Fade to Black (Volume 4 Rocky Mountain Black Ale) by Left Hand Brewing

March 26, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Black Ale, Chocolate, Fade to Black, Left Hand Brewing, Metallica, metallica song, Volume 4 Rocky Mountain Black Ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

Fade to Black (Volume 4 Rocky Mountain Black Ale) by Left Hand Brewing is a 6.5%ABV Black Ale

Label:
Brewed on the Banks of the Mighty St. Vrain. Fade to Black. The time of the year when the light fades away. Brewed for the darkness, Fade to black speaks in Volumes.
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Like the Metallica Song, Fade to Black. This one I had to try as it looked interesting. Fragrances are of slight smokey and creamy chocolate, a little hoppy, alittle bit spicy but not too much and some slight caramel fragrance. What the smell cannot cover, the taste makes up for it. The flavors are of light bitter chocolate, slight earthy hops, some slight caramel, anise, molasses, slight Italian herb like spice but more sweeter than smokey and a chocolate cake like sweetness possibly from the yeast. Interestingly enough, for a smokey beer, it has a nice balance of sweet, bitter and smoke. The beer got better as it warmed up too. In fact, some more bakers chocolate seem to come out as it got warmer which is rather surprising as it is different from the initial taste. The bitterness and smokeyness still stays in the aftertaste so it won’t get too sweet. I now think they weren’t kidding when they say, it fades to black… of into the sweet darkness of taste experience. Definitely worth a try for sure. It is also not too overwhelming so it is easy to moderate level of drinking feel.

Imperial Stout – Bourbon Barrel Aged a.k.a Black Gold by Full Sail Brewery

March 22, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Black Gold, Black Xantus, bourbon barrels, chocolate chip cookies, coconut, coffee chocolate, flan, Full Sail Brewing, Imperial Stout – Bourbon Barrel Aged, Old Rasputin Barrel Aged, rich aromas, rich flavors, Russian Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.9/5

Imperial Stout – Bourbon Barrel Aged a.k.a Black Gold by Full Sail Brewery is a 9.6% ABV Russian Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels. This is the Brewmaster Reserve 2013

Label:
A deep complex brew that is black as night with a strong roasted malt character and Full body. Brewed in December 2011, this stout was aged for 12 months in bourbon casks from Kentucky. This extended aging presents hints of vanilla and oak. Enjoy!
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First thing I thought when I opened this was Old Rasputin Barrel aged and Black Xantus. The fragrance told me everything. Flan rich aromas with the caramel, vanilla, bourbon, oak, chocolate cake, coconut, bananas, chocolate, dark fruits, cherries, peaches sweetened condenced milk. The flavors are similar with the coconut, bourbon, slight anise, vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, slight flan and sweetened condenced milk, slight soy sauce, molasses, chocolate chip, cookies and cream, raisin, bananas, almost like a rum aspect, slight chocolate cake, slight mocha and almost like a coca cola after taste but still bourbon strong. While it does have so many of the rich flavors like some of the awesome Bourbon Barrel aged beers I have tried before, the flavors don’t stay for too long and don’t have the same intense impact as Old Rasputin and Black Xantus. However, it is still a really great beer with awesome dessert complexity. Almost like a strong beer that tries to be close to what some of the best are but a ¼ step to half step down. Which is not bad at all. I wouldn’t say it’s easy drinking, but definitely one to take your time with. What I do like about this is the fact that you do get those awesome awesome flavors as you would with some of the higher players but the impact isn’t as mind blowing. Still pretty surprisingly good and delicious but not up to the most mind blowing, only ¾ mind blowing. If no Black Xantus or Barrel aged Old Rasputin is found, then go with this. Hell, if no other bourbon barrel aged beer is around, still get this.

Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout by Odell Brewing

March 21, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged chocolate milk, Chocolate Milk Stout, delicious flavors, dessert, food, Halloween, Koriand'r, Lugene, milk Chocolate, Milk Stout, Milk Sugar, Odell, Odell Brewing, rich flavors, Starfire, Starfire Cow Costume, Teen titans, vanilla | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.45/5

Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout by Odell Brewing is an 8.5%ABV Milk Chocolate Stout

Label:
If you’ve ever been to our brewery, you’ve likely seen the old, beat-up truck that hauls away our spent grain. That truck belongs to Lugene, who’s been feeding his dairy cows the hearty malt for over a decade. Named in his honor, Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout is brewed with milk sugar and milk chocolate. The rich and creamy brew reminds us of a cold glass of chocolate milk and our hometown “Aggie” roots.
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This beer started off really good right off of the bottle. It reminded me a lot of the Moohoo from Terrapin but this one seems to emphasize even more on chocolate. Fragrances are of Rich milk chocolate, vanilla, caramel crème, very small coffee notes and chocolate cake aroma. The flavors say a lot. I find more of a mocha flavor than a coffee flavor. There is rich flavors of milk chocolate, vanilla, caramel, vanilla crème, buttery chocolate, some dark fruits, some hazelnut and some minor chocolate bready flavors. The aftertaste lingers of chocolate and more chocolate. Carbonation is super low so it makes this one ridiculously drinkable for a 8.5% ABV. Well that and the delicious flavors. The review is a bit over my expectations as well… I am a chocolate lover and many of the beers that have past my expectations are in the realms of super chocolate or just my favorite styles like Barrel aged Belgian Quads and Stouts.

Rampant by New Belgium brewing

March 21, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Double India Pale Ale, Double IPA, Floral hops, fruits peach, Grassy hops, Herbal hops, Imperial IPA, india pale ale, nature, new belgium, plants, Rampant | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.8/5

Rampant by New Belgium brewing is an 8.5%ABV Double India Pale Ale

Label:
It starts to take over. That craving for hops. The hoppier the happier. The happier the higher the IBU. The higher the IBU the higher the ABV. The larger the ABV the more we’re going to have to keep an eye on this Rampant Imperial IPA proliferating with heavy peach notes, herbal sweetness and aromatic complexity.
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Upon opening this beer, out came out the nice hoppy grassy fragrances with essence of tropical fruits like a peach or a mango. There was also some herbal, floral and almost like a basil or Italian spice coming out too. The flavors were more grassy and piney but there was an absence of strong tropical fruits. Peach and mango are very slight. It has some notes of citrus and some grapefruit. However, I think with this beer, it’s main focus is the hops. There are some herbal, spicy, flowery and plant like flavors. Almost like a green tea bitterness with honey and lemon. I can sense some lemon grass as well. This one ends pretty dry and leaves more of a grassy herbal and plant after taste. It is not a bad beer. The fragrance sure was nice with tropics thought. In fact it is the kind of hoppy beer that leans not into the realm of tropical fruits in terms of flavor but more into the deep zone of herbal, spicy and flowery hops. If you enjoy IPAs and are into mainly hop side without tropics, then give this one a shot and let me know what you think.

Barrel Aged Wreck Alley by Karl Strauss

March 20, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged bakers chocolate, Barrel Aged, Barrel Aged Wreck Alley, blueberry cheese cake, bourbon barrels, cacao nibs, chocolate coffee, cocoa nibs, Coffee Beans, Disgaea, Etheopian Coffee beans, Etna, Imperial Stout, Karl Strauss, Tcho cocoa nibs, wreck alley | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.35/5

Barrel Aged Wreck Alley by Karl Strauss is a 10%ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Cocoa Nibs and Coffee Beans and aged in Bourbon Oak Barrels.

Label:
When we tasted the first batch of Wreck Alley Imperial Stout, we knew barrel-aged versions were in the cards. The only questions were when and how often? Batch #1 answers the first question, and as for Batch #2, you’ll just have to wait and see. Brewed with the same darkly-kilned malts, Tcho cocoa nibs, and Ethiopian coffee beans from Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, Batch #1 was aged three months in American oak bourbonbarrels. The resulting brew is a dark, unblended, and richly flavored union of dark chocolate, espresso, and toasted oak. Grab a bottle while you can, this limited release won’t be around for long
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Been waiting a while for the right time to get this. The fragrance of this beer is of nice dark, milk and bakers chocolate, coffee, some vanilla, some bourbon and funky oak. The flavors are very good and it was a surprise as the fragrances weren’t as complex. The flavors are of a lot Milk chocolate, vanilla, very rich dulce de caramel which is unlike many beers I have tried, a good amount of funky oak, grapes, plums, berries and creme, minor bourbon and almost like a chocolate and blueberry cheese cake flavor. This almost reminds me of the Hellshire II. The Coffee is not as strong or bitter as the smell but it is still there to lend a mocha like twist. It is highly drinkable which is very surprising. Not only is this a 10%ABV beer but the boozyness or even bourbon lends a hand only enough to make this incredible. This may not be like the utmost ABV high of dessert beers I have ever had but, simply because it is a rich and thick dessert beer with hardly any sense of alcohol that I could find offending or even attributing, I still consider this a great beer. I like it a lot. I really think it has to do with my love for rich sweet beers like chocolate rain or organic chocolate. Hell, it lends to hints of berries and crème. That’s good stuff!! Sometimes you don’t have to be highly impacting or complex to get to the sweetness that is a great beer. Some people may not find it as great because it is not a supreme bourbon bomb dessert but regardless it is still a winner and a favorite of mine now.

Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute

March 20, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Brown Shugga Substitute, brown sugar substitute, Double India Pale Ale, Double IPA, Holiday Ale, Holiday Leftover Ale, india pale ale, IPA, Lagunitas, Lagunitas Sucks, prickly pears, tropical flavors, tropical fruits | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute is an 7.85% ABV Double India Pale Ale

Description:
AKA Holiday Ale
AKA Holiday Leftover Ale
AKA Brown Sugar Substitute

This sad holiday season we didn’t have the brewing capacity to make our favorite seasonal brew, the widely feared BrownShugga’ Ale. You see we had a couple of really good years (thank you very much) and so heading into this season while we are awaiting the January delivery of a new brewhouse we are jammin’ along brewing 80 barrels of IPA and PILS and such every 3 hours. A couple of months back we realized that since we can only brew a mere 60 barrels of Shugga’ every 5 hours, that we were seriously screwed. For every case of Shugga’ brewed, we’d short 3 cases of our favorite daily beers. It’s a drag. This year, we brewed something that we think is also cool and brews more like our daily brews. The new brewhouse will help insure this kind of failure never happens again. It’s a mess that we can not brew our BrownShugga’ this year and we suck for not doing it. There is nothing cool about screwing this up this badly and we know it. Maybe we can sue our own sorry selves. There is no joy in our hearts this holiday and the best we can hope for is a quick and merciful end. F*@& us. This totally blows. Whatever. We freaking munch moldy donkey butt and we just want it to be all over…
So this substitute beer is a ‘Cereal Medley’ of Barley, Rye, Wheat, and Oats…. Full of complexishness from the 4 grains, and weighing in at 7.85% abv, Then joyously dry-hopped for that big aroma and resinous hop flavor.
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Many have advised that this one was a highly acclaimed IPA. I was able to find some which it is strange as some of these beers go by quick. It is seasonal and some places like Bevmo and Total Wine should have it. The aromas are really nice. Fragrances of rich tropical fruits, like mango, papaya, mandarins, pineapple, rich peach, grapes, honey, caramel, lychees, prickly pears, grapefruits, grassy, piney, floral, oily hoppy goodness, herbs and cherries. The flavors are of grapefruit, grassy and piney hops with a rich tropical sweetness like pineapples, mango, peach, lychees, dragon fruit, oranges, lemon, honey, slight bready and floral notes and some brown sugar notes. As humble as Lagunitas tries to talk about the beer, they really struck gold. This is a very fantastic IPA. One that would probably be over the top on tap and well, maybe to the pliny the younger realms? Well, regardless, it is easier to get at least for now. Also, you don’t have to stay up at 3 to 5 in the morning just to stand in line to try Pliny the Younger. Not sure if I will ever review that beer, but I have had plenty of IPAs including Heady Topper to find it hard to find a difference. Nevertheless, who knows?

Life and Limb series Rhizing Bines collaboration by Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada

March 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 644 Hops, barley wine, Bravo Hops, caramel malt, Collaboration Beer, DIPA, Dogfish Head, Double India Pale Ale, Double IPA, india pale ale, IPA, Life and Limb, PA, Rhizing Bines, Sierra Nevada, tropical flavors | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Life and Limb series Rhizing Bines collaboration by Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada is an 8%ABV Double India Pale Ale with Bravo and #644 hops.

