2017 Serpent’s by The Lost Abbey

October 12, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Belgian imperial Stout, Bleach, Bourbon Barrel Aged, Dark Rukia, devil rukia, Evil Rukia, Ichigo, Ichigo Kurosaki, Imperial Stout, Kutchiki Rukia, Rukia Kuchiki, Serpent's, Serpent's Stout, The Lost Abbey, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 7/7

2017 Serpent’s by The Lost Abbey is a 13.7% ABV Belgian Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels

Label:
Serpent’s Stout aged in Bourbon barrels

==Introduction==

Finally, the in between beer between the original Serpent’s Stout and Track 10 as well as the half portion of Deliverance finally in its own installment. Something I have not tried on its own in the past and was definitely one I needed in the books all the way spanning since 2010 when I first had Serpent’s stout. The Lost Abbey recently sold this one into the world online and those that got a chance to get it are most likely the only ones that have it. So if you have a chance for a trade you may want to look at this one depending on how this review goes. I have had the Track 10 which adds vanilla and cacao beans adding that extra level of awesomeness but this one being at that perfect in between spot might be onto something very different and we will only get a chance to see. The original evil evil beer now has escalated into another depth of hell so come with me as we journey into some crazy shit here, cheers!

Aromas:
Bubulubu chocolate, capirotada raisins bread pudding, Rich bananas, Flan, tres leches cake, vanilla, crème brulee, grilled plantains, platano burro, brown sugar, dark cherries, prunes, plums, currants, raisins, blackberries, vinous Caramel, dulce de leche caramel, rye whiskey, bourbon, marshmallows,oak, vanilla, Danish cream, Khalua coffee, mocha, leather, tobacco, pecan pie, Gansito Chocolate berry pastry, honey, graham crackers, waffle cone, stone fruit peaches, chocolate mangos, mature mangos and hazelnut nectar.

Flavors:
Rich oak, marshmallow smores, bourbon, rye whiskey, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, vinous caramel, toffee, mocha, roasted barley, fancy coffee, espresso, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, German chocolate, banana sundae, grilled plantains, platano burro, leather, tobacco, toasted coconut, pairotada raisin bread pudding, dark fruit prunes, dark cherries, raisins, currants, plums, Belgian dark candi sugar, , brown sugar, fruit cake, oreo cookies, port wine, Danish cream, Irish cream, chocolate mousse, Khalua coffee, liquer, raspberries, rocky road ice cream, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, prailines, rye bread, phenolic notes, almond joy chocolate, mint, anise, licorice notes, burnt candi sugar, Mexican pan dulce, flan, crème brulee, stone fruit mango, tres leches cake, honey, graham crackers, honey, waffle cone and Gansito cake.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with lots of complex chocolates, Gansito, mousse, Belgian, Dark, German, Milk, Mexican, Baker’s, cherries, raspberries, caramels, banana sundae, dark fruit, vanilla, oak, and dark candi sugar. No alcohol in the taste despite the 13.7%ABV, insane!! Pitch black dark abyss full body. Creamy, Smooth, velvety and chewy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Of the many many bourbon barrel aged brews I have had before, especially from commons to whalez, this one is a huge slice in the toe to toe versus cake of competition and a bucket lister to me. So damn complex while still employing the great Belgian notes that I loved of the style but amped by a thousand. It’s crazy how these beers are the equivalent of next level evolution of the originals making them into something damn amazing. Surely, if you can get this one, get it!!!

Anime Corner:
Ichigo Kurosaki and Fade to Black Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach as well as many iterations of Rukia, Bankai, Devil, Hollow, Mugetsu and others were all used in the emphasis of showing evolution from the original beer that I love so much over to this new iteration that is super duper insane. The Adam and Eve theme of the beer is taken to an alternate dimension roles are reversed and Satan was the one that created the the world and it was God trying to tempt Adam and Eve into what is good. It’s a crazy beer.

2017 Grey Monday by The Bruery

August 10, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged Bankai, Belgian Chocolates, Black Tuesday, Bleach, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, chocolate mousse, Chocolate Nirvana, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, dark chocolate, french vanilla ice cream, Grey Monday, Hazelnut Nectar, Imperial Stout, Kutchiki Rukia, Maple Syrup, molecular gastronomy, pecan pie, Rich Hazelnut, roasted hazelnuts, Rukia, The Bruery, world beers | Leave a comment

Rating 6/6

2017 Grey Monday by The Bruery is an 20% ABV World Class Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with Hazelnuts.

