Who You Callin’ Wussie by Arrogant brewing

August 18, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged arrogant bastard, Arrogant brewing, German Pilsner, Jinie Kwon, king of beers, Manhwa, The Breaker, The Breaker: New Waves, Who You Callin' Wussie | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

Who You Callin’ Wussie by Arrogant brewing is a 5.8% German Pilsner.

Label:
It’s time a pilsner got arrogant

==Introduction==

Stone released their Arrogant Bastard on to the world where it travelled and was brewed by many breweries. After the travels, this year, Stone opened a brewery under the Arrogant Bastard brand and one of their initial releases was this pilsner. Essentially, it is a bitter hopped up version of a clean and refreshing pilsner. I figured it would be a great way to commemorate their new brewery with the review of this new canned release. This will sell in many places that sell Arrogant Bastard already. Let’s check it out, cheers!

Aromas:
Floral, herbal and grassy hops, lemon zest, citrus, biscuit bread, tropical fruit hints, lemon peel, stone fruit hints, and vanilla hints.

Flavors:
Citrus, cane sugar hints, crackers, Pilsner malt, biscuit bread, tropical fruit kiwi, mango hints, passion fruit hints. Honey dew melon hints, lemon zest, lemon peel, grape hints, pears, stone fruit peach hints, honey, vanilla, lemon candy hints, floral, herbal, grassy and piney hops.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with clean and dry with very mild citrus, tropical fruit hints and grapefruit hops on the back end. No alcohol in the taste, Pale hay colored clear body, crisp, clean and refreshing mouth feel and easy to drink.

Overall:
Very good and hoppy pilsner. Super clean and very delicious. While I think it is not as tongue ruining as the Arrogant Bastard or an IPA, this is awesome as it still maintains its style as being a pilsner. A definite recommendation for those that love a true summer/lawnmower beer to quench those hot days. Especially since it’s made from the true King of Beers brand, the Arrogant Bastard!!

Anime Corner:
Jinie Kwon from The Breaker: New Waves manhwa was used in this pairing as I have wanted to do a pairing with her for a very long time. Especially since I had finished the manhwa. She pairs well with this beer since she has the fiery red hair which are the colors of the Arrogant Bastard. While not too arrogant like this beer, she is very rebellious and a master of martial arts. No doubt she felt the part as she is no Wussie!!!

Sources:
http://pre08.deviantart.net/44aa/th/pre/f/2015/192/b/f/breaking_through_the_night_by_chocobo974-d90vje4.jpg
http://s1.narvii.com/image/i6h7aylsbehc5wlksvml7t3yjfrv5cjz_hq.jpg

(Double Review) 2016 Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout (4.0) and 2015 Farking Wheaton W00tstout (3.0) (1year aged)

August 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 2015 W00tStout, 2016 w00tstout, abuelita chocolate, Aisha Tyler, arrogant bastard, Asuka, Asuka Langley Shikinami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Asuka Shikinami Soryu, beer collaboration, beer geeks, Beer Hybrid, bourbon, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Bourbon Barrel Stout, bourbon barrels, caramel pecan pie, chocolate pecan pie, collaboration, Collaboration Beer, Collaboration beers, dark chocolate, Drew Curtis, Evangelion, Fark.com, flan, Geek Beer, Greg Koch, Hop Heads, Imperial Stout, Mari, Mari Illustrious Makinami, mocha coffee, Neon Genesis Evangelion, pecan pie, quadruple, Rei, Rei Ayanami, rye bread, rye toast, sci fi, star trek the next generation, Star Wars, Star Wars beer, Starwars, Stone, Stone Beers, Stone Brewing, stone brewing co, Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout, Stone Ground Chocolate, Toasted Coconut, toasted pecans, toasted rye bread, w00tstout 2.0, w00tstout 3.0, w00tstout 4.0, wheat, Wil Wheaton | 1 Comment

Another year has come to the release of the awesome and ultimate Beer Geek Beer, the W00tstout. This beer has been a beer I always look forward to every year in which I compare the previous year to the current release. While I really love this one, I am not sure how long I will keep doing these double reviews but one thing is for sure, I will be doing a special review when I end up brewing the recipe myself. I actually got a hold of the recipe and may create my own version of W00stout. Anyways, I have last year’s version which is the 2.0 combined with the 1.0 recipe. This year’s version is a take back to the first recipe, the W00tstout 1.0 which is released as 4.0. These beers are readily available for a limited time. So let’s take a look at the newest release and see how it stands to the previous year. Cheers!

====2016 Farking Wheaton W00tStout

2016 Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout 4.0 (4th year release) collaboration is a 13% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with rye, pecans, wheat, hops, awesome (beer + sci-fi) *geek ideologies with a 1/4 of it aged in bourbon barrels.

Label:
Has it been three years since we introduced the world to w00tStout? about a dozen years ago, I had the pleasure of getting to know Wil Wheaton when he reached out as a fan of our beers. Over the years, we kept plotting to brew a beer, and it finally came together in 2013. We brought mutual friend Drew Curtis (founder of fark.com) aboard to round out a three-way collaboration. The imperial stout you’re holding contains wheat (Wil pretty much insisted and we paid tribute to Drew’s Kentucky roots by adding pecans to the mix and partially aging the beer in bourbon barrels. The result? Nothing short of serendipitous. This is release No. 4 of our decadent staple of Hop-Con, our annual July celebration of all things geeky, and goes back to the original recipe and process we started with in 2013.

We were honored to work with Amanda Conner, who lent her illustrative talents for the creation of this year’s w00tstout art in exchange for our donation to The Hero Initiative (heroinitiative.org), a charity organization that provides retirement funds for golden-age comic book artists. She’s worked on countless comics and characters over the years, including Gargoyles, Vampirella, Power Girl, Silk Spectre, and Harley Quinn. She’s also co-creator of Gatecrasher and had her art recently featured on The Big Bang Theory. We also had the honor of working with her husband, Jimmy Palmiotti, who helped with the creative process. He’s known for so many things that you either know him or or a quick web search will give you far more insight than could fit on this bottle.

Cheers! Greg

“This beer ages well. Cellar yours and in the smuggling compartment of a Corellian YT-1300 light freighter-or suitable cool and dark space in space. Pull it out to share on Life day with family or friends, either at the feast table or under the Tree of Life.
GREG KOCH, Stone Brewing CEO & Co Founder

“For When you absolutely, positively, must go to the Dark Side, this is a good stand-in”
DREW CURTIS, Fark.com Creator & Patent Troll Killer

“Hokey marketing and ancient fizzy beers are no match for a good w00tstout by your side”
WIL WHEATON, Actor & Web Celeb

===
Aromas:
Dark Chocolate, Bananas, clove spice, Hazelnut, Dark fruits like raisins, prunes, figs, dates, dark cherries, port wine, toasted coconut, pecan pie, milk chocolate, Chocolate Mousse, vanilla, rye bread, butterscotch, toffee, brown sugar, licorice, mint, molasses, chocolate oatmeal raisin cookies, cinnamon hints, coconut hints, almond joy, old mango, mild stone fruit peach, pears, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel and Banana Sundae.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Mousse, German Chocolate, dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, dates, currants, dark cherries, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, bananas, clove spice, banana split ice cream, fig pudding, earthy notes, mint, toasted wheat bread, rye, old mango, mild stone fruit peach, pears, molasses, licorice, mocha, Kahlua liqueur, roasted coffee, vanilla, bourbon hints, dulce de leche caramel, butterscotch, chocolate oatmeal raisin cookies, cinnamon hints, coconut hints, almond joy, rocky road ice cream and mild sangria hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with chocolate, rye, vanilla, caramel, dark fruit, molasses, and toasted wheat with pecan and almond buttery hints. Mildly boozy taste but not detracting from the flavors, pitch black full body, syrupy, smooth, velvety and creamy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
The new edition is essentially the original. Supremely decadent and amazing as ever. While being mildly boozy, this one is one that is probably better aged but even as is, it never ceases to amaze me. With the rich dessert flavors of a Stout with quad notes and banana sundae goodness, it has inspired me to make it on my own. Not only for the ultimate beer geek and fan of Star Wars but for those that love strong dark stouts too. As every year, supremely and highly recommended.

======2015 Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout

2015 Stone Farking Wheaton W00tstout (3rd year release but now 1 year aged as of 2016) collaboration is a 13% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with rye, pecans, wheat, hops, awesome (beer + sci-fi) *geek ideologies with a 1/4 of it aged in bourbon barrels then blended with W00tstout 2.0 and all aged in bourbon barrels once again. W00t!

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

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

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

In celebration of the third brewing of this annual offering, we added to the mix a version of last year’s vintage that we aged in bourbon barrels for a year. Consider it a superhero version of this sudsy staple of Hop-Con, our imaginary titled annual July W00tstout release event!

Brought in to put a personalized stamp on this year’s edition of w00tstout was famed comic-book cover artist Dave “The Reverend” Johnson. The Elsner Award winner, known for his work for DC Comics and Vertigo series “100 Bullets.” created the fine art for this bottle in exchange for out donation to The Hero Initiative (heroinitiative.org), a charity organization that provides retirement funds for golden-age comic book artists.

======
Aromas:
Dark fruits of raisins, plums, figs, dates, cherries, currants, blackberries, blueberries, prunes, dark candy sugar, dulce de leche caramel, crème brulee, bourbon, pecan pie, almond joy, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, bananas, clove spice, brown sugar, whipped cream, crème brulee, bourbon, tobacco, leathery notes, bourbon soaked fruit cake, walnut pie, marzipan, sangria, cinnamon, ginger bread, rocky road ice cream, praline ice cream and mint chocolate chips.

Flavors:
Super Dark fruits of raisins, plums, figs, dates, cherries, currants, blackberries, blueberries, prunes, boysenberries, rich banana split on a boysenberry cobbler, hazelnut nectar, clove spice, toasted wheat bread, rye bread, dark candy sugar, dulce de leche caramel, crème brulee, bourbon, pecan pie, almond joy, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, Jamoca Ice cream, Praline ice cream, licorice, molasses, earthy notes, mint chocolate chip ice cream, oatmeal cookies, sweetened condensed milk, flan, cinnamon, brown sugar, whipped cream, crème brulee, bourbon, tobacco, leathery notes, fruit cake, port wine, sangria and marzipan.

Aftertaste:
Rich Dark fruit raisins, prunes, figs, currants, cheeries, bananas, port wine, sangria, caramel, vanilla, rocky road and milk chocolate, hints of bourbon and oak. No alcohol in the taste, Full body with a pitch black body, Syrupy, velvety, creamy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkablity.

Overall:
Awesome Dark fruit sauce! The Cuvee of 2.0 and 1.0 make for one beer that is essentially more dark fruit forward that it was when I first had it. I expected no less from this one but damn, there was just so much deliciousness I was not ready for. Belgian stout/quad and chocolate notes to the umpteenth power. The fact that the booze dissipated too also gave way to a much greater complexity. Just like I have done several times, saving a couple of bottles for aging is definitely worth it and I recommend you do the same.

Anime Corner:
Mari Illustrious, Rei Ayanami and Asuka Sohryu Langley/Shikinami from Neon Genesis Evangelion were used in this year’s pairing of 2016 W00tstout and 2015 W00tstout. Just like the last several year, I wanted to represent the 3 collaborators Wil Wheaton, Drew Curtis. Greg being Asuka from the original Mari being Wil and Drew is Rei. In this Star Wars version of the beer I wanted to pay tribute with some crossover Evangelion artwork where Shinji’ Ikari’s dad is the the Gargoyle. Yes the characters seem to be mixed around but they are still characters for the original brew pairings. It has been along time coming with these awesome Geek beers and hope more to come. Great Job and Cheers to all Sci-Fi, Anime and Beer fans out there!

Sources:
https://i.warosu.org/data/tg/img/0211/60/1350453426412.jpg
http://orig13.deviantart.net/11cf/f/2016/045/3/6/evangelion_wars_by_lord__opal-d9rr47t.jpg
https://k41.kn3.net/taringa/2/2/1/8/2/2/60/kairack/C41.jpg?6429
https://36.media.tumblr.com/44f806c1176f847e2742a37097620c30/tumblr_o05z4xmQUN1v39f3co1_1280.jpg

Rating: 6/6 2016 W00TSTOUT
Rating: 6.25/7 2015 W00TSTOUT

Lil Citra by Pipeworks Brewing

August 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Citra Hops, india pale ale, IPA, Koriand'r, Lil Citra, Pipeworks Brewing, Polly Esther, Pururun, Samurai Pizza Cats, Session IPA, Starfire, Teen titans | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.65/5

Lil Citra by Pipeworks Brewing is a 4.9% ABV Session India Pale Ale brewed with Citra Hops

Label:
None.

==Introduction==

When I first saw this can, I definitely wanted to bring it to the site. Pipeworks brewing has been brewing lots of awesome beers but have also been doing lots of great art work with their beers. So whenever I see something that catches my eye, I definitely want to bring it to the site. This brew while light, it packed full of citra hops. Let’s see what it has to offer.

Aromas:
Grapefruit, citrus, floral and grassy hops, Stone fruit peach, apricot, tropical fruit mango, prickly pear, papaya, dragon fruit, kiwi, passion fruit, lychee, kumquats, biscuit bread, tangerine gummies, orange peel, orange zest, lemon candy and starburst hints.

Flavors:
Lots of Oranges, orange zest, orange peel, tangerine, Grapefruit, floral and grassy hops, lychee, kumquats, tangerines, tropical fruit mango, prickly pear, papaya, dragon fruit, kiwi, passion fruit, biscuit bread, Stone fruit peach, apricot, crab apples, honey dew melon, starburst candy, tangerine gummies, lemon candy, strawberries, green tea ice cream and honey.

Aftertaste:
Finishing dry with lots of citrus and tropical fruit notes, herbal hops and stone fruit. No alcohol in the taste, Clear golden honey body, smooth, rich, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel along with being ridiculously easy to drink.

Overall:
A very delicious session IPA. Pungent Citrus juices with a mix of tropical medley from the Citra hop awesomeness. Not a lot of malt but as you drink a great deal of it, the hops and fruit flavors just seem to gush out but with the dry finish leaves you wanting more. It is definitely on the light side and people for a light beer palettes may like. A recommend if you can get this one.

Anime Corner:
Pururun/Polly Esther from Samurai Pizza Cats and Starfire/Koriand’r from Teen Titans were chosen in this beer pairing since I wanted to pair with the cat and the colors of the beer. The orange and greens pair with the flavors of the beer but also Starfire. Polly Esther, although a Samurai, she is still knowledgeable of the ninja arts and can pair well with the cat in the label.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/euR6nYY.jpg
http://img07.deviantart.net/3db4/i/2016/143/a/6/starfire_by_alex_malveda-da3i7xp.jpg

KING JJJULIUSSS by Tree House Brewing

August 1, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged DIPA, Double IPA, Elma, Julius, KING JJJULIUSSS, Kos-MOS, Orange Juice, Sunny Delight, Tree House Brewing, tropical IPA, World Class Double India Pale Ale, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Xenosaga | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7
KING JJJULIUSSS by Tree House Brewing is an 8.4% ABV World Class Double India Pale Ale.

Label:
N/A

==Introduction==

Released in cans for the first time at Tree House. I had heard many great things about the up and coming New England Style of IPAs especially since the trend of the Heady Toppers with their unfiltered deliciousness. Tree House has made a good amount of unfiltered beers that are literally “Juice” IPAs. Basically like drinking Orange and a citrus variety of juices. As crazy as the styles have been, I have not seen a homebrew recipe for those but once can only experiment as the majority are West Coast Styles. Anyways, this brew was released to be one, if not, the best New England Style IPA so the fact that I had an opportunity to give this a shot, I had to bring it to the site. The other thing too is that it is hard to get these New England Styles so I hope with the coming years, we will see them more. As for this one, let’s see if this is the best. Cheers!
Aromas:
Full fragrance of citrus and mixed tropical fruits like oranges, orange juice, mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, guava, tangerines, lemon candy, limes, honey dew melon, papaya, grapefruit juice with pulp, orange juice with pulp, strawberries, pomegranates, wild flower honey, stone fruit peach, apricot, lychees, kumquats, kiwis, dank floral and grassy hop notes, agave and cane sugar as well as Danish cream hints.
Flavors:
Sunny Delight, limes, lemons, lemon candy, Tropical fruit mango, passion fruit dragon fruit, strawberries, kiwi, prickly pears, pomegranates, honey dew melon, papaya, cherries, guavas, tangerines, mandarins, lychee, kumquats, oranges, grapefruit juice, orange pulp, grapefruit pulp, sweetened condensed milk, orange bang, cane sugar, agave nectar, wild flower honey, orange honey blossoms, tropical, grapefruit, mild dank and floral hops, stone fruit apricot, peaches, raspberries, almond notes, biscuit bread, Danish cream, pears and orange gummy bears.

Aftertaste:
Super dry with hints of Sweet tropical fruit and super citrus orange juice, earthy dank tropical hops and grapefruit gummies. No alcohol in the taste, Cloudy Golden Honey colored full body, Smooth, frothy, crisp, refreshing and juicy mouthfeel and very easy to drink.
Overall:
Straight up Sunny-Delight! I have never had an IPA that was super juicy with the dank bitterness from grassy aspect dancing around the supreme Orange and Tropical fruit juice. This beer is super different from even the best west coast IPAs I have had. Even next to power plant it is definitely something else. I think these New England IPA styles of unfiltered IPAs are really taking off. I don’t often get to try them and the last one I had was Heady Topper but even this is better than that one. It is hard to put in a category of Tropical/Citrus/Herbal IPAs as it fits mainly the super citrus and tropical IPA aspects but really, is this even beer?! Holy shit, what are they doing over there in the East coast, This beer is like dry hopped orange and tropical juice it is insane. If you can somehow get this fresh, definitely go for it and it is definitely a bucket lister.

Anime Corner:
KOS-MOS/ELMA from the Xenosaga/Blade series were chosen for this pairing as I wanted to represent the next King in IPAs as being this brew. The New England style of beer especially the stuff that’s coming from Tree House is worthy of using one of my favorite characters in such a pairing. While Elma is a tribute to KOS-MOS, the gold and black colors pair well with the label of the beer but since I was going to use Elma for this, I wanted to bring in KOS-MOS as she has similar colors of black, gold and silver. So being that one of my 4 favorite anime characters, I carefully selected her for this one as this beer could very well be the next Pliny killer.

Sources:
http://nillarz.deviantart.com/art/Kos-Mos-Ver-3-500373421
http://www.zerochan.net/full/389419
http://abload.de/img/xcx-alt02oyyk0.jpg
https://67.media.tumblr.com/c1143e22b9cc18a248a415aaf936dba4/tumblr_o89eldmxuI1u9b98uo1_500.jpg
http://urw.deviantart.com/art/Xenoblade-Space-Elf-579205626

2016 Tart of Darkness Cherries & Vanilla by The Bruery Terreux

August 1, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Wild Ale, cherries, cherry vanilla, Claymore, dark chocolate, Fate Night, Fate Stay Night, Fate Zero, Madrugada Obscura, oak barrels, Saber Alter/Dark, sour ale, Stout, Tart of Darkness, Tart of Darkness Cherries & Vanilla, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, vanilla, vanilla beans, vanilla ice cream | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/6

2016 Tart of Darkness Cherries & Vanilla by The Bruery Terreux is a 7.% ABV American Wild Stout aged in Oak Barrels with Cherries and Vanilla Beans.

New Label:
Roasty – Midnight – Delight

Old Label:
SAUERSTAUT

With a roasty aroma and a tart finish, this sour black ale is a contortion of style and flavor, creating an unexpected delight.

Tart of Darkness with Cherries & Vanilla is best enjoyed fresh for bold spice and fruit character, but my pleasantly if cellared properly.
___

Released to the Preservation and Reserve Societies once again and possibly the a public release, this is the second time I try this beer. I was not going to do a review of this one since I had already done one in the past but as soon as I tried it and the new label came about, I had to give it a shot. This beer is a variant to the publicly sold Tart of Darkness. I will be honest, while the tart of darkness is a very good sour, it does not compare to my favorite sour stout Madrugada Obscura by Jolly Pumpkin. The cherries and vanilla from the last time I reviewed this beer made a huge difference. Draw your puckeringly sour sword and get ready to take action!

Aromas:
Dark cherry yogurt, Vanilla ice cream, caramel,Lavender, cotton candy, strawberry cheesecake, lemon peel, citrus, dark chocolate hints, blueberry skins, earthy notes, Cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper hints, molasses, anise, licorice, lemon peel, sour funky notes, citrus, port wine hints, blue berry muffin and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Toasted coconut, coffee, mocha, rich dark fruit cherries, raisins, prunes, concord grapes, currants, blueberries, vanilla cream, caramel, tart wine grapes, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, sour cherry cordials, floral lavender, dark cherry yogurt, strawberry cheese cake, brown sugar, blueberry muffin, lemon peel, Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper hints, grape skins, port wine hints, oak, earthy notes and musty sour funky notes.

Aftertaste:
Tart wine grapes, oak, dark cherry yogurt hints, vanilla, coconut hints, and earthy notes finishing all fast and dry. No alcohol in the taste, murky amber brown full body with no head retention, soft, smooth and slightly creamy mouthfeel and a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Awesome sauce this year. I don’t know if I liked this one more or the last time I tried this one more. There is so much more chocolate coconut in this one along with vanilla and cherry sour stout goodness that I think it actually is beating the Madrugada Obscura. The Bruery definitely out did themselves this time and I would highly recommend this one if you love sours!

Anime Corner:
Saber Alter/Dark Saber from Fate/Stay Night/Hollow Ataraxia was used in this pairing since I used Jean from Claymore. Basically both represent the “Dark Knight” In the Tart of Darkness. The return of this brew show cases Saber as she tries to battle her inner darkness but realizes that without embracing both the light and evil, she is nothing. You can also say Saber is Vanilla and Dark Saber is the Cherries. The aspect of the warrior of darkness and the fact that I have used Saber in many Dark chocolate and cherry flavored beers just pushes my conviction that much further. The Dark Arts have to do with blasphemy against the church but the strange part, as holy as some organizations are, some hold deep dark secrets that the public never knows about. Tart of Darkness with Cherries and Vanilla brings that aspect of sour evil but yet sweet and forgiving aspects that are pretty damn Holy if you ask me. Think of it as the sweetness delivering the darkness of the beer from evil Either way, great beer and great pairing I think.

Sources:
http://tsundora.com/image/2014/10/fate_stay_night_673.jpg
http://pm1.narvii.com/5832/37ca0cfb16b4e985b40f227f7ae4a7b2aafa50da_hq.jpg

2016 Preservation series Quadrupel Tonnellerie by The Bruery Terreux

August 1, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Quadrupple Ale, blackberries, Blackberry Sour, Oak aged, Preservation Series, Preservation Society, Quadrupel Tonnellerie, Sour Quadrupel, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.45/6

2016 Preservation series Quadrupel Tonnellerie by The Bruery Terreux is a 10.2% ABV Belgian Sour Quadrupel Oak aged with Blackberries.