Label:
Rhizing Bines is a collaborative IPA using the best of both coasts: Carolina-grown red fife wheat and Dogfish Head’s continual-hopping from the East and Sierra Nevada’s estate-grown caramel malt and Torpedo dry-hopping from the west.
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This is the second beer of the Life and Limb series I have the honor to try. The first collaboration I had was a dark ale. This one is an IPA. Upon opening this beers there was a nice honey rich and grassy hop fragrance. Some very slight breadiness, citrus, grapefruit, caramel and biscuit aromas. There are flavors of hop oil and honey. Reminds me of 120 min IPA but not as ABV strong or complex. Flavors of grapefruit, orange, coriander, lemon grass, grapes, caramel, maple, berries, slight flowers, some honey and toast bread flavor, somewhat of a barley wine note and butterscotch. Not the typical IPA. The flavor says it all. While still hoppy, it is not like a typical grassy IPA. It goes more along the lines of like an amber. There seems to be more malts in this. Not a bad thing in my opinion as I think this beer is delicious and refreshing. Just do not expect much of the bitterness or tropical flavors you would from an IPA or DIPA in this case. Still, worth getting as it is nice to taste those hops without the bitterness. Although bitterness is part of what hops are all about.

Heavenly Feijoa Tripel Lips of Faith series collaboration by New Belgium and Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!

March 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Abbey Tripel, Belgian Tripel, brasserie dieu du ciel, dieu du ciel, Feijoa, fruit fragrances, Heavenly Feijoa Tripel, Hibiscus, new belgium, Tripel | 2 Comments

Rating: 4/5

Heavenly Feijoa Tripel Lips of Faith series collaboration by New Belgium and Brasserie Dieu du Ciel! is a 9%ABV Abbey Tripel brewed with Feijoa and Hibiscus

Label:
Oh my God. It’s not only a reaction for drinking one of Dieu De Ciel’s beers, but a figurative translation of the Montreal brewery’s name. Just ask our brewmaster, he’s in heaven when drinking this collaborative tripel, inspired by Dieu De Ciel’s love of hibiscus and Belgians love of the obscure, hence our addition of tart feijoa fruit. Cheers!
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Upon opening this beer I got this exotic fruit fragrances. Like a passion fruit but I also got this spice like a herb that would go with chicken. Upon online research I found that a Fejoia is a pineapple guave which comes from South America. I have never had it but this stuff is nice to the nose. I also get some fragrances of bread, pineapple, citrus, guava, banana, papaya, flowery hibiscus, cloves, peppercorns, honey, grapes, coriander spice, tangerines and flowers. The flavors are very good. This reminds me of like a Dogfish Head beer. Something like Midas Touch or Ta henket. It has some nice white grape flavors, honey, agave, biscuit bread, guava, orange, lemon grass, tangerines, pineapple, kumquats, , a little bit of banana and papaya, apples, some tart hibiscus flower drink (Jamaica), cloves, peach cobbler, cinnamon, peppercorns, grapefruit, and slight grassy hops. The after taste remains pretty fruity afterward. It is not as heavy as Guava Grove but it is quite refreshing with a good amount of fruit and complexity. I can only see this as a Tripel since it has those peppercorns but also because of the Belgian bready notes although the fruity portion of the beer is what really takes the cake here. Awesome and worth a try for sure. Some people might find it’s drink ability along with complexity appealing.

Winter Ale by Telegraph Brewing

March 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged ancho chilies, caramel apples, caramel malts, chocolate abuelita, ginger bread, Kitana, Mortal Kombat, Princess Kitana, raisin bread pudding, Telegraph Brewing, Winter Ale, Winter Warmer | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.6/5

Winter Ale by Telegraph Brewing, in Santa Barbara CA, is 7.1%ABV Winter Warmer brewed with spices.

Label:
Inspired by Mexican hot chocolate. Telegraph Winter Ale warms even the coldest of nights with hints of cinnamon,allspice,and sweet ancho chilies. Using generous amounts of chocolate and caramel malts,we brew this beer in limited quantities as a special treat for our friends and families. Be sure to enjoy it cool,rather than cold to fully appreciate its complexity.
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The aromas of this beer are of caramel, apples, cinnamon, sugar plums, spicy chocolate, ginger, cloves, butterscotch, brown sugar and caramel. The flavors are close to a quad but lean more toward a spicy side than a bready side. Although some raisin bread pudding can be detected. This is quite nice. The ancho chillies come out alittle bit later as it warms up but only like peppery and spicy notes rather than heat. There are also flavors of chocolate abuelita, plums, apples, slight apple pie, cocoa, cinnamon, brown sugar, ginger bread, cloves, all spice and nutmeg. The beer has a nice cinnamon after taste that lingers for a while. It is a sweeter but more spicier. This one is worth trying as it is still very good and I am sure it would be good for the holidays too. While it is not abundant in chocolate, that is still no reason to not get it. The beer shines in its ability to balance out the sweetness with it’s spicyness which is really good. Like I said I almost got some nice quad characters. Which is definitely a reason to get this again.

Nugget Nectar by Tröegs Brewing

March 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Amber Ale, barley wine, best beers in the world, fruit punch flavor, Ghost Sweeper, grapefruit marmalade, GS Mikami, hop flavors, imperial amber, Imperial Red Ale, india pale ale, IPA, Mikami, Reiko Mikami, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.45/5

Nugget Nectar by Tröegs Brewing is a 7.5%ABV Imperial Amber/ Red Ale. Considered by many, the best Amber ale in the world

Description:
Squeeze those hops for all they’re worth and prepare to pucker up: Tröegs’ newest single batch brew, Nugget Nectar Ale, will take hopheads to nirvana with a heady collection of Nugget, Warrior and Tomahawk hops. Starting with the same base ingredients of our flagship HopBack Amber Ale, Nugget Nectar intensifies the malt and hop flavors to create an explosive hop experience.
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Almost missed out on this piece of gold. If you are still looking for it, Witty’s wine (www.wittyswine.com) still has some. This is not a west coast beer but something that comes close to this is the Ale smith Bloody Valentine and the Evil Dead Red. The aromas are very nice. Cherries, grassy hops, nutty walnuts, rich caramel, toffee, honey, peaches, mango, grapefruit, papaya, . The flavors are reminiscent of the 120 minute IPA with is extremely rich maple and honey flavor with bleeding piney, grassy and grapefruit flavors. Although this is not 18% ABV so it goes beyond. While it does not have the focus of rich cherry and fruit punch flavor like that of the Bloody Valentine, it’s emphasis on almost barley wine like aspect with tropical fruits like mango, papaya, peaches, apricots, dragon fruit almost coconut flavor, pecan pie, vanilla in walnuts, citrus, orange juice, Christmas tree, a very minor scotch note, biscuit bread with grapefruit marmalade and sweet rich pineapples. This was just.. epic!!.. The crazier part is that it has so much flavors that you would expect from a high ABV beer but lowered into the realms of refreshing and crisp drink ability. I can only describe it as taking all the flavors you would get from like lets say for example, a beer like Chocolate rain with its strong strong flavors and super high ABV then just removing almost all the alcohol but still maintaining an extremely rich flavor profile of complexity. The balance is awesome as well. I love the way Bloody Valentine tasted but this is just super amazing. Hard to find around in the West coast but if you can find it… DO NOT MISS OUT. Amber ale lover’s dream…

Saint’s Devotion by The Lost Abbey

March 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged abbey beers, Ajora Glabados, banana notes, Belgian Pale Ale, belgium beer, Brettanomyces, Devotion, Final Fantasy Tactics, orange marmalade, prickly pear, Saint’s Devotion, St. Ajora, steadfast devotion, The Lost Abbey, Wild ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Saint’s Devotion by The Lost Abbey is a 6.66%ABV Belgian Pale Wild Ale brewed with Brettanomyces.

Label:
It’s an unassuming road leading to the priory. Here, off the corner of two intersecting roads, dedicated monks have been making beer for over 150 years. It’s always been a simple life — the kind that requires they brew only enough to sustain the activities of their monastery. In the silence of passing seasons, they pray, they brew and retire in solitary existence behind the sheltering walls. They live a most interesting life. Most likely one we couldn’t sustain.
Nearby, each summer, the trellised fields spring to life as rows of resinous green cones are trained toward the heavens. Rumor is some monks love these hops and being surrounded by budding yellow aromas and the leafy pungent fields inspired them. Since we aren’t sensible enough to locate our brewery near hop fields, we can only offer this blond ale in celebration of our Abbey brethren and their steadfast Devotion.
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The last time this beer was released years ago. Way before I got into beer tasting or any thing related to craft beers. This year it was released in small batches. For those that never tried this one. I’ll admit, I have yet to try the regular Devotion, which I will be getting soon. So being a big fan of The Lost Abbey beers is no excuse. The aromas are very sweet. Cane sugar, flowers, vanilla, pilloncillo sugar cone, caramel, flowers, peaches, apples, honey, biscuit bread, orange marmalade, slight mango and herbs. The flavors are a bit different. Some vanilla, sugar cane, caramel, and honey, peaches, citrus and mango are still there. Although since this is a Pale and Wild ale, there is some hoppy, grassy, and rich grapefruit bitterness and some funky grape wine sourness as well. Nothing too detracting from the ale but balances out the sweetness. Some other flavors like peppercorns, prickly pear, papaya and banana notes. As you let the beer sit, some more grapefruit sweet, sour and bitter flavors come out. This was quite good and got way better as I let it sit. So now there is no reason to not try the regular. Although the regular may not taste like this awesome one, I am sure it will still be Holy…

Allagash Black by Allagash Brewing (1 year Aged)

March 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Allagash, Allagash Black, Allagash brewing, Belgian Stout, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, belgium beers, chocolate coffee, Legend of Zelda, methode champenoise, Midna, row barley, Twilight Princess, yeast strain | 1 Comment

Rating: 5/5

Allagash Black by Allagash Brewing is a 7.5% ABV Belgian Stout. This version I aged for about a year until the right time to try it.

Description:
Allagash Black, our new Belgian style stout, is brewed with German 2 row barley, Torrified wheat and oats, balanced by a large addition of Belgian dark candi to give the Black a full and silky mouthfeel. Roasted malts give this stout its classic chocolate, toast and malty taste, and contribute to chocolate notes and a hint of roasted coffee in the aroma. The Black is fermented with a Belgian yeast strain and refermented in the bottle with the methode champenoise to make this beer truly unique. Availability: 750 ml bottles, 5.17 gal kegs ABV: 7.5% Original Gravity: 1.072 Recommended Serving Temperature: 55°F Recommended Cellaring Temperature: 55°F
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This is the second time I try this beer. The first time I tried it was about a year ago. I saved a bottle to let it sit for about a year to see if the levels would intensify. Oh man did they now. Upon opening the bottle there was an immediate rush of caramel and vanilla fragrant smoked. Some aromas of chocolate coffee, mocha, some pecan and caramel bread, some minor aromas of dark fruits and apples. The flavors are of bitter dark chocolate, roasted coffee, slight smokiness, bananas, molasses, boysenberry pie, some coffee cake, dark tart cherries, plums, raisins, figs, dry apricots, some dulce de leche caramel, some vanilla, candi sugar, earthy hop and citrus taste. This beer reminds me a lot of Folklore by Stillwater Artisanal in that it is still a very good Belgian stout but with some smokey aspects to it. Although, Folklore had a little more of a dark saison aspect as well. More smokey and bitter than 13th hour Stout but it makes up for that with the rest of the flavors which are awesome. A very awesome beer and one to have many a times. The Abyss doesn’t come out all the time but I would say if this was barrel aged, you would have Deschutes The Abyss.

