Capricho Oscuro Batch 5 by Cigar City Brewing

Rating: 6/5

Capricho Oscuro Batch 5 by Cigar City Brewing is a ??% ABV World Class American Strong Ale

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (Ratebeer.com)
This beer is a blend of at least five different beers, including Hot Blooded Foreign Stout, Puppy’s Breath Robust Porter, and several vintages of Warmer Winter Winter Warmer. These beers were aged in some cognac and brandy barrels before being blended together.
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Hard to come by, looked and looked for this piece of barrel aged treasure all over. Hard to get. Impossibly rare? Maybe, not as much as other but still it was hard to come by. This beer seems very good but very evil and mysterious. Without an ABV to gauge it, I am pretty much lost in the dark as to how strong this one is that it is kind of scary. Perfect art pairing with Majora from Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask. Anyway, if you manage to find this one, choose wisely.

Aromas are of rich dark fruits like raisins, prunes, figs, dates, dark cherries, raspberries, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, toasted hazelnuts, pecans, coconuts, vanilla, cognac, brandy, notes of Hunnapu like the spiciness of it, caramel flan, chocolate cake, dessert wine, port wine, rocky road ice cream, almond joy and maple

The flavors are of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, brandy, cognac, dark cherries, raisins, figs, prunes, toasted coconut, hazelnuts, pecan pie, flan, port wine, rocky road ice cream notes, almond joy notes, caramel, vanilla, toffee, raspberries, maple, molasses, anise, slight smokiness, leather, tobacco, bourbon, Cordial Cherries and chocolate covered raspberries

The aftertaste is pretty complex leaving trails of sweet caramel, chocolate, oak, brandy, cognac, dark fruits and a bit of port wine. This beer is a definite sipper. The alcohol is noticeable but very pleasant and warming. The alcohol only brings the rich flavors above and it is nothing harsh.

Overall this is an amazingly delicious beer, exceeding exceptions. I cannot guess the ABV from the taste which is scary but also good that it comes in a small bottle to sample. Definitely like some of the best beers in the world. Close to Melange 3, close to Black Tuesday, Grey Monday and even some of the other Bruery anniversary ales. What can I say about CCB, other than it is “The Bruery of the East Coast” making some of the best beers in the world possible like many champions. If you can find this, definitely get it.

Justin Blåbær collaboration between Evil Twin, Westbrook brewing, and The Charleston Beer Exchange

October 7, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Berliner Weisse, Blabaer Fever, Blueberries, Charleston Beer Exchange, Cherry tart, evil twin, Evil Twin Brewing, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Justin, Justin Bieber, Justin Blåbær, Luka, Luka Megurine, sour ale, The Charleston Beer Exchange, Westbrook Brewing, Westbrook Brewing Co. | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.15/5

Justin Blåbær collaboration between Evil Twin, Westbrook brewing, and The Charleston Beer Exchange is a 4.5%ABV Berliner Weisse brewed with Blueberries

Label:
OMG! It’s JUSTIN BLABAER!!! If you have “Blabaer Fever,” then this is the only cure. We stuffed so many blueberries into this beer- it’s going to make you shout, “Oh, Baby!” This is dedicated to AVSB, A&F YFFL-EW, MW, RWM, BE, SS, RC.

A collaboration between Evil Twin Brewing, Westbrook Brewing Co, & The Charleston Beer Exchange.

Produced and bottled for Evil Twin brewing at Westbrook Brewing Co. in Mount Pleasant, SC.
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LMAO!! A beer to pun Justin Bieber and a disturbing label at that. The beer, flavors may be a different story all together. For being at an ABV 0.3% stronger than a Bud light, this session beer may actually be flavorful. According to BeersPulse.com (http://beerpulse.com/2013/07/evil-twin-justin-blabaer-mania-invades-cbx-on-tuesday-750/), Blåbær is Danish for Blueberries, and the “Justin” model in the label is actually Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø of Evil Twin Brewing

Aromas are of blueberries, coriander, pink grapefruit, raspberries, wheat, sour grapes, wine grapes, citrus, lemons, candy sugars and strawberries

The flavors are of wheat, biscuit bread, sour grapes, wine grapes, strawberries, tart blueberries, citrus, lemon, tart cherries, coriander, oak flavor and green apple.

The aftertaste is semi dry with a little bit of sweet wheat bread and tart blueberries. Very refreshing and easy to moderate level of drinkability.

Overall the beer is very good. There is just enough tartness and light bodied flavor to this from making it a complete sour. If you do not like sour or tart beers, this may or may not be for you. It has only a tart amount of sourness and does not overpower like an actual sour. Not quite sure if I am believer, but I do like Blåbær beers.

Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale by Coors Brewing

October 7, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Blue Moon, cereal grains, coors brewing, Harvest Pumpkin Ale, pumpkin ale, Pumpkin beer, pumpkin flesh, pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin spice | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.25/5

Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale by Coors Brewing is a 5.7% ABV Pumpkin ale

Label:
We crafted this rich amber colored ale with a feast of fall flavors like vine-ripened pumpkin, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Then we added a touch of wheat for a smooth finish. It’s the perfect complement to fall’s crisp, clear days.
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Of all the times I have tried many pumpkin beers, I had yet to review this one. I picked this one up along with the caramel apple spiced ale and decided to do a review of yet another pumpkin beer. Pumpkin beers are awesome, each unique to a variety of flavor profiles ranging from pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin flesh and spices. I did many reviews last year and this year I seek more. So here is to Blue Moon and their version of a pumpkin beer.

Aromas are of light ginger bread, pumpkin notes, cereal grains, pilsner, cinnamon, brown sugar, slight wheat grain and hints of clove spice

The flavors are of moderate pumpkin notes, caramel, all spice, nutmeg, cereal grains, cinnamon, pilsner, toffee, biscuit bread notes, brown sugar, graham cracker notes, light clove and coriander spices

The aftertaste leaves with sweet pumpkin hints and very little grains. Easy to drink and refreshing beer.

Overall the beer is good. I think this is better than Shocktop Pumpkin wheat. The wheat and pumpkin is not well balanced with that one. Doesn’t seem to work too well for some reason. However, here, the ingredients do work better. While it is not a mind blowing pumpkin ale like I have had before, it is a nice refreshing pumpkin beer that people with light palettes may enjoy. Definitely could drink several of these.

Blue Moon Caramel Apple Spiced Ale by Coors Brewing

October 7, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged apple juice, Blue Moon, Blue Moon Caramel Apple Spiced Ale, caramel apple, Caramel Apple Spiced Ale, caramel apples, cereal grains, coors brewing, DIY, Spiced Beer, Spices | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.2/5

Blue Moon Caramel Apple Spiced Ale by Coors Brewing is a 5.8% ABV Herbed/Spiced beer made with apple juice and spices.

Label:
Thank You to All Our Fans that helped us craft our latest limited autumn release. For this fall seasonal, we blended fresh apple juice with cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel malts for a warming spice taste.
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This release came out in the Blue Moon 12 pack for the fall release. The beer sounded interesting, so I saved a bottle for review. I was looking at it for a while. The only other Blue Moon that is exotic that I would like to try is their peanut butter ale.

Aroma are of cinnamon, caramel notes, nutmeg, apples, cereal grains, pilsner, maple notes, and spices

The flavors are of apples, cinnamon notes, caramel, hints of toffee, sugar, cereal grains, nutmeg, spices, brown sugar notes and coriander spice.

The aftertaste leaves dry with slight sweet and grainy taste. Refreshing and easy to drink.

Overall the beer is good. The sweet caramel, apple and spices comes in the begging but then it is drowned by the cereal, pilsnery taste. It is an enjoyable beer and something that should be tried a few times if on tap where available but I probably won’t seek it again unless it is sold in singles, 6 pack and something to drink only if I want little flavor to the beer and drink several.

Why Can’t IBU? by Stillwater Artisanal

October 7, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 3D, 3D beer, 3D label, Belgian IPA, BIPA, Floral hops, Hop Accentuated, Hops, india pale ale, IPA, pepper corns, Stillwater Artisanal, Why Can't IBU | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.45/5

Why Can’t IBU? by Stillwater Artisanal is a 5.7% Hop Accentuated Belgian India Pale Ale

The awesome Stillwater Artisanal has released another awesome beer. This time with a fancy label. 3D at that. This beer goes into the more hoppy direction starting at it’s base, a farmhouse ale to then become a very hoppy Belgian IPA. However, the hops are supposed to be stronger, hence the pun in the name.

Aromas are of grassy, piney, floral and herbal hops, peppercorns, flowers, hibiscus, biscuit bread, clove spice, farmhouse hay, orange juice, citrus, black pepper, spices, apples, apricots and peach.

The flavors are way more hoppy than your typical saison but not super bitter aggresiveness. Flavors include grassy, piney, floral and herbal hops, biscuit bread, spices, flowers, peppercorns, black pepper, hibiscus, cloves, lemon, honey, hints of tropical fruits, mango, apricots, peach, grapefruit and oranges

The aftertaste is dry buts a nice floral and grassy hop finish. It is a easy to drink, crisp and refreshing.

Overall, I think is a very good beer. It reminds me why I love Belgian IPAs and BPAs in the first place. The beer is pretty hop forward but still able to carry the nice saison and Belgian IPA flavors. If you like Belgian beers and Hoppy IPAs, this would be an interesting one to enjoy.

White Dog IPA by El Segundo Brewing of California

September 24, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged California Beers, Dog Days, El Segundo, El Segundo Brewing, Heady Topper, honey dew melon, hop bitterness, india pale ale, IPA, Leonmitchell, orange zest, oranges, tropical flavors, wheat beer, Wheat IPA, White Dog, White Dog IPA, WIPA | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

White Dog IPA by El Segundo Brewing of California is a 6.9% ABV India Pale Ale brewed with 50% wheat (Wheat India Pale Ale)

Label:
Named for Rob’s dog, the White alludes to our use of 50% wheat instead of barley in this beer. Aside from that though, this beer has very little in common with what most people consider a “wheat” beer. The wheat in the malt bill gives the beer a lighter texture and mouthfeel, and helps to accentuate the bright citrus characters of the fruity West Coast and New Zealand hops we use. The result is an IPA that Hop Heads will love, but that is immediately approachable for most people.
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Been meaning to get a review going for this beer. The first time I had tried it on tap at Jean Simmons Rock N’ Brews in Torrance California I was very amazed. This beer almost had that Heady Topper type of flavor. At the time the brewery in El Segundo had not released any bottles of this until recently. The last time I had had it was at their brewery which I still thought, freaking amazing IPA. To add wheat to make it somewhat of a hybrid wheat IPA is freaking amazing.

Aromas are of grassy, piney, grapefruit and tropical hops, orange juice, pineapple, coriander, mango, kiwi, lemon, dragon fruit, passion fruit notes, biscuit and caramel

The flavors are of sweet oranges, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, grassy, pine and tropical hops, biscuit bread hints, coriander, wheat bread, honey dew melon, dragon fruit notes, passion fruit notes, kiwi, caramel notes, honey nectar, and tangerines

After taste leaves off like an orange zest, hop bitterness and a bit of tropics. The beer is moderately easy to drink and quite the refreshing beer.

Overall, this is one of those IPA that if you love some nice hop tropical and somewhat dank type of IPAs, you are sure to like this one. Even people that do not like bitter IPAs, are welcomed slowly into this one. Nothing too bitter and pleasant for even the non-IPA drinker. Here is to you young Heady Topper in the making.

New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta by Rogue brewing

September 23, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged barley wine, Barleywine, Beard Beer, crab, crab beer, crabs, cream caramel, Crustaceans, Double IPA, Imperial IPA, india pale ale, IPA, john maier, New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta, orange flavors, Rogue, rogue brewing, saltine cracker, Tenchi, Tenchi Muyo, Washu, Washu Hakubi | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta by Rogue brewing is a 10.8% ABV… umm well, they say it is Barleywine. You be the judge.

Label:
Dedicated to Crustaceans
The name sort of says it all. John Maier, our Brewmaster, wanted to create a beer that defied traditional style definitions. The result was a remarkably hoppy yet balanced and malty ale that quickly became a cult favorite in our Newport brewpub. But what was it? It was not quite a barley wine and not quite a double or imperial IPA. Who really cares about putting beers into narrow categories? Great beer – just drink it and enjoy.

8 ingredients: Weyermann & Bohemian Malts; Bravo, Ammarillo, Falconer’s Flight & Horizon Hops; Free Range Coastal Water & Pacman Yeast
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This beer was supposed to be, well the beer that the infamous Beard Beer was supposed to be based out of (https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/beard-beer-by-rogue-brewing-company/). Looks like they did this one with Pacman yeast instead. Well, this should be interesting, a beer that can’t make up it’s mind. Reminds me of the Arrogant Bastard but that one is just labeled as American Strong Ale.

Aromas are of caramel, honey, citrus, ripe orange juice with pulp, earthy and grapefruit hops, pineapple, banana, a bit tropical, toffee, salt bread, almost crab cake or crab meat like? (might be kidding about the crab, might be not)

The flavors are of ripe to matured blood oranges and cream, caramel, grapefruit hops, earthy hops, bananas, saltine cracker notes, pine, pineapple, lots of coconut as it warms up, citrus, toffee, molasses, licorice, crab and crab cake notes (has to be the matured bitter orange flavors, I swear!!), apricots, matured mango, herbs, spices and lemon candy

The aftertaste is like a orange and caramel sweetness followed by bitter grapefruit and earthy to hops. This beer hides alcohol well, it is a sipper though. Not as full bodied and syrupy mouth feel.

Overall the beer is very good but indeed confusing. You want to say it is IPA tropical but the Barleywine side tells you NO! I love it because it is sweet and bitter but the more I think about crabs the more I think it taste like crabs. I like crabs. I love seafood. I love this beer. I think it would pair exceptionally. This beer reminds me of Surly SYX but not as harsh. I did a review a while back, that one was too harsh. This is what SYX should have been. Then again, I may have been hard on it as it may have needed some aging to bring up the rating. Maybe next time

Bourbon Barrel Aged Smashed Pumpkin by Shipyard Brewing

September 23, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Astaroth, Astarotto, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon whiskey, oak barrels, Pumpkin, pumpkin ale, Pumpkin beer, pumpkin flesh, pumpkin seeds, Shinra Bansho, Shinra Banshou, Shinrabansho, Shipyard, Smashed Pumpkin, sweet potato pie, Whiskey, whiskey bourbon | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Bourbon Barrel Aged Smashed Pumpkin by Shipyard Brewing is a 12% ABV Pumpkin Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
Our Bourbon Barrel Aged ales are brewed and carefully cellar-aged in small batches in dedicated bourbon barrels at our brewery in Portland, Maine.