Label:
Caramelized – Toasty – Fruity

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Our Tonnellerie series is the perfect showcase of our “wildly traditional bière”. French for “cooperage”, each beer in the series shares one core trait: they were all fermented in oak. Beyond that, the recipes and styles are as unique as the cues they take from nature. Quadrupel Tonnellerie, a barrel-fermented Belgian-style quadrupel with blackberries, is no exception. A style known for being at the more malty, complex and rich end of the Belgian strong ale spectrum, this quad revels in layers of sweet caramel, dark fruit and figgy flavors, and complimentary undercurrents of oak. The natural esters from the Belgian yeast compliment the rustic, earthy qualities derived from the barrels and piquant flavors from the fruit for a dynamic flavor profile and mouthfeel that will evolve over time.

==Introduction==

Released to All societies and the public, if I am not mistaken. From what I can tell, this technically would be the first time the Bruery attempts a sour Belgian Quadrupel. The sour Belgian Quadrupel is pretty damn rare. The first time I tried one was at Phantom Carriage in Carson California and the second, (although Brettanomyces on a Quadrupel is more of a funky brew) being the one I got from Texas from my friend Aaron Mendiola at BeerMetalDude.comwould be the Save The World Apocalypse. All delicious for sure but this one is made with Blackberries. I had the Raspberry Quad from Mikkeller recently as well but that one was not barrel-fermented so I am sure the barrel definitely plays a huge roll in the souring process. Let’s have a look at this one. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Dark fruits of blackberries, raisins, plums, currants, cherries, raspberry, figs, clove spice, bananas, tart Concorde grape skins, wine grapes, port wine, oak vanilla, caramel, blackberry yogurt, blackberry cobbler, fruit cake, earthy funk, caramel, dark candi sugar, leather and tobacco hints.

Flavors:
Wine grapes, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, cherries, rich tart blackberries, currants, vinous notes, dark candi sugar, dark chocolate, pecan pie, hazelnut hints, tart blackberry cheese cake, blackberry yogurt, sweetended condensed milk, port wine, raspberry Chambord hints, leather, molasses, tobacco notes, anise hints, clove spice, bananas, coffee notes, funky notes, lemon peel, red wine, earthy notes, cinnamon, blackberry cobbler, fruit cake, Concorde grape skins and blackberry muffins.

Aftertaste:
Finishes full of dark fruit with lots of tart blackberry notes, encompassing the vanilla, caramel, clove spice, banana, dark chocolate, blackberry yogurt, oak and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, full dark amber body, effervescent, smooth and silky mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A definitely exceptional Quadrupel. While it is more of a sour than a quadrupel, the exemplification of tarts with the balance of sweet complexity from the Quad seems to balance out very nicely. You get a variety of dark fruits mostly tart than super sour and you dig around until you find the sweet hidden quadrupel inside. While I do not often get a chance to try sour quads, I have to say that this sour quadrupel is actually my favorite sour quadrupel. Definitely give this one a shot!

Anime Corner:
Ayeka Misaki Jurai from Tenchi Muyo was used in this pairing since I wanted to bring her into a review for the longest time. Ayeka being a character from the Tenchi series from the 90s and one that was one of my favorites along with Washu and Ryoko. While she is delicate and sweet in her demeanor as a princes, when she is mad as hell she can become extremely dangerous. This pairs well with her attitude of sweet and sour at times but he strength is hidden like the ABV of this beer. That and the fact that she is always wearing the kimono is as close to a monks attire so I figured this even best exemplifies the pairing.

Sources:
http://shuu-washuu.deviantart.com/art/Princess-Ayeka-571428833
http://media.animegalleries.net/albums/Tenchi%20Muyo/Ayeka/tm_ayeka014.jpg
http://strippin.deviantart.com/art/Ayeka-wallpapper-85801835

¡Viva La Beaver! By Belching Beaver

July 1, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Annet Futanabi, Annet Futatabi, Annet Myer, ¡Viva La Beaver!, Belching Beaver, cham-cham, chocolate peanut butter, El Viento, It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time, Mexican Chocolate Stout, Milk Stout, peanut butter, Samurai Shodown, sweet milk chocolate, Sweet Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.5/7

¡Viva La Beaver! By Belching Beaver is a 7.5% ABV Sweet/Milk Stout brewed with Peanut Butter, and Mexican Chocolate.

Label:

We made this beer originally for the SD Tap Room in Pacific Beach as their 8^th Anniversary beer. Marc Truex set it all up. It became our highest rated beer (until Pound Town). Thomas kept asking to make it again but we never ad tank space. Now that we opened the new Oceanside facility we can make many more styles. Troy said he wanted to start a Milk Stout series, we decided to start with this one. It’s Mexican Chocolate. It’s peanut butter. The Beaver has a cool mustache. What’s not to like? I wanted to call it “Livin La Beaver Loca”, but I was outvoted.

Cheers!

Tom

==Introduction==

When I first saw this beer, I literally went insane. I love the Peanut butter milk stout they make and overall peanut butter beers. I have had so many delicious Mexican Choco Stouts as well that have definitely blown me away. Now when I saw Belching Beaver decided to mix up the 2 and bottle it, it was a mind blow! I was able to get this one early as I purchased it at CraftShack.com but I know it will be around here locally soon. I just couldn’t wait to bring it to the site which is what made me so excited. So I am happy to present, the review to this awesome new entry from Belching Beaver. Salucita!

Aromas:

Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Chocolate abuelita, German Chocolate, Fudge Chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, Reese’s Peanut butter cups, marshmallows, Peanut Butter, Mazapan, pan dulce, capirotada raisin bread pudding, pecan pie, dark fruit raisins, prunes, currants, blackberry notes, hazelnut nectar, almond milk, almond milk, chocolate mousse, Champurrado Maize drink, chocolate bananas, , nutter butter cookies, toffee, roasted coffee notes, mocha and fruit cake.

Flavors:

Lots of rich Peanut Butter, Mazapan, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Chocolate abuelita, German Chocolate, Fudge Chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, cajeta, flan, cinnamon, fruit cake, roasted peanuts with the shells, nutter butter cookies, toffee, roasted coffee notes, mocha, lactose milk sugar, buttered rye toasted bread, Reese’s Peanut butter cups, marshmallows, chocolate peanut butter smores, pan dulce, capirotada raisin bread pudding, pecan pie, dark fruit raisins, prunes, currants, blackberry notes, hazelnut nectar, almond milk, chocolate mousse, Champurrado Maize drink, Chocolate Atole and chocolate bananas.

Aftertaste:

Finishing with super rich Reese’s Chocolate Peanut butter cups if they were made with dark chocolate and abuelitas chocolate. Lots of hints of dulce de leche, mazapan, dark fruits, marshmallowss, champurrado and nutter butter cookies. No alcohol in the taste. Deep dark abyss body, rich, velvety, smooth, creamy and syrupy mouth feel with a moderate drinkability.

Overall:

Madre de Dios! Supremely exceptional. This is definitely one of the best if not the best Peanut Butter Milk Stout I have ever had. This one definitely reminds me of Ramuri’s Peanut butter stout from Tijuana. Although the Mexican Chocolate definitely brings it to a newer level and really compliments the beer overall. This is something I will definitely get again and stash several bottles of. So much so that I would suggest you do the same if you loved the original peanut butter milk stout. Highly recommended.

Anime Corner:

Original Mexican characters by Daniel Heron of Deviantart.com, Cham Cham from Samurai Showdown and Annet Myer from El Viento were all used in reference to the Mexican themed beer that we have here as well as all the colors to fit the label. Also, the anthropomorphic characters from the first picture and Cham Cham fit with the little Mexican beaver. The attire from Annet and the girl fit with old school indigenous and revolutionary gear wore in the pre modern eras.

Sources:
http://dan-heron.deviantart.com/art/Viva-Mexico-Cabron3s-22974143

http://i.imgur.com/uxRjVLa.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dBJJNzH.png

http://ist2-1.filesor.com/pimpandhost.com/7/2/6/9/72699/1/m/O/t/1mOtx/huang-guan.328017.jpg

Raspberry Quadrupel by Mikkeller Brewing

July 1, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Quad, Belgian Quadrupel, Brandy Barrel Aged, Jinx, Lactose, Raspberries, Raspberry Quadrupel, Teen titans | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.25/7

Raspberry Quadrupel by Mikkeller Brewing is a 13% Belgian Quadrupel brewed with Lactose & Raspberries & aged in Brandy Barrels

Label:

None.

==Introduction==

I obtained this brew at craftshack.com. I have previously tried Mikkeller’s Raspberry Tripplebock but when I saw they made a Raspberry Belgian Quadrupel, I had to get it. I do have a crazy sweet tooth for these types of fruit beers especially raspberries. While still in a small bottle like the other one, it is a very strong ABV wise beer. Belgian Quads are my favorite style of beer along with the barrel aged beers. So I think if this is awesome, I might actually consider using fruit in some future Quadrupel homebrews. Let’s see how this beer is.

Aromas:

Dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, candied sugar, burnt sugar, pecan pie, almond joy chocolate, marshmallows, tart raspberries, dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, currants, prunes, cranberries, dark cherries, blueberries, pomegranates, dark chocolate covered raspberries, raspberry Chambord, milk chocolate, jelly doughnuts, yogurt, brown sugar, toasted rye bread with raspberry and tangerine preserves, molasses, sweetened condensed milk, clove spice and bananas.

Flavors:

Super rich Raspberries, dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, currants, prunes, cranberries, dark cherries, blueberries, pomegranates, candied sugar, burnt sugar, raspberry cheese cake, vanilla, oak, brandy, lactose milk, raspberry milkshake, rock candy, dulce de leche caramel, pecan pie, almond joy chocolate, marshmallows, tart raspberry skins, kiwi fruit, strawberries, capirotada bread pudding with raspberries, sweetened condensed milk, clove spice, bananas, dark chocolate covered raspberries, raspberry Chambord, milk chocolate, jelly doughnuts, yogurt, brown sugar, toasted rye bread with raspberry and tangerine preserves, molasses, leathery notes, Belgian candi sugar, crème brulee, honey, dark candi sugar, floral hibiscus, dried stone fruit peaches and strawberry shortcake.

Aftertaste:

Finishing with a rich tart and sweet raspberry marmalade, complex dark fruits, stone fruits, dulce de leche caramel, brandy, oak, chocolate, candi sugar, pecan pie, clove hints and bananas. Slight boozyness in the taste not detracting from the flavors of the beer. Dark brown full body, syrupy, smooth and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:

Reminiscent of one of my favorite raspberry beers, Dogfish Head Forte, this is definitely up there with one of the best raspberry beers I have ever had. From the Ragging Passion Lactus Raspear Dragons I made to even the basic Raspberry brown I have had, the use of Raspberries in a quad and especially made with Mikkeller brewing processes, it makes this beer super ridiculously awesome. Now if this was ever barrel aged, it would have to become a bucket lister as it is already going into that bucket lister category anyways. I definitely will recommend you try this one if you love fruit beers and Belgian Quadrupels.

Anime Corner:

Jinx from Teen Titans was used in this pairing as I wanted to go with the colors of raspberry but also the whole aspect of cloaks as it relates to both monks and witches. Quads are mainly a Belgian Abbey or Trappist monk beers but even since the origins of beer, witches have been the ones making beer since the old days. Anyways, I figure since Jinx kind has that witch look about her, she was perfect to go with this beer pairing in my mind.

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

http://cdn.9cloud.us/images/Zego21/209/lusciousnet_lusciousnet_6c82ac64168fcf7e3f4c8073d8af0_647951920.png

https://66.media.tumblr.com/1d69616164fafc5d0db21a7da7f6a4f0/tumblr_nv1gcn3ghL1qfh7p5o1_1280.jpg

2013 Vintage Oak Barrel Aged Santa’s Little Helper by Port Brewing

July 1, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 2013 Vintage, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Full Metal Daemon, Imperial Stout, Jack and Daxter, Keira Hagai, Muramasa, Oak aged Santa's Little Helper, Port Brewing, Sandaime Muramasa, Santa’s Little Helper | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2013 Vintage Oak Barrel Aged Santa’s Little Helper by Port Brewing is a 12% ABV Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:

Everyone knows that Santa delivers toys and gifts to little girls and boys each Christmas Eve. But what does he do with the sleigh the other 364 days a year? Well rumor has it he hitches up the reindeer each July testing driving to ensure it’s still in operating condition. At the North Pole they mark their calendars calling it Christmas in July.

How do we know that? Well, Virginia, each year Santa stops by Port Brewing to load up his sleigh with beer for his return trip to the North Pole. He’s a big fan of Santa’s Little Helper, and for the last nine months our brewers have been extra naughty aging some in bourbon barrels. Hopefully Santa won’t drink it all by himself, but we wouldn’t blame him if he did.

==Introduction==

Aged for 3 years, this beer has been a staple and a favorite of mind since I first started trying different craft beers and one of the ones that really started getting me into trying different barrel aged beers. They stopped making this beer for a while but was recently released once again but in smaller bottles. So to my surprise, I was able to find this still at the local Downey Liquor in Downey California. This beer was first bottled in 22 ounce bottles and was bourbon barrel aged. Now a days, they sell the same beer for the same price ($15-16) but a 350ml bottle. Considering I was able to find more of these, I refuse to pay for the smaller bottles. The decision for Port Brewing to sell in smaller bottles for the same price is quite irritating especially for such an amazing beer. I would understand them lowering the price if they wanted smaller bottles but it is pretty ridiculous now a days. Anyways, it has been 3 years and I definitely want to see how this beer has progressed. Cheers!

Aromas:

Rich oak, vanilla, bourbon, dulce de leche caramel, vinous dark fruits like raisins, plums, currants, black berries, dark cherries, figs, fruit cake, almond, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, cinnamon, ginger bread cookies, cookie dough ice cream, cookies and cream, oatmeal chocolate cookies, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers chocolate, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconut, stone fruit hints, wine grapes, crème brulee and mango.

Flavors:

Rich vinous oak, vanilla, port wine, bourbon, roasted coffee, Kahlua Liqueur, flan hints, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers chocolate, rocky road ice cream, toasted coconut, figgy pudding, dark fruit raisins, plums, currants, black berries, dark cherries, marshmallow smores, fruit cake, almond, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, cinnamon, ginger bread cookies, cookie dough ice cream, cookies and cream, oatmeal chocolate cookies, tobacco, leather, dulce de leche caramel, wine grapes, sweetenend condensed milk hints, crème brulee hints, raspberry chambord hints, stone fruit peach notes, dragon fruit and mild mango.

Aftertaste:

Finishing with port wine notes, dark chocolate, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruits, flan, fruit cake and figgy pudding. No alcohol in the taste, deep dark abyss full body, smooth, silky, rich and chewy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:

A bucket list beer, especially since this one being the original when they used to sell in 22 ounces. Now a days they sell this in 375ml bottles for the same price as this one which I don’t know about. I have tried it a while back on tap and it was as good as I remembered this one. Essentially, it is the same beer as I remember before. However, this 3 year aged one for being the oldest one and the bigger bottle, a definite find is in order for you beer lovers. The beer has turned into a more vinous delight complementing the chocolate complexity along with the development of raisinettes in bourbon and rich fruit cake and figgy pudding servings. A true Christmas beer, you can have in June, July or any time of the year.

Anime Corner:

Keira Hagai from Jack and Daxter and Sansei Muramasa from Full Metal Daemon were used in this for the overall Christmas theme. I have used Keira in the past as she was to represent the colors of Christmas but she also has Daxter on her arm to represent Santa’s Little Helper. This time around, Sansei was brought in to be the Santa’s little helper as she has the reindeer antlers but also represents how the beer has essentially aged well.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/mzFNb8g.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A_AVy60uC3o/Vnu7G89nQoI/AAAAAAAAevk/SeQQpvh-i4E/w680-h950/44bb308344fb77b3e2d48a49b3b316a0.png

http://i.imgbox.com/kWJHE1kJ.jpg

Tropical Platypus by Almanac Brewing

July 1, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Almanac Brewing, American Wild Ale, City Beer Store, dry hopped, Kiwi, lime, mango, Marino, Megaman X, Megaman X Command Mission, passion fruit, sour ale, Tropical Platypus, Wine Barrels | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/6

Tropical Platypus by Almanac Brewing is 6% ABV American Wild Ale Dry-Hopped Sour Ale Aged in Wine Barrels with Kiwi, Mango, Lime and Passion Fruit.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION

This special tropical ale is brewed in celebration of City Beer Store’s 10th Anniversary. Inspired by their adorable Platypus mascot, this equatorial sour blonde ale is aged in used wine barrels and oak foeders with an array of tropical fruits. We selected barrels with fruit-forward characters, and amplified those notes with the addition of kiwi, mango, lime and passionfruit. We tied the whole blend together with the addition of aromatic Galaxy hops from New Zealand. The finished beer is a tropical explosion, worthy of our duck-billed inspiration. Pair with celebratory anniversaries, pupu platters and white sand beaches.

When Almanac was in its infancy, City Beer Store was already a craft beer institution in San Francisco. They constantly fought for the craft beer industry and provided a home for new breweries looking to make a mark. In fact, they were the first to sell Almanac’s beer. This beer honors 10 years of providing a home for craft beer.

==Introduction==
Obtained this one from Craftshack.com along with other great beers. This one intrigued me because I made a tropical IPA with similar ingredients and trying this may give me an incite as to what to expect. The brew is a small bottle as with many of Almanacs delicious beers but with that being said, I will be taking my time analyze this one as I do with others but more importantly, try to take some flavors that may relate to my homebrew that will be ready in sometime in July 2016. The mix of fruits sounds so damn delicious but as a sour, I will have to see if it can compare to other sours I have had in the past. Let’s take a look. Cheers!

Aromas:

Tropical fruit kiwi, pineapple, mango, guava, dragon fruit, margarita notes, lime peel, lemons, limes, white wine grapes, passion fruit, stone fruit peaches, apricots, banana hints, clove hints, coriander hints, vanilla, oak, floral hop notes, lavender, cane sugar, chardonnay, peppercorn and wine grapes.

Flavors:

Rich Stone fruit peaches, apricots, sour apples, tropical fruit kiwi, pineapple, mango, passion fruit, dragon fruit, margarita notes, lime peel, lemons, limes, white wine grapes, concorde grapes, chardonay, peppercorns, waffle cone, cranberries, dark cherries, citrus, grapefruit, grassy, mild pine, floral and earthy hops, tangerine gummies, vanilla, oak, caramel, banana hints, clove hints, coriander hints, lavender, hibiscus hints, guavas.

Aftertaste:

Finishes dry with minor hints of tropics, limes, lemons, stone fruit, wine grapes, grapefruit, citrus and dank hops and sour funky notes. No alcohol in the taste. Hazy Pale Straw body, Crisp, refreshing and effervescent mouth feel with an easy drinkability.

Overall:

A very awesome and very exceptional sour showcasing so much tropical goodness. This is one of the best sours up there with the great ones I really love. The beer does shows a lot of flavors which I would definitely wanna see in my beer as it is supposed to be a tropical fruit IPA. However, this being a sour and oak aged is super well balanced and made. The balance of tart and sweet comes together very nicely. I highly recommend it if you love sours and especially dry hopped tropical sours.

Anime Corner:

Marino from Megaman X Command Mission was chosen in this pairing as I could not find a platypus but her colors represent all the tropical flavors of the beer. Even though she is not a platypus, her hair is long like the platypus tail and the holder that holds her sword is almost like a platypus bill. It is a stretch but I think the pairing works well.

Sources:
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/12/127136/1753558-marino_perspective_cged_by_liline.png

http://img00.deviantart.net/09ea/i/2014/289/8/8/marino_by_wing_maiden-d830zf1.jpg

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb209/redninja4/Megaman/1234659355039.jpg

2016 Bastard’s Midnight Brunch by Stone Brewing

June 30, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Strong Ale, arrogant bastard, Bastard's Midnight Brunch, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Depth-Charged Double Bastard, Disgaea, Double Bastard, Etna, Kentucky Bourbon, Maple Syrup, Maple Syrup Barrels, Northeast Ohio Maple Syrup Barrels, Stone Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2016 Bastard’s Midnight Brunch by Stone Brewing is a 12.7% ABV American Strong Ale consisting of Depth-Charged Double Bastard aged in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels & Northeast Ohio Maple Syrup Barrels.

Label:

BASTARD’S MIDNIGHT BRUNCH

DEPTH-CHARGED DOUBLE BASTARD ALE AGED IN BOURBON BARRELS & MAPLE SYRUP BARRELS

AN UNRESTRAINED, COFFEE-FUELED FEAST

Evenings trying to forget the crushing mediocrity of one’s life are typically the main driver to late-night breakfast plates at unforgivingly overlit diners stacked with industrialized, frozen-dumped-in-a-fryer “food.” An interlude between sophomoric late-night antics, questionable decisions and inevitable morning regret. That’s not how I play it. For those who know how to grab life by the horns*, however, this bottle pairs even better with accomplishment, life lived out loud, and well-timed moves that often appear as luck to those not paying attention. A specifically designed midnight brunch feast with like-minded folks who not only have their wits about them but actually have wits, and an artfully prepared feast sets the more appropriate stage for this beer. The bottle is worth a special occasion. Create yours to accompany it.

*Touch mine, though, and I’ll provide you with the deepest possible understanding of the word “regret.”

Drawn Off Unfiltered

Aged in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels & Northeast Ohio Maple Syrup Barrels

==Introduction==

After several temptations, I decided to pick this up. At first, I did not want to get it since it was pricey but also since I felt that I have had plenty of good Arrogant Bastard variant reviews in. So when saw it was the barrel aged version of Depth Charged Double Bastard with maple, I fought myself and my wallet was hurt. Either way, I would like to see if this brew was well worth the price. Arrogant bastard has always been one of the best beers I have had since the beginning. Since the time I have had Double Bastard, stuff just started to grow from there and things never went back. I love everything about the series. I just haven’t had a chance to keep up with all my reviews. However, when Depth Charged kicked in, I was in love. Now with this in my possession, I can only hope that it will grow from here. Let’s take a look, cheers!

Aromas:

Dulce de leche caramel, marshmallow smores, oak, bourbon, maple syrup, vanilla, butterscotch, toffee, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, Kahlua Liqueur, citrus notes, grapefruit, piney and grassy hop notes, toasted rye bread, dark fruit raisins, dates, figs, dark cherries, blackberries, roasted barley, flan, caramelized dragon fruit, hazelnut nectar, crème brulee, old oranges, mild chili pepper notes, coffee cake, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers chocolate, chocolate mousse, fancy coffee, roasted coffee, espresso, mocha and cinnamon hints.