2012 Review:
Allagash Black, the brew that is so similar to 13th hour but more bitter chocolate than. The Belgian Style Stout is brewed with 2 Row barley, torrified wheat, oats, both roasted and chocolate malt and a generous portion of dark caramelized candy sugar. There is definitely a silky mouth feel as stated in the description. Almost like velvet Merlin. The brew has a lot of reminiscent chocolate/coffee bread taste like the 13th. There is also hints of caramel vanilla, citrus, raisins, figs, cherries and dried apricot. Even if the base overwhelmed is malty bitter sweet chocolate, as I go through this brew it definitely lets out a lot of other complex flavor due to the Belgian bready yeast here. Step into this beer…if you dare…it looks evil but very delicious and lovely and good :). Just like the pic of Midna. You never know what you will find in this brew. Also the bitterness of this beer does remind me of the Old Rasputin hoppy bitterness. Allagash does a great job of balancing the complexity of this brew with that of malty sweet, bready complex, and hoppy bitterness. Surely some one that likes Stouts, Belgian, and hoppy ales will surely, like this complex creation. Looks sorta plain and dark from the outside but they have always said, it is the inside that counts. So give this one a try and take a step into the dark…or black side of the ale world. 😛

Mint Chocolate Porter Winter Ale by Bootlegger’s Brewery

March 14, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Bootlegger’s Brewery, chocolate coffee, chocolate mint, dessert, Klondike bar, mint chocolate chip, mint chocolate ice cream, Mint Chocolate Porter, sweet caramel, Winter Ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

Mint Chocolate Porter Winter Ale by Bootlegger’s Brewery is a 6.1% ABV Porter brewed with Mint

Label:
Perhaps a mint chocolate porter sounds like an odd combination, but we like to think of it as a match made in heaven. The refreshing mint is balanced with subtle hints of dark chocolate notes, making it a complex yet exceptionally drinking winter ale. This one is perfect for sitting next to the fireplace and sharing a few pints with friends.
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I have tried some really good mint porters and stouts in the past. This one is made locally here in California. It is always good to drink locally. The beers is somewhat smokey in fragrance. There is some nice sweet chocolate mint aromas along with some sweet caramel and vanilla. I am sensing little coffee in the nose though. The Flavors are of sweet and dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, vanilla, mint, black tea, herbs, somewhat of Oreo cookies and crème flavor, anise licorice and molasses. It is not as head on sweet as some of the other mint beers I have had. The after taste stays minty and chocolate sweet. Even though it smelled smokey, it was actually hard to find the smokiness in the flavor. They did a very good job there. Definitely try it out and it is also drinkable too. In fact, a lot of the bitterness like the black tea and herbs fade away as it warms up and this starts to taste more like a Klondike bar or a mint chocolate chip icecream 😛

Delirium Nocturnum by Brouwerij Huyghe

March 14, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged .hack, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, belgium beers, best beers in the world, Black Rose, Brouwerij Huyghe, chocolate apples, chocolate malt, Dark Cherries, Delirium Nocturnum, Huyghe, pink elephant, Rose | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Delirium Nocturnum by Brouwerij Huyghe is an 8.5% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Description:
Colour and sight: Dark brown-red. A compact white-yellow, stable and lacing head. Scent: Touches of caramel, mocha and chocolate. Spices such as liquorice and coriander are also present. Flavour: Initially, a very good mouthfeel of alcohol and softness. This is followed by an increasing bitterness, partially from the hop, but also from the roasted malt and chocolate malt. Towards the end a nice balance between bitterness, sour and sweet
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Last time I tried this beer was at a bar near my house. It is actually quite a common beer in many of the beer shops. I figured why not, so I picked it up to do a review. The aromas are interesting. It has like a caramel sweet scent but also some what of a coca cola scent, some chocolate, apples, pears, peppercorn fragrance, raisins, some phenolic breadyness, and citrus. The flavors are close to a tripel or a farmhouse ale as I can sense the peppercorn flavor. There are some dark cherries, raisins, bread, pears, caramel, somewhat of a minor sourness but like a grape sourness but also like wild yeast floral and spicyness, champagne, wine like notes, coriander spice almost and some waffle cone with brown sugar. IT is rather interesting. It meets the expectations for being a Belgian beer for sure but also maintaining somewhat of a drink-ability aspect to it to it. Not as heavy as some of the other Belgium beers but close enough. I would think this or even the Tremmens would be good example of Belgian beer gateway for those that haven’t tried too many Belgians. Very good stuff

Oesterstout by ScheldeBrouwerij

March 13, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged chocolate caramel, Oesterstout, oyster shells, ScheldeBrouwerij | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Oesterstout by ScheldeBrouwerij is an 8.5%ABV Belgian Stout brewed with Dutch Zealand Oysters

Label:
From the Scheldebrouwerij, we bring you the expertly crafted ales of a small Belgian brewery from the Antwerp province very near the Dutch border. The Scheldebrouwerij Oesterstout is a soft yet robust stout. Dark as night, the wort from this fully malted ale is filtered over oyster shells from the Dutch Zeeland province.
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It has been a while since I have tried an Oyster stout, let alone a Belgian one. The last one I tried was delicious (https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/oyster-stout-by-the-porterhouse-brewing-company/). However, the Three Floyds one was awesome too (https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/mutiny-the-mollusk-collaborative-brew-by-three-floyds-and-half-acre/). However to be one from Belgium? This I had to experience for myself. The aromas are not fishy. Some fragrances of smoked coffee, a little bit of of saltiness, almost like an apple rum or apple note, chocolate, caramel bread, some type of dark fruit or wine grape, and some molasses. The flavors are of …oh? Very nice. It truly is a Belgian stout. In fact more over than the oysters I am able to sense. Chocolate cake, coffee, strong apples, dark fruits, minor salty notes, possibly the oysters but kind of faint sea and oyster flavor to it,vanilla, caramel, cherries, raisins, some sourness but like a grape sourness and only a little bit and lots of bread and candi sugars. As you let it sit, the somewhat oyster and sea salt comes out, but only a little bit. In fact, it is enough to make it very interesting and give it some bitterness. Seafood is my favorite so I can tell there is definitely a sea and Belgian stout quality to it. Quite the different beer for sure and now is part of my list of best Belgian Stouts ever along with Buffalo, Thirteenth Hour and some of my other favorites. Simply amazing Belgian stout. They pulled it off well.

Lips of Faith Series Cascara Quad by New Belgium

March 13, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged belgian ales, belgian beers, Belgian Quad, Belgium, Cascara, Cascara Quad, chocolate cherries, coffee cherries, dark fruits, Lips of Faith, new belgium, Novo Coffee, Quad, Quadrupel, quadruple, Reina Soho, Reina Witchblade, three philosophers, Witchblade | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Lips of Faith Series Cascara Quad by New Belgium is 10%ABV Belgian Quadrupel brewed with dates and coffee cherries added

Label:
Local roasters Novo Coffee turned us onto Central America’s Cascara, the fruit or husk that surrounds coffee beans. When dried, it can be made into a tea with hints of cherry and tobacco. Blend that into a quad fermented with gorgeous malts and date sugar for a crazy complex beer to warm winter nights.
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Freaking sweet. Quads are some of my best styles out there. To know that NB brewed a quad, definitely had to get 2 of these. The aromas are somewhat apparent but still there. Chocolate, cherries, biscuit bread, vanilla, caramel, some dark fruits, a little bit of bananas and very faint oakyness or brown sugar. Flavors are almost like Three Philosophers, almost. Cherries, chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, bananas, cloves, phenolic esters, biscuit bread, coffee cake, raisin and pecan pudding, dates, toffee, tobacco, candi sugars, . In terms of flavor, that is what hits this one home. Maybe not as aromatic as other quads but the flavors are great. The balance could use a little work as you can sense the alcohol but doesn’t detract too much from the flavors of this one. I picked up 2 since I thought it would be awesome. Well, I sure was not disappointed. This is still a very good beer and would pick up again if no other quads available. Also, at 10% this is definitely a winner. Just be careful because if it warms up then the booze becomes more apparent but the complexity is still complex but not supremely complex. Some people may like this while others may not.

Aloha B’ak’tun by Maui brewing

March 11, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Aloha B’ak’tun, belgian beers, Belgian Stout, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, cham-cham, Chocolate, chocolate caramel, chocolate covered cherries, coffee chocolate, dark chocolate, Maui Brewing, okole maluna, Samurai Shodown, sweet caramel, tam-tam, Thirteenth Hour | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.45/5

Aloha B’ak’tun by Maui brewing is a 7%ABV Belgian Stout brewed with chocolate, cinnamon and chipotle.

Label:
Change is the only constant in life; and this year has been marked with exiting changes. Staff moving on, new staff joining our team and construction plans for the new brewery (Yes, still on Maui). Our final limited release of the year celebrates change and bids aloha to our friends new and old.

This Belgian stout is brewed with chocolate, cinnamon, and chipotle. It pours deep black with ruby highlights. Layered with roasted malt character hints of bittersweet dark chocolate, clove, cinnamon and subtle peppery notes in the nose.

The year is ending, the world is not. Raise your hand and toast with us to all the great things to come. Look forward to four new limited releases in 2013.
Mahalo Nui Loa.

‘Okole Maluna,
Garrett
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Belgian Stouts are some of my favorites. So when I found this one I had to get it. The fragrances are are roasted coffee, bakers and dark chocolate, bready notes, raisins, slight peppercorns, mild pepper, tobacco, molasses and slight caramel. The flavors are mainly of coffee, dark chocolate, slight tobacco, smokey (in the glass), dulce de leche caramel (mainly when in the can), bready notes, raisins, slight chocolate covered cherries, slight peppery notes of chipotle but hardly enough to detect heat at all. I tried it both out of the glass and the can. Frankly, it taste better out of the can than in the glass. I guess like heady topper, certain things taste better when out of certain containers. Although after letting it sit for a while in the glass, the flavors like that of the can were there. All and all, an awesome beer, very good Belgian stout but kind of not as full flavor impacting like Thirteenth Hour or Buffalo Stout. Still, great pick up and one I would try again 🙂

Red Poppy Ale by The Lost Abbey

March 11, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Belgium, cherries, Flanders, Flanders Red Ale, Golden Poppy, poppy seeds, Port Brewing, raisin bread pudding, Red Poppy Ale, Saint Seiya, state flower of california, tart cranberries, The Lost Abbey | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

Red Poppy Ale by The Lost Abbey is 5%ABV Flanders Red Ale brewed with poppy seeds, cherries and aged in oak barrels.

Label:
Perhaps no country embraces the use of fruit in beers more so than Belgium. Numerous traditional as well as regional specialty ales are infused with every sort of fruit imaginable. In this way, the flavor of the fruit becomes especially prominent.

Red Poppy Ale is a veritable celebration of Sour Cherries in an explosion of aromas and tastes. Brewed from a brown ale base and aged in our oak barrels for over 6 months, this beer is not for the faint of heart. The Golden Poppy is the state flower of California and the Red Poppy is found in Flanders Fields where our inspiration for this beer comes from.
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It has been a while since I last this one. Almost like 2 years. I decided to do another go to see how it is. The fragrance is nice and sour like I remember it. Aromas of cherries, peach, some oak and coffee bread like notes, somewhat flowery, grape, raisins, some vanilla, almost chocolate scent, wine, sweet bread, brown sugar and caramel. The flavors are of immediate tart cherry, wine grapes, peach, apples, vanilla, sour tart cranberries, coffee cake, a little bit of chocolate, raisins, green apples, some slight raisin bread pudding, caramel, some citrus sour and funky notes. This beer is reminiscent of La Roja from Jolly pumpkin except this one is more focused on other different types of flavors other than wine. Sour beer lovers will like this one although for me, while it is still pretty awesome in terms of sours, I have tried other sours like those of JP and were pretty delicious. The Lost Abbey is one of my favorite breweries and their beers are definitely world class 🙂

2011 Review:
Lost abbey Red Poppy ale. Flanders Red Ale brewed with cherries. No head from the pour. Awesome fragrance of cherries, vanilla , and peach immediately overwhelm the nose. The taste is a complex mix of sour tart cherries with oak like after taste. Lost Abbey yeast is also present as usual :P. In short, like smelling and drinking a flower..LOL Red Poppy..desert like brew >:3

Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat by Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

March 11, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged anheuser busch inc, Apple Jack, apple pie crust, breakfast, Cider, Honeycrisp Apple Wheat, jolly ranchers candy, MLP, Shock top, wheat ale, Witbier | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.75/5

Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat by Anheuser-Busch, Inc. is a 5.8% Witbier brewed with cider and spices with natural honeycrisp apple flavor and other natural flavors.