Hops: Willamette, Saphir
Malts: Pale, Whole Wheat, Munich
Yeast: Top-fermenting English
Color: Honey
Aroma: Oak spiced, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon
Body: Light to medium
Finish: Warming, smooth, and velvety
IBU: 35
SRM 14.85

Recommended Serving temperature is 55 deg. Fahrenheit in brandy-style stemware. Aged over 100 days. Unlimited shelf life
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As an added bonus last year, Shipyard released this hard to get beer along with their awesome smashed pumpkin yearly release (which to me is the “best common” pumpkin beer ever). Unfortunately, I was never able to pick this release up until recently. One of the local places had it in stock for a limited time. So as pay back for last year of missing out on this beer to review, I will spend no time wasted and get on with the show.

Aromas are of rich vanilla, whiskey, bourbon, oak, pumpkin, dulce de leche caramel, honey, squash, brown sugar, pilloncillo sugar cone, maple, cinnamon, sweet potatoes, toasty coconut, chocolate hints, flan, pecans, nutmeg, coriander and citrus.

The flavors are of oak and whiskey. Vanilla, coconut, pumpkin pie, pecans, nutmeg, cinnamon, whipped creamed flan, dulce de leche caramel, sweetened condensed milk, maple, sweet potatoes, marshmallows, chocolate notes, graham crackers, pumpkin flesh in pilloncillo sugar cone syrup, milk, brown sugar, cloves, coriander, citrus and ginger pumpkin bread.

The aftertaste is oaky and sweet with pumpkin and bourbon whiskey lingering. This beer is boozy and is definitely a sipper. Do not let the moderate body fool you. The mouth feel on this is close to syrupy. YUM!!

Overall, this is way better than the original smashed pumpkin. I think I drank this way too fresh as the booze was not well hidden. It is not a problem at all as I rather enjoyed those sweet oak and whiskey notes. They compliment the pumpkin very well. This, however, needs sometime to sit in a cellar for a while in order to become exquisite or exceed expectations. Nevertheless, An awesome beer that has become on par with some of my other Barrel aged and non-barrel aged pumpkin beers I have reviewed here.

Original Smashed Pumpkin Review:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/smashed-pumpkin-by-shipyard-brewing/

Warlock (Blackwater Series) by Southern Tier Brewing

September 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged blackwater series, Blair, candy corn, caramel corn, caramel popcorn, chocolate candy, Chocolate Milk Stout, Chocolate pumpkin, dark chocolate, Imperial Stout, milk Chocolate, moderate carbonation, natural flavors, Pumking, pumpkin pie crust, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin spice, Soul Eater, Southern Tier, spicy pumpkin pie, Warlock | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Warlock (Blackwater Series) by Southern Tier Brewing is an 8.6% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Pumpkins and Natural Flavors

Label:
Warlock is brewed to enchant your palate on its own and also to counterpoint our Imperial Ale, Pumking. Make your own black magic by carefully pouring this Imperial Stout into a goblet

Master of the Underworld
Dark and mysterious, the Blackwater Series is serious about high gravity. Reanimate your senses with Warlock’s huge roasted malt character, moderate carbonation and spicy pumpkin pie aroma
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Time for the fall and as fall approaches, so does the array of delicious pumpkin beers. I have tried many pumpkin beers last year and brought them forth here to review. This year I will try out a handful as well and may even review some of the past ones I have done. Warlock is actually supposed to the the Dark Sorcerer version of the Pumpking. Basically if Pumpking turned into a stout or close to it. This years release seems to be very promising

Aromas are of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate candy corn, pumpkin, pie crust, hazelnut, squash, cinnamon, nutmeg,vanilla, piloncillo sugar cone, buttery caramel popcorn, butterscotch, caramel, brown sugar, ginger bread, cloves and spices

The flavors are of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, roasted pumpkin seeds, lots of Halloween candy corn, butterscotch, caramel buttered popcorn notes, caramel, pumpkin notes, pumpkin spice, ginger bread, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, cinnamon, molasses, vanilla, mocha notes, cloves and hints of banana

The aftertaste leaves with pumpkin, chocolate candy corn sweetness and a bit of roasty notes that linger. While beer has a moderate level of sip-ability, good luck trying to find the alcohol. It is covered up in buttery Pumking goodness

Overall, to me this was better than Pumking. Mainly, the milk stout properties works very well with that buttery pumpkin pie and candy corn flavor making this one that more amazing. He beer is easier to find online so far as it is still trickling down the distribution nooks and crannies. If you like Pumking, you may actually enjoy this one. No down, an awesome Imperial Pumpkin stout

Iron Maiden Trooper by Robinsons Brewery

September 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged battle of balaclava, british beers, charge of the light brigade, English, ESB, ESB Ale, Extra Special/Strong Bitter Ale, hop bitterness, iron maiden, Iron Maiden Trooper, lord raglan, premium british beer, Robinsons Brewery, The Trooper, Trooper | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Iron Maiden Trooper by Robinsons Brewery is a 4.7% ABV Extra Special Bitter (ESB) Premium British Beer.

Label:
Onward, Onward
Rode The 600…
The Charge Of The Light Brigade, which inspired the Iron Maiden song The Trooper, took place at the Battle Of Balaclava (1854) during the Crimean War when 600 British cavalry courageously charged the massed Russian artillery. This gallant but foolhardy assault resulted in a massive loss of live and came about due to a misunderstanding of an order given by the commanding officer, Lord Raglan.

Trooper is a premium British beer inspired by Iron Maiden and handcrafted at Robinsons brewery. Being a real ale enthusiast, vocalist Bruce Dickinson has developed a beer which has true depth of character. Malt flavours and citric notes from a unique blend of Bobec, Goldings and Cascade hops dominate this deep golden ale with a subtle hint of lemon.
www.ironmaidenbeer.com
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The long highly acclaimed and awaited Iron Maiden Beer, The Trooper has arrived in states. Listening to Iron Maiden since I was in grade school, there has been and important part of the band in my heart growing up. Not to mention the fact that I still listen to Iron Maiden today and pairs well with Naruto manga. So now to have the beer is an honor. Despite what I find about this beer, whether awesome, or gimmick, I do not really care. This beer exists, so be it! Live to fight/drink another day!!

Aromas are of caramel, pilsner grains, honey, toffee, biscuit bread, orange, herbal hop notes, berry iced tea and a bit of sweet grapefruit

The flavors are way better than a standard pilsner. Caramel, honey, biscuit bread, pilsner grain, earthy hop bitterness, lemon, peppercorn notes, berry green tea hints, cherry hints and toast bread.

The aftertaste is herbal and sweet with some pilsner and hop bitterness. Easy to drink, very refreshing and would definitely want more.

Overall, the beer is very good. The pilsner I have had was a Czech Pilsner called Staropramen and this one blew that one away. It has nothing to do with this being Iron Maiden either as good pilsners are hard to come by. Yes, this is an ESB, and it is not a pilsner. However, the English pilsner malt flavor is present. While the beer is not super ultra mind blowing, it is still very good. I would definitely want to buy some more just to have others try it. Very refreshing beer, and on that note, it is fucking Iron Maiden FTW!!

Allagash Bourbon Barrel Black by Allagash brewing

September 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Allagash, Allagash Black, Allagash Bourbon Barrel Black, Allagash brewing, belgian dark chocolate, Belgian Stout, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Stout, bourbon barrels, chocolate raisins, Dark Belgian Stout, Legend of Zelda, Midna, oak barrels, Zelda | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/5 *Bring on the chocolate

Allagash Bourbon Barrel Black by Allagash brewing is a 9.2% ABV Belgian Stout aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels

Description (Beeradvocate.com):
Our Belgian Style Stout, Black, aged for one year in bourbon barrels. The toffee,chocolate and coconut nose is followed by a smooth bitter chocolate and bourbon flavor. The finish is dry, roasted and warming.
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First heard of this one several months ago. It was believed that back then this would only be released in small quantities from Portland Maine. Not very many online places will ship this. Some will depending on where you live. I hope we can expect more as the time comes. As I mentioned in other reviews about Belgian Stouts, these tend to be some of my favorite styles of beer. Allagash Black was very good after the many times I have tried it. Now for a Barrel Aged version? Well, we shall see how seductive this one is.

Aromas are of coffee, caramel, mocha notes, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, raisins, oak, bourbon hints, vanilla, slight coconut aroma, pecans, dark fruit, fudge brownie notes and cherry hints

The flavors are of rich milk chocolate, dark chocolate, coffee, mocha, pecans, hazelnut spread, dulce de leche caramel notes, bourbon notes, slight oak and smokey notes, vanilla, dark fruits like cherries, raisins, plums, chocolate cake batter, brownies, coconut notes, spicy cloves, anise and almond joy chocolate

The aftertaste leaves with a nice chocolate brownie sweetness along with smoke and oak notes to keep stuff balanced. Not in the realm of super strong barrel aged beers but the alcohol is super hidden. Definitely a sipper and meant to be enjoyed for a while

Overall, the beer freaking great. The bourbon, although subtle, brings forth new flavors as well brings about stronger flavors, especially the chocolate and caramel. The flavors get more complex as the beer warms up. Similar to the Folklore Pappy Van Winkle, this beer brings a whole lot to the style. The beer just starts to give out a great amount of coconut, chocolate, dark fruits, bourbon and caramel as it warms. Goes to show, that even for a barrel aged beer under 10% ABV, might be worth the price.

Original Allagash Black Review
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/allagash-black-by-allagash-brewing/

Windowsill by The Bruery

September 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged beer collaboration, Bruery, caramel brown, Cherry tart, collaboration, concord grapes, dessert, evan kleiman, food, Good Food, KCRW, kyubit foxtar, Megaman Zero, Naruto, oak barrels, pie beer, pie crust, Raspberries, raspberry pie, Raspberry preserves, rhubarb, sakura Haruno, strawberry preserves, sugar cane, tart flavors, The Bruery, Windowsill | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Windowsill by The Bruery is a 10% ABV Fruit Ale brewed with Raspberries and Rhubarb and fermented in Oak barrels. A pie-inspired collaboration between The Bruery and Evan Kleiman of Good Food on KCRW

Label:
Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW’s Good Food, was inspired to collaborate with Patrick Rue and The Bruery after enjoying a homemade Rhubarb Raspberry Pie. The rhubarb’s fruity sourness tempered with the sweetness of the fresh raspberries and the wheat crust, begged to be bottled up in the form of a bubbly beer. Keeping the original pie recipe in mind, specialty grains were chosen to mimic the crust, and rhubarb and raspberries were used in varying stages of the brewing and fermentation process. The resulting beer is reminiscent of a fresh country pie, cooling on a farmhouse windowsill.
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The pie beer. A lot of beers seems like they could taste like pie. Lots of pumpkin ones sure do. However, this one, is focused on being a pie in a bottle. Long anticipated wait for this beer when I first heard of it. Also, if you live in California, you can get this. The Bruery will send it to you:http://www.thebruerystore.com/p-107-windowsill.aspx

Aromas are of tart raspberries, blueberries, guava, pie crust, caramel, biscuit bread, honey,strawberries, brown sugar, rhubarb, herbal, cane sugar, flowers, hibiscus, grapes, rhubarb, vanilla and oak.

The flavors are of very tart raspberries, tangy and herbal rhubarb, cherries, guava notes, strawberries, vanilla, hints pie crust with whip cream, blueberries, hibiscus, herbs, spices, lemon peel, blackberry preserves, sugar cane, caramel, brown sugar, concord grapes, citrus, honey and butterscotch biscuits

The aftertaste is borderline tangy, tart and mildly sour with a bit of herbal bitterness and lingering fruity and bready sweetness. Like a tart pie. Definitely a sipper. The beer shows no alcohol in the flavor.

Overall, I have not have had rhubarb before, but I have heard it is very tart, if you can work with the tartness to find the sweet delicious raspberry and pie crust, then you have an awesome fucking beer here. A tart pie in a bottle. If you let it settle and warm up, you will enjoy this. Not quite a sour beer but definitely quite the tart one. If you love sours and love to play with flavors, this one is freaking amazing. Not overpowering sweet but enough tartness to make it even. If you are not a sour or tart beer person. As for me I really enjoyed this one. Sweet and tart at the same time.

Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat by Anheuser-Busch

September 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Anheiser busch, anheuser busch inc, belgian style ale, cinnamon and cloves, flavors of fall, Pumpkin, pumpkin ale, Pumpkin beer, pumpkin spice, Pumpkin Wheat, Shock top, Spices, wheat, wheat beer, wheat grains | Leave a comment

Rating: 2.5/5

Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat by Anheuser-Busch is a 5.2% ABV Belgian-Style Wheat Ale brewed with Pumpkin and Spices

DESCRIPTION:
Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat is a traditional Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with ripe pumpkins and a variety of autumnal spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, for a refreshingly smooth beer that fully captures all the flavors of fall.
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Shock Top pumpkin wheat has been one of those beers that I usually have avoided for quite a while Mainly as many have advised that the beer is decent but not the best pumpkin beer out there. I would agree, but I have not tried it, until now that is. Last year I did a lot of pumpkin beers, so this year to make it fair, I also want to review those I missed out on. So here’s to the fall

Aromas are of pumpkin spice, caramel notes, coriander, citrus, oranges, a bit of ginger bread notes and brown sugar

The flavors are of cereal grains, citrus notes, light pumpkin spice note, coriander, ginger bread hints, cinnamon, clove notes, hints of nutmeg and lemon peel

The after taste is of wheat, grains and hardly any pumpkin in the finish. Easy to drink but not quite balanced.

Overall it is decent, but not the greatest example of a pumpkin beer. The notes are here and there but there is no balance and the wheat only makes it partially work. I have have had way better pumpkin beers in the past. Even better Shocktop beers before as well. It is not a terrible beer, just something worth trying once. I would almost say a good gateway to pumpkin beers, although I would definitely would recommend others. I think the problem is that wheat orange and pumpkin sweetness only works partially. It is like saying have a peanut butter and ketchup sandwich or peanut butter and mayo sandwich.