Flavors:

Rich maple syrup, butterscotch, vanilla, toffee, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, dulce de leche caramel, marshmallow smores, oak, bourbon, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, German chocolate, Bakers chocolate, chocolate mousse, fancy coffee, roasted coffee, espresso, mocha, java, jamoca, Kahlua Liqueur, rich citrus, grapefruit, piney, grassy, foresty, herbal and earthy hops, tropical fruit mango, Rich toasted rye bread with mixed dark fruit preserves such as raisins, dates, figs, dark cherries, blackberries, roasted barley, flan, sweetened condensed milk, English Fig Pudding, roasted chestnuts, pine cones, cinnamon, sweet potato pie, tangerine marmalade, brown sugar, acorns, tobacco, leather, sourdough bread, caramelized dragon fruit, hazelnut nectar, crème brulee, old oranges, mild chili pepper notes, coffee cake and bacon hints.

Aftertaste:

Finishing off with toasted coconut, coffee, orange, grapefruit and earthy hops, maple syrup, marshmallow smores, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha, coffee cake, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche and toffee. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV. Golden brown honey and Deep Crimson colored medium body, syrupy, silky, smooth, chewy, and velvety mouthfeel with a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:

Supreme of Supremes, bucket lister of the Bastards. I was wrong, I was damn wrong for not picking this up way sooner. I am actually ashamed since I would have missed a great opportunity at such a great beer. It was so delicious in my opinion that I will do my damnest to make this one as a home brew as soon as I figure out a recipe for it. For now, if you loved the bastard for the years, you will definitely love this one.

Anime Corner:

Etna from Disgaea was used in this pairing since I always choose a character that corresponds with the characteristics of the Stone gargoyle like Lilith or Morrigan and even Asmodeus. It has been a long time and this time, I bring Etna into the mix. Her colors were always perfect for Arrogant Bastard pairings and her character has always been somewhat arrogant so it fit perfectly. Unlike the other characters, to better fit the sweet complexity of the beer, Etna’s characteristic of being caring at times and always cute fit those aspects.

Sources:
https://forum.touki.ru/gallery/66/c3fe2b73a977.jpg
http://img07.deviantart.net/5501/i/2014/049/7/b/etna_by_ku_on-d770edz.jpg
http://img05.deviantart.net/7771/i/2016/077/c/d/fanart___etna_by_caltea-d9vku2x.jpg

Milton’s Madness I Said NO Salt! By B. Nektar Meadery

June 30, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Agave, Agave Mead, B. Nektar, I Said NO Salt!, Lechugilla, Lime juice, Lime Zest, Margarita, Meadery, Melomel, Midori, Milton's Madness, My Stapler, Office Space, orange zest, Space Patrol Luluco, Tequila | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6* Mead Rating

Milton’s Madness I Said NO Salt! By B. Nektar Meadery is a 14% Agave Mead/Melomel made with Lime Juice, Lime Zest & Orange Zest

Label:
Hello, B. Nektar fans, what’s happening? Did you see the memo about the margarita-style wine cocktail? You see we’re putting this bottle out in the market, so if you could just go ahead and buy one, that would be great. Mmkay? oh, and uh, if some no-talent ass clown asks you if you have a case of the Mondays, don’t set the building on fire. Fix the glitch and avoid confrontation whenever possible. Terrific, thanks.

Damn it feels good to B. Nektar.

==Introduction==
Office Space is an awesome movie. Some beers have come out in the past to theme with the movie. But this is the first time I see a mead, and damn, what a mead! One made with the intension of being close to a margarita as possible. Well, it is more of a melomel as the mead did ferment with Agave and fruit. I think the fact that since this is to pay tribute to Milton and his stapler, it really made me want to get it. It is a pricey mead but I do crazy things sometimes for the site and the fans that read my reviews. Appreciation before purchase is pretty important to the consumer base. So let’s see how this one goes, Salud!

Aromas:
Rich Agave, lemons, limes, honey, Key Lime Pie, Margarita notes, tequila, wild flower honey, dragon fruit, guava, mango hints, stone fruit peach, white wine, green grapes, red grapes, oranges, tangerines, kumquats, lychees, passion fruit hints, mint, salty tejuino hints, cherries, plum, raspberries and lechugilla Agave juice.

Flavors:
Rich Key Lime Pie, Agave, Tequila, Margarita, Rich Honey, apples, lechugilla Agave juice, salty hints, wine grapes, stone fruit peach, white wine, green grapes, red grapes, oranges, tangerines, kumquats, lychees, passion fruit hints, mint, lemons, dark fruit cherry, plum, raspberry hints, white grapes, concorde grapes, mezcal notes, vanilla, wild flower honey, dragon fruit, guava, mango hints, kiwi, honey dew melon, sour apple, lemon and lime candies, whip cream and lemon merengue pie.

Aftertaste:
Finished with rich Key lime pie flavors lingering with rich lechugilla agave nectar juice, salty hints, oranges, stone fruit, dark fruit notes and tropical fruit hints. Slightly boozy in the aftertaste but not detracting from the flavors despite the ABV, Super Clear Pale lemon and lime green color body, smooth, refreshing and syrupy mouthfeel and a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Taste just like a margarita if was blasted into the wine category with pure lime and agave goodness. What really takes this mead or melomel to the top is its very rich flavors. It is almost like a Margarita, without the salt ofcourse. While it does have some fruity complexity, the intention and the theme is what really drives it home. This and the fact that it is a pure Agave mead also sets it perfectly in the style of what they were going for. I highly recommend it and if you can get this goodness on tap, the better!

Anime Corner:
Midori from Space Patrol Luluco was used in this pairing to mainly go with the colors of the beer. Mainly Green as Midori is Japanese for Green. However, the sour and sweet like demeanor of Midori is pretty unique in the show and fitting in for the stubborn and whiney Milton was perfect to go with the overall pairing. The fact that I found some of the perfect beach pictures further enhances the eye candy to make it a great pairing.

Sources:
https://data.desustorage.org/a/image/1461/00/1461001964005.png
http://img1.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/full/Anime-Uchuu-Patrol-Luluco-Midori-(Uchuu-Patrol-Luluco)-3122833.jpeg
http://img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/Uchuu-Patrol-Luluco-Midori-(Uchuu-Patrol-Luluco)-murakami-hisashi-Anime-3064134.jpeg

Umami Monster by Garage Project of New Zealand

June 30, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Bonito, Brown ale, Fish Flakes, Garage Project, Godzilla, Herbed Beer, Japanese Beers, Kaiju, Kelp, King of Monsters, New Zealand, seawater, Spiced Beer, Umami Monster | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Umami Monster by Garage Project of New Zealand is a 9% ABV Herbed/ Spice Brown Ale brewed with Kelp, Bonito and Seawater.

Label:
It came from the deep. Brewed for GABS 2014, using New Zealand grown Kombu (kelp), Japanese Katsuobushi (dried fermented bonito flakes), smoked malt and seawater in an attempt to capture that most elusive and enigmatic of flavours – umami. Far beyond the boundaries of the accepted and expected, these ingredients combine to create a monster of dark savoury smoke and rich umami complexity. Dear God – what have we created? Definitely not suitable for vegans – sorry.

About Garage Project
We’re a small craft brewery located in an old petrol
station in Wellington, New Zealand. We like pushing
boundaries, reinterpreting styles and challenging
the notions of what craft beer can be. We’re here to
try something new. Just like you.

==Introduction==

I obtained this brew along with some other brews I got from Craftshack.com. When I saw the label on this one I was like oh shit! I had to get it. Being a huge fan of the King of Monsters, Godzilla! I looked into it further. Being made with actual fish flakes, sea water and kelp, it was definitely the sea monster themed beer that I would have never thought would exist. Therefore, to take my chances at the beer and see how these ingredients would work with a beer I brought it to the site. Now as we take on this monster let’s see what we can find, cheers!

Aromas:
Chocolate, anise, soy sauce, molasses, dark fruit raisins, cherries, plums, plum sauce, campfire smoked malts, earthy notes, rich rye bread, citrus oranges, tangerine gummies, Seaweed paper, sushi notes, fish hints, coffee, caramel, vanilla, sea salt chocolate, tamarind and herbs.

Flavors:
Seaweed paper, sushi notes, fish notes, oregano, basil, caramel, Edamame green beans, toffee, coffee, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, sea salt chocolate, salty tejuino maize drink, tamarind, dark fruit raisins, cherries, soy sauce, molasses, anise, maple syrup, ginger spice, garlicky notes, cinnamon, coriander spice, cumin, clove spice, campfire smoked malts, earthy notes, rich rye bread, citrus oranges, tangerine gummies and butterscotch.

Aftertaste:
Finishing off with sea salt, chocolate, dark fruit cherries, soy sauce, vanilla, caramel, earthy hops aned mild coffee. No alcohol in the taste, Crimson Brown clear to hazy dark body, crisp, smooth and rich mouthfeel along with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Let me be honest, you really have to have an open mind for this one and one who loves delicious Japanese cuisine. If not, then this beer may not be for you and frankly, this is review will be biased as my tastes and cultural interest get blended into this beer. This is the perfect Umami beer! Simple as that. I have never had a fishy beer like this but I definitely want to try it again and pair it with a dish like Ramen, Sushi or any other Asian cuisine. This beer is damn legit and highly recommended as a pairing for meals!

Anime Corner:
King of Monsters, Godzilla and his Kaiju co-stars are presented in today’s review all done by gamerag3 ofdeviantart.com. It wasn’t hard to choose what made sense with the label and the theme of the pairing but the hard part was finding an awesome anime picture with Godzilla anthropomorphized into an anime girl. Especially one that was done well and was really bad ass. So these pictures made the best pairings in my mind.

Sources:
http://gamerag3.deviantart.com/art/Cover-for-Godzilla-Female-Personification-Project-463927584
http://gamerag3.deviantart.com/art/Burning-Godzilla-462392207
http://bjsinc.deviantart.com/art/Godzilla-458348844

17 Mint Chocolate Stout by Perennial Artisan Ales

June 30, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 17 Mint Chocolate Stout, Bleach, cacao nibs, Imperial Stout, mint, mint leaves, Mocha, Neliel, Neliel Tu Oderschvank, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Perennial Artisan Ales | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

17 Mint Chocolate Stout by Perennial Artisan Ales is a 10% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with cacao nibs and mint leaves.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION

17 is a decadent chocolate stout complimented with a smooth mint finish perfect for winter’s last hurrah. Clocking in at 10% alcohol by volume, it is sure to warm you inside and out.

==Introduction==

I first tried this beer at the Bruery 8th Anniversary Party and from what I had remembered, it was a very delicious beer. I have tried mint chocolate stouts in the past such as the one from Shipyard or the Ken Schmidt one which I do agree are some of the best one. However, this one seemed even more special. I couldn’t quite figure it out but once I saw that craftshack.com was selling it, I would not pass up the opportunity to bring it to the website here. They make a Bourbon Barrel version of this but this is the first time I really dig into a Perennial only brewed beer. Let’s take a look.

Aromas:

Mocha, mint mocha, Irish cream notes, pillow mints, anise, molasses, chocolate mint ice cream, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Chocolate abuelita, German chocolate, chocolate mousse, dark fruit currants, raisins, cherries, raspberry, capirotada raisin bread pudding, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, graham cracker, fruit cake, mint fudge cake, vanilla, caramel, dulce de leche hints, roasted coffee notes, espresso, Kahlua liqueur notes, brown sugar and almond joy ice cream.

Flavors:

Rich chocolate mint ice cream, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Chocolate abuelita, German chocolate, chocolate mousse, vanilla, caramel, dulce de leche hints, roasted coffee notes, espresso, Kahlua liqueur notes, mocha, mint mocha, Irish cream notes, pillow mints, anise, molasses, Danish cream, flan, crème brulee, sweetened condensed milk, dark fruit currants, raisins, cherries, raspberry, capirotada raisin bread pudding, rocky road ice cream, almond joy, toasted coconut, yerba buena herbs, evergreen, earthy hop notes, marshmallow smores, graham cracker, fruit cake, mint fudge cake and cinnamon hints.

Aftertaste:

Delicious mint and chocolate fudge cake lingers along with coffee notes, dark chocolate, vanilla, flan, dark fruits, molasses and tobacco notes. No alcohol in the taste. Deep dark leprechaun abyss pitch black full body. Smooth, silky, velvety, syrupy, chewy and rich mouthfeel along with an easy to moderate drinkability despite the ABV.

Overall:

Beyond exceptional. This is the best mint chocolate stout I have ever had. So much balance between the chocolate in the mint that this does seem a lot like a liquid mint chocolate ice cream and way more. More delicious than the Belgo Anise and the Mint Chocolate from Shipyard. I wish I could get the other ones more regularly especially this one but trying it makes me consider wanting to make a mint choco stout myself. Anyways, this is a must get and a highly recommended brew.

Anime Corner:

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck from Bleach was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair with the colors of green mint, the strength and complexity of the brew as well. Mainly representing this dark brew as a total bad ass but the origin of the dark world Hueco Mundo. The sweetness also helps greatly for this beer as it pair with Nel’s kind hearted character too.

Sources:

http://i.imgur.com/5s82Bpb.jpg

http://www.bleachmx.co/lecture-en-ligne/mangas/Bleach/625%20-%20Living%20Jaguar/625-Colo3.jpg

http://kabalyero.deviantart.com/art/Neliel-Tu-Oderschvank-122611715?q=favby%3AKaneman92%2F47089478&qo=15

ExCherrymentations Gone AwRye by Nubis Sanctum Ales

June 28, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Rye IPA, arrogant bastard, Arrogant Bastard Ale, DIPA, Double India Pale Ale, ExCherrymentations Gone AwRye, IIPA, india pale ale, Nubis Sanctum Ales, Rye Imperial India Pale Ale, rye ipa, Tenchi, Tenchi Muyo, Washu, Washu Hakubi, Washuu | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

ExCherrymentations Gone AwRye by Nubis Sanctum Ales is an 9% ABV American Rye Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with Organic Black Cherry.

==Introduction==

Project #24 was created as an experiment to do away with all my hops that I had left over. Stuff that was free, stuff where I didn’t use in some recipes and just hops that I wanted to try out. I had to come up with a recipe before the summer hit as brewing would be difficult due to the extreme heat causing issues in the fermentation process. So I just everything together and hope for the best. Little that I know that this monster of an experimentation would actually come out to be reminiscent of one of my favorites beers that dated back to my beginnings of craft beer. To find out, let’s take a look at this one carefully. Cheers!

Aromas:
Lots or Rye bread, toffee, caramel, dark cherry, grapefruit, citrus, piney, herbal, grassy, and earthy hop notes, vanilla, lemon grass, toasted malts, raspberries and dark fruit notes.

Flavors:
Rich Grapefruit, citrus, piney, herbal, dank, grassy, oniony, garlicky and earthy hops, Dark fruit raisin, lots of dark cherries, currants, pomegranates, cranberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, Toffee, caramel, vanilla, floral hibiscus, tangerine gummies, toasted rye bread with cherry and raspberry preserves, toasted malts, lemon grass and basil.

Aftertaste:
Finishing dry with huge dank piney, grassy, herbal, grapefruit hop bitterness and a slight touch of the cherry and rye malts. No alcohol in the taste, Crimson copper full body, bold, crisp, refreshing and slightly smooth mouthfeel with a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Just like Arrogant Bastard. IT really is unforgiving considering how much hops I put this beer. A definite ruination to the tongue and yet, the complex sweetness provided by the cherry and the rye just keeps me wanting to drink more of it. I did not expect this beer to be very delicious, but it really surprised me. When I first tapped it, that’s when I realized it was definitely going to be a winner as it reminded me a lot of arrogant bastard. I will definitely want to make this one again.

Anime Corner:
Washuu Hakubi from the Tenchi Muyou series was used in this pairing as I was looking into how using cherries and this being an experimental batch would equate to a character that matches both criteria. Washuu is a genius and mad scientist. Being around more than 20,000+ years would definitely make one very intelligent. She has the hair that pairs well with the cherry aspects but also is not afraid to make crazy creations.

Sources:
http://wallpapershacker.com/wallpaper_1920x1200/tenchi_muyo_washu_hakubi_1920x1200_hd-wallpaper-152279.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/F1EociU.jpg
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8f7sC8oLMX8/sddefault.jpg
http://anime.astronerdboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/02-30-Washu-plans.jpg

Primavera Pils by Avila Ales

June 28, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Avila Ales, Bavarian Pilsner, German Pilsner, Luka Megurine, Mr & Mrs. Richard Avila, Pilsner, Primavera Pils, vocaloid | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Primavera Pils by Avila Ales is a 4.73% ABV Bavarian Pilsner.

==Introduction==
Originally brewed at the Avila Household, my friend Richard Avila wanted to create 2 beers for his son’s birthday. This one and a California Common. After talking it over, we took both of our brewing supplies and double brewed both the recipes that day at his parent’s place where he used to live. I figured, the more equipment, the faster we can get the brew day finished rather than doing one brew at a time. Thanks to my friend Richard, he has given me these homebrews for review.

This is the Bavarian Pilsner, a light clear ale that’s is more on the lager and pilsner side. This one is definitely the one for the summer. Essentially the “Lawnmower Beer” that is enjoyed by many of those that typically do not drink complex beers. Let’s have a review on it, cheers!

Aromas:
Floral notes, biscuit bread, cereal grain, honey, minor citrus hop hints, grape hints and cane sugar hints.

Flavors:
Pilsner grain, biscuit bread, cereal grain, citrus, piney hop hints, clove spice hint, honey, floral hints, lime peel, buttered toast hints, cane sugar, honey dew melon hints, mild stone fruit hints, mild grape hints, vanilla hints and peppercorn hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry and clean with hints of pilsner grain and honey. No alcohol in the taste, Golden honey clear body, crisp, clean and refreshing mouth feel and very easy to drink.

Overall:
Drinks just like a lawn mower beer. I really enjoyed this one as it was very clean and clear. Unlike the typical lager though, this one is very flavorful unlike the dry flavorless macros. The best part is that there is no homebrew taste. For as difficult as making these light styles are, my friend hit big with this one. I hope my friend Richard makes this one makes this one again but definitely this one is a winner.

Anime Corner:
Vocaloid Megurine Luka was used in this pairing as I wanted show the coming of spring as it flows in through in like a musical pattern just like the pattern of flowers that come once the winter has finished. I feel like this picture worked the best to represent the spring or primavera.

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

Vernal Equinox by Avila Ales

June 28, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Avila Ales, California Common, Fuu, Home brewing, Mr & Mrs. Richard Avila, Samurai Champloo, Vernal Equinox | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

Vernal Equinox by Avila Ales is a 5.51% ABV California Common.

==Introduction==
Originally brewed at the Avila Household, my friend Richard Avila wanted to create 2 beers for his son’s birthday. This one and a Pilsner. After talking it over, we took both of our brewing supplies and double brewed both the recipes that day at his parent’s place where he used to live. I figured, the more equipment, the faster we can get the brew day finished rather than doing one brew at a time. Thanks to my friend Richard, he has given me these homebrews for review.

I bring forth the California Common, a light ale made famous by Anchor Steam. It is not often brewed style but it is definitely a staple in the craft beer world. So let’s take a look at this refreshing beauty and see how it turns out. Cheers!

Aromas:
Honey, rye bread, caramel, toasted bread, mild orange preserve hints, pilsner grains, toasted cereal and cane sugar.

Flavors:
Biscuit bread, rye bread, citrus, piney hop notes, caramel, toffee hints, light cherry notes, brown sugar hints, cane sugar, toasted bread, mild orange preserve hints, butterscotch hints, vanilla hints, pilsner grains, toasted cereal and mild dark fruit hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry with notes or citrusy, piney hop notes and rye bread. No alcohol in the taste, copper colored light body, crisp, clean, refreshing and smooth mouthfeel and easy to drink.

Overall:
A very delicious California Common and reminiscent of the Anchor Steam one, if not better. This one was brewed and fermented very well. There was no homebrew taste and as difficult as these beers are to make due to less complex flavors, my friend Richard made a fantastic brew. Delicious amounts of nice caramel essence that still remains loyal to the non-craft drinker and would appease anyone at a party. I hope my friend makes this recipe again. Awesome beer!

Anime Corner:
Fuu from Samurai Champloo was used in this pairing as I wanted to show some aspects of the Vernal Equinox which is at the point where the longest day of the year is the last time the sun stays up late into the nightly hours. The picture she is in represents a lot of those aspects. As the long days say goodnight.

Sources:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PltaZ59OY0U/maxresdefault.jpg

Kölsch Encounters of the Briny Deep by Nubis Sanctum Ales

June 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Azzaca Hops, Chrono Cross, Chrono Cross Kid, German Kölsch, Home brewing, Kölsch, Kölsch Encounters of the Briny Deep, Kid, Nubis Sanctum Ales | Leave a comment

Rating: 4/5

Kölsch Encounters of the Briny Deep by Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 6.8% ABV German Kölsch brewed with Azzaca hops.

==Introduction==

Project #22 was my first attempt at brewing very close to a light lager. I realize my Gravity was a bit much but luckily it did not get over the top. Needless to say, when I first tried it, it really felt like a clean lager even though it fermented at ale temperatures. I made this beer wanting to take a step back to the first beer I ever made. It was called A Dive Into The Pale, since it was like taking a dive into making beers for the first time. I have come a long way since that time but this time, I wanted to make a testament to what I have learned so far. I made this beer which is a style close to a lager fermented at warm temperatures because with lighter beers, it is much easier to spot off flavors. Therefore, making this one, while easy to make, the outcome would be the hardest part and taking everything I learned, I had to make sure it came out right. While brewing actual lagers requires colder temperatures and temperature control equipment, you can still make a light beer. Well, without further ado, let’s see how my lighter, clearer attempt at a beer turned out.

Aromas:
Pilsner cereal grain, biscuit bread, honey dew melon, banana, citrus, grape and honey hints.

Flavors:
Citrus, Cane sugar hints, biscuit bread, banana hints, grape hints, coriander hints, lemon peel hints, pilsner grain, honey hints, mild vanilla, stone fruit hints, pears, honey dew melon hints, kiwi hints and very minor mango hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with clean and cry with very mild tropical hints on the back end. No alcohol in the taste, Pale hay colored clear body, crisp, clean and refreshing mouth feel and easy to drink.

Overall:
A very delicious Kölsch. Even though I only used one ounce of Azzaca, the flavor profiles from that small amount of hops is what really started to drive the beer along with the Kölsch yeast which I felt gave it closer to the German lager with the banana notes. The tropics were definitely from the hops. Although the beer came out a bit higher in alcohol than what I wanted, I think it still came out to a really drinkable clean beer. I will definitely make this again but the only thing I would adjust is the amount of malt I add to lower the ABV into the lager range. Despite that, for being so damn clean, clear and above the average tasting lagers, I really enjoyed what I did with this one.