Description:
Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple Wheat is a unique, hand crafted brewed hybrid of Belgian wheat beer and sweet cider, with natural Honeycrisp flavor added to produce an innovative new brew that is crisp, refreshing and flavorful. This unfiltered brew is the perfect beer to welcome the warming Spring days.
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Other natural flavors? Hmm I wonder what it could be. Anything could be a natural flavor. Like grass or dirt. However I am sure that is not what they mean. The fragrance is very fruity all the way. Apples, Jolly ranchers green apple candy, cinnamon, slight apple pie crust, citrus, cherry fruit juice and pilsner, a good amount of pilsner. The flavors are of Green Apple and Jolly ranchers candy, slight citrus, very slight Belgian bready esters here and there like a wheat but hardly noted, some hidden grain and pilsner flavor (it is well hidden by the sweet candy apple flavor at first but it comes in later), some slight cinnamon and brown sugar, honey, good amount of cider and maybe a slight hint of peach. I’m pretty impressed. Despite how many of the other shock tops are pretty average, this is the best scoring one. It mainly swings to a cider side more than a beer side. The beer side is there to keep it alittle balanced, although it doesn’t keep it balanced well. Still, the sweetness is pretty good and lots an lots of apple flavors are noted well. I say give this a try. Who knows, you may like this one

New Albion Ale by New Albion brewing company and bottled under Samuel Adams

March 11, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 30 year recipe, American Pale Ale, craft beer movement, First American craft beer, historical, jack mcauliffe, new albion, Pale Ale, Sam Adams, Samuel adams | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.5/5

New Albion Ale by New Albion brewing company and bottled under Samuel Adams is 6%ABV reboot of the first American Pale Ale brewed in America which sparked the way for all brewing awesomeness as we see today.

Label:
Jack McAuliffe’s pioneering spirit paved the way for the American craft beer revolution. We’re rereleasing his original Pale Ale, with its distinct American hop character for the first time in 30 years in honor of Jack and his contributions to craft brewing. Cheers!
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Aromas of this beer sweet honey, somewhat pilsnery, light flowery, slighty fruity and grassy and pretty much like a lager with some malty and some hop fragrances. The flavors are of slight grape, citrus, mild hoppy bitterness, some pilsnery aspects, slight honey, some grains, a touch of vanilla or caramel sweetness but very very slight. This beer is made with a 30 year old recipe and is quite historic. While it may not be on par with some of the greats of this time, I swear, it is still above some of the best lagers out there. This stuff is like borderline ale/lager. Also due to its symbolism in the craft beer movement, It gets my thumbs up and a must try even if at least once. This is how beers were back then and they were still the best alternative out there

Belgo Belgian India Pale Ale by New Belgium

March 11, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged abbey ale, Belgian IPA, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgium, Belgo, BIPA, herbs and spices, hop aroma, india pale ale, new belgium | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

Belgo Belgian India Pale Ale by New Belgium is a 7%ABV Belgian IPA. I have tried this several times but I finally got one to sit down and review.

Label:
Friday night and the lights are low; Amarillo, Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe, looking for a place to belGO. Get in on bottle condition beats and hop aroma blasts as India Pale Ale grooves with Belgian yeast.
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Fragrance of this beer reminds me so much of all those delicious Belgian IPAs and Belgian Pales I have tried many times although in a lighter sense. With a mix of sweet honey, biscuit bread, citrus, floral and grassy hops, herbs, spices, rye, peppercorns, grapefruit, peach and apples. The taste is where it saves the beer. Flavors are of herbs and spices, apples, grassy and grapefruit hops, biscuit bread, a little bit of peppercorns, slight flowery flavor but to the level of Saison,citrus orange, honey, peach, slight caramel and a bit of those tripel clove esters. While a lot of the flavors of the delicious BPAs and BIPAs are there, they are not full frontal and overwhelming. Meaning it is a beer to enjoy the flavors one enjoys from the awesome Belgian Pales but without too much of a full body giving way to a beer of very good flavors but still light crisp and refreshing. They mostly sell this in a 6 pack and it is a major winner for me. From the regular stuff (not Lips of Faith series) I would call this one number 2 next to the their Abbey ale. The Abbey ale is simply world class awesome. I will review that one as soon as I get my hands on one 😀

Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout 2012 by Cigar City Brewing

March 5, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged ancho chiles, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, cacao nibs, Chile beer, chocolate coffee, cigar city, Cigar City Brewing, Cinnamon, coffee chocolate, dark chocolate, Dark Lord de Muerte, Final Fantasy XII, Fran, Hun Hunahpu, Hunahpu, Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout 2012, Imperial Stout, Kahlua, Khalua, Madagascar Vanilla, Mayan Mythology, Mayans, Mayas, pasilla chiles | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/5

Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout 2012 by Cigar City Brewing is an 11%ABV Imperial Stout Aged on cacao nibs, ancho and pasilla chiles, cinnamon and Madagascar Vanilla Beans. This was released in March 2012 so it is almost exactly 1 year of aging.

Label:
In Mayan mythology, Hun Hunahpu was the father of the Mayan hero twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque. Hun Hunahpu, along with his brother Vucub Hunahpu, was tricked by the Dark Lords of the underworld and slain. Hun Hunahpu’s corpse morphed into a cacao tree, his head becoming a cacao pod, which in typically awesome mythology fashion, spit upon the hand of a young maiden named Xiquic who promptly became pregnant with the hero twins. The twins would ultimately grow up to avenge their father and uncle and defeat the Dark Lords and ascend to the heavens to become the moon and sun

We brew Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout once a year and release it only at the brewery. We will continue to do so until the end of the cycle.
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Rated to be the 4th best Imperial Stout in the world. 100% world class. This version is aged almost exactly 1 year. I can only assume this is like a response to Dark Lord de Muerte from the Three Floyds as it is brewed with chiles also. Never the less, this is something special. Aromas immediately rush the nose several inches from this liquid of gods. Fragrances of Very strong Dark chocolate, Milk chocolate, Khalua, Chocolate Abuelita, chile spices from the ancho and pasilla, some vanilla, coffee, strong bourbon, vanilla, flan, cinnamon, champurrado, dulce de leche caramel, molasses, piloncillo sugar cone, oak, cherries and alittle bit of coconut. The flavors are of smokey roasted pasilla and ancho chiles but without the heat, dark chocolate, Khalua, coffee, chocolate abuelita, mole, champurrado, cherry, raisins, prunes, molasses, vanilla, small amount of earthy bitterness, cinnamon sticks, ginger bread, alittle bit of dulce de leche, piloncillo sugar cone, tamarind, oak wood and maple syrup. Initially, the chile spices would take over but then as the beer got warmer, it let a massive amount sweet chocolate flavors pull through with vanilla and cinnamon dancing all over. A delicious beer that is truly world class. While it definitely surpasses a great amount of world beers, I believe it is really preference based. While this one is very sweet and has the spiciness to cancel out the over powered sweetness, many people will find this appealing over more “Diabetes in a bottle” types like Dark Lord, Black Tuesday, Grey Monday or Chocolate rain (some of my ultimate favorites). For me I like the extra sweetness in some beers, but this has so much flavor of my culture written all over, fragrance and taste alike. In terms of Chile beer Imperial Stouts, hands down, The best in the world Chile beer right next to the Dark Lord de Muerte.

Old Guardian Oak-Smoked Odd Year Series by Stone Brewing

March 4, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Agrias, Agrias Oaks, barley malt, barley wine, Barleywine, Barleywine-style, Final Fantasy Tactics, oak-smoked, odd year edition, old guardian, Stone Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Old Guardian Oak-Smoked Odd Year Series by Stone Brewing is an 11.4%ABV Barley Wine

Label: *Note this one has a very long label description
PART TWO:
It’s the Friday after Turkey Day. In the US anyhow. Not here in Belize, but I had turkey yesterday all the same. Raised in the Belize countryside by German Mennonites no less. It was delicious. Gotta respect those who are focused on doing things the right way, which more and more in this world often means with less technology rather than more. The bananas are better here, too. Mostly because they’re picked ripe and ready for local consumption, rather than pre-ripe and green to ship off to the US and other far-flung countries only to be ethylene-gassed once they arrive to finish off the ripening process. Sudden flashback of when we visited our friends James & Martin @Brewdog in Scotland for our collaboration beer a few years ago called bashah (don’t think I ever spilled the beans formally before that the name is an acronym for black as sin, hoppy as hell). We had dinner at a great little restaurant in Aberdeen that historically was a banana-hanging warehouse. Later, they ended up buying the place. We actually shot a really cool video: [link) Back to the moment and Belize. Just finished a Crime. Great way to start the last night here. Now, as tradition dictates for the OG label, I’m having some 2012 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine. Sitting at a beach bar & sharing w/John & Barbara Cheek from Oakhurst (Decatur, GA). They regularly enjoy Stone IPA at their local haunts, Steinbeck’s and The Marlay. Got to know them a little today as we were on the same little boat going out to snorkel with the sea turtles. Yes, a bit ‘touristy’ for me, as I typically head a little more off the beaten path, but hell, it was kinda cool swimming with them all the same. Swimming in the ocean made my hair quite scraggly lit’s still rather mucked up from the whole red-hair fundraiser we did back in August), and with the headband I picked up two days ago at a local shop, I’ve gotta admit that I’m looking a bit laughably trustafarian. It’s like I became an overnight pseudo-beach bum. Heh, if only. Not really my thing though, honestly. I’m a bit higher strung than that. The driven/agenda type. Gotta change the world, rather than watch it float by. But then you knew that. Save now. It’s been a ‘float’ week. Nice to visit the float lifestyle every once in a while, but I wouldn’t want to live there. Cracked a Stone Enjoy By 12.21.12 IPA just now. That’s a beer to encourage the ‘watch the world float by” if there ever was one. The aroma is certainly suggestive of that lifestyle, now isn’t it? I’ll leave it at that. Loving it. Brought two cases of assorted 22oz & 500m1 bottles on the trip. The 12.21.12 is the next-to-last, w/Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale bringing up the rear. So to speak. It’s actually not legal to bring in beer to this country as their beer laws are rather protectionist. That serves no one, except a few. Nonetheless, I swallowed my bubbling outrage as I learned this at Customs on my way in and politely asked to speak with a supervisor. I said “Hi, I’m Greg and I own a small brewery in the US, and) like to travel w/beer to share w/people I meet. I certainly don’t mind paying a duty.” He surveyed me, then the beer, then me again and decided that my two cases “didn’t represent a commercial threat” and calc’ed out a modest duty for me to pay. I did so gladly. Now I’m at the end of the visit, and reflecting on the fact that all went quite nicely thank-you- C. very-much. Thankful for the brief respite. Time to get back to it next week. Lots to do. Lots to do.

Cheers!
Greg

Ingredients: Tons and tons of barley, bountiful hops, water & yeast …and an odd dose of German oak-smoked wheat malt.
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This one is kind of odd. Taking 2 different sides. One side bitter, the other smokey. Clearly this one was genius. The fragrance of this beer lies some where in the realm of Bashah. Smokey and hoppy. Smells like earthy grass and campfire oak, citrus, caramel, toffee, barley, dark fruits, almost like BBQ pork and peppercorns. The flavors are very well balanced. Just tremendous. Sweet Caramel, roasted campfire oak wood, BBQ pork with basil, orange and spices, citrus, bread, barley, dark cherries, raisins, maple, honey, biscuit, toast bread, grapefruit, pine needles, earthy grass, slight peppercorns, molasses and some bacon :P. The aftertaste is consistent of a nice balance. The oak and bitter hops play well. Not too bitter, not too smokey. Just the right amount of ingredients to create an odd taste that is very delicious that it works so well. I can see a lot of people that enjoy smoke and hoppy beers or those that enjoy one more than the other, may come together and agree that this one works very well.

Shock Top Lemon Shandy by Anheuser-Busch, Inc

March 4, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged AB, Anheiser busch, Belgian Style, lemon shandy, lemon zest, Lemos, macro breweries, Shock top | Leave a comment

Rating: 2.5/5

Shock Top Lemon Shandy by Anheuser-Busch, Inc is a 4.2% ABV Belgian Style Wheat beer brewed with spices and with natural lemonade flavor added.

Label:
Belgian-Style wheat beer brewed with spices and with natural lemonade flavor added.
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I have only had a chance to try a small amount the shock top varieties. While some of them are liked by many, some more taste minded individuals would probably say there is better out there and not to mess with faux craft. I for one think that when there is a much more better variety out there, there will still be those alternatives that will still be available especially in the non-craft beer market. Meaning if they got nothing else other than lager, then that is when this stuff comes available. While Shock top is better on tap than on bottle, I figure I review this one as I have not had a chance to try it. I am also more open minded with just about any beer. Someones gotta do it right 🙂 Besides, beer is beer and no should say no to beer.

The aromas are lemony, citrus and pilsnery. Not a lot of wheat and bready fragrance and below some of the other shock top beers. Almost smells like grains in lemon juice. The flavor is actually better than the smell. There are is flavors of lemon, citrus, slight breadyness, lemon heads candy, slight coriander and grassy grains. The beer says summer all over but I would definitely go with another choice. While it is subpar, it is still a better beer than some of the soulless stuff out there. I like sweet stuff if someone offered while nothing else was available, definitely drink it. It is not completely bad which is pretty good. Although I would say this one taste more like a Mikes but with hardly any sugar and more bitterness from the lemons.