Hell or High Watermelon Wheat by 21st Amendment

September 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 21st Amendment, 21st Amendment brewing, cereal grains, Hell or High Watermelon, Hell or High Watermelon Wheat, Watermelon, Watermelon Beer, wheat, wheat ale, wheat beer, wheat bread, wheat cereal | Leave a comment

Rating: 2.85/5

Hell or High Watermelon Wheat by 21st Amendment is a 4.9% ABV Wheat Ale brewed with watermelons

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Unfiltered, American-style wheat beer. Brewed with 400 pounds of fresh watermelons.
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This beer was a gift by one of my friends who went down to Lake Tahoe in Nevada. I have never heard of a wheat beer made with watermelon. I have tried this one before but this is the first I give it a shot a review.

Aromas are of wheat bread, cereal, pilsner grains, coriander, hint of plant and watermelon

The flavors are of wheat, cereal grains, coriander, watermelon notes, biscuit bread, honey, citrus, lemon and almost like red bean paste notes

The after taste is malty, grainy and sweet. The beer is refreshing though and easy to drink.

Overall it was a decent beer. Seems closer to a lager with watermelon flavor. Nothing complex or overpowering. This is probably worth trying once.

The Zombies Take Manhattan Imperial Zombie Killer by B. Nektar Meadery

September 12, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged A.B.A, apples, B. Nektar, cherries, Dark Cherries, dark cherry yogurt, delicious flavors, Guilty Gear, High School of the Dead, honey, Honey wine, HOTD, imperial mead, Imperial Zombie Killer, Mead, Meadery, Meads, oak barrels, rye bread, Rye Whiskey, Rye Whiskey Barrels, Saeko Busujima, Saya Takagi, Shizuka Marikawa, The Zombies Take Manhattan, whiskey barrels, Zombie, Zombie Killer, Zombie Killer Cherry Cyser, Zombies | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5 *Mead Rating

The Zombies Take Manhattan Imperial Zombie Killer by B. Nektar Meadery is a 12%ABV Imperial Mead fermented with Apple, honey and cherries added then aged in rye whiskey barrels

Label:
We thought we had them under control. The antidote was working. But life, or even death, finds a way. After a year of successful treatments, their bodies stopped responding and grew nearly twice their normal size. Now they’ve overrun the city. I fear it’s too late for mankind. They’re coming… B. Afraid
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Thus begins, the second chapter in the story of the zombie killers. Equipped with a sweeter and stronger tasting arsenal, I am sure will be awesome. This is the second Mead I get to try and the barrel aged version of the one I had reviewed which was very delicious. Check out the first chapter here: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/zombie-killer-cherry-cyser-by-b-nektar-meadery/

Aromas are of vanilla, strong cinnamon, apples, cherries, raspberries, rye bread notes, whiskey, green tea, chamomile, hibiscus, caramel, mint, flowers, brown sugar and oak

The flavors are of rye bread, rye whiskey (not over powering at all but delicious), apples, dark cherry and raspberry yogurt, cherry cobbler, vanilla, cinnamon, mint, chamomile, hibiscus, butterscotch, slight smokey from the oak, pine tree, spices, brown sugar and flowers.

The after taste is of oak, cinnamon, apples, cherry and rye taste. No alcohol presence in the taste, going down, Nothing!! This is way to easy too drink, way too easy for it’s own good. I said it’s own good, not mine. If were to drink 6 of these I would become a zombie and I wouldn’t even know it

Overall, it went past the original. The insane part of this mead is that the whiskey is very hidden. So hidden that it is kind of dangerous as it is very smooth. No alcohol burn no nothing. The only part that is strong is the rich and delicious flavors. The second and possibly the last chapter in the zombie series for B. Nektar brings forth some really undead and unbelievable tale of a mead. Let’s just put it this way, for 12%ABV, I get slighter alcohol strength to some degree in like let’s say barrel aged beers. For those I don’t, they did an awesome job with their complex blend. This may not be super complex like a special Barrel aged stout for example, but it becomes champion of fooling the population. No wonder the zombies took over.

Raven’s Eye (Redux) by Eel River Brewing

September 12, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged bakers chocolate, black currants, Chocolate, chocolate pecans, dark fruits, Eeel River, Eel River Brewing, Emeralda, espresso coffee, Imperial Stout, Organic Beer, Raven's Eye, Russian Imperial Stout, Xenogears | 1 Comment

Rating: 5/5

Raven’s Eye (Redux) by Eel River Brewing is a 9.5% ABV Organic Russian Imperial Stout

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
A rich roasty brew with a deep “espresso” character. Originally brewed for the Imperial Court in Russia, this stout is a warm festive drink made with the cold Russian Winters in mind. This complex stout is brewed with a combination of nine domestic and imported malts. Only the finest Pacific Northwest hops are used to provide the perfect balance in our award winning beer.
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I have reviewed this beer in the past and have tried this atleast several times. To me, this was, and will always be, Black Xantus Evil cousin. I decided to another review before the release of the new label (http://www.eelriverbrewing.com/sites/eelriverbrewing.com/files/ravens_0.jpg). This is the same beer that I enjoy so long ago when I first started trying different beers and it has made a nice comeback this year.

Aromas roasted coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, pecans, hazelnut nectar, bits of dark fruits like currants, raisins, caramel, licorice, earthy hops, brown sugar and molasses

The flavors are of rich sweet Irish cream like coffee, hazelnut nectar, mocha, rich currants, raisins, dark cherries, pecans, walnuts, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, molasses, slight licorice notes, slight oak flavors, vanilla, caramel, chocolate fudge brownies with caramel on top, pecans, cherry and raisin syrup, earthy hop bitterness near the end and sweet toffee.

The aftertaste leaves stronger with coffee, chocolate and dark fruit with a slight bitterness at the end. This beer is moderate to sip drinkability, heavy but smooth. Deliciously balanced. No alcohol presence anywhere

Overall, I don’t have to say it, this is a great beer. One of my old time favorites and still around after 2 years. It is one of those over looked beers that really should not be. Truly one of the best dessert beers our there. It will always be the cousin of the Black Xantus, the unbarrel aged epic lore. Feels like visiting and old relative

2011 Review: (https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/ravens-eye-imperial-stout-by-eel-river/)
Black Xantus cousin…Second time trying the Raven’s Eye Imperial stout by Eel River brewing. One of the very few breweries who have the USDA Certified Organic Trademark. Also one of the best Organics I have ever tried. How is this the Black Xantus cousin (Aside from being another dark bird)? or in a sense, why does it seem similar at least to me? Well this stout is a Coffee dominant chocolatey stout just like it. However, other than being less strong, there are more other flavors that Black Xantus does not have that are actually worth trying. There are flavors of Hazel nut, mocha, bread, dark fruits, caramel, milk texture, and some minor hoppy taste. Will it be good for you to try?? Well only if your into stouts and sweet bitter coffee ones. I sure enjoyed it myself that I had to do a ROUND2 review as the last time I tried it was sometimes last year. Will you actually find something delicious in this beer or will you say to this …Nevermore!! >:)..You be the judge. It is a California brew found at Bevmo

Zombie Killer Cherry Cyser by B. Nektar Meadery

September 12, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged A.B.A, B. Nektar, breakfast, caramel apples, Cherry, food, grain mash, Guilty Gear, honey, Honey wine, light biscuit, Mead, Meadery, Meads, Michigan Honey, Zombie, Zombie Killer, Zombie Killer Cherry Cyser, Zombies | 1 Comment

Rating: 5/5 *Mead Rating

Zombie Killer Cherry Cyser by B. Nektar Meadery is a 5.5% ABV Mead made with apples, honey and cherry juice

Label:
Dedicated to the freaks and geeks! What started as a top-secret experiment with Michigan honey, cherries and apple cider became a viral epidemic. It won’t be easy to service, so grab your weapons and don’t forget this bottle for backup! Serve cold…. zombies hate the cold…. B. Ware GrrrHaarrhUrrgh…
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So here is my first attempt a reviewing a Mead. A Mead (according to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mead) is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey and water. Honey and water can also be added to a grain mash then strained after fermentation. Some people add spices, fruits and other ingredients to create different types of meads. So in the list of different type of Alcoholic beverages, this is basically a honey wine. Sweet stuff, expect it that way

Aromas are of apple jacks, cinnamon, cherry, flowers, vanilla, honey, hibiscus, chamomile, grapes, raspberries, cranberries, light biscuit notes and mint

Flavors are of rich tart black cherry yogurt, apples, cinnamon, vanilla notes, honey, Jamaica (Hibiscus Flowers drink), chamomile tea notes, elderflower notes, biscuit bread notes, raspberries and cherry cobbler at the end.

Aftertaste is quite sweet with honey lingering and tart cherry presence. Very easy drinking, sweet but not ultra sweet. The honey and spices give it a nice mellow flavor which doesn’t over power with too much sweetness. The level of sweetness actually seems very natural

Overall, this is a very amazing, what can I say. I could drink this all the time. It is almost like borderline cider and wine but rich in honey. Find this in time for the apocalypse before it is over and they are all gone. The Zombies have taken over Manhattan is the next chapter in this crazy episode of Mead releases of the apocalypse. Don’t Miss it, it will be awesome!!!

Maiden The Shade by Ninkasi Brewing

September 11, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged citrus honey, hop character, india pale ale, IPA, iron maiden, Maiden the Shade, Ninkasi, passion fruit, playful side, refreshing summer, Specialty Ale, tropical fruits | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

Maiden The Shade by Ninkasi Brewing is 6.8% ABV Specialty India Pale Ale

Label:
In salute to the playful side of summer, we had fun with this beer! Maiden the Shade has a big robust hop character from the liberal use of 7 different varieties of hops. It s completed with a light colored malt backbone to stay in balance. Kick back and enjoy!
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This is the first Ninkasi beer I have ever tried. Recently Ninkasi started to show up locally at a very prominent rate. They bring forth some interesting sound beers. I will try and review a couple as I come across them. For now, I picked this one up because back in 2010 I had remembered this label. It was a beer that had the Iron Maiden font and and while it may no be the Iron Maiden beer which came out earlier this year, it has some interesting influences.

Aromas are of floral,herbal and piney hops, peppercorn hints, tropical fruit like pineapple, mango, kiwi, grapefruit, citrus, honey and biscuit bread

The flavors are of citrus, flowers, grapefruit, piney and grassy hops, passion fruit, mango, pineapple, kiwi, biscuit, peppercorn hints, biscuit bread, caramel notes and peach notes.

Aftertaste is tropical sweet with a bit of hoppy bitterness. Quite the refreshing IPA and easy to moderate drinkability

Overall this is a very good IPA. This IPA bring out floral and tropical notes from the range of hop flavor spectrum. Those that enjoy these aspects as well as a nice dose of bitterness will enjoy this one. Quite the interesting first review for one of the Ninkasi beers. Very good stuff.

Humdinger Series Belgo Sutra by Magic Hat Brewing

September 11, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged banana notes, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgo Sutra, dark ales, dark fruits, Dates, Figs, Gurren Lagan, Humdinger Series, Magic Hat, Nia, Nia Teppelin, Quad, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Yoko, Yoko Littner, Yoko Ritona | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.65/5

Humdinger Series Belgo Sutra by Magic Hat Brewing is an 8.2% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale brewed with Figs and Dates

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (Ratebeer.com)
A complex Belgian Strong Ale brewed with figs, dates, and dark candi sugar. Throw out your inhibitions and lose yourself in intense pleasure.

Official ddescriptionmagichat.com/elixirs/belgosutra)
Beer has never known such sensuality as with Belgo Sutra. Brewed with six different malts and fermented over figs and dates, this Belgian-Style Dark Ale offers a deep complexity that caresses the palate to a scream-inducing climax.
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Despite the fact that the ratings on the websites are moderate to good about this beer, I still wanted to seek out for 2 reasons. Great label art but also, I am a fan of Belgian Dark Ales. Also, this beer is mainly sold in the east coast so it was no easy task to find. I had to resort to online sources.

Aromas are of dark fruits like raisins, plums, caramel, chocolate notes, cherry, earthy spices, bread, candi sugar, figs, dates, cinnamon, brown sugar, cloves and banana notes.

The flavors are of figs, and dates, plum notes, raisins, candi sugar, walnuts, maple, cinnamon, clove spice, rye bread, pears, apricots, molasses, chocolate notes, bananas, caramel, cinnamon, brown sugar, cloves, lemon meringue and slight cherry notes.

The after taste stays figgy, nutty, notes of residual raisin and caramel notes. Alcohol seems to be a little present in the fragrance but not as much in the taste.

Overall the beer is very good. A very nice strong dark ale close to a quad even, which I think should be considered a quad. I does a very good job in a lot of aspects, but you can definitely find way better Belgian strong darks out there that are more common. Not that this should be passed up though. If you can find it, get it as it is pretty limited and worthy of taste merit.

Raspberry Brown by Lost Coast Brewery

September 6, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Brown ale, caramel malts, Chocolate, chocolate dessert, dessert, Lost Coast Brewery, Luka, Luka Megurine, natural raspberry flavor, Raspberry brown, raspberry flavor, tootsie pops, Tootsie Rolls, vocaloid | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.2/5

Raspberry Brown by Lost Coast Brewery is a Brown Ale brewed with natural raspberry flavor

Label:
Brown Ale with natural raspberry flavor. A chocolate Brown Ale with the essence of ripe red raspberries, made with malted barley, chocolate and caramel malts, hops, and natural raspberry flavor. Raspberry Brown is perishable. Keep refrigerated and drink when fresh.
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Bottled 04/26/2013. May not be as fresh, but I will give it the benefit of a doubt. You see, I picked this up for review because during one of my outings when trying different beers, I came across this one. I have had other Lost Coast beers but have not had a chance to put these on my blog. They are are pretty good beers. This one was very rich in raspberry

Aromas are of chocolate, rich raspberry tootsie rolls, caramel, toffee, pecans, hazelnuts and brown sugar.

Flavors are of dark chocolate, raspberries, bitter coffee notes, caramel, tootsie rolls and tootsie pops, hazelnuts, cherry candy, biscuit bread, butterscotch, buttered toast, pecans, milk chocolate notes and toffee.

Aftertaste is kind of like tootsie rolls and remains for a bit before fading, easy to drink, sweet mostly.

Overall, I liked this beer on what it was meant for. A sweet chocolate dessert. Maybe not super complex like some of the more awesome raspberry or cherry beers (Yes I am looking at you Bourbon County Cherry Rye :P) but it gets the job done. When I first drank this I liked the sweetness of it, maybe not the complexity but the sweetness. It is no overpowering but easy to drink with mild to moderate flavors. To me it was very good and I am sticking with it. Creamy, fruity, sweet and mildly velvety. Delicious stuff if you choose to see it that way. Love my sweet beers .

