2017 Eclipse Mocha Imperial Stout in collaboration with FiftyFifty Brewing Co. and Craftbeerkings.com

Rating: 7/7

2017 Eclipse Mocha Imperial Stout in collaboration with FiftyFifty Brewing Co. and Craftbeerkings.com is an 11% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Honey, Mostra Cold Toddy coffee and cacao nibs

A bourbon barrel aged imperial stout brewed with cacao and cold toddy coffee.

Brewed with Mostra cold brew coffee, and released exclusively through Craft Beer Kings.

This is supremely amazing! Mixed Berry, mocha, chocolate cake and Dulce de leche. Also, has flavors of jelly doughnuts and lots of complexity that is definitely worthy of World Class. One of the best of this year!!!

Starfish IPA by Brouwerij West

 

Rating: 5/5
 
Starfish IPA by Brouwerij West is a 6.8% ABV India Pale Ale with Mecca Grade barley, raw wheat, raw oats, raw rye, Chinook and Centennial hops, double dry hopped.
Super juice haze into the the dank west coast realm making it a super hybrid of an IPA. For this pairing I went with Undertale as I wanted to do a comparison of the skeleton in the label and Fritz as she looks to the water.

 

(2017 Birthday Review) Home brew Project #29 SangriLeche Chapter: 2 – Hey You, Wanna Buy Some ChocoW00tCherries?!!? by Nubis Sanctum Ales

Rating: 6.25/7

Home brew Project #29 SangriLeche Chapter: 2 – Hey You, Wanna Buy Some ChocoW00tCherries?!!? by Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 14% ABV Imperial Milk Stout brewed with Blood Lord Bourbon Barrel Aged Espresso Coffee Beans, Dark Chocolate, Cacao Nibs, Vanilla Beans, Sweet Cherry Puree, Gold Syrup and Pecans Oak aged in Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon.

Label:
SangriLeche, Chapter: 2 Hey You, Wanna Buy Some ChocoW00tCherries?!!?
Damn it all! This is what I get for listening to pink haired broads trying to sell me some goods off the streets. When people used to tell me not to take candy from strangers, I should have listened. Heck, you too! How the hell else you get a hold of this damn cursed bottle. I was but a pawn to this girl’s seductions. Trying to sell me a bottle of some magical cherries and now, I am stuck here. Going on these dumbass, fucking space adventures.
I heed you warning though friend, do not make the same mistake I made. Drinking this will only summon that cherry choco cordial selling girl with no remorse and you will be a slave to this like I have. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya! Don’t drink this BEER!

Imperial Milk Stout brewed with Blood Lord Bourbon Barrel Aged Espresso Coffee Beans, Dark Chocolate, Cacao Nibs, Vanilla Beans, Sweet Cherry Puree, Gold Syrup and Pecans Oak aged in Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon.

==Introduction==

Project #29 was inspired by everything that is awesome! Beer, Anime, Video Games and anything that celebrates geekdom. For the longest time, I always wanted to make a beer similar to the Bruery and Three Floyds Collaboration: Rue D’Floyd. An Imperial Porter aged in bourbon barrels with Vanilla, Cherries and Coffee. Since the days of Project #6 Oblivixen’s “Sangri-Leche” Maelstrom, I knew I wanted to make return to that beer. A beer that took a lot of experimentation, effort and time to essentially become, my first attempt at barrel/oak aging a beer. It was such a damn hit that it paved way for some of my other oak aged brews which I was very fond of and so were many of my friends. The return of the Sangrileche, however, was going to be different. Essentially, as I pondered about beer and geeky stuff, I remember how awesome and geeky Stone’s W00tStout was.

When I had heard that Wil Wheaton was awesome enough to share the recipe, I thought awesome I wanna brew that beer too. Then I thought, wait a second, What if I borrow some ideas from that W00tStout recipe and create my own new recipe . Essentially, it would not be a Belgian Stout, but many of the Sangrileche elements would make a return. Not in the way I imagined but very damn close. Heck, I wanted to make a W00Stout/Rue D’Floyd hybrid. Since Sangrileche already carried the vanilla, cherries and coffee like it did with Rue D’Floyd, why not, pay tribute and make it similar to that using some W00tstout inspirations of Pecans in place of peanut butter and add more dark chocolate and some sweeter cherries. What really put the “Cherry” on this dessert was when I brought the unholy grail of the Bourbon Barrel Blood Lord Coffee into the mix. Dark Matter’s Coffee beans, Unicorn’s Blood Coffee (Which were also used in the original Sangri Leche) aged in bourbon barrels that had “Three Floyds – Dark Lord Imperial Stout”. Yes, this coffee had a limited run but it was worth it to create this madness of a beer that would soon be the second coming of BloodyMilk (SangriLeche). So with that and a special Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon (Unfortunately I ran out of Dragon’s Milk Bourbon) which was referred to me by my friend Oscar, this beer was finally born.

