10, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Fruit Beer, fruit beers, Lemon Chiffon Crueller, lemon vanilla, marshmallows, Rogue Ales, rogue brewing, Rogue Farms, Sengoku Hime, vanilla beans, Voodoo Doughnut, Voodoo Doughnut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale, Voodoo Doughnuts | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Voodoo Doughnut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale by Rogue Brewing is a 6.9% ABV Fruit Ale brewed with lemon juice, vanilla beans and marshmallows.

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

A Collision of Crazies.

Rogue Ales has again collided with Voodoo Doughnut to create Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale! This unique artisan creation contains a baker’s dozen ingredients including lemon juice, vanilla bean, and marshmallows to match Voodoo’s Lemon Chiffon Crueller doughnut.

Food Pairing: Doughnuts, Desert

13 Ingredients:

Malts: 2-Row, Munich, & Rogue Farms Dare™ and Risk™

Hops: Perle, Sterling

Specialty: Lemon Juice, Lemon Extract, Vanilla Beans, Vanilla Extract, Marshmallows

Yeast & Water: Pacman Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water

Specs:

16 deg PLATO

20 IBU

78 AA

7 deg Lovibond

==Introduction==

The next installment of variants for Rogues Voodoo Doughnut beers. This time made in the form of a lemon chiffon crueller. I have no idea what a chiffon is but a quick google search talks about a pastry like a lemon cake. So I would assume this is supposed to be like a lemon merengue pie or lemon cake in a bottle. Of the other 3 variants, so far I really like the Chocolate raspberry pretzel and the Peanut buter banana ones. Lets see how this one plays out. Cheers!

Aromas:
Lemon cake, lemon merengue pie, marshmallow cream, vanilla, caramel, biwscuit bread, butterscotch, oranges, citrus, waffle cone, whipped cream, flan hints, doughnuts, banana notes, cookie dough, mint, lemon ice cream, orange creamcicle, piney hop notes and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Lemon candy, lemon drops, marshmallows, caramel, vanilla, lemon grass, biscuit bread, lemon merengue pie, orange preserves, orange peel, lemon and banana pound cake, pecan pie hints, piney hops, flan hints, marshmallow cream, whipped cream, banana hints, doughnut sugar, cookie dough, white grapes, peach, pears, mint, lemon peel and tangerines.

Aftertaste:
Sweet and tart lemon candy, marshmallow, vanilla, citrus and piney hops. No alcohol in the taste, clear gold body, creamy, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel and easy to drink.

Overall:
Very good ale to me but maybe off putting for some beer experts. They really nailed the whole lemon drop candy jelly doughnut aspect but maybe some of the sweetness may not be good for some and the lemon tartness may or may not be much. All in all I think this is worth the try and I personally like lemon and lemon candies but generally speaking, I like the raspberry pretzel chocolate and peanut butter banana ones better. Give it a try if you are willing.

Anime Corner:
Ashikaga Yoshiteru from Sengoku Hime was used in this pairing since I wanted to pair her with the colors of the beer mainly but also to show a small aspect of voodoo in relation to magic which can be seen by the mask she has. In Japanese lore, the flame next to the mask can be seen as one of the single flames from the pair of Will O’ Wisp which are known to follow the Yūrei which are like the equivalent of ghosts or spirits in Japan. In relation to the word Voodoo, that is almost in relation to the dead or bringing the dead back to life. It sort of fits although, Voodoo Doughnuts are merely magical since they are delicious.

Sources:
http://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/234222-1280×720-sengoku+hime+4-long+hair-wide+image-blonde+hair-red+eyes-game+cg.png

Tricerahops by Ninkasi brewing

January 10, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged DIPA, Double India Pale Ale, india pale ale, IPA, MLP, Ninkasi, Ninkasi Brewing, Queen Chrysalis, Tricerahops | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Tricerahops by Ninkasi brewing is an 8% ABV Double Indial Pale Ale.

Label:
Tricerahops is double everything you already love in an IPA. More hops, more malt body and a higher gravity define this Double India Pale Ale. Fiercely flavorful, guaranteed to satisfy.

==Introduction==

A beer I have seen for a number of times but didn’t pick up until one day I said, meh, what the hell. Ninkasi brewing makes some awesome beers and so far I have been fortunate to try their Maiden the Shade and Vanilla Oatis. Today I bring their Double IPA to the site. Ninkasi has been a recent find here in California and was not the case in the past. People have asked me about this beer advising that it was really awesome. So I figured I put it to the test. Let’s take a peek, cheers!

Aromas:
Oranges, caramel, honey, floral, grapefruit, grassy, piney and herbal hops, toffee, butterscotch, stone fruits like peach and apricot, brown sugar, pineapple, dragon fruit, honey dew melon, lots of citrus, lemon peel, dank oniony and garlic notes and flowers.

Flavors:
Caramel, honey, Grapefruit, grassy, piney, floral and herbal hops, peach, apricot, tangerine, dragon fruit, mango, rye bread, lychee, pineapple, butterscotch, biscuit bread, garlic and oniony notes, sweet flan hints, orange marmalade, toffee, herbal notes, flowers, lemon peel, guava hints, vanilla hints, oregano, yerba buena/spearmint and good amount of brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Caramel, citrus, rye bread, mango, piney herbal and grapefruit hops linger. No alcohol in the taste, crisp, refreshing and almost creamy mouthfeel, clear golden amber body and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very delicious and perfect DIPA in the category of more malty and caramel like with enough hops to balance everything out. It is almost like the east coast style but not as citrusy. Unlike the tropical IPAs I really enjoy, this one I enjoyed since it was pretty balanced. This is almost at the realm of Hop Stoopid as it is super balanced with hops and malty sweetness. Despite those that are to the more extreme hop side and me who enjoys more tropical IPAs, I really liked what this one had to offer and therefore highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Queen Chrysalis from MLP was used in this pairing mainly to pair with the colors of the label but also the invigorating power of the hops. You can see how the teals and greens kind of meld together in this beer making for one super strong Double IPA. I do not know much about the character but I figured she worked well with this pairing as I am sure being the antagonist comes with supreme power (Hops and ABV) even if she looks damn innocent (Sweet malt yet hoppy balance). Also She looks like a damn dragon and dragons are cool so there! She also has that whole Maleficent thing going on.

Sources:
http://bakki.deviantart.com/art/Chrysalis-404431680

Lupulus Classique Noir D’Ardennes by Brasserie Les 3 Fourquets

January 10, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged ardennes mountains, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, belgium beer, Brasserie Les 3 Fourquets, Hatsune Miku, Humble Wolf, Humulus Lupulus, Lupulus, Lupulus Classique Noir D'Ardennes, The 3 Boiling Kettles, vocaloid | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.55/5

Lupulus Classique Noir D’Ardennes by Brasserie Les 3 Fourquets is an 8.5% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale.

Label:
Top-fermented beer, crafted with inspiration.

==Introduction==

“Humulus Lupulus” or as translated better, the “Humble Wolf” is the main mascot for the hidden Farm of a brewery in Ardennes Belgium. This is the first time I try a beer from Les 3 Fourquets or The 3 Boiling Kettles and I really wanted to find it when my friend Richard showed this one to me. Now that I finally got it, I will give it a shot and let you know what I find. Cheers!

Aromas:
Oak, herbal and floral hop hints, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, tart cherries, raspberries, vanilla, oak, chardonay, funky wine grapes, peppercorn, brown sugar, rye, citrus, dark candi sugar, orange preserves, butterscotch, lavender, licorice and waffle cone.

Flavors:
Dulce de leche Caramel, Dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, funky wine grapes, caramel, oak, mild tart lemon, peppercorn, molasses, Belgian candi sugar, white grape, lavender, herbal notes, vanilla, butterscotch, old orange preserves, rye bread, anise, licorice, tart raspberry, blackberries, waffle cone, floral notes, grapefruit hints, pecan pie and trail mix.

Aftertaste:
Funky grape, dark fruits, oak, vanilla, caramel, anise, licorice, wine grapes and earthy notes but mainly finishes dry. No alcohol in the taste, medium to full body, sipping drinkability and creamy mouthfeel.

Overall:
A very good Dark and mildly Tart Belgian. This beer was surprising. I was expecting a Sweet Abbey style Dark Belgian but what I got fits exactly with the whole wolf in the woods in the land where the Brewery is in Ardennes Belgium. You see, this beer is almost like a Dark Strong ale and Belgian Pale Ale Cuvee. The flavors of what makes each of those individual characteristics great using the hops and the dark candi sugars is what compliments this fine beer. I was dumb founded at first but the more I tried it the more I liked it. I would recommend a try if you really wanna get this as it is quite unique.

Anime Corner:
Vocaloid Hatsune Miku as Little Red Riding Hood was fitted perfectly in this little pairing for many reasons. Being the first beer from Les 3 Fourquets, the whole aspect of the forest, the wolf from the brewery trying to find little red riding hood and the color of her hair fits with the whole lupulus. If you look closely, you can see the wolf in the background but then again, Miku looks pretty evil herself. What if she is the true wolf in the woods disguising herself like the sweet innocent wolf looks like in the label. That is the mystery and hence why this beer is a mystery in flavors of nature as well.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/1641460

Chocolate Hazelnut Porter (CHP) by Heretic brewing

January 9, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged American Porter, Chocolate, chocolate hazelnut, Chocolate Hazelnut Porter, CHP, dark chocolate, hazelnut, Heretic brewing, milk Chocolate, Naruto, Tayuya | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.65/5

Chocolate Hazelnut Porter (CHP) by Heretic brewing is a 7% ABV American Porter brewed with natural flavors.

Label:
Chocolate hazelnut Porter was the very first beer I entered in competition. It took 3rd place and gave me feedback on what I could do to improve. This sparked my passion for using competition to improve my brewing. The next time it took 1st place and eventually a Best of Show award. This is just something wonderful about the combination of rich chocolate and toasty hazelnut. When I started Heretic, people asked when we would release Chocolate Hazelnut Porter, but we had to be patient. Like that first award winning beer, I had to make sure the one in this bottle was perfect before we could release it. Many brews and tastings later, I am proud to offer you this rich, chocolaty, nutty, dessert in a glass. -Jamil Zainasheff

==Introduction==

I’ve seen some of the Heretic beers around but this one really caught my attention. I rally like sweet beers so chocolate hazelnut really sounded like an awesome mix. This would probably remind me of the Rogue Hazelnut Nectar, I thought. So I picked it up and brought it for a review here on the site. If you have tried this one let me know what you think, but here is what I think, let us take a look shall we? Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, hazelnut, brown sugar, mocha hints, smokey notes, roasted coffee, graham cracker, peanut butter hints, caramel, molasses and dark fruit hints.

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, milk chocolate, peanut butter hints, hazelnut, roasty coffee notes, pecan pie, marshmallows, smokey notes, graham cracker, oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies, caramel, vanilla, mocha hints, notes of dark fruit raisins, dark cherry hints, brown sugar, molasses and anise.

Aftertaste:
Earthy notes, roasted coffee, hazelnut, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla and pecan pie hints. No alcohol in the taste, smooth and creamy mouthfeel, dark full body and moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very good beer which showcases a lot of sweet complexities but also emphasizes a roasty and smokey like character that balances it out over all. As it warms up, more of the sweeter chocolate and hazelnut flavors do tend to come out more frequently. While the beer is not as super complex and rich as other beers it still has enough to get things going and mainly still be considered a very nice dessert beer that would pair with other desserts. A must try.

Anime Corner:
Tayuya from Naruto was chosen in this pairing to pair with the motto of the beer. Release your Inner Heretic. There is a hidden evil yet deliciousness about the beer, but Tayuya has been used in several pairings to express something evil hidden. Some of the beers I have used to pair with Tayuya have been bitter or smokey in a sense as she brims with the hidden fires of her cursed form which you can see what it looks like. Sweet on the outside but dark and roasty on the inside. The beer kind of fits as the flavors of Chocolate and Hazelnut are presented in the beer and then shift into the roasty and smokiness to balance everything out.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/1331583#full
http://static.zerochan.net/Tayuya.full.626165.jpg

Smashing Pumpkin Ale by Avila Ales

January 9, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Avila Ales, Cinnamon, Cinnamon Sticks, Fairy Tail, Fairy Tale, ginger bread, Home brewing, Lucy Heartfilia, Mr & Mrs. Richard Avila, pumpkin ale, Pumpkin beer, pumpkin flesh, Smashing Pumpkin | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.65/5

Smashing Pumpkin Ale by Avila Ales is a 5.5% ABV Pumpkin Ale brewed with Pumpkin Flesh and Cinnamon Sticks.

==Introduction==

It is way past fall and well, were are still technically in winter but even then, when it comes to home brew, any style is great on any time of the year. My friends Richard and Megan Avila allowed me the opportunity not only to get to bring this beer to the site but also get involved in what was their first All Grain Brew process. I was glad I was able to have a very small part in the creation of this nice all grain pumpkin beer. This has inspired me to finally step up to the plate and start brewing my own beers. I will soon have a first batch to present but for the meantime, let us check this amazing fall beer. By the way home brewers, while my friend did get the original recipe from Northern Brewing, his addition of ingredients slightly tweaks the recipe so this review may help as to what to expect if you brew it similarly. Cheers!
(http://www.northernbrewer.com/…/smashing-pumpkin-ale-all-gr…)

Aromas:
Cinnamon, pumpkin, vanilla, honey, biscuit bread, sugar, citrus, ginger hints, pecans, caramel, maple and clove spice.

Flavors:
Pumpkin Flesh, Piloncillo, cinnamon, milk sugar, vanilla, honey, citrus hints, toffee, maple hints, clove spice, banana hints, peanut butter hints, sweet potato, caramel, biscuit bread, hazelnut, pecan pie, earthy hop notes, ginger bread and nutmeg.

Aftertaste:
Pumpkin flesh, cinnamon,earthy hop notes, ginger bread and honey. No alcohol in the taste, honey brown light to medium body, light creamy and crisp mouthfeel and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very good pumpkin beer. When I first tried it at a colder temperature, you can definitely a small amount of bitterness while still tasting the pumpkin flesh and cinnamon complexity. However, once it got warmer, that is when the magic happened. The more complex flavors really started to shine and was way more enjoyable that way. Definitely a great beer to homebrew.

Anime Corner:
Lucy Heartfilia from Fairy Tale was used in this pairing mainly to pair with the pumpkin, fall and Halloween aspects that are brought from these pumpkin beers which is the obvious. While I didn’t show the smashing of pumpkins, the word smashing in English context can also be seen similar to the work awesome or excellent. If the name of the beer was smashing pumpkins, well, we can say that the smashing pumpkin is the one next to Lucy and Lucy has some smashing pumpkins. I leave you to figure that out.

Sources: http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/…/i…/4/45/LucyYummyFanart.png

(Brewerianimelogs Food Pairing) Chocolate Rain (2014 Release) by the Bruery with Chocolate Marble Cheese Cake.

January 1, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged best beers in the world, Black Tuesday, Bleach, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Brewerianimelogs Food Pairing, cheese cake, chocolate chip cookies, Chocolate Marble Cheesecake, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, dessert, Dulce de leche, Food pairings, Good Food, Marble Cheese Cake, Tcho cocoa nibs, The Bruery, vanilla beans, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

As a small addition to my usual reviews of beer tastings, I will now and again try to incorporate some food parings for some beers. Seeing as this is the start of the new year, I figured I write something small about a beer and dessert pairing. Not many people do this and some have way more experience than I do. However, with my knowledge of beer tasting I will try to figure out how the dynamics of adding foods to beers change the experience. Brewerianimelogs food pairings will only be a short segment though. Cheers!

Food Pairing:
Bringing in the new year, I had some cheese cake left over in the fridge and I thought to myself, how awesome would chocolate rain fit with a cheese cake. The results were very nice and surprising. The Chocolate Rain (2014 Release) by the Bruery is an 18.5% ABV Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with TCHO Cacao Nibs and Vanilla Beans and was aged for about a year. Upon trying the Chocolate Marble Cheesecake, the strong bourbon characters become subtle allowing the rest of the complex flavors of the chocolate and vanilla to meld with the Chocolate and Cheesecake. The experience is much better than the beer alone and in some cases, it seems the age has made beer much stronger and cutting away some of the excess sweetness. So trying it with the cheese cake balances out the alcohol but provides some depth to the cheese cake and the beer that otherwise would not have been taken by themselves. It is pretty damn amazing and almost milk shake, flan, dulce de leche and tres leches rich but not super sweet. This beer definitely fits the category of dessert enhancer and would pair great with just about any dessert. January 1st also marks a special day for Yoruichi Shihouin, which is my mascot for this beer as shown in the original review below. Hope you enjoyed this small review, cheers!

Anime and Beer Review:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/chocolate-rain-2014-release-by-the-bruery/

2014 Black Damnation III Black Mes by De Struise Brouwers

December 31, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 1995 Caol Ila (MES) Bourbon Whisky Barrels, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Battleship-Symbiotic Hime, Belgian imperial Stout, Black Albert, Black Damnation III, Black Damnation Series, Black Mes, Caol Ila Bourbon Whiskey, De Struise, De Struise Brouwers, Imperial Stout, Kancolle/Kantai Collection, whisky barrels | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/5 *Last Rating/Review of 2014

2014 Black Damnation III Black Mes by De Struise Brouwers is a 13% ABV Belgian Imperial Stout aged for 3 months in 1995 Caol Ila (MES) Bourbon Whisky Barrels.

Label:
The Black Damnation series is a dark twist of Urban’s mind. His idea is to realize a dozen beers with the use of Black Albert, and over a period of two years, that are as black as hell, filthy rich in the nose and with a massive taste.

A massive Stout from Flanders
BD 666 Imperial Stout

==Introduction==

Time for another year to begin. It has been a great 2014 and more beers to come in 2015. This beer comes to me from www.craftshack.com which only had a very limited amount and I was only able to snag a single bottle. There a demand for the Black Damnation Series that I was never aware of and this is the first time I try it. The only thing is the price tag on this one (about $40-50 a bottle). I have seen this one in the past but I have never stooped to get it. Since it is the Holidays and I wanted to really see if this type of beer was worth the hype, I decided to splurge and bring it forth here so we can see if this bottle is truly its gold in price.

Thank you all for following me this far for almost 5 years since I started doing my own reviews for friends and then jumped to do them for the public and those who appreciate the true works of art and flavor experience. Cheers to you and your families, Have a Happy New Year and hope to bring more beers in the future to the site. Many thanks to my greats friends such as Aaron from Texas who has been hooking me up with great beers from his region, William and Richard who’s great home brews has sparked my motivation to start my own home brews soon and the beginning of NubisSanctum Ales. To you the readers, my family and friends, Bless you all and Hope to have a great 2015, cheers!!

Aromas:
Very Rich Dark Fruits and berries such as Raisins, Currants, Figs, Plums, Black Cherries, Raspberries, Pomegranite, Blackberries, Blueberries,Boysenberries,Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, Strawberry Preserves, Toasted Rye Bread, Dulce De leche Caramel, Vanilla, Oak, Whiskey, Port Wine, Grapes, Bananas, Clove spice, Anise, Molasses, Licorice hints, Flan, Three Milks Cake, Blackberry Cheese Cake, Smokey Campfire hints, Marshmallow smores, Coconut hints, brown sugar, hazelnut, Black Cherry Yogurt, leather, tobacco and more.