Bourbon Peach by Unity Vibration

September 6, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged American Wild Ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, Bourbon Peach, bourbon vanilla, campfires, distinctive flavors, fermentation process, Kombucha, Kombucha beer, lemon grass, Peach, sour ale, sour dough bread, Unity Vibration, Wild ale, Wild yeast | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5 *Kombucha Rating

Bourbon Peach by Unity Vibration is a 7% ABV Kombucha Wild Ale brewed with peaches and aged in bourbon barrels

Label:
Our Bourbon Barrel Aged Kombucha has double the rich, delicious bourbon flavor as it ages with juicy, whole, organic peaches. This unique beverage is a culmination of the ancient process of kombucha brewing, paired with the newer brewing process of a uniquely American high gravity ale.

Reminiscent of summer campfires and refreshing swims in the great lakes, out kombucha beer is always unfiltered, raw and living. Taste the freshness and distinctive flavors you can only find with this process and unique combination
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First thing to note about this beverage, is that it is very important and I mean, VERY IMPORTANT!! to open near a sink. The moment I opened this beer, a lot of the pressure was released causing me to lose some of the liquid . Fortunately I saved a good portion of it. This the first time I try a Kombucha beer so I will try my best at reviewing this one.

Kombucha (昆布茶 or Japanese “Kelp Tea”), as referred to here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha ) is a special type of effervescent fermented tea using bacteria and yeast as part of the fermentation. It was definitely effervescent since the bubbles would not stop even as type this. This sucker is really alive!! This also says it could be good for health. Well, that depends I guess. I cannot make any claims on that. Most Kombuchas are non alcoholic. This one is. So I guess it depends on the fermentation process used by Unity Vibration

Aromas of this are of mushrooms, apricot, funky notes, sourdough, vanilla, oak, peaches, lemon grass, vinegary grassy notes, pears, flowers and other fruits. The sour and funky fragrances come more across than the sweeter fruity side here.

The Flavors are… wow!… I was expecting this to be as strong as the nose. Not at all like the nose. The vinegary sour notes are only in the nose. The taste is much much sweeter with very nice tangy notes. Sweet Peaches, apples, pears, tangy cherry, sugar cubes, vanilla, slight oak, mushrooms, lemonade, grassy and vegetable notes, black tea, slight funky notes, sour dough bread, honey, peach preserves, light bourbon notes, maple syrup, brown sugar, coriander, wheat and grapefruit juice.

After taste us pretty dry leaving a little bit of a sugary plant feel. It tingles going down but easy to drink.

Overall was at awe as to how different this beer was. It somewhat defies logic in taste and aromatic expectations. They seem very different. This is a very unique forth coming creation into the craft beer movement. I am not sure if it should be categorized as beer as it falls into the realms of beer/cider/wine/tea/mead and lambics. Very unique stuff and very delicious in its own category.

Lips of Faith series Coconut Curry Hefeweizen by New Belgium

September 6, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged chicken and gravy, coconut, Coconut Curry Hefeweizen, Curry Beer, Hefeweizen, herbs and spices, Lips of Faith, new belgium, Spices, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.3/5

Lips of Faith series Coconut Curry Hefeweizen by New Belgium is an 8% ABV Hefeweizen brewed with coconut, herbs and spices

Label:
The list of spices in this coconut curry hefeweizen is almost as long as the list of awards bestowed on home brewer, Remin Bonnart. Together we brewed up a traditional German-style wheat beer whose fruity estersand spicy phenols pair perfectly with the spicy and fruity character of curry spices. Pour yourself a plateful.
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So here is the fall release of the the Lips of faith series. A coconut curry hefeweizen. Indeed a unique sort of beer that probably has not been done before. I have had other coconut beers and the curry beer Indra Kunindra from Ballast point. Very good indeed. This brings forth something different though, let us see where this goes

Aromas are very unique and very different. Citrus, curry, toasted coconut, oak, campfire, spicy chiles, cinnamon coriander, bananas, cloves, walnuts, chicken and gravy, biscuit bread, herbs, spices, floral burnt incense, citrus and lime.

The flavors are definitely like curry, rich toasted coconut, marshmallow, coriander, cumin, cayanne pepper, citrus, lime, cinnamon, tangerine, banana, clove, pecans, biscuit bread, caramel, chicken and gravy hints, ginger bread, flowers, burning incense, barbeque sauce hints, spices of India and mango.

Aftertaste is almost floral, bready, lemon and spicy. It is quite the easy sipper. Definitely take your time with this one. It is very odd and different.

Overall I am amazed as to how different this beer is. I have had a curry beer before which was more chocolate and coffee curry https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/indra-kunindra-by-ballast-point/. This one is taking a lighter style like the heffeweizen and doing something very different things. Very good beer for sure but very unique and different. May be off putting to some. A beer that taste like a fancy Indian dish?? unheard of.. LMAO!!! Speaking of which, wonder how well it would fare with a nice curry dish. Could we reach the utmost highest levels of Nirvana? Possibly, if not, this definitely fits as one of the more exotic beer pairings of taste, art and experience, ciyarsa !!!

Cho-tokkyu (The Cider “Super Express/Bullet Train”) by Crispin Cider Company

September 5, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged apple wine, Asuka, Asuka Langley, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Asuka Shikinami Soryu, benzoate preservatives, Bullet Train, Cho-tokkyu, Choutokkyu, Cider, cider apples, coconut, Crispin Cider, Evangelion, Japanese Beers, malt spirit, Neon Genesis Evangelion, organic rice syrup, Rice, rice pudding, Sake, sake yeast, tapioca pudding, The Cider Super Express, wine sediment | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5 *Cider Rating

Cho-tokkyu or Choutokkyu (The Cider “Super Express/Bullet Train”) Artisanal Reserve by Crispin Cider Company is a 6.5% ABV Cider Fermented in Sake yeast and organic rice syrup.

Label:
Naturally fermented with authentic Sake yeast using a premium blend of fresh pressed apple juice, not from concentrate, with no added malt, spirit, or grape alcohol. A racy, high-speed cider that remains crisp and well balanced. Cloudy and straw colored with an exotic polished complexity. Cho-tokkyu is clean, vibrant with an authentic dry sake finish and a distinctive apple backbone. Cho-tokkyu Artisanal Reserve cloudy hard cider is unfiltered and uses racked apple wine smoothed with pure organic, gluten free, rice syrup. No added colorants, sorbate or benzoate preservatives. Best served cool to cold. As with all our Artisanal Reserves, give a full bottoms-up tilt and swirl to disperse unfiltered apple-wine sediment evenly.
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Next in the line of sought after ciders I have tried. Many of them awesome, like the ones that use Irish Stout and Trappist yeast and even the Whiskey barrel aged ones. Simply phenomenal and delicious. Yes it may be made by Coors, but Ciders tend to be on a league of their own. This one is made with Sake yeast. I have tried many sake before I am familiar with the taste and the smell. Also, this beer unlike many ciders I have seen is actually more clearer white than yellow. Almost a Lemonade kind of color,

The aromas are of sake for sure, rice, apples, vanilla notes, sugar dough, and hints of coconut. Not much to the aromas but these little aromas a pretty dead on.

The sake notes in the flavor definitely shine as well as the bit of milky rice and vanilla notes. The cider has flavors of apples, slight earthy bitterness, melons, small hints of coconut but extremely subtle, chia seed juice, citrus hints, cinnamon, tapioca pudding, sweet bread and honey.

The aftertaste is pretty dry leaving only a little bit of the apple, rice and milky coconut aftertaste. Not much alcohol to talk about either but it definitely goes down smooth and is quite refreshing

Overall it is a very good cider. Maybe not as complex as the other ones but this one started getting a lot better as it warmed up. Some more notes of like doughy red bean ice cream, tapioca and milky coconut started to come out which made it very enjoyable. Hell, even some horchata notes in there too . Definitely a different cider for sure.

Tetravis (Barrel Room Collection) by Samuel Adams

September 5, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Barrel Aged, Belgian Quad, Belgian Quadruple, chocolate notes, currants, dark fruits, Figs, Kos-MOS, kosmos, oak barrels, Plums, Quad, quadruple, raisin bread pudding, Raisins, Sam Adams, Samuel adams, Tetravis, Thirteenth Hour, Xenosaga | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Tetravis (Barrel Room Collection) by Samuel Adams is a 10.2% ABV Belgian Quadruple (Quad) Aged in Oak Barrels with Rich notes of Currants, Raisins and Clove

Label:
Bold & rich, this enveloping quad builds its force and character through interlacing layers of flavor.

Its deep complexity begins with a molasses sweetness with notes of dark fruits like raisin and fig and develop further with an undercurrent of tart spice from its distinctive Belgian yeast for a truly transfixing brew.

One of our brewers’ favorite places to experiment is in the barrel room at our Boston Brewery. It’s here that each of our Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection brews was born.

To lean more about this unique set of ales visit SamuelAdams.com
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Been looking for this quad all year long to go with my last review, the Belgian Thirteenth Hour Stout. I am a big fan of quadruples, so a beer made by Sam Adams I definitely could not pass up. Especially a Barrel Aged one.

Aromas start off with nice dulce de leche caramel notes, vanilla, apricot, plums, raisin bread pudding, brown sugar, candi sugars, toffee, slight oak notes, banana, currants, some clove notes, molasses and figs.

The flavors are where it’s at. Reminiscent of Trois Pistoles, rich dark fruits like raisins, figs, plums, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, port wine, chocolate notes, dates, molasses, rum notes, cola notes, pecans, bananas, cloves, phenols, oak wood notes, apricots, pears, brown sugar and cinnamon.

At 10.2% No alcohol present in the taste. Aftertaste ends a little dry with some notes of the raisins and caramel making you want to drink more, even if it is a sipper.

Overall I definitely enjoyed this one. The Barrel room series so far has been nothing but splendid stuff. Something about this beer really reminds me of a St. Bernardus and Trois Pistoles hybrid. Definitely more Trois Pistoles. Maybe Sam Adams and Unibroue use similar Belgian yeast?? Regardless, this is fantastic stuff. Belgian beer lovers may enjoy this one for sure. Even if I can find Trois Pistoles easier, this is definitely an awesome beer.

Oaked Wheatwine 3rd Anniversary Ale by Manzanita Brewing

August 30, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 3 year anniversary, anniversary ale, Manzanita Brewing, Oak Wheatwine, orange marmalade, Third Anniversary ale, wheat wine, wheatwine | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.75/5

Oaked Wheatwine 3rd Anniversary Ale by Manzanita Brewing is a 9.5% Wheatwine

Label:
Wow, Wow what a 3 year phase in our lives! It’s been an amazing journey so farm with all of the hats we’ve had to wear to get a small business up and running. Seeing all of you enjoying out beers makes the struggles and late nights so worth it. So many people to thank for us this far: First and foremost our God, our families, our dedicated employees, our investors and our many invaluable volunteers. Toast to your friends as we toast to ours with this 3rd Anniversary beer.
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I have been meaning to try some of their beers for a long time. I am not quite sure when Manazanita started bottling. I do remember I tried to order their pumpkin ale once but was unable to get is as it was sold out. So as part of my beer run, I found this one. I just found out that they recently celebrated their 3rd anniversary and this one was a limited release. Well, knowing myself, I had to get it.

Aromas are light. Apples, caramel, toffee notes, light citrus, biscuit and rye bread.

The flavors are of toffee, rye bread, oak, caramel, coriander, apples, apricot, orange marmalade on toast, bourbon notes, vanilla, coriander, slight coconut, pilloncillo sugar cone, brown sugar and pumpkin or vegetable spices.

The aftertaste is stays a bit bready, light toffee and citrus. Yet another easy to drink well hidden alcohol beer. Although quite silky and buttery mouth feel. Very nice

Overall it was very good beer but still missing something. Also, the flavors are hard to pinpoint. Not exactly bad, just not enough for me to make an awesome review.. I really like how it was easy to drink yet high ABV. The beer is worth trying, if once. I cannot disregard Manzanita especially since I have not tried their other beers which I would definitely like. People say that the variations of this beer are way more awesome. This, I will have to investigate for myself. Maybe report back here

Lips of Faith series Pluot by New Belgium

August 30, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged apricot juice, Apricots, Belgian Tripel, light rye bread, Lips of Faith, new belgium, Panty, Panty & Stocking, Panty and Stocking, plum juice, Plums, Pluot, Stocking, subtle sweetness, toffee apples, Tripel | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.8/5

Lips of Faith series Pluot by New Belgium is a 10% ABV Belgian Tripel brewed with Pluot juice

Label:
Cross pollinate your tastebuds with Belgian imagination and you’ll be sipping this ale while visions of pluots dance in your head. Pluots? A hybrid of apricots and plums that impart a subtle sweetness. Ferment that with a wild Belgian yeast strain and you have a fruity yet spicy nature with a body reminiscent of red wine. Delicious.
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Along with Paardebloem, I picked up the second summer Lips of Faith ale, Pluot. I figured why not as I am trying this years releases so far. By the way, so far, Cascara has been the winner in the tastings. I actually had to get several of those. Love me some quads 😛 . Well, anyways, time to check this one out. Although by what I am seeing, an apricot/plum fusion does sounds good.

Aromas are of light plums, peaches, biscuit malt, light caramel and honey. Very limited in fragrance.

Flavors are of peach, plum juice, light caramel, biscuit bread, citrus, slight tart but possibly not to the wine level just notes of it. It also tastes like grapes, toffee, apples, sugar cookies and light rye bread.

The aftertaste is mildly sweet but hard to believe it is 10 percent. Especially in the taste. It finishes pretty dry. Seems easy to drink, way too easy lol. Kind of scary but awesome.

Overall it is a still pretty good beer for sure with nice flavors, but I guess I expected more. Still a killer clear body beer. I’d get this this often if I wanted to just get hammered. The notes of Belgian character is still present. If you pick this up, just to try it, go for it but do not expect lots of magic. Just a nice decently good beer, that will probably get you wasted as you cannot tell the ABV in the taste.

Paardebloem Lips of Faith series collaboration by New Belgium and Red Rock brewery

August 30, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, belgian style ale, BPA, collaboration, Collaboration beers, dandelion greens, Dandelions, grains of paradise, light biscuit, Lips of Faith, new belgium, Oak aged, Paardebloem, Peach, red rock brewery, waffle cone | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Paardebloem Lips of Faith series collaboration by New Belgium and Red Rock brewery is a 9% ABV Belgian Strong Pale Ale brewed with Peach juice, Grains of Paradise and dandelion greens blended with wood aged beer

Label:
Using dandelion greens to bitter a Belgian-style ale blossomed from our brewers collaborating with Red Rock Brewing. This being our sixth interpretation together since 2008, expect a wonderfully complex ale fermented with wild Belgian yeast and blended with just a touch of wood-aged beer. Bitterness imparted from dandelion greens and grains of paradise will have you blowing wishes for sips.
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Got this one as an extra to go when buying beers. I have not tried this one nor the other one (Pluot) which were the summer releases for the Lips of faith series. The ones from spring were pretty good. This one is made with fruits and flowers so I am hoping it will be good.

