Blue Dot by Hair of the Dog

July 29, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Blue Dot, Double India Pale Ale, Double IPA, dragon fruit, earth, everyday earth, Final Fantasy XI, hair of the dog, IIPA, india pale ale, IPA, mandarin oranges, Mithra, pale blue dot, Planet Earth | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Blue Dot by Hair of the Dog is a 7% ABV Double India Pale Ale

Label:
Blue Dot is named after our planet: we are only a pale blue dot in this universe. Made with Organic Pilsner, Rye malt and a combination of intense northwest hop varieties. Pour slowly to allow the sediment to remain in the bottle. Make everyday Earth Day. Do Something nice for your mother.
O.G. 1074, 80 IBUs.
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Another awesome trade from my friend Richard. I had seem this beer many times and have hear great things about it. I unfortunately missed the chance to pick this beer up. Thanks again for the trade man, this review also goes out to you bro.

Aromas if this beer are of grapefruit, floral, piney and grassy hops, tropical fruits like mango, honey, oranges, biscuit bread notes, pineapple, mandarin, and some minor toffee sweetness.

The flavors are of oranges, grapefruit, flower notes, grass and piney hops, biscuit bread, mandarin, oranges, dragon fruit, rye notes and apricots.

The aftertaste finishes dry but still has some nice bitter and fruity notes. It is a very smooth and easy to drink IPA. Might even impress some people that normally don’t like IPAs. Even though it is, 7% ABV, the part that makes it a Double IPA is because of the extra hops they are using here so you get a lot more hoppiness out of this IPA than with a regular IPA. Very well made stuff and is definitely worth the seek if you can find it.

The Beast Grand Cru (Batch 10, 2012 edition) by Avery Brewing

July 29, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Avery Brewing, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, caramel pecan pie, Grand Cru, Marmalade, Raspberry preserves, strawberry preserves, The Beast, The Beast Grand Cru | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

The Beast Grand Cru (Batch 10, 2012 edition) by Avery Brewing is a 16% ABV Belgian Strong Dark ale

Label:
The Beast is a seducer – accommodating, complicated, powerful, dark and created to last the ages. Beyond this, it’s futile to attempt to describe Him. He will unveil Himself differently to each of His followers. The mark is in His constitution. Brewed with two-row malted barley, honey malt, and imported Belgian specialty grains (aromatic, pale wheat, roasted wheat, and Special , hops (Magnum, Galena, Saaz, Hallertau, Tettnang, and Hersbrucker), brewing sugars (raisins, dates, blackstrap molasses, alfalfa honey, turbinado, and dark Belgian candy sugar), water, Belgian yeast and another hellion of a yeast strain.OG: 1.138
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Obtained from a beer trade with my good friend Richard. He definitely went out of his way to find this one. I have heard of this beer but I have never really found it. This review goes out to him. Thanks again man . The Grand Cru style is one I don’t often get to try but from the many I have tried, they have all been great. This one is no exception

Aromas are of caramel, grapes, rich strawberry and blackberry preserves, cherries, raisins, plums, candi sugar, biscuit bread, walnuts, vanilla, fruit cake, citrus and rye

The flavors are of lots of sweet forward strawberry preserves, blackberries, raisins, rye bread, caramel, pecan pie, candi sugar, cherries, fruitcake, vanilla, apricots, citrus, hints of coconut and oak

The beer is quite boozy but the flavors cover up any alcohol burn. So while you still get to feel the alcohol potency, the complex flavors help it out a lot.

Overall the beer is freaking great, strong, deliciously complex and it will take control once you finish the last drop. I would definitely recommend this one if you can find it. Also, I wish I had more bottles of this. This is too good to pass up

Barrel Aged Siren Noire Heavy Seas Uncharted Series 2013 by Clipper City Brewing

July 27, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged bakers chocolate, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Stout, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, cacao nibs, Chocolate, chocolate coconut, chocolate fudge brownies, Clipper City, Diabetes in a bottle, Fate Zero, Fate Zero Assasin, flan, Heavy Seas, Imperial Stout, malt flavors, Mexican Flan, restaurants, Siren Noire | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/5*

Barrel Aged Siren Noire Heavy Seas Uncharted Series 2013 by Clipper City Brewing is a 9.5% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Chocolate and aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
Siren Noire
Rich and velvety, this smooth brew owes its full body to healthy additions of imported specialty grains. The roasted malt flavors of coffee yield to notes of mocha, fig, and raisin – and Belgian cacao nibs impart a decadent chocolate nuance. Bourbon barrel aging finishes by adding tones of vanilla. An unparalleled flavor experience

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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So I got this on whim. I wanted to get the Holy Sheet Belgian ale they had but unfortunately for me it may already be to late. Well, better luck next year I guess. Anyways, I found this one and I wanted to try as it was a Barrel Aged beer and from a brewery I have never tried before. So I decided to give it a try and damn, what a treasure it was as soon as I opened the bottle.

Aromas exploded with a great ton of coconut, chocolate, marshmallows, almonds, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de caramel (Rocky road fragrances), flan, mocha coffee notes, deep java, frappucino,

The flavors are way too damn close to rocky road ice cream and coffee to put it as best as possible. Bitterness is definitely like an earthy and it is also oaky slightly. Flavors are are of milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, toasted coconut, dulce de leche caramel, bourbon, vanilla, marshmallows, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, chocolate cheese cake, flan, crème brulee, mocha, frappucino and chocolate fudge brownies

The Aftertaste leaves off sweet with nice chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, flan and mocha notes. No alcohol presence and the flavors are complex and intense, I am surprised how they could develop these very nice flavors from such an ABV.

Amazingly enough, while it is not strong with the alcohol, it has a lot of sweet flavors. This is too damn good. I wish I could get this beer more frequently. This is really good. If you are lucky enough to find it and live Bourbon Barrel Aged beers, go get this right away. Coffee flavored Rocky Road ice cream in liquid form.

*I am a chocolate beer fanatic, so the rating maybe a bit bias but I swear, this is like rocky road ice cream in liquid form. Maybe not to the Parabola level but enough to notice. Oh, and Lots of nice coffee to go with it too

2013 British-Style Old Ale a.k.a 2005/2010 Decadence by Alesmith

July 26, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 2013 British-Style Old Ale, Alesmith, alesmith brewing, alesmith brewing co, black raspberry jam, british beers, cake flavors, Decadence 2005, Decadence 2010, Gold Medal Great American Beer Festival 2008, Gold Medal World Beer Cup 2008, great american beer festival, Great American Beer Festival 2008, Old Ale, vanilla pecan, world beer cup, yearly seasonal | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.45/5

2013 British-Style Old Ale a.k.a 2005/2010 Decadence by Alesmith is an 11% ABV Old Ale

Label:
Great American Beer Festival 2008
“Small Brewing company of the year”
Old Ale Category Triumphs
Gold Medal Great American Beer Festival 2008
Gold Medal World Beer Cup 2008

Originally brewed in 2005 as the first in our annual Decadence series, AleSmith Old Ale follows the tradition of class British-style Old Ales. This rich, malt-forward ale showcases soft notes of currants and dried fruit along with complex dark sugars, all of which are balanced by a subtle bitterness derived from the addition of traditional English hops. AleSmith Old Ale is ready to be enjoyed now or it can be aged for upwards of twenty years to further enhance its amazing depth of flavor. A hearty ale designed to please Bacchus himself!
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They will be releasing this beer every season due to its popularity. I snagged a bottle as I was looking for beers at the store. I always have a hard time deciding what to pick. I like all the beers and certain styles. This is a style of beer that I do not often get to review but the style has always been very good.

Aromas started off with lots of raisins, cherries, caramel and walnut bread pudding. British beers like these always have forward malts. There is notes of toffee, brown sugar, butterscotch, vanilla, pecan pie, molasses, biscuit, black raspberry jam and some fruit cake

Flavors are of caramel, toffee, dark fruits like raisins, black berries, apples, pecan pie, walnuts bread pudding, raspberry jam, molasses, figs, vanilla, chocolate notes, anise, earthy hop hints, port wine notes, butterscotch, nutmeg, fruit cake, and brown sugar

The aftertaste finishes with like a raisin, caramel and anise taste with some port wine and earthy bitterness as it leaves completely. Good stuff, and the alcohol is well hidden. Amazing stuff, also, others say that the previous recipe was oxidized. There is no oxidation in this one at all, it’s just pure good beer.

This ale is meant for aging, so I am sure it will improve with time for sure. Even as fresh as it is right now, it is very delicious and I almost feel like I can definite drink more of this stuff. One of the best English styles ever.. Damn Alesmith is very good.

Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg Virgil’s Root Beer

July 26, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged attack on titan, Craft Soda, For Fun Review, micro brewed, Mikasa Ackerman, Non-Alcoholic, Root Beer, Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg, Virgil's Root Beer | Leave a comment

Special Edition Bavarian Nutmeg Virgil’s Root Beer (0.0% ABV ) Non-Alcoholic

Label:
Using Natural Ingredients, we brew a root beer so pure, so rich and creamy, You’ll swear It’s made in heaven.

Virgil’s is a superb blend of spices and herbs gathered from the world over; anise, licorice, vanilla (bourbon), cinnamon, clove, wintergreen, sweet birch, molasses, nutmeg, pimento berry oil, balsam oil and cassia oil.
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So here’s the deal, I was coming back from Las Vegas with a couple of my friends and we stopped at a store that sells Alien Jerky somewhere in the middle of the dessert. This store was packed with people buying items from Jerky, to hot sauces to craft sodas. I found this root beer and I was like wow, pretty neat. Comes with the cork stopper like a nice beer would. I am not that big into craft soda scene but I had the crazy idea to just do a review of this root beer since it is made with many ingredients. By the way, I have never reviewed a soda so I will apply some of my beer review skills to it, just for fun. Nothing too serious.

Aromas are of like a regular root beer. Licorice, cinnamon, molasses, vanilla and sugar. Nothing too crazy. I guess the real stuff is in the flavors.

The flavors are way better than the average root beer. Definitely getting some vanilla, sugar cream, nutmeg, licorice, molasses, cinnamon, faint chocolate, faint mint, hazelnut, brown sugar and caramel.