Flavors:
Rich Dark Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, White Chocolate, German Chocolate, Rich Dark Fruits like raisins, plums, figs, Dark currants, Dark Cherries, Black Cherry, Boysenberries, Pomegranite, Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, currants, mango hints, dragon fruit, blackberry cheese cake, Rich Black Cherry Yogurt, prailines, raisin bread pudding,hazelnuts, bananas, clove hints, Port Wine, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, deep smokey oak, marshmallow smores, campfire smokey hints, strawberry preserves, rye bread, milk sugar, maple, molasses, anise, roasted coffee, mocha, Kahlua, whisky, subtle coconut hints, pecan pie, leather, tobacco, licorice hints, cookie dough, oreo cookies, Cherry Dr. Pepper hints, earthy notes, flan, 3 leches/3 milks cake, brown sugar and ambrosia.

Aftertaste:
Leaving Rich Dark fruits and berry flavors, roasted coffee, earthy notes, leather, tobacco, oak, caramel, dark chocolate, dark cherry yogurt and whiskey notes that linger for a very, very, very, VERY LONG TIME. Yeah, it is pretty damn rich no doubt. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black as night body, syrupy yet super smooth mouthfeel, scarily easy to drink despite the ABV.

Overall:
A damn phenomenal beer that Drinks like a Dark Lord Imperial Stout but maybe even more. One of the Best Belgian Imperial Stouts. So infused with so many complex fruity yet dark flavors and pretty much drinks like a special syrup that just taints the taste beds to no end leaving such a mark of sweetness and roasty complexity that keeps going. Maybe damnation isn’t too far off as you been damn with a complex level of sweetness that just keeps evolving. WOW…Is it worth the ridiculous price? No way, then again maybe worth a try once. I think the only justification is the fact that it is an import after all. Trying at least one of the bottles is worth just a try if you really want to. However, if you have tried a heavy Russian Imperial Stout like Darkness, Dark Lord, Black Hole Sun, Serpent’s Stout and others, just infuse it with rich dark fruits and great Belgian Dark Stout Arts and oh yeah, 20 year old super fancy whiskey, then you will likely have this one although I can’t get over how damn smooth this one was. It drank way to easy and was damn scary. For something this high quality, maybe there is a reason for the price. You be the judge really, all I can say, You Only Craft Beer Whale Once…

Anime Corner:
Battleship Symbiotic Hime from Kantai Collection/ KanColle was used in this pairing since I wanted to display many aspects of the beer. The Flavors of the beer can be expressed through the colors where she , the Symbiotic Hime stands on Skulls as she takes in a drink. She also represents the dark but also the fruity crimson of dark fruit complexity from this beer. She is damn sexy! It is hard to see which best represents the Black Damnation aspect as well as the aging process it took for this beer to come to fruition. The skulls and machinery pairs well with the label as the skull almost looks like it is part of a machine. The schematics and wiring of the label are almost as complex as the dark recesses of the human mind. They also look digital in a way like the matrix. Like drinking something like this may break the code of reality, or something like that. Pretty much sums up the complexity of the beer in almost every aspect of the experience. Regardless of what it is, Symbiotic Hime represents the damnation like that of hell or the Devil’s water which is fits the beer over all. The reason I chose all of this including this beer as the last for 2014 has to do mainly with the unknown. We don’t know how complex the future will be as the years come and even in the height of the the uncertain and complex unknown future, we can take our past experiences with us and embrace whatever comes. Don’t see is as being damn for 2015, see this as a window of unlimited opportunities, good and bad for all as we hurdle and waltz through this complex reality called Life…and as we go, we an have more beers, so… Cheers!

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/zPK1DVh.jpg
http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/194/f/0/abysmal_area__3_by_flaurel-d7qjxjk.jpg

The Belly Rub collaboration by Project Co-op Brew and Sleepy Dog Brewing

December 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 101 Dalmatians, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Belgian Tripel, bourbon, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, Disney, Project Co-op brew, rye bread, Sleepy Dog Brewery, The Belly Rub, Tripel, white wine grapes | 2 Comments

Rating: 5.45/5

The Belly Rub collaboration by Project Co-op Brew and Sleepy Dog Brewing is a 10% ABV Belgian Tripel aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
You know that satisfying good feeling you get when your belly gets rubbed? Yeah… like that. So go ahead have a sip, sit back, paws up, and say, “hahh haahh haah.”

==Introduction==

I have over looked this beer many times and did not really bother to get although I really liked the label. There was always something else I wanted to try but recently I saw it again and I thought to myself, I have to get it now or miss the chance. I said screw it! So here we are with the little dalmatian on the label. Looks like Disney may have over looked this one as the little puppy resembles one of the 101 dalmatians. Disney selling beer? Nah, no way! Anyway, here you have it. This Belgian Triple is aged in Bourbon Barrels. I have not tried many Tripels aged in Bourbon so trying this I hope it is as awesome as some of the other great BBA beers I have tried in the past. Let’s try out this one shall we? Cheers!

Aromas:
Stone fruit apricots, peaches, plums, mango, white raisins, white wine grapes, peppercorn, biscuit bread, rye bread, butterscotch, Danish cookies, graham crackers, bourbon, marshmallow, brown sugar, pilloncillo sugar cone, sweeteened condensed milk and brettanomyces possibly from the oak.

Flavors:
Rich Stone fruit Apricots, Peaches, old mango, apples, pine apple, guava hints, Biscuit bread, Oak, Bourbon, vanilla, caramel, honey, phenolic notes, bananas, sour white wine grapes, orange preserves on rye bread, brettanomyces hints, waffle cone, graham crackers, brown sugar, pecan pie hints, sweetened condensed milk hints, butterscotch hints, buttery Danish cookies, White Raisins, floral notes, lemon peel, peppercorn hints, citrus, farm house hay hint, marshmallow, coconut hints, dried plums, Pilloncillo Sugar cone and cane sugar.

Aftertaste:
Apricots, White Wine grapes, caramel, waffle cone, bourbon hints, Danish cookies, honey, citrus and biscuit bread lingers. No alcohol in the taste, Hazy Golden medium body, moderate and creamy body and moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A bit over the perfect mark. This beer is pretty pleasant allowing a good amount of honey and stone fruit sweetness along with the mild tart citrus and apricot notes and more. Something about the aging process or maybe the type of bourbon used here pairs it well to unleash the rich Stone fruit flavors. I would definitely recommend this as this thing oozes with a lot of Stone fruit flavors and oak. A great tripel and the bourbon barrel aging just does its wonders.

Anime Corner:
Original Dalmatian Girl by Hirano Katsuyuki was chosen for this pairing to go with the little cute dalmatian puppy. It really looks like a Disney character. Also, trying to find something that would pair with the label was hard to find. Not only could I hardly find a cute anime girl but a Dalmatian one at that. I only found it in one place but you can see how well it pairs especially as she approaches the beer. The beer gives a Belly rub from the inside and definitely please man’s best friends search for great beer. I am not sure if dogs drinking beer is good, but it seems to make them happy. Overall very cute

Sources:
http://boostfire.deca.jp/illust/illust48.jpg

Five Wee Heavy Bells by Karl Strauss

December 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 12 Beers of Christmas, Amy Mizuno, Five Wee Heavy Bells, Fruit Cake, Holiday Ale, Holiday Fruit Cake Ale, Karl Strauss, Makoto Kino, Minako Aino, Rei Hino, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, Sailor moon, Sailor Venus, Scotch Ale, Serina Usagi Tsukino, Twelve Beers of San Diego Christmas, Wee Heavy, Winter Warmer | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Five Wee Heavy Bells by Karl Strauss is a 9.5% ABV Holiday Wee Heavy/Scotch Ale.

Label:
The next pioneering release in our “Twelve days” series gets its name from the five famous bells of Mission San Diego de Alcala; whose “golden rings” can only be heard in unison once a year. Five Wee Heavy Bells is a smooth, malty scotch ale with rich caramel flavors and a warming finish. The beer’s malt sweetness is balanced by pronounced scotch characteristics; carefully developed by aging the beer on scotch-soaked American oak chips. Whether you enjoy your bottle now or let it age for celebrations to come, Five Wee Heavy Bells is perfect for the holidays.

==Introduction==

The 5th release if the 12 Christmas beers of San Diego is now available in time for the Holidays. I have finally had a chance to bring the 5th one forward while all the other ones have been awesome indeed. I have yet to find a bottle of Dos Tortugas Quadrupel but that is okay as I have had it on draft. This makes me wonder if I should ever find a pairing for that one. Oh well, one of these days I am sure. Anyways, they decided to bring forth a Wee Heavy Style. This is an awesome style that does not get enough praise due to it being an uncommon style. Still, I have tried many Wee Heavy Ales in the past but this one intrigues me as it says it is a Holiday spiced one. We shall see then. Join me this holiday to take a look at this one and see what we find. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich fruit cake notes, dark fruit raisins, sugar plums, figgy pudding, red velvet cake, cinnamon, Stotch hints, butterscotch, dulce de leche caramel, maple, flan hints, smoked peat, malty cereal, marshmallow smotes, graham crackers, all spice, nutmeg, bananas, hazelnut, coffee cake, mocha and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Rich Dark Fruit raisins, sugar plums, dark cherry, Rich Fruit cake, Red Velvet cake, pecan pie, figgy pudding, butterscotch, toffee, vanilla, caramel, maple, biscuit bread, malty cereal, Scotch, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, bananas, smoked peat, anise, dulce de leche caramel, flan hints, marshmallow smores, mocha hints, hazelnut, mocha, peaches and cream, coffee cake and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Rich toffee, butterscotch, rye bread, leather, maple, fruit cake, dark fruits raisins, dark cherries, biscuit bread, and coffee cake. No alcohol in the taste, creamy, silky and smooth mouthfeel, crimson amber clear body with a drinkability that is definitely moderate.

Overall:
Damn perfect Wee Heavy. It is like they took a Wee Heavy and pretty much added the holiday spices too it making like a Wee Heavy Winter Warmer, or so I think. The beer is great just like their other holiday beers. I enjoyed this one especially for the style. I will definitely recommend this one if you like nice holiday ales and especially Wee Heavy Scotch Ales.

Anime Corner:
All 5 Sailor Scouts from Sailor Moon were used in this pairing to pair with the 5 Wee Heavy Bells as each wears a pendant like wearing a bell. Their transformations depend on it. The different colors are the different variety of flavors but also the whole color aspect is primarily what makes Christmas. This beer is almost magical on its own.

Sources:
http://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/390164-1920×1200-bishoujo+senshi+sailor+moon-toei+animation-tsukino+usagi-sailor+moon-aino+minako-sailor+venus.jpg

2014 Preservation Series Oaked Old Richland by The Bruery

December 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged American Barleywine, barley wine, Barleywine, dragon fruit, Final Fantasy IX, Freya Crescent, Hoppy beer, Oak aged, Oaked Old Richland, passion fruit, Preservation Society, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

2014 Preservation Series Oaked Old Richland by The Bruery is an 11.1% ABV Hoppy American Barley Wine aged in Wine Oak Barrels.

Label:
Our version of an American Barleywine, Old Richland is quite hoppy with a caramel-like malt base that finishes with a hint of woodiness. Best when consumed fresh as the hop character will dimminish with age.

==Introduction==

Obtained through the Preservation Society membership which is the one that sends 3 beers quarterly. Now since this is the last one of the year and only one sent per membership, I wanted to bring this one forward as this was the last one they released for the year in general. This one is a hoppy barley wine so I assume it will be nothing like the MASH series and more of it’s own beer. The fact that they used a variety of hops (Simcoe, Centennial and Sterling) may make this one super hoppy. The aging in thw ine oak barrels may bring out some of that hidden fruitiness though. We will see, come follow me and let’s take a close look, cheers!

Aromas:
Strong herbal, floral, citrus, piney, grassy and grapefruit hops, vanilla, oak, toffee, caramel, roasted peanuts, peanut butter roast hints, smokey oak, brown sugar, old mango, pineapple, peppercorns, marshmallow smore hints, wine grape hints, almond, pecans, stone fruit apricots, rye bread, leather, passion fruit, honey dew melon and dragon fruit.

Flavors:
Citrus, Piney, Grassy, Grapefruit and floral hops, vanilla, caramel, oak, toffee, apples, smoke hints, graham cracker smores, old mango, pine apple, dragon fruit, honey, stone fruit apricots, rye bread, lemon peel, almond, pecans, earthy hops, marshmallow hints, peppercorn, floral notes, herbs, peanut butter hints, roasty peanuts, wine grapes, orange preserves, honey dew melon and passion fruit hints.

Aftertaste:
Such a bitter and hoppy finish definitive of the barley wines, caramel, oak, toffee, peanuts, vanilla, earthy, piney and citrus hops linger for a bit. No Alcohol in the taste, clear to medium amber brown body, moderate to sipping drinkability and slightly syrupy yet smooth mouthfeel.

Overall:
True to that west coast style Barley wine. Drinks almost like a malty IPA but with lots of hoppy goodness going for it. Quite frankly, I think this is the most hoppy I have ever had from the Bruery and typically, they say no to IPAs or bitter beers. Despite the fact that the wine oak is subtle due to the HOP Super Presence. You still get notes of it.. Such a great beer and best fresh too as this is possible the freshest I have had from them (hop wise). If you would like this beer, I am unsure if you need to trade for it or if they will have extras like they did with Ignis Fatuus which hopefully they will. I can definitively recommend this one if you love close to IPA hopped Barleywines.

Anime Corner:
Freya Crescent from Final Fantasy 9 was brought back for this pairing with the Bruery since she is a favorite character of mine from the series. I this pairing I tried to pair with the colors of the label but also the flavors of the beer. Freya has the perfect colors of the beer as well as the sweet caramel flavors. She is ready for battle to decimate the flavors of the palate with a barrage of sweet and Bitter hops. You can see this from the greens of her clothing which represents the hops and the reds the caramel. The Oak as seen in the armored purple version of Freya brings forth the flavors of the wine and dark fruit like characters while the floating javelins represent the onslaught of hop madness inducing the taste buds all at once and yet being alleviated by the malty sweetness which is poured in like rain.

Sources:
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g289/Aevitas7/Final%20Fantasy/freya_thief.png
http://oi59.tinypic.com/veci2g.jpg

2014 Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale by Unibroue

December 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 2014 Trader Joe's Vintage Ale, Belgian beer, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Style, Canada Beers, Fate Night Stay, Fate Stay Night, Fate Zero, Irisviel von Einzbern, Saber, Spices, Trader Joe's, Unibroue | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

2014 Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale by Unibroue is a 9% ABV Belgian Dark Strong Ale brewed with Spices and Natural Flavors.

Label:
Unique and limited edition, this Belgian style ale is crafted once a year as a special treat for those of you who appreciate flavorful, bottle-conditioned ale with character.

Our Vintage Ale is a rich, dark and full-bodied ale with a fine and generous coffee-colored, beige foam. It’s ready to enjoy right away and you may also wish to cellar a few bottles. It will evolve interestingly well, developing more complex flavors as the years go by. Keep the bottle upright in storage.

Brewed with a delicate balance of noble hops, Roasted malts and spices, this is a remarkably smooth ale with a wonderfully complex finish. It is best served slightly chilledaround 53 degrees Fahrenheit and pairs exceptionally well with grilled salmon steaks, curried lamb, beef or tuna au poivre. Crafted and bottled exclusively for Trader Joe’s

==Introduction==

Trader Joe’s is not a typical store I usually visit as it is nowhere near my home. That and the fact that I usually go to other shops to get special beers. My friend Richard told me about this beer at the Trader Joe’s and advised that this one would be good to try. Trader Joe’s has always had good selection according to Richard. I can definitely vouch for that as he used to work for them back when craft beer was hardly in the major stores but now see them more often. So since I really like Unibroue, I definitely had to see what this one was about. So here we go, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruits like raisins, figs plums, dark cherry, vanilla, coffee, phenolic notes, dark candi sugars, brown sugar, port wine notes, stone fruit hints like apricots, pears, apples, dulce de leche caramel, oats, molasses, anise, and cola notes.

Flavors:
Dulce de leche caramel, Coffee, Oats, molasses, dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, dark cherries, brown sugar, vanilla, caramel, port wine, cola notes, candi sugars, anise, raisin bread pudding, bananas, clove spice, pears, apricots, apples, grapes, pecan pie, phenolic notes, rum hints and wheat bread.

Aftertaste:
Dark fruits linger along with port wine notes, stone fruit hints, candi sugar and coffee. No alcohol in the taste, smooth and creamy mouthfeel, moderate drinkability and pitch black body.

Overall:
This is a very good Belgian Dark Strong reminding me of some of Unibroue’s best, like Trois Pistoles. This taste similar to Trois Pistoles but not as through as that one. I still think it is a great ale and you should try it if you happen to stop by a Trader Joe’s. However, if you don’t get the chance, just go with Unibroue’s other beers as those are more widely common and just as great if not way better. A great Belgian beer none the less.

Anime Corner:
Irisviel von Einzbern and Saber from Fate Zero were used in this pairing to represent the collaboration of Trader Joe’s and Unibroue. Unibroue is Irisviel and Trader Joe’s is Saber. Together bring about an awesome Belgian style that reminds me a lot of Trois Pistoles. As you can see this fits since they are inside what appears to be an abbey or a church or even monastery. The darkness in their eyes and colors represents the Belgian arts of great Dark Strong Ales with the fruity complex. Not too bad for some bad ass collaborations.

Sources:
http://tp.hellodm.cn/data/attachment/forum/201301/10/210543bvvvhvvyvlhw0vmy.jpg

2014 Bourbon Barrel Aged Magnificat by Monkish brewing

December 24, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, belgian ales, Belgian beer, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Christmas ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged, California Beers, christmas beer, dark chocolate, Holiday Ale, Holiday Fruit Cake Ale, Magnificat, Metroid, monkish, monkish brewing, Nintendo, Samus | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

2014 Bourbon Barrel Aged Magnificat by Monkish brewing is a 12.6% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Holiday/Christmas Ale brewed with holiday spices and aged in bourbon barrels.

Description:
Following the traditions of Belgian Noel beers, Magnificat is our first offering of a Christmas beer. Like a Belgian-style strong dark or quadruple ale, this dark beer has a rich, silky malt profile of caramel and roasted malts, rye, and oats, and reveals complementary accents of dark stone fruits and spices from our Belgain yeast. And to create that liquid-Christmas experience, the beer is spiced with clover honey, sweet and orange peels, coriander seed, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Aged in bourbon barrels for 10 months.

==Introduction==

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all in the world. Another year is almost done and more beers to come for next year. Monkish Brewing in Torrance has released it’s, what I believe is, first bourbon barrel aged beer for Christmas. Only 50 cases of this was released to the public so if you want to get your hands on this winter warmer of a quad like dessert, visit them for sure. For being one of those breweries that is specifically inspired by the awesome works of Belgian beers, this is an awesome brewery. Cheers to another year of beers and have a Merry Christmas. Here is to you and your loved ones, Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Dulce de leche caramel, fruit cake, vanilla, hazelnut, pecan pie, coconut cream, toffee, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, chocolate cherry cordials, brown sugar, molasses, anise hints, banana, clove spice, coriander spice, pumpkin spice, ginger spice, ginger bread, all spice, nutmeg, stone fruit peaches, applies, red velvet cake, Danish cream cookies, port wine hints, marshmallow chocolate smores, almond joys and dark chocolate.

