Dark Age by Wicked Weed

October 4, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Dark Age, Four Roses Bourbon, Four Roses Bourbon Barrels, Four Roses Casks, Imperial Stout, Kill-LA-Kill, Ryuko Matoi, Ryuuko Matoi, Wicked Weed | Leave a comment

Rating: 6.25/7

Dark Age by Wicked Weed is a 12% ABV Imperial Stout aged in Four Roses Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
Humanity’s path out of the Dark Age is one without end. This path carries us away from the mystical to the measurable, from the magical to the mathematical, and is a meticulous tale of progress from madness to method. Yet, we still find wonder in the magic, and extraordinary potential in the mystery. Out of this yearning for the old ways, Dark Age imperial stout emerges from the whisky barrel, its dark malt complexity and bold, ye balanced, sweetness softened by it’s mystical evolution in oak. There are few things pair together better than bourbon and beer. Brewed with local honey and brown sugar this imperial stout spent upwards of 9 months soaking up rich flavors of bourbon while aging in oak barrels. With huge chocolate flavors playing together with the complexity of bourbon and a warming finish, this beer is a great night capper.

==Introduction==

This is not the first time I tried a Wicked Weed beer. The first time was a sour my friend Auggie’s invitation to the BeerBumz beer session. I have heard many great things about this brewery and I absolutely love their artwork. They are mainly an East Coast brewery so we typically don’t see any of their beers on the west coast. What I have seen though is a way to get them online. https://bruisin-ales.lightspeedwebstore.com/ has them. So I was able to get this one on the website. This one being a bourbon barrel aged is a great way to introduce them to the website. Those complex beers are always welcome here. Let’s take a splash into the abyss… Cheers!

Aromas:
Dulce de leche caramel, oak, vanilla, bourbon whisky, dark fruit currants, raisins, plums, figs, raspberries, pomegranates, boysenberries, flowers of lavender, rose petal hints, port wine, wine grapes, funky hints, black berry yogurt, blueberry yogurt, leather, tobacco, anise, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, bakers chocolate, bananas, clove spice, raisin bread pudding, maple, roasted coffee, fruit cake, toasted coconut, licorice and abuelita chocolate.

Flavors:
Dark fruit currants, raisins, plums, figs, raspberries, pomegranates, boysenberries, dulce de leche caramel, oak, vanilla, bourbon whisky, flowers of lavender, rose petal hints, port wine, wine grapes, funky hints, black berry yogurt, blueberry yogurt, Marshmallows, molasses, leather, tobacco, anise, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German Chocolate, bakers chocolate, bananas, clove spice, raisin bread pudding, maple, roasted coffee, cookie dough, Danish cream, rocky road ice cream, marshmallow smores, pecan pie, toasted coconut hints, licorice hints, oreo cookies and cream, rock candi, piloncillo sugar cone, hazelnut, flan, 3 leches/3 milks cake and beet sugars.

Aftertaste:
Rich dark fruits like cherries, prunes, figs, coffee hints, dark chocolate abuelita, tobacco, bourbon, caramel, Blackberry yogurt, wine hints, floral hints oak and marshmallows. Slight influence of booze but like rosey petal kiss. It does not detract from the flavors but it is hard to explain and yet awesomely delicious. Dark Abysmal body, Sipping drinkability, smooth, creamy, rich and syrupy mouthfeel.

Overall:
Above Exceptional! While this bottle is only 500ml, there is a whole world of massive complexity reminding me of some of the best sour stouts I have ever had. In fact, this is the best sour stout in the world for me. Reminding me of a like a Cuvee of Madrugada Obscura, Tart of Darkness, Hellshire II and many other great blends. With the deep oak and complex flavors, I highly recommend you find this one!

Anime Corner:
Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill was chosen for this pairing because the label and the name represent dark ages and dark knights. While Ryuko’s dress kind of looks like evil dark armor, she is not evil at all. While the dark ages mainly happened in Europe, I wanted to show the contrast as what the dark ages would have been in Feudal Japan. Ryuko with the samurai contrasts that of Japan and in her other attires represents the European times as well as the Dark Knight outfit. Definitely creative.