Aromas are of honey, peach, grapes, pineapple, apricot, light biscuit bread, light flower scent, citrus scent, peppercorns, coriander spice, a touch of a caramel and wine notes

Flavors are of grapes, honey, peach, white wine, apples, pears, pineapple juice, plums, biscuit bread, waffle cone, orange juice, coriander spice, light oak notes, caramel, floral bitterness and slight tart nectarine.

The aftertaste is sweet and tangy but finishes dry. The alcohol is somewhat hidden but comes out sweet. This one can be drank easy to moderately

Overall the beer turned out to be very good but nothing too new or mind blowing, simply very good. Reminded me of the Fejoia but more orange juice, floral notes and a bit of oak. For the price I would go with another beer that is just as good or better. This is actually worth trying at least once to get a good feel for it. Also, I apologize about the label, seems like the label paint was peeling from the bottle. I had noticed it after the first pour. As long as the main part of the label is still good.

Grand Cru by Rodenbach of Steenhuffel Belgium

August 29, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged belgian, belgian beers, Belgian Strong Ale, Belgium, cherries, cherry cobbler, dark ales, Dark Cherries, dark cherry yogurt, dulce de leche caramel, Flanders Red Ale, Flemish Red Brown Ale, Grand Cru, Masane Amaha, Oak aged, Reina Soho, Rodenbach, tart cranberries, Witchblade, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.09/5

Grand Cru by Rodenbach of Steenhuffel Belgium is a 6% ABV World Class Flanders Red Ale aged in oak vats. Composed of 33% “young” ale and 67% ale matured for two years

Label:
Rodenbach Grand Cru is an exceptional Belgian ale known as Flemish Red Brown Ale. It enjoys a special status in Belgium as a “Traditional Regional” product. A mixed fermentation ale, Rodenbach is matured in oak vats, giving this ale a signature sweet-sour taste and intense bouquet with a very long after taste like a Grand Cru wine. Rodenbach Grand Cru is a blend of “young” ale (33%) and ale that has matured for two years (67%).
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While looking for the old Lips of Faith New Belgium Grand Cru, I was recommended to get this one instead as it was highly recommended by one of the personnel at the store. I have had may experiences with Grand Crus and those have become a progressing favorite style of mine as I try more. When I read this was a Flanders ale or Flemish Red brown I was was kind of surprised. At first I thought, well, most grand crus are red or brown in color but a lot of Belgian Strong Dark Ales or even Quadruples. At that point I realized, this I had to see. To my surprise, this was not a sour beer at all, it was more delightful

Aromas are of wine grapes close to funky beer, but then I got a rush of greater dark cherry yogurt fragrances as well as dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, toffee, apples, pears, buttery biscuit, butterscotch, raspberries, cherry cobbler, cherry pie, figs, raisins and brown sugar.

The flavors was definitely not what I has presumed. You don’t get much sour notes, but instead more tangy cherry notes and more fruit driven flavors like apples, apricots, raisins, figs, wine grapes, raspberries, tart cranberries, currants and black berries. You also get dulce de caramel, vanilla, cherry cobbler, cherry pie notes, oak wood, light lemon dash, earthy spices, and Black cherry yogurt.

The aftertaste is caramel sweet and cherry tart with some nice light acidic and bready notes. Not your typical sour at all. Dark crimson blood body yet pleasing to drink.

Over all, I was highly impressed. This is the first time I try a Flanders that was not more tart to sour flavored. This is the sour noted beer that many of those people that love fruity beers but don’t like sours would absolutely love. Now I see why its simply amazing. Leave it to Belgium to create the best beers in the world. If they can take a lighty funky beer and make it compete with the quads and dark strongs as “Grand Crus”, that has got to be Godly.

Oatmeal Yeti by Great Divide Brewing

August 29, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged bakers chocolate, Bleach, chocolate oatmeal, Darkstalkers, Dizzy, felicia, Great Divide, Guilty Gear, Imperial Stout, oatmeal raisin, Oatmeal raisin cookies, Oatmeal Stout, Oatmeal Yeti, raisin bread pudding, rich chocolate cake, rolled oats, Stout, Yeti Imperial Stout, Zabimaru | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Oatmeal Yeti by Great Divide Brewing a 9.5% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with roasted oats and raisins

Label:
Much like its legendary predecessors, this Yeti is big, bold and dark. The addition of rolled oats softens Yeti’s notoriously roasty backbone and the small amount of raisins added in the brew kettle create a unique dark fruit character. Just as admired as those that came before it, Oatmeal Yeti Imperial Stout is a softer beast.
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I have reviewed a couple versions of the yeti. The first one was the chocolate oak yeti which I thought was delicious. Then came the Belgian Yeti and that one was more phenomenal. The oatmeal yeti is this year’s (2013) new yeti release

Aromas are of sweet, dark, and bakers chocolate, mild espresso notes, more mocha, dark fruits like raisins, figs, pecans, caramel, rich chocolate cake, brownies, smokey notes, brown sugar and slight marshmallows.

Flavors are of graham crackers, marshmallows, sweet, milk and dark chocolate, raisin bread pudding, pecans, hazelnut, almond joy, caramel, light espresso notes, oatmeal raisin cookies with chocolate chips, almost a vanilla hint, light smokey and oak notes, figs, chocolate raisin, currants, toasted coconut

The after taste is sweet, dark fruity, bready and chocolatey. The beer is kind of syrupy and velvety like some of the best Stouts I have ever tried. A sipper but not very aggressive to it is moderately drinkable and not so bitter. This is the stuff for certain.

Overall an awesomely perfect yeti with added flavors that work very well giving another silky layer to an already awesomely complex imperial stout. The Yetis are probably a golden standard of prime imperial stout examples (Basic one’s ofcourse, as Barrel Aged or Belgian Imperial Stouts are in a league of their own). Definitely try this, without a shadow of a doubt, this is a must get unless you find the chocolate aged one or the Belgian one. These are all great. Careful drinking this one, it is kind of addicting and you may end up finishing the bottle.

Batch#1000 Bryeian by The Bruery

August 28, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Batch # 1000, Black Ale, black ipa, Black Rye IPA, Bruery, Bryeian, Cascadian Dark Rye Ale, Chun-li, homebrew competition, hoppy beers, rye toast, Street Fighter, Tharja, The Bruery, toast bread | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.9/5

Batch#1000 Bryeian by The Bruery is a 7% ABV Cascadian Dark Rye Ale

Label:
Congratulations to Brian Pramov & Bryan Keas of Denver, CO, for winning our Batch #1000 homebrew competition! Their intensely hoppy, dark rye ale caught the judges’ attention and was the unanimous choice for best in show.

We don’t often make hoppy beers, but when we do, they taste something like this. Congrats to our Batch 1000 homebrew winners on this recipe. Bryeian is dark, malty and full of piney hops. Best enjoyed as afresh as possible.
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Aromas are of fresh hops but very nice malt coming through. Rye bread, caramel, grapefruit, pine, oak, toffee, chocolate,orange, citrus, mango notes and toast bread with butter.

The flavors are of rye bread, caramel, coffee and chocolate hints, pine, grapefruit, earthy and grassy hops, molasses, anise, butterscotch, tropical notes of pineapple with caramel, roasted hazel nut, somewhat oaky and smokey notes, black pepper, slight graham cracker taste, brown sugar, buttered toast with caramel spread.

The aftertaste stays malty with a nice amount of hops and kind of buttery. The alcohol is well hidden and it is fairly drinkable.

Overall, this beer reminds me of Black IPA or Rye Black IPAs should truly be like. This is freaking phenomenal. Damn the Bruery, they make a lot of their beers hard to rate down. I can say that the the only beer from them that I didn’t feel to fond of was the Hottenroth. One day I will get a bottle to review, but almost everything I have ever had from them seems to so many levels of deliciousness. I almost tried to down play this one but as I kept sipping, it reminded me a lot of the Rye Anniversary ale from Eagle Rock Brewery except if you made it into an IPA and roasted the malts. Probably the best Black Cascadian Ale I have ever had, except the Stone 15th Anniversary in Bourbon Barrels, but that’s another review to look at . The rye does wonders for this beer amazingly.

Stone 17th Anniversary Götterdämmerung (Ragnarok / Twilight of Gods) IPA

August 28, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged anniversary ale, Asmodeus, Double India Pale Ale, Double IPA, Experimental hops, Götterdämmerung, German IPA, German Pilsner, Imperial IPA, india pale ale, IPA, Ragnarok, Shinra Banshou, Stone, Stone 17th Anniversary, Stone Brewing, stone brewing co, Twilight of Gods | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.7/5

Stone 17th Anniversary Götterdämmerung (Ragnarok / Twilight of Gods) IPA is 9.5% ABV German Double India Pale Ale brewed mainly with German Hops and Pilsner malt

Label:
Life is never dull at Stone, but the last year has been one of the most eventful yet. We threw open the doors to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, our second decidedly eclectic brewery restaurant, installed in historic former Naval Training Center buildings (including their original mess hall). We outfitted it with a 10-barrel brewhouse, 40 taps serving Stone and guest beers, a huge outdoor garden area, and 650-plus seats. Hey, “small” is for other people. Well, come to think of it, we do have our own version of “small” in our brand-new-as-of-August craft beer-centric Stone bar and eatery in Terminal 2 of San Diego International Airport. At any rate, plan your trip accordingly. And we doubled the size and production capacity of our brewery, built the new Stone Packaging Hall and, oh yeah, found out we’re now the 10th largest craft brewing company in the country. We can hardly believe we fit that all into one paragraph, much less 12 months. Through all that growth, like hop bines rooted in fertile soil (see what we did there?), we kept our feet securely planted on terra firma, remembering that it’s all about the beer—we’d be nothing without it. And so, as we prepare to celebrate 17 years of straining the seams of the ale envelope, we again focus squarely on beer via our annual anniversary offering, while at the same time laying to waste long-held concepts of what German hops can and cannot do, as well as what the world has come to know about San Diego IPAs—thanks much in part to our family of beers.

Inspired by new experimental German hops, our brewing team is celebrating our 17ten Jahrestag by taking palates on an unconventional tour of Deutschland by way of Southern California. In doing so, we used a grain bill comprised exclusively of pilsner malts and German hops with crazy awesome names: Herkules, Hersbrucker, Magnum, Merkur, Opal, Smaragd & Strisselspalt. Dry-hopping with Sterling, a U.S. hop with Saaz parentage, lends a bit of familiarity, but be forewarned, this is a unique beer that takes the IPA—a style we’ve already pushed far beyond its previous limits over the years—to interesting new territory. Schumpeter chose economics; we chose beer. Our creative destruction has been aimed squarely at the previously-held-dear conventions of what beer can and should be. Stone 17th Anniversary Götterdämmerung IPA is the latest in a long line of innovations, but nowhere near the last. Not by a long shot.

—Greg Koch & Steve Wagner, Co-Founders, Stone Brewing Co.
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Cheers to another year of the Arrogant Bastards of Stone Brewing Co. This year they bring forth a German inspired IPA using mainly German ingredients such German hops and German Pilsner malts. As soon as I opened the beer I was not sure what to expect as when I think German I think sweet sweet banana Bavarian notes or deep caramel toffee from the doppel bocks. I don’t think I have ever had a bad beer from Germany really. Just like the Belgian beers, simply World Class

Aromas are of lemon grass, piney hops, citrus, grapefruit ,interesting tropical notes of banana, strawberry, peach notes, kiwis, mango, pineapple, light caramel, biscuit bread, slight peppery notes, light butterscotch, a bit of floral notes and mint.

The flavors are very hop forward with taste of Grapefruit, grassy, herbal and piney hops, caramel, biscuit bread, pineapple, apricot, peach, banana notes, hints strawberry, kiwi notes, mango, orange preserves or marmalade, piney, garlic, onion, Italian herbs, peppery spices, honey, toffee notes with a slight minty finish.

The aftertaste leaves hints of caramel and tropics but mainly bitter and herbal. A lot going on here to hide the alcohol. Making it refreshing and moderately drinkable

Overall better than last year but under the 15th.. What can I say, I love me that “Black IPA” complexity that hinted chocolate. I did not get the Bavarian Banana Caramel forward IPA I was thinking but that is actually fine. This is still a very good beer and is quite different from what I was expecting. In terms of IPAs, this covers almost every aspect I could think of in IPA flavors. The extent of hop varieties bring this beer to a deep complexity that would be like saying the opposite spectrum of let’s say a “super complex barrel aged quad” but mainly in terms of the hop spectrum. Meaning, of all the different types of complex flavors you can get from different amount of hops, you actually get that complexity here and way more. You got the whole range from piney, to tropical to herbal, to bready to malty, to fruity, to even the spicy and garlic side. An IPA Jack of all trades and more. Maybe something about the Pilsner malts helping it out 😛. Get this while you still can as I do not think they will release this again. It is a very awesome beer. Prost!

Grand Gru by Abbaye-Abbey du Val-Dieu

August 26, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Abbaye-Abbey du Val-Dieu, Abbey, abbey ale, authentic abbey ale, Belgian Abbey, belgian beers, Belgian Quad, Belgian Quadruple, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, chocolate notes, dark fruits, Edgar Roni Figaro, Final Fantasy VI, Grand Cru, raisin bread pudding, Terra, Terra Brandford, trappist ales, Val-Dieu | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.15/5

Grand Gru by Abbaye-Abbey du Val-Dieu is a 10.5% Belgian Strong Dark Ale/Quadruple

Label:
This authentic Abbey ale is based on the recipe perfected centuries ago by the monks of Abbey du Val-Dieu.

Anno 1216
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While browsing for grand crews at the store near my house, I was looking for a grand cru beer to try as this type of beer has become a favorite of mine (like Belgian quad or strong dark weren’t already lol) The person at the tells me to try this one as it is lower in prices than even Alesmith Grand Cru. So I go with it as it is authentic Belgian stuff. Hell yeah!! Now the interesting thing is, many site cannot compare this as a quad or a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, I’ll say it is both. Grand cru is already kind of borderline anyway in terms of beer styles.