Flavors:
Rich dulce de leche caramel,oak barrel forward, bourbon, vanilla, flan, cinnamon, rich fruit cake, chocolate cherry cordials, rye bread, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, almond joy chocolate, maple syrup, coconut, marshmallow, dark chocolate smores, hazelnut, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, bananas, clove spice, allspice, nutmeg, red velvet cake, Danish cream cookies, waffle cone, milk sugars, rock candy, candi sugar, burnt sugars, key lime pie, stone fruit peaches, apricot, apples, coriander spice, ginger bread, molasses, anise hints, brown sugar, toffee, port wine hints, leather notes and tobacco hints.

Aftertaste:
Holiday spices like allspice, nutmeg, bananas, bourbon, pecan pie, dark fruit, fruit cake, gionger bread and bourbon. Some alcohol in the taste but not detracting from the flavors, sipping drinkability, syrupy and creamy mouthfeel and dark crimson full body.

Overall:
Holy cow! This almost feels like drinking a Bruery Barrel Aged beer, like the Black Tuesday. This beer was quite unexpected as I was not sure how much bourbon and oak barrel character I would get and even enough to see if it would have a dramatic effect on the original magnificat. Damn, was I surprised. The richness I would expect from drinking some very epic bourbon barrel beers is right here but the fact that this one is a holiday beer and a Belgian one at that changes the direction this one goes to. IT goes into an awesome holiday direction. It is understandable that this one is limited but this one is one that would do extremely well with age. This is their strongest beer yet at Monkish and is one I truly enjoyed. If you can somehow find this one or if they still have it by the time you read this, get it. Even at 20$ I think it was all the while worth it.

Anime Corner:
Samus Aran from Nintendo’s Metroid series was chosen in this pairing since I wanted to show a Christmas time anime character. However, due to the fact that this was bourbon barrel beer, I had to bring forth a bad ass yet sexy bounty hunter santa. Samus pairs well with the colors since this beer’s label is very bright and colorful pairing with the colors of her original Zero suit but also the background. The light reds and colors of the Christmas lights also pairs with her and the Metroid hiding behind the Christmas bag. The beer is as strong as complex as her character in the variety of Metroid games but she was also one I used with Founder’s KBS. A great pairing to end the 2014 Christmas year.

Sources:
http://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/237404-1000×1200-metroid-samus+aran-kuroma+%28atapi%29-long+hair-tall+image-light+erotic.jpg

Rosabi by Dogfish Head brewing

December 18, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Amber Ale, American Imperial Pale Ale, Dogfish Head, Flandre Scarlet, Hops, Imperial American Pale Ale, Imperial Pale Ale, Japanese Beers, Julianna Barwick, Pale Ale, peanut brittle, Rosabi, Touhou, Touhou Project, Wasabi, Wasabi beer | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

Rosabi by Dogfish Head brewing is an 8% ABV Imperial American Pale Ale brewed with Wasabi.

Label:
The vivid rose hue of this imperial Pale Ale comes from a combination of Munich and Caramel malts and a touch of red rice from Louisiana, birthplace of musician and collaborator Julianna Barwick. Citrusy Simcoe and Centennial feed Julianna’s love of hops, and the star of the show is her go-to ingredient: wasabi. What’s hoppy? … Wasabi. The Japanese root adds bittering and herbal notes similar to hops, with its subtle heat creeping in after the kick of carbonation. It’s expansive from start to finish. So go ahead, take a sip, toss your head back, and howl at the red Rosabi moon.

==Introduction==

Now this is a Dogfish Head beer that really intrigued me. After seeing this one at Luekensliquor.com, and the fact that I am a Sushi and Wasabi fanatic, It didn’t take me long to just go on ahead and get this beer. The only unfortunate part is, they only allow you to purchase 1 bottle from the site. This was devastating since I know some good friends who would probably enjoy this beer. I really hope they release this one to all states that sell Dogfish Head. Not sure if this is a gimmick or not but I have never tried a Wasabi beer and this is definitely a great way to explore the vast world of the Lost treasure of beer experience. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich caramel malt forward, wasabi notes, citrus and grapefruit hops, mango, grapes, hazelnut, rye bread, butterscotch, toffee, dragon fruit, brown sugar, cherries, chocolate hints, coriander spice, toffee, peanut brittle, hibiscus flowers, pineapple and rice cakes.

Flavors:
Subtle but not burning green Wasabi, citrus and grapefruit hops, caramel, grapes, hazelnut, rye bread, peanut brittle, toffee, oranges, mango, peaches, pineapple, chocolate notes, dragon fruit, coriander spice, mild wasabi spice as the beer warms up, apples, brown sugar, rice, cherries, hibiscus flowers, biscuit bread, toasted coconut and vanilla.

Aftertaste:
Lots of Caramel, citrus and grapefruit hops, wasabi notes in the backbone, sweet toffee rye, peanut brittle, hazelnut and mainly malty finish. No alcohol in the taste, crimson ruby rose medium body, moderate drinkability with a silky mouthfeel.

Overall:
Drinking more like an Amber Ale, this beer is really very good. There is no heat but if you know the subtle taste of wasabi, it is there but mild enough to be very enjoyable. It starts with the Wasabi flavor and then moves into a world of sweetness and hoppy goodness. There seems to be more sweetness than hoppy though which could be attributed to the malty sweetness cutting the Wasabi extreme heat. I can only hope that this beer and Sushi would be the ultimate combination which makes me want to have another bottle. I can only recommend this one if you would like a more maltier Pale Ale. There isn’t nothing wrong with that and I generally enjoy sweeter beers more, but I love me some super bitter hops too. So there you have it, Wasabi with some hop bitterness and drinks more like an Amber. Maybe not quite what you’d expect but still a very good beer.

Anime Corner:
Flandre Scarlet from Touhou Project was used in this pairing since I wanted to pair the label of the ruby red moon as well as the green colors of wasabi which you can see by the diamonds. Since this beer is more on the sweeter side than what I had expected, the apple Scarlet is chewing on represent this as well as the fact that this beer is more of an Amber ale than a Pale Ale. However, despite the fact that Wasabi is extreme, maybe how it worked with this beer, it cut all the other bitter hops and cancelled its own spiciness to get to this. This is why Scarlet looks innocent but her burning eyes state another story.

Sources:
http://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/361397-2560×1440-touhou-flandre+scarlet-ankh+%28ankh+05%29-single-short+hair-wide+image.jpg

Persimmon Ship collaboration by Jolly Pumpkin and Upland brewing

December 18, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Aircraft Carrier-hime, American Wild Ale, collaboration, Collaboration Beer, Double Dragonfly, dragon fruit, jolly pumpkin, Kancolle/Kantai Collection, Marvel Vs. Capcom, passion fruit, persimmon, Persimmon Ship, Persimmons, Ruby Heart, sour dough bread, Sour Persimmon Ale, Upland Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Persimmon Ship collaboration by Jolly Pumpkin and Upland brewing is a 5% ABV American Wild Ale brewed with Persimmons and Dragon Fruit

Label:
Combining Indiana Persimmons and Dragon fruit from Thailand? Who would concoct such a divinely subtle concoction of joy and delight? Only the spookily twisted folks at Jolly Pumpkin and Upland Brewing, that’s who. From the rolling hills of Indiana, to the twisted wrought iron gates and graveyards of Dexter, comes this wonderful blending of oak aged sour ale.

Our First Collaborative Release of 2014!

==Introduction==

I obtained this bottle at Luekensliquor.com which sells many Florida beers. While I wanted more, 1 was all I can obtain. It makes me believe they will have more soon. The fact that this was a Jolly Pumpkin beer collaborating with Upland, I had to have it. The last time I had an Upland beer was their Double Dragonfly DIPA which they are so weird with this. It shows a weird combination of Humanoid Dragonflies in their mating season. A great beer, but certainly hard to come by and hopefully is something that we get to see here in California as we typically get these beers. So if you do find it, hopefully my review will help you, Cheers!

Aromas:
Pink dragon fruit, honey dew melon, persimmons, sourdough bread, white wine grapes, funky old oranges, farmhouse hay, vegetable notes, hints of vanilla and caramel, good amount of oak, brettanomyces, plums, passion fruit, tangerines, coriander spice, flowers and lavender.

Flavors:
Persimmons, Grapefruit, Dragon fruit, passion fruit, mango, Lemons, lemon peel, white wine grapes, tart apricots, funky old oranges, plums, peaches, coriander spice, peppercorns, farmhouse hay, sour dough bread, vanilla, oak, caramel, grapefruit peel, tangerine peel, honey, pineapple, lavender, flowers, lemon grass, sour apples, herbs and old banana hints.

Aftertaste:
Dry Persimmons, Dragon fruit sweet hints, apricots, peaches, grapefruit and mango peel finishing dry.
No alcohol in the taste, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel, light to medium cloudy yellow body and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A perfect collaboration with a fair amount of fruit and sour complexity despite only being 5% ABV. There isn’t many beers using actual persimmons or dragon fruit this definitely was a winner. I have not seen this one anywhere in California and hope I can get this again but online is the best bet for this crazy beer. Jolly Pumpkin knows their sours and I would love to definitely try more Upland beers if I can find them. If you love tarts sours and Jolly Pumpkin sours, go find this lost pirates treasure!

Anime Corner:
Ruby Heart from Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and Aircraft Carrier-hime from Kantai Collection were used to represent the label and its colors. Ruby Heart, the captain of the ship in search for treasure (Upland) and it’s Ghost matie first class (Jolly Pumpkin) set sail the briny sour deep of the taste buds. We can also see the similarities in Aircraft carrier-hime where she commands above a skull sending out a barrage of what look to be pumpkins in tribute to the Jolly Pumpkins. There is so much going on here that pairs well with the beer, you are just going to have to figure it out.

Sources:
http://blogs.c.yimg.jp/res/blog-6b-a3/nikujikun/folder/136358/42/39147142/img_0?1376727320
http://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/369961-1500×1250-kantai+collection-aircraft+carrier+hime-kouji+%28astral+reverie%29-single-light+erotic-looking+at+viewer.jpg

(Brewerianimelogs On The Road) Caffè Della Vita (The Coffee of Life) by Monkish Brewing

December 17, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Anemone, anime artwork, Belgian Tripel, Brewerianimelogs On The Road, Caffè Della Vita, chocolate mocha coffee, Cinnamon, Coffee of Life, creamy vanilla, Etheopian Coffee beans, Ethiopian coffee, Eureka 7, flan, Kochere Coffee, Mocha, mocha coffee, monkish, monkish brewing, peaches and cream, Pistachio, Pistachio beer, pistachio nuts, Pistachio Seme Della Vita, Pistachios, Portola Coffee Lab, Seed of Life, Seme Della Vita, Tres Leches, Tripel, vanilla beans | 1 Comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Caffè Della Vita (The Coffee of Life) by Monkish Brewing is a 9.8% ABV Belgian Tripel brewed with Pistachios, Vanilla Beans and Portola Labs Ethiopian Kochere Coffee

==Introduction==

Recently on tap, Monkish created a variant of their Seme Della Vita which I had reviewed long ago. Seme Della Vita itself is probably my favorite beer yet from Monkish and is pretty much my goto when I am at their brewery. So you can only imagine how much I wanted to try their Coffee Variant and possibly bring it forth to the site. Now to this day, Seme Della Vita is the only Pistachio Belgian beer I have ever tried and has yet to see a bottle release. I am sure the day it does, people will definitelywant to get their hands on this. So this particular variant may or may not even see the light of public day but at least you know such existed. Either way, if you happen to be in the Torrance area, you have to try this one and try some of Monkish Belgian beers, they are pretty damn phenomenal. Thanks to my friend Oscar for joining me on a Friday (12/12/2014) to be able to get this picture of the beer.

Aromas:
Rich coffee, mocha, espresso, java coffee, Khalua cream, vanilla, pistachio ice cream hints, peppercorns, cinnamon, White chocolate notes, chocolate hints, biscuit bread, butterscotch, stone fruit apricots, peaches and cream, apples, flan, tres leches cake, hazelnut nectar, underlying citrus, coriander spice, clove spice and bananas.

Flavors:
Rich Vanilla, mocha coffee, roasted coffee, Java coffee, dulce de leche caramel, biscuit bread, maple syrup, frappuccino, almonds, pecan pie, hazelnut, stone fruit apricot, peaches, apples, butterscotch, Khalua hints, peppercorns, pistachio ice cream, Irish cream, tootsie rolls, strawberry hints, grape, white chocolate, Danish cookies, cake batter, Twinkies, Tres Leches cake notes, citrus, orange peel, coriander spice, phenolic notes, candi sugar, rock candy, flan, crème brulee hints, bananas and clove spice.

Aftertaste:
Coffee lingers along with rich nuttiness of pistachios, cinnamon, vanilla, and candi sugar hints then leavings dry. No alcohol in the taste, clear as day yet golden amber body, syrupy and creamy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Perfect and more! With the original Seme plus the introduction of the complex Ethiopian coffee brings out some extra richer notes that were typically not found in the original Seme. The fact that this is a light clear beer but drinks like dark Belgian coffee, is simply crazy. Almost reminds me of those golden stouts, but I digress. All I can say is that I am an even greater fan of this one for sure. If you love the original Pistachio Seme Della Vita and love coffee, well let’s just say this is damn bliss!

Anime Corner:
Anemone from Eureka 7 was used in this pairing as she resembles Eureka which I used in the first Seme Della Vita Pairing. As you can see, the darker colors and pinks represent the change of the beer into the strong dark coffee and more fruity like version of the original Seme Della Vita. This is a coffee dream indeed…

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/93656

Mash & Grind by the Bruery

December 17, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Aqua, Barleywine, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, chocolate cake, chocolate mocha coffee, coffee, Coffee Beans, coffee cake, English Barley Wine, English Barleywine, Kingdom Hearts, Lucio Delgado (Columbia) Coffee beans, MASH, Mash & Grind, Portola Coffee Lab, Portola Lab's Lucio Delgado (Columbia) Coffee beans, rocky road ice cream, rye bread, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Mash & Grind by the Bruery is a 13.7% ABV English Barley Wine aged in Bourbon Barrels with Portola Lab’s Lucio Delgado (Columbia) Coffee beans.

Label:
TO HAVE

An English-style classic with rich flavors from time spent aging in bourbon barrels, plus fresh roasted coffee from Portola Coffee Lab.

Mash & Grind is best enjoyed fresh for bold coffee notes, but may develop pleasantly with time if cellared properly.

==Introduction==

After reviewing the other MASH variations, I am unsure how the Coffee variant could top the coconut, but we definitely have to focus on this one now. This was also released to Reserve Society members only and you may have to trade to get this variant. MASH by the Bruery is in itself an insanely rich and delicious beer that really shoots up to the top of the best Barleywines in the world in my opinion especially of the English style. This coffee variant is something I have been meaning to try and is one that I passed off a taster as I was too exited to the coconut and the fact that I was willing to wait to focus on this one. So let’s dive and see how this one differs from the regular MASH. By the way, Portola labs is one of the best I have seen for brewing some of the best coffee beers out there. Well, except for the rarities of Kopi Luwak, Intelligentsia, Jamaican Blue, Jobella and Dark Matter and their variants such as Unicorn’s Blood, but I digress. Check out my other reviews on those if you want. As for this one, let’s take close look shall we? Cheers!!

Aromas:
Rich milk chocolate coffee, rich roasted coffee grounds, java coffee, espresso, frappuccino cream, coffee cake, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, bourbon, oak, banana split, dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, banana clove spices, rich mocha, coconut hints, marshmallow, chocolate smores, custard, sweetened condensed milk (Leche Nestle), rocky road icecream, pecan pie, tobacco, brownies, chocolate bread, toffee, butterscotch, raisin bread pudding and maple.

Flavors:
Rich mocha coffee, Java, espresso, Khalua, dark chocolate abuelita, roasted coffee notes, coffee grounds, dulce de leche caramel, frappuccino, mocha latte, flan, plantain hints, almond joy, dark chocolate pecan pie, danish cookies, cinnamon, bananas, hazelnut, tocacco, rocky road icecream, bourbon, toasted coconut hints, butterscotch, macadamia nuts, dark fruit, plums raisins, dark cherry, sweetened condensed milk, tapioca pudding, custard, chocolate cake, coffee cake, crème brulee and maple.

Aftertaste:
Roasted coffee, vanilla, caramel, crème brulee, rye bread, marshmallows, coconut hints, almonds and frappuccino cream lingers. No alcohol in the taste, moderate drinkability, creamy mouthfeel and a dark brown full body.

Overall:
Hot Damn, if you love coffee, this one is like Coffee Central! The coffee is strong in this one. The colder the sharper coffee strength. You get more coffee roast as it is cold, but when it warms up, that is when you get the best out the beer. I definitely suggest trying it a variant temperatures as it will vary as the temperature gets warmer. Aging this will let more coffee and other flavors go through but as it is right now as it warms up is definitely pure coffee beer Nirvana. I do think this reaches the heights of best coffee beers in the world and the best coffee Barleywine ever and I highly recommend if you can get some bottles to age too.

Anime Corner:
Aqua from Kingdom Hearts makes a triumphant return in the beer scene with this pairing. The last couple of times I used her were in pairings such as 1556 Ale from New Belgium, Rochefort 10 and Jamaican Blue Coffee Speedway Stout from Alesmith. She relates to this beer in the sense of the deep and by that I mean deep darkness. Darkness which is presented by the rich coffee roast but mainly because even with the strongest of the Dark, she can battle it with light as she is a Key Blade Master which are very few from the series. You see, Mash & Grind is not a dark beer. It retains its barleywine caramel colors, super strength and complexity and yet presents the darkness. Aqua has been locked in the darkness for a long time but her light is always brimming never to extinguish!

Sources:
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/002/1/d/dark_aqua_by_annria2002-d4l2k63.jpg

Bourbon Barrel 6 Geese-A-Laying by The Bruery

December 17, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 12 Beers of Christmas, 6 Geese A Laying, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Annie Leonhardt, attack on titan, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Bourbon Barrel 6 Geese A Laying, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Cape Gooseberries, Christa Renz, Christmas, Dark Cherries, Hanji Zoe, Historia Reiss, Mikasa Ackerman, nightmare before Christmas, Sasha Braus, The Bruery, Twelve Beers of Christmas, Ymir | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Bourbon Barrel 6 Geese-A-Laying by The Bruery is a 12.9% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale brewed with Cape Gooseberries and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
WÆS HÆIL!

The Sixth verse of our “Twelve Beers of Christmas” Saga incorporates tangy cape gooseberries into a subtle Belgian-style dark ale. Happy Holidays!

6 Geese-A-Laying is suitable for aging up to 6 years (soon after the release of “Twelve Drummers Drumming”)

==Introduction==

Released a year later while aged in bourbon barrel providing a double whammy of a beer. This beer was released for the Bruery’s reserve society in November. Coming up to the ending of the year and the holiday, I wanted to bring this one forth. Now this is sure to age even farther into the future but for now, after a whole year and in bourbon barrels, I can only imagine that this is going to be something super special. So let’s hop into it, cheers!

Aromas:
Super Dark Fruits like cherries, boysenberries, raspberries, gooseberries, currants, plums, raisins, figs, blueberries, dulce de leche Caramel and banana complexity up front followed by clove spice, stone fruit peaches, apricots, pears, apples, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, ginger bread cookies, dark candy sugar, rock candy, coriander mild spice, raisin bread pudding, marshmallows, coconut, bourbon, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, brown sugar and chocolate smores.