Wow, not too bad at all. Real good stuff. Not to be taken too serious but if you do, know that this special root beer is freaking awesome. I think that is all I can say as this is not beer . Still, if you ever find it at a craft soda store, yes!!, pick it up. The flavors are more complex than plain old root beer

Jaded (Import Series Vol. 3) by Stillwater Artisanal

July 26, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Strong Dark Ale, chess nut, dark wheat, Dark Wheat Ale, De Struise Brouwers, Import Series Vol. 3, jaded, Jasmine, Rose, Stillwater, Stillwater Artisanal, stillwater jaded, Urbain Coutteau, Violet, wheat ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Jaded (Import Series Vol. 3) by Stillwater Artisanal is a 9% ABV Dark Wheat Ale brewed with Rose, Violet and Jasmine

Commercial Description:
Brewed with good friend, Urbain Coutteau of De Struise Brouwers. Urbain describes this work as “Dark chess-nut coloured ale with a nice steady off-white head. Aroma is all about finesse, loads of blossoms and spring flowers. The mouth-feel is refined, playful and complex with Saison like peppery flavours. Soft nutty after taste with a bite.”
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This beer is quite elusive. Especially in the west coast. It has been 2 years since I have been looking for this beer. Lucky for me, it was released again this year. Ever still, quite the elusive one. Now that I have found it, I spend time no more to bring this review to you in hopes that maybe you too will try it, IF you can find it. (www.thepartysource.com)

Aromas of this beer are of lots of rich caramel and phenols, toffee, pecans, flowers, biscuit bread, honey, apples, coriander, chocolate notes, roasted barley notes, pineapple, raisins, prunes, hints of banana, clove spice, candi sugars, peppercorns, citrus and rye

Flavors are of hibiscus, grapes, rose petals, pineapple, plums, raisins, dates, caramel, toffee, banana, peppercorns, cloves, coriander, dried apricot, candi sugars, citrus, floral hops, honey, biscuit bread, chocolate notes and minor wine notes like a nice port but only near the end.

The after taste leaves a nice bready, flowery, caramel sweet residue with a bit of like an earthy hop bitterness.

Essentially, this is a Belgian Strong Dark Wheat Ale, the brethren of the Dunkelweissen style except made with Belgian yeast instead of Bavarian but closer to a dark saison. Really crafty I should say. I would expect nothing less from the awesome Stillwater beers I have reviewed so far. I have not found one I didn’t like and I would definitely recommend this one. It was definitely worth the wait, but luckily I have tried something similar. Although the flowers added to the mix is what really drives this beer.

Grand Cru by Alesmith Brewing

July 26, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Alesmith, alesmith brewing, alesmith brewing co, Belgian beer, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, belgian style ale, Belgian Trappist Monastery, California State Fair, chocolate coconut, Dark Cherries, dulce de leche caramel, Grand Cru, Milla Maxwell, Trappist, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.35/5*

Grand Cru by Alesmith Brewing is a 10%ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Label:
25.4 fl. oz. – First place California State Fair. Grand Cru is a term designating excellence and is reserved for the finest offering from a brewery. AleSmith Grand Cru is brewed once per year in small batches for limited vintage release.

AleSmith Grand Cru is a complex, amber-colored, malty Belgian-style ale. It is brewed using only the finest imported malts, hops and candi sugar, along with an authentic yeast strain from a Belgian Trappist Monastery. Traditionally bottle-conditioned, the secondary fermentation occurring in the bottle gives this ale a natural effervescence.

Taste this truly Grand Cru and you’ll agree: AleSmith’s hand-forged ales are crafted to perfection. 10% alcohol by volume. Brewed & bottled by AleSmith Brewing Co., San Diego, CA.
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Been passing this one up for a quite a while. Alesmith makes really great beer but I never got around to try this one. No longer though. I was able to find this one to give it a try and do a review. Grand Cru is sometimes a complex type that doesn’t really fall into a particular style other than some type of Belgian beer that is really awesome. I’ve considered some of the Grand Crus I have tried in the best as very Epic, this one is no different. In fact, it rates outstanding to world class in some of the beer rating websites.

Aromas a complex conundrum of good stuff. Dark fruits like figs, raisins, plums, wine grapes, cherries, raspberries, Dulce de leche caramel on rye toast, dates, vanilla, somewhat bourbon vanilla character, chocolate, coconut, pecan and hazelnut pie, cloves, bananas in caramel, toffee, butterscotch, candi sugars, brown sugar, apples and apricots.

Flavors are simply phenomenal! Lots or dulce de leche caramel, pecan and hazel nut pie covered in vanilla cream, chocolate Almond Joy with coconut, figs, raisins, plums, slight wine grape notes, dark cherries, raspberries, dates, caramel covered bananas, toffee, biscuit bread, phenols, clove spices, nutmeg, apples, peaches, candi sugar and butterscotch

This beer is kind of crazy as it reminds me a bit of the St. Bernardus and to some extent, hints of the Westy 12. The beer has definitely has a lot going for it. It is a little boozy but that is quite fine as the bready caramel and rich fruits cover that all up nicely. This is a great beer and many Belgian beer lovers will love this one. Alesmith, very well done.

*I Love sweet and Complex beers, this one put it over just a bit. This is my highest rating for a Grand Cru so far

Dragoons by Moylan’s Brewing

July 26, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 4th Continental Dragoons, American Beer Fesival, American Revolutionary War, Beer World Champion, cal state fair, chocolate caramel, Daisy, Dragon Quest, Dragon Warrior, Dragoon, Dragoons, Dry Stout, General Stephen Moylan, Gold winner, hop bitterness, Irish Dry Stout, Moylan's Brewing, stephen moylan, Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.9/5

Dragoons by Moylan’s Brewing is a 5% ABV Irish Dry Stout.

Label:
Dry, roasty and incredibly rich in flavor, Dragoon’s Dry Irish Stout is made with a unique blend of imported hops and malted barley from the United Kingdom. This award winning stout is brewed in the Irish tradition to commemorate General Stephen Moylan,Irish-born commander of the 4th Continental Dragoons during the American Revolutionary War.
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Been meaning to try this for a while. They had this one at Congregation ale house on tap and as a beer float. It was pretty good from what I remember. I found a bottle and wanted to give it a review. This stout won a 3 gold medals in 2007 at the American Beer Festival, Cal State Fair and the World Beer Champ of the same year. This isn’t the typical “Guinness” type of dry stout for sure. Although Guiness is decent in its own ways.

Aromas are like it came out of nitro brewed process. Strong Milk and dark chocolate fragrance, roasted coffee notes, caramel, pecans, hints of vanilla cream, earthy hops, hints of molasses and toffee

Flavors are of coffee, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla cream notes, hints of molasses, light earthy hop bitterness, tobacco notes, roasted barley, toffee, nuts and hints of brown sugar

Definitely dry finish in the aftertaste not leaving much but slight hints of the milk chocolate and coffee notes.

The flavors that come out as the beer goes along is what makes this one good. Without the extra flavors it would probably be average at best. Thankfully that is not the case. I think If I find it on tap and I want to drink light but still nice and flavorful while still not being too overwhelming to the palate, I would get this one again.

Black & Blue by Dogfish Head

July 25, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged belgian golden ale, Black & Blue, Black and Blue, black berries, blue berries, breakfast, Chun-li, DFH, Dogfish Head, dogfish head craft brewery, Fruit Beer, fruit beers, Golden Ale, Street Fighter, sweet biscuit, wine grapes, yeast strain | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

Black & Blue by Dogfish Head is a 10% ABV Belgian Golden Ale brewed with Black raspberry and Blueberry puree.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (ratebeer.com)
Black & Blue is golden Belgian Ale made with over 300 lbs of fresh blackberries and blueberries. With a deep purple full body and a long-lasting lacy pink head, this ale is both attractive and delicious! It is tart and fruity, like our brewers! The subtle bitterness of Hallertau and Saaz hops shines through the fruit forward flavor and sets the palate aglow. (30 IBUs). This tasty brew has smooth but noticeable alcohol warmth. Belgian yeast gives this brew a characteristically dry spicy finish. The beautiful interplay of fruit, spice, and alcohol is complimented by a soft malt profile, and a high level of carbonation.
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Aromas are of grapes, biscuit bread, raspberries, blueberries, wheat, cherries, citrus, peach, apples, coriander spice and strawberry jam.

The flavors are of lots of tart black and blueberries, wine grapes, apple, apricots, biscuit bread, wheat, apples, citrus, coriander spice, bananas on toast with strawberry jam, and clove notes.

Pretty sweet, fruity and tart beer. Hard to sense the alcohol. It is one of those beers that hides the alcohol very well. The beer almost feels sorta like a wine in the after taste but leaves a good amount of very nice residual banana and fruit on bread.

Overall, for people that like wine or fruit beers, this is very nice. What makes it that more delicious is the Belgian yeast strain which gives it that nice clovey, banana bread like flavors through out the beer.

Certainly this does very good in comparison to other fruit beers. Except for maybe their Forte beer and the awesome Montegiocco Draco which is brewed with lots of Blueberries and makes is actually taste like a blueberry muffin. Anyways, that is another beer in a past review. Still, this beer does very well for itself. It is one of those beers that I would go with if I am in the mood for a fruit beer. Unless its chocolate and fruit, then that would be something else altogether

Black Butte XXV (25th Anniversary Reserve) by Deschutes Brewery

July 22, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged American Porter, bakers chocolate, Black Butte, Black Butte XXV, black currants, blue berries, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, chocolate aroma, chocolate mocha coffee, cocoa nibs, coconut fruit, currants, Dates, Deschutes Black Butte XXV, Deschutes Brewery, Deschutes Brewing, Dubbel, Figs, Imperial Porter, Legend of Zelda, LOZ, Midna, Porter, Quad, Twilight Princess | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.45/5

Black Butte XXV (25th Anniversary Reserve) by Deschutes Brewery is an 11.3% ABV Imperial Porter brewed with dates, figs and cocoa nibs with 50% aged in bourbon barrels and 12.5% with black currants added.

