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

Sasquatch by 903 Brewers

August 28, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged 903 Brewers, Aisha Clan-Clan, Chocolate Milk Stout, cocoa nibs, dark chocolate, Lactose, milk Chocolate, Milk Sugar, Outlaw Star, Sasquatch, Sherman Texas, Texas | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.5/5

Sasquatch by 903 Brewers is a 10.8% ABV Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout

Label:
Brewed with Chocolate malt and a heavy dose of roasted cocoa nibs our stout has a rich aroma. The addition of milk sugar lends a creamy body. One taste and you’ll see why Sasquatch is such a beast

==Introduction==

We make one more stop in the latest shipment from my good friend Aaron of beermetaldude.com who sent me this beer made by 903 brewers of Sherman Texas. Maybe the best for last but definitely not the least. Fine and awesome brews come in small batches made by local brewers who believe and love their community. A lot of passion and work goes into what they create so I believe even for trying beers from a new brewer such as is always an honor. I can already tell I am going to enjoy this one as milk stouts are always amazing! Cheers!

Aromas:
Coffee, dark chocolate, mocha hints, milk chocolate, chocolate milk shake, caramel, vanilla, milk sugar, dark fruit cherries, raisins, raspberries, marshmallow smores, graham crackers, cookie dough, oreo cookie hints, Danish cream and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate milk shake, bakers chocolate, earthy notes, dark fruit raisins, cherries, raspberry notes, brown sugar, milk sugar, vanilla hints, caramel, toffee, mocha hints, marshmallow smores, graham crackers, cookie dough, oreo cookie hints, Danish cream and coffee cake hints.

Aftertaste:
Dark chocolate, roasted malt, earthy notes, dark fruits, vanilla and caramel hints. No alcohol in the taste, smooth, creamy rich, silky and velvety mouthfeel, dark full body and moderate drinkability

Overall:
A very good and Very Rich chocolatey beer indeed! Lots of great flavors in this one that really remind me a lot of another certain Yeti beer lol. Either way, I really love the smoothness of this one and really can find myself just picking this up as an extra if I can’t find any other good beer. A recommend for sure and special thanks to my friend Aaron once again for sharing some more awesome Texas brews.

Anime Corner:
Aisha Clan-Clan from Outlaw Star was chosen in this beer pairing as I wanted to pair with an anime girl that sort of had some colors of the forest and the yeti. Yes, I may have looked to outer space for some answers but the fact that I chose Aisha also explains why I think she is the yeti in this one. She has supernatural powers that enhances all her senses and strength so she can devastate anything like a true beast! But yet she seems so damn cute and cuddly like she wouldn’t hurt a fly and that is where the easy going flavors of the beer come in.

Sources:
http://orig14.deviantart.net/de2d/f/2012/001/e/3/aisha_clan_clan_by_rtil-d4kx8ya.png

Gotlandricka by Jester King

August 27, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Farmhouse Ale, Gotlandricka, Gotlandsdricke, jester king, Juniper Berries, Koduõlu, Queen's Blade, Risty, Sahti, Sweet Myrica Gale, Texas, Texas Hill Country, Viking beer, Vikings | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Gotlandricka by Jester King is a 6.9% ABV Smoked Sahti/Gotlandsdricke/Koduõlu brewed with Juniper and Sweet Myrica Gale.

Label:
Batch#2 – 12/08/2014
Farmhouse Ale brewed with smoked malt, juniper, and sweet gale.

Trespasser! You come to steal from the bounty of this land? My conjured flame beckoned this earth from the depths of the sea and sparked a blazing oath to let none defile it. I shall bring a burning ruin upon you. When at last I have robbed you even of speech, as your eyes beg for mercy and lungs gasp for your last of breath, you will again be denied as you draw in only the choking smoke of your own smoldering flesh.

Jester King is an authentic farmhouse brewery located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country on the outskirts of Austin. We brew what we like, drink what we want, and offer the rest to those who share our tastes.

Gotlandricka
ALC/VOL 6.9% FG 1.03 IBU 18

Ingredients: Hill Country Well Water, Beechwood Smoked Malted Barley, Birchwood Smoked Malted Barley, Rye, Oak Smoked Wheat, Hops, Juniper Berries, Sweet Gale, Farmhouse Yeast, Wild yeast from the Texas Hill Country. Native Souring Bacteria.

Contains: Wheat
Suitable for Vegetarian and Vegans
Notes: Gotlandsdricka, meaning “Drink of the Good Land”, is believed to have been the beer of the Vikings. Our rendition of this ancient style is inspired by the traditional farmhouse ales once brewed on the island of Gotland, off the coast of Sweden. Naturally occurring wild yeasts and bacteria impart a sense of place to this unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle-conditioned beer.
==Introduction==

Ah good ol’ Jester King, one of Texas best hidden in the countryside. The place where my friend and fellow craft beer guru, Aaron Mendiola from beermetaldude.com had his wedding. Thanks to Aaron, I can get some good Jester King beers that normally I don’t think I will ever see, or at least not anytime soon. This time around, he graces the site with a really interesting one of the times of the Vikings, or at least inspired by them. These beers are always a pleasure and I have loved every one so far. Let’s see what this mighty bottle serves, Skál!!!

Aromas:
Rich floral notes like lavender, hibiscus, chamomile, funky must, smokey oak, beachwood, lemon, stone fruit peaches, apricots, mango, mushroom, Tejuino, coriander spice, sage spice, sea salt, oyster hints, earthy notes, notes of gin, wine grapes, lemons, juniper berries, peppercorn, wheat and citrus.

Flavors:
Rich smokey oak, lemon zest, mushroom, BBQ, farmhouse hay, brettanomyces, bacon notes, Tejuino (Mexican Maize drink with salt and lemon), peppercorns, wheat, coriander spice, citrus, floral notes, lavander, lemons, wine grapes, juniper berries, gin hints, sea salt, oysters, earthy notes, beachwood, complex oak character, hibiscus, chamomile hints, stone fruit peaches, apricots, mild mango notes and sage spice.

Aftertaste:
Rich oak, Tejuino, flowers, stone fruits, lemon, sea salt, peppercorn, sage, coriander, smoked bacon, mushrooms, earthy notes and farmhouse hay notes linger. No alcohol in the taste, Hazy golden full body, crisp, refreshing, moderate and effervescent mouthfeel with an easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
So much going on here. Jester King is always on top of their game. When it comes to farmhouse ales and sours, they really do focus on really bringing people out of the common perception of sours and into a realm where your taste buds escape to. Similarly to entering another dimension in perception. In this case, the world of sours and farmhouse from another dimension or even for the beer here, flavors believed to be long lost in the great past only to be brought back like a time machines. Only one way ticket to Valhalla, and Gotlandricka will take you there. A must try and I am fortunate to have a great friend like Aaron to bring me some beer from the lost lands of Texas. Thanks brother, Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Risty from Queen’s Blade was chosen in this pairing as I wanted to pair her with with the Viking on the label and what the beer represents. Essentially, she wears gear like a Viking but you can also tell she is really enjoying a feast! A feast of the land. What goes great with the feast of the land? This beer! The drink of the good land! Well, now, I believe we have the perfect pairing right here!

Sources:
http://41.media.tumblr.com/57fb18446522e970775f08ac01c9ce8d/tumblr_n4ounkhUzW1rei6xdo1_r1_1280.jpg
https://figyura.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/figyura_megahouse_risty_02.jpg

Heavens To Murgatroid (a.k.a Snagglepuss beer) by Five Stones brewing of Cibolo Texas

August 27, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Five Stones, Five Stones brewing of Cibolo Texas, Hana Barbera, Heavens To Murgatroid, Heavens To Murgatroyd, Native Texas Prickly Pear Tuna, Nia, Nia Teppelin, prickly pear, Prickly Pear Tunas, prickly pears, SnagglePuss, Snagglepuss beer, Strawberry, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Texas, Tunas, Witbier | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Heavens To Murgatroid (a.k.a Snagglepuss beer) by Five Stones brewing of Cibolo Texcas is a 6.2% ABV Witbier brewed with Native Texas Prickly Pear Tuna.

Label:
Wheat Ale handcrafted with native Texas prickly pear tuna.

==Introduction==

My brother in pairing Arts, Aaron Mediola of beermetaldude.com graces our humble little site with another epic glory of a beer from the awesome guys at 5 Stones brewing. This time a beer made with Prickly Pear Tunas. These are a delight especially from Mexico and to have a beer made with them is something I don’t think I have ever tried. So it is definitely a priviledge. Yes, there have been good beers like IPAs that have some hints of prickly pear Tunas but to actually see them do some awesome magic to a beer, it keeps reminding me of that meme where the dude is like “What Kind of Sorcery is this?!?” Haha, anyways, cheers to you the awesome readers, my buddy Aaron Mendiola of beermetaldude.com and the good folks at 5 Stones brewing!

Aromas:
Strawberries, granola bar, Prickly pears (Tunas), biscuit bread, coriander spice, strawberry cream, stone fruit, apricots, peaches, apples, pears, mango, mild earthy notes, rye bread, trail mix notes, toffee, vanilla, pecan pie, clove spice, banana hints, honey, oranges, vanilla and caramel.

Flavors:
Raspberries, Prickly pears (Tunas), rich strawberries, rye bread, vanilla, caramel, tangerines, oranges, orange gummies, cranberries, honey, cherries, chamomile, hibiscus, grapes, dark fruit raisins, plums, stone fruit apricots, peaches, apples, pears, mango, mild earthy notes, rich trail mix, granola berry bars, pecan pie, toffee, biscuit bread, coriander, flan notes, strawberry cheese cake, banana notes, clove spice, and some funky hay hints.

Aftertaste:
Rich berries, rich toffee, caramel, vanilla, prickly pears, stone fruits, trail mix, granola, honey and citrus in the aftertaste. So good, so rich! No alcohol in the taste, Pinkish Gold full body, crisp, syrupy, velvety and refreshing mouthfeel with a easy to moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Suffering Succotash! I believe we have a perfect witbier. It is pretty crazy how the prickly pear tuna combination and the wit base of the beer and honey flavors really unleash all these variety of berry and all sort of complex flavors. It’s not a joke but enjoyable like the old school cartoons of yesteryear. A grand thanks to Aaron for hooking me up with another awesome brew from the good people at 5 Stones. A highly recommended one!