Flavors:
Banana and dulce de leche covered with dark fruits like cherries, plums, raisins, black berries, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, candi sugar, rock candy, figs, vanilla, figgy pudding, bourbon, brown sugar, rich dark cherries, marshmallow, chocolate smores, ginger bread cookies, cinnamon, stone fruits like apricot, peaches, melon hints, toffee, peppercorns, rye bread, leather, clove spice, coffee cake, capirotada raisin bread pudding, toasted coconut, all spice, nutmeg, rocky road icecream, salted caramel, fruit cake, port wine and dark berry cheesecake hints.

Aftertaste:
Rich dark fruits like cherries, raisins, caramel, stone fruit, fruit cake, gooseberries, vanilla, marshmallows, toasted coconut hints, mild mango and mild bourbon. No alcohol in the taste, syrupy mouthfeel, dark brown full body and moderate drinkability despite being aged.

Overall:
Exceeding the expectations even more than the original. This is basically like a fruit cake syrup loaded with a ton of dark fruits, caramel and and some super complex Dark Strong flavors. Alot of the tangyness from the original is now more subtle. This beer aged for another year since its release now with bourbon barrels, yeah that would be the reason for the increase in complexity 2 fold. This one was an exclusive to Reserve members but I have notice that more and more Bruery beers are making their way to the public. So maybe someday this one will be available. If not, definitely trade for this one if you tried last years 6 Geese-A-Laying.

Anime Corner:
Sasha Blouse as well as the main Attack on Titan girls were used in this pairing to connect the 6 Geese-A-Laying from last year. I wanted to focus on Sasha for this one since she has not gotten a chance to step into the light with her own beer pairing much and the fact that when it comes to food, she is awesome and funny. The rest of the girls not in their uniforms and out and about represent the 6 geese-a-laying including Sasha with the cheeseburger. Bourbon barrel aged beers do certainly bring about the complexity and inner most works of a beer 🙂

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/Sasha.Braus.full.1487134.jpg
http://yayaftw.deviantart.com/art/Shingeki-no-Kyojin-Girls-460903442

Mash & Coconut by The Bruery

December 16, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, almond joy, best beers in the world, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, coconut, Dulce de leche, English Barley Wine, English Barleywine, Knives Chau, macaroons, MASH, Mash & Coconut, Ramona Flowers, rocky road ice cream, Scott Pilgrim, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, The Bruery, Toasted Coconut, World class, World Class Barleywine, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.2/5

Mash & Coconut by The Bruery is a 12.8% ABV World Class English Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels with coconut.

Label (Proposed):
TO HAVE…

An English-style classic with rich flavors added by aging in bourbon barrels with tropical coconut.

==Introduction==

So this beer was supposed to be released for the Reserve Society but due to time restraints and quality control, this one was not released in bottles this year. Hopefully next year will be different. Same thing happened with So Happens It’s Tuesday as well. So when I found out they had this on tap and for growler fill, it didn’t take long for me to bring one home. When I went for a taster set, I had several greats from the Bruery but this one just blew everything away. That’s when I realized, I gotta get a growler. The original MASH was phenomenal, but this certainly took the cake and I had to review it so people can go try this at the Bruery before it is gone but also in hopes that a future release will be available for everyone. This is on tap for the public too, no membership needed so that works out great! Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich macaroon and cocada coconut candy forward, rich toasted coconut, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, banana split ice cream, hazelnuts, almonds, almond joy candy, pecan pie, milk chocolate, sweetened condensed milk (Leche Nestle), custard, rocky road ice cream, macadamia nuts, flan, coconut cream pie, capirotada raisin bread pudding, cinnamon, brownies, rye bread, plantains, mocha, clove spice and toffee.

Flavors:
Rich Macaroon and Almond joy chocolate flavors forward, rich toasted coconut, milk chocolate, rich bananas, flan, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, dark cherries, capirotada raisin bread pudding, custard, cinnamon, rocky road ice cream, sweetened condensed milk, banana split, brownies, chocolate cake, rye bread, mocha, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, dark chocolate, crème brulee, clove spice, marshmallow smores, oak, bourbon, maple, butterscotch, plantains, toffee, brown sugar, Danish cream and oatmeal raisin cookies.

Aftertaste:
Toasted Coconut, bananas, almond joy, milkchocolate, marshmallow, dark fruit, butterscotch and macaroons linger. No alcohol in the taste, way too easy to drink, silky and creamy mouthfeel and a dark brown full body.

Overall:
Possibly the best toasted coconut/banana nut/almond joy beer ever! This is liquid coconut macaroon heaven. This beer is super toasted coconut forward. The only sad part was that I do not think this will be coming out in bottles anytime soon but if you are ever at the Bruery this month, see if you can have a reserve society member get you a growler fill. They really need to bottle this one as this one was the one that stood out when I tasted it the other day. This beer is way too good for it’s own good. At the height of the 12.8-13%ABV, it is way too drinkable that you would be in big trouble finishing a growler in one sitting. Savor this if you can find it as it won’t last…

Anime Corner:
Ramona Flowers and Knives Chau from Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World were used in this pairing since I wanted to compare them to the name MASH & COCONUT. Ramona always has a hammer ready to MASH up her opponents and Knives is a smooth ninja representing the coconut flavors and the over all smoothness of the beer. This is way too easy to drink. They are both hot but super damn deadly. Some of the colors of the label also pair with the artwork. Scott is there for the other complex flavors of the beer as well as the other characters from the series.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/1250828

Sourrento by the Bruery

December 16, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Blond Ale, brown sugar, Chrono Cross, Chrono Cross Kid, citrus lemon, green tea ice cream, Italy, key lime pie, Kid, lemon candy, lemon liqueur, lemon tart, lemon zest, Limoncello, oranges lemons, passion fruit, Sorrento, Sour Blonde Ale, Sourrento, tangy lemon, The Bruery, vanilla beans | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Sourrento by the Bruery is a 7.7% ABV Sour Blonde Ale aged in oak barrels with Lemon Zest and Vanilla Beans.

Label:
MOLTO BENE

The flavors of this bright tart ale are inspired by limoncello, the famous lemon liqueur of Sorrento, Italy.

Sourrento ale is a play on a classic liqueur from Italy. Perfect as an after dinner digestif, but just as great as any time of day. Sourrento is best enjoyed fresh, but may develop pleasantly if cellared properly.
==Introduction==

This beer was released for the Reserve and Preservation Societies this December. According to the information, they were trying to make it close to limoncello, an Italian liquer which I never had. So going into this, I can only assume it would taste something like that. Nevertheless, with all reviews I do, I take it for what it is and dissect it as best I can for you. Cheers!

Aromas:
Lemon drop candy, rich vanilla, oak, biscuit bread, white wine grapes, green tea ice cream, tart lemons, lime, salt, grapefruit, passion fruit, Danish cream cookies, sweetened condensed milk hints, tamarind, brown sugar, piloncillo, peppercorns, herbs and spearmint.

Flavors:
Vanilla, Oak, Lemon, Lime, Salt, tart grapefruit, biscuit bread, passion fruit, white wine grapes, sugar cane, lemon drops, sweetened condensed sugar hints, brown sugar, tejuino, tamarind, hibiscus, piloncillo, peppercorn spices, herbs, green tea, lemonade, green tea ice cream hints, mint, spearmint, key lime pie notes and Danish cream cookies.

Aftertaste:
Vanilla, key lime pie, lemon tart, brown sugar notes, No alcohol in the taste, medium drinkability, light to medium body and moderate mouthfeel.

Overall:
Very good and unique. Best if you love sours, otherwise the sweet sour aspect may not really be your thing. I have never had limoncello but if it tastes anything like this, then awesome. I would like to compare this to a sour lemon or keylime pie in a bottle. Like I said, the whole, sweet and sour thing may not be for everyone so if you really like sours then definitely try this.

Anime Corner:
Kid from Chrono Cross was used in this beer pairing to pair with the colors of the label. In the game, Kid has a hard attitude even thought she looks sweet and innocent. She is a great fighter as well which is represented by the ABV of the beer. This coincides with the fact that this beer is sour but the sweetness and complexity go deep as you can see from the picture where dives into the deep. I have not done a Kid pairing in long time and the fact that her hair is also a lemon yellow works well too.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/993410
http://www.zerochan.net/full/428212

Sriracha Hot Stout Beer by Rogue brewing

December 10, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged American Stout, Chili Beer, chili pepper, dark chocolate, Huy Fong, Inubashiri Momiji, Rogue, Rogue Ales, rogue brewing, Rogue Farms, Sriracha, Sriracha Beer, Sriracha Hot Stout, Sriracha Huy Fong, Sriracha sauce, SrirachaStout, Touhou Project | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.85/5

Sriracha Hot Stout Beer by Rogue brewing is a 5.7% ABV American Stout brewed with Sriracha Huy Fong hot chili sauce and ripened Rogue Farms ingredients.

Label:
Rogue Rooster Sauce
#SrirachaStout

I Put Sriracha in my Rogue
Dedicated to the Rooster

Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout Beer, made from Huy Fong hot chili sauce and ripened Rogue Farms ingredients, is ready to drink with soup, sauces, pasta, pizza, hotdogs, hamburgers, chow mein, or anything you’d like to wash down with a spicy kick.

15° Plato
55 IBU
77AA
118°L

==Introduction==

Yes, another weird beer. AS if the last beer (99 Scorpions) wasn’t already taking it to the upper most limits of just plain damn weird. This beer will be seeing distribution soon but I could not wait and got this from Rogue’s main site. Just like the time I tried the Beard yeast beer or the Chocolate Raspberry Pretzel. Although beard yeast beer was delicious for as weird as it was and so was 99 Scorpions. People love Sriracha and I think bringing the review out just in the nick of time to the masses so they can see if this is good or not was just the right occasion. So get your best Chinese plate out or any food you love this Sriracha on and see if the beer works better with or without food.

Aromas:
Sriracha, garlic, clove spice, dark chocolate, coffee, herbs, soy sauce, tomato sauce, szechuan peppercorns, biscuit bread, clove spice, red tree dried chilies, red bean paste and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Sriracha chili, dark chocolate, roasted coffee notes, herbs, spices, red tree dried chilies, red bean paste, garlic, clove spice, rye bread, tomato sauce, biscuit bread, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, soy sauce, dark fruit hints, szechuan peppercorns, guajillo peppers, tobacco, roasted peanuts and toffee.

Aftertaste:
Rye, Sriracha sauce, earthy notes, vanilla, coffee, and dark chocolate hints. No alcohol in the taste, creamy mouth feel, sipping drinkiability due to the delicious yet overwhelming flavors and a dark crimson full body.

Overall:
As a Stout, this is very good. With the Sriracha, it is an interesting experiment but nothing too mind blowing. I gave it props on the stout flavors and the fact that this really tastes like a Sriracha bottle. While I love Sriracha, this beer is better drank as a food pairing. The heat is not as intense as other chili beers but after a while, the Sriracha heat will get to you and linger in the back of the throat. The balance of the beer is very good as the stout flavors tries its best to compliment the spiciness of the Sriracha. I think this is worth a try but if you have had Sriracha with food and drank and rich delicious stout, then you pretty much have had this beer. Whether gimmick or not, it really seems more of a novelty item than anything. I would only recommend this if you like Sriracha and Stouts.

Anime Corner:
Inubashiri Momiji from Touhou Series was used in this pairing to pair with the Sriracha beer in many aspects. When I think of heat, I think of fire and dragons. Inubashiri here looks like she has the sauce splattered all over. The heat is represented by her rage. I am not sure what she is possibly killing here but you can assume it is like the heat she spends trying to take down the your tastebuds. Her outfit and the Chinese symbols represents the origin of the great Hot Sauces of China and all their awesome glory. There are so many awesome sauces that some ferment for years and are very expensive. I am sure the basic Sriracha from China is way better than what we typically get everywhere here, but I digress. AS the dragons in the background drip from their mouths looks like blood is like Sriracha dripping as the sauce is HOT! Just like the beer after a while.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/1369493

La Jornada del Escorpion en Fuego Hacia la casa del Chupacabra muerto (99 Scorpions) (The Path of the Fiery Scorpion through the House of the Dead Chupacabra) by The Unknown Brewing

December 5, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 99 Scorpions, Agave Nectar, Chupacabra, Chupacabras, Dia de los Muertos, Evelynn, goat sucker, Imperial Mexican Lager, Imperial Pale Ale, La Jornada del Escorpion en Fuego Hacia la casa del Chupacabra muerto, league of legends, Mexican Agave, Mezcal, Mezcal Tequila, Ninety Nine Scorpions, Oak, Serrano Peppers, Tequila, Tequila Barrel Aged, Tequila Barrels, The Path of the Fiery Scorpion through the House of the Dead Chupacabra, The Unknown Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

La Jornada del Escorpion en Fuego Hacia la casa del Chupacabra muerto (99 Scorpions) (The Path of the Fiery Scorpion through the House of the Dead Chupacabra) by The Unknown Brewing is a 10.1% ABV Imperial Mexican Lager aged on Tequila Oak Staves, Brewed with Agave Nectar, Serrano Peppers & (99) Ninety Nine Scorpions.

Label:
UBC Bottle No. 2
Warning: Contains Crustaceans

Online Descriptions and Blurbs:
(http://beerstreetjournal.com/unknown-brewing-escorpion-en-fuego/)
When asked if these scorpions would affect the flavor, head brewer and owner Brad Shell responded “I’m not sure, that’s not the point. The point is this beer needs scorpions. Some things just have to happen”.

==Introduction==

Released for El Dia De Los Muertos in November, this beer is pretty damn ridiculous. Even for the name and the ingredients this was made from. This is my first beer from The Unknown brewing and is one that . All hope was lost last month when there was no way I could get this beer due to it being extremely limited. I pondered about how nice it would have been to have it here on the site. Long behold, I wake up on Black Friday at 4am to a message from my good friend Aaron Mendiola at www.beermetaldude.com only to find that he found a website called www.bruisin-ales.com which had exactly what we were looking for. He sent me that Mexican wrestler pic where the dude is asking for a tag in as he needed some assistance to get these and I was like…oh shit!! I jumped out of bed, placed the order and the rest is history. A sort of victory for the Beer Pairing Duo and a review you will soon see on my friends page. I didn’t really care at that time when I saw the beer on the site, I really wanted to get this beer despite the ingredients. Despite what anyone thinks about gimmicks or nasty and gross ingredients for beer, this was something I was super open minded to have. I have had crickets before and those have like a grassy and earthy taste. Some people say Scorpions are tasty like eating shrimp. That and the fact that scorpions are high in protein and good for you. So let’s take a sip at this one and hope you are able to get your own scorpion beer. Saludito!

Aromas:
Honey, Toffee, Agave, caramel, coriander spice, peppercorns, chile pepper spices, tequila hints, pineapple, stone fruit peaches, Serrano pepper spices, mild oak, tequila hints, caramel, toffee, butterscotch, biscuit bread and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Rich Agave Nectar, Tequila, Mezcal, sangria, grapes, oak, citrus, honey, lemon, caramel, vanilla, oak, graham cracker, herbs, coriander, oranges, grassy earthy taste (scorpions?), toffee, salt, mild seafood hints, Serrano chile spice hints, peppercorns, pineapple, grapefruit, basil, lime peel, lemon zest, mild coffee, green tea, dragon fruit, stone fruit peaches, mild jerky notes, biscuit bread, rye bread, butterscotch and piloncillo.

Aftertaste:
Leaving with a honey and agave aftertaste that lingers and finishing with like a musty, herbal, grassy, earthy and bitter aftertaste. Must be the scorpions. No alcohol in the taste yet feels stronger than what it is. Syrupy and creamy mouthfeel, Clear Golden Body, moderate to sipping drinkabaility.

Overall:
I got 99 Scorpions while other beers have none! Way too unique for words really. I think the previous blurbs have done this one justice. I do recall my experience with the crickets back then so there is a minor hints of that grassy, musty and earthy like flavor that I remember from long ago. Not bad at all. The Serrano heat is there for the flavor but masked by the sweetness so it’s not a ‘Stone Punishment’. I really love it but don’t worry since the other ingredients do mask that extremely well providing it’s own array of complexity. This one was made in Tequila barrels so there’s yet another reason why it is extremely unique as well. As a lager, possibly the best and possible the most unique I have ever had. It is a great beer despite the fact that it could be off putting to others and if you really want to find it, get it before it truly disappears for good!

Anime Corner:
Evelynn from League of Legends and Dia De Los Muertos by SanctusDesign of Deviant art were pretty much the best pairings I could find for this beer. Almost everything about the beer including Dia De Los Muertos and Even the very name of the beer pairs way too well that it even surprised me. Using Evelynn as she chases the reptile beast, we look at the name of the beer, La Jornada del Escorpion en Fuego hacia la casa del Chupacabra muerto. In English this means ‘The Path of the Fiery Scorpion through the House of the Dead Chupacabra’. As you can clearly see, Evelynn is the fiery scorpion and is chasing the dead Chupacabra(which back then people thought it was a lizard creature). Even the cloak the lizard beast wears along with the skeleton hands signifies it is death, so a Chupacabra of death or dead Chupacabra. The journey is basically Evelynn’s journey to catch that beast as fire spews from her finger tips. Think of this as a Scorpion trying to catch its prey and sting it to death. She also looks like the dead chick in the dia de los muertos. That’s where the next pairing comes in. Visually, the dia de los muertos chick looks very damn close to the label. What is surrounding her face is curvy plants that with the colors and shapes, kind of represents the 99 scorpions found in this great beer.

Sources:
http://stuffpoint.com/league-of-legends/image/190512-league-of-legends-eve-dia-de-los-muertos-halloween.jpg
http://sanctusdesign.deviantart.com/art/Dia-De-Los-Muertos-Da-368996612

Pliny The Elder by Russian River brewing

December 2, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged best beers in the world, DIPA, Double India Pale Ale, Double IPA, Heady Topper, Hop Heads, Pliny, Pliny the Elder, Pliny the Younger, Power Plant, Russian River, Ryoko Hakubi, Tenchi, Tenchi Muyo, Washu Hakubi, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.2/5 (Date of Tasting: 11/29/2014)

Pliny The Elder by Russian River brewing is an 8% ABV World Class Double India Pale Ale.

Label:
Bottled on 11/12/2014

RESPECT YOUR ELDER: KEEP COLD, DRINK FRESH DO NOT AGE! PLINY THE ELDER IS A HISTORICAL FIGURE, DONT’T MAKE THE BEER INSIDE THIS BOTTLE ONE! NOT A BARLEY WINE, DO NOT AGE! AGE YOUR CHEESE, NOT YOUR PLINY! RESPECT HOPS, CONSUME FRESH. IF YOU MUST, SIT ON EGGS, NOT ON PLINY! DO NOT SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY!PLINY IS FOR SAVORING, NOT FOR SAVING,! CONSUME PLINY FRESH, OR NOT AT ALL! DOES NOT IMPROVE WITH AGE! HOPPY BEERS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE AGED! KEEP AWAY FROM HEAT!

Pliny the Elder, born in 23 A.D., was a Roman naturalist, scholar, historian, traveler, officer, and writer. Pliny, and his contemporaries, created the original botanical name for hops, “Lupus Salictarius,” meaning “world among scrubs.” Hop vines at that time, grew wild among willows. Pliny the Elder died in 79 A.D. while saving people during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He was immortalized by his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who continued his uncle’s legacy by documenting much of what his uncle experienced during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This beer is a homage to the man who discovered hops and perished while being a humanitarian.