Label:
Dates, figs and chocolate. Black currants, barrel-aged in bourbon casks. The result is an Imperial Porter with a tart berry and chocolate aroma with luscious layers of dried fruit, oak and vanilla. A fitting tribute to the 25th Anniversary of our flagship beer
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I did a review of this beer last year (https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/black-butte-xxiv-by-dechutes/ )

However, this year they mixed it up a bit by adding dates, currants, figs and cocoa nibs making this one a very special beer. Probably close to a Dubbel/Porter Hybrid

Aromas are of bananas, chocolate, raisins cherries, black berries, blue berries, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, bourbon, oak, vanilla, toasted coconut, fruit cake, mocha, currants, bit of wine grapes and sweetened condensed milk. Smells like the ultimate chocolate fruit dessert. Awesome.

The flavors are of milk, dark and bakers chocolate, mocha, coffee, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel notes, oak, bourbon, currants, cherries, blackberries, blue berries, raspberries, dates, figs, toffee, banana notes, tart wine grape notes, coconut, lots of bread quad and dubbel notes and chocolate port wine fruit cake.

The after taste is pretty sweet leaving with a nice roasted coffee bitterness followed by lots of berries, vanilla and caramel to help it along. It finishes a little dry but that is the best part too. Due to this beer’s complexity and dryness, it just makes you want to sip more. Careful though, that is how it it teases you. You see, once you start, you may like and sip after sip you won’t realize that you finished the entire bottle.

This beer taste a lot like the Brewdog/ Stone Collaboration Bashah in Raspberries and Highland Whiskey Barrels. Lots of fruit, a great amount of chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, bananas and more. I never tried the XXI version of this beer but if that one is a lot like Chocolate Rain, awesome, but this beer is phenomenal in the chocolate berry department. It really did turn out similar to a Dubbel/ Porter hybrid. I would say the difference between this beer and my last review of the Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout, is that the other one has more pecans and caramel chocolate where this one is more berries and chocolate. Quite the different spectrum here. But the hybrid is similar. Some type of Belgian Stout or Porter aged in Bourbon barrels. Close enough to some of the best beers I have reviewed on the blog which have exceeded my limits.

Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout collaboration

July 21, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged arrogant bastard, Asuka, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Asuka Shikinami Soryu, beer collaboration, beer geeks, Beer Hybrid, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Stout, bourbon barrels, caramel pecan pie, chocolate pecan pie, collaboration, Collaboration Beer, Collaboration beers, Drew Curtis, Evangelion, Fark.com, Geek Beer, Greg Koch, Hop Heads, Imperial Stout, Mari, Mari Illustrious Makinami, Neon Genesis Evangelion, pecan pie, quadruple, Rei, Rei Ayanami, rye bread, rye toast, sci fi, star trek the next generation, Stone, Stone Brewing, stone brewing co, Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout, Toasted Coconut, toasted pecans, toasted rye bread, wheat, Wil Wheaton | 1 Comment

Rating: 5.6/5

Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout collaboration is a 13% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with rye, pecans, wheat, hops, awesome (beer + sci-fi)*geek ideologies with a 1/4 of it aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
Wil Wheaton first called us in 2004 ask if it’d be OK for him to put the Arrogant Bastard logo on his blog’s website (back when people still asked permission to do such things), and I just so happened to answer the phone (back when I still answered the main line sometimes). Since he was so damn enthusiastic about our beers, I said ‘Sure, no problem,’ all the while thinking ‘Hmmm…this guy’s name sounds familiar.’

Months later, in a serendipitous turn of fate, I reached out to our 10,000th email newsletter subscriber…drumroll…Wil Wheaton. Since his gigs in the iconic Stand By Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wil has become quite the renaissance man, adding author, w00tstock innovator, and homebrewer to his resume. His enthusiasm for the fermentable arts and our beer was such that after many occasions of sharing grog over the years, we decided it was time to brew in collaboration.

It was a no-brainer for us to choose Drew Curtis—who many know as the twisted mind behind Fark.com—as our third cohort. Drew was an old friend of Wil’s that I had serendipitously met (when he saw me and told me, ‘Dude, I love your beer) and enjoyed many beers with at the famous TED conference three years in a row. The beer you hold before you is an imperial stout made with wheat (Wil pretty much insisted), and we also paid tribute to Drew’s Kentucky roots by adding rye and pecans to the mix and partially aging the beer in bourbon barrels. The result? Nothing short of serendipitous.”

Greg Koch @stonegreg CEO & Co-founder, Stone Brewing Co. & Beer Seek

“Being a geek isn’t about what you love; it’s about how you love it. I’m a sci-fi geek, a disruptive technology geek, and a tabletop game geek. I’ve been lucky to do lots of work in those fields, but this is the first time I got to be a professional beer geek, and it was awesome.”

Wil Wheaton | @wilw Actor, Homebrewer & Professional Seek

“Beer tastes like my website…all over the map, but I’ve never met a beer I didn’t like.”

Drew Curtis | @drewcurtis Founder, Fark.com & News Geek
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Phew!! (@_@;)

That was a lot of writing for a label of a beer that mixes a couple of geek hobbies and ideologies into one. Kinda like my blog

Aromas are of vanilla, mild Black Tuesday-ish aromas of milk and dark chocolate, pecan pie, caramel, bourbon, oak, hazelnuts, coconut, raisins, plums, rye bread, mild banana wheat, licorice, molasses and brown sugar

The Flavors are of milk and dark chocolate, mocha, dulce de leche caramel on pecan pie with rye pie crust, toffee, coffee notes, bourbon notes, vanilla, coconut, raisin bread pudding with pecans, almonds and hazelnuts, plums, dark cherries, bananas, slight wine grapes, earthy hops, mint, licorice, molasses, coriander, citrus, and butterscotch spread on wheat toast.

The beer is mildly boozy but the nice chocolate, vanilla rye and wheat make up for it. It is also sweet but not to overly sweet. Thanks to the hops to keep everything together.

Lot’s off dessert elements going on here. This beer reminds me of like a Quadruple and Imperial Stout fusion aged in bourbon barrels but just enough to give it some added character and not detract flavors which ofcourse this beers already has a good amount of . Damn, they got it fucking right. Really fucking right. It seems to work. Stuff is balanced out and the beer is great. Beer geeks will love this one and well hopefully non-beer geeks too. Now I see why they made it so people go out and get all 3. It’s not just the labels, but the beer is that good as well.

Here are the links to the pics I took with the third label:
https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1000730_10101293641828370_142432273_n.jpg?w=960

https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/1070039_10101293641813400_1414027021_n.jpg?w=960

Or check out the Gallery

This is the third label original art:
http://socialpint.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Stone-w00stout_ComicLabel-WEB1.jpg

Bier De Chocolat by Almanac Beer Company

July 21, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Almanac Brewing, American Porter, Bier De Chocolat, Chocolate, chocolate mocha coffee, cocoa nibs, Farm to Bottle, Porter, vanilla | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.6/5

Bier De Chocolat by Almanac Beer Company is a 5.5%ABV American Porter

Label:
Our Robust Porter is brewed with hand-roasted cocoa nibs from Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco and organic Ivanhoe Hops grown in Clear Lake, California. Rich flavors of roasted malts and chocolate hints of smoke and vanilla makes this beer the perfect pairing for Texas-style smoked brisket, chicken mole and Dandelion’s dark chocolate.
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This is my first take at an Almanac beer, never had one before but from what I can see of their labeling, they take pride in Farm raising beer ingredients and making beer. Good stuff and fresher than what others may provide.

Aromas of this beer are of lots Dark and milk Chocolate, mocha, coffee notes, vanilla cream, earthy hops, caramel and molasses.

The flavors are of rich dark and milk chocolate, earthy hop bitterness, mocha, coffee, vanilla notes, caramel, brownie batter and a slight bit of smoke.

The after taste is a little bitter but the vanilla and chocolate carry this one along very nicely. Could your more chocolate, but that’s just me being picky as I love chocolate beers that are more closer to chocolate than anything.

This one does a great job of giving enough chocolate but not being overly sweet and detracting from the already good flavors of roasted coffee and earthy hops. Definitely a nice pick up for chocolate porter lovers.

Pivo Hoppy Pils by Firestone Walker

July 21, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged american lager, citrus lemon, dry hopped, Firestone Walker, FW, German Pilsner, herbal notes, pils, Pilsner, pilsners, Pivo Hoppy Pils, Pivo Pils, premium pils, Saphir | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

Pivo Hoppy Pils by Firestone Walker is a 5.3% ABV German Pilsner dry hopped in Saphir

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (ratebeer.com)
Everything we love about classic German Pilsner with a hoppy Bohemian twist. Pils is a bright straw colored lager beer with playful carbonation topped with beautiful white foam lace. Delicate lightly toasted malt flavors underscore noble German hop character. Hallertau-grown Magnum hops deliver the lupulin foundation while generous amounts of Spalter Select hops bring floral aromatic and spicy herbal notes. As a twist on the traditional Pils, we dry hop with German Saphir for a touch of bergamot zest and lemongrass. A refreshing, light-bodied and hop-driven Pils.
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Some pilsners can actually be really good. Especially when made right and with good quality ingredients. One of my favorite Pilsners was the Staropramen. This intrigues me because it is hopped up to taste like a pale lager. So on with the show.

Aromas are of light grassy and floral hop notes, pilsnery sugary malts, lemongrass, biscuit bread and peppercorns.

The flavors are of refreshing grassy hops, citrus, lemon peel, peppercorns, biscuit bread, floral hops, herbs and spicy notes

This is what lagers and pilsners should be like. Very clean all the way through with very nice crisp and refreshing aftertaste with a nice dry and light lemony feel. Well balanced, nothing too intense but something that is so very relaxing. This beer is very sessionable and a great gateway beer for the non-craft drinkers. Awesome stuff

Kellerweis by Sierra Nevada

July 21, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Bavarian Style, citrus lemon, Hefeweizen, intensive technique, Kellerweis, Leina Vance, Queen's Blade, Sierra Nevada, sweet biscuit | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.6/5

Kellerweis by Sierra Nevada is a 4.8% ABV Hefeweizen

Label:
Kellerweis is one of the few American Hefeweizens made using the traditional Bavarian style of open fermentation. This difficult and labor-intensive technique adds uncommon depth and flavor complexity. Our hazy-golden hefeweizen is deeply flavorful, refreshing and perfect for a sunny day. To serve, pour two-thirds into a glass, swirl and pour the rest.
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Long ago, they used to have it as a common beer near where I live until they decided to change things. I have seen this one in many other places and it is quite common. So I finally got around to getting this one to do a review.