Belzebuth by Brasserie Grain d’ Orge

March 1, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 13V, alcohol content, Astaroth, Astarotto, barley malt, Belgian Beer Style, belgian beers, belgian style ale, Belgium, Belzebuth, Blond Ale, blonde ale, Brasserie Grain d’ Orge, France, French Beers, Golden Ale, Grain d’Orge, raisin bread pudding, Shinra Bansho, Shinra Banshou, Strongest beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Belzebuth by Brasserie Grain d’ Orge of France is a 13%ABV Belgian Strong Blonde Ale.

Description:
Bottle (13% abv) and can (11.8%): Filtered.
Ingredients: Water, Barley Malt, Wheat, Rice, Sugar, Hops.
Alcohol content lowered in 2002 from 15% to 13% when brewery changed name from Jeanne d’Arc to Grain d’Orge.
“The dark amber coloured Belzebub offers an intense alcohol flavour with a strong supporting maltiness.”
The 11.8% version is canned in Holland.
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When opening this little bottle you notices that there is definitely not a lot of beer. Exactly 8.4oz of it. This is the second time I try the beer and I have been meaning to do another review. It has been a couple years actually. The aromas are nice. Fragrances of honey, biscuit bread, citrus orange, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, boozy almost like a sweet bourbon, oak, pears, grapes, peaches and some raisins. The flavors are pretty sweet. Belgian yeast phenolic, grapes, caramel, pears, peaches, orange, grape jelly, possibly a strawberry, honey, vanilla, slight raisin bread pudding and quite a good amount of alcohol. While the beer does have some really nice flavors worth checking out, for some, the alcohol could be distracting a bit. It is not as balanced as it could be and it semi hides the alcohol. Regardless, you can still tell about the flavors in this one. Quite good, not the best, but still quite good. Besides, a 13% Belgian style ale from France, you cant go wrong there 🙂

Art of Darkness by Ommegang (New Label)

February 27, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Art of Darkness, Asuka, Asuka Langley, Belgian Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, belgian style ale, best beers in the world, Dark Phoenix, Evangelion, Jean Grey, Marvel, mystical incantations, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ommegang, three philosophers, Trois Pistoles, X-men, Xmen | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Art of Darkness… new label by Ommegang. I have already done several reviews for this beer to know this beer is not an ordinary beer. One of my most world favorites along with Trois Pistoles, St. Bernardus, Black Xantus, Three Philosophers, Black Tuesday, Chocolate Rain and others.

Label:
Ommegang Art Of Darkness unites barley and wheat malts, flaked oats, Ommegang yeast, and noble hops in a bewitching demonstration of the brewing arts. Yet there are no secret ingredients nor mystical incantations.

There is only the highest realization of the art of brewing a dark Belgian-style ale of extraordinary flavor, aroma, and balance.

This ale walks the line between being savored now, and being cellared to relish later. As a discerning patron of the dark arts, you an make your own choice.
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Tread carefully…this one is evil >:)

https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/art-of-darkness-by-ommegang-6-month-version/
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/art-of-darkness-by-ommegang/

§ucaba (Abacus) 2013 Limited Release by Firestone Walker

February 27, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Abacus, §ucaba, barley wine, Barleywine, Barrel-Aged Barley wine, best beers in the world, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, California Beers, Dulce de leche, Firestone Walker, FW, hop bitterness, malt flavors, World class, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

§ucaba (Abacus) 2013 Limited Release by Firestone Walker is a 12.5% ABV Barrel-Aged Barley wine. Considered by many to be the best barleywine in the world. I have never tried this beer and I almost didn’t grab if it wasn’t for the fact that Total Wine had one final box. I’ve seen it in downtown L.A though. It truly is limited unfortunately. So if you can get this one, get it.

Label:
Big boozy bourbon and American oak aromas combined with soft chocolate malty undertones. Complex malt flavors framed in oak, with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, coconut and just a touch of dark cherry. This is definitely a sipping beer, best served in a brandy snifter. This ale pairs well with dark chocolate and sturdy cheeses.

Note: Sucaba is the beer formerly known as Abacus until the Winter 2012 release.
O.G. 27 Plato
F.G. 4.7 Plato
I.B.U. 42 units
Yeast: British Ale (House)
Cases: 1500 produced
Color: 36SRM (Dark Ruby)
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Upon opening the beer, it some really nice and overwhelming fragrances. Reminiscent of some of the other barrel-aged beers I have had from FW in the past. This beer has strong aromas of bourbon and barley. Coconut, vanilla, oak, dark fruits like raisins and cherries, chocolate, coffee notes, baked bread, toffee, flan, dulce de leche caramel, bananas and marshmallow creme. The Flavors are of bourbon, coconut, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, flan, Leche Nestle (Mexican Sweetened Condensed milk), barley, lemon, toffee, raisin and pecan bread pudding, cherries, bananas, small underlying earthy hop bitterness, light citrus, honey, maple, barrel oak, campfire smores with the marshmallow, graham cracker and dark chocolate and butterscotch. The after taste stays with you for awhile so you can really take your time and enjoy it as you go. My god, I am not sure if there is any barley wine out there like this one. I have never had a barrel-Aged barley wine but this is extremely amazing. Definitely should not be passed up if you can find it. Barley wines are not my biggest favorite of styles but this is really delicious and a must get for sure.

The Three Philosophers by Ommegang (New Label)

February 27, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged belgian beers, Belgian Kriek, Belgian Motto, Belgian Quad, belgian style ale, Belgium, best beers in the world, cherry ale, Dizzy, Guilty Gear, Kriek, mexican bread pudding, Ommegang, Quad, Quadrupel, Quadruppel, Strength in Union, three philosophers, world class beers | 1 Comment

Rating: 5/5

Already did a review on this beer a while back. This is the version with the new label. Still one my top favorite beers in the world.

Label:
The Belgian motto is “Strength in Union.” No phrase better describes Ommegang’s delicious Three Philosophers Quadrupel, which unites malty Belgian-style ale with Liefmans Kriek, authentic cherry ale from Belgium. Dark, mysterious cherry-chestnut color. Pair with Strong Cheeses, desserts, or sip as an after dinner ale.

https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/the-three-philosophers-by-ommegang-2/

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout by Wells & Young

February 27, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged chocolate dessert, chocolate malts, dark chocolate, dessert, hop bitterness, Milk chocolate Stout, Milk Stout, Panty & Stocking, PSG, Pure Luxury, Stocking, Sweet Stout, Wells & Young, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.65/5

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout by Wells & Young LTD is 5.2%ABV Milk Chocolate Stout made with chocolate malts and dark chocolate.Available quite common and year round. It is probably one of the first stouts aside from Guinness that I had tried back in college. I have neglected this beer for a while so I figure I come back to it 🙂

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Available filtered and pasteurised in 500ml bottles and in nitrocans. Also Nitro Keg on Tap
Production moved from Youngs to Wells & Youngs in 2007.
Ingredients: Pale ale and crystal malt, chocolate malt, special blend of sugars, Fuggle and Goldings hops, real dark chocolate and chocolate essence.
Chocolate malt and real dark chocolate are combined with Young’s award winning rich, full flavoured dark beer to craft a satisfyingly indulgent, but never overly sweet experience.
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The aromas are of strong malty chocolate, underlying coffee and mocha notes, vanilla, caramel, earthy hop bitterness and some smokey fragrance. The flavors are of like a borderline brown ale. A great amount of dark, milk and sweet chocolate shines in the taste along with coffee, mocha, vanilla crème, cocoa, smokey bitterness but only slight, caramel, toffee, a bit of hazelnut, earthy hop bitterness, some minor graininess. While it is not at the level of some of the most extreme imperial chocolate dessert beers, like organic chocolate, or even chocolate rain, it’s emphasis on being chocolate is more apparent than other stouts. Hence the reason why beer fusions work very well with this stout. This beer works way better as a dessert beer on its own even. Just the fact that it is a common beer is also worth getting as this is as close to a more chocolate beer than any of the rare stuff out there. Recommended? Yes, if you enjoy chocolate. In fact if you ever plan on doing beer fusions, this is the choice 😛

Weihenstephaner Vitus by Bayerische Staaatbrauerei Weihenstephan

February 24, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Banana cloves, Bayerische Staaatbrauerei Weihenstephan, beer connoisseur, Caballeros Del Zodiaco, Damas Del Zodiaco, pepper corns, Saint Seiya, sour dough bread, Weihenstephaner Vitus, Weizenbock, world class beers, World Class Weizenbock | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Weihenstephaner Vitus by Bayerische Staaatbrauerei Weihenstephan is a 7.7% ABV World Class Weizenbock

DESCRIPTION
A light-coloured, spicy single-bock wheat beer, for both beer lovers and the beer connoisseur. Extra long and cold storage in our monastery cellars makes this single-bock a really special beer with full body and a distinctively great mouthfeel. Prost!
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Rated one of the best German world class beers ever, to some some extent, even higher than their Dunkelweizen, which is one of my favorite, Vitus is the life energy drink of gods. A strong fragrance of Banana, honey, cloves overwhelm the nose . There are also aromatic hints of rich honey, oranges, peaches, wheat bread, honey, lemon and sour dough bread. The Flavors are extremely orgasmic. Major flavors of the bananas, honey, vanilla, peach, slight oranges, lemon, toffee, banana, sour dough bread, Wheat, caramel, cane sugar, piloncillo sugar cones and some phenolic pepper corns. I cant explain it but this beer sits with you long after the after taste. A strong taste possession overwhelms one who seeks this beer. Keeping to the true elite Bavarian roots. Drink of elites and gods, the epitome of German beer plethora in a bottle of delight. Highest of German beers.. world class recommended.

Vinaceous by Hangar 24

February 24, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged black berries, burgundy color, Busujim, Busujima, French Oak, Hangar 24, Historic Ale, HOTD, HOTS, Local Fields, Old Ale, red wine grapes, Saeko, Saeko Busujima, Vinaceous, wine connoisseur | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Vinaceous by Hangar 24 is an 8.7%ABV Local Fields Series Old Ale brewed with Red Wine Grapes and aged on French oak

Label:
The first beer in our Local Fields Series, Vinaceous was created to combine the best characteristics of wine and beer. Brewed in the style of an English Old Ale, this beer deviates from tradition with an ample addition of freshly crushed Mourvedre grapes from Temecula. Vinaceous pours a deep burgundy color and boasts flavors of rich malt, brown sugar, dark berries and a touch of oak in the finish. Additional Information: As with each beer in our Local Fields Series, we looked to local growers for inspiration. For Vinaceous, we obtained some Mourvedre grapes from our friends at Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula. Wilson Creek has been producing outstanding wines in Southern California since 1996. We anticipate that this joint venture will further demonstrate the exceptional qualities of artisan wine and craft beer and how they can work harmoniously together.
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A wine and Beer hybrid. Old Ales, as I have stated in previous reviews are a historic recipe going way back to 100’s of years. Adding to a wine and aging makes this beer pretty historic in itself. The aromas are of wine, caramel, grapes, raisins, capirotada bread pudding, some chocolate notes, oak and barley character. The flavors are or raisins, caramel, fruit cake, wine grapes, capirotada, pecans, oak, black berries, currants, brown sugar, peach, pear and lots of toffee. It was an interesting mix of flavors. Some reaching towards the wine and some towards the beer. Overall it was pretty good and worth getting. I actually was able to find this in downtown L.A. I had left it alone and when I came back it was gone. I asked the store if they still had it. Luckily they had one stashed in the back. If it wasn’t for that I would not be doing this review :P. Definitely try it out if you can find it. I am not a wine connoisseur but this is very exquisite. I once tried such a hybrid with the Noble Rot from Dogfish head. But this one is more of a full bodied beer. I like this one better 😛

Crooked Line Series Sea Legs by Uinta Brewing

February 24, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Baltic Porter, Blatic Porter, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, chocolate cherries, Crooked Line Series, g, hop bitterness, malt profile, Mermaid, Mythology, s, Sea Legs, Seven seas, Siren, Sirens, Uinta Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Crooked Line Series Sea Legs by Uinta Brewing is an 8%ABV Baltic Porter aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
Complex and drinkable, Sea Legs delivers flavors of roasted malt and chocolate. Sea Legs was aged in Bourbon Barrels for nearly 12 months adding toasted vanilla and bourbon notes to the flavor profile. This Medium-bodied Baltic Porter has a complex malt profile and mild hop bitterness. With a hidden ABV of 8%, Sea Legs is a siren of a beer.
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An evil beer that draws in the craft beer treasure explorers of the 7 seas of flavor. This siren mistress tackles the olfactory senses with fragrances of vanilla, oak, chocolate, cherries, molasses, bread, walnuts, pecan pie and somewhat herbal or hoppy. The taste buds are tainted with awesome cursed flavors of bourbon, oak, milk chocolate, vanilla, wine grapes, cherries, molasses, caramel, burnt coconut, earthy hops, pecan pie, slight bready notes, some herbal notes like a basil as well as some nice slight spicy notes. While not being extremely overwhelming alcohol wise, this is dessert in a bottle. It is rich and delicious. Extremely pleasant in every form. It is not your usual porter or barrel aged beer. Some seductive qualities that may only be found in the deep darkness of flavor. I really do not think they were kidding when they said this was the siren of beers.