Anime Corner:
Kid from Chrono Cross was used for this beer and pairing as she represents the clean waters, the dive into the ocean. The name of the beer is a play at Close Encounters. In this case, Kid finding this beers is like finding gold. This beer is like the color of gold. Very nice and clear and while it is not worth millions of dollars, the taste buds seem to say otherwise.

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/Kid.%28Chrono.Cross%29.full.428212.jpg

Poterie (8th Anniversary Ale) by The Bruery

June 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 8th Anniversary, aged in Bourbon Barrels, anniversary ale, anniversary gifts, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Metroid, Nintendo, Old Ale, Poterie, Samus Aran, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Poterie (8th Anniversary Ale) by The Bruery is a 16.8% ABV Old Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels.

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

Our eighth anniversary ale, loosely brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition using our house Belgian yeast strain then blended using the solera method for more complexity as the years go by. Poterie (Pottery) will age gracefully for decades when cellared properly.

==Introduction==

Poterie or “Pottery” in French, in the traditional sense of the wedding anniversary gifts, refers to the 9th year in which Pottery, Copper or Leather Goods are given. I noticed that this year, they decided to skip Bronze/Salt which was the 8th entry as it may have been too close to Copper or Salt may not have been a good name, who knows. The beer was released in May 2016 and will be available to the public and many places where the Bruery beers are sold. Every year’s addition of the first ale to the new batch gives it another great layer of complexity as the original ale that is now 8 years old and the new young batch all together using the Solera method, as explained in the description, is that much more extraordinary. Every year since Fruet, their 4th Anniversary when I first tried their beers, I have anticipated each release anxiously. It is with great pleasure that I show you, the newest batch and the newest review of the Bruery’s Anniversary beer. Cheers!!

Aromas:
Almond joy, toasted coconut, flan, fruit cake, Cadbury Cream Eggs, Creme brulee, Tres Leches/Three Creams cake, sweetened condensed milk, toffee, butterscotch, nutmeg, clove spice, hazelnut nectar, Danish cream cookies, bananas, clove spice, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, burnt sugar, Dark Belgian candi sugars, burnt cane sugar, butterscotch, waffle cone, dark fruit, raisins, plums, cherries, raspberries, anise, chocolate truffles and chocolate mousse.

Flavors:
Dulce de leche caramel and Milk Chocolate Cadbury Cream Egg fusions, Creme brulee, flan, vanilla, toasted coconut, marshmallows, chocolate truffles, bourbon, brown sugar, rocky road ice cream, Grilled Bananas, Tres Leches/Three Creams cake, sweetened condensed milk, toffee, butterscotch, nutmeg, clove spice, hazelnut nectar, Danish cream cookies, plantains, rye bread, chocolate cherry cordials, smores chocolate, fruit cake, mocha hints, Belgian Candi sugars, dark fruit raisins, plums, cherries, raspberries, chocolate mousse, waffle cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, maple syrup, stone fruit peaches and cream, mango, and wild flower honey.

Aftertaste:
Rich flavorful finish of fruit cake, dark fruits, Cadbury cream eggs, dark cherries, bourbon, marshmallows, flan, vanilla, milk chocolate, raisin bread pudding, flan and cola hints. Some alcohol in the aftertaste but not detracting from the rich flavors. Dark crimson brown medium to full body, silky, smooth and creamy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Supreme of supremes as well. It seems in comparison to the Scotch barrel aged is that the Scotch one is better as there are subtle Scotch notes that would distinguish it. I feel this year beats last year as it makes more for a fruit cake and flan forward flavors along with the cadburry cream eggs and the dark fruit cherries. So much going on at different temperatures especially as this evolves. If you have yet to get any of the Bruery’s anniversary beers and you love heavy brews, you must do yourself a favor and get one. Cheers to the Bruery, us the fans and many more years of beers!

Anime Corner:
As used in the Scotch Barrel Aged version of Poterie, Samus Aran from Nintendo’s Metroid series was used in this review as I wanted to pair with the colors of the label. The blues and oranges seem to stand out very well. Also, since I have done a trend on these using characters in body suits, I figured it was perfect. The Poterie aspect in the name works well too as in one of the artworks, her armor is like the color of pottery so her being inside the suit is like the beer being inside a ceramic vase. Definitely creative that is for sure. The complexity and flavors just mimic her character as well as she is both strong and her story is very deep. Now because this is the original base beer, I brought Ridley into the pairing as he stands being her nemesis but also an epic fight with Ridley show cases Samus strength and will.

Sources:
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/001/090/064/a4a.png
http://www.dailynintendo.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/47139_metroid.jpg
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/futabama/imgs/7/8/78926d88.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3f/08/47/3f08473584310cb6797672285260f232.jpg

2016 Blue BBLS by The Bruery Terreux

June 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Chocolate, Black Tuesday, Blue Balls, Blue BBLS, Blue berry, Blueberries, bourbon barrels, Chocolate Blueberries, dark chocolate, Imperial Stout, Ranma, Ranma 1/2, Shampoo, Sour Stout, Tart of Darkness, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, wine grapes, World class, world class beers, Xian pu | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Blue BBLS by The Bruery Terreux is a 16.3% ABV World Class Imperial Sour Stout blend (30% Tart of Darkness Sour Stout and 70% Black Tuesday Imperial Stout) aged in Bourbon Barrels with Blueberries.

Label:
Berries – Stoked – Oaked
IT’S SWELL

A sweet, sour, and fruity ale. Extended oak aging and an addition of blueberries results in a delightful vinous quality.

In brewing, BBL is the notation for “barrel,” a unit of a measurement equal to 31 gallons. This is not to be confused with an oak barrel, which typically holds nearly two BBLs of beer. Still with us? Great. Blue BBLs is best enjoyed fresh for peak fruit flavor, but may develop pleasantly with time if cellared properly. Best stored and cellared around 55°F (13°C). Best enjoyed in a tulip or wine glass.

==Introduction==

Released to the Bruery Reserve and Hoarders society, the original version of this brew was released to Hoarders a couple of years ago and since I finally had a chance to try before, I had to get this one again. With only so few variants of Black Tuesday ever released in bottles, this one is a staple just like the others. From the first time I tried it, I had fallen for this one. Reminding me similar to wineification but in blueberry form and still showcasing the flavors of the Black Tuesday along with the flavors of Tart of Darkness. So with the release under the Terreux now, let’ see how this one is, cheers!

Aromas:
Blueberry flan, Dark fruit raisins, currants, blackberries, wine grapes, Concorde grape skins, raspberries, figs, dark cherries, vinous grapes, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, blueberry fudge cake, bananas, port wine, chambord raspberry liqueur, rocky road ice cream, chocolate mousse, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, marshmallow smores, Belgian Chocolate, Danish cream, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk and hazelnut nectar.

Flavors:
Super blueberries, tart blueberry skins, concord grapes, blueberry flan, blueberry muffins, blueberry cheese cake, blueberry fudge cake, dark fruit raisins, currants, blackberries, wine grapes, Concorde grape skins, raspberries, figs, dark cherries, vinous grapes, port wine, chambord raspberry liqueur, rocky road ice cream, chocolate mousse, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, marshmallow smores, burnt sugar, banana notes, Irish cream, molasses, anise, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Danish cream, maple syrup, sweetened condensed milk, hazelnut nectar, crème brulee, pecan pie, blueberry preserves and blueberry chocolate cake.

Aftertaste:
Lots of Blueberries that linger forever, with flavors of the dark chocolate, bourbon, port wine, dulce de leche caramel, flan, sweetended condensed milk. Sweetness covers up a lot of the alcohol so only slight in taste but mainly sweet. Dark and Pitch black full body just like the original. Silky, creamy, syrupy, smooth, velvety mouthfeel, and a sipping drinkability although it seems easy to drink at times like many of the dangerous yet “plug it into my veins” beers go.

Overall:
If the Draco was the Blueberry Barleywine heaven and Smashed Blueberry the Wee Heavy Porter Blueberry heaven, then this must the imperial and sour stout of blueberry heaven. It is just as delicious as I had remembered when I first tried it. I am really happy they decided to release this one again and hope they make this a staple in their variant beer blends. There is a rich amount of blueberry yogurt chocolate complexity going on in this beer that can only be understood with every sip. This one is one of my favorites along with the Black Tuesday variants and is definitely one for the list. This beer is a must have if you have not tried it. Best to all that love Blueberry Stouts.

Anime Corner:
Shampoo from Ranma ½ was my girl for this beer as well as the original Blue BBLS. In the show, the main character Ranma hardly paid any attention to her even though she was the hottest girl in the show giving any man there including real men/women a boner. She was a huge representative of Amazonian women as she was huge but also very skilled kung fu master as well as a waitress. Her passion to fight for Ranma would be the kind that would destroy mountains and that is why even to this day she is one of my favorite characters of anime from back in the 90s. When I thought of Blue BBLs it not only reminded me of her being that representative of giving blue balls to others that liked her but mainly her Chinese style of hair with the little buns that looks like two blue balls. Shampoo’s strength and sweetheart of a personality but vicious for her passion is representative of the beers alcoholic strength and sweet super complexity.

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/Shampoo.(Ranma.½).full.875459.jpg
http://pds25.egloos.com/pds/201602/04/56/f0027756_56b3675f4c9ff.jpg
http://asha47110.deviantart.com/art/Shampoo-Ranma-FANART-D-509416937
http://orig14.deviantart.net/da6a/f/2015/142/1/a/shampoo__palette_challenge__by_animusubi-d8uapeg.png

2016 Saixon by The Bruery Terreux

June 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged belgian, Belgo, Bleach, Brettanomyces, Farmhouse Ale, Hallertau, Mandarina Bavarian hops, Matsumoto, Opal, Rangiku, Saison, saixon, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

2016 Saixon by The Bruery Terreux is a 6.7% ABV Belgo-German Saison/Farmhouse ale brewed with Hallertau, Opal and Mandarina Bavarian Hops and Brettanomyces

Label:
Crisp – Spicy – Worldly
Saixon is a saison – not a typo. But it’s different. The saison style traces its origin back to Wallonia, the predominantly French-speaking (and bordering) region of Belgium. We asked ourselves what the style would be like if the pendulum swung East and took root closer to the German border of Belgium. And then we brewed it. Presupposition meets new inspiration in this Belgo-German hybrid. In addition to the dry, crisp and funky notes you’d associate with the classic saison style – and the wildly traditional use of Brettanomyces, Saixon also features three generations of German hops: old school (Hallertau Mittlefruh), second wave (Opal), and new school (Mandarina Bavaria and Hallertau Blanc). Santé? Prost? Cheers!

==Introduction==

Released to all societies including some to the public at the Bruery’s online store (the bruerystore.com), this is the bruery’s attempt at a Farmhouse Ale/ Saison but using German hops. It is a different take on the rustic style that many including myself enjoy very well. German beers have a very special place for me and to have a German inspired saison is a great way to take stuff into a new realm for both countries to complement. With that being said, let’s see how this one is, cheers.

Aromas:
Peppercorn, stone fruit apricot, plum, mango notes, funky farmhouse notes, mild tropical notes, vanilla, waffle cone, banana hints, citrusy, grassy and herbal hops, floral notes and mild clove spice.

Flavors:
Funky farmhouse hay, banana, clove spice, farmhouse hay, peppercorn, sea salt, floral hibiscus, chamomile, waffle cone, biscuit bread, lemon peel, stone fruit apricot, plum, mango notes, oranges, citrusy, grassy and herbal hops, white grapes, vanilla, honey, mint, coriander spice, basil, tropical fruit hints of pineapple, passion fruit and dragon fruit.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry with stone fruit notes, lemon peel, spicy, herbally, hoppy and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, golden hazy medium body, crisp, refreshing and effervescent mouthfeel with a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very good saison show casing a lot of the crisp and clean tasting flavors of the German hops with the rustic Belgian inspired flavors of the saison. Something that is not super complex or super funky but right down the middle of the road and yet very different. Definitely worth a try.

Anime Corner:
Matsumoto Rangiku from Bleach was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair with the colors of both Belgium and Germany. The Orange and yellow from her hair and the black of her Hakama. It was a simple choice as the beer is Belgian and German inspired and since I haven’t used Matsumoto in a beer pairing in a long time, I figure it was about time then.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/ZW20MtI.jpg
http://76.72.168.19/images/2015-04-12-726521.jpeg
http://static.zerochan.net/full/19/33/19169.jpg

2014 2nd Year Anniversary Crowded by Wiens Brewing

June 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 2nd anniversary, aged in Bourbon Barrels, American Barleywine, Attila, Crowded, cuvee, Double Black India Pale Ale, Fate Grand Order, Fate Stay Night, Imperial Bitter Brown, Imperial Brown, Imperial Stout, Pixiv Fantasia, Storia, Wiens Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

2014 2nd Year Anniversary Crowded by Wiens Brewing is an 11.5% ABV Cuvee Blend of Imperial Stout, Imperial Bitter Brown, Double Black India Pale Ale and a Barleywine all aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Bottled 10/23/2014
We selected Our Finest Barrel Aged Beers from our collection and masterfully blended them together to create crowded.

Celebrate with one now or crowd it into a cellar of your own. Cheers!

==Introduction==

I found this one at Mr. K’s Liquor near the Bruery. I really liked the label and really liked that this one was a barrel aged brew. I have not tried anything from Wiens brewing so I figure their anniversary ale is a good way to start especially since I love stouts and this one looks to be a cuvee of beers. An example of this is what Firestone Walker does for their anniversary ales. By blending different amounts of different styles of beers, it breeds a complex beer rich in complex flavors. Some blending of beers are better than others but we will have to see what this one has to offer. Cheers!

Aromas:
Smokey notes, tobacco, leather, toffee, vanilla, oak, bourbon, caramel, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, marshmallows, roasted coffee, flan, hazelnut nectar, wine grapes, dark fruits, chocolate smores and rocky road ice cream notes.

Flavors:
Bourbon, vanilla, caramel, oak, toasted coconut, pecan pie, rocky road ice cream, dark fruit raisins, currants, prunes, vanilla, flan, Irish cream, hazelnut nectar, marshmallows, chocolate smores, Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, toffee, earthy and piney hops, smokey and burnt wood, anise, tobacco, leather, lemon peel, funky wine grapes, mint and ash.

Aftertaste:
Finishing dry with notes super earthy and piney hop notes, smokey oak and rocky road ice cream.
No alcohol in the taste, dark murky brown fill body, creamy, silky and chewy mouthfeel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
While I think the score is high since it is using the barrel aging process and even though there is a lot of delicious complexity and aged for 2 years, something is up. I still think it is very delicious, but not the usual exceptional brews that go over the 5 rating. I think the aspect of Black IPA an possibly Bitter Brown might not meld well with the stout and barley wine. The beer is smokey, ashy and hoppy. The Barrel aging sure puts stuff together but it is essentially as the name states, it is “Crowded” in there. While I think the cuvee attempt is awesome and it reminds me a little of Firestone Walker’s blended Anniversaries (The sweeter complex flavors) as you sip it because there is so much rich goodness, yet it still finishes with that slightly unpleasant bitterness. I would definitely want to try this fresher if there is a difference. Maybe this just did not age well. I really think you should give this a shot as the parts that are delicious are very delicious but that smokey and earthy bitterness doesn’t play well.

Anime Corner:
Attila from Fate Stay Night Series, Grand Order and Storia from Pixiv Fantasia were used in this pairing to go with the colors of the label, the crows mainly and the flavor complexity from the ingredients as represented by the various colors. Also, the bad assery is all part of the theme with the crows.

Sources:
http://img1.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/Fategrand-order-Fate-(series)-Anime-attila-(fategrand-order)-3104935.jpeg
http://static.zerochan.net/Storia.(Pixiv.Fantasia.T).full.1864171.jpg

2016 Share This Coffee by The Bruery

June 3, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Full Metal Daemon, Imperial Stout, Mostra Coffee, Sandaime Muramasa, Share This Coffee, sharethisbeer, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

2016 Share This Coffee by The Bruery is an 11.9% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Mostra Coffee

Label:
Lend a Hand

Share This Experience with a friend, and in the process you’ll be part of helping friends in the Philippines become mobile for the first time. For every bottle we produce, Free Wheelchair Mission receives one dollar. #sharethisbeer made with MOSTRA COFFEE

Share This is a series of beers that will each spotlight unique ingredients and support an important cause. Our first release sources coffee from the Philippines and supports Free Wheelchair Mission.

==Introduction==
Released nationwide, this beer was made to support a good cause and it is one of two so far that will be released in efforts to assist charitable organizations. Good deal. Buy a beer, help people. I think many breweries should do this but only if it is within their limits to do so. Some up and coming breweries may not have the capacity. Anyways, it has been a while since I have tried a regular non-super ABV stout from the Bruery (aside from So Happens Its Tuesday). One with coffee no less, and coffee I have heard of but I do not think I have tried their brand. Let’s see how this one goes. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, milk chocolate, dark fruit raisins, cherries, currants, blackberries, raspberry, vanilla, caramel, toffee, roasted coffee, espresso, mocha, rocky road ice cream notes, Khalua liqueur notes, crème brulee, steamed milk, marshmallows and toasted coconut.

Flavors:
Complex coffee flavors, mocha, roasted coffee, espresso, java, molasses, tobacco, licorice, anise, toasted coconut, chocolate cake, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, marshmallows, smores, rocky road ice cream notes, Khalua liqueur notes, crème brulee, steamed milk, Irish cream, dark fruit raisins, cherries, currants, blackberries, raspberry, vanilla, caramel, toffee, earthy hop notes, pecan pie, oreo cookies, flan, hazelnut and fruit cake.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with complex coffee flavors, mocha, dark fruit, dark roast coffee, Irish cream, vanilla, caramel, marshmallows, pecan pie and toffee. No alcohol in the taste despite the high ABV. Dark Full body, creamy, smooth, rich and velvety mouthfeel and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A perfect stout whose status is put there really by the chocolatey mocha complex flavors of the coffee’s contribution to the Bruery’s already World Class methods of brewing. I think many people are going to enjoy this one especially if they like Coffee and chocolate stouts. Even at the high ABV it is, it is pretty drinkable with no offending alcoholic bite. Definitely something that should be sought out. Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Sandaime Muramasa from Full Metal Daemon was used in this pairing since I wanted to pair the colors of the label, the flavors and the “Share” this aspect and coffee. Like a Barista serving coffee. Although, Sandaime is actually a maid in this one. Either way, I really liked the colors and the pictures. It is a character I have not paired with a beer in a very long time.

Sources:
https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/0dbb7-1344242209717.jpg
http://img1.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/Anime-Adult-swim-Anime-Adult-Anime-Sansei-Muramasa-3030551.jpeg
http://nu-ku.net/cg/20160115_063/20160115_063_005.jpg
http://p.im9.eu/9eb4f837d8e270bba8f1cb53b66415b7.jpg

La Muerta EC12, Vanilla EC12 & Coconut EC12 by Freetail brewing (Triple Review Special)

June 3, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Black Rock★Shooter, Bourbon Barrel Aged, coconut, Dead Master, Dia de los Muertos, EC12, Elyjah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon, Freetail Brewing, Imperial Stout, La Muerta, vanilla | Leave a comment

==Introduction==
A very special gift from my friend Aaron Mendiola, owner of BeerMetalDude.com, this is the 3 Elijah Craig 12 variants of Free Tail’s La Muerta! Which to me is like the Dark Lord of Texas in a way that Black Tuesday is the Dark Lord of California, or so I would think. Anyways, the variants are all aged in Elijah Craig 12-year-old bourbon and 2 of them are made with coconut and vanilla. The reason I wanted to do a triple review is to see how each one varies in the flavors not just to the EC12 by its self but even to the original La Muerta. Let’s take a look, Cheers!

Label (All 3):
A growing South Texas tradition, La Muerta is brewed each year for Día de los Muertos in honor of our departed friends and family. A big, lush Imperial Stout, La Muerta is full of roast, smoke and chocolate flavors from an array of specialty malts that go into this garnetblack ale. Perfect for sharing with your closest compadres, La Muerta will age wonderfully for years to come – we recommend enjoying one now and save some for the future, if you can. ¡Salud!

EC12
==============

La Muerta EC12 by Freetail brewing is a 10.01% ABV Imperial Stout blend with 33% Ale and 67% Aged in Elijah Craig 12 Bourbon Barrels.

Aromas:
Rocky road ice cream, vanilla, dark fruit raisins, currants, prunes, pecan pie, cinnamon, anise, fruit cake, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, Mexican chocolate abuelita, German chocolate, campfire smoke, cherry cordials, coconut notes, rye bread, coffee notes and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Milk chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, Mexican chocolate abuelita, German Chocolate, rocky road ice cream, molasses, tobacco, anise, bourbon, oak, vanilla, marshmallows, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, coconut notes, rye bread, coffee note, cinnamon, capirotada raisin bread pudding, dark fruit raisins, currants, prunes, pecan pie, piloncillo sugar cone, brown sugar, flan, sweetened condensed milk, rock candy, candi sugar, ginger bread, fruit cake, chocolate flan, earthy notes, pretzel notes, bananas, clovey notes, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, campfire smoke, cherry cordials, port wine and dark chocolate cherry cake.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with earthy notes, rocky road ice cream, caramel, dark fruit, toffee, smokey notes,cinnamon and choco fruit cake finish. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark full body, creamy, smooth, syrupy and velvety mouth feel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

EC12 W/ Vanilla
==============

La Muerta EC12 by Freetail brewing is a 10.01% ABV Imperial Stout blend with 33% Ale and 67% Aged in Elijah Craig 12 Bourbon Barrels with Vanilla.

Aromas:
The vanilla comes through more on this one but still similar aromas to the original with some other notes like banana and more chocolate.

Flavors:
Similar to the original but the Vanilla accentuates flavors into something additional. More flan, more crème brulee, Jericalla Jaliscan custard, burnt sugar, more dulce de leche, more chocolate, almond milk, chocolate mousse and more rocky road ice cream.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich vanilla notes, flan, crème brulee, earthy notes, rocky road ice cream, Jericalla, more caramel, dark fruit, toffee, smokey notes,cinnamon and choco fruit cake finish. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark full body, creamy, smooth, syrupy and velvety mouth feel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

EC12 W/Coconut
===================
La Muerta EC12 by Freetail brewing is a 10.01% ABV Imperial Stout blend with 33% Ale and 67% Aged in Elijah Craig Bourbon 12 Barrels with Coconut.