Aromas are very nice. You get the really nice banana, clove spice and sweet biscuit bread you get with the Bavarian style, wheat, honey, coriander, orange, lemons, phenols and slight peppery notes

The flavors are of banana, clove spice, phenols, caramel, biscuit and doughy bread, floral hops, peppercorns, coriander, citrus, lemon and slight toffee notes.

The aftertaste is sweet and hop like bitter. This is pretty damn close to the good German heffs as they get. The best part, is that this is a common. So if you are a fan of heffs, especially German ones, definitely grab a six pack this is. Good stuff for sure.

Obsidian Stout by Deschutes Brewery

July 21, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged American Stout, best beers in the world, currants, Deschutes Brewing, flavors, milk Chocolate, Obsidian Stout, rye bread, vanilla cream, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Obsidian Stout by Deschutes Brewery is a 6.4% World Class American Stout

Label:
Deep, robust and richly rewarding, this is beer to linger over. Obsidian has distinct notes of espresso, chocolate, roasted malt and black barley, with just enough hop bite to cut the sweetness.
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Considered the second best regular American Stout in the World by Beer Advocate. A common beer at that, I wanted to see what makes this one good.

Aromas are of dark and milk chocolate, roasted coffee, vanilla, caramel hints, licorice, molasses, hazelnut, tobacco hints and a bit of smoke.

The flavors are of dark and milk chocolate, roasted coffee, vanilla cream, rye bread, brownies, caramel notes, tobacco, licorice, smoked ham, earthy hops, currants and espresso notes.

The beer almost feels like a dry Irish stout except for the fact that the flavors stay lingering so technically not dry at all. Only an illusion of the palette. Lots of coffee bitterness in the aftertaste.

Maybe because I am a fan of Russian, Belgian and American Imperial Stouts that I cannot see this one in the heights of the awesome imperial stouts. But in the height of just basic American stout, trust me, Guinness bows before this one’s might! The different amount of flavors is enough to distinguish it as one of the best. As you let it sit, the bitterness does seem to dissipate giving way to nice chocolate and caramel flavors. I think the key as to why this beer is good is because of the developing flavors that change with every sip. Kinda like, Abyss?…well… not that far, but it’s a start.

HopWorks IPA by Hopworks Urban Brewery

July 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged food, Hellsing, hop, Hops, Hopworks, Hopworks Urban Brewery, india pale ale, IPA, Munich, munich malts, organic india pale ale, organic IPA, passion fruit, Seras Victoria, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.95/5

HopWorks IPA by Hopworks Urban Brewery is a 6.6% ABV Organic India Pale Ale

Label:
Ride your Bike!
Our namesake IPA is a Northwest classic. Generous additions of organic Ahtanum, Centennial, Palisade and Cascade hops find their way into the kettle, hop-back and dry-hop. This judicious use of the “brewer’s spice” creates rich and resinous flavors of citrus fruit and pine. The finest organic 2 row, Munich and Caramel malts then bring balance to your new favorite beer.
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Wow, aromas are incredible. Lots of grapefruit, caramel, piney, herbal and grassy hops along with orange, toffee, biscuit bread, honey and some tangerines.

The flavors are awesome, lots of grapefruit, piney, herbal and grassy hops along with biscuit, honey, dulce de leche caramel notes? (It somehow seems to workout, go figure), tangerines kiwi and passion fruit.

The aftertaste is kinda bittersweet. It is balanced through and through. It is incredible easy to drink as well and refreshing.

It is an interesting IPA. I have had many IPAs in the past some ranging from more hoppy bitter, to tropical and herbal, but this one is adds a kick by adding the organic munich malts. It gives it a nice caramel sweetness that works well with the IPA hop goodness. I would like to think amber but no, this is not an amber. There is more hops here. Besides, I really think that people that do not necessarily like IPAs should give this a go. There is enough IPA bitterness to keep it going but the sweetness makes it interesting. My favorite IPAs are usually the more tropical ones, but this seems to work so very well! I could find myself drinking a lot, just as good as some of the best I have reviewed here

Dulcis Succubus by Le Trou Du Diable

July 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Aensland, apricot wine, Canada Beers, canadian beers, Darkstalkers, Dulcis Succubus, Farmhouse Ale, french oak barrels, French Wine, Le Trou Du Diable, Lilith, Lilith Aensland, Morrigan, Morrigan Aensland, pepper corn, Saison, Saisons, Vampire Savior, Wild ale, Wine, wine and cheese party, Wine Barrels, wine connoisseur, wine grapes, Wine yeast | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Dulcis Succubus by Le Trou Du Diable of Canada is a 7% ABV Saison/Wild Farmhouse Ale aged in Wine Barrels

Label:
The beer is fermented with wild yeast and aged for six months in French oak barrels that previously held botrytized California white wine, creating a complex aroma of honey, vanilla, apricot and leather. The abundant flavor is bittersweet with notes of peach and American hops. Carpe fermentum!
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Translated as Sweet Succubus by The Devil’s Hole Brewing is a beer that was not easy to find. Had to place myself on a waiting list. I guess people do seek this one. Right now, Klwines.com has this one for a hefty price, however, if you love sours and saisons or even wine, this might be up your alley. Carpe fermentum!? = Seize the beer

Aromas of funky funky bready yeast with wine and grape must fragrances came out of the bottle. Other notes I gathered were of vanilla, peach, oak, good fancy cheese, earthy and floral hops, pepper corn, honey, apple, pineapple and cider.

The flavors a lot like that of the Jolly Pumpkin but mainly like the Saisons from Fantome in Belgium. Flavors are of Honey, biscuits, lemon peel, white wine, vanilla oak, peach, apricot, wine grapes, dessert wine, floral and earthy hops, spices like coriander, peppercorns, lemons, leather, apples, biscuit bread and some nice fancy cheese.

Leaves like a nice fancy cheese aftertaste. Not bad at all. We are dealing with “living” brettanomyces in the beer afterall. Love these living ales. The sourness does not come in as strong. There is a good amount of funkyness and some sourness to make it appealing but also giving way to sweeter flavor with some hop bitterness. Overall it is really funky and reminiscent of those great saisons from Stillwater and Fantome. Hell even some of the Stone aged beers might be similar. Awesome stuff. I would think that this would fit the bill as a during dinner or after dinner type of beer. Wine aged beers seem that way

All these fancy wine aged beers have something in comparison. They give off this funky cheese notes, even if minor. This is very good stuff though. Here is how I would compare this beer to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etm-qfx3Gok

Before I forget, the label was an awesome design made by aditya777 (http://aditya777.deviantart.com/art/Succubus-156780762 )

Cheers 😀

Imperial Loakal Red by the Bruery

July 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged barley wine, Barleywine, Bruery, food, hop bitterness, imperial amber, Imperial Amber Ale, Imperial Loakal Red, imperial red, loakal Red, my bloody valentine, Naruto, Oak Aged Red, scotch whiskey, Tayuya, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/5

Imperial Loakal Red by the Bruery is a 12%ABV Imperial Amber/Red Ale hybrid made with 75% Red Ale and 25% Red Ale aged in oak Barrels

Label:
We took our hoppy American red ale, delightfully citrusy and full of flavor from new American Oak – and made it bigger, bolder and more exceptional. Imperial Loakal Red is best enjoyed fresh. Please store in a cool, dry place. The ideal serving temperature is 50 deg Fahrenheit (7 deg Celsius). Best served in a tulip or wine glass.
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When I first had the chance to try their Loakal Red, I was very impressed. The beer was along the lines of Troeggs Nugget Nectar and My Bloody Valentine. I was recommended to actually try the Imperial version of it. After opening the bottle the aromas were very rich. Hype aside, I would consider this to an even higher amber status than Nugget nectar and the Valentine which are harder to get.

Aromas are of very rich caramel, toffee, oak, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, citrus, grapefruit, grassy and herbal hops, honey, vanilla, coffee notes, french toast, brown sugar, cherries, mango, maple syrup, scotch, apricots, dragon fruit, coconut and pecan pie.

The flavors are close to a Barleywine, its crazy. You get lots of rich caramel flavors, vanilla, toffee, oak, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecan pie, french toast covered in maple syrup, brown sugar, citrus, grapefruit, grassy, herbal and floral hops, honey, cherries, mango, peaches, pineapple, scotch whiskey notes, slight coconut and tangerines.

The alcohol is present but the beer hides it well. You don’t feel it until alittle bit later. Quite the flavorful rich beer. The after taste keeps lingering with sweet caramel and hop bitterness. It is very pleasant. Will definitely need to get this again. This has become my new favorite amber ale. It is not often I get to try ambers but this one fits the bill perfectly as to what awesome ambers should be.

Belgian-Style Apple Ale by Hopworks Urban Brewery

July 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged belgian golden ale, Belgian-Style Apple Ale, gala apples, Hopworks, Hopworks Urban Brewery, organic apple juice, Organic Applejuice, Organic Apples, Organic Beer, tart flavors, wheat malt | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.9/5

Belgian-Style Apple Ale by Hopworks Urban Brewery is a 5.8%ABV Belgian Golden Ale brewed with Organic Apple Juice

Label:
Hopworks Organic Apple Ale is the marriage of a traditional Belgian Golden Ale with juice from Organic Washington and Oregon apples. Delicate floral aromas layer over tart flavors of freshly picked Honeycrisp and Gala apples. A subtle wheat malt body gives way to a refreshing, effervescent finish. Crisp and delicious as a Fall day in the orchard.
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Aromas are of apples, peppercorns, floral an bready hops, flowers like that of saisons, hibiscus, biscuit,

Flavors are of apples, peppercorns, biscuit bread, honey, pilsnery malts, spicy cloves, flowers, tangy and funky fruit notes almost like a citrus and apricots.

This beer finishes dry leaving a nice refreshing bitterness with some apple and apricot notes.

For a light, refreshing and crisp Belgian ale, this one goes a long way. For me, I like more apple and Belgian over powering beers like Ephemere or even non beers like the Crispin’s the Saint. Technically the latter is not beer but aside from that, I enjoyed this one. I feel as if I can drink several of these and still feel some great apple and Belgian notes. This is better than the Shocktop Apple Crisp even though that one was the best of their line of beers I have tried. However, this cannot be compared as it is way better than that.