Unlike many of the Russian River Brewing Company beers which are ageable, the beer inside this bottle is meant to be consumed fresh. Keep Pliny the Elder refrigerated and consume fresh to experience the explosive hop character.

==Introduction==

It has been at least 2 years since I first tried Pliny the Elder. Back then this beer was a little easier to get. Today, it is pretty seldom if you can really find this one. If there are places that have this one, they get so little of them that they sell out within the first couple of hours. So I thought to myself, after trying so many IPAs for so many years, including the so called Pliny killers like Heady Topper and Power Plant from El Segundo, what makes this beer as well as Pliny the Younger, so legendary. Well, the story really has to be that this beer was one of the original inventions of the Double India Pale Ale Style. This beer is what started a lot of the hop craze of adding more and more hops to a beer to make it a hop supreme beer. With the evolution of hops and methods of growing them to have different flavor varieties like more citrus, more tropical notes, this is what I think really changed the way people like their IPAs. While I respect this beer and would one day like to try the younger, it seems that today, this beer may be going the way side due the more variety of IPAs and Double IPAs with a variety of hop profiles. Nevertheless, this is really what started it all and I think is the reason why the hop heads truly enjoy this one at the freshest possible. At least I tried to do the review as fresh as I could get it due to its limited availability. Without further ado, here is the review and thanks for reading. Cheers!

2012 First public review by me:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/pliny-the-elder-by-russian-river/

Aromas:
Rich Grassy Grapefruit, floral, herbal, citrus and piney hops, Cannabis, Oregano, Italian herbs, blue basil, honey on biscuit bread, rye bread, super dank garlic and onion notes, tropical fruits like pineapple, honey dew melon, lychee, passion fruit, dragon fruit, stone fruit peaches, cherries, plum hints, hop oils, lemon and orange peels, vanilla, caramel and tangerines.

Flavors:
Rich Grassy, floral, Piney, citrus, grassy, herbal and grapefruit hops, basil, super garlicy and rich oniony dank herbs, Oregano, tropical pineapple, honey dew melon, papaya, prickly pear, strawberry, mango hints, dragon fruit, lychee, passion fruit, stone fruit apricot, peaches, cherries, fig notes, plum hints, cannabis or dank Italian spices, lemon peel, orange peel, biscuit bread, vanilla, caramel, tangerines, hop oils, forest pine needles, honey and rye bread.

Aftertaste:
Super hoppy grassy herbal yet fruity, malty and tropical underlining sweetness but mainly super hopped dry to oblivion lingers on the tongue. No alcohol in the taste, clear gold body, smooth, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel, almost easy to drink.

Overall:
A hop heads dream. Really, if you love super well balanced and refreshing Double IPA with lots of grassy and herbal hops, then this is the definition of its style. There is a reason people like it so much and despite the fact that I still think that it may be too hyped and I cringe at those that drain pour just because the beer is not “fresh” enough. Beer like this should be respected at least but not hyped. Take this one for what the origins stood for but not because it is the best out there. Does this one get beaten by the upcoming El Segundo Power Plant Triple IPA? Yes but only because that one is a different monster all together. Heady Topper is more on the citrus absolutes for its world class. We have to choose absolute tropics or absolute herbal hop dankness or absolute citrus or a massive variety. While I love all the variety, I love sweet beers so I feel I get more from the tropical fruit IPAs. Not to say this isn’t World Class. It truly is. Is it the best Double IPA? Not quite, but you have to give it respect where it belongs as this is one of the few that started the Double IPA style. I highly recommend it, even if it is elusive as all hell, and I hope to someday try Pliny The Younger.

Anime Corner:
Ryoko and Washuu Hakubi from the Tenchi Muyo series were used in this pairing since I had used Ryoko before for Pliny the Elder. Washu will someday be used for the Younger although the funny part is that Ryoko is the daughter and Washu is the mother even if she looks younger. Conundrum yes, but if you knew about Washu, she is 20,000 years old. Either way, you can see the colors pair up well with the artwork and the label. Ryoko’s light teal hair color represents the super hops but as well as the whole aspect of the ‘Elder’. Ryoko is young but I love how she sits contemplating or wondering. Like an elder thinking about the future or just simply day dreaming like a kid. Regardless, this beer is the kind that you take your time with and relax. You may not have another chance to try it, so might as well enjoy it since you can’t age it either.

Sources:
http://www.homemademech.com/Uploads/Areview/1501085314817.jpg
http://objection06.deviantart.com/art/Washu-and-Ryoko-472156179

John Paul Jones Stout White Chocolate And Raspberry by Brew Rebellion

December 2, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged American Imperial Stout, Amy Rose, Blue Raspberries, Brew Rebellion, cherries, Dark Cherries, dark chocolate, Imperial Stout, John Paul Jones Stout, John Paul Jones Stout White Chocolate And Raspberry, Kirin, monster hunter, Raspberry, Sonic The Hedgehog, White Chocolate, White Chocolate Moo-Hoo | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/5

John Paul Jones Stout White Chocolate And Raspberry by Brew Rebellion is a 10.9% ABV Imperial Stout with White Chocolate and Raspberry flavors.

Descrition:
None

==Introduction==

This beer came as a surprise. I have never seen a white chocolate and raspberry stout before. The closest I have had to white chocolate were the White Chocolate from The Bruery and White Chocolate Moo-Hoo. This is the first time I try a beer from Brew Rebellion and the fact that they had it all nice and waxed, well, let’s just say it appealed to me a lot. So let us check this one out and see how it goes. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, mocha, roasted , raspberry cheesecake, dark cherries, blue raspberry jolly ranchers, brown sugar, dark fruit raisins, currants, blue berries, molasses, grape jelly on toasted bread, flan hints, crème brulee and marshmallows.

Flavors:
Rich raspberry, Dark Chocolate, Milk chocolate, White chocolate, vanilla, caramel, raspberry cream, coffee, mocha, rye bread, dark fruit raisins, currants, blue berries, grape jelly on toasted bread, dark cherries, raspberry cheesecake, blue raspberry jolly ranchers, cinnamon, molasses, flan, cherry cola notes, blue raspberry jolly ranchers, dragon fruit, toasted coconut, marshmallows, brown sugar, hazelnut, toffee, crème brulee hints and earthy notes.

Aftertaste:
Raspberry, white and dark chocolate hints, caramel, vanilla, mild Earthy notes and mainly dry finish.
No Alcohol in the taste, pitch black body, light yet creamy mouthfeel, Way too easy to drink that it is dangerous.

Overall:
I agree it to be a perfect stout. I really wish it had more body and complexity to it, but just as is, the flavors it does have are full frontal. Meaning that you do get a very direct raspberry and dark chocolate flavor with some white chocolate suggested. While the white chocolate is in there but kind of hidden at first, let the beer warm up to released it better. Afterward, that is what I base my rating on. This beer could be drunk all day which is dangerous as it is way too easy to drink. I highly recommend trying this one, This beer definitely fits as the “Chocolate Gift” category and might be good for a valentines gift too.

Anime Corner:
Kirin and Amy Rose from Monster Hunter and the Sonic Franchise were used in this pairing because I wanted to bring about the aspect of how the colors relate to the flavors of White Chocolate and Raspberry creating like pink milky color. While the beer itself is dark, like the dark chocolate, this is only one of the flavors. Since it is easy to drink, and a sweet dessert, it is just like giving chocolate as a gift for valentines. I liked the idea for sure.

Sources:
http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2011-11-24-454433.jpeg
http://www.zerochan.net/1366995
http://yukisisren.deviantart.com/art/Lollipop-459452933

Arctic Sun Stone collaboration by Amager Bryghus and Three Floyds

December 1, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 3 Floyds, Amager Bryghus, American Pale Ale, APA, Arctic Sun Stone, Denmark, Leina Vance, Pale Ale, Queen's Blade, Risty, Three Floyds, Three Floyds Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Arctic Sun Stone collaboration by Amager Bryghus and Three Floyds is a 6% ABV Denmark/American Pale Ale

Label:
The sunstone – much disputed among scholars. Did the Viking navigators really have such a tool that would help them point out what was east and what was west – even on a less than sunny day? We certainly believe so. Many years later no sunstone was needed when Amager Bryghus was invaded by what very much looked like Viking ancestors of American descent. Hailing from Munster, Indiana, Chris Boggess and Barnaby Struve of Three Floyds Brewing arrived not with a vengeance but with very loud King Diamond on their portable mp3 player. This was not a day for slaughter but for brewing. And brew we did. The mellow and dangerously quaffable Arctic SunStone is proof that even Viking warriors can have a more subtle side to them. All hail to Three Floyds.

==Introduction==
Three Floyds beers are hard to find. Amager Bryghus was even hard too. The fact that I was able to find this one, even if it was a good online store, means that they are getting out there and being distributed more. Since it was a Three Floyds and Amager Bryghus beer, I had to get it. So without further ado, here is the beer treasure, Arctic Sun Stone. Cheers!

Aromas:
Grapefruit, citrus, mild piney and mild grassy hops, caramel, vanilla toffee, tropical fruits like pineapple, honey dew melon, guava hints, mango, apples, tangerines, orange peel, kumquats, lycheefruit roasted peanuts, banana hints and stone fruit apricot.

Flavors:
Citrus,grapefruit, grassy and piney hops, toffee, caramel, biscuit breads, tropical fruit like mango, guava, pine apples, honey dew melon, apples, tangerines, lychee fruit, orange peel, kumquats, strawberries, coriander spice, stone fruit apricot, peach notes, roasted peanuts, bananas and some herbal hop notes.

Aftertaste:
Caramel, biscuit bread, vanilla, citrus, roasted peanuts, toffee, grapefruit and piney hops linger. No Alcohol in the taste, Bold, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel, Hazy medium body and moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very good Pale Ale. Drinks almost like an IPA but mainly sticking to the more malty sides and yet releasing a lot of the orange citrus and tropical flavors of some of the best pale ales out there. Pale Ales especially American ones, always have their own story to share trying to border line the IPA’s while stil offering more of a balance and not just pure hop bitterness like some west coast styles. Never the less, this one was pretty tasty and worth a try if you can get it.

Anime Corner:
Risty and Leina Vance from Queen’s Blade were used in this pairing since I wanted something to pair with the colors of the label, the beer and the Viking. While Risty covers that aspect and the picture with the loud roar, Leina is added to represent the collaboration of the 2 giants, Three Floyds and Amager respectively.

Sources:
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120329014534/queensblade/images/9/97/Risty_and_Leina_3.jpg
http://danbooru.donmai.us/data/40d37bcd1dca070608a1a478e206087a.jpg

Stochasticity Project Master of Disguise by Stone Brewing

December 1, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Akali, BrewDog, cocoa nibs, Coffee Beans, espresso beans, Golden Stout, Imperial Stout, league of legends, Luciferin, Master Of Disguise, ninja, Stochasticity, Stochasticity Project, Stone Brewing, stone brewing co, White Chocolate | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Stochasticity Project Master of Disguise by Stone Brewing is 9.7% ABV Imperial Golden Stout brewed with Coffee Beans and Cocoa Nibs.

Label:
STOCHASTICITY
STO-KAESTI-CITY
There is no happenstance or coincidence. Dumb luck is a fallacy and randomness a commonly accepted mistruth. Much of what seemingly falls into place and seems so natural is a result of Stochasticity, a concept embraced and exalted by this special and unpredictable series of beers, where exotic notions, ingredients and ideas coalesce at an interesting and often unexpected endpoint.

All The Deep, Roasty Essence of A Stout, Presented in a brilliant Golden Ale.
Things aren’t always what they seem, but not all deception is devious. Some illusions and misnomers lead to life’s most delightful surprises. Case in point—this beer, the yang to the yin that is the black India pale ale. Once revolutionary for its onyx appearance, it is now an accepted and beloved member of the India pale ale family.

Thus we took the spirit of a dark beer—the time-honored stout—and applied a similar science of thought, brewing it to be golden-hued. Cocoa and coffee beans impart roastiness sans darkening to this brew, while flaked oats provide an enveloping mouthfeel. The result is a stout that looks more like a blonde, but is a raven beauty at heart.

HOP VARIETIES: Nugget & Liberty

MALT VARIETIES: 2-Row Pale, Carapils, amber,and flaked oats

SPECIAL INGREDIENT: Cocoa

SPECIAL INGREDIENT: Coffee

==Introduction==
I have always wanted Stone to bring back an old style they once did with Brewdog called the Luciferin which was a Golden Stout as well. While they may not brew that one ever again (here’s hoping they do), the fact that they brought this one forth was just what I needed since I really did not want to miss this one. I can only assume this is the successor from that lost beer from years ago. The style of Golden Styles is a rarity and not often brewed. However, so far of the many I have tried, all have been unique and awesome in their own way. I think when they add the coffee beans in others I have tried, it really makes a difference to really fool you into thinking you are drinking stout but you are not. Hence the name master of disguise. Regardless, I am glad I was able to bring this one forth to the site. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Coffee, Espresso notes, mocha, white chocolate, dark chocolate, biscuit bread, rye bread, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, mild smoke, butterscotch, toffee, dark fruit cherries, milk chocolate, oatmeal cookies, cookie dough, sweet bread and peanut butter.

Flavors:
Roasted coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, vanilla, citrus, grapefruit hints, mild smokey notes, cinnamon, brown sugar flan hints, biscuit bread, earthy hops, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, peaches and cream hints, butterscotch, dark fruit raisins, cranberry hints, dark cherries, apples, toffee, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter and milk sugar.

Aftertaste:
White chocolate, caramel, vanilla, Citrus, roasted coffee, Earthy and mild piney hops linger. No alcohol in the taste, clear golden body, smooth and creamy mouthfeel, medium to sipping beer.

Overall:
If you love roasty bitter Stout and yet some hop variety to the flavors, then this is the perfect stout. It is kind of strange since the creamy levels are like that of a stout yet it is not. This style is something that does not typically happen quite often and it is one that needs to be brewed right. While I did get some medium levels of hops, this only added to the complexity. The coffee beans and cocoa actually meld well keeping some of the bitterness at bay to bring forth that rich stout goodness. Reminiscent of some of the other Golden Stouts I have had before but this one is more on the White chocolate variety. I would definitely recommend a try on this one.

Anime Corner:
Akali from League of Legends was used in this pairing to represent the colors of the label, the name “Master of Disguise” as she is a ninja with mask looking partially like a demon mouth of in this case the Stone Gargoyle. The glimmering moonlight is what is lights up the night and on this beer, is what makes a dark stout look like a bright IPA. This is a really great beers and I would definitely recommend you try it as this one is for the ninjas!

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/hRxkqzq.jpg

Holiday Belgian Strong Brown Ale by Avila Ales

November 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Akemi Homura, Avila Ales, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Cinnamon, Holiday Ale, Holiday Belgian Strong Brown Ale, Madoka Magica, Mr & Mrs. Richard Avila, Oak, star anise | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Holiday Belgian Strong Brown Ale by Avila Ales is a ??% ABV Belgian Strong Brown Ale brewed with Oak chips, Cinnamon Sticks, allspice and Star Anise.

==Introduction==
My friends Richard and Megan Avila have been busy brewing some very awesome magic potions. In September, they visited King Harbor brewing in Redondo Beach which were able to donate their equipment for my friend Richard to create a 5 gallon bucket of just Brown Ale wort. While there were many there, many would take their buckets home and customize their own recipe even further. Richard and Meg decided to go with a Belgian yeast strain for this brew. As the weeks passed, they added oak chips, cinnamon sticks, all spice and star anise to fermenting bucket which then after close to 2 months, this Belgian goodie was born. They were awesomely kind to donate some of their beer to me to do a review. One thing to note, while there may have not been a last gravity check to verify the alcohol by volume, this beer was definitely strong, complex and yet, smooth and easy to drink. A conundrum yet a masterpiece of a Holiday Ale for sure. One day, they plan to open their own business to get these awesome creations rolling and hopefully, with my reviews here, you may be enticed to try them. Cheers.

Aromas:
Mint chocolate, anise, bananas, clove spice, molasses, vanilla, oak, campfire hints, rock candy, brown sugar, coffee hints, dark fruit raisins, cherry hints, milk sugar, candi sugar, flan hints, cinnamon, ginger spice, all spice fruit cake and pecan pie.

Flavors:
Banana, clove spice, anise, molasses, Dark fruit raisins, mild prune notes, cherries currants, oatmeal cookies, coffee hints, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, oak, marshmallow smore hints, hints of maple, piloncillo hints, milk sugar, toasted coconut hint, biscuit bread, mint chocolate chip, honey, nutmeg, fruit cake notes, pecan pie notes, cinnamon, ginger spice, all spice, vanilla, caramel, rock candy, candi sugar, brown sugar and some flan hints.

Aftertaste:
Dark chocolate, oatmeal cookies, anise, banana hints, clove spice, dark fruit and earthy notes linger. No alcohol in the taste, drinks way too easy yet you can tell this is strong, Pitch black brown body and a creamy.

Overall:
A perfect holiday ale ranging from a lot of sweet complex flavors with the oak bittering out the sweetness. This is a “drink and sit by the fire place” beer. My friends really nailed this one for sure. The complexity and sweetness is reminiscent of some of the best Belgian beers out there. The addition of the oak, cinnamon, allspice and Anise gives it an additional level of depth that quite possibly is what is responsible for making this one smooth as well although I can only assume at this point. I hope they brew this one again as it was the best beer yet!

Anime Corner:
Akemi Homura in Akuma form from Madoka Magica was used in this pairing because I wanted to show case several aspects about this beer including ingredients, flavors, strength and complexity. The abbey like monastery used as the background in this pairing goes well with the style of the beer and the brown colors making this a Belgian brown. The fact that she looks sweet and innocent goes with the smoothness and rich complexity of the beer. The fact that she is in Akuma form or Demon form represents the unknown aspect of the ABV. The fact that drinks super well but it is dangerous since you do feel it after just a little goes to show how truly powerful this beer is. Also, the colors represent the beers flavors and to some extent the added ingredients which gave this beer perfection.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/eY0bhFA.png

Barrel Aged Narwhal by Sierra Nevada

November 29, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Barrel Aged Narwhal, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Jedi of the Sea, Kentucky Bourbon, Narwhal, Russian Imperial Stout, Selvaria Bles, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Valkyria Chronicles, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Barrel Aged Narwhal by Sierra Nevada is a 12.9%%ABV World Class Russian Imperial Stout aged in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels.
Label:

Barrel-Aged Narwhal is our deliciously dark Imperial Stout aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Barrel aging is a strange science; it mellows some characteristics of the original beer while intensifying others. Narwhal’s aggressive roastiness has calmed, but the rich, chocolate-like malt backbone is brought to the fore. Black as midnight, this intense stout is complex with notes of cocoa and espresso balanced with hints of vanilla and toasted coconut from the oak casks. Nearly as rare as it’s nautical namesake, try Barrel-Aged Narwhal while you can because like the creature itself, it will soon dive into the depths and leave nary a trace behind.

==Introduction==
The Jedi of the Sea has returned to save the beer world of whalez. Well, this one is a pretty elusive and will be more so as time goes on. Released in very limited quantities, this one is already a sought for item as the original beer was a major success for Sierra Nevada and is definitely one of the best Russian Imperial Stouts out there. It is my hope that this beer does turn out to be the hype it deserves otherwise, it might as well just get lost in the sea of beers altogether. Let’s take a look at this rare opportunity to learn more about this beast in nature… Cheers!