W00h! That’s a mess, TL:DR. Essentially, it took me several months of aging but this beer made it just in time to bring it to the website and give my thoughts on my crazy creation. Why does it have so much game influences? Go Read or Listen to the “Ready Player One”, which is also narrated by, you guessed it, Wil MuddaFuckin’ Wheaton himself! Yes, that book has so many references to the 80’s and 90’s lore just like this beer has so much going on making it in my mind, one of the best video game beers and also one of the best home brews I have ever brewed to date. With that says, today marks my birthday so this is essentially a treat to myself and fans alike. Cheers and thank you for your support!!

Aromas:
Chocolate Cherry Cordials, Dark chocolate, earthy chocolate, Chocolate abuelita, Carlos V Mexican chocolate, oak, bourbon, vanilla, toffee, caramel, mocha coffee, dark fruit raisins, prunes, currants, blackberries, raspberries, pecan pie, flan, crème brulee, banana split sundae, rocky road ice cream, Khalua coffee notes, coconut hints, walnuts, Irish cream, chocolate cherry cake, milk sugar, chocolate port wine, Nutella chocolate, oatmeal cookies, anise, tobacco and leather.

Flavors:
Super Rich Dark Chocolate, Chocolate abuelita, Carlos V Mexican chocolate, earthy chocolate, almost like a mole spice, Milk chocolate, German Chocolate, Bakers Chocolate, Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla, Dulce de leche caramel, toffee, butterscotch, dark fruit raisins, currants, raspberries, blackberries, prunes, dark cherries, sweet cherries, port wine, Nutella chocolate, Chocolate Cherry Cordials, Banana split Sundae, whipped cream, marzipan, mazapan, pecan pie, hazelnut nectar, walnuts, prailines, rocky road ice cream, almond joy chocolate, toasted coconut hints, flan, sweetened condensed milk, cocoa krispies, Kahlua coffee Liqueur, Irish cream notes, Cherry Chocolate cake, Tres Leches/ Three Milks cake, mocha, roasted coffee notes, fancy coffee notes, oak, bourbon, molasses, mint chocolate chip hints, oreo cookies and cream, raisin bread pudding, lactose milk sugar and chocolate cookie dough.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with Chocolates for days, Nutella, dark chocolates, Mexican chocolate, dark cherries, vanilla, caramel, earthy chocolate, oak, bourbon hints, mocha, pecan pie and banana split cherry sundae. For being my strongest beer to date at 14%, you can’t really any of the alcohol. The body is fully pitch black and abysmal like the previous iteration of Sangrileche. The mouthfeel is very smooth, not as chewey as the original sangrileche but velvety and syrupy. A major sipper for sure, but this brew was made to be sipped and taken with ease.

Overall:
Ridiculous. Really fucking ridiculous, oh did I mention, fucking ridiculous! While it is not as sweet as the original Sangrileche, its still a dessert though. Not cloying and very out there. The majority of the beer is like drinking chocolate syrup like some of the best choco vanilla barrel aged beers out there. The cherries really start to play when the beer warms up and more of the dark fruit flavors start to come out. While the beer does not have much head retention, it is expected at such a high 14% ABV. Now, the real question is, did I really succeed in making the ultimate hybrid geek beer. The answer is Yes and No. Yes because the flavors are similar to those on the Bruery and Three Floyds and W00tstout combined with some Dark Lord Imperial Stout. The No part really has to do with the fact that it is not those beers, its my own creation. It is something new but at the same time, it is a geek beer. I poured so much effort and fan splurging as I can possibly think of into this. Geekdoms are made by fans and Geek inspired home brews are made by fans as well. So yeah, it is a fucking Geek Beer in its own damn righr. A crazy one at that. Even so, as crazy as some of my other beer recipes have been in the past, this one truly takes the cake. Yes, how appropriate, cake for my birthday. Cheers!

Anime Corner:
Haruko Haruhara from FLCL/Fooly Cooly and many video game characters were all chosen in this pairing because for being an insane and really out there beer, I needed to bring an anime character from one of the most beloved franchises who is all about rock and is a space psycho. You really have to think, how crazy this beer is with all its ingredients, colors, strength, retro name and geekiness. Yes, recipe base of W00tstout inspired darkness is the embodiment of pure Beer and Geeky media! While Krystal Fox from Star Fox was the original mascot for this beer, I paid tribute to her as you can see from the label. Yes, I could think of no one better.