Galactic Imperial Red by Hopworks Urban Brewery

July 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Amber Ale, Amou Kanade, caramel malt, food, Galactic Imperial Red, Galaga, hop character, Hopworks, Hopworks Urban Brewery, HUB, Imperial Amber Ale, imperial red, Imperial Red Ale, malt flavors, Senki Zesshou Symphogear | 2 Comments

Rating: 3.8/5

Galactic Imperial Red by Hopworks Urban Brewery is a 9.5%ABV Imperial Amber/Red Ale coming in at 100+ IBU

Label:
Hopworks Galactic Imperial Red; One small sip for man, one giant bottle for mankind. Robust caramel malt flavors battle NW Centennial, Cascade, Magnum and Nugget hops for interstellar supremacy. Throw down your quarters before it’s game over.
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Galaga fans will remember the similarities of this bottle’s beer label. This beer is an organic made beer using organic ingredients.

Aromas of this beer are of piney and grassy hops, citrus, rich caramel, toffee and biscuits.

Flavors are of Caramel, citrus, slight grapefruit, grassy and piney hops, toffee, biscuit bread, maple, slight peppercorn, earthy and metallic hop notes, oranges and herbal bitterness

The alcohol is somewhat noticeable in this one. I think it gets better as you drink more of it but in the beginning it wasn’t overly impressive. I think the hop character over powers the rest of the beer but some may find this appealing. I like more tropical hop characters but these are more herbal to explain what I mean. The balance is somewhat impartial. You get more hop than malt but that is not too bad at at all. While overall this is still a very good beer, there are other ambers that do more wonders. Still worth the try for sure if you love ambers.

Firestone Walker’s Reserve Porter

July 9, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged American Porter, barley flakes, brown sugar pecans, celty sturluson, chocolate coffee, chocolate mocha, coffee roast, Firestone Walker, Firestone Walker's Reserve, Firestone Walker's Reserve Porter, FW, Porter, robust flavors, World class | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Firestone Walker’s Reserve Porter is a 5.8% ABV American Porter

Label:
A singularly distinctive beer that represents our finest brewing efforts, Walker’s Reserve is a elegant dark ale featuring robust flavors of toffee, caramel and bittersweet chocolate. This brew employs five specialty malts, as well as oat and barley flakes, for added complexity and flavor.
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I was in the store yesterday and I figured, why not. I have tried many other FW beers so at least I can have a good profile on this site to suggest to the masses. There are many reviews about this one. Some range it from world class to very good or even great and exceptional. Parabola was off the charts for me, so why not this one right?

Aromas are of mocha, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, coffee, molasses, earthy notes, lightly roasted pecan scent and almost like maple, vanilla, caramel and brown sugar. So far so good

The flavors are of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, mocha, rich expensive coffee roast, caramel, vanilla, Irish cream, a touch of earthy hops and smokiness, slight tobacco, molasses, chocolate brownies, brown sugar, pecans, hazelnuts, hint of mint,a bit of raisins and oak notes.

The beer leaves a mild coffee bitterness with nice notes of the vanilla and chocolate. 5.8% is not a lot of ABV, but this ones does very well. A fine example of what great porters should be. This is not an average porter by no means, this is very delicious stuff. FW knows their stuff.

Michigan Hatter by New Holland Brewing

July 9, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged india pale ale, IPA, Mad Hatter Series, malty taste, Michigan Hatter, Michigan IPA, new holland, New Holland Brewing, Session beer, tropical fruits | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

Michigan Hatter by New Holland Brewing is a 4.8% ABV Michigan India Pale Ale

Label:
Michigan Hatter celebrates our local agriculture with its Michigan-grown Cascade hops from the Leelanau Penninsula. Bright and aromatic, with delicious malt notes underneath a citrusy showcase of hops. Pairings: sharp cheddars, herb-roasted poultry and curry.
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New Holland has many beers in the Midwest. This is the first time I try a beer in their “Mad Hatter” series. Yes, the label had a good role and me wanting to pick up this beer. That and I heard good things about this series. I am familiar with New Holland as they make the awesome Dragon’s Milk Stout. A very awesome aged stout at that. Well on to the review.

Aromas of this beer are of grapefruit, citrus, floral and piney hops. Some tropical fruits like mango and pineapple can be sense as well as caramel honey and biscuit from the malts.

The flavors are slightly malt driven with lots of grassy, herbal, floral and piney hop presence. You get a good amount of grapefruit, orange peel, citrus, herbs, caramel, honey, rye, biscuit, hints of mango and pineapple.

The aftertaste leaves nice and dry with minor bitterness and sweetness. This goes down well. It is crisp and refreshing and very well for the summer for sure. A very good session beer. What really hits with this one is that is a nice balance of sweet and bitter. The tropics are hinted while the hops are present and the malty taste events it out. If you like session beers and one that is awesome, this one is awesome for sure. Very nice flavors at a low ABV

SeVIIn Anniversary Ale by Surly Brewing

July 7, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 7th anniversary, anniversary ale, belgian beers, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Ale, rye toast, seviin, surly, surly 7, Surly Brewing, toasted rye bread, Trappist, trappist beers, Trappist monks, Witchblade | 3 Comments

Rating: 5/5

SeVIIn Anniversary Ale by Surly Brewing is a 12.5%ABV Belgian Strong Ale brewed with Rye, Oats and Wheat.

Label:
Get Surly
Seven years! It seems not that long ago that I was delivering beer and Todd Haug was splitting a 30-barrel batch between kegs and cans. Now we’re planning a new brewery that will brew more beer in a week than we sold in our first year.
The idea behind our anniversary line-up of beers was to give Todd, Surly’s head brewer free rein to use whatever ingredients and methods he wanted to brew the beer. This year’s bottle artwork is a one-of-a-kind illustration collaboration between Todd and local artist Brent Schoonover. Here’s to Seven, and many more.
-Omar Ansari

Continuing our quest to despoil and desecrate conventional beer styles, we’re raiding Trappist traditions to produce this Belgian Style Ale brewed with Rye, Oats and Wheat. Our first beer EVER brewed with Wheat! Belgian yeast creates classic clove-spiced banana aroma and flavor. Dry hopping brings floral and citrus aromatics to the biscuity-smooth malt body.
-Todd Haug
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So another year comes and this time Surly is trying to make mends by releasing their anniversary ale in the way of the Trappist monks. Ofcourse, Surly being Surly, always has a scheme. Though, Trappist ye may be, your colors and Soul can clearly be seen as tainted.

Aromas of this beer are like a Belgian Pale Ale but with Rye. Sweet bread, caramel, toffee, herbal hops, citrus oranges, candi sugar, wheat, rye, funky notes, peppercorns, honey, apples, floral notes and slight oakyness.

The flavors are of caramel, wheat, rye bread, honey, Oatmeal, candi sugar, dulce de leche caramel, orange, raisins, plums, bananas, apples, clove spice, peppercorns, herbal and floral hop notes, dried apricot marmalade on biscuit bread, pears and a small bit of wine grape notes.

The alcohol can be noticeable but just a bit. It is not strong in the sense that it affects the flavors of the beer but only adds along the way to remind you, hey, this is a 12.5% ABV. The crazy part is that it still felt pretty drinkable to me. That is where you could fall into danger. Take this only in moderation and share with others. While it is a great and deliciously sweet, bitter and only tad funky, it will creep up fast and take over. You are dealing with sinister powers here. Their previous anniversary ales proved it. The conspiracy of the Trappist styles is hidden within the flavors of each sip. Is this an Evil beer? Well, you be the judge.

La Trappe Bockbier by Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven

July 7, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Style, Belgian Trappists, Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven, bitter aftertaste, Bock, dark fruits, German Bock, goat association, Gurren Lagan, Holland, La Trappe, lenten fasts, Tepen Toppa Gurren Lagan, Trappist, trappist beers, trappist breweries, trappist monasteries, Trappist monks, Yoko, Yoko Littner, Yoko Ritona | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.9/5

La Trappe Bockbier by Bierbrouwerij De Koningshoeven is a 7% ABV Trappist Bock

Label:
La Trappe Bockbier is a unique seasonal product, available from autumn onwards. the only Trappist bock and what is more, one that continues to ferment in the bottle. A beautiful deep red colour with a light, bitter aftertaste.
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It has been a very long time since I reviewed a beer from La Trappe. The last one I reviewed was their quadruple which was amazing. La Trappe being one of the 8 registered Trappist breweries in the world makes simply exquisite beers. According to Beer advocate, this is the best beer in its style. The Bock style was brewed in German Monasteries to pass the lenten fasts but some believe it was brewed during the month of Capricorn and so many Bock styles always have the goat association with it. It was used as a symbol of better times going from winters into the spring.

Aromas are of figs, raisins, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, hazelnuts, chocolate, brown sugar and rye bread.

Holy crap, you the flavors are borderline quad but with rich German malt aspects. Dark fruits like raisins, dates, dulce de leche caramel, rich toffee, banana, clove spice along with rye, pecans, hazelnut nectar, chocolate, raspberries, apricot, cinnamon and brown sugar.

This goes down very well. The mouth feel is rich even for a 7% ABV. Lots of malty sweetness, toffee and caramel in the aftertaste. This bock is very good. I think I liked it because of it s quad like elements. It is made by Trappist so you definitely cannot go wrong with this one. All I have to do now is find a 750ml of this.

Bird on a Wire by Crispin Cider Company

July 7, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged american whiskey, apple wines, Bird on a wire, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, bourbon whiskey, Cider, cider apples, Crispin Bird on a wire, Crispin Cider, Dulce de leche, flan, hard apple cider, Hatsune Miku, Mexican Flan, mexican vanilla, Miku, Rye Whiskey, Whiskey, whiskey barrels, whiskey bourbon, whiskey cask | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5 *Rating based on ciders reviewed and compared so far only

Bird on a Wire by Crispin Cider Company is a 6.9% ABV Blended Hard Cider aged in Bourbon whiskey casks with Tupelo Honey.

Label:
Authentic American alt.country cider. Not forever, just for now.