Aromas:

Lots of bourbon oak forward, toasted coconut, espresso coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, roasted coffee, vanilla, whiskey bourbon, rye bread, whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate smores, Khalua, smokey hints, dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, figs, flan, brown sugar, banana hints, pecan pie, hazelnut, minty hints and molasses.

Flavors:

Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Bakers chocolate, chocolate abuelita hints, vanilla, oak bourbon, flan, sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche caramel, roasted coffee notes, espresso notes, Khalua, mild smokey oak, dark fruit prunes, currants, raisins, mild cherries, figs, mocha, toasted coconut, marshmallow cream, chocolate smores, graham crackers, molasses, anise, mint, rum hints, whiskey, port wine hints, rye bread, leather, tobacco, whipped cream, brown sugar, Irish cream, bananas, pecan pie and hazelnut nectar.

Aftertaste:

Marshmallow cream, oak, leather, caramel, chocolate,coconut, bourbon, earthy notes, rye bread and vanilla with an almost dry finish. No alcohol in the taste, silky and creamy mouthfeel, drinks easy despite the ABV and pitch black motor oil full body.

Overall:

The Jedi of the sea struck with a hard vengeance brought forth from learning its way in the dark side. Now accepting its darkness, it can now deliver you into a sweet world of awesome. This beer is similar to the Barrel Aged Old Rasputin except this one has more barrel, dark chocolate, roasty coffee and coconut flavors forward along with the complexities I was able to explained as I tried dissecting this one. This is one of the best Russian Imperial Stouts out there but next to Darkness, well that’s just another dimension. Still, a whale by name enters its glory into fame when it comes down to the most coveted beers to claim. Highly recommended and possibly their best beer ever!

Anime Corner:

Selvaria Bles from Valkyria Chronicles was used in this pairing since I wanted to show someone that would be similar in color even to a Narwhal as well as a general or captain of a ship. In the original Narwhal, I showed a captain of a ship with a map basically looking for the legendary beast. Here now we can see the similar map and as Selvaria dashes into the adventure, it represents her in search of the beast. You can also see that her armor, shield and sword look similar to the Narwhal, not to say she killed one, but maybe, since it is a part of her and changes shapes, it is almost as if she is the very beast she searches for and doesn’t even know it. As you can see her in the bathing suit, this pairs well with the colors of the label as well but also represents the smoothness and silky aspect of the beer as it was barrel-aged afterall. Plain and simple, she is Jedi of the Sea, she is the Narwhal!

Sources:

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/238/1046597-selvaria_bles.jpg
http://keywithoutatone.deviantart.com/art/Selvaria-Bles-283643503
http://idnar.deviantart.com/art/Selvaria-Bles-203546525

Firestone XVIII Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker

November 28, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 18th Anniversary Ale, aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, anniversary ale, Asuka, Asuka Langley, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Barleywine, Belgian Abbey Quadrupel, black ipa, Bourbon Barrel Aged, DIPA, Double India Pale Ale, double jack, English Barleywine, Firestone Walker, Firestone XVIII, FLCL, Fooly Cooly, Haruko Haruhara, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Oatmeal Stout, Ol' Leghorn, Parabola, Rei Ayanami, Russian Imperial Stout, Stickee Monkee, Three Floyds, Velvet Merkin, Wookey Jack, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Firestone XVIII Anniversary Ale by Firestone Walker is a 13% ABV World Class Strong Multi-liquor Barrel Aged Style Hybrid Blend Ale.

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

38% Parabola (bourbon barrel aged Russiant imperial stout),
16% Helldorado (bourbon and brandy barrel aged blond barleywine),
16% Bravo (bourbon and brandy barrel aged brown ale),
14% Stickee Monkey (bourbon and brandy barrel aged quad),
5% Velvet Merkin (bourbon barrel aged oatmeal stout),
4% Hydra Cuvée (a blend too much of a mouthful to describe here),
3% Wookey Jack (black IPA),
2% Ol’ Leghorn (English barleywine, collaboration with Three Floyds, aged in fresh barrels),
2% Double Jack (Double IPA)

==Introduction==

It has been an awesome year for Firestone Walker beers and with the release of their 18th one, they add some new beers into their final blend. As with every year, this one comes with the strategy guide to basically see if you can figure out what’s what. While this is a difficult task, I try to write down as much as I can and see what new flavors this one is composed of versus the previous releases. It really does not matter sometimes as they have all beer exceptionally world class beers. Yes, don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich oak, vanilla, flan, bourbon, maple syrup, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, Belgium chocolate, German chocolate, ferrero rocher chocolate, toasted coconut, almond joy, dulce de leche caramel, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, oreo cookies, cookies and cream, oatmeal cookies, cookie dough, cocada coconut candy, pilloncillo sugar cone, choco flan, dark fruits like currants, raisins, prunes, raspberry, cherries, currants, blackberries, capirotada raisin bread pudding, anise, molasses, brownies, brown sugar, bananas, clove spice hints, mocha, tres leches/three milks cake, dragon fruit, tangerine, pineapple hints and more!

Flavors:
Very strong oak barrel forward character, rich vanilla, bourbon, toasted coconut, almond joy, dulce de leche caramel, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, Belgium chocolate, German chocolate, ferrero rocher chocolate, pralines, cookies and cream, oreo cookies, oatmeal cookies, cookie dough, flan, cinnamon hints, brown sugar, hazelnut, macademia nuts, cocada coconut candy, piloncillo sugar cone, dragon fruit, mango hints, pineapple hints, sweetened condensed milk, port wine, maple syrup, dark fruit currants, raisins, prunes, raspberry, cherries, currants, blackberries, capirotada raisin bread pudding, anise, molasses, brownies, brown sugar, bananas, clove spice hints, leather, tobacco, waffle cone, peaches and cream, pecan pie, candi sugars, rock candy, choco flan, espresso, mocha, toffee, tres leches/three milks cake, tangerine and more!

Aftertaste:
Port wine, dark chocolate, maple syrup, dark fruits, rocky road ice cream, oatmeal and oreo cookies, oak, vanilla, coconut, mango, chocolate chips and marshmallow smores with earthy hop notes finish at the end. No alcohol in the taste, Smooth and silky mouthfeel, dangerously easy to drink but should be handled as a sipper and crimson yet pitch black body.

Overall:
Exceptionally great. Each release more awesome than the last. I really think this one is the best one by far. If aged, it will will definitely do wonders I am sure. This one seems to have richer flavors which I am sure were due to the addition of the Three Floyds collab and the Hydra Cuvee as well as the Stickee Monkee, Velvet Merkin and Parabola. This beer is insane and it will only get more insane as time goes on. If you can still find this goodie, definitely get it. It is one of the best!

Anime Corner:
Asuka Langley/Shikinami Sohrty, Rei Ayanami, Haruko Haruhara, and many others from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Fooly Cooly (FLCL) were used in this pairing to represent some of the blends represented by this beer. It is something I have done in the past with this series of Anniversary beers. This was a great pic because not only does it show case the colors of potential ingredients used but also how each flavor tries to out do the other. Also, Haruko was used in a previous Three Floyds collaboration this year (Rue D’Floyd) which represented her wacky aspect as “Not Normal”. The addition of Firestone and Three Floyd’s collab beer into this one made it so she can be in this pairing as well. What a bad ass!. Also, Asuka and Rei have been seen in pairings like Firestone’s Double Jack so they are definitely in the right pairing here too.

Sources:
http://articleimage.nicoblomaga.jp/image/64/2013/f/f/ffd9f7487115ef5bb2d6b22dedcca9f69c75e5641373178280.jpg
http://www.zerochan.net/full/39691

Gregorius Trappistenbier by Stift Engelszell

November 27, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Abbey Quadrupel, Belgian Trappist Monastery, Gregorius Trappistenbier, Ignis, jingai makyou, Jingai Makyō, Quadrupel, Stift Engelszell, Trappist, trappist beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Gregorius Trappistenbier by Stift Engelszell is a 9.7% ABV Belgian Trappist Quadrupel

Description:
The first bottles of beer which, since 1 June 2012 The first Variety called Gregorius and is a dark triple with 9.7 vol% Alc. available in 0.33 liter bottles.

With honey

==Introduction==

So many Trappist Monasteries have been brewing up across the world and many have become legendary holding that Trappist Beer emblem of beer Holy legends. Ambrosia of gods literally. Who best to brew the ambrosia of god than that of the Monks in Belgium and other monasteries across the world. This monastery was added back in 2012 as part of the Trappist elite. Today, 10 monasteries hold that emblem with pride. This is the first time I have been able to try the Stift Engelszell Gergorius and bring it forth to the site. I have had it before at Congregation Ale house in Long Beach California but when I found it in Total Wine of Redondo Beach California, I had to bring it to the table. So here we have it, another legend of the many who have bared the name Trappist! Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich dark fruit raisins, plums figs, cherries, prunes, currants, raspberries, dulce de leche caramel, flan hints, leather, marshmallow,stone fruit peaches, apricots, lychee, apples, brown sugar, toffee, piloncillo sugar cone, hazelnut, pecan pie, cinnamon, grape preserves and port wine hints.

Flavors:
Rich dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, cherries, prunes, raspberries, dulce de leche caramel, marshmallow, vanilla, flan, bananas, clove spice, brown sugar, piloncillo sugar cone, pecans, cinnamon, hazelnut, rich apples, stone fruit peaches, leather notes, toasted sweet bread with grape preserves, port wine hints, pecan pie, milk chocolate, anise, molasses, oak, chocolate cake and sweetened condensed milk Lechera hints.

Aftertaste:
Dark fruits prunes, raisins, pecan pie, linger, caramel, apples, earthy notes and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, full brown body, sipping drinkability, medium and creamy mouthfeel.

Overall:
A perfect trappist beer! It’s strongest feature is the dark fruit and stone fruit forward flavos along with the apple and caramel. This beer is pretty close to the ranks of Achel Trappist and Westy 12 as each focuses on all the quad or some of the quad aspect so perfectly. This one makes its entry as being the most stone fruit forward of quads in the selections. If you Belgian beers, Quads and the Trappists beers for what they represent, then you will find this one to be rich and delicious as well. Definitely worth a pick up.

Anime Corner:
Ignis from Jingai Makyo was used in this pairing as I wanted to use a bad ass character to represent the monasteries like I have with other Trappist beer pairings but at the same time something that relates to them. That is, the holy and God aspect of beers. Heavenly really but at the same time her colors while white as a bride/Nun yet a warrior of God, like a monks, she represents also the dark and lighter stone fruit forwards of the beer as I described earlier. Seems like she can be the best candidate of representing what holy Trappist beers are all about.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/720052

He’Brew Jewbelation Reborn 18th Anniversary Ale by Shmaltz Brewing

November 27, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 18 hops, 18 malts, 18th Anniversary Ale, American Barleywine, He'Brew Jewbelation, Legend of Zelda, Schmaltz brewing, Sheik, Zelda | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

He’Brew Jewbelation Reborn 18th Anniversary Ale by Shmaltz Brewing is a 12.4% ABV American Barleywine brewed with 18 Malts and 18 Hops

Label:
So Many friends have asked, “When will you Stop?!” The answer is “Never… Well, Um, I Mean Now”! Witness Our Newborn Black Session Barleywine.

18 malts, 18 hops, and now 12.4% ABV so we can ship to allll our states again. Jewbelation 18 is now in session – L’CHAIM!

The gold charm dangling in the chest hair of Jews everywhere spells the Hebrew word “Chai” meaning “Life”. It’s numerological value is 18, the anniversary of Shmaltz! Unlike Alice Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen” from the album, Love it to Death, 18 I belted out the barroom anthem “To Life, To Life, L’Chaim” onstage in Fiddle on the Roof. At age 18, Mary Shelly began writing Frankenstein, published Jan 1, 1818. Mel Brooks fathered his first child 18 years before his 1974 Young Frankenstein re-created the iconic “It’s Alive!” In the 18th week of pregnancy, a fetus may start to kick , suck its thumb, & show genitals on an ultrasound. The Enlightenment in the 18th century culminated with US & French revolutions. On the 18th of April 1775, Paul Revere famously hollered “The British are coming!” After Beastie Boy MCA passed, Licensed to III (Horsey/Paul Revere/Quart of Beer/Girlies) reentered the Billboard Chart at #18. Simpsons shtick from Homer vs. 18th Amendment: “To alcohol – The cause of, & solution to, all of life’s problems.” Just to be clear: At 18, you might be legal to smoke, vote, buy port, gamble, & fight wars, but you CANNOT buy this beer. Then there’s Carl in Caddyshack: “So we finish the 18th and I say, “Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something for the effort?” He says. ‘There will be no money, but your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.’ So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.” Welcome to being here now, with so many blessings 18 years in – and growing Jeremy Cowan, proprietor.

==Introduction==
Damn that was a long label to write down. It took me a while, but here we are. Another awesome release of the Jewbelation. While unfortunately, this release was less than the 18% ABV as what I thought it was going to be, that is okay as I will see how they were able to make this complexity a reality using as many malts and hops as possible and then turning this into a Barleywine. So let’s dig into this one and see how it compares to the past ones. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich dark fruit syrup, cherries, plums, prunes, figs, blueberries, raspberries, currants, bananas, dragon fruit, bubble gum, tangerine candy, earthy grassy, citrus, grapefruit hops, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee butterscotch, marshmallows, anise, licorice, rum, coconut, rye bread, leather, Khalua coffee, fudge syrup, pecan pie, coconut, tobacco, milk sugar and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Rich dark chocolate, molasses, dark fruit raisins, plums, prunes, figs, soy sauce hints, hazelnut, oak hints, earthy, grassy, citrus, grapefruit hops, rye bread, maple syrup, dark cherries, currant syrup, leather notes, marshmallows, anise, licorice, bananas, rum, coconut, bubblegum notes, brown sugar, fudge syrup, tangerine candy, butterscotch, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, dragon fruit syrup, Khalua hints, roasted barley, milk sugar, tobacco, leather, honey, butterscotch, chocolate cake and pecan pie.

Aftertaste:
Rich Chocolate and Blueberry syrup along with caramel, earthy and citrus hops linger. Slightly boozy in the taste but mainly sugar due to the variety of hops and malts. Silky and syrupy mouthfeel, murky motor oil full body and sipping drinkability but still drinks easy for some reason.

Overall:
A strong tasting as if it was an 18% ABV beer yet less alcohol. It is almost like they took a page from Dark Lord lore. This is a syrupy rich beer and full of rich sweet complex flavors forward. Mainly in the dark fruit department really. Literally like drinking syrup. I am not sure what I like more, the fact that it was so syrupy to pour on an ice cream or just how it reminded me of drinking beers which are way stronger than what this one is classified as. I am sure many will pass this one up under the radar for other hyped beers this year but trust me, this is all too well worth the pick up that it is insane. Especially if you love those super syrupy Dark Lord like beers.

Anime Corner:
Sheik/Zelda from the Legend of Zelda was used in this pairing to pair with the colors of the beer label and how swift yet strong like a ninja smooth and deadly this beer it. It makes no sense in the sense of how strong and complex the beer feels while the beer is only 12% ABV and believe me, I have tried beers like this that are typically in the 16~20% ABV and this is not one of the. That is why I feel since Sheik is actually princess Zelda posing as a bad ass ninja in Hyrule, she sneaks so well using her magic to make this beer so damn complex and feel like something it is not. In fact, Sheik was so hard to figure out in the beginning, that many though Sheik was a dude only later to find that it was Princess Zelda all along. There is a reason why all the Legend of Zelda games have her name in the title. You just cannot judge a bad ass book by it’s cover, and you certainly cannot judge Zelda/Sheik for being such a bad ass.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/27fN5da.jpg

Union Jack by Firestone Walker

November 27, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Fate Night Stay, Fate Stay Night, Fate Zero, Firestone Walker, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Genzoman, india pale ale, IPA, Saber, Union Jack, West Coast IPAs, west coast style, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Union Jack by Firestone Walker is a 7.5% ABV World Class India Pale Ale.

Box Description:
An aggressively hopped West Coast-style IPA. Union Jack showcases exceptional dry hop character with stunning pineapple, citrus, and pine aromas on the nose accompanies by honey-like malt aromatics. Double dry hopping brings bold grapefruit, tangerine and citrus flavors.

==Introduction==
It really has been a couple of years since I tried this beer. One of the first IPAs during the time that I started doing beer reviews but unfortunately never got the chance to bring forth. When I bought this as part of the Firestone Winter Variety pack, I finally had the chance. I have mainly tried this one on tap which was epic and great but I have not gone back to it since developing a taste for a variety of IPAs. The fact that I am bringing this here to the site is an honor as I will finally take my time to dissect what many have called one of the finest in the west coast-style of IPAs. Cheers.

Aromas:
Citrus, floral grassy piney, grapefruit hops, tropical fruit mango, papaya, guava, kiwi, dragon fruit, honey dew melon, strawberry, honey on biscuit bread, tangerines, lemon peel, Stone fruit apricots, lychee, apples, caramel and vanilla.

Flavors:
Citrus, floral, grassy piney and grapefruit hops, tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, dragon fruit, strawberry, papaya, passion fruit, honey dew melon, biscuit bread, honey, tangerines, guava, lemon peel, Stone fruit apricot, peach, lychee, apples, kiwi, floral notes, mild dank garlicky flavors, and gummy bears.

Aftertaste:
Lots of tropics, citrus, tangerine, grapefruit, vanilla, honey, caramel, biscuit bread and grassy hops linger. No alcohol in the taste, easy to drink, somewhat creamy, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel and a Clear Golden body.

Overall:
One of the finest and perfect examples of IPAs out there. The step below to the Double Jack still standing strong in the front of the many West coast IPAs that come close to it. The tropics in this are strong and is really one of the reason I really loved this beer. It isn’t all about tropical though as you do get some caramel notes and lots of that super hoppy west coast dankness. This is pretty much a commoners gold and if you haven’t tried this one, you are missing out because this one is very underrated and extremely awesome of IPAs

Anime Corner:
Saber from Fate/Stay night and an OC character by genzoman and zander-d from deviant art were brought forth in this pairing to bring forth a bit of what the Union Jack and what the UK is all about. Being inventors of the India Pale Ale style to make beer last through the travels as they were preserve with hops as a natural preservative for soldiers in their journeys. This was the best pairing to represent that about the origins of the IPA.

Sources:
http://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Saber-Who-Dares-Wins-349352556

Dead Ringer Oktoberfest

November 27, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Asuka, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Asuka Shikinami Soryu, Dead Ringer, German Beers, german tradition, Marzen, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Oktoberfest | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Dead Ringer Oktoberfest is a 6% Märzen / Oktoberfest.

Label:
Our Dead Ringer Oktoberfest lager is inspired by old-style Marzen brews customarily enjoyed during Bavaria’s world-famous beer festival. Thanks to an abundance of toasted malt and a lower hop bitterness, this dark reddish brown lager is loaded with sweet, caramel toffee flavors and aromas. All the taste and celebration of Oktoberfest packed into one bottle; no lederhosen required.

==Introduction==

I chose Dead Ringer to bring forth as I have never tried an Oktoberfest from Ballast Point. Ballast Point has made some great beers that I have enjoyed mainly in the past like their Sea Monster, Sculpin and Victory at Sea. I definitely wanted to try this one and bring it forth to see how good it would fare. It is never too late to enjoy an Oktoberfest even in November! Cheers!