Anime Corner:
SnagglePuss (Not Anime but Cool) from Hana Barbera and Nia Teppelin from Tengen Toppa Gurren Laggan were used in this pairing for many reasons. SnagglePuss as a tribute to a beer named after his quote “Heavens to Murgatroyd”, the lion in the label and Nia’s hair representing the lion’s mane as well as the color and flavors of prickly pear Tunas which are represented in the reds she wears with the greens, yellows and teals.

Sources:
https://brewerianimelogs.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/2c8c3-nia.jpg
http://static.zerochan.net/Nia.Teppelin.full.480552.jpg
http://liveitoutloud.com/image.axd?picture=2011%2F12%2Fsnagglepuss.jpg

Reserva Piña by Five Stones of Cibolo Texas

August 27, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Five Stones, Five Stones of Cibolo Texas, Golden Ale, jalapeño, Kill-LA-Kill, Mezcal, Nonon Jakuzure, oak chips, pineapple, Reserva Piña, stone fruit, Tequila, Tequila Barrel Aged, Tequila Oak Aged, Tequila Oak chips, Texas | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.65/6

Reserva Piña by Five Stones of Cibolo Texas is a 6.7% ABV Golden Ale hand crafted with fresh Pineapple and Roasted Jalapeño then aged in Tequila Oak chips.

Label:
An American Golden Ale handcrafted with fresh pineapple and hint of roasted jalapeño, then conditioned 45 days with tequila soaked oak chips.

==Introduction==

It has been a long time since my awesome friend Aaron and I traded for some good. We both were in very interesting points in our lives. Me busy learning home brewing and him getting experience at Busted Sandal and now working for Mad Pecker brewing of Texas. We have definitely come along way especially with the growth of our websites. Check my Aaron’s kick ass beer and metal pairings at www.beermetaldude.com. Some of the best inspirations in pairings that will definitely make you beer experience ever more awesome! I also want to thank his friends at Five Stones brewery out in Texas. Mahalo! guys once again as I was able to obtain the follow up beer to the Aloha Piña. I loved that beer and now this one with Tequila oak chips, MAN….. Well, enough imagining, let’s see how this one breaks into dimensions of taste. Cheers!

Aromas:
Citrus, Papaya, Pineapple, Agave, oak hints, Stone fruit apricots, peaches, grapefruit hints, peppercorn, honey, lavender, hibiscus, mezcal, lemon, caramel, vanilla, jalapeño hints, cherries, strawberries and biscuit bread.

Flavors:
Lots or Rich pineapple, toasted oak, Tequila notes, mezcal, jalapeño at mild heat, agave notes, cane sugar, sangria hints, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, dragon fruit, oranges, mango, papaya, kiwi, lemon grass, honey, rye bread, vanilla, caramel hints, biscuit bread, herbs, spices, flower notes like hibiscus, chamomile hints and lavender, peppercorn, Stone fruit apricots, apples, agave lechugilla hints (Mexican Agave juice), white grape notes, coriander spices, banana notes, clove hints, honey comb and mild sweetened condensed milk.

Aftertaste:
The Jalapeño heat lingers mildly but the pineapple, cherries, strawberries and other tropical flavors soothe and then lots herbs, oak, stone fruit, tequila notes, mezcal, coriander and banana hints linger. No alcohol in the taste, Hazy peach color medium body, Crisp, refreshing and slightly smooth mouthfeel, as well as an easy to medium drinkability.

Overall:
All I have to say is, make sure you order a pizza to go with this beer. Especially a Hawaiian with Jalapeños and cherries if they have it. You would come close to the awesomeness of this beer. Reminding me so much of the Aloha as it is the base for this but the Tequila unleashes other flavors that make this beer much more complex and takes it another step further than it originally could. Thanks to my good friend Aaron for hooking me up with this delicious treat which I could definitely have way more of it. Highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Nonon Jakuzure from Kill La Kill was used in this pairing as I wanted to pair mainly the skeleton of the label but also some of the tropical colors and the red colors that would come from sangria and the berry flavors which I think came about thanks to the special aging of the beer. Nonon is pretty much a rebel without a cause, jams to her own beat and compliments this beer as the breweries experiments are a masterpiece and music to the tastes buds.

Sources:
http://img.4plebs.org/boards/tg/image/1387/66/1387669796830.jpg
http://img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/post/Anime-Anime-Art-Kill-la-Kill-1931263.png

Barrel Aged Bomb! Collaboration by Prairie Artisan Ales and Balcones Distilling

March 5, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Balcones Distilling, Barrel Aged Bomb!, Bourbon Barrel Aged, cacao nibs, Chile beer, coffee, Prairie Artisan Ales, Texas, vanilla beans, whiskey barrels, World class, World Class Imperial Stout | Leave a comment

Rating: 6/5

Barrel Aged Bomb! Collaboration by Prairie Artisan Ales and Balcones Distilling is an 11.2% ABV World Class Imperial Stout aged in whiskey barrels with coffee, cacao, and vanilla beans and chilies added.

Label:
Welcome To… TEXAS
Made By People Who Truly Care From Oklahoma With Love.
Welcome To… Oklahoma

==Introduction==

Thanks to my great friend Aaron Mendiola from www.beermetaldude.com for providing me another barrel aged goodness from Prairie Artisanal Ales. These beers are really hard to come by but the fact that this one is made with collaboration with Texas’s Balcones Distilling, this is even harder to get. So plenty of thanks to my good friend as many of the beers I have here on the site I could have not obtained without his help. This version is the Bourbon Barrel Aged version of BOMB. I previously did a review for the Rum Barrel aged and chile one which was freaking awesome. Let’s take a look at this one and see how it goes. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich whiskey and fancy coffee, vanilla, caramel, oak, smokey notes, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, , campfire marshmallows, waffle cone, French vanilla icecream, almond joy chocolates, dark fruits like raisins, cherries, currants, ancho and guajillo chile pepper hints, oreo cookies, molasses, brown sugar, khalua coffee liqueur, piloncillo, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate abuelita, toasted coconut and mint chocolate.

Flavors:
Rich chocolate, rich flan, whiskey notes, vanilla, bourbon, rich oak, smokey notes, really fancy coffee, mocha, campfire marshmallow smores, chocolate abuelita, sweetened condensed milk, toasted coconut, crème brulee, almond joy chocolate, dark fruit raisins, cherries, currant, anise, mint chocolate, hints of mole sauce, hints of ancho and guajillo chile peppers, oreo cookies, brown sugar, khalua liquor hints, rock candy, candi sugar, piloncillo, chocolate truffles, German chocolate, bakers chocolate, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar and toffee.

Aftertaste:
Rich fancy coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruit, vanilla, caramel, almond joy ice cream, earthy notes, smokey notes, toffee, tobacco and whiskey linger. No alcohol in the taste despite the 11.2% ABV, super smooth and creamy mouthfeel, Easy to moderate drinkability despite the strong ABV and pitch dark body.

Overall:
The other spectrum of the Barrel Aged BOMB series, this was super damn amazing. Just like the Pirate BOMB, so much complex flavors going on here and is almost easy to drink which is dangerous since you want to savor this one for a while. The chiles are not too hot but they are there and the heat quenched by the complex sweet flavors. I am not sure if this one was exclusive to Texas, but if you can find it, definitely pick this one up, it truly is awesome. Lots of magic is such a little bottle.

Anime Corner:
Original artwork by aplibot was used in this pairing since I wanted to find an anime girl that would pair with the colors of the label but also pair with the summer time aspect of either being at the beach or in this case, river rafting. I really like how the blues and greens in both pair really well.

Sources:
http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2015-01-29-706798.jpeg

Endymion by Freetail Brewing

March 3, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged American Wild Ale, Endymion, eternal sleep, Freetail Brewing, hibiscus flowers, oak wine barrels, Remilia Scarlet, sour beer, Texas, Touhou, Touhou Project, Wine Barrels | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.35/5

Endymion by Freetail Brewing is an 8.2% ABV American Wild Ale aged in Wine Barrels.

Label:
In Greek mythology, Endymion was an astronomer who Pliney the Elder (the man, not the beer) credits as the first human to observe the movements of the moon. As the lover and companion of Selene, the goddess of the moon. Endymion was granted eternal sleep as to never age or die. In the same spirit we have created this wild ale, made from a pseudo-Solera process in which a barrel is never completely emptied, but rather topped off with fresh base beer whenever aged beer is extracted. While constantly evolving, the resulting blend is one that is granted in its own eternal sleep so it may live forever.

==Introduction==

Sent to me thanks to my friend Aaron Mendiola of www.beermetaldude.com. This is the second Wine barrel aged beer that I received from my friend along with Makaria. This one is not so much evil but emphasizes the ale to live forever. Freetail makes some really good beers from the many I have tried. Makaria was a similar beer to what this may turn out be. So let us see how different this one is. Cheers!

Aromas:
Lots of Dark fruits like dark cherries, raisins, prunes, strawberries, raspberries, musty wine grape notes, oak, hibiscus flowers, lavender, yogurt, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, pecan pie, blueberry muffins, flan hints, grape jelly, Guava hints, mango hints, molasses, leather and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Tart Dark Cherries, Rich Dark fruits like raisins, prunes, currants, dark chocolate notes, strawberries, slight wine grape notes, raspberries, vanilla, raspberry yogurt, oak, funky must hints, farmhouse hints, lemon peel, orange, hibiscus flowers, lavender, molasses, pecan pie, blueberry muffins, flan notes, guava notes, mango notes, grape jelly on rye bread, sourdough bread, concorde grapes, raspberry cheesecake, strawberry preserves, leather, brown sugar and candi sugar.

Aftertaste:
Lots of dark cherry, tart raspberries, earthy notes, flowers, oak, musty notes, wine grapes and tropical fruit hints. No alcohol in the taste, a dark body, moderate drinkability and moderate mouthfeel.