Dances across the palate, like a band playing and people swayin’. Spend some time, wait a minute. Set it free.
Blended using 4 unique apple-wines aged in both rye and Bourbon American whiskey barrels. Apple-wines fermented with:Irish Stout yeast, Belgian Trappist yeast,Sake yeast and our original Colfax Classic.

The final blend is finished with Tupelo Honey aged in Bourbon barrels and a lingering open-mouthed kiss of fresh-pressed apple juice.
Balanced and very smooth, toasted oaktannins, whiskey notes, with soft rye spice, cask-woody vanilla and cinnamon.

Blended straight from whiskey barrels.Give a solid bottoms-up tilt and swirl to disperse sediment evenly and best enjoy whiskey aromas and unique bouquet.

Enjoyed at cellar temperature, 50/55F.With or without 1 or 2 ice cubes. Age-worthy.
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Regardless of being a Coors subordinate, they make some hell good ciders. So far I have reviewed the ciders fermented in Irish Stout yeast and Trappist yeast, the latter being my favorite. Now I think I have a new favorite with this one.

First aromas that come as soon as you open the bottle is whiskey and rich stuff at that. It is followed by that bourbon vanilla sweetness, caramel, coconut, rye bread, cinnamon, apple, honey, oak, spices and brown sugar.

The flavors are of cider apples, whiskey, bourbon vanilla, oak, slight coconut notes, dulce de leche caramel flan notes, honey, crème brulee, white wine, champagne, brown sugar, cinnamon, french toast with apple butter, rye bread and cinnamon, bear claw doughnut with apples and cinnamon, and apple pie with rich caramel.

No doubt about it, a little at that, but still freaking amazing. Really brings about great Cask/Barrel aged goodness as some of the best bourbon liquors and bourbon aged beers can bring but in cider form. Who knew cider can deliver a good level of craft in its own way. I gotta find more of these bottles. They need to make 22oz. Bottles of this or even make like a 6 pack. This would make for a great cider for people to try for those that are skeptical of trying the Craft Cider side of beverage connoisseurship.

Cuádruple 2011 edition by The Bruery

July 7, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Agave, Agave Nectar Ale, Asuka, Asuka Langley, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Asuka Shikinami Soryu, banana notes, Belgian Abbey Quadrupel, Belgian Quad, breakfast, Bruery, Cuádruple, Evangelion, Mexican Agave, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Quad, Quadrupel, quadruple, Quadruple with Agave, raisin bread pudding, sweet potato pie, Tequila, Tequila Barrel Aged, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Cuádruple 2011 edition by The Bruery is a 10% ABV Provision Series Belgian Quadruple brewed with Agave

Label:
Cuádruple is our spin on the classic Belgian-style quadruple, brewed with a heaping amount of dark agave nectar. It will age gracefully for several years.

Description (beeradvocate):
Cuádruple combines elements of Belgium with elements of Mexico, hence the name, meaning “quadruple” in Spanish. We blended a classic Belgian quad recipe by removing the standard Belgian candi sugars and replacing them with dark agave syrup. The resulting beer is a luxurious tribute to two very different parts of the world.
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Was able to find this bottle at the Bruery tasting room for a decent amount. Interesting for them to sell a beer that has not been seen for several years. Oh well, when the opportunity rises. This beer has been aging for 2 years so I wanted to get a review going. There are not of agave beers out there or Tequila barrel aged beers for this matter. This one is unique since it is one of my favorite styles but made with agave instead. I have had agave juice by itself on several occasions as many of the local Mexican super markets sell the little bags of juice. As a kid, this was my version of Hi-C

Aromas of this beer are of agave juice,lots of candi sugar, dulce de leche caramel on pecan pie, a sweet potato like fragrance, raisin bread pudding, plums, dates, rich figs, toffee, cinnamon, brown sugar and molasses.

The flavors are of definitely of a quadruple with the dulce de caramel, raisins, figs, plums, candi sugars, dates, ripe banana notes and spicy cloves followed by agave juice, dark chocolate, vanilla, dried apricots, sweet potato pie, pecans, walnuts, molasses and Tequila notes.

The flavors stay consistent through and through always bringing out rich quad notes with agave sweetness. After taste stays sweet with apricot bitterness and raisin sweetness. The beer hides the 10% ABV well making it of decent drinkability. An amazing beer with great flavors. Belgian beer lovers will find this one a bit different. The agave nectar really does the job taking the Belgian quad into more of a Mexican approach on delicious flavor.

White Oak by The Bruery

June 24, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Agrias, Agrias Oaks, Belgian Pale Ale, Blaze Blue, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, BPA, Bruery, fft, Final Fantasy Tactics, makoto, makoto nanaya, Mischief, The Bruery, wheat wine, Wheat-Wine Ale, White Chocolate, White Oak, White Oak Sap | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

White Oak by The Bruery is a 11.5% ABV Wheat Wine blend consisting 50% of “Mischief” Belgian Pale Ale and 50% of the “White Oak Sap” Wheat Wine aged in bourbon barrels. This is the base of the awesome “White Chocolate” Ale which I reviewed some time last year.

Label:
Vivid caramel-esque, coconut-like and vanilla-ish flavors blanketed in a crisp yet robust wheat ale. White oak is suitable for aging up to two years when cellared properly. Best stored and cellared around 55 deg F (13 deg Celcius) in a dark place.
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This beer is the original form of the pre-White Chocolate. I first tried it several days ago and I had to grab a bottle to do a review.

Aromas start off with a Belgian bread and Saison notes. Smells like matured citrus fruits, orange, mango, lemons, vanilla, bananas, cloves, caramel, bourbon, oak, biscuit bread, honey, coconut, some minor floral and funky notes.

The flavors consist of vanilla, oak, bourbon, caramel, citrus, notes brettanomyces, banana, matured orange, lemon peel, apricots, mango, toasty coconuts, very subtle pineapple, wine grapes, honey, maple, biscuit bread, waffle cone, clove spice, coriander, herbal and floral hops like the Belgian Pale Ale. The after taste is definitely citrus, bourbon, wine and cheese party. Flavors are kind of all over the place but it surely is a different beer. When Imagine how the Vanilla beans and the Cocoa Nibs were added and barrel aged some more, a minor amount of the base flavors were hidden to give way to a much more sweet white chocolate flavor. Now that, is the best part I remember about the other beer which is the part that really confuses me. How is is that when you add the vanilla and cocoa nibs and age it, it creates something simply extraordinary. Alas, that is the mystery and the glory of the brewing process.

As being the base component of the White Chocolate, I can see why this beer reminds me a lot of the Bourbon and Barrel Aged Stone beers I have had before. Similar to the Red Wine Saison du Buff or the Double Bastard Bourbon Barrel Aged beer. Those beers were really different. More to the wine and cheese party after taste which morphs which gives confusion to the taste buds, but in a very nice way.

White Chocolate Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/white-chocolate-by-the-bruery/

RuinTen a.k.a Ruination Tenth Anniversary (re-release) by Stone Brewing

June 20, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged DIPA, Double Imperial Pale Ale, Double India Pale Ale, food, hop, hop aroma, hop bitterness, hop flavors, Hop Heads, Hop Monster, Hopmaterasu, Hoppy, Hoppy beer, Hops, IIPA, india pale ale, IPA, Ruination tenth, RuinTen, Stone, Stone Brewing, stone brewing co, Stone Ruination, Stone Ruination IPA | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5 *A triumphant fresh return to the golden standard.

RuinTen a.k.a Ruination Tenth Anniversary (re-release) by Stone Brewing is 10.8% ABV 110 IBU World Class Double India Pale Ale

Label:
Back in 2002, we first released out notoriously mega-hopped Double IPA, Stone Ruination PA, and in 2012 we celebrated its 10th anniversary with the release of a very special version that was even bigger and incredibly, even hoppier than the original. If Stone Ruination IPA is “A Liquid Poem to the Glory of the Hop,” then Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA was a “Stage dive into a mosh pit of hops.” Luckily for us, our fans love loud and aggressive brews, specifically when copious amounts of humulus lupulus are involved. The original release of this beer was so instantly beloved by those who dared try it [particularly us] that there was no way we could relegate in one-hit-wonder status. You are holding in your hands a veritable hop monster. We dropped the word “Tenth” but the decidedly indelicate recipe is the same as the one first unleashed in 2012. This belligerently delicious ale has the substantial malt backbone needed to stand up to the whopping five pounds of hops packed into each barrel. If all the hyperbole hasn’t frightened you away by now, we know you’ll love this audacious gem of hoppy splendor just as much as we do. Crank it up!
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The IPA Gold standard is back with a vengeance. One release was not awesome enough. The second is enough to cause havoc with irreparable damage to the palette and I am sure you will love it. AS I remember correctly from last years beer, this not only was so bitter that it lingered, it actually started burning. Maybe not like a chile heat, but like a real hop plant bitter trip to Hell.

Aromas are just like I remember, a lot of hoppy aromas ranging from grassy, pine needles, grapefruit, herbal, dank, hop oil, tropics to the brim like mango, pineapple, papaya, passion fruit, dragon fruit, citrus, lemon peel, oranges, tangerines and peaches. The flavor are in your face bitter with straight burning hop character, pine needles, dank hop oils, grapefruit, lemon grass, herbs and slight floral notes, some nice biscuit and caramel along with the in between tropics of the citrus, tangerine, peach, mango, pineapple, passion fruit, dragon fruit, kiwis, papaya, lychees and some nice peppery notes. The After taste just lingers in Hopmaterasu ([Unquenshable Black Flames]Naruto reference) burning to the untrained palette. However, if you are willing to continue drinking, on top of those green hellish flames will lie some nice tropical residue to keep you from fading into the oblivion (Leave that part to the alcohol ). Very nice thing those hops do , ain’t that sweet of them. This beer is awesome. It is so awesome that I think it makes it the prime reason why they may only be able to release it one more time. Maybe even release it every year if not. I think that if they were to release it as a yearly, it may or may not detract from the original Ruination. However, it if they did do that, it would be nice to have a variety or Ruination to choose from. You know, Hard mode versus Expert mode sort of thing. Get this beer while you still can. Stop Reading this and go buy this beer before it is gone. As for the Brewery–exclusive-Camp-out-all-night-Black-Friday-style-for-only-enjoy-3-pints-Pliny-the-Younger…. eat it!!!!!!