Sources:
https://65.media.tumblr.com/55f3c83ba48748bb104f4cbffd77bec1/tumblr_n7y3glGBfZ1qhttpto3_1280.jpg
http://blog-imgs-65.fc2.com/d/g/d/dgdg875/anime_wallpaper_Kill_la_kill_Matoi_Ryuko_Matoi-Ryuuko-999368.jpeg
http://img1.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/full/Kill-la-Kill-Anime-Matoi-Ryuuko-Senketsu-1487257.jpeg
http://i99.beon.ru/static.zerochan.net/Matoi.Ryuuko.full.1988188.jpg

Rexx by Clown Shoes brewing

September 2, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Barrel Aged Red, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, clown shoes, Clown Shoes Brewing, Four Roses Bourbon, Four Roses Bourbon Barrels, Heaven Hill, Imperial Amber Ale, Imperial Red Ale, passion fruit, Ranma, Ranma 1/2, Rexx | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.65/6

Rexx by Clown Shoes brewing is a 12% ABV Imperial Amber/Red Ale aged in Heaven Hill and Four Roses Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
We like dinosaurs. We especially like Rexx, our prehistoric pal who wears clown shoes, drinks bourbon, and spends his doomed days in exile from the other Tyrannosauruses, choosing to romp with friendlier beasts. Rexx, we dedicate this Imperial Red Ale aged in Heaven Hill and Four Roses bourbon barrels to you buddy.

==Introduction==

Clown Shoes releases another awesome Barrel aged beer. This time, Bourbon Barrel aged red. Granted, the last time a Barrel Aged Red was from Anderson Valley which was pretty good for the low ABV. Now we are dealing with a heavy hitter at 12% ABV. A style that is aged in any type of spirit is always welcome to the site. Especially Clown Shoes stuff which has been for the majority of the time, exceptionally great, just like the Blaecorn Unidragon series and its Beast Variants and more! Now let’s take a trip to the ancient past, to the time of the dinosaurs and study this, Amber Nectar. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich bananas, caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, whiskey, toasted coconut, marshmallows, dark fruit raisins, cherry notes, Rye bread, flowery rose hints, lavender, hibiscus, earthy, citrusy and grapefruit hints, toffee, pecan pie, almond joy chocolate, milk chocolate, rocky road ice cream notes, hazelnut, very mild tropical fruit like prickly pear, passion fruit, papaya and mango notes.

Flavors:
Rich Rye, whiskey, bourbon, floral notes of hibiscus, lavender, rose petals, toffee, rich caramel, plantains, rich bananas, marshmallows, toasted coconut, earthy, citrucy, piney hops, rich grapefuits, pecan pie, almond joy chocolate, milk chocolate, rocky road ice cream notes, caramel, vanilla, oak, tropical fruit like prickly pear, passion fruit, mango notes, dragon fruit, sweetened condensed milk, flan, dark fruit raisins, cherries, cinnamon spice, brown sugar and hazelnut nectar.

Aftertaste:
Rye, earthy notes, grapefruit hops, lots of whiskey, vanilla, toasted coconut, caramel, marshmallows and banana notes are left in the taste. Slight booziness in the taste, crimson full body, smooth, creamy, velvety, mouthfeel, sipping drinkability

Overall:
An exceptionally bourbony, whiskey rye flavored Amber ale. The last time I tried a bourbon barrel amber ale was long ago. Come to think about it, this reminded me of the Bourbon Barrel aged Bock but this is a red so the flavorful hops do come out to play as well. It almost borderlines a certain Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels. The only thing to pick at is the boozeyness. I think with time this one will mature into something incredible. I still highly recommend it as is. Clown Shoes barrel aged beers have been extremely awesome!

Anime Corner:
Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½ was used in this paring to pair with the style of the beer (A Red Ale) but also to pair with the beers sweet flavors and rich complexity which are complemented by Ranma’s sweet and sexy appearance. She is pretty sweet in general but she is also a dangerous martial artists. You see, being the protagonist of the show, Ranma has shown immense strength and power which goes well with the ABV of the beer. Although Ranma can be hot headed at times, she means well which goes with the booziness of the beer. Give her sometime, she will age just right and be good to you. As for th T-Rex in the label, her colors complement it too but like I said before, this T-Rex can be hot headed just like Ranma. Give the T-Rex a beer, calms right down, just like Ranma!