Aromas:
Even richer coconut, flavor, macaroons, almond joy chocolate, rye, more flan notes, bit more dark fruits, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie and Cocada Mexican coconut candy along with the aromas of the original EC12.

Flavors:
Similar to the original but coconut seems to amplify the flavors way higher. Super Almond joy coconut chocolate note, rye bread, oakier, flan, chocolate coconut pie, hazelnut nectar, Irish cream, Danish cream, richer sweetened condensed milk, raspberry chambord hints, cocada Mexican coconut candy and macaroons.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with super rich with coconut, vanilla, flan, almond joy chocolate, bourbon, flan, crème brulee, fruit cake, rocky road ice cream, caramel, dark fruit, toffee, and smokey notes. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark full body, creamy, smooth, syrupy and velvety mouth feel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

==================
Overall:
While all the beers are supremely exceptional showcasing more complex flavors than the others, it was hard to choose which one I loved the most. Well, more than the original EC12 as that one was the base which was way better than the Original La Muerta ofcourse. However, the EC12 I really loved the most was the coconut one. While vanilla is my thing, the coconut one just blew everything out of the water for me and definitely the best coconut beer I’ve ever had so far. These variants should be highly sought out and I can never thank my friend Aaron Mendiola enough for these as he really went out of his way to get me something very special. Please support his site www.BeerMetalDude.com to see some more awesome beer reviews.

Anime Corner:
Original characters and Dead Master from Black★Rock Shooter were used to pair with each of the labels. I tried to get as close as possible to the labels using the different colored skeletons but also representing either the reaper, death, dead lady and grimm overall.

Sources:
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/toregazou/imgs/0/8/081b6e19.jpg
http://img.diyidan.net/post/2015/10/25/WfsRJg74djmEkEW8.jpg!webmedium
http://i.imgur.com/UXQV0l4.jpg
https://41.media.tumblr.com/560d2231a3934e6bcc4809a377578b4f/tumblr_o0hkk7hI331rd89lxo1_1280.png
http://i.imgur.com/K7JZPgP.png
https://k61.kn3.net/taringa/2/3/8/8/5/2/70/agente867/1CE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fA8bJVj.jpg
Rating: 6/6 EC12
Rating: 6.25/7 EC12 Vanilla
Rating: 6.35/7 EC12 Coconut

Easy As She Gose by El Borracho brewing

June 3, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Asagi Igawa, Easy As She Gose, El Borracho brewing, Gose, Herradura Reposado Tequila, Homika, Juice, limes, Oak aged, oranges, Pokemon, Reposado Tequila Barrels, Sakura Igawa, Taimanin Asagi, William Carranza, Yatsu, Zest | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Easy As She Gose by El Borracho brewing is a 4.9% ABV Gose brewed with Oranges, Limes (Juice and Zest) oak aged in Herradura Resposado Tequila.

==Introduction==
Another awesome experiment by my friend William Carranza of El Borracho brewing. This time, he wanted to make a Gose as close to a Margarita as he could. The style while mainly German with salt is one that I think would work very well to make a Margarita kind of beer. So now that he has donated the beer to the site, let’s take a look.

Aromas:
Tejuino maize notes, limes, agave, stone fruit apricot, apples, Citrus, Lime peel, oranges, rich orange juice, grapefruit, banana, phenolic notes, coriander, honey, floral notes, sea salt, oak, tequila hints, clove and vanilla.

Flavors:
Citrus, Lime peel, oranges, rich orange juice, tangerines, peppercorn, Margarita notes, tequila hints, agave, oak, sea salt, grapefruits, lemon grass, floral notes, wild flower honey, tart grape, hibiscus notes, chamomile, lavender, stone fruit apricot, apples, pears, phenolic notes, bananas, coriander and clove spice, vanilla, flan hints and Tejuino maize notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with a mix of Salty, lemon lime with sweet orange notes, oak and tequila hints. No alcohol in the taste. Cloudy honey medium body, crisp, refreshing and smooth mouthfeel and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very delicious brew. One thing my friend did mention is that the Gose might be a bit saltier than what he wanted it to be. Funny thing is, I felt the Gose from the brewer was just as salty if not saltier. But even other Gose beers I have tried have been a bit like that. It might be for some but I was very pleased with it as I had explained to him that the base of the ingredients he used to make it such as the oranges and limes along with the tequila oak really did bring out some of those Margarita flavors almost to the point of the Mexican Cantaritos which have oranges, limes, grapefruit and tequila. So I would definitely want to see this one again!

Anime Corner:
Original Anime Girl, Homika from Pokemon, Asagi, Sakura and Yatsu from Taimanin Asagi were used in this pairing as I wanted to get the pairing as close as the Song “Steady, As She Goes” by the Raconteurs. So definitely a band was in mind. Also, Easy as She goes seems like something else along the lines of someone being easy? Maybe, but also the tropical aspects of the beer are depicted in the picture as well.

Sources:
http://76.72.168.19/images/2016-04-13-825139.jpeg
http://pds27.egloos.com/pds/201604/16/00/e0060200_57118e2476001.jpg

Verbum in Tenebris by Save the World brewing

June 3, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Stout, celty sturluson, cocoa nibs, Durarara!!, Milk Chocolate Sweet Stout, Milk Stout, peppermint, Save The World brewing, Verbum in Tenebris | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/6

Verbum in Tenebris by Save the World brewing is a 7.5% AVB Belgian Double Milk Chocolate Stout aged in cocoa nibs and peppermint.

Label:
Verbum In Tenebris (Word in the Darkness)
Our Belgian style double milk chocolate stout was aged with cocoa nibs and peppermint, resulting in deep aromas and rich flavors of chocolate, hints of mint and roasted coffee. It is full bodied with malt sweetness at the beginning and a lingering rich medium dry finish.

Enjoy this Dark silky delectable ale!
Try pairing with roasted and grilled meats, rich cheeses, and all deserts, especially ice cream. Goes especially well with love!

==Introduction==

Obtained this one via trading from my friend and fellow beer reviewer, Aaron Mendiola at BeerMetalDude.com. This is the second beer I review from the up and coming Save the World brewing. The Quadruple with the brett I first had from them was downright amazing! So naturally, with the next beer I get to try being a Chocolate Milk Stout and a Belgian Imperial style too, well, I really am hoping this one is just as delicious or way better than the first one I had. Let’s a look now, cheers!

Aromas:
Anise, molasses, brown sugar, Dark Chocolate, Milk chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, Fudge chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, marshmallows, port wine, Belgian Candy sugar, smokey oak, earthy hop notes, vanilla, leather, tobacco and mint chocolate chip hints.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Milk chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, Fudge chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Milk Sugar, port wine, Belgian Candy sugar, smokey oak, roasted coffee notes, earthy hop notes, vanilla, leather, tobacco, anise, licorice, molasses, mint chocolate chips, pillow mints, dark fruit cherries, raisins, plums, currants, raspberry, figs, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, mocha, graham crackers, marshmallow smores and double chocolate cake with cherry cordials and Raspberry Chambord syrup.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with raspberry, dark cherry yogurt hints, dark fruits, rich chocolate, earthy notes, mint, molasses, tobacco, smokey notes and port wine. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black body, smooth, creamy, silky and velvety mouthfeel with a moderate mouthfeel.

Overall:
Definitely exceeding some of my expectations. The beer is just like the great Belgian Stouts I have had in the past but the lactose and chocolate with the peppermint really take things up a notch and into another realm for sure. The complexity added by the ingredients gives a lot of the flavors that I really enjoy, especially the chocolate. This one is a high recommend from me especially if you can find it.

Anime Corner:
Celty Sturluson from Durarara!! Was used mainly as the Word the darkness and the colors in the label. She doesn’t really have a face, but a helmet so you wonder, how can someone without a face make words. If the words do come, they are definitely from the darkness as depicted in the picture pairing.

Sources:
http://img1.reactor.cc/pics/post/full/Celty-Sturluson-Durarara!!-Anime-2942251.jpeg
http://blog-imgs-79.fc2.com/j/i/n/jingaidaisuki/20150724055223297.jpg

Papay-Ale by El Borracho brewing

June 3, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged cream ale, El Borracho brewing, El Borracho Homebrewing, Home brewing, Papay-Ale, Papaya, William Carranza | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Papay-Ale by El Borracho brewing is a 4.4% ABV Cream Ale brewed with Papaya

==Introduction==

Thanks to my friend William Carranza of El Borracho brewing for hooking me up with one of his latest homebrews, a Cream Ale with Papaya. This brew was made using lots of papaya. He advised the inspiration for this beer was to use fruits which he had done with other beers. This time, with using a papaya. Let’s see how this one goes, cheers!

Aromas:
Tropical fruit forward from the papaya, honey dew melon, pineapple, guava notes, cane sugar, biscuit bread, caramel, lychee, stone fruit, grapefruit and grassy hop notes.

Flavors:
Lots of Papaya, mango, Kiwi, honey dew melon, guava hints, vanilla notes, cane sugar, grapefruit, grassy and citrus hops, stone fruit peach, apricot, pineapple hints, lychee, watermelon, tangerines, cherry notes, tropical fruit punch hints, biscuit bread and caramel notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with cane sugar, papaya and grapefruit hop notes with some lingering tropical fruit and stone fruit. No alcohol in the taste, crisp, clean and refreshing mouthfeel and easy to drink.

Overall:
A very delicious beer. It’s crazy to think how perfect papaya works with the cream ale style and how crazy refreshing it is. Lots of complexity while still being very balanced and flavorful. Definitely one of the better beers made by my friend Will.

Anime Corner:
This original character was used in this pairing as I wanted to show case the papaya in the picture. Sure, the girl has nice melons, but that’s beside the point. Anyways, this was about the only good pic I could find that had a papaya in it.

Sources:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/93/40/d2/9340d2e96baba4b172be6ace65af8c71.jpg

Mexican Speedway Stout by Alesmith brewing

May 28, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Alesmith, alesmith brewing, alesmith brewing co, Bleach, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Imperial Stout, Mexican Coffee, Mexican Speedway Stout, Speedway Stout, Tequila, Tequila Barrel Aged, Tequila Barrels, Yoruichi, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

Mexican Speedway Stout by Alesmith brewing is a 12% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Mexican Coffee, Chocolate and Cinnamon aged in Tequila Barrels.

Label:

==Introduction==

Alesmith has been releasing many great beers over the years and many great variants of their speedway stout ranging from Kopi Luwak coffee, Jamaican Coffee, special spirits and even collaborations. This year, they released something that immediately hit me. The Mexican Speedway Stout aged with the uncommon liquor for aging, Tequila. Tequila barrel aged beers are pretty uncommon unlike Bourbon. The inspiration of that aging process is what inspired me to make my Belgian Quadrupel aged in Oak Tequila. So basically, whenever I hear of great beers made Tequila, I go out of my way to try and get them even if I have to trade. The firs Tequila barrel aged beer was a Barley wine made from Cucapa brewing in Mexicali, Mexico. Since then I have not found that one beer again and definitely made it a form of a mission to try and find those brews that are Tequila aged. I never would of thought Alesmith would release one especially one done similarly to the Xocoveza from Stone. Let’s see how this one goes, cheers!

Aromas:
Cafe Con Leche, Roasted coffee notes, dark cherries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, Jaliscan Jerricalla, burnt sugar, pilloncillo sugar cone, Tequila, Mezcal, agave lechugilla nectar, oak, flan, crème brulee, 3 leche/ 3 Milks cake, coffee cake, mocha, java, steamed milk, milk sugar, marshmallows, toasted coconut, rocky road ice crea, dulce de leche, dulce de cabra envinada/ goat milk caramel, cajeta caramel, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate mousse, bakers chocolate, chocolate abuelita, German Chocolate, Belgian Cholate, mole, almonds, Marzipan, Danish cream and bananas.

Flavors:
Cafe Con Leche, fancy coffee, roasted coffee notes, mocha, java, steamed milk, milk sugar, marshmallows, toasted coconut, rocky road ice cream, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate mousse, bakers chocolate, chocolate abuelita, German Chocolate, Belgian Cholate, mole, cinnamon, cajeta caramel, dulce de leche, dulce de cabra envinada/ goat milk caramel in wine hints, flan, crème brulee, 3 leche/ 3 Milks cake, Jaliscan Jerricalla, burnt sugar, pilloncillo sugar cone, Tequila, Mezcal, agave lechugilla nectar, oak, Kahlua liqueur, dark fruit raisins, figs, prunes, dark cherries, raspberries, currants, molasses, anise, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, campfire smokey hints, Danish cream, Irish cream, Marzipan, fruit cake, capirotada raisin bread pudding, Champurrado, bananas, clove spice, churros, ginger bread and Lechera sweetened condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich notes of chocolate abuelita, Kahlua liquer, cinnamon, tequila oak, agave, dark fruit, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, flan, toasted coconut, earthy notes and hazelnut. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV, pitch black abyss body, creamy, velvety, silky, syrupy, chewy and viscous mouthfeel and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
No doubt, a bucket lister. It’s like they took Xocoveza, Mole Ocho and Tequila Sombrero to a whole new level. The influence of the might that is Speedway Stout just works with it providing a diversly rich array of coffee, chocolate and sweet Mexican Tequila flavor. You kind of just lose yourself in its greatness. Speedway Stout has come out in so many great variants that this on sits right up there with Alesmith’s best. It sure is a beer that is a must get for fans of the Mexican Stouts and especially, Tequila Barrel aged beers.

Anime Corner:
Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach was used in this pairing because she is one of my 4 favorite girls and I had remembered I did a special edit to a picture of hers for the World Cup back in 2006. What a surprise that 10 years later, it would make the perfect for this new beer to go with the Mexican Flag. Aside from the Jersey pairing well, Yoruichi has obtained 2 new powerful forms in the manga and now that I present her in a beer pairing, especially one of this caliber, I wanted to pair with those super forms. The Goddess of Thunder Yoruichi, though you be a cat, how you complement the Aztec Goddess Tlaloc who is Quetzalcoatl’s part ally in the skies almost resembling a dragon as well. Yup, Yoruichi is one bad ass character.

Sources:
http://arteemis.deviantart.com/art/God-Of-Thunder-590320394
http://img1.reactor.cc/pics/post/Shihouin-Yoruichi-Bleach-Anime-nanao-(mahaya)-3070867.jpeg

2016 Oude Tart with Cherries by The Bruery Terreux

May 28, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged cherries, Dark Cherries, Flanders, Flanders Red Ale, Flemish Red Brown Ale, Oak aged, Oak Aged Ale, oak barrels, Oude Tart, Oude Tart with Cherries, Ruby, Ruby Rose, Rwby, tart cherry juice, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, Yang Xiao Long | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

2016 Oude Tart with Cherries by The Bruery Terreux is an 8.4% ABV World Class Flanders/Flemish Red Ale aged in oak barrels with Cherries.

Label:
Plump-Leathery-Tangy

Commercial Description:
Oude Tart is a Flemish-Style Red Ale aged in red wine barrels for up to 18 months. This version has had cherries added for the final stages of barrel aging. It’s pleasantly sour with hints of leather, tangy dark fruit, plump cherries and toasty oak. While the base beer is one of the more classic styles that we make, it’s not a style that you can find too often in the United States. Originating in style from the Flanders region of Belgium, near the French border, this dark, sour ale has roots deep in brewing history and predates most of the ales that have become popular in contemporary culture. We’re doing our best to keep the tradition alive by brewing and aging this beer here on the West Coast.

==Introduction==

Releases to all societies of the Bruery, this is the second time I try this beer. The first time I tried I had recalled all the delicious cherry flavors and how it definitely made a mark. To me it felt so much that I had to bring it back for another go. Now with much more released, you may get a chance to try it this time if you for the society membership. Let’s see how this new batch does.

Aromas:
Caramel, rye bread, dark cherries, dark fruit raisins, plums, currants, raspberries, oak mustiness, lemon, leather, brown sugar, vanilla, funky wine grapes, tart cherry juice, sour apples, cherry pie, pecan pie hints, cinnamon, oak, hazelnut and cherry cheesecake notes.

Flavors:
Dark Cherry forward, Black Cherry Yogurt, lemon peels, biscuit bread, dark fruit raisins, plums, currants, figs, vanilla, oak, leather, tobacco, cherry preserves on rye bread, crème brulee, toffee, red wine, wine grapes, cherry cobbler, caramel, cherry cheesecake, brown sugar, tropical fruit notes of pineapple, stone fruit apricots, mango, pecan pie, coconut hints, cherry cobbler, fruit cake, and Danish cookies.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with dry notes of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, dark cherry yogurt, and wine oak notes. No alcohol in the taste, medium reddish brown body, creamy, effervescent, velvety mouthfeel and moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Very delicious and as always, love how the Cherries just go through the sourness and give more of like a sweet dark cherry tart yogurt flavor. The complexity is just as awesome as when I had it before and while I think the Cherries do change the dynamic of the original oude tart, it essentially makes it very appealing. Good thing now the preservation societies can enjoy this one as well and soon, the public. Highly recommended sours.

Anime Corner:
Ruby Rose and her sister Yang Xiao Long from RWBY were used in this pairing since I used Yang in the Oude Tar Pairing. In fact, they were used in the previous Oude Tart Cherries pairing. Because of the fact that they are sisters, putting them together is like adding the cherries to Oude Tart. Ruby Rose, ofcourse is the cherry here. They are an awesome team. I wanted to show how the beer tends to be a splash of fruity flavors as you can see Ruby jumping in to add that layer of complexity.

Sources:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mc2rOFKCQXc/maxresdefault.jpg
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140429113205/rwby/images/4/47/Blake_belladonna_clouds_moon_pool_ruby_rose_rwby_signed_sky_swimsuit_weiss_schnee_yang_xiao_long.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CBJv02O.jpg

Chupacabra Quinceañera by the Bruery Terreux

May 28, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Wild Ale, Brettanomyces, Chupacabra Quinceañera, Chupacabras, Darkstalkers, Escalofriante, Lilith Aensland, Lupulo, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, Tropical | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Chupacabra Quinceañera by the Bruery Terreux is a 4.9% ABV American Wild Ale brewed with Brettanomyces.

Label:
Lupulo-¡Escalofriante!-Tropical

Commercial Description:
Chupacabra Quinceañera is a refreshing 100% Brett-fermented blonde beer bursting with clean tropical aroma from the unique brett strain used for fermentation. These notes are complemented with the subtle use of Simcoe and Amarillo hops, which add layers of tangerine and passionfruit. It’s quite the party.

==Introduction==

Available to Reserve and Hoarders Society members of the Bruery, this beer was something I wanted to try since last year when it was released in the tap room. An original pilot batch by Sean Flannery which was made using Brettanomyces Bruxellensis Trois which is a strain that give the beer tropical flavors rather than barnyard funk. The name of Chupacabras Quinceañera or the Sweet 15th of the Goat Sucker was made as a tribute to creating a beer with mythical brett strains. In 2013, they made one with another mythical strain and called it Werewolf Barmitzvah. I never did get a chance to try Chupacabra Quinceañera and now that it is here, let’s present her to the site. A wild ale with Brettanomyces but how will it differ from the other Bretty beers. Some with citrus, orange and saison funks or even tropical notes. Let’s take a look at how this one is, cheers!

Aromas:
Citrus, piney, floral and grassy hop notes, biscuit bread, hibiscus flowers, lavender, roses, tropical fruit pineapple, honeydew melon, papaya, passion fruit, dragon fruit, guava, prickly pears, stone fruit peaches, apricot, lemon peel and tangerine gummies.

Flavors:
Lots of tropics and funk, pineapple, honeydew melon, papaya, passion fruit, dragon fruit, guava, prickly pears, citrus, piney, floral and grassy hop notes, peppercorn, farmhouse hay, stone fruit apricot, peaches, tangerine gummies, white raisins, wine grapes, oranges, lime peels, banana notes, clove spice, barnyard funk, vanilla, oak, butterscotch hints, biscuit bread, hibiscus flowers, lavender, roses, lemon grass, basil, Danish cream.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry with tropical notes, stone fruits, farmhouse hay, citrus, piney and floral hops. No alcohol in the taste, clear golden body, crisp, refreshing, effervescent mouthfeel and easy to drink.

Overall:
A perfect tarty and bretty tropical sour with lots of delicious flavors. Even on the light side, it is flavorful displaying many of the flavors I would love from even Saisons even though it is sour. The use of variant Brett strains gives me ideas for the day I ever make a saison of my own. Tropical flavors are awesome! This one is a definite high recommendation for this that like light crisp sours with lots of bretty and tropical flavors.

Anime Corner:
Lilith Aensland from Darkstalkers was used in this pairing to represent La Chupacabra Quineañera. The reason I chose her is since she is depicted as a younger person, but being a Succubus, she is actually older than she looks. Also since she is a creature of the night, the whole aspect of Chupacabra, or goat sucker, she is a sexual blood sucker. Like her, this beer is very alluring in the flavor profile but do not fall for the tricks as you may meet your doom. Ah who cares, you already started drinking anyway.

Sources:
http://img05.deviantart.net/cb03/i/2014/266/a/e/lilith_aensland_wallpaper_by_jaksonstoker-d809i3x.png
http://static.zerochan.net/Lilith.Aensland.full.309888.jpg
http://blog-imgs-45.fc2.com/a/n/i/animehiroi/14101162.jpg
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/darkstalkers/images/7/7d/Capcom1708.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130530095225

Jurassic Gose collaboration by The Bruery Terreux, The Libertine Wild Brews & Blends and Field Recordings

May 28, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Chenin Blanc Grapes, Dino Crisis, Field Recordings, Gose, Jurassic, Jurassic Gose, oak barrel, Port Wine, Port Wine Barrels, Regina, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux, The Libertine Wild Brews & Blends | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/6

Jurassic Gose collaboration by The Bruery Terreux, The Libertine Wild Brews & Blends and Field Recordings is a 9.7% ABV Gose aged in Port Wine barrels with Chenin Blanc Grapes.

Label:
Mineralic-Territorial-Dry

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Gose, port wine, chenin blanc grapes, sea salt captured from the Pacific Ocean. None of these existed in the Jurassic era. The creatures that roamed the earth 145+ million years ago had neither the brainpower nor wherewithal to concoct such a creation and collaboration of this magnitude. Fast forward to present day with Bruery Terreux, Libertine Brewing Company and Field Recordings, and these dinosaurs could learn a thing or two about adapting to the environment and making the most out of terroir around them. And that’s exactly where we sought inspiration (and borrowed artwork from our offspring) in the creation of Jurassic Gose. This tart, wheat-based ale is our exploration of a West Coast gose. Jurassic Gose is brewed using the stein beer method with locally-sourced rocks, and features grapes from Jurassic Park Vineyard and sea salt from the Pacific Ocean. Aged in port wine barrels with chenin blanc grapes, this wild collaboration emerges as mineralic, territorial and dry. It’s unlike any gose you’ve had before – in fact, it’s from an entirely different era.

