Kurofune Porter by Baird Beer

April 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged Baird Beer, Baltic Porter, Black Ships, coffee chocolate, Japanese Beers, Kurofune Porter, Mount Fuji | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.6/5

Kurofune Porter by Baird Beer of Japan is a 6% Baltic Porter

Label:
Kurofune (means “Black Ships”) was the word the Japanese used to describe the American gunboats that came to open Japan to western trade. Kurofone Porter is sleek and forceful, but leaves a winning bittersweet taste of chocolate and coffee on the tongue. “Do not resist the superior might; cunningly acquiesce, and embrace.” Kampai!

Baird Beer is brewed at the foot of Mount Fuji by Japan’s pioneering craft brewery. Lovingly and authentically crafted, it is unfiltered, re-fermented in the bottle, and naturally carbonated. Please drink contemplatively, Beer Drinker-san.
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I haven’t had a chance to review a lot of the Japanese beers (which I should seeing as my website sure has a lot of “Japanese” influence 😉 ) Anyways, I decided I finally give this a go. The fragrance of this beer is very nice. Starts with fragrances like bakers chocolate berries and raisins, molasses, coffee, slight banana, slight hazelnut and caramel. The flavors are of milk chocolate, molasses, raisins, blackberries cherries, coffee, mocha, roasted malt notes, hazelnut, slight soy taste and some earthy hop notes to it as well. Stuff like this makes me wonder how craft beer and sushi would be like. Some of the beers like Asahi black and others go great with sushi. However, I am thinking some craft beer, especially from Japan would make great pairings for sushi. Anyways, if you can find this little bottle of amazing go get it. It is a very good porter. Oishi desuyo!!! ^_^

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

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

Rating: 4.9/5

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

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

Aloha B’ak’tun by Maui brewing

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

Rating: 4.45/5

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

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

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

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

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

Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout 2012 by Cigar City Brewing

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

Rating: 5.75/5

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

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

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

Board Meeting by Port Brewing

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

Rating: 4.8/5

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

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

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

Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout by New Belgium

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

Rating: 4.5/5

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

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

Cherry Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout by Goose Island Beer Co.

January 18, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged best beers in the world, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, cherries, Cherry Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout, Chocolate, chocolate coffee, coffee chocolate, dipped cherries, FLCL, Fooly Cooly, Goose Island, goose island beer, Haruko, Haruko Haruhara, Imperial Stout, Rye Whiskey, Whiskey | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/5

Cherry Rye Bourbon County Brand Stout by Goose Island Beer Co. is a 13.7% ABV Imperial Stout aged in rye whiskey barrels with whole cherries

Label:
Our brewers love experimenting with their beer almost as much as they love drinking it. This unique blend, aged in rye whiskey barrels with loads of whole Michigan cherries, is the one they are proud to finally let you share with your friends at home – or not. After your first sip, you’ll agree, this beer has some real stones.
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I once did a review under the Original 2008 Bourbon County Stout (https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/bourbon-county-brand-stout-vintage-2008-by-goose-island/) and I found it to be freaking amazing. So in 2012 they decided to release this variant which was super hard to find. I already know this is gonna be good and I highly recommended it you find it. Now on to the Review. The aroma of this amazing beer is of coconut, vanilla, whiskey, oak, flan, dulce de leche caramel, walnuts, rich dark and milk chocolate, cherry, cranberries, coffee, mocha, . The flavors are like a cherry pie or tart cherry cobbler with caramel made with chocolate dipped cherries, cinnamon, rich dark, milk and sweet chocolate syrup, pecans, raisins, coconut, vanilla, flan, oak, bourbon, coffee, whipped cream, Mexican vanilla crème filled sweet bread with vanilla cherry and chocolate pudding. The aftertaste leaves a sweet chocolate cherry trail with coconut, bourbon, vanilla and leche nestle (Mexican Sweetened Condensed Milk). No alcohol trace and no Boozy burn off of this one. I almost wanted to chew this beer as it truly is a dessert in a bottle. It is an extremely delicious world class beer. I know that Goose Island is an AB-InBev bought craft brewery but politics about beer aside, this is a new guy that stepped into the ranks of best beers in the world. I think I just liked this beer so much because it was so close to Grey Monday and Chocolate Rain it was not even funny. Just like the pictures above with Haruko, It will blow your mind!!!

Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XV by North Coast Brewing

December 19, 2012 by cloudx30 tagged Aged, Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin, Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XV, bourbon barrels, bourbon county, chocolate caramel, coffee chocolate, Legend of Zelda, Link, Mexican Flan, Midna, Never say Die!, Nintendo, North Coast Brewing, Old Rasputin, Russian Imperial Stout, Zelda | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.5/5

Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XV by North Coast Brewing is an 11.9% ABV Russian Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Never say Die!

Every year we age a special batch of our much-loved Russian Imperial Stout in Bourbon barrels. The depth, intensity, and complexity of the flavor profile of this special release, like its predecessors, make it a worthy tribute to Old Rasputin.