The malty milkshake of Gods is only comprehensible to the ones that know the pure bliss…… This one brings all living creatures out to the yard….

Original Review: https://animebeers.com/2016/12/02/2016-grey-monday-by-the-bruery/

2017 Serpent’s Stout by The Lost Abbey

February 7, 2017 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian imperial Stout, Bleach, Dark Rukia, Evil Rukia, Ichigo, Ichigo Kurosaki, Imperial Stout, Kutchiki Rukia, Rukia Kuchiki, Serpent's Stout, The Lost Abbey, world class beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/6

2017 Serpent’s Stout by The Lost Abbey is an 11% ABV World Class Belgian Imperial Stout.

Label:
From the beginning of time, it was so decreed, “From the this Tree of Knowledge, you shall not eat this fruit”. Soon enough, the Serpent slithered through the Garden convincing Eve to taste the nectar from this forbidden fruit. Once bitten and shamed, she then tempted Adam. Together, their actions brought Original Sin upon our world.

Discontent to rest on his laurels the Serpent continued his cunning ways bringing forth more temptations. Ultimately, he foisted upon the world his own Serpent Stout – a liquid so dark and viscous that all who tasted soon fell victim to this evil incarnate. Some turned to false prophets seeking advice. None of it mattered. Each struggle revealed the battle between Good and Evil. And now that you are holding a bottle of this liquid, it is certain he has tempted even you… So, welcome to our Darker Side of Life – home of the Serpent Stout’s Original Sin and the tastiest beers known to man.

==Introduction==

It has been years since I last did a review on this beer. Being one of my top favorite brews of all time, I wanted to bring it back as it is sporting an awesome label design with some of my favorite colors. Therefore, I definitely took the opportunity to show that beer some love. One of the strongest stouts I had when I first started trying different beers and once that stuck to me, I was hooked on trying more. An evil looking brew with a pitch-black darkness that would seem malevolent but regardless is still very good. Even with the release of so many special stouts that would try to rival this one, to me, this can still go toe to toe despite others being barrel aged. Heck, Box Set Track #10 (Bat Out Of Hell) is the answer to that as it is the bourbon barrel version of this with coffee and chocolate. Anyways, tribute to the roots is always something I love doing, let us see what this is like after many years, cheers!

Aromas:
Roasted coffee, espresso, Khalua coffee liqueur, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate,marshmallow chocolate smores, toasted coconut hints, rocky road ice cream notes, Oak, tobacco, leather, dark candi sugar, anise, molasses, brown sugar, toffee, earthy hops, dark fruit raisins, currants, plums, figs, bananas, Danish cream and capirotada raisin bread pudding hints.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, Oak, tobacco, leather, dark candi sugar, anise, molasses, dark fruit raisins, currants, plums, figs, bananas, mild phenolics, marshmallow chocolate smores, toasted coconut hints, rocky road ice cream notes, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, brown sugar, toffee, earthy hops, roasted coffee, espresso, Khalua coffee liqueur, raspberry notes, port wine hints, sweetened condensed milk hints, flan, capirotada raisin bread pudding, Danish cream, Irish cream coffee and chocolate mousse.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with lots of earthy notes, dark chocolate, dark fruit, caramel, vanilla, oak, banana and dark candi sugar. No alcohol in the taste despite the 11%ABV. Pitch black dark abyss full body. Creamy, Smooth, velvety and chewy mouthfeel with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A truly exceptional brew that is surely lasting the years. The flavors are just as complex, if not better, from what I remember. I may not remember every detail, but still an awesome beer. Lots of roasty notes, dark chocolate, dark fruits and flavors of Belgian dark stout and oak. It is not barrel aged but it has that aged oak feel to it. I highly recommend this one as it is definitely still one of my favorites out there.

Anime Corner:
Ichigo Kurosaki and Fade to Black Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach were the perfect pairing back then when I did a review for this beer still continuing the tradition are used to pair the Adam and Eve label. The aspect of Adam and Eve relate to Rukia and Ichigo since Rukia was possessed by evil twins and Ichigo tries to fight Rukia to try to save her from the possession. As you can see in the picture where Rukia attacks Ichigo, it is synonymous with Eve trying to lure Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. Crazy idea I had back then but damn it works. Hell, Serpent’s Stout is pitch black like the “Fade to Black” version of Evil Rukia. Definitely one of the best pairings I have for one of the original beers that started me into craft beer. Cheers!!