==Introduction==

Released to The Bruery’s Hoarders and Reserve Societies, this Gose was something I wanted to get on the name and ingredients alone. Having only tried few Gose in the past, I wanted to bring their take on this German salty brew to the site. The name makes me think of tropical aspects or exotic flavors. I don’t think this is made ancient ingredients or dinosaurs but it sounds like it may have been inspired by it. Let’s have a look, cheers!

Aromas:
Lemon peel, peppercorns, citrus oranges, tangerines, flowers of hibiscus, lavender, chamomile, roses, stone fruit peaches, apricots, chardonnay, salt, yerba buena, mint, vanilla, tropical fruits like pineapple, passion fruit, dragon fruit, honey dew melon, tamarind and grapes.

Flavors:
Lots or tropical fruits like pineapple, passion fruit, dragon fruit, honey dew melon, tamarind, agave nectar, salty Teguacan and Tejuino Mexican Maize drink, limes, tangerines, funky wine grapes, dark fruit port wine, lemon peel, peppercorns, citrus oranges, tangerines, flowers of hibiscus, lavender, chamomile, roses, cane sugar, crème brulee, stone fruit peaches, apricots, mushrooms, brown sugar, celery salt, yerba buena, mint, concord grapes and chardonnay.

Aftertaste:
Finishes very dry with stone fruit, dark fruit, tropical fruit and salty tamarind notes along with port wine grapes. No alcohol in the taste, pale light golden body, crisp, refreshing, smooth and effervescent along with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
There was so much going on in this beer that I considered exceptional. From the wine notes and tropical fruit to the funky notes and salty notes, it’s definitely not your average sour. I don’t think I have had a brew aged in port wine before (except maybe Sucre Port Barrel) and since some of the port wine notes are my favorite notes in some beers, I figured this one would be one of the best to try. I would highly recommend this one if you love sours or salty funky brews.

Anime Corner:
Regina from Dino Crisis was used in this pairing as I wanted to get a character that was in a dinosaur game. I had played this game back in the PS1 days and I still remember a good amount of it. So to go with the whole “Jurassic” theme of the beer, I decided to use Regina which I feel worked perfectly including the tropical flavors one with her and the T-Rex.

Sources:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dDGQRQTAlmE/maxresdefault.jpg
http://img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/full/Dino-Crisis-Игры-regina-песочница-1125856.jpeg
http://www.hqfreeimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Dino-Crisis-HD-Wallpaper-Fully-Rated-Girl-2016-1.jpg

A Fistful Of Unidragon by Clown Shoes

May 26, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged A Fistful Of Unidragon, aged in Bourbon Barrels, Blaecorn Unidragon, Bleach, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Clown Shoes Brewing, dark chocolate, milk Chocolate, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Russian Imperial Stout, Texas, Texas Dark Malts, Texas' Blacklands Malt, The Good The Bad & The Unidragon, Tia Harribel, unidragon, Yoruichi, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

A Fistful Of Unidragon by Clown Shoes is a 14% ABV Russian Imperial Stout brewed with mesquite smoked malt from Texas’ Blacklands Malt and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
A West Texas town terrorized by depraved outlaws, hired The Artist and his Smitty – Forged Unidragron Hand Cannon. The Artists, while emp and a bit sensitive, gets rough with bad guys, so he went ahead and incarcerated them. This beer, made with mesquite smoked malt from Blackland Malt Company, is a bourbon barrel aged version of The Good, The Bad and The Unidragon.

==Introduction==

I obtained this brew thanks to my friend Aaron Mendiola of BeerMetalDude.com. This brew is based on Clown Shoes The Good, The Bad and The Unidragon which I had reviewed some time back same thanks to my friend Aaron. Thanks to him, we were able to bring forth the collection from Texas provided by Clown Shoes. In return, I was able to send him the California Clown Shoes beers. I remember the brew was very good and now that it comes in a bourbon barrel aged form, let’s see if we can compare. Cheers.

Aromas:
campfire smokey oak, bacon notes, dark coffee roasted grounds, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, Irish cream, fudge cake, sweet toffee, earthy notes, molasses, anise, toasted coconut, tobaccco, leather, flan, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, dark fruit raisins, plums, dark cherries, currants, marshmallow smores, pecan pie, crème brulee and rocky road ice cream.

Flavors:
Rich rocky road ice cream, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, campfire Smokey oak, bacon notes, dark coffee roasted grounds, roasted barley, mocha, java, vanilla, bourbon, oak, Kahlua liquer, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, dark cherries, currants, marshmallow smores, pecan pie, Irish cream, fudge cake, sweet toffee, earthy notes, molasses, anise, toasted coconut, tobaccco, leather, flan, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, rye whiskey, earthy notes and crème brulee.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with touch of smokey, whiskey, bourbony notes and complexity like dark fruit, dark chocolate, vanilla, coconut, rocky road ice cream, vanilla and caramel. Slight alcohol in the taste but despite the ABV, does not detract from the flavors. Pitch black abyss body, smooth, velvety, creamy and chewy mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Hot Diggity, this is better than the original. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to have a good friend that shares common interest and has been able to send me the beers. It is all possible with the help from my friend Aaron. I think this beer is definitely worth the find especially if you are out in Texas or can trade for it online. The fact that Clown Shoes works with the local craft community at Texas shows a lot of love and effort goes into making these collaborations. So definitely get a bottle if you can.

Anime Corner:
Tia Harribel, Yoruichi Shihouin, & Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck from Bleach represent the good, the bad and the unidragon from the original beer. I brought them back in this pairing as well but this time with different attire to fit the beer’s label a little better. Especially with the old west scene with Yoruichi and more fashionable for all 3 of them and looking bad ass too.

Sources:
http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag127/daraunon/d6579bc08371d50fbd4fe9e3b8d5f876_zps62ad63eb.jpg
http://www.less-real.com/imagevault/uploaded/images/part1/1145.jpg
http://k31.kn3.net/taringa/0/9/3/1/1/2/_-Kirito-_/6E5.jpg

Apocalypse by Save The World brewing

May 26, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Wild Ale, Apocalypse, Belgian Abbey Quadrupel, Belgian Quad, Belgian Quadruple, Brett, Brettanomyces, Final Fantasy VI, Save The World brewing, Terra, Terra Brandford | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Apocalypse by Save The World brewing is a 9% ABV A Wild Belgian Quadruple with Brettanomyces.

Label:
Our quad is a tasteful spin on the monastic quadrupel ale. the aroma and flavors are a complex balance between dark fruits and sweet malts with traces of chocolate and caramelized sugar. It is full bodied with hints of brett and warmth. Savor this deep and flavorful ale now and later! Try pairing with hearty roasted or grilled meat dishes, aged cheeses, and a variety of desserts.

==Introduction==

Thanks to my friend Aaron at BeerMetalDude.com for sharing this brew with me. This is the first beer I try from Save The World brewing of Marble Falls, Texas. I love Belgian Quadruples and they are one of my favorite styles. My first brew plunge into the homebrewing complexity to making a more complex beer other than simple extract was a Belgian Quadruple which many people enjoyed and it was one of the ones that I really worried over, spent time taking care to make sure it wasn’t a disaster. So yeah, Quads are an essential part of me when it comes to beers. A Quad with Brettanomyces though, that is something I have never heard of before. I have tried a sour quad before but not one with brett. In the back of my mind, I think this definitely major potential to be something unique, so let’s see how it goes with this, Cheers!

Aromas:
Stone fruits peaches, peppercorns, floral notes of hibiscus, lavender, Belgian Candy sugar, bananas, clove spice, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit plums, figs, dates, raisins, currants, sweetened condensed milk, nutmeg, coriander spice, brown sugar, citrus and farmhouse hay.

Flavors:
Rich meld of Dark fruit plums, figs, dates, raisins, currants, Stone fruits peaches, Belgian Candy sugar, bananas, clove spice, toffee, dulce de leche caramel, chocolate, vanilla, oak, Funky notes, farmhouse hay, brettanomyces funk, wine grapes, old oranges, peppercorns, floral notes of hibiscus, lavender, mango, guava, pineapple, sour apples, pecan pie, sweetened condensed milk, nutmeg, coriander spice, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, sugar cane, honey dew melon and dragon fruit.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with funky forward notes, dark fruit, stone fruits, caramel, chocolate, funky brett, wine grapes, old oranges, citrus and floral notes. No alcohol in the taste, Hazy golden brown full body, smooth, creamy, effervescent and slightly chewy mouthfeel with a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Who knew a quad could taste so complex and different when introducing some wild strain of brettanomyces into the mix. You get the aspects of Dark fruit complexity meeting the funky bretty, citrus and stone fruit flavors from like a saison and well, you have a perfectly unique beer. I really enjoyed this one big time and would gladly have it again. If you live in Texas, this should be a major on your list especially if you love both Belgian Quads and Saisons.

Anime Corner:
Terra/Tina Branford and the entire cast of Final Fantasy 6 were used in this pairing to go with the aspect of saving the world but mainly apocalypse. The FF6 series was a very awesome series showing something that happened in their world that was apocalyptic and it was up to the few to stand up in arms against evil. They literally saved the world. Terra is essentially the main protagonist and a total bad ass with her wielding Atma Weapon which essentially is a lightsaber. This picture doesn’t have the weapon but I have yet to find such a bad ass picture of Terra though. So I went with this one.

Sources:
http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/367408984874769806/50CFB02EDF3291E1787E7180794F2C171C461F90/

White Chocolate by Sonoran Brewing

May 26, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Wheat, Naruto, Sonoran Brewing, Temari, Temari Sabakuno, White Chocolate | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

White Chocolate by Sonoran Brewing is 4.7% ABV American Wheat Ale brewed with White Chocolate.

Label:
Are you #@%&! serious, this tastes just like white chocolate, but its not. Or is it?

Why worry about the details of what is or isn’t, when you can just sit back and enjoy all of the things that make our White Chocolate Ale so damn delicious. While you’re at it, let’s think
about all the cool stuff we did today (or didn’t do). Either way this is the perfect time to find yourself.

==Introduction==

I got this one at Downey Liquor in Downey California. I had heard about this one a long time ago and never got a chance to try it despite the fact that I was looking for White Chocolate brews at the time. I had settled for the White Chocolate from the Bruery and White Chocolate Moohoo from Terrapin. So when I saw it locally, I had to get this one right away. While this is not a dark brew, it is a White Chocolate brew I have not tried and now that I remember, possibly the first one I had ever heard of long ago. So let’s see if this one is worth the find. Cheers!

Aromas:
Honey, Vanilla, Danish cream, Marshmallow, white chocolate, coriander spice, citrus, tangerine candy, tropical fruits, stone fruits, coconut, clove spice, flan hints, coffee cake, pears, 3 milks cream, banana and biscuit bread.

Flavors:
White Chocolate, rich Marshmallows, Oranges, Coriander spice, chocolate milk shake, tangerine gummies, biscuit bread, banana, clove spice, honey, coconut, cookie dough ice cream, flan, tres leches/ 3 milks, crème brulee, piloncillo sugar cone, Pancho Pantera Milk chocolate shake, tropical fruit honey dew melon, lychee, dragon fruit, stone fruit peach, pears, apples, butter scotch, milk sugar, red velvet cake, vanilla, coffee cake and Danish cream.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with Milk chocolate shake notes, marshmallows, white chocolate, vanilla, banana notes, honey, oranges, and honey. No alcohol in the taste, honey colored hazy medium body, crisp, velvety, clean and refreshing mouthfeel and easy to drink.

Overall:
A very delicious wheat beer that hits that perfection mark really due to that velvety white chocolate flavor. That and the fact that I really love these one off beers that taste like they say they are going to taste. Surprisingly, the whole white chocolate aspect works well with the style of beer. Which reminds me as to why the White Chocolate from the Bruery (Wheatwine) also works so damn well. Definitely worth the find and also isn’t too offensive for new craft beer drinkers.

Anime Corner:
Temari Sabakuno from Naruto was used in this pairing to go with the colors of the label but also the whole aspect of White Chocolate. While she has represented to me the majority of all the White Chocolate beer pairings, having her pair with the colors worked out really nicely. The monkey in this pairing meditates like a monk and while Temari is not a monk, in some parts of the series, her attire kinda looks like a Japanese Monk. Might be a stretch though.

Sources:
http://public.by3301.livefilestore.com/y2pcsKI33F41G24E0OWdX9-7siZEUwyeb6NF7dqVVak9ji1yy2FCMBjJ8ry7lbua9ao_omH8COp7viaQ8Pm5c8UJrOh7h4-DHdhM2-cyDOirJA/JJDouGa.COM_254251_4545D712_2048x1536.jpg
http://orig08.deviantart.net/83fb/f/2016/003/1/a/temari_by_dandonfuga-d9mm3wb.jpg

Apple Pie Style Texas Honey Ale by Guadalupe Brewing

May 26, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Apple Pie, Apple Pie Style Texas Honey Ale, Darkstalkers, Fruit Beer, Guadalupe Brewing, Kancolle/Kantai Collection, Q-Bee, Spices, Texas Honey, Wo-Class | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/6

Apple Pie Style Texas Honey Ale by Guadalupe Brewing is an 8.5% ABV Fruit beer made with Apples, Spices and Texas Honey.

Label:
Bottled Date: 12.30.15
Using Our Texas Honey Ale as a base we added apples and spices to make this a crowd favorite

==Introduction==

A share from my friend Aaron Mendiola of BeerMetalDude.com, this brew seemed the best one to start the box my friend sent of sweet sweet Texas nectar. Based on what was used for this one and what it’s going for, it does seem like a delicious dessert in a bottle. I think having said this, there hasn’t been an apple pie beer made directly with the intention of tasting like apple pie so definitely is a unique one for sure. Let’s have a look.

Aromas:
Cinnamon, Pecan pie, Apple Pie, vanilla ice cream, honey, graham crackers, ginger bread, ginger spice, fruit cake notes, bananas, clove spice, dark fruit cherry, prunes, raisins, nutmeg and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Delicious Apple pie right off the bat, honey, pecan pie notes, hazelnut, all spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, graham crackers, ginger bread, ginger spice, fruit cake notes, bananas, clove spice, pumpkin spice, stone fruit apricot, marshmallows, vanilla, caramel, toffee, capirotada raisins bread pudding, dark fruit notes of plum, white raisins, cherry and white prunes.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich apple pie notes, cinnamon, graham crackers, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, ginger bread, vanilla, honey and bananas. No alcohol in the taste. Honey golden colored hazy body, crisp, smooth and refreshing mouthfeel with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Damn exceptional brew. It really does taste like what they were going for, delicious apple pie and honey. I tend to lean towards beers that taste a lot like they said they should taste and as a result, these beers always get the best scores from me. I really like beers that taste like something specific and especially those who are so complex and rich with flavors. This beer proved to be many of those things so I would highly recommend it if you can find it.

Anime Corner:
Wo-Class from Kantai Collection (KanColle) and Q-Bee from Darkstalkers were used to pair with the label of the bees but also the colors of the honey and sweetness that is the beer. The complex colors they represent also represent some of the flavors of the beer like the apples and citrus for example.

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/Wo-Class.(Kantai.Collection).full.1619033.jpg
http://blog-imgs-79.fc2.com/s/e/i/seiroganmania/569cd591.jpg

2016 White Mocha by The Bruery

May 26, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Blonde Barley Wine, Bourbon Barrel Aged, cacao nibs, Coffee Beans, Panty, Panty & Stocking, Panty Anarchy, Panty and Stocking, PSG, TCHO Cacao nibs, The Bruery, Tierra Mia, wheat wine, White Chocolate, White Mocha | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 White Mocha by The Bruery is a 16.3% ABV Wheat Wine Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels with TCHO Cacao Nibs and Tierra Mia Coffee Beans.

Label:
RISE & SHINE
This bourbon barrel-aged wheatwine-style ale snuggled up with cacao nibs from TCHO and fresh coffee beans from TIERRA MIA COFFEE

White Mocha is our bourbon barrel-aged wheatwine-style ale with cacao nibs and fresh coffee beans. Notes of coffee and chocolate are joined by warm flavors of coconut, honey and vanilla that rise & shine on the palate. If you’ve never fancied yourself a morning person, today might just be your day.

==Introduction==

Released to Reserve and Hoarders Society members of the Bruery, this beer is essentially White Chocolate with Coffee. While in the past, White Chocolate has been a rarity and guilty pleasure along with Black Tuesday and the variants. It was so much so, that they would hardly release enough even to Reserve members. Now in 2015 and 2016, there is a lot of White Chocolate and White Oak to go around which is I guess how they got to experiment with a new brew and so this one was born. Let’s see if this is worth the find, cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Flan, crème brulee, coffee cake, White Chocolate, Bourbon, Cookies and Cream, Cookie dough ice cream, Jamoca ice cream, Espresso coffee, Mocha Chocolate, Irish Cream, Danish Cookies, butterscotch, piloncillo sugar cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, 3 leches (3 milks) Mexican cake, almond joy, honey, almond milk, tropical fruit like pineapple hints, pears, mango, brown sugar, oak, vanilla, rich hazelnut nectar and pecan pie.

Flavors:
White Chocolate, Espresso coffee, Mocha Chocolate, Jamoca Ice cream, Kopi Luwak fancy notes, coffee cake, bananas, clove spice, flan, crème brulee, sweetened condensed milk, bourbon, brown sugar, oak, vanilla, rich hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, marshmallows, stone fruit peach, apricot, toasted coconut, 3 leches (3 milks) Mexican cake, almond joy, honey, dark fruit cherries, plums, tropical fruit like pineapple hints, pears, mango, almond milk, chocolate mousse, chocolate coffee milk shake, Irish Cream, Danish Cookies, cookie dough ice cream, butterscotch, piloncillo sugar cone, capirotada raisin bread pudding, coriander spice, orange notes, wine grapes and choco flan.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with coffee cake on sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate, butterscotch, vanilla, milk chocolate, bananas, clove spice, bourbon, mocha ice cream and almond cream. No alcohol in the taste but definitely feel the impact later. Honey Gold Amber medium body, silky, syrupy, velvety, and chewy mouthfeel with a dangerously easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Just like the original White Chocolate but in the Fancy supreme coffee direction. I’m a sucker for some of these beers, I admit it and definitely tend to lean my opinion sometimes but just know that this one, just like the White Chocolate, is vastly up there with some of the best beers in the world. In fact, many of the special variants from Black Tuesday and the Bruery process are insane. Made with their house strain, it really gives off some of the beers I like, like the Belgian strains. Anyway, I highly recommend this one. Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Panty Anarchy from the Panty & Stocking series was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair mainly with the colors of the label and the WheatWine/BlondeBarley Wine aspect. With the addition of coffee to the White chocolate, the beer becomes very unique. Although white chocolate is not real chocolate but to think of a White Mocha? Well, that’s just a myth… like angels, or could it be true they live among us. Possibly, Panty Anarchy is an angel. A sexually driven one but the seduction of the idea of a white mocha and the complex flavors of the beer are very appealing.

Sources:
http://www.hkcgart.com/Public/static/kindeditor/attached/image/20150811/20150811083942_64879.jpg
http://holichii.deviantart.com/art/Anarchy-Panty-by-Hagiwara-Rin-314568375
http://www.zerochan.net/full/501682
http://static.zerochan.net/Anarchy.Panty.full.1500839.jpg

Blooms In CyBlues Space Nubis Sanctum Ales

May 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Apple Cider, Blooms In Cyblues Space, Blueberries, Evangelion, Hard Cider, Home brewing, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nubis Sanctum Ales, Rei Ayanami | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.65/5

Blooms In CyBlues Space Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 9% ABV Hard Apple Cider made with Blueberries.

==Introduction==

Project #21 was inspired by the need to make different flavored ciders. Just like my previous ciders, I wanted to make a cider using the most basic ingredients to see how good of a cider I can make. Blueberries were a decision partially made by me and my friend Juan who really loves blueberries and wanted a blueberry drink aside from blueberry beer. This is similarly made like the Raspberry cider but instead of raspberry it is using the blueberry flavoring at bottling. Now, let’s see how this one came out. Cheers!

Aromas:
Apple Pie, Blueberries, vanilla, dark fruit notes, stone fruits and cane sugar.

Flavors:
Apple pie notes, cane sugar, blueberries, blueberry muffin, blueberry yogurt, dark cherry, vanilla, honey, stone fruit peach hints, Danish cream, caramel apple, mild strawberry notes, tart sour apple hints, cinnamon and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Finishing dry with caramel apple, blueberries, vanilla ice cream on apple pie. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV, Golden clear body, crips, clean, creamy and refreshing mouthfeel and very easy to drink.

Overall:
This one came out very good, especially on the draft pour. A difference from the Raspberry I can tell for sure is a slight tartness which I can only think is from the blueberry but either way, it is still “berry” delicious. Now the only thing is I have to see what other recipe of cider I can come up with whether I make the simple recipes or I make something more complex by using real fruits like I have with my beers.

Anime Corner:
Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion was used in this pairing to go with the blueberries mainly. The name came about from the scenery of the picture. In the future where Rei is from, the world has been struck by what is called the Near Third Impact where the world is pretty much desolated and destroyed. Living in that world (CyBlues Space) would seem pretty depressing (the Blues) but where there is something so delicate like a flower, it blooms with the spirit of hope. Blooms In CyBlues Space is not only for the blue in Rei’s hair and the colors of blueberries, but also that hope that comes from even the smallest light in the sometimes depressing world. In this case, the cider to me represented yet another glimmer of hope into making even more delicious drinks as I continue my pursuit in the craft beer and cider world.

Sources:
http://wallpapershacker.com/wallpaper_3840x2160/ayanami_rei_neon_genesis_evangelion_of_ultra_3840x2160_hd-wallpaper-3007228.jpg

Ninja VS. Unicorn by Pipeworks Brewing (Can Review)

May 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Bleach, Double India Pale Ale, IPA, MLP, Ninja Vs. Unicorn, passion fruit, Pipeworks Brewing, rainbow dash, Unicorn, Yoruichi Shihouin | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/6

Ninja VS. Unicorn by Pipeworks Brewing is an 8% ABV Double India Pale Ale.

CommercialDescription:
Ninja vs. Unicorn celebrates the epic battle between two of the biggest hop-heads of lore. Brewed with over five pounds of hops per barrel, this unfiltered double IPA is sure to please the most discerning hop lover. Whether you’re rooting for the mythical horned horse or the deadly assassin of the east, we hope you’ll enjoy Ninja vs. Unicorn. Bottle Art by Jason Burke ink & lead Designs.
___

Introduction:
================

It has been a long time since I have reviewed this one. I got this one at thebottleshop.net. I last had this one back in 2014 and this one was bottled 4/12/2016 and my review was made 5/1/2016 so hopefully accuracy of the review does it justice to the freshies and hop heads. This is nowhere in California but is a common in Chicago. What they say about this beer is true, it is damn delicious and the artwork is amazing. This time it is different than the last time I tried it but yeah, it should be the same beer. Let’s see how it is at its freshest, Cheers!