Aromas were rich in dark fruits like plums, raisins, figs, dulce de leche caramel, chocolate notes, grapes, pears, oak, earthy spices and blackberry preserves

The flavors are much better than the aroma. Very rich raisins covered in dulce de leche caramel, raisin bread pudding, plums, pears, dates, figs, sweet bread, butterscotch, flan, cinnamon, grapes, cherries, blackberry preserves, peppery notes, loads of candi sugar, pilloncillo sugar cone, brown sugar and rye bread. As the beer warms up, you get more complex flavors of pecan pie, hazelnut and banana which is definitely awesome.

The aftertaste continues with raisin and caramel sweetness and leaves an nice dark fruit and pecan taste in the palate. Full to medium body yet, the flavors cover up the alcohol a lot to the point where it is quite drinkable. I almost want to finish the whole bottle as it is is damn good.

Over all, to me knowing it is an Abbey Ale (I love authentic Abbey and Trappist ales) and the fact that it hits it home with the caramel and the raisins, it is a phenomenal beer. May not be to the Alesmith in terms of complexity or even as buttery raspberry preserve on toast as the Avery beast, but it still hits those Belgian lover spots in my heart reminding me of the St. Bernardus. In fact, I may actually get this over other grand crus. Especially since it is cheaper in price and easier to find. The best part is that it is a complex Belgian so this actually starts to transform in flavors as it warms up, this is why I gave it a higher rating.

Faster, Bigger, Better, Bolder (Gradually, Quietly, Steadily) Collaboration by The Bruery and Dogfish Head

August 26, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged beer collaboration, Better, Bigger, black sesame seeds, Bolder, celty sturluson, collaboration, Collaboration Beer, Dogfish Head, Durarara!!, earthquake in japan, Faster, Gradually, Herb beer, herbs and spices, Japan Relief, kumquats, poppy seeds, Quietly, Sake, shichimi togarashi, steadily, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.6/5

Faster, Bigger, Better, Bolder (Gradually, Quietly, Steadily) Collaboration by The Bruery and Dogfish Head is an 8.25% ABV Japanese Herb/Spiced Beer brewed with Kumquats, spices and Sake yeast

Label:
We brewed this beer to honor our brethren in Japan who stood strong in face of adversity when faced with disaster. Created with traditional Japanese ingredients and sake yeast, this beer is best consumed fresh.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (Ratebeer.com)
Two of the most out-of-the-box breweries around, The Bruery and Dogfish Head recently combined forces on a brew; the result is as intriguing as one might expect. Inspired by the strength of the Japanese people to remain sturdy during the recent earthquake that hit their small island nation, the beer’s depth of flavor comes from flavors steeped in tradition. The ale is brewed with a spin on the traditional shichimi togarashi, or Japanese seven spice blend. Ginger, cayenne, white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and nori were added to a base blonde ale that was created using two kinds of rice. Replacing the typical orange peel included in shichimi, whole kumquats were pulverized and added to the whirlpool, giving the spiced beer a kick of fresh citrus. A blend of sake yeast and The Bruery’s house yeast was used to ferment this beer into a dry and complex ale, different than anything you’ve likely had before. One dollar from every bottle sold will be going to help the brewers and beer drinkers of Japan in need of our support to fight back from disaster.
First in the Collaboration Series for the Bruery.
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I remember I had always wanted to get my hands on this beer but never got the chance. I found this one at the 38 degrees Grill in Alhambra California. It seems this beer was made in 2011 in commemoration of the March 11, 2011 Earthquake in Japan. It seems the beer was also named after that Daft Punk Song (Harder, Better, Faster Stronger). Regardless, the beer states best consumed fresh. Will this be past it’s prime or just at the perfect serving? Not too sure but keep reading to find out.

Aromas seem fresh still :). Citrus, peaches, apricot, kumquats, apples, mango, biscuit bread, caramel, wine grapes, coriander, wheat bread, herbs, flowers, hibiscus, lemon peel, green tea, funky notes and and slightly peppery

The flavors are of grapes, apples, citrus lemon peel, kumquats, peaches, honey, biscuit bread, coriander, rice sake, green tea, peppercorns, hints of caramel, peach cobbler, hints of mango, floral notes, herbs and spices

The aftertaste leaves pretty dry with only hints of the grapes, citrus, biscuit bread and sake notes. Still a refreshing beer amazingly and drinks smooth as well.

Overall the beer is surprisingly still awesome. Aged for 2 years and it is still awesome. So it makes me wonder how much fresher it was having it in 2011 and having it now. Regardless, still a pretty good beer. Biiru wa, totemo oishii desuyo!! Kanpai! ^_^b

Seme Della Vita (The Seed of Life) by Monkish Brewing

August 24, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged anime artwork, Belgian Tripel, Cinnamon, creamy vanilla, Eureka, Eureka 7, flan, monkish, monkish brewing, peaches and cream, Pistachio, Pistachio beer, pistachio nuts, Pistachios, Seed of Life, Seme Della Vita, Tres Leches, Tripel, vanilla beans | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Seme Della Vita (The Seed of Life) by Monkish Brewing is a 9.8% ABV Belgian Tripel brewed with pistachios and vanilla beans

Description:
Luxurious, nutty, creamy, vanilla, fruity and complex
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First time hearing about this beer I was surprised since I have never heard of a beer that is brewed using pistachio nuts. Monkish Brewing happens to be very close to where I work so I figured I could not miss out an opportunity for this. Normally I do not do reviews for on-draft brews. Mainly because I have not found one that required me to pair it with an Anime artwork like I usually do for other beers on this site. I usually like how labels compliment the artwork but also mainly how the beer does in terms of flavor, smell, history artwork and such. I had heard that this beer would never leave the brewery as it was highly coveted. There are no growler pours to take home, they do not distribute kegs of this nor do they plan to ever bottle this one. Funny things happen when something gets really loved. Beers become very limited and only few batches made. I had asked them to keep making it at least as this had become my new favorite of from all the different beers I have tried from Monkish so far. Hopefully, one day they will change their mind and distribute more, even bottle it. That way everyone can try this nice piece of lost treasure of art and taste.

Aromas of this beer are phenomenal! Biscuit bread, rich vanilla, caramel, pistachio and hazelnut notes, cake, cinnamon, peaches, peppery notes, apples and notes of chocolate reminiscent of a light “White Chocolate” beer from “The Bruery” but without the bourbon and deeper chocolate. There are also some nice notes of citrus and flan.

Flavors are of very rich vanilla, caramel, pistachio nuts, almonds, cinnamon, hazelnuts, coconut notes, apple notes, cake batter, vanilla Twinky, Tres Leches cake notes, flan, peppercorn hints, peaches and cream notes and bananas

As the beer gets warmer, the the vanilla starts to give off notes of chocolate and candi sugar. I almost thought I was drinking the White Chocolate beer.

Aftertaste leaves off sweet and going into the pistachios nutty notes, cinnamon and vanilla.

Overall this beer is awesome, but it is definitely a sipper. While the alcohol is hidden in the flavor, it still felt as you go. Even for a clear body of a beer like this, it was crazy how much complexity they were able to get with this. A very unique beer with some uncommon ingredients. Should be sought if you are ever in the Los Angeles area. Hopefully one day they will make enough of this for all to try :3 . Like the art work implies, this is a beer lover’s dream, get lost in it!

Salt Lick (Censored) by Jester King and The Salt Lick BBQ collaboration

August 22, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged alcoholic beverage commission, american farmhouse, artistic collaboration, bière de coupage, Censored Beer, collaboration, Collaboration beers, Driftwood, driftwood texas, Farmhouse Ale, federal alcohol, jester king, Oak, Oak aged, oak-smoked, organic saison, pecan wood, pecans, pop phenomenon, Saison, Salt Lick, Salt Lick BBQ, smoke, Smoked Ale, smoked beers, Tamarind, Tamarindo, Tejuino, Texas, Texas Law, unique | 2 Comments

Rating: 4.5/5

Salt Lick (Censored) by Jester King and The Salt Lick BBQ collaboration is a 6.7% Pecan Wood Smoked Saison/Farmhouse ale barrel-aged in wild yeast.

Label:
First came the witches, and soon after there were vampires. They came in droves and each time one popped up it seems to be better looking then the last., each polished to a blinding luster. For a brief moment even werewolves even had there moment in the spotlight, plucked and preened to studio perfection. Then, to our astonishment, monsters comprised of nothing more than smoke joined this pop phenomenon – and that we couldn’t resist.

Notes:
Crafted in the once commonplace, Old World tradition of bière de coupage, young, dry hopped ale is blended with old, barrel-aged sour beer fermented with native yeast. A portion of the malt was smoked over pecan wood at The Salt Lick BBQ (Censored) in Driftwood, Texas. Unfiltered, unpasteurized and naturally conditioned.
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Last year, this beer used to be called Salt Lick but per Texas law below, they had to change it:
Update: Our original label application for Salt Lick Pecan Wood Smoked Saison was rejected by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), after having been approved by the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB). We have renamed this beer “Censored” for sale in Texas.

Here is the original label: http://beerpulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Jester-King-Salt-Lick-Pecan-Wood-Smoked-Saison.png

Along with Das Wunderkind!, I was able to get this one online as well. Jester King makes some of the finest Saisons out there. Goes to show that each Brewery does not have to brew a particular variety of styles but when focused a certain style can go into depths that no other beer can. Yes I am looking at those breweries like Jolly Pumpkin (Sours), Stillwater Artisanal (Gypsy Saisons), The Bruery (Belgian Styles) and many more . I will definitely try to get more amazing JK reviews going . So far I have 5 beers. Check out my other reviews .

One thing to not about this beer, when I opened it, sat it down on the table to take pictures. The beer came to life . Unlike my previous experience with Fantome Boo! Where the beer came gushing out to no ends, this one slowly but surely started to rise, little by little as it came out the bottle and surprised me about a minute later. Now I understand what the label meant about the paranormal :S

Aromas of this beer are quite intriguing. Very Smokey, campfire oak, honey glazed ham, pineapple, peppercorns, tart citrus, musty grapes, minor flower notes, herbs, rotting wood, hidden spices, peaches, apples, salt, hay, lemon juice, tobacco and BBQ pit with spices.

The flavors are of lemon, citrus, salt, smokey honey glazed ham, biscuit bread, Tejuino (Mexican fermented corn drink with lime, sugar and salt), tamarind, hazalenut, over matured orange, sourdough wheat bread, coriander, lemon pepper spice, white peppercorns, barn yard hay, very oaky, musty grapes, a touch of apricot, apples, butter, apple cider vinegar notes, black pepper, sage and other earthy spices.

The aftertaste is somewhere between, salty, smokey, tart, slight sour, fruity and spicy. Quite the combination and smooth and moderately refreshing in fact. This seems way too good to be true. Like drinking this around late august, early September is like perfect because you get nice refreshing notes and that campfire warmth feel you would get as the times approach the fall.

Amazingly this is the first time I have had a beer that is both strictly smokey and slightly sour. Reminds me a lot of Tejuino which is a Mexican fermented corn drink with lime, sugar and salt and sometimes chile added. Very Unique, very interesting, and very delicious. You probably will bee to have an acquired taste for sours or even smoked beers to greatly enjoy this one. Although to me, the balances with the saison is not too overwhelmingly smokey or sour. It fits perfectly in both sides of the universe. Excellent stuff and very awesome if you can find it .

Very Angry Beast by Clown Shoes Brewing

August 22, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged American Imperial Stout, Angry Beast, Barrel Aged, Blaecorn Unidragon, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon vanilla, chocolate pecans, clown shoes, Clown Shoes Brewing, Clown Shoes Very Angry Beast, Clown Shows Angry Beast, dessert, Halibel, historical, Imperial Stout, Neliel, Nelliel, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, porcine unidragon, Russian Imperial Stout, Stout, sweet milk chocolate, Tia Halibel, Tia Harribel, Vampire Slayer, Very Angry Beast, World class | 1 Comment

Rating: 5.55/5*

Very Angry Beast by Clown Shoes Brewing is an 11.5% ABV World Class Imperial Stout blended with equal parts of Blaecorn Unidragon and Vampire Slayer both aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
Hoppy Feet guy extinguished evil via a sharp stake through an undead chest. Now, Blaecorn Unidragon, full of fury, has expelled another bloodsucker from Earth. We hate vampires, but love Vampire Slayer, which we blended in equal parts with Blaecorn Unidragon, bourbon barrel aging the mix to beget Very Angry Beast.
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I have been following this series carefully since the first release of the awesome Blaecorn Unidragon. Both Blaecorn and Vampire slayer very awesome beers as well as the Porcine Unidragon. When they aged the Blaecorn Unidragon and blended it with basic vampire slayer, that was awesome within itself. Now both are blended for the ultimate concoction.

Aromas are of deep bourbon vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, marshmallows, flan,coconut, dark chocolate, graham crackers, bit of rocky road ice cream, sweet milk chocolate, pecans, almond joy, mocha coffee, toffee, butterscotch, chocolate cake and some dark fruit notes.

The flavors are of bourbon, lots of nice warm bourbon (not overwhelming boozy, just sweetnes) and oak flavors, vanilla, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, coconut, marshmallows, raisins, butterscotch, almond joy, not as big on the rocky road as the smell but some notes are there. There are also flavors of black berries, possibly dark cherry notes, dulce de leche caramel notes, graham crackers, earthy hops, fudge brownies, more bakers chocolate that sweet milk chocolate, almost semi sweet but the flavors seems to work. Some other flavors are of mocha, honey glazed ham notes and brown sugar.

After taste is a litle boozy leaving very nice residue of vanilla, coffee, chocolate, bourbon and minor smokey notes. While the beer can be boozy later on after several sips, it is quite the smooth beer. Take heed though, while it is easy to drink it will hit. This dynamic duo of Femme Fatale (Obviously referencing the art ) shows no mercy

Overall it was quite an overwhelming experience in many aspects. Beers that go over the 5 rating seem to be beers that usually are Chocolate extreme or amazingly sweet or caramel extreme or just something that is way out of the ordinary in terms of flavor. This beer, while it may not have reached the heights of chocolate, the concoction of the bourbon, the coffee notes, dark fruit notes, buttery caramel, vanilla rich, the oaky and let us not forget the chocolate, is what set the score for me. Really great job by Clown Shoes brewing in bringing this amazing beer to the hands of many. Salute to you and Cheers!!