Sources:
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/polls/1133000/1133279_1350862708265_full.jpg?v=1350863217
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w1280/8bhxW4w4wQdPdIWEkPIsXeRZcPU.jpg
https://images3.alphacoders.com/827/82715.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/39/4a/df/394adfd598e65b1debc3a17f03ceda18.jpg

2016 Grey Monday by The Bruery

December 2, 2016 by cloudx30 tagged Bankai, Belgian Chocolates, Black Tuesday, Bleach, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, chocolate mousse, Chocolate Nirvana, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, dark chocolate, french vanilla ice cream, Grey Monday, Hazelnut Nectar, Imperial Stout, Kutchiki Rukia, Maple Syrup, molecular gastronomy, pecan pie, Rich Hazelnut, roasted hazelnuts, Rukia, The Bruery, world beers | 1 Comment

Rating: 6/6

2016 Grey Monday by The Bruery is an 19.8% ABV World Class Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with Hazelnuts.

I had done a reviewed this one in the past so this year, I am leaving it to a previous review to take care of the recommendation. Each year it is more awesome and the ABV seems to climb higher and higher. Cheers!

https://animebeers.com/2015/06/25/2015-grey-monday-by-the-bruery/

2015 Grey Monday by The Bruery

June 25, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Bankai, Belgian Chocolates, Black Tuesday, Bleach, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, chocolate mousse, Chocolate Nirvana, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, dark chocolate, french vanilla ice cream, Grey Monday, Hazelnut Nectar, Imperial Stout, Kutchiki Rukia, Maple Syrup, molecular gastronomy, pecan pie, Rich Hazelnut, roasted hazelnuts, Rukia, The Bruery, world beers | 1 Comment

Rating: 6/5

2015 Grey Monday by The Bruery is an 18.6% ABV World Class Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with Hazelnuts.

Label:
JUST ONE SHADE
Originally brewed for a molecular gastronomy dinner at Beachwood BBQ, this decadent version of Black Tuesday is brewed with Oregon grown, roasted hazelnuts.

Grey Monday is just the beer you need to kickstart your week and is meant for sharing with family and friends in your time of need. It will age gracefully for many decades of economic fluctuations. Best stored and cellared around 55°F (13°C) in a dark place. Ideal serving temperature is 55°F (13° C) Best enjoyed in a tulip or wine glass.

==Introduction==
Behold! One of the Bruery’s finest has returned making its way to the Bruery’s Reserve and Hoarder’s Societies as well as some public samplings on tap at the Bruery (if they still have some). I am sure this beer will see the preserve society soon enough like Chocolate Rain, Black Tuesday and White Chocolate but for now, the beer is a damn highly sought after item that is not sold in stores and can only be obtained by a friend of a friend and a trade with a loop and a grapevine. So seek it out as I don;t have to tell you twice about this one. While this may actually be my last review of this beer as to not to be repetitive with the coming years, just know this is prize way ahead of time. So go now and find it but for now, Cheers!

Aromas:
Super Chocolate Milk shake, nutella, Rich hazelnut nectar, Rich Chocolate cocoa powder wafer cookies, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian chocolates, Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates, grilled bananas, french vanilla ice cream, toasted walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, crème brulee, dulce de leche caramel, dark cherries, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, toasted coconut, brown sugar, bourbon, whiskey notes, sweetend condensed milk, flan, pecan pie, prailines, maple syrup, bourbon, chocolate mousse, chocolate cheesecake, honey, toffee, rocky road ice cream, smores, marshmallows and the list goes on and on!

Flavors:
Super Chocolate Milk shake, Rich hazelnut nectar, Rich Chocolate cocoa powder wafer cookies, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, German chocolate, Belgian chocolates, Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates, grilled bananas, flan, pecan pie, prailines, maple syrup, bourbon, chocolate mousse, chocolate cheesecake, honey, toffee, rocky road ice cream, smores, marshmallows, anise, bananas, plantains, cinnamon toast crunch, nutella, french vanilla ice cream, toasted walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, crème brulee, dulce de leche caramel, dark cherries, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, toasted coconut, brown sugar, bourbon, whiskey notes and sweetend condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
Rich chocolate milkshake, hazelnut nectar, dark chocolate, dark fruit, vanilla, dulce de leche, sweeteneded condensed milk, crème brulee, nutella, macadamia nut and pecan pie. Boozy! Especially if you do not drink this at room temperature. Take your time, let it settle to mask that alcohol with the complex flavors. As before, this is very dangerous too as it is a very very smooth but sipping beer with a silky and syrupy mouthfeel oh yeah and lets not forget the inter-dimensional pitch dark color that cannot be perceived by regular eyes.