Aromas:
Every damn tropical fruit I love from IPAs, Grapefruit, citrus, oranges, tangerines, lychees, dragon fruit, passion fruit, kiwis, strawberry, mango, passion fruit, papaya, Stone fruit peaches, apricots, apples, floral, grassy, herbal, piney and garlicky hops, caramel, toffee, biscuit bread, mild rye, pine resin and lemon peel.

Flavors:
Rich tropical fruit overlaps the hoppy dankness just like it did in the previous iteration but being fresh, damn, this is just wonderful. Hops ranging from floral, grapefruit, herbal, piney, grassy and garlicky dankness, But the forward flavors come from the tropical fruits such as dragon fruit, passion fruit, kiwi, lychee, strawberries, prickly pear, guava, coconut, papaya, apples, orange marmalade, tangerine gummies, rye bread, toffee, honey, sweetened condensed milk, flan, Stone fruit peaches, apricots, tangerines, lemon peel and toffee.

Aftertaste:
Lots of tropical fruits linger, caramel, dank garlicky, oniony flavors and grapefruit. No alcohol in the taste. While being an IPA, something is very smooth about this beer even while it seems like it has moderate to sipping drinkability. Moderately clear but has a crisp and refreshing medium mouth feel.

Overall:
The Gods smile as always. I think my previous explanation did it justice. The canned version and that being even fresher do wonders. A Tropical gold standard just like power plant triple IPA from El Segundo, one of my favorite IPAs. In fact, all the IPAs from Pipeworks brewings have definitely been above and beyond the typical IPAs and I would definitely love to see them around California. You got it good Chicago, keep making great beers!

Anime Corner:
Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach and Rainbow Dash from MLP were used in the previous beer pairing. I made a good description in my past review so here is a rehash:

It was mainly because I wanted to do something that related to the whole Ninja Vs. Unicorn aspect. Being as the colors of the label best represent Rainbow Dash, it was quite fitting since many of the bronies make her seem like a bad ass. So here is a tribute to you bronies and pegasisters. I am mainly an Anime Otaku dude, but can appreciate a great pairing despite where it comes from. Yoruichi is the of the baddest Flash step ninjas ever and Dash can hit Mach speeds, so I figured even more rightfully so this pairing would work. Also the, rainbow in the aspect of flavor best pairs because of the variety of fruit tropics that this beer seems to unleash making it, well, damn epic. I am surprised this beer is not world class and not at the level of the Pliny the Younger or the Heady Topper.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/4QX5PC4.jpg

HAMAJANG collaboration by Jolly Pumpkin, Evil Twin, Mikkeller and Leelanau brewing

May 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Wild Ale, Bro, Daena, evil twin, HAMAJANG, Innovatorman Sour Ale, jolly pumpkin, Kisha, Leelanau, Legend of Mana, LOM, Mephistopheles’, Mikkeller, Sea Buckthorn Fandango Sour Ale, Seaberries, SeabuckThorns, Shinra Banshou, Shinrabansho, Sierra, Strawberries, That's Messed Up | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

HAMAJANG collaboration by Jolly Pumpkin, Evil Twin, Mikkeller and Leelanau brewing is a 5.8% ABV American Wild Ale Blend with SeabuckThorns/Seaberries and Strawberries.

Label:
That’s Messed Up, Bro.
That’s right, I blended them.
So sue me.
Legal@Nubco.net
Ron Jeffries
Founder and Chief Squeegee Operator

==Introduction==

This brew is a blend of “Sea Buckthorn Fandango Sour Ale” which is a sour ale with Sea Buckthorn Juice and was a collaboration with Mikkel Bjergs of Mikkeller Brewing and Jolly Pumpkin. The other being “Innovatorman Sour Ale” which is a sour ale with Strawberries. This collaboration was with Jeppe Bjergs of Evil Twin Brewing and Charles Psenka from Leelanau Brewing Company. I do believe there has been a rivalry between the twins (Mikkeller and Evil Twin) so in order to make this brew which shouldn’t even exist, Jolly Pumpkin blended those 2 beers together and now we have the Hamajang Sour Ale Blend. Sneaky sneaky but awesome. I really wonder what the twins thought of this or even if they agreed upon it. It doesn’t matter though. We have the beer here now. Hamajang is Hawaiian slang that translates into “That’s messed up bro.” So it fits so damn well in the context of the collaboration. For the first time a brew with both their names. Let’s see how it is, cheers!

Aromas:
Stone fruit apricots, peaches, peppercorns, honey, farmhouse hay, strawberries, grapes, tropical fruit kiwi, guava, passion fruit, dragon fruit, mango, lychee, lemon peel, lavender and hibiscus flowers.

Flavors:
Funky farmhouse hay, peppercorns, bananas, clove spice, floral hops, hibiscus flowers, lavender, oranges, lemon peel, Strawberries, Cranberries, grapes, wine grapes, tropical fruit kiwi, guava, passion fruit, dragon fruit, mango, pineapple notes, lychee, honey dew melon, prickly pear tunas, stone fruit apricots, peaches, honey, coriander spice and clove spice.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry with Tropical fruit, honey, funky hay, wine grape hints and stone fruit. No alcohol in the aftertaste, pale gold clear body, effervescent, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel and easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A perfect saison in my opinion with enough sour and funky notes to make it interesting. The variety of berries and complex fruits make this quite the unique brew. The label alone was enough for me to get it but just having it, I would definitely want to try it over and over again. I wonder what the brothers would do if they really did do a true collaboration. Only time will tell. For now, do yourself a favor and get this possibly once in a lifetime collaboration!

Anime Corner:
Mephistopheles from Shinra Bansho, Daena and Sierra from Legend of Mana and furry character Kisha were all used in this pairing to represent the devil and the red cat from Jolly pumpkin. With Daena and Sierra representing the twins as well. In the case with the dark cat, I like how some of the colors go along with the hop demon and the red for the red cat.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/eCVpif9.png
http://i3.pixiv.net/img-original/img/2010/08/27/09/55/03/12840366_p0.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/161379fa17ecc31ce01a44a859c2c04c/tumblr_ntyb3esoK71sf1787o1_1280.png

2016 OneHitter Series The Waldos’ Special aka 420 Ale by Lagunitas Brewing

May 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged 420, 420 ale, Lagunitas, Lagunitas Brewing, nami, One Hitter Series, one piece, The Waldo's Special, Triple India Pale Ale, Triple IPA | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/6

2016 OneHitter Series The Waldos’ Special aka 420 Ale by Lagunitas Brewing is an 11.5% ABV Triple India Pale Ale.

Label:
In 1971, the Waldos met one afternoon at 4:19 as to not be late and set out in a ’66 Impala armed with a treasure map on a journey to find a spot near near Point Reyes. They never found the spot… But they kept Lookin’. The dankest and hoppiest beer ever brewed at Lagunitas was made with help of the Waldos for all treasure hunters….

Commercial description:
In 1971, the Waldos met one afternoon at 4:20 in the front courtyard of their school near the statue of Louis Pasteur. They set out in a ’66 Impala armed with a “treasure map” on a journey to find a secret garden near Point Reyes. They met there at the same time every day and continued their quest. They never found the secret garden….But they keep lookin’. The dankest and hoppiest beer ever brewed at Lagunitas was made with help of the Waldos for all treasure hunters.

==Introduction==

Released on April 20th, 2016, this six pack was sold in many markets where Lagunitas is sold. They had released this one in the past but this is my first time at trying it. Since we first tried it at Uncle Henry’s, my friend Juan definitely wanted to get this one again. Lucky for us they had it at the local Downey Liquor in Downey California. My friend gave me 2 bottles for review and now I present them to you so you are able to decide on this dank master piece.

Aromas:
Lots of hoppy dank complexities of citrus, grapefruit, oregano, marijuana, oniony, garlicky, herbal, piney, yerba Buena, lemon verbena, stone fruit peaches, apricots, tangerine gummies, honey, coriander, vanilla, biscuit bread, tropical fruit mango, dragon fruit, guava, kiwi, pears and cherries.

Flavors:
Super Dank, Marijuana funky notes, oregano, grapefruit, garlicky, oniony, garlicky, grassy, herbal, piney, yerba buena hop notes, lemon verbana, mint, caramel, vanilla, biscuit bread, tropical fruit pineapple, guava, mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, honey dew melon, kiwi, pears, cherry, stone fruit peaches, apricots, tangerine gummies, sweetened condensed milk, lychee, strawberries, raspberries, honey, Italian herbs, basil, lemon peel, coriander and honeysuckle.

Aftertaste:
Super dank hops linger, floral,tangerine, caramel, oranges tangerine gummies and tropical notes linger. No alcohol in the taste, Orange Gold and Sunny clear body, crisp, clean and refreshing mouthfeel and a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
If Power Plant is my Tropical Fruit IPA Gold Standard, this one is my Grassy Herbal Pungent Hop Gold Standard. I would say this one is right below power plant as my favorite of IPAs. There is so much dank and funky notes like if it really was cannabis in a beer. Which there really isn’t any weed in here, just weed’s cousin (humulus lupulus) or so I think. Anyway, for lovers of IPAs and super hop heads will definitely love this one and I highly recommend it!

Anime Corner:
Nami from One Piece was used in this pairing to pair with several aspects. The Where’s Waldo part are the stripes but since the beer theme is going for green like the hops, she has green stripes. The treasure map she holds is like the map to finding the gold mentioned in the description. She is a treasure hunter but also she is a pirate in the show so I feel like it wall works and blends pretty well with the theme of the beer.

Sources:
https://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/434019-695×900-one+piece-toei+animation-nami-sakimichan-long+hair-single.jpg

Coconut Jones Dog by Pipeworks brewing

May 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged cocoa crispies, cocoa nibs, coconut, Coconut Jones Dog, Krystal, Krystal Fox, Lavenda, Milk Stout, Nintendo, Pipeworks Brewing, Starfox, Sweet Stout, vanilla beans | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Coconut Jones Dog by Pipeworks brewing is an 8.5% ABV Sweet/Milk Stout brewed with Coconut, Cocoa Nibs and Vanilla Beans.

Label:
Stout with cacao, vanilla bean, natural flavors added
Jones Dog is a pup who knows what’s up. The addition of coconut to our milk stout with cacao nib and vanilla, makes this brew a real treat. No man’s best friend is an island, but this brew might make you feel like cold chillin’ on one. If you fetch a bottle, lap it up!

==Introduction==

Obtained this one from thebottleshop.net. This beer label intrigued me and being a coconut stout and from Pipeworks, I definitely wanted to get it. They make great beer and I haven’t had anything yet that I did not find very delicious and exceptional from them. Since Death By Coconut by Oskar Blues, Mash & Coconut and Cacaonut from the Bruery, there hasn’t been a coconut beer that has really exceeded my expectations on the coconut beer category. So another coconut stout is definitely something I want to take a shot at. Let’s take a look at this one. Cheers!

Aromas:
Toasted coconut, macaroons, vanilla, caramel, toffee, Mexican Cocada candy, Danish cream, Jamoca ice cream, rocky road ice cream, Bailey’s Irish cream, Khalua liqueur notes, coffee cake, marshmallows, smores chocolate, dark fruits like raisins, currants, boysenberries, dark cherries, raspberries, pomegranates, rich almond joy chocolate, cookie dough and pecan pie.

Flavors:
Rich toasted coconut, Mexican cocada coconut candy, coconut macaroons, vanilla, caramel, toffee, coffee cake, marshmallows, smores chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, dark fruits like raisins, currants, boysenberries, dark cherries, raspberries, pomegranates, rich almond joy chocolate, cookie dough, Danish cream, Jamoca ice cream, rocky road ice cream, Bailey’s Irish cream, Khalua liqueur notes, Cherry cordial chocolates, Tropical fruit notes of Piña Colada, dragon fruit, passion fruit, bananas, pecan pie, hazelnuts, chocolate mousse, coconut flan and 3 leches chocolate cake.

Aftertaste:
Rich Coffee cake, Toasted coconut, vanilla, Hazelnut, dark fruits especially the dark cherry and raspberries, rocky road ice cream, mocha, cookie dough and tropical hints linger. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black darkness of inner coconut space body, velvety, silky, smooth and chewy mouthfeel with a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Trying to compare some of the best coconut beers I have ever had, this one is definitely higher on the dark fruit and cherry list. The complexity in comparison to some of the other coconut beers I have had is definitely different and while I love each one for their different, I love this one for the fruitiness. I would definitely like to try this one again and would recommend those that can get this one should definitely try it.

Anime Corner:
Krystal Fox from Nintendo’s StarFox, Lavenda by Tofu93 and original art by priincessu were used in this pairing as I wanted to pair with the dog at the beach. While these characters are K-9s, although different than the normal pooch, I think the colors along with the dog help accentuate the scene of tropical beer here.

Sources:
http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/577873252885734997/FD9C470C32A1A77DC4AD5E7AD408C67F5B2770E4/
https://pfimg.playfire.com/_proxy/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.e926.net%2Fdata%2Fsample%2F5f%2F7a%2F5f7ac370d4c365866bd5bc2eb1d3f34d.jpg&hmac=4e09e7b3b577b6429be59c6cbe5e0ff8
https://static1.e621.net/data/b1/54/b154690d2490f6745f772756840d2100.jpg

Stone Enjoy by 05.30.2016 Tangerine IPA by Stone Brewing

May 20, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Darkstalkers, india pale ale, IPA, Morrigan, Morrigan Aensland, Stone Brewing, Stone Enjoy By, Stone Enjoy by 05.30.2016, Tangerine IPA, Tangerines, Vampire Hunter, Vampire Savior | 1 Comment

Rating: 5.3/6

Stone Enjoy by 05.30.2016 Tangerine IPA by Stone Brewing is a 9.4% ABV Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with Tangerines.

Label:
Our all-important, hop-driven quest to deliver the most devastatingly fresh IPA on the planet facilitated a paradigm shift in 2012 with the launch of Stone Enjoy By IPA. Not only did we brew this beer with more than 10 different hops, we brewed it specifically NOT to last. Acclaimed for its groundbreakingly short shelf life, this intense double IPA brought forth a whole new concept of what constitutes “fresh”—guaranteeing fans the ultimate level of hoppiness. For Stone Enjoy By Tangerine IPA, we added the tangy zeal of a mandarin fruit’s juicy nectar. The result…freshness has never tasted as ripe for the picking as this does right now.

==Introduction==

Obtained this one at the local Bevmo. It has been years since I have tried the Enjoy by series as it has been released very frequently. Aside from the Black IPA, this is the first time I have seen another variant of this beer. For the sakes of trying the different one, especially since the original is very delicious, I want to see the differences. Stone has made so many different IPAs and this one is made with the super fresh mind set and it does not disappoint. Now with the tangerines, let’s see how this one will be.

Aromas:
Tangerine peel, Tangerine gummy bears, tropical fruit papaya, mango, honey dew melon, dragon fruit, passion fruit, lychee, pineapple, strawberry, coconut hints, citrus, grapefruit, floral, herbal, grassy, piney, oniony and garlicky hops, lemon peel, biscuit bread, stone fruit peach, apricot, mango, oregano, basil, Italian herbs, mint and honey.

Flavors:
Dank citrus, grapefruit, floral, herbal, grassy, piney, oniony and garlicky hops, Tangerine peel, Tangerine gummy bears, tropical fruit papaya, mango, honey dew melon, dragon fruit, passion fruit, lychee, coconut hints, stone fruit peach, apricot, mango, oregano, basil, Italian herbs, mint, yerba buena, lemon peel, biscuit bread, sweetened condensed milk, honey notes, oranges, caramel, starburst, kumquats, pineapple hints and strawberry.

Aftertaste:
Lots if citrus and tangerine in the aftertaste followed by dank grapefruit, citrus, oniony and piney hops which linger but also the notes of honey and tropical fruits linger as well. No alcohol in the taste, clear honey colored body, silky, crisp, refreshing and smooth mouhfeel and easy to drink despite the ABV.

Overall:
An Exceptional IPA as always but with the Tangerines it definitely adds a mark more of flavor. Nothing to increase it too drastically from an already perfect and exceptional IPA but something that is a little more delicious than the original. Depending on how people like citrus or Tangerines for this matter would determine if they will like this brew. Either way, I think it is definitely worth trying and a high recommend.

Anime Corner:
Morrigan Aensland from Dark Stalkers was used in the original Enjoy By pairings long ago since she stands atop a stone gargoyle representing the Stone brewery. In this iteration, I wanted to have the Tangerine be represented by Morrigan’s Kimono with the flower. A very different look for a different beer I figure.

Sources:
http://pre03.deviantart.net/0691/th/pre/f/2012/241/f/9/morrigan_aensland_by_light_rock-d5cvurc.png

#DRAGONSAREREAL by B.Nektar

April 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged #DRAGONSAREREAL, B. Nektar, cacao nibs, cherry juice, Chipotle Peppers, Dragon's Milk, Dragons, Honey wine, Legend of Zelda, LOZ, Mead, Midna, New Holland Brewing, Twili Midna, Twilight Princess | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

#DRAGONSAREREAL by B.Nektar is a 14% ABV Honey Wine/Mead with Cherry Juice, Chipotle Peppers and Cacao Nibs added aged in Dragon’s Milk Barrels

Label:
Thanks @newhollandbrew for the #dragonsmilkbarrels. Made a gr8 home 4 #ChocolateCherryChipotle #dragonsarereal
We won’t miss ur next G of T party @StephenAtHome. #colbertnation #dragonsarereal
@BNektar knows that it takes but little fire to impart a rich snowy charter.
*SMOKY character
#damnautocorrect
#dragonsarereal

In the game of toasts, you sip
or you honey wine.
Cheers!

==Introduction==

I obtained this mead at www.craftshack.com. New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk, its variants and the bourbon have been one of my most favorites for a very long time. They recently have been showing up here in California and the brew is such a great one that I even tried to make a clone with raspberries and tropical fruits. I even made a special oak aged stout using their bourbon. So when I saw this one, I had to get it. Being a big fan, it was something I could not pass up even if it seemed, well, pricey. You will be paying above 20$ for this little bottle but seeing as I have yet to have anything bad from B. Nektar, and it is Dragon’s Milk aged, I had to get it. So let’s see if this this mead actually worth the money. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Wild flower honey, very rich dark cherries, plums, currants, cranberries, blackberries, dark cherry yogurt, Dark Chocolate, vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, Chile spices, tamarind, hibiscus, lavender, Rye bread, raspberry preserves, wine grapes, agave nectar, pecan pie, Stone fruit apricots, peaches, mango, and tropical fruits like kiwis, strawberries, dragon fruit, passion fruit and guava.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Chipotle, Ancho, Guajillo and Roasted Chile de arbol hints, cinnamon, milk chocolate, cherry cordials, dark fruit prunes, raisins, very rich dark cherries, plums, dark cherry yogurt, port wine, oak, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel hints, flan, honey, wild flower honey, maple, agave nectar, ambrosia, tropical notes of pineapple, honey dew melon, kiwis, strawberries, dragon fruit, passion fruit notes, prickly pear tunas, currants, cranberries, blackberries, Stone fruit apricots, peaches, mango, sour apples, golden apples, chamoy hints, tamarind, hibiscus, lavender, Rye bread, raspberry preserves, guava notes, bourbon notes, brandy notes, rum notes, Chambord raspberry liqueur and coffee cake.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with a mild peppery heat that is quelled by the deep dark cherry, complex dark fruits, chocolate, honey, apples, stone fruits, flan, port wine and dulce de leche hints. No alcohol in the taste, crazily enough even though this is 14% ABV, Crimson and Garnet Dark yet clear body when shined upon. Silky, smooth, syrupy, velvety, creamy and rich mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Frankly, the best mead I have ever had in my life! The stuff that rare legends are made of I love how the notes of Dragon’s Milk soaked Oak from the barrel is slightly there but mainly the rest of the flavors come together so damn well. The heat is there but minor in comparison to the overall flavors. This mead is very complex in flavors for sure. For 14% ABV, you can’t tell the alcohol is there. Something like this I feel was definitely worth the cash. I had no idea mead could be so good that now I would like to make my own just like I did with my take on Dragon’s Milk. If you can get this one, you should. A very different and delicious experience. I even got a piece from Final Fantasy that best fits the experience even more with the telling of legends and dragons. Highly recommended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZNAs-v5su8

Anime Corner:
Midna from The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess of Nintendo was used in this pairing since her appearance somewhat resembles that of dragons. She has the colors of the dragon scales and her hair flows like that of the dragon’s fire while her ominous stare is seducing like the eyes of a Dragon mesmerize its prey. Just like this mead mesmerizes the tastebuds. She seems very mysterious and dark but is actually very kind especially when she helps Link in his Journey. While I have used Sierra from Legend of Mana for the Dragon’s Milk stout, the mead would be paired with someone else and that someone was Midna. Definitely the best choice in my mind.

Sources:
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/712862026155077634/bSeZK5LE.jpg
http://36.media.tumblr.com/d182a4e54850f6f28f5ffd161ccecd80/tumblr_nveqi8QnU61up73mjo10_1280.png
http://orig13.deviantart.net/aa30/f/2016/074/4/6/midna_by_dandonfuga-d9v3kcy.jpg

2016 Bourbon Barrel Aged Smashed Blueberry by Shipyard Brewing

April 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Anko, Anko Mitarashi, Blueberries, Bourbon Barrel Aged Wee Heavy, Chocolate Blueberries, Imperial Scotch Ale, Scotch Ale, Shipyard, Shipyard brewing, Smashed Blueberry, Wee Heavy | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2016 Bourbon Barrel Aged Smashed Blueberry by Shipyard Brewing is an 11.1% ABV Imperial Scotch/ Wee Heavy Porter blend brewed with Blueberries and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Bottle No 00477

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

Malt: Pale Ale, Crystal, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Barley, Munich, Torrified Wheat
Hops: Warrior, Tettnang, Cascade
Yeast Top-Fermeting English
Color: Mahogany
Aroma: Light Vanilla and Blueberry with hints of licorice
Body: Malty and Smooth
Finish: Dry with subtle notes of blueberry and vanilla

Recommended serving temperature is 55° F in brandy-style stemware. Aged over 100 days. Unlimited shelf life.

IBU: 32 SRM: 75-78
ALC/VOL 11.1%

==Introduction==

I obtained this one at www.craftshack.com. I was really surprised to find this one because I never thought Shipyard had considered barrel aging their Smashed Blueberry Cuvee, which is one of my favorite and common Blueberry beers. The original is one I always go back to so to have it in barrel aged form, this is going to be quite the intriguing beer. I can only hope that the beer is better than the original. I already have a fondness for the original so if it is any higher, it will definitely be one to remember. So let’s see what this one is about. Cheers!