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Blaecorn Unidragon Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/blaecorn-unidragon-russian-imperial-stout-by-clown-shoes-brewing/

Vampire Slayer 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/

As follows Eschatological Ale by Stillwater Artisanal 2013

August 22, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged As follows, Asmodeus, Astaroth, Astarotto, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BPA, End of the World, Eschatological Ale, Golden Ale, Shinra Bansho, Shinra Banshou, Shinrabansho, The end has come | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

As Follows Eschatological by Stillwater Artisanal is a 9% ABV Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Label:
===========

1. To come or go after; proceed behind 2. To move along the course of; take 3. To adhere to; practice 4. To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at 5. To come after in order, time, or position 6. To occur or be evident as a consequence of 7. To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand.
==============================

I have done several reviews on this beer and still to this day, freaking awesome beer. One of my favorite Belgian Pale Ales. The 2013 version now comes in 4 packs with a different description (Belgian Style Golden Ale vs. Eschatological Ale). The beer is pretty much the same but I think the 750ml bottle had more body too it. This still does not detract from the awesome flavors this beer provides. It is more available than ever and still… mysteriously evil and creepily delicious 😛

2012 Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/as-follows-eschatological-ale-by-stillwater-artisanal/

Fresh Squeezed IPA by Deschutes Brewery

August 22, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged citra and mosaic hops, Deschutes Brewery, Deschutes Brewing, Fresh Squeezed IPA, grapefruit juice, halo, Hop Heads, Hops, india pale ale, IPA, juice oranges, kiwi strawberry, lemon candy, master chief, pink grapefruit, pink grapefruit juice, tropical fruits | 2 Comments

Rating: 5/5

Fresh Squeezed IPA by Deschutes Brewery is a 6% ABV World Class India Pale Ale

Label:
This mouthwateringly delicious IPA gets its flavor from a heavy helping of Citra and Mosaic hops. Don’t worry, no fruit was harmed in the making of this beer.
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Picked this up recently at the local Bev-Mo near work. Heard that there was a lot of talk about this beer. Normally for me, I try to look at different IPAs and see what are the most tropical, the most hoppy, the most herbal or even the most orange juice and caramel I can find. Every single IPA or DIPA brings something to the table. As best as I can, I will try to analyze this one. Hell even, the label makes it look like its gonna be a tropical thunder.

The smell is like grapefruit juice or Squirt Grapefruit soda. This is quite different already as I never seen a more grapefruit forward IPA. There are also aromas of biscuit, caramel, lemon candy, orange jolly rancher, pineapple, orange, subtle piney and grassy hops, kiwi almost like a strawberry or a berry note and mango.

Flavors are quite different but awesome. Lots of pineapple and grapefruit juice, oranges, caramel, piney and grassy hop notes, mango, kiwi, strawberry notes, dragon fruit, orange jolly rancher notes, pecan notes, buttery biscuit, tangerine marmalade, peaches and cream, orange cream popsicle, grapes, raisins, blueberries and papaya.

The aftertaste is awesome. A well balanced bitterness of the piney hops with nice grapefruit and pineapple tropics. I think what really makes this beer great is the balance and drinkability. Very awesome for sure.

The talk wasn’t just that, all talk. This beer is an awesome IPA. I love sweetness of beers and hoppy as well. This one brings both together is such an awesome way that literally works extremely well. This is something I wish I could drink for breakfast everyday. Right next to the Heady Topper, almost, except this is the sweet pink grapefruit where as heady is the orange juice of IPAs.

The art work is sort of like a surprise. Matching the label as best I could, think of it as Master Chief (Green for hops) unveiling the secret sweetness inside :3

Das Wunderkind! by Jester King

August 22, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged american farmhouse, das wunderkind!, Farmhouse Ale, green apples, jester king, Oak, Oak aged, Organic Beer, organic saison, Saison, sweet caramel, The wonder kid, Whiskey, whiskey barrels, Wine, wine and whiskey, wine grapes | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Das Wunderkind! by Jester King is a 4.5% ABV Organic Saison/Farmhouse Ale aged in oak wine and whiskey barrels with wild yeast.

Label:
There are many among us who, in spite of their best efforts, just never quite seem to fit in. It’s only a rare few, however, who, very early in life, develop the self-asurance and presence of mind to be neither conformists nor rebels, instead carving their own paths and following their own dreams, regardless of what anyone else might happen to think. Take flight, mein Wunderkind, don’t ever let gravity hold you back!

Description: (jesterking.com)
Mature beer, re-fermented in oak barrels with wild yeast and souring bacteria is blended with fresh, dry-hopped beer prior to bottle-conditioning. Dry and lightly tart, with notes of citrus, barnyard, and tropical fruit.
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Been looking for this little prize long ago. Since last year actually. I was finally able to find one online. Soon as I saw it, I had to get it and do a review. I paired this beer with a piece of artwork that best presents it. Flight of Das Wunderkind! Or “The Wonder Kid” in German.

Aromas are those nice floral spices, peppercorn, sourdough bread notes I really enjoy in saisons. As an added treat, there are also notes of oak, grapefruit, citrus, hay, apricots, lemon, apples, dandelions, roses, sweet caramel, light whiskey notes, grapes and earthy notes

Flavors are of peppercorns, sourdough bread, wine grapes, caramel, oak, light whiskey notes, lemon peel, green apples, slight funky notes but not too sour, grapefruit, apricot, peach, hint of strawberry, flowery spices, hay, earthy hops, coriander and light vanilla notes.

The aftertaste is mildly funky with citrus, lemon , oak and wine taste but shortly sour. More like flowers and peppery spices.

Overall the beer is awesome is you love saisons that have nice funky notes which are not too sour but pleasantly tart. The added wine and whiskey barrels give it some character but do not overwhelm much of the beer. The spices, flowers and fruity flavors along with the tart and oak flavors take care of that.

Or Xata (Horchata) by the Bruery

August 21, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged agua fresca, Belgian Blonde, blonde, blonde ale, Bruery, caramel brown, churros, Cinnamon, dulce leche, Eureka, Fuu, Horchata, mexican cuisine, Naruto, Or Xata, OrXata, Rice, rice pudding, The Bruery, vanilla beans | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5*

Or Xata (Horchata) by the Bruery is a 7% ABV Blonde ale brewed with Rice, Cinnamon and Vanilla Beans

Label:
¡Que Rico!

Living in Latin American influenced California, horchata is one of our favorite drinks. Our take on the traditional agua fresca incorporates rice and lactose along with spices for that sweet, creamy character that we’ve come to love. Or Xata is best enjoyed fresh. Please store in a cool, dry place. The ideal serving temperature is 50 degress Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius). Best served in a tulip or wine glass
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First tried this in Restaurant “Cinco” near LAX when the Bruery first poured for the public. Back then I had this with some tacos de azada, to my surprise, it was a perfect pairing. The Bruery would eventually release this too the public. So now many can try this exotic creation which to me was mind blowing.

Aromas are of rich cinnamon, vanilla, bread, brown sugar, rice pudding with dulce de leche caramel and spices.

Flavors are pretty dead on like liquid churros and horchata. Lots of vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, brown sugar, rice pudding, pan dulce, leche nestle (sweetened condensed milk), clove spice and banana notes.

The aftertaste also leaves sweet but not too sweet, more cinnamon really. Perfect. The alcohol is hidden well and will hit you later on as you sip more.

Just like I remembered it a month and a half ago. Simply amazing dessert beer here. It really is perfect. All the flavors are exactly what are set out to be. Definitely spot on. When pairing with taquitos or any Mexican cuisine, awesome!!!

Try to get your hands on this if possible. If you live in California, the Bruery will send you a bottle . Cheers!! (http://www.thebruerystore.com/p-99-or-xata.aspx )

*Exceed my expectations several times, it is not too overwhelming with alcohol , it is overwhelming with awesome horchata and liquid churro flavors.

Genghis Pecan by Clown Shoes brewing

August 19, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Chocolate, chocolate biscuit, clown shoes, Clown Shoes Brewing, Genghis Pecan, Ghengis Khan, hazelnut coffee, pecan pie, pecan pie porter, pecans, Porter, sweet toffee, toasted pecans | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.6/5

Genghis Pecan by Clown Shoes brewing is a 7%ABV Pecan Pie Porter brewed with roasted pecans

Label:
Our new Pecan Pie Porter no longer uses extract, but rather brown sugar and pecans roasted by friends at The Gallows in Boston. Buddy Hadry, a rep at Bella Vista in PA, gave me the name for this beer, the second Pecan beer now that he has named. Thank you, Buddy!
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What does pecans have to do with Genghis Khan? I have no clue, other than the last name rhymes with pecans. Pecan pie or pecan flavored beers are some of my favorite notes that I find in many beers that I try. One made with pecans, well let’s see how good it is.

Aromas are of hazelnut, pecans, roasty coffee, brown sugar, spices, biscuit bread, nutmeg, cinnamon and chocolate

The flavors are of pecan notes, some hazelnut, coffee, pecan pie, walnuts, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, caramel, dark chocolate, biscuit bread or pie crust, molasses, butterscotch and a bit of nutella on rye.

The aftertaste is sweet, toffee and biscuity with alittle bit of roasty notes The beer is not super heavy but moderate to drink with silky mouthfeel

Overall the beer does not a super strong pecan pie flavor like I get in a lot of bourbon barrel aged beers and quads but it still has some pecan, nutty and bready flavors. Also very nice drinking. For some reason, the biscuit, nutty and buttery feels reminds me of some notes I got from trying a Far Tire. Ofcourse, this one is way better than Fat Tire (Imperial Fat Tire?). Well regardless, this was very delicious and enjoyable. Don’t expect to be blown away by pecans and pie, but the notes and buttery nut bread are strong here

Big Hugs 2011 edition by Half Acre Brewing and Dark Matter Coffee Company

August 19, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Ark Angel Mithra, 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, Mithra, Spices, spicy aroma | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.2/5

Big Hugs 2011 edition by Half Acre Brewing and Dark Matter Coffee Company 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.
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Hard to find, but aged for 2 years, this is Big Hugs. Looks like a nice kitty that wants to give a loving Christmas embrace, but in reality, it’s intentions are difficult to tell. Many have lost and have fallen victims to it’s temptations (either willfully or by bloody force). Opening this beer, it definitely smelled way different than other stouts to begin with.

First thing I noticed in the aromas were that there was a good amount of dark fruits and molasses. The beer has developed nicely. Above it are the rich cola like aromas followed by super dark chocolate, fancy coffee, a peppery and spicy aroma, possibly nutmeg notes, vanilla, caramel, toffee, brownie and hazelnuts

The flavors are like a rich fancy coffee with spices, Kahlua notes, vanilla, hazelnut, bakers and dark chocolate, hazelnut, raisins, molasses, walnuts, toffee, brownies and spices but not heat wise, definitely something else (must be the fancy coffee)

The aftertaste is roasty, semi sweet dark chocolate, spicy and a touch boozy. ABV has probably increased to a 11% or 12%. The mouth-feel is moderately syrupy so this one is definitely a sipper.

Overall, age has done this one wonders. Either that or the beer has always tasted this nice. Regardless, it was definitely interesting, different and kinda creepy.

Anomaly by Monkish Brewing

August 19, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Anomaly, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgian Style, California Beers, chocolate caramel, city of torrance california, Evangelion, Los Angeles, Mari, Mari Illustrious Makinami, monkish, monkish brewing, Neon Genesis Evangelion, raisin bread, Trois Pistoles, west coast california | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Anomaly by Monkish Brewing is a 8.5% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale made with oats and wheat

Description:
A strong, dark ale with tastes of chocolate, caramel, and dark stone fruits along with a silky mouthfeel from oats and wheat.
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This is the first time I do a review for a draft only beer. Monkish is a pretty new brewing company in the city of Torrance California (Los Angeles county) specializing primarily in Belgian style ales. They have been active creating many different beers using many unique ingredients such as hibiscus, rose hips, pistachios, vanilla beans, Sichuan peppercorns, elder flowers, chamomile and many more. They mainly distribute kegs locally and other parts of the state so trying their beers might be difficult to find. Hopefully if you live in the south land part of California, you may want to give their beers a go.

Aromas of the anomaly are of dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruits like plums, raisins, cinnamon, port wine, slight cola notes, candi sugars, caramel and raisin bread

Flavors are of plums, dark chocolate, figs, raisins, mocha coffee, slight oak, wine notes, cola, molasses, anise, licorice, brown sugar, caramel and hints of banana and cloves.

The aftertaste remains with some notes of plums and figs and raisin bread. The booze is not present in the taste and gives a warm feeling after every taste. Also, it is quite smooth for a Dark Belgian.

I love dark Belgian beers and this one, aside from their new beer Seme Della Vita, is one of my favorites from this brewery. Reminds me of some of the good Dark Belgian flavors from beers like Trois Pistoles. They only recently started putting this one in growlers. So if you are ever in Los Angeles Area, check out Monkish Brewing, definitely a unique set of beers.

Site: http://www.monkishbrewing.com/beers/

Holy Sheet Heavy Seas Uncharted Series 2013 by Clipper City Brewing

August 12, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Abbey, abbey ale, Belgian Abbey, Belgian Dubbel, Brandy Barrel Aged, Clipper City, crystal malts, dark fruits, drinkable beer, Dubbel, Franco il Nero, Heavy Seas, Holy Sheet, quiet contemplation, raisin bread pudding, Ruby, Rwby, uncharted series, wine notes | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Holy Sheet Heavy Seas Uncharted Series 2013 by Clipper City Brewing is a 9% ABV Belgian Abbey Dubbel aged in Brady Barrels

Label:
Rich, complex and unique. Abbey style ales are transcendent, and ours stands proudly in the ranks. Aged in brandy barrels, Holy Sheet is a mahogany ale brewed with Belgian Abbey yeast, candi sucre, and unique crystal malts. Rounded, spicy caramel flavors mixed with vinous notes and oak overtones, this ale pairs well with quiet contemplation…

Uncharted Waters explores the unique changes that happen to beer when exposed to wood. Each beer showcases a robust style, carefully matched with a wood treatment to showcase a range of complex flavors. Vintage dating encourages further exploration on the aging process. As much about the voyage as the destination we hope you enjoy these beers in the spirit in which they were brewed.
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Been looking for this beer since I first heard of it. It was not an easy find at all since many of the Heave Seas Beers aren’t normally sold around in the west coast. Thank goodness for online stores.

Aromas are of dark fruits and caramel like cherries, raisins, figs, dates, grapes, preserves, some vanilla and toffee notes, apple, white wine notes, banana, coconut, brandy, oak, rye and biscuit bread.