Overall:
This year’s version caught me way off guard. From the moment I took a wiff, I was like holy chocolate hazelnut milkshakes! LOL Rukia’s milkshake brings all the boys to the yard! By Rukia I mean the girl I used in this beer pairing from last year’s. I go further into detail below but for those who truly seek a wonderment above some of the regular beers out there, The Weekday Beer Series from the Bruery definitely takes a turn for the supreme and luciously and diabetical sweet “pour this on your next dessert” type of flavor side. I could ramble more about the greatness which is Grey Monday, but I think I have done enough and enough is enough when I say, put this beer on your bucket list NOW!!!

Anime Corner:
Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach in her prestigious and beautiful Bankai form awaits the light of the new Monday, the Grey Monday. She is on the horizon displaying her new power and rightfully so as her character has gone through many many struggles. Throughout the entire series, she is second to the protagonist and while yes this may be a spoiler for many, she does make it. She achieves a form that takes her to new heights of existence. Rightfully so, as powerful in ABV as this beer is, it is also sweet, just like sweet little Rukia. Rukia, just like Grey Monday, evolve into great heights of where only few beers can take people. The sweet nectar of gods like this can only be bestowed on the few, like Rukia who trained with gods, literally, she now holds her own against the final threats of the series. As the series comes closer and closer to the end, this new form will unleash its fury of absolute 0 degrees Kelvin. Only the next day that comes can melt the ice and melt one’s heart as they try this beer.

Sources:
http://deohvi.deviantart.com/art/Bleach-570-Rukia-s-Bankai-436885263
http://th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/148/1/f/hakka_no_togame__rukia_by_rikamello-d7k391v.jpg
http://www.zerochan.net/full/1693368
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/037/8/3/bleach_567___rukia_ice_queen_by_hikarinogiri-d75avwk.png

(Double Review) Good Gourd & Good Gourd Almighty by Cigar City Brewing

September 24, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged best beers in the world, Bleach, Chocolate pumpkin, cigar city, Cigar City Brewing, classic pumpkin pie, Dark Rukia, Evil Rukia, Good Gourd, Good Gourd Almighty, Ichigo, Ichigo Kurosaki, Kuchiki Rukia, Kutchiki Rukia, Pumpkin, pumpkin ale, Pumpkin beer, pumpkin flavor, pumpkin flesh, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pies, pumpkin spice, Rukia, Rukia Kuchiki, Rum Barrels, Spiced rum, spicy pumpkin pie, world class beers | Leave a comment

Summer is officially over as the reaper walks out of the hallways of the NubisSanctum cellar and sets its course to take the lives… I mean, leaves from the trees and plants to ready the environment for the winter. This time, the reaper brought a friend… As I do this double review, I would like to point out that these beers have been waiting an entire year in my cellar waiting for the next fall and now I have brought them forth together to unleash double review for the fall. I have previously had the good gourd before and it was an awesome beer. When I heard of the release of the Good Gourd Almighty, I had to grab it before it was gone. This beer was released for what Cigar City calls its “El Catador” club back in late 2013. So those that joined had the Almighty to obtain. Unfortunately for me, I had to go out of my way to trade for this one. Even some of the online sites do not have it and it would be hard to get it. So if you can find the almighty version, awesome! Fortunately for many, Cigar City released the regular Good Gourd for the masses. So if you can get this in your state, Florida mainly or have it shipped to you via the online stores, I vouch for this beer for sure. Let us now see how the reaper tolls… Cheers!

Original Good Gourd Review: https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/good-gourd-by-cigar-city/

Good Gourd 1 year aged Review:

Good Gourd by Cigar City brewing is an 8.5% ABV World Class Imperial Pumpkin Ale brewed with spices. This one has been sitting in the dark for a year.