Still need more convincing about the greatness of this beer? Read my past review

2012 Original Review:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/26/stone-ruination-tenth-anniversary-ipa/

Drakonic Imperial Stout by Drake’s Brewing

June 19, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Akira Kazama, bakers chocolate, Capcom, Chocolate Stout, Drake’s Brewing, Drakonic Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout, pcom, Rival schools | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Drakonic Imperial Stout by Drake’s Brewing is a 8.75% ABV, 40 IBUs, Imperial Stout

Label:
You are holding a Drake’s Drakonic Imperial Stout, A big, malty beast of a beer that exemplifies the way we roll here at Drake’s. Two-row malt is blended with Chocolate malt, roasted barley, and dark Crystal malts to make up the grist. Only one hop addition, Columbus, is added for bittering, allowing the abundance of malt in this beer to shine through. Enjoy the dense brownish head, the silky maltiness, and flavors of licorice, coffee and chocolate, rounded out with a slightly dry finish. here’s to those who don’t fear the mighty!
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Aromas of this beer are of milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, coffee, rich caramel, roasty malts, minor earthy hops, vanilla, a minor rum character and whipped cream. The flavors are of milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, vanilla cream, earthy hops, hazelnut and licorice. Another very good example of a stout. Not too smokey or bitter with nice coffee and chocolate with caramel aftertaste that stays with you for a bit. I definitely like the more sweeter caramel and chocolate aspect of this beer. Reminds me of some of the best beers that I have had so far. Not to the level of awesome complexity but still bring some very good stuff home.

Lagunitas IPA

June 17, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Armor of Cruelty, hop bitterness, india pale ale, IPA, Lady Kayura, Lagunitas, Lagunitas IPA, passion fruits, Ronin Warriors, sweet caramel, tropical IPA, west coast style | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Lagunitas IPA is a 6.2% ABV India Pale Ale

Label:
This is our unique version of an ancient style. A style as old as the ocean trade routes of the last centuries Great Ships. Not as old as the equator they had to cross twice enroute, nor as old as the 10,000 or so miles of Di-Hydrogen Oxide and Sodium upon which they sailed, but older than the Circulithium-4 Lentloid that binds the Lupulin Quartnate onto your taste buds. Weird. Think about it. Now stop. OK, go again, now stop. Think again, and stop. But we digress. Made with 43 different hops and 65 various malts, this redolent ale will likely float your boat, whatever planet you’re on.
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I have had this beer many many MANY times. To think I never sat down and just did a review of this. It is crazy. Really crazy to no do one of such a great beer.

Aromas of nice grapefruit hops, citrus, pine, some decent amount of tropics like mango, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, apricot, some caramel, biscuit bread, honey and floral hoppy notes.

The flavors are of grassy, herbal and grapefruit hops along with nice tropics of lemon and orange peel, apricots, pineapple notes,mango, sweet caramel, honey, biscuit, passion fruits, papaya, pine needles and nice spicy breadiness. The after taste leaves with a nice refreshing bitterness and really nice tropical taste.

I’ve had my fair share with this one and you really can’t go wrong here. It is a great tasting IPA with not a lot of overpowering bitterness and is a great example that shows that even if you don’t go with a double IPAs, even the regular one like this will still enough pleasing tropical goodness. IF you like tropics over overpowering hop bitterness. It has enough hoppy bitterness to make this really good as a great example of the West Coast Style. There are only a handful of really outstanding IPAs and this is no exception. The good thing about this one is that it is more common than some other IPAs. So even if there is no other alternative, this one sure fits the bill of Great IPA.

Polycot by Hangar 24

June 11, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Apricot beer, Ciel, Fruit Beer, Hangar 24, Local Fields Series, Pale Wheat Ale, Polycot, tart fruits, wheat ale, wheat beer, Wheat-Wine Ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Polycot by Hangar 24 is 7.2% ABV Local Fields Series Wheat-Wine Ale brewed with Apricots.

Label:
Apricots are the first fresh fruit of summer which makes Polycot the perfect way to welcome the season. This wheat ale is brewed with hundreds of pounds of organic apricots grown in Southern California’s high desert. The mellow wheat balances perfectly with the natural apricot flavors and aromas to create a fresh, pleasantly tart summertime treat.
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Summertime is here and this beer is one that I have been meaning to try since I first started trying the different Local Fields Series Ales. This is actually the last one of the series so far. It starts again with Essense.

Aromas are of citrus, oranges, peaches, apricots, lemon, grassy notes, pears, slight peppercorn honey fragrances, biscuit bread and coriander.

Flavors are directly of honey, peaches, apricot and oranges followed by biscuit bread, coriander, lemon peel, pears, tangy and tart fruits with like a minor grape sourness but not funky sour just tart. The beer finishes dry so it make you want to sip more. A decent beer none the less and worth the try for the summer. The other good thing about it is that it is crisp and refreshing too. Not the best in the series but still a good beer. Especially one made with apricots.

The other day I got some ideas for mixing beers to make like black and tan styles. One that they serve in the local brewery near my house is called “Chocolate covered Cherries” which includes a chocolate stout and a cherry wheat beer. This would be nice to make something similar. Peaches or Apricots in Chocolate. Just a thought 😀

Knuckle Sandwich by Bootleggers

June 10, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged banana notes, beer pairings, best beers in the world, Bootlegger's, Bootlegger’s Brewery, DBZ, Double Imperial Pale Ale, Double IPA, Dragonball Z, Echidna, Goku, honey dew melon, honey flavor, IIPA, Imperial IPA, india pale ale, IPA, Knuckle Sandwich, Knuckles, Koriand'r, pineapple mango, Ranma, Ruby, Ruby The Echidna, Sonic The Hedgehog, Star Fire, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Knuckle Sandwich by Bootleggers is a 10%ABV World Class Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Label:
This is a beer that truly lives up to its name! Brewed with copious amounts of North American hops, this Double IPA has a colossal hop profile and an aggressive aroma. Helping round out the floral and citrus notes is a huge malt backbone that provides a great mouth feel to this heavyweight hitter.
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First had this at King’ Row Gastropub in Pasadena California. Back then I wasn’t aware how great and very sought after this beer was. It is brewed locally here in Fullerton California but even the demand for this beer is insane. By the time I wanted a bottle to review, it was sold out pretty much everywhere. I went to the local liquor store in the street where I grew up since I knew back then they had some nice beers but had not been back there since 2011. To my surprise, there it was, the Elusive Knuckle Sandwich. Even so, there was not many left and I am sure they would be gone soon enough. Didn’t hesitate to get this one to be able to do a good review and bring this one forth in another one of my Art and Beer pairings.

Aromas are very tropical and grassy. Grassy, piney, citrus, floral and grapefruit hops, pineapple, mango, papaya, kumquats, lychees, peaches, guavas, dragon fruit, melon, a scent of plum, orange, lemon, biscuit bread, caramel, pepper notes and mint.

The Flavors are of Caramel, sweet bread, vanilla, rich grassy, herbal, piney and chewy hops, followed by very nice tropics of oranges, pineapple, mango, plum notes, cherry notes, papaya, kumquats, lychees, peaches, dragon fruit, apricots, guavas, very mild banana notes and honey dew melon. The aftertaste lingers with a lot of tropics and herbal hops. The alcohol is somewhat hidden does not detract from the beer’s flavor. In fact, it adds like a honey flavor as well. It is quite balanced for sure.

This beer is essentially what hop head dreams are made it. This beer does not disappoint and it is as awesome as the last time I remember it even though I had it fresher back in March. It a fist full of awesome IPA goodness. Dare I call this one, Heady Topper the 2nd? Yes, I just did. The balance is phenomenal and if you are mainly into more tropical IPAs, then this one is to try. I myself love Tropical IPAs as well as Super hop bitter ones as well. This would be in my top list of awesome Double IPAs along with Ruination, Pliny the Elder, Double Jack, Hop Stoopid, Hangar 24’s Double IPA and others I have reviewed so far. A great example in great west coast double IPAs

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Ruby created by DawnBest http://dawnbest.deviantart.com/art/The-Many-Forms-of-Ruby-the-Echidna-345683691

3 French Hens by the Bruery

June 8, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 12 Beers of Christmas, 3 french hens, Belgian Quad, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, brown sugars, Bruery, french oak barrels, Magic Knights, Rayearth, sour beer funk, The Bruery, Three French Hens, Twelve Beers of Christmas, wine grapes | 1 Comment

Rating: 4.8/5

3 French Hens by the Bruery is a 10% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale.

Label:
The third verse of our “Twelve Beers of Christmas” saga incorporates vinous and oaky notes into a bold and spicy dark ale. Happy Holidays!

75% Belgian-Style Dark Ale,25% Ale Aged in French Oak Barrels
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This beer is hard to come by especially since it is the 3rd installment of the Bruery’s 12 Beers of Christmas. Last year’s was 5 Golden Rings. Why am I reviewing a Christmas beer in the summer time? Well what better time than now. This is the 2010 release so it has been sitting around for about 2 and a half years bringing up the complexity and ABV to newer heights

The aromas start off quite fruity. Pineapple, peaches, cherries, plums, mango, oak, wine grapes, apricot, apple, caramel, candied sugar, wine, slight cocoa, anise, guava and biscuit bread with honey.

Flavors are of mix of a Belgian quad and a sour. However, the sour is only in funky notes, not necessarily sour. You get flavors or caramel, raisins, wine grapes, slight chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla oak, guava, pineapple, mango, papaya, plums, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger bread, honey, brown sugars, peppercorn notes, clove spice, slight funkyness like that of Jolly Pumpkin beers without the sourness, molasses, and brown sugar. The aftertaste is slightly vinous and funky but delicious. Mainly from the oak I would think.

Quite the new experience for me really. I never had a beer that gave that Belgian quad like flavors with awesome funky notes that I would with like Jolly Pumpkin. I guess something close would be like the Fantome Belgian beers. It is a very nice experience for sure and aging has definitely gave it what was necessary to bring out some epic flavors from this. Now all I need to find is Partridge in a Pear Tree.

