Stone Barrel Aged Milk Chocolate Porter by Stone brewing

Rating: 6/6

Stone Barrel Aged Milk Chocolate Porter by Stone brewing is a 9.6% ABV Imperial Sweet/Milk Porter brewed with lactose and chocolate aged in Bourbon, Reposado Tequila and Red Wine Barrels.

Description:
Tasting Notes: Malty nose, with lots of chocolate and red wine barrel coming through strong on the aroma. First sip is big red wine barrel again, along with soft malt sweetness, milk chocolate, and tons of vanilla from the bourbon barrel. The tequila barrel comes through mid-palate and on the aftertaste, along with flavors reminiscent of a chocolate covered tart cherry. This is a full bodied, flavorful dessert beer, great for beer lovers who also love chocolate and red wine together!

==Introduction==

Sold only on draft/crowler at this time from the brewery or Stone Stores. I obtained this one when I went to pick up the Stone and Lost Abbey collaboration they did in Berlin from the Stone Pasadena store. While I found this interesting by name, it wasn’t until I found out more about it and tried it that I was sold to get a whole crowler and bring information on what this beer is all about. The fact that it is a triple barrel aged milk porter was definitely something I wanted for sure. The best part sometimes is that Stone doesn’t limit what they have to offer (Not Including the Quingenti Series) when it comes to one offs that are on tap and are typically an awesome treasure that may not hit the public. Few are so lucky but for those I do find, I will try to bring them to the site. Now, let’s have a look, cheers!

Aromas:
Wine grapes, dark fruit raisins, prunes, cranberries, pomegranates, dark cherries, tobacco, leather, rocky road ice cream, almond joy chocolate, pecan pie, Port wine, oak, bourbon, vanilla, toasted coconut, Marshmallow smore, Tequila, Agave, Mezcal, Vampiro, Sangria, piloncillo sugar cone, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian chocolate, burnt chocolate, coffee, mocha and Kahlua coffee liqueur.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian chocolate, burnt chocolate, coffee, mocha, Kahlua coffee liqueur, sour funk, wine grapes, toasted coconut, Marshmallow smores, smokey oak, bourbon, vanilla, dulce de leche chocolate, toffee, BBQ notes, Tequila, Agave, Mezcal, Vampiro, Sangria, piloncillo sugar cone, Port wine, Dark fruit raisins, prunes, cranberries, pomegranates, dark cherries, licorice, anise, molasses, banana, clove spice, burnt sugar, rock candy, tobacco, leather, rocky road ice cream, almond joy chocolate, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar and flan notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with lots of oak, smokey and funky, rich earthy chocolate, bourbon, tequila, caramel, dark fruits, wine and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black body, smooth, creamy and velvety mouthfeel along with a sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Super complex and supremely exceptional beer showcasing notes from all the different barrels that I love beer aged with. The wine oak barrel provides it an overall tartness but works so damn well with the other complex flavors and barrels. It is a mix of sweet and tart with mild smoke and oaky goodness. I hope they release this to the public but for now, I highly recommend this one if you can get it on tap at Stone or one of their Stone Stores.

Anime Corner:
Krystal Fox from Star Fox was used in this pairing mainly for the colors or dark fruits and the dark smoothness. There really wasn’t too much else other that I really wanted to pair such an awesome rare beer with my favorite Star Fox vixen. Like the Sangrileche beer I made in the past, this beer is as dark as space!

Sources:
http://cs8.pikabu.ru/post_img/big/2017/01/21/11/1485027491260964489.png
http://orig09.deviantart.net/a072/f/2015/246/a/3/krystal_pinup_by_sallyhot-d9873qx.jpg
https://img.fireden.net/v/image/1445/66/1445667801724.png
http://68.media.tumblr.com/3ac1ef6ef81e753e1fb77afaf10fe9dd/tumblr_olvxv6EotA1s2m89po2_1280.jpg

Altar of Sacrifice by El Borracho Brewing

15578202_10103831566252480_7171272150101547651_oRating: 5/5

Altar of Sacrifice by El Borracho is a 9% ABV Imperial Red Ale brewed with Cacao Nibs and Oak aged in Reposado Tequila.

==Introduction==
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Obtained this brew from my friend Will Carranza of El Borracho brewing. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to try his brews as many of the brews he has made thus far are amazing. When he told me of his idea to make an Imperial Red I thought it was awesome. When he said he will add cacao nibs and aged in in Oak tequila, I was sold! Today I bring his new brew to the website, Altar of Sacrifice. An Imperial Red that is as viscous as actual hemoglobin and plasma. The name was inspired by the Aztecs and the ritual sacrifices they did in the Pre-Hispanic times in order to appease the Gods. Such an awesome tribute and Metal as Fuck! So without further ado, let’s sacrifice this one. Cheers!

Aromas:
Citrucy, grapefruit, floral, piney and grassy hops, mild oak, dark fruit, rye bread, caramel, honey, chocolate, cherries, tropical fruit notes, oranges, vanilla, graham crackers and toffee.