Overall:
A very delicious sour like Makaria but I think a slight nudge better since this one had more fruity flavors that worked well with the tart sour. While Makaria had a great amount of other complexities, this one has a fruitier complexity. They both have their own differences and the best part is trying to find out which one is better. You might like this one or the other better but either way, they are both great!

Anime Corner:
Remilia Scarlet from the Touhou Project was used in this pairing just like Makaria but as you can see, she is not the same person. Like the story of Endymion, Scarlet represents here the movement of the stars and moon (Seen on the wingd and the skeleton represents the death that never took place which granted Emdymion life eternal. The colors work well with the label and the representation of the dark fruits as well.

Sources:
http://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/344783-1983×1000-touhou-remilia+scarlet-stari+%28artist%29-single-short+hair-wide+image.jpg

Ambrée by Jester King

February 25, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Amber Ale, Ambrée, american farmhouse, Eri Kasamoto, Farmhouse Ale, Fio Germni, jester king, Metal Slug, Saison, Texas, Texas Hill Country | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Ambrée by Jester King is a 7.4% ABV Farmhouse Amber Ale.

Label:
There’s no secret to making farmhouse ale; just take some malt and hops, throw in a bunch of spices, add farmhouse yeast from your favorite yeast lab, let it ferment for a couple of weeks, and stick a picture of a barn or tractor on the label. Unfortunately, our brewers have yet to master these skills. They keep forgetting to add the spices, letting wild yeast into the mix, and allowing the fermentation to go on for months until the sweet sugar is gone. Oh well, at least there’s a barn on our label. Wait, is that even a barn?

Jester King is an authentic farmhouse brewery in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, on the outskirts of Austin. We brew what we like, drink what we want and offer the rest to those who share our tastes.

ALC/VOL 7.1% FG 1.005 IBU 29

Ingredients Hill Country Well Water, Malted Barley, Roasted Barley, Hops, Farmhouse Yeast, Wild Yeast from the Texas Hill Country, Native Souring Bacteria.

Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans

Notes: A dry, tart, unspiced amber beer inspired by the rustic farmhouse ales of French Flanders, particularly those brewed by Brasserie Thiriez in Esquelbecq – one of our favorite breweries in the world. Naturally occurring wild yeasts from the Texas Hill Country impart a sense of place to this unfiltered, unpasteurized, 100% bottle conditioned beer.

==Introduction==

Special thanks to Aaron Mendiola of www.beermetaldude.com for hooking me up with this great beer from Jester King. If it was not for my friend Aaron, I would not have the opportunity to present Jester King beers to the site as well as I do. It is all thanks to him and for that, I am grateful to have such a great friend and a connection into the Texas beer scene!! So let’s take a look at this beer. It looks like they were going for the farmhouse look so I can definitely tell it is all about that Belgian style Saisons. Let us explore the farm shall we? Cheers!

Aromas:
Stone fruits like plums, apricots peaches, mango, dark fruits like raisins, cherries, strawberries, malty biscuit bread hints, peppercorn, grapefruit and grassy hops, honey, farmhouse hay, grape wine must.

Flavors:
Rich Stone fruit plum, apricot, peach preserves, mild mango, peach cobbler, peppercorns, vanilla caramel, biscuit bread, farmhouse hay, wine grape funk, honey on sourdough bread, brown sugar, dark fruit raisins, figs, dates, oak, butterscotch, leather, tamarind, strawberries, white grapes, celery, grassy, floral and grapefruit hops, clove spice, ginger, hibiscus flowers, lychee, mild chocolate notes, sour green apples, lemon peel and coriander spice.

Aftertaste:
Variety of tangy and sour hint stone fruits and dark fruit, vanilla, tamarind, peppercorn, grassy hops, hibiscus flowers, leather notes, lemon peel and brown sugar. No alcohol in the taste, clear yet dark crimson body, moderate mouthfeel, and moderate drinkability.

Overall:
I love this beer’s fruity and funky complexity. They definitely got it perfect with the style even without the spices. It is amazing how they can pull off such complexity when it comes to their beers. When it comes to best beers in Texas, Jester King is simply one of the best and is at that level of super complext awesomeness like the Bruery is to us here. If you live in Texas, you are very lucky to get these beers. I would highly recommend this one.

Anime Corner:
Fio Germni and Eri Kasamoto from the Metal Slug series, art by Knockworst @Deviantart.com were used in this pairing since I wanted to find something similar to the label. I think Fio and Eri fit the bill in this beer. Namely for the description a they were going for the farmhouse look but it wasn’t what they expected. As far as Fio and Eri go, looks like a day at the beach wasn’t what they expected either. Either way. Their careless and worry free look pairs with how surprising this beer came out to be as well as the fact that they have nothing to worry about but just relax and enjoy the view.

Sources:
http://knockwurst.deviantart.com/art/Metal-Slug-Beach-Party-128954341

Makaria by Freetail Brewing

February 25, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged American Wild Ale, Ananke, Hades, Makaria, Oak aged, oak wine barrels, Remilia Scarlet, sour beer, Texas, Touhou, Touhou Project, Wine Barrels | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Makaria by Freetail Brewing is a 5.7% ABV American Wild Ale aged in Wine Barrels.

Label:
Makaria is the daughter of Hades and represents a merciful death as opposed to one of misery and utter destruction. This black wild ale shares its genesis with#Ananke, a sour-mashed witbier left to evolve in a wooden tomb. This batch was brewed on Christmas Eve 2013 for release the following spring on Ananke Day 2014. Thank you all for your support of over the years and we look forward to the next step in our barrel program’s evolution at the new brewery.

==Introduction==

An awesome thank you for my friend Aaron Mendiola of www.beermetaldude.com for providing this my way for the site. Many of the Freetail beers I have had before have been super awesome an wonderful. From La Muerta to Old Bat Rastard. They are some of the best beers out there in Texas. This one along with Endymion were given to me to show on the website for review. Specifically for Makaria, I will later see how it compares to Endymion. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit raisins, figs, plums, plums, currants, tart raspberries, wine grapes, coffee, black tea, brettanomyces, stone fruit apricots, peach skins, tart cherries, funky must, rye bread, strawberry notes, oak, flowers, earthy notes, berry yogurt, vinegary notes, lemon peel, farmhouse hints, coriander, brown sugar, chocolate notes and lavender.

Flavors:
Tart raspberries, tart dark cherry skins, Dark fruit raisins, currants, plums, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, tart wine grapes, funky must, coriander, farmhouse, lots of the oak barrel, lemon peel, berry yogurt, rye bread, strawberry cheese cake, earthy notes, flowers, concorde grapes, lavender, port wine, molasses, dark chocolate, milk chocolate hints, strawberry notes, blueberry muffins and pecan pie hints.

Aftertaste:
Good amount of dark tart fruits, oak, musty notes, floral hints, hibiscus flowers and earthy notes. No alcohol in the taste, a dark body, moderate mouth feel and a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very deliciously awesome sour having a lot of tart notes and complexity than overall sweetness. This beer reminds me of a sour with lots of complexity like tart of darkness or in some cases, some of the Jolly Pumpkin beers. This one is definitely for the sour beer lovers for sure. If you like sours, this one is great!

Anime Corner:
Remilia Scarlet from the Touhou Project was used in this pairing since I wanted to fit something that defines the description in the label. Evil and tart, sour but delicious. The aspect of Hades, swift and merciful death instead of agonizing is one that is delivered in this case. The art pairs great with the bats, the colors of the flavor profiles and complexity of the beer. An in your face tart experience that is sweet and forgiving.

Sources:
http://media.animevice.com/uploads/3/39328/764098-touhou_remilia_scarlet_anime_wide.jpg

Frederick Berg by Five Stones

February 24, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Cibolo Texas, Five Stones, Five Stones of Cibolo Texas, Frederick Berg, Fruit Beer, Hinanawi Tenshi, Peaches, stone fruit, Texas, Touhou Project | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Frederick Berg by Five Stones is a 6% ABV Fruit Ale handcrafted with fresh peaches.

Description:
Ale handcrafted with peaches.

==Introduction==

Thanks to Aaron Mendiola of www.beermetaldude.com for providing this awesome brew to the site. I have been fortunate to try a good variety of 5 Stones brews thanks to Aaron as well as other Texas goodies. This one is made with peaches. Definitely love me some peaches and peach beers are pretty damn awesome! Some peach beers I have tried in the past are tart or sweet. While there may not be much information about how this one is supposed to be, we can take a look at this one and see what can be found. Cheers!

Aromas:
Biscuit bread, Floral, herbal and citrus hops, Stone fruit peaches, apricot, Honey, peppercorn, banana hints, honey, peach preserves on toasted rye bread, bubble gum, phenolic bready notes, clove spice, farmhouse hay, floral, herbal, citrus and piney hops, vanilla, apples, brettanomyces hints and graham crackers.

Flavors:
Peach preserves, biscuit bread, honey, stone fruit peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums mango hints, peppercorn, clove spice, banana notes, bubble gum, phenolic hints, grapes, brettanomyces hints, farmhouse hay, floral, herbal and citrus hops, apples, lemon peel, vanilla and graham crackers.

Aftertaste:
Tart peach notes, biscuit bread, flowers, peppercorns, phenolic notes, bananas and clove spice with some citrus hop hints finishing dry. No alcohol in the taste, light to medium body, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel, moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Very good and very peachy ale. Having a lot of bready and Belgian like character to it. The peaches and fruitiness are very present in this one. The tartness is calmed by the breadiness of the beer and sweet flavors. I highly recommend this one if you like a sweeter peach yet tart ale. This one is only in Texas though, so hope to see more of this in the future. 5 Stones really is an awesome brewery.

Anime Corner:
Tenshi Hinanawi from the Touhou project series was used to represent the peaches as well as the label in this brew. Tenshi has been used for a lot of the peach beers I used but this one with her laying back and relaxing was the perfect one. Laying back, relaxing and having a beer is an awesome pass time. This is what this one was made for. Enjoying!