Label:
Legend has it that when a pumpkin comes into the world it is possessed by either a good or an evil spirit. Ours got all the good baby! Bursting with real pumpkin flavor and yummy pumpkin spices including Ceylon cinnamon, Jamaican all-spice, Zanzibar cloves and nutmeg, Good Gourd is a celebration of Fall and that spookiest of holidays, Halloween. Pair Good Gourd with pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and costume parties.

This high Gravity gob of Gourd-y goodness incorporates pumpkin in the mashing process and then gets wicked with the spices including Ceylon Cinnamon, Jamaican All Spice, Zanzibar Cloves and nutmeg.
___

Aromas:
Pumpkin pie, brown sugar, pumpkin flesh, coffee cake, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove spice, dark fruit prunes, raisins, sweet potato, yams, piloncillo, ginger bread, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel hints, maple, marshmallows, graham crackers, banana bread, hazelnut, pecan pie, maple syrup, hazelnut nectar, dark candi sugar and flan hints.

Flavors:
Rich Dark fruits like raisins, prunes, figs, plums, dates, pumpkin flesh, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, sweet potato rich, yams, maple, piloncillo, milk pumpkin latte, flan, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger bread, rock candy, dark candi sugar, dulce de leche caramel, hazelnut nectar, vanilla, coffee cake, marshmallow, whipped cream, Danish cookies, milk sugar, ginger snaps, candy corn, clove spice, rum hints, banana hints and pumpkin seeds.

Aftertaste:
Pecan pie, hazelnut, pumpkin flesh, dark fruits, vanilla, caramel, gingerbread, earthy notes and spicy notes linger for a bit. No alcohol in the taste, smooth, syrupy and creamy mouthfeel, slight sipping drinkability and medium to full body.

Overall:
Damn! Age does make quite the difference. This one went several notches over perfect. I have not had a pumpkin beer like this in, well, ever. It seems that 1 year aging took it to a whole new level I did not expect. It really is not the same beer anymore, it became a Pumpkin God. If that is the case, The Good Gourd Almighty will probably be in some new dimension of pumpkin reality, some kind of (nth) dimension of pumpkin. We will will only know until we see it. So if you stuck around to read this, I would highly recommend this one without a doubt and make sure to get 2. One for now and one for a year or later.

Good Gourd Almighty 1 year aged Review

Good Gourd Almighty by Cigar City is a ??% ABV World Class Imperial Pumpkin Ale brewed with spices and aged in Rum Barrels. This one, just like Good Gourd has been sitting in the dark for a year.

Label:
(SAME AS THE REGULAR)
Legend has it that when a pumpkin comes into the world it is possessed by either a good or an evil spirit. Ours got all the good baby! Bursting with real pumpkin flavor and yummy pumpkin spices including Ceylon cinnamon, Jamaican all-spice, Zanzibar cloves and nutmeg, Good Gourd is a celebration of Fall and that spookiest of holidays, Halloween. Pair Good Gourd with pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and costume parties.

Aromas:
Rum soaked pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, dark fruits, pineapple hints, leche nestle sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, candi sugar, rock candy sugars, crème brulee, candi sugars, toasted coconut, piña colada, capirotada raisin bread pudding, sweet cola, pumpkin flan, pumpkin cheesecake, clove spice, gingerbread, molasses, oak and chocolate marshmallow smores.

Flavors:
Banana and Coconut Rum soaked Pumpkin Flesh in piloncillo and cinnamon sticks, yams, Japanese purple sweet potatoes, dark fruit raisins, plums, figs, dates, dark cherries, milk and dark chocolate notes, vanilla, tropical notes like hints of pineapple, stone fruit peaches, apricot hints, pumpkin seeds, marshmallow, hazelnut nectar, Leche nestle sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche caramel, sweet Cola, flan, crème brulee, oak, graham cracker smores, almond joy chocolate, capirotada raisin bread pudding, pumpkin cheesecake, clove spice, ginger bread, molasses, piña colada, milk sugar, Danish cookies, candy corn and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Pumpkin pie, cinnamon, coffee cake, clove spice, bananas, tropical rum piña colada hints and earthy notes. Partial alcohol in the taste imparts flavors of nice sugary milk cream. This is a syrupy mouthfeel beer, with a sipping drinkability and full pitch dark brown body.