Sources:
https://ugc.kn3.net/i/origin/http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h476/santo969/501623.jpg?t=1298836348
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/5d/cb/5d/5dcb5ddbdf54b59cb498801cf17d272b.jpg
http://wallpapersonthe.net/wallpapers/l/haruko_haruharu_flcl_anime_vespa_haruko-8042.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I2yHaMXsWRs/WBU65zSeaMI/AAAAAAAADfI/jGUBAKYYpUsA2JD6ShTPtr76MBfEpIS6QCJoC/w426-h400/16%2B-%2B1
http://fanfics.frikitest.com/imagenes/foro/vD5hFVbG2taLxki.jpg
https://vamf.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/flcl-14.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.roosterteeth.com/uploads/images/2a699fb8-5fcb-433b-a439-2694a298c778/md/halo3paranod4b7cfec536a08.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/88/8d/03/888d035c3f1efdc54680b7d58c3868f5.jpg

Sugaree Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie by High Water brewing

Rating: 6/6
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Sugaree Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie by High Water brewing is a 9.8% ABV American Strong Ale brewed with Vermont Maple sugar, Bourbon Barrel Oak chips and pecan.

Label:
Fill Your Pie Hole

Sugaree offers a big slice of flavors that you wish Grandma had put in her famous Thanksgiving pie. Sit back, relax and enjoy a wonderful bottle of liquid love. You will be transported back to times of holiday joy and family get togethers from the past. This is a special treat from us to you, to help relive some of those special memories or maybe help create some new ones.

==Introduction==
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High Water brewing is a brewery I haven’t had a chance to try much. I think I have seen some of their beers at the store before but this was the first time one of them really caught my eye. Being a fan of dessert beers, it is a major weakness of mine. I love sweet beers so this bourbon barrel aged maple and pecan pie beer sounded awesome! The last time I had something similar was the Southern Slice from Terrapin and Cigar City, which was awesome! I know I would have to gauge this one a bit different from that one but I am definitely glad I was able find it to bring it to the site. Let’s have a look, cheers!

Aromas:
Rich maple syrup, coffee cake, cinnamon, piloncillo sugar cone, flan hints, dulce de leche caramel, french toast, apples, stone fruit peach, sweet potato pie, molasses, toasted rye bread, toffee, vanilla, mild bourbon notes and dark fruits.

Flavors:
Rich pecan pie, rich maple syrup, hazelnut nectar, vanilla, oak, dulce de leche caramel, brown sugar, fruit cake, piloncillo sugar cone, flan, cinnamon, bourbon notes, marshmallow smores, piney, earthy and floral hops, sweet potato pie, molasses, toasted rye bread, french toast, apples, stone fruit peach hints, honey comb, waffle cone, coffee cake, dark fruit raisins, cherry hints, milk chocolate, marzipan, almond joy hints, Danish cream hints, toffee, scotch, butterscotch and chocolate truffle hints.
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Aftertaste:
Awesome pecan pie lingering notes of maple, vanilla, caramel, toffee, bourbon, coffee cake, oak and earthy hops. No alcohol in the taste. Crimson amber light to hazy bod. Smooth mildy crisp, refreshing, Easy to moderate drinkability despite the ABV.

Overall:
Damn exceptional brew balancing out the super sweetness with some nice hops. The reason I give this one a high grade has to do with the ability to combine a brew that is exactly what I feel they set it out to be while at the same time giving some balance that is usually reminiscent of one of my favorite American Strong ales, essentially, notes of oaked Arrogant bastard. The brew is definitely a pecan pie that is not overly sweet so those looking for a delicious hoppy brew that is not too sweet will find a winner. I highly recommend this one.
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Anime Corner:
Temmie from Undertale was chosen in this pairing, as I wanted to pair her with a beer, as she became one of my favorite characters from the series. Since I found this brew with colors that best pair Temmie, I went with it and I feel with the whole dessert aspect of this beer, it fit great!
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Sources:
https://images5.alphacoders.com/727/thumb-1920-727790.png
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/001/150/352/72b.png
http://img15.deviantart.net/ed70/i/2016/016/7/1/hoi_i_m_temmie_by_kenokino-d9o4a6v.png
https://static1.e621.net/data/33/d9/33d946ff99b7472ab82efae68767523c.png
http://img14.deviantart.net/1830/i/2016/097/e/3/hoi___by_hilcolor-d9y1ew2.png

2015 Dragon’s Milk Reserve “Double Dragon” Triple-Mashed Stout by New Holland brewing

16486959_10103986382070340_1047002380448819807_oRating: 7/7

2015 Dragon’s Milk Reserve “Double Dragon” Triple-Mashed Stout by New Holland brewing is a 14% ABV Imperial Milk/Sweet Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
“Double Dragon is triple-mashed Dragon’s Milk, aged in New Holland Artisan Spirits oak barrels. Intense malt character is paired with the toasted notes of American White Oak, Robust, yet balanced, Double Dragon is an experience all its own.