Sources:
http://static.wixstatic.com/media/a77589_fc872376b5174627ba8e9a9b673de33c.jpg_srz_1000_707_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srz

Lightning Bug by Five Stones of Cibolo, Texas

February 22, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Cascadian Dark India Pale Ale, dark chocolate, Five Stones, Five Stones of Cibolo Texas, lemon candy, lemon peel, lemon zest, lemons, Lightning Bug, limes, mandarin oranges, milk Chocolate, oranges, Texas | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Lightning Bug by Five Stones of Cibolo, Texas is a 6.6% ABV Cascadian Dark Ale handcrafted with fresh lemons, limes and oranges.

Description:
Cascadian Dark Ale brewed hand zested and juiced Lemon, Lime and Mandarine Orange.

==Introduction==

Aaron Mendiola from www.beermetaldude.com brings us forth another awesome release from Five Stones. This time a Cascadian Dark Ale with lots of citrus. I can only assume that this would be something on par with some of the awesome black IPAs that are closer to the IPAs than the dark malty IPAs. Let us seek this one forth and see what this one has to offer. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, caramel, lemon peel, oranges, tropical fruit notes of pineapple, mango, tangerines, dragon fruit, lemon candy, lemon zest, grassy, grapefruit piney, herbal, floral and earthy hops, roasted barley, honey, hazelnut nectar and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, vanilla, caramel, coffee, lemon peel, oranges, pineapple hints, mango hints, dragon fruit, roasted barley, dark fruit raisins, molasses, anise, hazelnut nectar, honey, herbal, grassy, piney and earthy hop notes, citrus, coriander, lemon candy, oatmeal, raisin bread, cookies, smokey notes, tangerines, lemon zest, orange zest and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Orange peel, lemon peel, Earthy notes linger, smokey notes, roasted coffee, milk chocolate and dark chocolate in the finish. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, moderate drinkability, smooth and silky mouth feel.

Overall:
A very good Cascadian Ale. Pretty much on the lines of American Black Ale or Black IPA. This ale is pretty damn good with a very solid Black IPA and then pushes it’s boundaries to relish in the true citrus. Think of the light in the dark or the lightning bug on a summer night. The beers focuses on both the dark toasty malty flavors as well as the tropical and citrus flavors like that of an IPA. This beer has good balance and is fairly smooth. A well done and recommendable beer.

Anime Corner:
Original Insect girl by Elsevilla was used in this pairing to show the flavors of the beer in terms of the colors like the honey, citrus, hops, dark as well as pair with the label colors. The dark yet tropical aspects of this beer can be seen in the girls psychotic stare and appearance. This beer is dark but has lots of rich tropical flavors.

Sources:
http://anime-pictures.net/pictures/get_image/121785-1696×1000-elsevilla-short+hair-wide+image-blue+eyes-green+eyes-blue+hair.jpg

Pretzel Stout by Martin House Brewing

February 16, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged American Imperial Stout, Imperial Stout, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, Martin House Brewing, Original Pretzel Stout, pretzel beer, Pretzel Stout, sourdough pretzels, Texas, Tomoe Mami | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.55/5

Pretzel Stout by Martin House Brewing is a 6.5% ABV American Stout brewed with sourdough pretzels.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Formerly known as Martin House There Will Be Stout
That’s right, The Original Pretzel Stout. This 6.5% abv stout is as black as West Texas Intermediate and is brewed with over six pounds of crushed sourdough pretzels per barrel. Guess what? There’s no style guideline for this one. The salty fingerprint of the pretzels works with the sweet and roasty flavors of the chocolate malted & roasted barley to give this beer a flavor that is much greater than the sum of its parts.

==Introduction==

Imagine that! A Pretzel Stout? Yes it was made! This is my first time trying Martin House Brewing from Texas. This beer was sent to me by my good friend, Aaron Mendiola from www.beermetaldude.com. Being from Texas and pretzel ale, I can only imagine how awesome it would be as I really never had a pretzel beer before. Today, many breweries are pushing the limits as to what is possible and make new styles and flavor profiles with beers that could not be imaginable in the past. For being a pretzel beer, I think this might be a really great treat. Let’s take a look at what this one involves. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, brown sugar, caramel, hazelnut spread, hints of salted pretzel bread, sourdough, Notes of Dark fruit raisins, plums, currants black berries, rye, flan, grapes, graham crackers, earthy notes, wine grape hints and toffee hints.

Flavors:
Pretzel bread, salted caramel, hazelnut spread, roasted coffee, Dark fruit raisins, plums, currants, black berries, peanut butter, toffee, caramel, dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha hints, earthy notes, graham crackers, sourdough bread, rye, nutella on toasted bread, flan, wine grape hints, funky mild hints, milk sugar hints and a slight mango dessert hint.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with caramel, sourdough pretzel notes, roasted coffee, milk sugar, vanilla, dark chocolate and dark fruit notes. No alcohol in the taste, creamy mouth feel, moderate drinkability and pitch black dark body.

Overall:
A very good stout with a variety of flavors. The flavors of the pretzel show up but overall this is a rich a robust Stout. The flavors lean more to a good stout flavor so if nice coffee stouts are your thing, I would recommend this one if you can find it.

Anime Corner:
Tomoe Mami from Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was used in this pairing to go with aspect of pretzels in the beers as well as to pair with the colors of the label. The candles in the background also pair with the lantern being used in the label as well.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/489038

Colour Five by Jester King

February 8, 2015 by cloudx30 tagged Blueberries, blueberry cheese cake, Colour Five, Gu Jian Qi Tan, hiliuyun, jester king, Oak aged, oak barrels, Texas, World Class American Wild Ale | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Colour Five by Jester King is a 7.1% ABV World Class American Wild Ale aged in oak barrels and refermented with blueberries.

Label:
Texas blueberries were added to mature, barrel-aged sour beer and refermented to dryness. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle-conditioned.

==Introduction==

Jester King in Texas is like the Bruery of Texas when it comes to pushing the limitations of experimentation in making some of the best beers in the country. While it is difficult to get beers like this one here in California, especially the more rare and exclusive hard to get ones, I am glad I have great friend like Aaron Mendiola at www.beermetaldude.com who has been hooking me up with some great brews for the last year and a half or so. The story about this one has to do with Jester King’s attempt at making a blueberry beer in 2013 but had difficulty as the batches had failed their quality control. It wasn’t until 2014 when they were finally able to able to make the blend they wanted and perfect it so that it wasn’t so sour but mainly fruity and tart. With that said, Let’s check this one out and see how it goes. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Blueberries, tart raspberries, wine grapes, dark fruit raisins, currants, plums, strawberries, lemon peel, biscuit bread, brown sugar, rye, rose petals, blueberry yogurt, rose petals, hibiscus flowers, farmhouse hay, banana hints, musty funk and peppercorn.

Flavors:
Rich Blueberries, Raspberries, tart cherry skins, wine grapes, strawberries, dark fruit currants, raisin, plum skins, oak, vanilla, lemon peel, biscuit bread, rye, graham cracker hints, sweetened condensed milk hints, flowers, peppercorn, hibiscus, rose petals, blueberry yogurt, cheesecake hints, farmhouse hay, banana notes, musty funk, mushroom hints, sea salt and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Finishes mildly dry with some nice tart dark fruits, oak, sweet vanilla, flowers and mild funky notes
No alcohol in the taste, magenta light to medium body, creamy and crisp mouthfeel and moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very awesome beer they got here. This one was more tart than sour. There was a lot of elements of funkiness along with some rich fruity flavors to balance out the tartness. While I love sweeter beers, this one had a balanced that worked really well. Unless you don’t like sours or even tart beers, this may not be for you but I can definitely say I enjoyed this one a lot and recommend it!

Anime Corner:
Gu Jian Qi Tan by hiliuyun was used in this pairing since I wanted something that resembled the geometric shape that almost looks like a pentagram in the label. Since the beer took specific calculations and a lot of trial and error to get it just the way they wanted, it was fitting that the art pairing fit. The character here on top of the pentagram represents the aging process as the blue berry beer lays waiting to become perfect.

Sources:
http://www.deviantart.com/art/gu-jian-qi-tan-2-196966428

Peach Sour by (512) brewing

November 18, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged (512) brewing, American Wild Ale, Hinanawi Tenshi, Peach, Peach Sout, Peaches, sour beer, Texas, Touhou, Touhou Project | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.75/5

Peach Sour by (512) brewing is a 6% ABV American Wild Ale brewed with peaches and aged in oak barrels.

Label:
We produced Peach Sour using a sour mash technique. We encouraged the naturally occurring wild yeast and bacteria that come in with the organic barley and wheat to spontaneously ferment at warm temperatures over a three day period. Fermentation was completed in stainless and racked to a 1,000 gallon Feeder (large oak barrel) for aging. After being on the wood for two months, we added 200 pounds of fresh peaches and allowed it to age another 12 months before packaging it for you. We hope you enjoy!
___

Special thanks to Aaron Mendiola at www.beermetaldude.com for hooking me up with this local treat from Texas. This is also my first (512) brewing beer as well. So definitely an honor to try something from these guys. I see they make a variety of styles including some nice Belgian ones as well. Since this is also my first peach sour, I am kind of excited as peaches are an awesome fruit. Sweet mainly but also tart at times. So let’s try this one and see how it goes. Thanks to (512) and Aaron for this one, Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich peaches, funky oak, wine grapes, apricots, green apples, raspberry hints, lemon peel, farmhouse hay, sour musty funk, flowers, hibiscus, earthy must, dragon fruit, tangerine, rye bread, grapefruit, strawberries, pineapple, dragon fruit hints and honey.

Flavors:
Rich Stone fruit peaches, tart apricots, oranges, strawberries, lemon peel, grapefruit, wine grapes, funky oak, vanilla, honey, sour funk, acidic notes, flowers, hibiscus, orange peel, tangerine peel, green apples, rye bread, raspberry skins, teguacan (Mexican Lime and Seltzer water with spices), pineapple and hints of dragon fruit.

Aftertaste:
On the dry side with some nice peach and tart apricot notes, oak and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, light to medium body, medium drinkability, smooth and crisp mouthfeel.