Board Meeting by Port Brewing

February 24, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged a Scarlet, Board Meeting, Brown ale, brown ales, brown sugar, Caramel, Chococlate, Chocolate, chocolate caramel, cocoa nibs, coffee cake, coffee chocolate, Erza Scarlet, Fairy Tail, Hazelnuts, Milk, Port Brewing, sweet flavors, TCHO Cacao nibs | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

is an 8.5%BV Brown Ale brewed with Coffee and TCHO Cocoa nibs

Label:
It’s 6 AM and you have two appointments on your calendar for today. A Board of Directors meeting at 10 AM requires your attention. But Last night you got the call signaling a dawn patrol session this morning. Surf is out of the west and the swell is building. A morning stop for a cup of Joe on the way to the ocean’s edge has you fueled. Early morning surf report on the radio indicates clean conditions up and down the coast. A Parking lot surf check at the break confirms the conditions are perfect.

All systems go and your first board meeting of the day looks promising. You trade a neoprene wet suit and a brisk ocean paddle knowing full well later you’s be surrounded by stodgy old men and fussy women sitting in over stuffed leather chairs reviewing corporate minutes as the smell of pastries and burnt coffee hang in the air. It’s a scene that repeats itself year after year . But none of this bothers you anymore. Life taught you early on not all board meetings are created equal.
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New from Port Brewing comes a brown ale unlike some of the brown ales I have had before. This beer is more full bodied like a porter or a stout. But I guess in terms of brown ales I would have to look and see how it would differ. The aromas are of coffee, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, hazelnut, earthy notes, and brown sugar. The flavors are great. It is not as bitter as a porter or a stout in terms of hops and smokeyness. This lets flavors of bakes chocolate, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, caramel, biscuit bread, coffee cake, brown sugar, hazelnut, berries, figs, and other sweet flavors shine through. The bitterness is very little as it is mostly from the coffee. This beer was so good it was hard not to stop drinking it. It is pretty drinkable and the aftertaste is sweet and nutty. Quite frankly one of the best brown ales I have had in a while. Aside from hazelnut nectar. This is going to be a new beer that will appear regularly. Brown Ale fans will love this one and those that do not like Brown Ales will start to love the style with this one

Blasphemy (2 year aged edition) by Weyerbacher

February 24, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged belgian beers, Belgian Quad, best beers in the world, Blasphemy, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, caramel hazelnut, caramel pecan pie, pecan pie, Quad, Quadrupel, quadruple, Quadruppel, Raven Girl, Raven Girls, The Raven, World class, Wyerbacher | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.9/5 (2013 2 year aged)

Blasphemy (2 year aged edition) by Weyerbacher is an 11.8% Trappist Belgian Quadruple/Quad Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels. I found a 2011 bottle last year (based on the bottled date) and aged it for close to a second year. So this is a 2 year old aged quad. The ABV is probably higher, in the 13-15% maybe

Label:
Blasphemy is our award winning QUAD aged in bourbon barrels. But not overaged, so we’ve picked up gentle vanilla oaky notes which complement rather than supercede the complex qualities that already make QUAD such an incredible beer.
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Based on the label… another year of aging may probably make it more complex. In fact, some beers with ABV’s (except some hoppy IPAs, lagers, some pilsners and others) above 9% can age nicely. Some can age for as much as 10 to 15 years. I was not gonna risk this one too much although technically I could have >:). Upon opening the beer, it explodes with complex aromas of pecan pie, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, hazelnut pecan pie crust, whipped cream, buttered toffee, bananas, coconut, oak and a ton of dark fruits, wine characters and even champagne like characters. IS this really a quad? The flavors are very orgasmic to say the least. I took this beer into the upper echelons of craft beer flavors. In the past year when I first reviewed this beer, I made it a top 10 favorite. Well, now it just butted its face into the territory of my top favorite beers in the world. It is butting heads with St. Bernardus, Trois Pistoles, Chocolate Rain, Black Tuesday and Grey Monday. For a beer to meet such a rich completion is just too good to be true. The beer envelops the taste buds with with strong complex flavors of Dulce de leche caramel, pecan pie, hazel nut honey, walnuts, capirotada, vanilla ice cream, waffle cone, Irish cream, bananas, coconut, oak wood, butterscotch, bourbon, cherries, dark fruits like raisins, plums, blue and black berries, wine grapes, port wine, champagne flavors like apples, peaches, pears and some graham crackers and marshmallows. The only thing missing is chocolate although I could have swore some notes in there… maybe … maybe not. But then it would be a Belgian Stout aged in Bourb-… oh wait…lol. The beer is quite heavy in flavor and the alcohol can only be savored with the rest of the flavors and not diminish from the other rich flavors. A mind blowing experience!! Well at least for me. Way better than last years review. Well played Weyerbacher, well played…..

2012 Review:
Rating: 5/5

Blasphemy!!!! is what they will be saying…Blasphemy!!!. How could you drink, Weyerbacher’s 11.8% ABV Quadruple ale!! is what they will say. Yes you will be expelled from the rights to eternal salvation…yes you will be kicked out of society…yes you will be disowned and abandoned….but never fear…maybe this time you can make your mind straight and pursue something you really want out of life. No one should lay and die…life is about giving it your all!!

This is what I thought at first try. I didn’t even know this was gonna be like this. I am a major fan of Quadruple fermented ales. This one adds to one of my easy favorites. How did this happen you say? Well, it happened at the first sip. I got a ton of bourbon, whiskey caramel angel share like flavor along with a pecan pie. Yes a PECAN Pie. Adding vanilla, caramel, raisins, bananas, cherries and other dark breads, fruit and other complexities…… WOW….I have had many good beers that I am super thrilled about but this one just waltz into my cathedral of top ten beers, took a drunken piss all over…made me clean it…and said …”I’m the new fucken beer in these parts”. How could I say no…DAMN Little bitch!!!.. (Remembers the Raven’s Nevermore of Edgar Allan Poe). Let me just say one thing about this beer, aside from tasting like pecans and pecan pie with sweet dark fruits, The devil really is in the details. The 11.8% ABV is masked way too well. Like there is no burn or bitterness to it. How could this be from a beer that is not well known? Sorry to those that do not understand extremely good beer….Our taste may differ, but while one drinks to justify his social habits …another works in the arts of taste, art and experience….and social…depending if I see the same point of view ofcourse. My Belgian Beer Brethren will not be disappointed by this one. Whether the alcohol, the devil or the beer talking, whether Blasphemous or not…I have to tell you…this one beer is supreme!!

Migdal Bavel (AKA Tower of Babel) collaboration by Stillwater Artisanal and Extraomnes

February 20, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Babel, banana bread, Collaboration beers, Extraomnes, Farmhouse Ale, Fate Night, Fate Stay Night, Floral, herbs and spices, Italian Saison, Migdal Bavel, myrrh, Rider, Saison, Saisons, Servant Rider, Stillwater, Stillwater Artisanal, szechuan peppercorns, Tower of Babel, Tower of Babil, wine grapes | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Migdal Bavel (AKA Tower of Babel) collaboration by Stillwater Artisanal and Extraomnes is a 6.66%ABV Italian Saison made with Myrrh an Szechuan Peppercorns.

Description:
a crisp blond farmhouse ale brewed with Myrrh & Szechuan Peppercorns.
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Been looking all over the place for this one. Took almost half a year for me to find to so reviewing this one was gonna be such an awesome task. Aside from the eerie 6.66%ABV, this beer has some mysterious aromas and flavors. The aromas start off herbal, floral and spicy. Fragrances of bread notes, flowers, mango, peppercorns, citrus, grapefruit, oak wood, pears and pineapple. The taste is very rich in herbs, spices and funky wild yeast. Flavors can gather are of citrus orange, slight pineapple, lemon, herbs, flowers, honey, vanilla, peppercorns, a bit of wine grapes, banana bread, bubble gum, pears, mushrooms, basil, coriander and spices. The after taste leaves with some nice grassy and spice bitterness which still complemented by flowery sweetness. I am unsure as to how Myrrh taste but possibly the little bit of herbal and spicy bitterness maybe a result. Either way, another awesome saison and an awesome collaboration. Saison and Farmhouse ale fans will enjoy this one 😛

Fillmore Fusion by Lagunitas Brewing

February 20, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 100th Anniversary, ADHA 483, American Pale Ale, exotic fruits, Experimental hops, Fairy Tale, Fillmore Fusion, Gummy bears, herbs and spices, Juvia, Krystal, Krystal Fox, Lagunitas, Lagunitas Brewing, San Francisco, Star Fox, tropical fruit flavors, west coast california | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Fillmore Fusion by Lagunitas Brewing is a 5%ABV American Pale Ale

Description:
Brewed to honor the 100th Anniversary of the building housing the historic Fillmore Theater in San Francisco. The resulting 5% ABV beer utilizes a new, experimental hop called ADHA 483.
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Upon opening this beer, I knew something was quite different about this beer. This was in a good way of course. The hoppy fragrance is quite different adding like an exotic fruit character like a lychee, kumquat, dragon fruit or persimmon like aroma. Some of the grassy and pine notes are subtle and give way through some more tropical fruit flavors such as the grapefruit, mango, oranges, tangerines, caramel, cherries, and like a gummy bear sweetness. The Flavors are awesome. Starts off with typical west coast California grassy, piney and grapefruit hops followed by those exotic fruits like a persimmon, dragon fruit, lychee or kumquat. We also come a nice tangerine, orange, lemon, mango, papaya, pear, slight cherry, apple, herbs and spices. A very crisp and sweet Pale Ale. Refreshing as well. Definitely a summer type of beer with some very interesting flavors. A must try.

Naughty Girl Blonde India Pale Ale collaboration between New Albanian, De Struise and Louisville Beer Store

February 20, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged banana mango, belgian beers, Belgian IPA, Belgium, blonde ale, De Struise, india pale ale, Louisville Beer Store, Mermaid, Naughty Girl, New Albanian, premium pils | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

Naughty Girl Blonde India Pale Ale collaboration between New Albanian, De Struise and Louisville Beer Store is 6%ABV Belgian IPA.

Label:
It started out as a Belgo-American menage a trois, but then the brewers arrived and transformed the trans-oceanic affair into a beery lover pentangle. The collaborative minds at Louisville Beer Store, De Struise Brouwers and New Albanian Brewing Company offer this, a willfully disobedient Blonde India Pale Ale with a hop on her shoulder.
Malts: Rahr 2-Row, Rahr Premium Pils, Castle (Belgian) Aromatic, CaraPils
Hops: Cascade, Galena, Golding, Cascade for warm dry-hopping
Yeast: De Struise House Ale
OG 14.4 degrees plato
IBU: 69
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Naughty girl sounds like an awesome name for a beer. Blonde Ale, Sweet and Bitter. Aromas of this beer are of light bready notes, banana, mango, herbs, peppercorns, some underlying grassy hops, grapefruit and orange. The flavors are more grassy and hoppy bitter up front. The sweet bread, biscuit, wheat, honey, peppercorns, banana, pears, apples, light apricot, grapefruit and citrus comes alittle bit afterward. There is some spicy herbal almost agave like notes in there as well. Pretty nice. Some of the sweetness I get is reminiscent of the De Struise yeast while the hop profile is that which I remember from New Albanian Electoral Ale. I have had some more world class Belgian IPAs but this one is good for those who like a refreshing experience as well. Not just a lot of full bodied type of beer but medium to light type which provides a good amount of flavor while still keeping it crisp and refreshing. Belgian IPA lovers may like this one

Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout by New Belgium

February 19, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged chocolate coffee, chocolate shake, coffee chocolate, dark chocolate, delicious aroma, Full Metal Daemon, Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout, Imperial Stout, Muramasa, new belgium, roasted coffee, Sandaime Muramasa | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout by New Belgium is a 9% ABV Imperial Stout with Coffee and Chocolate added.