Flavors:
Piney, Grassy, floral and earthy hops, Caramel, Toffee, mild vanilla, butterscotch, tequila notes, agave hints, Honey, Dark Chocolate, mild milk chocolate, tootsie rolls, Dark fruit raisin hints, rye bread, oranges, grapefruit, citrus, oak, sangria hints, dark cherries, tropical fruit pineapple, passion fruit hints, dragon fruit, honey dew melon hints, papaya, tangerine gummies, lemon peel, and graham crackers.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with tropical fruit, piney, citrucy and earthy hops, mild dark chocolate, fruit cake, toffee, honey, rye bread, oak, and mild Tequila on the back end. No alcohol in the taste, Deep Bloody Crimson full body, refreshing, smooth, crisp and chewy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
A perfect brew and this is due to the oak aging in Tequila and the cacao nibs. I love how the extra measures my friend took to make this beer better actually gave it the extra points to make it perfect. I do think the chocolate flavors do help to balance out the bitter hops and oak found in this one. The name was definitely fitting for the beer. This one is a definite sipper and an awesome red like the best ones I have had in the past. This one should definitely be rebrewed!
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Anime Corner:
Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion was chosen in this pairing as I can only think of sacrifice to the sceneries that comes out in the series. Especially at the end of the series and during the annihilation of all the characters and all the Rei clones. So definitely with what my friend Will was going for in terms of sacrifice I do believe this fits very well.

Sources:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CxsG7cOUAAEKv0v.jpg
http://img11.deviantart.net/4260/i/2012/340/b/7/cross_of_lorraine_by_hasumi-d5n7v40.jpg

Easy As She Gose by El Borracho brewing

13340050_10103297378688640_7369461960603054572_o 13308193_10103297378748520_6795780931142989039_o 13308324_10103297378563890_6867895554117880324_oRating: 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

Stone Cali-Belgique aged in Reposado Tequila Barrels by Stone Brewing

12043190_10102848168843770_3212225484000182621_n 12079047_10102848169841770_4669879346342295375_nRating: 5.25/6

Stone Cali-Belgique aged in Reposado Tequila Barrels by Stone Brewing is a 9.3% ABV Belgian India Pale Ale aged in Reposado Tequila Barrels.

==Introduction==

Obtained at the Stone Company Store in Pasadena California, this beer along with other awesome beers were released to the public on tap. This one was the only barrel aged serving on tap eligible to take home in growler fill.

Aromas:
Vanilla, bubble gum hints, oak, tequila notes, agave, peppercorns, stone fruit apricots, peaches, flowers like lavender and chamomile, cane sugar, lemon, herbs, farmhouse hay, wine grape notes, banana hints, clove spice and minor tropical fruit hints.

Flavors:
Lechugilla Agave, Cane sugar, Mezcal, Tequila, oak, peppercorns, honey, oranges, herbal, floral, grapefruit, piney and grassy hops, clove spice, ginger spice, coriander spice, vanilla, bubblegum notes, Italian basil, lemon, mango, pineapple, stone fruit apricots, peaches, butterscotch hints, dragon fruit, passion fruit hints, funky notes, farmhouse hay, wine grapes, chardonay hints, mustard seed, bananas, cantaloupe, lavender, hibiscus and tamarind.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with some notes of tequila, peppercorns, stone fruits, grapefruit hops and clove spice. No alcohol in the taste, clear gold body, sipping drinkability, smooth, crisp, refreshing and moderate mouthfeel.

Overall:
A bit above exceptional. The beer originally was already delicious as I really loved the flavors of the Cali-Belgique as they reminded me of a border lining Belgian Pale Ale or Hopped Saison and mainly the Golden ale that was the As Follows by stillwater with its pungent orange and herbal flavors. Now with Tequila, especially reposado tequila give this beer a touch of something that not many beers of this style get to see. A European blend with not just west coast style but also a major Mexican influence. This beer was a great out come. Tequila barrel aged beers are rare and few in between so getting a chance to have one once and a while is an awesome feat since many breweries go with mainly bourbon now a days which also is extremely delicious as well. Each spirit adds something genuine to beers.

Anime Corner:
Jedah Dohma “Midnight Bliss” version from Darkstalkers/Vampire Savior was used in this pairing as with the last time I tried and reviewed the original brew, I used Jedah as well. This time, Jedah fermented in the dark recesses of Reposado tequila barrels represented by the mezcal and agave colors of the picture where she is with the deathly bird (Think of it as the Mexican Tequila influence and the Scythe being the harvester of Agave). I also brought back one of the original pics back too. Jedah for this stone beer represents the fancy tradition of European beers meeting the west coast. Meaning she has like a European Dracula like outfit but also blonde hair represents the aspect of the west coast style in terms of the blonde and clear colors that this beer has.

Sources:
http://orig11.deviantart.net/beaf/f/2009/072/8/e/udon_ds_contest__jedah_by_zelas.jpg
http://blog-imgs-41-origin.fc2.com/g/e/r/gerokan2/jeda.jpg