Overall:
Now that is a very good tart sour! The peaches and tart apricot comes through well over the sour. While it is not super duper sour, it is still tart and sweet to some extent and somewhat tropical. I really don’t think I have ever tried a peach sour before but this one was very good. If you like sours, and live in Texas, give this one a shot!

Anime Corner:
Tenshi Hinanawi from the Touhou project series was used in this pairing since she carries the peaches in her hat. In this picture, she represents the souring and fermentation process that makes the beer a bit stronger. The evil look and fire makes the beer brew as you can see in the background, the bacteria seeps into her making become more and more evil. But evil is just as sweet if not sour.

Sources:
http://www.zerochan.net/full/944406

Das Überkind by Jester King brewing

November 15, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged american farmhouse, american oak barrels, Das Überkind, das wunderkind!, Jessica Drew, jester king, Mangaverse, Marvel, oak barrels, Organic Vieille Saison, Saison, Spider-woman, Spiderwoman, Texas, Texas Hill Country, Wild yeast | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Das Überkind by Jester King brewing is a 6% ABV Organic Vieille Saison/Farmhouse ale aged in oak barrels with wild yeast.

Label:
There are moments in our lives that we simply cannot explain; times when we transcend our natural limitations and stand face to face with the boundlessness of the universe, where we see a first glimpse of out own unbounded potential, and suddenly know how to defeat a race of evil intergalactic, time-traveling cyborgs with a single roll of duct tape.

ALC/VOL 6.0% FG 1,000 pH3.3

Ingredients Hill County Well Water, Malted Barley, Malted Wheat, Hops, Farmhouse Yeast, Wild Yeast from the Texas Hill Country, Native Souring Bacteria.

CONTAINS WHEAT
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans

Notes: Das Überkind, out “old” Saison, is created by blending some of our favorite oak barrels of mature beer fermented with naturally occurring wild yeast and bacteria harvested from the Texas Hill Country. Unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% bottle conditioned.
___

Das Überkind or “The Ultimate/Super Kid” has finally come to the site thanks to my good friend Aaron Mendiola of www.beermetaldude.com. Jester King is on of Texas best when it comes to Saisons and Wild Ales. Some of their stuff is typically hard to obtain especially around here in California. I am thankful for having a great connection to these special beers so I can present them to you in hopes that you try to seek these magic beers for yourself. The Super Kid is a variant of the Wonder Kid but it is much stronger. So let’s explore this one shall we?

Aromas:
Funky oak, farmhouse hay, vanilla, green apples, caramel, pecan pie hints, peach cobbler, musty oak notes, brettanomyces funk, hints of mango, hints of papaya, strawberry hints, pineapple hints, peppercorn, sourdough and biscuit bread.

Flavors:
Rich funky oak, green apples, strawberries, stone fruit peaches, plums, apricots, honey, caramel, biscuit bread, white grapes, white wine hints, oranges, lemon peel, pecan pie hints, vanilla, farmhouse hay, mango, papaya, brettanomyces funk, sourdough bread, flowers, coriander spice, peppercorn, grapefruit, toffee hints, leather, and champagne.

Aftertaste:
Funky oak, stone fruit, floral spices, sour dough bread, lemon peel, caramel, vanilla and dry apple hints remain. No alcohol in the flavor, smooth drinkability, easy to drink, hazy medium body, crisp and refreshing.

Overall:
What a perfect Saison. So much flora and bready notes on this one. The sour notes are there but what I think is really ramped up from the original is the complex fruit flavors. It definitely is more richer than the original. Maybe one day they will become more available here in California but for now I would highly request you seek this one especially if you like sours and floral saisons. Thanks Aaron for getting me this one as I really wanted to try and was well worth the wait.

Anime Corner:
Jessica Drew/Spider-woman from Marvel Mangaverse was used in this pairing for the many obvious reason going from the goggles and special helmet of the Super Kid which resembles that of Spider-woman. She also fits well with the colors of the label, the beer and even some of the flavors like the citrus and strawberries. The aspect of Spider-woman being a Super Hero complements the Super Kid.

Sources:
http://jamiefayx.deviantart.com/art/m-m-s-w-colored-by-bakanekonei-42711202

2014 Contemplating Waterloo by Adelbert’s Brewery

October 28, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged 2014 Contemplating Waterloo, Gin Barrels, Juniper Berries, Plopinou, Saison, Texas, Tia Won, Treaty Oak Distilling Co, Waterloo Antique Gin | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.65/5

2014 Contemplating Waterloo by Adelbert’s Brewery is 9.1% ABV Belgian Saison aged in Gin Barrels

Label:
While enjoying a beer with our good friends at Treaty Oak Distilling Co., we contemplated the possibilities of aging our beers in their barrels. Soon we were filling their Waterloo Antique Gin barrels with Philosophizer, our spicy and citrusy saison.

A complex array of lavender, juniper and oak from the barrel balanced with the Philosophizer to create a smooth, warming ale.

Pair this ale with dishes like chicken alfredo, veal scallopini and strawberry cheesecake.
___

Aldebert’s brewery is mostly exclusive to Texas but distribution is starting to come through in many places. This unique beer was provided to me by my good friend Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com. Gin is sometimes not really barrel-aged and this is probably the reason why we don’t see a lot of Gin-Barrel Aged beers as the composition of Gin includes a lot of botanicals and Juniper Berries. However, after looking at the Waterloo Antique Gin, these are put in a barrel so the extra complexity just rolls right off and the fact that the special saison which is already a flowery botanical like beer added, well, if there is a flowery Nirvana out there, let’s just hope this beer takes us there.

Aromas:
Lots of Lavender, Gin, Vanilla, grapes, flowers, peppercorn, hibiscus, citrus, honey dew melon, basil, orange citrus, sage spice, banana, rich plantains, rich oak, sugar cane, flan hints, brown sugar, stone fruit apricot, apples, juniper berries, green tea, chamomile, biscuit bread, clove spice, white wine, chardonay, coriander spice and rye.

Flavors:
Apples, raspberries, white wine grapes, citrus, stone fruit apricots, peaches, plum notes, Gin, vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, honey dew melons, lavender, hibiscus, chamomile hints, green tea, plantains, banana, biscuit bread, sugar cane, flan, brown sugar, peppercorn, orange blossom honey, coriander, clove spice, rye bread, blue basil, ginger spice, chardonay, fancy wine and cheese party, juniper berries, blue berry muffins, cherries and blackberries.

Aftertaste:
Finishing up dry with only some gin, sugar cane sweetness, farmhouse hay, vanilla, oak and white wine grapes. Slight booziness but that is mainly from the Gin but it really doesn’t take way from the awesome flavor but inspires the beer. A sipping drinkability with a almost syrupy mouthfeel and clear to medium golden body.

Overall:
Exceeding a lot of expectations here. This is the first Gin Barrel-Aged Beer I have ever had and it sure flew past that perfect radar for me. There was a lot going on here and as I remember back in the day when I tried Gin I remember it had a unique taste which that and the flowery saison creates a complex berry and flowery type of beer. I highly recommend this one was it is rare to see Gin Barrel-aged beers but also the fact that this one works so damn well with a saison.

Anime Corner:
Original Character Tia Won by Plopinou was used in this pairing for different reasons. The label has shotguns being the first but overall it has to do with the color red and the red coats that the British wear in reference to the Battle of Waterloo which was the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815. Sure, the character does not have a British army vest but red was a primary color. Anyways, that is what I thought of when I heard the name Waterloo although we already know it has to do with the Waterloo Antique Gin. Either way, I thought it was an interesting connection and I figure I would elaborate my choice in pairing.

Sources:
http://yytru.deviantart.com/art/Commission-Tia-461682273

Big Experimental Brew Batch No. 1 by Texas Big Beer Brewing

October 27, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Beer Hybrid, Belgian Golden Strong Ale, Belgian Quadrupel, Belgian Style, Belgian Tripel, Big Experimental Brew Batch No. 1, Candi Sugar, Experimental Brew Batch, Texas, Texas Big Beer Brewing | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.75/5

Big Experimental Brew Batch No. 1 by Texas Big Beer Brewing is an 11.4% ABV Belgian Quad/Belgian Golden Strong Tripel hybrid.

Commercial Description/Lab Notes:
This is our first big experiment to make it on the shelves. This beer is a Big Belgian style beer with all the traditional flavors you expect from fermenting a beer with Belgian style yeast. It is basically a cross between a “Belgian Triple” and a “Belgian Golden Strong.” If you had to force it into a single style it would most resemble a “Belgian Quad” or even bigger! This beer pours a rich golden color and has a rich, sweet malt flavor and a full body mouthfeel. This beer is brewed with a crazy amount of amber Belgian candi syrup which gives it the golden color and really influences the flavor.

With an ABV North of 11% this beer should be respected!

Statictics:
ABV – 11.2%
IBU – 44
SRM – 7.4
___

At an even more special time, this special experimental beer came from my friend Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com who advised this was very great beer. I was not sure what to expect and felt pretty honored to try an ‘experimental beer’ especially one that was made in Texas. This is my first beer from Texas Big Beer Brewing company and already I can see that they like to brew some Big Beers as this Big Experiment has a Big ABV at 11%. The fact that this one is a Quad!? Say no more and let us get on with the review.

Aromas:
Dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, bananas, clove spice, rock candy, dark candi sugar, piloncillo sugar cone, brown sugar, pecan pie, dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, dates, dark cherries, pecan pie, hazelnut, maple, peppercorn, leather, peach cobbler, toasted rye bread with butterscotch, apples and stone fruit like apricots and mango.

Flavors:
Rich piloncillo sugar cone, dark fruits like raisins, plums, figs, dark cherries, stone fruits like mango, peaches, apricots, apples, dragon fruit, raisin bread pudding, vanilla, pecan pie, honey dew melon, peppercorn, bananas, clove spice, biscuit bread, brown sugar, peach cobbler, rock candy, dark candi sugar, toasted rye bread with butterscotch spread, Danish cream, honey, dulce de leche caramel, maple, leathery hints and chocolate hints.