Label:
Serving up cold and jet black, this imperial stout should be taken seriously for about one minute as the dark foam builds. Then, enjoy its velvety chocolate-covered smoothness and delicious aroma of sustainably-grown, locally-roasted coffee.
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The aromas of this beer are typical of dark chocolate and roasted coffee, with fragrances of cappuccino, caramel, whipped Irish cream, light sugars and vanilla. The flavors are of strong roasted coffee, with caramel, dark chocolate, frappuccino, vanilla, whipped cream, almost milk chocolate shake like, some bitter earthy hops, and cinnamon. This beer is similar to a milk stout but more bitter, especially in the after taste. Although it doesn’t feel like some of the other full bodied stouts. As far as coffee goes, this has it down pretty solid. Like drinking coffee with very little sugar. Very good and definitely a recommended beer to try 🙂

John John Rum Aged Hazelnut by Rogue Brewing

February 19, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Brown ale, dark fruits, English Brown ale, Hazelnut Nectar, Hazelnut Spiced Rum, Hazelnuts, John John Hazelnut, John John Rum Aged Hazelnut, Rogue, rogue brewing, Rum Aged Hazelnut, Rum Barrels, sour flavors, Spiced rum, wine grapes | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

John John Rum Aged Hazelnut by Rogue Brewing is a 5.6% ABV Hazelnut Nectar Brown Ale aged in Hazelnut Spiced Rum Barrel

Label:
A nutty twist to a traditional European Brown Ale. Dark brown in color with a hazelnut aroma, a rich nutty flavor and a smooth malty finish.

12 Ingredients:
Great Western 2-Row Brown, Carastan 13/17, Crystal 70/80, Crystal 135/165, Beeston Pale Chocolate & Rogue Micro Barley Farm Dare™ malts; Rogue Micro Hopyard Independence & Revolution Hops;
Hazelnut Extract, Free Range Coastal Water & Pacman Yeast.

Specs:
19º PLATO
33 IBU
73.6 AA
36º Lovibond
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I am a big fan of the Hazelnut Brown Nectar, so to find that they made a Rum aged version is simply awesome. The aroma of this version is of pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, dark fruits like a wine grapes, rum, almost like a coca cola, molasses, brown sugar, slight sour grapes, prunes, biscuit bread and caramel, cinnamon, oak and other spices. The taste is of sour grapes, prunes, rum, coconut, some hazelnut, cranberries, vanilla caramel, biscuit bread, pecans, cinnamon, oak, earthy hops, lemon and spices. The aftertaste is a mix of sweet and some sour flavors. At first it was mostly sour but then the beer got better as I went along adding more spicy and sweeter hazelnut and berry notes. An interesting beer for sure, but I still liked the original much better. This version takes it into interesting places of flavor but just not where I thought it would. The beer is not bad, in fact its very good but not sure if it was because of the low ABV but sometimes with Barrel Aging beer, it takes beers into planes of higher complexity. This did it but only into the “light” type of complexity. Still, if you like Hazelnut Nectar, you may like this one.

Plum Riot by Bootlegger’s Brewery

February 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian beer, belgian beers, Belgium, Bleach, Bootlegger’s Brewery, dark fruits, Dubbel, Hollow, Inoue, Inoue Orihime, Orihime, plum flavors, Plum riot, Plums, Rock Candy, wine grapes | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Plum Riot by Bootlegger’s Brewery is a 7.8%ABV Belgian Dubbel brewed with plums and rock candy. Dubbel is an Belgian beer style that uses a double fermentation process.

Label:
For too long the plum has played second fiddle to more prestigious fruits. Biding their time in angry passage, the raging plum flavors have been plotting an uprising for centuries. The time and place for such a revolt is now. With the release of the cork, the first wave of plum flavors will attack your nose leaving nothing but the mark of their sweet and tart aromas. As this effervescent beer enters your mouth, the second wave strikes as the plum notes pummel and pillage your taste buds, surrounding them with an assault of flavor that demands respect. The age of the plum has finally arrived!
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Aromas are of sugar cane roots, plum, pears, apples, cinnamon, apple pie, peach cobbler, wine grapes, piloncillo sugar cone and dulce de leche caramel. The flavors are of plums, pears, slight pineapple, dulce de leche bread, vanilla creme, apple pie, peach cobbler, piloncillo sugar cone, unrefined sugar, raisins, dark berries, cherries, and figs. In a sense it is mainly a sugary plum beer. It is quite nice and Belgian like mainly focusing on fruit sweetness. While it doesn’t bleed more bready flavors and focuses more on dark fruits and sugar as well as some pie crust. Even so, it is still a nice beer if you are into sweet tasting beers. Which I sure as hell am so this is very delicious for me.

Alaskan Imperial Red by Alaskan Brewing

February 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Alaskan Brewing, Alaskan Imperial Red, Amber Ale, chocolate biscuit, fruit flavors, hop flavors, Imperial Amber Ale, Limited Edition, Pilot Series, Red Ale, Tenchi Muyo, Tokimi, tropical flavors, Tsunami, Washu, Washuu | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Alaskan Imperial Red is Alaskan Brewing Limited Edition Pilot Series Imperial Red Ale at 8.5% ABV.

Description:
A full-bodied deep mahogany ale with ruby red highlights. Citrus notes of chamomile, grapefruit and Meyer lemon brighten the aroma. A zesty array of hop flavors from mango and bitter orange to green mint and hibiscus meld with the nutty, roasted caramel and subtle dried fruit flavors of the complex malt profile to create a surprisingly fresh, yet warming example of the style.
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Aromas are of sweet caramel, rich grassy, piney and grapefruit hops, biscuit bread, peach, mango, pineapple, cherry juice and almond. The taste is truly where this beer outshines the aroma. The flavors are of Toffee, caramel, grapefruit, mango, citrus, cherries, honey biscuit bread, grassy and piney hops, chocolate, biscuit, tropical flavors like pineapple, peaches and melon as well as some nutty pecan and almond notes near the end. The aftertaste continues on with like a barleywine or cherry rye bread with only some minor bitterness that does not linger for too long and stays constantly sweet . The great thing about this beer is that it plays very strong in terms of the sweet and bitter flavors but combining both to make a very nice balance. So much balance and great flavor that each side compliments each other rather than detract. You get strong sweet and your tropical hoppy bitterness as well. Amber ales are usually not my style but ambers like these sure as hell make me rethink the style as more to them than what others may see them as. Amber lovers will love this one.

Ovila Abbey Quad with Plums collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the Monks of the New Clairvaux Monastery

February 15, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged beer features, belgian beers, Belgian Quad, Belgium, belgium beers, cherry vanilla, chocolate raisins, Monk Beer, New Clairvaux Monastery, Ovila Abbey quad, Ovila Abbey quad with Plums, Ovila Quad, plum sauce, Quad, Quadrupel, Sierra Nevada, Sugar Plums | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Ovila Abbey Quad with Plums collaboration between Sierra Nevada and the Monks of the New Clairvaux Monastery is a 10.2%ABV Belgian Abbey Quad brewed with Sugar Plums.

Label:
Ovila Abbey Quad with plums is heady with aromas of caramel, rich malt, and dark fruit-balanced by the spiciness and delicate fruity notes of a traditional Belgian yeast. This beer features sugar plums grown on the grounds of the Abbey, and harvested by the monks in Vina. We hope you enjoy this collaboration ale.
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Ahh just like my favorite style but with stronger dark fruits. The fragrances includes lots of sweet Plums, raisins, prunes, cherry, vanilla, candi sugar, dulce de leche caramel bread, capirotada, banana and pecans. The flavors are of plums, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, bread, chocolate, raisins, plum sauce, prunes, cherries, bananas, candi sugars, Belgian yeast, capirotada with plums and raisins, molasses, clove and coriander spice, nutmeg, pecans and minor port wine. The after taste taste dry but plum fruity. The regular quad was more focused on the overall Trappist balance. While this is really nice and awesomely good, it still was more plum driven than the original Ovila quad. Not a bad thing at all but I enjoy the more caramel like Ovila quad. This is still pretty epic and up there with the dark fruit concentrated types. Belgian beer lovers get this one. Surely a must try and a must pick up again 😛

I go into depth about the New Clairvaux Monastery in my original review:https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/ovila-quad-by-sierra-nevada/

My Bloody Valentine Ale, cousin of Evil Dead Red by Ale Smith

February 14, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Ale Smith, Ale Smith brewing, Amber Ale, amber ales, Balanced Beers, Blood Red, Bloody Red Ale, cherries, Cherry Red Ale, Dark Cherries, Disgaea, Etna, Evil Dead Red, halloween brew, Happy Valentine's Day, IPA, my bloody valentine, My Bloody Valentine Ale Smith, Red Ale, Valentine's Day, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

My Bloody Valentine Ale, cousin of Evil Dead Red by Ale Smith is a 6.66%ABV Amber/Red Ale. First time for this one :P. Truly a beer for the occasion. To share with your loved ones 😉

Label:
Don’t spend this single awareness day alone – grab a beer! The red-blooded cousin of Evil Dead Red Ale, our Halloween brew, is beautiful crimson color. Notes of caramel, toast, and bittersweet chocolate balance an intense bouquet of floral hop aromas that we know you’ll fall in love with. The finish leaves a pleasant, full-boded sweetness on the palate that won’t spread angry rumors about you to all you friends like that one time when I was… ohh… umm… Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pair this beer with jilted lovers, reservations for one, or your favorite emo album.”
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Upon opening this beer, well they sure as hell were not kidding. This is like an IPA fragrance with an Amber Ale body. Fragrances of rich grapefruit, citrus, piney, grassy hops, cherries, rye, blood >:[, peanuts, caramel, biscuit bread, pineapple, basil, herbs and spices, Valentine’s sugar candies and cinnamon. Flavors explode of crimson tart and sweet cherries, caramel, toffee, balance grassy and piney hops, citrus orange, mango, apricot, valentine’s candy, rye, cranberry, blood red tart raspberries, biscuit bread, chocolate, strong tropical fruits, peanuts and walnuts. The after taste stays with you with a balance of cherry sweetness mixing with with hoppy bitterness. Damn, quite the surprising Amber Ale. Extremely delicious, extremely balanced and extremely flavorful. A true amber among ambers. It is through and through one of the best damn Amber ales I have ever had. That is saying a lot considering it is like my 5th or 6th favorite style of beer. If Evil dead Red is at the top for Halloween World class beers, it is surely not a surprise why this is just freaking awesome!! Truly a love beer :3

Folklore by Stillwater Artisanal (2013)

February 14, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged bakers chocolate, Belgian Stout, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Black Saison, Champurrado, chocolate coffee, Dancing Fool, Dancing Mad, Dark Cherries, Evil Beer, Farmhouse Ale, Folklore, Good Beer, Good vs. Evil, hop bitterness, Macabre, Mythic Tradition Ale, myths and legends, Naruto, Rauchbier, Sillwater Artisanal, Smoked Ale, Stillwater Artisanal Folklore, Tayuya | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Folklore by Stillwater Artisanal is an 8.4%ABV Belgian Strong Dark Mythic Tradition Ale. This is the second time I try this brew and yes… the beer is quite legendary. A favorite of mine from the Stillwater Artisanal line.

Label:

Human history is filled with myths and legends that shape and define our culture. Rituals, celebrations, gatherings.. whatever. One thing that’s for sure, is we enjoy a proper shindig. So let’s get the stories flowing and share a little ’Folklore’. A bracingly deep ale, built dark and rich with an elegantly lean body, accompanied by heady aromas of Belgian yeast, earthy hops and gently kissed by a wisp of smoke.