Overall:
Frankly, the best Pumpkin Beer, EVER!! This beer took what was awesome about the original and made it way better. Even after a year later, in comparison it shows how it moved along which is different from the original Good Gourd. This reminds me of Rumpkin from Avery but take to a new pumpkin extreme. The complexity and beer consistency is crazy up to the level of some of the greats like Chocolate Rain, Black Tuesday, Wineification and White Chocolate, some of the greats on the West Coast that are my favs This pumpkin beer is pretty ridiculous and I understand why it was so damn exclusive. I highly recommend it if you can trade or find this one online.

Anime Corner:
Rukia Kuchiki (Dark version) and Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach were used in the overall pairings you see hear. They are both Soul Reapers from Soul Society. I wanted to pair Evil Rukia in these pairing since I had used Rukia for the original review. The addition of overall heightened power and Ichigo were for Good Gourd Almighty which basically all the colors they represent are of the death of plants, coming of the fall, the pumpkin like Ichigo’s hair, the dark fruits and the purple yams of Rukia’s hair and over all strength and complexity from both the characters but mainly from Rukia. Evil Rukia is a bad ass, plain and simple even if her Bankai form is supreme, but that is a “Grey Monday” story all together.

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/Kuchiki.Rukia.full.663934.jpg
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/34500000/Dark-Rukia-hichigo-and-darukia-34581200-245-400.png
http://hdw.datawallpaper.com/anime/dark-rukia-318386.jpg
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Fade-to-Black-213542097

Rating: 5.5/5 *Good Gourd 1 year aged
Rating: 6/5 * Good Gourd Almighty 1 year aged

2014 Grey Monday by the Bruery

June 9, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Bankai, Black Tuesday, Bleach, Bourbon Barrel Aged, bourbon barrels, bourbon vanilla, Chocolate Nirvana, Chocolate Rain, creme brulee, french vanilla ice cream, Grey Monday, Hazelnut Nectar, Imperial Stout, Kutchiki Rukia, Maple Syrup, molecular gastronomy, pecan pie, Rich Hazelnut, roasted hazelnuts, Rukia, The Bruery, world beers | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

2014 Grey Monday by the Bruery is an 18.5% ABV World Class Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with Hazelnuts.

Label:
JUST ONE SHADE
Originally brewed for a molecular gastronomy dinner at Beachwood BBQ, this decadent version of Black Tuesday is brewed with Oregon grown, roasted hazelnuts.

So we meet again, the once lost Grey Monday which I had tried in 2012 and now I was able to get a Reserve bottle in 2014 from the Bruery. That is the only place you can get this unless you do a trade. Along the lines of Black Tuesday, Chocolate Rain, White Chocolate, Wineification/Mardi Rouge, Mocha Wednesday, Melange 3 and many more, Grey Monday stands in one of the highest categories of beers that I have ever tried. It is very ridiculously delicious just like all the variants before it. Before I continue to review this great beer once again, I may be biased as I already know it is a great beer and definitely one that is highly recommended. Cheers!

Aromas:
Very Rich Milk Chocolate, dark chocolate, pralines, pecan pie, Rich Hazelnut nectar, Dulce de leche caramel, dark fruit raisins, plums, dark cherries, flan, bourbon, maple syrup, honey, chocolate cheesecake, toffee, vanilla, oak, crème brulee, french vanilla ice cream, toasted walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashew, nutella, marshmallows, toasted coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon toast, bananas, anise, smores, rocky road ice cream and more.

Flavors:
Rich Hazelnut nectar and chocolate on grilled bananas with flan, pecan pie, pralines, maple syrup, honey, chocolate cheesecake, toffee, dark cherries, strawberry, peach, dark fruit raisins, plums, anise, currants, chocolate port wine notes, almond joy, crème brulee, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, chocolate chip cookie dough, toasted coconut, marshmallow and graham cracker smores, cinnamon toast, anise, brown sugar, chocolate milk shake, fudge cake, and mocha, all with some scoops of french vanilla ice cream.

Aftertaste:
Rich hazelnut nectar, oak, vanilla, bourbon, chocolate, pecan pie, cherry, flan, maple and caramel just linger and linger infinitely. So Good that you will take your time with it or at least try to. The alcohol is quickly masked by the complex flavors that you don’t even taste it. This is very dangerous too as it is a very very smooth but sipping beer with a silky and syrupy mouthfeel.