Pairings: The stinkiest cheese, darkest chocolate and a day off.

==Introduction==
16664957_10103986381686110_7141368910122482632_o
Aged for two years hiding in the depths of the ends of the earth not to be disturbed until recently. The dragon has awoken. Well, it was not really found in some remote spot, but the excitement to get a chance to try the fabled, Double Dragon is definitely awesome. Since the first time I tried Dragon’s Milk, all those years ago, it was a beer that was my first and favorite from New Holland. I went out of my way to try to find the variants such as the raspberry and the coconut rum one and even the actual Bourbon that was made from this Beer. It was the inspiration and ingredient used In 2 of my special homebrews which came out awesome. So I feel that bringing this to the website is a damn honor for sure to one of my favorite beers. Will it hold up the original, let’s see, cheers!

Aromas:
Cadbury cream chocolate caramel eggs, Dark Chocolate, milk chocolate, Chocolate milk shake, Chocolate mousse, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, hazelnut nectar, mocha coffee, espresso coffee, Kahlua Liqueur, Jamoca ice cream, Irish cream, fruit cake, sweetened condensed milk, tiramisu, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, bourbon, Nutella, dark fruits like raisins, prunes, figs, blackberries, plums, raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, currants and toasted rye.

Flavors:
Rich Rocky Road Ice cream, dulce de leche caramel, vanilla, crème brulee, flan,Dark Chocolate, milk chocolate, Chocolate milk shake, Chocolate mousse, Bakers Chocolate, German Chocolate, Belgian Chocolate, hazelnut nectar, Nutella, oak, bourbon, toasted coconut, marshmallows, Major Dark fruits like raisins, prunes, figs, blackberries, plums, raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries, currants, mocha coffee, espresso coffee, Kahlua Liqueur, Jamoca ice cream, Irish cream, molasses, anise, tobacco notes, leather, steamed milk, Cadbury cream chocolate caramel eggs, peanut butter notes, cocoa crispies, fudge chocolate, toasted rye, brown sugar, fruit cake, Danish cream, pecan pie, truffle chocolate, tiramisu and sweetened condensed milk.
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Aftertaste:
Finishing with Rich mixed Chocolates, Caramel, Rocky Road, vanilla, oak, bourbon, earthy notes, marshmallows, nutella, coconut and cadbury cream eggs. No alcohol in the taste despite the ABV. Aged has smoothed it out. Dark crimson full body, smooth, creamy, velvety and mildly syrupy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.
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Overall:
A dragon unlike any other. A rare dragon like the three headed Final Fantasy Dragon, Tiamat. In liquid form. A bucket lister which I wish I had more of. For such a 12 ounce beer, much care and time must be taken. The flavors are super complex with an overall sweetness that lingers for a while. Nothing cloying but a malty complexity that can only be described as damn! A ton of roasty, oaky, bourbon and malty dark fruit comeplexity. I know there is a 2017 version of this beer that is even stronger but for this aging over 2 years, it is insane! It sure matured into a grand dragon for sure.I highly recommend getting this one!
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Anime Corner:
Toriel Dreemurr from the Undertale series was chosen not for the fact that she is not a dragon (a caprine), but for the characteristics of a dragon. When I thought of milk from a dragon, especially reserve as well as dessert, I could think of no other character. In the game, she makes butterscotch or cinnamon pie and pie goes great with milk. So essentially, the beer pairing I think works well as a dessert. The fact that this was a stronger version of my favorite beer, I also had to choose a strong character.
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Sources:
http://www.deviantart.com/art/undertale-welcome-my-child-606651582
http://68.media.tumblr.com/c9ae1b6af9d9deb890918e913e59980a/tumblr_ogpz5ccqrf1snoswqo1_500.png
https://static1.e926.net/data/3f/32/3f3263449063a40f0cc2dfa4dbf9ddf3.png
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5rfmzGL-7xU/maxresdefault.jpg
http://pm1.narvii.com/6184/cf822a41c85a11d8a565d5e239bf0c3409db2fe9_hq.jpg
http://orig05.deviantart.net/c524/f/2016/181/5/8/toriel_pin_up__undertale__by_catcouch-d9dp09r.jpg