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There is a good amount of smoke and roasted notes in the fragrance. Chocolate, sweet bread, grapes, raisins, cherry, caramel, champurrado, port wine, floral spices and peppercorns. The flavors are of a dark saison leaning toward Belgian Chocolate Stout. Mocha Coffee, dark and bakers chocolate, dark cherries, raisins, caramel dulce de leche bread, earthy hop bitterness, port wine, champurrado and a glaze of honey smoke. The aftertaste is left with lingering bread, plum and chocolate sweetness. Simply fantastic. A Rauch Black Saison/ Belgian Sweet Chocolate Stout hybrid. Evil looking, almost macabre and so good for the taste.. and the soul..
2012 Review:
Have you ever wondered if there was an ale out there that people talk about it in myths in legends? Well maybe not beer. More like actual historical and cultural myths and legends. Folklore Mythic Tradition Ale by Stillwater Artisanal (gypsy/gangster) brewer for me is such a beer. Well mainly because I have been looking for this beer for a while. LOL but seriously, the ale is a respective tribute to the human history and how with the myths and legends that people tell define what people cultures are. Whether it be through traditions of rituals, gatherings or any form of celebration within the cultures, one thing for sure is, it is about being social and sharing stories. This brew has both good and evil written all over. It is what is awesome about the our cultures that we have both elements to bring about awareness as well as a guide as to how lead ones life through decisions. Tribute to this super fine ale. This is a Belgian yeast beer with earth hops, roasted malts and smokey oak flavor. Chocolate, cherry, plum and caramel bread overwhelms the palette with minor pine bitterness that lingers after. This ale drinks like a stout but it is not heavy like a stout. It flows well. There also seems to be some floral notes in here as well. There is also a bit of sourness too it that stays after but then is immediately replace with sweet and bitterness after every sip. Wish they would sell more Stillwater Ales here in California. Beer aside, the art is very detailed and well rich. This bottle, like the Stateside Saison or any of the other Stillwater beers is worth collecting on its own. An awesome find, legendary and mythical at that because if you ever find it, then you know the story of this ale was true >:)

Whiskey Barrel Aged Amber by Indian Wells

February 6, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Amber Ale, cereal grains, imperial amber, imperial red, Indian Wells, kentucky whiskey, Whiskey Barrel Aged Amber, whiskey barrels | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Whiskey Barrel Aged Amber by Indian Wells is a 12% ABV Imperial Red/Amber Ale Aged in Whiskey Barrels. First Barrel Aged Amber I have ever tried.

Label:
As a young boy in the 1940’s, Cliff Fyffe used to Contemplate the old, broken whiskey barrels in the Evan Williams Distillery Yard. He noticed the barrels were sweating out the aged Kentucky whiskey in the summer heat. The whiskey would pool in the barrels in amazing quantity. Cliff shared this memory with the Indian Wells Brewing Co. founders, Rick and Greg, who suddenly had an inspiriation! They reached out and contacted Evan Williams Distillery directly and ordered a dozen, 55 gallon, used oak barrels that had held their flagship whiskey for two years.

Indian Wells Brewing Co. then left these barrels in the direct Mojave Desert sun until the whiskey sweated out. When the barrels were ready, they brewed a special ’amber’ style lager by using their own natural artesian spring water, filling the whiskey barrels and allowing them to lager down to 34-degrees for months. Our own delicious whiskey barrel aged amber lager. It pairs well with BBQ and is just great for sipping.

We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Cheers, Rick and Greg
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Got this one at Emilio’s Beverage warehouse in Lakewood CA. Never really tried a barrel aged amber before so I figure why not. The aromas are of Vanilla, coconut, bourbon, caramel, banana, cherries, maple, oak, walnuts and pecans. The taste of the beer are of Caramel, vanilla, bourbon, peanuts, pecans, cherries, whiskey, marshmallows, apples, apricots and cereal grains. Not the best Barrel Aged beer out there, but definitely a little better than some of the other ambers I have tried. The flavors are not super intense. The whiskey and alcohol are more noticeable in the aftertaste than other beers. Although the burning is not there. While the amber style is not my supreme favorite, I really think this one is definitely worth a try. Barrel Aged beers just add more to a regular beer. However, some may not agree. In this case, for me it was above average. I must have got the good bottle 😛

Hoegaarden Original Belgian Wheat Beer by Brouwerij van Hoegaarden

February 6, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged belgian beers, Belgian White, Brouwerij van Hoegaarden, Coriander, Hoegaarden, Hoegaarden Original Belgian White Ale, orange peel, oranges lemons, pineapple juice, wheat beer, wheat bread, Wit Blanche, Witbier | Leave a comment

Rating: 3.9/5

Hoegaarden Original Belgian Wheat Beer by Brouwerij van Hoegaarden is a 4.9% ABV Witbier

Label:
Unfiltered, naturally cloudy. A delicious and surprising refreshing taste, naturally cloudy and brewed using a unique recipe of wheat, malted barley and a subtle hint of coriander and orange peel
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Aromas of lemon, hops, orange peel, coriander spice, wheat bread, honey, banana, cloves, peppercorn, flowers and biscuits. The taste is of light coriander and clove spices, light Belgian wheat bread, oranges, lemons, honey, peppercorns, some grassy hops but with minor bitterness, bananas, pears and pineapple juice notes, The biggest thing about this beer is that is is quite refreshing. Belgian flavors that come not so overwhelming but enough to be pleasant, easy to drink and is low in ABV. While not the greatest of Belgian beers, still above average from normal beers, easier to find in some cases and definitely one to get for the summer. Very good beer to check out 🙂

Noir De Dottignies by Brouwerij De Ranke

January 29, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged barley malt, Beers of Belgium, belgian beers, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij De Ranke, De Ranke, Juri Han, Noir De Dottignies, raisin bread pudding, Rare Beers, Street Fighter, weekend obsession, West Flanders | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

Noir De Dottignies by Brouwerij De Ranke is a 9% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale. A pretty rare beer made in a Belgian Brewery that is in West Flanders known of some of the many that do not export or hardly export their products. This beer is known to be heavily hopped.

Label:
Bottle: Unfiltered.
Ingredients: Water; Barley malt; Hops; Candi-sugar; Yeast.
The heaviest ale on our menu with a very rich taste, coming from the six different kinds of malt we use. These malts also give it that rich, dark, nearly black colour. The royal doses of Challenger and Saaz hops bring the typical balance between sweet and bitter.

The De Rank brewery was founded by two good friends; Nino Bacelle & Guido Devose. Their story is a classic in Belgium, where the very best craft brewing usually begins as a passionately pursued hobby, not an occupation. For Nino and Guido, brewing is literally a weekend obsession. For a few hours on Friday and Saturday, every week, the marvelous turn-of-the-century Deca Brewery in West Flanders is turned over to the De Ranke brewers, who make small batches of what many consider the best specialty beers of Belgium. Their beers are robust and flavorful, and famous for their massive hoppiness.
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The aromas are of raisins, cherries, figs, slight chocolate and coffee, slight rum, bread pudding, caramel, molasses, anise and spices. The flavors are of mocha, dulce de leche caramel, candi sugar, raisins, cherries, raspberry pomegranate , earthy notes, slight grassy and grapefruit hops, molasses, anise, raisin bread pudding, walnuts, baker’s chocolate and rum. This beer almost reminds me of the Decadence quad but with more earthy hop bitterness. It is an awesome and must try beer. Although the hops may come overwhelmingly at times yet it still does not detract how interesting it is.

Bellerose Bière Blonde Extra by Brasserie Des Sources

January 29, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Beer Hybrid, Belgian IPA, Belgian Yeast, Bellerose, Bellerose Bière Blonde Extra, Bière Blonde Extra, Biere de Garde, Brasserie Des Sources, c est magnifique, distinctive aromas, French Beer, French Beers, Golden Ale, Golden Pale Bière de Garde, Ino, lemon vanilla, lemon zest, Naruto, Yamanaka ino | 3 Comments

Rating: 5/5

Bellerose Bière Blonde Extra by Brasserie Des Sources is a 6.5%ABV Golden Pale Bière de Garde

Label:
Bellerose is a Top fermented beer made with 3 hops from 3 different continents by Brasseries Des Sources(Brewery of the Springs). A mix between French “bière de Garde” and IPA with distinctive aromas of citrus & litchi with a hoppy but refreshing aftertaste ! After less than one year of brewing, this beer have won three medals in prestigious beer Competition and was elected as the “Best Ale over 5% in the UK” at the International Beer Challenge of London 2011 !
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According to the research, this beer is a Belgian IPA / French Biere de Garde Hybrid. Fragrances of this beer are of champagne, apples, lemon zest, citrus, biscuit bread, vanilla, flowers, pineapple, banana esters, hibiscus, lavender, french bread, cheese and slight grassy hop aromas. The flavors are of honey, citrus, lemon, vanilla, biscuit bread, Belgian yeast phenols, French Bread, apples, pears, banana, lychee fruit, pine apple, champagne, berries, peppercorns, chamomile (Manzanilla), roses, and pine. The after taste has some minor grassy and hoppy bitterness with honey sweetness that lingers. Never thought I would see a light bodied beer be so flavorful and yet so refreshing and easy to drink. For being an ale that is closest to a lager, this one is definitely delicious. Almost in the lines of a Tripel but without the over powering full body and easier to drink. Very hard to find but very delicious. If you can find it, get it and try it. C’est Magnifique!

Smoke Lager by Surly Brewing

January 28, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Baltic Porter, chocolate biscuit, lager brewed, malt flavors, Smoke Lager, smoked beers, Surly Brewing, toasted oats | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Smoke Lager by Surly Brewing is an 8.2% Baltic Porter. This is not an ale, it is cold brewed like other lagers. Yet… it is strong.

Label:
Ebony-hued, Smoke wafts out of the bottle and into your senses, borne on the wings of European traditions, wrapped in American innovation. Lager-brewed, like any true Baltic Porter, with smoked malts from Bamberg, Germany, the home of Rauchbiers, then mellowed by oak-aging. Black malt flavors mesh with notes of raisins, plums, figs and licorice with the subtle smoke on the side, for a complex and luxurious, yet silky smooth drinking experience. It’s a sipper at Alc. 8.2% by VOL., but everyone knows you can’t have Smoke without fire!
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Limited release from Surly brewing. Some of their stuff, like 3 Floyds is hard to find so to get something like this is really nice. The smell of this beer was of a nice roasted coffee, cloves, anise, bacon, banana, slight bitter dark chocolate, smoke campfire, cherry oak, toffee and vanilla. The flavors are really nice despite being a Rauchbier. Smoked Honey Glazed Pineapple ham, beef jerky almost, raisins, cherry, caramel, smokey campfire, oak, vanilla, toasted oats, dark chocolate, biscuit bread, figs, licorice, toffee and burnt sugar. This beer is almost like the took a porter, a German bock and a rauchbier and fused them together. Sweetness and smokiness combine to create a smoked beer that is quite unique from others I have had. LOL except maybe “Smoking wood” from The Bruery but that is another story in itself as that one is bourbon aged, higher ABV and more complex. I am surprised this one called a lager. Then again, lager brewing is done in colder temperatures where the flavors can be alittle bit more controlled. Regardless… Awesome job on this beer. Definitely recommended for even those that don’t like smoked beers.

Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat by Jacob Leinenkugel brewing

January 25, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Wheat Ale, Belgian White, Fruit Pebbles Cereal, Fruity Pebbles, Fruity Pebbles Beer, Jacob Leinenkugel, Leinenkugel, Leinenkugel's, raspberry wheat, Sunset Wheat, unfiltered wheat, unset, wheat ale, wheat cereal, Witbier | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat by Jacob Leinenkugel brewing is a 4.9% Witbier (Belgian Style Wheat Ale)

Description:
If you’ve ever experienced a Northwoods sunset, you know it’s a moment unlike any other. So instead of putting it into words, we captured the Northwoods’ finest moment in every batch of our all-new Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat. Brewed with malted wheat, Cluster hops and natural coriander, Sunset Wheat has a soothing taste that will leave you speechless. It’s like your very own sunset in a bottle.
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I’ve tried this beer several times and every time I try it it reminds me of one thing… Fruity Pebbles cereal. The fragrance is simply fruit pebbles. Citrus, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, coriander, wheat cereal and flowers somewhat. The flavors are of ….you guessed it.. fruity pebbles cereal. Some light flavors of lemon, orange, blueberry, grape, cherry, raspberry, wheat bread, coriander spice and grain cereal. There is this tiny off putting fruity alcohol in the after taste but it doesn’t detract too much from the cereal and fruity pebbles. A pretty good beer to try if you are into sweet fruit beers or just fruity pebbles in general. Crisp and refreshing for like a summer type of beer.

2011 Review:
All I have to say about this beer is…FRUITY PEBBLES IN A BOTTLE!!. The extra sweetness of the beer and flavor complexity make the unfiltered wheat and coriander taste just like fruity pebbles. A must try !!