Prior to 2010, Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin was released in such limited quantities that it was available only at the North Coast Brewing retail shop in Fort Bragg, California. However, we received so many requests for this beer that we began producing enough Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin to put into broader, but still limited, distribution.
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This a pretty awesome beer. Upon opening this one, there was immediate aromas of rich coconut, vanilla, bourbon with roasted coffee, chocolate, caramel and some notes of Mexican sweetened condensed or flan. Maybe California’s response to Bourbon County Stout? The flavors are pretty sweet. The boozyness is only slight the flavors that hit the palate. Sweet rich chocolate, espresso, mocha, vanilla, caramel, whipped cream, rich Mexican flan, bourbon, coconut, figs, raisins and prunes. Another masterpiece exceeding the expectations. A must find for Barrel-Aged Stout lovers. Just awesome is what this is. If the original Old Rasputin is world class, this takes it to another level for me.

Elysian Omen

November 5, 2012 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Raspberry, chocolate coffee, coffee chocolate, dark fruits, Elysian Omen, sweet flavors | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.25/5

This is a series from Elysian, The 12 Beers of the Apocalypse. “The End is Beer”
Beer#10 (October) Omen is a 7.2% ABV Belgian Raspberry Stout.

Omen is in reference the signs and phenomenon which can foretell events of the future. Some good or some bad. Regardless of the case. Foretelling the future or deciphering signs to create meanings of what is to come has been something that has been practiced for centuries. Of all the Apocalyptic events that could happen in 12-21-2012 or the real end of the world , this is it’s greatest component and the key to the door of sight. Like in the Thundercats, sight beyond sight, something can be seen but it is all left onto interpretation as to what it really means for the future or even a current event that links people to a current event that may pertain to them trying to tell them something good or something bad is going on. The Mystery is in the eye of the beholder.

This beer is focused more on the smokey and roasted bitter malts than other Belgian Style stouts. While some people prefer more sweeter than bitter, this one tries to balance it all. The smell of coffee, chocolate and minor fruitiness is apparent. The flavor is of dark bitter chocolate, coffee, raspberry fruitiness with some dark fruits like raisins and figs and alittle bit of biscuit bread, earthy hops and caramel. I think another component that rules in this beer is the smokey bitterness. While yes you do get some awesome sweet flavors, they finish dry making you want to try more so that the flavors really stick. There are hints of the Folklore from Stillwater in there but very little. Almost like a Black Saison with little bit of fruits here and there. It is worth a try just to see what this is about 🙂

Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout 2012 edition by Three Floyds

October 24, 2012 by cloudx30 tagged coffee chocolate, dark fruits, three floyds brewery | Leave a comment

Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout 2012 edition at 15% ABV by Three Floyds is one of those beers that you kinda get the feeling, your committing a crime just for even trying it. This because it is not supposed to be resold after you buy it. Renounced by beer geeks all over as one of the best of many beers on earth. Some even do a pilgrimage just to get this beer it is insane!!!! You can only get this beer by either attending Dark Lord Day in Indiana, where Three Floyds brewery is from, from Ebay or from some one you know that can hook you up…hehehe…lol. Sorry, this time my sources will remain anonymous. First of all you can’t just from bud light to this beer. Oh hell no!!! If you do ever find this one or have a lucky contact then your in the gold. But if you ever do find this oily brew then this is what you will expect to see. First of all it smells very sweet and vinous. There is not fizz to this beer. It is very upfront and flavor intense. The taste, to put it simply, is of a lighter Khalua (coffee/chocolate liqueur) if you added dark fruits like plums, cherries, apples and currants as well as molasses and port wine. There is no bitterness to this beer whatsoever. It is an extremely sweet beer and all of the flavors mask the alcohol so well, you think you are drinking straight syrupy beer. The complexity of the beer is damn near mind boggling and even some flavors that are hard to tell what they are. Like getting a sugar rush over 9000!!!…Like I said not for the closed minded and definitely not for the closed tasted of the beer craft. Sometimes the devil’s water could be a little too much, but I am sure you can be forgiven for indulging every once and a while. Is this beer really worth the hype?, only you can tell that answer for yourself, as for me being a fan of sweet beers it was damn worth getting this one for me. Thank you my secret sources….I had to pic several pictures of art for this one….but more focused on the more recent character, Lightning, mainly because she reminds me of the girl version of cloud. I spent a lot of time gathering the right art to pair with this beer and well I had to choose several >:P

Original 2011 Review: Now here is something EXTREMELY Awesome. A once a year,Three Floyds brewery only release on Dark Lord day ale that is truly EPIC. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to enjoy this till the last drop. First of all, before I go on about the tasting portion, I need to advise that this beer is 15% ABV stout. It is very heavy imperial stout and very delicious at that. I was able to get this at a good price and it was worth it :P. The beer is aged and bottled with a cap and dipped in wax. The beer ages very well at that. I had this years version with the yellow wax and all..LOL. The beer looks like boiling oil. The beer is made with a whole batch of awesome things such as Intelligensia coffee, Mexican vanilla, and Indian sugar that have aged to bring about the 15%ABV. The taste is like drinking an extremely smooth Kahlua. The alcohol is extremely well masked by the very sweet tastes of the vanilla, chocolate, plums, burnt currants, cherries, and port wine flavors that arise from this demon. It is a mighty beast. This is one Devil’s Water that is all too sweet and hopefully I can find it again next year :d….Go on give it a sip For more info on this beer please visit http://www.darklordday.com/