Flavors are of coconut, dark cherry preserves, rich dulce de leche caramel spread on raisin bread pudding, biscuit, vanilla, toffee, raisins, dates, figs, oak, brandy, candi sugars, banana phenolic notes, marshmallows, grapes, minor white wine notes and chocolate on rye bread

The aftertaste leave sweet and slightly boozy but not too boozy. This works very well as the alcohol is hardly present overall and is very pleasant. This makes it quite the moderately drinkable beer at that.

Overall Holy Shit I mean Sheet is very fucking delicious. This is my second Heavy Seas beer and already I love the beers I have reviewed so far. Definitely recommended for those that love Barrel Aged beers but also Belgian beers.

Stillwater Artisanal Sensory Series v.2 – Small Black

August 12, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged artistic collaboration, Black Saison, dark fruits, experience sound, floral notes, light honey, qr code, Sensory Series, Small Black, Stillwater Artisanal, Stillwater Artisanal Sensory Series, Stillwater Sensory, Volume 2 | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

Stillwater Artisanal Sensory Series v.2 – Small Black is a 5% ABV Black Saison brewed in collaboration with the band Small Black and Stillwater Artisanal.

Label:
welcome to the sensory series
The Stillwater Sensory Series is a collaboration between Stillwater Artisanal and singular musical artists. In the second volume, Stillwater works with Small Black to make an ale based on an interpretation of their song, “Breathless” On the bottle itself, a QR code links to this exclusive performance of the song. Ultimately, this is a true artistic collaboration that aims to create a full sensory experience – sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste.
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Aromas are of roasty malts, dark fruits, wheat, peppercorns, earthy hops and spices, biscuit bread, light honey, citrus, coriander spice and slight coffee notes.

The Flavors are of wheat, slight clovey spiciness, roasted barley, peppercorns, dark fruit notes, slight dark chocolate, floral notes, earthy hops, citrus, coriander spice, smokey notes, notes of molasses and slight hazelnut

The aftertaste and slighly sweet and smokey with that nice bready taste provided by many of the awesome Stillwater ArtisanalAles. Easy to drink at a low ABV

Overall, you may get away with passing on this, but if you do pick it up, you will try this one and it will be like trying a light Folklore or similar to it. The smokey character is only minor and not overwhelming which lets a lot of the other sweeter and floral flavors through

While you watch the video: http://www.stillwatersensory.com/ you get sense of what it is about. It is pretty good stuff. The track they used for this beer, “Breathless” is freaking awesome too.

Ommegang Gnomegang Collaboration

August 12, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged ardennes mountains, Belgian Blonde, Belgian Blonde Pale Ale, Blond Ale, blonde ale, Brasserie d’Achouffe, butter scotch, chouffe, collaboration, Collaboration beers, full bodied ale, Gnomes, Kagamine Rin \ Len, len, Ommegang, Ommegang brewing, Ommegang Gnomegang, restaurants, rin, Smurfette, smurfs, Twins, vocaloid | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Ommegang Gnomegang Collaboration is a 9.5% ABV Belgian Strong Blonde Ale

Label:
This delectable blonde ale is a co-creation of two famed farmstead breweries: Ommegang in New York and Brasserie d’Achouffe (Chouffe) in Belgium’s Ardennes Mountains. The Chouffe gnomes brought us their yeast and we used it in primary fermentation, then bottle-conditioned with our yeast creating a fruity, aromatic and full bodied ale.
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For a very long time, I always wanted to try this beer since I became a fan of Ommegang. Also, I have known Chouffe beers to be awesome. Like the one time I reviews the IPA Triple. It was exquisite. This ale was brewed years ago but was finally re-released. So before I lost my opportunity to try it, I had to get a bottle to review

Aromas are of fruity esters, peppercorns, apples, honey, spices, sourdough and biscuit bread, floral hops, coriander spice, vanilla and citrus

The flavors are of sweet honey, biscuit bread, butter scotch, pears, apples, slight peach notes, peppercorns, floral hops, spices, sourdough, phenolic notes, bananas, citrus, lemon peel, vanilla, grapes, plums, coriander, candi sugars, oatmeal, flowers and wheat

The aftertaste leaves with a nice biscuit with honey and tangerine jelly. I was quite impressed by this one. Almost easy drinking but still warm feeling that this beer brought. While the alcohol is not too present in the taste, it gets you after.

They pulled a great beer that is close to a Belgian Pale and Saison. A golden ale bringing a lot of great complexities and sweetness to the table. Definitely one that should be picked up.

Barrel Noir by Almanac Beer Co.

August 12, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Almanac Brewing, American Imperial Stout, Barrel Noir, Belgian Dark Ale, belgian dark chocolate, Belgian Stout, Belgian Strong Ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, chocolate coconut, chocolate coffee, dark chocolates, espresso coffee, Imperial Stout, leche flan, Orta, Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon Orta, warm fireplace | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.6/5*

Barrel Noir by Almanac Beer Co. is a 10% ABV Imperial Stout with 50% Belgian Dark Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels and 50% American Imperial Stout

Label:
This oak-aged ale is our love letter to bourbon barrels. Barrel Noir is a sumptuous, inky ale that celebrates the velvety texture and subtle heat that only Kentucky charred oak can impart. Born from a blend of American imperial stout and Belgian-inspired dark ale aged in bourbon barrels, this rich brew can be paired with braised beef dishes and dark chocolates. Enjoyed best in front of a warm fireplace.
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There are very few Belgian Stouts out there that can take beers to new levels. The style is simply one of my top favorites. Some of these beers are coveted while others are easier to find. Today, I try this one which has been partially aged in bourbon barrels. Many of the ingredients are farm grown locally. So a lot of them are fresh. Upon opening the beer, I knew was another awesome special chocolate beer.

Aromas are of rich milk chocolate, dark chocolate, coconut, bourbon, vanilla, dark fruits, dulce de leche, flan, marshmallows, espresso coffee notes, brown sugar, candi sugar and sweet Belgian bread notes

The flavors are of very rich milk chocolate, rocky road ice cream, pecans, walnuts, almond joy chocolate, coconut cream, vanilla, raisins, prunes, hints of minor cherry and raspberry notes, bourbon, oak, hints of Kahlua, dulce de leche caramel, flan, chocolate cake with brownie batter and minor earthy bitterness to balance it all out.

Aftertaste leaves with nice chocolate, coffee cake and minor earthy notes along with a bit of vanilla. The alcohol is not too fondly present and makes it nice. Very hidden.

Overall, this beer is simply amazing. Sweet to a not too overwhelming level, yet so many flavors and to a certain point, moderate drink-ability. This beer is a fusion of a bourbon barrel aged quad and an imperial stout which is not something that is done often. So I really think that the right level of brewing fusion is what really makes it outstanding and different from others. The dominating characters that each part brings to the table is simply exquisite. I love chocolate beers, so the extra points in rating are for those awesome awesome chocolate flavors but also because it works so well. A must try for anyone that is a stout and Belgian beer fan. If they ever make this in larger bottles and more available, that would be the best!!

*Overwhelming with milk chocolate, yet not to the super sweet level and enough to give great complexity

Robert & Ryan / Rip Current / Stone R&R Coconut IPA

August 6, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged american homebrewers association, beer collaboration, beer enthusiasts, coconut, coconut IPA, coconut notes, collaboration, Collaboration Beer, Collaboration beers, fellow craft, india pale ale, IPA, pleasure cruise, Rip Current, Rip Current Brewing Co, Robert & Ryan, robert masterson, Ryan Reschan, Stone, Stone Brewing, stone brewing co, Stone Coconut IPA, Stone R&R Coconut IPA, Toasted Coconut, tropical flavor, tropical fruit flavors, tropical fruits, tropical IPA | 2 Comments

Rating: 3.8/5

Robert & Ryan / Rip Current / Stone R&R Coconut IPA Collaboration is a 7.7% ABV India Pale Ale brewed and flavored with coconut

Label:
This collaboration beer is a celebration of the homebrewing spirit and an example of counter-intuitive thoughts coalescing beautifully into something exceptional. Case in point is the seamless marrying of toasted coconut and a hop bill brimming with tropical fruit notes. Longtime homebrewers Robert Masterson and Ryan Reschan teamed up to enter this beer in our annual American Homebrewers Association-sanctioned brewing competition and, though it was the first beer they’d ever brewed together, they sailed past the competition like a tropical ocean breeze on a pleasure cruise bound for India. After winning, the duo reached out to their friend, highly decorated homebrewer and 2011 AHA Ninkasi Award winner Paul Sangster of the newly opened Rip Current Brewing Company, to assist in dialing in the recipe. Together with Sangster’s skilled partner Guy Shobe and Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele, Masterson and Reschan present fellow craft beer enthusiasts with a most delicious and original style of IPA. Open, enjoy, rest, relax and repeat as needed.

“On the nose, you get lots of tropical fruit—mango, passion fruit, pineapple—with some sweet orange and stone fruit from the hops along with toasty coconut sweetness.” Ryan Reschan /I Winning Homebrewer 1 love the tropical spin that Robert and Ryan added to an already great IPA recipe.” Mitch Steele II Brewmaster, Stone Brewing Co. “The true lest of a beer like this is the balance between the fruity hop and the coconut flavors and, with this one, you feel like you’re drinking a tropical drink on the beach.”

Paul Sangster // Co-Founder/Brewer, Rip Current Brewing Co.
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Aromas of this beer are a very nice mix tropical and hoppy. Mango, grapefruit, kiwi, dragonfruit, apricot, pineapple, grassy, floral and piney hops and some coconut notes

The flavors are very tropical and hoppy as well. The break down is more tropical than hoppy though. Leading in with some prickly pear, mango, citrus, pineapple, grapefruit, hints of toasted coconut, piney and floral hops.

The after taste leaves hoppy and tropical as well but instead of more tropical in the end, it fades out with citrus and grass hop goodness with minor coconut hints.

This beer is pretty good but it is somewhat fair in terms of finding the coconut. While it is hinted, I think I got more coconut as I drank more but the coconut is consumed by the hops. Not a bad thing at all as I really like tropical and hoppy IPAs but in terms of coconut it is only hinted slightly more than other IPAs. I remember watching the video about the collaboration (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqPDASoFJDA) and they specified that this was like a piña colada in a bottle. The truth is that it is true, but only to a minor to moderate extent. This beer does not boast lots of coconut and piña colada flavors but the notes are definitely there. Do not get your hopes up and expect a head on piña colada tasting beer but do expect an IPA that does have hints here and there of the flavors and aromas.

Overall, the beer does a pretty good job and bringing some very nice tropics to the scene and some nice hints that would not be found in some other IPAs. Either way, it is a pretty good beer and should still be tried. Maybe you can find more flavors than I can’t 🙂

Even More Jesus by Evil Twin Brewing

August 1, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged chocolate coffee, craft beer, dark chocolate, Dark Lord, Even More Jesus, evil twin, Evil Twin Brewing, Hullabaloo, Imperial Stout, Kahlua, Kos-MOS, kosmos, milk Chocolate, Sweet Jesus, sweet milk, World class, Xenosaga | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Even More Jesus by Evil Twin Brewing is a 12%ABV World Class Imperial Stout

Label:
A Few times in the history of craft beer it has happened that a highly praised beer rises beyond mortal stardom into a higher godly league. Usually the recipe to make such heavenly drops is thick fudge-like body, pitch black color, amazingly overwhelming aromas of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits and muscovado sugar, obviously only made in limited amounts and most crucial of all – it must taste rare!
___

Picked this one up as an extra to go along with Racer 15. Holy shit, I did not know this beer was so coveted until I read some information on it.

Aromas are of very rich bakers, sweet, milk and dark chocolate, coffee, mocha, dark fruits raisins, figs, plums, molasses, minor soy sauce and smokey character, licorice, caramel, earthy hops and brown sugar

The flavors are of roasted coffee grains, dark fruits like raisins, plums, cherries, vanilla, Kahlua liquor, lots of notes that remind me of Dark Lord RIS like the syrupy dark, milk chocolate, fudge brownies, caramel, molasses, but more earthy bitter with like a soy sauce, anise and licorice taste.

This beer is quite the syrupy dessert. Like drinking Dark Lord but more towards the smokey bitter-fruity sweet. The aftertaste was earthy and smokey bitter at first but as you drank more, it became much more sweeter. A nice dark fruit sweetness that can be found in a lot of awesome beer but melds awesomely with the bitter notes. The sweet and the smokey bitter plays hand in hand at some point making this one supremely awesome. No wonder it is rated exceptional to World Class status. Evil Twin Brewing, I am surprised this wasn’t brewery exclusive, because this is fucking awesome! Thank You Jesus!!

Café Racer 15 by Bear Republic

August 1, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Anti-Spiral, Bear Republic, Café Racer 15, Cafe 15, Cafe 15 Racer, DIPA, Double IPA, Gurren Lagan, honey dew melon, Imperial IPA, IPA Day, lush tropics, Nia, Nia Teppelin, oranges lemons, Tepen Toppa Gurren Lagan, tropical flavors, tropical fruit flavors, tropical fruits, tropical IPA | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Café Racer 15 by Bear Republic is a 9.75% ABV Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Label:
Café Racer 15™ features aromas of bright citrus and resinous pine from the generous use of Citra, Amarillo, Cascade and Chinook hops which are complimented by a dry malt finish. The result is a high revving Double IPA that is loud and assertive, much like the rebellious street racers who inspired it. Never ride alone…
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Just in time for IPA day, this version of their double IPA is supposed to be more west coast (more hoppier due to the greater variety of hops as stated above) than the Racer X which was more English tradition plus hops. This beer won the Great American Beer Festival Silver award in 2012.

Aromas are very hoppy and tropical. Grapefruit, mango, kiwi hints, citrus, prickly pear, pineapple, floral, dank, piney and grassy hops, lemon peel, biscuit bread, honey notes and caramel

The flavors are awesome as well. Lots of flowy, oily, dank, piney and floral hops, grapefruit, pineapple hints, mango, honey dew melon, kiwis, passion fruit, papaya, peach and apricot notes, dragon fruit, blood oranges, lemons, caramel and biscuit bread with tangy mandarin jelly

After taste lingers in the tropics. Almost like I just got drinking some type of hoppy bitter fruit punch. Kinda hard to find the alcohol in this one as well. It is also very refreshing, surprisingly smooth and well balanced both in the hop, malt and tropical aspects.

Just like Racer X, definitely as close to Heady Topper, maybe closer. I honestly think the difference from the 2 IPAs is that Cafe 15 is way more tropical. Simply amazing and gets more tastier with every sip. Seems to be way better than Racer 5. I am sure this beer will soon be coveted, so if you find this savor it!! It really is an amazing IPA. Happy IPA day everyone 🙂