Sources:
http://static.skynetblogs.be/media/37519/ranma5.jpg

Espiritu Obscuro by Mill Valley Beerworks

July 14, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Belgian Chocolate, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Black Cherry, Bourbon Barrel Aged, chocolate abuelita, Dark Spirit, Espiritu Obscuro, Four Roses Bourbon, Four Roses Casks, Kill-LA-Kill, Mill Valley, Mill Valley Beerworks, Satsuki Kyurin | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Espiritu Obscuro by Mill Valley Beerworks is a 9.2% Belgian Dark Strong Ale brewed with spices and aged in Four Roses Casks.

Label:
Dark Belgian-style ale brewed with spices aged in Four Roses bourbon casks.

==Introduction==

Espiritu Oscuro or Dark Spirit is definitely what this was the carbonation started to have a mind of its own and really come alive. The beer was literally going insane even after I carefully poured it from the glass as you can see from the picture, it started to rise out of the glass making me think the foam was literally going to overflow. Ice cream Float Dark Belgian almost. The aroma was super complex which I will explain in more detail. I have never tried anything from Mill Valley but looking visually as to what I have experienced so far, I am pretty damn impressed. Now lets take a Dive into the dark soul of the beer shall we?

Aromas:
Supreme Dark fruit super chocolate explosion!! Dark fruit raisins, black cherry, figs, plums, prunes, dark cherries, boysenberries, blackberries, pomegranate, dark chocolate, Bakers chocolate, Milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Chocolate abuelita, rocky road ice cream hints, cinnamon dulce de leche caramel, flan and 3 leches/ 3 milks cake, Coffee, Mocha, black cherry yogurt, tobacco, leather, rye bread, molasses, rock candi, dark Belgian candi sugar, beet sugar, flan, pecan pie, clove spice, bananas, plantains, bourbon, marshmallows, vanilla and molasses.

Flavors:
Rich dark chocolate, Bakers chocolate, Milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Chocolate abuelita, Dark fruit raisins, black cherry, figs, plums, prunes, dark cherries, boysenberries, blackberries, pomegranate, Coffee, Mocha, black cherry yogurt, tobacco, leather, rye bread, molasses, rock candi, dark Belgian candi sugar, beet sugar, flan, pecan pie, clove spice, bananas, plantains, bourbon, marshmallows, chocolate smores, rose petals, oak wood, whiskey, rock candy, Belgian sweet bread, pilloncillo, vanilla, rocky road ice cream hints, cinnamon dulce de leche caramel, flan and 3 leches/ 3 milks cake.

Aftertaste:
Rich dark fruits like cherries, prunes, figs, rich coffee and mocha notes, cinnamon, chocolate abuelita, tobacco, bourbon, caramel, dark chocolate, cherry yogurt and marshmallows. No alcohol in the taste, dark like the antimatter of a black hole in space full body, sweet, creamy, silky, syrupy, velvety and very smooth mouthfeel and damn easy to drink for some unholy reason.

Overall:
WOW, this beer reminded me so much of Black Damnation III Black Mes it wasn’t even funny. For a pint bottle, I really want to get several of these now. For being my first beer from Mill Valley Beerworks, this is so damn amazing. They really have created a really unique beer that I am really not sure I could recreate but damn as well I will try. With super rich complexities at such the low 9.2% ABV, I have to figure it out. For the mean time you better make DAMN SURE that you get this beer as it is a killer and damn loveable and tremendous.

Anime Corner:
Kiryūin Satsuki from Kill La Kill was chosen in this pairing as I wanted to show something that looked like the fizz I got from the beer along with the dark fruit colors. The funny part about Satsuki which is Ryuko Matoi’s sister is that she has everyone kneeling before her might! An aura of light always shines upon her and is cast over the on lookers who dare defy her. Yet, if you were to take the opposite and stab the darkness of this beer with the light, you will still find Satsuki there as shown in this artwork, She shines supreme among the darkness to uncover the complexities of this beer and bring them to your unworthy tastebuds!

Sources:
http://img11.deviantart.net/57c3/i/2014/313/9/e/clear_cut__kill_la_kill___by_hatsoff_designs-d84ibb3.jpg