Bois (5th anniversary) by The Bruery

June 6, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 5th anniversary ale, Barrel Aged Beer, best beers in the world, bois, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, chocolate pecan pie, coton, cuir, Evengelion, fifth anniversary gift, Fruet, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Old Ale, Papier, raisin bread pudding, Rei, Rei Ayanami, robust ale, Solera, Solera method, The Bruery, wine grapes, world class beers | 3 Comments

Rating: 5.9/5 * Just take my word for it, this, like their other anniversary ales are exquisitely World Class

Bois (5th anniversary) by The Bruery is a 15%ABV World Class Old Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels

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

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (beeradvocate.com)
The traditional fifth anniversary gift is something made of wood, or “Bois” in French.

Bois is our fifth anniversary ale, loosely brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition using our house Belgian yeast strain and then blended using the solera method. A portion of each of our anniversary ales is saved in our barrels and blended in with the next year’s production, providing more complexity and depth of character that comes with age. Layered with complex flavors of dark fruit,vanilla, oak, and burnt sugar, Bois is a robust ale, surely the perfect beer to mark this major milestone.
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I was able to finally get a hold of this beer. Every year they keep adding more of the and more. This one is no exception to the previous. I already know it is going to be awesomely great.

Aromas start with bananas drenched in vanilla and dulce de leche caramel, Roasted Coconut, Chocolate, pecan pie, dark fruits like raisins, plums, cherries, figs, dates, wine grapes, sherry, apples, Flan, vanilla, sweet condenced milk (Lechera), crème brulee, oak wood, toffee, marshmallows, rum, bourbon, brown sugar and burnt sugars

Flavors of this beer are of ripe bananas, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, vanilla, oak, bourbon, rum, apples, peach, raisins, figs, dates, prunes, cherries, pecan hazelnut pie, marshmallows, flan, sweetened condenced milk (Lechera), crème brulee, super fancy chocolate, white chocolate, wine grapes, maple, sourdough and rye bread, toffee, sherry, burnt sugar, brown sugar, butterscotch and raisin bread pudding.The mouth feel is thick and the boozyness is there but in a good way. Has like a caramel, fruit and wine aftertaste.

What can I say but another fine year and another fine masterpiece from the Bruery. I think the fact that there are slightly more vinous and bourbon sugar flavor to it this year than last year is the fact that the Papier they added with every batch is adding more and more complexity to it a la Solera method. I am sure their other varieties are over the top. But even the regular Bois is just simply brilliant! Definitely have to get another one for aging. This beer will only get better as time goes. If you get the chance to get this beer, do not miss out!! It is not as exclusive as Black Tuesday, Chocolate Rain, White Chocolate, Melange 3 or others, but still up there in the awesome levels and ratings.

Click here for last year’s anniversary ale (FRUET)https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/fruet-by-the-bruery/

Imperial Stout Trooper (2009 edition) by New England Brewing

June 2, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Anakin Skywalker, bakers chocolate, chocolate coffee, Dark Cherries, Darkside, Darth Vader, Fate Stay Night, GITS, Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout Trooper, light saber, Motoko Kusinagi, New England Brewing, rich dark chocolate, Russian Imperial Stout, Sithlord, Star Wars, Star Wars beer, storm trooper helmet, The Darkside, These are the droids we are looking for | 2 Comments

Rating: 5/5

Imperial Stout Trooper (2009 edition) by New England Brewing is a 8.5% ABV Russian Imperial Stout.

Label:
Brewed in a brewery not too far away and not too long ago… Imperial Stout Trooper is a full bodied stout with a majestic blend of seven different malts and Northern Brewer hops.
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In A Galaxy… Far far away…. or basically in my room… I bring you a rare beer. Welcome to the Darkside of Brewing. Regardless of the gimmick or not, this beer has been rated because it is delicious. This version is the 2009 version which still has the unmodified Storm trooper helmet. Needless to say, I don’t think this beer is 8.5% anymore. It is possibly in the 10% or 11% ABV. As with many of my beer and anime pairings, I had a hard time trying to find something. Hope you enjoy this one .

Aromas are awesome, Oak Chocolate yeti like. The hops have definitely faded over time but the oatmeal, oak, smoke and rich dark chocolate is still there and very good. There is also flavors of vanilla, caramel, coffee, mocha, slight marshmallow, raisins, rum, and toffee.

The flavors are of Bakers chocolate, dark chocolate, Chewbaca Chocolate (Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti reference ), milk chocolate, coffee, mocha, dark cherries, some bitterness but not from hops. Possibly oak, earthy or roasted coffee bean bitterness. Some vanilla, caramel, raisins, rum, anise, hazelnut,

Would I recommend this beer? You better fuuu- believe it. This beer does not disappoint. It is very drinkable, WAY TOO DRINKABLE and Greatly delicious. I can feel the force/alcohol in this one. I cannot tell it in the flavor, but in the effect later on that it is a stronger beer. I am not sure how this beer would be in it’s prime as the bottles are hard to come by. Even the newer releases are hard to find. Regardless… Lucky you must be, To find this beer you must… Onward into the Darkside Trooper and don’t hold back!!

Darkest Hour (Batch#1) by Anchorage brewing

May 31, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Anchorage Brewing, Belgian imperial Stout, Belgian Stout, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Darkest Hour, French Oak, Imperial Stout, natural carbonation, Pinot Noir, rich flavors, rye whisky, Saccharomyces, The Darkest Hour, Tripel, Triple fermented, whisky barrels, Wine yeast | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/5

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

Label:
Triple Fermented.

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

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

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

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

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

Palmero by Hangar 24

May 19, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 3, Aero Fighters, AeroFighters, belgian beers, Belgian Dubbel, Belgian Style, 真尾まお, Dates, delicate sweetness, Dubbel, Hangar 24, Local Fields Series, Mao Mao, raisin bread pudding, Sonic Wings, Sonic Wings 2, Sonic Wings 3 | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

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

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

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

Mrs. Stoutfire collaboration by The Bruery and Beachwood Brewing

May 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Aged, Beachwood Brewing, beer dinners, campfire wood, different types of wood, film z, Imperial Stout, mrs stoutfire, nami, one piece, smoked beers, The Bruery, wood chips | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

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

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

From The Bruery:

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

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

Hammer 30 Revolutionary Ale by Rhinelander Brewing

May 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 30 pack, American Pale Ale, corn bread, corn cereal, cream ale, fresh and Easy, hop bitterness, league of legends, poppy, red apples, rhinelander | Leave a comment

Rating: 3/5

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

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

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

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

Raspberry Wheat by Alaskan Brewing

May 13, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Alaskan Brewing, fruit beers, Ignis, Jingai Makyō, nitroplus, Pilot Series, raspberry flavor, Raspberry preserves, raspberry wheat, red hue, strawberry jelly, strawberry preserves | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

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

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

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

Threes Anniversary Ale by Eagle Rock Brewing

May 13, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 3 year anniversary, anniversary ale, barley wine, butter scotch, California Beers, Eagle Rock, hop flavors, Los Angeles, Lost Angeles, Magna Carta, Pure Yellow, Rye American Strong Ale, rye toast, Rye Whiskey, Saki, SoCal Breweries, Threes | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

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

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

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

HefeWeissbier by Weihenstephaner

May 13, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged banana bread, banana cream, Bavarian LAw, Bavarian Style, Best Hefeweizen in the world, bubble gum, caramel apple, craft beers, German Beers, German Hefeweizen, Germany, HefeWeissbier, Hefeweizen, The World's oldest Brewery, wheat beer, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

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

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

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

Adam (Batch 87) by Hair of the Dog

May 13, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Adam, Batch 87, best beers in the world, campfire marshmallows, Carmelita Fox, chival, flavors, hair of the dog, honey glazed ham, Old Ale, Sly Cooper, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

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

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

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

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

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

A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ by Lagunitas

May 13, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, American Pale Wheat Ale, Bleach, flavors, hidden alcohol, Hoppy beer, IPA, Lagunitas, Pale Wheat, Rukia, Rukia Kuchiki, tropical flavor, wheat ale, wheat beer | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

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

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

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

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

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

Melange 3 by The Bruery

May 10, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged anniversary ale, beer nirvana, best beers in the world, Black Tuesday, Bleach, bourbon vanilla, Bruery, bucket list, Chocolate Rain, cocoa nibs, dark fruits, Diabetes in a bottle, Grey Monday, kick the bucket list, Kos-MOS, Melange, Melange 3, Naruto, Papier, Temari, Temari Sabakuno, The Bruery, Toasted Coconut, vanilla spice, White Chocolate, White Oak, White Oak Sap, world class beers, Xenosaga, Yoruichi, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/5* This is quite ridiculous of a beer which exceeds expectations, maybe way too much.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chateau Jiahu by Dogfish Head

May 10, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Ancient Ale, Ancient Chinese, chateau jiahu, Darkstalkers, DFH, Dogfish Head, dogfish head craft brewery, hawthorn fruit, Herbed Beer, honey, Hsien-ko, lei-lei, painstaking excavation, Spiced Beer, Vampire Savior, white grapes, yellow river basin | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.45/5

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

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

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

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

Koko Brown by Kona Brewing

May 10, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged bourbon barrels, Brown ale, Caramel, Coconuts, coffee flavors, Koko Brown, Kona Brewing, lush tropics, natural flavors, Ranma, Ranma 1/2, Shampoo, sted Coconut, Toasted Coconut, toffee flavor, vanilla, Xian pu | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

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

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

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

Beer Barrel Bourbon by New Holland

May 6, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged american oak barrels, Beer Barrel Bourbon, bourbon barrels, bourbon whiskey, Dragon's Milk, Imperial Stout, liquor reviews, New Holland Brewing, Stout Aged Whiskey, Whiskey Aged in Beer Barrels | Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mephistopheles’ Stout 2012 by Avery Brewing

May 5, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Asmodeus, Avery Brewing, bakers chocolate, Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti, Dark Lord, Imperial Stout, Mephistopheles’, Mephistopheles’ Stout, Old Rasputin, rich dark chocolate, rocky mountain water, Shinra Bansho, The Abyss | 2 Comments

Rating: 5/5

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

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

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

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

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

Dark Meddle (Beer# 11) by Gigantic brewing

May 5, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Beer # !!, Beer # 11, caramel apple, caramel hazelnut, Dark Meddle, Gigantic Brewing, mexican beers, Mexican Grupo, Pilloncillo Cane Sugar, restaurants, sam adams boston lager, Vienna Lager | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.45/5

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

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

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