Aromas:
Bourbon, Scotch Whiskey notes, Oak, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, Rich Blueberries, currants, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, coffee cake, Danish cream, cookie dough ice cream, Irish cream coffee, steamed milk, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, chocolate smores, licorice, anise, molasses, smoked peat, mint, brown sugar, pecan pie, cinnamon, maple syrup, port wine and butterscotch.

Flavors:
Rich Blueberries, blueberry muffins, blueberry cheesecake, blueberry yogurt, Bourbon, oak, vanilla, marshmallows, chocolate smores, licorice, anise, molasses, dark fruit raisins, currants, blackberries, cherries, raspberries, flan, dulce de leche caramel, toasted coconut hints, Scotch whiskey notes, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, coffee cake, blueberry liqueur, port wine, cinnamon, butterscotch, rye bread, brown sugar, fudge brownies, blueberry chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, maple syrup, tobacco, wine grapes, smoked peat, mint, Danish cream, cookie dough ice cream, Irish cream coffee, steamed milk, rocky road ice cream, almond joy covered blueberries and sweetened condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich dark fruit notes, blueberries, bourbon hints, earthy notes, smoked peat, licorice, coffee, flan, vanilla, caramel and rich dark chocolate. Despite the 11.1% ABV, no alcohol in the taste, Dark pitch black Crimson full body, smooth, silky, velvety, chewy and syrup mouthfeel with a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Next to the Artigianale Draco, one of the best blueberries barrel aged beers ever! The fact that this is in one of my favorite uncommon styles, the Wee Heavy, rich in blueberries, a porter and a supreme favorite beer that is bourbon barrel aged, well, it is no wonder at all why I consider this one a bucket lister. No way would I have ever imagined this one being made especially since I thought they only did selected ones. They must have read my mind. Regardless, if you love blueberries and barrel aged beers, you will love this one. I highly recommend it.

Anime Corner:
Anko Mitarashi from Naruto was used in this pairing as with the original Smashed Blueberry, I wanted to pair the blueberry aspects of the beer with Anko’s looks and flavors of the beer. The aspects of a true desert and full flavorful strength can be summed up by this beer. Her strength and Kunoichi talents works by seducing you with flavors and then taking you out which is represented by the silent but deadly alcohol. Innuendos as it seems, I do imply she is the Smashed Blueberry but with a winner like this, it is a must!

Sources:
http://www.wallpapers.cyberpk.net/data/media/22/anko-mitarashi-licking-kunai.jpg
http://www.zerochan.net/full/429279
http://dc731.4shared.com/img/Rx_Y55Suce/s24/1477e77cbf0/10302118_751220388231663_39300
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w218/broken_soul01/anko24do.jpg~original

Peach Honey Wheat Ale by Brew Rebellion

April 25, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Pale Wheat Ale, Brew Rebellion, honey, Metroid, Nintendo, Peach, Peach Honey Wheat Ale, Princess Peach, Samus, Samus Aran | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

Peach Honey Wheat Ale by Brew Rebellion is a 6.5% ABV American Pale Wheat Ale with Peaches and Honey.

Label:
No Description.

==Introduction==

Obtained this one through a trade with my friend Neal from work for some of my homebrew. This is one I have seen before but had not had a chance to try it. It is a fruit heffeweizen with honey but unlike mines which is made with Black Cherries, this is made with peaches. One of the first concerns that I had when I originally brewed the beer back in last year was when it tasted kind of tart. This year, it is expected. So the only thing I can tell from this is that this beer, especially since peaches are tart, is that this will be a tart sour heff. Let’s see what this one is about. Cheers!

Aromas:
Honey notes, Funky and tart stone fruit peach, apricots, floral notes, wheat bread, coriander spice, clove spice, wine grape hints, lemon and cane sugar.

Flavors:
Tart Stone fruit Peach, apricots, cane sugar, honey, coriander hints, biscuit bread, wheat bread, citrus, tangerine candy, pineapple hints, wine grape notes, funky floral hints, banana, clove spice, passion fruit, peach cobbler hints, lemon hints and waffle cone.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with tart stone fruit peach notes, honey, floral notes, wine grape hints, wheat bread but mainly dry finish. No alcohol in the taste, honey colored amber light to medium body, crisp, clean and refreshing mouthfeel and an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very tart wheat beer that definitely stands out to more of a Berliner weisse with peaches and honey than sweet peach. The honey gets more noticeable as the beer warms up which helps balance the beer. It is definitely nice for those that enjoy sours and this one is delightful. Thanks again to my friend Neal for hooking me up with this brew.

Anime Corner:
Princes Peach Toadstool from Mario Bros. And Samus Aran from Metroid were used in this pairing as I wanted to pair with the name of the beer. Peach being the peach and Samus the honey. The goal I was going with this is that I have used Samus and honey when I made a double IPA last year so trying to find a character that related to honey to go along with Peach was definitely a task. Overall, I like how this one paired up.

Sources:
http://wallpaperswa.com/Games/Mario/mario_samus_aran_solid_snake_peach_princess_peach_1280x1079_wallpaper_1755/download_1600x1200
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/001/000/209/2d1.png

2016 Preservation Series Ride That Bear by The Bruery

April 9, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Fate Stay Night, Hoppy beer, Imperial Brown Ale, Preservation Series, Preservation Society, Ride That Bear, Rin Tohsaka, The Bruery | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

2016 Preservation Series Ride That Bear by The Bruery is a 9.2% ABV Imperial Hoppy Brown Ale.

Label:
“GRIN ‘N BEAR IT!”

When you meet a bear in the woods, don’t run or play dead. Ride it! Ride That Bear is an imperial hoppy brown ale. With a sleek malt physique imparting warm, nutty and toasty layers, complemented by California yeast and a particularly excellent sense of smell from dry-hopping, this imperial brown ale is an oso hoppy romp through the California Republic.

==Introduction==

Released for the Preservation, Reserve and Hoarders Society and the public as well. This brown ale was made with bears and California in mind overall. I have tried other hoppy browns before but hoppy browns is usually not common as the browns I have tried typically stick with the English Brown approach as being more malty. Some Ambers are super hoppy to the point of being more of a Red IPA. So with that being said, the only thing that I think would come close is the Stone 18th anniversary Brown IPA which is very rare type of style. It is very delicious either way. With that being said, let’s see how the Bruery makes their attempt at a super hoppy brown ale. Let’s check it out, Cheers.

Aromas:
Caramel, Toffee, crème brulee, pecan pie, hazelnut, piney, grapefruit, grassy, garlicky, earthy, oniony and floral hops, rock candy, dark fruit cherry, currants, tangerine gummies, lemon peel, starburst candy, tropical fruit like pine apple, old mango and honey.

Flavors:
Piney, Grapefruit, grassy, garlicky, earthy, oniony and floral hops, Caramel, Toffee, crème brulee, pecan pie, almond joy, tropical fruit like pine apple, old mango, guava, honey dew melon, peanut butter hints, butter scotch, rye bread, tangerine gummies, lemon peel, starburst candy, orange, herbal spice, yerba buena, honey, hazelnut hints, rock candy, dark fruit cherry, currants and chocolate hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with a rush of herbal and tropic hops with caramel, butterscotch, citrus and pecan pie. No alcohol in the taste. Amber Brown medium body, crisp, refreshing and smooth mouthfeel with a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very delicious brown ale balancing the sweet and nutty brown ale characteristics with the herbal and tropical hop flavors. The ABV is just right as it increases the mouthfeel and improves the overall experience of trying this one. It reminds me of their Loakal Red but definitely more on the nutty side. Some of the notes do remind me of Stone’s Brown IPA but this one is not as hoppy as that one. I like this one though since there is a nice balance. If you like browns and especially hopped up browns, this is definitely worth the find. A definite recommend.

Anime Corner:
Rin Tohsaka from Fate Stay Night was used in this pairing as I wanted to go with the colors of the label mainly but her hair being brown goes well with the style of the beer. She is in no way a bear really but it is just another excuse to use another favorite character from an Anime series onto a Bruery beer which I have not tried.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/lQwPesO.jpg
http://blog-imgs-43-origin.fc2.com/p/s/p/pspnetkatuyou0224/20120123161321fde.jpg

Frucht: Passion Fruit by The Bruery Terreux

April 9, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged American Wild Ale, Berliner Weisse, Berlinerweisse, Frucht, Hottenroth, Megaman, passion fruit, Rockman, Roll, sour ale, The Bruery, The Bruery Terreux | 1 Comment

Rating: 4.65/5

Frucht: Passion Fruit by The Bruery Terreux is a 4.3% ABV Berliner Weisse with Passion Fruit

Label:
Fruity – Funky – Racy

Description:
We’re totally Frucht around here. In fact, we may just be filled to the brim, with excitement, that is. Our threshold is 250 BBLs, to be more precise. That’s the total capacity of each new oak foeder at Bruery Terreux. One is dedicated exclusively to Frucht, our new series of fruited Berliner Weisse-style beers. Known for a tart flavor profile and traditionally low ABV, our new German-style wheat beer gains even more funky notes and natural earthy-woodiness from its fermentation in the large oak foeder vessel.

Each installment in the series will feature a new fruit, or Frucht, if we’re Sprechen sie Deutsch. This first installment has passion fruit added, which escalates the tartness, tropicality and palate-cleansing prowess of the base beer. Prost!

==Introduction==

Released to all 3 Bruery Societies (Preservation, Reserve and Hoarders) for Quarter 1 2016, this brew is the first from the Frucht series of beers where they will try to create a variety of sour brews using various brews. An awesome way to start as the series using an exotic fruit such as passion fruit. I definitely love passion fruits and also love Dragon fruits so if you make a Dragon fruit one, please do Bruery. So this one I believe they take the base Berliner (Hottenroth) and make it with passion fruits. I have tried other version of Hottenroth which are decent tangy sours. Let’s see how this one comes up. Cheers!

Aromas:
Fig plant, Floral notes, lavender, passion fruit, wine grapes, farmhouse hay, funky sour notes, citrus blossom honey, dragon fruit hints, papaya, guava tart, pineapple, coriander spice, lemon peel, strawberry hints and wheat bread.

Flavors:
Rich Tart Passion fruit pulp, Pineapple, floral notes, grapefruit peel, lemon peel, citrus peel, mango peels, wine grapes, farmhouse hay, banana hints, coriander spice, peppercorn hints, strawberry notes, dragon fruit, wheat bread, sourdough bready hints, citrus blossom honey, tomato notes, papaya, stone fruit apricots, sour apple notes, oak, hibiscus, lavender and tart guava hints.

Aftertaste:
Finish super dry with notes of flowers, super tart passion fruit, oak and lemon peel. No alcohol in the taste, clear golden light body, crisp, refreshing and effervescent mouthfeel with a moderate to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A very good and super tart fruit sour brew. The passion fruit is dominant and tarty while still giving that refreshing Berliner experience. You can definitely tell it is more of the actual passion fruit and not a natural flavor of passion fruit. This is definitely something that is a great start for the series and hope they use more exotic fruits. This beer is definitely recommended to those that enjoy super tarty sour beers as it is very tart.

Anime Corner:
Roll from the Megaman Series was used in this series since I have been meaning to pair her with a Bruery beer for a long time. Her colors complement the colors of the label and the passion fruit itself. While such a light beer (ABV) it may complement Roll’s miniature appearance but remember, just the way this is super tart, Roll hides some very destructive power. Don’t make her mad (sip with caution) otherwise she will sour your soul!

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/aK1owbg.jpg
http://blog-imgs-70.fc2.com/k/u/s/kusakunai931/1405151389518.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QmF44WE.jpg

2011 Bourbon Barrel Aged Grand Cru by Black Diamond

April 9, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Belgian Dark Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Fruit Beer, Grand Cru, Janne D'Arc, Nockmaar, SNK, Sorsha, vanilla beans, Willow, World Heroes | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/6

2011 Bourbon Barrel Aged Grand Cru by Black Diamond is a 9% ABV Belgian Dark Strong Ale which 75% is brewed with Fruit with Vanilla Beans Added and 25% Ale is aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
The designation of “Grand Cru” originates from the Burgundy region of France. Brewers have taken the term and applied to it more elaborate, aged and reserved versions of their beers. Our Belgian-style Dark Ale has been taken to the next level by the careful blending and aging techniques.

After much tinkering -with a number of unique ingredients combined with wood barrel aging- we arrived at this wonderful juxtaposition of fruitiness and maltiness which harmonized magically to produce this delicious winter warmer.

When poured, the beer has a deep mahogany hue. In the aroma, figs and dark fruit intermingle with notes from the wood barrel used, as well as subtle notes of banana and bubblegum from the fermentation process. Aging for twelve months on oak brings forth flavor of the barrel, as well as vanillin from the wood that is complemented by vanilla beans which provide a velvety smoothness and richness . The taste starts with the rich sweetness of the fruit, carries through with a rich mellow center and finishes dry, allowing for another glass as you sit by a cozy fire.

==Introduction==

I first had this beer back in 2012 for my birthday. Back then it was a beer that my brother got me as a gift. Back then I remember this one for being one for being memorable. Not only in its deliciousness but also the sentimental value since it was a gift from my brother. During a trip over to my friend Julio’s house in La Mirada California, I had visited Sammy’s VIII Liquor and they had a bottle of this aging. While the price was right, I couldn’t help but just bring it back to the site, years later after I first tried it. The artwork was really cool as well. So if it is true that the original bottle was from 2011, then I hope 5 years aged has given way to a very delicious brew. Let’s find out. Cheers!

Aromas:
Wine grapes, oak, bourbon, dark fruit berry jam on toasted rye bread, bananas, clove spice, cinnamon, Dark fruit raisins, prunes plums, figs, dark cherries, raspberries, pomegranates, currants, cranberries, Dark fruit yogurt hints, pecan pie, brown sugar, stone fruit apricots, peaches, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, milk chocolate raisins and chocolate cherry cordials.

Flavors:
Rich Dark fruit raisins, prunes plums, figs, dark cherries, raspberries, pomegranates, currants, cranberries, Wine grapes, oak, bourbon, marshmallow smore hints, stone fruit apricots, peaches, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, milk chocolate raisins, chocolate cherry cordials, port wine, raspberry chambord, dark fruit berry jam on toasted rye bread, bananas, clove spice, cinnamon, Dark fruit yogurt hints, pecan pie, flan hints and crème brulee hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with rich dark fruits, oak, stone fruit, mild bourbon notes, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, marshmllow and cinnamon hints. No alcohol in the taste, crimson dark murky body, smooth, velvety and mildly creamy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional brew with lots of dark fruit forward flavors with notes of bourbon. This brew reminds me a lot of the Deschutes Anniversary ales except where those are stouts this one is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale/grandcru. Essentially, the Belgian Dark Strong version. Ofcourse, while that is leagues away from this one, I still like this one as it was a gift from my brother a long time ago. I would highly recommend it if you love fruit forward beers with notes of oak and bourbon. Especially if you can find the aged one. Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Janne D’Arc from SNK’s World Heroes was used in this brew pairing since I used her for the pairing long ago. The castle in the label of the brew reminds me of Nockmaar castle from the movie and NES game Willow. In the movie, it had a strong swordswoman named Sorsha which wore armor similar to that of Janne. While there is no anime version of Sorsha, Janne from SNK was the closest I could find. The brew colors, label and Janne bring me back to the nostalgia of the old school Willow series I loved as a child.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/7FyFsFu.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jJAQbI0nirg/maxresdefault.jpg

Seven Kingdoms by Game of Thrones and Ommegang

April 9, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Wheat Ale, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones and Ommegang, Hoppy beer, Ommegang, Seven Kingdoms | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

Seven Kingdoms by Game of Thrones and Ommegang is a 6.9% ABV Hoppy Belgian Wheat Ale.

Label:
OF WESTEROS’ SEVEN KINGDOMS, SIX WERE CONQUERED AND ONE, INDOMITABLE, WAS BROUGHT IN, NOT BY WAR, BUT BY THE SACRED BLOOD TIES OF MARRIAGE.

THIS TRADITIONAL BELGIAN-STYLE WHEAT ALE IS HAPPILY WED TO CITRUSY, HERBAL AMERIC AN HOPS, YIELDING WHEATY MALTINESS AND MODERATE BITTERNESS, WITH ALLURING FRUIT AROMAS AND FULL HOP FLAVORS.

==Introduction==

Obtained this one at Sammy’s VIII Liquor in La Mirada California after visiting my friends Julio and Jeannette’s house. I knew of this beer’s eventual appearance but since I happened to find it, I figure I grab it before I forget. I have reviewed all the different beers in the series thus far and since my friend showed me some episodes of Game of Thrones recently too, I wanted to continue the series. That and the fact that Ommegang makes some of the best Belgian stuff too. This time, they made a hoppy Belgian Wheat to represent the 7 kingdoms. Let’s check this one out and see what it is about.

Aromas:
Banana, clove spice, peppercorns, lemon, floral notes, honey, grapefruit and grassy hops, biscuit bread, stone fruit hints and cane sugar.

Flavors:
Belgian candy sugar, lemon, peppercorns, lemon peel, piney, floral, grapefruit and grassy hops, bananas, clove spice, stone fruit peaches, apricot, lavender, biscuit bread, honey, coriander, phenolic notes, grape hints, waffle cone, tangerine hints, cane sugar and pineapple hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with notes of peppercorns, hoppy notes, banana hints, honey, stone fruit and coriander hints.
No alcohol in the taste, clear golden body, crisp, clean, and refreshing mouthfeel and easy to drink.

Overall:
A very good beer that reminds me a lot of the hoppy Belgian Pale Ales I have had before. While it is delicious, there is still nothing too extraordinary that comes to mind. The fact that I love Belgians and Ommegang makes this one really good. Still, this one is nothing too crazy that you won’t find if you try another one of its style. The good thing they do here though is that it works well because it is meant for the newer beer drinkers. Something not too overwhelming is what helps merge the gap between the series and into the craft beer scene. Worth a try for sure.

Anime Corner:
7 Multiple Characters were used from the series Pixiv Fantasia were used to represent the 7 kingdoms. While not accurate to the characters and maybe the lore of Game of Thrones, it was merely a representative where each character would be representative of each of the kingdoms in the story.

Sources:
http://s4.pikabu.ru/post_img/big/2015/05/01/10/1430497744_954661167.jpeg

Ol’ Dirty Barrel (ODB) by Belching Beaver

April 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Barrel Aged, Belching Beaver, Boota, ODB, Ol' Dirty Barrel, RIS, Russian Imperial Stout, Rye Whiskey Barrels, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagan, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Whiskey, whiskey barrels, Yoko, Yoko Littner, Yoko Ritona | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

Ol’ Dirty Barrel (ODB) by Belching Beaver is a 10.5% ABV Russian Imperial Stout aged in Oak Rye Whiskey Barrels

Label:
Gold Medal
World Beer Championships Award
Brewed and Bottled by Belching Beaver Brewery Vista Ca, USA
Bottle#1271

It’s Old! …and Dirty! Our Russian Imperial Stout is our biggest beer brewed to date. Aged in Oak Rye Whiskey Barrels. Ol’ Dirty Barrel is loaded with hints of caramel, anise, chocolate and coffee.

This beer will have you reminiscing about old times, classic tunes and lost loves. Don’t call her! She’s moved on and really, was she worth all that? This Russian Imperial Stout will keep you just as warm anyway.

Ingredients: Water, Grain, Sugar, Oats, Hops, Yeast

==Introduction==

I have tried many of the Belching Beaver beers ranging from the Peanut Butter Milk stout, Pineapple IPA, Me So honey and even had a chance to visit their brewery. For being a sought after yet very common brews, they grew well so many could enjoy their beers. I remember when I visited long ago with my friends Oscar, Julio and Jeanette we tried many of the beers but there was a picture of a mean looking beaver. That mean looking beaver was a picture of this beer. It was on a Metal sign and I was wondering, damn, I would sure one day love to try that brew. I had totally forgotten about it until my friend Aaron Mendiola of BeerMetalDude.com had mentioned that he would like for me to find this one. That is when I remembered, they did eventually release this beer on bottles. While it was sold out in many places, I was able to find it online eventually. Now that the beer is here, without further ado, I bring you, the review for the Ol’ Dirty Barrel, cheers!

Aromas:
Oak, Toasted coconut, toffee, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, crème brulee, flan, Danish cream, toffee, Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian chocolate, rye bread, bourbon, graham cracker marshmallow, smores, pecan pie notes, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, currants plums, tobacco, leather notes, brownie batter, chocolate cake notes, chocolate mousse, and banana notes.

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian chocolate, toasted coconut, crème brulee, flan, Danish cream, Irish cream coffee, oak, bourbon, whiskey, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, toffee, rye bread, bourbon, marshmallow, smores, graham crackers, almond joy chocolates, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, currants plums, Coffee, Kahlua Liqueur, coffee cake, pecan pie, bananas, clove spice, sweetened condensed milk, tobacco, leather notes, brownie batter, chocolate cake notes, chocolate mousse, anise and molasses.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with lots of oaky notes, dark chocolates, toasted coconut, cherries, flan, whiskey and almond joy notes. No alcohol in the taste, Dark full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and chewy mouthfeel with an easy to sipping drinkability.

Overall:
An exceptional barrel aged brew. Belching beaver has been one of the most top notch breweries I have tried and to finally get a chance to try their take on an imperial stout aged in oak barrels, now this was definitely worth the find. So much complexity and flavors that I love from these barrel aged brews similar to the likes of Bourbon County, Parabola, Black Tuesday and others. This one stands on its own as the nutty hazelnut and milk chocolate flavors do tend to stand out a bit more along with the coconut noted. That and the fact that the drinkability did range as there was times I felt I could drink it easily but decided not to take my time with it. There is a reason it is sold out but I am sure they will release it again. If you find it, get this one, I highly recommend it!

Anime Corner:
Yoko Littner and Boota from Tengen Toppa Gurren Laggan were used in this pairing for Boota to represent the Beaver inside the barrel. The pairing of the reds is obvious. While Boota represents the beaver, Yoko would probably represent the barrel where Boota resides. While yes it is innuendoes, I couldn’t help myself but have a couple of laughs. Besides, I use Yoko for a lot of my good beer pairings. This one just happens to be pairing with Boota.

Sources:
http://eddy-shinjuku.deviantart.com/art/YOKO-RITONA-Afternoon-Stroll-Gurren-Lagann-325565264
http://orig01.deviantart.net/9914/f/2008/054/5/d/yoko__boota__and_gurren_lagann_by_lostsamurai.png
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eh21kQvShko/maxresdefault.jpg