Aftertaste:
Banana notes, dark fruit, stone fruit, caramel, vanilla, maple, piloncillo sugar and peppercorn. No alcohol in the taste, a sipping beer with an almost silky mouthfeel and an amber gold clear to medium body.

Overall:
Damn!! For being my first Texas Big Beer brew, and an experimental recipe at that, this one was mind blowing. Quads and Belgians are some of my favorite beers and this one knocked out my critique out of the park. It is freaking delicious as the blend of the Tripel and the Golden Ale style somehow drinks like if it was a quadrupel. It is insane how the alchemy turns this into a special magic potion.

Anime Corner:
Original art work by imp (sksalfl132) was used to present the hybrid monster that was unleashed by the experimentation of a Tripel and a Golden Ale. While the scientist was not prepared to show how delicious this monster was gonna be, she could only cry at the awesomeness of it. This is one powerful beer.

Sources:
http://pic46.nipic.com/20140821/15189307_120309280834_2.jpg

The Good, The Bad & The Unidragon by Clown Shoes

October 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Blaecorn Unidragon, Bleach, Clown Shoes Brewing, dark chocolate, milk Chocolate, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Russian Imperial Stout, Texas, Texas Dark Malts, The Good The Bad & The Unidragon, Tia Harribel, unidragon, Yoruichi, Yoruichi Shihouin | 1 Comment

Rating: 5.45/5

The Good, The Bad & The Unidragon by Clown Shoes is a 14% ABV Russian Imperial Stout brewed with Texas Dark Malts.

Label:
We brewed this special version of Blaecorn Unidragon using dark malts sourced from Texas, attitude sourced from the burning pit of a bad tempered spirit, and righteous fury from the hand cannons of The Good. As you sit down to a glass, remember, there are two types of people: those who drink unidragons and those whose ashes drift in the breeze.
___

Clown Shoes has been on the move brewing beers specifically for certain states to have taking advantage of the awesome Russian Imperial Stout known as the Blaecorn Unidragon and creating super variants. This is the Texas Only version and there would have been no way I could of obtain this beer if it wasn’t for my friend Aaron and his wife from www.beermetaldude.com. California will get their version soon, but since I am a fan of the Unidragons, I was very exited to bring this one over to the site for a review. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich dark roasted coffee, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, burnt caramel, rocky road ice cream, vanilla, mild smokey notes, smokey notes, tobacco, marshmallow smore hints, pecan pie flan, brown sugar, fudge cake and milk sugar.

Flavors:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, rich roasted coffee grounds, bakers chocolate, dark fruit raisins, currants, dark cherries, mocha, Khalua, milk sugar, java, flan, rocky road icecream, mocha, brown sugar, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel, pecan pie, Irish cream, fudge cake, sweet toffee, earthy notes, oak hints, molasses, anise, marshmallow smores, coconut hints, smokey notes and tobacco.

Aftertaste:
Dark chocolate, roasted coffee, earthy notes, tobacco, caramel, vanilla and caramel hints. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV. It is hidden so damn well. Creamy, silky and smooth mouthfeel, for some reason this has an easy to medium drinkability which really does not make sense despite the ABV. What can be said about the body other than pitch black as the darkest soul of the night and yet an extremely dangerous beer due to the ABV and the drinkability.

Overall:
This beer is insane and way too drinkable for its own ‘good’, which makes it ‘bad’ since it will get you drunk but its a ‘unidragon’ so drink drink drink! The other thing about this beer is that it is very balanced. I was very surprised about how well I could drink this one to the point where I had to stop myself from drinking the whole bottle in one sitting. Yeah it was that good. If you live in any other state, find a way to trade for this but if you live in Texas, you have to get this one for sure!!

Anime Corner:
Yoruichi Shihouin, Tia Harribel & Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck from Bleach represent the good, the bad and the unidragon. Yoruichi is made to look like the bad guy in the label or the wolf man, although she can turn into a cat at will but it fits. She is good and kind hearted though. Harribel is the Bad in the sense that she was bad in the beginning of the series but now is good and she was the vampire slayer beer so for the purposes of the cowboy in the middle, she is good but in the name of the label is the bad. Neliele was always good and neutral and the unidragon of the original pairings so yeah she is awesome. I made this custom screen to fit the need of the scenery and story telling yet you can find the sources below. Can you find any other way of how this beer pairs?

Sources:
http://kriscynical.deviantart.com/art/BLEACH-Yoruichi-by-Washu-M-107334912
http://bleach.ucoz.net/_ph/2/255749857.jpg
http://tremblax.deviantart.com/art/Neliel-Tu-Oderschvank-327882456

Sprung by Five Stones brewing

October 26, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Cibolo Texas, elder flowers, Elderflowers, Five Stones, Five Stones of Cibolo Texas, heather flowers, heather tips, hibiscus flowers, india pale ale, IPA, Spring, Sprung, Texas, Wild flower honey, Wildflower honey | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.45/5

Sprung by Five Stones brewing of Cibolo Texas is a 6.2% ABV India Pale Ale Hancrafted with heather tips, dried Elderflowers and Wild Flower honey.

Label:
Spring has “Sprung” in South Central Texas many years before the official change on the calendar. Often times it is a very short season but welcomed nonetheless. Some of the most beautiful landscape in our great nation is during Spring in Texas when all the wild flowers are in bloom. In honor if this time of year, we brewed Sprung with heather tips, dried elderflowers and wildflower honey keeping a balance of natural floral flavors in mind. We hope you enjoy it while the season is here…Cheers!
___

Another Five Stones has made it to the site thanks to the donation of Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com. This beer is an IPA brewed with Elderflowers and Wildflower honey so I really think it is a best representative for the season. Well, while we are no longer in Spring and IPAs usually tend to give more of a malty flavor with age, I think the bitterness of the flowers may help here. We will have to see for sure, but so far, everything I have tried from Five Stones of Cibolo Texas has been, Amazing!

Aromas:
Very floral, citrus, grapefruit, piney and grassy hops, pineapple, stone fruit apricot hints, caramel, biscuit bread, toffee hints, hibiscus, flowery spices, herbs, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, rye, hazelnut hints and dragon fruit.

Flavors:
Citrus, floral, piney and grassy hops, caramel, toffee, biscuit bread, coriander, pineapple, peppercorns, sage, basil, honey, hazelnut hints, mild rye, honeydew melon, mild guava, kiwi, dragon fruit hints, herbs, hibiscus flowers, lavender and cantaloupe.

Aftertaste:
Citrus, honey, flowers, biscuit bread and piney hops linger. No alcohol in the taste, medium honey body, easy to medium drinkability, creamy mouthfeel, crisp and refreshing.

Overall:
Very good IPA focusing more on the floral and mild stone fruit component than the super hoppy aspects of the beer. While the taste is more malty, it was just as I thought, some of the flowers, spices and tropical hints were more pronounced than hops of other beers. While I cannot say how this beer would have been while it was fresh, at this point in time, it still taste very good and has maintained itself. So if you had tried this one when it was fresh, you won’t be disappointed now. Unless you are a true hop only hop head then I cannot speak for you as I have not tried this fresher. Either way, awesome beer from Five Stones.

Anime Corner:
This original artwork of a bunny girl rocking out was something that seemed to stand out and pair with the label. While I had tried this beer later in the year, the night time rock is what comes to mind when trying a beer that is in the fall vs. the spring. I really think this is the darker side of the bunny and when Spring passes and is Sprung loose it Falls into the night.

Sources:
http://37.media.tumblr.com/38f9e7852c129fb1c9679486958b85df/tumblr_n7desrkGU81qlodbjo1_500.jpg

Chocolate Stout by Guadalupe Brewing of New Braunfel, Texas

August 18, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged aged in Bourbon Barrels, Book of Bantorra, bourbon barrel aged Chocolate Stout, Chocolate Stout, cocoa nibs, Guadalupe Brewing, New Braunfel Texas, Noloty Maruchie, Texas | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.25/5

Chocolate Stout by Guadalupe Brewing of New Braunfel, Texas is 7.22% ABV American Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with cocoa nibs.

Label:
Our Chocolate Stout has a smooth drinkable appeal. Aged on cocoa nibs and American Oak with Bourbon, the complexity makes this a truly great Stout.
___

Chocolate Bourbon aged Stouts?! Yes please! This one seems like a definite treat. Bourbon Barrel Aged beers are awesome. So are Chocolate beers. Mix the two correctly and you have a very special beer. This beer comes to me as a donation by Aaron Mendiola of www.beermetaldude.com. This is the last beer in the package that Aaron sent me so I figured since I like these type of beers, I would save it for last. This the first time I try a Guadalupe Brewing beer so I look forward to this one for sure. Cheers!

Aromas:
Rich Milk and dark chocolate, bourbon hints, vanilla, caramel,pecan pie, peanut butter hints. Cocoa crispies, earthy notes, mocha, coffee, hazelnut, dark fruit raisins, peanut butter cup, bananas, coconut hints, marshmallow, bourbon hints and dark cherry hints.

Flavors:
Rich Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate milk shake, marshmallow, caramel, bourbon, oak, hints of coconut, vanilla, peanut butter cup, earthy coffee notes, flan hints, dark fruit raisins, figs, bananas, clove spice, hints of almond joy, pecans, campfire smoke, ashy hints, burnt oak, cinnamon, dark cherries, fudge cake and flan hints.

Aftertaste:
Dark and milk chocolate, earthy notes, caramel, bourbon vanilla, cherry and smokey notes linger. No alcohol in the taste while maintaining a smooth yet moderate drinkability, pitch black body and moderate mouthfeel.

Overall:
This one does exceed some expectations a bit and I would definitely try it again. While it is not as potent as some of the other stronger ABV beers out there, this one still is able to deliver some nice complex chocolate flavors. This goes to show you don’t always need a high ABV to make it taste nice and rich or complex. It can do better with balance in terms of the smokey and sweet flavors. It is best drunk at warmer temperatures since that is where you can really tell the complexity. This one is worth the try for sure.