Aromas:
Caramel, chocolate hints, biscuit bread, cereal graininess, apples, toffee, rye bread, drak fruit raisin hints, earthy hop notes, cinnamon, all spice, coriander, brown sugar, clove spice and apples.

Flavors:
Chocolate notes, caramel, vanilla, Cereal grain, toffee, biscuit bread, rye bread, dark fruit raisin hints, pecan pie, pretzels, earthy and grapefruit hops, citrus, black tea, clove spice, coriander spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, hazel nut, apples and toasted bread with grape jelly.

Aftertaste:
Citrus, caramel, toasted bread,earthy and grapefruit hop hints linger. No alcohol in the taste, easy to drink, clear to medium body and medium body feel.

Overall:
Very good Oktoberfest. This beer gets a lot better as it warms up but overall is easy to drink. You get more malt sweetness as it warm up. This a good beer to introduce people to craft beer. Especially during the Oktoberfest celebrations. While it is not the absolute number one in Oktoberfest, I think it is still very good and would recommend a try.

Anime Corner:
Asuka Shikinami Langley Sohryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion was chosen in this instance because of her mainly German roots and the fact that her suit holds some colors of the German Flag which is also a representative of the Oktoberfest. Because a skeleton is shown and Ballast Point is sea driven with pirates, fish, and skulls and crossbones, It would also fit as Asuka has an eye patch almost making her look like pirate. The combination fits as both Oktoberfest and Pirates party and drink happily!

Sources:
http://www.moeboard.net/static/data/table_moe/1414671842_fb01206d1d514e23e9e07312b145a795.jpg

Velvet Mocha Merlin by Firestone Walker

November 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged chocolate chip cookies, cocoa nibs, Coffee Beans, dark chocolate, Firestone Walker, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Firestone winter pack, Intelligentsia Coffee, Legend of Zelda, Midna, milk Chocolate, Oatmeal Stout, Twili Midna, Twilight Princess, Velvet Merlin, Velvet Mocha Merlin | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Velvet Mocha Merlin by Firestone Walker is a 5.5% ABV Oatmeal Stout brewed with cocoa nibs and Intelligentsia Espresso Coffee beans.

Label:
Our beloved Velvet Merlin Aged with cocoa nibs and Intelligentsia espresso beans. All of the smooth textures and roasty dark chocolate goodness of our seasonal Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout with the added infusion of Intelligentsia Coffee House aromas and cocoa dusted chocolate truffle flavors.

==Introduction==

This beer came as part of the Firestone Walker Winter Variety pack. Since I had tried the Velvet Merlin and Merkin before, there was no way I’d pass this one up especially after my friend Richard told me about this one. While I was debating getting this one at first, it was a good deal as I was able to get 4 22oz beers for around 15$ at Total Wine. Also, the beers included like Union Jack IPA, DBA and Wookie Jack were worth it. Union Jack is one I have not brought to review and now I will so keep an eye out for that one. As far as the whole coffee and cocoa nibs with the original Merlin goes, I could only expect awesome. However, I have to see it for what it is because the original is just as great. So let us see what this one offers. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, Espresso coffee, fancy coffee, vanilla, caramel, coconut hints, milk sugar, oreo cookies, chocolate chip cookies, brown sugar, flan hints, molasses, graham cracker smores and marshmallows.

Flavors:
Espresso coffee, fancy coffee, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, fudge chocolate,, bananas, chocolate truffles, milk sugar, fancy mocha, caramel, vanilla, coconut hints, oreo cookies, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, graham cracker smores and marshmallows, hints of flan, Khalua hints, dark fruit raisins, toffee and molasses.

Aftertaste:
Coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, mild roasted notes and nice dry finish. No alcohol in the taste, smooth and creamy mouthfeel, easy to medium drinkability and a dark full body.

Overall:
Making the Merlin much more to the perfect standard. If it wasn’t perfect already, this one made it so regardless of the base beer. The Oatmeal Stout smooth characteristics with the coffee and chocolate make this one like a rich cold coffee brew. They were right about the whole aspect of smooth and chocolate taking over. Possibly the best one in the pack next to the Union Jack but then again, each of the beers has its great merits. Hope they get a chance to brew this one again or make a Mocha Merkin from this because in all honestly, that would be damn magical. Highly recommend it if you find the winter pack.

Anime Corner:
Twili Midna was used in this pairing because I wanted to show case Merlin and Merkin as in the previous beers as magicians and sorceresses. Midna fits that whole magical aspect and being the Twilight princess melding into the dark and light brings about the rich sweet flavors as well as the dark roasty characters of chocolate and coffee together altogether while being nice and smooth. She can light up the darkness.

Sources:
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/023/7/6/7647e254a61d73d87520077effaa393f-d73fp4v.png

2014 Barrel Roll No. 08 Falling Leaf by Hangar 24

November 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Barrel Roll, Barrel Roll No. 8, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Do a Barrel Roll, Falling Leaf, Fruit Cake, Gourdgeous, Hangar 24, Honey comb, Imperial Porter, Imperial Pumpkin Porter, Mezcal Tequila, Nia Teppelin, Pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin seeds, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

2014 Barrel Roll No. 08 Falling Leaf by Hangar 24 is a 10.2% Imperial Pumpkin Porter Aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Bottle: 2033/2981

FALLING LEAF: The Pilot Brings the airplane into a stall. Then works the rudder to slip back and forth from right right to left while hold the nose forward.

Each autumn we brew a fresh batch of Gourdgeous, an Imperial Porter which pays homage to our local pumpkin harvest. To create FALLING LEAF, we placed a small portion of last year’s Gourdgeous in barrels to age gracefully through another turn of the seasons. A year in our cellar has mellowed and sweetened the robust flavors of pumpkin pie spice, molasses, caramel and dark chocolate, while the single-use bourbon barrels we selected lift the beer back up, adding bright layers of bourbon, oak and vanilla. Beneath these layers you’ll recognize the strong core of the base beer: 1,000 pounds of pumpkins grown just ½ a mile from our brewery. Falling Leaf is ready to drink now, or can be placed into your own cellar to continue aging gracefully.

==Introduction==

Essentially, the Barrel Aged Gourdgeous which is their seasonal pumpkin porter. I had not heard of this until I saw this one online. The unfortunate part about it is that it is limited so only able to obtain 1 bottle of this, I was hoping to get another for a good friend. I will have to see if I can find more however the label does specify that it is a rather limited beer. Hope they make more of it but if you can find it, well, let’s see if you want to buy it based on my review. So let’s go and see what this evolved Pumpkin Porter can do. Cheers!

Aromas:
Strong scent of honey dew melon and pumpkin flesh, plantains, bananas, clove spice, piloncillo sugar cone, Mezcal Tequila hints, honey comb, bourbon, vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, maple syrup, rye bread, fruit cake, Danish cookies, flan, Dark fruit raisins, cherries, blue berries, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, marshmallows, smores, anise, pumpkin cheese cake, anise, molasses, honey comb, wine grape hints, cookie dough ice cream, chai tea and sweet potatoes.

Flavors:
Honey dew melon, Agave syrup, Tequila hints, grape sangria, pumpkin seeds, piloncillo sugar cone, pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, pecan pie, bananas, rum hints, bourbon, marshmallows, chocolate smores, toasted coconut, rye bread, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, blue berries, currants, bananas, plantains, capirotada raisins bread pudding, flan, coffee cake, brown sugar, anise, honey comb, maple syrup, spiced coffee, vanilla, oak, Danish cookies, pumpkin cheese cake, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, cookie dough ice cream, all spice, crème brulee, chai tea, sweet potato, wine grape hints, walnuts, nutella, old mango hints, graham crackers and fruit cake.

Aftertaste:
Fruit cake, pumpkin spice, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, rum bourbon, marshmallow, tequila and sangria hints. No alcohol in the taste, creamy mouthfeel, sipping drinkability and dark orange full body.

Overall:
I think the biggest part about this beer is that it was nothing like a bourbon barrel aged pumpkin beer I have ever had before. This was something very special. The barrel flavors were not like those of the bourbons I am used to. They were more like a rum or a tequila. It is almost like the pilot in this one took a strict page from the witchcraft book of Halloween and decided to do it’s own spell to really give that ‘Trick Or Treat’ feel. The only problem is that this one is limited. So I suggest you get to searching and really try to find this one.

Anime Corner:
Nia Teppellin from Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagan was used in this pairing as a pilot. In the past Hangar 24 Barrel Roll beers, I have put specific pilot characters for each review as I feel it fits the series overall. Many wear jumpsuits or some sort of suit in general. Since Nia in her Anti-Spiral suit sort of resembles a mobile suit pilot and the fact that she comes from a mobile suit pilot show and got to drive one next to her love Simon, this was perfect. In reference to the beer name and the overall Fall season and dark Halloween look, I paired several pictures. In the first one she is falling like the name of the beer, falling leaf. In the dark picture with the mobile suit, Gurren Lagan, it looks evil and dark with the moonlight representing fall and Halloween and the aspect of being a pilot. In the last picture it is just her and a close up as to how sweet she is. While is very powerful and evil in one point in the show, this paired greatly with the strength and complexity of the beer. The teal and red colors represent the colors of the label as well but also that Tequila and Rum notes I kept getting on this beer. Definitely a lot going on with the beer and a great pairing at that.

Sources:
http://4.blog.xuite.net/4/7/a/b/10350619/blog_422775/txt/23236801/21.jpg
http://data3.whicdn.com/images/15647981/original.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/xo1g8n.jpg

Abundance by Renaissance brewing

November 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Abundance, Asmodeus, Baltic Cherry Porter, Baltic Porter, cherries, dark chocolate, Holiday Baltic Porter, Lust, New Zealand beer, Renaissance brewing, The Seven Deadly Sins | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Abundance by Renaissance brewing is a 7.6% ABV Baltic Porter brewed with cherries.

Label:
A hybrid of English Porter and Russian Imperial Stout, Baltic Porters are full bodied and smooth, with rich malt flavours. Abundance is brewed with cherries and this helps accentuate the sweetness of the eleven different malts that we used in the mash. The result is a robust, dark beer with exceptional smoothness, less burnt characters than traditional porters and a mellow cherry finish. Abundance is a perfect pairing for a kiwi barbecue, with an iron curtain influence: venin rye bread

==Introduction==

A Baltic porter from Marlborough New Zealand. I cannot recall if I ever had had a New Zealand beer before, but what this says it has to offer, I was definitely intrigued with the find. I honestly chose this on a whim since I was doing other beer purchases online and I needed to get another beer to finish my order. This one intrigued me since not only was it a regular porter, but a Baltic one at that. The addition of cherries, well, that just added to how much I wanted to try it. I cannot recall if this will be my first review for a New Zealand beer, but this is a new review here on the site for Renaissance brewing. Cheers!

Aromas:
Coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, chocolate milk shake, milk chocolate, dark cherries, cherry cordials, marshmallow hints, soy sauce, molasses, anise, mint chocolate, brown sugar, Dr. Pepper Cherry hints, vanilla, caramel flan hints, rye bread, pecan pie hints, hazelnut, soy sauce and dark fruit raisins.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, coffee, cherry cordials, dark fruit raisins, dark cherry, currants, black berries, mild rye bead, marshmallow, mild roasty hints, milk sugar, soy sauce hints, mocha hints, pecan pie, dulce de leche caramel, hazelnut nectar, vanilla, Dr. Pepper Cherry hints, anise, Irish cream and mint chocolate cake.

Aftertaste:
Mild Roasty coffee, milk sugar, rye bread, dark fruit, dark cherry yogurt hints and dark chocolate. No alcohol in the taste, medium to full body dark crimson body, easy to drink, smooth and creamy mouthfeel.

Overall:
I could find myself drinking this all day. So much rich flavors and yet so damn smooth. For those that don’t want a super boozy chocolate cherry beer, this fits the bill right here. Lots of flavor complexity with rich sweetness and not overwhelming booziness. Yeah I think I really like this one a lot that I will definitely pick this one up again. Not just worth one try, but several. Especially since all the other great cherry chocolate beers are sometimes harder to find.

Anime Corner:
Asmodeus (Lust) from Seven Deadly Sins was used in this pairing to represent Abundance. Abundance in the sense that this is liquid pleasure to your taste buds. It’s a guilty pleasure. A cherry chocolate and dark fruit guilty pleasure of a beer. This Asmodeus isn’t evil, she only is by name and association with sin. She is very sweet and very approachable and as you can see, there is an Abundance of her to go around. So give her a try, you may like this devil’s water.

Sources:
http://enjelia.deviantart.com/art/7-Deadly-Sins-Asmodeus-394843440

Eight by Surly Brewing

November 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Barleywine, anniversary ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged, High West Rye Whiskey Barrels, Kaguya Otsutsuki, Naruto, Oat Wine, Oatwine, Rye Whiskey, Rye Whiskey Barrels, surly, Surly 8, Surly Brewing, wheat wine, White Chocolate | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Eight by Surly Brewing is a 12%ABV Oat Wine Aged in High West Rye Whiskey Barrels.

Label:
get surly

“When it’s done” is a phrase we’ve used to describe release dates for our beers for many years. When you’re putting the beer first, it just makes sense. Our anniversary is technically in February, but this unique Oat Wine style ale needed to age in High West Rye Whiskey barrels until, well… until it’s done. Here’s to Eight great years, and we’ll all be celebrating soon in our all new Destination Brewery.

The idea behind our anniversary line-up of beers was to give Todd, Surly’s Head Brewer, free rein to use whatever ingredients and methods he wanted to brew the beer. This year’s bottle artwork is a one-of-a-kind illustration collaboration between Todd and local artist Josh “Jawsh” Lemke.

This beer was designed for barrel aging, so it’s been a great opportunity to work with our friends at High West Distillery® in Park City. Utah. Brewed with Golden Promise and Aromatic malt Oats, and Milk sugar fermented in stainless steel then aged in High West Rye Whiskey barrels, this golden hued Oat-Wine style ale summons notes of spicy vanilla marshmallow and aromas of honey and whiskey.

==Introduction==

Another awesome year has come for Surly brewing and the release of their long awaited Barley wine is now here. Every year, I await the release of their anniversary ale since trying the Surly 4. Some releases are greater than others but sometimes you have to dig deep online to find these obscure beers… or just go to france44.com and get them, I guess that’ll work. Anyways, this year they made an oatwine aged in Rye whiskey barrels. I have tried many barley wines, some wheat wines, but never an oatwine. So the fact that this one is barrel aged, I will try to find the original beer somehow but if not, at least I will let you know how this year’s Surly anniversary turns out. Come, join me into the abyss of flavor experience…

Aromas:
Marshmallow cream, chocolate smores, vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, flan, custard, dark fruit raisins, cherries, white chocolate, toffee, butterscotch, bourbon, rye bread, rye whiskey, capirotada raisin bread pudding, Lechera sweetened condensed milk, bananas, clove spice, pumpkin spice, tropical fruits like mango, pineapple, dragon fruit, piña colada hints, pecan pie, hazel nut, oatmeal cookies, Danish cookies, oranges, citrus, coriander spice, macadamia nuts, marzipan, burnt sugar, brown sugar and candi sugar.

Flavors:
Bourbon, Rye whiskey, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, flan, custard, tobacco, leathery notes, sweetened condensed milk, oranges, coriander spice, mango, pineapple, dragon fruit, pears, apples, toasted coconut, piña colada hints, rich white chocolate, toffee, mild pumpkin spice, cinnamon, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, Danish cookies, Tres Leches cake, marshmallow cream, bananas, clove spice, chocolate smores, butterscotch, rye bread, brown sugar, marzipan, hazelnut, burnt sugar, candi sugar hints, dark fruits like cherries, raisins, plums, biscuit bread, capirotada raisin bread pudding, pecan pie and almond joy chocolate.

Aftertaste:
Lingering dulce de lecher caramel, burnt sugar, white chocolate hints, citrus, mild piña colada hints , bananas, toasted coconut, rye whiskey, earthy notes and pecans. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV, smooth, creamy and silky mouthfeel, sipping drinkability with some notes that makes this really easy to drink and a full golden brown full body.

Overall:
There is no surprise here. The moment I realized I really liked this one was right when this beer started to have some special tropical hints and white chocolate for some reason. I kept tasting white chocolate at times especially as it got warmer. I am not sure if that is part of the Oat wine or the combination of the that with the whiskey. What an amazing beer for their anniversary that they released. I really enjoyed this one. If you would like to obtain this one, I got it at france44.com where they are very limited and selling out very quick. So yes, I highly suggest you get this special anniversary ale.

Anime Corner:
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki from the Naruto series is one of the main antagonist from the series. She was brought here in this pairing for several reasons. Mainly for her great pairing with the label, the evil that she is flows great with Surly and the white chocolate aspect I kept getting from the beer. All the colors in this pairing show many of the flavor complexities that this one shows. Surly unleashed a special type of demon from it’s sealed state and now with her sweet onslaught of flavors, she will take back what was hers. Your lack of not trying this beer. She is all powerful, complex, sweet in appearance and flavor but overall, just evil!!

Sources:
http://rikamello.deviantart.com/art/Ohtsutsuki-Kaguya-478836486

Judge Jury & Executioner IIIPA by Ironfire brewing

November 19, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged DIPA, Donne Anonime, Double India Pale Ale, Franco il Nero, IIIPA, IIPA, IPA, Iron Fire, Judge Jury & Executioner, Lily Salvatana, Outlaw Django, Tre Donne Crudeli, Tre donne Crudelli, Triple IPA, Zoku Satsuriku no Django | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.2/5

Judge Jury & Executioner IIIPA by Ironfire brewing is an 11.2% ABV Triple India Pale Ale.

Label:
The verdict is in. Normal IPA’s have been found, wanting.
Enter the palate wrecking goodness of
Judge, Jury & Executioner Triple IPA!
Continuous hopping from mash tun to fermenter with 7 high alpha hop varieties from 3 different continents. Only extreme hop heads need apply, for this IPA judges you, not the other way around. Make sure your hop snobbery is on top of it’s game for if not, the weak will be found guilty for their hop hating foolishness. The noose will be strung…the order will be given…and your palate will be swinging from the gallows.”
Brewed once a year so enjoyit cold, fresh and while it lasts!

==Introduction==

The moment I saw this one, my IPA senses (which aren’t as strong as my Belgian or Barrel Aged beer side but still damn strong) were going off the radar. The last time I had a triple IPA was when I had the Power Plant from El Segundo. Since IronFire is from Temecula California, I simply could not wait. I had to try this massive IPA. I was able to get this one online at www.craftshack.com and was glad when I got it. Now, on to the trial, will this beer be judged or will my beer experienced taste buds be at the mercy of death row. I won’t say I will have it easy even if I had some of the best IPAs in the world, but this beer makes me be cautious for sure. Slowly, into the the doors of the court room we walk and you, are my jury… cheers!

Aromas:
Citrus, herbal, grapefruit, piney, grassy and floral hops, yerba buena/spearmint, vanilla, caramel, oranges, blue basil, garlic notes, dank onions, hints of tropical fruit like dragon fruit, honey dew melon, lemon peel, pineapple, mango, lemon grass, oregano, biscuit bread, Italian herbs, toffee and orange juice.