Overall:
No surprise here, my expectations were met and the extra credit chart went through the roof. I knew this was gonna be just as good as when I first tried. I have no idea how the Bruery does it. They are crazy to make these beers so delicious. They surely defy and truly show just how far a beer can go. Were talking past the liquor and wine category, has evolved into what it was meant to be. I sincerely hope you can try this beer or any of the other Bruery beers like Black Tuesday.

Anime Corner:
Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach in her prestigious and beautiful Bankai form awaits the light of the new Monday, the Grey Monday. She is on the horizon displaying her new power and rightfully so as her character has gone through many many struggles. Throughout the entire series, she is second to the protagonist and while yes this may be a spoiler for many, she does make it. She achieves a form that takes her to new heights of existence. Rightfully so, as powerful in ABV as this beer is, it is also sweet, just like sweet little Rukia. Rukia, just like Grey Monday, evolve into great heights of where only few beers can take people. The sweet nectar of gods like this can only be bestowed on the few, like Rukia who trained with gods, literally, she now holds her own against the final threats of the series. As the series comes closer and closer to the end, this new form will unleash its fury of absolute 0 degrees Kelvin. Only the next day that comes can melt the ice and melt one’s heart as they try this beer.

Sources:
http://stingcunha.deviantart.com/art/Bleach-570-Rukia-s-Bankai-436885263
http://www.zerochan.net/1681342

Ichigo Highway Collaboration by The Bruery and Hangar 24

April 19, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged 15, American Wild Ale, Bleach, Bruery, Collaboration Beer, Hangar 24, Highway 15, Ichigo, Ichigo Highway, Ichigo Kurosaki, Kutchiki Rukia, redlands ca, ripe strawberry, Rukia, sour ale, Strawberry, Strawberry beer, sweet aroma, The Bruery, Wine Barrels | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.6/5

Ichigo Highway Collaboration by The Bruery and Hangar 24 is a 5.5% ABV American Wild Red Ale aged in red wine barrels with strawberries.

Label:
The Bruery & Hangar 24 are divided by the 15 Highway, but brought together by a shared love of experimental brews. Ichigo, meaning both “strawberry” and the numbers 1 and 5 in Japanese, is a complex, sour red ale aged with strawberries picked from the fields next to Hangar 24’s brewery. Ichigo Highway is best enjoyed fresh due to the fleeting aroma and flavor of strawberries. Best stored and cellared around 55 degrees F (13 degrees C). Ideal serving temperature is 50 degress F (10 degrees C). Best served in a tulip or wine glass.

DESCRIPTION:
Ichigo Highway is a collaborative beer that we created with Hangar 24 Brewing from Redlands, CA. The base style is a sessionable sour red ale that we aged in oak barrels along with a whopping amount of strawberries, most of which were picked from the fields besides Hangar 24’s brewery. Aged for approximately 8 months, this beer has developed a pleasant funk and a delightful acidity that is balanced by the intensely sweet aroma and flavor of the strawberries as well as a unique dryness achieved by using a sake yeast along with our house strain along with souring bacteria. Available in November. 5.5% ABV, Best enjoyed fresh due to the fleeting aroma and flavor of the strawberries
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Being an anime fan and a big fan of the show “Bleach”, I anticipated this review for a long time ago since the beer released way back when. A very hard to find beer unless you are a member of the Reserve or Hoarders Society. I was able to trade for this brew in order to bring Ichigo, the shinigami here to the stage. One of the things to note about the fragrances about this beer, is that there is alof of strong ripe strawberry aromas but also the grape wine aromas are there too as well as this sugary scent of strawberry preserves. You can also sense the funkyness and citrus like many sour beers. Some grapefruit, apricots, apples and cinnamon as well. While still tart and sour to the smell, it is also very floral too. Like hibiscus and roses. The flavors are very much sour as expected. A ton of bitter ripe strawberries, apricot, apples, sour wine grapes, lemon, grapefruit, slight cinnamon spice, wine oak funkyness, and a bit of sake and tea like flavors . You will only like this beer if you enjoy sours, let’s put it that way. I happen to enjoy some sour beers like Jolly pumpkin for example. The sweeter flavors actually start to come out as the beer warms up. Yep, aside from the name being Ichigo, if you do not like sours even if your a fan of the “Bleach” show, you may not like this one. Which then I assume that only people that like sours will like this one. It is a very good sour. It happens to be a bonus for me as I enjoy craft beers, sours, anime and “Bleach” 8)