Anime Corner:
Noloty Maruchie of the Book of Bantorra was used in this paring to show some of the colors and chocolate flavors. Notoly is by water representing the person on the barrel rowing. The design of Notoly and her fashion pair with the design of the label as well. She represents the mixture of bourbon barrel aging with chocolate cocoa nibs. Sweet and delicious!

Sources:
http://omo.serenana.info/AGP/noloty.jpg

Blood & Honey by Revolver brewing

August 16, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged American Pale Wheat Ale, Black Lagoon, Blood & Honey, Blood Orange, Blood Oranges, Honey comb, Revolver Brewing, Revy, Texas | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.45/5

Blood & Honey by Revolver brewing is a 7% ABV American Pale Wheat Ale brewed with Blood Orange peel, honey and spices.

Label:
An unfiltered deep-golden ale made with malted two-row barley and wheat. Finished with Blood Orange peel, Texas honey and a blend of spices.
___

Straight out of Texas, this dual gunner beer was a generous donation by my friend Aaron Mendiola of www.beermetaldude.com. The name alone is enough to make me want to try it. Blood Oranges or beers with Blood Orange are a treat that doesn’t really come out often. While Blood Oranges themselves taste just like Oranges but look like bloody pulp, it is still intriguing as the mind tends to believe there is a possibility that it taste like something more. Like when giving a blind test people vanilla pudding with brown food coloring, they will say it taste like chocolate. The mind tends to add things. Anyway, aside from that, I am looking for to try this one and to see how it fares. Cheers!

Aromas:
Honey comb, caramel, toffee, grapefruit hints, citrus, biscuit bread, piloncillo sugar cone, maple hints, wheat, peach, mango, blood oranges, lemon zest, coriander spice, strawberry hints, banana yogurt and clove spice.

Flavors:
Honey comb, caramel, biscuit bread, bananas, clove spice, piloncillo, peach, mango hints, cinnamon, maple hints, grapefruit, blood oranges, lemon zest, coriander spice, herbal hop bitterness, wheat bread, strawberry hints and pumpkin hints.

Aftertaste:
Honey comb, peach, strawberry hints, lemon zest, blood orange peel, wheat bread and herbal hop bitterness. No alcohol in the taste. Crisp and refreshing. Medium drinkability, medium mouth feel with a hazy full body.

Overall:
This beer is very good. There is an underlying sweetness in the that is moderately complex which I really believe is attributed to the ingredients used in the beer. This is not the typical wheat ale and has a lot of interesting things going on here. While beer itself is not red, there is nothing left but the taste and aromas to decipher what it is truly like. I can definitively say I like this one and it is worth trying.

Anime Corner:
Revy from Black Lagoon was used in this pairing to go with the brewery’s dual wield label. The blood orange aspect of the beer pays tribute to the deadly but sweet aspect of who Revy. While cold hearted and ruthless as she is for killing, the honey comes into play to show that sweet side of her that is typically not a part of her. It more likely balances her character out in a way. The moon in the background picture also pairs with the name of the beer because Blood and Honey have been 2 different types of descriptions given to some of the moons colors depending on the year season. Revy’s orange aura also compliments the blood oranges as well.

Sources:
http://hdw.datawallpaper.com/anime/revy-two-hs-hd-wallpaper-333012.jpg
http://konachan.com/image/b8018a13b685954f4641036e1e4ff011/Konachan.com%20-%2053635%20ass%20black%20black_lagoon%20hiroe_rei%20revy%20vector.jpg

La Bestia Aimable (1 year aged) by Ranger Creek

June 25, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Belgian Quadrupel, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, La Bestia, La Bestia Aimable, Ranger Creek, San Antonio Texas, sour beer, Texas | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.8/5

La Bestia Aimable (1 year aged) by Ranger Creek is a 9.4% ABV Belgian Strong Dark Ale brewed with honey.

Label:
Bottle Conditioned
Batch# LB-011
Date: 6/25/2013

In 1685, the explorer La Salle claimed Texas in the name of France, landing at Matagorda Bay on a ship called the Aimable. In honor of Texas’ French and Mexican heritages, we created a complex Belgian-style ale with a name to match: La Bestia is Spanish for “The Beast,” while Aimable is French for “friendly.” This devilishly friendly dark strong ale has a rich, complex nose of deep berry and fig with cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper spicy notes, and a superbly drinkable body full of rich, dark fruit flavors. The use of Texas honey and a well attenuated body in the Belgian abbey tradition make this beer superbly drinkable despite its high alcohol content. La Bestia Aimable pairs well with carbonade, lamb, game and fowl, rich cheeses such as triple-crème and Gorgonzola, as well as decadent desserts like sticky toffee pudding, dark chocolate and raspberry cake, and tiramisu.
___

Special thanks to Aaron from www.beermetaldude.com for donating this beer to me. It has been sitting around until today, 6/25/2014, exactly 1 year from the date it was bottled. This is a Belgian quad that you can only find in Texas. Ranger Creek is straight from San Antonio Texas. This is the second beer I try from them. Their other beer was really good so I cannot wait to try this one too. Cheers Aaron and Cheers to Ranger Creek for making this!

Aromas:
Dark fruits like plums, raisins, dulce de leche caramel, oak, funky sour hints, stone fruits like peaches, apricots, honey, apples, rye, smoked peat, cinnamon, dark chocolate, tart raspberries, candi sugars, brown sugar, molasses, anise and flowers.

Flavors:
Caramel, chocolate, tart raspberries, dark fruits like plums and raisins, lots of oak, sour wine grapes, coffee, espresso, port wine notes, cinnamon, vanilla, cherries, molasses, raisin bread pudding, pecans, prailines, honey, apples, rye bread, smoked peat, stone fruit apricots, peaches, mild clove spices and bananas.

Aftertaste:
Raisins, plums, caramel, earthy notes, sour grapes, figs, cinnamon. No alcohol in the aftertaste. A sipping beer, with a medium mouthfeel.

Overall:
Very delicious! This beer reminds me of a Sour Quadruple hybrid. It is not all sour but mostly fruity and tart. The tart aspect with the oak gives it some balance to the sweet quad. I would say, it almost drinks like a Flemish brown like the beers made in the French speaking areas of Belgium I would recommend giving this one a try. It does seem like age has made this one more refined. Be careful when opening this beer as it’s contents could spill upon opening. Best opened over a sink or have the glass ready as to not to spill a drop!!

Anime Corner:
Evil Monster daughter by unknown artist was used in this pairing to pair with the label and the aspect of La Bestia Amaible which is the Friendly beast. The colors pay tribute to an array of flavors provided by this beer. Lots of things going on. The high ABV can be said to be so well hidden that you cannot tell if she has good intentions or not. Either way, delicious and awesome. You decide if the voyage through this beer is well worth your while.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/1AFOkr2.jpg

Endeavour IPA² (a.k.a Divine Reserve #11) by Saint Arnold Brewing of Texas

March 6, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Centennial, columbus hops, DIPA, Divine Reserve, Divine Reserve # 11, Double India Pale Ale, Endeavour IPA², Hops, Imperial IPA, IPA, Saint Arnold, Saint Arnold Brewing of Texas, Simcoe, Texas | Leave a comment

Rating: 5/5

Endeavour IPA² (a.k.a Divine Reserve #11) by Saint Arnold Brewing of Texas is a 8.9% ABV Double/Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with Simcoe, Centennial & Columbus hops.

COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION (Ratebeer.com)
The color is deep amber with a light, creamy head. The nose starts off with a touch of citrus but then turns decidedly into peaches. The taste starts off with creamy malt resulting from the pale 2 row and caramel malts and Saint Arnold yeast. The hop bitter starts low then builds to a crescendo, but always maintains a balance even in its big finish. The hop flavor continues to be peaches, an interesting manifestation of the Columbus, Simcoe and Centennial hops. This is the first Divine Reserve that we have filtered. This decision was made to make the hop flavors brighter, plus it would have been a bottling nightmare with all the hop bits in it. This beer is best enjoyed at 45° or even a little warmer. Though the recipe and style indicate this beer to be enjoyed fresh, we expect this beer to develop interestingly over the years.
___

Special thanks to my good friend Aaron of http://www.beermetaldude.com for proving me my second ever, Saint Arnold beer. This is truly a treat once again as this one is another fine example of a great brewery which we don’t get their beer here in California. The beer I had before from them was very awesome. So to that, I say cheers, thank you SA for making this and thank you Aaron for hooking up a brother Cheers!!

Aromas:
Caramel, toffee, mango, dragon fruit, candied oranges, lemon, citrus, honey, Grapefruit, piney and grassy hops, tangerine, melon, orange preserves and rye.

Flavors:
Grapefruit preserves, piney and grassy hops, tangerine, mango, lemon, orange peel, rye bread, biscuit bread, melon, honey, dragon fruit, caramel, pepper spice, toffee, pineapple, cherry, hop oils, gummy bears and orange marmalade on a toast.

Aftertaste:
Caramel, toffee, grapefruit preserves, tangerines and piney hops. No alcohol in the taste. Medium body and moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Aside from the Tropical end of IPAs, my second love is the malty IPAs. This beer is great and it is a great example of the malty IPA variety. As a reserve series, this is something I would expect, higher ABV and more sweet delicious hop oils. Reminds me of 90 minute IPA almost. Very delicious IPA and definitely worth picking up, if you live in Texas that is. Hope maybe us Socal peeps will get it one day.

Anime Corner:
Original artwork by fangxian cuoluan is used in this pairing to represent the earth in the label of the beer. As the beer floats in space with its delicious flavors, it gazes at out existence to show the height of what delicious IPAs will go through. This beer reaches the height of IPA caramel and the rising sun so forth brings it delicious citrus and complexity. They say you can’t hear anything in space, but you can definitely taste it!!

Aloha Piña by Five Stones of Cibolo Texas

February 7, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Five Stones, Five Stones of Cibolo Texas, jalapeño, pineapple, Stones Craft Brewing Company, Texas, Tia Harribel | Leave a comment

Rating: 4.85/5

Aloha Piña by Five Stones of Cibolo Texas is a 6.43% ABV Golden Ale hand crafted with fresh Pineapple and Roasted Jalapeño.