Flavors:
Rich Herbal, citrus, grapefruit, piney, grassy and floral hops, caramel, vanilla, oranges, blue basil, dank oniony, garlicky flavors, minor hints or tropics like pineapple, dragon fruit, prickly pear, lemon peel, mango, honey dew melon, stone fruit apricot, sour apple, biscuit bread, Italian herbs, orange juice, oregano, tangerine candy, strawberry hints, yerbabuena/spearmint, honey and wasabi hints without the burning.

Aftertaste:
Dank, oniony, grassy, garlicky, hoppy, palate drying, grapefruit, orange and vanilla hop flavors linger after the rest dry off. Slight alcohol in the taste but not detracting from the flavors. Clear as daylight and deadly as sin gold body, sipping drinkability and almost creamy mouthfeel.

Overall:
While this is a perfect hoppy IPA, it is not exceeding like El Segundo’s Power Plant. I only say this because of my more tropical palate preference when it comes to IPAs. It is still a great IPA and one I would definitely try again and again. It’s hop variety surely focuses on the more grassy, herbal and super dank qualities of IPAs. Basically, of the 3 ranges I categorize IPAs (Tropical, Herbal and Malty) this one lies in the herbal strength but also balances the other flavors well. This beer ends so damn dank and dry it almost burns in a hop sense of greatness. It’s painfully delicious reminding me of the time I drank ruination for the first time. This truly is not for those that can’t handle their hops. At a triple verse, I can only imagine that this monster is literally knocking at Pliny the Younger’s door with a death warrant. While I was able to survive this one, it did surely take it’s toll but this is one for you to experience too reader, take my word on this one, I highly recommended!

Anime Corner:
Donne Anonime, Franco il Nero and Lily Salvatana from Tre Donne Crudeli/Outlaw Django are used in this pairing to represent the Judge Jury & Executioner respectively. In the label, you can see 3 women looking for a convicted cowboy ready bring on mortal punishment. While the label makes a great explanation as to how the flavors unleash these beauties onto your taste buds, I can elaborate on who these cowgirls are. In the pictures, you see the act of the executioner Lily trying to execute Franco while Donna Anonime come sup behind and says… not today. A Jury as Franco is can only determine so much before before the Judge Donne passes judgment and Executioner Lily looks for your head! A great pairing here for sure.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/891881
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa121/Opphiucus/066.jpg~original

Stochasticity Project Hibiscusicity by Stone Brewing

November 19, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Hibiscus, Hibiscusicity, orange peel, Stochasticity Project, Stone Brewing, Stone Stochasticity | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

Stochasticity Project Hibiscusicity by Stone Brewing is a 7.4% ABV Belgian Strong Pale Ale brewed with Hibiscus Flowers and Orange peel.

Stone Stochasticity Project Hibiscusicity
In pushing the beer envelope, we aim to advance imbibers’ options for something far beyond run of the mill with this immensely thirst-quenching alternative. As original as the tongue-twisting name we coined for it, this robust Belgian-style ale is brewed with wheat, hibiscus and orange peel, bringing forth floral and citrus notes against a brilliant pink hue.

HOP VARIETIES: Magnum & Sterling

MALT VARIETIES: Pale Malt and Wheat malt

SPECIAL INGREDIENT: Orange Peel

SPECIAL INGREDIENT: Hibiscus Flower

==Introduction==

Stochasticity Project has been an ongoing project by Stone brewing for a while where they release special experimental beers or in some cases beers that were draft only once but now see public release. Almost like from the book of Monkish, this beer uses hibiscus. However, Monkish brewing makes a saison with Hibiscus and chamomile called Floraison. Makes me wonder what just orange peel will do for this one. Either way, I’m open minded to try it and I love Jamaica/Mexican Hibiscus Flower punch as well so this beer could possibly hit the right spot. Let us see what this one is about.

Aromas:
Oranges, citrus, hibiscus, floral hops, honey, citrus blossom honey, biscuit bread, wild bee honey, apples, lemons, caramel, vanilla, stone fruits, raspberry hints, brown sugar and cinnamon hints.

Flavors:
Oranges, Hibiscus flower punch/Jamaica, citrus blossom honey, wild bee honey, biscuit bread, lavender, grapefruit, lychee, stone fruit apricots, peaches, mango hints, apples, lemons, caramel, vanilla, raspberry notes, floral hops, green tea hints, cinnamon hints and mild white grapes.

Aftertaste:
Orange, hibiscus, honey, vanilla, stone fruit hints and floral hops. No alcohol in the taste, crimson light to medium body, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel, easy to drink.

Overall:
This one is very good indeed. While I like the Floraison better, this is very damn refreshing and delicious. Still a great beer that many people will find tasty. This would of made a great beer in the summer if I had tried it then. Either way, it still a great beer now and worthy the buy. Lots of good flavors here that I definitely recommend it.

Anime Corner:
Original samurai character was used in this pairing to represent the bad assery of the beer but also the crimson and rose pink colors that are represented by the label, hibiscus flowers, beer color and flavors. Stone is always making bad ass beers so I figure another bad ass artwork was called for in this instance of the pairing.

Sources:
http://souzanurafrianto.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/konachan-com-73976-gray_eyes-japanese_clothes-kimono-original-red_hair-scarf-short_hair-sword-weapon.jpg

Imperial Biscotti Break Natale Pretty Please With A Cherry On Top by Evil Twin Brewing

November 19, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Asmodeus, Astaroth, Astarotto, Dark Cherries, dark cherry yogurt, Evil Twin Brewing, Glazed Imperial Doughnut Break, Holiday Ale, holiday beers, Imperial Biscotti Break, Imperial Biscotti Break Natale Pretty Please With A Cherry On Top, Imperial Porter, Shinra Bansho, Shinra Banshou, Shinrabansho, sour cherries | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Imperial Biscotti Break Natale Pretty Please With A Cherry On Top by Evil Twin Brewing is an 11.5% ABV Imperial Porter brewed with Sour Cherries.

Label:
The Holidays brings out the best in some people. However if the Holidays also is a tough one for you, this beer will definitely sweeten dark times of endless caroling and difficult domestic obligations. Did Imperial Biscotti Break also make your sugar levels rise and the bitter sweet flavors of coffee, almonds and chocolate very sentimental – this one has a sour cherry on top. Forza Imperiale.

==Introduction==

It’s approaching Christmas and what is one of the best candies to be released at this time aside from Ferrero Rocher chocolates? Well none other than the Cherry Cordials. The Chocolate covered cherries with cherry syrup. I never tried the original Imperial Biscotti break but I did the Doughnut break which was awesome. So awesome in fact, that when I saw this one on www.craftshack.com, I had to get it and check it out. Now all I have to do is see if I can find another to cellar. Either way, this is supposed to be a Christmas beer, so why not celebrate it with this dessert one. Let us find out if it really is awesome.

Aromas:
Rich chocolate cherry cordials, Dark cherry yogurt, vanilla dulce de leche caramel, milk sugar, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate milk shake, German chocolate, bakers chocolate, Belgian chocolate, almonds, almond joy, almond milk, pecan pie, cherry cobbler, cherry chocolate cheese cake hints, flan, hazelnut nectar, mocha, rock candy, ginger bread, fruit cake, molasses, anise, Cherry Dr. pepper hints, anise, Irish cream, vanilla wafers and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Rich Chocolate and Dark cherry yogurt, dulce de leche caramel, Dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, black berries, blue berries, currants, cherry cordial chocolate, milk sugar, Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate milk shake, German chocolate, bakers chocolate, Belgian chocolate, almonds, almond joy, almond milk, hazelnut, Raspberry preserves on rye bread, cherry chocolate cheese cake, vanilla wafers, rum hints, ginger bread, fruit cake, rock candy, candi sugar hints, mocha, Cherry Khalua, molasses, anise, earthy notes, Irish cream, brown sugar, flan, cherry cobbler, pecan pie, Dr. pepper cherry, cinnamon toast crunch in cherry syrup, coconut, biscuit bread, tobacco, leather and marshmallows.

Aftertaste:
Dark chocolate, dark cherry yogurt, earthy notes, raspberry preserve hints, roasted coffee notes, tobacco, leather, vanilla and other dark fruit lingers. No alcohol in the taste, very dangerous. Smooth creamy and silky mouthfeel, sipping drinkability and pitch black crimson dark full body with hardly a milimeter of lacing.

Overall:
Damn, surely with this dessert they were not kidding about the cherry on top of this complex chocolate dessert of complex goodness. This reminds me of the Bourbon County Cherry Rye. The cherries do not come off as overly sweet but they are somewhat tart like cherry skins which really helps balance out the excessive sweetness and overall makes it like a fruit cake in a way. Now I really want to find another bottle of this and get more for saving as this will be the best treat for Christmas. If you can find it, it would make a great present and I highly recommend this one.

Anime Corner:
Astaroth and Asmodeus from Shinrabansho were used in this pairing since it is a Christmas beer after all but the whole Holiday coming from Evil Twin fits perfectly as they both look like each other. Mother and Daughter. What about the Cherry on top? Why that’s Asmodeus head sitting on top of Astaroth’s motherly blueberry ofcourse, HA! I really like the way this turned out in terms of the colors, the dark aspect of the beer how it is sweet but dark cherry tart in a way too. It is more than perfect.

Sources:
http://i4.pixiv.net/img72/img/cve27426/40452197.jpg

http://safebooru.org//images/1108/d5f8f143151b9b09e9bb04628fbe35a574008447.jpg?1151134

Extremely Angry Beast by Clown Shoes Brewing

November 18, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Imperial Stout, Angry Beast, Blaecorn Unidragon, Bleach, Clown Shoes Brewing, Clown Shoes Very Angry Beast, Extremely Angry Beast, Hammer of The Holy, Holy water, Itasca Loonidragon, Jamaican Rum, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, porcine unidragon, Russian Imperial Stout, The Good The Bad & The Unidragon, Tia Harribel, Undead Party Crasher, Vampire Slayer, Very Angry Beast, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Extremely Angry Beast by Clown shoes brewing is a 12% ABV Imperial Stout blend of Bourbon Barrel Aged Smoked American Imperial Stout brewed with Holy water, a Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout and a 40 year old Jamaican Rum Barrel Aged Smoked American Imperial Stout brewed with Holy water….. Now that’s a Cuvee!

Label:
How do you create an Extremely Angry Beast? Mix one part bourbon barrel aged Blaecorn Unidragon, one part bourbon barrel aged Undead Party Crasher, one part Hammer of the Holy, then add a massive dose of incendiary rage.

==Introduction==

Essentially a Cuvee of different barrel aged beers. The Unidragon series has one of the ultimate series out there or Russian and Imperial Stouts by Clown Shoes brewing. While they are trying to release special variants to individual states only, the original Unidragon keeps evolving more and more and more. Now with this year’s addition of Hammer of the Holy, this brings this beer to yet another level of crazyness. It really depends if one can take on this even more advanced version of this beast. I don’t think I am worthy, but Let us give it a try.

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, bakers chocolate, spiced chocolate, tootsie rolls, chocolate milk shake, roasted coffee notes, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, oak, smokey campfire notes, graham cracker smores, marshmallows, hints of tropical fruit, rum, bananas, brown sugar, rye bread, coconut, dark fruit raisins, plums, cherries, rocky road ice cream, almond joy, flan, mocha, toffee, pecan pie, chocolate cake, butter scotch, tres leches cake and sweetened condensed milk (Leche Nestle).

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, bakers chocolate, spiced chocolate, tootsie rolls, Dulce de leche caramel, oak, vanilla,Dr. Pepper Cherry notes, earthy notes, roasted coffee, smokey campfire, rum, bourbon, oreo cookies and cream, tropical fruit hints of pineapple, dragon fruit, mango, fudge brownies, leather, tobacco, smoked campfire notes, chocolate graham cracker smores, BBQ meat, marshmallows, coconut, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, cherries, black berries, oatmeal cookies, flan, hazelnut nectar, mocha, rye bread, brown sugar, almond joy, rocky road icecream, chocolate chip cookies, butterscotch, flan, crème brulee, pecan pie, anise, mint chocolate chip, piña colada hints, tres leches cake and sweetened condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
Caramel, dark fruit, chocolate, smokey notes, hints of tropics, hints or bourbon rum and brown sugar linger. Slight alcohol in the taste but nothing detracting too much from the rich flavors. Silky yet smooth mouthfeel, sipping drinkability and pitch black dark body.

Overall:
Damn epic!. The bourbon and rum blend very well. This reminds me of the Bruery Smoking Wood if it was mixed with Rum Black Tuesday. The flavors are so rich in all the spectrums that there is a lot that can be said about this Cuvee of Barrel aged goodness. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough more I can say about its complexity as it keeps going and evolving ever so stronger as it warms up. What I will say is that you should really consider taking o this beast. Come one, bring it on! It will be fun.

Anime Corner:
Tia Harribel, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck and Yoruichi Shihouin 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. 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 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.

Sources:
http://s15.postimg.org/i37agkebt/harribel_nelliel_yoruichi_copy.jpg
http://wallpapersinhq.com/images/big/harribel-1403215.jpg
http://quantumotaku.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/223167.jpg
http://www.rubberslug.com/user/0233baa15b054e8c988441e924824aeb/765947-3953101-bleachyoruichibig.jpg

Other Unidragon and Vampire Slayer/Undead Party Crasher Reviews:
Blaecorn Unidragon Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/blaecorn-unidragon-russian-imperial-stout-by-clown-shoes-brewing/

Vampire Slayer/Undead Party Crasher Review:https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/vampire-slayer-by-clown-shoes-brewing/

Angry Beast Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/angry-beast-by-clown-shoes/

Porcine Unidragon Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/porcine-unidragon-by-clown-shoes/

Very Angry Beast Review:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2013/08/22/very-angry-beast-by-clown-shoes-brewing/

Hammer of The Holy:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/hammer-of-the-holy-by-clown-shoes/

Itasca Loonidragon Review:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/itasca-loonidragon-by-clown-shoes-brewing/

The Good, The Bad, The Unidragon:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/the-good-the-bad-the-unidragon-by-clown-shoes/

Sabre-Toothed Squirrel by Smog City brewing

November 18, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Amber Ale, Blazblue, Blaze Blue, Hopopio Maltocutus, makoto nanaya, Red Ale, Sabre-Toothed Squirrel, Smog City, Smog City brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.65/5

Sabre-Toothed Squirrel by Smog City brewing is a 7.0% ABV American Amber Ale.

Label:
Known locally as Hopopio Maltocutus, our Sabre-Toothed Squirrel befriends you with a complex caramel and toasted malt character, then quickly flaunts its fangs with a solid hop profile lending notes of sweet citrus, pine resin, and a touch of peach.

This cunning cuddly companion is more Amber than IPA with lingering toffee like sweetness, but you won’t soon forget his substantial hop presence and firm bitterness in the finish.

Sabre-Toothed Squirrel is a balanced and approachable hoppy Amber that pairs well with full flavored foods and remains drinkable despite his HOPPY BITE!!
___

Recently released by Smog City, this cute squirrel label had me going. I said to myself, well, I do love their beers, this is a new release, and I can’t help it it but that is a damn cute and dangerous little squirrel. So there you go, I got it. Pick this one up locally at Smog City directly in Torrance California or keep an eye out as some stores will start to carry this really soon. So let’s take a look and see how this beer is.

Aromas:
Caramel, toffee, pecan pie, citrus, piney, floral and grassy hops, toast rye bread with honey, tangerine, peanuts, hazelnut, brown sugar, pineapple hints, walnuts, dragon fruit, maple syrup hints, cherries, mango, vanilla, herbal notes, grapefruit and coconut hints.

Flavors:
Caramel, rich biscuit, rich toffee, citrus, piney and grassy hops, rye bread, coffee hints, chocolate hints, hazelnut, pecan pie, tangerine, peanuts, honey, peach notes, toasted bread, brown sugar, coconut hints, dragon fruit, vanilla, herbal notes, mango, maple syrup and cherries.

Aftertaste:
Lingering toffee, caramel, piney, citrus, grapefruit, hints of tropical fruit linger, grassy and herbal hops. No alcohol in the taste, clear to medium body, easy to moderate drinkability, light to moderate mouthfeel.

Overall:
A very good amber for sure. The balance of hoppy and sweet is there and is very enjoyable almost tot he point of easy to drink. This works out well for those that love refreshing beers but also like some malt profile and caramel to their beers. Mainly me as I love sweet beers. So yeah, definitely pick up this little guy here, you won’t regret, yes he bites but not till later so enjoy.

Anime Corner:
Makoto Nanaya from BlazBlue was used in this pairing as she is the cutest squirrel girl in anime and video games I could find. She is a powerful fighter so I believe just like the hops are the bite of the sabertooth squirrel, she will kick your ass in such fashion. She is cute as hell like the little squirrel and is probably as sweet as well once you get acquainted.

Sources:
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/girlsay/20131110B62F78C9D_zpsce75ad23.jpg
https://41.media.tumblr.com/60c110ad41de3784b55502c347ac71d0/tumblr_mlp87cRo4i1qi9bico1_500.jpg

Peach Sour by (512) brewing

November 18, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged (512) brewing, American Wild Ale, Hinanawi Tenshi, Peach, Peach Sout, Peaches, sour beer, Texas, Touhou, Touhou Project | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Peach Sour by (512) brewing is a 6% ABV American Wild Ale brewed with peaches and aged in oak barrels.

Label:
We produced Peach Sour using a sour mash technique. We encouraged the naturally occurring wild yeast and bacteria that come in with the organic barley and wheat to spontaneously ferment at warm temperatures over a three day period. Fermentation was completed in stainless and racked to a 1,000 gallon Feeder (large oak barrel) for aging. After being on the wood for two months, we added 200 pounds of fresh peaches and allowed it to age another 12 months before packaging it for you. We hope you enjoy!
___

Special thanks to Aaron Mendiola at www.beermetaldude.com for hooking me up with this local treat from Texas. This is also my first (512) brewing beer as well. So definitely an honor to try something from these guys. I see they make a variety of styles including some nice Belgian ones as well. Since this is also my first peach sour, I am kind of excited as peaches are an awesome fruit. Sweet mainly but also tart at times. So let’s try this one and see how it goes. Thanks to (512) and Aaron for this one, Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich peaches, funky oak, wine grapes, apricots, green apples, raspberry hints, lemon peel, farmhouse hay, sour musty funk, flowers, hibiscus, earthy must, dragon fruit, tangerine, rye bread, grapefruit, strawberries, pineapple, dragon fruit hints and honey.

Flavors:
Rich Stone fruit peaches, tart apricots, oranges, strawberries, lemon peel, grapefruit, wine grapes, funky oak, vanilla, honey, sour funk, acidic notes, flowers, hibiscus, orange peel, tangerine peel, green apples, rye bread, raspberry skins, teguacan (Mexican Lime and Seltzer water with spices), pineapple and hints of dragon fruit.

Aftertaste:
On the dry side with some nice peach and tart apricot notes, oak and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, light to medium body, medium drinkability, smooth and crisp mouthfeel.

Overall:
Now that is a very good tart sour! The peaches and tart apricot comes through well over the sour. While it is not super duper sour, it is still tart and sweet to some extent and somewhat tropical. I really don’t think I have ever tried a peach sour before but this one was very good. If you like sours, and live in Texas, give this one a shot!

Anime Corner:
Tenshi Hinanawi from the Touhou project series was used in this pairing since she carries the peaches in her hat. In this picture, she represents the souring and fermentation process that makes the beer a bit stronger. The evil look and fire makes the beer brew as you can see in the background, the bacteria seeps into her making become more and more evil. But evil is just as sweet if not sour.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/944406