Label:
“Dude, you need to brew a beer with pineapple and jalapeno!” The inspiration, of course, came while eating a Hawaiian Fire pizza with those toppings. 5 Stones Craft Brewing Company has brewed this American Golden Ale with massive amounts of fresh-cut pineapple, two-row crystal and dextrine malts, Amarillo hops, honey, and roasted jalapenos. Our hope is that you will enjoy this ale, share with friends, and have a “Aloha-Pina Moment” for yourself. To you, we say “Mahalo!” and thank you!
___

Another sweet hook up from Aaron at www.beermetaldude.com and his friends at Five Stones brewery out in Texas. Mahalo! Guys., it is an honor. So this beer is brewed with pineapples and Jalapeños. The only thing that I have tried that may come close to this could be the Stone 11.11.11 but then again this is more tropical than that I am sure. Well, on to the review to see what this special treasure is all about, Cheers!

Aromas:
Wow, very tropical aromas, citrus, mango, papaya, apples, grapefruit pineapple, peppercorn, honey, biscuit, flowers, caramel, subtle pepper spice.

Flavors:
Definitely tasting the Jalapeño, not to the overwhelming heat but the very nice toasted and peppery notes are there along with pineapple, cherry, oranges, mango, papaya, kiwi, lemons, grassy and floral hops, mild honey, mild rye, caramel, biscuit bread, sourdough, apricot, peach, apples, melon, flowers, herbs and spices. Damn, just needs the sauce and we got us a pizza!

Aftertaste:
Finishing with the pineapple, mild peppery notes, flowers, honey and biscuit bread. No alcohol in the taste with a easy to moderate drinkability. Very refreshing and almost crisp. Also, after a couple of sips, the roasted Jalapeño heat will longer a bit. It is quite nice and warming.

Overall:
Crazy and very delicious tropical beer. I can definitely see why the whole pizza thing was definitely the inspiration. It would pair so damn well too. Lots of tropical fruits along with the Jalapeño comes out freaking amazing. Damn, I wish they sold this here in California. I know I would pick this up often. Definitely recommended if you can get your hands on this for sure!

Anime Corner:
Tia Harribel from Bleach in her Resurreccion mode is the perfect pairing for this. You may not know, but here original form hides her face which is basically all skeleton all the way from her nose, down to her mouth, breast and collar bone. In her unleashed form she takes on a more human like persona. She is mainly a water type Espada that is truly more along the lines of a Shark. That aspect pairs with the just the tropics as well as the skull on the label. Her blonde hair and skin represent that of the golden ale and pineapple flavors. Her skin is that of a sunny suntanned which pairs with the beaches of Hawaii. The Flames in the background represent the fire blaze and kick of the Jalapeños in the beer. I you look at some of my other reviews with Tia Harribel, you will see her skeleton form. Can you find any other details about this pairing?

2014 Old Bat Rastard by Freetail Brewing of San Antonio Texas

February 4, 2014 by cloudx30 tagged Old Bat, San Antonio Texas, Texas | Leave a comment

Rating: 5.4/5

2014 Old Bat Rastard by Freetail Brewing of San Antonio Texas is an 8.2% ABV Winter Warmer/Olde Ale.

Label:
Every New Year Old Bat Rastard unfurls his withered wings and stretches, feeling for any sign of the sun warming his would-be thumb. If there is no warmth, he’s in for a long winter; if however he feels a sunrays’ warmth, he folds his leathery appendages back, content to know spring is not far. Deep, tawny brown, our winter warmer welcomes you with its inviting malt aromas and caramelized sweetness. Thick, full and increasingly bitter, this is the beer to break the dead of winter. Suitable for aging but also for sharing, so don’t be a rastard – pass some along to your closest compatriots.

Ingredients: 2-Row, aromatic, dark crystal, caramunich & roast malts ; subdued, yet imposingly present hops; top-fermenting yeast; natural, limestone-filtered, Edwards Aquifer H2O; New Year Resolutions.
___

Special thanks to the ultimate beer metal dude, Aaron for this Rocking beer here. Check out his website at www.beermetaldude.com. This beer is an exclusive out at San Antonio Texas, so if you are lucky to get this one, definitely pick it up. This is the second beer I have had from Freetail and so far everything I have tried has been more than exceptional. I have only seen labels of this beer without really knowing what this is all about until now. If it is anything like La Muerta, expect it to be more than perfect.

Aromas:
Very rich caramel, dark fruits like raisins, plums, dates, prunes, fruit cake, chocolate, fig pudding, toffee, port wine notes, grapes, apples, molasses, anise, rye bread, vanilla and blueberries.

Flavors:
Very similar to the Figgy pudding ale I had long ago, rich dark fruits like figs, raisins, plums, currants, prunes, black berries, blueberries, toffee, rye bread, vanilla, hints port wine, grapes, apples, dulce de leche caramel, candy sugar, molasses, anise, pecan pie, hazelnuts, mild flan hints and earthy hops.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with like an earthy bitter aftertaste that is balanced with the caramel, dark fruits, rye bread and vanilla. No alcohol in the taste, a sipping beer with a good full mouth feel.

Overall:
Damn… This is freaking great!! It exceeded some of my expectations in the category of perfect beer because of the extra rich complex flavors reminding me of the Figgy pudding ale I had long ago but also the Sede Vacante ale but not as strong. This is freaking great and another great honor to try a beer like this from Texas. We don’t get many like this in California but damn, I really wish we could have a lot like this one here.

Anime Corner:
Sakuya Izayoi from Touhou Project was chosen for this pairing to represent the aspect of time. It is the new year and Old Bat Rastard waits for the Spring as it is too cold outside. Her evil red gaze shows the possibility of her being the Bat Rastard although it is not admitted because even the undead vampires have secrets they won’t admit. In the anime series she may not be a vampire, but she works for a Devil, so it sort of fits. I was also looking for a period in time based on what Old Rat Bastard was wearing and it seems to fit something around the steam punk theme. So it fits in my mind. Any other way this pairing fit in your mind?

Salt Lick (Censored) by Jester King and The Salt Lick BBQ collaboration

August 22, 2013 by cloudx30 tagged alcoholic beverage commission, american farmhouse, artistic collaboration, bière de coupage, Censored Beer, collaboration, Collaboration beers, Driftwood, driftwood texas, Farmhouse Ale, federal alcohol, jester king, Oak, Oak aged, oak-smoked, organic saison, pecan wood, pecans, pop phenomenon, Saison, Salt Lick, Salt Lick BBQ, smoke, Smoked Ale, smoked beers, Tamarind, Tamarindo, Tejuino, Texas, Texas Law, unique | 2 Comments

Rating: 4.5/5

Salt Lick (Censored) by Jester King and The Salt Lick BBQ collaboration is a 6.7% Pecan Wood Smoked Saison/Farmhouse ale barrel-aged in wild yeast.

Label:
First came the witches, and soon after there were vampires. They came in droves and each time one popped up it seems to be better looking then the last., each polished to a blinding luster. For a brief moment even werewolves even had there moment in the spotlight, plucked and preened to studio perfection. Then, to our astonishment, monsters comprised of nothing more than smoke joined this pop phenomenon – and that we couldn’t resist.

Notes:
Crafted in the once commonplace, Old World tradition of bière de coupage, young, dry hopped ale is blended with old, barrel-aged sour beer fermented with native yeast. A portion of the malt was smoked over pecan wood at The Salt Lick BBQ (Censored) in Driftwood, Texas. Unfiltered, unpasteurized and naturally conditioned.
___

Last year, this beer used to be called Salt Lick but per Texas law below, they had to change it:
Update: Our original label application for Salt Lick Pecan Wood Smoked Saison was rejected by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), after having been approved by the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB). We have renamed this beer “Censored” for sale in Texas.

Here is the original label: http://beerpulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Jester-King-Salt-Lick-Pecan-Wood-Smoked-Saison.png

Along with Das Wunderkind!, I was able to get this one online as well. Jester King makes some of the finest Saisons out there. Goes to show that each Brewery does not have to brew a particular variety of styles but when focused a certain style can go into depths that no other beer can. Yes I am looking at those breweries like Jolly Pumpkin (Sours), Stillwater Artisanal (Gypsy Saisons), The Bruery (Belgian Styles) and many more . I will definitely try to get more amazing JK reviews going . So far I have 5 beers. Check out my other reviews .

One thing to not about this beer, when I opened it, sat it down on the table to take pictures. The beer came to life . Unlike my previous experience with Fantome Boo! Where the beer came gushing out to no ends, this one slowly but surely started to rise, little by little as it came out the bottle and surprised me about a minute later. Now I understand what the label meant about the paranormal :S

Aromas of this beer are quite intriguing. Very Smokey, campfire oak, honey glazed ham, pineapple, peppercorns, tart citrus, musty grapes, minor flower notes, herbs, rotting wood, hidden spices, peaches, apples, salt, hay, lemon juice, tobacco and BBQ pit with spices.

The flavors are of lemon, citrus, salt, smokey honey glazed ham, biscuit bread, Tejuino (Mexican fermented corn drink with lime, sugar and salt), tamarind, hazalenut, over matured orange, sourdough wheat bread, coriander, lemon pepper spice, white peppercorns, barn yard hay, very oaky, musty grapes, a touch of apricot, apples, butter, apple cider vinegar notes, black pepper, sage and other earthy spices.

The aftertaste is somewhere between, salty, smokey, tart, slight sour, fruity and spicy. Quite the combination and smooth and moderately refreshing in fact. This seems way too good to be true. Like drinking this around late august, early September is like perfect because you get nice refreshing notes and that campfire warmth feel you would get as the times approach the fall.

Amazingly this is the first time I have had a beer that is both strictly smokey and slightly sour. Reminds me a lot of Tejuino which is a Mexican fermented corn drink with lime, sugar and salt and sometimes chile added. Very Unique, very interesting, and very delicious. You probably will bee to have an acquired taste for sours or even smoked beers to greatly enjoy this one. Although to me, the balances with the saison is not too overwhelmingly smokey or sour. It fits perfectly in both sides of the universe. Excellent stuff and very awesome if you can find it .